The Truth As I See It

One thing about the internet is you can remain as anonymous or famous as you want. You can post all of your personal information (not recommended) including your real name or you can come up with a screen name. You can tell the everyone all kinds of things about yourself or create a world/persona that exists only in your mind.

I encountered one of the latter type individuals the other day. How do I know? They used their real name and posted a picture; it was an individual I used to work with...BUT they seemed to have stated some things that, well, let's just say the individual in question handled the truth a little carelessly.

It was one of those "X number of things people don't know about me" blogs where you divulge all kinds of secrets or unknown facts about yourself. You know the stuff: "I'm scared of being buried alive." "I have six toes on my right foot." "I love chocolate sauce on spinach." One of the unknown facts this person posted was--and I'm not making this up--was:

At age 12 I could run the mile barefoot in 4 minutes...

Just for the record, Roger Bannister first broke the four-minute-mile barrier 1954. Since that time, the record has been broken several times by male runners. The current record is held by Hicham El Guerrouj, who set a time of 3 minutes 43.13 seconds in Rome in 1999. According to Wikipedia: "No woman has yet run a four-minute mile: the current women's record holder is retired Russian Svetlana Masterkova, with a time of 4 minutes 12.56 seconds." A New York Times article on January 21, 2001 states:

Alan Webb of Virginia became the first high school competitor to run a sub-four-minute mile indoors and the first to do so anywhere since 1967 when he clocked 3 minutes 59.86 seconds yesterday at the New Balance Track and Field Games at the Armory Track and Field Center. (Source)

So...let's put the previously mentioned blogger's comments into perspective. He/she claims to have run a record breaking distance while IN JUNIOR HIGH and yet, reliable sources state that feat was not accomplished by ANYONE under 21 until 2001. I'm thinking a four-minute-mile by a 12 year old would be pretty big news in the sports world, but I don't find anything, anywhere supporting his/her claim. Maybe there was some catostrophic world event the day of his/her record breaking accomplishment and it was simply pushed to the back pages of the news.

I read the blog and immediately thought of the following scene from a recent re-run of Sienfeld where George has purchased a very obvious hair piece, which he is convinced looks quite natural. In the scene, George and Jerry are talking about George's upcoming blind date and the conversation went something like this:

George: We talked on the phone for over an hour.
Jerry: Did you describe yourself to her?
George: Yes, I did.
Jerry: Did you tell her the truth?
George: Yes, I did.
Jerry: As you see it?
George: Yes...as I see it.

I guess some people see things or remember things quite differently from reality. Oh, the picture at the right? That's me after a workout at the gym...at least that's how I see it.

A Better Plan

I received the following from a friend; I have no idea where he got it, but it dang sure sounds like a better plan than the bovine excrement that we got crammed down our throats today. Take the time to honestly read it.

When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seems to happen is they reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers need to find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated as well. Wall street, and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of "tough decision", and his board of directors gives him a big bonus.

Our government should not be immune from similar risks.

Therefore: Reduce the House of Representatives from the current 435 members to 218 members and Senate members from 100 to 50 (one per State). Also reduce remaining staff by 25%.

Accomplish this over the next 8 years. (two steps / two elections ) and of course this would require some redistricting.

Some Yearly Monetary Gains Include:

$44,108,400 for elimination of base pay for congress. (267 members X $165,200 pay / member / yr.)

$97,175,000 for elimination of the above people's staff. (estimate $1.3 Million in staff per each member of the House, and $3 Million in staff per each member of the Senate every year)

$240,294 for the reduction in remaining staff by 25%.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork barrel ear-marks each year. (those members whose jobs are gone. Current estimates for total government pork earmarks are at $15 Billion / yr)

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and would need to improve efficiencies. It might even be in their best interests to work together for the good of our country?

We may also expect that smaller committees might lead to a more efficient resolution of issues as well. It might even be easier to keep track of what your representative is doing.

Congress has more tools available to do their jobs than it had back in 1911 when the current number of representatives was established. (telephone, computers, cell phones to name a few)

Note:
Congress did not hesitate to head home when it was a holiday, when the nation needed a real fix to the economic problems. Also, we have 3 senators that have not been doing their jobs for the past 18+ months (on the campaign trail) and still they all have been accepting full pay. These facts alone support a reduction in senators & congress.

Summary of opportunity:

$ 44,108,400 reduction of congress members.

$282,100, 000 for elimination of the reduced house member staff.

$150,000,000 for elimination of reduced senate member staff.

$59,675,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining house members.

$37,500,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining senate members.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork added to bills by the reduction of congress members.

$8,073,383,400 per year, estimated total savings. (that's 8-BILLION just to start!)

Big business does these types of cuts all the time.

If Congresspersons were required to serve 20, 25 or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits there is no telling how much we would save. Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term.

Hope...With This Stimulus Package?!

How in the world does President BO expect me to have "hope" when he is proposing his current stimulus plan? $825 BILLION for what?! Much of the money won't even be spent for years, so how is that supposed to stimulate the economy NOW? Why not stimulate the economy via massive tax cuts that would almost immediately put spendable dollars in Ameican's pockets? Quoting columnist Thomas Sowell:

Using long, drawn-out processes to put money into circulation to meet an
emergency is like mailing a letter to the fire department to tell them that your
house is on fire.

Hope? I just hope middle class Americans like myself can financially survive the next four (maybe eight) years. What amazes me is to hear BO make comments like (paraphrasing here) "I want to make America a better place for my daughters." With this stimulus plan, I don't see it.

There is SO MUCH waste on things we don't NEED such as funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, not to mention money appropriated to organizations that actually already have a surplus of cash. And need I mention, the stimulus package includes money for BO's beloved ACORN!--why would we give those people another dime?!

So, just how much is $825 Billion (just shy of $1 Trillion)? Presient Reagan illustrated it best:

...the best way to understand a trillion dollars is to imagine a crisp, new stack of $1000 bills.

• If you had a stack four inches high, you’d be a millionaire.
• A trillion-dollar stack of $1000 bills would measure just over 63 miles high.
• In $20 bills, a trillion dollar stack would be 3150 miles high. That’s about the distance between DC and Trujillo, Peru.

If you can stand it, here are some of the details of he stimulus package. WARNING: It ain't pretty.
How Big is Obama's Stimulus Package?
Breakdown of the Obama Stimulus Package
More Stimulus Facts

Stop Listening to Rush

Barack Obama (BO) told a group of lawmakers on Friday (01/23) "...You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done." Apparently:

• BO has listened to Rush and doesn't like what he has to say.
• BO is afraid other people listen to Rush.
• BO is REALLY afraid that if people listen to Rush, they may quit listening to HIM.

I don't listen to Rush; not that I don't like him. I used to listen, but my schedule changed at work and now it's just not convenient. I do listen to Glenn Beck when I have time. I'm a Glenn Beck Insider, so I stream the broadcasts when it's convenient. I also listen to Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham on the way home from work. I don't agree with everything those radio personalities say--but I do agree with a lot of it. I don't need them to say things for me to have an opinion. I can read and I can listen to what BO says/is saying and the bottom line is: He don't think like me...nor any of the people I associate with.

I didn't vote for BO. I believe he will spend and tax us into the biggest mess this country has ever seen. I believe he will work fervently to limit or take away some of the rights we currently enjoy as Americans. I believe he will push (via The Fairness Doctrine) to quiet voices like Rush, Beck and Hannity. I think he is bad for America and that it will not be long before even those who voted for him will be asking themselves: "What have we done?" to which I will reply, "who's this we you're talking about?

Know what? I may have to start listening to Rush again...

Obama's Trojan Horse

In a recent editorial, Dick Morris, states:

Now that Obama is the president, fasten your seat belts...We will enter his Administration as the United States, buoyed by an aggressive free market economy. We will exit his first year - and even the first hundred days - as France, burdened with massive government regulation, a vast public sector, and permanent middle class entitlements...

The most pernicious of his proposals will be the massive Make Work Pay refundable tax credit. Dressed up as a tax cut, it will be a national welfare program, guaranteeing a majority of American households an annual check to “refund” taxes they never paid. And it will eliminate the need for about 20% of American households to pay income taxes, lifting the proportion that need not do so to a majority of the voting population. Unlike the Bush stimulus checks, this new program will be a permanent entitlement, a part of our budget that can only go up and never down. Politically, it will transform a majority of Americans from taxpayers, anxious to hold down government spending, into tax eaters, eager to reap new benefits.

You can read the entire post here.

Just what we wanted/needed. More sponges sitting on their butts with their hands out to recieve their "entitlements"...paid for by those of us that will continue to work and give even more of our hard earned dollars to a government that apparently doesn't know the true meaning of the word "budget."

Dear Mr. President

NOTE: Everyone and their dog seems to be posting their "Dear Mr. President" letters, so here's mine.
 

Dear Mr. President:
I didn't vote for you. Actually, I voted against you. I would have voted for pretty much anybody or anything that ran against you. I don't care for your stated policies or beliefs. I think you are very dishonest, which is probably what makes you such a good politician. I am sad for our country in that you were able to dupe so many people into believing you were all about "change."

I believe that God is in control of all things and for whatever reason, He has ordained you to be the President of the United States. He knows why; at this point, I do not and can only speculate that your election is His condemnation of America and a wake-up call that we would be wise to heed. You support abortion on demand and homosexual/lesbian lifestyles, things that as a Christian, I cannot condone. I believe these and other anti-Biblical positions your hold will be your downfall if you continue to endorse them.

I WILL pray for you, that God will change your heart, that you will be genuinely saved, and that you will be the President we really need...not the President you promised to be.

Programming Note

Please set your DVRs for a very special television event that will be taking place on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2008.

There is something else on the other channels, but for the life of me, I can't remember what it is. Must not be that big o' deal.

Brand New Used Stuff

I went to Lowe's yesterday to pick up a few things for the office I've added on my house. I was installing cabinets and needed some screws and an attachment for my Dremel ® for cutting out the cabinet backs where they covered electrical outlets.

I grabbed the screws, then headed to the Tool Department to find the Dremel aisle. Man, they've got a lot of neat stuff for Dremels. Anyhoo, I found the attachment I was looking for, but noticed it had been opened. Everything appeared to be in the package, but the clamshell container had been cut open, then taped back together. "Someone must have bought the thing and returned it because it didn't fit," I told myself. I noticed on the front of the package it stated "for models xxx, xxx, xxx." "Maybe they had a Dremel that wasn't listed and just failed to pay attention to the label."

I made my way to the self check-out and headed home where I discovered something very interesting: the Dremel thingy had been USED! It was obvious when I got it out of the package! Here's my theory: the person "bought" the item, took it home, used it, then returned it for a refund. Now, maybe they got the thing home and tried it out and it just didn't perform to their expectations...or maybe they went to the store, "pretended" to buy the thing knowing full well they were going to bring it back for a refund after using it. If the latter is the case, that ain't right!

I put the cutting attachment on my Dremel, made my cuts and put everything away, but I couldn't help but wondering how often stuff like that happens.

I've written about it before, but it reminded me of a family I know that, when they needed new clothes for a special event, would go to the store, "buy" the clothes, WEAR THEM being careful not to soil of tear them, THEN RETURN THE ITEMS TO THE STORE FOR A FULL REFUND! That's not even like renting!

Nobama.TV

I'm boycotting television on Tuesday, Jan 20. I'm sorry; I just can't stand to look at the guy.

1 Corinthians 13

I've been busy with several other projects lately and have neglected my photography hobby. I got my camera out this afternoon and played around with "lighting" different objects. I know this one has been done before, but it was fun setting up and just playing with different angles, light, etc.

A Fairy Tale

nce upon a time, there was a young and handsome king. The king was very popular with most of the subjects in his kingdom. The king promised to take care of them, to provide them with cars and houses...all for free...at least that's how they heard it. The king promised to make everything right, for you see, the kingdom had hit upon some hard times. People were without jobs, and they were losing their homes because the mean ol' banks had loaned them money they couldn't have paid back on a bet.

There was also a lot of crime in the kingdom which the king vowed would be eradicated under his reign. The problem was the availability of rocks; the criminals were throwing rocks at innocent people. Some of the victims were just seriously injured while others were killed. Things were getting out of control, until the king came up with a plan.

"In order for people to feel safe in my kingdom, I must regulate rocks," he said. Rocks were already so much a part of kingdom life, the king knew he couldn't do away with them, but he could make them more difficult or expensive to obtain. "Beginning today, there shall be a 500 per cent tax on all rock sales," the king declared. "Once people cannot afford rocks, they will quit hurting people with them."

Miraculously, the king's plan worked. The criminals ¹ could no longer afford rocks and so they were no longer able to hurt people. Sadly, the rock manufacturers went out of business because no one was buying rocks anymore.

The End.

¹ It is a widely known fact that criminals are basically good people and would never think of stealing the rocks rather than purchasing them.

If There is a God...

Dave Matthews* is quoted as saying: ""I'm glad some people have that faith. I don't have that faith. If there is a God, a caring God, then we have to figure he's done an extraordinary job of making a very cruel world." (Source)

Isn't it interesing that when things go bad...it's always God's fault. It's like your insurance policy--a catasrophe is an "act of God." But when was the last time you heard someone refer to a sunset, a beautiful melody, or the birth of a child in the same way..."an act of God?"

It never occurs to people like Dave Matthews that depraved people just might be the problem.

* Wikipedia describes Dave Matthews as "a South African-American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band..." To be honest, I am unfamiliar with any of his work.

Vacation Idea

Looking for a place to take the family on vacation or maybe to relocate? Try Illinois! I received the following information in an email today. Looks the data is right on.

• Senators: Barack Obama & Dick Durbin
• Representative: Jesse Jackson, Jr.
• Illinois Governor: Rod Blogojevich
• Illinois House leader: Mike Madigan
• Illinois Attorney General: Lisa Madigan (daughter of Mike )
• Chicago Mayor: Richard M. Daley (son of Mayor Richard J. Daley)
• The leadership in Illinois? All Democrats.
• Body count in the last six months: 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago (Just for comparison - 221 killed in Iraq during the same period)
• State pension fund: $44 Billion in debt, worst in the country.
• Cook County ( Chicago ) sales tax: 10.25% highest in country.
• Chicago school system: Rated one of the worst in the country.

Of course, they're all blaming each other. They can't blame Republicans-because there aren't any. This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois. And he's going to "fix" Washington politics for us?

Obama Health Care

As I look forward (he said tongue-in-cheek) to the Obama inauguration and presidency, I'm wondering about some things--one in particular: Obama's health care plan. From his own website, President-Elect Obama proposes:

Requir[ing] insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so all Americans regardless of their health status or history can get comprehensive benefits at fair and stable premiums. (Source)

So if you are prone to neglect your health AND common sense by setting things on fire and and sucking on them like a pacifier as well as consuming 6000+ calories a day, all while sitting on your big, fat lazy butt and most certainly guaranteeing your sooner-than-it-has-to-be-death...you don't need to worry about being denied health care coverage!

Now, I'm not the epitome of health, but I certainly am smart enough to realize that: (a) smoking, eating too much, getting very little or no exercise, and generally not doing ANYTHING to better my health ain't a good idea (b) somebody's gonna have to pay for all these fat slobs that have the self-discipline of a gnat when their bodies begin revolting against all of the years of abuse.

I bet the insurance companies will simply feel sorry for us and just absorb any of the additional costs of this plan. Yeah...I'm sure they will.