Random Thoughts - Fifty-one

If bagpipes don't fire up your blood you are near comatose. If Amazing Grace on the pipes doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you are comatose.

These yahoo politicians that have innuendos to make about police should be required to strap on a vest and walk, step for step, beside a big city cop for a week. I doubt that many would last a day. 

The Brady/Belichick combination is having another great year. I just hope they can take it all the way. That first week bye is gold. That last game turned out ugly. But I still have hope!

It is obvious that I am an old time football fan. (I rooted for the NY Giants when Y.A. Tittle was quarterback.) I have no problem with the DC team being called the Redskins. But I have a suggestion that might solve two problems. They could change their name to the Washington Puppies and only play exhibition games against division 3 college teams and real good high school teams. Problem solved.

I just read where Walmart is a corporate supporter of Al Sharpton. If this is true, then every decent person in America should boycott them. 

The New York City police department has 35,000 cops. It was reported today that only 81 cops fired their weapons in the line of duty. Think about that. And by the way, the NYPD is probably the least racist police force on the planet.

I saw a recent interview starring President Obama. He explained how the economy is healed, race relations have improved, and we are more respected on the international scene. He has als invented interstellar travel and a method to turn cheap hamburg into filet mignon. The man, the legend the.............oh, never mind.

Really? Do we really want another Bush? I would have been happy if Jeb had run instead of his brother. But he didn't. Enough with dynasties. I know now who I like in 2016. I'll be talking about it soon. But in the meantime lets replace Boehner. The party has changed and he hasn't.

Obama says he will veto bills sent from the Republican Congress. Since the Congress was elected by the people, Obama is setting aside their wishes and, once again ruling as a king.

The next two years will be very interesting. And possibly dangerous.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

The Year's Big Loser / The Year's Big Winner

This year's big loser is the United States of America. We are the loser because we have suffered under the most incompetent and dictatorial President ever. After six years of feckless, confused, and ego ridden  management, our country has been dragged to a low ebb on both the domestic and international scene.

After boldly stating, multiple times that jobs are going to be his highest priority President Obama has done everything possible to kill jobs. Adding regulation upon regulation, agencies under Presidential control have increased the base cost of doing business to a scale never imagined and without any Presidential inclination to call a halt.

The President recently said that race relations have improved during his reign. Maybe people are being nice to him but I see rioting in the streets and people of color campaigning to "kill cops". I see the worlds most detestable race baiter being a constant guest at the White House. It seems that relations are a might strained to me.

The pandemonium at the VA and the continuous law breaking by the IRS seem to not improve. Congress has to fight to get answers from anyone in the administration. 

We have been shown as weak and indecisive in international activities. We are not trusted by our friends and laughed at by our enemies. Even a tin pot dictator like Kim Jung Un threatens us without fear. Iran plays us like a yoyo. Putin sneers at us as he does whatever he wishes. Because of all this and more, The United States is the big loser.

This year's big winner is the United States of America. Yep, they get both prizes. They get the winner prize because they had the collective good sense to change their government. The Republicans now have the House, the Senate, most of the state governors, and the opportunity of a lifetime. I hope they have the good sense to use this opportunity well. 

I heard one very experienced political reporter opine today that if the Republicans do well and elect a good Presidential candidate it will be a generational loss for the Democrats. I feel that it can be done with some leadership changes. The American people have had it with liberal silliness. We need statesmen and patriots more than ever since WWII.  The hope for the future that the American people have wrought makes the United States the big winner.

The Finest Holiday

MerryChristmas

Christmas is the finest holiday. It is the finest holiday because it has something for everyone. Christians celebrate December 25 as the birthday of Jesus, the Prince of Peace and the Son of God. To Christians, Christmas is the holiest of holies. It is a day of joy and giving.

Those that have not given up religion can take comfort in the historical Jesus. As a man he preached and taught and suffered for his teaching. But he preached a philosophy of love and peace, of doing unto others that has lasted for two thousand years. It is a philosophy that anyone can adopt whether religious or secular.

Those that fear and despise religion, who cannot stand the sight of a cross or a Star of David can go full secular with Santa Claus. Santa may have been a religious symbol once, but today the old boy has gone commercial. And besides, having been in the work force for fifty years, I never saw an atheist refuse his Christmas bonus.

I hope Santa Claus is good to everyone. Even if you've been a little naughty. I will be back next Monday.

So once again, I wish you all a very

  MerryChristmas

Santa Revisited

Until now, I have written every word of my blog myself. But I am sitting at my computer listening to Christmas music with my mind wandering and thinking generally about the beauty and grace of a proper Christmas. 

One of the greatest ever essays on the secular side of Christmas appeared in the New York Sun in 1897. One of the papers editors, Francis Church, wrote this extraordinary piece. I have borrowed it from them and reproduce it here. I hope you all enjoy it.

From the New York Sun

Dear Editor—
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West Ninety Fifth Street

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence.

We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

A Special Prayer

My heart is in pain tonight as I listen to the news of two fine New York police officers shot down , for no reason, in the prime of their life. They were murdered by an ne'er do well from Baltimore who took to heart the voices of the race baiters that love chaos and despise peace. All of you that are so disposed, pray with me for their lives and their eternal souls.

Dear God;
Look upon those, your children, that lived to serve. In their life's profession they were emissaries of peace. They wished no more than to serve their city and return to their families. But one who listened to the evil words of the agitators took their lives into his hands. In a moment of insanity he committed the ultimate crime. Give the families of those dedicated officers your peace in Jesus name. Amen

Thank you.

Superman Is Dead!

 Hollywood is the land of illusion. Nothing is as it seems. Nothing is as reported in the press. Hollywood is a land of self important people who consider their movies an art form and their intellect superior. They are as wrong on that as they are wrong on so many other things.

But above all, Hollywood is the land of the super hero or heroine. From Superman to Wonder Woman to James Bond to Jason Bourne. Hollywood is ground zero for those that fear nothing and fight valiantly for good around the world.

OK, maybe there is one person in the world that strikes fear into the heart of these intrepid movie making throngs. A short, fat, North Korean, crazy person with no style sense and a bad haircut named Kim Il Un. The mighty Kim snuck up behind one of the gods of Hollywood when no one was looking and stole this gods secrets. This less than mighty god is named Sony. Now, Sony thought he was a great god. A ruler of the universe. But when you steal a Hollywood god's secrets, you steal that god's power.

You see, the denizens of Hollywood, like the old God Janus, have two faces. And each of those two faces have the ability to talk out of both sides of their mouths. So as even the casual observer can see, they have the ability to give four different opinions on any given subject. This is a power they wish to keep secret from the slathering hordes that are called fans. These fans are the ones that feed money and adulation into their innocuous efforts keeping these gods alive.

But the great and wonderful Kim, having been sorely disrespected by Sony's minions, stole Sony's secrets and exposed them. This took away Sony's power. So while the once great god Sony and his illusionary super heroes quivered in a corner, the powerful Kim said, "show that movie of disrespect and I will do you great harm. 

This was too much for Sony to bear. At great loss to his finances and reputation, Sony cancelled the movie, gathered up all the copies and hid with them in a closet, shivering in fear, somewhere in the Hollywood hills. It seems that even the powerful super gods in that great cathedral called Homeland Security were not up to the battle with the all powerful Kim. It just seems that our gods and our super heroes are not what they used to be.

Random Thoughts - Fifty

So we now  have another Harvard elitist as Surgeon General. Not that he is experienced enough. Not that he has spent years proving his qualifications. The fact is that he is political enough for an Obama appointment. Which means he is very political. And he is also an anti-gun activist. In Obama World that makes him a perfect choice.

Congratulations to my New England Patriots on winning the division championship. Their game against the Dolphins last Sunday was a hugely entertaining game to watch.

I do believe that the mealy mouthed politicians that would harm this country for their own benefit have stepped in it, up to their hips. Most people are disgusted with that one sided overblown faux report denigrating the CIA. The CIA was doing what they were mandated to do. To protect this country! And now, more than a decade later, a bunch of pitiful liberal wusses try to destroy them in a sickening power play. Real Americans know what it means to protect your homeland and stand behind the CIA.

By the way, did I mention that Vivek Murthy, our new Surgeon General, and Jonathan Gruber, disgraced MIT economist, are buds. Now there is a pair that will beat a full house.

The Christmas Season is supposed to be a time of peace and love. I am not seeing much peace and love out there. Just the opposite in fact. It seems to me that for the past six years we have been sinking deeper into chaos. I am beginning to understand conspiracy theorists.

I can just hear the powers that be in the Republican party now, "Well, you know Jeb has been a loyal party guy. He's waited on the sidelines. Really, it's his turn." Maybe he would make a good President. He seems like a nice guy. And he speaks Spanish. But is America ready for a third chapter in "The Bush Dynasty".  I know that I am not.

Maybe another government shutdown wouldn't have been so bad.

I know that I seem to be using the word chaos a lot lately but here we are after four years and Obamacare is still chaos. Was this planned to force us into single payer? Probably. 

So the once mighty Bill Cosby has fallen from grace. Is it really necessary for every person of the female persuasion that he ever crossed paths with, to come out publicly, with a detailed and, sometimes, off setting stories of his actions toward and with her? We get it, but we are well into too much information. 

An attack of "blue flu" in the NYPD would not shock me. The fine citizens of New York City have elected a chump for a mayor. The cops are the one organization that holds that city together. De Blasio has blown it with them. That could turn around and bite him in the posterior.


I heard that as part of the normalization process, President Obama's new BFF, Raul Castro is going to send him one of those cool jackets with epaulets covered with stars. You know, a supreme leader jacket. Maybe it is for Michelle.

Free Tickets To Hell

I have lived in the United States of America for many years now. From before we were involved in World War II until today, it has been a true pleasure to live in the greatest country in the world. 

Best of all, I lived in the heart of the beginnings of American history. As a child, I had visited Bunker Hill, been to Paul Revere's home, traveled to Lexington and Concord, and even Plymouth Colony. Not only that, I learned American history in school. The version that celebrates America. The history that shows the courage and brilliance of the founders.

As a child, I accepted what I was taught, not only in the schools, but by my family. As I grew older, I read. I read a lot. As an adult I accepted an adult truth. My country was not without flaws. Any country governed by men, which is to say, any country, will make mistakes of policy and action from time to time. 

America stands head and shoulders above any other country in admitting and correcting any mistakes that were made. Most people know that President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. What most people never hear is that our Founding Fathers made the importation of slaves illegal in 1808. Think about that. We were a brand new country, just defeating the most powerful nation on Earth, and one of the first thing that our founders did was to ban the importation of slaves.

But today, we have a new breed of people who live and enjoy the benefits of this great country but pick at and magnify every fault, real or conceived, that they can come up with.

Some of these are in the media, some make movies, and, unfortunately, far to many of them inhabit educational institutions at all levels.

I challenge these worldly wise philosophers of the modern world, to explain to us where in the world they could go to live where they would have the freedom to exploit the people they are charged to educate. Where they could malign the society that provides their livelihood. I have read about most of these countries and have visited a few. I will say this. There is no other country that I would rather live in, and the only one that comes even close is Ireland. Maybe Australia or New Zealand. I don't know enough about them to judge.

But, being the generous sort, I have included a free ticket to where I think these misguided folks should go. There will a boat waiting for them on the bank of the River Styx. They just need to present the stub to Charon, their kindly captain, sit back an enjoy the ride. It is all downhill. Which is where they were going anyway.

Bus Shortage In DC

There is a shortage of buses in Washington, DC. It has become so acute of late that I am suggesting emergency measures. I would like Peter Pan, Greyhound, and any other bus line to send as many buses as they can spare immediately. If they park them on the mall they will be right where the action is when they are needed.

The pressure on large common carriers started about six years ago. One ill spoken member of the media, shortly after Barack Obama was elected President, said that "He is almost like a God." Mr. Obama quickly took this to heart, since it already fit his self image. 

We all are aware that one characteristic of a god is that they are incapable of error. Another tenet that Mr. Obama quickly adopted. It takes a lot of pressure off when you don't have to take responsibility. 

So as things often do in government, things went wrong. Errors were made. When something like this cropped up to spoil a good day on the golf course, our godlike President would pick someone as low on the totem pole as possible. And definitely not someone named either Jarrett or Holder. Then he would publicly toss them under the nearest bus. Problem solved.

So many things have gone wrong that he has used up about every bus located in Washington. The price of leadership is high. Now we face a tragic dearth of buses at a point in history where they are needed more than ever.

It seems that the entire Democrat party, in celebration of the end of Obama's lock on power, are breaking loose and throwing each other under the bus as fast as they can find buses. It is really a sight to behold. Pelosi is throwing Obama under the bus. Feinstein is throwing the CIA under the bus. By the way, throwing the CIA under the bus is a long standing Democrat tradition. Google, Frank Church. Harry Reid is trying to throw his whole party under the bus for his new BFF John Boehner.

So I hope all good patriotic bus companies will step up and alleviate this shortage. If life is good, this will go on for a while. It is more fun than a kennel full of new puppies.

For Tomorrow Ye Die

Most will know that the full quote is, "Eat, drink, and make merry, for tomorrow ye die." A little dire at this time of year. But, unless you have your pillow pulled over your head, you may have noticed we are living in dire circumstances. Decent jobs are going away. Low and middle class incomes are taking a hit. Health care is in a shambles. The government has successfully divided us into groups at put us at war with our opposites.

We are coming into the Christmas Season. (If you object to my calling it the Christmas season. Go take a flying leap. You are part of the problem,) People's spirits have been at a low ebb. Believe me, I can understand why. 

I think the American people, ever hopeful, gave themselves a collective smack in the forehead and in unison, shouted "SCREW IT". We are going to have a great Christmas! And I can understand that too.

What to do? What to do? What to do? And as one the American people said, "Grab the plastic and run with it!" Make a great Christmas day for everyone and we will deal with the damage later. Having been there one very bad year, I totally sympathize. The problem is that later arrives sooner than expected.

Okay, you made your decision. The family had a great Christmas. You are in over your head. Deal with it. Do not regret what you did. It may not have been the smartest move of your life, but it is also not the end of your life. And, oh the joy of that Christmas day. Tighten all belts. No more golf outings. No more dinner at fancy restaurants. House brands when you shop. Wine with screw tops. I think you get the picture. This is the "tomorrow ye die" part.

Be smart. I did it by focusing on the smallest bill first. Then putting that money into the next, working my way up through the mess. I am sure there are other ways. The trick is to focus and stay true to your plan. Do it once, and if you have two active brain cells, you will never do it again. But oh the joy of that Christmas day.

Breaking News

BREAKING NEWS - CCNS - BREAKING NEWS - CCNS BREAKING NEWS

Attorneys from five members of the United Nations appeared at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Belgium today to petition the United States of America into bankruptcy. Because the national debt of the United States exceeds three times their national  tax income and their latest budget does nothing to decrease spending these five nations are in fear that the United States could default on these loans. The court has agreed to a panel of three conservators to take over control of Americas finances until their difficulties can be resolved. The panel will be made up of one World Court judge, one representative from China, as they are the largest holder of American debt, and a representative from Russia, as an independent overseer.

OK. OK. Calm down. I made up this whole thing. Well, I didn't make up the part about the debt. That is very real. Entirely too real. And I didn't make up the part about the budget  not resolving the problem either. Actually I was talking about the continuing resolution made up of sixteen hundred pages that the leadership gave the House one day to examine. And it is not a budget, it is a spending spree. They write budgets like a pro athlete's new bride on Rodeo Drive. 

They've managed to spend a few billion dollars on such things as protecting the prairie grouse, preventing poaching of rhinoceros in Africa, and various passenger railroad  projects. They can't help themselves. America is in dire financial straits, and our foolish and degenerate spendthrifts in the leadership cannot bring themselves to grow a pair and lead.

Really. Can we have a "none of the above" classification on the ballots. Can we not find some adults with a sense of responsibility to run the show. Things like this are the reason I write this blog. But sometimes it's just so.......  

Loyalty Punished

I think that I understand what torture is. I have read many books about the middle ages and the inquisition. I have lived through World War Two and the Korean War. I have read about the depraved and inhuman things that some people are willing to do to their fellow man. Let us just say that people that do these things, no matter what their reason, are sub-human sadists.

There is a world of difference between torture and enhanced interrogation. And yes, I include waterboarding. In enhanced interrogation, no bones are broken, no blood is shed, All fingers and teeth stay where they belong, no electricity is used, and no one is left in a steel box under the hot sun. Enhanced interrogation generally goes in one of two directions. Sensory deprivation or sensory overload. Things from which people recover.

During WWII, FDR realized the need for a strong intelligence agency. He charged his friend William Donovan to take on the task. Thus was born the OSS. The Office of Strategic Services. Some very famous people became part of the organization, such as Julia Child and Ralph Bunche. They were integral in winning the war.

Harry Truman was not a fan of the OSS and shut them down. He then formed the CIA. As no government agency is perfect, so also is the CIA not perfect. But on balance they have been exceptional. They recruit very bright people right out of college and train them like very few agencies in the world. Then they send them out to glean information and perform acts that keep us all safer. This requires an exceptional degree of courage, patriotism, and loyalty.

After the destruction of the twin towers we found our country faced with an enemy we knew little about, and whose future plans we knew nothing about. The CIA was charged with correcting that situation quickly and efficiently. They took the bit in their teeth and ran with it. 

Remember we had just had three thousand of our fellow citizens murdered. Yes they used enhanced interrogation. Who wouldn't have at that time? No one was maimed at American hands. Actionable intelligence was gathered. And, above all the proper people in Congress knew everything and approved of it. 

Now Dianne Feinstein, who was one of the Congress members who knew, wants to publish a one sided biased report castigating those that should be treated as heroes. Beyond that, it will be putting Americans abroad in grave danger and causing further distrust among those who used to be our great allies.

Why would Ms. Feinstein do this and why would President Obama not put a stop to it? Why? For political reasons, of course. With them it is always politics. Look at the polls. The Democrat party has been brought low in the past six years. Time is running out. In one month they lose control of the Senate. Since much of the enhanced interrogation was done under the Bush Presidency this is the last spasm of their six year "Blame Bush" campaign.

The people of the CIA are patriots and great Americans. They take on tasks for their country that most cannot or would be in fear to try to do. They deserve respect and protection of their personal privacy and safety. Likewise, our loyal allies also deserve our unrestrained protection. Anything else is beyond the pale. Even for politicians.

Law And Disorder

Don't you just love a good riot in the streets? Rolling police cars over and burning them. Stealing anything you can get your hands on, then torching someones store. What fun! Just in case you don't get things real well, that was sarcasm.

Actually, I think that people that behave like this are lower than and significantly less intelligent than pond scum. What causes these fine young people (more sarcasm) to go off the deep end and burn down the neighborhood in which they live. If a local team loses a national championship game. Or if a local team wins a notional championship game. Or if a person of color gets taken out by a white cop. (Circumstances are irrelevant.) 

What events do not cause this low life behavior. Anyone white being taken out by a black cop. Anyone black being taken out by a black cop. Any number of blacks being taken out by gang activity. Any number of people of any color being taken out by terrorist activity. 

If the riotous activity is caused by the success or failure of a sports team, it usually a one night stand. And as violent as it may be, it ends quickly as soon as the alcohol and recreational drugs burn off. The media coverage will generally be limited to some video to be shown on the news with voice over. No on camera interviews. No one cares what these idiots have to say.

Then we have the riots of which Ferguson is a prime example. Things move slower but with more force and intensity. There is time for the Jesse s and the Al s to arrive and stoke the fires. There is time for the professionals to have signs printed and mix with the locals. There is time to stand on street corners with a bull horn and fire up the crowd, to denigrate the police and the local administration. As night comes, it is time to go out and provoke the cops in hopes that they lose it and go all out of control in front of the media.

Oh, and the media. All the familiar faces from all the TV news sources. Broadcast and cable, they are all there. Every one of them looking for on camera interviews. Every camera man running toward the violence. This is for ratings and everyone wants to be top dog. So the insanity feeds the news and the news feeds the insanity. Until everyone gets tired and goes away.

One must ask, to what purpose? The residents have destroyed their own neighborhood. They have stolen from and possibly burned out their neighbor's businesses. The very businesses that have served them well through the years. The cops and the administration are bruised but not beaten. And the people that were caught on camera rioting, for all the world to see, cheering and smiling and stealing and looking proud of their anarchy have made themselves and their community look like someplace no decent person would live.

But at some time in the future something will happen when someone in that community really desperately needs the police. How quick are they going to be willing to respond? 

Call Me Rev.

As of today, I am an ordained minister. Yes, it surprises me too. I read a story online. A rather upbeat story for a change. A mans dog fell through the ice. He went to rescue the dog and he fell through the ice.He couldn't get out and hypothermia was setting in. Another man jumped into the freezing water to help. Everyone, including the dog, was saved. 

The men became fast friends. When the rescuer was to be married, he asked the rescuee to officiate. Rather than disappoint his friend, he went on line and got ordained. It surprised me that it could be that easy. 

Thinking about all of the agitators and race baiters walking around calling themselves reverend, I had to check it out. So I got up close and personal with my good friend Google to spend some research time. It took about two minutes. 

With another five minutes of less than intense effort, I was ordained. It cost me nothing except less than twenty dollar for my Certificate of Ordination. I admit to being a little bit taken aback.

I was brought up and still am a Christian. I spent many hours of my youth in church and considered the clergy as a career at one point. I love Christianity and I love the Bible. The King James version is my favorite for it's language. Today I consider myself a Christian pilgrim seeking answers that I will never find. But in my church experience, clergy persons went to college and seminary. They studied long hours and had degrees.

So I immediately accepted this instant ordination as a base for charlatanism. But then I started thinking about the little store front churches that pop up in poor neighborhoods. Those that minister to their small flocks in these churches don't have degrees. They have faith and a calling. During the week, they may be a school janitor or ride on the back of a garbage truck. When the door to their church opens on Sunday morning the become the Reverend Mr. Smith or what ever. 

They are doing the Lord's work as much as a minister with a Doctor of Divinity or a Catholic priest. I had an elitist attitude and never realized. This also allows non-mainstream churches, such as Wiccans, to be lawful. When I started thinking about this essay, I was headed in a negative direction. The more that I saw some balance in the scales, the more positive I became.

I started this as a lark to get background for my blog. But I also learned a few things along the way. What I learned is most certainly to my benefit. But you really don't have to call me Rev.

I Owe, I Owe

Since our great and wonderful government just pushed our indebtedness past eighteen trillion dollars, that's eighteen with more zeros than you can count, I think a discussion about debt is in order. That is three times the total federal, state, and local tax income for 2015. It is also a perfect example of government negligence.

Let's start the discussion by talking about personal debt. Let's assume a thirty year old professional with a wife and a family and a recently purchased home. The transmission goes on his car. One of his kids gets sick. The roof starts leaking. His fuel company just delivers five hundred gallons of oil. Suddenly his expenses far outstrip his income. What does he do? Like ninety percent of American families today, he pulls out the plastic.

Now, these are all necessary expenses and cannot be postponed. Going into debt is justified. Also going on a Caribbean vacation and eating at fine restaurants also on the card, at this time, would not be justifiable. It would be adding insult to injury.

Being a level headed thirty year old professional, our hero will get rid of this debt in two ways. I am making my example both smart and motivated because it suits the point that I am trying to make. First of all he will squeeze the family budget as tightly as he can and make regular payments as large as is possible. If he gets a Christmas bonus, it will go toward the debt. If he gets a promotion and raise, it will go toward the debt. In other words, because he is young and his career is on an uptick, he can outgrow the debt. But bear in mind, his debt is not near his annual salary, never mind three time that number.

Now let us discuss the National Debt. Eighteen trillion! Three times income! That is borderline bankruptcy. And seventy percent of that debt has been accrued in the last six years. How does a country pay off that debt? With the path this country is on, it doesn't. It can't. Those politicians that are ruining our country, pay only the interest and keep borrowing more capital. They are addicted to spending and strangling the economy. We are well down the road to financial ruin. Anyone that tells you different, and there are those that will, is lying. Plain and simple.

So, is the country financially doomed? Not if we change our ways. No more bailouts. Let the free market rule. No more financing green energy. It is money down a rat hole. Let the free market rule. Be energy independent and sell the excess. Stop passing out money to countries that are not one hundred percent supportive. To survive we must go back to conservative monetary principles.

Provide a stable business atmosphere with lower corporate taxes and fewer overweening regulations so business can start to grow again and hire people into good jobs. Stop playing political games with our domestic economy. Bring jobs back to this country. It is Americans that built the Chinese economy to surpass ours. Then when our economy grows we can retire debt with that growth. Our politicians have been digging a pit instead of building a foundation. It is time for a major change in direction.   

Results Prove Everything!

I just read where the United States is no longer the worlds leading economic power. Until now, we have held that position since Ulysses Grant was President. You will probably not hear much about this in the media. They tend not to make much of bad news, unless they can blame a conservative.

China now outproduces the United States by $2 Trillion. And most of that is for things that we buy from them. So the combination of ineffective politicians and the lust for cheap goods has peddled American jobs off to areas of the world that have something close to slave labor. Now, that goose has been cooked. It will be damn hard to bring it back to life.

Now bear in mind, they did not have to cook the American goose. It was just easier this way. If our politicians hadn't sold out the country in trade agreements things would be different. Do not misunderstand, I believe in open markets. But the trade agreements in place today have become, they send us goods, we send them money.

Companies moved manufacturing, lock, stock, and barrel, to other countries and were rewarded for doing so. If they had been required to keep American manufacturing in America but expand into other countries they would have found ways to be more efficient and we would still have good American jobs.

I have also just come across a recent survey of the best and worst states in America. At number forty-seven, my state of Rhode Island is right near the bottom. We have the third highest debt per capita, the second highest unemployment rate, high median home values and a declining population. 

All of this in spite of the fact that RI has beautiful beaches, great restaurants, and a fairly temperate climate for the northeast. Easy access to Boston and NYC along with open spaces and good schools in many towns should make RI a go to place. It isn't. There are too few good jobs and unbelievably bad politics have about ruined the state.

The common thing that has caused both of these situations is politics. Self serving politicians, agendized liberals, and an over population of RINOs have created economic havoc. The people are losing. We are losing badly. We have to turn it around soon or it will be completely off the rails. I still believe it can be done. If you don't believe it needs to be done, look at the results of the past. They prove everything.

Amazing Amazon

I love Amazon. There, I said it. I have a Kindle which is my incessant companion. My Kindle was my introduction to Amazon. My first non-Kindle experience was to buy some shooting accessories. I never expected Amazon to have them. They did and the price was right. The romance began! 

I go to Amazon daily. Sometimes to research something. Frequently, to buy a Kindle book. Sometimes just to browse. Often to purchase. I am never disappointed. I can no longer walk the aisles of brick and mortar stores, but I have a world of choices while sitting at my desk.

Jeff Bezos is a genius. At least I think that he is. He started selling books on line out of his garage and now drives an enormous retailing steamroller giving people exactly what they want. Painlessly. Quickly(2 day shipping). And at great prices. (No this isn't a commercial.) In fact, I fear that in a few years they may be challenging my second favorite on-line shopping source, Peapod.

If you were paying attention, you may have noticed that I said, "at least I think Jeff Bezos is a genius". You see, Amazon makes little or no profit. Everything is plowed back into growth and low pricing. In spite of this, their stock is popular. In 2010 they were about $150 per share. Today, they are around $325. Double in four years. Not bad at all. People seem to have faith that there will be a break out year coming up. I hope so. 

For many reasons, on-line shopping is here to stay. Amazon came into the picture with a business plan styled to be an on-line powerhouse, not an add-on to a brick and mortar store. They brought innovative thinking to the table and continue to innovate. They are today what Sear and Roebuck was sixty years ago. They have become the store for every man. If you live out on the backside of nowhere and you have a computer or a smartphone, you have access to a wealth of merchandise inconceivable in earlier times. This wasn't a commercial, but I guess it did turn out to be a love story. 

On Racism

I suppose that I will be called a racist. I am not. I am, however, a white guy who has some thoughts and observations on the subject. To some, that makes me a racist. But I have known and lived among unrepentant racists. I know who and what they are. 

Right from the get go, I will name five racists. They are, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrakhan, Eric Holder, and Barack Obama. The first three are blatant race baiters. They make their livelihood by stirring the ignorant hatred on both sides of the color line. They have no concern about the death and destruction that follows in their path. As long as they are front and center when the cameras are rolling, the cash keeps flowing into their coffers, and they don't get any blood on their shoes.

The last two, Holder and Obama, are more subtle. But they still see the world through the lens of racism. Mr. Holder has tools of awesome power to exert leverage on the situations that strike his fancy. Remember. One of his first actions as Attorney General was to abandon a case against the New Black Panthers where the prosecutor already had a confession. That definitely set the tone for his tenure in office. His immediate and very public intercession into the Ferguson situation further amplifies his departments focus under his leadership. I just wish he pursued criminal activity among government employees with equal vigor. 

And then there is President Obama. The man that promised to be the post racial President. The man that said he could not only heal the country but could even heal the world. These, as with most of his promises, have not worked out well. Every time a white cop got involved with a person of color in a situation that received publicity, Mr. Obama felt compelled to comment without the facts and assuming the police to be racist. Not his place to do that and not a wise move for the country. Just the fact that Al Sharpton is a White House adviser speaks volumes. Does Mr. Obama not understand that if the President speaks of the racial divide, he creates that divide. It is a self fulfilling prophecy.

  Are these people trying to start a race war? Louis Farrakhan admits that he is. But with the race baiters pouring kerosene on volatile situations and the administration fanning the flames, one has to wonder. Common sense would say that now would be a good time to step back from the fire and let things cool down. Increased violence will be to no ones benefit. But, in honesty, I think things may get worse before they get better. 

Random Thoughts - Forty-Nine

Can a woman expect to win the Presidency of the United States when she has spent her life being thoroughly manipulated by two men? No to Hillary in 2016.

The NFL has changed the rules to protect the players from injury. Commendable. It was needed. But some officials have turned football into referee ball. They have become too quick with the flags on casual contact. Can we go back to that old cliche, "no harm, no foul"?

By contrast, yesterday I watched a college game. I saw helmet to helmet, roughing, and pass interference, that never go called. That was equally wrong.

In my opinion, this sudden drop in fuel prices, proves that they never needed to go up like they did. The only thing that has changed is that we are pulling more oil and gas out of the ground in spite of the President.

Twenty-five hundred tax returns given to the White House by the IRS. That should be investigated and prosecuted! But it wont be. And that is as criminal as the original crime. 

"We'll tear this goddamn country up." That was a recent quote from Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam. Between that and the comments made in the name of the New Black Panthers, I fear more indiscriminate violence coming, in the name of racial retribution. This country has done as much as any country in the world to level the playing field. To some it is never going to be enough.

I see that the IRS is getting those checks out to federal prisoners that filed false tax returns, promptly. Great job guys. Just asking, but wasn't the address a clue that something might be off?

I also see that Barack Obama is keeping up his record setting pace at making speeches, the use of personal pronouns in the first person, and playing golf. Gee, our President is a champion in three categories.

Americans should be allowed to fly the American flag any time without interference. There ought to be a law.

It seems that no one wants the Secretary of Defense job. I am not surprised. Who needs a job carrying out someone else's bad policy. Then getting thrown under the bus by that very same person when his policies fail. Maybe Chris Mathews.................

The Joy Of Nothing

A drum makes a great noise because it is hollow inside. It contains nothing but air. When struck, it makes no music. All that it has is the ability to be loud and intruding. No substance and no joy.

I was brought up as a Christian. As a child, I attended Sunday School every week. In high school I was active in the Youth Fellowship. My religiosity has cycled through the years from strong to weak to a seeking of the truth. I still seek. My beliefs today, are a far cry from those I had in my youth fellowship days.

In my journey through religion, I learned many things. One of the most important things that I learned was tolerance. Not the complete blind tolerance that accepts moral equivalency. Nor am I willing to accept bad behavior because some people have had hard times in their lives. Each of us is responsible for our own behavior and history gives out no "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards.

The reason that I am more willing to be tolerant of people more than groups is that when group leaders put forth ideas that, if they are generally accepted by the group, they can be harmful to those that live those ideas. But the leadership takes no responsibility for their followers actions. This is where my acceptance level goes down. Al Sharpton is a perfect example of my meaning. He will stand on the dais and stir up the mob, but when blood starts flowing, he is long gone.

Individuals with radically different life styles from mine bother me not at all. If someone decides they want to worship palm trees, I'm willing to lend a hand to help them plant that palm tree. I'd even be willing to sit down and share a coconut. If they want to light up a palm tree on the city square in honor of Summer Solstice, that is fine.

At least those people have a belief. They have something inside. They have substance.

What I cannot tolerate is the people that are so in fear of ideas that they don't understand or just don't accept, that they are offended by the very sight of them. One of these pitiable creatures tried to prevent school children from attending a live performance of the Nutcracker because there was a Christmas Tree on the stage during one segment. People like that are hollow. They have no joy in their lives and wish others to be as miserable.

But worse than these people are the weak kneed bureaucrats that are so quick to bow down when threatened. Certainly minorities have rights. But so do majorities. This bullying needs to stop. Those responsible must stand their ground. There is joy to be found in the world but lately it has been well hidden. People willing to share should be encouraged. If you are unable to take part, don't. But suffer your small minded misery privately. The rest of us don't feel the joy of nothing.