Why do they think that we should?

When I am putting the miles on in the afternoon (and, frankly, in the morning as well), I generally have the tube set to ESPN and usually end up with Around the Horn, PTI and / or Sportscenter. So, today I am breathing heavy, sweating and tuned in to PTI and while Mr. Kornheiser and Mr. Wilbon are debating whether or not Bud Selig should be getting 18 million dollars per year in compensation from Major League Baseball, Mr. Kornheiser utters something very similar to the following... No, he should have to give some part of that back to keep people in his organization from losing their jobs. In this economy we must all pull together behind the new administration, and pitch in whatever we must to help out.

Now, I am not against a person taking a pay cut in order to keep others employed. This is not what I am perturbed by... My "you must be joking" nerve got twinged when he flat out said, not implied but stated, that we all need to get behind the new administration. Afraid you wouldn't hear that if Mr. McCain were the one elected to hang out with celebrities rather than Medal of Honor winners on inauguration night.

And actually, I am not even necessarily against getting behind the new administration. One of my dearest mentors passed the following on to me what seems like a very long time ago... Anything is possible as long as it does not matter who gets the credit. And, it is one of the truths that I strive to live by. But, having said all of that, I have a real problem getting behind those who had a direct hand in causing our current dilemma and will never admit to their own culpability.

Off topic, but relevant... noticed during a commercial break that the Michael Phelps kissing the bong story is now being referred (not reefered) to as his pipe smoking incident. The spin is on baby.

Shrub Bashing, Tungsten Scaring & Nanobamas... Oh my!

Yes, I got a bit behind on my reading. These are taken from the 19 January 2009 Chemical Engineering and News.

Direct quote from Chemical Engineering & News, 19 January 2009, p.54, Government & Policy Insights - Presidential Science Advice by David J. Hanson, C&EN Washington.

"Much has been made of the idea that President George W. Bush appeared to spend very little time worrying about science and technology. His lack of any real action on global climate change, the lip service to providing additional funds for basic science, and his refusal to change his decision to restrict federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells are among the widely recognized slights to science over the past eight years." Noted at the bottom of the article, "Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS." ACS is the acronym for the American Chemical Society.

As of 19 January, the ascension had not even occurred yet; and, folks already had Shrub out the door. Yup, if Obama can be Big Daddy O, W can be Shrub... after all, his daddy was Big Daddy Bush. And, if you must know, they were separated by Slick Willy. My way of constantly reminding myself that the President is generally only the mouth piece, Congress wields the real power. Also note that these twerps are not calling it Global Warming much at all anymore... now it is Global Climate Change.

Direct quote from Chemical Engineering & News, 19 January 2009, p.63, Science & Technology - Unease Over Tungsten by Rachel Petkewich, C&EN West Coast News Bureau.

"AS THE FILAMENT in an incandescent light bulb, tungsten can illuminate a room, but it hasn't been spotlighted as an environmental contaminant in the same way that lead or mercury has. In fact, in the mid-1990s, believing that tungsten is relatively insoluble in water and nontoxic, the Army replaced the lead core in military bullets with tungsten alloys through its Green Ammunition Program. Similar bullets became available to hunters soon after as states began to ban lead ammunition to protect birds from lead poisoning. Recent studies, however, indicate that under certain environmental conditions, some forms of tungsten can move readily through soil, leach into groundwater, and induce greater biological effects than previously known. These findings do not definitively raise a red flag about tungsten, but they have spurred more study on the metal's effects because of the increased use of tungsten in military ammunition and in civilian applications ranging from tools to tire studs."

Great, something new to worry about and throw money at.

Direct quote from Chemical Engineering & News, 19 January 2009, p.88, Newscripts - Presidential Portraits and Pets by Bethany Halford, C&EN Northeast News Bureau.

"Looking for some memorabilia to commemorate this week's historic inauguration of President Barack Obama? University of Michigan mechanical engineering professor John Hart has come up with a memento that's perfect in these days of downsizing: NANOBAMAS."

Great, something new to have thrown money at. University of Michigan mechanical engineering professor John Hart has created a 500 micron sized (about 0.020") presidential portrait of Big Daddy O. Each Nanobama is made up of about 150 million Carbon nanotubes, isn't that special.

Why our Second Amendment Rights are Important to Me

This one will probably be edited a few times as I attempt to put it into terms that I feel are appropriate. Please remember that I frequently need more than one try to get it right. In case you haven't noticed, some of these get several remakes before I move on.

The first thing that leaps to mind is the first rule of gun fighting. Bring a gun. Awful hard to obey rule number one without a firearm.

The next thing that leaps to mind is that I would never be able to live with myself were some violence to be delivered upon those whom I care about (myself included) and I was unable to respond for lack of a firearm or lacked the willingness / ability to use it.

Things are no longer leaping, but still moving.

I believe that people who understand that others around them may be armed behave much more politely than those who are oblivious. But then, that might just be profiling... oh well, so be it.

I believe that those who would attempt to remove our firearms are not anything more than afraid, or at the very least, distrustful of us. Never mind that, by and large, the only ones they know about are those of us who are law-abiding enough to register for permits and/or purchase firearms from an FFL source. Probably the demographic that they should look to befriend, not alienate.

I believe that firearms training should be both a Parental and Governmental function. Yup, just like math, science, history, etc are life skills lessons that are taught... so too, should proper use, storage, care and skill with firearms be taught as life skills. Oh, I can hardly wait for this one... funny how those who claim others are small-minded and ignorant usually display those qualities unabashedly?

For those who believe that an armed citizenry would harken us back to the Old West with all of its gun fights, need to know two things (among many) for certain. One... were it not for armed citizens taking up against the lawless, parts of the vast Western US might still be Robber's Roost. Two... the gun fights are much more common on film than they were in real life. Please, read and comprehend a little history.

I believe that in a world without guns, people would quickly relearn how to make black powder from scratch. Or, would just go back to clubbing one another to death. Yes, you do not get as many dead at once with a club, but those who are dead are just as dead had they been shot. And, if one is to believe all of the heart rending stories that we are bombarded with, even one dead is too many. Of course, were there armed and capable citizens available during say... oh I dislike choosing one, the Virginia Tech massacre... I still hurt for those who endured even though I did not know any of them... perhaps, there would have been few casualties. And, I have yet to see on the television a single story about someone who has averted disaster because they were armed. I get a new set of stories every month with my First Freedom subscription. I can only wonder why that is.

I believe that as long as I am not infringing on another, I have the right to do as I please. As long as no one knows that I am carrying, they would have no opinion on my level of infringement... hence, concealed carry. And, thank you to Alabama (and every other state with concealed carry permits) for allowing your law-abiding citizens to have that permitted option.

I believe that criminals would rather know that we are not armed. That probably speaks all of the volumes that it needs to.

This speaks volumes that I can not Xavier Thoughts: Mercilessly Plan, Relentlessly Prepare, Violently Execute.

Busy Little Beaver

In addition to the SCHIP nonsense, we now have the following...

Big Daddy O Limits Executive Pay

I am conflicted about this one. On the one hand, I am happy to see these dorks have to scrape by on $500,000 a year. On the other hand, it is never... NEVER... good to have Government tell you how much you can make - smells like socialism. And then on the other hand... yeah, I am juggling now... had we not appropriated 750 BILLION Dollars to start with and allowed these dorks to fail, we would still be where we are right now, minus the debt load, but these guys would be making not so much in the way of salary as their corporations sunk into bankruptcy.

The "NEW" Bailout Passing Through the 900 BILLION Dollar Mark

Oh this just gets better buy (intentional) the day. He really wasn't joking when he said he didn't care how much he spent.

Is it just me, or would it not have been wiser to have Government intervention on behalf of the overextended citizenry in forcing the banks to refinance Adjustable Rate Mortgages into Fixed Rate Mortgages at or near the ARM rates? Yes, the mortgage industry would have had to taken a few lumps on future profitability, but would have maintained their then current levels of profitability. People would have maintained their homes. Probably not their spending levels (unsustainable as they were) but would still have someplace to spend from. Yes, this is a form of socialism as well, but sometimes you got to take one for the team. And, it would be possible to make it a one-time offer, thereby making it a limited incursion into socialism.

Lastly, let us not forget that the driving force of the global economy was actually China gearing up for the Olympics. After the Olympics, they pretty much curtailed their rampant activity. Of course there is a lot of international finger pointing about who caused this mess. The reality is likely, in my humble opinion, very close to this... Combination of China's economy cooling, Global human greed and Politicians with agendas. Yup, candidate for Master of the Obvious.

Where are they going to get the money when people quit?

So, we have already pushed through the first idiot tax hike. This is to be a $0.62 per pack increase of the federal excise tax placed on cigarettes. It is aimed at funding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) with an additional 32.8 BILLION dollars through 30  September 2013. This bill (HR 2) is to take effect on 01 April 2009.

It is estimated that 7 million children are already on this program and that the additional funds will make this program available to another 4 million uninsured children. The question is, will it be enough cash to cover these children? The short answer is... probably not.

Just as a bit of additional information, I submit the following. Prior to the global meltdown created by insatiable greed and politicians with agendas, my employer had a very robust Blue Cross / Blue Shield plan that was fully funded by the corporation that cost around $1,000 per month for each employee with a family plan. That was insurance for their entire family provided by BCBS and paid for by my employer. One would hope that when you are bargaining for millions of people for insurance, that you might get a better price than from a company with less than 100 employees.

Question 1: Where does the money come from when more children than expected are enrolled? Question 2: Where does the money come from when more people quit smoking? Question 3: How many of the people whose children are enrolled smoke? And, can we subsidize their smoking habit also? Question 4 (rhetorical): How do we remove these dolts from office? Question 5 (also rhetorical): Will we ever learn that Government control seldom leads to a solution, meaning that it should rarely be the final answer?

Last Question: Will we survive the overall massive income redistribution? They have two years, during which we who have the income to redistribute have no opportunity to unseat them, to deliver us into the Socialist State they seek.

Last Statement: I believe that Government should intervene in such things as national defense, national infrastructure, and yes, even national health care as the last bastion of hope... but NOT as the first trough for those INDIVIDUALS who would no more help themselves up than roll over to avoid drowning at the feeder.

Eric Holder as Attorney General

As mentioned yesterday, I will now establish my 2 cents. First, the only way that one of Big Daddy O's nominees doesn't end up at their intended post is if that nominee retires from the competition. Now, Eric Holder bothers me on many levels, not the least of which is his stance on gun control. But, I can not fault the man for accepting the post for which he was nominated. Just can not do it. 

BUT, I can absolutely take exception with those who voted to confirm him. Are you listening Senator Sessions? One of two things, 1. you really think this guy is it or 2. you voted on this to try and curry favor for something else. Either way, I am not impressed.

And so this brings me to Senator Shelby who voted to confirm Timothy Geithner as our Secretary of the Treasury. Please see my one of two things above. I am equally unimpressed with this vote.

Oh, and by the way, I am actually relatively pleased with our state senators... just not so much by this. Finally, I am certain that there are many other possible reasons for these two to vote as they have, I am just not quite sophisticated enough to see past the reasons that I have listed.

National Voter Registration Act

Today, I received this in the mail. It is a card from our Secretary of State (Alabama) regarding National Voter Registration Act compliance. The title is linked to the Department of Justice website regarding this Act. It is unfathomable to me, that all one has to do in order to verify your legal status as a voter, is to ignore a piece of mail that you may not ever receive.

To be sure, there must be a better way. I must also add that the Secretary of State's website is quite excellent. Thank you for making something easier, I appreciate it.

And... it ends... for now... kind of.

So, this is the end of the line for Tom Daschle as the head of Health and Human Services. Never mind that not only were back taxes due, but this guy earned a vast proportion of his income from the health care industry. Apparently, conflict of interest doesn't count anymore. Thank you Mr. Tom for stepping down... never mind that I am certain it was in self-preservation, not for the greater good of humanity.

As for Nancy Killefer, who had been chosen by Big Daddy O to serve as the first chief performance officer in the White House (bigger government anyone?) and as a deputy director at the Office of Management and Budget, she has also thrown in the towel over tax-related issues.

And, let us not forget about Timothy Geithner, our newly confirmed Secretary of the Treasury, and the back taxes that he would never have paid had he not been appointed to a cabinet post. This guy essentially claims to not have been smart enough to have figured out his own taxes, but apparently, he is plenty smart enough to fill a government post of this magnitude.

The title is linked to the MSNBC article "Obama: 'I screwed up' in Daschle withdrawal".

Alabama House Bill 225 - Seizure of Firearms

This bill aims... "To amend Sections 31-9-8 and 31-9-10, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to the emergency powers of the Governor and of local political subdivisions, to specify that these powers do not authorize the seizure or confiscation of firearms or ammunition from persons lawfully authorized to possess them and to specify certain conditions when a law enforcement officer may disarm an individual." - excerpted from the Alabama Legislative Information System Online website regarding HB 225 by Representative Keahy - Judiciary Committee. Title linked to the Alabama Legislative Information System Online website (ALISON).

Considering the New Orleans gun grab post-Katina, I believe this is one to get behind. It appears that nowhere in the Code of Alabama 1975 (current edition) is there any protection of civilian right to bear arms during a state of emergency. So, putting it in writing makes a lot of good sense to me. Thank you Representative Keahy.

Eric Holder Confirmed as Attorney General

I have linked the title to the http://www.senate.gov page. For now, this is all that I can muster. Perhaps tomorrow I will be able to overcome this latest round of You Must be Joking.

The White House Farmer

From the "You Must be Joking" file, we now have a group of individuals who want to land on the federal payroll to farm the White House lawn. Not much else to say except, no matter how hard I find it to believe, it does not surprise me. The title is linked as (http://www.whitehousefarmer.com) and thank you James for the heads up.

And the Tom Daschle Saga Continues

Mr. Tom is working ever so hard to earn his confirmation as the Secretary of the Health and Human Services Department. He even went so far as to author a letter to the Senate Finance Committee. Wow, a letter, stinking amazing. The AP article linked in the title (http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewFreeUse.act?fuid=MjU4MTYxMA==) goes on to inform us that the timing of the amended returns was after Big Daddy O announced the nomination. Glad to see that Mr. Tom has only had to pay the past due sum and the interest... no litigation, no investigation as to whether or not the new returns are correct AND, of course, no penalties. Must be nice to have the wherewithal to handle such things out of pocket.

What an idea!

And yet another cabinet member paying stupendous back taxes in order to earn Senate confirmation. The title is linked to an MSNBC story (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28958689) about Tom Daschle and his back taxes that have now come to light. Perhaps Big Daddy O has hit it on the head again. With this morally bankrupt addition to his cabinet he is certainly making great strides in the collection of Large Amounts of Unpaid Taxes (LAUT, read loot) Department. I wonder who the Secretary of that Department will be. Keep on keeping on.

And not a day passes by...

And here I thought that this would be an uncomplicated day... for the most part, it will be. Listening to "Meet the Press" this morning (certainly not something I would normally do, but that is where the tv landed just prior to breakfast) I heard our illustrious John Kerry make a statement that, to me, is ludicrous. He mentions a statistic regarding lost productivity that helps to justify the infrastructure spending that is being sought in the current "economic stimulus". Allow me to paint a different picture.

The time that people spend on the road going to and from work is generally not counted by their employer as time on the job... and therefore not paid, ergo, not productive... but is rather time taken away from home and family. So, how is it possible that time spent in slow traffic directly effects productivity? My position is that it does not, but it certainly could indirectly effect productivity through poor attitudes, tardiness and the general malaise felt by those who must endure that drive on a daily basis. This indirect effect, in my humble opinion, is nearly impossible to estimate with any acceptable degree of accuracy.