Have you ever…
I am so “tired” of our Governments Hypocrisy! Both parties offer plenty of it and one does not need to look to far to see it either. How about the Presidents comment that he doesn’t want to own / run businesses? Let’s see, he (technically we the tax payer) owns 60% of GM, fired the President of GM, forced the closure of profitable dealerships and recently hired a former AT & T guy who knows nothing about the auto industry to be his stooge inside of GM. He owns part of Chrysler and has forced a sale of part of Chrysler to the foreign company Fiat. Here too he has been instrumental in yanking the rug out from under dealerships. Oh, and did you notice how this Obama Government trampled on the legal rights of Bond holders costing people and the pension funds of hard working Americans a lot of money? How about the Obama Governments take over of the banking industry and now we find out the money that has been returned was not returned to the Treasury, but put back into the TARP account so they can re-spend it again! But wait, Obama is not done yet. Now he is after the health industry. Once the Government gets their hands on the medical industry they will never let go. Truth be told, they most likely will never let go of GM either and I question them getting completely out of the banking industry. But at least I can feel good about this because Obama has assured us all that he doesn’t want to own or run any of these businesses.
How about one more example. I just love how the Government collects tons of cash from the Tobacco industry. They like to rail against it and tell us all how much they care about the tobacco related illnesses that people suffer. Supposedly they keep raising taxes on Tobacco to “help” Americans to give up Tobacco products. We now fund children’s health care and there has been talk about funding the nationalized health system as well from tobacco money. Today I read our Government is probably going to give the FDA a whole bunch of power to regulate the Tobacco industry and their products and advertising. I got an idea, if Tobacco is so bad and so evil then BAN THE DAMN PRODUCT! Of course they can’t do that because they would have to raise taxes through the roof and would have tax payer mutiny on their hands. But hey, at least they would like to see people give up tobacco products.
Like many Americans this morning, I picked up my local newspaper and read an AP story about Justice Souter announcing his soon retirement and Obama’s vision for a replacement. In this article was a quote from Obama regarding the type of person he is looking for and although this, I am sure will brand me as some right wing whack job, I am concerned…a lot concerned. Obama said:
“I will seek someone who understands that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a case book. It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people’s lives,”
The problem I have with this quote is the desire to direct legal decisions around the daily realities of people’s lives. The daily realities of people lives right now is not that great for some. Tough times, no jobs, unemployment benefits running out, homes being taken away from families, all causing some folks to consider desperate measures to turn things around. So should these circumstances change the penalty for robbery? How about the pet darling Democrat issue of Abortion? If most of America identified themselves personally as pro-life (for themselves only) then should this be taken into account regarding the legality of Roe v. Wade? The left would say no, they would say that the constitution protects that legal right and daily realities should not impact it. But they would also have no problems using daily realities to strip Americans of their constitutional right to own and bear arms.
Since Obama and many others in power view the Constitution as a living, breathing document subject to the whims of public opinion, this type of statement concerns me. We don’t need a progressive constitution and quite frankly this statement implies to me a desire to rule based more on feelings then constitutional interpretation and past legal presidents. But what do I know, after all my political viewpoints rarely if ever align with the progressive movement which I guess just goes to show how unenlightened I really am.
One of the “big” talking points right now is the whole “cap-and-trade” discussion regarding green energy. Recently the GOP was claiming that if enacted, cap-and-trade would cost the average house hold an additional $3,128 per year in increased bills. As a result of this claim by many of the GOP, John Reilly who is one of the MIT Professors who was involved in the study, came forward claiming the GOP was not correct and was misrepresenting his (John Reilly) numbers. Professor Reilly claimed this would only cost the average house hold $215.05 per year (I am sure all of you can absorb that increased cost eh?). This in turn kicked off a media and blogger frenzy ripping the GOP a new one for their faulty fear mongering math. So far, many of you (the 2 1/2 people who read this blog) probably have some vague memory of hearing or reading about this. But, here is what you probably have not read or heard and is rather hard to find reported.
Professor Reilly has admitted that he screwed up his Excel spreadsheet and it would actually cost $800 per year for an average house hold (again, I am sure all of you can absorb that cost too right?). Now, $800 is a far cry from the GOP claim of $3,100 smacks but the story doesn’t end there, it gets even better! Apparently, Professor Reilly believes it will only cost $800 dollars IF companies do not pass on their increased cost (taxes) to their customers - i.e. the companies will eat their loss in revenue. Ya, ask the unemployed, fur lowed and those who have been forced to take pay cuts how well businesses are willing to absorb losses in revenue! He also feels that the GOP should not focus on the increased tax revenue and it’s correlating impact on the economy but should instead focus on Government giving back the tax revenue to all of us, the impacted Americans.
Let’s recap, Professor Reilly’s math is only accurate IF businesses do not pass on their increased costs and IF Government gives back the collected tax revenue. Does anyone else see the flaw in this numb nuts thinking? We are more likely to see the porn industry go out of business then see either one of those options take place. But wait, it gets even better.
According to Professor Reilly, not only would it cost $800 smacks per year per house hold, but if the above assumtions did not become reality, then the actual cost to you and I would be the GOP stated figure of $3,128 PLUS his (Professor Reilly) $800 dollar figure. So if businesses and Government act as they normally do, then all of us could / should see an increase in yearly energy realted expenses to the tune of nearly $4,000!
Now I suppose that since the Obama administration wants to use this energy tax to fund socialized medicine (universal health care), that we should all see our costs break even or go down once we no longer have to pay any health care / insurance costs. I am also confident that neither the Obama administration or any other future administration (GOP or Demecrat) will ever need more revenue to fund socialized medicine beyound the $4,000 per family generated from this energy tax. I don’t know about you, but I don’t intend to hold my breath none…I’m affraid I might pass out.
Here is some follow-up reading:
The Washington Post has a new Op-Ed piece by Charles Krauthammer called “The Great Non Sequitur“. In it Mr. Krauthammer points out how bogus President Obama’s stimulus agenda really is and how truly magician like the President has passed it by the American people. Remember in the President’s speech how he indicated 2 trillion dollars in identified savings? Well according to Krauthammer, the President’s budget director has since acknowledged that 1.6 trillion of that money only existed if the United States were to keep the surge in Iraq until 2019. According to this article, that is “11 years after George Bush ended it, and eight years after even Bush would have had us out of Iraq completely.” Another wards, it’s a sham designed to make you feel good - do you feel good yet?
But the biggest magician act yet is the Presidents claim that the lack of energy independence (something he and his party are largely responsible for), education and lack of universal health care are the real reasons our economic system has imploded. Notice, it was not the power hungry stupidity of our elected leaders who lowered and also refused to re-enact restrictions on the housing industry (largely the Democratic Party including the then Senator Obama), it’s not the highly educated wall street CEO’s who played the “get rich quick” games at the expense of American’s or the fuel companies sticking it to us because they can, no it is our need for carbon cap’s (increased taxes), universal healthcare, and more federal dollars pumped into the education system.
There are several things that have played a major role in the collapse of our economy and employment market, and from where I am sitting those three bullet points of President Obama’s focus really are not related to the problem nor are they now the fix. To be honest, I don’t consider the individuals who played key roles in the economic collapse to be the best characters in fixing our economy - but I guess that is why I am blogging about it and not sitting in Washington passing legislation that ultimately will bring about the $10 dollar loaf of bread.
Read Charles Krauthammer’s Op-Ed piece here (you may need to register for free with the Washington Post to read it).
If you listen to sports talk radio or read the sports pages, it seems you cannot get through the day without reading or hearing about steriods and baseball. So I thought I would wade in on the subject as well.
It seems to me that the use of steroids is indeed cheating and a very anti-team philosophy. Players who went for the steroids did not do it for the team, they did for their own personal gain. What bugs me is that most sports commentators and those responsible for hall of fame votes all feel that these players still earned the right to be in the hall of fame because of what they accomplished; even while on steroids. I don’t get this! One could argue that they did not accomplish those records on their own, they accomplished those records with the help of steroids. At the very least they need to have an astrick by their name indicating that they were found guilty, admitted or were under suspicion for the use of steroids.
Still, if baseball is going to lay down the red carpet for a bunch of steroid cheating ball players, then the least they could do is lift the ban on Pete Rose. Let Pete Rose go into the hall of fame and let him back into baseball. After all, Pete Rose was a fierce competator who hated to lose both as a ball player and as a coach. No one (that I know of) has ever been able to find any evidance that he threw any base ball game for financial gain (or for any reason). Pete Rose bet on baseball games, he didn’t cheat but all these ball players who took steroids CHEATED! They did not try to win games for the team, they did not actually earn those records and stats, it might even be argued that without the steriods they would have been unalbe to accomplish any of the stats they acquired.
So, either let Pete Rose back in baseball, or ban every single one of these steriod cheating ball players from the hall of fame AND from baseball entirely!
King Of All Glory
Who can stand next to Your majesty?
Next to Your holiness, who can stand?
What compares, faced with Your righteousness?
Faced with Your promises, what compares?
Here we are, by Your grace we stand
Matchless King, we’ve come to singChorus:
Holy are You, Lord
King of all glory, we have come to honor You
Holy are You, Lord
Heaven and earth ring, singing HallelujahHere we are, by Your grace we stand
Matchless King, we’ve come to sing
Here we are, by Your grace we stand
Matchless King, we’ve come to singChorus:
Holy are You, Lord
King of all glory, we have come to honor You
Holy are You, Lord
Heaven and earth ring, singing Hallelujah-
I was listening to a sermon late last night by Rob Bell in which he diverted for a moment from his actual topic and related a story that got me to thinking. The story was about a person who went up to a Pastor and basically said they were unable to worship their Creator because of the music being played. The Pastor then said “If it only takes a song to separate you from the Creator of the universe, I don’t think the problem is the songs.”
WOW! Think about that for a minute. Now step back away from the subject of music and see where else that can apply. How many things or issues do we let come between us and our Creator? What about when we have a bad experience at “a” church and so we no longer go to church? Could this still apply? One person at “a” church didn’t act too saintly so we are done with church all together. See where I am going with this? Have you ever known someone that has been through a lot from a church or from so called Christians and yet they are still strong in their faith and in attending church? Ever wonder what separates them from those who have an “experience” and walk away? Maybe the answer is neatly wrapped and tucked away inside that Pastors reply.
Word Of God SpeakI’m finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it’s okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say[Chorus]
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You’re in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speakI’m finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice[Chorus 2x]
I’m finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it’s okay-MercyMe
On Fire
They tell you where you need to go
Tell you when you need to leave
They tell you what you need to know
Tell you who you need to beBut everything inside you knows there’s more than what you’ve heard
There’s so much more than empty conversations filled with empty wordsAnd you’re on fire when he’s near you
You’re on fire when he speaks
You’re on fire burning at these mysteriesThey give me one more time around
Give me one more chance to see
Give me everything you are
Give me one more chance to be near youWhen everything inside me looks like everything I hate
You are the hope i have for change
You are the only chance i’ll takeWhen I’m on fire when you’re near me
I’m on fire when you speak
I’m on fire burning at these mysteries
Mysteries
MysteriesYou’re on fire [3x]
I’m standing on the edge of me [3x]
I’m standing on the edge of everything I’ve never been before
And I’ve been standing on the edge of me
Standing on the edgeAnd I’m on fire when you’re near me
I’m on fire when you speak
I’m on fire burning at these mysteries
These mysteries [2x]
You’re a mystery [2x]-Switchfoot