Sunday, February 27, 2011

ARE WE A "SIT-DOWN" NATION?

SPECIAL POST

When you stop and consider it, you have to agree that this nation no longer stands up for anything. We don’t stand up against violence along our southern border, we don’t stand up against illegal aliens crossing our borders and becoming burdens on our society and we don’t stand up against the Ahmadinejads and Jong-Ils of the world. Instead, we bury our heads in the inevitable quagmire of “political correctness” as we shuck and duck our way through challenges that we should be facing head-on.

It’s no wonder that we have lost esteem among other countries, nor is it a wonder that we have lost our own sense of identity and purpose as a nation.

Given the fact that our ship of state is floundering, we need to pause and ask ourselves just when the country started this downhill slide. Frankly, I think it started with George H.W. Bush and that it has been escalating itself ever since under Clinton, Bush II and now Obama. Obama seems to exemplify the problem, but he did not originate it. One thing is certain: neither Kennedy nor Reagan would have allowed this country to get itself into the mode that it is currently in.

Is it a healthy mode? One might argue that avoiding conflict at all costs is worth the price we pay. But, history has proven that the weak get trampled on and, if you are perceived as being weak, you’re asking for it. That does not mean that you have to be the bully on the street. Surely, we should be keeping our noses clean and out of the businesses of other countries except for the basic issues of human rights. But, we should not allow the bullies on the street to run all over us, either.


Deal from a position of strength. That is a philosophy I learned from an ex-wife and it has proven itself to be correct time after time. Others respect your position of strength and tend not to challenge it. In the course of human events, mutual respect should be the cornerstone of the day. We have allowed our perceived strength, gained at the close of World War II, to erode into perceived weakness and that is the reason why others do not hesitate to cross our borders illegally or to spit at us on the world stage.

As Americans, we have lost our pride as a nation by allowing the erosion of our national perception. We need to spend more time examining what is going on with our country and less time wondering whether or not Lindsay Lohan is going to end up in jail. It’s basically our responsibility because it is, after all, our nation, and we need to be the ones in charge of running it.

The next time we step into the voting booth, we need to be prepared to make our choices based on what is right for our country in the long run as opposed to the sheer emotion of the moment in time. 

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

THE TEA PARTY IS ALIVE AND WELL IN WISCONSIN

It’s been four months since the November elections. When that day was over, it was as if a big head of pressure had been deflated, what with the Tea Party and the fact that it had every single Democrat and liberal Republican as nervous as cats on hot tin roofs. The days leading up to that event provided growing and ominous tension. Looking back on those days, I suspect that most Obama supporters were surmising that the Tea Party days were finally going to be over.

Indeed, it seems to me that Obama, Reed, and Pelosi have attempted to move forward as if no Tea Party existed. They certainly have continued to spin, lie, cheat and grapple for more power as the last four months have gone by. But, the fact is that the Tea Party is very much alive and the American citizens who give it its impetus are still very interested in what is going on in Washington.

There they are in Wisconsin, damned Tea Partiers. 12% of the state’s work force is on strike refusing any benefit cuts, refusing copayments and demanding raises. They have been behaving badly, much like their counterparts on The Hill in Washington. They are refusing to listen to reason or to engage in meaningful discussion; instead, they are yelling and screaming like the stuffed pigs that they are. “Who cares what condition the state treasury is, who cares how many people are out of work, we want and we demand our pay and benefits.”

Were it not for the fact that the damned Tea Party showed up to represent the other side, they well could have won by default. Yeah, the Tea Party is there, those racist, sexist old fogies that don’t know shit from Shinola… they’re there. I guess the unions, the S.E.I.U. in particular, and the “former” ACORN members thought that the Tea Partiers had all gone home after the elections.

I guess they didn’t learn their lessons.

Let me set the record straight: WE did not authorize those state workers to get enormously high pay and benefits. WE did not create the financial crisis that Wisconsin, or the country, is in. WE are not the ones who ran up the national debt. But, WE ARE THE ONES who intend to see that the problem gets fixed and, if you guys in Wisconsin and on The Hill in Washington don’t want to be part of the solution, then get out of town and don’t come back until we’re finished.

We, the majority of the citizens in this country, whether we are Tea Party Members or not, want the damned problems fixed. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next Congress… we want the problems fixed now. And, we ARE the majority and, like it or not, we WILL prevail. If you want to have a say so in the process, quit your damned bellyaching and come to the table. Do it now, or shut up and get out of the way.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

THE WEENIE IN THE WHITE HOUSE

SPECIAL POST

I suppose we all knew what was coming when our President started his term of office by scuttling off to foreign lands and bowing to despots everywhere.  Two years later, the world is a tinderbox, with North Korea, Iran and all all of the Middle East ready to erupt in full-scale war at any second.  And, I suppose I shouldn't leave Wisconsin out of that equation.

We have a President who does not like to make the tough decisions, as demonstrated by the fact that public opinion had his back to the wall when he finally agreed to send more troops into Afghanistan.  He is far more likely to hop onto Air Force One and leave the country during a time of crisis than to face up to it.  In that sense, he is definitely not a leader, and the world needs a leader.  We need a leader.  

The radical Islamists point the finger of blame at the United States for the problems of the world.  Using that as their justification, they seek to exterminate every last American, Christian and Jew and we do not have a President who is willing to stand up to it.  We should be dealing with these situations from a position of strength, because strength is the only thing that is respected by these enemies of peace. 

Does the man stand for anything?  He has more postures on more issues than Carter has Little Liver Pills, (not the same Carter,).  He says one thing and does another.  He sticks his nose in where it does not belong and fails to stick his nose in where it does belong.  

Let's face it.  He's a weenie and, as long as he is in the White House, we're at risk. 

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

THE BUDGET, ENTITLEMENTS & THE DEFICIT

Excuse me, Mr. President, I know I’m stupid and you don’t want to waste your time with me, but I have a couple of questions.

First, I’d like to know why, if we’re not spending that $2 trillion or whatever it was that we blew on TARP and stimulus in 2009 and early 2010, why is it, sir, that our expenses are still UP in 2011? Would you mind telling me, in simple layman’s terms, where is all of this money going, anyway? Maybe you could just lay it out on a chart so we can all see it? Just give us a line-by-line explanation, without the spin, if you please. 

Second, Members of Congress and Mr. President, there is a whole lot of flack floating around about cutting entitlements, mainly Social Security and Medicare. What I don’t really understand is, if entitlements have to be cut, how do we end up with ObamaCare? Isn't that a brand-new entitlement? Can you explain your rationale for that? The way I read it, this isn’t about redistribution of wealth from the rich to the poor, it’s about shafting senior citizens so you can have your God-damned health care plan. So, fill me in; I’m all ears.Let me know how I'm wrong. 

Maybe you wouldn’t mind explaining your $53 billion fast rail plan from nowhere to nowhere, while you’re at it.You really should re-fund that Alaskan bridge to nowhere, first. 

Another major question I have is this: Your emissaries are out there saying that it is impossible to reduce spending in less than 10 years because it will cause all kinds of hell and we need to “cushion things.” If it only took you 2-1/2 years to ramp up spending to these horrible levels, how can it then be impossible to cut it in 2-1/2 years? I’m all ears.

Just as a side note, how did your illustrious Bernacke and Geithner team set it up so that GM could pay bonuses when they haven't paid us back yet?  I don't mind them paying bonuses with their own money, but I sure as hell don't appreciate bonus money going out the door when they still owe us.  Or, do we matter? 

Our debt is at an all-time adjusted high in comparison to our Gross Domestic Product. Your Debt Commission has told the whole country that we cannot continue doing this. Just why is it that you have totally ignored what your debt commission is telling us? Either you appointed a bunch of incompetents to the commission, or their recommendations are not politically expedient for you. Which is it?

Have you considered taking a pay cut? The rest of America is either unemployed or making much less. How about it, Mr. President? Nancy? Harry? Any takers?  Any at all? 

My fellow Americans, don’t you get the idea that Barry, Harry and Nancy would like each and every one of us to empty what bank accounts we have left, sell our houses and cars, empty our wallets, and drive by the White House and throw it all over the fence? Isn't that what they really want? 

Saturday, February 12, 2011

SONIC ROXIO SOFTWARE SUCKS

SPECIAL POST

Although you paid for it in the hidden costs of buying a computer, usually a Dell, Roxio software  is a nuisance.  After a few months, you get notice of an update, which you allow to self-install.  Then the problem starts.  Every time you start your computer, you get a message about UM.MSI installer not working.  When you try to cancel the message or "X-Out," it just keeps popping back up; you cannot get it off your screen.  It tells you there is a file missing.

Yes, you can give it the three-finger salute and get rid of it that way, but when you go to click your photo software, such as Corel, it will bounce right back. 

No, you can't go to the Internet and download the file.  If you have another computer with Roxio installed, you can find it, copy it, and put it on the original computer.  Otherwise, they do offer some option of removing the "installer" and downloading a fix.  However, when you go to remove the installer, you get that same UM.MSI message again and you're stuck.  

In looking on the Internet, you can see that people have been pestered with this problem for several years.  You would think that they would fix it, but they haven't.  I sent them an email and got one of those canned replies, but no help.  This is one piece of software and one company that belongs in the trash can.  When they eventually go out of business, they'll probably blame the buying public.  Dell and other companies that load this crappy software onto their computers should be ashamed of themselves.  

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

THE AUDACITY AND THE HOPE OF THE HALF-WIT

Every single last soul in this country is aware of the fact that we are spending ourselves into oblivion. The November elections were about Health Care, government intrusion into our lives, jobs, the economy and about spending. Our eminent President, outwardly catching the drift of the message in his rhetoric, has purportedly jumped on the bandwagon of spending restraint and reduction of the zillion dollar deficit. That’s what he is saying.

As he usually does after making such remarks, he is heading off into the exact opposite direction, now calling for spending $53 billion in government money on a high-speed rail system. Well, it may be that a high-speed rail system would benefit the country, but I hasten to suggest that if anyone in the rail industry thought for one minute that it would be profitable, private money would already be on the table to build it.

So, what is it all about? Why does he want to add to the deficit when the country wants to trim the deficit and why does he pick a high-speed rail system? Could it have anything to do with his cronies in the unions? Now let’s dwell on that question for one quick sentence or two. Obama crammed down ObamaCare on a nation that did not want it and then immediately exempted the unions. So, what do you think?

This grandiose plan of Obama’s will create jobs. I agree with that premise. Who will get the jobs? Union members will get the jobs, the ones who don’t have to abide by ObamaCare. The average American working stiff will once again get the shaft, and royally speaking.

Do you think the government is going to make one dime more on this project than they are making with AMTRAK? If this was about creating jobs, helping the economy, reducing dependence on foreign oil, and maybe making some money, don’t you think it would be better spent on nuclear reactors? 

How can we reduce our debt by even a paltry trillion dollars if we keep adding spending: $40 billion here, $50 billion there, $50 billion everywhere?  

Just to show you that he is in outer space when it comes to what Americans really want, his Administration is now geared toward making low interest loans to states that are facing serious financial problems.  Although that would help the states, sStop and think about that one for a moment. The biggest problem that most states have is the funding of pension plans. Who are the members of pension plans? Union members. So, he lets the states off the hook, takes more money out of the treasury right now, (even if it is ever paid back), the states don’t learn their lessons to bring their spending under control, and you and I end up holding the well-known bag yet once again.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it dozens of times. WE are not to blame for the ugly mess this country is in, but Washington dipshits like Barack Hussein Obama are.I get so mad... so mad that I could just cuss.  



Sunday, February 06, 2011

WHO'S TO BLAME FOR SUPER BOWL?

SPECIAL POST

Well, neither team should be in the game, as far as I am concerned.  But, there they are, the Steelers vs. the Packers. 

I think that the problem originated with the American Tea Party.  The Tea Party, as you know, has been pushing for less government spending and they were very influential in the November election results.  This all makes it difficult for Obama or Geithner or Bernanke to bail out and take over a football team this year.  So, this is what we get.  

Personally, I think the Seahawks should have been there, or maybe the Buccaneers. 

Thursday, February 03, 2011

THE LIST BEGINS

Here's how your Senator voted on Obamacare repeal:

Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Alaska: Begich (D-AK), Nay Murkowski (R-AK), Yea
Arizona: Kyl (R-AZ), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas: Boozman (R-AR), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Nay
California: Boxer (D-CA), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Nay
Colorado: Bennet (D-CO), Nay Udall (D-CO), Nay
Connecticut: Blumenthal (D-CT), Nay Lieberman (ID-CT), Not Voting
Delaware: Carper (D-DE), Nay Coons (D-DE), Nay
Florida: Nelson (D-FL), Nay Rubio (R-FL), Yea
Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Idaho: Crapo (R-ID), Yea Risch (R-ID), Yea
Illinois: Durbin (D-IL), Nay Kirk (R-IL), Yea
Indiana: Coats (R-IN), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Iowa: Grassley (R-IA), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Kansas: Moran (R-KS), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Kentucky: McConnell (R-KY), Yea Paul (R-KY), Yea
Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Maine: Collins (R-ME), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Maryland: Cardin (D-MD), Nay Mikulski (D-MD), Nay
Massachusetts: Brown (R-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Minnesota: Franken (D-MN), Nay Klobuchar (D-MN), Nay
Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea Wicker (R-MS), Yea
Missouri: Blunt (R-MO), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Nay
Montana: Baucus (D-MT), Nay Tester (D-MT), Nay
Nebraska: Johanns (R-NE), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Nay
Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Nay
New Hampshire: Ayotte (R-NH), Yea Shaheen (D-NH), Nay
New Jersey: Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Nay
New Mexico: Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Udall (D-NM), Nay
New York: Gillibrand (D-NY), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay
North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea Hagan (D-NC), Nay
North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Nay Hoeven (R-ND), Yea
Ohio: Brown (D-OH), Nay Portman (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Oregon: Merkley (D-OR), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Nay
Pennsylvania: Casey (D-PA), Nay Toomey (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island: Reed (D-RI), Nay Whitehouse (D-RI), Nay
South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea
South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Nay Thune (R-SD), Yea
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea Corker (R-TN), Yea
Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Utah: Hatch (R-UT), Yea Lee (R-UT), Yea
Vermont: Leahy (D-VT), Nay Sanders (I-VT), Nay
Virginia: Warner (D-VA), Not Voting Webb (D-VA), Nay
Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Murray (D-WA), Nay
West Virginia: Manchin (D-WV), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Wisconsin: Johnson (R-WI), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Wyoming: Barrasso (R-WY), Yea Enzi (R-WY), Yea

Now you know who to vote against in 2012. 

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

WE ARE AT RISK: OBAMA’S INTELLIGENCE FAILURE

Remember back when a few planes got commandeered and steered into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania? It may seem like it was 200 years ago, but it just happened 9-1/2 years ago. That was right after George Bush took office, if you might recall correctly. And the resulting investigations confirmed that Clinton knew, or should have known, that the attack was in the works. An intelligence failure failed to pass the message on to Bush in such a manner that he understood and could react to the threat.

Here’s Egypt, all of the sudden blossoming out into protests and demands for a change in government. Here’s our intelligence community, again caught flat-footed; this time, we all know that Obama has been anti-CIA from the git go. And, when the uproar started in Egypt, we had every Administration official on the planet weighing in on what they thought was going to happen, because no one really had the slightest idea of who the players were.

Does this point to another disastrous intelligence failure? Doesn’t it make you wonder what is in store for us on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, September 11, 2011? Do you think that anyone in the intelligence industry is legitimately working on this problem? Yeah, I hope so, too.

Obama has created the atmosphere that sets us up for intelligence failures by going after intelligence agents and trying to get them charged, tried and convicted of war crimes. Yes, we are told that he has backed away from that stance, but I submit that the damage was already done. What undercover agent in his right mind would really want to stick his nose into Iran, North Korea or any country in the Middle East if he or she felt that their career and reputation were at risk under current Administration policy?

I feel that Obama has done more to put our country at risk than any President in the history of the nation. Furthermore, I suspect that he is aware of the ramifications and has chosen to do so anyway.

Why didn’t we know that Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan were on the verge of political revolt? Why were we not prepared for what has happened? If we couldn’t figure this stuff out, how can we successfully deal with the radical Muslim threat to the security of our nation here at home?

Well, we certainly know who is to blame here. Now, what are we going to do about it?