JUST SOME POSTS

I have been working on this one in my head for a while. I had planned to do a post of all the suggestions I had for addressing the ills and problems I see in the world. The problem with a post like this was/is the sheer magnitude of it. I have been delaying doing it due to the time and effort involved. So, I just decided to write it as a series of posts. NOTE: I WANT feedback. I want discussion. You may or may not know, I have started another blog - www.thehorseyouroadinon.blogspot.com just for this purpose. (FYI, this series of posts will appear there as well). Before we get started let's do the lessons - 1) There is no government money. If you have questions on this point, I have many posts here where I expound upon this thought. Just suffice it to say ultimately all money comes from the public (you and me). 2) Corporations and businesses do not and cannot pay taxes. Same comment here - lots of posts explaining this. Bottom line - only people pay taxes. Businesses just get

This blog has been a great forum for me to spout off on my thoughts and ideas on the world and its affairs. I have gotten some comments but not a lot. This platform does not lend itself to discussion. I have just started a new blog to hopefully accomplish this. It is at www.thehorseyouroadinaon.blogspot.com .  Yes, that's The Horse You Road In On. At this time it only contains my welcome and explanation. I hope it will soon be full of your comments and ideas. Please help me spread this idea around. I really want to hear from you all!

Is there anyone left that realistically believes that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aka "Obamacare" was truly about getting healthcare for Americans that do not have it? I would hope not, but I am sure there are. I understand the lure and appeal of getting everyone in the country healthcare coverage, I truly do. From a humanitarian perspective it is a no-brainer. Who could argue that everyone should have the access to care when they are sick or injured? Why should anyone in the richest country in the world suffer needlessly or possibly die when proper medical care could prevent it? The problem I have with this is the way in which the government/administration decided to handle it. The number of people without healthcare in this country is subject to a lot of debate as well as discussion over how that number is determined. There are a lot of young adults that are usually included in any number given that although not insured are so due to their own choice. M

This is taken verbatim from a health newsletter I subscribe to. It says better than I can something I have been trying to write out in my mind. It is time for the barrage of flu shot warnings. The short and sweet - FLU SHOTS DO NOT WORK!! THEY MAY EVEN CAUSE HARM!! THEY CAN CAUSE PEOPLE TO BE MORE LIKELY TO GET THE FLU!! Read on: Every year, you hear about people who get a flu shot but come down with the flu anyway. This is easily written off. Talking heads quickly explain that no medicine is 100 percent effective. Case closed. So you're supposed to not ask questions, roll up your sleeve and take your medicine, right? Not...so...fast. New evidence proves what we've believed for years -- that people could actually come down with the flu because of the shot. What we now know is that the shot makes them more vulnerable to the other flu strains lurking out there. For years, Big Pharma and its marketing partner, the CDC, have scoffed at the notion that the shot "gives you t

OK, I have the soapbox* out again - time for a refresher course. 1) There is NO government money! Do not expect government money to ever solve anything. When you hear the words "government money", "federal (or state) funds", "federal grant", "state grant", or anything similar, just substitute the words "tax dollars" or similar. 2) Corporations do NOT pay taxes! People pay taxes. You can tax a corporation all you want but the money comes from the customers or the owners. If the tax laws change to make corporations pay more, they just raise prices. WE pay the corporate taxes. So, when you hear people talk about raising taxes on businesses and/or corporations, just substitute the words "raise taxes" or similar. 3) (pay attention, most people seem to have a problem with this one) Companies and corporations do NOT exist to provide jobs or benefits to people! Companies and corporations are founded to make money for the foun

I have purposely stayed away from this subject until now. I saw an article/post that was referenced on Facebook that made me so mad and upset that I had to address it. What I am talking about is what has become the most important event to happen since OJ and/or Rodney King - the Zimmerman trial and result. First a bit of background: our system of justice has a feature that is was not widespread around the world until fairly recently, and is not in a majority of countries now - the presumption of innocence. One can be charged with a crime and the authorities can have eye witnesses, photographic evidence, and even a confession. But, until the accused pleads guilty in court or is found guilty, they are referred to as the "alleged" perpetrator. The authorities/court is required to prove the person committed the crime. The problem with all the media attention these high profile cases get now is that the assumption of innocence is either solidified or destroyed by the time the t

One of the biggest changes I have witnessed over the past forty years or so is the polarization of the population. Oh, I know that Democrats and Republicans, Tories and Whigs, vegetarians and carnivores, Beatles fans vs Stones fans, etc., have been at odds since the categorizations began; it is just that the divisions have become more and more broad. It is disturbing to me that any discourse and/or disagreement with the politically correct opinion is railed against and demeaned with increasingly loud voices. It is even more disturbing that the politically correct opinion appears to be a minority held position in a lot of cases. I realize that it is almost a cliche about how the "mainstream" media, aka the "old" media, is biased towards the liberal position; but I truly feel that these politically correct positions would not exist with any power if not for the artificial support from most of the media. (FYI, the cliche of the bias has been proven in many studies of n

For no real reason I have watched a lot of action type shows and movies over the recent weeks. Although I do enjoy the format, particularly when done well (not often in my opinion), it is sometimes annoying how poor the "bad guys" are when it comes to defending themselves or fighting. I came up with some guidelines and advice for them: 1) First and foremost - would it hurt you to ASK if the guys (and girls) you are teaming up with have ever shot a gun! Most of you and your team are armed with automatic weapons and still couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!      2) (follow up to above) Ever think of a little PRACTICE - maybe go to a firing range once or twice? 3) Even though most of you don't shoot well; a gun still trumps a knife which usually trumps fists. Why, when facing the "good guy" (who is known to be the world's best hand to hand fighter or whatever) do you insist on dropping your weapons and fighting them? Shoot them already! 4) Your s

I have used this post for the four previous July 4th posts. I am using it again for two reasons - 1) I read it and I don't think I could improve upon it. Not that it is the best thing ever written. I just don't think I am capable of doing better and/or getting my point across. 2) I actually have had REQUESTS for it! (hey - more than 1 is plural) I am going to preface this a bit more. I read recently that a study and a couple of "man in the street" type interviews showed that a LOT of people here do not know the who, what, why, when, and/or where of July 4th. When asked what it is, the most common response was "Independence Day". When asked to elaborate, most could not. When pointedly asked who we attained independence from, a LOT did not know. The answers ranged from China to Germany and a lot in between. When asked when it occurred that also was missed by a majority. When you are having your gathering, cookout, picnic, or watching fireworks with frien

I just returned from a road trip vacation. I covered a large portion of seven states and a bit of two others in seven days, for over 2,500 miles. I did a significant portion of it alone, and the rest with my mother, sister, and her eight (almost nine) year old daughter. It was a very nice trip. I will admit it was too much driving, but then I like to drive. One of the things I was thinking about on the day long trip through three states getting home, was some truisms or laws of travel. This is what I came up with. FYI, I am not basing this exclusively on this trip. I have logged a LOT of miles over the years, both work and leisure related. (in no particular order) 1) the restaurant, gas station, etc you really want is always on the other side of the divided highway 2) urine production is correlated directly to the availability of restroom facilities 3) the lowest priced gas always occurs when you have no need of fuel     subset - the highest priced gas always occurs when your

A couple of posts ago I wrote about the irritating (at least to me) actions of members of Congress who can hate any idea that is brought up by the other party. It can be an idea that their own party championed earlier, but is now being offered up by the "bad guys" so it is automatically evil and something to be railed against. That phenomenon made me think of a similar thing that is happening with the voters. I am not claiming it to be a recent affliction, but it has grown in intensity for sure (as has all vitriol surrounding politics of late). It would be humorous if it was not such a serious matter, but I am amazed at the intellectual dishonesty by the critics of George Bush and his "Big Brother" tactics against terrorism when compared to their comments (or lack thereof) on the current administrations policies and actions. Bush was protested against, publicly vilified, and otherwise deemed to be Moloch incarnate for having the NSA/CIA/intelligence community trac

I have not done these in a while. (if you are interested, there are three or four others back a few years) HEADLINES, said to be REAL! With my comments - Woman Missing Since She Got Lost Sun-Times Media Wire It always has to start somewhere!  ( alternatively) Of course, prior to that, no one was looking! Man charged with exposure at Northgate Mall after showing 'glistening white buttocks' timesfreepress.com Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? Drunk parrots acting up and falling out of the sky in Austrailia (again) metro.co.uk cracker heads   (or alternatively)   Crackers are a gateway drug   Man learns life lesson in naked fight with javelinas The Arizona Republic Some of lifes best lessons may be learned naked . (FYI, a javelina is sort of a wild pig-like critter) Cops: Woman had 81 lbs of junk in her trunk WWL Radio / freerupublic.com I am sure she is aware of it, no need to point it out! (alernatively) She's just big boned! Rogu

People, we have a real problem with our government. I can see a lot of you clicking away - "He's getting political again". BUT WAIT - READ ON. This not specifically a political problem, at least not a political problem specific to one party. We have a systemic and pervasive problem with our elected "representatives" in government. It affects the government at all levels. It is much more of a problem as you get farther away from the voters - ie Washington vs your town hall, but it is a problem everywhere.  It is to the point now that if you are a member of one party, anything a member of the other party comes up with of any significance is said to be wrong. I know this is a bit of an overstatement; but I submit, not much of one. There are still a few important issues that are worked on in a bipartisan manner, but not many and usually not by the "leadership" of the parties. As I said above, this is not a Republican problem nor a Democrat problem. Both

Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of watching a cashier self-implode. (OK, not totally "self", I was involved!) I had bought six 2 liter soft drinks. She was bagging them. She had done the first two - two to a bag, then double bagged it. She complained - "Man I HATE working with these drinks and bags! They don't cooperate at all!". I said - "Why not just put one to a bag, and not double bag?" Her answer - "We are required to put two to a bag." My response (ever trying to be helpful) - "If you put one to a bag, and then DON'T double bag them, it will be the same number of bags; and even the same weight per bag." Her - ????????????? (I could hear the wheels turning) "...but we have to put two to a bag." Me - "I guess it is better. Carry on." Now, what is scary to me about this is twofold - 1) she obviously had no concept of what I was saying 2) it might be policy, which means some "manager/

I have written some about this in previous posts, but I think it deserves additional attention. It is amazing how true the axiom of (paraphrased) "repeat a lie often enough and it becomes an accepted fact". Said with a different slant it applies to names, titles, and labels. For example, it is in my lifetime that swamps disappeared. WHAT? - you might exclaim. I know swamps. There are swamps near me. Au contraire mon frere. A swamp is now a WETLAND. We did not learn about wetlands when I was in school. Preserving the wetlands was not a requirement or even a wish. It was all about draining a swamp. Swamps and wetlands are homes to mosquitoes and other nasty insects. However, no one will donate money to save a swamp. Legislation to save the swamp is not a headline grabber. Therefore they became a wetland. Now we save them. (I understand that there are ecological and biological benefits from "swamps". I also understand that if I have an acre of my property that is alm

I am amazed at how we Americans work so hard at vacationing. It has become a contact sport! I have made the trip to Florida quite regularly over the past 40 years. In fact I am writing this from just outside of Orlando. I am always amused at how people, especially those with kids, react and interact as they approach vacation nirvana. One can tell how close one is to the "vacation capitol of the U.S." by the expressions and actions of people at rest stops, fast food restaurants, and gas stations along I-95. As you get to southern Georgia the people are wound as tight as a drug addicted lab rat working for his fix. Eyes glaze over, tempers flare, smiles become those forced tight lipped things that do nothing but make you appear like you have lockjaw. The least little thing will set one of these traveling wonders off - "Where the HELL are my FRIES?" "This DAMN pump won't take my card!" "Get the homeless dude off the bumper". Nerves are a fra

I am very, very dismayed at the current state of affairs in Washington, especially concerning the budget. I have posted on various other times about our need for term limits (the House of Representatives was set up with two year terms for a reason - rollover), responsible elected "leaders" that will make tough decisions, and responsibility from the elected and the electorate. If you have an interest in my thoughts on these matters, dig around the archives here. You might find a surprise or two anyway, this blog is VERY eclectic. The current issue of the budget and the idiotically named "fiscal cliff" arguments are extraordinarily annoying. First, the much touted 'fiscal cliff" was created by the politicians that are whining about it now. The great gnashing of teeth that is taking place amongst the members of congress and the news media is ridiculous. The "cliff" was created by the inability of the elected to do anything about the actual budget p