Nobody asked me, but...

I'm not dead yet

2011-09-20T09:04:00.001-04:00

People have asked why I am absent.

I have no real reason why I haven't written much this year (these last years); I don't think I have the blog bug any longer.

Lots of changes in my life, too many to list here, but for an overview:

Beginning 1Sep I've been relocated to Maryland, ~157 miles from home. My somewhat famous long-distance-commute has gotten worse. I had plans to spend time with a friend who had a spare room, but after spending but one night there, I came home with so.much.pet.dander that my much-better-half and youngest son spent over 24 hours sneezing (friend has 2 cats, 1 dog). Since then I've been living in hotels - so far a different one each week - Mon-Fri. It sucks, but it could be far worse.

On the upside, my commute now puts me back on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, at least 2x/week, meaning for now my nom de plume is once again more accurate.
Last month I spoke of a prospective employer making me a verbal offer, then delaying the formal offer due to upper-management. In the proceeding weeks the story went like this: upper-management kicked out the offer, as they indicated the hiring manager offered me too much in salary. The hiring manager then said he needed to take time-off from work due to a death in his family, and apparently no one else picked up the task regarding hiring me.

This meant I had to wait through Labor Day weekend for an update. Over the next 10 days, we went back and forth with phone calls and e-mails, and that had me in Maryland 2 full weeks. In the end, I suppose, I did myself the biggest damage by stating as my reason for leaving my current position was the Maryland relocation. They hooked me with the initial verbal offer, then had no reason to honor it knowing I was bleeding cash by either a hellish, 6 hour round-trip commute or that I was paying for hotels.

The final offer was less than I had hoped, and clearly less than I gross today, but not out of the question of consideration. Last Thursday I resigned, and agreed to stay-on through EOM.
The new position will not involve the PA Tpk. Perhaps with this change will also come the end of this blog for good?

Time will tell.

Getting closer

2011-08-18T22:10:00.000-04:00

Continuing the saga...

Was in Maryland this week, moving 90% of the office to the new development lab / office space. It's only that much as we're supposed to support our customer (sans dev lab) during the relocation effort. We can do it, to a point, without a lab. Fortunately support calls are down this time year due to vacations (gee, what does that word vacation mean?) Got to my office at 05:45 on Monday, and the moving vans were there already. By 08:30 we were on the road. These guys get paid by the job, not the hour!

One truck driver says to me We're taking Route 40, not 95 When I asked why he explained I-95 always has a weigh-station, but 40 usually doesn't in the mornings. When I asked why he was concerned, he answered Well if we get weighed, we'll be shut-down. OK! Let's go! Fortunately, there was no weigh-station, but I was sweating going down.

I spent the morning and late afternoon at the new lab, positioning equipment and the like. System Admins and Network engineers showed up on Tuesday, and we began reconstituting the lab. I left around 4:00 PM and headed home (3 hour drive). I clocked enough hours that tomorrow, Friday, I staying home.
During lunch Monday, I received 2 phone calls from a prospective employer. We had spoken last week and he indicated that I should get the offer letter (per our discussion) early this week. As I was at lunch with my colleagues, taking either call was out of the question. I did speak with the guy and he repeated his offer, and that I should get my offer tomorrow (Wednesday), with a requested start-date of 6-September. Now that would work for me, as I am supposed to be in Maryland beginning 1-Sep, so I can easily end my employment on 31-Aug if I got the offer letter today.

Well today came and I phoned him, looking for the letter. He apologized profusely and blamed upper-management being on vacation (again that word!), so he's put me off to next week, and a start date of 12-Sep. So we wait again. I do understand the hurdles of management, and I've been in his shoes with people I've hired, but that does not make this any easier.
If you read this far, drop me a line or comment and say as much. I wondering how much longer I can pretend to blog, and if I do hang-it-up I want to know who I should reach-out to with a personal sign-off.

Congratulations to Wisconsin

2011-08-10T08:43:00.002-04:00

Despite intense pressure from organized labor, the voters of Wisconsin spoke and turned-away the recall election efforts. Pressure over fiscal policies brought forth by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Walker brought calls for recall of 4 of the Republican legislators.

Ironically, when the entire Democrat minority of the Legislature left the state in order to deny the majority the ability to debate. Whereas the Democrats were derelict in their elected duties, only 2 of those members face recall election next week.

Happy to see the voters speak their mind, and that their legislators have been vindicated.

What's next for Rep Giffords?

2011-08-02T10:47:00.003-04:00

This is the sort of post that will anger a few, perhaps.

What's next for Gabrielle Giffords, the US House of Representative from Arizona who was tragically attacked early this year by a crazed gunman? She miraculously survived being shot in the forehead, in what most reasonable guesses and arm-chair experts would have predicted would have been fatal wound.

I am happy to see someone survive such an attack (eclipsed, perhaps, only by knowing they have the thug who did it).

But what's next? Reports say she's continuing her speech therapy, for example, and I - along with millions - wish her well.

But what about her seat? Last night she returned to the House to cast her vote for raising the debt-ceiling, and with predictable and justified standing-O's, she left soon after. Not surprising, considering how soon after it's been since she was released from hospital.

For the record, I am pleased with many of Rep Gifford's positions, including:

Increased border patrols
Endorsing 9/11 Commission findings
new rules for the House of Representatives targeting ethical issues
advocated for a national day of recognition for cowboys

That she had already earned rock-star status from her husband being an astronaut and active-duty military member - not to mention she's also extremely attractive in her own right - makes her an even brighter spot on the political landscape.

But what about her representation of her district? How long will the people of 8th-Arizona go without their voice in the Congress? What is to be done for those people if Ms.Giffords requires another year or so of rehabilitation to regain more of her speech ability?

Anyone who knows me is aware I am not one to dismiss the possibilities of anyone affected by different abilities, but in the real world of politics, one has to ponder when the well-wishing for her recovery must be balanced with whether or not she is able to carry out her duties as an elected official. For whatever standard is determined for Gabby today will be the same ruler used when the next elected official faces such an impairment (i.e. stroke). And in that vein, no one should be chastised if they dare to challenge her for her seat - either in a primary or the general election.

For if we are truly concerned for a fair and level playing field, then Ms. Giffirds must be allowed to demonstrate to her constituents her ability to lead and serve.

Counting down the days

2011-07-13T14:24:00.004-04:00

I have neglected this humble blog for so long, so a quick recap seems appropriate.

I am a systems engineer a defense program. Seven years ago I was laid off because the defense contractor that created and managed the project lost their rebid to continue it. I was on the bench for 5 weeks, later picked up at another defense job that was decidedly beneath my skills. Who could forget this post that answered the question "Say, Charlie... how goes the new job?"

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Love is the only thing that can save this poor creature, and I am going to convince him that he is loved even at the cost of my own life. No matter what you hear in there, no matter how cruelly I beg you, no matter how terribly I may scream, do not open this door or you will undo everything I have worked for. Do you understand? Do not open this door.

Inga: Yes, Doctor.

Igor: Nice working with ya.

[Dr. Frederick Frankenstein goes into the room with The Monster. The Monster wakes up]

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Let me out. Let me out of here. Get me the hell out of here. What's the matter with you people? I was joking! Don't you know a joke when you hear one? HA-HA-HA-HA. Jesus Christ, get me out of here! Open this goddamn door or I'll kick your rotten heads in! Mommy!

Oh, where to start?? No workstation on my desk at work yet, so I am still reliant on my trainer, who said to me, apparently in all honesty, "Gee, you seem to know a lot about computers and stuff!"

Due to the bureaucratic layers upon layers around and above me, I cannot rise about my level without the weight and anger of others, so I will do my time and move on. I found comfort in the following thought: had I took a real McJob at McDonalds, there would be a period of novelty, for a time. You know, the whole 'grab a bucket and mop', yada-yada-yada, the fries, etc. A few days, maybe a week, and then it would wear off. Well I didn't even get a few days of novelty and I despise this place (for several reasons I'll detail later).

Anywho, a few short months later I was picked up as a Subject Matter Expert for the very same project, but for the contractor that did win the bid. And after a time my SME status diminished a bit, as more and more people got skilled in the application. And while there have been about the routine number of head-butting incidents with management things went swimmingly in spite of the fact I commute 2 hours, each way, every day to the office. It's crazy, but it has allowed me to afford being the sole-income in my home and afforded my much-better-half the opportunistically of being a stay-home-mom (much to her pleasure). I've done that drive for about 15 years now, so it's pretty routine.

Last August I got the word: the Army base that has been the center of operations for this job is slated to close this Fall (part of the BRAC program I won't describe again here). I have been tapped to go to Maryland, where the new office is already built. The daily drive of +160 miles is a bit much, even for me, for a daily commute. Officially, I am to report to MD on 1-September, but as I've been assigned the project lead on the relocation efforts (my first hint I was included in the relocation), I will be reporting there on 15-Aug.

In the last year I have pounded the virtual pavement in search of a suitable position where I can maintain my sole-support role at home. No such luck. This week I learned I have a conditional offer: a defense position, a.lot.closer to home for a reasonably close salary. Just as soon as the contractor gets funding.

It's not perfect, but it's nothing to sneeze at either. I am looking forward to hearing from the company in about 6 weeks, in the meantime, I called in a favor and will be crashing at a friend's house. A spare room, less than an hour from MD, about 2 hours from home. Making the best of things while I wait on the offer.

Things could be worse. A lot worse. So my chin is up, and I am looking towards the hope of an e-mail telling me news of funding.

Advice for Couples

2011-07-08T09:11:00.000-04:00

Recently, a friend of mine started dating again. The guy is, by all measures, a stand-up kind of guy, is good to her kid, good to her, etc.

I happened to around when they were having an inevitable spat. Nothing serious -- it involved packing for a getaway trip -- and while it wasn't at all an angry or otherwise over-the-top debate, each clearly believed they were right and the other was wrong.

At different points of the day they individually related their debate to me. I guess I got that effect on people -- everyone tells me stuff. I guess they wanted my insight (while I tried to avoid taking sides).

The guy at one point turned to me in front my friend and asked how my-much-better-half and I manage all these years with arguments. I told him the secret I learned in the over 21 years of marriage:

At various points, in every relationship, there's going to be an argument, no matter how kissy-kissy you are, it's going to happen. And for me, it always ends the same way: sooner or later, someone always says "I'm sorry" and then she always says "That's OK, Charlie."

Well at this point they're both laughing. Hysterically. And the couple hugged and agreed my advice was funny but useful.

It wasn't supposed to be funny... that is how it works in my house!

On this day in 1991

2011-06-21T08:23:00.002-04:00

Way back when, in 1991, I responded to post card stuffed into a tech magazine -- I believe it was an issue of Lotus, the magazine for professionals using Lotus 1-2-3 (for you youngsters, 1-2-3 was the forerunner to Microsoft Excel). It was an advertisement for a new online network.

I mailed it in and soon received 5 floppy disks (5-1/4") containing a run-time version of GeoWorks, which promised (and actually delivered) a GUI-like environment for an Intel based 286 desktop computer.

On this day in 1991, I created my AOL account. Little did I realize the main name would forever linked to the account, otherwise I would have chosen a better handle. From a novelty point of view, I am still regarded as a charter member though there is no longer any discount associated with that stature.

That account (and it's subsequent better choice) lives on today. Also my mom's account does as well, and at her advanced age, she has no desire to learn a no interface to contact her friends and grandchildren. I've long since migrated to GMail for my personal/professional mail, but have yet to give up my old AOL accounts. I suppose I'll keep it until my mom stops using it (in one manner or other).

CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT OBAMA

2011-05-03T07:54:00.016-04:00

Many people did not believe I said Congratulations to President Obama yesterday, and I imagine there are those who don't believe I wrote them here.

President Barack Obama, the Commander In Chief, deserves praise for the successful elimination of Osama Bin Laden. Regardless that I do not care for his overall politics, Pres. Obama got the job done.

The intelligence that led to the assault on Bin Laden's compound started with a nugget before Mr. Obama took office. Had he been totally hands-off prosecuting the War on Terror, there would not have been the necessary follow up, investigation, and final dispensation with Bin Laden. Many critics have taken exception to Pres. Obama's positions since he took office - including yours, truly - when his administration refuses to use the phrase War on Terror, for example.

While all praise goes to Mr. Obama today, I hope this does not mean a reduction of the ongoing efforts against those who would do us harm. Already, elected Democrat representatives and pundits are calling for Defense cuts - that would be a horrible mistake.

The US was vulnerable to the September 11th attacks because we didn't take the threat seriously. Pres. Obama demonstrated the threat still exists, and needs to be exterminated. Now is not the time to relax, indeed we have a psychological advantage with the death of Bin Laden.

Stay strong, USA. Stay vigilant.

Holy Thursday: GETHSEMANE

2011-04-21T21:02:00.000-04:00

From one of my all time favorites...

My son, the movie critic

2011-04-18T11:17:00.000-04:00

Yeah, I know... where have I been?

8 year old son ponders about a movie he loves:

Dad, in The Return of the Jedi, when Jabba the Hut captured Princess Leia, why did he make her wear a bikini??

Ummm.....

I am glad my father-in-law died before the Wisconsin protests

2011-03-14T07:17:00.000-04:00

My father-in-law died about 11 years ago. He was a good man, his biggest vice in life being that he couldn’t quit smoking, and that ultimately led to his last years being painful for him and his family.

We seldom if ever discussed politics. He was a hard-sown man, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. I was (and remain) anything but a Democrat, so I knew to mind my place and keep politics out of discussions.

He worked in a number of jobs that had in the grocers union in NYC and Long Island - the UFCW. So his politics and views were easy to discern.

On one such occasion I discussed politics with him dealt with unions, and Ronald Reagan. As you might imagine, he had little to say in absolute favor of President Reagan. He would not disparage the man, out of respect for the office, but he thought he was a crazy actor, that he favored the rich too much, etc.

The one area he had a very specific opinion about Ronald Reagan was that PATCO union strike. The union covering the Air Traffic Controllers at all commercial airports walked off the job.

My FIL had this to say: Ronald Reagan was wrong because he waited too long to fire them! Their union negotiated a contract, and they were supposed to live up to their end of the deal. They promised never to strike, and so they deserved to be fired.

He also questioned why the ATC were unionized at all, because they were (in his estimations) public servants, and no public servants should be unioninzed.

The way the union members and their thugs carried on this last month would have made my FIL sad, I believe. Not that they should protest, but their utter disrespect for the Wisconsin capital, for their utter disrespect for their public service, and for the contempt they’ve shown.

Yet another reason to increase my job search efforts

2011-03-03T22:02:00.001-05:00

Remember the old H&R Block TV commercials? Long before the electronic filing era, Henry Block (or some actor pretending to be him) appeared on the screen and gave another in an alleged series of reasons why you should have your taxes done at H&R Block.

Well tonight I learned REASON #8 (or thereabouts) why I need to find another job.

There's little secret that my job is relocating to Maryland in September, and while my much-better-half and I have kept our youngest son out of the discussions, he (an 8 year old) has heard enough to know something is coming down late in the summer. He asked me if I was moving away because of my job.

I told him the truth: the drive is too long (upwards of 3 hours, each way), and even though I do a 2 hour drive each way today, 3 hours back-and-forth 5 days a week would be too much. So if I have to, I will leave Sunday night, and come home either late Thursday or first-thing Friday morning. That would last for at least a few months, maybe more. In the meantime, I hope to find another job, closer to home.

He understood, and then asked you like pets, right? Well, the vet-rin-arian near the supermarket has a help-wanted sign! You could work there!

I told him I would consider it, and that I would do my best to find a job closer to home.

And damn it, I will make it so.

Say what you want about the TEA PARTY...

2011-02-22T07:21:00.000-05:00

… but I don’t recall any video of doctors handing out fake sick-notes so they could protest.

Wisconsin Teacher Unions are shooting themselves in their own feet. No one will back their insistance at benefit-collective-bargaining when they fake sick days instead of teaching kids.

Unions, in this case at least, are not all for the children; they are for the dollars. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, because that’s what the free market is all about. But in a free market, there aren’t union strikes (or the threat of them) that influence those dollars.

Perils of Online Privacy

2011-02-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

I know to many it would sound like I am making too big a deal, but I had to deal with several photos that while being well-intentioned they had put me into a tough spot.

On my real-life Facebook profile, a friend - a true friend, mind you, someone I've personally known for over 25 years - opened his photo albums and started scanning and posting photos.   Included in the collection were some of yours, truly, from 1983-1986 or so.

Let the record show I did not photograph any better back then than I do today!

And while some of what my friend uploaded were largely harmless - unless you consider posing in front of a car that was wrapped with several rolls of paper towels as being harmful - some were of me (and others) imbibing.   Nothing in those photos would be considered over-the-top by today's standards or even 25 year old standards. At least, they shouldn't be considered as such, but we all know how the job market is so very tight these days.   We all know how much data is accessible online, and how hiring managers and HR departments are known for searching on employees, and in some cases firing employees for their offline activities.

So I spent Sunday going to each pic wherein alcohol is being consumed and untagging myself. And I didn't like doing that one bit. In some way I believed I was being unfair to my friend. He meant no harm, surley, and even though we've stayed in touch over the years, our circle of friends have grown so far and wide that the majority of his friends wouldn't know who I was any more than would the majority of my contacts in Facebook would know him.   So with that wide berth between us, what should it matter?

Upon further thought, however, I found myself growing angry with Facebook and my friend: why should I have to untag myself in the first place? Perhaps I don't want anyone to be able to tag me at all. Maybe there's some who decided to photoshop a pic of something unthinkable (say, a Nazi , which is pretty universally considered unsavory) and then tags me to it.   Why am I required to untag it, as opposed to sending me a note saying you were tagged, do you wish to approve?

After a time I stopped stewing, and stopped being angry with my friend.   I sent him a note, explaining my concern that a company - either present or future - might disagree that what I did in a photo 25 years ago has little bearing on me today, and I asked him to not tag me in any photos going forward that might include questionable behavior.

He's a good man, and he agreed as I knew he would.   And after thinking back to those glorious years, that probably means there aren't any more pictures of me that he can or will post.

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES OBAMA HEALTH CARE LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL...

2011-01-31T15:12:00.001-05:00

YES!!

Here is the conclusion of the Order from Leagl Insurrection (emphasis made by me):

The existing problems in our national health care system are recognized by everyone in this case. There is widespread sentiment for positive improvements that will reduce costs, improve the quality of care, and expand availability in a way that the nation can afford. This is obviously a very difficult task. Regardless of how laudable its attempts may have been to accomplish these goals in passing the Act, Congress must operate within the bounds established by the Constitution. Again, this case is not about whether the Act is wise or unwise legislation. It is about the Constitutional role of the federal government.

For the reasons stated, I must reluctantly conclude that Congress exceeded the bounds of its authority in passing the Act with the individual mandate. That is not to say, of course, that Congress is without power to address the problems and inequities in our health care system. The health care market is more than one sixth of the national economy, and without doubt Congress has the power to reform and regulate this market. That has not been disputed in this case. The principal dispute has been about how Congress chose to exercise that power here.

Because the individual mandate is unconstitutional and not severable, the entire Act must be declared void. This has been a difficult decision to reach, and I am aware that it will have indeterminable implications. At a time when there is virtually unanimous agreement that health care reform is needed in this country, it is hard to invalidate and strike down a statute titled “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.” ...

In closing, I will simply observe, once again, that my conclusion in this case is based on an application of the Commerce Clause law as it exists pursuant to the Supreme Court’s current interpretation and definition. Only the Supreme Court (or a Constitutional amendment) can expand that.

For all the reasons stated above and pursuant to Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment (doc. 80) is hereby GRANTED as to its request for declaratory relief on Count I of the Second Amended Complaint, and DENIED as to its request for injunctive relief; and the defendants’ motion for summary judgment (doc. 82) is hereby GRANTED on Count IV of the Second Amended Complaint. The respective cross-motions are each DENIED.

Undoubtedly the Administration will appeal to SCOTUS. BRING IT!!

Egypt in flux

2011-01-28T19:55:00.001-05:00

It is not because I support Hosni Mubarak; I confess ignorance of the region an it's politics. But any ruler in power for 30 years fails any sanity test for a democracy.

It is not that I fear the people protesting in the streets. They hunger for freedom like every human does.

But I am old enough to know this can very well go from a bad situation to an even worse one.

And as America has fueled the Mubarak monarchy for 30 years, I pray tonight the US Marines in our embassy in Cairo are locked and loaded.

The Clock Tics: Obamacare Rationing Continues While Repeal Is on Hold

2011-01-28T15:11:00.000-05:00

A quick note about where we all stand in regards to the Obamacare healthcare crisis that is upon us:

The House of Representatives moved quickly to pass legislation to repeal the President’s Health Care Reform measures but for breast cancer patients, repeal might not come soon enough.

Breast cancer patients are among the initial victims of the ObamaCare mindset where cost of treatment trumps the effectiveness of treatment. Thanks to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the life-extending drug Avastin may no longer be an option for breast cancer patients – despite evidence of its effectiveness and testimony of women—and their doctors– who believe they survive solely because of the drug.
The FDA seems intent on “de-lableing” the drug – a move that would allow insurance companies and Medicare to deny coverage for the drug. Even though the FDA is not charged with considering the cost of a drug when determining its availability, it is apparent they did. Jean Grem of the University of Nebraska explained her anti-Avastin vote by observing, “We aren’t supposed to talk about cost, but that’s another issue."

The irony of President Obama's call for a 'Sputnik Moment'

2011-01-26T11:00:00.001-05:00

Presient Obama at his 2011 State of the Union address spoke:

Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputnik¸ we had no idea how we’d beat them to the moon. The science wasn’t there yet. NASA didn’t even exist.

But after investing in better research and education, we didn’t just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs.

This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.

In 1957, at an Army base in northern NJ, a group of scientists working in Top Secret scanned the heavens waiting to hear a signal from Sputnik I. Camp Evans became part of Fort Monmouth, which later became home to the US Army's Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM).

A half century later, Ft. Monmouth stands poised to be shuttered in 2011, part of the DoD's ongoing Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, while NASA is about to end it's manned space program with the end of the Shuttle program.

Neither of these are directly related to Pres. Obama (altho his disdain for manned space funding is quite apparent), bur they do serve as a bitter irony to his use of the phrase Sputnik Moment.

State of the Union recap

2011-01-26T09:50:00.001-05:00

Here then are my comments on President Obama's State of the Union 2011 speech.

New laws will only pass with support from Democrats and Republicans. We will move forward together, or not at all -– for the challenges we face are bigger than party, and bigger than politics.

How nice! After we had TARP and Obamacare shoved at us, and after a decisive shellacking in November, shifting the power in House of Representatives to the GOP's favor, now we will have bipartisan. So it seems today the reported 'I won' attitude is gone. Curious timing, don't you think?

With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

Nice goal, but tell me: with my infamous 2 hr commute (each way) by car, what will this do for me, since right now we're good for ~40 miles on battery? And who will pay for these charging stations, the employers?? That's rich! (oh, wait, have I answered my own question?)

Today, there are hundreds of thousands of students excelling in our schools who are not American citizens. Some are the children of undocumented workers, who had nothing to do with the actions of their parents. They grew up as Americans and pledge allegiance to our flag, and yet they live every day with the threat of deportation.

Now, I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration. And I am prepared to work with Republicans and Democrats to protect our borders, enforce our laws and address the millions of undocumented workers who are now living in the shadows.

In one breath, Pres. Obama endorses amnesty for dependants of illegal aliens, then speaks of strengthening the border. How about reversing the order: secure the border, then deal with the illegal immigrants? When you're house has a water pipe break, you fix the leak BEFORE you bail the water.

Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail.

Nice applause line. Throughout the northeast there are hundreds of miles of unused rail beds, running through lots with homes and backyards. Efforts to reclaim those rail beds to provide commuter lines through northern NJ, for example, are met with lawsuits from the home owners, who ignore their deed restrictions and instead setup playgrounds on the beds, daring the rail companies to come through. How will were ever get rail service to 80% of the US if the railroads cannot reclaim their OWN land today?

So tonight, I’m asking Democrats and Republicans to simplify the system. Get rid of the loopholes. Level the playing field. And use the savings to lower the corporate tax rate for the first time in 25 years –- without adding to our deficit. It can be done.

Why is it when companies (or individuals) use a legal loophole to their own advantage, they are demonized as if they're somehow cheating? Why do we continue to bad mouth those who are successful?

So tonight, I am proposing that starting this year, we freeze annual domestic spending for the next five years.

Freeze? Freeze? HOW ABOUT CUTTING DISCRETIONARY SPENDING??

Now, I have heard rumors that a few of you still have concerns about our new health care law. (Laughter.) So let me be the first to say that anything can be improved. If you have ideas about how to improve this law by making care better or more affordable, I am eager to work with you. We can start right now by correcting a flaw in the legislation that has placed an unnecessary bookkeeping burden on small businesses. (Applause.)

Eager to work? With the GOP? So you mean Pres. Obama will listen to the GOP, like he did at Blair House, where the entire meeting was used to justify the unkept promise of having all debates on Obamacare being on CSPAN? Where none of the concerns or ideas of the GOP were even considered?

Are that many Americans that naive to not see this lie for what it is?

Of course, some countries don’t have this problem. If the central government wants a railroad, they build a railroad, no matter how many homes get bulldozed. If they don’t want a bad story in the newspaper, it doesn’t get written.

Heh, unless you contact MSNBC and spike the story or discussion (even if it's being discussed live).

Nothing new from President Obama, right down to the intentional shift to the Center. He's on the re-election trail, and efforts will need to be stepped up to ensure his agenda will go no further, and that he will be defeated at the ballot box in 2012.

We cannot afford to do any less!

On the road to repealing Obamcare

2011-01-19T12:34:00.000-05:00

I am cautiously optimistic ad the growing movement to repeal the law laughingly called Affordable Care Act (ACA), or better known as Obamacare.

Now let's get this right out in the open: a lot of people are angry at the use of the word Obamacare, and to them I merely point them to Google, wherein you'll find that the Department of Health and Human Services have paid for a Google Ad that will direct you to their site if you search on Obamacare. So regardless of whether I want the law repealed or not, if the HHS is going to spend our tax monies on Google searches of the word Obamacare, it's good enough for me!

My kid's physicians announced they no longer take Medicare, my current job is to be relocated without my yet knowing if I am invited along, and my employment future is still not-as-good-as-I'd-like, yet I am growing optimistic that Obamacare will be repealed. Maybe not this year, but not too far down the line.

It is a boondoggle and a nightmare of government overreach, pushing good doctors out of the field. Here's an interview with one dedicate physician who can no longer afford to practice her art:

The House vote will be the first step towards killing (yes, I said killing) this horrendous law. I am not so optimistic to think the Senate will vote to overturn it, but it may. But step-by-step, the voters will hear the arguments, see their taxes rise to pay for this mess, see the numbers of doctors dwindle, then they'll oust the Senators who stand in the way.

And even if that means waiting until 2012, so be it. I just hope it won't be too late for us all!

Time for a road trip

2011-01-13T07:51:00.000-05:00

In the last few weeks, I've had the opportunity to be at home at lot more than usual.

Between Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, a few snow days and some planned days-off, I've been home about 6 more days than typical.

My much-better-half is wondering when will be my next business trip; too bad I don't have any such opportunities on the horizon.

Christmas Message

2010-12-23T08:50:00.001-05:00

OLD CITY BAR

In an old city bar

That is never too far

From the places that gather

The dreams that have been

In the safety of night

With its old neon light

It beckons to strangers

And they always come in

And the snow it was falling

The neon was calling

The music was low

And the night

Christmas Eve

And here was the danger

That even with strangers

Inside of this night

It's easier to believe

Then the door opened wide

And a child came inside

That no one in the bar

Had seen there before

And he asked did we know

That outside in the snow

That someone was lost

Standing outside our door

Then the bartender gazed

Through the smoke and the haze

Through the window and ice

To a corner streetlight

Where standing alone

By a broken pay phone

Was a girl the child said

Could no longer get home

And the snow it was falling

The neon was calling

The bartender turned

And said, not that I care

But how would you know this?

The child said I've noticed

If one could be home

They'd be already there

Then the bartender came out from behind the bar

And in all of his life he was never that far

And he did something else that he thought no one saw

When he took all the cash from the register draw

Then he followed the child to the girl cross the street

And we watched from the bar as they started to speak

Then he called for a cab and he said J.F.K.

Put the girl in the cab and the cab drove away

And we saw in his hand

That the cash was all gone

From the light that she had

wished upon

If you want to arrange it

This world you can change it

If we could somehow make this

Christmas thing last

By helping a neighbor

Or even a stranger

And to know who needs help

You need only just ask

Then he looked for the child

But the child wasn't there

Just the wind and the snow

Waltzing dreams through the air

So he walked back inside

Somehow different I think

For the rest of the night

No one paid for a drink

And the cynics will say

That some neighborhood kid

Wandered in on some bums

In the world where they hid

But they weren't there

So they couldn't see

By an old neon star

On that, night, Christmas Eve

When the snow it was falling

The neon was calling

And in case you should wonder

In case you should care

Why we're on our own

Never went home

On that night of all nights

We were already there

http://www.trans-siberian.com/

All About (Christmas) Eve (repost)

2010-12-23T08:35:00.000-05:00

I had only known Karen for three weeks when I extended the invitation. "I know these family things can be a little weird," I told her, "but my folks are great, and we always have a lot of fun on Christmas Eve."

"Sounds fine to me," Karen said.

I had only known my mother for 31 years when I told her I'd be brining Karen with me. "She's a very nice girl and she's really looking forward to meeting all of you." "Sounds fine to me," my mother said.

And that was that. Two telephone calls. Two sounds-fine-to-me's. What more could I want?

I should point out, I suppose, that in Italian households, Christmas Eve is the social event of the season- an Italian women's raison d'être. She cleans. She cooks. She bakes. She orchestrates every minute of the entire evening. Christmas Eve is what Italian women live for.

I should also point out, I suppose, that when it comes to the kind of women that make Italian men go nuts, Karen is it. She doesn't clean. She doesn't cook. She doesn't bake. And she has the largest breasts I have ever seen on a human being.

I brought her anyway.

So begins the beloved Christmas story I repost year after year in my annual Holiday Chestnuts collection for your enjoyment, ...more...

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-23T08:30:00.000-05:00

What's this? An actual, authored post (as opposed to a re-post)?

Yes, yes it is.

I have neglected this humble blog through much of this year, and while it is regrettable, the rate of posting is not very likely to increase much in the new year. I'll do what I can, but that's about all I can promise.

Christmas is upon us, and I hope yours is filled with peace and happiness. I realize, all too well, that for many happiness is hard to come by, especially this year. The office I work in is becomming depressed, with the pending closing of this facility come the summer. At our holiday pot-luck yesterday the mood was tempered with the good fortune that we'll all be working come January, and throughout at least half of the year (under the current plan), which more than a lot of other people we know can say.

In other news, this year has been a roller coaster for many I know: an engagement, a divorce, a new baby (er, for the record, those things happened to more than one person!), new careers beginning, existing (a/k/a old) ones ending with little warning, or in the case of a single mom I know - no warning. Nothing horribly tragic, but few exceedingly bright spots to remark about this year.
I've spent less time with this blog as I pursue social media in my real persona with the goal of marketing myself in the job market. My goal is to select a intellectually stimulating position, with a lateral (or better) salary, possibly with a more healthy commute (anything less than 2hr drive). With my company still not informing me of their intent to relocate me to the new offices in Maryland, I still have time to be choosy. Should I take whatever relocation offer they make me, that will be my PLAN B. My PLAN A will be a new position that meets my stated goals (perhaps I'll settled for 2 out 3 of those goals). Something will break in my direction, sooner or later... getting to that point is the challenge.

Those seeking to link to my real persona will be disappointed to learn that in real life I AM BORING. I don't discuss politics (not much, really), I keep the jokes clean, I avoid things that are controversial. I figure that at my age I need a social media presence, but by the same token I don't want to turn off any potential hiring manager. I spend most of time alerting those linked to me of the latest scam affecting Facebook, or help those who have been scammed by some foolish app to clear up their profiles. Like I said: boring!

I will repost a few of my favorite Holiday Chestnuts for your enjoyment. I bid to you all a Merry Christmas, and a joyous and prosperous New Year!

A Christmas Carol and its oddities

2010-12-23T08:29:00.000-05:00

Repost from 2007:

Has anyone else noticed what a weird story "A Christmas Carol" is?

We start with Scrooge, who is built up as a man who is only concerned with himself and his money. He runs a successful business, but doing what exactly, we're never told. All we know is that his business only benefits Scrooge, and people give him lots of money for some reason, while no one ever boycotts him or gives their business to a competitor. Apparently Scrooge does something where he can just command people to give him money, and they do. Read more...

THE PADDY AND THE YANK

2010-12-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

A favorite Irish tune celebrating Christmas:

Holidays and Christmas go hand in hand
Like lovers and loved ones, right throughout the land
Drink and be merry, it’s tradition that’s why it’s here
And the Yanks and the Irish drinking whisky and beer.

We are happy and proud of nations
Especially when we’ve all had our fill
The gargle is mighty when you keep it down
Otherwise its messy for all those around

So drink and merry, think of those you love
But don’t get so jar-eyed you forget the man above
Come on ye boys in green, come on red white and blue
Don’t forget the fireman, and the PDs too

We’ve all got this in common - we know how to celebrate!
Sufferin in silence - hear the bells on Christmas day

So drink and merry, think of those you love
But don’t get so jar-eyed you forget the man above

It’s the one night of the year when the husband is let loose
The wife gives dispensation for himself to cook his goose!
Greasing back his hair, wearing his Sunday best,
Reminding him as he shuts the door tomorrow he’ll have no rest!

We are happy and proud of nations
Especially when we’ve all had our fill
The gargle is mighty when you keep it down
Otherwise its messy for all those around

So drink and merry, think of those you love
But don’t get so jar-eyed you forget the man above
Come on ye boys in green, come on red white and blue
And don’t forget the fireman, and the PDs too

For after all it’s Christmas -- it comes but once a year!
Give thanks and praise to everyone – celebrate with might cheer!

Drink and merry, think of those you love
But don’t get so jar-eyed you forget the man above

Drink and merry, think of those you love
But don’t get so jar-eyed you forget the man above

I transcribed this version from Ronan Tynan's I'll be Home for Christmas. Amazingly, I cannot find a stream of this song online.

Holiday Chestnuts 2010

2010-12-20T08:42:00.000-05:00

Repeating previous years posts is a little cheap, since I haven't posted much at all this year. But there's bound to be a few holiday posts that will make you smile.

You can get anything you want....	Happy Hanukkah
Move over It's A Wonderful Life	Sir? There's something on the RADAR...
Eight Crazy Nights	The Legal Night Before Christmas
A Christmas Song	Christmas Message
All About (Christmas) Eve	Should old acquaintance be forgotten?

It's OK to say
Merry Christmas!

Judge rules key-part of Obamacare unconstituitional

2010-12-13T14:55:00.000-05:00

It's only a minor win on the way to the entire repeal, but a win is a win!

Today Federal District Judge Henry Hudson ruled against the Obama Administration on three essential points involving Obamacare:
1. Individuals who do not actively participate in commerce -- that is, who do not voluntarily purchase health insurance -- cannot be said to be participating in commerce under the United States Constitution's Commerce Clause, and there is no Supreme Court precedent providing otherwise;
2. The Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution cannot be used as a backdoor means to enforce a statute that is not otherwise constitutional under Congress's enumerated powers;
and 3. There is a difference between a tax and a penalty, there is much Supreme Court precedent in this regard, and the penalty provision in Obamacare is not a tax but a penalty and, therefore, is unconstitutional for it is applied to individuals who choose not to purchase health care.

Judge Hudson's ruling against the Obama Administration and for the Commonwealth of Virginia gives hope that the rule of law and the Constitution itself still having meaning. Landmark Legal Foundation has filed several amicus briefs in this case, at the request of the Commonwealth, and will continue to provide support in the likely event the Commonwealth is required to defend this decision in the Fourth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. Landmark would also like to congratulate Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and the excellent lawyers in his office for their superb legal skills.

Landmark President Mark R. Levin declared: "It is a great day for the rule of law and the citizenry. Judge Hudson's ruling is ironclad, and General Cuccinelli deserves an enormous amount of credit for taking on this mater. We look forward to continuing to work with him."

Mark Levin

Googling yourself

2010-11-26T08:02:00.000-05:00

Besides the adolescent urge to giggle at the subject line, have you ever Googled yourself?

I've written before about googling an ex but this is closer to home. As I build my personal brand - another buzz-phrase related to job seeking, I decided to Google myself - not CharliePATpk of course, but my real name - to see what a potential employer would see. People have asked me over the years why I use a pseudonym online, and here's the perfect case in point.

My skills and abilities are what should drive whether I should be hired or not (of course, how I present myself in the interviews, etc., but that falls under ability as well). Whether I am a Conservative or not has nothing to do with whether I can meet/exceed the job description. I've worked for people who are more Right-wing than I am, and I have worked for a Left-winger who said, to my face, if you are a Republican you must naturally be a racist. I can work for anyone (although in the interest of full disclosure, I did seek a transfer from that idiot right after he called me a racist. I had worked for him for over 2 years but could not get over his blatant hatred from that point forward), and while I obviously have strong political convictions I curb the expression of them when the job is at hand. But my hire shouldn't be judged by whether you like or hate my politics.
So while I expected to find a number of comments I posted to blogs under my real name - none dealing with politics - I was genuinely taken back to see a post penned by first-initial,lastname praising the passage new Healthcare Reform law! Not a comment, but an actual post, 2 pages long, from the Spring of 2010, extolling the virtues of the law, and how we'll all be better off in the future because of it.

After checking and rechecking to see if I was misreading the blogger's name, the only thing that gave me relief was determining:

No one had commented on the particular post
No one had commented on the previous post
There were only two posts in the entire blog

So it's safe to assume I've probably given this guy (gal? no gender identification was provided) more traffic than previously recorded in a 2 day period. It's also good that this post appears on Google's page 3 of results, meaning it's not likely to show up in any pre-employment search.

But it is a wake-up call for you: Google yourself. Find out what people with similar names to you (or same call-signs) are doing. You may be surprised!

TSA Screenings... some questions

2010-11-23T07:21:00.002-05:00

While I am probably not the first to pose these, please indulge me:

New York is the only state in the country where women can be topless legally, after a 1992 ruling in the state's highest court. That means any woman can walk around the city at any time with no shirt on. (Link: NY Daily News). That means my much-better-half can present herself topless at the LGA or JFK TSA screening line in order, you know, to speed things up, right?
If I am online and either I object to the scanner or I am selected (for whatever reason) to go on the pat-down line, what if I am wearing those track pants with snaps up and down the legs, and underneath I wear only a Speedo and two pasties (say, the Obama logo) on my tits? Won't that speed things up? (In the interest of full disclosure: even during the height of my Taekwondo training I was not a pretty site au natural. While I still try to work-out on my own, I am probably the pastie-white nightmare you imagine).

OH LOOK! Someone (much better looking) beat me to it:
My TSA Stripdown: Nov 21 at Seatac from Furry Girl's Feminisnt.com on Vimeo.
Typically, we have restroom/dressing room attendants or pat-down agents of the same gender of the customer. Say a gay person says I don't want any same-gendered agent frisking me because that I am uncomfortable with anyone of the same gender touching me there! Would the TSA accommodate the request?
What if a person (myself, or anyone else) insists on a specific-gendered TSA agent conduct the search? Say I want that gal over there to frisk me, as opposed to that guy. Or could I say anyone but him/her ?

Your thoughts/comments are invited.

Good news for Philly Boy Scouts of America!!

2010-11-18T08:40:00.000-05:00

PHILLY.COM Philadelphia would stop trying to evict the Cradle of Liberty Council Boy Scouts from its headquarters near Logan Square and instead sell the building to the organization at a cut-rate price, thereby ending a nearly decade long dispute, under a proposed settlement.

The city-owned building, which the scouts have occupied for 80 years, would be sold for $500,000. Both sides agree its appraised value is at least $1 million. In return, the scouts would not seek $1 million in compensation from Philadelphia that they are entitled to under federal law.

This is a story I've followed here on my humble blog for 7 years. It involved the City to unilaterally decide to renege on it's 80 year old contract with the local BSA organization, and has caused unnecessary stress and monies spent in an attempt to change the values of the now 100 year old organization. This is a case that clearly should never have been brought to trail, and in the end the BSA was vindicated.

I look forward to the National and local Council's public statement on this. As near as I can tell, this was a best-case win for BSA. And I, for one, will contribute to the fund to purchase their building back from the City.

Previous posts:

Dancing with the Glee Stars

2010-11-17T07:27:00.000-05:00

I took some flack last night (No, Tina, not from you) because I voiced my opinions on two of TVs recent big-rating grabs: Glee and Dancing With The Stars.

I saw the intro to GLEE, which showed a teacher pushing an obviously flu-stricken student to sneeze on the school's principal. This, I am told, was a mechanism to get the teacher (the cheerleader coach) to become interim principal.

OK, so maybe I am getting old, but is this the story line that passes for prime time entertainment? This show strikes me as FAME meets SAVED BY THE BELL. I know I will be slammed by Gleeks but I think I'll pass on any more episodes.

Dancing With The Stars also took some criticism from me, in that I said I never watched an episode of the series.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me make one thing clear: I don't dance. I suck at it, and always have. Days before my much-better-half and I tied the knot, I was in search of OSHA approved steel-toed white shoes so I could protect her feet. The times I have danced in public have led to no less than three public ordinances banning me from ever attempting to do so again.

This morning a co-worker in the next cube was playing a clip from access hollywood which recapped last night's episode. I won't pretend to know the contestants - I know Brandy as a singer, and you'd have to be in coma not to have heard of Bristol Palin - so I have no horse in this race. What surprised me was the seemingly obligatory videos of the stars recapping their most difficult times in their lives.

Huh?

What the hell do testimonials have to do with dancing? Who cares? So if I were to compete on such a show (perish the thought!) and told a sob story, I could possibly beat any one of the other contestants?

My schedule is pretty full these days, so I don't get to watch much TV at all, but there are a few shows I won't ever go out of my way to watch.

Please, better series, less reality

2010-11-13T21:09:00.000-05:00

Delaware are you? I don't know; Alaska!

OK it's a corny joke, but you're still reading, right?

I like Sarah Palin... both as a person and a politician, which I know annoys more than a few of my readers. Fine.

There's no way in hell I am going to watch Sarah Palin's Alaska, not because I dislike her, but because the whole idea of a reality series is tiring to me. I used to like THE APPRENTICE, but that jumped the shark when it moved to LA.

I watched 3 or 4 seasons of DEADLIEST CATCH, and enjoyed them immensely but became completely bored during the lead up to Phil's funeral. Please, how can so much time be spent - during the season and with the spin-off After The Catch on a guy who abused his health the way he did? Yes, Phil Harris was a great fisherman, loving father.... he died, next!

And that's the point... what's next for DC? Women on the crew, to show how well withstand the pressure of the job? Or someone on the main crew drowning? The show has had a good run, now let it sail off.

What's left for knowing Sarah Palin? I read her auto biography, she's an outdoorsman, a mother, all great things, all wonderful. So you make a series out of her summer?? I like her, but come on!

Whatever happened to TV?

Older

2010-11-13T02:35:00.004-05:00

You're older than you've ever been.

And now you're even older.

You're older than you've ever been.

And now you're even older.

And now you're older still.

TIME! Is marching on.

And time.. is still marching on.

This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner.

And now it's even sooner.

This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner.

And now it's even sooner.

And now it's sooner still.

You're older than you've ever been.

And now you're even older.

You're older than you've ever been.

And now you're even older.

And now you're older still.

Older by They Might Be Giants

More They Might Be Giants music on iLike

Blogging and your career

2010-11-12T09:46:00.001-05:00

I have been waiting for the decision that will affect my career: that being whether my company will offer me to relocate to Maryland or will I be laid-off instead.   The zero-hour currently is 1-August, which is the day my role will be in Maryland - whether I will be there or not.

I have earned an IT-related certification - CompTIAs Security+, an important and relevant cert - and I am actively working on another, in order to firm up my resume'.

Many so-called career experts advocate blogging to help make your brand. How ironic that I have been blogging since 2005. However, as I am free to speak my mind on any topic I want because I am anonymous, I cannot point to this humble blog to promote my brand.

Probably my biggest question is how, exactly, do I promote my brand ? As a defense contractor for the last 14 years, I have experise on a variety of platforms and systems that are largely, sad to say, heading for extinction.    This will be the big test!

I have toyed with a blog under my surname for some time, and I am getting closer to it with each passing day.   I would post the link here, but then that would make my remaining anon here a hard sell, wouldn't it?

Do you blog your brand? How do you separate your career profile from your personal one?

Veteran's Day Week - 8th of November

2010-11-08T03:43:00.005-05:00

I've written other posts regarding VETERAN'S DAY, and I will again this week. Big and Rich's 8th of November commemorates often overlooked heroes, and there's no better reason to feature the song on the anniversary date of the subject event.

There's plenty of homemade videos on YouTube, but the absolute best is Big and Rich's original video, which is linked here (but not permitted to be embedded). I encourage you now to click through and watch it.

And remember to never forget.

Where are you going?

2010-11-04T07:25:00.001-04:00

I realize the layout isn't very good, and there are a dozen different ways I could use to improve it, but I don't have the time today to do so. Meanwhile, click here for the toon.

Those racist teabaggers

2010-11-03T10:53:00.000-04:00

The racist teabaggers have elected Marco Rubio, and Susana Martinez, and Tim Scott, and Nikki Haley, and Bill Flores, and Allen West, and... @PatrickRuffini

I am pleased, not happy, not excited, but pleased. The beginning of the beginning is done. I predicted 60 House and 10 Senate seats. Well, with 3 Senate contests still undecided, my prediction is officially wrong, as the best that can be hoped for is 9 seats. A win is a win, but my prediction lost.

A lot of self-abuse contributed to the defeat, no doubt. As in Christine O'Donnell having to fight not only the President and the entire DNC but many on her side of the aisle as well. Imagine for a moment: had the President and Vice President not spent so much time in Delaware, what would the outcome have been??

The beginning of the beginning is done; now the new members of the House have to prove they're worthy to stay in office, else they'll be primaryed and replaced, as were their (now) predecessors. Health Care abomination will be curtailed (or so I hope!), so we neither bankrupt the nation nor ruin the greatest system in the world.

We had 2 disturbances at my polling site, both involving Democrats who were just making noise to be noticed. Sad. The results in my precinct echoed the tune heard across the land on the both statewide and local candidates. It was a good evening, indeed!

The beginning of the beginning

2010-11-01T14:27:00.001-04:00

Days like this I miss my old blogging habit.

Tomorrow is the beginning of the beginning. A new start. A new Conservative start. This won't end the administration of President Obama, but it will end a number of incumbent legislative careers that ought to have ended long ago. It will mark the beginning of the end of the Obama Agenda, of the radical, left-wing ideology that has been thrusted on the nation during the Recession that began a little over 2 years ago.

Historically, recessions end in about 18 months, give or take. Reacting to the changes in the market, and often with some monetary or tax-cutting measures, the economy adjusts and the recovery begins. In the last 18 months, the Obama Administration has done to cause the recession to deepen than anything to help assuage it.

The people have seen the results, and they're not happy.

Tomorrow I fulfill my public service obligation in the general election since I was elected. I suspect there will be more turn-out than in May's primary, but I am hopeful of no surprises. One of the lessons I learned from May: bring a Box o' Joe and comfortable shoes. And be ready to speak the Constitution to those who only think they know what they're talking about!

The tides are changing. The talk 2 years ago was all about change. But as many have said - including many times myself in this humble blog - the GOP Congress and President Bush spent wantonly, largely because they believed they would win over their Democrat opponents. In the end, the GOP lost the Congress 4 years ago and the White House 2 years later: You cannot out-spend a Democrat and expect to hold on to your base.   Now the Democrats have spent far more than the GOP ever did, and that has angered the Right and the Middle.

The Tea Party is neither Republican nor Democrat: they are, however, pissed. The A-#1 advice that all legislators should take heed: do not spend foolishly if you expect to be re-elected.    In the short term, the Obama Health Care nonsense will not be able to be overturned, I am sorry to admit. But it can be defunded, delayed.   The new Congress would do well to pass bill after bill, daring the president to veto them. Those bills ought to be be for spending cuts and for the Conservative initiative that will secure their 2012 future.

Less than 2 years ago, JamesCarville -- a pundit and professional whom I hold in great respect, even though I am 100% opposite him politically -- predicted the GOP would spend 40 years as minority party; it seems this is a prediction that was flat-out wrong.   I won't suggest the Democrats will be a minority for any such length, but I will state, again, my prediction that the GOP will take 60 HOUSE seats and I am still optimistic they will take 10 SENATE seats. That's net gain of each, mind you.

Check back Wednesday... while Washington state won't be decided by then, we'll have a good sense of how close my prediction will be by then.

Being stupid with Web 2.0

2010-10-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

A buddy of mine is connected with me on LinkedIn. He's an all-around good guy, and I don't mean to sound like I am directly insulting him, but I am calling him stupid. This is from his LinkedIn feed as seen in my Google Reader:

Now this guy (let's call him Dave) he's connected in Social Media, so he can have this info scraped to Twitter and wherever else online. And everyone knows he's going out of town -- in this example, he was out of town, but the point still remains. His status shows how often he is out of town, and it is at least twice a month. Suffice it to say it's not hard to locate his home and such online.

Dave is a family man, with a wife and two young kids. I had a chat with him about this last month, because in this day and age, it's not really smart or safe to advertise when you're leaving town. Now Dave's wife is not a shrinking violet, and for all I know can handle a gun better than I can, that's not the point. The idea, however, of splashing online 'hey, I am leaving home for several days' doesn't strike me as a smart thing to do.

What's you opinion?

14 days: Change is coming

2010-10-19T15:21:00.001-04:00

I don't have to tell any readers what event of national importance happens in just 14 days.   I have been largely silent on this forum, my humble blog, for quite some time. But if you have any awareness of current events, and you are an American, you know it is election day in 2 weeks. A midterm election, but one of greater importance than any midterm in recent years.   I get a front-row seat in my polling-place, as I will again serve in my elected position at precinct. And unlike Mrs. Obama, I knew long before taking my oath what the laws are regarding campaigning in the polling place!

We were told, 4 years ago, that the Republican majority had to be replaced, to stop the agenda of then President Bush, who had at that time shepherded the nation through a recession that began prior to him taking office, a major attack and fiscal fall-out from September 11, the disaster that was Hurricane Katrina, two wars, and yet (again, at that time) the economy was doing well: unemployment and interest rates low, stock markets high.

True, gas prices were quite high around this point in 4 years ago. My daily 220 mile round-trip commute felt it. And I recall Rep. Nancy Peloci campaigning that if Democrats were put in charge, the gas prices of over $3/gal would be reduced to $2/gal or less.   I still wait for that promise.

I still wait for the House swamp to be drained... meanwhile 2 powerful democrat Congresspeople have had their trials delayed until after the election... convenient, don't you think.

But the change had to come 4 years ago. House and Senate Republicans thought the way to win the hearts and minds of voters on the opposite side of the aisle was to spend a lot like their minority counterparts; not quite as bad, but bad enough to drive many of the supporters to stay away from the polls 4 years ago.   It didn't help that President Bush never vetoed any of the reckless spending bills the GOP controlled Congress sent to him.

But none of this is news. Anyone who has paid attention, and certainly anyone who has read this blog (or is inclined to read the archives) knows I warned the GOP of their foolish spending ways.   And the results were predicted.

Readers of this blog also know that I have acknowledged the given likelihood of the party in power losing seats in midterm elections... that's a no-brainer. But this year is different.

Democrats over reached. They got greedy. Not unlike the so-called moderate Republicans who thought they could buy votes by spending the Treasury with every bill they passed, the Democrats never met an earmark they didn't like. And the TARP, the bailouts, the TARP 2, the Healthcare Bill ... all of these have lined up to be their foes for the upcoming election.

And the people are pissed.   The grassroots effort of the Tea Party will hold their feet to the fire, not just for a day in 2 weeks, but for the foreseeable future. So the incoming congress members are on notice: fly right, or be replaced.

Now I realize some will take their chances that the Tea Party will dissolve, and will start buying votes again. And some may actually withstand re-election. But the majority will face the growing wrath of the electorate.

I am not so pie-in-the-sky optimist to think the results of the election will bring an immediate halt to Obamacare. But I am hopeful it will delay any further implementation of this horrendous law. The new Congress may actually pass a bill to repeal it, but we all know President Obama will veto it - he may be a lot of things, but he isn't foolish enough to surrender that easily. All the Congress is absolutely required to do, in the next year, is to stop all funding of this monstrosity from going forward. Then pass amendments to chip away at it. Just as the 1994 Congress practically forced the hand President Clinton to sign Welfare reform, so must the new Congress do with Obamacare.

I said I wasn't pie-in-the-sky optimistic. I am expecting great losses for the Democrats in 2 weeks, but I am not yet certain the GOP won't snatch defeat from the jaws of victory; look at Delaware. Christine O'Donnell is hardly any different in her background and experience than Barrack Obama was 4 years ago, yet supporters and members of the GOP are seemingly hard-pressed to support her.   And there's no way anyone can tell me Chris Coons is a better bet for the GOP than Ms. O'Donnell.

Change is coming. And even if the GOP doesn't win in as huge numbers as is widely predicted, the fact remains those winners will be held to their promises.   If they do not truly reform government, the same people that put them into office will replace them. The inspiration crossing the country now isn't limited to one party, it's a revolution of voters who will no longer put up with unaccountable spending and attacks on our liberties.

As the Bard sang

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Keeping tabs on kids gaming with PiggyBack

2010-10-19T14:33:00.000-04:00

I am not a Mafia Wars kind of guy (if you knew my multisyllabic Italian last name, you'd undesrtand). For a brief time I was involved with Parking Wars but it got boring (also too much like real life). And Farmville? please.

But that's me! And I never said I was typical!

But these games and plenty of others are used and played by Facebook users everyday, especially by kids. Social apps likes Whyville and Planet Cazmo are attracting kids to their worlds with their flashy colors and sounds, all geared to kids. As a parent I first tried Facebook as a way to keep up with what my kids would likely get involved with, so I could at least be familiar with the environment. But how do I keep up with all of the new game sites and social nets that are coming around?

Piggyback by Media Chaperone have partnered with several kid-friendly sites to offer a common user interface for reporting on your child's usage, from time spent online to their accomplishments in the games, so as a parent you can see what their doing. Parents can use Facebook credits as a single payment system for all of the games the kids play. So virtual currencies, subscriptions, etc, all get managed by the parent using Facebook credits through a single site.

Maybe I am getting old (maybe??) but I don't have the time to create my own accounts on the plethora of sites that are out there, from Webkinz to Nick to Woozworld, having a one-stop portal that shows what my kids are doing (and for how long!) is an easy sell to me! And here's the kicker: Piggyback is free! An additional perk: Piggyback will alert parents when there are security or behavior issues that might pop up, as in user X asked Johnny for his password.

Any tools that make keeping my kids safe (and harmlessly monitor how long they're playing online) is a benefit in my book, and I am glad to see Piggyback is partnering with so many sites to help me keep tabs at a safe distance.

Condolences for near-total strangers

2010-10-10T18:29:00.001-04:00

I had an odd experience involving an old buddy... and to call him a buddy is perhaps a stretch.

On Saturday a friend-of-a-friend reached out to me, or rather, the wife-of-a-friend-of-a-friend reached out to me, on the occasion of the passing of her mother-in-law. Now some background information is in order: I met the guy (K) through a guy whom became what I consider my best friend (J). Now J and I hung out together and did a lot of crazy stuff -- back in the day. And on more than a few of these adventures, K was there. K & J are probably best friends, as I know through J they still see each other with regularity (a big help here is that they live nearby each other). J was famous for his New Year's Eve parties, and those would account for some 90% of the time I saw K and the gal who would later become his wife (C). Again, that was back in the day.

So I knew K & C, but it's not like we were ever close, nor have we remained even that remotely close over the years. I believe the last time I spoke to either K or C had to be, more or less, the last time I saw them, and that's over 20 years ago. The e-mail C sent last week was the first of any communication - verbal, written, or electronic - in all that time. I cannot, in good faith, confirm whether they were invited to my wedding, so it's possible it's closer to 25 years since we've last spoken.

So to get an e-mail relating the passing of K's mother - whom I never met! - after 2 decades is quite startling. What am I to do? Emily Post, et al, suggests sending e-mail condolences is rude, but am I really going to drop everything for a guy who I haven't spoken to forever? C included information that the mother's funeral will be this week coming -- in Florida. What am I supposed to do with that information?

When my friend J's parents died (separated by 3 or 4 years), I was unable to attend either service due to severe, personal issues I was going through. But as we stay in touch a few times each year by phone and e-mail, a few long-form phone calls where I could recount the very fond memories of his parents was the very least I could do on his behalf. But truth be told, because of the various pressures and realities of life, I haven't seen J in nearly 18 years! And I call him my best friend!

So I am left with sending by e-mail condolences to a near-stranger, on the passing of his mother - whom I've never met. After all: is asking for a current mailing address to mail a proper condolence card appropriate when there's been no communication all this time? And as we were never really close back then, do I really have a need/want/desire/obligated to be so forward/inviting now?

There are people I know through my blogging, whom I've never met, but for whom I hold more concern and interest in their lives (and their parents, for example) than I do for K. Case in point: someone I know online has related the details of the surgery this person's mother went through. I never met the person, and certainly wouldn't know the mother if I tripped over her, but I was checking for updates to see how her surgery and recovery were proceeding. But I have come to know the person over the last few years, so I can understand the concern for the person's mother, and the stress of the situation.

I am at a loss in this area where this guy K is concerned.

I do not think I am callous, but I just cannot see what I am supposed to do for a person who has become all but a stranger to me.

What say you?

Countdown underway (no, not for November)

2010-09-07T22:20:00.000-04:00

Well I am in a place not terribly unfamiliar, I am facing either a relocation that will be devastating in many ways or a layoff which will be hardly better.

In a recent post (as if there are many to choose from) I mentioned my position will be relocated as of September 1, 2011, but there's no guarantee I will be invited to join it. So now I am inside the 51 week countdown.

Again, I know there are lot of people worse off. Two co-workers got axed on a Friday afternoon, no warning. So whining is the last thing I intend to do. Either way, I lose: if they offer me the position in Maryland, I lose because it will be 18-24 months before I am in the position to relocate the family (and that's assuming a rosy housing market, and thanks to President Obama and Congress, that's hardly likely).

I don't want a hand out, I don't want unemployment. I want the economy that fell into recession to work it's way out like it has traditionally done. I want the failed programs and foolish spending programs ended before they prolong the recession further (and likely make it worse). I fear more than ever I may lose my health care and be forced into the Medicare program - the same one my kid's physician's have said they no longer accept. If I don't find work, and have to use the horribly planned federal program, what do I do then??

I know America is better than it is this year. I know things will get better, but I fear not before they get worse. This election is important to hold things from getting worse, but even if it acts as a referendum on the horribly Liberal programs (as I predicted more than 2 years ago), the damage Mr. Obama and Congress have caused won't be brushed aside very quickly.

In the meantime, I have to finish my certification test, get myself marketed in Social Media (a tough sell for someone who is so anonymous in general), and have a take-no-prisoners approach to finding work. Should the very worse happen, let me go on record now: I pledge I will not be side-lined long. If I am laid-off, it won't be more than a month before I find something - maybe not in my chosen field, but I will not sit and sulk... I stock shelves, pump gas, or even pump septic tanks... nothing will be beneath me.

I may have to deal with this oppressive government, but I won't let it ruin my spirit!

Gift giving ideas

2010-08-20T10:19:00.000-04:00

It's still the dog-days of summer, and I am writing about gift giving ideas, as in Christmas gifts? Why, yes I am.

First, this is an infrequent post in conjunction with Dad Blogs which is well-worth your time to visit.

As I've written before, I am a bad gift receiver... I don't tell people, such as my family, what I want for a present for my birthday or for Christmas. I am of the mind where if I need/want or something, I get it -- provided the item in question fits into the budget against the need. Case in point, I really wanted an iPhone 4, but I got an iPhone 3G, because the cost ($50) was far more reasonable. My thinking is if I want something, and it's reasonable, I'll get it. If I need something, the cost is then measured against the need.

Where gifts are concerned, I don't really enjoy getting them, because it's likely something I deem too expensive or something I don't want. Yes, of course, there could be things I haven't thought about getting for myself, and someone like my much-better-half may be fortunate enough to pick out, but that's not something very common.

Mind you, it's not a two-way street: I do pretty well picking out gifts for others, such as my much-better-half, although I will spend many hours stressing over the choices. So far, I seem to have done well with my choices.

I have been called insensitive by some because I don't make lists of things I want for birthdays or Christmas, but it's something I've never thought was comfortable or necessary.

But I am getting better. I need a wallet. Really I do:

I've been using a Sharpie to help stretch the life of the wallet, but as you can see it's time I retire this appendage of mine. But instead of seeking a new one on my own, I'll sit back and wait out for December, since I know my sons, for example, will want to get me something, and I figure this would be a reasonable item for my youngest son, in particular, to give me.

So here's hoping this old wallet lasts another 4 months.

Where I stand

2010-08-18T14:10:00.000-04:00

Well it’s been a week of changes. For some time I knew my job would be placed at risk in a few years. In 2009 I learned that the funding for the defense project I’ve been working on since 1997 would likely run out by 2013. Even as the economy has gone from mediocre (in ’97) to where it is today, I didn’t do much about that prediction. Yeah, I know…. Lazy.

Compounding the fact that the project funding would be reaching its sunset, my program is based out of Fort Monmouth, NJ. The Fort is among many sites that have fallen victim to BRAC - Base Realignment And Closure – a program with a dubious purpose at this time. We were told that our project, a legacy logistics operation, was essential but not off critical mass necessary to require relocation to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.

This week the first shoe fell: our corporate location would be shuttered by September 2011, and moved t o Maryland.

The other shoe will drop when I learn whether or not I am invited to relocate. I’ve got to wait less than 53 weeks to learn how that will play out.

Relocating to Maryland would not be a horrible idea, but one that couldn’t come at a worse time: whether it’s the impact on my kids and their activities or the depressed housing market, I am not looking forward to uprooting the fam in the next year. But the alternative – not being offered to relocate – would be far worse.
Readers know I drive 110 miles, each way, every day now. Commuting to Maryland would add an estimated 30 miles to that ride, and Google Maps estimates the commute time to increase 50 minutes… that’s upwards of a 3 hour drive, each way. So my much-better-half and I discussed the matter and the decision is clear: should I get offered to relocate, I’d make a test-drive to see if 3 hours is a legitimate estimate, but most likely I will be living locally and commuting home on weekends.

Not at all a good plan, but unless I can score suitable employment closer to home, that’s my fate. IF I get tapped to relocate.

Hey, it could be worse… I have what amounts to a one-year heads-up. Best I make suitable plans to improve my own situation in the mean time!

Odds and Ends

2010-08-09T10:14:00.000-04:00

A continuing series of posts covering various topics that are too short to warrant an entire post unto themselves. Also called Quick Hits. In reality, I am so out of the loop to post anything serious entries...

Comments are back: A big thanks to Mrs.4444 for pointing out to me that my comments had vanished more than a week ago. Blogger offered new functionality that I mindlessly approved, and that killed my Haloscan/JS-Kit/Echo comments. Back in the day, my first website (pre-blogging days) was hand coded using notepad.exe and raw HTML. After looking about for 30 minutes trying to reverse what I did to my own comments, I relented and contacted JS-Kit tech-support. Their tech found the switch that my mindless-approval had activated. Could it be I am getting too old for this crap?
TMI - Extreme Edition: A gal I know is expecting (see previous posts about her here and here); her due date was yesterday, and being her first, it could be any day now (or next week). She is an exec director of a group that helps some very deserving kids, so she is known by many people in the community. Fine. A mutual acquaintance of her and I - and by mutual acquaintance I mean this woman knows the soon-to-be-mom and knows that I know her, too, but is an utter stranger to me, personally - asked me if I knew if the baby was born yet. I replied Well, last I had heard, she's still waiting for the big day!

The mutual acquaintance then asked, dead-pan and in all seriousness: Really??? Well do you know how dilated she is?
I swear to you all who read this, I blinked. Twice.

Well, far be it for me to assume, but I think that's a discussion better left for Mom and her obstetrician, don't you think?? Later on, after the shock wore off, I thought of an amusing retort along the lines of I've got my stirrups in the trunk, so I'll check with her and get back to you, but I don't think even I could have been so bold to say that out loud.

Am I that disinterested, or is this woman way out of line??
E-Z Pass annoyance - I have 2 E-Z Passes, and with my commute its no wonder. My much-better-half's pass, however, stopped registering when she last used it, so I called the PENN DOT office about it. They explained that the batteries in the devices are good for 4 years and since both of our passes were 5 years old, it was time to replace them. Fine. They sent me two passes, with instructions to mail back the old ones. Annoyance? They didn't include pre-paid mailer or label... I'm on the hook for $3.25 (apparently) in postage. Gee, thanks.
George Carlin once opined If you have a bunch of odds and ends, and you get rid of them all except one, what's that one thing called?

Comments are missing

2010-07-22T09:20:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Mrs4444 I've learned my comments are gone.

With all that's going on, it may be a few days before I can address this mess...

Although it pains me to concede, this blog may have become too much for me to maintain much longer.

24: Life imitates art (that imitated life)?

2010-07-22T08:36:00.000-04:00

This may be a stretch, but just work with me:

One of the best television shows of all time (IMHO) was 24, and while I blogged a.lot.about.it in past years, I completely neglected it this season.... some suggested I was in mourning, I say I was just too busy. Regardless, stick with me for a minute:

The main character JACK BAUER is often faced with incredible situations that demand immediate and often incredible choices to be made. What made the stories so convincing is the great, personal risks Jack took for the greater good (My personal theory is that there are quite a number of real-life law enforcement officers who do a lot of things like Jack Bauer: unsung heroes without which we'd all be worse off in the long run).

(minor spoiler alert!)

In Season 5, Jack Bauer kidnapped the sitting president, Charles Logan, and tried to force a confession of treason from him.   Logan never broke, and the secret service eventually broke up the party, but not before Jack planted a listening device on Logan's person.   Later on, Logan boasts about his crime, and this leads to Jack's exoneration and Logan's removal from office.

In the most recent season, Jack had incriminating evidence of a conspiracy involving another sitting president, and in order to hand it off to a friend of his (to prevent the evidence from being 'lost' by agents of the conspiring president), he orders his friend to shoot him. When she resists, he points the gun at his head as a last resort. Fans of the show know (as well as anyone can know about a fictitious person) he was about to pull the trigger to ensure the safe passage of the evidence ... in the end, however, she shot him in the left side of his chest (a through and through) and our hero, of course, survived the wound.

Andrew Breitbart took a video clip of a USDA official, Shirley Sherrod, and released an extended (but not total) clip of a speech she recently gave to the NAACP concerning her conduct in the past.   The clip led the modern-day viewers conclude she harbored racial prejudices.     The NAACP was outraged at her comments, and the Obama Administration moved to push her out of her appointed position.

Now bear in mind: Mr. Breitbart never called for Ms. Sherrod's termination. In fact he never commented on her speech directly.    Predictably, a firestorm erupted in many blogs and an several cable news programs, and yes, there were calls for her to be removed, and, as stated, she was.

Then Breitbart revealed the longer clip, which showed Ms. Sherrod having used that story as a basis of her growing, as a person, from when she harbored racial tendencies to where she later became a more civil minded person.    The transformation of Ms. Sherrod is admirable, and when viewed in total the speech she gave was not a reason for her to lose her job.

So why did she lose her job?

She lost her job because everyone - everyone - believed the story she told was not one of a transformation but was, in fact, how she believed, then and there.   And she lost her job because everyone also believed that her jaded view was acceptable in certain circles, just not in the mainstream view.   Case in point: the NAACP was quick to condemn her story only when they saw the Breitbart video, and not during (or immediately after) her speech at their event! No one in attendance of her speech raised an objection or any form of dissent. In fact, you can hear murmurs of approval!!   It seems as if the kinds of speeches they were suddenly objecting to were not at all uncommon at their own sanctioned events.

Laughably, the mainstream media bought the story - hook, line and sinker - because it was so credible.

To be fair: not everyone who is a member of the NAACP is a racist by default because those in attendance on this video did not denounce the presumed racism of Ms. Sherrod.   Nor should the members of the black community overall be considered a racist because the NAACP immediately condemned her statements only after the Breitbart video surfaced.

And to be equally fair: just because there may be one or two sign-wielding idiots spouting racism at a Tea Part event does not make it right to brand all in attendance a racist.

So Ms. Sherrod pulled a bait-and-switch on the NAACP, and Breitbart amplified the action and made quite a splash. The media storm surrounding Ms. Sherrod will die down, and she is pretty much guaranteed some sort of high-ranking appointment in the government from here or out.

Andrew Breitbart, however, took a big risk, and while it paid off nicely, will cause every future video from him to viewed with a jaundiced eye. Not from those who are upstanding and honest partners, but from everyone who accepts the so-called business as usual approach in what they do, since they will be wondering what Breitbart will reveal tomorrow.

For that, Breitbart's credibility has taken a hit in the media, but the benefits of that hit are so illuminating it is far from a bad thing.

Andrew Breitbart is Jack Bauer.

I may have missed the World Cup ....

2010-07-18T20:47:00.000-04:00

... but today I met a man from South Africa who had with him an authentic (so he said) vuvvuzela from his country.

There was a baseball game that began with an a cappella signing of the National Anthem; I offered to accompany the singer with the vuvuzela, but was summarily dismissed.

The exchange student offered people a chance to blow his horn, and only a few could resist. For what it's worth I think I did the best effort.

You don't suck at it! was the students commentary of my performance.

I think that was a compliment!

Casualties of war

2010-07-15T14:42:00.001-04:00

I want to state, out the outset, that I am not blaming President Obama for the deaths of servicemen and servicewomen serving in the Afghanistan theater. I want that to be said up-front.

According to the website icasualties.org the total, combined Coalition Military Fatalities as of this writing is 1936 since 2001. Not surprisingly, the number of casualties has gone up since Pres. Obama started ramping up pressure with his surge, an overall strategy that I have agreed with for some time.

I invite you now to go back in your memory to when President Bush was in office. When the print and electronic media continuously broadcast the number of casualties in Iraq, in particular, and occasionally in Afghanistan as well.

When was the last time you heard the total number of casualties in either war?

In 2010, 42 military fatalities occurred in Iraq, and 368 fatalities in Afghanistan. A total of 279 Americans died this year in our ongoing war. Why hasn't the media found it necessary to bang their drum as incessantly as they did just a few years ago?

Pres. Obama carries no more blame for the deaths of the brave servicemen than does President George W. Bush. But when there is an utter disregard for the sacrifices of those soldiers because the media is afraid to make a particular president look bad, they are no better than the same media that shouted the same information in order to make a particular president look bad.

Tell me again there isn't media bias.

God bless our brave soldiers.

Just keep doing what you've been doing!

2010-07-14T14:51:00.001-04:00

So I am just out of an all-hands meeting at work. Naturally, whenever there's an all-hands meeting, this strip comes to mind:

Well, that strip and the fact that after the last all-hands, we were led to believe they all of us would be called to the main office individually regarding our job description and titles; two of our team were called that afternoon, and were summarily discharged. For the record, no one else was ever called to discuss their titles, leaving an awfully sour taste in the mouths of the survivors.

Regardless, the meeting had no such ominous requests or the like, but was just routine issues. One of them was an item regarding weekly status reports. It appears that several people have been forgetting to send them in on Friday, and it is becoming an issue (so we are told). Officially, then it was announced, our annual performance reviews may be negaitively impacted if we do not take immeidate steps to get our reports in, on time.

No problem, right?

After the meeting I went into the boss office and asked about my status reports.

He: What about them?

Me: What should I do about my group's weekly status reports?

He: Just keep do same as always, why?

Me: My group hasn't sent you a weekly status report in 2 years.

He: What? Impossible. Who told you to stop sending them?

Imagine his surprise when I handed him the e-mail from him stating we were no required to send them anymore.

Truth be told, we do several layers of reporting, including calls received, trouble tickets open/resolved/closed, and so forth, so it's not as if we ~~have~~ lack visibility. But this guy apparently got dinged (from above) for not having reports from some other staff member(s), and decided to make a formal announcement.

Of course, I could have called him out in front of the all-hands, which would have made him look foolish in front the staff, but I decided to go quietly. In these economic times, there's no need to piss off the boss needlessly.

Regardless, there is a definite bad vibe coming from upper management, and I have decided to become proactive in securing better employment, possibly even closer to home. Times are hard, no doubt, but there's no reason I shouldn't start to position myself to jump on an opportunity.

Why the Boy Scouts Position on Gays Makes Sense

2010-06-25T08:56:00.000-04:00

I was accused this week of being a homophobe because I didn't denounce the Boy Scouts court victory in Philadelphia. I've written about this case previously, but decided a succinct approach is needed to state my position.

Full Disclosure: For those who haven't read my blog: I was a Scout from the ages of 8 until 18.   For the last 7 years I've been active as an adult leader in connection with my sons being Scouts, currently serving as a member of Troop Committee and as a Merit Badge counselor.

Boys and girls do not camp together, in the same tents. Yes, there is Venturing, the BSA program for co-eds, but that is a separate and distinct division of Scouting.   Girls and boys do not camp together, in the same tents (not even in Venturing), and I think we can all agree no one will argue with the whys: setting aside privacy issues and common decorum, no matter how much either John or Jane might promise not to do anything with each other, kids will be kids. If we accept 'Boy Scouts' having boys and 'Girl Scouts' having girls, then we can stand firm on this point.

So let's carry this to a logical extension. Say boys who are open about their being gay are permitted. Now it shouldn't matter if John says he won't do anything in appropriate to Jim, if we're following the same logic as above. We would have to separate the gay boys.

So we assign gay boys their own tents. OK, if the estimate 10-15% of the population is gay, then it's easy to have, literally, and odd-boy out in his own tent. Now we're isolating a boy in his own tent, because he's different; and this is acceptable ... how?

And if a unit had 2 or more gay boys, could we allow them to be in the same tent? Because as in the first example of boys & girls, perhaps the parents of the gay boys do not want them at risk of inappropriate behavior from another. The risk, again, is that kids will be kids, right?

One way or another, there will be segregation, exclusion. We're talking about children, not adults.

And if you wish to open Scouting to both genders, would you not still require the segregation?   Venturing has strict guidelines already covering this. And then by extension, as above, a further segregation?

That's where I stand... tell me if you think I am wrong, but be ready to back up your position.

You Don't Believe

2010-06-21T01:22:00.001-04:00

My eyes with your vision
My choice but always your decision
My play with your direction
Well, it's my lead but always your connection

But when I look into your eyes you don't believe me
I can see it in your eyes you don't believe

My words, your expression
My land, always your possession
My song, your production
My expense is always your deduction

But when I look into your eyes you don't believe me
I can see it in your eyes you don't believe

And the face I see before me
Is both sides of a mirror
You really know you've got a hold on me
And the face you're looking in to
is both sides of a window
any way you look you see through me.

My fame, your reflection
My weakness is always your protection
Well it's my terms on your conditions
And they're my tunes but they're your compositions

But when I look into your eyes you don't believe me
I can see it in your eyes you don't believe

And the face I see before me
Is both sides of a mirror
You really know you've got a hold on me
And the face you're looking in to
is both sides of a window
any way you look you see through me.
When I look into your eyes you don't believe me
I can see it in your eyes you don't believe...

The Alan Parsons Project

Random

2010-06-19T22:48:00.001-04:00

Item - I have been absent from Facebook for some time, and just yesterday realized that *all* of my tweets have been appearing on Facebook's NOTES page (I thought I was filtering @replies).... so I seem to have been spamming those who cared to follow me. Not intended; I apologize to those who were bored.

Item - I managed a blog post or two in the last few weeks... far from the number I used to post. In some ways I miss it, but in others I am bored by the process. Have to re-evaluate my entire blogging effort, and even whether I'll continue this pseudonym at all.

Item - if you've followed me for any length of time, you know this isn't the first time I've debated giving up this non de plume. But I have recently begun using a real profile of my real name... not at all like I've used CharliePATpk, but it's out there. If you think maintaining one personna is hard, try two.

Item - Am tired and not-quite-drunk, since I've polished off a bottle of Makers' Mark. Note to self: buy more.

Item -

Father's Day (repost)

2010-06-18T20:19:00.002-04:00

To all the dad's out there:
On Sunday I'll be sure to raise a glass in your honor
(after the one I raise in honor of my dad).
To all dads - past and future - I also raise a toast in their honor!

This is a repost done for FatherhoodFriday at Dad Blogs

Yep, it's Father's Day. Some people do it up big, others take a more reserved approach. I am in the latter category.

In my office, for example, there are two guys who are new fathers (one, for the first time a few months ago), and I know there are new dads and soon-to-be new dads who are frequent this blog, too. They're looking forward to their day. And in the case of moms at the office or reading, they're looking to have a big deal for their man. And they're all entitled.

I did some research this week and found it hard to find anyone else who shares my blasaie¹ with Father's Day. My dad - father of 4 - always down-played it, as I am told his dad - father of 8 - did (which, considering our Italian-Catholic heritage, seems contrary to the reported history of the day). Men, ordinarily, don't go for this sort of stuff, but Father's Day is seemingly the exception for most.
From my research, the closest to my position is held by Stanley Bing, noted author, who concludes : {D}on’t tell me that Father’s Day is a big deal, because it’s not.

Now I know it already: some guys are firing up their e-mail or clicking on comments right now, about to let lose on me. And moms, too, are ready to tell me not to dismiss the day, in defense of their plans for their man.

Get this: I'm not trying to take anything away from you. I'm not saying it shouldn't be a big deal in your homes. If you want to have all the fuss, don't let me stop you. But like Stanley said, there are plenty of other days that rank higher, including:

Mother’s Day ... Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day (Indigenous People’s Day in Berkeley, California), Christmas, New Year’s, President’s Day, Independence Day, and the day the next Harry Potter novel is released.

...and rightly so. Statistically, Mother's Day trumps Father's Day by a landslide, be it long-distance phone calls, dinners out, or even greeting cards. So while you may not agree it isn't a big deal, no one can argue that it isn't as big a deal as Mom's day (and again: rightly so!).

So like Mr. Bing, I'll be more than satisfied with lunch at Denny's (or similar).
Sometimes less really is more.

Fathers Day

¹ Strangely, I cannot find a dictionary entry for blasaie. The word is used often enough, but I can't verify its proper spelling.

Sending condolences via social media

2010-06-15T22:15:00.001-04:00

A buddy of mine suffered the loss of his father Sunday. He was 82, and the death was not at all expected (i.e. no compelling health issues, was not on life support, etc.) I haven't heard all of the details, but the obituary says he died peacefully.

I've known my buddy about 7 years; we're on good terms, but close friends would not be apt description. I have never met his father, I do know my buddy holds/held him in high regard, and was by every definition a good man.

The newspaper obituary links to a guest book. At last count a dozen people have posted their condolences. This strikes me as odd, to say the least. Who would think enough of the deceased and his family to NOT send an appropriate condolence card (which, btw, I have) but instead (or, perhaps, in addition) have posted a comment on blog? I cannot bring myself to make such a comment... it seems so ... wrong!

Let me ask the question like this: at a wake or a viewing, do you open each sympathy card given to the family, and read what was written inside? Neither do I, so why would I participate in a blog comment?

Am I alone? Is this now accepted by the masses, and I am just an old fool? Do people use social media for such a serious purpose? Am I going to be in the seemingly minority again, as I was in my post on Randy Pausch's death?

Quick Hits

2010-06-15T08:16:00.000-04:00

Some call it Friday Fragments (as in Half-Passed Kissin' Time), but I have long preferred Quick Hits (mostly because I can post them any day):

Business travel has sure changed!! I used to travel as much as 80% on business, but nothing like this ever happened: A friend of ours is expecting her first child in August. She was on travel to business meeting and my 7 year old son happened to asked where she was. I explained to him she was on a business trip to which he pointed a finger and said Right.... the baby! I told him if she came back from Chicago with a baby in her arms we'll all be surprised!
Congressman attacks Student: I am opposed to all forms of gotcha journalism, regardless of who is in power. I am even more opposed to physical confrontations. Big Government links to a video of a couple of college students asking Democrat Congressman Bod Etheridge (D-NC2) if he supported President Obama's agenda:

I don't believe asking a member of Congress for their position on the agenda of the president meets the definition of gotcha journalism but I do believe a certain amount of courtesy should be afforded our representatives. Case in point: were I the student in question here, after asking the Rep twice to release my hand, I would have either taken him down (softly) with a leg sweep or thrown a left jab to his face (anyone else would not have been given 2 chances by me).

What it comes down to is this: Representative Etheridge and others are now feeling the pressure of backing far-Left policies, and are witnessing their less-than-positive effects on the economy. Congressman Etheridge's biggest worry is that voters in North Carolina will be asking Who are you? after he is ousted in the November elections.
Schoolhouse Crock: Teachers Stage Protest at Ceremony of Students Enlisting in the Military The teacher and school administration admit Mary Beth Verani, the teacher in question, speaks openly about her political positions. Tell me how long any teacher would last if a Conservative view was expressed. In the end, as I have said repeatedly, we all have a right to free speech, no matter how outlandish or ridiculous. However, the results of that speech from others (not the state) - whether good or bad - cannot be escaped. I would welcome an opportunity to debate this teacher - somehow I wonder if she would be willing to face an adult, since she's seems to prefer challenging the thoughts of children.
Telephone line, give me some time, I'm living in twilight... As some have heard me ~~whining~~ complaining, my smartphone has turned ill. My 3 year old Samsung SGH-i607, a/k/a BlackJack, stopped synchronizing with my home PC Thursday night. After determining it wasn't my PC nor my cable, I deduced it was either the phone hardware or OS (Windows Mobile 5).

Unwilling to crack the case - and noticing how careful I have been to not already have cracks in the case after 4 years -- I decided to execute a hard-restart to bring the unit back to the state it was in when I purchased it, figuring it would allow me to synchronize once again.

Well, it booted up with a 1-Jan-06 date, but it still was oblivious to my desktop. Conclusion? I am not better off, and in fact am worse off, since I no longer have my calendar or contacts. So now I have to decide which of the following choices is the least unfavorable: s
- settle for something less than a SmartPhone
- buy a smartphone outright to avoid having to pay for a data plan
- settle for a data plan on a device that will likely have WiFi, thus costing me far more per month than it ought to.
Lots of changes around the office.... while I had thought I was safe through 2014, I am now inclined to think I may be let go by the end of FY; time to crank my personal branding into high-gear.
Tonight President Obama will address the nation in regards to the Gulf Oil spill (spill? leak? whatever). I am certainly not the first to suggest this, but Pres. Obama has handled this issue in the same ways he criticized President Bush's handling of Katrina. The big difference? The federal government could do nothing for New Orleans until the Louisiana governor declared an emergency (on this fact there is no dispute). As the BP disaster occurred in federal waters, there was no such need for state authorization. In fact, Mr. Obama turned down offers of assistance from both foreign and domestic sources. Politics has certainly taken first place over the needs of the Gulf Coast and its people... no spin can undo the damage caused by the mismanagement and delays of the Obama Administration.
THIS JUST IN: Aspirin And Bottle Of Bourbon A Day Reduces Awareness Of Heart Attack http://onion.com/dr7pi3 (h/t The Onion)

Here's hoping I can post more than once-per-month!

What's for dinner?

2010-05-29T18:05:00.002-04:00

Came home late Thursday when the following dialogue occurred between my much-better-half and me:

Me: So what's for dinner?
MBH: I was shopping and saw a dish that reminded me of you: Jamaican Jerk Turkey
Me: Umm... because it's hot and spicy like me?
MBH: (pause) OK.... you can go with that reason if you want.

Betcha didn't know!

2010-05-25T18:42:00.000-04:00

Conversation with my 7 year old son, while he was watching me shave:

He: Dad, do girls and women grow moustaches?

Now being from an Italian heritage, I could have said yes, but chose to be nice.

Me: No, older boys and men grow them.

He: Right; women buy the fake ones from the store and wear those instead!

Thinking back to some dates I had in college, he may be on to something...

Kudos to Campbell Brown

2010-05-19T08:55:00.000-04:00

I realize it's been ages since I talk cable TV or radio, but this is worthy of comment:

To be clear: this is my decision, and one that I have been thinking about for some time. As for why, I could have said, that I am stepping down to spend more time with my children (which I truly want to do). Or that I am leaving to pursue other opportunities (which I also truly want to do). But I have never had much tolerance for others spin, so I cant imagine trying to stomach my own. The simple fact is that not enough people want to watch my program, and I owe it to myself and to CNN to get out of the way so that CNN can try something else.

CNN will have to figure out what that is. The 8pm hour in cable news world is currently driven by the indomitable Bill OReilly, Nancy Grace and Keith Olbermann. Shedding my own journalistic skin to try to inhabit the kind of persona that might co-exist in that line up is simply impossible for me. It is not who I am or who I want to be; nor is it who CNN asked me to be at any point. This is the right decision for me and I hope it will be a great opportunity for CNN.

In light of the recent hiatus of WABC-radio's Joe Scarborough, this admission was surprising and refreshing. Ms. Brown had been a favorite correspondent of mine when she was on NBC. The move to CNN came with an edge I had not seen on her news reports, and it never seemed right. CNN tried to out-angry MSNBC, and at least where Ms. Brown was concerned it failed. (Side note: other than updates on missing blond women - stories probably only interesting to the families involved - why does anyone watch Nancy Grace??)

Campbell Brown can leave with her head held high: it's not a crime to lose a show because of poor ratings; it is one to lie about it.

Of elections and public service

2010-05-19T08:11:00.001-04:00

There are a lot of stories about me that few people know, whether they be those who know my online persona or those who know me in real life. The following account is known by several of my real-life buddies and friends, but not yet revealed to the blog readers.

In November of 2009 I got silly.   I was voting in the general election in my home precinct and noted that more than a few local offices went unfilled. Having been seized by what could best be described as a Risky Business - What the fuck? moment, I initiated a write-in vote and wrote in my name.    I confess I was more inclined at that instant to be a joker than to that have been anything legit, but I did it.   The office was truly local, for an Election Board member. I hesitate to state its title here, because with my luck someone would figure out who I am with Google's assistance.

Two days later I received a letter from the County Board of Elections. I thought it would be a letter that asked if I was serious or admonishing me for wasting the Board's time if I wasn't. You won! is what you're probably thinking, because everyone I've told this story to made the same conclusion.   But the letter wasn't either of those two choices.

It was a tie; 4 others had their names written in for the same office.   What are the odds of that happening, especially considering no one had bothered to run for the office in the first place?    So the letter advised there would be run-off - no that's too strong a term - there would be a ceremony where all 5 names would be placed in a hat and the winner selected by the Board chairperson, and I was invited to attend the event.

My much-better-half had only one thing to say upon reading the letter: What did you do???

To make this profoundly long and boring story short: the day before the drawing, when I had decided to withdraw my name from the contest, I received a phone call telling me that I did not need to come to the Courthouse tomorrow; all the other candidates have withdrawn, so you're the winner.

Once again, MBH asked What did you do???

Throughout our nation's history, I wonder how many offices were filled by such a thin election as mine?   On my desk at home sits an officially sealed and signed certificate of my esteemed office.    My MBH has resigned herself to this being another bit of public service I perform, and is fine with it.

I arrived at the polling place yesterday to undertake my first day of official duties;   odds are very high there will be little official duties for me other than on primary and general election days for the next 3-1/2 years, but I will continue to perform my duties as defined.    I am a certified poll worker, not to be confused with the kind of people who are volunteers at your precinct.   Don't assume, however, that I get any sort of politician's salary or benefits package: I receive the same $120 for my services as all the others get, but I tend to work harder than they do if for no other reason due to my gender and age difference.

When you have to report to work at 6:00 AM and leave at some in-determined time after the polls close at 8:00 PM, you realize that stipend given to poll workers is probably a little light, given the extremes of waste we're all familiar with in government.

Our precinct had a 20% turnout - particularly good considering it was a Primary on a rainy day.     Sen. Arlen Specter was sent packing handily, as he was throughout the state. More than a few people were disappointed that they couldn't vote against him, since they were Republican and he was no longer one.    Pennsylvania, like most states, requires voters to vote in primaries only within their own party.   That Sen. Specter had betrayed them made them want to vote for Rep. Sestack in yesterday's primary, knowing well they would vote for Rep. Pat Toomey, the GOP candidate.    Sen. Specter's loss comes despite initial support from President Obama and the DNC machine.   That support was noticeably lacking in the last few weeks, despite promises from Vice President Biden to campaign for Specter if he needed him;   VP Biden was in PA on Monday to speak at his daughter's graduation commencement, but didn't find any time to speak at any Specter rallies.   Sen. Specter's biggest draw for the GOP before his party-defection was that he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee (think of Supreme Court nominations); once he left the GOP, what would inspire anyone on the Left to vote for him?? That Sen. Specter was so betrayed by the DNC is only fitting after his betrayal to the GOP.    Here's hoping Mr. Specter has a comfortable retirement.

Side note: Considering the support - initially at least - President Obama had given to Specter, this makes the President 0-4 in candidates he's backed.

In 12-PA, the district held a special election to replace the late Rep Jack Murtha (full disclosure: I do not live in that district). In an district that is 4-1 Democrat, Mark Critz - a former aid to Rep Murtha - beat Tim Burns by a slim margin.   Mr. Critz stated he would have voted against ObamaCare, is pro-Second Amendment and Pro-Life: that's 3 things that clearly set him apart from the Obama administration and DNC in general.   Could the wheels be coming off the DNC?

A woman in her early 30s caused a scene at my polling place yesterday afternoon.   Her name was not in the rolls, and after the Judge of Elections intervened, things got interesting.   It seems this gal was registered as Not Affiliated with Any Party, and as such was ineligible to cast a vote at this or any primary.   She began to loudly protest the situation to the Judge.     While not specified anywhere in my assigned duties, I immediately circled around and stood beside the judge; anyone who raises their voice and starts getting noisy will my Judge had better be prepared to deal with me also.

The Judge explained that since she was in an undefined party, she couldn't vote today, but she could take her complaint up with her Board of Elections or her local state representatives.   Inexplicably, the gal claimed she was not affiliated with any party because "I am against all forms of bipartisanship!" (Can I assume she prefers anarchy instead?).

The Judge said her peace and withdrew, and the gal turned to me, pointed her finger in my face and shouted You and the rest are all the problem! I have a right to vote and this whole process is unconstitutional!   I calmly replied:

The United States Constitution leaves the process of determining eligibility to vote to the several states. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, like many other states, requires Primary voters to be registered members of the respective parties that are holding a Primary. Your right to vote in any general election is still valid as always, and we'll look for you in November.

I then paused and drew a breath, speaking firmly this time:

You are free to petition the legislature to change the laws, but you cannot vote here today, And the next time you get into someone's face and throw around words like unconstitutional you had better be certain to know at least as much about the Constitution as the person you're yelling at, because clearly you don't.

She stomped off, probably realizing she was just beaten in a battle of political wits. I decided then that I could get used to this office a few times each year.

And besides: think about the possibilities - today I am an elected member of my local Election Board - tomorrow maybe I can run for Community Organizer!!

Odds and Ends

2010-05-17T08:10:00.001-04:00

I have so neglected this blog, I can't account for the 20 or so hits that keep coming daily (on average). Guess my old content is still relevant in search engines.
Was at a kid's baseball game yesterday: to the 30-something mom who was desperately trying to educate me about a topic that was very important to only yourself (apparently): if you're going to wear white jeans, you shouldn't wear bright pink panties. If you do, you really ought to make certain the fly on your jeans is up.

On a similar note, what is the protocol in such a situations? Do I tell a complete stranger her fly is down? I mean guy-to-guy is something I consider appropriate, but guy-to-gal is something I have never given any thought.
Similarly, there were plenty of other moms present; how could I be the only one to notice the color contrast? Isn't there some gal's code that covers telling another when her fly is open?

On Saturday morning, roughly 06:45, I was at a coffee stand buying (heh) coffee. While adding some cream to my cup the following transpired with a completely different gal:
She: Is there any milk or cream for the coffee?
Me: There's half-and-half, 2%, whole and soy milk.
She: Oh, I can't drink any soy milk!
Me: Well it's best you don't then.
She: It goes right through me!
Me: Uh-huh.
She: I mean my entire day gets ruined if I were to drink any.
Me: Pardon me, but have I done anything specific to inspire these revelations??

She laughed, and was not in any way put off by my question. She had continued to explain her situation when I wished her good luck and left her at the counter.
US Attorney General Eric Holder at first publicly announced he was considering filing suit against Arizona's new Immigration Law Enforcement law, or the grounds it was a racist law. President Obama had similar words of admonishment, which have been echoed by many who state even the president thinks its a racist law. AG Holder later admitted he never read the law. As I have read the 12 page law, and can attest is does nothing more than enforce the federal immigration laws, one can assume President Obama has yet to read the law, even as he's criticized it. So as a someone who is hardly even considered to be an armchair jurist, can I assume I am a better lawyer than either President Obama or AG Holder?
Locally, I attended JAMBO 100 at Kutztown University over the weekend. The bi-annual event was ramped even more in honor of BSAs 100th year. Do to my commitments with the baseball league, I had to split my time at JAMBO, but a great time was had by all (including some 7000 Cub Scouts, Boys Scouts and Venturers). Here's to BSA and it's next 100 years!!
Pennsylvania Primary Day tomorrow: If I had to make picks, I'd say it's all but certain Sen Arlen Specter -- the long-time-Republican-turned-Democrat-last-year is about to go down in flames. That's as much due to his party switch as is the anti-incumbency tone across the country. There are many other primary races in the Commonwealth, most of which will be the vanguard of the predicted Democrat rout in November. Let me get it out there right now: as I have said during the Bush Administration mid-term elections: the results of the mid-terms often go in favor of the minority party/party out-of-power, so that is a given. However when considering the distaste America has for the high unemployment rates, runaway spending, and assaults on our freedoms, I predict quite a blowout this November. Count on it.

Recent decision on Boy Scout case: was it a better to let the decision stand?

2010-05-07T08:06:00.000-04:00

This week the Boy Scouts of America had an appeal turned away by the Supreme Court, and in the end it could have been a good thing for BSA overall.

A federal judge in 2003 ruled the Boy Scouts are a religious organization on the grounds they recognize a Supreme Being, or the Creator. As Robert Knight in the Washington Times puts it, by that reasoning, the Declaration of Independence is a religious document, not to mention the Constitution, which is dated "in the Year of Our Lord, one thousand, seven hundred and eighty-seven."

The next few years will prove pivotal for BSA: a number of cases may well affect how the organization will proceed in it's next 100 years. SCOTUS's decision not to hear the Scouts' most recent case may be a good thing, as Justice Kennedy could have cast a very severe blow in the eyes of the media should he had ruled against them. And as the media so rarely shows anything positive about BSA, and instead magnifies every blemish, it may well be better to let this battle lay, no matter how distasteful it is on First Amendment grounds.

UK's NHS denies breast cancer patient treatment

2010-04-19T07:37:00.000-04:00

Here's a great story about why ObamaCare must be repealed:

Remember, America is "the only advanced nation in the world" that doesn't have this sort of thing --
A WOMAN has been denied an operation on the NHS after paying for a private consultation to deal with her severe back pain.

Jenny Whitehead, a breast cancer survivor, paid £250 for an appointment with the orthopaedic surgeon after being told she would have to wait five months to see him on the NHS. He told her he would add her to his NHS waiting list for surgery.

She was barred from the list, however, and sent back to her GP. She must now find at least £10,000 for private surgery, or wait until the autumn for the NHS operation to remove a cyst on her spine.

When I paid £250 to see the specialist privately I had no idea I would be sacrificing my right to surgery on the NHS. I feel victimised, she said.

-- Yet.

So let me get this straight: if a person chooses to go outside the government provided health care system, and pay out of their own pocket for their care, they are denied ever using the public system. This is the kind of system we've brought to our shores!!!

All you Liberals who tow the line that ObamaCare is a good thing: WAKE UP before it's too late!!! I have said it before and will say it again: I will work my fingers to the bone, do whatever I have to do to prevent my kids from being subject to socialized medicine, and these kinds of stories scare me more and more!

President Obama's 'order' on hospital visitation

2010-04-16T21:29:00.002-04:00

A lot of discussion has gone on about Friday's headline: Obama extends health care rights to gay partners

On its face, this headline is misleading... health care rights were not extended by the president's order. The word rights is being tossed around so often that it's meaning is being diluted. Specifically, according AP:

[Obama's instructions said] Medicare-Medicaid¹hospitals, which include most of the nation's facilities, may not deny visitation and consultation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

So there was no designation of health care rights for anyone... what the order does do is streamline the process to permit a patent's visitors getting access to the patients bedside. And that, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Specifically, during an illness or recovery from an accident, having a loved one nearby is often as good or even better medicine than any of the wonders of modern medicine. Naturally, hospitals have a vested interest in limiting who and how many visitors may be bedside, according to staffing, patient count, and the severity of the patients illness. But the overall question of a significant-other or other officially designated person being able to go bedside is not in question, nor should it ever be so.

However last night I questioned how President Obama could force a hospital extend/deny anything to anyone... he is Commander in Chief, but there are limits to his executive powers. And on this point I am still unsure where his authority to issue such an order comes from.

Last night I posted that question on Twitter , even pointing out that with a Health Care Power of Attorney, a hospital couldn't deny any such named person from accessing a patients bedside. A short time after my tweet, I was questioned by a follower, K_Golden, whether my much-better-half would need a POA to visit me in the hospital?

My initial response was that question raised a fair point, but that I know gay couples who have POAs and who have not encountered visitation problems. But that issue was completely besides the point I was raising regarding a very-probable abuse of power by President Obama (at least in my opinion).

Upon reconsidering the issue (one of the mixed-blessing of my long commute), it occurred to me that the longer I thought about it, the more her point seemed less fair than I originally believed. Not only do I know gay couples who have POAs, I also know a hetero-couple who live together and have POAs for each other. They are not married, but have the document that allows them to assist the other in the event of illness.

And it was then it occurred to me that my much-better-half and I do, in fact, have health care POAs for each other... we had them drawn up when we did our wills.

And then it hit me: she and I also have a POA by proxy, in that we signed a marriage license (how I managed to convince her to do so is still a mystery to all).

Now, we can discuss the issue of gay marriage, but that would be a separate thread entirely, and one that I will not entertain tonight. The focus of last night's tweet and tonight's post centers on President Obama's order, which I believe is nothing but window dressing; there's nothing here that addresses any need that wasn't already provided for under current law. Further, despite what the so-called unbiased media may lead you to think, it confers no health care rights to anyone.

Since the AP story reports that a couple in Miami were kept apart because a hospital refused to follow the advanced health care directive -- a particularly heinous act under the reported circumstances -- a more appropriate action for the president would have been to remind hospitals that they're obligated to follow the law vis-a-vis POA, and perhaps recommend the DoJ investigate whether this sort of abuse is widespread. That is clearly what a chief executive ought to do, instead of issuing what best can be called a questionable order.

¹On a completely separate thought, watch for more hospitals and medical facilities to join the ranks of doctors who no longer accept Medicare/Medicaid; my kid's doctor have already opted out, so if I lose my job, hypothetically, this could be a big problem for me. And this is another reason why the president's order would have better been an advise regarding the applicability of POAs.

"Tell me something I don't know.." Chris Matthews, you're an idiot!

2010-04-05T14:16:00.000-04:00

Using a mixed metaphor of sorts, I borrowed the title of one of Chris Matthew's Sunday show segments to make a point about the host's daily program on MSNBC,

The high-powered host of MSNBC's HARDBALL took exception to Rush Limbaugh's use of the word regime to describe President Obama's administration, calling it unacceptable. This, on it's face, is laughable to anyone who pays any attention to politics, in particular during the 8 years prior to Mr. Obama taking the oath of office. In fact, as pointed out in the WASHINGTON EXAMINER (h/t Wizbang): a search of the Nexis database for "Bush regime" yields 6,769 examples from January 20, 2001 to the present. Including by Mr. Matthews, himself!

For Mr. Matthews to act as if similarly high-powered critics (such as himself) of President Bush never once used the phrase regime is nothing short of childish indignation. To ignore the ways President Obama and his fellow party members have rammed legislation through with bribes and back room deals and yet become bristled at the use of the word regime is an act of a propagandist, not a journalist.

Physicians abandoning Obamacare

2010-03-25T11:19:00.000-04:00

It has already begun....

An M.D. in family practice passed along this letter she sent to her patients after Obamacare became law. She relates that, so far, "100% of those who have contacted me about it have supported me and accepted the new conditions."
March 23, 2010

My Dear Patient,

As you must know, Congress has just passed extensive legislation governing health care delivery and insurance systems. Whether you agree with what it does or not, we are all now subject to this law and its sweeping changes.

I have always conducted my medical practice with my patient’s best interests as my first priority. Although not legally obliged to do so, I have routinely provided you with a receipt that has all the codes necessary to bill your own health insurance company for any reimbursement to which you are entitled. Until now, that insurance company was a free enterprise despite the fact that it was heavily regulated by state and federal laws. Now the situation is quite different. Through the new law’s mandates, regulatory powers and reform, health insurance is and will be largely a government activity which will have an ever larger jurisdiction over how doctors practice, make clinical judgments and are paid.

The new law provides for about 150 new government agencies, many of which are designed to be ‘oversight’ bureaucracies which will have the right to decide what medical care is legal to provide through insurance. Among other things, they will have the right to review my medical care of you and read your medical record. Now, as soon as you submit our economic transaction to your insurance company for reimbursement, you have involved me in these regulations and put me in the jurisdiction of government for my activities, decisions and behavior as your doctor.

No one can have two masters. Either I can serve you as my patient or I can serve the government. Either I can continue to make your welfare and health my only concern, including the protection of your privacy and medical records, or I can abide by ever-increasing amounts of government regulations and dictates to my decisions. I can’t do both. I choose to continue to follow my conscience and practice medicine to serve you.

For this reason, I am responding to the situation created by this new law by exercising my right not to participate in any health insurance program. I will still provide you with the same medical services that I always have, but the interaction will be exclusively and privately between you and me. This means that I will provide you only with a receipt for the services you have paid for, but without the additional information that is required to submit your receipt for reimbursement to your health insurance company. That is the only way I can make sure there will be no conflict between following the law and serving you. Because the law is now in effect, so must these changes be to my practice.

Sincerely,

Linda Johnston, MD

My kid's pediatrician dropped accepting PA Medical Assistance (a/k/a Medicaid) before the law took effect; now I have to worry they might follow what the physician above and many other doctors across the country have done.

And what happens if the next HCR law states doctors aren't allowed to operate without being part of the insurance system?

Think that's far fetched? Really, did you think we'd ever have the kind of discussion we're having today??

This insanity must be overturned. The greatest health care system in the world is at stake.

Why Obamacare must be overturned

2010-03-23T12:06:00.000-04:00

I have had a number of discussions with people on this very topic (no kidding?), so I thought I'd put them to a post:

The plan isn't a government takeover: This much is true for now. Right now, there isn't a specific takeover of insurance companies or the like. But that is simply a matter of time. Insurance companies are now directed, by matter of law, to provide coverage for all people. They will be directed to cover minimum services, and the government will tell them what they can charge. Just as doctors are directed by Medicare as to how much they can charge, the insurance companies will also be so directed (remember, as Vice President Biden has said You know we're going to control the insurance companies.)   No one can seriously believe that sort of heavy-handed regulation and direction by the government won't come with a steep price.

Insurance companies are businesses, and they answer to their shareholders. Once profits begin to tank because of these regulations, the investors will turn elsewhere. The companies will either become partially/wholly owned by the government (think how well FANNIE MAE did!), or will fold, leaving their policy holders in the hands of the few surviving companies that become part of the government.

No, it's not a government takeover today. But in time it will be.

Individual mandate: OK, let's assume that through some sort of myopic miracle of Liberalism, let's pretend the constitutionality of this absurd mandate - as if the government can force me to purchase something -- survives judicial scrutiny (hey, the Supreme Court has upheld other bone-headed laws in the past).

The government plans to cap premiums based on income. Right off the bat, they will arbitrarily tell the private companies what they can charge for their insurance products. So going back to my first point, regardless of what it costs to deliver insurance, the government is going to tell the company how much it can charge the customer. Talk about a recipe for fiscal disaster!

And then in 4 years, when no one with pre-existing conditions can be denied, and the caps are still maintained by the government do you really think investors in insurance companies will watch their portfolios continue to dwindle??

Medicare will still continue to (under)pay for services, but they will also begin cost controls. Right, so just as my parents know of friends whose physicians have dropped Medicare, and just as the pediatrician of my own kids have announced they are dropping Medicaid, the number of doctors who accept these public plans will also dwindle.    Who the hell is going to treat all these patients??

I am old enough to have lived through Liberal's running America before, and history is full of other examples.   The trouble with their agendas is that they give away unprecedented amount of so-called entitlements, as if they are a birth right, and the masses suddenly believe the lies that they are entitled to them.

Here's a simple test to determine what is or isn't a right:

Can you buy the right to free speech? I'm not talking about being able to get airtime on TV or publish a book, but the right - the right - to speech can it be bought?

Can you buy the right to free press?

Can you buy the right to assemble?   To exercise your religious faith?

I can go on, but you get my idea.   You cannot 'purchase' any of those rights.

Can you purchase health insurance? Don't give me Well Charlie, some people can't afford it. Stick to the issue: can you buy health insurance?

The answer is: yes. You can buy insurance, you can buy health care... you can buy anything you want in a free market.    Insurance is not a right; you are not entitled to it because of your birth or citizenship.

Once the mandate is turned aside the primary source of funding for this legislation, and the law is defanged.   The only alternative is oppressive taxes at least that's back in the hands of the legislative branch.

My hope is that this law will be overturned before the numbers of doctors that are fleeing the present-day system doesn't reach such a high level that it endangers the people who need the care, or that insurance companies don't get out of the business because they're unable to compensate for the paltry caps put upon them by bureaucrats who wouldn't know profit if it bit them.

Should there be health insurance reforms? Damn straight there should be, but this mess is far from what is needed to control costs.   When the government mandated that all hospitals must treat all people WITHOUT regard for who would pay for it, the hospitals did the only thing they could: they passed the costs on to the rest of us. WE pay more for our services - whether out of own pocket or through insurance - and the costs go up and up.   When the abuse of torts means people can sue for millions even for a minor mistake, we end up paying for that doctor's mistake. When a doctor is told by Medicare we'll reimburse you $60 for that procedure you normally charge $300 the rest of us pay for that difference. Maybe the procedure costs $200, but the doctor charges us $300 to make up the loss.

Should people be forced to buy insurance? Hell no; if I were a single, odds are I'd have a catastrophic policy and pay for everything else out-of-pocket why should I pay for a policy that includes, for example, maternity care if I am a single guy?

Why should I be limited to only those policies that are granted permission to operate in my state? If I want to buy a car in Delaware, for example, because I happen to know the dealer there is in a better position to sell cars than the one in Pennsylvania, I'll go there (yes, yes, I would pay PA taxes on the sale, of course).   Why can't I buy a policy in another state, perhaps one without so many additional mandated clauses, that would be cheaper for me?

Through private enterprise, through normal charity efforts of doctors and pharmaceuticals, there are plenty of non-governmental avenues in addition to Medicare/Medicaid for people to obtain the care they need.   Reform does not attack the engines that drive the medical economy, as this new law does, but instead helps make those engines and private initiatives thrive.

But no that's not the intent of this law. This law's purpose is to make us more dependent on the government.   THAT is the end game.

And heaven help us all if this abusive law isn't overturned soon!

Betting on Health Care Reform becomming law

2010-03-19T12:10:00.001-04:00

InTrade Prediction Market currently rates Will 'Obamacare' health care reform become law in the United States (by midnight 30-Jun-10)? at 79.8 (down .2).

However, while speaking on last night's John Batchelor Show John Fund of WSJ reminded us the InTrade had George Bush's re-election at 30%, so a lot of InTrade's bettors took a bath on that prediction.

Effects of Health Care Reform already being felt

2010-03-19T08:29:00.002-04:00

Item 1: Mayo Clinic in Arizona to stop treating Medicare patients
Item 2: Walgreen's Pharmacies in Washington state to stop accepting Medicare for new prescriptions
Item 3: My kid's pediatrician announced they are no longer accepting Medicaid

The much-touted Health Care Reform Bill is nowhere near being signed into law, and yet acceptance of Medicare/Medicaid is already becoming scarce.

Tell me something: assuming the current HCR gets passed -- and while I am more optimistic that it won't pass, let's pretend it does -- what happens if my company decides Gee, it would be cheaper for our shareholders if we simply pay the penalty and drop our coverage for the employees?

Or what happens if I lose my job?

What do I do if my kid's doctors won't take Medicaid?

The short answer: I will do whatever I must to provide for my family, and that includes going to whatever lengths necessary to prevent my kids from suffering under the Medicare/Medicaid system. And by whatever lengths necessary: I mean I know where I can sell blood/plasma for money.

This bill, in it's current state, it's unconstitutional (the federal government cannot mandate people buy coverage). It is appearing aconstitutional, in that there is a very good chance the House is trying to pass a bill not by votes but by deeming that the bill has been voted upon.

This entire initiative must be stopped. Now. Kill the bill!

Read posts by other dads at the premiere blog written by/for/about dads:

Runaway Toyotas == 2010 Balloon Boy

2010-03-12T15:50:00.000-05:00

It didn't sound right to me last month, and the case against Toyota is getting harder to believe each day:

FORBES.COM:

It got far more dramatic, though. The California Highway Patrol responded and "To get the runaway car to stop, they actually had to put their patrol car in front of the Prius and step on the brakes." During over 20 harrowing minutes, according to NBC's report, Sikes "did everything he could to try to slow down that Prius." Others said, "Radio traffic indicated the driver was unable to turn off the engine or shift the car into neutral."

In fact, almost none of this was true. Virtually every aspect of Sikes's story as told to reporters makes no sense. His claim that he'd tried to yank up the accelerator could be falsified, with his help, in half a minute. And now we even have an explanation for why he'd pull such a stunt, beyond the all-American desire to have 15 minutes of fame (recall the "Balloon Boy Hoax" from October) and the aching need to be perceived as a victim.

Read the entire piece and tell me you don't suspect Toyota is being framed.

Why?

Toyota has kicked US auto manufactures asses for years.
Toyota plants in the US are built in states which don't require the stringent union contracts like in Michigan
The US Government, with the enthusiastic consent of the auto-workers union, owns a huge piece of GM and Chrysler because of the bailout.
The media is still in love-fest mode for the Obama Administration; why else has investigative reporting all but absent from this story??

NASCAR wrecks

2010-03-10T08:07:00.001-05:00

I happened to see the weekend wreck on Sunday; I am, at best, a casual fan of NASCAR I hold nothing particular against it, but I am far from a die-hard fan. As a kid I solely watched auto racing for the wrecks hey, I am a male. Watching the high-speed wrecks and then seeing - more often than not - the drivers walking away from the crashes is entertaining. In the old days, driving hard was part of the game

Yeah, Carl Edwards intentionally clipped Brad Keselowski's car; anyone who thinks otherwise either didn't see the wreck, or the replays, or heard Edwards' interview after the incident. For those who missed it, see it here:

The references to Talladega wreck, when Keselowski clipped Edwards, was a far more dangerous wreck for the fans than this weeks wreck:

Now I am not a mechanical engineer, but when the roof and trunk flaps deploy in the instances where cars are driving backwards, why can't the spoiler-like wing similarly fold back (towards the read windshield) to prevent the natural shape of the airfoil from providing lift?

Brad Keselowski's complaint that the fan could be injured made me laugh. I've only attended one race at Pocono Speedway, and I sat along the front stretch, about 10 rows back. I knew the risk of being so close - everyone does. The catch fences are there for a reason, but no one can be 100% protected anymore than a baseball fan in the mezzanine section of a ball park can be protected from a foul ball.

So the calls to NASCAR officials to punish Edwards were all wrong; the complaints that his 3 race probation is also wrong. Sure, Edwards turned Keselowski on purpose no question. But this is a race, and it's brutal. This is what fans want to see, and the pundits and media making a big deal over it are doing so out of bias. Bias against NASCAR, bias against middle America, or whatever, there's always been a dislike of NASCAR - possibly because of the real/implied endorsement of Republican causes.

Want proof my theory? Check out this story:

Chandler, Ariz. - A fan has died after being hit by a tire from a crashing dragster at the NHRA Arizona Nationals.
The woman was watching a first-round run Sunday at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler when Antron Brown's Matco Tools/U.S. Army dragster went out of control on the strip and its left rear tire and wheel came off.
Alia Maisonet, a spokeswoman for the Gila River Indian Community, says the woman was airlifted to a Phoenix-area hospital for treatment and later died. Gila River emergency responders were among the first to respond to the scene.

If there was such an outcry over how Edwards may have harmed spectators by causing Keselowski's wreck, where are the complaints when a fan actually dies during a motor race?

Racing is inherently dangerous, and that's part of the attraction. Saftey has come a long way, but the risks will never be averted. Check out this clip of what's described as the worst wreck in NASCAR history:

Even 50 years ago, no one seriously hurt. That's the stuff that makes racing so much fun!

Heath Care Reform - utter gall!

2010-03-07T22:11:00.000-05:00

I watched in amazement at Madame Secretary of Health & Human Services Kathleen Sebelius spin an artful tale about one of those who might be helped by the Senate's bill:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Let me get this straight... either Secretary Sebelius meant to say $30,000 a year in health insurance costs or she's very much ignorant about the topic at hand. Regardless, unless this man is doing very well in his consulting company, does the Medicaid in his state not help his family (as well it ought to!)?

The point is, I am not trying to suggest this lad should be left for dead, nor condemned to something less than he has already. Far from it; odds, are however, the boy is getting the required and necessary care (one can only assume he is, as he's a soccer player) -- without a comprehensive health care reform bill.

Do the Medicare/Medicaid programs need revising? Probably; after all, each year more and more doctors elect not to take Medicare patients, so that is very telling, indeed.

But is that cause to revamp everyone's health insurance? Hardly.

Kill the bill.

Kill it now.

I heard there's supposed to be this big hockey game today...

2010-02-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

There's all a flurry over the gold medal match between USA & Canada's Men's Hockey today.

Ho-hum.

With all due respect to my national pride and heritage, and with no slight to the Canadian team overall, I am not interested in this big match.

I am old enough, you see, to have lived and experienced the grudge match in men's hockey of all times : USA vs. USSR.

Not only was national pride on the line, not only was it between two arch enemies (literally!), but the calibre of players was different as well. In those days, professional hockey players could not play on Olympic teams. Heck, answer me this: how many Canadian Olympic players play for the Pittsburgh Penguins? I am quite certain there are pros on the US team as well... but I haven't bothered to investigate specifics because it won't change my overall opinion.

Now, were I to split hairs, I could suggest the Soviet's fed and cared for their elite players as good (or better) than US' pros were cared for here in the states. Doing so, however, only bolsters my position even more: our Olympic athletes had no support from the government and got by on a few sponsors and the help of family.

And they beat the snot out of the Soviet team!

Win or lose, all Olympic athletes deserve praise, have no doubt.

But please: let's not go gung-ho should the US beat Canada, nor hang our heads in comparative shame if the Canadians win. Yes, it's a gold medal, and the winner deserves it and all it brings.

But do not think it even comes to what happened in 1980.

Not a chance!

Health Care Summit

2010-02-25T11:49:00.002-05:00

I had wished to expound my thoughts on the whole health care summit, but will only have time enough to list some key points:

<>· <>The Republicans had better not demand the entire bill be scrapped and restarted. Not today, not at this summit. That may well be their end-game (which I support!), but they shouldn’t come out of the gates demanding such. The media will hang that on their mantle as being the party of no.

<>· <>The real party of no has not been the Republicans but, in fact, the Democrats. The Democrats said no every time the Republicans offered their ideas or amendments to the bills. Remember: it was the Democrats who said ‘We won, you lost’. No one doubts the winning team gets to call the plays, but to suggest that automatically means no input from the other side is ridiculous. You cannot reject EVERYTHING the minority party offers but then complain that party won’t agree to anything you offer. Politics is compromise.

<>· <>Already, President Obama, Vice President Biden and Sen. Reid have remarked at the amount work the Senate has done this session. Had the Republicans been totally ‘no’, nothing would have passed. You can’t have it both ways.

<>· <>If the Democrats, with their former Super Majority, couldn’t pass a health care bill, what’s to say it’s going to be easier now that they’ve lost seats?

I have said it before and will say it again: I will do everything in my power to prevent my family from being dependent on a government health care system. I will work myself to death, if need be, in the cause. This is how much I fear their proposals, and why I have been calling my representatives (and others) stressing they kill the bill.

It must not pass!

Toyota Troubles

2010-02-25T09:53:00.000-05:00

I had planned a post on health care legislation but this matter proves equally too big to ignore (for those who need an executive summary on my health care position: the less government interference, the better).

Yesterday we all saw the Congressional testimony of Rhonda Smith, whose Lexus apparently zoomed to over 100 MPH.    Definitely a terrifying experience, no doubt.    But I have a few questions about her testimony and the relevance of the entire proceedings.

In the interest of full disclosure: My much-better-half drives a 2007 Toyota Highlander with 65,000 miles on it. I drive a 2001 Toyota RAV-4, currently with 278K miles.   We also owned a 1990 Corolla which went as far as 320K miles before it was taken off the road 6 years ago.      To say I am fan of Toyota is obvious.

I get it; I get that there's a problem with drive-by-wire technology that can affect acceleration.   Fine. It's not exactly new, and it needs to be addressed.

Another piece of full disclosure: Back in December I was driving my third vehicle, a 1992 Chevy Blazer. It's not a huge, honking model (for those keep score, it's an S10), but it's no lightweight either.   It, too, has high mileage, up around 176K.    To get pretty much anywhere around my neighborhood involves a drop of about 140' (giver or take) by way of anyone of a half-dozen roads. I was climbing up one of those hills one night with my oldest.     This particular hill is about 4/5 of a mile long, from bottom to top.   Given the age and heft of the Blazer, I generally give it a fair amount of throttle to get up the hill.   Knowingly, I let off the gas pedal as I reach the top, and allow it to coast over the top of the hill.

Having lived in the area for about 18 years, I know this road as well as any, and am aware there is a sharp turn less than a mile over the top of it. My typical speed is about 40-45 MPH, and it wasn't until I capped the hill that I realized I was going over 50; something definitely unusual.

I tapped the brakes and checked cruise control ... nothing happened.    I instinctively checked my mirrors and tapped the gas pedal 2x.... if anything, I was going even faster, with my speed heading over 65.

Now I wasn't going 100 MPH, let me be clear, but I do know of the sharp curve with the guard rail ahead.   I downshifted and cut ignition.

To those who say WHOA! You lost your power steering!   I say 'So what? It isn't as though I was about to parallel park!' So long as I was moving, the wheels would steer with ease (and they did!).

To those who say WHOA! You lost your power brakes! I say 'No kidding? but with the engine off, the transmission in low gear, I am not going to roll very far or fast!' Had I left it in Drive the results would be the same, although being in a higher gear it would have been marginally harder to slow down.

I steered off the road and came to a halt. My son and I looked at each other: this all happened inside of 5 seconds, and it was exhilarating.     I shifted to park and turned the ignition: the tachometer red lined, so I shut it off.   Under the hood I located the throttle assembly, rotated it into a low position and we were underway in less than 3 minutes, in low gear and going not much above an idle.     A can of GUMOUT spray the next day and all was well.

So about Ms. Smith's testimony:

A few questions:

Are we to understand that nothing happened when Mrs. Smith operated the gear shift on the vehicle? That's something that has never been reported, that Toyotas have shift-by-wire technology. I cannot fathom how downshifting would not make a difference. And I am stunned at the suggestion that shifting in neutral did nothing at all (although even that wasn't the best solution, it would have been better than accelerating out-of-control). Certainly, a cursory exam of the transmission would reveal a lot.
This is a woman, whom based on her age, it can be assumed has driven for more than a few years. I am not casting aspersions at her age, just making a point: she has likely driven for far more years than she's owned a Bluetooth phone, yet she was able to operate the latter without ever considering to shut off the ignition of the former! I am not doubting she called her husband, but somehow I have a problem connecting these dots, under the circumstances she described.
Why? Why was she paraded before Congress and the media? Certainly, her testimony before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is appropriate, or even before US DOT. But Congress? Sorry, that's political showboating that takes advantage of a woman's undeniably harrowing experience.
If Toyota's aren't the only cars affected by the problems with drive-by-wire, why are they being showcased so badly? Could it be the board of directors of General Motors (a/k/a US Congress) is looking to knock their chief rival down a few points?

Fact: were I to purchase a new car, I would do what we've done in the past: check Consumer Reports, and (odds are) buy a Toyota. My confidence in the company has in no way been diminished by the recent problems, and I hope these issues are corrected soon.

The older I get the more stupid I feel...

2010-02-18T19:44:00.001-05:00

The older I get the more stupid I feel
I don't know what's going on
Tired of trying to be strong
When I should be crying

The further I go the less distance I see
Leave behind another home

The harder I try the less people I please

The older I get the more lucid I feel
Let it go and let it come

Tired of trying to belong
When I could be flying

Sometimes lyrics strike chords in our psyches in ways that are hard to describe. These words by Joe Jackson (listen to the song here), in particular the first line, capture my thoughts. And with them I return from my self-imposed 2 month hiatus.

Now I know what some of you are thinking: older? That means his birthday is now, or it has been in the last 2 months! Sorry, that's not the case (but now you've got only 9 months left to guess). A few long-time readers have kindly inquired where I've been and have welcomed me back to the online world - their concern was thoughtful, and appreciated. Nothing terrible or exciting caused me to keep away, but it did keep me away. I entertained thoughts of abandoning the blog altogether.

That day may come, but it's not today.

So with that said, welcome back, readers, to Nobody asked me, but.... I know I want to post again, but I intend to post more thoughtful (and hopefully thought provoking) pieces. A return to quality over quantity. And, goodness knows, this template could use some refreshing, too!

Your comments, of course, are welcomed as always.

Tired of trying to belong
When I could be flying

I'll drink to that!

2009-12-04T13:49:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for a way to break up the monotony of the weekend, don't forget the anniversary of Repeal Day.

The anniversary of the end prohibition isn't taught in history class, nor is it on many Hallmark calendars, but it is noteworthy.

(as if you need a better reason for a drink?)

Repeal Day

J.Giels Band and 6 year olds

2009-12-04T08:19:00.000-05:00

After having survived more than one music conversation with my oldest son (see here and here), it was time for the younger son to enter the fray:

Last night my 6 year old son was singing the chorus to a song he heard on the radio yesterday by that '80s favorite, The J. Giels Band:

Na-Na-NaNaNa My angel is in my cell-phone...

In one of those rarest of moments, I was at a complete loss for words.

Do I correct him..... no, then the next logical questionis the meaning of centerfold (and I've already avoided that chat with his brother once before).

For those too young to remember 1981, or for those who want to be reminded, here's the video of the tune that's a staple on soft-rock radio today (doesn't Peter Wolf, the band and most of the girls look bored? This was still the early days of music-video, for pete's sake)

Knowing that if I said anything, he'd likely go on to repeat the chorus ad infintum, I decided to bite my tounge and move on.

I'm getting too old for the sort of stuff..

World AIDS Day

2009-12-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

Remembering the ongoing human tragedy: I'd be remiss if I didn't take a moment to remember today is World AIDS Day. I doubt there are many who can honestly state they do not know a person who has HIV or is a loved one of one who does.

And yet as I much want to eradicate this vicious virus and rid the world of this epidemic and its bane, I can't help but to see how politics have polluted the fight. More on that thread another day...

President Obama and Afghanistan: Essential points, Q&A

2009-12-01T10:16:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the long awaited announcement of President Obama's response to General McChrystal's request for additional troops.

There are a couple of points I believe must be made clear:

Starting tomorrow morning, without a doubt, this war is now the responsibility of President Obama. For a year Mr. Obama has had the luxury of blaming much of his woes on his predecessor, President Bush. After hand-picking Gen. McChrystal, and after deliberating 3 months on the general's request, there can be no more pointing to the past: Pres. Obama owns this war, flat out.
There will be no immediate, instant change. I point this out because when President Bush began the Surge in Iraq, there were critics looking for immediate change from the first of the surge troops to arrive in country. Then the same critics demanded a change when it was announced the last contingent had arrived. Changes in war do not happen immediately. So I am hopeful that none of President Obama's critics expect immediate change when the first troops arrive, as well as I hope none of his supporters point to insignificant changes and give undue credit either.
No matter how you slice it, Gen. McChrystal wanted a reported 70,000 troops. Sending half that number may actually work in my opinion; however, given the avoidance of the word victory and the frequent use of words similar to exit strategy it will be quite surprising if these numbers meet the general's goal.
Tonight's speech will postpone the annual showing of A Charlie Brown's Christmas; say what you want about it, but my 6 year old now has a reason all his own not to be happy about President Obama.

The Heritage Foundation has compiled a list of the Top Ten Questions and Answers on Obama's Strategy in Afghanistan and I believe it is essential reading for all.

Quick Hits

2009-11-30T08:40:00.001-05:00

Here then, after a length absense, is the return of Quick Hits:

Cops Shot: I was saddened when I heard the news of the 4 police officers executed in a coffee shop yesterday. Sadder still at how the first 6 people into my office had no clue what I was speaking about this morning - inspite of the headlines and radio news stories saying the police had the suspect's home surrounded (do any of my colleagues follow the news besides Tiger Woods?). That the alleged monster who did this won clemency makes me wonder if we, overall, give free-passes too often to violent criminals.

There will always be people who think it is OK to shoot at anyone, even police officers. That this act was so brazen, so unprovoked (as if any assault on a law officer could be considered provoked) makes one even more frightened at the prospects of tigheter gun controls.

Cyber Monday: Come on, now: how can anyone seriously still consider this day - the first, full work day after Thanksgiving, as a major point in the shopping cycle? Ten years ago, there were few people who met the following criteria necessary to make CyberMonday happen:

people who had home PCs
who would put up with the comparatively slow dial-up speeds of the day

Health Care Bills: The good news on this issue is that the Senate is only now beginning debate. That means it is extremely likely (but not absolute) that no health care bill will be passed by the Senate this year. And the longer it takes, the better the odds are that there will be no health care legislation passed at all. One has only to look at the recent government recommendations curbing prostate and breast cancer screenings (after decades of just the opposite) as early indications of the kinds of rationing on the horizon should a we lose the ability to choose our own health insurance. And there's ample evidence to show the kinds of health insurance choices we have today will evaporate should a federal mandate come down from Capital Hill. I've said it before and will say it again: I'll do whatever 2^nd, 3^rd or even 4^th job I have to in order to prevent my kids from falling prey to a national health care system.

Tiger Woods What can I say? His Cadillac Escolade backed into a fire hydrant before going forward into a tree. No air bag deployment. Questions:
1. Where can you go at 02:30 in that part of Florida? In NYC there a half-a-million things you can do at a quater to three (thank you Huey Lewis); in that part of Florida there's the Waffle House.
2. Airbags didn't deploy: either he wasn't yet going fast, or he has a hefty lawsuit to GM.
3. If the airbags didn't deploy, why did his wife need to take a golf club to the back window - surly the door frames couldn't have been bent!
4. He went to hospital at around 03:00, and wasn't released for 15 hours. If you or I go to our local ECU (ER), we're in the waiting room for a time before being seen. Tiger Woods, on the other hand, probably didn't wait long. If the injuries were so minor, why was he there so long?
In the big picture, I can't really care any less about Mr. Woods and his woes. There are far too many more important things to deal with. However, this story won't go away anytime soon, and may well be the threshold of the end of his career.

Christmas is coming soon... stay tuned for my annual reposts of holiday favs.

Philadelphia Boy Scouts survive another battle...

2009-11-20T19:14:00.000-05:00

... but the war for their right to exist continues:

PHILLY.COM: Scout eviction ruling A federal judge yesterday ordered the city to "immediately cease and desist" efforts in Common Pleas Court to evict the local Boy Scouts chapter, the Cradle of Liberty Council, from its rent-free headquarters building at 22nd and Winter streets while a federal lawsuit is pending. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter does not prevent the city from pursuing similar claims in the federal suit.

The CoL Council still has a long row to hoe in their battle to make the City honor their lease, but every win like this - albeit a small win - is a step in the right direction.

More on this case by me:

BSA court case headed in right direction
All posts on CRADLE OF LIBERTY COUNCIL

Touch of Grey

2009-11-13T00:19:00.002-05:00

Must be getting early, clocks are running late.
Paint my love a morning sky, its all cold.
Dawn is breaking everywhere, light a candle, curse the glare
Draw the curtains I dont care, but its all right
I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

I see youve got your list out, say your piece and kiss off.
Guess I get the gist of it, but its all right
Oh well anyway, sorry that you feel that way.
Every silver linings got a touch of grey
I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

Its a lesson to me, the ablers and the beggars and the thieves
The abcs we all think of, try to win a little love.

I know the rent is in arrears, the dog has not been fed in years
Its even worse than it appears, but its all right

Cow is giving kerosene, kid cant read at seventeen
The words he knows are all obscene, but its all right
I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

Shoe is on the hand that fits, thats all there really is to it
Whistle through your teeth and spit, but its all right

Oh well a touch of grey, kinda suits you anyway,
Thats all I had to say, but its all right
I will get by, I will get by, I will get by, I will survive.

Its a lesson to me, the devils and the east and the free
The abcs we all must face, try to save a little grace.

Grateful Dead

Remembering President Ronald Reagan's words

2009-11-09T14:11:00.001-05:00

Veteran's Day

2009-11-06T04:17:00.000-05:00

The following is a repost, refreshed for style and accuracy in time references, and updated with the very special video. This serves as this week's contribution to Dad-Blogs.com Fatherhood Friday.

The idea for this post came before the news of the horrible act at Fort Hood, Tx. Prayers and thoughts to those brave soldiers who were felled in the last place they ever expected to be threatened.

This is something I've come to share with my kids each Veteran's Day, in my efforts to remind them of the importance of paying tribute to those who have served in the Armed Services.

On the occasion of Veteran's Day, I wanted to take a moment to thank those who have served.

I've never served in the military, but I've worked for Defense Contractors for the last 13 years; not sure if that fits the definition of irony or not. However, I don't feel particularly guilty about having not served; anyone who knows me in person can probably guess I may have very likely been passed over for induction. This much I have told to a number of veterans with whom I worked with in the Defense Contracting area, and no one has disagreed with me.

Regardless, had I been drafted (assuming, of course, there was an active draft provision, I was old enough, etc.) I would have likely burst out laughing the first time I was told to 'drop and give me 20', knowing well that would probably be the last time I ever laughed in uniform. In the end, I would have made a good ol' fashioned 'dog faced' grunt, I would have done my duty and that would be it; I have no delusions of grandeur that I could be officer material.¹

Those same colleagues who know me - when they heard me say this - chuckled appreciatively and agreed.

In college, I saw students in ROTC, and while others found it easy to joke about, insult, or in other ways disrespect them, I knew they had more courage than the rest of the student body to wear their uniforms on campus, in spite of the narrow minds who mocked them.

Back in May '04, on the occasions of Memorial Day and the opening of the WWII Memorial I wrote a piece dedicated to my uncles:
Anthony, one of my father's 3 older brothers, was called to service in March of 1942, just less than 3 months after Pearl Harbor. He served the US Air Force in crash recovery, piloting a PT boat, recovering the many who were downed during the battle of Midway. Unlike the average GI who served about 2 years (with furloughs), Tony served for 3 years and almost 10 months; no breaks, no furloughs. A year later, Gasper - my father's oldest brother - was drafted. He first guarded German POWs as an MP and later served as a medic, providing triage in France.

My father and his other older brother, Vincent, had poor eyesight and were not eligible for the draft. They, like the majority of others, fought the war on the homefront, with war bonds, scrap drives, victory gardens, and by working hard.

Six or so years later, John, my father's brother-in-law, spent years defending liberty in Korea.

To these men, and to the countless others who have served this nations military, and especially to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, I salute you. My uncles all came home, but it was the Spring of '04 when we said our last farewell to Gasper, and farewell to John earlier this year, but the work they performed should never be forgotten. And it never will be, if I have my way.
The men and women of the US Military -- and their families -- have given in ways that only they can understand. Those of us who have never served cannot fully comprehend this, and are asked to do nothing more but to remember, and to respect their sacrifices. Anyone who attempt to denigrate or insult those soldiers, in peace or in war, deserve the utter disdain of the rest of us.

As George Orwell has been widely attributed with saying, We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm.

Thank God for the brave members of the United States Armed Forces: past present and future.

This weekend we will be visiting my uncle Anthony, who is celebrating his 90th birthday (geeze, I hope it's not a surprise party! How awful would that be?). My oldest son turns 14 today, and has heard the details of the above post many times before. His brother, 8 years younger, is still unable to grasp the concepts of war and sacrifice (as well he shouldn't), but he does appreciate the fact that his great-uncle was in the Army, and that my two nephews (quick: someone tell me what MY nephews are to my kids - their second cousins, 17-times removed or whatever) are in the Air Force.

All kids should be taught to appreciate the sacrifices others have made in protection of freedom and liberty.

Prayers and thoughts to all in the Armed Forces,
and especially on the news of the Fort Hood shootings.

¹This discussion with my defense contractor colleagues regarding my doing 20 push-ups occurred LONG before I began my Taekwondo training. At that time, the idea of my doing even 5 push-ups was laughable!

Election 2009: So far, so good

2009-11-02T21:34:00.001-05:00

I write this post the night before the 2009 off-year election, expressing my gut feeling about the prospects.

The results of tomorrow's election, short of a landslide for Democrat ticket, sets the stage for 2010 mid-terms. Let me be clear: there will be Democrat victory in several races; there's no doubt. I will predict some upsets, however.

Now I am not talking about Virginia; last week the NY TIMES featured a story of President Obama's administration talking trash about Creigh Deeds chances being spoiled, because he didn't follow the Administration's lead. That's a done deal: Robert McDonnell is the next governor, to be sure.

While the Administration will also suggest they weren't running with NJ Governor Jon Corzine, signs like this make it hard to swallow:

My prediction: New Jersey tax payers will reject the wealthy Jon Corzine and elect Chris Christie, whose record as ~~Attorney General~~ US Attorney speaks volumes compared to what little Mr. Corzine has accomplished ~~in regards to~~ regarding his state's tendency for corruption.

NY-23: Ah, I love upstate New York. Dede Scozzafava did a big favor to all registered Republians everywhere (and registered Conservatives in NYS -- I used to be one of them!) - she demonstrated what a liar she really was. Tell me now: what level-headed Moderate in NY-23 who was on the fence betweeen Ms Scozzafava and Conservative Doug Hoffman would look at Democrat Bill Owens and think he's the next best choice? Long time Republican and Conservative Newt Gingrich shot himself in the foot over endorsing Ms. Scozzafava; other than her rating by the NRA, she wasn't a very good Republican, let alone Conservative. I've written a lot how disillusioned I had become in Mr. Gingrich a few years ago, and this has certainly hurt his cred with me even more.

Mr. Hoffman will win handily.

Of course, these are only predictions, and are based on the idea of fair electioneering and voting. If you add into the equation the New Black Panther party, SEIU, and ACORN, that can tip the scales quite a bit.

Still, I am optimistic that tomorrow's election will be the first volley in turning around the radical, Liberal agenda of President Obama. And hopefully scare enough Blue Dogs to kill the horrible health-care bill. If that bill can be delayed past Thanksgiving recess, it will surely be dead in 2010 (with the mid-terms on the horizon). Stopping the Socialized Medicine onslaught is my priority, and I am doing as very much as I can (in my real persona) to ensure my family isn't subjected to that misery.

Here's hoping the 2,000 page nightmare begins to die of its own weight, starting tomorrow!

Do car troubles come in threes?

2009-10-27T12:21:00.000-04:00

Faithful readers of my blogs know I keep 3 cars in my home. With the daily schedule my much-better-half keeps running with kids, and my long commute, we cannot afford to be down to one car for any real length of time.

Her car is an '06 Toyota Highlander, with some 66,000 miles on it. My daily ride is an '01 Toyota RAV-4 (262,000 miles), and the back-up (and weekend workhorse) is a '92 Chevy Blazer (211,000).
About 6 weeks ago the check engine light came on the RAV. I took it in for a routine oil change and my mechanic said it was the catalytic converter throwing the signal. He reset the indicator, and told me to call him if/when it came back on. Well 3 weeks later it came on again, so we agreed it was time to replace the 'cat'.

So I scheduled to take my car in last Saturday (the 24th). Then I realized the Highlander needed its annual inspection before month-end. So a week ago today (20th) I called to change the appointment to the Highlander.

Late Tuesday, I was running the Blazer to a Boy Scout Meeting (giving the RAV a brief rest) and when I hit the brakes, the pedal floored. I have either a blown brake line (relatively cheap) or a caliper ($$) or worse. I was fortunately close to the meeting so I was able to limp into the parking lot, catch a ride to a buy brake fluid, and was able to get home without any incident.

So I kept the Highlander's appointment, and then brought the Blazer back, after the inspection. I managed to get the Blazer to the shop without ever touching the brakes, which is no mean feat, given the hills in-between my home and the shop (downshifting and the parking-brake all the way down.

I get to the shop and learn - are you ready? - the Highlander will need rear pads and rotors to pass inspection. So let's see... when the Blazer is done, swap it for the Highlander, and oh yeah, finally get that cat for the RAV.

When it rains, it pours.

The mechanic will draw me up a firm quote forall 3 and I'll pay him in cash... can't wait for next month to begin

Gifts for Dad

2009-10-16T11:14:00.001-04:00

Here then is my infrequent contribution to Dad-Blogs.com Fatherhood Friday.

I am not a fan of getting gifts.      I had a fairly lengthy post on the topic 4 years ago, and nothing has changed over the years.    I enjoy giving gifts, but dislike shopping for them; I always over-think what the recipient would enjoy receiving.   So far, as near as I can tell, I haven't given any gift that has been soundly disliked. When receiving gifts, I am cordial and thankful, but on balance would prefer if I didn't get any.

My thoughts on receiving gifts are fairly simple: if I need something, I generally go out and get it as soon as it is practical.   I no longer want things, at least not in the sense of wishing for them to be given as a gift to me.   In my mind, I don't need to get gifts from my much-better-half, kids or others because they - the givers - certainly have more important things to spend their monies on instead of me.

There are things I want to have, of course.     Case in point, I saw something that I would love to have (but in no way expect ever to receive). From the Neiman Marcus Christmas Catalog:

You will participate in the unique whisky-making process step by step, for an insider's look at how every detail makes every glass a special occasion. This gift experience includes a two-bottle memento of the rarest Maker's Mark bottles ever: Two golden bottles will be etched with your likeness and dipped in gold wax with 24-kt. gold flecks. You'll also get to hand dip six of your own 375ml Maker's Mark bottles in signature red wax and take them home.

All for the value price of $7,500 -- and I am certain worth every penny!! (Oooh! Free shipping on this item!)   Maker's Mark is my favorite bourbon and adult beverage of choice.    Still, the caliber of this item, as fabulous as it is, is something I would never expect to receive, nor ever actually purchase.   Indeed, I'd be angry if my family purchased this for me.

Sure, were my kids sufficiently through college or should we hit it big in the lottery, I'd have a different position on the matter, but something like this is so far out of bounds it's worthy of a few aww, wouldn't it be greats and that's all.     A lot of my reasoning stems from being the only source of income in my home: that's in no way a slight to my spouse, but the practical realities of our lives.

The idea for this post came to mind last week while I was waiting at the pharmacist counter for a few scripts to be filled. I readily identify with the guy's position, as I've had this very same discussion with my mate in the past.   The couple looked as if they were in their late-20s, early-30s. Dialogue at least 95% accurate, as I jotted it down shortly after the discussion took place:

SHE: So, your birthday is next month, what do you want for your present?
HE: Nothing. You know I don't want anything.
She: Come on... we go through this every year.
HE: And every year I say the same thing.
She: How can I know what to get you if you don't tell me?
He: I got you, that's all I want!
She: Cute... come on, tell me what you want.
He: I don't want anything.
She: Well what do you need?
He: If I need something, I buy it. Right now I don't need anything.
She: You almost never buy anything for yourself!
He: Because I don't need anything.
She: But it's hard for me to get you something you like.
He: You always get me great gifts.
She: I always tell you what I want.
He: You do, yes.
She: That way you know what to get me.
He: Either by your telling me or when I ask Lisa.
She: Lisa is three. Come on now, what do you want?
He: Nothing.
She: There's absolutely nothing in the world you want?
He: Of course there's stuff I want,
She: Okay then.
He: But we can't afford what I want, so why bother?
She: Come on!
He: Fine: a big screen, high def TV.
She: (pause) What's wrong with our TV?
He: See? Nothing's wrong with it, so we don't need a new one.
She: Well the big ones are pretty expensive.
He: No kidding!
She: So that's all you want? What if I get you a gift card for some place?
He: Right. Use my money to buy me a gift card for stuff I don't need.
She: Why are you being difficult?
He: Who knew saying 'I don't want anything' was being difficult?
She: You are so childish.
He: I'm not the one insisting on something I can't have.

Their prescription was ready, she signs for it and they both turn to leave.

She: You know what? You're getting nothing for your birthday this year.
He: Isn't that all I ever said I wanted??

You know, I felt bad for the guy. Here he is, being open and honest, and he's getting no credit for it.

So is it just me and this guy, or do other men think the same way about getting gifts?

Evidence of how state-run healthcare costs everyone more

2009-10-08T15:32:00.000-04:00

A lot of people asked why I wasn't actively supporting Mitt Romney for president. Gov. Romney's conservative stances are very clear, and his track record speaks for itself with one glaring exception:

Massachusetts health care. The model that is held out at what the health care reform winding its way through Congress could be. And that's what scared me then, and scares me now.

HotAir.com has a post regarding how one notable Liberal Wendy Burton, a former speechwriter for President Obama and Senator John Edwards, found that her premiums more than doubled simply because she moved from Washington, D.C. to Massachusetts:

Button has to pay a whopping 144% increase in premiums over her costs in DC, not exactly a city known for its low cost of living in the first place. In order to provide coverage with all of the mandates Massachusetts imposes, health insurers had to more than double premiums to meet the costs.

Nor is this the only such example of economic disaster that government-mandated coverage generates. Earlier this summer, we looked at Maines DirigoChoice, an Orwellian term for a program full of mandates on individuals and insurers. The combination resulted in premiums over 300% more expensive than in neighboring New Hampshire, and in an operating deficit so large that it no longer can accept all of the applications by uninsured Maine residents.

So before we all embrace this health care reform nonsense, take a good look at where it's been tried, and see for yourself the downside to such government intrusion.

You know you're getting old when..

2009-10-06T13:52:00.001-04:00

This weekend I was at a Scouting event during which several parents were gathered and talking amoung ourselves.

Besides me, in the group were 4 parents, male and female. One mom, the parent of 4 (3 boys, 1 girl) was discussing something related to high school, and how her oldest son would start in just a year. The conversation drifted to other related topics, including graduations. It was then I began to speak on my own experiences:

Me: Well, when I graduated, it was 1982, and ...
She: Wait! You graduated when?
Me: I said I graduated in 1982, and ..
She: Oh, my God!

At this point, the group of parents are more concerned at what she's apparently shocked at regarding 1982 - including me - rather than the point I was about to raise.

Other Parent: Did something exciting happen to you in 1982?
She: Um, no, not really. I was only 5 in 1982!!

Now every one started to console me about my apparent old age but I didn't care.. I never think about aging, or getting old. Too many more important things that can be controlled are more pressing than worrying about aging.

Still, the shocked look on her face was priceless.

Single-Payer Health Insurance

2009-09-28T10:50:00.003-04:00

In case any readers doubt the intent of the Obama Administration, please take about 2 minutes to watch this video, then tell me why the intent is NOT Single-Payer Health Insurance

Have I mentioned I'll go to whatever means necessary to prevent my family from having to rely on Socialized Medicine? If they're so dishonest now about their intents, why would anyone trust them going forward?

Health Insurance

First Lady Michelle Obama's misguided priorities

2009-09-21T08:29:00.000-04:00

I was stunned on Friday when I heard First Lady Michelle Obama's remarks on Health Insurance reform:

I will never forget the time eight years ago when Sasha was four months that she would not stop crying. And she was not a crier, so we knew something was wrong. So we fortunately were able to take her to our pediatrician that next morning. He examined her and same something's wrong. We didn't know what. But he told us that she could have meningitis. So we were terrified. He said, get to the emergency room right away.

And fortunately for us, things worked out, because she is now the Sasha that we all know and love today -- (laughter) -- who is causing me great -- excitement. (Laughter.)

But it is that moment in our lives that flashes through my head every time we engage in this health insurance conversation. It's that moment in my life. Because I think about what on earth would we have done if we had not had insurance. What would have happened to that beautiful little girl if we hadn't been able to get to a pediatrician who was able to get us to an emergency room? The consequences I can't even imagine. She could have lost her hearing. She could have lost her life if we had had to wait because of insurance.

And it was also fortunate that we happened to have good insurance, right? Because if we hadn't had good insurance, like many of the panelists up here, we would have been saddled with costs for covering that emergency room visit for her two days in the hospital. We would have still been paying off those bills.

While this blog, clearly, is happy her daughter recovered from the ailment referred to above, I am taking exeption to a few things that was said above and beyond that good news.

[W]hat on earth would we have done if we had not had insurance: Are you kidding me? Do you mean to tell me that a parent would say well, she's clearly sick, the doctor says go to an ER, but we have no insurance, so I guess we'll stay home. I defy anyone to produce a person so cold hearted to suggest that absurdity! And if you find such a person, the state should move to take the children away from them.

I can speak first-hand that when a child needs an ER, you don't give a damn how much it costs. This speech - and in particular this passage - is a rather lame attempt at pulling heart-strings in the name of getting a socialized medicine bill passed.
This blog has never and will never condone the media or punditry using the children (specifically: under 18 years of age) of politicians as fodder for stories or blog posts. The President and First Lady have gone on record many times echoing that sentiment. The questions that begs to be asked: is Mrs. Obama guilty of violating this simple principle by invoking a specific issue concerning her daughter? Is it fair for her to specifically insert her daughter and cite a specific episode into a policy discussion but then chastise everyone else who does comparatively less?

Thought question: President Barack Obama, Don Imus, and ACORN

2009-09-14T10:14:00.000-04:00

Come with me now as we go back in time for a few moments:

ABC NEWS 11-Apr-2007: "I understand MSNBC has suspended Mr. Imus," Obama told ABC News, "but I would also say that there's nobody on my staff who would still be working for me if they made a comment like that about anybody of any ethnic group. And I would hope that NBC ends up having that same attitude.

"What we've been seeing around this country is this constant ratcheting up of a coarsening of the culture that all of have to think about," Obama said.

[A]s a culture, we really have to do some soul-searching to think about what kind of toxic information are we feeding our kids," he concluded.

OK, so as we all well know, Don Imus said a stupid remark that was a poor attempt at humor in 2007. He was fired, and has sort of a resurrection in his career. When asked if he would ever appear on the Imus show again, then-Senator Obama said that he did wish to be an enabler or be encouraging in any way with the unbelievably offensive remarks made by a radio host (see video).

In the last few days we've seen several blockbuster exposes of the ACORN organization wherein investigative journalists James O’Keefe and Hannah Giles have revealed the organizations willingness to do business with child prostitution (see video at HotAir).

So, the question on my mind is simple: since President Obama was so clearly outraged at a bad joke involving 'hos', prompting him to avow never to enable the person who made such an offensive remark, will he now avow never to enable ACORN after their obvious and undeniable enabling of child prostitution?

Never forget the attack

2009-09-11T13:55:00.002-04:00

And where the offense is, let the great axe fall.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
(Act IV. Scene V.)

A list of the fallen of September 11, 2001.

President Obama's lies

2009-09-10T09:08:00.000-04:00

My analysis of President Obama's speech before the Joint Session of Congress, 09-Sept-09:

It has now been nearly a century since Theodore Roosevelt first called for health care reform. And ever since, nearly every president and Congress, whether Democrat or Republican, has attempted to meet this challenge in some way. A bill for comprehensive health reform was first introduced by John Dingell, Sr., in 1943. Sixty-five years later, his son continues to introduce that same bill at the beginning of each session.

Hmmm... maybe the legislators of the past know something that you do not know!

More and more Americans worry that if you move, lose your job or change your job, you'll lose your health insurance, too. More and more Americans pay their premiums, only to discover that their insurance company has dropped their coverage when they get sick, or won't pay the full cost of care. It happens every day.

Really? So what has ever become of The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), signed into law by President Clinton?? If that is so inefficient, shouldn't that law be changed?

Now, these are the facts. Nobody disputes them.

Um, sorry.. plenty of people have problems with the facts you present.

First, if you are among the hundreds of millions of Americans who already have health insurance through your job, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or the V.A., nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have.

In the interest of full disclosure, this is not a lie. HOWEVER: SEC. 313. EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS IN LIEU OF COVERAGE in HR 3200 (PDF) states that a company must either provide health-care coverage or pay 8% of the average wages paid by the employer during the period of enrollment. Care to guess how much more than 8% your company pays for your health insurance? It will be cheaper for a business to pay the 8% and cancel your current plan. Don't be think it won't happen!

That's why under my plan, individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance -- just as most states require you to carry auto insurance.

...because we all know the automobile is a perfect simile for human beings. You are required to purchase auto insurance to pay for the damage YOU can inflict on OTHERS. The comparison here is foolish, at best.

Now, there are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms -- the reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.

OK, lets break these phrases down. For weeks, we were told there were 47 million people without health insurance (US News). Last night, President Obama changed the number to 30 million. Hopefully, someone in the media will ask him where the other 16 million went. However, when considering the US Census - an agency that knows something about counting people - puts the count at 46 million, it's easy to see how we can assume illegal immigrants will be covered. Walk into any emergency room, and you're covered. Plus, efforts by Republicans to specifically include language that would exclude illegal immigrants was rejected by the Democrat majority.

They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime. We will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of- pocket expenses, because in the United States of America, no one should go broke because they get sick.

And when the insurance companies begin to show losses at the amount of expenses they're paying for these costs that won't be regulated by the free market, they'll close up shop. And you'll be forced to take whatever is left.

Because there's no reason we shouldn't be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse.

True, but unlike the rest of the world with socialized medicine, you stand a better chance of survival in the US than anywhere else.

The best example is the claim, made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but by prominent politicians that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens.

Now, such a charge would be laughable if it weren't so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie plain and simple.

The federal government has no business being in the business of discussing end-of-life planning. But hey, what do I know? I mean, a woman in Oregon, under the state's Medicare plan, was told her cancer treatment was too expensive. So she was offered either hospice care or assisted suicide. President Obama, himself, told a voter that the best course of action for some might be to take a pain pill. Yep, we who are opposed to the current bill are just lying.

I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit now or in the future -- period.

So, I suppose the CBO is lying, too?

In short, President Obama's last-ditch (I hope!) effort at rallying the troops will give him a poll bounce, no doubt. That bump-up should last 10 days - 2 weeks, I imagine.   The question that hasn't been asked, however, is this:

If this is such a great idea -- this bill is the be-all, end-all -- if the ultimate goal of the Obama Administration is to undo all of the mistakes of the last 8 years (and beyond), then why aren't the members of his own party clamouring to vote for it?   Stick it to the Republicans now and make them suffer for not backing the bill come next election day.

Or is the goal of the administration to take control of the economy, and use as many Republicans as a shield to say they voted for it,too! when the shit hits the fan?

Final note: Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) called out you lie when President Obama claimed illegal immigrants would not be covered. As I've stated already, I believe much of the president's speech was lies, but I do not condone Rep. Wilson's outburst.   That much said, I find it interesting that Politico called that scene the defining moment of the night. I suppose the abject lack of specifics in Mr. Obama's speech left little for Politico to mention.

Say NO to the current Health Care proposals

2009-09-09T08:52:00.000-04:00

Readers fo this blog aren't surprised to learn I am opposed to the proposed national health-care bills in Congress.

Let me state, once again, that I opposed to any national health-care program. There are not 47 million uninsured people in America. Remove the illegal immigrants, the 20-somethings that don't buy-in to health insurance because they're-young-and-indestructible (many of us were the same way at that age), and the people who are lacking insurance as they migrate to new jobs. That leaves some 12 million people who are eligible Medicare and are very likely under-served.

So we're supposed to up-end the entire health-care system that the vast majority of Americans enjoy, because the Medicare system needs help.

Explain that to me.

Here's my pledge: I will never allow my kids to be solely subjected to a national health-care program. I'll do whatever side-jobs necessary, do without whatever for myself, in order to pay for private insurance/private health-care.

THAT is how frightened I am of the president's proposals.

President Obama's speech to school kids

2009-09-09T08:41:00.000-04:00

Now that the dust has settled...

President Obama's speech to school kids went off quite well yesterday.   Many criticize the parents who were concerned about the president might say. I was one of those parents.

My kids didn't listen to the speech live; they had other school sessions at the time when it was live. As important as it is to hear from the president, there was no need to interrupt their schedule.   My kids are very involved in their schooling -- the 13 year old is an honors student, and the 6 year old is as excited about 1st grade as one can expect.

Which is why the overall nature of the speech, while important, was not essential for them to hear at a designated time.   The fact remains, however, that the original lesson plans put forth by the US Dept of Education painted a far different idea of what Mr. Obama's speech would be about when the idea was first announced.

It was that initial lesson plan that drew the ire of so many parents.   That the national media largely ignored those lesson plans and instead focused on some proponents of the Obama Administration who insulted those parents is yet another case of media bias.      The same media complained that President George H. Bush ('Bush 41') also gave a speech to school kids, but the media often failed to mention the congressional hearings that followed; yet again, more bias.

The 13 year old agreed with the President's speech. The 6 year old tried to look interested, but was lost to much of the speech. Can't say I blame him, at that age.

Project 2996: Robert L. Cruikshank

2009-09-08T10:21:00.004-04:00

Foreward:

9/11/09 will mark 8 years since the attacks of Word Trace Center I and II, The Pentagon, Shanksville, American Airlines Flights 11 & 77, and United Airlines Flight 93 & 175.

On that day 2,996 people were ripped from their lives. But as the media and society tend to do, they have focused on the killers. We’ve all learned more about them than we wanted to. On that day many of us made a pledge to never forget what happened.

The bloggers listed here are trying to keep that promise by learning about the people who died that day. Use the list below to visit their sites and read about the people they have chosen to remember.

Robert L. Cruikshank

Despite my efforts, I could find precious little about the life of Mr. Robert Cruikshank. In the interest of preserving what little I could find on Mr. Curikshank, I am reprinting the comments left by others in the event the referring website should cease to exist:

http://www.9-11heroes.us/v/Robert_L_Cruikshank.php I knew Mr. Cruikshank from Siwanoy CC in Bronxville, NY. He was always a kind gentleman. May he rest in peace. Posted by Johnny Mastro on 2008-09-11
http://terroristattack.com/messages.php?id=589: I had the privilege of working as administrative assistant to Bob Cruikshank during his tenure as CEO of Chicago's First Capital Corp., a division of the Equity Group. It's difficult to define the level of respect I have for Bob. He was one of the two true leaders I've met in my lifetime. I have framed a photograph of the two of us at an Equity Group Christmas party against a background of the American flag. Next to the photograph is a newspaper column describing his accomplishments and announcing his death on 9/11. His wife is quoted; "Knowing him, he was taking care of his staff until the end." Having worked with him, I agree with her 100%. He would have put the safety of his staff above his own. Each year since the disaster, the framed photograph comes down from its place of honor at home, and comes to work with me for the month of September. I will never forget Bob Cruikshank and the incredibly positive impact he has had on my life. -- Kelly Ripka 09/11/2006

Not being able to discover anything more about this man, it may be fair to say he was an average person. Doing his job, minding his own business. That does not mean he ought not to be remembered, for he was simply doing his job on that sad day, and like the 2995 others, his world and the worlds of his friends, family, and indeed our country, will never be the same again.

GWOT