JUST SOME POSTS

With the 2008 presidential election rapidly approaching, I thought I would do a bit on our two party system. Not so long ago, in a land not so far away: A young boy was watching TV and noticed a LOT of commercials by and for people running for office. He was wondering about how the system worked, and how people decided who to vote for. So, he went to his father and asked - "Dad, how do you decide who to vote for?" The dad, being a wise man, decided to use this question as a civics lesson of a type. "Son, there are many ways people decide who to vote for." "What should be done, is after a careful in-depth evaluation of all the candidates and a consideration for any and all issues that they will be dealing with, the person running that addresses these issues with answers most consistant to the voters beliefs and ideas gets the vote." Now the son was already bored, and the dad saw the far away look in his son's eyes. "But, that is not what happe...

I spend about 40 nights a year in hotels and motels. I do the ones from the middle range to the upper end. (Comfort Inns to Westins) It is always nice to be recognized. I spent Wednesday night in a Comfort Suites in Colonial Heights, Virginia. I have stayed at the hotel previously, but not lately. It is a relatively new place, and had just opened when I was there the first time. I noticed one time when I was on the road looking for a place to stay (I had not made a reservation because I did not know where I was going to end up) that they had two spots out front for the Platinum Elite members of their rewards program. Now I was a bit offended by this as I am a Diamond Elite member (the top) and there were no spaces set aside for me. I did not get a room there that night because they were sold out. I decided that day that I would stay there and comment on the parking spaces when I did. Well I ended up there this past Wednesday as I said, and I did see the parking spaces for the Platinum...

Why is it that doctors cannot agree on anything. When was the last time you saw a story or advertisement that said - "Ten out of ten doctors agree..." Noooooo, it is always "nine out of ten..." or even "eight out of ten...". These guys need to talk. I hate Cracker Barrel. There I said it. The place is like depression era Grandma's house meets Disney. In my case, I have only had two decent meals there as well (fyi, I have only eaten there five or six times in my life, because I hated the food the first two). It is expensive, the service is slooooowww, it is noisy, and they are crowded (which means there are a LOT of first or second timers - OR I am in the minority) I especially hate the "country store" that sells Chinese made versions of my nostalgia. Big Lots sells the same stuff in some cases - MUCH cheaper. (I just realized if I could type "whiny", I could be Andy Rooney) What is it with kids/parents and restaurants (or ANY pub...

I travel by air a couple of times a year. As a control freak, I have never liked the idea of turning my life over to the pilots. I know they are professionals (and they usually hit the ground first), but I would rather "drive" myself. (I have always been the "Driver", but that is another blog). There are a LOT of people that have a fear of flying. It seems like every flight I am on there is someone that looks terrified as we take off. I am aware of the dangers, and would rather stay on the ground, but sometimes if you want to get there, flying is the only way. One of the ways the fear of flying has been addressed is by analogies/comparisons. Hearing one of my favorites was the basis for this blog. You all may have heard that "more people die in donkey accidents in an average year than die in plane crashes". Now, I don't know about you but that statement does nothing to help ease my concerns about getting in a huge metal tube with hundreds of other pe...

I have had a few of you ask "why no posts lately?" It has not been due to lack of ideas, but too many. I was taking my daughter Bailey to school this morning and she made a comment on a rocking horse in a yard that got me thinking of this one. She said "I always wanted one of those". I, not seeing the "those" said -a "A tree?" And she explained that it was an old-fashioned rocking/hobby horse. We discussed rocking horses for a moment and my mind wandered to this blog. (I also want to pay homage and give kudos to all those that have done a "bit" on this subject. I have heard some, but these thoughts are mine.) Bailey was talking about the rocking horses with the four springs that suspend the horse from a frame. I don't think they make those any more. I KNOW they don't make them like when I was a kid. I remember one such horse (and I honestly do not remember whether it was ours or a friends) that was great fun. However, it was ...

We have appropriately shown our thanks today in the typical American way - by downing approximately the same calories as a small African nation in one day. As usual, it was like feeding time at the shark pens at Sea World. Hours and hours were spent preparing, with details on getting the exact spices and flavors and then showcasing the food in glorious displays of gustatorial delight. "Of course the gravy needs to be in a gravy boat" - "Put the cheese with the crackers on the relish tray" - "Cut the turkey neatly and stack it here on the serving tray" - "Not that spoon, get a serving spoon". That was all done and more when we released the hounds. The food stood less of a chance than a three legged, one-eyed wildebeast against a pride of hungry lions. I am definitely thankful........, thankful I got my hands out of the way in time. Next year we are getting a trough.

Here on the eve of Thanksgiving I thought it would be appropriate to be thankful. However there are many, many reasons to be thankful. We are thankful that we live in a country where fortunes can be made by lawsuits over the temperature of a beverage. We are thankful that we have cameras to record every movement of the latest pop tart exiting a limo. We are thankful that we have more lawyers than any other nation on earth - over one million. (I just read that 70% of the lawyers in the world are in the U.S.) We are thankful that we are innocent until proven guilty - unless the charges are of a nature as to be offensive to someone. We are thankful that we have hundreds of channels of television, still with nothing on worth watching most times. Along that theme, we are thankful to be able to watch exiting "sports" like spelling bees and baccarat. We are thankful to have devoted public servants and elected officials that look upon their job as a way to line their pockets. We ar...

I do not know how many of you that will read this already have fallen for the amazing PR blitz that is pushing, no SHOVING the doom and gloom predictions of global warming. I am 54 years old and I do not remember anything that has taken hold of the public mindset as quickly (maybe the World Wide Web, but I'm not sure). The media onslaught is unprecedented as far as in my lifetime. "But we need to save the planet" is your response. B.S. is mine. Global climate change by mankind in decades, outside of numerous large nuclear blasts, is laughable. The global warming fanatics revel in the knowledge that the average citizen is ignorant on even basic science and has a perspective on history that tops out in decades. The scary thing is that global warming caused by man is now almost a universally accepted fact among the average person. (repeat a lie enough times and it will be accepted as a truth) But, as you will see if you investigate the following links, that "fact"...

....(fade in) announcer - So, let's give him a round of applause!! panelist 1 - Was it good? contestant - Yep? panelist 1 - Did you buy it or "find it" (chuckles and laughter from audience)? contestant - Bought it. announcer - One more question for you. panelist 1 - Did more than one of you eat off of it? contestant - Yep. announcer - OK. Any guesses? panelist 1 - UHHHHH - Nope, I guess not. announcer - panelist 2 panelist 2 - Was it cooked? contestant - Eventually (snickers from audience). panelist 2 - Did you have to skin it first? contestant - (whispers to announcer with question) I guess you could say so. announcer - Last question. panelist 2 - Would you eat it again? contestant - Yep, I guess. announcer - Ideas? panelist 2 - A possum? contestant - Nope. announcer - Well, that's all the time we have tonight. Tune in next time for: (entire audience) WHAT DID BUBBA EAT!! (fade out)

I have unfortunately learned over the past year about a segment of medicine that I would have rather not. That segment is what I call the alphabet diseases. When you go to the doctor with a complaint or problems you are looking for a diagnosis and then a treatment and/or cure. What you do not want is a diagnosis and a pat on the back. The latter is what seems to happen with the alphabet diseases. What are the alphabet diseases, you ask? You are aware of some of them such as MS, MD, and ALS. These are terrible diseases in their own right with prognoses that are not good. However, I have learned of others that are as bad and/or worse due to the lack of knowledge and information available. How would you like a disease that when you are seeing medical staff for the first time have to be told what the disease is. Blank stares or mumbles signify a lack of understanding for what the jumble of letters you just threw out mean. Two of these alphabet diseases that I have some personal knowledge...

First, I want to apologize to anyone reading these posts. I really had not intended this to be so darn serious. I was originally shooting for fun, comical, even whimsical (yes, I was planning to do whimsy!). However, I have not felt too comical of late. Thus the seriousness of the posts. So, if you are up to another lesson/rant - read on: I am reading The Columbia History of the World right now (maybe that explains the lack of whimsy - 1100 pages plus written in textbook form) I am reading now about the Roman empire/republic. I came to a passage that almost shocked me with it's relevance to my thoughts of today. Here it is: (and I quote giving all rights to the book) Rome ceded more easily to the demand for citizenship because her supply of citizen soldiers had continued to dwindle, and her mob of citizens without property, to grow. Of the attempts to reverse these changes the most famous were those of the Gracchi brothers in 133 and 123. Relyng on bourgeouis support, they advoc...

OK, this requires a bit of study on your part. Read the numbers below and then re-read them. Percentiles Ranked by AGI Percentage of Federal Personal Income Tax Paid Percentile % of taxes paid Top 1% 39.38% Top 5% 59.67% Top 10% 70.30% Top 25% 85.99% Top 50% 96.93% Bottom 50% 3.07 Note: AGI is Adjusted Gross IncomeSource: Internal Revenue Service For Tax Year 2004 (the most current year with statistics published) Got it? What did you read? One of the most popular mantras of the left is "tax the rich". Since almost no one thinks of themselves as rich, this statement is rarely found offensive or challenged. When talking about an income tax, it is only natural that those with income pay the tax. But in the U.S. (as in most of the developed world) the "rich" pay a very large percentage of the total taxes. If you paid attention to the above you will see how big this disparity is. The top 1% pays just shy of 40% of ALL INCOME TAXES COLLECTED! The top 10% pay over...

Section 8 - Powers of Congress The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises , to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and Post Roads ; To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings a...

One thing I also have a problem with is the lack of responsibility and risk that seems to be prevalent everywhere today. For example, the housing/mortage "crisis" that is in the news every day now. IMHO, this crisis is being caused by the relatively new idea that a house is an investment, not a place to live. As recently as twenty to thirty years ago, the average house was bought as a place to live - period. People took out a thirty year mortgage and planned on living in the house when it was paid off. Obviously, almost all real estate appreciates over thirty years so when it was paid off you owned property that was valued at a much larger amount than when you started. Over the past five to ten years people looked for a house they could buy and then sell at a profit sometimes in as little as two or three years. This was especially feasible when mortgage money was very available and very cheap. Mortgage vendors then made this even worse by offering very unusual mortgage produc...

I'm Blogging (excuse the appearance. I cut and pasted this from the first site - too lazy to redo) OK, I have a blog. What a rush?!? I was told I needed one, why I am not sure. (In my life I have also been told I needed (in no particular order) - a new attitude, a new wardrobe, to develop a taste for beer, various consumer goods, etc.) Some of these suggestions I took, others I did not. The blog thing seemed somehow more relevant than a new pair of pants. I guess I am going to write down my thoughts on subjects as I think of them. Seems only fitting that my thoughts on blogs should be first. Blog. The word seems a bit weird. I know it is an amalgam of web log, but it is still a bit weird. Then again, I find this whole deal a bit weird. I was commenting to my sister (after I read her first entry in her second blog) that I did not get the whole blog thing. I will have to admit I have never read any blogs beyond hers and a very, very few that I ran across in web searches. Due to m...

Some rants Following are some comments on subjects that I don't think I have enough "stuff" to do a whole blog on each. 1) Illegal aliens - first, notice the title. I hate the way the media and liberal types refer to this issue as "immigration". Calling the influx of millions of illegal persons into this country an immigration problem is the same as calling bank robbery a withdrawal problem. According to the constitution of this country, one of the ONLY responsibilities the federal government has is securing our borders (another subject to be covered soon). So, secure them already. I am about as pro-business as you get but, I believe businesses that use illegal aliens should pay a HUGE fine for each infraction. I know I would pay more for a head of lettuce and Wendy's would no longer offer chicken nuggets for $1, but I also know I would not worry about paying for medical care or college tuition for a person here illegally. If meat processing employees ca...