Ravi Zacharias answers: Do you lock your door at night?
link
Monday, February 17, 2014
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Dear America... | David Mitchell's SoapBox
This is my favorite David Mitchell Rant. I hope you like it too. But if you don't, I couldn't care less.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Thursday, January 03, 2013
Our Happiness-Is-A-Warm-Gun Celebrities
http://www.dougwils.com/Sex-and-Culture/our-happiness-is-a-warn-gun-celebrities.html
| Our Happiness-Is-A-Warm-Gun Celebrities |
| Culture and Politics - Sex and Culture |
| Written by Douglas Wilson |
| Wednesday, 02 January 2013 11:55 |
In a constitutional republic, the normal ways for an arrogant politician to come a cropper would be through personal scandal and resignation, and/or repudiation at the polls. That's the way we do. Very few pols, however much they may deserve it, are struck by lightning bolts or small meteorites.
Click to read the complete article
|
Friday, November 16, 2012
New Element "Administratium" Discovered
New Element "Administratium" Discovered
The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by investigators at a major U.S. research university. The element, tentatively named Administratium, has no protons or electrons and thus has an atomic number of 0. However, it does have 1 neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistant vice neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons. It also is surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since it has no electrons, Administratium is inert. However, it can be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction it comes in contact with. According to the discoverers, a minute amount of Administratium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would have normally occurred in less than one second.
Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years, at which time it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which assistant neutrons, vice neutrons, and assistant vice neutrons exchange places.
In fact, an Administratium sample's mass actually INCREASES over time since, with each reorganization, some of the morons inevitably become neutrons, forming new isotopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to speculate that perhaps Administratium is spontaneously formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as "critical morass."
The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by investigators at a major U.S. research university. The element, tentatively named Administratium, has no protons or electrons and thus has an atomic number of 0. However, it does have 1 neutron, 125 assistant neutrons, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistant vice neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by a force that involves the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called morons. It also is surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since it has no electrons, Administratium is inert. However, it can be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction it comes in contact with. According to the discoverers, a minute amount of Administratium causes one reaction to take over four days to complete when it would have normally occurred in less than one second.
Administratium has a normal half-life of approximately three years, at which time it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which assistant neutrons, vice neutrons, and assistant vice neutrons exchange places.
In fact, an Administratium sample's mass actually INCREASES over time since, with each reorganization, some of the morons inevitably become neutrons, forming new isotopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to speculate that perhaps Administratium is spontaneously formed whenever morons reach a certain quantity in concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as "critical morass."
Airplane Squawks
Squawks are problem descriptions that pilots leave for maintenance crews.
Problem: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
Solution: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
Problem: Test flight OK, except autoland very rough.
Solution: Autoland not installed on this aircraft.
Problem #1: #2 Propeller seeping prop fluid.
Solution #1: #2 Propeller seepage normal.
Problem #2: #1,#3, and #4 propellers lack normal seepage.
Problem: The autopilot doesn't.
Signed off: IT DOES NOW.
Problem: Something loose in cockpit.
Solution: Something tightened in cockpit.
Problem: Evidence of hydraulic leak on right main landing gear.
Solution: Evidence removed.
Problem: Number three engine missing.
Solution: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
Problem: DME volume unbelievably loud.
Solution: Volume set to more believable level.
Problem: Dead bugs on windshield.
Solution: Live bugs on order.
Problem: Autopilot in altitude hold mode produces a 200 fpm descent.
Solution: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
Problem: IFF inoperative.
Solution: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
Problem: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
Solution: That's what they're there for.
Problem: Pilot's seat cushion too hard
Solution: Exchanged pilot & copilot seat cushions.
Problem: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
Solution: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
Problem: Test flight OK, except autoland very rough.
Solution: Autoland not installed on this aircraft.
Problem #1: #2 Propeller seeping prop fluid.
Solution #1: #2 Propeller seepage normal.
Problem #2: #1,#3, and #4 propellers lack normal seepage.
Problem: The autopilot doesn't.
Signed off: IT DOES NOW.
Problem: Something loose in cockpit.
Solution: Something tightened in cockpit.
Problem: Evidence of hydraulic leak on right main landing gear.
Solution: Evidence removed.
Problem: Number three engine missing.
Solution: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
Problem: DME volume unbelievably loud.
Solution: Volume set to more believable level.
Problem: Dead bugs on windshield.
Solution: Live bugs on order.
Problem: Autopilot in altitude hold mode produces a 200 fpm descent.
Solution: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
Problem: IFF inoperative.
Solution: IFF inoperative in OFF mode.
Problem: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
Solution: That's what they're there for.
Problem: Pilot's seat cushion too hard
Solution: Exchanged pilot & copilot seat cushions.
Amzanig
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit bnieg a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, butthe wrod as a wlohe.
amzanig huh?
amzanig huh?
The Government and Noah
The Lord spoke to Noah and said, "Noah, in six months I am going to make it rain until the whole world is covered with water and all the evil things are destroyed. But, I want to save a few good people and two of every living thing on the planet. I am ordering you to build an ark." And, in a flash of lightning, he delivered the specifications for the ark.
"OK," Noah said, trembling with fear and fumbling with the blueprints, "I'm your man." "Six months and it starts to rain," thundered the Lord. "You better have my arc completed or learn to swim for a long, long time!"
Six months passed, the sky began to cloud up, and the rain began to fall in torrents. The Lord looked down and saw Noah sitting in his yard, weeping, and there was no ark. "Noah!" shouted the Lord, "where is My ark?"
A lightning bolt crashed into the ground right beside Noah. "Lord, please forgive me!" begged Noah. "I did my best, but there were some big problems. First, I had to get a building permit for the ark's construction, but your plans did not meet their code. So, I had to hire an engineer to redo the plans, only to get into a long argument with him about whether to include a fire-sprinkler system. My neighbors objected, claiming that I was violating zoning ordinances by building the ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning board. Then, I had a big problem getting enough wood for the ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that I needed the wood to save the owls, but they wouldn't let me catch them, so no owls. Next, I started gathering up the animals but got sued by an animal rights group that objected to me taking along only two of each kind. Just when the suit got dismissed, the EPA notified me that I couldn't complete the ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of a Supreme Being. Then, the Corps of Engineers wanted a map of the proposed flood plan. I sent them a globe! Right now, I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission over how many minorities I'm supposed to hire. The IRS has seized all my assets claiming that I am trying to leave the country, and I just got a notice from the state that I owe some kind of use tax. Really, I don't think I can finish the ark in less than five years."
With that, the sky cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up and smiled. "You mean you are not going to destroy the world?" he asked hopefully.
"No," said the Lord, "I am to late, the government already has."
"OK," Noah said, trembling with fear and fumbling with the blueprints, "I'm your man." "Six months and it starts to rain," thundered the Lord. "You better have my arc completed or learn to swim for a long, long time!"
Six months passed, the sky began to cloud up, and the rain began to fall in torrents. The Lord looked down and saw Noah sitting in his yard, weeping, and there was no ark. "Noah!" shouted the Lord, "where is My ark?"
A lightning bolt crashed into the ground right beside Noah. "Lord, please forgive me!" begged Noah. "I did my best, but there were some big problems. First, I had to get a building permit for the ark's construction, but your plans did not meet their code. So, I had to hire an engineer to redo the plans, only to get into a long argument with him about whether to include a fire-sprinkler system. My neighbors objected, claiming that I was violating zoning ordinances by building the ark in my front yard, so I had to get a variance from the city planning board. Then, I had a big problem getting enough wood for the ark, because there was a ban on cutting trees to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that I needed the wood to save the owls, but they wouldn't let me catch them, so no owls. Next, I started gathering up the animals but got sued by an animal rights group that objected to me taking along only two of each kind. Just when the suit got dismissed, the EPA notified me that I couldn't complete the ark without filing an environmental impact statement on your proposed flood. They didn't take kindly to the idea that they had no jurisdiction over the conduct of a Supreme Being. Then, the Corps of Engineers wanted a map of the proposed flood plan. I sent them a globe! Right now, I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission over how many minorities I'm supposed to hire. The IRS has seized all my assets claiming that I am trying to leave the country, and I just got a notice from the state that I owe some kind of use tax. Really, I don't think I can finish the ark in less than five years."
With that, the sky cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow arched across the sky. Noah looked up and smiled. "You mean you are not going to destroy the world?" he asked hopefully.
"No," said the Lord, "I am to late, the government already has."
Pun - Medieval Kingdoms
There were three Medieval kingdoms on the shores of a lake. There was an island in the middle of the lake, which the kingdoms had been fighting over for years. Finally, the three kings decided that they would send their knights out to do battle, and the winner would take the island. The night before the battle, the knights and their squires pitched camp and readied themselves for the fight. The first kingdom had 12 knights and each knight had 5 squires, all of whom were busily polishing armor, brushing horses and cooking food. The second kingdom had 20 knights and each knight had 10 squires. Everyone at that camp was also busy preparing for battle. At the camp of the third kingdom, there was only one knight, with his squire. This squire took a large pot and hung it from a looped rope in a tall tree. He busied himself preparing the meal, while the knight polished his own armor. When the hour of the battle came, the three kingdoms sent their squires out to fight (this was too trivial a matter for the knights to join in). The battle raged and when the dust cleared, the only person left was the lone squire from the third kingdom, having defeated the squires from the other two kingdoms. I guess this just proves that ... The squire of the high pot and noose is equal to the sum of the squires of the other two sides.
Pun - Friars
A monastery ran a small flower shop to help raise funds. The village was upset with the group of friars and wanted to run them out of business. They tried all sorts of ways to shut the place down with no success. Finally, they called on the meanest, roughest thug in the village, Hue. A threat from him was all it took to close the shop. Which just goes to show that only Hue can prevent florist friars.
Pun Contest
There was a pun contest so I entered 10 times to have a better chance.
I was hoping one of them would win but no pun in ten did.
Pun - Eskimos
Two Eskimos were paddling in their kayak along the Alaskan coastline. They were out there for a long time and they started to get cold. During one of their breaks they lit a fire to warm up, but tragically their kayak caught fire and they drowned. Moral of the story: you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
Pun - Ghandi
Mahatma Ghandi walked barefoot everywhere, to the point that his feet became quite thick and hard. He also was quite a spiritual person. Even when he was not on a hunger strike, he did not eat much and became quite thin and frail. Furthermore, due to his diet, he wound up with very bad breath. Therefore, he came to be known as the super calloused fragile mystic plagued with halitosis.
Friday, October 05, 2012
Apple vs. Samsung
Stop being a bully. Your products are great. So are others' products. Are you so threatened by competition that you have to kill the competition?
You have a long, annoying history of this kind of nonsense. Many years ago, you stole the trashcan from Xerox and then sued Microsoft for using it too. No one owns a picture of a trashcan. Or a square icon that looks like a calendar, or a white box to package a product in.
Perhaps you should spend your money on developing products that have ALL of the features your competitors have, rather than suing them on the parts that are similar.
If Apple had made early automobiles, would you have sued other manufactures that "copied" such things as the steering wheel, turn signals, and brakes? There is a certain amount of consistency that we need in our technology so we, the consumers, can make things work. What if, God forbid, you had a patent on the wheel itself?
You arrogantly act as if you are the source of all innovation. Yet your technology is built on centuries of development by countless others.
Apple, knock it off and get back to work.
Our Tax System - Explained with Beer
Suppose that
every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100 and
they paid the bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of our daily beer by $20." So drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free...but what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'. They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before...and the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"
"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of our daily beer by $20." So drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free...but what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'. They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay. And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before...and the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"
"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Redistribute the Wealth
You cannot "redistribute the wealth"; it is impossible. The reason is because there is no such thing as "the wealth". There is your wealth and my wealth and Bill Gates' wealth. But there is no "the wealth". The very term assumes a communist mindset. If the state controls all, it effectively owns all.
Eat the Rich?
Why are people completely unable to make an argument against raising taxes?
The only defense seems to be offered for not raising taxes on the wealthy is that the wealthy create jobs and if you tax them they won't create as many jobs. That seems to imply that the wealthy have a duty to hire people. And the more of their money they get to keep, the more people they have a duty to hire. If that is true, than government has defined what they can do with their money, and it's not theirs anyway. That is government exercising indirect control over the means of production, which is fascism.
How about this simple argument: It is wrong to take people's money...because it is THEIRS!
Somebody make that argument and I'll vote for you.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Saturday, August 06, 2011
I See London
Another kid-ism from my son:
Well, it has some of the right components.
"London, London, I see your underwear!"
Well, it has some of the right components.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Pendulum Waves
Original Link to Maker Blog
Fifteen uncoupled simple pendulums of monotonically increasing lengths dance together to produce visual traveling waves, standing waves, beating, and (seemingly) random motion.
The period of one complete cycle of the dance is 60 seconds. The length of the longest pendulum has been adjusted so that it executes 51 oscillations in this 60 second period. The length of each successive shorter pendulum is carefully adjusted so that it executes one additional oscillation in this period. Thus, the 15th pendulum (shortest) undergoes 65 oscillations.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Outside the Box
My six year old son had a word problem in his homework: "Ashley drew a square on her paper. How many sides does it have?"His answered, "2."
My wife questioned him to give him another chance. He must remember how many sides a square has.
But he insisted, "Paper has two sides!"
Good boy.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Friday, February 04, 2011
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
On the matter of a large sum of money...
I got an interesting version of the Nigerian scam in my inbox today. There was something different that caught my eye. I usually just delete them, but from time to time it is just interesting to read through and try to figure out what new angle someone is using to bilk the the dumb masses.It was from a South Korean with a Chinese name working at a bank in Hong Kong (Hong Kong, Asia). I won't reveal his name for his protection
The most remarkable line was almost at the end:
...I am putting my career and the life of my family at stake with this venture. Although nothing ventured is nothing gained.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained!? So, you can't make money unless you are willing to risk... the lives of your family! And I thought the economy was bad here in the U.S. I sure am glad I don't live in Hong Kong, Asia!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Updated Dr. Seuss
I do not like this Uncle Sam,
I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks,
or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this speaker, Nan ,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN.'
I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.
I do not like your smug replies,
when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Pre-existing Nonsense
Thought experiment: see if you think this would work...
If you get in a car accident, call up all the states (or a gecko, or someone who is progressive) and tell them you would like to sign up for a policy. Sure you have a pre-existing accident. But they shouldn't be able to refuse, should they?
- Question 1: Do you think the insurance company would sign you up and pay to fix your car that was already damaged?
- Question 2: If insurance companies were forced to accept pre-existing accidents, why would anyone buy insurance before getting in a crash?
- Question 3: Without using the words "because it is a civil right", how is this car example different than a pre-existing heath condition?
Friday, December 18, 2009
Drive Smart, Uncle Sam
I was driving in Raleigh a couple of days ago and I saw a bumper sticker that said "Drive Smart, Save Fuel". The license plate was a North Carolina state plate. I find it more than annoying that government workers are telling me how to drive.
It was especially irritating because the vehicle was a tan SUV, and probably not the "smartest" use of gas. I had already decided to write about it here, when I saw another identical tan SUV a few hundred feet ahead of the other. Now that is smart.
I was so incredulous I could hardly continue driving my four cylinder Integra, embarrassed at the mere 30 MPG highway I was getting. If only I could learn something from the wise government who sets such a great example.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Vulpophobic Obama
Obama is a Vulpophobe!
Vulpes is Latin for fox. Last weekend, Obama made the rounds of (almost) all the networks to pitch his health care plan. He went to ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN. He didn't make it to Fox News Channel. He has ignored Fox consistently, having only minimal contact during the 95 year campaign and the first 9 months of his administration. Generally when Fox enters the picture it is because Obama is blaming Fox for attacking him or calling everyone who has ever watched Fox a racist.
But at least he made it to Univision. Ever heard of it? I haven't, but apparently it is more important than the highest rated cable news channel.
Vulpophobe! Vulpophobe! Vulpophobe!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Stunning Ignorance
I don't necessarily buy the idea that this is representative of the entire country, but it is pretty funny, and very sad. It drives me nuts that people like this have the right to vote.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Rush is Right
Obama's health care plan will be written by a committee whose head, John Conyers, says he doesn't understand it. It'll be passed by Congress that has not read it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a Treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese, and financed by a country that's nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong?
- Rush Limbaugh, August 20, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Why we homeschool
This expresses my sentiment well, so I pass it along without modification from the blog of Neal Boortz...
TURN YOUR CHILDREN OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT DAY
TURN YOUR CHILDREN OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT DAY
No ... no rant here. It's just disappointing. The evidence is there in the form of letters, articles and memos. The people who engineered the evolution of our government school system in the early 1900s were clear ... the goal of "public education" was only to educate our children to the point that they would be good employees and government subjects. Nothing more. The evidence of the failure of our government schools is everywhere .. yet today, without a second thought, millions of people who call themselves "parents" will turn their children over to the government for nothing more than a mediocre education. They will be spit out at the end of the school year barely able to make change or read a simple lease agreement.
Here's a wonderful quote of H.L. Mencken that fits in real nicely:
That erroneous assumption is to the effort that the aim of public education is to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever the pretensions of politicians, pedagogues and other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else.
To those of you who make the sacrifice to get your children away from the government and the teacher's unions .. my admiration and thanks. Your children will be the key to our country's future. The kids going to government schools will be working for your kids .. or for the government.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Is Government Out to Get Me? (and You?)
The last few months, the government has been going nuts. Take, take, take from the productive. Give, give, give to the lazy.
I bought my house. I saved up money for a down payment. I bought a modest house that I could afford. I worked and payed the mortgage for years.
Others did not save up money; they got 100% financed mortgages. They bought a big house that they couldn't afford. Many have faltered in paying. So the government takes money from me so irresponsible people can stay in a house they can't afford.
I have never bought a new car in my life. I believe the numbers just don't make sense.
Now, the government takes more of my money to help buy a new car for someone else. Cash for Clunkers has been running for 4 days and is out of money. They gave away a billion of our dollars so some people could get a new car. And the old ones must be destroyed; they can't even be used for parts. So much for recycling.
I have rental property. I lost a renter earlier this year. He had lived in the apartment for about 10 years. He was a great renter. But he left...because the government gave him $8,000 from me and you. If you are not a landlord, you may not appreciate the value of a good renter, or the cost of finding a new one.
I have a small consulting business. The government requires me to pay unemployment tax. All business pay it. It is the fund that is used to pay unemployment when people get layed off. The only problem is, since I am the owner, I cannot be layed off. I can NEVER collect unemployment. But I have to pay for it anyway. And since so many people have been losing their jobs, the government has increased unemployment benefits. Who do you think is paying for that?
The government has created and upside down world. They reward bad behavior and punish good behavior.
The downturn in the economy has hurt. But the real pain in my life is caused by government's "solutions" to the downturn.
Is there any possibility of salvaging this nonsense?
I bought my house. I saved up money for a down payment. I bought a modest house that I could afford. I worked and payed the mortgage for years.
Others did not save up money; they got 100% financed mortgages. They bought a big house that they couldn't afford. Many have faltered in paying. So the government takes money from me so irresponsible people can stay in a house they can't afford.
I have never bought a new car in my life. I believe the numbers just don't make sense.
Now, the government takes more of my money to help buy a new car for someone else. Cash for Clunkers has been running for 4 days and is out of money. They gave away a billion of our dollars so some people could get a new car. And the old ones must be destroyed; they can't even be used for parts. So much for recycling.
I have rental property. I lost a renter earlier this year. He had lived in the apartment for about 10 years. He was a great renter. But he left...because the government gave him $8,000 from me and you. If you are not a landlord, you may not appreciate the value of a good renter, or the cost of finding a new one.
I have a small consulting business. The government requires me to pay unemployment tax. All business pay it. It is the fund that is used to pay unemployment when people get layed off. The only problem is, since I am the owner, I cannot be layed off. I can NEVER collect unemployment. But I have to pay for it anyway. And since so many people have been losing their jobs, the government has increased unemployment benefits. Who do you think is paying for that?
The government has created and upside down world. They reward bad behavior and punish good behavior.
The downturn in the economy has hurt. But the real pain in my life is caused by government's "solutions" to the downturn.
Is there any possibility of salvaging this nonsense?
Monday, July 13, 2009
Big Government
When times are good, a growing economy can support expanding the government to give out all kinds of new goodies.When times are bad, we need to help people, so we can't allow government to suffer in a bad economy. In fact, it must be expanded to help all the suffering people.
Does anyone detect a slight bias toward bigger government?
It is almost like someone is stacking the deck.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Questions?
Do I find it annoying when people ask themselves questions?
Yes.
Will I engage in this annoying behavior myself?
No.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Ann Coulter Nails the Issues on the Tiller Murder
Here's the link to the full commentary.Some of my favorite excerpts:
In the wake of the shooting of late-term abortionist George Tiller, President Barack Obama sent out a welcome message that this nation would not tolerate attacks on pro-lifers or any other Americans because of their religion or beliefs. ... Ha ha! Just kidding.
Why aren't liberals rushing to assure us this time that "most pro-lifers are peaceful"? Unlike Muslims, pro-lifers actually are peaceful.
I wouldn't kill an abortionist myself, but I wouldn't want to impose my moral values on others. No one is for shooting abortionists. But how will criminalizing men making difficult, often tragic, decisions be an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the shootings of abortionists?
Following the moral precepts of liberals, I believe the correct position is: If you don't believe in shooting abortionists, then don't shoot one.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Keep your Hordes of Leeches
Last week I came home from work to be met by someone going from door to door asking for money. Right now most of us probably don't want anybody to ask for money, but this was particularly irritating because I have been forced to give money to this group for years for nothing in return.
I bought my first house in 1992. I lived there for 10 years. Property taxes were about $2500, and the bulk of that money is for schools. When I left that house I had one child that was a year and a half old, so I never got any of the use of the $20,000 or so they took from me.
We have been in our current house for over 5 years paying similar amounts of money. I do have one child of school age, but I don't intend to ever turn them over to the state to be educated, so I still see no benefit.
We get no credit for schooling our own children. We get no break from paying to educate other people's children. We have to pay for their education and pay again for everything our kids need.
So you can imagine how pleased I was that the local school, so short of my money, sent around students to go door to door to beg for more money for "supplies". How could I even think of withholding anything from a child? I haven't. I have paid tens of thousands of dollars to prop up their failing system. They won't even let me write off the cost of buying my kids a pencil, much less pay for it.
Just because something is "for the children" does not mean it is good.
I bought my first house in 1992. I lived there for 10 years. Property taxes were about $2500, and the bulk of that money is for schools. When I left that house I had one child that was a year and a half old, so I never got any of the use of the $20,000 or so they took from me.
We have been in our current house for over 5 years paying similar amounts of money. I do have one child of school age, but I don't intend to ever turn them over to the state to be educated, so I still see no benefit.
We get no credit for schooling our own children. We get no break from paying to educate other people's children. We have to pay for their education and pay again for everything our kids need.
So you can imagine how pleased I was that the local school, so short of my money, sent around students to go door to door to beg for more money for "supplies". How could I even think of withholding anything from a child? I haven't. I have paid tens of thousands of dollars to prop up their failing system. They won't even let me write off the cost of buying my kids a pencil, much less pay for it.
Just because something is "for the children" does not mean it is good.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Bonuses for Failure
Everyone is upset about AIG. They are paying bonuses of $165M, some of which are going to the same executives responsible for the problems they are in. The argument is: why should they get paid extra for doing a bad job? A good question.But the bonuses were pre-negotiated, so they are obligated to pay them (or owe double under Connecticut law). The government was no only aware of those bonuses when they handed out the bailout money, but they actually wrote a clause into the bailout that the bonuses could be paid. But now that people are mad, the government is outraged and "surprised" about those very bonuses.
Nobody likes to reward failure. Many people feel cheated because these bonuses are being paid because we kept the AIG afloat with $170B of bailout money. But wait, I thought I just said nobody likes to reward failure. So if it is wrong for AIG to reward failed employees with cash, why is it right for the government to reward AIG with cash -- over 1000 times more cash than the bonuses everyone is mad about.
As a rewarder of failure, no one can hold a candle to the government. Over the last six months, they have dumped trillions of dollars of our money into companies that screwed up. And now they want us to be angry over $165M. Methinks they dost protest too much.
So if you are angry over the AIG bonuses, at least be intellectually honest and be 1000 times angrier over the AIG bailout.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Economics for Kids 101
I took the kids to McDonalds a few days ago after one of my daughter's evening classes. There was a TV on in the corner with no sound. It was on CNN and was showing lots of pictures of the stock market, dollar signs, and to all too familiar downward pointing charts we have all come to love in recent months.She asked me what they were talking about. Specifically they were discussing Obama's proposed mortgage bailout. To say I am not in favor of bailing out deadbeats that don't pay their bills would be an understatement. I said "They are talking about how to help people that can't pay for their house." I nearly lost my grip trying to hold back my tounge, but what else do you say to a six year old.
That answer, however, was not enough for her. "What do you mean?" Okay, I tried to let it go, but she insisted. So I'll tell her what is really going on. But how do I do that for a young person. "See that hamburger you are eating. What if you had saved your money and bought that hamburger, so now you get to eat it. Now what if somebody else came in who didn't save their money. Should you have to buy them a hamburger?" (I admit the analogy is not perfect, especially since I bought the burger she was eating, but the principle was sound) Unlike our leaders that seem to be forever pondering these "complex" decisions, she immediately and simply replied "No."
"Well, that's what they are trying do with houses. We paid for our house. Now other people can't pay for their house, so the government is trying to make us pay for their house." Her jaw dropped. She obviously got it. Like many in this country, she seemed to like Obama during the election cycle. I've got to admit, they guy has charm. I tried to not say anything to her against the man, especially since he is now the President. I say that so you understand I had not primed her with a bunch of Obama-bashing. "Obama did that?", she asked, accusingly. "That is what he is trying to do." I said.
And with that my six year old solved the problem: "He should be kicked out."
Government officials try to make things complicated. Often it is anything but. Just apply the same simple rules we teach our kids when they play with each other. Treat each other right. Share (if and when you want to). And don't take other people's stuff!
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
How Much Wood?
I was taking my daughter to her karate class. She was already wearing her uniform and she brought her belt along. As I was tying it on she realized she forgot something...her "woodchucks".
Monday, March 02, 2009
Stimulate This
Notice to all retailers: Just because you have something on sale does NOT mean you have a "stimulus package". Don't try to be cute; just have a sale like a normal person.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Monday, December 08, 2008
News TV No Fun for Kids
More funny phrases from the younger generation...My son complained the other day when he turned on the TV because it was on a news channel instead of cartoons. Well, that's how I describe it. He put it a bit differently:
He said the TV was showing "The newspaper movie".
Thursday, December 04, 2008
An Easy Way to Invest in Gold
You can invest in gold very easily through GLD, an ETF. An ETF(exchange-traded-fund) is a mutual fund that is traded on the exchange like a stock.The GLD fund holds actual gold. And since they hold it, you don't have to deal with carting around wheelbarrows full of gold -- we all know how annoying that can be! :)
Peter Schiff has predicted the price of the DOW and the price of gold will meet at some point. Currently the DOW is at about 8,500 and gold is under 1,000. If they are going to meet there is a lot of bleeding still left in stocks... and/or a lot to be made -- or at least protected -- with gold.
Economic Situation - What do we do?
Things are bad in the economy in many ways. I DO mean to sound like an alarmist, because I think we need to be discussing and planning. Before we can plan, we have to look realistically at our situation. The government is playing extremely dangerous games with money. As reactionary as it may sound, I think we may be at the edge of events that could significantly change all of our lives.
Citigroup released a report with dire warnings about the economic situation. (Glenn Beck discussing the Citigroup report). This is Citigroup, not some radicals moving out the the wilderness and stocking up on guns and canned food. They talk about "meltdowns" and "political instability". More evidence that maybe we are teetering on the edge. In Citigroup's words "The world is not going back to normal after the magnitude of what they have done."
What do we do? We definitely need to be having dialogs about it. In my view, we need to be doing a few things:
Citigroup released a report with dire warnings about the economic situation. (Glenn Beck discussing the Citigroup report). This is Citigroup, not some radicals moving out the the wilderness and stocking up on guns and canned food. They talk about "meltdowns" and "political instability". More evidence that maybe we are teetering on the edge. In Citigroup's words "The world is not going back to normal after the magnitude of what they have done."
What do we do? We definitely need to be having dialogs about it. In my view, we need to be doing a few things:
- Don't panic. Thankfully God is the one in charge, not the fools in Washington
- Buy gold (there is a lot about gold in this article)
- Do disaster planning: have food and necessities on hand, at least like you would for a hurricane or blizzard (perhaps a lot more)
- Talk about it. We need to take care of ourselves and each other. We cannot depend on the government to do it.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
The Obama Bubble
There is a tendency people have to avoid the reality of market cycles. Things go up, things go down. But we want to ignore that second part.First there was the "Dot Com" bubble. Internet companies were up, up up! dooooooown.
So people bailed and went into real estate. People bought houses that were bigger than they needed because it was an "investment" (how's that working out?). Some people put granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances into old shacks in California and sold them for half a million dollars. You couldn't lose. Then again...
So here we are. The internet bubble popped. The real estate bubble popped. So what do we bail to next? What is the next wave? The next thing to go only up? What could solve all of our financial problems?
Whatever it is, I sure hope it arrives soon to save us. This time it won't pop. It will only go up, only get better and better. Finally, the bubble to end all bubbles.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Two Fumbs Up
It is entertaining to watch kids learn. My son speaks pretty well, but there are still a few cute quirks.One lingering one is the use of "F" versus "Th" in certain situations. He can say both; it is not a matter of pronunciation. He just mixes them up.
According to him, he has two Fumbs and lots of Thingers.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Condolences to Dick Durban
Condolences to Dick Durban and his family at the loss of his adult daughter (story).
Contentment
If you keep your food in a refrigerator, your clothes in a closet, if you have a bed to sleep in and a roof over your head, you are richer than 75% of the entire world's population.
...and be content with such things as ye have...
Hebrews 13:5
No matter how poverty is defined, if I were an unborn spirit, condemned to a life of poverty, but God allowed me to choose which nation I wanted to be poor in, I'd choose the United States. Our poor must be the envy of the world's poor.
- Walter Williams
It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor.
- Seneca, Epistles
The "poor" in the U.S. according to Robert Rechter of the Heritage Foundation
46% own their own home (3BR, 1.5BA, garage, porch/patio)
80% have A/C
89% have microwave
3/4 own a car, 31% have two or more cars
97% have a TV, 1/2 have two or more TV's
78% have a DVD or VCR
62% have cable or satellite
1/3 have dishwasher
1/3 both land line and cell phone
There are people clinging to the bottoms of trucks for the chance to be poor in this country.
- Michael Graham
Imagine how happy you would be if you lost everything that you have...then got it back.
King of the Mountain Forever
There is an interesting thing I have noticed while investing -- I mean losing money -- in the stock market: when everyone agrees things are only going up, it is time to get out fast.I have a feeling the principle works for things other than stocks also. It certainly held true for real estate over the last few years. The one thing you always here is everyone saying how up is the only direction. They will often even acknowledge past events where everyone thought something was going up forever and crashed, but this time it is for sure. There is no peak in sight! The dot com bubble popped, but real estate has real value.
Is it possible it is true for nations as well? Greece, Rome, Great Britain with it's never-setting sun, they all must have thought themselves invincible. I think it is a dangerous thing to assume you are king of the world by right.
Speaking with Bill O'Reily in 10/27/08 about the election of Obama vs. McCain, Geraldine Ferraro had this to say:
The United States is a superpower, no matter what.No matter what. How do I sell my stock?
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Worldview: God vs. Toyota
Two views of the world and our place in it...
God:
Genesis 1:28: God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Toyota:
God:
Genesis 1:28: God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Toyota:...the best way to have an impact on the environment is to have as little impact as possible.
In the Future, Everyone will be Stupid for 15 Minutes
The appeal of pop culture amazes me. Sure, I have favorite actors. I have even been known to spend real time on imdb.com following a "Six Degrees" thread of links. But it is crazy the degree to which people get caught up in it.
Some time ago I was watching an episode of 1 vs. 100 (which may or may not still be on the air -- I proudly don't know). It is a quiz-type of show, which, as the name implies, pits one person against 100 others. It is multiple choice, and although not all of the questions are easy, it is no Jeopardy.
In this episode, there were two questions that I thought really illustrated to problem of people simply not paying attention to what is important.
Question #1: Ashton Kutcher is the stepfather of ______
The question involved knowledge of the soap opera that is Hollywood. You had to know that his is with (married?) Demi Moore, who used to be married to Bruce Willis, so they name of the kid in the multiple choice has the last name Willis. Out of the 100 people (or however many were left at the time of the question) only 5 people got it wrong! Almost everyone knew the answer.
At first that sounds great. People are smart. They are paying attention. Maybe. But paying attention to what? The next question didn't go quite as well.
Question 2 was regarding the government. What is a position in the House or Senate:
A. Majority Whip
B. Majority Chain
C. Majority Paddle
25 people did not know the answer to the question. Twenty five! That question came after the Ashton Kutcher question, so every one of those 25 had gotten that one right. But they didn't know the legislature does not employ chains or paddles. Mind you, they didn't have to name who the Majority Whip was, they just had to recall that such a thing existed.
It is as this point that I humbly suggest some sort of simple test before allowing someone to vote.
Anticipating the counter-proposal, I would gladly submit to a test of Hollywood trivia before I am allowed to watch the latest Ashton Kutcher movie.
Oh, and the picture inset...that's Dick Durbin, Senate Majority Whip as of the writing of this entry...not Ashton Kutcher. Mr. Durbin may or may not have something to do with the title of this entry.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Governement: Hardly at Work or Too Hard at Work
We have all heard the phrase, work smarter, not harder. Apparently the State of North Carolina take the opposite view.
Last month I filed a tax report that had a problem. It was my mistake. I accidentally counted some money for the wrong month. I thought I owed $434 and had already filled out the form when I realized my mistake. The tax belonged to a different month. I really owed nothing for the month. The form is pre-filled from a booklet, so there was no spare. I didn't really think anything of it; I just crossed out the amount and wrote zero. It made the form ugly, but hey, all it said was "0" anyway.
The response from the state was ridiculous. Apparently the forms are read by a machine, which could not make out my scratched up correction. I can understand that, and as previously admitted, that was my fault entirely.
However, their reaction is just plain stupid. If the machine can't read the form, it should just go into a pile for human processing. Any reasonable human being -- or even a state employee -- could read the form. They would also have been able to verify the non-existence of the check to pay the $0 amount.
But why do the quick and easy thing? Instead, it apparently goes into a pile for human non-processing. Rather than simply reading the form and entering the information, they read the form and generated a whole new form -- by hand -- saying that the machine couldn't read my form. After filling out the form they sent the whole thing back to me (at taxpayer expense) with a blank form for me to fill out...with another 0.
My guess is, there is a full-time position in the "I can't read this form" department just to take care of this sort of thing. The persons job is to ignore the simple solution to the problem, create a bunch of new paperwork, and cost the taxpayers money.
The next thing I'm looking forward to is a fine for late filing a form with a zero on it. That will be a joy!
Automotive Patriotism
Some people argue about whether it is more patriotic to buy an American car than a foreign car. I happen to have an Acura, which is made in Japan.
This picture is proof of the patriotism of foreign automobiles. On July 4, 2008, my car added it's support. When I went to start up the car, the trip odometer read "1776". Okay, just a hair past, but still pretty good.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Dumbing Down Pride
I am sure I am not alone in being annoyed by the "Proud Parent" bumper stickers. I'm proud of my kids too, but I don't need to advertise it on my car. Get a blog for Pete's sake! :)
But worse is how the threshold of pride keeps dropping. It used to be "Proud Parent of an Honor Student at Lincoln High". Now it's things like "My Kid is a Good Citizen at Lincoln High".
This is the same sort of self-esteem garbage we see constantly from the misguided school system. You can't say someone is "better" because it will hurt the feelings of others. So, there are no "winners" only "participants".
But where does this end? Let's fast forward through a few years of political correctness...
My Kid is a Good Citizen at Lincoln High -- implies a value in citizenry, which implies loyalty to some contrived system
My Kid is a Human Being at Lincoln High -- what about non-humans? Animals? Aliens? Non-humans are people too!
My Kid is an Person at Lincoln High -- better, but still might offend some aliens
My Kid is an Entity at Lincoln High -- yeah...except for the "kid" part, that is still too human
My Offspring is an Entity at Lincoln High -- but that could be offensive to the infertile
The Organic Organism in My Care is an Entity at Lincoln High -- Could be offensive to robots and cyborgs
An Object in My Care is an Entity at Lincoln High -- not bad
Really fills you with pride, doesn't it.
But worse is how the threshold of pride keeps dropping. It used to be "Proud Parent of an Honor Student at Lincoln High". Now it's things like "My Kid is a Good Citizen at Lincoln High".
This is the same sort of self-esteem garbage we see constantly from the misguided school system. You can't say someone is "better" because it will hurt the feelings of others. So, there are no "winners" only "participants".
But where does this end? Let's fast forward through a few years of political correctness...
My Kid is a Good Citizen at Lincoln High -- implies a value in citizenry, which implies loyalty to some contrived system
My Kid is a Human Being at Lincoln High -- what about non-humans? Animals? Aliens? Non-humans are people too!
My Kid is an Person at Lincoln High -- better, but still might offend some aliens
My Kid is an Entity at Lincoln High -- yeah...except for the "kid" part, that is still too human
My Offspring is an Entity at Lincoln High -- but that could be offensive to the infertile
The Organic Organism in My Care is an Entity at Lincoln High -- Could be offensive to robots and cyborgs
An Object in My Care is an Entity at Lincoln High -- not bad
Really fills you with pride, doesn't it.
Is There a Doctor in the House?
This is what happens when a child uses headphones before he uses a stethoscope.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Pickles and Hemlock
We buried my grandmother last weekend. She was a resilient woman of 92 years who had a long, rich life, fought through much adversity, and bounced back from several incidents in her later years that would have meant the end of most.
I remember her for a lot of things: special treats she baked on an old wood-burning stove, playing in the mazes we built in the huge patch of lilacs in her yard, and many other things. But the things I remember most are two incidents that just make me laugh.
One time, we were all sitting around in her kitchen discussing politics and the troubles of the world -- well, complaining really since I don't recall any real solutions being offered. My grandmother was quietly working around the kitchen until she finally chimed in with her take on what was wrong with the world..."And the price of pickles...!" If she finished the sentence, I didn't hear it over the sound I was making rolling on the floor laughing.
On another occasion, we were talking about someone choking. I don't recall why that was the topic, who else was there, or what they had to say. The only thing I remember is my grandmother's advice: If someone is choking, give them the "Hemlock maneuver". Results may vary.
Farewell grandma. Rest in the arms of your savior.
I remember her for a lot of things: special treats she baked on an old wood-burning stove, playing in the mazes we built in the huge patch of lilacs in her yard, and many other things. But the things I remember most are two incidents that just make me laugh.
One time, we were all sitting around in her kitchen discussing politics and the troubles of the world -- well, complaining really since I don't recall any real solutions being offered. My grandmother was quietly working around the kitchen until she finally chimed in with her take on what was wrong with the world..."And the price of pickles...!" If she finished the sentence, I didn't hear it over the sound I was making rolling on the floor laughing.
On another occasion, we were talking about someone choking. I don't recall why that was the topic, who else was there, or what they had to say. The only thing I remember is my grandmother's advice: If someone is choking, give them the "Hemlock maneuver". Results may vary.
Farewell grandma. Rest in the arms of your savior.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Helpful liberals
Liberals are such helpful people. I'm not sure it is possible to be a liberal without having a cause. They just always want to help.
The problem that I have is their concept of "helping". I always thought that helping meant that you do something helpful -- you contribute something. But generally when a liberal tries to "help" a cause, it involves them trying to make other people do things and pay money.
Liberals help the environment by telling you and me that we are destroying the planet and we should change the way we do everything. Thanks for the help guys, I think I can smell the cleaner air.
Liberals want to help the poor, so they take money from you and me and give it to them. Thanks liberals, you really did your part. I sure wish I could help the poor.
Liberals, please stop! I don't have the time, energy or money to keep "accepting" your help!
The problem that I have is their concept of "helping". I always thought that helping meant that you do something helpful -- you contribute something. But generally when a liberal tries to "help" a cause, it involves them trying to make other people do things and pay money.
Liberals help the environment by telling you and me that we are destroying the planet and we should change the way we do everything. Thanks for the help guys, I think I can smell the cleaner air.
Liberals want to help the poor, so they take money from you and me and give it to them. Thanks liberals, you really did your part. I sure wish I could help the poor.
Liberals, please stop! I don't have the time, energy or money to keep "accepting" your help!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
.45 Caliber Chiuaua?
We were sitting in church today and the pastor was preaching about the Israelites about to march around Jericho. He mentioned that they had no weapons.My daughter turned to me and said "A weapon is a chiuaua." I said "What?" -- I thought I must have misheard her. "A weapon is a chiuaua," she repeated, matter-of-factly.
Now, kids say funny things all the time, but this one really had me stumped. What was going on inside that little brain? Maybe we need to give up home schooling if this is the result.
Just when I was ready to give up trying to understand, her cousin, sitting beside her, chimed in "No, I have a Webkinz."
Monday, February 11, 2008
Home Sweet ... Battery?
My son has a lot of toys, many of them that use batteries. In fact, an amazing number of them that use batteries. (Is there anything that can't be battery powered?) He is always leaving his flashlight on and then complains that its "out of batteries".
Last week there was a car crash a few blocks from our house. It hit a pole and knocked out power to our whole neighborhood. The way he saw it, our house was "out of batteries". :)
Alms for the Independent
Have you seen the commercials for the hoveround motorized wheelchair? You can regain your mobility and independence...and Medicare will pay for it.That's right, regain your independence by making all the rest of us buy you a wheelchair.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Ho, Ho, Ho
Christmas insanity: 'Ho, ho, ho' becomes 'Ha, ha, ha'
Controversy erupts over attempt to gag Santa's greeting
The concern expressed by these Newspeak police is
Whenever anyone says it's for the children, the only thing to determine is what is really for. Rest assured, it is anything but the children.
Controversy erupts over attempt to gag Santa's greeting
The concern expressed by these Newspeak police is"ho, ho, ho" phrase could frighten children and possibly be derogatory to women.Would that be the same children who are taught how to put condoms on produce at increasingly younger ages?
Whenever anyone says it's for the children, the only thing to determine is what is really for. Rest assured, it is anything but the children.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Liberal View on Privacy
Liberals know all about privacy. They will stand up for the government staying out of personal affairs -- affairs such as a private U.S. citizen talking to a friend in the middle-east which may have some alleged tie to terrorism. Privacy is of utmost importance.
Privacy is not always the most important issue, of course. In the financial matters, it is perfectly fine to demand every U.S. citizen give an account of every cent of income annually. In fact, it would be fine if they have to sign the report under penalty of purgery and be available for appearance before the IRS for years afterward on a discrepancy of the smallest detail.
Yes, true freedom is having to count every penny for the government and freely coordinate Jihad with your innocent overseas friends. By the way, where on the 1040 do I write off Jihad-related expenses?
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Kids say the darndest things
Kid's say some pretty funny things. My son is 2 years 4 months and talking up a storm.I keep forgetting the cute things he said, so I thought I'd commit one to this blog to preserve it. We were eating out and had him strapped into a seat (a result of his shaking salt all over the booth seat a couple of minutes earlier). When he wanted to get out of his seat, he said "Buckle me out!"
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Chew on This
In April, Prince William broke up with Kate Middleton. Some have speculated that the split had something to do with Kate's mother chewing gum in the presence of royalty. Apparently it is considered distasteful, a sign of rebellion, and generally not appropriate around the Royal's.Here's what I find inappropriate: setting yourself above others and judging someone for something as trivial as chewing gum.
It makes me proud to be part of a country that threw off arrogant royalty and judges people on their own merits rather than the purity of their blood.
Let's rejoice that the King is dead. And if you want to double your pleasure, chew on this.
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
I don't smoke. But if you do, smoke away, while I complain about the freedom-hating anti-smoking crowd. I think I'll call them Smokeophobes. They want to tell everyone else what to do.Their most prominent message venue is a never-ending series of "Truth" commercials. One of the main messages of these commercials is: "Big Tobacco" is evil and tobacco executives are evil. They aren't really telling us anything new; they are just deamonizing people. Why are they so concerned about something that really is none of their business?
One of their recent commercials starts out "As long ago as 1969, a tobacco company executive..." then talks about some product-placement in the Muppet Movie, from over 25 years ago! It's like condemning people for slavery by saying "As long ago as 1850..." How about some relavant timely issues?
It bothers me that it has become politically correct to treat smokers as second-class citizens. And I find it especially ironic that the Smokeophobes are largely liberals (a generalization on my part topped only by the generalizations they make of tobacco executives), the same people who believe that abortion is a protected moral right. It's okay to kill a child in your body, but your lungs are sacred!
It is also particularly rude that their web site, clearly shown on the commercial is "Whudafxup". Very classy. I guess that tells us the caliber of people standing in moral judgment over anyone lighting up.
I can be rude and deamonizing too. Here's an idea for a commercial: Whudafxup with those stupid glasses? They were in style as long ago as 1969.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Loose Lips
Shock jock radio jerks are in danger of killing free speech for people who actually have something to say. Immediately on the tails of Imus's firing, a scandal erupted involving Opie and Anthony. Personally, I've never had much use for insulting juvenile humor. And since I'm too cheap to pay for satellite radio anyway, I've never heard Opie and Anthony's show. I heard the news reports. Their show had some crude comments demeaning Laura Bush, Condi Rice, and the Queen of England (she was visiting at the time). Apparently they didn't even say it; they just laughed at it.In any case, I don't really care what they said. I find it very sad that people turn to this sort of thing as entertainment. But then again, I love South Park, so there's no accounting for taste.
The problem is by pushing the limits they are making an opening for others to be silenced as well. There are many conservative commentators that believe there is an effort by liberals to use this "He said ____! Fire him!" routine to silence conservative radio -- a medium not adequately controlled by the fair-minded gatekeepers that control everything else that makes it into public discourse.
Free speech is about the freedom to express ideas, especially political ideas. That is, in fact, the reason it appears in the Bill of Rights. By abusing the idea with worthless blather, the lowbrow attempts at humor could erode the free expression of real ideas. People's failing to exercise self-restraint often results in restraint being imposed from the outside, becoming an encumbrance on us all.
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