Buzzzzed!

Welcome Back, Again, Dear Reader.

Something on my mind, you knew this already I bet.

In today's news, I read something that makes me take pause, on the surface, it may seem like the idea is a good one, but we should all pay attention to the details.

Allow me to set this up for you.

'RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - The Virginia Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) wants to put the brakes on drunk driving here in the Commonwealth. A bill in the General Assembly this session would get them on the road to achieving that goal.....MADD says on average a person will drive more than 80 times before they are eventually caught. Now a bill is up for consideration to help cut back on convicted drunk drivers from re-offending....Friday on the Capitol grounds outside the Virginia Travel Information Center, a group gathered hoping lawmakers would help make travel safer for all Virginians by passing an ignition interlock bill. If passed, first time convicted drunk drivers would have a device added to their vehicle. The mechanism works like a breathalyzer. You blow into the instrument and if you pass you are able to drive the vehicle. But, if you’ve been drinking then you’ll be forced to stay off the roads.....The bill is now headed to the Senate floor for consideration.'



Now, at first glance this seems like a great idea, doesn't it? I mean, put this tool on their car, stop them from driving drunk. Just remove their ability to drive, terrific, I love it!

Hmm... I wonder.

First, it should be noted that in Virginia, a judge does already have the power to require this ignition inhibitor be installed on a vehicle for a repeat offender, and even in some cases first time offenders, in his judgement. That's what they do you know, make decision on the best course of action within the law.

Sounds rather redundant to make it a law that it be required, when there is already a process in place to make it so. Is it that we do not trust those people in power to excercise this duty effectively, so we must mandate it? If that is so, then put people in the positions who will do what's best, do not remove their ability to make decisions. I suppose, upon further reflection, perhaps this law could remove the need for a judge to make the decision, thereby saving us xxx millions of dollars in judge salaries. Somehow I do not think that will equate. Or better, perhaps we should lower their pay across the board, as this decision could be made for them. One less thing, right?

Let's look at this line of reasoning again. MAAD says that on average a drunk driver drives 80 times before they are caught the first time. Logic would then dictate, given our typical drunk driver isn't too smart to begin with, that if the drunk driver continues to drive, after their first arrest, it could possibly be double, or even triple that number before they are caught again. They are extra careful you see, the next time they do it.

Stopping their car from starting is not going to fix that. 'Here Sally, blow in this tube. No, silly, that one.' The consequences for driving your 'tube car' while intoxicated, cannot possibly be any worse than driving an untubed car. Seriously, what's the point?

So, you have the tubed car, and the untubed car. Which one are you going to drive on your date? Even drunk drivers know the answer to that one. Remember, they already drove over 80 times before they were caught the first time! They are extra careful to avoid the second, third, fourth offense.

We aren't finished yet, loyal fan, I trust you are still with me, it's about to get interesting, I promise.

I stop to ponder the deeper implications this requirement for ignition inhibitors represent. Let's say, for example, I am driving along in my tubed car, completely sober and come across a routine traffic stop. When the officer approaches my car, he glimpses the tube apparatus, and decides I should have a sobriety test. Does this open the door for profiling?

Because my car has a tube, does that send a signal to the world that I am a drunk driver? Can I take my boss to lunch in my car without some sideways glances? Will that hottie from the water cooler ever go out with me again? It's a real problem now, not just a minor issue.

Maybe it's my brother's car today, maybe my mom's, my father's? My sister in law? Hmmm.

Or let's look even closer. The officer stops me for not using my turn signal, recognises when running my license that I am required by law to have a tube in my car. Is the act of him checking my car for the tube, a violation of my civil rights for improper search and siezure? If the officer looks in my car to see if I have a tube, and notices something else, does that open the door for illegal search? There is no probable cause in just looking for the tube, and seeing something else.


I know, I know what you are thinking. Don't have anything you shouldn't have, and you won't have anything to worry about. I get that, trust me.

I am never going to have a tube car anyway, nor anything, (in plain sight), that would be a problem anyway. What I -am- trying to say here, with this subtle, seems like a really good idea to keep drunk drivers off the road law, is this.

This law passes? We give up another liberty to the institution. However small it may be, we should be very aware when this type of legislature is pressed forward. More especially when the power to invoke these rules is removed from the very people we have placed in power and trust to make these decisions for us.

We should never remove the 'man' from the equation, we should never allow the tail to wag the dog, and we should never let a rule, or law, remove our ability to reason, decide and act.

Today's it's a tube on your dash for fist time offenders... tomorrow it's a tube on everyone's car, and in twenty years, its a camera on your dash that doesn't point out at traffic, but within your car.

Hmmm.

As The World Turns

Interesting fact I picked up on Labor Day. The average unemployed America spends 18 minutes a day looking for a job. Hmmm.

Didn't we -just- have a huge argument about balancing the budget and controlling spending? I seem to remember some conversation.

Lessons learned - If you sell a car to someone who cannot afford it, they will not pay for it. This -could- cause banks to loose money, a higher interest rate on loans, and a decline in the economy. Just saying. - If you give a state 18 million dollars to spend on infrastructure, they will fire teachers, lay off state employees and not balance their budget, nor create new jobs.
Please, no more learning oppurtunities for me.

The price of gasoline still baffles me. I guess I should buy a smart car. Oh wait, see previous message.

My PS3 has departed this realm, rest well old friend. I salvaged the hard drive. It will be an experiment to see what I can get into my new PS3 Slim model. You fanbois didn't think I was going to switch to XBox360 did you?

I found a new game on Facebook. Here's how it works. In the top right corner of your wall, two little picutres pop up, and it says People You May Know, then offers a link for you to click, which you can add them as friends. Now, if you have a common friend, thats not such a big deal. My rules are that you only click the ones that you are NOT connected to, ask them to add you and see the results. They are complete strangers. I will let you know the results.

I have quite a few things on my list of Hmmm's today, but I am going to let them gel a bit, check back next week, let's see what falls out.

Thanks for stopping by, Dear Reader. I will try to get this thing back on track soon.
Read my archives!

La, La, La

Soo.
Gas prices are going up. It's summer time, no big deal right? See my previous gas price post, I won't be rehashing. However! The price of crude continues to drop. Simple economics right? Demand goes down, prices go down. That's what we have all been taught to believe in. To me? Doesn't look so simple. It is kind of backwards actually. Demand for gas has gone down, so now its no longer a commodity, but it is a luxury. Luxury items cost more, facts 'o life. Ever seen a Lambroghini commercial on television? Rolls Royce? They still make these cars, and apparently they sell them to someone too. There are no commercials to shop around for your own helicopter or airplane. You know the rest.
Casey went hom... wait, that's not right. Casey left jail, yes that's it, Casey left jail this morning. She had around 500 dollars and some chaneg in her pocket. I think that is more than she arrived with. Any takers on the bet that she can turn that into a million? I am not going to discuss the rights or wrongs in her case. I do not have enough information to make that decision. I will allow this pondering however.. before we all jump on the Caley's Law bandwagon, let's just try to remember that while there may be some problems in our legal system, those who enforce and prosecute people who have violated these laws do not always do so to the best of their ability, nor do they think to very far outside of the proverbial box when seeking what their interpretation of a law represents.
Moving right along.
I am somewhat disaapointed. Charlie has a new employee. He hired last week a SocialNetworking Administrative Assistant. I have nothing against that really. I mean, great, he is creating jobs, sharing his wealth, #winning. What bothers me now is that I cannot in full faith believe his tweets are really his. This guy is likely tweeting for Charlie, providing the illusion that Charlie is doing it. I still follow, call me a sucker for train wrecks. This brings me to another point. When did it occur that Charlie Sheen evolved into Charlie? Say his name, Charlie, everyone knows who you are talking about.
Madonna, Prince, Fonzie, and now Charlie.
National Debt. Heh.
El Presidente wants us to believe that if they do not reach an agreement, social security checks will not go out on August 3. If you believe that, then that prime real estate deal we spoke of last year is still on the table. It's a water shed, not a swamp, I promise.
'Til next time, Dear Reader.

I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, where the hell have you been?! I wish I could tell you that I have been on safari. On a world cruise. Backpacking thru Europe and avoiding death at local Hostels.
Sorry, none of the above.
I have been on sabatical. Walkabout. In hiding. The fuzz is.. no wait, that's a different story, for a different blogsite.

I have, let's say, been recharing my batteries. To be honest, Dear Reader, in order for me to write, I must be motivated, inspired, and last year, I lost my motivation, and inspiration. It is returning I think, let's all hope I don't blow my comeback bloggity.

On to more important things!

New York has made same sex marriage legal. Our El Presidente' has released national oil reserves. Charlie has been replaced by Ashton. I don't have to tell you what all this means.

How many of you were disapointed that the zombie apocalypse missed us? I was devestated. I didn't wash dishes, cut grass, do laundry. Man I was a busy boy on that day after, let me tell you.

It's all connected you see. My pulpit master told me when I was a child that after The Rapture, it would be hell on Earth, those who did not meet Jesus in the sky would be left to the Earth for suffer for Satan's thousand year reign. Nevermind.

Let me ask you something. Have you heard about the newest attempt by the government to get us all to stop smoking? To make smoking less attractive to children? The tobacco companies must make changes to the packaging to display a graphic images of what the use of tobacco can do to you. The guy blowing smoke out his trachea hole. The Iron Lung. What your lungs really look like after years of tobacco use. I won't be bothered actually. It will be rather cool to set my pack of cigs down on the table at my local eatery while I enjoy lunch, and observe the reactions of those around me who cannot eat with this picture staring at them. Wait 'til the fights start over where are allowed to display your cigarette pack! The oppurtunities are endless. Shirt pocket on that white oxford. It is going to be a laugh riot.

Coming to my Hmmmm spot now. Thanks for staying tuned. In today's world of youth, who are raised on video games depicting the best way to blow apart an opponent, who really, do you think is going to latch onto these new images first? Do they really think that Grandma, who has been smoking for 60 years is really going to care about that picture and stop smoking because of it? Or, do you think.. maybe.. that the tobacoo companies, who have always been on the cutting edge of advertising, do you think, that teens will be collecting these things like we collected bazooka joes? I do. I bet sales SPIKE when these things go live.

My good friend CC pointed out to me the newest trend approaching...' Hey, trade you two trach's for that iron lung.'

It will happen. watch your local Craig's List and eBay.. For Sale. Complete set of 2011 Winston Pack Graphics. Serious Offers only. Will consider trades for Riding Lawn Mower or Fishing Gear.

Just Hmmming Along..

I just came in from watering my rocks. I realize that's an odd statement, but it is absolutely true. Our neighborhood has an ASSociation, and for the benefits I receive from living here, I get to spend Saturday morning rock watering. Fortunately, it is not a year round practice. It is only through spring and summer. I suppose I could have watered them over the winter, but I chose not to. Like most things, rocks are not -supposed- to grow in winter. Mine did. I laughed it off, because I cannot get anything to grow in my yard, other than dandelions. More on those shortly. However, I did notice a distinct growth in my rocks over the winter months.

Okay, clarification. I did not actually water the rocks, that's my endearing term for applying weed killer. If the weeds grow up between the rocks in my gravel driveway, then I get a nice fine from the Neighborhood ASSociation. So I was out 'watering' the rocks. It occurred to me that the 'weeds' which I was attempting to kill were actually, indeed, grass. I glanced across my yard and noticed that my lawn actually consisted of nicely trimmed dandelions. My thanks to Miguel for the use of the lawnmower. I found irony in the fact that the only real grass that I have is growing between the rocks in my driveway, which I am working diligently to kill.

Now, more about dandelions. In the last month, I have been visited from three different lawn care companies. They have all promised to kill my weeds, seed, and fertilize my lawn. When I state weeds, more specifically they all specialized in dandelion removal. None of them offered any type of lawn cutting service, which may have prompted me to say yes to whichever did.

I hate to cut grass. When I was a child, many years ago, my weekly allowance was $6.00 US. I paid the kid across the street $3.00 to mow my lawn. My dandelion's current growth pattern gives me two weeks between mowing's. If I had the lawn de-weeded, seeded and fertilized, hell I may end up having to mow it more than once a week. I will keep the dandelions for now.

One small side note. I don't remember having a dandelion problem last year. Weeds, sure, but not so many dandelions. I notice this year that they are growing very well, even thickly, closest to the street. Could it be, that in the dark of night, these masters of lawn care, specifically, dandelion murderers, have seeded my lawn near the street with dandelions, to prove evidence of my 'dandelion infestation' ? Hmmm.

Two tidbits from the news for this post.

Global Warming. Yea yea, I know. I have promised in the past to stay away from this controversial subject, and I am not going to attack nor defend it in this post. I am, however, going to point out an in-consistency, and let you draw your own conclusions.

Global Warming is (supposedly) caused by the emission of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are created in the burning of fossil fuels. Our current government believes that by lowering the amount of emissions created by our dependence on foreign fuel and driving more fuel efficient vehicles that we can reduce our carbon footprint and suspend the growth of the effects of global warming. Like for instance, stop the melting of glacier ice near the poles. I am not sure how a volcano underneath a glacier fits into that scenario, (Eyjafjallajökull, Google It!), but I am almost certain that setting ablaze over 15 million gallons of oil that's floating around the Gulf of Mexico may make one helluva footprint. I understand that it may be at least a month before they can stop the leak. (Washington Post) Our Government is sanctioning, approving and managing this burn.

This makes me take pause.... Let's coerce everyone to trade in their clunker, assume debt we likely cannot afford, or we wouldn't be driving that clunker anyway, then put us into a fuel miser that is environmentally friendly, then set fire to more fossil fuel than we would have burnt in our before we started spending all of our excess income on a car payment we can't afford and not spend on things like oh, I don't know.. medicine, doctor visits, clothes, vacations, you know the types of things that stimulate the freaking economy. Oh my, who slipped that soapbox in here? My apologies dear reader, I will try to stay on target from here on out.

Don't get me wrong. I think protecting the Gulf Coast should be high priority, and I understand the environmental impact this spill will have on the coast if it is allowed to reach the shore. I just think there should be another way, if not many other ways, to prevent this in today's age, than going completely against what you firmly believe to reach the simplest solution. Unless, of course, your belief is really not that firm. Hmmmm.

OK last news tidbit. This one comes out of Indiana. It seems there is an interesting case being considered by the high courts. It involves a lawsuit against a couple of casino's, for banning a patron that was suspected to be counting cards. The casino's contend that they have the right to refuse service to anyone, for any reason. Lower courts agreed with the casinos, but the suit was appealed to a higher court, and they have agreed to hear the case. The higher court's decision to hear the case was swayed by the contention that the man was banned specifically for counting cards. Card counting is not illegal, nor is it disruptive to other patrons, it doesn't cause the counter to be offensive, improperly dressed, or otherwise drawing attention to himself. When considering to ban a customer, the right to refuse service is limited to those who may cause a disruption, or otherwise affect others within the business. The high court went on to state that if the casino's would petition to make card counting illegal, then they would have grounds for banning customers that are suspected of doing so. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. It sets a precedence that can then be challenged anywhere.

Most importantly, if counting cards is made illegal, could I not then sue the casino for not kicking me out when I play and lose? The rules can't say you can only kick me out if I am successful at counting cards, what if I suck at it? What if I suck at it so bad that it is obvious that I am counting and losing? Would not the rules apply if the casino lets me keep counting and losing every hand? Jules says I may have found my own million dollar cup of coffee. All I can say is, Hmmmm.

A Lot Of Things...

Welcome back, dear reader!

Oh wait, you haven't gone anywhere, it was me. Okay, you should welcome me back, and I thank you for doing so.

You may have noticed that I have been lac's in my blogging responsibilities, and for that I apologize. The thing you should note, if you haven't already, is that sometimes my posts run a tad long. This one may end up being HUGE so get comfortable before you decide to tackle it. I know that sometimes my posts draw you in deeper and deeper until you are lost to the void... before you ready any further make sure you have your drinks, snacks, and smokes close at hand. Go take a potty break, turn off your phone, lock the doors, this is gonna be a bumpy ride.

Okay, is your checklist completed? Buckle up, here we go.

First thing on my list of things that make me take pause is a little something I like to call, What the f***? Otherwise known as 'Summer Blend' gasoline. 'They' tell me that this stuff has been around since 1995, but I gotta tell you, I never heard of it until this year. Or rather, I suppose more truthful is that I never took notice of it. But, well, where I live, it is not summer, it should be spring, and since we are not even into or past April yet, there is still a great chance that we will see snow long before summer actually arrives. 'They' tell me that the creeping up of gas prices at the pump is due to the change over costs of making 'summer' blend gasoline. One of the reasons I hear for the price rise is based on supply and demand. You guys remember that line from middle school economics, right?

Here's where I take pause. One thing I read stated that the two things that effect the supply and demand of blended gas are these; First, the suppliers let the winter blends run low while they take two weeks to refit the refineries for the summer blend. This causes the price to escalate based on demand. The second thing is the cost of producing the new blend. The reason we don't see a big decrease in price in the fall is that they can mix the summer and winter blends to meet demands while the refineries return to the winter blend.


In May of 2005 there were 149 refineries in the US. There has not been a refinery built in the US since 1976. Why is that, you ask? Our beloved government run organization, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has determined that these things are hazardous to our environment. Now, I want those of who can remember, to walk back thru history with me. Those of you too young to remember, well you can take our word for it, or use Google. The EPA was established in 1970. The old Indian guy crying over the dump site? That's the reason behind it's creation, to control pollution. When I was a little guy, in 1970, and living on the banks of what I thought was Lake Michigan, (later learned it was just one of the Fox River Chain of Lakes), I can remember walking out on the 20 ft dock and going 15 of those feet just to see the water. From that point back to the shore was a solid floating pollution pile. There was no swimming in that water. The EPA was needed. So in infinite wisdom, we all allowed them to garner more power in controlling pollution, and to set laws in place to protect our environment.

Six years later, 1976, anyone remember anything significant that occurred in 1976? We got our first introduction to Jimmy Carter and Iran, and said goodbye to the twenty five cent gallon of gas.

Enough history, getting to my point now. IF summer blend gas burns cleaner in my car, decreases the amount of ozone added thru burning gasoline, then why don't we use it all year round? Well, a few reasons, one is that summer blend gas doesn't work well in the winter. While it will prevent stalls in the summer, it can make cars very difficult to start in cold weather. Another is that, well, it's more expensive. Also, we are gullible enough to believe this whitewash.

My pausing thoughts to follow:
First, and most obviously, this... Hello! Its still WINTER in most of the US, regardless of what the calendar may say. The National Weather Service says a helluva lotta snow in the Mid-West last week, with more coming as I write this. I wonder how many of those residents had problems starting their cars...hmmm.
Secondly... Well according to my calculations.. It's always Summer somewhere in the world. I am almost positive that they make this 'summer blend' year round, somewhere. I mean, there has to be a demand for it someplace all the time, right?
If they do not, then I have a question.. Why The Hell Not??!

Moving on now to the next topic in today's ramblings.

Potholes. How many of you have pothole problems in your city/county/suburb/municipality? I used to drive a Mustang. As our roads deteriorated, I 'garaged' it to save the suspension. Mid-winter I replaced it with a 4x4 beast that eats these potholes up like kibble. One thing I do not see happening in my commonwealth, is that I never see anyone fixing them. Why is this? As most things are, this repair work is dependant on money. Like most states, my Commonwealth received a hefty 'stimulus'. This money was intended to be spent on improving 'our nation's infrastructure' Infrastructure.. that's like bridges and highways right? So, my commonwealth promptly closed all the rest areas on highways that run thru our state. Then they decided that they were not going to do roadside maintenance. You know, like cutting the grass in the median, and other such menial tasks like fixing potholes. Good news though, last month our new governor said that he was re-opening the rest areas. Hurrah. Oh yea, last week they decided to cut school funding by 250 million in order to balance the budget. Good thing we have our priorities, right?

One tiny note about school funding. We have Mega-Millions, and Powerball, along with the assorted scratch n win lotteries here in my commonwealth. By law, all profits from the lottery are earmarked to go the schools. Ever wonder how much that really is? Let me tell you...

In Fiscal Year 2009, the Virginia Lottery had sales of more than $1.3 billion. Of this total, the Lottery contributed $439.1 million, or 32.1%, to public education grades K-12. 57.2% went back to players in the form of prizes, 5.6% went to the retailers who sell Virginia Lottery tickets, and 5.4% went to operational expenses. - Source - virginialottery.com

Holy be-golly! 439 million, and the commonwealth budget was cut by 250 million. How much does it cost to run a school? Wow. I am in the wrong business. I swear.

Moving right along. Did anyone see the State of the Union address last month by our leader? I hope you caught the part where he chastised The Supreme Court judges who were sitting right down front. Is anyone familiar with these terms... People in glass houses should not throw rocks...Don't bite the hand that feeds you...Don't eat where you shit?

How can he hope to have decisions passed down thru the court that may support his cause, if he publicly denounces their ability to make sound decisions? Me thinks he may have ego issues. I know one thing, however, there is no way I could possibly run a nation, and try to stop smoking at the same time. Gotta give the man props for trying to quit, but someone might want to point out to him that smoking in a federal owned/operated building is against the law. Also, you are out of your mind if you believe for one second he hasn't lit one up in The White House someplace, sometime.

Looks like Global Warming burnt out. I am not going to touch that debate... no matter how tempting it may be.

Does anyone remember the lights over Norway? Look it up. Play the video. Then convince me that is a failed rocket launch. The thing that concerns me is that this happened while the smartest and most influential people in the world were in Stockholm. Coincidence? You tell me.

I am going with two possible scenarios. First, maybe Russia was attempting a rocket launch that failed in it's third stage. This makes me take pause for two reasons. The first is that the agreement with Norway is that you don't go up there and test rockets unless you notify somebody. Secondly, since it was a clandestine rocket launch, just where the hell was the thing aimed? Stockholm? Outer Space? Washington DC? We may never know...

My second theory involves wormholes and aliens. How about this scenario.. All the world's leaders and smart people get together to meet an ambassador from another world. The meeting's over and under the cover of deepest night, the ambassador goes home thru the wormhole.

Plausible? Maybe.

That's all I have for now. Maybe more tomorrow. Thanks for coming back.

This post is dedicated to my best friend Bubba. Bubba left my side last month, but is still the best friend ever. I miss you!

How many of you have ever seen the movie Forrest Gump? I have. I can recite most of the movie by heart, it is among my short list of all time greats. Right up there with Gone With the Wind and Clint Eastwood's The Unforgiven.

My favorite line of the movie comes right after Forrest is leaving the television station when being on with John Lennon, "Well, it's easy if you try, Dick". Lieutenant Dan is waiting outside of the back door and he delivers, what will, after Friday's events, become one of the biggest lines in movie history, along with Chief Brody's, "We're gonna need a bigger boat." Rhett Butler's, "Frankly Scarlet, I don't give a damn." and Darth Vader's, "No, I am your father."

The exchange goes like this:

Lt. Dan: They gave you the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Forrest: Now that's Lieutenant Dan. Lieutenant Dan!
Lt. Dan: They gave you the Congressional Medal of Honor!
Forrest: Yes sir, they sure did.
Lt. Dan: They gave you an imbecile, a moron who goes on television and makes a fool out himself in front of the whole damn country, the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Forrest: Yes, sir.

For some reason, Friday I was saying this in my mind over and over... and over. Late last night I became curious about some Things That Make Me Take Pause, and wanted to look at lists of great and really deserving winners.

All Quiet on the Western Front
Mutiny on The Bounty
Gone With The Wind
Ben Hur
The Godfather Part II
Rain Man
Forrest Gump
Katharine Hepburn
Spencer Tracy
Clark Gable
James Stewart
Frank Sinatra
John Wayne
Robert DiNero
Micheal Jackson
Madonna
Paul McCartney
Duke Ellington
Elvis
David Auburn
Jonathan Larson
Tennessee Williams
Leonard Pitts Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Mother Theresa
Barrack Obama
Elie Wiesel
Otto Hahn
William Faulkner

That's some list. Ok enough of that listing thing, I could go on and on, as my regular followers already can testify, I get long winded at times. My goal is not really that devious, and rather obvious. I noticed that one award was given for commentary. I am one hell of a commentator, let me tell ya. If there is ever a comittee that wants to award me an award for blogging, sign me up please?

On my way from work today I had a song stuck in my head... does anyone remember this one? "Three of these things belong together, one of these things just doesn't belong. Three of these things belong together, can you pick which one before I end this song?"

I am really not saying anything, no hidden messages for those who may believe me to be a conspiracy theorist, nothing at all. Oh, I want to, golly how I want to. I am not going to say it.

I have won awards before.. I have even had a story I wrote published when I was 11. I turned the same work into a college professor for a Theme. Talk about an easy 'A'. Don't tell her ok? It made her cry. I mean awards that mean something, awards that make you think, "Wow, someone thought so much of my achievement they gave me an award." I have never won the everyone deserves a prize awards however. In my opinion... I think the no kid left behind, and everyone deserves praise era may be most of what's wrong with America today.

I think recent events have shown that this rule is not limited to America's Schools either. Awards are being passed out to anyone and everyone. This year is not an exception, however, while creating my list I came across other names in categories and deeds that made me take pause. Maybe the larger point is to devalue awards altogther. Like Kanye West did at the VMA's.

A short note today, I hope you enjoyed it as I did creating it. My tongue in cheek approach to awards. Let's leave on the final quote:

Lt. Dan: Well, then, that's just perfect! Yeah, well I just got one thing to say to that. Goddamn bless America.

That's all I have to say about that.

I just wonder...

I wonder. Everyone knows how deliquent credit works right? What I mean is, like, when you stop paying on a charge account, how that debt is passed along. It goes like this...

You borrow one dollar from company A. You get charged interest on that dollar, let's say 25%. For every dollar borrowed you owe one dollar and twenty five cents back. Let's say you don't pay that back and it runs over one month. Well, just from interest you now owe one dollar and fifty six cents. Let's tack on a late fee of say 10% and you now owe one dollar and seventy two cents. Company A gives up on trying to collect the dollar you borrowed and in steps company B. Company says to company A, I see that your customer owe's you one dollar and seventy two cents. I will pay you one dollar and ten cents for that debt and collect it myself. Company A says ok, deal, because they really only have one dollar worth of debt out there, anything over one dollar is profit.

Company B then tracks you down and says to you that they know you owe one dollar and seventy two cents, but it you act now they will settle this debt for for one dollar and twenty cents. One dollar and twenty cents is less than you owed to begin with so you say what a great deal and pay the one dollar and twenty.

That is the gamble that company B makes anyway. That you will pay the one twenty and be happy for it. In the percentage game there is a constant that every situation has that must be included in the gamble that a prospect is going to respond. There has to be someone, somewhere, that says No. I like to think of myelf as that constant. In sales it works like this....

When you are selling widgets, you have to get so many No responses to get to that Yes. Let's say you go out and you ask ten people if they would like to see your widget. Of that ten people, three are going to say yes, show me your widget. Of the three that check out your widget, one will buy a widget. The object in sales is to get past the No's to get to the Yes'. The way to be successful at this is to show widgets to everyone, each No brings you closer to that Yes. Company B works on the same principle. The more people they can make this offer to, the more money they can make. This is called The Law of Averages. Unfortunately, in order for this law to work, someone has to say No.

I am that No.

Now that we muddled thru the boring part, let me tell you what I wonder.

I have this credit card. It has a pretty low limit for a card, but when I got it I was supposed to use it for emergencies and stuff like that. I have had it for several years and paid on it regularly for most of that time. When the recession hit us, I had to make a choice fo who got paid what and this card came out on the losing end. I am not proud of it, I am just laying down the groundwork for the bigger questions to come later.

Ok, so I maxed this card out to it's limit, and made the tough decision to not pay on it. The company added their late fee and an over-the-limit charge and started running up the debt. Now in today's electronic age, it is near impossible to go over-the-limit on a charge card because when they run the card it will be declined. The card company can run it over in a second. They continued to charge late fees and over-the-limit charges until currently the balance on the card is twice the initial loan and credit limit.

I wonder how high the limit can go. If the card company continues to add to the balance, is this an indication of how much credit is actually available to me? I mean, the way I see it, if the beginning limit was let's say one hundred dollars, and they run it up with their charges to two hundred and fifty dollars, doesn't this indicate that they could have made the limit two hundred fifty to begin with? Given that presumption, and if history proves itself, then in theory I currently have unlimited credit with this card company. Here's where I wonder... In theory, this company has set the precendent that I can borrow as much as I want from any lender. They have given me a blank check, so to speak.

I should be able to walk into any lending institution and use their example as a means to secure any amount I choose. Hey, I didn't make these rules, they are the ones that keep rasing my limit. If it works for me, shouldn't it work for everyone?

I don't mean to sound crass or without sense of responsibility and I know you nay-sayers out there are freaking out that I can let this debt go unsettled. But, in my own defense I do have to say that the card company knew the risks before they gave me the card. Equifax can tell them all they ever wanted to know. Had they done their due dilegence, I would have never gotten the card to begin with, and I would never have been able to acrue this high of a limit.

The lady called me from the card company last week. She wanted to inform me that my payment was past due. I really did not intend to laugh thru this highly professional contact, but I did find humor in it. I asked her if it had been turned over to collections yet, and she told me that if I did not make a payment it would be. We talked about collections for a few minutes and she asked again if I would make a payment of x amount to keep the account 'active'. After doing the math in my head for a moment I deduced that I could get this card paid off for less than the actual charged amount, if I had the time to wait it out.

FICO doesn't lie. I have all the time in the world.

I told her No.

Pausing

Today is Labor Day. The day our country has decided to dedicate to the hard working people of our nation. I pondered this as I stood in line at my local convenience store making a purchase. I am off today. Matter of fact, I have been on vacation for the last week. I did very little vacationing actually. I spent all week in my garage. No, I do not have the epitomy of a working man's garage. I have a 30 x 20 storage facility attached to my house. One day it may actually be a garage, but I do not know if I will be alive to see it. Perhaps the grandchildren will enjoy it. Likely, before I pass onto the ether, it will become a game room, with the door sealed closed and then insulated, carpeted and sound proofed. the grandchildren may enjoy that even more than it's use as intended...to park my car inside of.

A gameroom would be much more suited anyway. Then we would have the 'excersise pole' my wife has coveted for years. The money is on the idea of a excersise pole being long washed away with having that extra space as a guest room when our children visit with their babes. For now it is storage. But one day, one day... Hey a man can dream right?

Tomorrow the kids go back to school. It's going to be a a cluster**ck. I return to work as well. Huge scheduling error on my part. I have lived in our commonwealth for 6 years. Every year the children have returned to school on the week before Labor Day. I, having finally caught onto the schedule, arranged my own vacation to occur the week before Labor Day. This year they start school the day after the holiday, so I was blessed with the company of our daughters for the week. It wasn't that bad really, and I really do love spending time with them. But they sleep all day and are up all night, sometimes not appearing before 5pm. That's okay too, really. However, now that I have gotten used to sleeping in until 8-9 am, I realise I am faced with the same problem they will no doubt have all this week. Tomorrow I am to go in at 7am. I have no idea how the three of us will wrestle hot water, breakfast and arrival times. I think I will ask my body to awake around 4:30 - 5:00 am. I really have no idea if this will work or not. Wish me luck.

Tomorrow, our president will address the children, and encourage them to stay in school, live the dream, and believe that one day, they too may become president of the good old U S of A. Locally, our county will not be taking pause to listen to the address. In their judgement, it being the first day, the interuption will cause too many wrinkles in their proven success of opening day activities. I do not have a problem with this decision. I applaud it. I was discussing this speach with my good friend Bubba, and pointed out the hypocrisy in the speach content, and intent.

I have a difficult time placing my belief in an education program that resulted with the dismissal of over 60 teachers in my commonwealth this passed summer. This was after the $180 million stimulus that was recieved by the same. I still have yet to see any jobs created by this input of cash to spend. Bubba pointed out that the federal government could not dictate on how the money was spent to the states. I asked if GM, Ford, and Chrysler read their fine print when they accepted their stimulus monies. We changed the subject to mention that if American car companies lowered their price by $4500 then people would buy new cars.

I wondered aloud if in a Socialist Regime, was there a ligitmate democratic process to determine a president. I am impressed that one day someone says, " I am taking ova, you shall call me 'El Presindente'! " And that is that.

Then we continued our search for plastic chairs.

You folks know plastic chairs right? They stack on top of each other, usually are white, and when it rains they get this little puddle right in the middle of the seat. Backyard plastic chairs. A month ago I saw a ton of them on sale for a great price while I was at Lowe's. We had some guests over the weekend and decided that we needed to make a purchase of these little plastic chairs. Off Bubba and I go to Lowe's. Sold out. No problem, WalMart is next door.. off we go. Sold out. The city I live in is not small. According to census results for last year, more people live in my city than in the entire state of Idaho. We searched 6 different locations for these chairs.. none to be found. I am slowly realising that I am in the wrong business. I should be selling plastic chairs. Bubba and I decided to just grab some beers and head back to the porch.. the stairs are really not that uncomfortable... especially after a few beers.

I do have a part time job, however, it pays really good and I don't have to pay any taxes on the income.. I don't think I do anyway. Likely after I post this a new line will appear on your 1040EZ..... Income from Yard Sale $ ____.__. Now I know mathematically I am losing money over the long run. The items I am selling in a yard sale do not even closley recoup the outpay at purchase. It is however, cash in hand, so I feel good about the results. It may be ultimately that if we did not buy these items that are of no use to us, then we would not need to recoup any costs because we would have the money. We all know that is not going to happen, so a yard sale 'feels' like new money, and I am happy living the facade that we, 'made some money', from our yard sale. Looking back across my storage room after the yard sale I realised we need to do about ten more of these if we ever plan to have a game room. My plan is to keep having them until it gets too cold to go outside or we run out of stuff, or people get tired of seeing my sign and stop coming altogether.

Or me and Bubba can just sit on the porch steps and drink beer. No money in that, I know. But it will give me plenty of time to dream.

Yet Another... You guessed it.

Damn that sucks.

I am a little upset. I had created for your reading pleasure a timeless classic. As I was previewing this masterpiece, destined to become a National Epic, I moved to correct a typo, and it went away to the ether.

Hmm.. maybe it's a conspiracy. Has the Blog Czar been named yet? Probably not, but I am still upset.

Maybe I will recover enough to write again later. For now I am going to cry in my ice cream.

Maybe.

This Thing Made Me Take Pause...

There I was standing in line today, like I was taught in Kindergarten. One of the most useful things I was taught by the way. Along with asking permission, saying thank you, and that chewing gum is really hard to get out of your hair. I was standing in line waiting, as being in line may indicate, I was waiting for my turn and watching the monitor that had beein hung there to distract us line people from the fact that we really were having to wait, and it was playing the news highlights from around the world, when something caught my eye.

You guessed it, I had to take pause.

The snippet stated something to the fact that under the proposed new healthcare legislation, there would include the creation of a new branch that would counsel the elderly, and disabled, (read those who recieve social security benefits), on their right to die.

Yes you read it right, their right to die. Being of a curious nature, and not wanting to jump on anyone's wagon before knowing at least a communicative amount of facts. I let my fingers do the walking thru my good friend google and this is what I found...

“I’ve read about a third of HR 3200 and the counseling parts are designed to encourage euthanasia,” claimed Dr. Katherine Schlaerth, an associate professor of family medicine at Loma Linda University School of Medicine. “Seniors will be counseled every five years, and more often if they get sicker.”

“Patients who have a worsening of their chronic condition, but who may not even be pre-terminal, are included in this strong-arm counseling, and their respect for authority figures could pave the way for agreement with cessation of care not in their interest at all,” Schlaerth said. “Health-care providers, meanwhile, may be forced to give counseling directly opposed to their religious or moral beliefs.”

Many people are in agreement with this interpretation. Read on.

“Section 1233 encourages health-care providers to provide their Medicare patients with counseling on ‘the use of artificially administered nutrition and hydration’ and other end-of-life treatments and may place seniors in situations where they feel pressure to sign an end-of-life directive they would not otherwise sign,” said the House Republican leader, John Boehner, R-Ohio, and the Republican Policy Committee chairman, Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., in a July 23 statement. “This provision may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia.”

Yes you did read that correctly, Euthanasia.

Now previously I had determined that my next blog was going to be about the credit card companies, of which I do still have to say, but this tidbit just made me stop, and well you know, take pause. I mentioned in an earlier posting, my suspicion on how this might turn out, but now that I have been validated, instead of gratification, I am actually scared.

The legislative language of the bill regarding counseling is vague and open to interpretation. “I’m a lawyer, and I find this language incomprehensible,” stated Wesley J. Smith, associate director of the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. “I believe it is done maliciously. What is clear is that seniors will receive counseling — read ‘re-education’ — every five years or whenever their health status changes. The point is to reduce cost. While the language doesn’t require it, these mandatory sessions will often be directed towards not wanting care, in much the same way that genetic counseling of a mother carrying a Down [syndrome] fetus often is directed toward abortion.”

Section 1233 does state the counselling will be performed by a doctor or other practitioner, however, they are directed to provide a list of national and state specific departments that can provide further information. These departments are specifically instructed to offer choices and options on how to end the life, rather than preserve it.

Yea, I think thats all I have to say about that...


Props to: http://www.ncregister.com/daily/health_care_duty_to_die/

Things That Make Me Pause

Cz..Cz..Cz..Czarndite!

Pardon me I had to sneeze. Being of a curious nature, and not wanting to make an opinion without having some semblance of understanding of the topic, I have decided not to take pause on the use of abundant appointments to the position of Czar within our government.

I will, however, of course make some statement, in general terms, or this would not be the blog you thought it might be. No I am not going to talk about smoking today. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe never. It depends on what the No Smoking Czar says.

The use or appointment of czars within our government is not a new thing. Nixon started it with his appointment of a Drug Czar. Then there was an Energy Czar. Now there may one day be a Copyright Czar. No idea here what the heck this person may do, but I bet it pays well. We have a never ending supply of paper and ink, we can print more money if we need to.

I am going to distract you for just a moment and input an observation about Government Healthcare. Revisit if you will, then back on topic... I promise.

When the bailouts began for banks, the money was non-repayable. The government handed trillions of dollars to the banking industry to bail out the now infamous 'every man deserves a house' theology preached by the Clinton administration, with the caveat that the money could not be repayed and the government would mandate loaning practices of the banks which accepted the bailout. After deliberation it was decided that indeed, as the banks recovered they could pay the money back. This is a good thing. Now we presume that the money would be earmarked to repay some of our national debt, but we all know two things. First that the national debt is an arbitrary term, and the money is not ever going to be 'paid back'. Secondly, we know that the bailout money is not real money anyway, its all just numbers on someone's ledger, who is kept prisoner in that top secret hiding hole under the reflecting pool at the Washington Monument. This brings us back to Government Healthcare....

Since the bailout money that is paid back is not real money, and the money is not going to downsize our national debt, why not use those trillions to fund the healthcare proposal? I take pause when I hear that anyone who makes over $175,000.00 a year will have to pay a surcharge of $20,000.00 to fund this project. MOST especially when we already have healthcare available to everyone who wants/needs it. Do not make the mistake of confusing healthcare with health insurance. Alot of people do not have health insurance, but they do have access to healthcare.

I am not happy with the crappy health insurance I have. The insurance company has already decided that the medicines my doctor has prescribed are not really necessary for my well being and quality of life. I get really worried at the thought that the government will decide that I don't need high blood pressure medicine. I should excercise more often. Tricky part is that if I don't take the medicine, and excercise, then I have a stroke or heart attack while doing it. Vicious cycle. This won't come for awhile, but it will come a day when you won't get benefits for lung cancer under the government ran plan, because you should have told your significant other to stop infecting you with second hand smoke 20 years ago. (I am not going to talk about smoking, someone make me stop before this gets out of hand.)

A company the size of mine should have the buying power to dictate to the insurance company the level of service they expect. Which maybe they do, but if they do, then they suck at it. Maybe they need an Insurance Czar. I will put that in the comment box tomorrow.

Czar in U.S. Government, as written by Lauren Meckler in The Wall Street Journal :

The problem is that "czars" are meant to be all-powerful people who can rise above the problems that plague the federal agencies, he said, but in the end, they can't. "We only create them because departments don't work or don't talk to each other," Mr. Light said, adding that creation of a White House post doesn't usually change that. "It's a symbolic gesture of the priority assigned to an issue, and I emphasize the word symbolic. When in doubt, create a czar."

The word czar comes from the Russian tsar which in turn was derived from the Latin Caesar. It means an emperor or autocrat. When used in relation to American government it is used sardonically to suggest that someone is given authority inconsistent with a democracy.

I believe, and I can be swayed, that the situation is this.. A czar does not go thru confirmation hearings, like other presidential appointments. The Czar answers to noone, except the President, and is given as much power as the President sees fit to complete their assigned task, or govern their particular zone of interest.

This makes me take pause. In a government which is rapidly becoming a socialist republic, do we really want people in positions of almost absolute power making decisions that will effect us forever? With noone to answer to except the person that appointed them, not the American people.

We can say of course that the government is for the people, and by the people. However, once these people are placed in power there is little that can be done without concensus to remove them. Another little known fact...(CSPAN is pretty cool during primetime, I highly reccomend it).

Winston Churchill said of socialism:
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy. Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."

In or around 1948, The UK instituted Government Healthcare. In Winston Churchill's bid for re-election he stated that the UK had tried Socialism and it did not work. The UK still has government healthcare. Why is that? Because once a government program is in place, once it becomes law, it cannot be undone. This statement might be a little strong, certainly we have measures in place to change or ammend a law, or program. It's just that our wonderful world of democracy allows it to be bogged down in red tape in perpetuity.

Thomas Jefferson called it an experiment of democracy. I think the instructor has left the building.

Czar of Blogs. Thats a title I could get into. Yes Mr. President, I have had my staff (of 25,000, not including Bubba) proof read all of the blogs that were submitted for approval. We have censored them by your guidelines and added those bloggers that may offend to the national blog terror list, and passed the information along to Homeland Security. The Czar of Polls indicates that when these blogs are released your public opinion ratings will soar, in full accordance with your mandate that all polls are to be conducted thru content of blog posts, which represent the true voice of America.

I am not the only one saying it. I am just jumping on the bandwagon, as it were. Someone has to say it, and someone has to say it loud. I need a puppet.... anyone here from Mississippi? I notice a spot on my local school board open....

Props to : The Bizarre Title of Czar in U.S. politics
http://southdakotapolitics.blogs.com/south_dakota_politics/2009/01/the-bizarre-tit.html

Things That Make Me Take Pause

What would you do with 895 million dollars? I know what I would do. Any damn thing I wanted to. For as long as I wanted to. I don't think I have seen a lottery reach that high, and the chances of winning are 1 in 176 million? (maybe it's 126 million, anyway its nothing but luck). Back to tonights magic number. 895 million dollars. If you owned a company that showed a profit of 895 million, after all the lights have been paid, your employees have been paid and all your equipment has been paid for, the bottom line, as it were, 895 million dollars in one year. That would make you happy wouldn't it? I think if I could do that I would only work that first year and sell out, then retire to my private island with my assistant, Bubba.

Would you possibly reward your employees with an increase or bonus, for performing their job at such a high level that you exceeded your expectations. Take pause. Let's make it even more interesting. Let's say that your compny posted these numbers as total profit for the quarter of the year. Three months net profit of 895 million dollars. Imagine that, every three months you profit close to a BILLION dollars.

The company I work for did that today. Posted a net profit for the second quarter of 895 million dollars. This is the same company that asked us to turn over uneeded copies and make new copies on the other side of the paper. GLOOM/DOOM! No one in my company was offered an incentive bonus this year, because, "Times are tough." "With this new business unit we will position ourselves to continue to lead our industry." "We appreciate your understanding in these trying economic times."

Take Pause.

Do you know what it costs to be the primary sponsor on a Nascar car? In 1995 it was 15 million a year. Now it runs between 20-22 million. This includes the driver's salary which runs around 1 million a year. Let me get this straight.... You are paying a nascar driver a million dollars a year to do nothign more than use up tires, fuel, and body work.... that has NEVER even won a race. Win, my bad he can't even finish in the top 5. So in other words, here's a company employee who does his job half way, rarely completes his work asignment, and has a terrible habit of destroying company property. Its enough to make me want to call the ethics hotline and tip them off. The guy is obviously slacking off and definately destroying company goods.

In spite of our nascar driver's efforts, the company still made a profit of 895 milion This makes me take pause because all I ever wanted was that huge increase of around 45 cents per hour. I don' think it would break the bank... not by a long shot.

Ask me about smoking in public, I can't wait to get that started.

Things That Make Me Pause

You know, there are things all around us each day that should make us go Hmmm. As I grow older I begin to realise that not much suprises me anymore, however, many things make me pause. That's the theme of this blog and here you will find the things that make me pause, and think to myself, 'How damn stupid can some people be?'

Point in case... Today on my morning drive, the news came across my radio that my state, pardon, commonwealth, was closing down 18 rest stops on our major highways. The reason given was lack of funding, budgetary cutbacks, cutting expenses. My commonwealth recieved about 18 million in stimulus monies. Since the monies were provided, the state has laid off/fired/eliminated teachers, and other key state employees. I have not seen nor heard of a single job that has been created. This was, I thought, the purpose of the stimulus monies, to create jobs, and improve the economy. This makes me pause.

When I watch the Government take over big business, GM, FORD, CHRYSLER/DODGE, and promote fuel efficient vehicles... a $4500 bonus to those who trade in a gas guzzler (= <18mpg) for a car that gets equal to or better than 28mpg, this makes me pause. This is the same government that decided it was a family's right to own a home, whether they could afford it or not, and in that brainfart placed the housing market in the place it is today. The mismanagement of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. I am taking pause again.

Listen, do we really want an accountant to determine the level of Healthcare we deserve? Pancreatic Cancer cannot be cured. You ARE going to die if you develop it. Do you want an accountant or a doctor to determine your treatment path? The accountant will look at the bottom line. $500,000.00 to keep you comfortable for another year of life, or free to deny any benefit. Take pause when these decisions are being made.

Is it right for government to tax you a higher percentage because you had the business savy to make a million bucks? If I make X annually, and you make Z, if we are both paying our 33% then what's the problem? Your 33% will always be a higher dollar amount than mine, until I get to your income level. We are not talking about tax brackets, we are talking income level. I take pause whenever someone says to me that I should work my butt off to succeed, then give away my rewards for succeeding. I want to be a millionaire. I want to buy nice things as my reward for making it. I do not want to drive a car that gets 28mpg and can be crushed by a bicyclist on a downhill run. I want to spend on whatever i want to buy. I cannot however, because my company decided they would withold our incentive increase this year to fight a tough economy.

Take pause. If I do not get my increase I do not have any money to spend on the items which have had their prices increased. If I do not buy these items, more new items cannot be produced. If new items are not being produced they cannot be shipped. If they cannot be shipped then my company cannot make money. It's a vicious cycle isn't it? It gets better. If the items are not being produced then Bob at the factory gets laid off. If they are not being bought, then people who work at the stores get laid off. Maybe the store goes out of business altogether. Maybe the factory where these goods are made goes out of business too....

Then to top it off, you are expected to show charity to those with less than you...oh and don't forget to donate blood... if you can get any more blood out of this turnip.