Seems pretty childish right? Well it is. And I guess my problem is this... Why has name calling become the norm in attempting to make "your sides" argument? I mean it is everywhere. Whether you are Red, Blue, Purple or Green it all ends the same. Well that's stupid. He/She is dumb. That person is such a (enter expletive here). Do we really have to allow our discussions and debates to end in such a puerile way?
I see this everywhere, from simple every day conversations up through heavy political debating. Some things in life are stupid or ridiculous. That's the way it is. But how can that be your final word? EXPLAIN!!! Tell me how and why something is unsatisfactory. Give me educated solutions to the problem. Simple name calling will not solve anything.
I am clearly not the most intelligent person out there. At best I have an average IQ, and I have not completed college and/or earned a degree. But if I am feeling strongly about a particular issue I can tell you why! Will you agree? I have no idea, (and since somehow I have an even split of liberal and conservative friends there is a 50% chance that you don't agree with me) but I will give you the reasons that I agree or disagree with something, whatever the topic is. I will admit, I've had to stop and research things that people have presented to me, things I had never heard before, but just because I didn't know a piece of information doesn't give me the right to stick my tongue out and say well that's just stupid and walk away. I will listen. Sometimes in the end we may have to end with agreeing to disagree, but won't that make us feel a little more like, say, Adults? Maybe even Professionals?
You know, even as I am writing this and going back and rereading it I realize it might come across as a little condescending, and maybe it is. This doesn't apply to everyone, because there are civilized people out there (and I consider you civilized if you have the discipline to refrain from using slurs to make your point) and those are the people that I will give my time over to. Do you remember when your mother told you "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all"? I'm going to amend that a bit... If you don't have something nice to say, just don't resort to name calling.
*update* For the record, throwing things even something as relatively "harmless" as GLITTER (harmless unless of course it gets in your eyes and blinds you) is not only the epitome of childish, IT IS ASSAULT! Those people that resort to these kinds of methods are people that don't truly have anything to say. They want glory and prestige, their 15 minutes if you will, and nothing else. They only harm their "causes".
Dave Barry "The word user is the word used by the computer professional when they mean idiot. "
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
TSA part II
I WISH I could take credit for writing this...
Thought I would share this great dystopian satire–note the paragraphs about the TSA cavity search….
Thanksgiving (?) 2022
Winston, come into the dining room, it’s time to eat,” Julia yelled to her husband. “In a minute, honey, it’s a tie score,” he answered.
Actually Winston wasn’t very interested in the traditional holiday football game between Detroit and Washington . Ever since the government passed the Civility in Sports Statute of 2017, outlawing tackle football for its “unseemly violence” and the “bad example it sets for the rest of the world,” Winston was far less of a football fan than he used to be. Two-hand touch wasn’t nearly as exciting.
Yet it wasn’t the game that Winston was uninterested in. It was more the thought of eating another Tofu Turkey . Even though it was the best type of VeggieMeat available after the government revised the American Anti-Obesity Act of 2018, adding fowl to the list of federally-forbidden foods, (which already included potatoes, cranberry sauce and mince-meat pie), it wasn’t anything like real turkey. And ever since the government officially changed the name of “Thanksgiving Day” to “A National Day of Atonement” in 2020 to officially acknowledge the Pilgrims’ historically brutal treatment of Native Americans, the holiday had lost a lot of its luster.
Eating in the dining room was also a bit daunting. The unearthly gleam of government-mandated fluorescent light bulbs made the Tofu Turkey look even weirder than it actually was, and the room was always cold. Ever since Congress passed the Power Conservation Act of 2016, mandating all thermostats – which were monitored and controlled by the electric company – be kept at 68 degrees, every room on the north side of the house was barely tolerable throughout the entire winter.
Still, it was good getting together with family. Or at least most of the family. Winston missed his mother, who passed on in October, when she had used up her legal allotment of life-saving medical treatment. He had had many heated conversations with the Regional Health Consortium, spawned when the private insurance market finally went bankrupt, and everyone was forced into the government health care program. And though he demanded she be kept on her treatment, it was a futile effort. “The RHC’s resources are limited,” explained the government bureaucrat Winston spoke with on the phone. “Your mother received all the benefits to which she was entitled. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Ed couldn’t make it either. He had forgotten to plug in his electric car last night, the only kind available after the Anti-Fossil Fuel Bill of 2021 outlawed the use of the combustion engines-for everyone but government officials. The fifty mile round trip was about ten miles too far, and Ed didn’t want to spend a frosty night on the road somewhere between here and there.
Thankfully, Winston’s brother, John, and his wife were flying in. Winston made sure that the dining room chairs had extra cushions for the occasion. No one complained more than John about the pain of sitting down so soon after the government-mandated cavity searches at airports, which severely aggravated his hemorrhoids. Ever since a terrorist successfully smuggled a cavity bomb onto a jetliner, the TSA told Americans the added “inconvenience” was an “absolute necessity” in order to stay “one step ahead of the terrorists.” Winston’s own body had grown accustomed to such probing ever since the government expanded their scope to just about anywhere a crowd gathered, via Anti-Profiling Act of 2022. That law made it a crime to single out any group or individual for “unequal scrutiny,” even when probable cause was involved. Thus, cavity searches at malls, train stations, bus depots, etc., etc., had become almost routine. Almost.
The Supreme Court is reviewing the statute, but most Americans expect a Court composed of six progressives and three conservatives to leave the law intact. “A living Constitution is extremely flexible,” said the Court’s eldest member, Elena Kagan. ” Europe has had laws like this one for years. We should learn from their example,” she added.
Winston’s thoughts turned to his own children. He got along fairly well with his 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, mostly because she ignored him. Winston had long ago surrendered to the idea that she could text anyone at any time, even during Atonement Dinner. Their only real confrontation had occurred when he limited her to 50,000 texts a month, explaining that was all he could afford. She whined for a week, but got over it.
His 16-year-old son, Jason, was another matter altogether. Perhaps it was the constant bombarding he got in public school that global warming, the bird flu, terrorism or any of a number of other calamities were “just around the corner,” but Jason had developed a kind of nihilistic attitude that ranged between simmering surliness and outright hostility. It didn’t help that Jason had reported his father to the police for smoking a cigarette in the house, an act made criminal by the Smoking Control Statute of 2018, which outlawed smoking tobacco anywhere within 500 feet of another human being. Marijuana is however permitted and encouraged. Winston paid the $5,000 fine, which might have been considered excessive before the American dollar became virtually worthless as a result of QE13. The latest round of quantitative easing the federal government initiated was, once again, to “spur economic growth.” This time they promised to push unemployment below its years-long rate of 18%, but Winston was not particularly hopeful.
He wondered what might have happened if the public had stood up while there was still time, maybe back around 2011, when all the real nonsense began. “Maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today if we’d just said ‘enough is enough’ when we had the chance,” he thought.
Maybe so, Winston. Maybe so
Martin Luther King, Jr "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed"
Thought I would share this great dystopian satire–note the paragraphs about the TSA cavity search….
Thanksgiving (?) 2022
Winston, come into the dining room, it’s time to eat,” Julia yelled to her husband. “In a minute, honey, it’s a tie score,” he answered.
Actually Winston wasn’t very interested in the traditional holiday football game between Detroit and Washington . Ever since the government passed the Civility in Sports Statute of 2017, outlawing tackle football for its “unseemly violence” and the “bad example it sets for the rest of the world,” Winston was far less of a football fan than he used to be. Two-hand touch wasn’t nearly as exciting.
Yet it wasn’t the game that Winston was uninterested in. It was more the thought of eating another Tofu Turkey . Even though it was the best type of VeggieMeat available after the government revised the American Anti-Obesity Act of 2018, adding fowl to the list of federally-forbidden foods, (which already included potatoes, cranberry sauce and mince-meat pie), it wasn’t anything like real turkey. And ever since the government officially changed the name of “Thanksgiving Day” to “A National Day of Atonement” in 2020 to officially acknowledge the Pilgrims’ historically brutal treatment of Native Americans, the holiday had lost a lot of its luster.
Eating in the dining room was also a bit daunting. The unearthly gleam of government-mandated fluorescent light bulbs made the Tofu Turkey look even weirder than it actually was, and the room was always cold. Ever since Congress passed the Power Conservation Act of 2016, mandating all thermostats – which were monitored and controlled by the electric company – be kept at 68 degrees, every room on the north side of the house was barely tolerable throughout the entire winter.
Still, it was good getting together with family. Or at least most of the family. Winston missed his mother, who passed on in October, when she had used up her legal allotment of life-saving medical treatment. He had had many heated conversations with the Regional Health Consortium, spawned when the private insurance market finally went bankrupt, and everyone was forced into the government health care program. And though he demanded she be kept on her treatment, it was a futile effort. “The RHC’s resources are limited,” explained the government bureaucrat Winston spoke with on the phone. “Your mother received all the benefits to which she was entitled. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Ed couldn’t make it either. He had forgotten to plug in his electric car last night, the only kind available after the Anti-Fossil Fuel Bill of 2021 outlawed the use of the combustion engines-for everyone but government officials. The fifty mile round trip was about ten miles too far, and Ed didn’t want to spend a frosty night on the road somewhere between here and there.
Thankfully, Winston’s brother, John, and his wife were flying in. Winston made sure that the dining room chairs had extra cushions for the occasion. No one complained more than John about the pain of sitting down so soon after the government-mandated cavity searches at airports, which severely aggravated his hemorrhoids. Ever since a terrorist successfully smuggled a cavity bomb onto a jetliner, the TSA told Americans the added “inconvenience” was an “absolute necessity” in order to stay “one step ahead of the terrorists.” Winston’s own body had grown accustomed to such probing ever since the government expanded their scope to just about anywhere a crowd gathered, via Anti-Profiling Act of 2022. That law made it a crime to single out any group or individual for “unequal scrutiny,” even when probable cause was involved. Thus, cavity searches at malls, train stations, bus depots, etc., etc., had become almost routine. Almost.
The Supreme Court is reviewing the statute, but most Americans expect a Court composed of six progressives and three conservatives to leave the law intact. “A living Constitution is extremely flexible,” said the Court’s eldest member, Elena Kagan. ” Europe has had laws like this one for years. We should learn from their example,” she added.
Winston’s thoughts turned to his own children. He got along fairly well with his 12-year-old daughter, Brittany, mostly because she ignored him. Winston had long ago surrendered to the idea that she could text anyone at any time, even during Atonement Dinner. Their only real confrontation had occurred when he limited her to 50,000 texts a month, explaining that was all he could afford. She whined for a week, but got over it.
His 16-year-old son, Jason, was another matter altogether. Perhaps it was the constant bombarding he got in public school that global warming, the bird flu, terrorism or any of a number of other calamities were “just around the corner,” but Jason had developed a kind of nihilistic attitude that ranged between simmering surliness and outright hostility. It didn’t help that Jason had reported his father to the police for smoking a cigarette in the house, an act made criminal by the Smoking Control Statute of 2018, which outlawed smoking tobacco anywhere within 500 feet of another human being. Marijuana is however permitted and encouraged. Winston paid the $5,000 fine, which might have been considered excessive before the American dollar became virtually worthless as a result of QE13. The latest round of quantitative easing the federal government initiated was, once again, to “spur economic growth.” This time they promised to push unemployment below its years-long rate of 18%, but Winston was not particularly hopeful.
He wondered what might have happened if the public had stood up while there was still time, maybe back around 2011, when all the real nonsense began. “Maybe we wouldn’t be where we are today if we’d just said ‘enough is enough’ when we had the chance,” he thought.
Maybe so, Winston. Maybe so
Martin Luther King, Jr "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed"
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
TSA and our submission to SEXUAL ABUSE in the name of national security
I am going to give you many definitions, not to insult your intelligence but to ensure clarity.
U.S. Constitution - Amendment 4
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Probable cause: must be based on factual evidence and not just on suspicion.
Terrorism: the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for political purposes.
Sexual assault: is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent
TSA Mission, Vision, and Core Values (from the tsa website): The Transportation Security Administration protects the Nation's transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.
I think most people would agree that this a hot top for debate. The role of TSA. Just like the majority of government ideas, policies and agencies, they are good... IN THEORY! Unfortunately we live in an age where poor execution is the new norm. This is the disturbingly real byproduct of too much government involvement. When too many great minds get together common sense flees the room in a hurry, at least so it seems.
I have to say, I'm honestly a bit surprised that TSA was never mentioned in the GOP Presidential debate on 13 June 2011. I would have LOVED to see the candidates positions on TSA over involvement. Here is my solution... PRIVATE AIRPORT SECURITY!! Wow... what a concept.
Look for all of you people that are about to start screaming and yelling about "this invasion of privacy keeps us safe" and "what about the terrorists" or even "I'll endure the harassment, it's not that big of a deal" ... People, WHAT are you thinking? All of that is big government rhetoric. They feed you that crap because FEAR gives the government CONTROL over you. Re-look at the definition of terrorism. Guess what. People don't have to die in order for you to live in fear. The simple threat is enough. Am I saying our government is terrorizing us... Not exactly, although they are not doing ANYTHING to reassure us of the safety of this nation. Have you ever thought about who the TSA agents are? They are common citizens with nothing but a pay check in mind. Believe me, they are paid to go through the motions, but not to give a damn about you. You are not their priority. Let me be fair. Most of those agents are probably honest, hard working people. Just like every where else. HOWEVER, we have put those people in such a shameful position by demanding that they sexually assault thousands of people every single day. Oh wait! WE didn't do this... The federal government did.
So what is their goal? I have it posted above. They work for our freedom of movement. I'll be damned, and here I was thinking they were restricting it! Please see the 4th amendment... I implore you... Think about what you say before you say it... What I mean by that is people claim they feel safer with the RANDOM tsa pat downs. Safer how exactly? Are we blinded by appearance? Do we have blind faith that TRUE COMBATANT TERRORISTS have no idea what we are doing? We are one step behind. For every "safety measure" we roll out they have already figured out 5 different ways to bypass it. They watch EVERYTHING that "security" does. Don't ever mistake those people for being stupid. Misguided, Yes. Vicious, Yes. Extremists, Yes. Cold, Heartless Cowards, Yes, but Stupid?? Not a chance. Oh and God help us if they RANDOMLY stop a veiled Muslim woman... The civil rights groups will rain thunder down upon them!! You can't stop her because it isn't POLITICALLY CORRECT to do so... So then who do they stop? Who shows that PROBABLE CAUSE? The mentally handicap man with his plastic toy hammer. The Elderly man unable to walk or stand somehow HAS TO because he has been pegged a threat. The baby with a dirty diaper that clearly could be mistaken for explosives. The 5 year old unable to understand why an adult, A STRANGER is allowed to place hands all over his body which is in DIRECT contradiction to everything he has every been told while the parents are helpless but to stand there and allow it... Allow it..
Thats my next point.. And this point is what allows the TSA to continue doing what they are doing... The key word in my sexual assault definition is consent. Ladies and gentlemen, according to the government we DO NOT HAVE a need/RIGHT to fly or take trains or subways or anywhere else TSA has positioned themselves. We Don't have to, its a choice. And by choosing to use these methods of transportation we are consenting to the searches, thereby making it legal and not in the realm of sexual assault. Amazing how that works... Amazing and might I say quite harrowing. We have just handed over one of our rights without a glance back. This is what the government wants. They want to control you and you let them tell you that you need them! NO YOU DON'T! You don't need them to tell you what to do. I have looked at the statistics. Airplane hijackings have only slightly declined over the past decade. Definitely not enough to say with ANY certainty that the procedures currently in place are having any affect what-so-ever!
TSA is making the path there "safe" for us. It doesn't work. It will never work. Take a stand and fight for your rights. Fight for your freedom. I joined the Marine Corps for this purpose and it makes me sick to my stomach to think that me and my brothers-in-arms are considered a "potential threat" when there is a REAL threat out there just waiting for the moment. *as an odd side note - every time I have shown my military ID for check in or at security I have been "randomly" searched... hmmmm... you make the call there* Because while they are searching me because I complained about the TSA procedures, they are then distracted and missing the REAL threat slipping right on by... AND THEN WHAT?? HOW MUCH MORE ARE YOU WILLING TO GIVE UP IN THE NAME OF PSUEDO SAFETY???
BTW, I loved what Texas was proposing... Making state legislation to prevent the 'searching' of private areas and genitalia. They backed off when TSA threatened to shut down all flights... But that is exactly what we need. A few days of inconvenience for a lifetime of freedom. I say shut em down and put TSA in their place.
John Stuart Mill "A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Out Of Conrol Spending (and this is a LONG one)
http://www.usdebtclock.org/
I posted the debt clock so you can see just how quickly the funds are going out and how slowly they are coming in....
When I (and most other responsible families out there) create a budget for myself, I account for everything. I have to know how much is coming in, but MORE importantly how much is going out and where it is going... If I fail to set a responsible budget I have to go with out things I want or possibly even need, or I have to "borrow" the money from someone. This is a pretty common story I believe. Everyone has been in a tight financial position at some point in their life...
So this is my question... Who thinks the best way to pay for your debt is buy borrowing more and spending more without a comprehensive plan to repay these loans? A show of hands please.... Anyone? Anyone?
And here we thought we had voted intelligent people into office.
There are a slew of problems that are involved with the current budget plans. I mean where do I start... Let me prioritize.
1. Earmarks and Pork
2. Foreign Aid
3. Entitlements
4. End of year spending rush
5. Taxes
6. Insert your own ideas here
1. Earmarks and Pork Spending- Why do these even exist?? I mean states impose their own taxes. This is like welfare for the state government!! Why should federal dollars be responsible for funding state projects? I realize 9 out of 10 times its used to buy a vote for something... But why can't we have politicians just vote for something based on its content not for the throwbacks? If all pork spending was eliminated across the board, there would be an unprecedented leap of equality between the states. And this is just for starters...
2. Foreign Aid - So we are a "rich" country right? I have to put Rich in quotation marks because that is relative. We have many many rich individuals and companies compared with third world or developing countries, however we no longer have a rich government or treasury. We are on the brink of bankruptcy as a nation. We have disaster victims all across our country... And yet, here we are gifting money to countless countries across the world for countless reasons. Why do we do this? Because the rest of the world expects us to. Let me give you a couple examples... China receives about $27 Million in U.S. Aid and they own $1.2 Trillion of U.S. Debt, Mexico receives about $317 Million in U.S. Aid and they own $33 Billion of U.S. Debt, Japan received over $275 for the earthquake/tsunami but they own over $880 Billion of US Debt... and the list goes on. Let me break this down further. Here is an example... I go to the bank and get a personal loan for $5000 with a 10% interest rate. Then the bank is set on fire. I then gift the charity set up for the bank $1000. Now I am out $1000 of that loan which I will have to re-borrow because I needed it for myself in the first place.. And I still owe the bank $5500. So in total I will have given said bank $7500. Does it make sense people???
3. Entitlements - Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. All of these programs that are unsustainable at their current rate without a MAJOR overhaul... Need I say more?
4. End-of-year spending rush - This is one of my favorites because people don't think about it. Especially if you have not seen it happen. Here is the deal if you don't know... Every government agency is allocated X dollars for their quarterly or annual budget. When the end of the year comes around there is a mad dash to ensure spending of EVERY LAST DOLLAR! This is to show need. If you NEED the money the government will continue to GIVE the money. I can not even describe the amount of waste that is involved in this last minute spending. In a time where the government is hurting for funds does it make sense to do this?? If you don't Need the money, STOP SPENDING IT!!! This is where the concept of $1000 toilet seats come from. I see it in the Military EVERY YEAR! It's all about logistics, but its not right. This is the selfish and warped idea of "well I didn't need it this year but WHAT IF I need it next year?"
5. Taxes - Yep. So lets say I am a homeowner. I want to rent my house. I find a renter to pay $1000 on this home. Then I run into financial difficulties because I don't know how to budget. So then I decide when his contract is up I will raise the rent to $1500. Then raise it another time and another time just to supplement for my lack of self control. That is an extremely simple way to put what the government is doing to tax payers. Just keep squeezing and squeezing. I love the quote by the Obama solicitor general: “If you don’t like mandate, earn less money" Wow... I mean really... Wow. That's the epitome of capitalism right there.
6 - Everything else. I know you can come up with your own ideas of out of control spending. IE with (non) WARS or with subsidies or with government employee/retiree pay and benefits. Please feel free to express your thoughts in the comments section! I look forward to reading them! :)
Anne Northup " (teenagers) and Democrats have a lot in common (they) are always happy spending other people's money."
I posted the debt clock so you can see just how quickly the funds are going out and how slowly they are coming in....
When I (and most other responsible families out there) create a budget for myself, I account for everything. I have to know how much is coming in, but MORE importantly how much is going out and where it is going... If I fail to set a responsible budget I have to go with out things I want or possibly even need, or I have to "borrow" the money from someone. This is a pretty common story I believe. Everyone has been in a tight financial position at some point in their life...
So this is my question... Who thinks the best way to pay for your debt is buy borrowing more and spending more without a comprehensive plan to repay these loans? A show of hands please.... Anyone? Anyone?
And here we thought we had voted intelligent people into office.
There are a slew of problems that are involved with the current budget plans. I mean where do I start... Let me prioritize.
1. Earmarks and Pork
2. Foreign Aid
3. Entitlements
4. End of year spending rush
5. Taxes
6. Insert your own ideas here
1. Earmarks and Pork Spending- Why do these even exist?? I mean states impose their own taxes. This is like welfare for the state government!! Why should federal dollars be responsible for funding state projects? I realize 9 out of 10 times its used to buy a vote for something... But why can't we have politicians just vote for something based on its content not for the throwbacks? If all pork spending was eliminated across the board, there would be an unprecedented leap of equality between the states. And this is just for starters...
2. Foreign Aid - So we are a "rich" country right? I have to put Rich in quotation marks because that is relative. We have many many rich individuals and companies compared with third world or developing countries, however we no longer have a rich government or treasury. We are on the brink of bankruptcy as a nation. We have disaster victims all across our country... And yet, here we are gifting money to countless countries across the world for countless reasons. Why do we do this? Because the rest of the world expects us to. Let me give you a couple examples... China receives about $27 Million in U.S. Aid and they own $1.2 Trillion of U.S. Debt, Mexico receives about $317 Million in U.S. Aid and they own $33 Billion of U.S. Debt, Japan received over $275 for the earthquake/tsunami but they own over $880 Billion of US Debt... and the list goes on. Let me break this down further. Here is an example... I go to the bank and get a personal loan for $5000 with a 10% interest rate. Then the bank is set on fire. I then gift the charity set up for the bank $1000. Now I am out $1000 of that loan which I will have to re-borrow because I needed it for myself in the first place.. And I still owe the bank $5500. So in total I will have given said bank $7500. Does it make sense people???
3. Entitlements - Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. All of these programs that are unsustainable at their current rate without a MAJOR overhaul... Need I say more?
4. End-of-year spending rush - This is one of my favorites because people don't think about it. Especially if you have not seen it happen. Here is the deal if you don't know... Every government agency is allocated X dollars for their quarterly or annual budget. When the end of the year comes around there is a mad dash to ensure spending of EVERY LAST DOLLAR! This is to show need. If you NEED the money the government will continue to GIVE the money. I can not even describe the amount of waste that is involved in this last minute spending. In a time where the government is hurting for funds does it make sense to do this?? If you don't Need the money, STOP SPENDING IT!!! This is where the concept of $1000 toilet seats come from. I see it in the Military EVERY YEAR! It's all about logistics, but its not right. This is the selfish and warped idea of "well I didn't need it this year but WHAT IF I need it next year?"
5. Taxes - Yep. So lets say I am a homeowner. I want to rent my house. I find a renter to pay $1000 on this home. Then I run into financial difficulties because I don't know how to budget. So then I decide when his contract is up I will raise the rent to $1500. Then raise it another time and another time just to supplement for my lack of self control. That is an extremely simple way to put what the government is doing to tax payers. Just keep squeezing and squeezing. I love the quote by the Obama solicitor general: “If you don’t like mandate, earn less money" Wow... I mean really... Wow. That's the epitome of capitalism right there.
6 - Everything else. I know you can come up with your own ideas of out of control spending. IE with (non) WARS or with subsidies or with government employee/retiree pay and benefits. Please feel free to express your thoughts in the comments section! I look forward to reading them! :)
Anne Northup " (teenagers) and Democrats have a lot in common (they) are always happy spending other people's money."
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Drug Tests and Welfare Checks
This seems like the 2 would go hand in hand perfectly right? Not all people think so...
What if we go back in time, back to the basic principles (core values some would say) that began what we now know America to be. From the Declaration of Independence "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Seems pretty straightforward if you ask me. The definition of pursuit: an effort to secure or attain. Nothing in there about guarantees or hand outs.
While I am writing this blog 2 other things are happening. 1. I am attempting to secure a future in my job field by learning a ridiculous language (Arabic) and 2. having a debate with a liberal on facebook about this particular topic. There is so much to say I don't even know where to begin!
Her side of the debate... Let me make this a direct quote. Facebook Sam says "...denying aid based on the use of crack, cocaine, heroine, etc (let's not forget that a lot of people abuse prescriptions too), just punishes someone already in need for needing greater help." Then she goes on to say "By making drug tests mandatory to get aid, you are agreeing that the poor should be punished for being down on their luck, while the wealthy who use the same drugs don't need to file a drug test"
Just so you can get the gist of the debate I will throw in my responses as well... I say in response to this " ... The ONLY point I am going to make Sam, is that Those "wealthy" people work to earn that money that gets taxed and given to the 'poor and down-trodden" and YET, they get subjected to drug test... why should I be tested to earn my money and keep my job, when those that make a decision to abuse drugs get to live off my (and every tax payers) dime? I have no sympathy AT ALL for drug users/abusers. If they have a problem they can seek help. But MOST of them don't. You can argue with me all day about that, but the pure and simple fact is that... MOST OF THEM DON'T seek and/or want help. I am not a fan of handouts to people that have done NOTHING to earn them except simply existing." Is my view a little harsh? ممكن moomkin (transliterated Arabic for 'its possible').
Sam continues with "...the debate: does existence warrant continued existence. In the case of murderers and rapists I say no, but people who have made terrible decisions? Probably deserve to stay alive." And now my favorite part from Facebook Sam "I feel good about sustaining whatever sort of life a drug addict who has the presence of mind to file for state assistance has. If you want them to get cut off and die, that's why we have a democracy" WHOA killer, when did I say I want them to die!?
So naturally I don't leave it there... This is my final response to Facebook Sam, "... you know, I gave you credit for appearing educated with your ideal and responses and I was working on a proper and diplomatic response until I read that I "want them to get cut off and die". That is lunacy and that is the problem... You think you know how I feel because I disagree with you and that I want people to die. That makes you sound very ignorant. I want them to want to live. I want them to better themselves. And if they decide to ween off drugs because they won't be able to afford living if they fail a drug test then I have done them more good than if I gave them a handout to support a habit."
Phew! Now that that's all said, in a very basic form, this is my argument. BTW, one more thing, Facebook Sam by her argument is implying that poor = drug addicted. I happen to disagree heavily with this. Talk about stereotyping! I can give you numbers all day about "who" these people are based on stats... But that is not what this is about. Its about doing what is in the best interest of the people. The American Citizen regardless of identifying (discriminating) factors.
If I am going to provide the money to help you survive I should get a say in how it is done, and I believe Welfare should be handled the same way any employer handles their employees. Reference checks and Social Security Number investigations performed. As well as proof you have earned the pay. Show me the companies you have spoken with and applied at, give me a number to call and verify. Undergo random drug testing to maintain benefit eligibility. I'm a fan of the 3 strikes policies myself. Once again, a little harsh? I'd like to think of it as tough love. Or better yet incentivized redirection.
What if we go back in time, back to the basic principles (core values some would say) that began what we now know America to be. From the Declaration of Independence "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Seems pretty straightforward if you ask me. The definition of pursuit: an effort to secure or attain. Nothing in there about guarantees or hand outs.
While I am writing this blog 2 other things are happening. 1. I am attempting to secure a future in my job field by learning a ridiculous language (Arabic) and 2. having a debate with a liberal on facebook about this particular topic. There is so much to say I don't even know where to begin!
Her side of the debate... Let me make this a direct quote. Facebook Sam says "...denying aid based on the use of crack, cocaine, heroine, etc (let's not forget that a lot of people abuse prescriptions too), just punishes someone already in need for needing greater help." Then she goes on to say "By making drug tests mandatory to get aid, you are agreeing that the poor should be punished for being down on their luck, while the wealthy who use the same drugs don't need to file a drug test"
Just so you can get the gist of the debate I will throw in my responses as well... I say in response to this " ... The ONLY point I am going to make Sam, is that Those "wealthy" people work to earn that money that gets taxed and given to the 'poor and down-trodden" and YET, they get subjected to drug test... why should I be tested to earn my money and keep my job, when those that make a decision to abuse drugs get to live off my (and every tax payers) dime? I have no sympathy AT ALL for drug users/abusers. If they have a problem they can seek help. But MOST of them don't. You can argue with me all day about that, but the pure and simple fact is that... MOST OF THEM DON'T seek and/or want help. I am not a fan of handouts to people that have done NOTHING to earn them except simply existing." Is my view a little harsh? ممكن moomkin (transliterated Arabic for 'its possible').
Sam continues with "...the debate: does existence warrant continued existence. In the case of murderers and rapists I say no, but people who have made terrible decisions? Probably deserve to stay alive." And now my favorite part from Facebook Sam "I feel good about sustaining whatever sort of life a drug addict who has the presence of mind to file for state assistance has. If you want them to get cut off and die, that's why we have a democracy" WHOA killer, when did I say I want them to die!?
So naturally I don't leave it there... This is my final response to Facebook Sam, "... you know, I gave you credit for appearing educated with your ideal and responses and I was working on a proper and diplomatic response until I read that I "want them to get cut off and die". That is lunacy and that is the problem... You think you know how I feel because I disagree with you and that I want people to die. That makes you sound very ignorant. I want them to want to live. I want them to better themselves. And if they decide to ween off drugs because they won't be able to afford living if they fail a drug test then I have done them more good than if I gave them a handout to support a habit."
Phew! Now that that's all said, in a very basic form, this is my argument. BTW, one more thing, Facebook Sam by her argument is implying that poor = drug addicted. I happen to disagree heavily with this. Talk about stereotyping! I can give you numbers all day about "who" these people are based on stats... But that is not what this is about. Its about doing what is in the best interest of the people. The American Citizen regardless of identifying (discriminating) factors.
If I am going to provide the money to help you survive I should get a say in how it is done, and I believe Welfare should be handled the same way any employer handles their employees. Reference checks and Social Security Number investigations performed. As well as proof you have earned the pay. Show me the companies you have spoken with and applied at, give me a number to call and verify. Undergo random drug testing to maintain benefit eligibility. I'm a fan of the 3 strikes policies myself. Once again, a little harsh? I'd like to think of it as tough love. Or better yet incentivized redirection.
Jacques Delors "This desire for equity must not lead to an excess of welfare, where nobody is responsible for anything."
Monday, June 6, 2011
Weiner
... He is an idiot. I'm generally not about name calling because there is usually a higher road... But what else can you say about this guy? This has nothing to do with political lines. If it were a republican that did this (see Chris lee) I would and do have the same opinion... He's an idiot.
Abraham Lincoln "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
Abraham Lincoln "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
The DREAM ACT... so anyone other than AMERICANS can live the American Dream.
This is such a huge issue of debate among the 2 major political parties. Illegal Immigration. Well, right now I only want to touch on one specific area of this hot topic. THE DREAM ACT.
This is what I like to call a slap in the face to every Natural Born Citizen or Naturalized Citizen or Foreign National here on a work or school visa. Basically, anyone here in America that has a LEGAL, allow me to repeat for the hard of hearing... THE LEGAL right to be here.
Why are Americans being punished now for being Americans? Why have I and my family lived here, worked here, paid taxes here and contributed to American society, YET, some illegal alien, a CRIMINAL by all counts, is allowed now to walk into our country and be given a slew of benefits that you, me, our families and neighbors have been required to pay for? Before you start calling me a racist or bigot or any other childish name, understand that I am none of those things. I fully encourage immigration. This country was built on that. And I get that it is difficult to become a citizen. You have to know our history and be English literate. Its a process, but who said gaining American citizenship is supposed to be easy? When did people across the world believe that someone else owes them something for nothing? Or maybe its that they believe that since they made the effort of border hopping then that warrants entitlements...? And the worst part of it is, we encourage this atrocious behavior. People across the world see these ludicrous things that we do for those willing to come here illegally. We reward them. Common criminals.
A lot of people ask... Well where is my gift? Where are my entitlements? Why doesn't our government give me something... I say those are the wrong questions. You are not entitled to ANYTHING! You have to earn what you get. And that is where people have fallen off the proverbial wagon so to speak. But I digress...
Back to the issue of the Dream Act. How can we justify treating citizens of the country as less than an illegal/criminal? I'm not all about government interference, especially when it's the federal government. Each state should have the power to determine what can be considered "in state residency". However, if you are a resident you should have a LEGIT ssn and pay taxes. So let's take me for example. I am in the military so I receive the GI Bill, but lets imagine for a moment I am not in the military. I must live in or maintain a domicile in CA for 365 days to be considered for instate tuition. So once I leave the military I have to live here for that amount of time before I can get the in state rate. Border hoppers don't have to do that. Let me give you the definition of who falls under "dream act" status; illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character arrived in the U.S. legally or illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment or if they complete two years in the military or 2 years at a 4 year institution of higher learning.
Another reason to encourage anchor babies. So I have to wonder, when they are getting interviewed about their moral upbringing, what do they answer...?? This is such an outrage to me because it is once again encouraging the wrong way to make a better life for yourself. You can be better, as long as you (or your family) do it the criminal way!
What is happening to the citizens in this country? Most of all I want to know WHY ARE WE OK WITH THIS!?!
Margaret Thatcher "There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."
This is what I like to call a slap in the face to every Natural Born Citizen or Naturalized Citizen or Foreign National here on a work or school visa. Basically, anyone here in America that has a LEGAL, allow me to repeat for the hard of hearing... THE LEGAL right to be here.
Why are Americans being punished now for being Americans? Why have I and my family lived here, worked here, paid taxes here and contributed to American society, YET, some illegal alien, a CRIMINAL by all counts, is allowed now to walk into our country and be given a slew of benefits that you, me, our families and neighbors have been required to pay for? Before you start calling me a racist or bigot or any other childish name, understand that I am none of those things. I fully encourage immigration. This country was built on that. And I get that it is difficult to become a citizen. You have to know our history and be English literate. Its a process, but who said gaining American citizenship is supposed to be easy? When did people across the world believe that someone else owes them something for nothing? Or maybe its that they believe that since they made the effort of border hopping then that warrants entitlements...? And the worst part of it is, we encourage this atrocious behavior. People across the world see these ludicrous things that we do for those willing to come here illegally. We reward them. Common criminals.
A lot of people ask... Well where is my gift? Where are my entitlements? Why doesn't our government give me something... I say those are the wrong questions. You are not entitled to ANYTHING! You have to earn what you get. And that is where people have fallen off the proverbial wagon so to speak. But I digress...
Back to the issue of the Dream Act. How can we justify treating citizens of the country as less than an illegal/criminal? I'm not all about government interference, especially when it's the federal government. Each state should have the power to determine what can be considered "in state residency". However, if you are a resident you should have a LEGIT ssn and pay taxes. So let's take me for example. I am in the military so I receive the GI Bill, but lets imagine for a moment I am not in the military. I must live in or maintain a domicile in CA for 365 days to be considered for instate tuition. So once I leave the military I have to live here for that amount of time before I can get the in state rate. Border hoppers don't have to do that. Let me give you the definition of who falls under "dream act" status; illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character arrived in the U.S. legally or illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment or if they complete two years in the military or 2 years at a 4 year institution of higher learning.
Another reason to encourage anchor babies. So I have to wonder, when they are getting interviewed about their moral upbringing, what do they answer...?? This is such an outrage to me because it is once again encouraging the wrong way to make a better life for yourself. You can be better, as long as you (or your family) do it the criminal way!
What is happening to the citizens in this country? Most of all I want to know WHY ARE WE OK WITH THIS!?!
Margaret Thatcher "There's no such thing as entitlement, unless someone has first met an obligation."
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Breeding hate and dissension
First of all, let me post this link. http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/national/yearbook-causes-controversy-afer-it-names-george-w-bush-in-list-of-worst-people-of-all-time
WHAT THE HELL was going through these peoples mind?? There were at the very least 2 people with eyes on this list before it got published. If you haven't looked at the list yet allow me to summarize. 1. An AR middle school publishes a yearbook with a WORST PEOPLE OF ALL TIME list. 2. the list contains the names; Manson, Bin Laden, Hitler, PRESIDENT G.W. Bush and VICE PRESIDENT D. Cheney. 3. When complaints arose the solution was to cover the names with a piece of tape.
Do we really believe this to be the best way to express our feelings towards a former Commander in Chief? Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But when you are an educator of young children keep your opinions to YOURSELF!!!! Those children don't have a clue about politics let alone why people agree or disagree with individual politicians. This kind of propaganda has no business in schools; public, private, or anything in between! If you believe your children need to know this kind of trash about a president Republican or Democrat, teach them in the solitude of your own home. No one has an opinion or idea important enough to impose it on a large number or unaware children. You have to teach and inform them of all sides of every story to allow them the chance to make their own decision. That is what makes someone educated. Feeding them this type of bias rhetoric creates a world of zombie drones. I love it when someone has an opposing opinion. It keeps life interesting.
Margaret Thatcher "Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and importance, although difficult, is the highroad to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction. "
This news article has made my blood boil enough to be my first official post. Now the only thing that can justify this is the right not to be censored. That being said...
WHAT THE HELL was going through these peoples mind?? There were at the very least 2 people with eyes on this list before it got published. If you haven't looked at the list yet allow me to summarize. 1. An AR middle school publishes a yearbook with a WORST PEOPLE OF ALL TIME list. 2. the list contains the names; Manson, Bin Laden, Hitler, PRESIDENT G.W. Bush and VICE PRESIDENT D. Cheney. 3. When complaints arose the solution was to cover the names with a piece of tape.
Ladies and Gentlemen... What is happening to us? What is this country coming to with this type of asinine behavior? First of all I want to know what business a middle school has even thinking of creating a WORST people list. The ONLY thing this does is cause feelings of anger and discontent. It creates these feelings because if you think of why you consider a person the "worst" it obviously has something to do with negative activities. This is what we want 10-13 year old children to dwell on? I have a solution... How about a BEST people ever list. Because then you have to think of ways people are great! And with positive influences come positive thoughts and therefore actions. It also works the opposite way.
Second. What did the people responsible for this list gain? I mean if it was meant as a joke, did they feel satisfied knowing they have cause an added bit of stress on parents of these children? Parents who I'm sure have nothing better to think about than the negative and extremely liberal bias that is floating through their children's school.
Third. As far as I've read there will be no punitive actions involved in this "mistake". This is a yearbook. Something that these children should be able to look back on with fond memories. So when they grow up and revisit this book what memory is this going to bring? Maybe it won't mean a thing and they will be able to look past this "minor" lapse in judgement. Of course, maybe they will want to run for office or join the military or prove patriotism in some other way, but then looking at how we treat out ELECTED OFFICIALS, may sway them in an opposite direction. Which leads me to my next and final point...
But I digress...
Any President, past or present deserves a degree of respect. Let me be the first to say, I am not a fan of President Obama. I think he is weak and a poor leader at best. HOWEVER, If I am EVER put in a position to create a WORST PERSON list (why that would occur I can't imagine) , his name would never go on it. He deserves that little bit of respect because of the position he holds..
Wake up people. Just like I tell my subordinates. Think about what you do and say BEFORE you do and say it. Some things are hard or impossible to reverse. Always act as if you already hold the next rank. It will lead you to make better more inspired decisions. Do things to inspire those around you. There is enough hate in this world without adding this degree of dissension to school children.
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