May You have a Prosperous 2012

Prosperity.  Webster defines it as: a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune.  I say that prosperity is something that happens between a person's ears.  Yes, financial success contributes to a person's sense of prosperity, but so does family, faith, and self-contentment.  You can be prosperous and broke.  But our society too often equates prosperity with wealth.


Many people feel that prosperity is a right, something they are entitled to, or something that can be given to them by someone else.  The Occupy Movement is a great example of this belief.  They are wrong.  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  The Declaration of Independence tells us that we have the right to pursue happiness (or prosperity), not that we have a right to be happy or prosperous.


Only a very few lottery winners, debutantes, heirs or heiresses are awarded their prosperity.  Most prosperous people have worked  to attain it.  If anyone relies on someone else for their own prosperity, they will be disappointed.  Governments cannot give prosperity.  Neither can those who are already prosperous.  


But you can learn about prosperity from those who already have it.  How did they get it?  They most likely started with an education.  They then applied what they learned to create value, whether by producing a product or service that others are willing to pay for, or by filling a role within someone else's enterprise.  Regardless, nearly all that have achieved prosperity have worked hard for it.  


So I wish you a happy new year, and a prosperous 2012.  But you will need to work for it.

Campaign Kickoff

With the Iowa caucus less than a week away, we are nearing the official kickoff of the 2012 campaign for President.  On the democrat side, we have Humpty Dumpty, a broken president that has been and will continue to be patch together by a complicit mainstream media.  Humpty Dumpty should not have a chance to win, but as we learned form 2008, the press can make a difference.  Much of whether Humpty Dumpty is re-elected has to do with who the republicans decide to run against him.  Without the mainstream media and with a modicum of intelligence, the American people would elect Rodney King before they would re-elect Obama.  Who can the republicans run that has at least the same electability of Mr. King?

Newt Gingrich - Always the smartest guy in the room, has great ideas and a track record of leading a successful conservative movement, but says really dumb off-the-cuff things.  If we anointed presidents, Newt is the right guy.  Unfortunately, we don't and a successful candidate must gain a majority of those who bother to get our of bed vote.  So many people hate Newt.  During the campaign, he will probably say something that will cause more voters to hate him.  I like Newt a lot, but I don't think he can win.

Rick Perry - Americans won't elect another Texas governor for a few decades.  Perry has few new ideas, and a propensity for looking dumber than a box of rocks.  If he were to become the republican nominee, we would see his brain cramp during the republican debates over and over between now and next November.  He just can't beat Humpty Dumpty.

Ron Paul - Strong on fiscal policy, weak on everything else.  I tire of Paul supporters telling me how his foreign policy is pure brilliance.  He has no policy.  His so called foreign policy is to do nothing.  That's not a foreign policy, that is doing nothing and letting other countries do it to us.  If by chance he becomes the nominee, expect 4 more years of Humpty Dumpty.  Paul's more likely impact on the election would be a third party run.  If he does that, expect 4 more years of Humpty Dumpty.  Paul can't win, but he can help Obama.

Michelle Bachmann - The favorite of the Tea Party, and much like Sarah Palin, Michelle has been destroyed by the media.  Who might be the most effective opponent of a slick black man?  Another one (Herman Cain) or a woman.  The democrat machine has made sure the women, Bachmann nor Palin, can beat the anointed one.

Jon Huntsman - Forget about Jon.  He would be more at home challenging Obama for the democratic nomination.  Jon comes off as smug and arrogant.  His demeanor is not presidential, and he isn't a conservative.  Enough said.

Rick Santorum - Rick was given little time to make his case during the 500 republican debates held so far, but he is one of the true conservatives in the race, and a personal favorite.  I am hoping that his recent move in the polls is a sign of things to come.  Rick has no major baggage that would restrict a national campaign.  His biggest problem is name recognition, something the debates have not helped.  In all likelihood, Santorum becomes the VP candidate for whoever wins the nomination.

Mitt Romney - Mitt is worrisome to any conservative.  He has a history of a chameleon.  He is liberal when he feels he needs to be.  Is he acting conservative now for the same reason?  He does have a lot going for him.  He has weathered the criticism level against his past positions very well.  He seems to be a good debater, and would probably hold his own against Obama.  Conservatives have done a good job at cornering him on key issues.  He can't run from his commitment to stop Obamacare and out of control spending.  Nobody has better private enterprise experience and results than Romney.  He is an executive that has the skills to lead.

Any of these candidates would be a better president that Humpty Dumpty.  What is most important in 2012 is assuring that Obama is defeated.  Who is the best candidate?  I feel somewhat guilty for this, but Romney seems to have the best chance of beating Obama.  I would rather have Gingrich, Santorum or Bachmann but feel these three have problems that Obama might use to win.  That cannot happen.

A lot can happen between now and November, but at this point, I believe Romney has the best chance of beating Obama.

Payroll Tax Holiday

The continued Keystone Cops routine playing in the halls of congress took a bizarre turn this week when the Senate got off their lazy butts and passed an idiotic 2 month payroll tax cut extension.  Assuming the senators understand that a 2 month extension enactment is burdensome to both large and small businesses everywhere and that it will not have a significant impact in improving the economy, one can only conclude they wanted to kick the can down the road two months and fight about it later.

Clown #1 (John Boehner) mistakenly believed the house republicans would take the easy road too and pass the 2 month extension.  Much to clown #1's surprise, the house did not go along and instead passed a 1 year extension.  Under normal rules the two bills would be sent to a house and senate conference committee to resolve differences and resubmit a single modified bill to both houses.  That is when clown #2 (Harry Reid), who had already adjourned the senate, refused to participate.

So now, clown #1 is emphatically broadcasting that his guys are still in Washington and ready to negotiate, while clown #2 is refusing and blaming the impending payroll tax hike on the house.  Obama has sided with clown #2 by calling for the house to come back in session and pass the 2 month extension.  If you have been following this circus, you might be wondering what Frank thinks.  Get ready for a surprise.

My take is this.  Everything is fine just the way it is now.  Let the rate return to 6% on January 1st.  Why?  Because if you have a popular program like Social Security that is not fully funded (meaning that Chinese loans will make up the difference in 2012), you do not intentionally cut funding (or in this case, continue to extend a tax break).  At a tax rate of 6%, Social Security continues to remain solvent for a few more years.  At 4% it is immediately insolvent.

The Washington lunacy followed closely by a radical left media are trying (somewhat successfully)  to put all the blame on the republican house.  They will trot out case after case of sob stories, people who will claim they cannot survive without that extra 2% in their paycheck.  All the pain a suffering caused by the republicans who wouldn't agree to a flawed and idiotic 2 month extension, but instead agreed on a 1 year extension.  They will be flogged mercilessly, all in the mainstream media's attempt to put humpty dumpty (Obama) back together again in time for the 2012 elections.

Why aren't they asking why Obama cut funding to Social Security in the first place when he initially instituted the payroll tax cut?  While they are at it, why not ask why this progressive socialist president cut Medicare funding as part of his grandiose Obamacare take over of the American health care system?  Why would he support the continued under funding of Social Security? Obama is the only president in history to cut both Social Security and Medicare funding - all in the first 2 years of his first term!  Isn't that a big deal?  Republicans have attempted to reform both entitlements.  Democrats have simply cut funding to both.  Who does the mainstream media characterize as enemies of Social Security and Medicare?

If these facts were reported accurately, the Occupy movement might have to battle senior citizens for park space in which to demonstrate.

UPDATE: Just 10 minutes after posting this I read that clown #1 blinked.  How come I never get what I want?

Beale Street

Friday afternoon was spent at the National Civil Rights museum in downtown Memphis.   Friday evening was spent just a few blocks away at a location known simply as Beale Street.  Beale Street is the club district in Memphis and boasts a talented and diverse line up of local bar bands.  I had not been to Beale Street since BILL's bachelor party some 30+ years ago.

But BILS wanted to go Beale Street, sort of his last hurrah before going under the knife.  He has shoulder surgery schedule for this afternoon.  So BILS, SILL, nephew Willy and I headed downtown for dinner and to catch some music.  Since I am a servant at heart, I volunteered to be the designated driver.  I didn't encourage the other 3 to take advantage of my service, however they did.

Our first stop was Blues City Cafe to continue my pursuit of the best barbecue in America.  I didn't find it, but the local ribs were fine.  The band was supposed to start at 7:00, which turned into 7:30 and finally 8:00.  Within a few minutes of their first note, we all agreed to find a better spot for music.  Just two doors down, we settled on a place where the Patrick Dodd trio was playing.  Patrick is a gifted blues guitarist.  We spent the next two hours enjoying a couple of sets.

That is where the trouble began.  Nephew Willy spotted a Petrone Tequila logo on the bar.  Three or four shots later, nephew Willy took a nap.   BILS was keeping up with nephew Willy and in fact took the lead a few minutes later with his fourth or fifth shot.  BILS was tolerating the alcohol far better than nephew Willy.  In fact, BILS was having a pretty good time which would continue for the next hour or so.  Nephew Willy's good time ended just a few seconds after the following video was shot.

Memphis

Using my last few vacation days of the year I was able to spend a few days in Memphis celebrating NILK's graduation from the U of Memphis.  That celebration occurred last Saturday evening.  Since I arrived on Thursday evening, I had quite a bit of time to spend doing other things.  One of the "other things" I decided to do was visit the National Civil Rights Museum in downtown Memphis.


The trip included NILB, NILK and FILN.  The four of us headed downtown, and started with a lunch at Gus's Fried Chicken (it's World Famous!) just a few blocks from the museum.  Gus's Chicken is a soul-food establishment with a limited menu - spicy chicken.  You can order it white, dark, or as strips, but it all comes out white and spicy.

While Gus claims to serve soul food, the patrons were overwhelmingly pasty white even though the restaurant is located in a predominately black neighborhood.   The chicken was tender and juicy, just like you get at KFC.  It was a little spicy, but not too much, just enough to get your attention.  Would I go back.?  Probably so, if I was in the mood for spicy chicken.

After lunch we were off to the museum.  I did not go immediately into the museum as a call from a boss at work delayed me.  I loitered outside as I took the call.  Seeing me as easy prey, a fairly aggressive panhandler approached.  His first comment was that he knew I was not prejudiced because, well,  I was here at the Civil Rights Museum wasn't I?  Memphis has some of the most thoughtful and intellectual pan handlers I have ever encountered.  After disposing of him without losing a cent (my personal policy), I entered the museum where I garnered my first ever senior discount.  At 55, I was entitled to a $2 discount over the normal $13 price of admission.  I could get used to this!

The museum is laid out chronologically, beginning with the early slave trade that included many of the founding fathers.  It moved on to Lincoln and the emancipation, followed by KKK, lynchings, and the WW1 and WW2 eras.  Most of the information presented dealt with the 50's and 60's and the struggle to force an unwilling south to abide by equal employment and civil rights laws enforced at the federal level.

Images from this period were especially powerful to me.  As a boy, I did not see "Whites Only" signs in my Kansas hometown.  They weren't there because the local population was 100% white.  But that doesn't mean there was no overt racism.  There was.  The news footage of blacks being literally washed off the streets with water cannons brought back distinct memories of comments I heard back then, such as "they should machine gun those niggers down".  Johnson County Kansas was no different than Selma Alabama in those days.  There just wasn't as much opportunity to notice.

The first half of the museum was much like others I have visited - far more information than can possibly be absorbed without spending days there.  I quickly found myself "driving by" most of the exhibits, stopping occasionally to spend time with something that caught my attention.  The second half of  the museum contained the most memorable items.  This is where the National Civil Rights museum acquired and restored the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was murdered, and the boarding house across the street from where Jame Earl Ray shot him.  I can only express the experience of seeing (and remembering) the news footage and pictures from 1968 while standing on the same spot 43 years later, as especially powerful.  These are the memories I will retain.

The museum's content also brought back memories of that night in 1968.  While much of my family remember the night vividly since they were in Memphis, I remember the night because I and a friend "slept out" in my backyard.  We had seen the scenes of rioting coming out of Memphis and other cities.  There was a curfew in Kansas City that night, although rioting was minor.  But my friend and I wondered if blacks would begin burning the town down.  In my small town suburbia, it never happened.  A few nights later, a couple of arson instances were committed in Kansas City, but Shawnee Kansas emerged unscathed after the assassination of Martin Luther King.

Unscathed, but not unchanged.  In my lifetime, civil rights have progressed more that what my father could have ever imagined.  I remember when there was only a couple of black families who lived in the "colored holler" of Merriam, and when a single black kid began attending the same school as I did.  Now, blacks represent 5% of the local population.  I work with blacks every day.  They no longer are maids, custodians and bus boys, but can be found in just about any profession.  I believe most are seen as people first, and blacks second.  No matter what I hear from the "blacks are victims" charlatanism coming from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, I know that we have all come a long way in one generation.

DS of the Week - Robert L. Thatch

So I had a couple minutes and thought it might be time to bring back the DS of the Week blog.  It was just too easy.  In 30 seconds I am on the KC Star Letters page, and there it was, the second letter published today from Robert L. Thatch.

Republican Party’s small government lie



I am tired of Republicans trying to present themselves as the party of “small government.” They usually say it is “as the constitutional framers intended it.”


Think about Homeland Security, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration), the huge growth in the NSA (National Security Agency), plus wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. All of those are of Republican origin, and all are extremely large, expensive and intrusive on personal freedoms.


The next time you hear comments from a Republican about them being champions of small government, say something about their pants being on fire.


Robert L. Thatch
Kansas City

What Robert must have missed was the Constitutional reference that obliges the Federal Government to provide for the common defense.  Since that reference is on the preamble to the Constitution, it is highly likely that Robert L. Thatch is not a constitutional authority, he just plays one in the letters he writes.

From the preamble: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

It is humorous that each point Robert L. Thatch mentions are points that can be honestly argued as defense of America (Homeland Security, TSA, National Security Agency).  Citing two wars can also be considered national defense.  I could give Robert L. Thatch a break if he was arguing against any of the agencies or wars he mentions, but to criticize anyone who say it is what the framers intended only displays a dramatic depth of  ignorance.

Robert L. Thatch, you made it too easy for me.  You are the DS of the Week.

Generating Web Search Engine Hits

During my hiatus from blogging, I did continue to track the number of hits received from Google, Bing, etc.  With so many blogs, the number of hits I get from these sources are sometimes the majority received.  Yes, that's right.  I sometimes get as many as 5 hits in a single day from search engines.  This post is an experiment that attempts to maximize the number of hits received from that source.

First, the majority of hits to my blog have used the key words: "Stack Ranking", "Simple Thoughts", "I am not a smart man", and, George Waldenberger".  Just putting those words in this blog will generate several hits this week.  I can generate a few more using this paragraph:

While strolling through the grocery store, I noticed the magazines that claim you could "lose 20 pounds" without exercise or changing your diet.  They were sitting next to the "Kim Kardashian" and "Lindsay Lohan" magazines, right under the "National Enquirer" with headlines stating "The world will end in 2012" and "Space Aliens Live Among Us".  These ought to be worth a few more hits a day.

The next paragraph should draw hits for the next year:  Did you see "President Obama" and 60 minutes last night?  All the presidential candidates are getting serious air time.  Just the night before, I watched the Republican Debate featuring "Newt Gingrich", "Mitt Romney", "Ron Paul", "Michelle Bachman", "Rick Santorum" and "Rick Perry".

Now trolling for a few more gratuitous hits: "Michael Jackson", "Angelina Jolie", "Brad Pitt", "Jennifer Aniston", and "Jennifer Lopez".  The Internets most popular keywords are: "Google", "E-Bay", "Yahoo.com", "Music", "Mapquest", "Google.com", "Food", "Travel", "Hotmail", and "Computer".  Makes you wonder if most users of search engines are brand new users, doesn't it?  I was surprised the word "sex" was not in the top ten.  I'll keep you posted on whether the number of hits to this blog increase.

Between now and January 2013

Hello, it's me again.  I have intentionally ignored this blog and enjoyed every minute of it.  In case you missed it, the days of one blog every day except Sunday are over.  I found the discipline needed to maintain that pace to be like my personal ball and chain.  "What would I write next?" was my all-consuming thought.  I am glad I did it for a period of 2 years, but even more glad that I have now broken the habit.  I blog only when I want to.  I haven't wanted to much lately. 

While not blogging, I have kept up with the political happenings.  Nothing much has changed in Washington.  In fact, the cancer of that city has only grown larger.  The Left and the Right have become even more entrenched in their positions.  In a way, that makes predicting the future very easy.  I am quite confident in this:  Nothing of substance will happen in Congress or the White House between now and January 2013 when the newly elected president and Congress are inaugurated.  Extension of the payroll tax holiday will not be passed.  Neither the President's, nor the Republican's Job Bills will pass.  For the next 13-14 months, nothing will happen.

Why?  Because the Left is committed to playing class warfare games.  They say the rich have trampled the middle class and they must pay.  The Left will not agree to anything that does not raise substantial revenue from the upper class.  On the other side, the Right will not agree to anything that raises taxes.  They have pledged this to the electorate that gave them a House majority in 2010.  Raising taxes against that pledge would be political suicide.

Gridlock is more locked than ever before.  But the good news is that it really doesn't matter.  America will continue to work much as it has over the past 10 years of gridlock.  Citizens do what they do regardless of politics.  Businesses still produce what is in demand.  Consumers will still spend money on what they want or need.  Capitalism will still work, all be it at a slower pace.  What does matter is the election of 2012.  Next November, those citizens that care enough to vote will either give power to one party or split the executive and legislative branches.  At this time, it appears the Right will succeed in consolidating power, but that could change.  If the polls turn against the No Tax pledge, the Right will see their solidarity evaporate. 

It is no surprise that I hope and pray the Republicans take the White House, hold the House and get a 60+ seat majority in the Senate.  That is the only way gridlock will be broken in a positive way.  As the framers of the Constitution intended, the electorate will determine the direction.  Who will win?  The side that fosters hate and discontent within the citizens, or the side that currently hold to a principle that put them in office?  It seems an easy choice, but so many are deluded into thinking that their prosperity is determined by politicians of any flavor.  Now it's looking good for the good guys, but it ain't over yet.  November 2012 can't come soon enough for me.

Feeling Nauseous

Four Wins Still in Play

It's been a roller coaster season for the KC Chefs.  And the coaster has peaked and picking up downhill speed. A couple weeks ago, the KC fans were happy about the 4 game win streak and the 4-3 record after losing the first 3 games of the season.  With winless Miami and Denver (also winless at the time) coming up, a 6-3 records was in the bank.  Didn't work out that way.

Not only did the Chefs lose both, they also lost their 64 million dollar man, Matt Cassel.  With the toughest stretch of games in franchise history coming up and journeyman Tyler Palko at quarterback, we haven't seen the bottom yet.  It starts Monday night at New England, then moves to Pittsburgh, Chicago, NY Jets, and Green Bay before a relative break with Oakland and Denver to end the season.

It is quite possible they will lose all seven.  That would end the season with a 4-12 record just as this humble fan predicted -- nearly a year ago.  Now for a couple new predictions.  Todd Haley, the hobo coach, will be fired before February 2012.  Matt Cassel will not be the starter in 2012.

2011 Academy of Country Music Awards

It was cool.  After 3 hours of watching performance after performance (that was the cool part), with a few breaks mixed in to hand out awards, my only question was why didn't Zac Brown win anything?  That was the obvious omission, however I am sure it will change.  Remember that 5 years ago Brooks and Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Gretchen Wilson, Big and Rich only needed to remain breathing to receive more than a fair share of awards.  You don't even see them in the crowd anymore.  The tide has turned, beginning 3 years ago when Sugarland, Miranda (whom I practically discovered), Taylor Swift Carrie Underwood, and Lady Antebellum started taking turns cleaning up.  Zac's turn is coming.

Last night it was The Band Perry who won the most awards with 3.  That was a surprise considering they have only released one record.  They also won the ACM Redundancy Award for sweeping Best Song, and Best Single with "If I Die Young".  What is the difference?  I did enjoy The Band Perry's performance.  It did make me consider purchasing their music.  The Girl Perry is easy to look at and has a great voice.  The Boys Perry look a couple of chromosomes short of a full package.  Word is that during an off camera presentation they won the award for County Performers Most Likely to Become Serial Killers, so that made 4 awards for the night.  At least they write their own stuff which is big in my book, so I can live with their selection.

Taylor Swift had a good night winning Entertainer of the Year.  Her performance of new material was also a highlight of the show.  Taylor doesn't have the skills of many performers, but makes the most of what she has. She is not a great guitarist.  She can barely sing.  But there she was, all by herself, sitting on a couch playing her guitar and singing a song she wrote.  I give her a lot of credit for that.   The song had a pretty good hook line.  Something about people throwing rocks at shiney things.  If that were true, they would have been throwing rocks at Erin Andrews legs.  Erin presented an award and must have shined 'em up for the occasion based on the camera glare cause by her walking on stage. 

I must confess that I also have an innocent fantasy about Taylor.  In my fantasy, she is my daughter.  I see us on the beach outside of the home she purchased for her daddy.  After every album release, she buys her daddy a new beach house, each a little bigger and closer to the water than the last.  We never lock the doors or turn off the iron because if it burns down, she will just release a new album.

The Glen Campbell tribute was sort of sad.  He didn't look bad - had the slobber wiped off of his face and everything.  But it was pretty obvious there weren't going to let him embarrass himself by singing.  After taking the stage, he donned his guitar, strummed once, and they broke for commercial.

Other observations from the show were:  Jason Aldean needs to learn to articulate.  He is sort of going Bob Dylan on us.  Miranda sounded pretty good.  A huge change from her "mailed in" performance on Austin City Limits.  Footloose is not a country song, but Blake Shelton made it seem like it might be possible.  There isn't that much difference between Little Jimmy Dickens and Justin Bieber.  Rascal Flatts isn't country.  Not even a little.  Lady Antebellum is seriously overrated.  You don't need to release a record during the year to be anointed Best Female Vocalist.  They should change that.  Sissy Boy Kenny and Grace Potter performing "You and Tequila" was really good.  Its the song that is still bouncing around my skull today.

Worst Day of the Year

Every day is a gift. 

Whoever said that didn't say it on the first work day after going off of Daylight Savings Time.  As I blogged 2 years ago, this is the worst day of the year by far, bar none. 

I remembered this fact this morning when I work up without the aid of an alarm clock, and with a nagging feeling that I had overslept.  Going to work with the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon wasn't so bad.  But now it is just after 4:00 PM and dusk is apparent.  I feel like I am working late, something I avoid doing.  I won't see my front yard in the sunlight until Saturday.

Today is worse than the average day after the Chiefs lose to a team they should beat.  That happens every year too.

It might even be worse than a hypothetical day when KU loses to UK in college basketball.  That hasn't happened often during my lifetime, and if it happens this year, its just an anomaly.  It would still make me want to vomit.

Me Too

I am reporting a high likelihood that I too was sexually harassed by Herman Cain.  My evidence is stronger than has recently been reported by the mainstream media.  There are no un-named sources or feeble facts.  My case is strong, here are the facts.

It was the mid 1990's while Herman was the CEO of the National Restaurant Association.  I walked into the men's room at a local Chili's restaurant.  And there, lying on the sink was a pubic hair.  The exact same MO used by Clarence Thomas (another powerful conservative black man) when harassing Anita Hill.

Recapping:

• The event occurred in a restaurant while Herman was the CEO of the National Restaurant Association
• He used a pubic hair, just like Clarence Thomas
• Clarence and Herman are both conservative black men

I don't believe in coincidence.  I didn't realize it at the time, but now it seems so clear.  Herman left that hair lying on the counter top.  Remembering the event, I am now shocked and incensed.  Not to mention willing to share my story with any news organization willing to pay me a minimum of $25,000.

Redemption

From the backwoods of Kentucky to the backstreets of Memphis, this is a story of redemption for a boy named Kelly.  As a boy he began to follow his Wildcats who played basketball.  He knew no better coming from a small town in Kentucky where all the confused blindly followed what they thought was a major league team.

 Over time, Kelly learned the sun did not rise nor set behind those Kentucky hills.  He soon realized a much larger world was out there waiting to be explored.  He learned of Memphis and the team that played under the title of Tigers.  He wondered if all that he had learned as a boy was false.  He moved to Memphis and soon married a gal who called the University of Memphis her Alma Mater.  His new sisters in law called Mississippi State of the Intolerable Cow Bell, and the Community College of Tennessee as their own.  Kelly began to realize that he may have been wrong all of his life.

His curiosity led him to other schools who for years played far better than his Wildcats.  He learned that many of these schools had better talent, better coaches and just as much tradition as found in a small town in Kentucky.  That quest led him to Kansas.  There he found a team worthy of his attention.  Kelly became a Jayhawk.

I never get tired of posting this picture.

DS of the Week - Bernadine Kline

Full of santimony and claiming to know the mind of God, Bernadine Kline is the DS of the Week.  Her letter to the KC Star follows.

Occupy Wall Street


And it came to pass that the Almighty looked down upon earth to check on his creation. He peered into the halls of Congress and was astounded at the obstructionist behavior of his people.

“What’s this?” he roared. “How dare they protect the 1 percent over the 99 percent? How dare they create a person out of a corporation.

“How dare they disenfranchise the poor, minorities and the elderly of their right to vote claiming voter fraud! How dare they defund education, science, medical research and the arts? Do they not hear the cries of my people?

“My people need jobs. My people need generosity and compassion in their time of need.”

One of the angels then whispered into the Almighty’s ear, “They will not act because they intend to defeat President Barack Obama at any cost, even unto the destruction of the homes and families and lives of millions of your people, Lord.”

It was at this point that the Almighty, righteously angered, picked up a sign and joined the Occupy Wall Street protests. But Fox News didn’t recognize him.

Bernadine Kline
Liberty

So many lies and distortions, it is difficult to know where to start.  I could be nice and just say that Bernadine is just confused.  Or maybe that she has been brained washed by the liberal media.  But I don't think so.  Those things can be fixed in time.  With a name like Bernadine, she must be a mature adult but has somehow not learned how to look beyond the superficial.

You can fix confusion.  You can fix misinformed.  I think the comedian Ron White must have met Bernadine during one of his tours.  Bernadine inspired Ron to write his infamous line, "You can't fix stupid."

Deathtraps

Indy car racing is one of the most spectacular styles of racing in the world.   It is also one of the deadliest of all racing sports as was witnessed yesterday in Las Vegas.  Dan Weldon, one of the brightest stars in open wheel racing was killed in a multi-car collision near the start of the race.  It isn't surprising.  The Indy car is designed for speed.  Very little has been done to improve driver safety.



If you were to design the most unsafe race car imaginable, you would start with open wheels.  As one driver hits the wheels of another, the effect is to launch the race car into the air as happened during yesterdays accident.  If that isn't enough, the driver's head is slightly extended from the fuselage of the car which travels at 220-240 MPH.  It is a vehicle that tends to kill drivers.

It will be interesting to see how the Indy Car league reacts.  After NASCAR lost Dale Earnhardt in 1991, they set about improving driver safety.  Soft walls were installed at every track.  The HANS device was invented and widely adopted to stop the drivers hear from whipping forward at impact.  The entire car was redesigned with fire suppression systems and foam protective panels.  A carbon fiber seat acts like a safety cocoon for the driver.  The result is a safe race car. 

Just Saturday evening, Jimmy Johnson, the biggest star in NASCAR, slammed head on into a wall going 190 MPH.  Five minutes later he was being interviewed on the broadcast.  His biggest complaint was that he had the wind knocked out of him.  The Indy Car series will need to take dramatic steps to avoid a repeat of yesterday's mishap.  They may need to slow the cars down as NASCAR did years ago with restrictor plates.  They definitely need to protect their drivers heads and keep the cars on the track. 

Christmas in October

The Christmas in October program has been around Kansas City for years, yet I had never worked in a work group that provided the opportunity to participate.  That is, until this year.  I few weeks ago I volunteered to donate a Saturday before hearing the horror stories of those volunteer teams who got stuck with a family with younger members who seemed disturbed that you would inconvenience them by working on their house.  Or those who worked in a house so uninhabitable that breathing was a risk.  Or the unfortunate team who volunteered to do more work than could be done in a month of Saturdays.  I heard the horror stories and wondered if last Saturday would be a good day or a bad one.

But I did have the sense to throw in with a veteran team leader who took the time to both review the work load versus the team size, and interview the residents we were planning to help.  It made all the difference in the world.  At 8:00 AM we pulled up to the small 2 bedroom home of Mr. and Mrs Love who lived at 111 Ghetto Drive, Kansas City, Missouri.  Mr. Love was 80+ and had significant health problems brought on by a career in a burlap bag factory which exposed him to formaldehyde and led to the loss of a lung.  He was the healthier of the two.  Mrs. Love was on dialysis, and couldn't move around much.  Both were very nice people who appreciated the help we were there to offer.  I couldn't have asked for anything better than to provide assistance to an intercity couple who couldn't do for themselves.

Still I worried that -T would have a problem. The first job was to clear out the front and back yards of years worth of trash, debris and overgrowth.  I knew that one rat or snake and -T would be done for the day.  But while the work was hard and sometimes unpleasant, the critters left us all alone and by noon, much of the outside work was finished.  Even my "skilled" work was already underway.  I had finished replacing a 4x8 sheet of plywood that served as a ceiling in their back porch, and had replaced a rotted out panel in their back door.  A couple of others were working to replace the couple's sink and counter top.  That sounds like a massive project until you consider the tiny kitchen had only one counter about 5 feet long, and in that section was the sink.  Somehow, the Love's had raised 4 children in that small home.

By 3:00 PM, the projects were complete and the volunteer ladies were helping Mrs. Love clean and organize her living room.  -T and I took that opportunity to leave.  We said our goodbyes to the couple who profusely thanked us.  We were both whacked, and in bed by 8:00 PM.  We never do that.

This morning at work I spoke with another volunteer who stayed a little longer than we did.  She told me that Mr. Love spent an hour working his newly repaired and painted backdoor.  He had never had a backdoor with a lock and key before, and estatic that he now had one.  The experience left me amazed at how those who live in the same city are not accustomed to the little things we take for granted.  I don't think about small homes or locks on my door. I have a large house with many locks.  I don't worry that I don't have cabinet or counterspace to make my peanut butter and cheese sandwich.  I never worry about a triple homicide ccurring across the street.  But the Love's do because it happened a couple week ago.

It is a different world and only a few miles away.  I plan to volunteer again, or maybe even lead a team next year.  I think Terri will do the same.  It was a satisfying experience.

Where's Lisa?

A local Kansas City missing child case has now moved to a national story.  Ten month old Lisa Irwin was supposedly abducted from her crib sometime between last Monday evening and 4:00 AM Tuesday morning.  The parent's story goes the father came home from work around 4:00 AM and found the child's bedroom window open, the front door unlocked and Lisa was gone.  Sorry parents, I ain't buying that story.  Especially since you recently added that 3 cell phones were also stolen.  The story doesn't make sense. 

First, stealing a sleeping child from their bedroom just doesn't happen often.  Sure, there was the Lindbergh baby and Samantha Smart, but that is about it.  That's 2 out of a couple million supposed kidnappings.  The other 2 million times ends up being the parents or another family member did the snatching.  There is a good reason for that.  It can;t be that easy to kidnap a sleeping child from their bedroom.  Even if the perpetrator manages to quietly enter the room, the kid is going to scream their lungs out when they see it isn't Mommy picking them up.  And then the perp walks out the front door?  I don't think so.

But is gets more unbelievable.  Not only are we to believe the perp walked out the front door with a quiet kid, they also stopped somewhere along the way to steal two working cell phones, and one old non-working one.  Who keeps all their phones at one location?  Who leaves a non-working phone in the same place they keep the working ones?  And unless the perp is "box of rocks" stupid, a cell phone is tha last thing they would steal.  Turn it on and the cops show up a few minutes later.  I think the cell phones are the break the police will eventually use to solve this case.  The question they will answer is why were they included in the kidnapping story?  But it could take a few more days.

Currently we are in the hysterical Mother phase of the case.  Lisa's Mother can't speak without breaking down.  Remembering Susan Smith (who offed her 3 boys), you gotta wonder if she is hysterical because her child is missing, or from the trauma of some crime she committed to the child. 

I'm liking the Mother for the deed.  She had the time and opportunity while hubby was working.  If I am right, the case will soon move to the Orange phase.  That is when the mom and dad are marched off to arraignment in handcuffs wearing orange jumpsuits.

Herman to the Occupiers

"Don't blame Wall Street, don't blame the big banks, if you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself. It is not someone's fault if they succeeded, it is someone's fault if they failed."

"When I was growing up I was blessed to have had parents that didn't teach me to be jealous of anybody and didn't teach me to be envious of somebody. It is not a person's fault because they succeeded. It is a person's fault if they failed."




Okay Herman, you now have my attention.

Cats Still Rule, Yes Really

Over 2 years ago, a dual blog post that was incredibly articulate. sophisticated, and amazingly insightful, conclusively established that Cats do rule while Dogs in fact, drool.  Since that time there has been no further discussion on the subject, proving the accuracy of the hypothesis.  Metaphorically, cats are the musicians of the animal world.  They sit inconspicuously with their sunglasses on, and say cool things in their Lou Rawls-like voice such as "what's happening mama?" to their owner.  Conversely, dogs are trying frantically to catch a sniff of somebody's crotch - very uncool.  If you happened to miss those posts, you can become edified at Cats Rule and at Dogs drool.

Since that time, the number of cat inhabitants at our home has increased 100%.  Allison's cat, Acura a.k.a. Miss Puss, now lives with us.  Miss Puss was, at first, very antisocial - very uncool, but stopped short of crotch-sniffing.  She didn't want to be around us and would hiss at her smarter, maler, more intelligent partner, Chumley.  Recently she has become more social, allowing the humans to pet her occasionally.  She has also taken a subservient position as shown in the picture below. 

Chumley has claimed the dominate sun drenched position on the kitchen table, while Miss Puss knows her place on the floor.  Things are coming together as nature intended.

Occupy Wall Street?

The far left loonies and a few misguided righties have recently descended to near flash mob tactics to protest what they see as an American injustice - highly compensated people on Wall Street.  They have bought into a socialist mindset that says only government is capability of distributing wealth and ensuring that all people are treated fairly.  Government does this by regulating business and taxing the wealthy so they cannot earn too much.  Their belief system is flawed. 

Government is not the fairest arbiter of wealth and success. Instead, a far more fair and just system is already in place.  The laws of supply and demand.  Wall Street Fact Cats are highly compensated because there are so few who know how to do what they do.  Occupy Wall Street protesters are compensated so meagerly because there are millions of low paid losers like them just waiting for a job.  Where there are few, the price increases.  Where there are many, the price decreases.  Basic supply and demand.

Wall Street Occupiers believe that when a Wall Street fat cat earns a $10 million salary, that is $10 million no longer available to others.  In fact, everyone has the opportunity to educate themselves and take a Wall Street job and make their $10 million dollar salary.  If it was easy to do, we'd all be doing it.  Of course, supply and demand says that if we all did it, there would be an oversupply of Wall Street fat cats and a corresponding decline in demand. leading to lower Wall Street Fat Cat salaries.

Terri and I saw a couple of Occupy Wall Street protesters Sunday afternoon on their way to the KC mecca of left wing lunatics, the Country Club Plaza.  These feeble-minded losers are simply protesting their own inability to be successful.  They are sad people who have little understanding of how economic work.  Just like many in our federal government.

Jobs Bill

Obama say "Pass this bill, pass this bill", even before there was a bill.  He really doesn't expect congress to pass this bill.  In fact, he knows they won't.  That was his carefully calculated plan.  He sees the jobs bill as a win-win for him.  In the unlikely event they pass it, he can spend a half trillion dollars for votes in 2012.  He will create more union work by funding infrastructure projects, increasing education spending, and extending unemployment benefits even further.  But Obama knows his bill will never pass, and will use its failure to lambaste republicans for the sick economy that will persist through the 2012 elections.  So he either gets money to buy votes, or he gets a scapegoat to run against.

The Sunday news shows were already coming to Obama's aide.  The Meet the Press panel yesterday was a collection of worn out and wrinkled liberal kooks.  Their common message was that republicans were not going to allow Obama to win the jobs bill battle.  It was personal they said.  Republicans wouldn't allow Obama to get his bill at the cost of more jobs and suffering by the little people the democrats care so much about.  Obama can't fix the economy because of the republicans.  The carefully avoided a couple of facts that show just how specious their argument is. 

First, "the bill" Obama wants congress to pass has no co-sponsors.  None, either in the house or the senate.  Nobody in congress wants to be seen as a sponsor of this flawed bill.  If it was a good bill, there would be 10 or 20 co-sponsors jumping on the jobs bill bandwagon.  Co-sponsorship is how they claim significant election year results to their constituents.  But no co-sponsors. It would be a waste of energy and political capital to co-sponsor the DOA bill.

Second, the bill was introduced in the democrat-controlled senate. Yet, the bill Obama wants congress to pass without delay has not yet been brought up for debate and won't for at least another week.  Harry Reid could have put it on the senate's agenda immediately if he wanted to pass it now as the president asked.  He didn't.  Now, other democratic senators are saying that it wouldn't have the votes needed to pass the senate.  The republicans would kill the jobs bill.  That is a certainty, but they may not need to.  The democrats may do it themselves.

So Obama has  begun his campaigning with the "pass this bill" mantra - a bill he knows has no hope of passage.  But true to form, he will use this bill as a way to blame his failure on someone else - the republican house.  This is the same group who have become the media whipping boys.  The republican house is seen by libs as the root of all problems in Washington.  They are attempting to convince the voters of this.

The media continues to not mention the republican house has passed a budget, a balanced budget amendment, several deficit reduction bills, a jobs bill, and each was sent to the democrat-controlled senate where they were tabled.  Who is the party of NO?  Harry Reid and Barack Obama lead them.

Fair share?

Reid, Obama, Pelosi, et al. I hear them continually saying that we must raise revenue for the federal government by making the rich pay their fair share. I vomit a little in the back of my mouth. If they truly believed their statement, they would propose a different plan.

Half of Americans pay no federal income tax. The top 1% pay 38% of federal revenues while earning only 19% of total income. I agree with Reid, Obama and Pelosi and take it one step farther - everyone should pay a fair share. Do the poor use our highways? Do they benefit from the defense of our nation? Do they claim the benefits of being an American citizen? All do, most more than others. They should pay their fair share. The rich already do.

Which politician will state the obvious? Every person who earns income should pay taxes. I don't care if it is just a token payment. 1% is better than nothing. That is the way you raise revenue fairly. The first candidate to support that position gets my vote.

2011 Circus

Last Saturday was the date of this year's trip to Ringling Brother's Barnum and Bailey's Circus, also known as the lamest show on earth.  But the grand kids like it.

Mix 2 parts grand children, with popcorn, lemon aide, cotton candy and a promise to buy each an over-priced trinket, and what do you get?  See below:

Revisiting My 16-0 Prediction

Yesterday, Heaven looked down on Arrowhead stadium and decided not to provide the first of 16 miracles needed for the KC Chiefs to go 16-0 on their way to the first Super Bowl title in 43 years.  Since miracle #1 did not occur, I feel that numbers 2 through 16 won't either.  It is time to revisit my 16-0 prediction in this new light.  My original thought after seeing their schedule was 4 wins.  Now I wonder where those 4 wins might come from. 

Here is the Chiefs dismal schedule.

KC @ DET - Probably not.
KC @ SD - Definitely not.
MIN @ KC - Probably not.
KC @ IND - Maybe

KC @ OAK - Probably not.

SD @ KC - Definitely not.
MIA @ KC - Maybe.
DEN @ KC - Probable win.
KC @ NE - Definitely not.
PIT @ KC - Definitely not.
KC @ CHI - Definitely not.
KC @ NYJ - Definitely not.
GB @ KC - Definitely not.
OAK @ KC - Probably not.
KC @ DEN  - Probable win.

So I have 2 probable wins, 2 maybe wins, 4 probably nots, and 7 definitely nots. 

Each year the Chiefs win one or two games and lose one or two they shouldn't.  That will work to their favor this year since they should only be expected to win 2 games all year.  Add in a maybe win and one they probably or definitely should not win at all, and you get to 4 wins in 2011.

If the Chiefs go 4-12 or worse, expect Todd Haley to be among the unemployed before the year is over.

Captain Obama

The long awaited speech on a new jobs program was held last night.  It turned out to be the same old stimulus investing (newspeak for Spending) that has been tried and failed.  Last night, Obama attempted to assign his failures to the republicans.  If they go along, (and they won't), failure can be shared by Obama and the congress.  If the republicans block him, Obama will have his scape goat to run his reelection campaign against.  Despite what he said last night, that speech was nothing more that political gamesmanship.

Wall Street was not fooled as the NYSE opened down 200 points after what was supposed to be a night that built confidence in business and investors.

Politics aside, the content of the plan can best be summarized as "Captain Obama circles back to the iceberg".

Meat

I like meat.  A lot.  Beef is my favorite, pork is good, chicken and turkey are okay.  Beef is the best.  With beef and pork as my two favorite meats, it is no surprise that I like barbecue.  Ribs, brisket and pulled pork dominate my barbecue diet.  But surprisingly enough, the meat I long for the most is not barbecue.  It's prime rib.  Not from anywhere.  Most restaurant prime rib is nothing more that roast beef. 

I long for the prime rib served by Antoine's on the Boulevard.  Antoine's was once a restaurant in downtown Kansas City located on Southwest Boulevard.  It was one of those memorable places that couldn't be compared to any other.  The owner was the cook and usually made his way from table to table speaking with his customers during the meal.  After the main course was completed, a halved watermelon would be delivered filled with fruit balls floating in 7-Up.  The fruit balls had been soaked in the remnants of gin, rum or other liquor bottles.  Once the bill was paid, Antoine would hand deliver roses to the ladies and suckers to the men.  Antoine knew how to take care of his customers.

Antoine's on the Boulevard served boiled shrimp.  All you could eat.  They brought it to the table in a Tonka dump truck.  Due to the relative chronological proximity to my employment at Red Lobster, I didn't like shrimp that much at that time.  I never ate it there, but those who did raved about the flavor.  They also served lasagna and other Italian dishes.  I have no idea what they tasted like.

Antoine's on the Boulevard served prime rib.  It was good.  That is an understatement.  It was better than any prime rib I have had before or since.  Antoine served it up every weekend for about $10 a person.  Usually the portion size was around 16 ounces.  On a good night, Antoine became generous and the portion size was that of a small roast.  Maybe a medium size roast.  But the size wasn't the reason I craved it.  It was the flavor.  I have no idea how Antoine seasoned his prime rib, but it was delicious and unique.  The cut was always extremely tender and immensely flavorful.

Antoine's on the Boulevard closed when Antoine decided to retire.  I was shocked that nobody continued the business.  He had a loyal following.  Every night, he had a waiting line of an hour or more.  No, not a line, a waiting mob.  There wasn't a lobby.  People would wait anywhere in the restaurant they could find enough space to stand.  It was not uncommon to have somebody stand next to your table as they waited on your table.  You would think that somebody would have stepped up to serve that demand for prime rib and shrimp.

My search for a good cut of prime rib has been fruitless.  There was one close call in Nebraska.  We were visiting Terri's side of the family in Hampton, and were treated to a meal at a place called Chances 'R'.  I had the prime rib.  We were in prime beef country.  It had to be good.  And it was.  It was the closest I have experience to Antoine's on the Boulevard.  But not quite there.  Chances 'R' gets an honorable mention. Antoine's on the Boulevard closed over 20 years ago.  I still crave that meat. 

Invest

Continuing with the Owellian theme, invest is the newspeak for spend.  Invest is a much friendlier word that can be confidently spoken by a liberal government official.  Spend can't be stated while the government checkbook is so far in the red.  We can't spend, but we can invest.  Invest is good.  Spend is bad.  Bad politicians spend money they don't have.  Good polititians invest taxpayer money.

Okay, give them their word.  I don't think it is working on the great unwashed masses.  Most everyone who pays attention now knows that we as a nation are broke.  The checkbook is overdrawn.  Ever new dollar we spend is a new dollar we borrow.  Knowing that, we understand that no one, be it an individual, a business or a government, borrows to invest.  To do so is nothing short of moronic.

We Proles are starting to figure it out.

News

I am sort of a news junkie.  Cable TV and the Internet were the best things to happen to people like me who can't wait until 6:00 or 10:00 to learn what is going on.  It's kind of hard to believe that once during my lifetime, people would wait for the next newspaper to read about current events.  I remember when Kansas City had both a morning and evening paper.  The KC Times was waiting on the driveway each morning when we woke up.  The KC Star would be delivered around 4:00 PM each afternoon.

It was probably 30-40 years ago the newspaper became a single publication delivered only in the morning.  Then, people were satisfied to read about yesterday's news.  Not so much anymore.  Newspapers across the country are withering.  Many have already gone under.  Only old folks remain loyal to the print media.  I cancelled my subscription a few months ago, proving my relative youth.  A common question I hear whenever I am involved in a technology meeting is "How many still subscribe to the newspaper?"  In a room of nearly 100 people, only a handful of hands go up.  Five years ago, nearly every hand would raise.

My reasons to cancel the subscription were many.  First, the KC Star editorial board is very liberal.  They haven't supported a conservative local politician in years.  They are completely out of touch with the values of their readership.  Second, there was very little I would read in the paper that I didn't already know.  Dilbert and the obituaries were the only sections that would have new content for me.  I can now get that on the Internet.  Third, at $45 every 2 months just to read two sections and the Sunday ads, my tightwaddiness kicked in.  We still buy the Sunday paper at $2 per week.  I was shocked there was no attempt by the newspaper sales force to retain my subscription.  Are they giving up?

While the print media withers, cable news prospers.  Some of the best cable shows are news programs.  Fox News seems to lead the way, thanks to their center-right bias that matches the country's politics.  Occasionally I tune over to MSNBC or CNBC just to see what the libs are talking about.  Their bias is far more left than Fox is right.  A few nights ago I listened for 15 minutes and heard 3 different guests talk about how uneducated the right and their candidates are.  I think that completely discounts lib's charges of bias toward Fox News.

People listen to the news that best represents their values.  Fox News draws more viewers that most network shows during certain time slots.  I think that proves that America is not a centrist or left leaning populous.  We are center-right and moving to the right.  I know that I am thankful that Fox News is successful.  If MSNBC or CNN were the only news networks on cable, I would either watch far less news or vomit a lot more.

2011 Kansas City Chiefs

Expectations among fans is high after the Chiefs unexpected division win in 2010.  This year, anything less than a conference title will be a disappointment.  So can they do it?  Let's look at the preseason for clues.  The defense has been the bright spot.  This year they are getting burnt for long pass plays much less often that last.  They really haven't stopped the opponents first team at all.  But that is the bright spot.

The offense has been awful.  The first team hasn't scored a touchdown, even when given field position twice inside their opponents 10 yard line.  They settled for one field goal.  The offensive line has offered the six million dollar man, Matt Cassell, with absolutely no protection.  He has spent more time on his back that an Independence Boulevard hooker.  The KC coach, Todd Haley, and GM, Scott Pioli, both claim they are not concerned and continue to "work the plan".

Did I mention the schedule?  Brutal.  The final 8 games include 5 with 2010 playoff team and the final 4 teams.  Last year's division title team only played 2 teams that made the playoffs.  A powder puff schedule to be sure.  So what will they do this year?  Smart men with a rudimentary knowledge of professional football will pick them to win 4, no more than 6 games in 2011.  Repeat of a division title would be pure fantasy.

I, however, will pick the Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl in 2011.  I see them winning all 16 games due to a series of miracles.  All bad or missed calls will go in their favor, weather conditions will thwart their opponents game plan, fumbles will bounce their way every time, and opposing players will regularly lose their composure in game situations.  That is how the Chiefs will win 16. A series of miracles is the key to the season.

Indianapolis, New England, Pittsburgh, Green Bay, NY Jets, and Chicago, you are all going down to this years Super Bowl Champions.  San Diego, Oakland and Denver, you have no chance.  This is going to be fun.

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,
All the king's horses and all the king's men,
Couldn't put Humpty together again.

But that doesn't mean they won't try.  If the election were held today, Obama and the democrats would lose.  Big.  Unfortunately, the election won't happen for another 14 months.  The Ministry of Truth believes that is plenty of time to put Humpty back together again.

The Ministry of Truth, NBC division continued their efforts today on the morning talk shows.  While hurricane Irene dominated the coverage, NBC felt it was necessary to continually compare the federal government's response to Irene to that during hurricane Katrina.  That is like comparing a thunderstorm to a hurricane.  No, not like, that's actually exactly what they did.  Irene was a dud.  The damage and human suffering caused by Irene was far less than hyped.  Never the less, NBC thought it a good opportunity to bring back images of the human suffering during Katrina as a reminder of what could happen if Obama is replaced by a republican conservative like George Bush. 

The theme of the morning talk shows was hard to miss.  Bush bad, Obama good.  If Obama wasn't there, he couldn't take care of the millions of people in the path of Irene.  I am somewhat amazed they didn't report that Obama stepped out on the back porch of the White House and shouted "Peace be still" to the storm as it passed Washington. 

DS of the Week - Debbie Wasserman Schultz

I just realized the video embed didn't work, so I am re-publishing ...



“The president is in actually remarkably good shape, given that he is still struggling to help pull our economy out of the Republican recession that he inherited. His numbers are still strong,”

DWS is a democratic representative from Florida who recently became the democratic national committee chairwomen.  She is very consistent in her statements.  Everything she says is a lie.

The RealClearPolitics.com chart above illustrates just how badly Obama's job approval ratings have become.  If DWS believes Obama's numbers are good, I can only hope they get better between now and November 2012.

A Weekend with the Little Monsters

Last Friday, Lyndy dropped off the 3 grand kids off at our house for the weekend.  Shortly after, Lyndy and Dan left for Eureka Springs and a short 4 day mini-vacation.  Interestingly enough, the grand children thought that a couple days with Nana, Papa (and Aunt Bubba), followed by a couple more days with Mimi and Papa, as a vacation.  For our two days with the grand kids, we had a few plans for them.  Friday evening we went to Culver's for hamburgers and frozen yogurt.  All 3 kids were in bed by 9PM and we had little trouble getting them to sleep.

Saturday morning began earlier than most Saturdays as the sound of little feet awoke the adults just after 5AM.  That's okay, I naively thought.  We'll just wear them out today and make them beg and plead for bedtime tonight. 

Saturday was a rare perfect summer day in Kansas City, so we left early for the local park.  The grand kids played on all the equipment, expending energy with each minute.  By lunch we decided that is was a good morning's wear down, so we took them to the Dollar Store and then lunch at Wendy's.  The afternoon was spent mainly outside playing.  Watching them run and wrestle convinced me they would soon be tired.

By Saturday evening the grandparents were spent.  The grand kids motored on.  I don't think they can wear down.  We did get a few good pictures before handing them off to their other set of grandparents.

A Contrived Crisis

Every month, households across the nation consciously or unconsciously perform a simple, but necessary budget exercise.  They look at what bills must be paid, their available income, and any extra items they would like to purchase.  They decide how to pay these expenses by setting a priority order.  Families will usually ensure they pay for the house, utilities, food and utilities before deciding whether additional items can be bought.  Businesses do much the same, prioritizing payroll, benefits, materials, and such before making new capital investments. 

Most marginally responsible families stop the spending at or before the money runs out.  Dire consequences result if they were to borrow enough money to pay for both necessities and desires every month.  Nearly every person with a grade school education is smart enough to understand this.  Not so with our current congressional representatives and president.  They ask for an open line of credit so their spending is not limited in any way.

During the recent debt ceiling crisis, Obama and his loyal minions made statements saying that if the debt ceiling was not raised, the United States would default on loans.  They also claimed they could not guarantee paychecks to soldiers or Social Security payments to seniors.  This was a contrived crisis.  Each month the United States takes in enough tax revenue to pay debt service, military payroll and Social Security checks with billions left over.  If the debt ceiling had not been raised and interest payments, paychecks or Social Security were not paid, it would be due to a conscious decision by the Obama administration to pay other bills instead.  In reality, there was zero likelihood of a U.S. credit default.  But using the Raum Emanuel tactic of never letting a crisis go to waste, one was created for the sole purpose of scaring Americans and denigrating the Tea Party.

Obama's behavior is analogous to a family borrowing to pay both necessities and desires, and being denied a new loan because of their irresponsible action.  They then threaten their family that they may not have a home next month because the bank would not loan more money.  The fault is not with the bank.  The problem is their spending habit.  The same is true with our government. 

Now take it a step farther by imagining the bank saying they would loan more money if the family would come up with a plan to live within their means.  The family opts instead to reduce the amount they will increase spending in the future but decides to make no real spending decreases.  Because of the poor spending habits and a refusal to commit to a plan that reforms the destructive behavior, the credit agencies lower this family's credit score.  Now, every dollar they owe will carry a higher interest rate.  Does this convince the family they have a problem?  It should, but instead they blame the credit agency and the bank.

Obama has given lip service to getting the national deficit under control.  Whenever presented with an idea to do so, he resists.  Congressional liberals have acted even worse.  Senator John Kerry called the credit downgrade issued by the S&P ratings service, "the Tea Party downgrade".  Many might believe him, however the downgrade was justified based on Obama and the democrats refusal to accept reduced spending (not a reduction in planned increases) and a balanced budget amendment.

1984 All Over Again

Hello again.  It's me.  I did a good job of containing myself during the contived debt ceiling crisis, but I can't contain myself any longer.

I recently reread the George Orwell book 1984, a futuristic novel about an all powerful Big Brother government of Oceania, with an Inner Party that controls every aspect of its citizen's lives.  While reading it, I was often reminded that Orwell's writings from the 1950's are still relevant today.  I saw many parallels with current American politics.  However, during the past few weeks as liberal democrats and Obama have made ridiculous statements during the debt ceiling negotiations and the credit downgrade that followed, I began to associate those statements to terms Orwell used in his novel.

It became quite clear that our mainstream media is equivalent to the Orwellian Ministry of Truth.  Just as this ministry sought to control all news and history for the benefit of the Big Brother and Inner Party, the mainstream media seeks to ensure the our crippled president Obama is insulated from obvious truths.  His "version" of the truth is always reported in a positive light and never challenged with obvious facts.  Opponents are ridiculed as inflexible and uncompromising.

But the 1984 parallels go beyond the media.  Orwell used the terms doublethink and newspeak to explain how the Inner Party sought to control thought and language in the fictional state of Oceania.  Doublethink is the state of mind where 2 mutually exclusive facts are both believed.  Big Brother (Obama) and the Ministry of Truth (mainstream media) expect their subjects to use doublethink.  How else can they believe the evil pro-business republicans wouldn't participate in  finding a solution to the debt ceiling contrived crisis, when in fact they were the only group who passed not one, but two bills to raise the debt ceiling and sent them on to the Senate only to be tabled by the democrats.  The first of these bills was called Cap, Cut and Balance and was a serious plan that would have cut real spending levels (not just the rate of spending increases) and forced congress to take up a balanced budget amendment this year.  To believe the republicans did not participate, one must engage in doublethink.

We also see examples of newspeak.  In the novel, Orwell introduces newspeak as the official government sanctioned language of Oceania.  The newspeak vocabulary eliminates all words that detrimental to the Inner Party.  In the newspeak language, "tax increases" would be eliminated in favor of "revenue enhancements".  In Oceania, Orwell's Inner Party also promote class warfare by equating "capitalists" as the devil overthrown by Big Brother so that all citizens could prosper.  Wow.  All you need do is exchange "millionaires and billionaires" for "capitalist" and the parallel is frightening.

So when you hear Obama and the democrats tell us there is no spending problem, just a need to get millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share, (double)think of 1984 and Big Brother.

Life is Good

I realize I haven't blogged in several weeks and that is not typical of me.  It is not that I lost interest in bloviating over the Internet, nor that I ran out of ideas.  Instead, it seems that my work is finished. 

In reading the letters to the Kansas City Star I find the IQ of the Kansas City residents who write the Star has mysteriously risen enormously.  Since I haven't had many quarrels with the letters, which took away my DS of the Week material.  Maybe my criticism of their stupid ideas has finally worked?

And just look at what is happening in Washington!  Congress and the president are seriously working on cutting the federal budget and getting our fiscal house back in order.  Obama has proposed a spending reduction plan that will only required 6,000 thousand years to reach balance.  I imagine if he is successful at raising taxes on the "rich", he can cut that number to 5,500 years.

So the country is again on the path to prosperity.  Conservatives will likely win the White House (if they don't pick another McCain) and a majority in the Senate.  Life is good, and it will only get better.