Government to blame

One new theory I heard put forth the other day was that this entire down turn start when financial institutions were forced by the government under a quota system to give mortgages in lower income areas where the odds of getting paid back were slim. Say the normal percentage of mortgages in that area was 20% yet in the more affluent area next to it, it was 60% they were told if they didn't even the percentages even if they weren't good mortgages they would face government censure or excess regulations. In addition none of the financial and real estate geniuses ever put together a financial model of what would happen if real estate prices went down. It appears that never occurred to this braintrust. Add into that energy prices skyrocketing. Our government (both parties) worried more about the work forces and the standard of living of citizens in other countries then Americans and giving away our jobs by not offering tax incentives for companies to stay yet making it attractive to move jobs out of the country NAFTA for example Brazil and China with Most Favored Nation Status to name 2 more. Also not increasing duties and VAT on imported items to keep the cost the same as made in America.I don't care what party these people are in all the incumbents whose retirement and medical is set for life with 1 election need to be voted out of office and real and true Americans who put America first elected or we better start applying for foreign aid from China or Russia.

Jobs

We are now having to deal with the fact that our government has given away alot of American jobs. Please no rants about the last administration it started well before them. Our government seems to put the needs of foreign countries and their citizens before Americans, this needs to change. Another issue facing us is job snobbery (for want of a better term). TV, the media, films all make fun or look down on people who work with their hands. Because of this we (America) are running out of skilled and unskilled craftsman, plumbers, electricians, carpenters and the like. Face it, not everyone is college or higher education material, also many who are may not want to go there but because of family and peer pressure they do. What does this have to do with the situation? Simple if we do not start encouraging people to enter these jobs by 1) removing the loser or low class stigma that goes with them, 2) raising the pay in some cases so they are attractive, this country is going to grind to a halt. How many of you can replace your own faucet or toilet, clean your furnace, change the oil in your car or the spark plugs to name a few? Who's going to do it for you if we keep knocking those professions and no one enters them. Americans seem to have little or no problem paying hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to people who do nothing more then gamble with the economy and other people's money,they look up to them also. Yet the people who keep us warm, dry, keep our vehicles moving and all the things that actually keep our society moving are scorned and looked down on and in many case not even paid decently. But don't worry our government is making sure this doesn't happen in other countries only here. We need to take a new look at what jobs we have and what jobs we can create then move forward putting America and Americans first.

Competition & choices

It’s time Americans take a long hard look at the “financial experts” guiding our economy. In my mind they are experts in protecting their finances, and guiding the economy into their pockets.
I always understood competition to be the cornerstone of capitalism. If that is correct why has our government, under the guidance of these “experts” pretty much done away with competition all under the guise of better prices and service for the consumer?
In the oil industry for example Mobil, Exxon, Chevron, Phillips are now Exxon-Mobil and Chevron-Phillips, four companies that competed now down to two. Any competition here? The same holds true for consumer goods. Small stores, mom & pop shops covered the country each offering something different. Local flavor, a different shade of paint color, different prices since the products came from different manufacturers. They actually offered consumers choices. Now the majority of these stores and with them the choices we had are gone. We now can only buy what the big stores say we need and should buy at their prices. Is this competition and choice?
We have only a handful of large financial institutions because the “experts” said that’s the best way. What just happened without competition and accountability? It’s going on in the auto industry. Greed runs amuck with no concerns for the consumer.When constructing a bridge you normally use many support columns, and cables so that you can lose a portion of them without losing the structure and safety of the bridge at once. Shouldn’t our financial, auto and consumer businesses operate on the same theory? One or two come down there goes America; if we had 100 we could weather the financial storms with less damage. It’s time to dissolve the conglomerates, and bring back competition and choices.

Freeze all taxes

Time to freeze all taxes local, state and federal. It's about time the government learned what it is like to live on a budget without out being able to rob people. How many of you out there when your costs or bills go up can go to your employer and demand more pay? So why should the government continue to be allowed to lower our standard of living by raising taxes? It's time they learn to live within their means as the rest of us are forced to do. I don't want to hear the usual spiel "Oh if we cut taxes it means less police and fire protection" that's garbage it's just away to scare people. Plenty of other places to cut unnecessary expenses if you think about it don't fall for scare tactics. It's time taxpaying Americans take back their wallets. Politicians were elected to make our lives better not to rob us and ruin us financially. Make them totally justify every expenditure. One last comment we should spend some money and take a survey of the pay and benefits of all companies in the state with 150 or more employees. Whatever that averages out to, number of hours worked per year, sick time, vacation time, how much medical insurance is paid and so on, should be the limit of what government employees can make including the unions. It's time to level the playing field.

Might as well bail out Detroit

I think that the fact the taxpayers once again have to bail out corporations is sickening. However if we don't the trickle down could be worse then Wall Street. With Detroit and the big 3 we are dealing with all the mom and pop shops that go along with it, you know the people in the neighborhoods who have business that are supported by the workers, the independent truckers, the dealerships and their neighborhoods, the people who assemble components across the country and countless more people whose welfare depend on the big 3.
In bailing out the big 3 I think the American taxpayer has the right and duty to demand concessions from them. Something that should have been done with Wall Street and the insurance companies yet wasn't.
The major concessions I see are;The current executive officers resign or are let go and any golden parachutes or just plain retirement does not apply. They are one cause of the collapse and should not be paid let alone rewarded for their part in it. Let the lawyers scream foul who cares there isn't any money in the corporations to pay the golden parachutes so we don't bail them and they don't get paid in any case. Or is there and we are just not being told there is money for it?
Any new contracts for the new executives needs to be approved by congress and does not include golden parachutes but rather a pre-nuptial of sorts that if the company doesn't make a profit they get nothing but their salaries.
Unions have to get real. They have killed the golden goose with their demands. The pay and benefit scale is so out of touch with reality it needs to be cut in 1/2 at a minimum. If they don't like too bad. We don't bail them out. A job and a paycheck in the day and age is something to be treasured even if it isn't what their egos tell them they're worth. How many other Americans lost jobs because of the greed of the auto union by forcing companies to find lower priced labor out of America. The unions didn't care about that as long as they kept their jobs. Remember in bailing them out and letting them keep their jobs all of us taxpayers are going to take a pay cut. So why should we take one and not them?
Congress better stand up for America and do away with these free trade treaties with other countries. In very simple terms duties, tariffs and taxes placed on goods coming into a country are put there to bring the cost of the import up to what the cost is for the same product made in the country doing the importing, making for a level playing field. Certain countries use these duties to increase the price of the imported product to protect their home economies. Free trade does not protect the country whose standard of living is high and costs associated with it's products are higher. It just means that a country that produces something for $5 that costs $8 to make in the US will put the US workers who make that product out of jobs. Maybe in good times they may work that out somehow, right now America itself is on the line and that's what I care about. I don't care about China, Brazil, Germany, Spain, anywhere else I'm an American and I care about America. When we are back on our feet then we can help again until then sorry the piggy bank is broke.
So we need to contact our legislators and tell them America comes first and if they don't want to listen and put other countries first then their jobs will go to someone else next election no matter what party they belong to, America is more important then the Republicans or Democrats. So get those letters and emails going.

We can do it

Let's have a moratorium on financial news for 1 month. No news, no Dow Jones no S&P no comments on how 401ks are doing absolutely nothing then see what happens. People look out the window see people working, shopping doing things they feel more secure they go spend some money, not the wanton waste of money that brought us here but sensible without going into deep debt or debt at all. All of a sudden people have to be hired because people are buying That's pretty much how it works. What we've had to put up with was a media frenzy that built everything into such a hysteria just to sell their shows it became a self fulfilling prophecy. All they sell is bad news to sensationalize their shows for ratings, and people panic OMG my 401K is in ruins cries a 30 something wake up you've got 30 + years for it to come back stop and think before you panic People who have just retired or are getting ready to have an issue but they can still survive. Panic will destroy you stop and think hard and long and I'd really think hard before I listened to any of the experts didn't their advice and way of doing things cause this?Can anyone explain to me why people get paid to gamble with other peoples money? My business teacher told us that stocks were nothing more then a gamble and back then when Vegas was the only gambling mecca in the US he said "The business of gambling takes a dim view of the business known as gambling", I think the reason for that is when you engage in the business of gambling you risk your own money you don't have to pay anyone to play let alone pay them to lose it for you, or pay anyone when you win. Slow down stop and think. If we can start buying again in small ways we will generate new jobs or help keep old ones. It's going to take Americans not the government to get us out of this. Good old Yankee ingenuity and down home Southern Pride that made this country great can do it again and if the problems in DC get in our way vote them out of office. Time to take back America.

Republican loss, on purpose?

Did the Republicans realizing the shape the economy is in and the fact that the American public demands instant satisfaction run a campaign that had little to no chance to win on purpose? I can just hear the Republican strategists, the economy is in terrible shape, even though it's a Democratic congress with a lower approval rating then Bush that did its share to cause it the public won't remember that. The other problem is the American public demands instant everything from coffee to marriage, divorce, enlightenment, anything and everything must happen when they want it forget the fact that it can't. Let's let the Democrats win. This will work out great as another fact about American voters is they have the memory span of 1 news broadcast to the next It's announced Nov. 5 that the Democrats have won, within a week they are putting out their recovery plan, by Christmas they've pretty much taken over the problem. Come the inauguration they own it lock stock and barrel. If it isn't resolved by summer they are going to take full heat for it, not because they should but rather all the public heard during the campaign was "we will fix it" and with a Democratic congress and President it better be done. Throw into the mix a black President and what this will do to race relations in this country if the economy doesn't straighten out right away I shudder to think. Race relations have not improved or changed in years all that's happened is they've been shoved under the rug by putting in place hate/bias crimes law, outlawing racial and ethnic slurs but never dealing with the actual issue of how to achieve true integration and equality.So maybe the Republicans made a smart decision lose this one, let the Democrats try or maybe start to fix the problem, however it won't happen quick enough to satisfy the American public so the Republicans will start winning back seats in the mid term elections and have a good chance to regain the White House in 2012.It's just a thought.

Market takes a dive

It's interesting, 2 days after the election you would have expected the market to stabilize, hold steady something like that and it's not it's in the toilet. The bail out is going through gas prices are down Bush is leaving and there's a new president. The president has the approval of what 52% percent of American voters. So how come the market is doing an imitation of a submarine? I know people are going to say it's been fluctuating for awhile and yes that's true. However I would have thought that with the election decided, the uncertainty gone the market would have at least leveled off for awhile. Guess I thought wrong. Maybe that is why the market is doing what it is doing, because the uncertainty is gone. Obama won. He wants to tax businesses and rich people. So businesses and rich people normally being intelligent, (and I'll save all you Obama fans from having to add the following) greedy, self centered, not at all concerned with America or its poor, (got most of them) are bailing on America. Why? The great unwashed masses out there voted him in with a 4% popular vote and a coastal and IL electoral vote so that he could tax these businesses and people how dare they leave? Because they're smart, they realize that true economic growth does not occur by a redistribution of the wealth. It occurs when people are willing to work. When businesses are willing to grow and employ more people. It grows when the American dream my grandparents came here to find is realized. It does not grow when businesses and people are taxed just to redistribute the wealth. They will leave, they will not work or build something just to have it taken from them for no other reason then to give it to someone else. Have there been financial abuses by the large multinational corporations? Yes. Do we need to institute safeguards to hopefully prevent them from happening again? Yes. However if we do not allow corporations and people who invest in them to retain the lions share of the profits, keeping in mind they are risking their assets to fund and keep these businesses going what reason will they have to stay in America when other countries are clamoring for work for their people and will let them keep most of the profit? It sound very good and idealogical to spread the wealth however if you're old enough to remember sandlot games that were played when the kid who had the ball got there and ended when he left, that's what you have here. These businesses and rich folk have the ball and if Obama and America does not make it worth their while to stay here, game over.So I feel it would be in America's best interest if Obama and his people sat down with these businesses and people and work out a workable deal before he and congress are wondering where their retirement is coming from since there maybe no one working in America.

I'm tired of pressing #1 for English

My grandparents and the parents and grandparents of many of my friends immigrated here from other countries and learned English. They learned it to become a citizen, to get a job to grow in their new country but more then that to show respect for a country that was giving them the chance for a better life then the country they came from. It appears that today's immigrants have no respect for a country that is better then the one they came from because they just want everything handed to them as if they earned it. Guess what just immigrating here doesn't earn you anything. You have to work for what you get. Yes I am saying the United States of America is better then whatever country you came from. The USA gives you the chance for a better life, a chance to be yourself a chance for freedom in thought ,word, religion and more. If your home country gave you all that you wouldn't be here so the USA is the best.I don't like all what I consider useless laws that the government keeps instituting or writing just to satisfy or shut up squeaky wheels without even considering who it benefits. This is suppose to be a country of majority rule so if a law doesn't benefit directly a minimum of 40% of the population our tax dollars shouldn't even be used to consider it. The one law I think that should be instituted because it benefits probably 90+% of the taxpaying legal US citizens is all phones, ATM's, self checkouts anything that is public must be in English without having to push any buttons or ask for it. It is in English from the start, you have to push buttons or ask or whatever they may require for any other language that company may wish to offer. With a very hefty fine for non compliance. It's time Americans took back our country from the multinational corporations who want to blur national boundaries in their unbridled greed which was proven by them and the Unamerican Americans who caused this massive financial crisis.Bring back America.

America’s Chance

America's Chance

We should export or at least not vote into office our politicians who support socialism, communism, and fascism, anything but good old capitalism.

Why, very simple, look at history. What fascist, socialist or communist country has survived for any length of time without aid from another country? Or total subjugation of its people except the ruling class?

I don't see any of those who praise these other forms of government moving to those countries, if that form of government was such a good way to live why don't they immigrate?

If living under those forms of government is so good and fair why are the majority of the immigrants that come to this country (legal or otherwise) from countries with those forms of government? Is it because they want a better life? Is it because they want what use to be the American dream, the ability to have your own business? The ability to have a better life style then one that is degreed by the government? The ability to give their children a better education and the chance to make a good life for themselves and their families when they have them?

Do the people who support these politicians actually think that these same politicians would live under the same financial constraints, the same living conditions, have the same health care as the general population? If they do they are wrong. Look at any of those countries, they have 2 distinct classes those that rule and those that serve. Our politicians who support these forms of government for the US are already in the ruling class, they can retire after 1 term with pay and health benefits for the rest of their lives for them and their families. We taxpayers (those who serve) are lucky if we can retire. They have staffs and offices, everything the aristocracy and monarchy we broke with in 1776 had and everything the ruling class in socialist, communist, and fascist countries have.

The way that the capitalism that formed the American dream has been warped by the unbridled greed of more than a few CEOs, boards and stock traders along with multinational corporations cannot nor should it be denied. However when you have a large plumbing leak in your house you don't tear your house down, you repair the problem. That's what America needs to do. Repair the problem. Prevent companies from getting so large that they destroy competition, do not let greed and illegal activities be rewarded by golden parachutes. If CEOs or board members have been proven to have broken the laws take their money and assets the same thing the government does to drug dealers. There are many ways to fix what is broken without destroying the house.

I feel that we do need to change a few things to prevent what just happened from happening again soon, and yes it will happen again history does repeat itself.

However turning the greatest country history has ever known into a 3^rd world country is not an option I feel we should exercise.

America will need foreign aid

Well if Obama and the rest of the lets take money from the hardworking people of America and give to lazy I'm to good to work bums, the ones who don't finish school, don't make their kids even go to school or have another baby just because they want more money group (Not people with actual disabilities) . Actually win and take power they are going to bankrupt this country. Who is going to want to invest their time and money to start a business so they can pay people thru taxes who don't even work. The American dream was to be able to build a good future for yourself not work your self to death for others. And if this form of redistributing the wealth works so well in other countries why are they all dependent on US foreign aid to keep going? If we do go to this form of government what country is going to give us foreign aid to keep us going? And at what income or housing level would people be better off not working and still live as good as they did. I my mind you have to earn what you get and deserve and if I want to help someone it's my choice, it is not the government's right to take my money to give to someone else.

Mediocre

Mediocre    

It appears that the mediocre, the untalented, and the lazy to name a few have taken over and due to their numbers have effectively ended the American dream. You know them, you may even be one of them, and it does appear they are in the majority. These are the people who feel that they can do anything as well as an expert in that field, providing the standard is lowered. They have always been among us and up until recently they had stayed with their own kind moaning and groaning complaining how they could have hit that pitch if it wasn't thrown so fast, or skied that mountain if it wasn't that steep, or played that song if…. written that book if…. you know the type nothing but excuses. You need all types to make a society and everyone has their place and things work fine. Those that can do it and do it reap the rewards, those that can't do it as well or at all but assist those who can reap their rewards. The ones that do nothing but moan and complain lived on crumbs. All of a sudden things have changed; politicians have decided that to stay in their do nothing but act and look important at photo ops jobs they need votes. What a better wellspring to tap for votes then the mediocre. They already have grandiose dreams of themselves, now some of them can come to be realized. Not by hard work of their own, oh no by having politicians "legally" rob under the guise of taxes the ones who work and produce and give the proceeds to the mediocre. This is a real lowering of the standards of the mediocre. They use to take pride in doing their own robbing. I guess everything gets out sourced today.

Unless something is done in this upcoming election to keep Obama and his cohorts Farrakhan, Jackson, Sharpton, AAyers and the rest of the ilk he pals with out of power forget about asking your boss for a raise it will just be taken away by the government for welfare either before you get it or after you get it. Probably after so that you'll be in a higher tax bracket and you can feel proud you make so much even though those on welfare are now living better then you.

How can a true American vote for Obama?

I can't vote for a man whose association with terrorists, and the likes of Farrakhan, Jackson and Sharpton would not allow him to be a member of the Secret Service and yet they are charged with his protection. Who it is still rumored was not born in the US and therefore not eligible to be president. Who wants to take money from hardworking Americans and give it to lazy bums. It is very telling that instead of exhorting people to work he prefers that they sit and do nothing and take money from those who work. If this was the attitude of our forefathers this country would still be a colony of England. One sign of the end of a great civilization is when the government becomes the re-distributor of the wealth. I guess if Obama wins that will be the end of the America the millions who fought and died to defend over the years knew and their lives will have been shed in vain.

No work, no vote

I guess I'm jumping on the band wagon of the self serving empowered lifestyle that seems to be the rage in NY and LA, where because you want it you should get it and to keep you from getting it would be rude, uncivil and some may even try to claim illegal or worse.

Well here's what I want; an end to taxation without adequate representation. Yes exactly what it says, not the battle cry of the 1776 which was "no taxation without representation" I want to add the word "adequate". I'm tired of my taxes going up to pay for welfare, for special privileges in prisons, in criminal hospitals for the insane and so on and so on in that genre of people living on the backs of hard working taxpaying citizens.

Why does this happen? Simply because we have politicians who play to the lazy and the criminal and say vote for me and I'll raise your welfare, I'll make sure you have better medical care in prison then working taxpayers can afford. These people vote them in. Your taxes and mine go up and we have no say in it. It's time we take back our country. It's quite simple, you don't work, you don't vote. Why should people who don't pay taxes have a say in where they are spent, and how high they need to be raised to keep the lazy or criminal comfortable.

You need to work a minimum of 2 years fulltime before you can vote, if you lose your job you have 6 months to find a new one, if you've retired from a life of work you continue to vote. If you become disabled and can't work anymore but had been working you keep voting. If you're a family living on 1 income both can vote. It's just the ones who won't work or can't because of crimes who aren't allowed to vote. However should they decide to go to work or when they get out of prison they go to work after 2 years they get to vote.

Honest hardworking taxpaying citizens are who made this country great and they are the ones who should reap the rewards of their labors not the lazy and criminal.

Voters = Stupidity?????

Soon it will be election day and we will see how smart or stupid American voters are and what type of memory they have if any. I'm not talking about the 2 jokes that are running for president. I'm talking about how many incumbents will keep their seats, federal and state. All that's been in the news is how they've screwed the country, how they don't do their jobs how they need to be replaced. Remember it is the Democratic Congress not the Republican President who actually makes the laws. They are the ones who have kept us in Iraq, they are the ones that filled the bailout with pork and our own Senator Dodd received special favors and is one of the leaders of the pack. Well Americans you've been screaming loud and hard for a while now. Do you just talk the talk or are you going to cowboy up and walk the walk and hand all the incumbents their walking papers? No excuses, they all go and we start fresh or just shut up with your complaints!

Hurricane Ike

I was just emailed photos of the devastation caused by Ike and my mind went back to Katrina.

Can anyone answer me a few questions?

1) Why do we send billions in foreign that will never be paid back to Israel, Iraq, and other countries when Americans whose homes and small businesses were destroyed by natural or man made disasters have to take loans and pay them back while still supporting foreign countries?

2)Why do area's in the USA not have electricity, clean water good schools, and enough food yet our tax dollars go to make sure other countries have these basics?

3)Why do Americans go without health care when our foreign aid goes to insure it for other countries and tax deductions are given for further donations to that?

4) Why do American school children go to school hungry yet we have food drives and foreign aid to other countries?

5) Why are our tax dollars going to bail out multi-national corporations?

I can go on and on and I'm sure you could too.

Does anyone in the American Government care about Americans or America?

I think it's about time all the incumbents are voted out and term limits of about 5 years are instituted without any retirement pay or health benefits in retirement.

Well can anyone answer my questions? Remember charity starts at home and if you can't take care of your own how can you take care of others?

American taxpayer again. Why?

American taxpayer again. Why?

Why is the American taxpayer the only one expected to pick up the pieces of the destruction of the monument to unbridled greed?

Are these companies or whatever they choose to call themselves wholly owned and operated in the United States by US taxpaying citizens? Probably not. Are they incorporated in other countries for tax purposes? Probably. Do they have foreign subsidiaries? Probably. Are they foreign subsidiaries or assets of corporations that are not based in the US? Probably. Will their collapse adversely affect the economy of every country in the world? Absolutely.

With those questions and answers in mind why is it the American Taxpayer again who is expected to sacrifice to save the world?

If the other countries don't wish to help us out in this time of crisis that is their choice. Where the money comes from in the American budget is our choice.

My strong suggestion is get the money from foreign aid. Immediately stop all foreign aid, be it to Israel, Brazil, Taiwan, Iraq, it doesn't matter what country or what amount or what it will do to the economy of that country end it immediately. What the cost of foreign aid and this bail out is doing and will continue to do to Americans is what I'm concerned with and what our government should be concerned with also.

All we hear from our elected officials is "it's a global economy". Well where is the rest of the global economy when it comes to helping with this.

I strongly urge everyone to contact our elected officials and demand they take care of America and American Taxpayers before another penny goes to foreign aid. Actually write letters and make phone calls. Show them Americans still care about America.

Where is Obama's wife?

Let's see first his Preacher disappears, Sharpton and Jackson never really show up and where has Michele been. Why is everyone disappearing in his campaign. McCain's wife is out there. Palin's husband and kids are out there.They're not hiding anything. What's Obama hiding??? I heard there was a skit on SNL that was in extremely bad taste about Palin's husband. Where is the political correct police screaming about that? God forbid anything be said about Obama the PC police would hang the person(s). I'm just wondering what he's hiding? Even the Clinton's give lip service only and that's only to get help with campaign debt? So it's paid for not given freely. Why? Why is no one close to him out in the press or public? How could someone seriously consider voting for a person who hides everyone around him? Again what is he hiding and why doesn't the mainstream press ask this question? Is it because they crowned him without enough research and now they don't know how back away?Any answers?

Children $75 –Adults $2

Children $75 - Adults $2 that's what the prices should be for getting into fairs, car and bike shows, anything that interests adults. I'm trying to figure out when and how some evil children were able to brainwash some adults into thinking their job was to take care of kids rather than the other way around as it had been since the beginning of time. The movement must have started small then became a cult that took over everything. I think it's time to put things back the way they were, when all was right with the universe and children served adults.

Look at history. The first people didn't have any past experience to learn from, we've learned from them. So here they are wandering around bumping into each other and they find "wow this feels good" next thing you know here's this little kid. It looked like them but a smaller version how did this happen. It probably took a little while to figure it out but they did. The question was what to do with it. So back then there was no welfare or anything like that if you wanted to survive you pulled your weight. With that in mind they put these smaller versions of themselves to work, gathering when they were small like 2-5years, hunting after that and if they couldn't do either they could always be the bait. This worked fine for tens of thousands of year's right up until the last century. Up until then people had kids to work the farm, help in the shop or around the ranch to do things that made it worth keeping them and making more. All of a sudden this cult springs up and kids are spoiled, they are waited on hand and foot, no more being hunters or bait. This is terrible. Why should adults have to work until they are too old to do anything? They shouldn't. Society was set up and should be again to where children start working at about 5 (don't worry they don't have to drive we have mass transport) until they are old enough to have enough of their own kids who would be working and taking care of them. I figure adults should be able to retire and enjoy life from about 35-40. I can see some people have figured this out and are trying bring about a return to the old ways. You know the ones I'm talking about, the parents of celebrity children, be they in acting, sports, music what have you. They gone back to the old ways and in many cases have been successful enough to enjoy life while they can. We need to keep this movement going.

Remember "Youth is wasted on the Young". Get those kids out there in the farms and factories where they belong and enjoy your life you deserve it.

Obama shows his true self.

Calling a woman a pig. How disrespectful can you get. I notice when he was trying to win the nomination from Hillary he was polite and respectful. Now with the nomination sewed up I guess his true personality is showing. The democrats are in a hard spot how can they support a candidate who is so disrespectful to women when half of them were supporting a woman for president. I bet a lot of them wished this came out before the convention, I'll also bet alot of them are wondering if they can recall him and put Hillary in her rightful place. If I was a woman I couldn't vote for a man who was that disrespectful. As a man I wouldn't vote for any man who would be that disrespectful of a woman, it could be my mother, my wife, my sisters or just female friends. If he is this disrespectful while he's running for office and in public how is his behavior in private and how would it be with the power of the Presidency behind him? Scary!!!! Bill may have had sex outside of marriage and as President however I don't ever remember him disrespecting women. If he has any morality or decency he would step down right now from the campaign as well as his seat in the Senate.
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Who's Oprah?

I've heard the name and seen pictures, I've never watched the show. Then again I've never seen a 'reality show' or "American Idol" or anything of that genre unless I was changing channels and it flicked on for a second. I guess some people would say I must live under a rock. I say I have a life and a brain and I don't need someone telling me how I should think, who I should like, what I should eat or drink or any of that. Yes I do watch TV, I watch for entertainment, not to be brainwashed on how to think like a drone by people who somehow appointed themselves smarter, and in charge of how people should live their lives. I can think and I do. There are over 300 million people in this country and we are only told what a comparative handful of media types want us to know. So instead of watching and listening to these people I go out and meet and talk with real people, at flea markets, car and bike shows, diners, parks, animal shelters, places where people who really live are and it is so different from what these Oprah's want us to think. At least in my view. Writing and reading gives an interesting view of people. I try to guess who are the ones who watch the Oprahs and mimic them and who are individual and creative in their thinking.

Stop the Give-aways

I don't want the Obama ticket. I want to do away with welfare and taxing working people so those to lazy to work can have kids and sit around all day while the rest of us work. I want social security to only go to those who pay into it. Why should we work all our lives paying into social security only to have it given to people who never contributed so we can't retire. Cold yes. Heartless yes. Honest yes and I'm sure they are many more who feel this way. I'm tired of the government redistributing the wealth. I have no problem with programs that help educate people to get jobs or help those who are truly disabled. But it while it may be your right to have it kid it isn't my responsibility to pay for it. If you can't afford it don't have it.

A new America

Sarah Palin, intelligent, well spoken, Commander in Chief of the Alaskan National Guard, took on the oil companies and won windfall taxes, has Russia as a border neighbor and Canada so she understands international politics. Has children and her children have children (let's see how forgiving the christians are on this. Remember let the one without sin cast the first stone or something like that) A real American one who has had to worry about feeding the family worked real jobs as has her husband. These are real Americans, not political images that are usually run by both parties ( and are definitely being run in the #1 job by the Rep. and both jobs by the Dem's). I'm sure she never expected this nor did her family. I like the idea of having someone that I could have had a cup of coffee with or enjoyed an unscripted conversation with, down to earth and not scripted or fake being in a high or highest position in government. Sounds like a real win for the USA. And what experience is really required. Congress makes the laws, State dept handles what passes as diplomacy or foreign policy, all a President or Vice President has to do is follow scripts at affairs. Have enough intelligence to realize they don't know everything and to have experts advise them. It is a great day for America that a REAL AMERICAN is running for this position since I believe the first few elections. After which a political class of supreme and arrogant egotists arose and were crowned the royalty of America by the media (which was and still is controlled by them). This is a big as the French Revolution REAL Americans taking back their country.

The rolling roar of Patriotism

The rolling roar of Patriotism

Dear Mr. Garrison Keillor,

It is fascinating how people looking at the same event see it so differently. I am speaking of your comments on the Rolling Thunder ride to Washington DC on Memorial Day weekend. You were there in body, I was there in spirit. While I wish my body was there, you wish there were no bodies there. While American men and women roared their love and pride of America and the fallen heroes who died to protect it. You were impatient to get into a museum to gaze upon paintings by the way you spoke of you had often seen. Yet were these works of Americans? No. They were the work of artists from a country Americans had died to free from tyranny, not once but twice. Yet not a century later this country insults America, will not stand up with America against their mutual enemies. A very interesting way to show honor to America's military dead on Memorial Day.

While I can summon up images of World War II based on books , TV, movies, the image that is most prevalent in my mind is my fear as the draft lotto numbers were pulled in 1973. My number was high enough I wasn't drafted. I enlisted 2 years later. Images of that time that are still with me are watching my friends and strangers burst into tears or hysteria for reasons that only they could see after they returned from Viet Nam. Some of these as you call them "fat men with ponytails on Harleys" were there. They left part of themselves there, along with all of some friends. They are not grown men playing soldier they are men who were soldiers as children. Their courage and patriotism was tested under fire and it didn't waver. They were in DC this Memorial Day, along with the friends and families of those who never made it back and those who did, from not only Viet Nam but both World Wars, Korea, and all the other military actions before and since.

These people who so disturbed your weekend care more about America's war dead then to just sit quietly and read a book about it. They took their money, their lives and their time to come to the Capital of the greatest nation the world has ever known on Memorial Day Weekend, not to sit quietly but as the name suggests, to Roar with Rolling Thunder. To show those who could not make the trip that their loved ones who never made it back, or only made it back part way are not forgotten. To show the world that America is still here as strong and as proud as ever and we never forget our heroes.

Please enjoy your pictures and your dream of being "the boatman" and as you do remember, the mere fact that you can dream is due to the millions of Americans who gave up their dreams so you and others can.

Maybe next Memorial Day I can be there in body as well as spirit and so can you.

 

Barefoot & Pregnant

Barefoot & Pregnant

August 18 was the 88^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment that gave women the right to vote.

Aug 18 1920, this was after men had the war to end all wars apparently the women didn't agree ( you know how they always have to have their way) WW II, Korea, Viet Nam, Grenada, 2 gulf wars and all kinds of police actions followed.

The breakdown down of the nuclear family unit something else that probably wasn't envisioned. Mom can now vote, so she can work as well so who's home raising the offspring? No one which was fine because it opened a whole new industry "Child Day Care". So instead of taking care of their own kids they want to work and what job do they take on? Watching other women's kids. Interesting thinking. In addition you now need 2 or more cars per family which has caused global warming (where was Al Gore when this was starting). With all these women now entering the work place families now have more income. Everyone needs to keep up with the Jones. Instead of the old "my dad can beat up your dad' now it's"my parents can out spend your parents" Loading the dishwasher no longer meant getting your wife drunk. It means so she has time to go to work you need to buy a dishwasher (more energy waste again global warming) and load it.

I guess we have to learn a lesson, no matter how good an idea looks on paper it takes almost 100 years to see if it was a good idea to start with.

Maybe when women got the vote since they outnumbered (and still do) men they should have voted us out of the vote and the work place and kept us home raising the kids. But what type of professional sports would America have if men were the homemakers? Ironing competition, full contact buying at sales (oh women already have that one). Let your imagination run riot.

Anyway to you Suffragettes out there congratulations on keeping the world as screwed up as it was before you got the vote.

Government by the People

Government by the People

This year voters will have their say on one of the most important pieces of legislation ever to be put to a vote in Connecticut. That is the ability of voters to directly make laws. If this piece of legislation passes it will no longer just be the elected representatives and their lobbyist friends who will make the laws we have to live under but anyone could initiate a referendum to make a law that has to be approved by a majority of voters. No longer would the citizens of CT be under the dictates of laws passed out of emotion, with no logic behind it that only benefit small but loud special interest groups or laws passed to benefit special interests that have powerful lobbies that just look out for them. The "Silent Majority" can and hopefully will have its say if this law passes.

However I see very little about it in the media and what I do see has the special interest groups pushing to insure this change does not pass.

I feel that is UNAMERICAN. Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg address called America "a government by the people, for the people, and of the people". It seems in CT, the government, the elected representatives, the lobbyists, and the special interest groups do not feel that a government run by the people is in their best interests. Apparently they do not consider the people they control intelligent enough to know what laws and taxes they want. They are wrong. I think the legislators are scared they would become accountable for the laws and taxes they pass.

I hope this law passes and the media gets behind it to protect their right to a free press.

Print names & addresses

I just read another story where a 16 year old was arrested on a sexual assault charge. Of course that persons name wasn't printed because of their age. I say that's wrong. Once a kid is over 10 they should know the difference between right and wrong or their parents didn't do a good job raising them, and their name and parents name and town should be in the media if they break the law. Then perhaps the parents may actually start controlling their kids for fear of their own embarrassment. I'm tired of reading about these criminal punks running around and no one knowing who they are. Guess what your kid maybe the next victim of the 16 year old in the beginning of this piece because you don't know about them. Please don't hand me the bleeding heart garbage they are only 'children' and the rest of their life and their parents shouldn't be ruined by having their names published. They've already ruined the life of the person or persons they committed the crime against why should they walk away without anyone knowing it was them. Parents are responsible not society or the government and should face the consequences of not disciplining their offspring, and the kids should learn what happens when you break the law.

Quality vs Quantity of Life

I'm not in the health care field.
I believe in the quality of life not the quantity. My father was in an accident that left him paralyzed, he didn't want to live on machines. He did not have a living will. I tried to respect his wishes but was not able to because of other family members so instead of dying in a few days he suffered for 10 months not being capable of doing any of the things he was looking forward to do in his retirement. That in my mind was causing harm to a person. That is prolonging life just because we have the technology to do so. It doesn't help anyone in my mind. I wouldn't want to live brain damaged or paralyzed or many other ways. However that's me and I am aware of the legalities involved.
I can't understand why religions which promise a heaven for a good decent life here on earth would rather keep a person alive and suffering rather then letting them go to their reward. Or is it that they're not sure there's a heaven?
The other thing that upsets me greatly is that prisoners, illegal immigrants and the poor get free medical care for almost anything yet if you have a home a bank account or anything like that they take it from you. What's the point in being "cured" if you have no place to live and no money to live on. You work all your life to have something to retire to and leave to your kids and it's taken from you. Yet your taxes pay for these other peoples care and you're left with nothing. Taxpayers should have all their medical bills paid for at age 65 and never have to worry about losing a thing. Actually a US citizen taxpayer should never have to give up a home or bank account or anything like that for medical care no matter what their age. I mean federal Senators and Congressmen our "Public Servants" get that benefit after 1 term in office at any age. Why shouldn't the people who are paying for it get the same when they retire or become to ill to work or can't afford the treatments?
Time to start taking back our country.

Jodi Rell the Incompotent

Does this governor have any idea what she's doing? We go from a large surplus, to no surplus, to a deficit and now back to a small surplus. I know that wouldn't be tolerated in the private sector.What about the cost overruns at the rail center. Didn't it almost double the cost? How about the failure to supervise the work on 84 in Waterbury and Cheshire where the contractor didn't connect the storm drains. What happened to the DOT personnel who didn't supervise it? They proved they couldn't supervise the number of people they had, so they get rewarded by being given more people not to supervise. Connecticut receives $90 million plus a month from the casinos that's a billion dollars a year where does that go? Why is Lisa Moody still being paid by the state after her election ethics problems? What happened to the DEP personnel who arrested Rell's son while Rowland was Governor? I heard they were fired after she came into power I don't know if this is true.She is great at photo ops she should be in Hollywood. But as far as being the CEO of a state not in my mind. Don't forget politicians don't need brains,ethics or morals all they need is to photograph well and be able to read speeches or memorize answers to questions. I don't think she's qualified to be a Walmart greeter.
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Why does the USA protect Israel not Ireland?

I'm just asking why does the US protect Israel? Why don't we help the Irish Catholics achieve their freedom instead?
Israel has no oil, no natural resources nothing that could benefit the USA. Ireland has good beer.
The US and England forced the UN to throw the Palestinians off their land just after world war 2, since then the US has spent billions in foreign aid to Israel along with probably trillions in our military budget keeping a military presence in the mid east to attempt to keep the peace.
The Irish are living on their own land they just want their own rule. We're suppose to be friends with England so it wouldn't cost us anything in military dollars. We could use diplomacy and Condi Rice might actually accomplish something.
Because of our defense of Israel our twin towers were blown up along with other terrorist acts, and we live now with a homeland security and the loss of American Rights and Freedoms.
If we help the Irish Catholics the pope may even bless us, the Kennedy's will be very happy and as a gift to the US may get out of public office. Up the Irish

Drug Cartels Save US Economy

Drug Cartels Save US Economy
Apparently the fuel prices that have raised the cost of food have hit the drug cartels. Todays papers report some farmers in Bolivia and Colombia have stopped growing coca, instead they are growing rice and corn it pays better.How long do you think the cartels are going to let this go on? They've probably been losing sales since the gas prices started skyrocketing among the recreational users. The addicts are a given but they can't raise the prices because they can only steal so much a day. I also figure people aren't buying much of anything so the prices for stolen goods are probably low. What's a drug cartel to do. They'll have to open negotiations with the speculators and hedge fund operators who have driven the prices so high based on greed to bring the prices down so their drug customers can afford them again. They may even use their lobbyists with the US politicians to change the thrust of the war on drugs to a war on gas greed. I don't think they want into the fuel business to many laws and rules and it's out in the open. I'm sure they are fantastic negotiators putting William Shatner to shame. More along the lines of Bruce Willis dealing with the terrorists in the 'Die Hard' movies.This maybe turn into something to watch or it may be nothing. However when you can make more money selling food then illegal drugs it shows how bad these speculators and oil politicians have hurt this country.

USA Lifestyle No Apology Needed

USA Lifestyle No Apology Needed

 

I'm tired of hearing people; Americans as well as foreigners knock the American lifestyle. If you're jealous of it, the food, housing, vehicles and all the luxury items that Americans enjoy get over it. If you feel it's wrong that we live so well while others live in squalor and hunger get over it. Life isn't fair it is just life.

It would do you good to remember all the other nations, cultures and continents are thousands of years older than the USA. If they haven't achieved what America has it's their own fault. If you go back to the first settlers in 1620 we haven't even made 400. The lifestyle Americans enjoy wasn't given to them. No magician waved their magic wand and said Americans you have everything you've ever dreamed of for nothing. Absolutely not. Every part of the American lifestyle was earned with the blood sweat and tears of the Americans who tamed a land. Americans who left their bones and blood scattered across this country as they explored and cultivated it. Americans, who had dreams, achieved them. Americans who believed in freedom and opened their country to those who longed for freedom and understood that freedom isn't free you need to work for it cultivate it protect it and they did, making this the greatest nation in the world.

People would do good to remember if it wasn't for the blood and lives of millions of American servicepersons in the first and second world wars these countries complaining probably wouldn't exist today. Another memory is that the number of countries in the world not receiving foreign aid (financial, food, medical on and on) from America probably doesn't total 50. What they do with it is their business but don't complain to me my taxes have been going up and up to help other countries. Our politicians have given away our jobs to "help" other economies thereby hurting ours.

I for one want to continue enjoying the lifestyle my forefathers fought and died for. I'm going to start taking a hard look at American Politicians who give our jobs away to other countries in "Free Trade agreements" where because that countries labor costs are so much lower they do away with the duty and people buy from them and Americans lose jobs. Politicians who cost American lives in military actions that are civil wars and the only reason we are there is to protect multinational corporation interests.

In short it's time for Americans to take back our country. Vote out incumbents with too many ties to multinational corporations and not enough loyalty to the USA.

Our ancestors fought and died to give us this legacy it's our responsibility to pass it on to future generations, and to be an example of what other countries can be if they want it enough to fight for.

The Stars and Stripes

American Flag

 

The American flag I've been flying for the past few years has become faded, time to replace it. Imagine my surprise when the only replacement I could find in several stores was made in China.

When the symbol of the greatest country history has every known is not manufactured in that country I consider it a major disgrace.

Our federal government passes thousands of laws annually, you would have thought that one of our federal legislators would have tried to pass a law that stated "All American Flags or Flags of any State or any governmental agencies, military branches including patches, badges, medals or anything representing any governmental agency be it federal state or local must be made in the United States of America using only American made materials". In the grand scheme of global economics this does not amount to even a drop in a drop in the bucket. In the matter of national pride it is priceless.

In this day and age of multi nationals, trade agreements and the giving away of America I believe it is time to bring back manufacturing jobs to the USA and what a better way to start then with the symbol of freedom that millions have died to defend.

What about it legislators are you Americans on America's side and can you pass one law without partisan politics or multinational lobbyists controlling your vote? Can you and will you bring a small measure of pride back to American Manufacturing.

First Amendment

First Amendment

 

I find the fact that the mayor of the capital city of the state whose nickname is "The Constitution State" does not believe the constitution applies to him ironic.

The first amendment of the constitution of the United States of America gives Americans the Right of freedom of religion, free speech, free press, the right to peacefully assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. Nowhere in the amendment are the words 'privilege or permission'.

Nowhere in this amendment does it say that a person's speech or what is published in the press is allowed as long as it does not offend, upset, insult. If that were the case it would not be free speech or a free press. When I was in high school we were taught that while all the amendments are important this one was first because without free speech and a free press to report it who would know anything. I remember more than one teacher saying words to the effect 'no matter how abhorrent what you say is to me I will defend your right to say it. Because if they stop you from saying that what will they stop me from saying'. A few other sayings from that era that you rarely hear anymore "stick and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me unless I let them" "I will ignore that derogatory remark after considering the source". We grew up learning that not everyone liked us and that was OK because they were allowed to say it so we knew where we stood.

I feel it would do people good to remember that if it was not for free speech and the freedom of the press , , women and minorities might not have right to vote, desegregation might not have taken place possibly slavery may not have been abolished along with many other social changes that have made this a better country. Before you reject this out of hand consider that Mayor Perez represents the government and he doesn't want people to say certain things and he is trying to use the power of the government to stop them. If it was not for the first amendment he could do so. Do you think that all the people in the government or in the country wanted women and minorities to have the vote, or were in favor of desegregation? I don't and if it wasn't for the first amendment the government in power would not have allowed people to speak about it or the press to report and we would still be where we were 100 years ago.

A fact that I find overlooked constantly by people who want to prohibit what people say now by calling it racist, bigoted a hate crime, calling for people to be arrested or lose their jobs or reputations for using a racial, ethnic or gender slur remember right now the pendulum is swinging your way but is doing just that swinging. It will go back the other way and what will you do when you are not allowed to speak up. By not allowing people to speak freely even if it is insulting or upsetting you are not solving a problem, rather you are putting a lid on a pressure cooker. For me personally I would prefer that if someone did not like me because of my, race, gender, ethnic background or religion they would say it out loud. Then I would know where I stand. Also if the person was intelligent it might open lines of communication that could become mutual respect or more. However do to laws put into place by do-gooders racism has not been eliminated but rather driven underground where I fear it is growing like mold that will destroy this country.

Mayor Perez and his supporters who feel it is their job now that they are in government to decide what can and should be said might do well to consider the fact that all dictatorships, communist and most socialist governments feel the same.

Kudos to the media who keep the free press free.

Tears on the keyboard

Tears on the keyboard

Back at the end of July a funny looking, feisty 13 + year old 35 pound spaniel mix with the name Onyx came to live with Mitch, Nicky, Harley the cats the fish and also me. All 3 of the dogs he came to live with were larger then he was. He could actually walk under Nicky (a German shepherd) and Harley (a shepherd mix) Mitch is about 85 pounds but not that tall.

Onyx held his own with all three it was great to see Nicky and him play tug of war with one of those rope toys, Harley would try to step on him and he run under her Mitch would just lay down with him and relax. They all fit together fantastically.

Onyx soon picked up a new name "Little dog barks a lot" . He was a barker when he wanted attention. He'd just plop his butt down and bark. He was so low to the ground and a little over weight sometimes I couldn't tell when he was sitting.

He also taught me a lot about pride in who you are, who your family is and who your friends are. When we went for a walk his head and tail were straight up (unless he was sniffing) he was proud of himself and his new family and wanted everyone to know that. I remember one specific time in a parking lot just before the holidays it was just Onyx and myself stopping to get something on the way to visit my mother we walked thru that parking lot he seemed to be as tall as any German Shepherd or Great Dane he was so proud he was my dog and I was his man and he wanted the world to know it. The rest of that visit he was everywhere with me never showed any tiredness while he was around the other people, as soon as I put him on the front seat he fell asleep and I had to carry him into the house.

He was a joy to watch playing with his toys, in the snow romping thru the leaves. I was hoping to have him with us for a couple of years, it wasn't to be.

About the first week of April he started getting picky with his food and sleeping a little more and he had developed a small cough. He had been to a vet about 3 weeks before and they found nothing wrong. By the second week he wasn't getting better and seemed to be getting weaker. We tried to make an appointment with that vet but they didn't have one for at least a week so we took him to my old vet. On April 17, 2008 we found he was riddled with cancer, there was nothing we could do. The vet said he could go on steroids and antibiotics but they may only prolong his life without any quality he was going blind and would be in pain the whole time. I heard him bark for the last time that day when he heard my voice. My wife and I held him and kissed him goodbye and didn't leave him or let go of him until he was gone we were the last beings he sniffed and felt in this life which he left about 5:50pm on April 17, 2008.

On April 25, 2008 I went down to the vet to pick up his ashes. Onyx had his first motorcycle ride. His second should be when I die and all the ashes of all my pets and the soil from the graveyard some are buried in are combined with mine and put on the back of a bike and scattered to the wind.

Onyx I'll see you and all my friends who've gone before you and me when I cross the Rainbow Bridge to join you until then remember me because I'll never forget you.

Social anxiety disorder medication advertising lawsuit in the making?

Social anxiety disorder medication advertising lawsuit in the making?

I read a piece in the local newspaper about social anxiety disorder. It was quite interesting and absolutely frightening at the same time. This is strictly my opinion but the impression I received from the piece was the medical profession and the drug manufactures are not just in bed together but living together.

My take on the matter is that there were too many psychiatrists in the world today and not enough patients. This had to be rectified, that was simple enough just add new mental disorders. Not very tough to do just take the disorder and break it down into more specific disorders. Such as twitching your right hand was a different disorder than twitching your left hand or right foot and if one of your eyes's blinked that was a different disorder then if both eyes blinked during the twitching. Look at that in one sentence I just listed 5 new social anxiety disorders.

Now for the next step how do we treat all these new disorders? The traditional manner of an actual hour (50 minutes) of therapy isn't going to work who wants to around the patient that long it would almost be like working. Another point is that even though we have had to create work for these psychiatrists it doesn't mean they are any good. It also would be annoying to charge a patient 1 hour to stop their right hand from twitching and before you could charge them for the therapy on their left hand they may have figured they could use the same idea on the left hand. So the doctor loses money.

Enter the drug companies. They also need more money to pay their CEO's and other executives the money they feel they deserve. Where can they get it?

Here's an idea lets sell a 1 pill fits all social anxiety disorder medication. An extremely high priced medication, the fact that the price is so high just to amass profits oh well. But how do we market it successfully. Doctors of course, wine, dine and gift the dear doctors. Suggest that these medications can cure all the ills of the disorder they just need to prescribe it. It benefits the doctors in that now they don't have to see the patient for the twitching on the right as well as they left for an hour each time and actually appear to work. They can see them for 15 minutes at a time and charge an hour to "monitor" the medication. Since they are only seeing the patient for 1/3 of the time they can triple their patient load and triple their income.

But how can we convince the patients they need this new medication wonder the doctors. Relax say the drug companies we will educate the population thru advertising on how at risk they are for these disorders. One manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline actually ran a $93 million dollar ad campaign under the guise of public awareness. Sit there with a straight face and tell me there is not an obscene profit in this medication when you can spend that much money just to start a campaign.

These drugs have all gone thru clinical trials. These trials are 4 phase with the first 2 lasting several months to a couple of years, the third and forth several more years. In all these steps the volunteers maybe paid. The physicians are paid and typically on a per patient fee. Wined, dined, gifted and now paid then able to triple their client base and income what a better marriage then the drug companies and the doctors.

Side effects? Of course. Everything has side effects. The FDA, the governmental agency that tests, and monitors all this says the side effects seen over several years in the testing phases are acceptable. I'm sure that computer models show that in the long term everything is fine. However didn't the FDA just come out and say that they were so understaffed with antiquated equipment that they couldn't do their job? How many other drugs can you remember that were approved yet in a matter of years sometimes less once they hit the mainstream market had to be pulled because of side effects including deaths after FDA approval? Then the lawsuits started. These lawsuits were against drugs used to treat long established and proven illnesses and diseases, and the damage awards were astronomical. Can you imagine what they would be for complications and injuries resulting from a self diagnosed "disease?" that the victims found out about from an ad campaign run by the drug manufacturer and endorsed by the physicians involved with the studies of the medications? It staggers the mind. If deaths or serious injury resulted I'm wondering if criminal action would be taken against individuals as well as the corporations.

I'd suggest at this time that the government step in and put an end to this type of what I perceive to unethical and dangerous behavior, but how can they when the agency responsible for it already approved this behavior?

With that in mind it is up to us the patients to question and verify the answers with 2^nd and or 3^rd opinions if necessary before we take any medication. Especially medications for "newly diagnosed social anxiety disorders" that we found out about in a Madison Ave ad campaign. In my mind no corporation is so altruistic that they would spend $93 million dollars to "educate the public" unless they expected to recoup it more than a hundred times over in sales.

Bonz

 

Two Party System?

Two Party System?

It is so sad that in a country with approximately 300 million people we can't find qualified candidates for the Presidency.

One candidate and his advisers don't have the experience for the job. They keep pushing change, change, and change without putting forth any solid plans.

One candidate could be Lenin or Marx reincarnated.

One candidate has so little control of his temper that 3 and 4 star generals have come out against him.

Why don't candidates with the qualifications needed to return the United States to greatness run?

I think for several reasons and they are as follows;

If we are a true democracy why are we locked into a 2 party system? I know some will say we have the independents but they are not a party (how can you be member of something when you are independent?) and the Green Party. But as far as the lobbyists and the money to run a campaign goes only the 2 parties receive these "donations". Our 2 parties are so entrenched in the government that no one else has a chance. We should do away with private funding of campaigns which only leads to favors owed to the contributors and have the government for all elections from local to federal put up the funds to candidates who come up with enough signatures. They would not be able to spend more than they are given. Surprise, a level playing field, you know our two parties won't go for this but I put it out there let's hear their excuses.

The media is a big problem as they now believe they are king makers and the voting public a group of morons who should do what the people on TV tell them too. The media also tells us what the candidates mean when they say something. Guess what I can hear, and think so I do know what they said I don't need a media spin positive or negative. If they like a candidate most everything is positive and when they don't like they candidate it's negative. Whatever happened to responsible objective journalism in all forms of media?

Digging up dirt is another big issue. I believe that all people have skeletons in their attics. Most crimes have a statue of limitations so should how far you can look into a candidates past. I don't know a single person whose behavior, views or ideals are the same as a year ago or 30 years. We all grow and evolve and change our minds and positions as times, laws, and dreams change. So unless it's a felony conviction you shouldn't be able to go back more than 10 years with 1 exception and that is if they have been an elected official their public record would be open as far back as it goes.

I feel these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg as far as needed campaign reform goes. Hopefully these will be seeds that will lead to the taxpaying voters taking back control of the government and once again making the United States of America the greatest country history has ever seen.

Bonz

Juvenile Delinquency

Juvenile delinquency is an age old problem that waxes and wanes thru the generations. We seem to be in one of the waxing cycles and the experts have their theories on it which are just that theories.


So let's add my theory to the mix.


I've already put forth some of my thoughts on this in a piece about kids and booze (located in this blog).


First off in my mind this is the "Excuse Generation". Nothing is ever a persons fault, there is always some excuse for it, lame as it maybe and the parents buy into it to protect their offspring "Oh no little Johnny/Susy it's not your fault that person's upset with you because you threw paint on their car, you're right they shouldn't have parked it there to tempt you." Why shouldn't the parents buy into it. It saves the parents from having to take a stand, develop a back bone, not be friend but be a parent in all it's responsibilities and duties.


The other reason is who is going to know about the criminal activities of their kids? Very few , the victims, the police, the courts, the family after that no one unless the family decides to publicize it, which they probably won't do. All this because the law shields kids from public shame and humiliation to a certain age 16-18. That sounds like a good idea why should a child who just destroyed or stole someone's property, or or committed an act of violence against another person or animal (serial killers start this way) or committed other crimes have to pay publicly for their criminal activities? I think they should and so should their parents. I think when little Johnny/Suzy gets arrested their mom and dads name and address should be right there in the police blotter with their criminal offspring's name.

Tough yes. Cruel no.

I remember reading about a judge in a small town somewhere in the heartland back in the '50s or '60s whose town was experiencing one of those waxing periods. Nothing as serious as today's murder and mayhem just vandalism, fighting, truancy crimes of that nature. He took action to curb this problem. If you were arrested and convicted in his court your name and your parents name and address were published in the local paper no matter your age. Your parents are now upset and embarrassed in front of employers, neighbors and friends everyone they know. So when little Johnny/Susy says "I'm going to hang out" the parents now want to know where, with who and what they are going to be doing since the last time their little darling went to 'hang out' their name got in the papers and they can't have that again so they started taking their parental duties serious.

As far as little Johnny/Susy went, they were sentenced to a term in the jail. Actually a special cell by themselves in the police station where they couldn't and wouldn't be hurt by other prisoners. Their sentence was carried out in a certain number of weekends, from when school got out on Friday until Sunday evening. Proms, dances football games, parties you missed them all and no visitors except mom and dad. If little Johnny/Susy served their time and didn't get in trouble again for a specified time period he erased their record, sort of a precursor to the accelerated rehab our courts now offer. Needless to say crime pretty much dropped to zero when kids and parents found out they could and would be held accountable for their actions.



Unfortunately now we don't hold people accountable for much of anything in their formidable years. Parents seem to think they are suppose to a friend rather then a teacher in how to live a good, decent, caring life where they treat other people as they would like to be treated themselves. The results of this negligence is printed everyday in the newspaper, shown every day on the TV news, murder, rape, senseless violence, drugs and alcohol.

I believe all it would take to bring the crime rate down a few percentage points is to have parents act as parents and learn that telling their child "NO" could be the greatest gift they ever give them. Since as the laws are written in today's society parents are only held responsible financially and most of the time insurance covers that. Since they are not embarrassed because no one knows about their child's crimes what reason do they have to change.



It maybe time to enact the laws that judge used years ago in today's society or maybe you can find an excuse not to. If you find that excuse and use it, the next time you hear of a school shooting, or senseless violence, rapes, drugs that happen to some stranger or someone you know and wonder why it happened and who let it happen, look in the mirror for your answer.



Bonz

Illegal Immigrants

Invoice their Home Countries

Illegal immigration is not about to stop or be stopped any time in the future; it’s been part of America’s history and will continue to be so.

By the time we add up the cost to the taxpayers for the benefits those illegally here receive in schools, health care, welfare and many other services plus the cost of attempting to keep them out every taxpayer in the US could probably receive a 10% income tax reduction if we put an end to it.

Prisoners break out of prisons that are designed to hold them, America is a free country with thousands of miles of borders that cannot be patrolled as securely as minimum security prison, or even a road gang so are we suppose to keep people out?

Pretty simple, but a diplomatic nightmare. First our government comes up with a dollar figure that is an average of what each illegal cost the US taxpayer, and that can and should include lost wages to American citizens who cannot get a job, how many were involved in car accidents where they had no insurance where American citizens may have lost their homes or savings and had to pay these bills out of pocket, and how much it cost to those who have broken our laws including the cost of the trial and all legal bills including public defenders. Add into this total how much it is costing us in our courts, and in the extra police protection for the demonstrations to protect the illegal immigrants anything else that costs American taxpayers should be added in to the total.

Now comes the diplomatic nightmare. Our government estimates how many illegal immigrants come from what country round the figure up to the nearest half million multiply this by the dollar figure each illegal immigrant cost the US taxpayer and deduct that amount from any foreign aid given to that country. If we don’t give foreign aid to that country deduct it from our dues at the UN and let that august body collect it.

Some of these countries may tighten up their borders if this starts costing them to much, or maybe they won’t care but at least the taxes of the US citizens won’t keep going up to cover these losses.

Bonz

Melting Pot

America had for many years been called “The Melting Pot”. This because America was and still is a land of immigrants. That is what made it the greatest country history has ever known, in inventions, science, government, and freedom to name a few examples. This growth seems to have died. Both the American born citizens and the immigrants legal and illegal have forgotten the magic that made this country what it was. That magic is there in its’ nickname “The Melting Pot”. Immigrants came to this country because of the promise of a better life, in prosperity, religious freedom, to open businesses to own land and many other wonderful reasons. Immigrants of this time come here for the same reasons the ones in the past did however they seem to have forgotten one thing that the immigrants of the past remembered. That is they left their countries because their countries, for whatever reasons could not or would not give them the freedom or chances to live the type of life they wanted so they came to America.

In order to embrace this new life with the opportunities it offered they could no longer cling to traditions, values, languages, and ways of life of their homelands. They didn’t need to forgo them all but they had to adapt, to grow to become part of this new country melt into it.

At the same time the native born citizens or the older naturalized citizens looked to these new immigrants for new idea’s, new ways to do things ways to melt parts of the new culture into the culture that is America.

That’s the magic that is forgotten.

To the new immigrants, remember you left your homeland for chances and freedoms it’s government, culture or traditions didn’t give you. You came to a new land for these chances and freedoms so melt into this country. Show us the best your homelands have to offer, and we with you as part of us will do what the magic of the melting pot has done incorporate them into “American Culture” as we have done through out our history.

To the native born Americans remember your ancestors were immigrants, they went through what these people are going through now. Show them the best of American culture. The patience, the wisdom the way we as Americans adapt and melt the best of the new with the best of what we have and make something even better.

Bonz

Retirement Pensions

The question before the state legislature should not be whether or not elected or appointed state officials who have been convicted of a felony related to their office should be stripped of their retirement benefits be it pension, medical, or any other form of compensation. The question should be; why do elected and/or appointed officials of any government branch, (municipal, state, or federal) receive a pension and/or medical benefits at all. We taxpayers who pay these benefits have to work 40-50 years to collect miniscule social security payments and what ever 401K or employee pension we may be eligible for and hope we can survive what time is left us in a decent manner. These officials on the other hand serve a term or 2 in office (4-8 years) and receive a pension and benefits better then most taxpayers receive in pay and benefits while they are working.

Why? I see no reason for a person to collect a pension from an elected or appointed position.

I believe it is time for the taxpayers to start taking back our government and if the legislature does not do away with all retirement benefits for all elected and appointed offices then we should hold a binding public referendum and let the taxpayers have their direct say. At the same time vote out of office those officials who want to maintain the give away program to politicians.

It is time our elected officials remember that they are elected to best serve the taxpayers; it is not the other way around. Nor are they elected to serve multinational corporations and lobbyists. They are elected to do the best they can for the taxpayers and to carry out the wishes of the taxpayers to the best of their ability.

Bonz

Cut Foreign Aid & Subsidize Gas and Oil Prices

The U.S. seems to be heading for a bad economic time call it a recession or a depression we are on that downward slope. The interesting thing about this is that our politicians don’t want to do anything to help the American taxpayer but still allow big oil, other countries and other large multinational corporations to hurt America with price gouging, unfair trade practices and so on. Please don’t tell me we are not being price gouged by the oil companies, I don’t care what the price of a barrel is if your prices at the pump are so high you are making record profits in the 10’s of billions of dollars per quarter you are just gouging us.

I’m not an economic expert, however I don’t see how a small amount of tax rebate from our government is going to jump start our economy when the amount they are talking about is less then the extra (price gouged) cost it took me to heat my house this winter, add to that I’m paying an extra $150 to $200 dollars a month just to go to work. Based on that where is my disposable income to jump start the economy?

I have an idea, let’s stop all foreign aid. To Israel to Taiwan, to Brazil to Kenya to every country that we give foreign aid to. Foreign aid was a nice helpful thing to do when America could afford it now we can’t. We have Americans going with out medication or food and clothing because of this price gouging and our high taxes to help other countries. Charity begins at home.

Cut all foreign aid then subsidize gas and oil so that the American taxpayer is paying about $1.50 a gallon for gas and $1.00 a gallon for fuel oil.

China won’t let us import to them anything they make in China to protect Chinese jobs, but our government charges them little to no duty on their products because they have Most Favored Nation Status. It’s our government who’s job it is to protect Americans just giving away our jobs.

Stop allowing other countries to export to the U.S. sub standard cheap products that they pay no duty on. If they want to export to the U.S. their duty rate should be what they charge on American goods going into their country. This would help jump start American manufacturing jobs again.

But we need to get our elected officials to stop worrying about other countries but to put the United States of America first they should remember who elected them and the oath they swore when they took office to protect America.

Bonz

Misplaced Generosity

Bikers have been shown to be an extremely generous group in all the different forms of media these days. I wouldn’t dispute it one bit. Show them a worthy cause and they are out there lining up and revving their engines to support it this in it’s self is a good thing, however I feel a little prioritizing of the charities maybe in order.

If the charity is one that is near and dear to your heart or that of a loved one or friend by all means support it. If you’re just looking for a ride that weekend and not particular on what charity event you support might I suggest the following criteria to help you in your choice. Does the event support bikers, a downed brother or sister benefit, a club party, a ride for the rights organization in your state these would be first on my list to go to. Second on my list would be veteran benefit rides, animal rescue or rides for a specific hospital or care center. If none of these were going on that weekend I would just ride with some friends.

You’ve probably caught on that I do not support any of the large national rides. My reason for this is that I read an article years ago stating that only 5 to 10 cents on every dollar you donate goes to the actual cause the other 90 to 95 cents goes for administrative costs, 6 figure salaries for the head honcho’s, the rest for large staffs, (they only use volunteers at the very local level) advertising, tee shirts and other give-a ways, the entertainment at the end. To me that’s not good use of my money. The events that I listed first I feel sure donate all the money that is left over after the expenses of the run to the charity it was designed for which is hopefully more then 75 cents on the dollar, that is a good use of my money.

There are exceptions to all things and as far a large charities go a donation to the Salvation Army from what I remember 75 to 80 cents out of every dollar goes to help the people it is intended for.

Another charity event that I personally know of gives 100% of every dollar to the intended people and this event is the CMRA Toy Run, which happens the first Sunday in October. The reason I know that 100% goes to the children via the toys is because the bikers buy their own toy and donate it, there is no charge to go on the run all expenses are borne by the CMRA.

Please don’t stop being as generous as you have been, but be a little more selective in where you donate your hard earned dollars. Contact the charities prior to making your decision ask them for a financial sheet that shows how your dollar is distributed then make your decision.

Everyone out there wants your money but remember if it’s near and dear to your heart that’s number 1. Then support other bikers, followed by charities where the bulk of your dollar goes to the cause you want to help.

Ride Free, Safe and Generously this Year,

Bonz

Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Today’s Youth

Is drinking and drug abuse today really that much worse then in the preceding generations? I’m not sure. It gets more publicity then in the past but is that because there is so much more? Or is it because everything ends up on the internet or what passes for TV news these days and is blown up out of all proportion to get high ratings? I’ll let the so called experts figure that out.

What to do about it now that is the question. In today’ s mindset the way to deal with this is to blame someone or some company and then make a law against it and sue. I like keeping things simple so let’s sue the parents. After all they created these children who are creating this problem so let’s sue them. If you really do think you can solve this problem by blaming someone and suing them, then I’m serious a class action suit against parents. I’m sure at this point some people have thrown down this article in disgust, some are intrigued and some want to see if they can sue me for this.

I am serious though, in my mind the vast majority of parents today are guilty of child abuse and this is a large part of the cause of this rampant drug and alcohol problem. I am not saying the majority of parents today beat their children or abuse them in what could be considered the “norm” in child abuse. What they do in my mind while not illegal in any sense is just as damaging in the long run. They rob their children of their childhood.

It’s as if the child doesn’t come out of the womb reading, writing, playing sports or what have you they are failures. Unreasonable expectations of childhood.

I grew up in 50’s to 70’s. I remember learning how to ride a bike, the falling the fear all of it, the same with skiing matter of fact I didn’t try that until 8^th grade. I remember not being chosen for little league I remember sandlot games with no adults around and we worked it out. I remember learning a lot of things. You see I had a childhood. What do kids today remember as they become adults. Probably not much. Parents have them on ski’s, ice skates, playing instruments learning sports as soon as they can walk and talk. All the things that preceding generations took up to 18 years to try, do or learn parents today want their kids to accomplish by kinder garden. They have nothing to look forward to. They’ve done it, seen it, got the tee shirt before they even know what it is they want to do. They are not living their lives, they are living the lives their parents wanted to live but couldn’t.

Interpersonal skills don’t exist, very few things are face to face. TV and the computer bombard their developing minds with new stimuli every 60-90 seconds how can they have an attention span. We read books, we played outside we invented our own games and changed the rules in others we used our imaginations to keep ourselves from getting bored and more importantly we developed attention spans and interpersonal relationships. We learned what it felt like to win and what it felt like to lose. We learned how to make friends and how to lose them.

It is interesting that the grandchildren of the “free love tune in turn on and drop out generation” should have their parents and grandparents all upset with their drinking and drugging. We all know how well behaved and anti booze and drugs we were, right. People who coined the phrase ‘if you remember the 60’s and 70’s you weren’t really there’ now telling their kid’s kids not to do what they did. Lots a luck. It didn’t work with us it didn’t work with our kids and it’s not going to work with their kids.

Examine the situation logically, do your best not to bring in any emotional coloring , opinions, survey’s or psychological ideas just keep it very simple and plain.

Everyone needs some form of stimulation, and in most cases the stimulation covers more then one of the senses or it can be mental, physical, emotional or all of the above. Our generation and preceding ones didn’t have the electronic mediums that have been developed in the past 15-20 years. We had radio, TV and movies. When I was growing up only TV channels 2-13 worked if you were lucky and had a good antenna, movie houses had 1 screen and the movie if it was good stayed for a couple of weeks, radio AM was the big thing when FM finally caught on it was great, 8 track tapes. With these limited electronic stimuli what did you do to fill in your day. We read books, we played pick up games of baseball, basketball, football (touch and tackle without equipment). These were played on vacant lots, school playgrounds, anywhere we could and no adults around and we were 8years old and older and we lived. We played war, cops and robbers cowboys and Indians, tag, dodge ball, hide and seek again without adult supervision and we lived. We didn’t sue anyone either when we weren’t picked for a team or when we feel and hurt ourselves that was just part of life. You’d be embarrassed to run home crying that you didn’t make a team. This went on all thru high school did we smoke cigarettes, drink and smoke some pot? Yes. Did it control us or ruin our lives I don’t think so. Most stopped heavy drinking and drugging along the way. The ones who didn’t probably couldn’t, they are the alcoholics and addicts every generation, every social strata every job religion ethnic group and culture has people with this disease it knows no boundaries and for that reason this group is not part of the “ problem” with today’s youth and I’m not going to discuss them.

My opinion is that when a person’s life is fast forwarded to the extent that they have no new vistas, goals or dreams that they can see in front of them that are their own they lose hope. Lost hope alone does not lead to over indulging in mind altering substances what leads to that is boredom. I’m sure more then a few of you are wondering how can they be bored, there’s theTV, internet, ipods, cell phones. Soccer practice, baseball, dance, gymnastics, all the things to fill up every waking moment in a child’s life. So how does boredom even enter the picture? Simple have the parents ever asked the kid do you want to do this? If the child says no do the parents listen, or do they force them to do it under the guise you’ll learn to like it. What could be even worse is when they have nothing to do. A glitch in the schedule, a power failure, some actual free time kids these days don’t know how to handle it. Why don’t they know how to handle free time? Because they were never allowed to have any. Well if I’m a kid and I don’t want to do something or I’m bored from free time that I don’t know how to handle and I can raid my parents booze or medicine cabinet so I’ll be a little messed up and it won’t be so bad or if I’m pretty messed up I won’t even have to go that would work for me. Punishment for this? Maybe when my parents happen to be around long enough to say something to me since they’re always working, driving myself or my siblings somewhere, or volunteering to be the ‘perfect’ parent, or they’re having their relaxation drink, prozac, valium or whatever sleep aid or anti depressant they’re on this month maybe they may say something but it will be of the don’t embarrass us and do as I say not as I do variety.

How can you blame a kid, forget the liquor ads there are plenty of anti drunk driving ads and classes out there to balance that. But what balances all the ads for the sleep aids, anti-depressants, the pills to calm your nerves, lose weight, stay awake, the pills to help you have sex. These ads are in all the “family” magazines, on all the TV channel during prime time and they see their parents, grandparents, friend’s parents all taking these things so how can they be bad for you? I mean doctors are in these ads saying how good they are and they themselves use them. Interesting or confusing message.

Maybe you don’t want to agree with this but if you’re honest with yourself you probably will, getting tipsy, high or drunk feels good at least at first. So now these kids have something they have never tried before and it makes them feel good. Add into this mix normal teenage rebellion, spreading of ones wings and just the fact that as a wise man once said “ every generation will dress drink listen to music and have sex in a way to most annoy the one that came before them” you have a large number of teenagers abusing mind altering substances.

What can be done to stop this? Really for today’s teenagers and the ones right on their heels I don’t think to much. If however we take a step back in time and allow the kids 10 and under to just be kids and learn to use their imaginations, to leave things like being a golf pro a singer an actor until they are in their teens in short leave kids something to look forward to. Don’t have them live the life you wanted to live but couldn’t for whatever reason. You had your chance if you didn’t take it oh well so sad to bad and if you want to blame your parents go a head but do you want your kids blaming you in the future. Do you want to continue the circle of abuse or do you want it to end with you.

Bonz