Thursday, July 7, 2011
Welcome back, welcome back
Time to get serious later. I've renamed this, changing direction a little. Well, no, still going to address social and political stuff here. I get worked up sometimes over things on Facebook and can't adequately address those issues in 420 characters, or 140 on Twitter. So ... I'll do the heavy lifting here and then Tweet or share the posts when I'm done.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Blame Game Needs To End
Enough of finger-pointing, already. Several blogs I saw this morning were headlined something like this: "Obama damns us to a lingering economic hell." That's not what they (the headlines) said, but it's what they implied with their "Obama to blame" content.
Obama won the White House on a message of hope. People want and need hope in times like these. Libertarians want to give it to them. Let's knock off the rhetoric and start talking about candidates who can bring change to Congress.
Everyone knows that the current crop of Congressmen is full of corruption and rot. The man at the top can't do anything without cooperation from Congress. So, change Congress.
Start finding out about your local candidates, friends, and tell the story of how they can bring change by righting the ship, returning federal powers back to those enumerated in the Constitution, and returning liberty to the people. Let's find those people, highlight the good news and bring them to the attention of people around us.
If we want to see change, we need to be that change. Stop being so negative, stop the blame game and start showing how change can help.
Obama won the White House on a message of hope. People want and need hope in times like these. Libertarians want to give it to them. Let's knock off the rhetoric and start talking about candidates who can bring change to Congress.
Everyone knows that the current crop of Congressmen is full of corruption and rot. The man at the top can't do anything without cooperation from Congress. So, change Congress.
Start finding out about your local candidates, friends, and tell the story of how they can bring change by righting the ship, returning federal powers back to those enumerated in the Constitution, and returning liberty to the people. Let's find those people, highlight the good news and bring them to the attention of people around us.
If we want to see change, we need to be that change. Stop being so negative, stop the blame game and start showing how change can help.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Corn ... and other undigestibles
Thanksgiving was last week. We had turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, stuffing and corn. I remember the corn, because I saw it later. 'Nuf said, you know what I mean.
Well, seeing the corn again I thought about things that I just can't digest. No, I won't be discussing lactose intolerance. I'm talking about the restrictions of liberty.
The new health plan finding it's way through that den of thieves and power-hungry despots we call Congress is going to put the choking noose of government firmly around the necks of us all. I particularly enjoy Majority Leader Reid's gracious nod to states' rights by including an option to allow states to opt out of the plan.
Has Mr Reid, or any of those in Congress for that matter, read the Constitution? Does he know what nullification is? Does he understand that Congress doesn't control the states? Does he understand that "we the people" are the true power and source of this nation's greatness?
The states do not need an "opt-out option" in this "law." The Constitution gives them the right to nullify the health care reform bill, if passed and signed by the President. So many states have done this with the national ID laws passed under W that they are, in effect, null and void nationwide. Most state assemblies feel the same way about the "health care reform" bill.
Did you know this bill, as passed by the House, includes a provision for restaurant chains or other places serving food at more than 20 locations, to post calorie information on their menu boards? Any idea what it will cost to make that happen? Guess what, even if Congress gave these companies the money to change their menu boards, YOU are still paying for it. If the companies have to pay this price, rest assured you will see higher prices at your favorite fast food joint. Cappriotti's, with nearly 30 locations, would have to follow suit.
New York City has a law like this. Studies have show that the result was higher prices and no change in buying habits. So why continue with this farcical pursuit of "reform?"
It's stupid and I'm sure you can see that. Tell your Senators you oppose the "reform" they offer and ask them to take the time to get it right, instead of hurrying into a mistake. Let them know if they don't want to oppose this bill, they should prepare to pack up and come home.
Well, seeing the corn again I thought about things that I just can't digest. No, I won't be discussing lactose intolerance. I'm talking about the restrictions of liberty.
The new health plan finding it's way through that den of thieves and power-hungry despots we call Congress is going to put the choking noose of government firmly around the necks of us all. I particularly enjoy Majority Leader Reid's gracious nod to states' rights by including an option to allow states to opt out of the plan.
Has Mr Reid, or any of those in Congress for that matter, read the Constitution? Does he know what nullification is? Does he understand that Congress doesn't control the states? Does he understand that "we the people" are the true power and source of this nation's greatness?
The states do not need an "opt-out option" in this "law." The Constitution gives them the right to nullify the health care reform bill, if passed and signed by the President. So many states have done this with the national ID laws passed under W that they are, in effect, null and void nationwide. Most state assemblies feel the same way about the "health care reform" bill.
Did you know this bill, as passed by the House, includes a provision for restaurant chains or other places serving food at more than 20 locations, to post calorie information on their menu boards? Any idea what it will cost to make that happen? Guess what, even if Congress gave these companies the money to change their menu boards, YOU are still paying for it. If the companies have to pay this price, rest assured you will see higher prices at your favorite fast food joint. Cappriotti's, with nearly 30 locations, would have to follow suit.
New York City has a law like this. Studies have show that the result was higher prices and no change in buying habits. So why continue with this farcical pursuit of "reform?"
It's stupid and I'm sure you can see that. Tell your Senators you oppose the "reform" they offer and ask them to take the time to get it right, instead of hurrying into a mistake. Let them know if they don't want to oppose this bill, they should prepare to pack up and come home.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Politicians lie; they lie more on days ending in "y"
Going to try to cram a lot in this morning. This new job has me sitting here at my desk most of my waking hours and now that it's actually something approaching "work" I can't make myself focus on anything too serious once I clock out.
For starters, I'm sure there may be some new eyes on this and I want to say a little about my views. I'm something of a fledgling libertarian. I'd been a life-long Republican who didn't always agree with my party and who found that the views of the Democrats were not always without merit. I didn't have a name for it until this past year when I discovered there were others who felt the same way: both major parties are abusing the Constitution and have been for decades. Some of you will say that times have changed since the 18th Century and the Constitution has to evolve. It has; they're called Amendments and each one that hasn't been repealed is still in force and just as meaningful as the text of the Constitution itself. The entire document (amendments and all) is designed to make sure power stays were it belongs: with the people. Liberal justices for nearly a century have made broad interpretations of the "commerce clause" of the Constitution to marginalize the 10th Amendment and bring more and more power to the federal governments. I like choice and I like local solutions for local problems, not a one-size-fits-all mentality that exists in Washington D.C. I also really dig fiscal responsibility.
That said, I find the current health care reform bills to be repugnant and a burden on average Americans for years to come. Someone claimed decades of data proving the efficiency of Medicare the other day as a reason to support this reform. What efficiency? The program has blown away all estimates of its costs for years, with the burden falling more and more on the taxpayer. Social Security, Medicare and the like is Congress's way of bribing the people with their own money.
"The America Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." -- Alexis de Tocqueville
Democrats came to full power, taking the majority in the Congress and winning the White House, crying, "change." I haven't seen it yet. W ran up some serious bills and expanded the government ... big no-no's in my book ... but O has done it even more so, spending more in nine months than Bill Clinton did in eight years (figure from an AP article and also Politico). Other articles point out that there is no data to support that this spending actually led to any fledgling improvements this past quarter or whether said improvement was the result of natural market forces. Having lost some important elections this month, though, they are sounding the horn of fiscal responsibility, but not taking action. In the age of the sound-bite that's all that needs to be done, unless we the people take up the cry of bullshit. And I cry bullshit, Washington.
Political expedience has taken the place of duty in our nation's Capital. Jefferson once made a comment that when being a legislator becomes a profession instead of a calling, we would be in trouble. It's been that way a while now, folks. Republicans, seeing the consensus of the people is on the swing are suddenly all about, in words, anyway, making the change happen that Democrats promised a year ago. I'll point out here, lest we forget, that for seven years they used fear tactics to erode our personal freedoms and rack up some hefty bills. Reason magazine correctly called W's policies failed socialism and we're seeing the same trend towards that end continuing today. Why? The names will change, a little bit, but the people in DC are there to achieve their own power goals and not to make life better for you and me.
I doubt I'll change any minds with my words. Too many people I know are deeply entrenched in their beliefs. People who say they are moderates but scream against anything that goes against their core ideologies, whether those ideologies place them in the current Cult of Personality or they are a cause-du jour-following backwoods right-wing pigeon from outer space. Having said that, I write for myself, to express what's on my mind about what's happening in the world around me and to help me bring some order to the place that is my psyche.
Thanks for reading. And I hope you'll agree, no matter your views, that all politicians lie, but not all politicians lie well.
For starters, I'm sure there may be some new eyes on this and I want to say a little about my views. I'm something of a fledgling libertarian. I'd been a life-long Republican who didn't always agree with my party and who found that the views of the Democrats were not always without merit. I didn't have a name for it until this past year when I discovered there were others who felt the same way: both major parties are abusing the Constitution and have been for decades. Some of you will say that times have changed since the 18th Century and the Constitution has to evolve. It has; they're called Amendments and each one that hasn't been repealed is still in force and just as meaningful as the text of the Constitution itself. The entire document (amendments and all) is designed to make sure power stays were it belongs: with the people. Liberal justices for nearly a century have made broad interpretations of the "commerce clause" of the Constitution to marginalize the 10th Amendment and bring more and more power to the federal governments. I like choice and I like local solutions for local problems, not a one-size-fits-all mentality that exists in Washington D.C. I also really dig fiscal responsibility.
That said, I find the current health care reform bills to be repugnant and a burden on average Americans for years to come. Someone claimed decades of data proving the efficiency of Medicare the other day as a reason to support this reform. What efficiency? The program has blown away all estimates of its costs for years, with the burden falling more and more on the taxpayer. Social Security, Medicare and the like is Congress's way of bribing the people with their own money.
"The America Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money." -- Alexis de Tocqueville
Democrats came to full power, taking the majority in the Congress and winning the White House, crying, "change." I haven't seen it yet. W ran up some serious bills and expanded the government ... big no-no's in my book ... but O has done it even more so, spending more in nine months than Bill Clinton did in eight years (figure from an AP article and also Politico). Other articles point out that there is no data to support that this spending actually led to any fledgling improvements this past quarter or whether said improvement was the result of natural market forces. Having lost some important elections this month, though, they are sounding the horn of fiscal responsibility, but not taking action. In the age of the sound-bite that's all that needs to be done, unless we the people take up the cry of bullshit. And I cry bullshit, Washington.
Political expedience has taken the place of duty in our nation's Capital. Jefferson once made a comment that when being a legislator becomes a profession instead of a calling, we would be in trouble. It's been that way a while now, folks. Republicans, seeing the consensus of the people is on the swing are suddenly all about, in words, anyway, making the change happen that Democrats promised a year ago. I'll point out here, lest we forget, that for seven years they used fear tactics to erode our personal freedoms and rack up some hefty bills. Reason magazine correctly called W's policies failed socialism and we're seeing the same trend towards that end continuing today. Why? The names will change, a little bit, but the people in DC are there to achieve their own power goals and not to make life better for you and me.
I doubt I'll change any minds with my words. Too many people I know are deeply entrenched in their beliefs. People who say they are moderates but scream against anything that goes against their core ideologies, whether those ideologies place them in the current Cult of Personality or they are a cause-du jour-following backwoods right-wing pigeon from outer space. Having said that, I write for myself, to express what's on my mind about what's happening in the world around me and to help me bring some order to the place that is my psyche.
Thanks for reading. And I hope you'll agree, no matter your views, that all politicians lie, but not all politicians lie well.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Agree to disagree
In some ways, our political discourse has become more polite in this country. The name calling and dirty tricks some of our founding fathers used in the pursuit of political power make some of those in recent elections look tame.
Two hundred years ago people easily came to blows over differences of opinion, if not outright duels to the death. Today, thank God, that doesn't happen.
Case in point. I have this friend. Well, he's the friend of a friend, but I like and respect him and would like to be friends with him. Anyway, we don't often see eye-to-eye on political matters. Tonight we were going rounds about "czars;" those positions in the federal government that really drive those on the right nuts, now that Obama is the one appointing them.
FYI, Nixon appointed the first person we called a "czar" in this country. As a presidential appointment, he should have congressional approval. He did not. In nearly 40 years it's become worse, as the number of these positions has grown in our federal government. My readings say this is the federal government taking more and more power upon itself, in direct contradiction of the 10th Amendment. My buddy disagrees. We went round and round on it.
I agreed that I wasn't as well-read on the matter as I'd like to be and would be studying up on this. I think he felt, at first, that I was objecting to "czar." Well, I do find it sort of objectionable in our country, to call someone a "czar," but understand the origins. What I really found objectionable was the position and the lack of congressional approval for a presidential appointment. My buddy feels they fall within the structure of our federal government and are legitimate positions demonized by those on the right just to make a stink about Obama. He stated that W appointed more of these folks than any other president. I've seen two different lists and both gave that dubious distinction to Obama, instead.
Okay, back-story complete. Here's what I was getting at. I think at various times we've both sat back and said, "I like this guy. He's nice. He's smart. So how can he be such a friggen idiot?" Thank God we don't have to have those moments face-to-face; I can't imagine a friendship resulting in such a case.
It may be that as our debate goes on we will reach an "agree to disagree" point, but I will try to keep you informed of what I find out.
Two hundred years ago people easily came to blows over differences of opinion, if not outright duels to the death. Today, thank God, that doesn't happen.
Case in point. I have this friend. Well, he's the friend of a friend, but I like and respect him and would like to be friends with him. Anyway, we don't often see eye-to-eye on political matters. Tonight we were going rounds about "czars;" those positions in the federal government that really drive those on the right nuts, now that Obama is the one appointing them.
FYI, Nixon appointed the first person we called a "czar" in this country. As a presidential appointment, he should have congressional approval. He did not. In nearly 40 years it's become worse, as the number of these positions has grown in our federal government. My readings say this is the federal government taking more and more power upon itself, in direct contradiction of the 10th Amendment. My buddy disagrees. We went round and round on it.
I agreed that I wasn't as well-read on the matter as I'd like to be and would be studying up on this. I think he felt, at first, that I was objecting to "czar." Well, I do find it sort of objectionable in our country, to call someone a "czar," but understand the origins. What I really found objectionable was the position and the lack of congressional approval for a presidential appointment. My buddy feels they fall within the structure of our federal government and are legitimate positions demonized by those on the right just to make a stink about Obama. He stated that W appointed more of these folks than any other president. I've seen two different lists and both gave that dubious distinction to Obama, instead.
Okay, back-story complete. Here's what I was getting at. I think at various times we've both sat back and said, "I like this guy. He's nice. He's smart. So how can he be such a friggen idiot?" Thank God we don't have to have those moments face-to-face; I can't imagine a friendship resulting in such a case.
It may be that as our debate goes on we will reach an "agree to disagree" point, but I will try to keep you informed of what I find out.
Compass
Time to give this baby some direction.
I think, given the titles of my two blogs (I'd forgotten I had either one until last night), that this one will be the home to more of my social/political thought while the other will be home to what is happening with me.
That decision made, it's time to jet over to Jay: Inside-Out and set a few administrative things to rights and then I'll get back to paying attention to what pays.
I think, given the titles of my two blogs (I'd forgotten I had either one until last night), that this one will be the home to more of my social/political thought while the other will be home to what is happening with me.
That decision made, it's time to jet over to Jay: Inside-Out and set a few administrative things to rights and then I'll get back to paying attention to what pays.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Everything changes ...
Here it is, more than two years since I last posted here or my other blog, Jay: Inside-Out, and so much has changed.
In July 2007, I was newly-married for the second time and off to New Orleans to run a new cable contractor owned by someone I thought was a friend. Instead I found him to be a crook who was stealing from his employees. I wanted nothing to do with it and moved on to be an assistant manager at another contractor for much more money. That owner blew his money gambling and couldn't pay anyone several weeks later, so I was able to move back to a tech position at yet another company. Talk about frustration ...
All the stress didn't help matters at home, which just never seemed to settle into the solid, rock-steady marriage Jenn and I had envisioned. Finances were looking rough, our relationship was pretty rocky and neither of us felt we had a reason to look up. Friends of hers back in Delaware asked us to rent their house and promised we'd find jobs easy. We talked about it, figured maybe things would be better with family around and I was already buddies with the husband of one of her friends, so maybe I could make some friends to go spend time with in a healthy way.
We sold a bunch of stuff, packed up and moved. We found jobs, we fought, we argued, we settled down, we fought more and then it just fell apart. Oddly things broke at about the same time we were to celebrate our second anniversary. Renee and I separated around our anniversary, too. Jenn went to stay at her parents and I scrambled to find someplace to stay.
Enter Nancy, a new friend from work who was from the same part of PA as me. She offered me her couch and whatever space I could carve out between a half dozen cats, two big dogs, her and her daughter. It was cramped, it was sometimes too hot and sometimes too cold and it was home. Nancy and Sara were, and are, like family, and I will never be able to repay them for their kindness.
During my stay there I started to write a little more, get back into photography and even play Final Fantasy XI again.
Things were getting tense at my work and they were running up on their time to move. I applied for a position with the company a friend in Florida works for and was hired. Said friend invited me to move in and now here I am.
The Phillies are playing game 2 tonight of their second World Series in a row, looking to (believe it or not) defend their championship from last year.
I have great friends and make new ones all the time. I may not be rich in money, but my life is rich. The love of my sons and my friends makes it so. Everything changes; that doesn't mean it goes away, just that ... it changes.
In July 2007, I was newly-married for the second time and off to New Orleans to run a new cable contractor owned by someone I thought was a friend. Instead I found him to be a crook who was stealing from his employees. I wanted nothing to do with it and moved on to be an assistant manager at another contractor for much more money. That owner blew his money gambling and couldn't pay anyone several weeks later, so I was able to move back to a tech position at yet another company. Talk about frustration ...
All the stress didn't help matters at home, which just never seemed to settle into the solid, rock-steady marriage Jenn and I had envisioned. Finances were looking rough, our relationship was pretty rocky and neither of us felt we had a reason to look up. Friends of hers back in Delaware asked us to rent their house and promised we'd find jobs easy. We talked about it, figured maybe things would be better with family around and I was already buddies with the husband of one of her friends, so maybe I could make some friends to go spend time with in a healthy way.
We sold a bunch of stuff, packed up and moved. We found jobs, we fought, we argued, we settled down, we fought more and then it just fell apart. Oddly things broke at about the same time we were to celebrate our second anniversary. Renee and I separated around our anniversary, too. Jenn went to stay at her parents and I scrambled to find someplace to stay.
Enter Nancy, a new friend from work who was from the same part of PA as me. She offered me her couch and whatever space I could carve out between a half dozen cats, two big dogs, her and her daughter. It was cramped, it was sometimes too hot and sometimes too cold and it was home. Nancy and Sara were, and are, like family, and I will never be able to repay them for their kindness.
During my stay there I started to write a little more, get back into photography and even play Final Fantasy XI again.
Things were getting tense at my work and they were running up on their time to move. I applied for a position with the company a friend in Florida works for and was hired. Said friend invited me to move in and now here I am.
The Phillies are playing game 2 tonight of their second World Series in a row, looking to (believe it or not) defend their championship from last year.
I have great friends and make new ones all the time. I may not be rich in money, but my life is rich. The love of my sons and my friends makes it so. Everything changes; that doesn't mean it goes away, just that ... it changes.
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