Barry's Blog

The Idiocy of Security Questions

2011-11-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

Online security questions seem like a good idea to "increase security" when logging on to a website. In reality, security questions are more just an annoyance. Here is why:

I alomost always use the same security questions at all websites. Most people do. Often they are historical questions, which can be found out through research. The other problem is - I know the answers to the questions, but all sites use different formats and methods for the answers. For example - some do not allow spaces, some do. Some sites are case sensitive - some are not. Some require a minimum length answer (this one always peeves me if I want to use my father's middle name as a security question - since his middle name is a letter and not a name.

Here is my biggest beef - some sites require security questions if you "forget" the password. I use quotes on forget because often it is with a site that I have the password record written down and for some dumbe reason it does not work.

Anyways, that is my beef. I hope today is well with you.

Stay safe and go Texans!!!

Obama's Jobs Plan - Why the Rush Now?

2011-10-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

I have a few questions for president Obama about his "jobs" plan.

1. What do payroll tax cuts have to do with jobs? Is there any correlation between this "feel good" tax cut and job creation? I am a small business and I fail to see the significance. I also wonder why are you wanting to cut the only way to pay for Social Security and Medicare when those two programs are in serious trouble and are destined to collapse?

My only conclusion to this is it is a program just so you can say you gave middle class tax cuts - even though by any logical assessment they are a bad idea. Maybe it will buy you a few votes from the not so clever crowd.

2. How is giving a $4000 tax break to a business for hiring a new employee going to increase jobs? Do you think the new employee will cost only $4000? Maybe you think it will only cost $10,000. I don't think so. This is another "feel good" tax break that will not create any more jobs. It only gives a break to those businesses that were going to hire anyways.

My conclusion to this is that you do not have anyone with any business sense giving you economic advice. Then again, maybe your buddy from GE that doesn't pay any taxes said it was a good idea. Not that he would know since GE has done nothing to increase its hiring the last couple of years and has sent hundreds of jobs over seas.

3. Why is there urgency now? Remember how we all had to wait until you were back from vacation before you would reveal your jobs plan? I was expecting something new and clever, but no - it was the same old tired failed policies.

My only conclusion to this is that you are so arrogant that you and only you decide when something is urgent. After all, your vacation was more urgent than "creating all of these jobs" with your jobs bill.

4. Why should I bail out another failed state's plan? Again. Really? Your big plan is to send more borrowed money to the states that cannot manage their budgets so "teachers and firefighters and police" won't lose their jobs? Does your bill even require the states to use the money that way? What about the bailed out jobs from your last bailout? Are those people even still working?

My conclusion to this is that again you are trying to buy votes with taxpayer money. This is a very old and tired political tactic. That, and you are still trying to curry favor with the unions.

5. Lastly - If jobs are so important, why not give an executive order making the NLRB lay off of Boeing so they can have their new billion dollar plant in South Carolina hire the thousands of workers they need to make more airplanes? Why is some political viewpoint or union loyalty more important than jobs?

My only conclusion to this is that you really do not care about jobs. Until you take action concerning this, you can never convince me that Americans having jobs is an important issue to you at all.

You cannot convince me that you are for the working man and middle class by "giving tax cuts" for no reason other than to buy favor. As a self employed businessman I find your whole "jobs plan" proposals offensive.

For the rest of you - Stay Safe!

The Economy - and What No One is Saying Right Now

2011-10-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

There seems to be all this talk about how to get the economy going. The press wants to make it 2 schools of thought: cut taxes or spend more money (by the government). Neither one is the way to fix the economy. While Obama is out touting his jobs bill - he doesn't even get it about what a real job is. He keeps bringing up public sector jobs and claims no one else has a plan. He forgets about all the plans that have not been voted on by the Senate or voted down. HE is stuck on his mantra of wanting the rich to "pay their fair share" I guess he wasn't good at vocabulary in school, because fair never includes making someone pay more than another. But all of that is digression.

Again, no one is bringing up the point about how a nation having access to abundant inexpensive energy is the key to developing economically. Apparently no one gets it. No one on the right is touting this as the way to fix the economy - no one on the left is either. Of course, some will say we need more regulations on energy and we need green energy. "Green energy" is such a vague and I believe miss-used term that it is just another talking point (doesn't matter which side is bringing it up). I remember when the long life mini fluorescent light bulbs were touted as being green. They forgot that they all have mercury and in most cases technically you need an EPA clean up team to dispose of even one single bulb according to most federal and state regulations. They may save a bit of energy, but they sent jobs to China and are now an environmental hazard of epic proportions, but the "green" folks are ignoring that part right now.

Most "green energy" programs cannot pay their own way. There has been so little in the development of solar cells and wind generators the last 20 years compared to other sources of energy, it is pathetic. Why? Because it doesn't pay to develop them. So far only the government has been willing to pay for green energy directly or indirectly through tax credits, etc. The electric car isn't significantly better than ones developed 20-30 years ago. There are a few batteries only a little better than they were 20 years ago, but the cost in energy to build such cars off sets any savings in energy.

Do develop the economy, you need to develop energy. Natural gas, coal, and nuclear can all be developed and used inexpensively. There needs to be a comprehensive energy program that focuses heavily on these energy sources. Unleash the energy industry and you will see the economy boom, and jobs grow like crazy. Continue the ridiculous regulations and the economy will remain stifled.

It is not about banks, wall street or corporations - it is about energy and regulations. You can fix the economy for the cost of zero dollars.

This isn't to say the debt problem doesn't need fixed - but the fastest way to get the economy moving is abundant inexpensive energy.

(Editor's note: After I published this Rick Perry came out with a plan that addresses these issues. Good for him - at least someone sees the importance of this.)

Anyone Else Think Bruce Campbell Should Run for President?

2011-08-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Just look

I think so. He "fits the bill" so to speak.

I Watched the Texan's Training Camp

2011-08-06T20:20:00.000-07:00

I won't give a big overview of everything. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Enjoy!

Blown Coverage by Linebackers

Cody in Backfield

D-Backs

Dickerson Snags a Catch

Which of These Things Doesn't Belong?

Jacoby Fakes Out a Defender

Kareem's "Covering"

K-Jax Out of Position

K-Jax - again

K-Jax Chasing Receiver

Linebackers

Mario Hops Over Blockers

Mitchell Gets Penetration

No-Fly-Zone

Quin With Tight Coverage

Matt Schaub does the Funky Chicken

Tate Wide Open

Winston Looks Concerned

Winston Smiles for the Cameras

I went to Fanfest

2011-06-05T14:03:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty good affiar. I think the folks at Sports Radio 610 did a bang-up job. The "Stars" were very fan-friendly. Free autographs from the likes of Warren Moon, Haywood Jeffries, Mario Williams, Dan Pastorini, Carl Mauck, Alonzo Highsmith, Connor Barwin, Eric Winston, Mario Ellie, and Jose Cruz. I hope I didn't miss mentioning any of the big names that appeared. There were also astronauts, cheerleaders and several local radio personalities.

Fanfest Sign

Astronaut Clayton C. Anderson

Jose Cruz

Mario Ellie with Radio Guys

Texans' Cheerleader Sarah

Cowboys 100th Win Football

Trisha Gordon

A Great day in Texans History

Some Texans Cheerleaders: Stephanie, Kayla, Leandra, and Sarah

Me with Connor Barwin

Just a few photos - I should have taken more, but it was a good time and it was free!

The John Roll Assassination

2011-05-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

The biggest non-story that is out there is the assassination of John Roll. Why is this a non-story? The reason I call this a non-story is because John roll is almost never mentioned in the shooting incident in which he was killed. I do understand why the media focuses on Gabrielle Giffords who was injured in the incident but is recovering while she is an active Congresswoman and she is a likable person and quite frankly, is a pretty lady.

It surprises me that no one mentions the assassination of the federal judge. Okay, I will not say no one, but the mainstream media and more ignore this. The only place you can even read anything about it is basically wacko sites that are conspiracy theory sites. I usually do not conform to conspiracy theories. However, this is becoming something that looks more more like a conspiracy.

John Roll is a judge who was appointed by George W. Bush. He very recently ruled against the Obama administration in a money seizure case. There have been a lot of money seizure cases in the past but very few that were not connected with any criminal activity. This seemed to be the case for this particular money seizure. Judge Roll had made the preliminary ruling when he was preparing to rule against Obama's power to seize American citizens' money without clear and convincing evidence of a crime being committed. The Obama administration was arguing that the seizures were made under executive orders instead of using existing laws. They cited to support to this case the fact that FDR seized gold from US Citizens in 1933 using Executive Order 6102 which by the way was since ruled unconstitutional.

The fact that the Obama administration is trying to rule by executive order instead of law is not unusual for most who watch this administration. He has tried to do away with the Hatch act by making federal contractors reveal who they donated money to. He also recently stated to Congress that they did not really have to approve all of the war actions in Libya because there wasn't that much going on, despite what his speeches say to the contrary in England. So the Obama ministration abusing presidential powers is nothing unusual.

What is starting to give me concern is that the "lone gunmen" Jared Loughner now has been ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial. This conveniently prevents the case from going to court. This prevents anyone from seeing the evidence that could be put forward in this case. It is interesting that initially there was a second "suspect" who was later released because authorities decided he was not connected to the shooting. Many people including the Kremlin's Foreign Intelligence Service, consider this person to be Mr. Loughner's handler.

Maybe it is nothing. Maybe there is no conspiracy. My biggest concern is that no one is mentioning the assassination of John Roll. The last time a Federal Judge was assassinated while in office was Robert Smith Vance when he was killed in 1989 by a mail bomb. Federal judges are not assassinated very often. It should be headline news when they are. I'm just wondering why this story is never being pushed forward by the media. Whatever you do stay safe!

How the Government Fixes Broken Things

2011-05-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have a great idea. Let's find an industry that needs fixing. We will pass special law(s) to fix this industry. What should the main point of the new law be to fix this? I know, let's make everyone buy the product from the industry that needs fixing! Then we will... whaaattt?

That is exactly what happened with "Health Care Reform." We all know now that Health Care Reform was really health insurance reform, because the health care system was not what needed "fixed" but the insurance was. A lot of folks just wanted to expand the ~~broken~~ Medicare system. That did not fly, but they did mandate everyone to have to buy health insurance. This is already found unconstitutional, but the federal government gets to continue with this ~~welfare bailout of insurance companies~~ mandate while the case is being appealed to the Supreme Court. On the flip-side it is opposite of any Federal Cases involving States Laws that are found unconstitutional by lower courts ~~when they were unconstitutionally challenged according to the 11th amendment~~ by the US Justice Department.

In case you do not remember the 11th Ammendment: "The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State."

Just remember this logic - when you need to fix something-the first step the government does is it orders the citizens to buy an broken product.

Whatever you do - stay safe!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T09:35:00.000-07:00

A Blast From the Past

2011-05-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else think Davor looks like Ryan Gosling?

The Republican Debate - What I Saw

2011-05-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday's Debaters

All of the pundits and "experts" have weighed in on the Republican debate last night. I figure I am as qualified as anyone to make an opinion for two reasons - I am a championship debater and I am a registered voter. Herman Cain, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum participated in the debate Thursday night in Greenville, S.C.

Fox News' focus group got it right. The clear winner of the debate was Herman Cain. He won because he had clearly explained ideas and he didn't water it down by trying to grease the skids with BS.

The loser of the debate without a doubt was Tim Pawlenty. Why you ask? he lost viewers for two reasons. First, he was the first to answer and instead of giving a good answer - he started off with BS something like "I want to thank Fox News and the People of South Carolina ... blah, blah, blah .." and then what did he say? I don't know I was so totally turned off by his sleazy-slick-politician approach that I couldn't tell you what he said.

Probably the second best was Rick Santorum. His comments appeared heartfelt and he had a plan when he spoke.

Some knucklehead pundits who will remain nameless like TJ Walker at Forbes, are trying to write off Cain sating he doesn't stand a snowballs chance in hell - at this stage of the process last election neither did Obama.

Now we all know Ron Paul is a libertarian and a heck of a representative - but his ideas would not fly as a President - most people do not think like he does. Gary Johnson is also pretty much libertarian and probably will only be remembered as the dope-smoking marathon runner that has climbed Mt Everest.

So there you have my opinion

Cain has distinct advantages to the average American over Obama. First - he is not Obama, that has to be worth about 40% of the vote. Second he is an accomplished businessman and has a real resume - something Obama does not have. Third he admits he is not the supreme expert on anything and everything and would surround himself with competent advisors - once again the total opposite of Obama. On a side note, since Cain thinks Obama is the worst president of modern times and he has an incompetent administration, does that make him a racist? I am sure progressives think so.

Whatever you do - stay safe!

Osama Bin Ladden's Compound

2011-05-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

In case you wanted to find the compound on Google Earth here it is. 34º 10'09.18" N 73º.14' 33.45"E

From a distance you should see this

Then This

Next up the Jewel of the Nile...er I mean Anwar Al Awlaki

Al Awlaki is on the left if you cannot tell :)

Whatever you do - stay safe!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Google - Obama's Fave

2011-04-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

I know Google originally made it on their own. However, it is a very large recipient of "corporate welfare" and seems to be the Obama administrations ~~favorite~~ second favorite corporation.

Google has been misrepresenting its so-called “cloud computing” services it has tried to sell to the government. Google claimed its Government Cloud service had Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) certification, when it did not.

Google has often inappropriately benefited from its close ties to the Obama Administration. Things such as the use of NASA’s Moffett Airfield, near Google’s world headquarters which essentially has been turned into a taxpayer-subsidized private airport for Google.

Andrew McLaughlin, Google’s top policy executive, joined the Obama administration as deputy chief technology officer. Surprisingly (not!) Obama has pushed for the regulation the Internet for the first time via the so-called Net Neutrality policy. Google has begun to get a string of government contracts in areas ranging from national security to NASA.

Yet, Google which touts itself as the ‘Don’t Be Evil’ company, is using shady avoidance techniques to cut its taxes by $3.1 billion in the last three years. Not only that, it has reduced its overseas tax rate to 2.4 percent, the lowest of the top five U.S. technology companies. But I am sure they pay "their fair share" as Obama calls it ~~just like GEdoes~~ .

Whatever you do - stay safe!

The Biggest User of Power Not Investigated

2011-04-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Biggest user of power has not been investigated seriously. Do you know who it is? In the US it is the grid itself - the transmission lines. They use 10% of all energy. That is pretty ineffeccient all things considereded, especially with our present technology.

Green supporters spent time and effort getting us to buy the not-so-green little flourescent bulbs. They forgot about the mercury used to make them and we have no good way to dispose of them. Technically, if you break one of those bulbs you need to call a hazmat team to your house for them to clean it up. And here you thought that Nuclear Energy was a problem. Now that we have all been hoodwinked into not buying regular lightbulbs and buying these little environmental hazzards, we are in a pickle. However, that is a digression from where I was going.

We seem to rather continue funding programs that in reality do not work and have their own issues. The whole methanol boondoggle is continually draining our coffers while not giving us even half back on our returns. Gas wit alcohol isn't proven to be any cleaner and it really isn't "saving" anything if you look at how much it is subsidized. There is no big study or effort to make our electric grid more efficient, other than wht the companies do themselves. They know they are losing energy and energy=$. If they cannot do it for short term rewards - they are not interested. That is where our tax-funded research should focus first. If wind power is so great, it would stand on its own.

This will not happen, as there are no political favors to be gained by making the grid more efficient. That is unless GE gets involved :)

Stay Safe!

No Taxation Without Representation!

2011-04-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

No taxation without representation! That was a theme that helped give birth to our nation. However, we are becoming a nation that does this to our taxpayers. How, you ask? Well, maybe I should rephrase it to taxation without equal representation.

We are coming to a point in time that there will be more non-taxed citizens than taxed citizens in the US. Some of you misguided ones will think “Oh yeah!” The problem is – it leads to the taxed being under-represented. I am not in favor of a poll tax, but I am in favor of a fair tax. Now there are combinations of taxes out there that are fair, not just the one known as a “fair tax.” What is not fair, is to tax some and not all and tax some more than others. Everyone should pay their fair share.

Our illustrious organizer and chief (he is not a leader, so don’t expect me to call him one) has decided that the people who pay taxes need to be taxed more, to support those who don’t. Now if you are not a taxpayer, (check your 1040 to see if you are or are not- it is simple) you are probably cheering. The fact is, taxpayers should get a stronger vote than non-payers, maybe a weighted vote for how much you pay would be fair. You will kick and scream at such a suggestion, after all the poor disenfranchised should be able to vote. One half of the US is not poor and disenfranchised. The reality is, the taxpayers are not fairly represented.

I do not want to change the way people vote, well, except maybe make sure voters are eligible – why liberals oppose this I have no idea. What I would like to see changed is the tax code. A real change to either the “fair tax” or even just make everyone pay 13%. No deductions, no tax breaks – 13%. If that isn’t enough to cover everything adjust it year to year. Everyone pays their fair share. I guarantee that we would increase tax revenue significantly. This won’t fly as politicians cannot pay back favors with loop holes. I think it is funny that those who want the rich to pay their fair share, all have big corporation buddies like GE and the like that pay no taxes.

Whatever you do – stay safe!

Tired of the Crap from the Whitehouse

2011-04-07T07:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just get fed up with all of the politics that goes on. I get fed up with the elitist politicians that think most Americans cannot think for themselves. This whole government shutdown thing is beginning to really anger me. First, we have a President that not only outright lies to us directly about it, he then releases information that if true would be the dumbest thing ever to do. The president tells us that this budget should have been taken care of "three months ago." That in itself is a lie.

Well, let's see. When was the budget supposed to have been passed? before the fiscal year! But his party who had everything in charge was afraid to pass any budget before the elections. Nancy Pelosi and President Obama should take all the blame. However, since he is like that supervisor that tricked people into getting the job that wants all the control but none of the responsibility, he will never take responsibility for what he does. He cannot - because he has zero leadership skills.

Now he is leaking that troops will not be paid. OK, anyone knows that with the volunteer force, there is really only one obligation of the US Government to the soldier, sailor, marine, airman... etc. That is to pay them. If they are not paid - they can walk off base - walk off the job and have no obligation to perform their duties. No obligation. Don't believe me? Ask any service member in a supervisory position. You cannot be AWOL if you have not been paid. Pure and simple. This "leak of information" is deception on the part of the Whitehouse.

Harry Reid is right about one thing. It is not about budget anymore, it is about ideology. Problem is, it is the ideology of the Democratic controlled Senate and himself that has prevented action. The Senate will not even vote on the Bill passed by the house. The President in a last ditch effort to appear to be a leader called a "last minute meeting " at the Whitehouse. Gee why didn't he do it "three months ago?"

Deja Vu All Over Again

2011-03-21T10:07:00.000-07:00

We are only going to use air strikes. We won't send in troops. Those are familiar statements about an Action taken by the US in 1999 in Kosovo. We still have US troops in Kosovo. Kosovo is tiny, so we don't have many troops there.

Are we going to have the same fate in Libya? I hope not. Read the following:

I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war. What I am opposed to is the cynical attempt by ... weekend warriors ... to shove their own ideological agendas down our throats, irrespective of the costs in lives lost and in hardships borne.

... What I'm opposed to. A dumb war. A rash war. A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics.

Now let me be clear: I suffer no illusions about Muhamar Qaddafi. He is a brutal man. A ruthless man. A man who butchers his own people to secure his own power.... The world, and the Libyan people, would be better off without him.

But I also know that Qaddafi poses no imminent and direct threat to the United States, or to his neighbors...and that in concert with the international community he can be contained until, in the way of all petty dictators, he falls away into the dustbin of history.

I know that even a successful war against the Qaddafi supporters will require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences.

I know that ... without a clear rationale and without strong international support will only fan the flames of the Middle East, and encourage the worst, rather than best, impulses of the Arab world, and strengthen the recruitment arm of al-Qaeda.

I am not opposed to all wars. I'm opposed to dumb wars. So for those of us who seek a more just and secure world for our children, let us send a clear message...

...You want a fight President Obama? Let's fight to make sure our so-called allies in the Middle East, the Saudis and the Egyptians, stop oppressing their own people, and suppressing dissent, and tolerating corruption and inequality, and mismanaging their economies so that their youth grow up without education, without prospects, without hope, the ready recruits of terrorist cells.

You want a fight, President Obama? Let's fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil through an energy policy that doesn't simply serve the interests of GE and failed "green programs."

Those are the battles that we need to fight. Those are the battles that we willingly join. The battles against ignorance and intolerance. Corruption and greed. Poverty and despair.

Switch Muhamar Qaddafi with Saddam Hussein. Switch Libya with Iraq, and switch Obama with Bush. Swich GE and "failed green programs" with Exxon and Mobil . You have Obama's speech on Iraq in 2002. Funny how perspective changes when you become president.

My Mom's Wedding Photos

2011-02-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

Who Was the Target in Arizona Shooting? - John Roll

2011-01-30T08:08:00.000-08:00

I am not prone to buy into conspiracy theories myself. However, even the craziest of all conspiracy theories - usually has some degree of truth behind it. What I think odd, in all of the news coverage of the Arizona shooting, that no one in the big media has looked into the death of Judge John Roll.

There are 2 facts that are interesting:

1) Judge Roll had just ruled days before on the case US vs $333,520.00. This was a ruling that blocked the Obama Administration's attempt to seize assets and currency w/o any criminal charge or law violation. This includes IRAs and 401Ks. He was trying to use a decree that FDR had made when he illegally took gold from US Citizens.

2) US Marshall protection for the Judge had just been suspended.

As translated from the Generaccion.com:
"Federal Judge John McCarthy Roll, three days ago had issued a ruling on the case "United States of America v. $ 333,520.00 in United States Currency et al "[Case Number: 4:2010 cv00703 Filed: November 30, 2010], which paralyzed Obama a decree law to intercept every American bank accounts without having any criminal action in between . The reason is that the American state has come to bankruptcy and intends to intercept Americans' accounts directly (ie, "playpen"), for which it has begun issuing a series of ads that staff prepare for the worst . Tremendo, dies a federal judge and the media do not count !"

Also, I found it interesting that only the media in Spanish covered this as a story. You can see the story here.

This is likely not just an internet rumor, as truthorfiction.com has nothing (as of this posting) concerning this one way or another.

Stay Safe!

Arizona Shooting

2011-01-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

So many have posted so much about the "Arizona shooting." I will not try to get into the investigation or anything else now, as the Feds have taken over the case - and we all know that means not much will be revealed from now on.

What we do know is the folowing people were killed:
-John Roll, 63, a federal district court judge.
-Gabriel Zimmerman, 30, Giffords’ director of community outreach
-Dorwin Stoddard, 76, a pastor at Mountain Ave. Church of Christ.
-Christina Greene, 9, a student at Mesa Verde Elementary
-Dorthy Murray, 76
-Phyllis Scheck, 79

Christina Greene was born on September 11, 2001 - Very interesting considering her fate.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head - in critical condition

12 others were injured in the shooting.

Pray those injured and for the families of the ones killed.

Chinese Stealth Fighters and Dead Blackbirds

2011-01-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

The rolling in of the new year gave us some strange news for sure. With the mass death of over 5000 Red-winged Blackbirds in Arkansas and Louisiana, a 100,000 fish dying in the Arkansas River and Chinese Stealth fighters being revealed the coming new year is not short on "news."

Thank goodness there is something going on besides the new Congress and more Obama Administration BS.

The Chinese have unveiled a new Stealth Fighter that is to compete with the F22 and be superior to the F35 fighter. This is interesting as Japan was planning on buying several F35's for their own defense.

The deaths of the thousands of blackbirds is still mysterious. Of course many that have had farms and the like probably said "good riddance" as these birds are often major pests that travel and feed in huge flocks and are just plain annoying. I have killed a many of these birds, and thankfully ended up with an owl that took care of a major infestation problem. You see owls are known to kill an entire flock of blackbirds in one night. These birds were not killed by the talons of owls, but were killed by blunt trauma to their organs and died in the air - not from the fall.

Anyhow happy New Year and Stay Safe!

The Economy - What No One is Saying

2010-12-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Economy and Energy: I find it interesting with all of the talks about the economy - basically no one has proposed anything known to really work. OK, not raising taxes is smart. It is a start - but the tax rates are already there - so how will that change anything?

What I find interesting is that President Obama often has in the same speech, talked about trying to do something positive for the economy, while at the same time restricting access to one or more forms of energy. Any development by any nation has greatly hinged on the the access to affordable energy. Don't believe me? I challenge you to find a case historically that differs with what I am saying.

Lets look at what our government's policy on energy is or has been recently:

More regulations on Nuclear Power. This has been done and now there are even plants that will shut down sooner than scheduled, because of regulations that have basically been "retroactively applied" to existing plants. With no more Nuclear plants being built, and not even planned - this is ridiculous. If I bought into conspiracy theories, I would definitely think this was part of some sort of "plan" to attack our energy and economy. Nuclear is the most efficient way to produce electricity known to man.

America hates using coal. While we are the world's largest producer of coal, an we are exporting it to our competitors, we are not ready to use it ourselves. All is talked about "alternative energy sources" which all have to be subsidized or we would not even be using it now. I am not against wind power - but even with subsidies I will explain why it will not work in the short term.

Baseless moratoriums on offshore drilling. The US has moratoriums against offshore drilling. This somehow includes in international waters. The bad part about this - other countries can drill in the same places we are banning US companies from drilling. You may claim that this is based on the horizon platform aka BP oil spill. That was an excuse to put a choke hold on American oil while helping our competitors from over seas.

The Wind Problem: I am not going to get into all the hype about "alternative" energy sources, but they are not efficient. I said I would explain about wind power. I have studied it a bit as Texas produces more wind power than anyone- as much as 6,200-megawatts a day. The problem is - when you build a power plant - there is infrastructure designed to transmit the power into the electrical grid. Wind farms do not have such a transmission line in place - and engineers are yet to find a good way to do this as wind farms are not a power plant - but many small power plants. The current grid cannot even support what energy is generated today in Texas. Texas is spending over $5 billion to address this issue - but if many more wind farms pop up - look for more big spending.

The Answer - Easy Access to Affordable Energy: When you need to build your economy - you need to have easy access to affordable energy. Yes, it is that simple. China has this, India has this. The US does not have this. The bad part is, it is all self inflicted. We had it in the 80's and even the beginning of the 90's when our economy was strong. Any real talk about helping the economy has to include accessing affordable energy.

I am not against "going green" but we need to take much more measured changes. We need to quit listening to the Chicken Littles of this world "The sky is falling" (or getting a hole in it, etc). We need cheap energy. - Stay safe!

Private Rockets in Space

2010-12-05T13:06:00.000-08:00

It looks like the private company SpaceX will be launching a capsule into orbit soon. There have been successful tests of the engines and all systems are go - for now. SpaceX is owned by the same guy that owns Paypal. Yes, Elon Musk is filthy rich. I am a Paypal fan and so kudos to him. SpaceX has a contract with NASA to send supplies to the space station for around $1.6 billion. Supposedly cheaper than NASA doing it themselves.

I wonder if the company sells advertizing space on the side of the rocket like NASCAR. It would be smart to do that, and it could help off-set the costs of operation. I do not know how the company got the contract - but it does not surprise me that the CEO of the Tesla car company has a space contract with NASA with the current administration.

Good luck to SpaceX and may you have a lot of competition soon.

UPDATE:
The spacecraft successfully lifted off at 10:43 EST on 8 Dec 2010.

Remember to Stay Safe!

More Wasted Stimuls Another Bailout Bust

2010-11-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

So with all of the wasted stimuli - why do some in power, including the Preident, think that the American people are just too dumb to get it? After all, if he just explained it better... He does consider himself a great communicator - so why can't he then? Back to facts.

Some company called Solyndra in California got a LOT of stimulus money. Why? Because it was a favorite. It has "green energy" it makes solar panels. It is a privately owned corporation. It was supposed to go public, but. Yes, an Obama but. Oh yeah, this company apparently is or maybe was the cornerstone of Obama's highly touted green-energy future. Now it is a Rupublicans taking over the house - size political embarrassment. Solyndra got a $535 million Department of Energy loan guarantee. In June it cancelled a public offering because their auditor PricewaterhouseCoooper said its operating losses and negative cash flow show it is unlikely to be able to continue operations.

The company received bailout funds and spent them on executive salaries and to build a plant. Now they are closing the plant. This is the company that Obama said in May :"leading the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future."

Get the story here.

Here is a list of some of the executives:
BRIAN HARRISON: PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
DR. CHRIS GRONET: FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
BEN BIERMAN: EVP, OPERATIONS AND ENGINEERING
W.G. BILL STOVER, JR.: SVP, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
JOHN GAFFNEY: SVP, CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL
CLEMENS G. JARGON: PRESIDENT EMEA & CORPORATE SVP
KAREN ALTER: SVP, MARKETING
CORBY C. WHITAKER: VP of NORTH AMERICA SALES

These folks got paid to operate a failing company with your and my hard earned tax dollars. Thanks Mr. President.

Stay Safe!

al Qaeda Attacks Church

2010-11-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

For reasons yet to be made clear - a group of muslim extremists attack a Church in Baghdad. While Churches within Baghdad have been fairly well protected by police in general, this one suffered. The Islamic State of Iraq claims responsibility for the attack. The al Qaeda group in Iraq, said it would "exterminate Iraqi Christians" if Muslim women in Egypt were not freed. You can get the whole story here: http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fgw-iraq-church-attack-20101101,0,5355537.story?track=rss

At least 52 were killed including 10 police, and 67 were wounded. It is unknown how many of the Christians were killed by the terrorists and how many were killed by the police in the rescue attempt.

It is a shame this kind of "news" gets little attention.

Whatever you do - be safe!

Yemen, Yemen What are You Doing?

2010-10-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

One has to wonder about what has been going on with Yemen lately. Ok, not lately, as if you go back to the USS Cole, about which nothing has been done, by ANY administration, Yemen has been a sore spot for the US for a long time.

I do not hate Yemen, I have friends from Yemen. I believe some in Yemen have even lost their lives to fight Al Qaeda. However, we know that Yemen is home to terrorist training grounds. We also know that Yemen is the source of at least two explosive devices and some more hoax devices that were destined for the US today. What the bad guys have planned on a total scale so far - who knows? The explosive devices were destined for Jewish houses of worship in Chicago. Right now it is unknown why those targets.

Jihadists are anti-semitic which does not make sense to anyone outside of the jihadists. Judaism is not a threat to Islam in any way or fashion. Some simpletons believe it is an Israel Palestine thing, but all you need to do is look around the world at what the jihadists are doing to see otherwise.

I am hoping that at least a large part of the threat has been caught, but we may not know for a few days. I will post more when I know more and feel free to give your analogy in comments.

Jeff Hart - American Hero

2010-10-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Who is Jeff Hart? He is a contractor from Colorado who was drilling for water in Afghanistan for US Military bases. He was called upon for a very special mission. Instead of drilling for water, he would be drilling to save lives.

By now everyone has heard of the trapped Chilean Miners who have survived nearly 70 days underground. They are heros of a sort in their own right for supporting each other and keeping each other alive and well in dire circumstances.

Hart was called upon after Geotec Boyles Bros who was originally in charge of drilling. They were successful in drilling a small five-inch diameter hole, but they needed assistance to make a hole big enough to rescue the miners. That company called upon Layne Christensen CEO Andrew Schmitt and asked for help. He knew just the crew to suggest the job. The crew was headed by Jeff Hart and driller Matt Staffel and helpers Doug Reeves and Jorge Herrera. Hart had to go to Chile from Afghanistan.

They got special equipment including a special drill bit to make the 26" hole to rescue the miners. The drill bit was shipped for free by UPS. Kudos to UPS for that! In the process they broke one bit on an underground steel support beam and had to get another. The team drilled for 33 days straight.

Once the hole was completed Hart left the mine and watched from Santiago - because he wanted the rescue to be about the miners, and Chile - not about him.

Jeff Hart - American Hero.

Why Cap and Traders Chose Carbon Dioxide

2010-10-08T17:16:00.001-07:00

CO2 is Evil: There are all sorts of studies that exist that say CO2 is a “greenhouse gas” and is a major cause of ~~global~~ ~~warming~~ er I mean climate change. The term global warming has been basically dropped since global warming is no longer the argument as there is no real indicator of global warming. CO2 was made the culprit for one simple reason. It is the air we breathe. Not inhaling as much as exhaling, but it is still the air we breathe.

The empty argument: No one has yet shown that you can “overload” the atmosphere with CO2 that will not be handled by the environment itself through increased vegetation growth or other processes. There is no documented evidence that we could actually make too much CO2 for the planet if we tried. CO2 is something easy to measure, so we can try to charge people for putting CO2 into the atmosphere. CO2 is also a gas that is released from a perfect operating internal combustion engine. Along with water it is the emission created by a perfect operating internal combustion engine.

Why CO2?: CO2 was chosen, because it can be shown that the US puts more of that out than any other nation. The whole purpose of cap and trade is redistribution of wealth. If you follow the money of cap and trade, you can see this. Of course some of the “environmental minded” people will greatly profit from and cap and trade system that has been proposed so far. Also they use the excuse that “developing countries” are affected more by ~~global warming~~ er climate change than “rich countries.” This is their justification for “punishing” the rich countries with this system. They also claim they know what CO2 levels were in the 1790’s when they do not really know and are claiming that increased industrialization is the main cause on “increased CO2 in the atmosphere.”

Fear Mongering: Arguments for applying any sort of cap and trade rely on straw man arguments, fear mongering (monster storms), and name calling (deniers) as their main talking points. Scientific evidence about ~~global warming~~ climate change caused by man never includes information about the Sun’s mean temperature. Since the Sun is the earth’s main source of heat you would think any reasonable study concerning ~~global warming~~ climate change would consider this.

In reality CO2 is the least effective of any known greenhouse gas:

			GWP*
Gas	Symbol	Lifetime (yrs)	20-yr	100-yr	500-yr
Carbon dioxide	CO2		1	1	1
Methane	CH4	12	72	25	7.6
Nitrous oxide	N2O	114	289	298	153
CFC-12	CCl2F2	100	11 000	10 900	5 200
HCFC-22	CHClF2	12	5 160	1 810	549
Tetrafluoromethane	CF4	50 000	5 210	7 390	11 200
Hexafluoroethane	C2F6	10 000	8 630	12 200	18 200
Sulphur hexafluoride	SF6	3 200	16 300	22 800	32 600
Nitrogen trifluoride	NF3	740	12 300	17 200	20 700
*Global Warming Potential

Note: Cap and Traders say - "It is not possible to state that this gas or that gas has an exact greenhouse effect. Gases absorb and emit radiation at different frequencies than others. So that the total greenhouse effect is not simply the sum of the influence of each gas. " Translation - we really do not know what causes the greenhouse effect.

Why Tax CO2: If anyone wanted to “tax” emissions then CO2 makes the least sense. CO2 is very unlikely to last in the atmosphere for more than a year or 2 because that is the average time for any CO₂ molecule to stay in the atmosphere before being mixed into the ocean or changed to oxygen by photosynthesis. Proponents of man-caused climate change claim that you “cannot measure” how long CO2 will stay in the atmosphere, even though they cannot argue that the above statement is not a fact. They want to tax it because it is easy to measure and there is tons of it. Not because it has any real factor in ~~global warming~~ climate change.

The effect of the tax: Taxing such a thing will only lead to bankrupting companies or taking money out of people’s pockets. It will have no real effect on ~~global warming~~ climate change. For centuries men have tried to affect the weather and have failed miserably – what makes us feel so highly of ourselves that we could affect climate?

House and 15 Acres for Sale!

2010-10-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am selling the house in Riviera, Texas along with 15 acres. The house is remodeled, but it is probably the oldest structure still standing in Riviera. It is one of the few buildings that survived the storm of 1919.

The house was built in 1912. It originally had a storm cellar which is no longer a part of the house. The piers are at least 6 feet deep (may be deeper, that is all I checked, and the base of the house is bolted on to the piers. No one is moving this house from the property.

The number is on the sign - if interested call.

George Blanda Dies - Hope I catch Him Later

2010-09-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

George Blanda died at 83. George Blanda was probably the coolest football player I have ever watched. As a small child, I watched him quarterback the Oilers AND kick field goals, then around 70, saw him lead the Raiders into the playoffs (older than the Favre).

He not only knew defenses backwards and forwards, he kicked clutch field goals. He didn't retire from the NFL until he was 48, well the second time he did retire in 1958 but came back to play in the AFL. The AFL was awesome because they pased a lot, scored a lot and was more fun. In 13 of his 26 seasons he kicked 100% of his extra points attempted. He was 98.3% for his career. His percentage for field goals wasn't all that high, but he managed to make many clutch kicks to tie or win games. He even kicked a 53 yarder at age 43. He scored 2002 points in his professional football career.

George Blanda - rest in peace. The rest of y'all, stay safe!

Why Does US Department Of Education Need Shotguns?

2010-09-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

OK I posted about this in the Thread to End all Threads affectionately known as TTTEAT at Blog Catalog.

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) intends to purchase twenty-seven (27) REMINGTON BRAND MODEL 870 POLICE 12/14P MOD GRWC XS4 KXCS SF. RAMAC #24587 GAUGE: 12 BARREL: 14" - PARKERIZED CHOKE: MODIFIED SIGHTS: GHOST RING REAR WILSON COMBAT; FRONT - XS CONTOUR BEAD SIGHT STOCK: KNOXX REDUCE RECOIL ADJUSTABLE STOCK FORE-END: SPEEDFEED SPORT-SOLID - 14" LOP are designated as the only shotguns authorized for ED based on compatibility with ED existing shotgun inventory, certified armor and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts.

So why does the DOE need shotguns? Why Chicago? NOTE: It said compatibility with ED existing shotgun inventory

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=cb68cf9f3fa2fe18a83d1c3dee0039b2&tab=core&_cview=0

Just wondering

Players Solidarity Booed

2010-09-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

No surprise here. The players forget that it is the fans that pay them - not just the team owners. In stadiums all across the US the solidarity symbol was booed by fans. Maybe it is because it is just bad timing by the players association. We are in a ~~depression~~ er, I mean recession, and many people are unemployed, and these guys make millions of dollars playing a game to entertain us.

Other than that, for me a pretty good weekend over-all.

Owl on a Tree

2010-09-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

When working on the rent house the other day (you can see doors on sawhorses in the background) I saw this Owl on a Tree. It was molting, so it couldn't fly. This owl is only about 8" tall.

I had always seen "pictures" of owls living in a hole in a tree my whole life. There is a hole just above the owl, so I figured (s)he lives there.

It was close enough to touch, but those claws are sharp - so I decided against it.

End Pre-Employment Credit Checks

2010-08-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

There are very few jobs in today's society that really require a credit check to screen people to do the job. Yet, many companies will run a credit check as routine pre-employment screening. There is no empirical evidence that shows people with better credit ratings make better employees.

This is not a personal rant in case you are wondering. My credit is better than OK, but is no one's business, unless maybe I am working say in a Bank or related field. The government even runs credit checks on people to see if they may be a "security risk." Once again, they have no evidence to this (just like running a lie detector test) that shows a poor credit rating constitutes a security risk. They simply base this on "logic" that if you have bad credit you are more susceptible to a bribe. Once again, no evidence exists.

I am all for banning credit checks for pre-employment screening, as it knocks honest hard working people out of the running for jobs which credit is no factor. When unemployment has been at 10% for so long - a lot of folks will start showing poor credit scores.

If anyone knows of any evidence to the contrary let me know- so far what I have found is non-existent.

Whatever you do- Stay Safe!

Roadkill Special?

2010-08-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

I saw this Jeep in the DQ parking lot in Riviera, Texas. I just could not help myself thinking how awesome it is this guy recycles roadkill with the BBQ Pit on his Bumper.

We are in tough times, so what the heck, right?

How to Make Real Economic Reform

2010-08-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

I have a novel Idea as to how to bring about economic reform in the US. Maybe it has been thought of before, but it is so simple, that it can really work. It all has to do with Congress, I don't care who is president, Congress would make it happen.

First, all congressmen (that is the official term don't go politically correct on me) should earn while in Congress the average salary of those in their district. This may seem unfair, but really, you are a representative of your district, not a Party and you are not any sort of elite politician. As far as campaign contributions, anything left over after the campaign must be turned in to the US treasury towards ending the national debt. No more using it as a "nest egg" for politicians.

The Senators would not be immune either, they will earn the average salary of workers in their state. Some people say, paying such a low wage encourages corruption. I disagree. All you have to do is make it a minimum 20 year prison sentence for accepting a bribe. It would be a minimum 30 year prison sentence for offering a bribe. Any company that had an employee offer a bribe to a Senator or Congressman would be immediately ineligible for any government contracts for the same 30 years.

There should be no such thing as "retirement" for members of Congress. If they want to stay and serve, great, but this should be incentive for voluntary term limits. There should be no such thing as a professional politician.

This is just the beginning, but if Congress truly had a vested interest in improving the economy, and making things better for the people they allegedly serve, then we may actually see real progress in building a real strong economy. This isn't about party, it isn't about ideals, it is plain and practical.

Just as an unrelated bonus, there should be a minimum 15 year prison sentence for any member of Congress that votes for or against any bill they have not read. Random tests could be given for this easily.

Remember to Stay Safe!

Congress is Trying to Save NASA (From the President)

2010-07-22T20:24:00.000-07:00

I believe we all know what Obama wants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He wants it to be an outreach to the Muslim world - whatever that means. The space agency's Administrator, Charles Bolden, recently said that the "foremost" mission of our space agency was to make Muslims feel good about their "scientific and mathematical contributions" they did hundreds of years ago. Bolden even went to Cairo promoting this nonsense, following up on Obama’s speech around a year ago catering to the Muslim world.This is how NASA would effect our country under Obama's plan:

However, in an unlikely move, Congress has at least started to do the right thing. Yes, it is even a bi-partisan move to un-do the stupidity of the Obama Administration. For a guy that is supposed to be really smart, President Obama has done more lame-brain things than almost any national leader, including his buddy from Venezuela. This is what we are supposed to hear from our kids:

Maybe, just maybe there is still hope for NASA. I am hoping so for our future generations, as NASA has made many contributions and has inspired many scientists and astronauts.

The Great CB Wealth Experiment

2010-07-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

OK, many of you know that I have dabbled a bit with affiliate marketing from time to time. What you may not know is that I have made it sort-of work a few times, but it was very labor intensive on the writing end.

That isn't so bad, because I enjoy writing anyways. Anyways, I have never been big on Make money online - and all of that blah, blah, blah (translates to yadda, yadda, yadda for some)

Anyways, I came across the CB Wealth Formula. Now I am not big on these, as I have said. Here is why I decided to try: There is a 60 day money back guarantee. So, why not try to supplement my income a bit online? So here we are around day seven of the program. Now in one way this is day 2, because I am starting an experiment with a satellite TV on the internet program to see how it works.

I built an all new simple web-page, I have followed their instructions, and we will see where it all goes from here.

So wish me luck and I have a 98% chance of failure in this venture according to most statistics.

UPDATE: I have to change what I was promoting, because Ezine Articles does not take articles concerning internet TV. So I decided to hang out in my old niche of detective stuff for this test, but with a totally new product. So the date sort of changes as now I am having to restart. Day one with my new product - which kind-of is a scary product. The name is a bit hokey, but the product is something else. It is called Spybubble. Check it out if you are interested.

In 3 Years Satellite TV will be Dead

2010-07-13T23:15:00.000-07:00

Will satellite TV be dead in 3 years? As the fact that will it still be broadcasting, probably not. But the double-dipping of commercials and pay for reception is likely to be on the way out.

Why people are leaving pay satellite TV: Subscriptions have continually risen for satellite TV. The companies are now touting the DVR features and accessibility more so than the channels. Have you asked yourself why? It is because more people are turning to internet based TV.

The advantages of internet based TV is simple. Right now there are no subscription prices, all you need to do is get the software and install it. The channels are free. There are more channels available to internet TV watchers than there are to any single satellite subscriber?

Will they charge for subscriptions or content in the internet? There will be charges for content and particular programming. Your pay-per-view type channels will remain that way, but you are likely to never have to pay for the “regular” channels you now pay for.

The evolution of TV. TV started out as a simple broadcast signal with one, then two then three or four channels for what seemed forever. Now there are channels covering thousands of topics and areas. There is almost no subject that you cannot find a TV channel for – which is quite amazing.

Right before TV started going to cable, several local TV channels started broadcasting on UHF usually in your larger to mid-sized markets. This was the birth of a lot of local shows. This was the same time that PBS stations started popping up all over.

Cable TV was not far behind and this opened the door to even more channels. The ideas for the types of shows just grew and grew. It was not long until there were 100’s of channels. When technology advanced, Satellite TV came along for the regular household. Satellite became major competition for cable and offered more channels for the same price.

Satellite and cable started diversifying into other areas, internet, phone service, etc. They both offer DVR or digital video recording so you can pause live TV or just record like the old VCR. Many people are now spoiled by the DVR and will not even watch a show “live” any more so they can skip all the commercials.

Speaking of commercials: Commercials always been the main source of income for broadcasters, whether the signal is based on radio waves, cable, or satellite signal. It made sense that cable and satellite charge for movie channels and pay-per-view, but they have long enjoyed “double dipping” by charging to watch commercial television.

Savvy internet techies figured out a way to capture almost all of the satellite signals from all around the world and give them to you for free. The only problem is, a regular computer cannot receive the signal without special software. The software used to be quite pricey, at around $200 a pop. Now you can find it for less than $50, and sometimes even on sale for less.

We all need to watch our budgets. With the economy being bad, and everyone having to pinch pennies, internet TV has been growing leaps and bounds. With people flocking to this service, satellite TV and Cable, as we know it will be gone. They will still exist, but three years from now, they will likely be costing a lot less, or they will be losing subscribers.

It is a good idea to cut your monthly budget by going to internet TV instead of paying for expensive satellite TV every month.

Get satellite TV on your computer. You can sign up for a free newsletter on how to save money and live debt-free at http://intl-advisors.com/FreeTV.html

California Should Boycott California

2010-07-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

Why is everyone picking on Arizona? OK, not EVERYONE but it seems like it is that way. A lot of California cities want to boycott Arizona because of the immigration law. You know the one:

1) Every law enforcement agency in California shall fully cooperate with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service regarding any person who is arrested if he or she is suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws.

(b) With respect to any such person who is arrested, and suspected of being present in the United States in violation of federal immigration laws, every law enforcement agency shall do the following:

(2) Attempt to verify the legal status of such person as a citizen of the United States, an alien lawfully admitted as a permanent resident, an alien lawfully admitted for a temporary period of time or as an alien who is present in the United States in violation of immigration laws. The verification process may include, but shall not be limited to, questioning the person regarding his or her date and place of birth, and entry into the United States, and demanding documentation to indicate his or her legal status.

Oops! I accidentally posted California's Immigration Law. So how is it different than Arizona's law? Well, in reality there is no difference, except that Arizona actually plans on enforcing their law.

Where reasonable suspicion exists that the person is an alien who is unlawfully present in the united states, a reasonable attempt shall be made, when practicable, to determine the immigration status of the person.

(2) the person’s immigration status shall be verified with the federal government pursuant to 8 united states code section 1373(c). If an alien who is unlawfully present in the united states is convicted of a violation of state or local law, on discharge from imprisonment or assessment of any fine that is imposed, the alien shall be transferred immediately to the custody of the united states immigration and customs enforcement or the united states customs and border protection.

So maybe California should boycott California :)

Why Advertize for Flood Insurance When There is None?

2010-06-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

I just read a story how the feds are dragging their feet approving flood insurance. Next thing I know there is a flood insurance ad on TV. What gives?

SO we can't get flood insurance because of the government - but they tell us to get it (the government) - just how dumb is that?

Offshore non-Drilling Moratorium is Struck Down

2010-06-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Hooray for the US and the Justice system. The ~~dictator's~~ er, I mean president's moratorium on offshore drilling was struck down in court. This is not the first time the administration has retroactively gone after someone. It is the first time I know of that the ~~dictatorship~~ administration has lost in federal court while doing so.

The drilling companies, their employees, and all the businesses that support them are the winners. It is amazing that when Obama is focused like a lazer on jobs that he is using a shotgun to destroy jobs. What he did would be the equivelent of shutting down all taxi's because one gets in a wreck that kills a few people.

Obama's weakness is that he has no real-life experts in his administration that can give him real advice. He let that cat out of the bag when he made the ignorant comment about the technologies dealing with the offshore drilling and oil spill clean-up are all 40 years old. He just does not have anyone he listens to that knows anything about the business. Maybe that is why he has refused help from hi-tech firms from other countries. The real reason is his advisors are only concerned about union jobs, and not about solving any of the problem. Of course he thinks he has solved a problem because he called "laywers.com" so the problem is solved, right?

Anyways, stay safe!

Definition of Irony

2010-06-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

"A sixty-foot tall statue of Jesus Christ was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, leaving only a blackened steel skeleton and pieces of foam to be snapped up by curious onlookers Tuesday.

The manner in which the figure of Jesus stretched his arms skyward so resembled a referee signaling a touchdown that it earned the statue the nickname 'Touchdown' Jesus" Rest of the story here.

To me that is pretty much the definition of irony. I am not goining to say much else, as I do not want to be struck by lightning. :)

Stay Safe!

BArack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize - 6 Months Later

2010-06-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

OK - it was exactly 6 months ago that Barack Obama received his Nobel Peace Prize for... um ... for well ~~for nothing~~, I mean for "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Wow, that is a lot better than "e for effort." Then it was explained that is was for what he was going to accomplish. Since this award was awarded in haste - basically for nothing other than a "we really, really like him." award by Norway. (In reality the award was announced in October, so we are like 8 months after). The panel said that "We have not given the prize for what may happen in the future. We are awarding Obama for what he has done in the past year. (which was run for office and nothing done for peace) And we are hoping this may contribute a little bit for what he is trying to do," Silly Norwegians, for what he has done in the past year riiiiiight!

So let's see how he has "fostered diplomacy." When people focus on peace they often look to the middle east. I am not sure exactly where the middle east starts and stops, but most folks agree that Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and Iran are in the middle east (some may include Afghanistan, I would not). As far as I can tell things are worse, not better as far as peace goes. Israel and Palestine are no closer to peaceful coexistence thanks to Hamas, Fattah, and Hezbola.Iraq situation has not changed for the better and is and has been controlled by Iraqi government long before Obama got elected. I guess when Bush said "We will leave when Iraq wants us to leave." was pretty accurate. Iran - well, no one can say this current administration could not have handled the Iran situation any worse. Basically nothing has been done about Iran except that we have told them that they have been really, really bad. Anyhow - I see a no more peaceful middle east.

The Afghanistan situation so far is deteriorating. However we are trying a surge kind of thing (I wonder who decided to do such a thing before). Funny, since the Gulf Oil spill, no one in the media is even asking about how things are going or have gone with it. After all the new offensive - that was to start in the spring should be well under way.

North Korea - the situation with them is worse than ever - we allowed them to sink a South Korean ship and all we can say is something about "the world", not us, not our allies - wait we don't have allies anymore, I forgot. If you think we have allies - give me a list of them from 2008, but check it close - you will have to scratch most of them off.

My view is that Norway blew this last Peace Prize (again).

Whatever you do - stay safe!

Is There Life on Titan?

2010-06-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

Titan is a moon of Saturn, OK, not just A moon, but the biggest moon. Somehow because hydrogen seems to pass down in the atmosphere and disappear, all of the sudden they are claiming that there is life there. Not water based life (I thought we were carbon based) so therefore they would breath and or eat hydrogen and acetylene. Sounds more like an explosive situation to me. :P

The scientists did say this:

Two papers released last week detailing oddities found on Titan have blown the top off the 'jumping to conclusions' meter, and following media reports of NASA finding alien life on Saturn's hazy moon, scientists are now trying to put a little reality back into the news. "Everyone: Calm down!" said Cassini imaging team leader Carolyn Porco on Twitter over the weekend. "It is by NO means certain that microbes are eating hydrogen on Titan. Non-bio explanations are still possible." Porco also put out a statement on Monday saying such reports were "the unfortunate result of a knee-jerk rush to sensationalize an exciting but rather complex, nuanced and emotionally-charged issue."

(from "Universe Today")

Of course, when the Russians get there we may find out. Yes, the Russians, as thanks to Obama, they are ahead of us in the space race once more. I am not just blowing steam. Look at the simulations they are already carrying out.

We owe China, we are behind Russia in the Space Race, things sure have changed.

Stay Safe!

Stuff on the High Seas

2010-06-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Oh my oh my how the international community is fickle. Let me get this straight - North Korea sinks a South Korean ship totally unprovoked and ... I think I hear the crickets. There is nothing - no condemnation. Our country just says the international community should do something (notice not our country). Kind of reminds me of the line about "we are going to send you a really, really mean letter" or something like that. Funny - that was not even an issue.

But wait! - Some Israeli Military ships stop some ships attempting to run a blockade and offer to unload, inspect, then let the shipment pass with any humanitarian aid. Then the people on the ships start acting like California cops on Rodney King to the Israelis and when the Israelis defend themselves - it is like" Oh how dare you attack these 'Peace Ships'!"

I guess antisemitism is popular again (then again to be anything even slightly appearing as half negative against islam is punishable by the death penalty).

Well, I have seen the videos - pretty clear the "Peace Ship" folks were not on any sort of peace mission.

That's all for today - stay safe!

Can Anyone Tell Me Why We Need Immigration Reform?

2010-05-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Well, can you? I mean, we have all sorts of laws concerning immigration and we allow over half a million legal immigrants into our country every year. "Well, what about amnesty?" - some people say. I cannot figure out one thing about amnesty - that is why? No one has been able to tell me what the real purpose of amesty is - besides making bunches of illegal aliens no longer illegal. So I challenge anyone who bothers to come across this blog to please tell me what is it that amnesty accomplishes.

Do you wonder what is wrong with immigration in America? I will give you a hint: Maybe it is because of Border Czar * - Alan Bersin. I mean if you see a problem, first look at who is in charge. This guy was one of those "recess appointments" by Obama. I do not understand why more people aren't calling this guy to the carpet concerning our immigration issues. He reports to: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

Supposedly his job includes:
   • Coordinate all of the department's border security and law-enforcement efforts..
   • We expect him to handle illegal immigration and drug violence issues along the Mexican-American border
   • Previous experience: Chairman of the San Diego Regional Airport Authority (2006 to 2009); Secretary of Education for California (2005 to 2006); Superintendent of San Diego Public Schools (1998 to 2005); U.S. Attorney for San Diego (1993 to 1998)
     • Talking about border security shortly before he was named Clinton border czar in 1995, said he wanted to focus on suspected smugglers of both drugs and people and was not interested in prosecuting “economic migrants.”

Bersin previously held a similar job in the Clinton Administration. He is tied to the policy in 1994 when the U.S. shifted focus from the arresting of immigrants who actually crossed the border to an increased border presence designed to stop border crossing in the first place. When Bersin left the position in 1998, border arrests were on pace for an 18-year low of just more than 200,000.

So maybe, just maybe just one more of these Obama appointments is the real reason for non-enforcement of immigration laws and why we are in such a mess today.

Anyways, stay safe!

Our Country is Not an Embarrassment - Our President Is

2010-05-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

Once again, I am embarrassed by our President. Don't get me wrong, I pray for him every day (after all, if he is gone then clueless Joe Biden takes over). Yeah when the President of Mexico - you know Mexico, the country where the government can take your land, business, and everything else just because they want to country. The country that is basically no longer safe for US citizens to visit because the streets cannot be made safe from drug cartels and other criminal gangs. That Mexico - anyways their president says Mexico's violence and problems is America's fault! Yes, in his country firearm ownership is banned totally, yet somehow we need to ban assault rifles because it is America's fault because we have "assault weapons."

Maybe if Mexico was less corrupt and actually took care of the drug lords then he may have some inkling of a point. But so what? The windbag from our southern neighbor spouts idiot remarks. However, our spineless leader (spinless when it comes to standing up for America) stands by and sheepishly smirks at the remarks. He embarrassed me and most Americans by NOT calling down Mexico's President when he spouted his idiot saying.

Ok, I vented - stay safe and take care.

What I came Across Today

2010-05-16T15:50:00.001-07:00

I was looking for a particular photo for my other blog - and I came across this. I thought it was quite funny. I post it in honor of the TOTUS.

Enjoy! And stay Safe!

American Power Act - Are you Kidding?

2010-05-12T20:08:00.000-07:00

Look What John Kerry is doing "for" you now.

"The American Power Act" is simply a "cap and trade bill." Don't believe me? read "Part II Carbon Capture and Sequestration Deployment." It is nothing but cap and trade.

OK, I know some of the cap and trade folks are nuts - but guess what is claimed by the wing-nut blog "Center for American Progress". They actually think they can legislate fewer
hurricanes in Florida. No, I am not kidding! Their words: "Florida or Gulf Coast residents would face fewer severe tropical storms that can destroy homes and property, and cost millions of tax dollars to clean up." How naive can they be to think they can legislate hurricanes? It has "Reducing Global Warming Pollution" in the bill.

Ok, so this is based on AL Gore's claims about global warming er, I mean climate change, and he says the oceans will rise.

Note that Al Gore just spent nine million dollars on a house that would be in the flood zone (it is ocean view property) - I guess he doesn't really believe what he preaches - then again, anyone that thought he was doing anything other than an info-mercial for carbon credits he is scamming folks for deserve to be scammed.

The claim it will create jobs - there is no evidence of this, and more likely it would wreck the economy. First of all, no one knows how much "cap" to cap. (I know it says there will be a "panel of experts" but who chooses the experts?

This is the worst bill I have seen in ages - but then again John "I want to make sure and tax our troops" Kerry came up with the bill.

Ugh! Idiots in Congress and they do more of what people do not want!

Much Ado About Nothing

2010-05-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

Well, after being home a while I see that there is still much ado about nothing. This seems to be by political folks that want to take away focus from what is important and focus on made-up issues.

What I am focusing on is the "new" immigration law in Arizona. All sorts of people have dropped the race card on this claiming it is a law that allows abuse and racial profiling.

Let's look at the facts:

The law does not allow any police to stop anyone to ask for identification as an illegal alien.
The law requires that stops be made as they are now under the law using reasonable suspicion or probable cause for a violation of the law.
The law requires police to check for documentation on people they suspect are illegal aliens that have already been detained.

Note: Police always ask for identification on people detained before the law changed.

So where does anyone get racism out of this? Where do you get profiling from. There is NO CHANGE in how police can stop and detain people.

The only change is that the police can hold illegal aliens they have already detained for another reason under the state law.

So what is the problem? The only people that should be complaining are the police in Arizona - they are now doing someone else's job!

With all that is going on - I believe the stirring up of all of this is to get focus of of real issues so that people get off of the unemployment issues, the grow deficit, lack of immigration reform, lack of intelligence on terrorists and the like.

Anyways Stay Safe!

Why is anyone upset thatpolice ask for identification.

Back Home and Checking Headlines

2010-04-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that a volcano would have shut down air travel in Europe? What intrigues me is that it seems to be that there is more seismic activity lately than ever before, or maybe it is just that the news of this activity is more readily available. For instance, 9 earthquakes of 4.0 or higher have occurred today (so far) as I am writing this. However the USGS says we are not having more earthquakes than normal. They say that the fact that we have so many monitoring stations now is why we see so many earthquakes reported. OK, I did start with a volcano, so I figure I will chase that a bit more.

Did you know that in 1991 one volcanic eruption (Mount Pinatubo) cooled the earth for an average of 2 degrees for an entire year? Of course, this goes back to the whole global warming/climate change discussion. Of course it is not a discussion once someone discussing uses the term “denier” which means they would rather make personal attacks rather than intelligent discussions.

I just think it is interesting that one volcano can effect so much and millions and millions of people could not make such an effect if they tried with all of their might.

Maybe I am wandering, don’t really care – I am at home re-cooping and not a lot else. Whatever you do – stay safe!

Health Care Passes and is Signed

2010-03-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I saw Obama sign the Health Care bill on CNN…sort-of. CNN was carrying the story live, when they had breaking news of how some lawmaker in the UK proposed that Israeli Ambassador get out of the UK because of the assassination in Dubai. (Interesting as there is no evidence Israel had anything to do with it besides Dubai Police saying so. An amateurish assassination with what now …20 plus agents involved to kill one guy? Gun-running is deadly business and it is more likely the guy tried to short change his suppliers or had in the past)

Anyhow – back to the signing of the bill. Before CNN cut away – Joe Biden was doing his marathon how much can he kiss Obama’s a$$ speech before he drops the f-bomb. After CNN flashes back to the signing – Obama had already signed the bill and he was grinning ear to ear.

I do not know if the Health Care Reform Bill is more good than bad. It does appear to be constitutionally questionable, but likely cannot be challenged in the courts for some time to come as there has to be some sort of “damages” before the case can be handled in court.

I hope it ends up being a good thing – but all I can say is only time will tell. What I do know is that it for sure welfare for insurance companies. Right now, health insurance is the only legalized pyramid scheme in the US. I know, I am a licensed Insurance Agent. Chances are if you pay $500 for insurance, only about $150-200 of it is actually for health insurance. It seems AIG is Obama’s favorite recipient of our tax dollars - first, with bailouts and now with this. Maybe deeper looking finds a different financial institution as all insurance companies are pretty much run by banks.

Whatever happens – Stay Safe!

Time is Running Out on Liberia

2010-03-16T05:11:00.001-07:00

I will be leaving Liberia less than a month from now. I guess over-all more good than bad. Some of my friends know of the hell I went through with a superior - which will likely not be resolved.

What I have learned is that the reporting of misconduct of superiors in the UN system seems to be little more than smoke and mirrors. The Ethics division which is supposed to protect whistle blowers say they do not want any misconduct reported to them. Other units seem to just drop the ball whenever Superiors are reported.

I find it interesting that the United Nations has the weakest of all protections for people who work there.

The plight of the whistle-blowers in North Korea is well known that nothing was there to protect them from their superiors and their own firings.

This is how the UN supports whistle-blowers in Somalia.

The only way UN employees can get justice is to go to court:

To report cases of corruption, malfeasance, waste, harassment and/or retaliation
please contact United States Mission at the UN (USUN)at their whistleblower hotline: USUN-UNTAI@state.gov. USUN assists UN whistleblowers and will protect your identity. If you are aware of problems at the UN, including crime, corruption, fraud, or retaliation against whistleblowers, please contact USUN-UNTAI@state.gov. Your confidentiality will be ensured.

Anyways – be safe!

Ronald Reagan and the Nobel Peace Prize

2010-03-02T01:31:00.000-08:00

I don't know why I was thinking this - but it popped into my head. Why didn't Reagan win the Nobel Peace Prize?

He was President from 1981-1989. Here are the winners during that period with my comments in italics:

1989 THE 14TH DALAI LAMA (TENZIN GYATSO) , Tibet. Religious and political leader of the Tibetan people. O,k probably well deserved
1988 THE UNITED NATIONS PEACE-KEEPING FORCES New York, NY, U.S.A. This one is a cop-out when you do not want to choose.
1987 OSCAR ARIAS SANCHEZ , Costa Rica, President of Costa Rica, initiator of peace negotiations in Central America. Well deserving of such an award with his peace efforts in Central America.
1986 ELIE WIESEL , U.S.A., Chairman of 'The President's Commission on the Holocaust'. Author, humanitarian. Guess who was President while he was on the commission.
1985 INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIANS FOR THE PREVENTION OF NUCLEAR WAR Boston, MA, U.S.A. These guys possibly deserved it. – However, I believe Reagan actually did more to prevent nuclear war than these guys did.
1984 DESMOND MPILO TUTU , South Africa, Bishop of Johannesburg, former Secretary General South African Council of Churches (S.A.C.C.). for his work against apartheid. He was a deserved recipient.
1983 LECH WALESA , Poland. Founder of Solidarity, campaigner for human rights. He probably could not have even held the marches and protests without the support of the US externally and the build up of American military power under Reagan.
1982 The prize was awarded jointly to: ALVA MYRDAL , former Cabinet Minister, diplomat, delegate to United Nations General Assembly on Disarmament, writer.
ALFONSO GARCÍA ROBLES , diplomat, delegate to the United Nations General Assembly on Disarmament, former Secretary for Foreign Affairs . I believe once again a cop-out when Un gets any of the prizes
1981 OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES Geneva, Switzerland see abaove – same stuff

Another interesting point is that Gorbechev gets the Nobel Peace prize in 1990 for “helping end the cold war.” Now that is a real hoot, since there is no way it would have happened without Reagan. Carter, his predecessor, won the prize mostly for his mid-east peace initiatives (he won it in 2002). As Reagan was giving his inaugural address, 52 U.S. hostages, held by Iran for 444 days were set free. There were no Major conflicts during Reagan’s term that the US was involved in. The most major conflict in the world was the Iran/Iraq war.

Ronald Reagan encouraged Gorbachev to pursue major arms agreements. Gorbachev and Reagan held four meetings between 1985 and 1988: Reagan believed that if he could persuade the Soviets to allow for more democracy and free speech, it would lead to reform and the end of Communism. Speaking at the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987, Reagan challenged Gorbachev: saying, "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" (Note: The Berlin Wall was torn down beginning in 1989 and then two years later the Soviet Union collapsed.)

Reagan and Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty at the White House in 1987 which eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons. Gorbachev was offering major concessions to the U.S. on the levels of conventional forces, nuclear weapons, and policy in Eastern Europe.

Compare that with Barack Obama...

Stay Safe!

The "Open Minded" Liberals

2010-02-27T01:38:00.000-08:00

I was reading the huffington Post, as I get a lot of news from there. I saw this front page and was amazed at one thing. There was no article at the Huffingtonpost that you could comment on. I think it is because all of the bad guys pictured were Democrats - and what can you say besides there is no real ethics in Congress?

Of course, I believe there is no article to be able to comment on, because it would be flooded with negative comments about the Dems pictured.

On a side note: Squeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said that these guys were vindicated because "they were found to not have broken any rules."

What did they allegedly do?

"The House ethics committee ruled Friday that seven lawmakers who steered hundreds of millions of dollars in largely no-bid contracts to clients of a lobbying firm had not violated any rules or laws by also collecting large campaign donations from those contractors. "

You can actually read the story here.

Rehman Malik to resign if Blackwater Presence Proved

2010-01-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

My post title is a headline from 21 November 2009.

In his statement to the senate standing committee on interior, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Blackwater was not operating in Pakistan and if proven wrong he would tender his resignation.

See the Story here.

So what does US Defense Secretary Gates say when in Pakistan?

“Fake” Story by Pak Tribune says:

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has admitted that US security companies Black Water and DynCorp are operating in Pakistan in private capacities: but will comply with the Pakistani law if its parliament bars foreign security companies in the country.

Real Story says:

Mr. Gates himself may have inadvertently helped fuel a new rumor. In his Thursday television interview, Ms. Hosain asked the defense chief if rules had been put in place to govern the behavior of any U.S. contractors working inside Pakistan, specifically citing DynCorp and Blackwater (now known as Xe Services.) Mr. Gates told her that "very stringent rules" had been put into place.

Of course then this transpires:

Defense officials tried to clarify the comment Thursday night, telling reporters that Mr. Gates had been speaking about contractor oversight more generally and that the Pentagon didn't employ Xe in Pakistan.

Soooo? Does he resign or not?

Stay Safe!

Obama Orders New Crackdown On Federal Contractor Tax Cheats

2010-01-21T03:45:00.001-08:00

Some things are just funny!

"President Barack Obama on Wednesday ordered a new crackdown on federal contractors who don't pay their taxes. "

You can find the story here.

I mean - what the heck is he talking about? Something tells me this "directive" will wind up more directed at the contract employees of the companies than the companies themselves.

Will he crack down on his own Cabinet?

Also, will this effect the job market?

In other interesting news...

"South Korea's Ministry of Health is turning out all lights and power in its building today and sending workers home in hopes some of them will take advantage of the day off to help reverse the country's low birthrate."

That story is found here.

I bet someone would get in trouble for doing the same in America.

Be Safe!

Bloggers Unite for Haiti

2010-01-19T01:12:00.001-08:00

Today I am a part of bloggers Unite for Haiti.

We are as bloggers trying to help with aid to Haiti in our own way. I am sure that you are well aware of the over-all situation in Haiti.

First, I would like to point out that though I am currently in the Eastern Hemisphere, there are people in Haiti that I know and have known for quite some time. When you work with the UN as much as I have, this is something that happens.

The "Little Miracle" story of Tarmo Joveer is an example of what I am talking about. I have known Tarmo since around 2000. He was a part of the Eastonian Police Contingent that was deployed to the UN Mission in Kososvo. I remember their first official day and I met all 5 contingent members. Later on I joined with them in Eastonian Contingent meetings and felt a close camaraderie to them.

I remember when Tarmo left Kosovo he said he was getting a security job in Haiti. That was really the last real contact with him.

When I saw him on TV I knew it was him immediately.

I am glad Tarmo is a part of the good things that are happening in Haiti.

The road is long and hard to any kind of “recovery” for the people of Haiti. They hardly had anything before, and now what was there is all but destroyed.

So please donate if you can to relief efforts. There are some good sites that have various lists of ways that you can donate. One is Its Just Light which has a mirror page on Facebook .

If you have doubts as to where to send donations – send to an organization that you already know and trust. This will take a long time for Haiti, but for now just getting essentials to people can be a real issue.

God Bless the people in Haiti – and be Safe!

Note: this is a mirror post of my other blog Be Your Own Detective.

Disaster Strikes Haiti

2010-01-14T00:50:00.000-08:00

It is a devastating earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday. Many people still cannot find loved ones and communication within Haiti is very poor.

Early Images of the quake show the dust in the air from cumbling concrete. Many of the buildings that still "stand" are all but destroyed.

Workers Search through Rubble. ......... Streets became impassable.

No offense to some of these up and coming newscasters, but I heard the dumbest statement - the guy said, "Haiti may not recover for months - maybe even a year." You have go to be kidding me! 5 years or more is a more likely scenario. Nearly every building in Port-au-Prince is destroyed or unusable.

Bodies were just lying in the streets.

The Presedential Palace lays in ruins.

Roads were destroyed.

As of the writing of this blog - the UN Headquarters there has collapsed and at least 150 of UN workers are still missing. The Head of the UN Mission in Haiti is feared to be dead.

The Whitehouse has a blog post about ways that you can assist.

You can find Facebook Pages about it here and here.

Or you can go to Red Cross and donate there.

If you can - please help.

Be Safe!

Political Correctness - or Not

2010-01-07T00:52:00.000-08:00

Why is it that we have become so politically correct – yet incorrect?

Before I go on - can I use the term black in reference to some people? I thought the politically correct term was African American (even though the person is not from Africa). My view is there is only one race - and that is the human race. Do people get treated differently because of how they look? Of course they do. "Pretty people" generally get more breaks in life than the rest of us. People are treated different because of skin color, weight, age (or appearance of age). Such is life - and life is not fair.

I saw an article today on Yahoo News that made me think of this.

“APNewsBreak: Smiley ends State of the Black Union”

OK, before I even start to look at the article, I ponder the headline. First of all, why is it OK for a guy to have a State of the ~~African American~~ Black Union conference? I mean, if you had a state of the ~~pigmentationally challenged~~ white union conference – you would only expect white supremacists or the KKK. This leads me to the only logical conclusion:

Tavis Smiley is a racist. That is the only logical conclusion that can be drawn from this. It is simple. If a ~~non special sub-group of the human race that is light skinned and likely has European ancestors~~ white guy hosted the state of the ~~pigmentationally challenged~~ white union conference, he or she would immediately be labeled a racist by all. Therefore – Smiley is a Racist.

Oh but it is ok, because he is a ~~militant~~ “an activist” and a PBS host. – It is OK to be such a racist because my tax dollars are paying his salary!

“Smiley, who hosts a nightly half-hour talk show on PBS, said he was inspired to start the conference because black issues were rarely addressed in the president's State of the Union speech or the national media.” – Excuse me? Why would any President be obligated to address “black issues” in a State of the Union address? It is about the nation – not some or any sub-group of the people.

…The 2005 conference generated the idea for the book "Covenant with Black America," about issues facing the black community. One of Smiley's fondest State of the Black Union memories is holding the book aloft at the 2006 event and watching thousands of people in the audience do the same — "just the fact that we did what we said we were going to do." Cha-ching! (I bet he loved seeing all those sold copies of his book) Yep the truth comes out. He sold his racism and apparently people have bought it. It is all about Smiley and him making money.

“That led to Smiley's critical stance toward Obama because of the presidential candidate's insistence that the best way to help blacks was improving the entire economy, rather than specific policies targeting black problems.” - Oh please! ~~African American~~ Blacks need special targeting? So I guess what he means is the world owes them special treatment?

So I am calling Smiley out - I believe he is a racist - and now he needs to dis-prove that "fact." I am not saying that there are not any black issues, as there are plenty. People like Smiley do not help anyone overcome any of these issues - he simply exploits the issues and the people with his whole book series. But hey - that is the American way - exploit the people because there is a crisis! (even if the crisis is made up).

Be safe!

Obama Demands Explanation About Airline Security

2010-01-05T05:11:00.001-08:00

You have got to be kidding - right?

I mean - White House party crashers at his place - and he says/does nothing. Underwear bomber on plane at Christmas and he demands an explanation. Maybe it has to do with the fact that his admisnistration shows no leadership in security concerns - pretty much all around. Hey, but he is a great armchair quarterback! After the game is over he can complain.

New Year's Non- Resolutions

2009-12-31T07:04:00.000-08:00

These are some resolutions I am not going to make:

1. Make more blog posts. - I mean do you really care? It is only cool if my posts are all like the blonde joke.

2. Finish my book. Yeah, like a lot of people I started a book. I had an outline, I had a lot of information. Still have both - but um... not likely to happen. Hey! I did write 4 articles this year!

3. Lose (x number of) pounds. This resolution is only good for depression and disappointment. Maybe I should resolve to gain 10 lbs :)

4. Call my friends and family more. He look, I know I don't call enough, but then again - they don't call me hardly ever at all. So I figure why should I call more?

5. Be more organized. Yeah, riiiiiiiight. I have an organization to my stuff - it just is not neat and tidy. No, I am not going to vow to be more neat and tidy either.

Anyways - maybe you will have some non- resolutions of your own.

Iran Protesters Killed

2009-12-28T05:43:00.000-08:00

OK, it seems that the official government stand on anyone that peacefully protests is that they are terrorists.

"State television said 10 of those killed during Sunday's fierce clashes in the Iranian capital were members of "anti-revolutionary terrorist" groups, apparently referring to opposition supporters.
The other five who died were killed by "terrorist groups" in a "suspicious act," the report said, without elaborating."

See the story here.

Of course if they had the freedoms we do, maybe this would not happen :)

Of course we do have a few weapons in the hands of our citizens. That is what the right to bear arms is about. Not sport or hunting.

Oppressive government(s) is why the right is so important. :)

Stay Safe!

To Festrivus or Not to Festivus...

2009-12-23T07:52:00.000-08:00

OK, so festive Festivus everyone. The Christmas Eve, Eve celebration. I don't even have a Festivus pole or anything. I do have a small piece of PVC pipe - not quite all aluminum.

I am not sure if I will "celebrate" Festivus when I get to my apartment - but I am sure it will be discussed amounst friends.

Whatever you do - with or without Festivus - Be Safe!

New Ezine Articles About Democratic Policing

2009-12-19T02:30:00.000-08:00

As I have been working with the UN for some time there is always reference to traing new police agencies with the concepts of Democratic Policing. I have yet to find any materials that is clear, concise and practical on the subject available to UN Police.

I decided to make my own and I have begun a series of articles over at Ezine. The first is simply called "Democratic Policing in Emerging Nations."

I am not sure yet how long the series will be, but I will make it into an e-book available for all UN Police to use. I believe it will be quite a handy guide for teaching the priciples of democratic policing.

What Else is New(s)?

2009-12-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

Insurgents hacking our drones... that in itself is not a big surprise that they would at least try this. The surprise is anyone can buy the software for $26 and download it.

I believe this goes along with our whitehouse's great security :)

Weather Too Cold for Protesters at Conference on Climate Change (and stuff)

2009-12-18T00:34:00.001-08:00

Ok, now the headline should read “Too Cold to Protest Global Warming.” I reckon that puts a little irony on the UN’s Conference on Climate Change. Makes just one more point for climategate.

Fear not though – Barack Obama~~'s teleprompter~~ will save the world from global warming (surely he can do something to justify the Peace Prize). Anyhow, Just thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth on this today.

Iraq Needs to Get Its Act Together

2009-12-11T05:40:00.000-08:00

Iraq needs to soon get its act together. They have already decided when our troops will leave. Probably a good thing, since that other "Barry" probably would still be deciding to not decide on when to make any sort of move.

Side note: The funny thing about the "surge" in Afghanistan - it did not come with the same strings that the surge in Iraq did.

Anyhow, the Iraqi government needs to get things going in the right direction again and not slip into the same situation it was before, or the same situation as Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yeah you heard right - Pakistan, which has more bombings of civilians and civilian targets than any other place on the planet.

The "power play guys" need to quit bickering over power and learn how to share it in an honorable manner.

Why do some of these countries have the tendencies to do the totally cowardly act of blowing up civilians for their 'cause?' Yes, military strikes sometimes have civilian casualties, but the last time that was intentionally done was during the Kosovo war lead by Wesley Clarke. Since NATO was totally ineffective with air strikes on military targets in Kosovo (other than the bases) They started targeting civilian targets in Belgrade. Bridges in use by thousands of civilians a day and hotels cannot be considered military targets.

Somehow I have digressed - by the Iraqis need to put aside petty differences and stop the tribal battles for power.

Houston Texans - Killing my Soul

2009-11-29T12:42:00.001-08:00

I had a lot of faith in he houston Texans this year. They have the talent. They have the skills.

What they do not have - is the will to win. If you look at a lot of winning teams over the years, they are not always the most talented or the best as far as stats. What they do have - is they find ways to win!

This season, the Texans have consistently found ways to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. No, not one or two players, the team as a whole. When they need defense - the defense crumbles. When they need scores - the offense fumbles... or interceptions... or miss field goals. Not any one player - the entire team has this knack.

Stop breaking my heart Texans - find a way to win - quite trying to "not lose" that never, ever works!

I wish I had the answer - but I know it is not personnel, or anything like that - it is attitude, and you guys just do not have what it takes to win!

World Toilet Day (Belated)

2009-11-20T04:58:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the tardiness of this post. However, I just learned that World Toilet Day was yesterday 19 November.

I guess I missed out on "the big Squat."

As this seems funny to read about - it is a good cause and a serious issue in many countries of the world.

Maybe next year.

Soldiers Shot at Ft Hood and Hezbollah Does Not Get it's Arms

2009-11-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

I was shocked to see the story about the psychiatrist that went "postal" at Ft. Hood. Then again, whay would anyone send this guy on deployment to Afghanistan when you look at his history.

The "Big Guy" aka BO really messed up with his speech about it starting off thanking people. Hey TOTUS what happened - you forget the real time update? He seemed so non serious and so unconcerned when he spoke - I gues you forgot to add (show empathy and concern here). The Big Guy is still trying to figure out if the new series about him is good or bad ("V")

In other news stuff a really cool raid by Israeli Defense Forces netted over 500 tons of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah. Remember, according to BO Iran is not a threat at this point in time :)

You can see the video here:

Barack Obama - Again

2009-10-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

OK, so tell me what I am missing. We have a president who has done nothing to change any situation in any war, managed to push the economy to worsen and now he gets the Nobel Peace Prize for what he may do. Actually the prize should go to his teleprompter, after all it controls all he says :P

This proves that the world loves Barack Obama, no matter what he does or doesn't do. I work in a very international setting and many from other countries ask me "what did he win the prize for?" "What did he do?"

Sorry, all I can say is blame the Norwegians. :)

Be Safe

Obama and NASCAR

2009-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well Obama "honored" NASCAR drivers and the sport the other day at the White House. No, there was no burn out on the White House lawn or anything like that. He did say that the "Big 3" auto makers belonged in "Nazz-car" (as the Big Guy likes to say it).

Did the teleprompter explain to him who the big three are? or does he think it is GM, Ford and Toyota? Or does he still consider Chrysler one of the big 3? (None of the honorees that were present were Dodge drivers - look at the end) So what is the message? Then again since the government owns most of GM maybe it should be re-named American Motors - after the old defunct car company. :)

I guess the White House staff realizes that in the crashed and still crashing economy ( jobless rate is even higher than projected) that NASCAR is the sport hardest hit. Since it is the number one spectator sport in America - it is significant.

What is really ridiculous is several of the stories written about the event do not even name all of the drivers invited... I guess the reporters forgot that who is one of the w's you are supposed to have in a story. Just the AP news stories and Sports Illustrated have left out such "details." I mean how many stories do I have to pull up to find this information anyways? Some articles say 9 of the top 12 - of last year's drivers... duh - how hard would it have been to actually report on the story?

After digging around I found that the nine are: Dale Earhhardt Jr.(Chevrolet), Denny Hamlin (Toyota), Jeff Burton (Chevrolet), Greg Biffle (Ford), Carl Edwards (Ford), Clint Bowyer (Chevrolet), Jeff Gordon (Chevrolet), and Tony Stewart (Chevrolet), and Jimmie Johnson (Chevrolet).

Anyhow - Stay Safe!

Timothy Geithner Cannot Sell His House!

2009-08-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

OK, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is supposed to be the "man with the plan" to get us out of the economic mess. Which, despite all the positive talk, is declining rather than getting better. So the guy that is trying to fix our economic mess cannot even sell his own house.

So now he is renting it out for less than the mortgage payments. This sounds like a typical government plan to me.

"Geithner put his five-bedroom Tudor near leafy Larchmont on the market for $1.635 million in February, after heading to Washington for his job as the nation's top economic official.

A few weeks after the asking price was dropped to $1.575 million, the home was rented for $7,500 a month on May 21, said the agents, Scott Stiefvater of Stiefvater Real Estate and Debbie Meiliken of Keller Williams Realty New York.

Neither was directly involved in the rental; the name of the broker and agency that arranged it were not immediately available.

Although $7,500 might seem like a lot of rent, it probably falls a bit short of the monthly mortgage payments on the Geithners' two loans totaling $1.25 million, plus $27,000 a year in property taxes.

Treasury Department representatives didn't immediately return calls about Geithner's home Monday and Tuesday. He was in Beijing for talks with Chinese leaders."

The story can be found here.

Maybe he should think about lowering the price a bit more.

What do you think Tim?

Y'all be safe!

US Plans on Increasing UN Peacekeepers

2009-07-21T01:36:00.000-07:00

The U.S. plans to increase peacekeepers to the UN. The U.S. currently does not provide troops for peacekeeping forces.

According to U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice:

But Rice said the United States "is willing to consider directly contributing more military observers, military staff officers, civilian police, and other civilian personnel — including more women — to U.N. peacekeeping operations."

The U.S. has already increased its military observers in the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Liberia and is providing two additional military staff officers to the mission in Chad and the Central African Republic, U.S. officials said.

The complete article can be read here.

David Berkowitz in Liberia?

2009-05-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

I really do not think that David Berkowitz is in Liberia. However, this truck and its license plate sure reminded me of "the Son of Sam."

Interestingly enough, the owner of the truck is the son of Sam. His name is also Sam, maybe it is Liberian humor, I do not know.

But where else you gonna find this (besides California and Boulder) :)

Stay Safe

Michelle Obama Photographed By Homeless Man With His $500 Blackberry

2009-05-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Wow! Nothing like seeing the first lady serving food at a homeless shelter. Isn't it typical that the guy getting served - who is supposedly homeless, taking her photo with a $500 Blackberry cell phone?

He probably has the net service and everything :)

This photo is awesome... :)

Thanks to Randy for sending it to me.

International Peacekeepers Day and UN Idol - all in One Day!

2009-05-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

May 29th is UN Peacekeeper's Day. Kind of a big deal for the UN. I find it really interesting that this year's UN Idol in Liberia is being held on that day , yet it is not listed as an official event for the day - go figure. Find more about Peacekeepers day here. Last year it was the 60th anniversary of peacekeeping for the UN.

On a side note - in a few days there is likely to be a storm in the Gulf of Mexico :) Liberia has started squeeze them out again .

Obama Doesn't Want to Run the Car Companies?

2009-05-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Hmmmm....

The first line of the news storey...

May 3 (Bloomberg) -- Chrysler LLC, under orders by President Barack Obama to conduct a quick bankruptcy, may ask court approval to auction most of its assets in three weeks, a person familiar with the matter said.

So tell me how this is not running the company? For an empty suit that cannot speak on his own he sure wants a lot of control.

He reminds me of another leader that was just as famous, popular with the press and hollow inside. Hail hitl...er um Obama!!!

Seriously Facsism is alive and well in America... I hope you already bought your weapons and ammo. Oh yeah, on the economy update - nothing has improved and he is still campaining. I wish he would get down to business instead.

Barak Obama Solved the Economic Crisis

2009-04-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

Sure he did!

April Fools!

We Now Have Change - All We Have is Change,

2009-03-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

I saw this "teaser" in the news list today - unbelievable.

"WASHINGTON – Knocked off balance by the bonuses brouhaha, President Barack Obama is relying on direct appeals to the public to refocus attention on his ambitious agenda and drive the debate."

OK, Maybe he did not personally know about the bonuses - but he should have. His administration definitely knew about them before the money was dolled out. So did Congress. It is public record - the Treasury Secretary before the house Finance Committee talked about these bonuses.

Maybe the guys getting the bonuses do not deserve it. However, contracts are contracts. But to put on a show like that of Obama and Barney Frank have, and they pretend to now be "outraged" or "angry" - That is just pathetic. Yes, we got change - just a change in administration, but Obama's and the Democrats version of deirty politics. Yes we have change - that is all we have left is change, as Uncle Sam with the help of "daddy" Obama has sold us all down the river.

Stay Safe!

Who Needs Gun Control? - Just Take all the Ammo

2009-03-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

It appears that the current administration is more clever than expected on gun control. They already figured out how to control the ammunition distribution for civilians.

How did they do that? They made new rules concerning spent ammunition casings - basically requiring all of it be destroyed instead of being bought by ammunition companies that reloaded the casings. Why is this a big deal? The ammunition manufacturers cannot hardly keep up with the military's demand for new ammo, so that left reloaded stuff for civilians. Now that the reloadable supply of casings is cut off - all ammo prices will go through the roof for civilians in the near future.

For more info - see the site the Shootist's article of March 15th.

Try to Stay Safe - since it is getting harder and harder to do so.

International Women's Day

2009-03-07T06:16:00.001-08:00

I read about a bloggers Unite thing for International Women's Day. Hence the wandering thought of why isn't there an International Men's Day? I will digress on that later.

From Bloggers Unite: “Started as a political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries (primarily Russia and the countries of former Soviet bloc). In some celebrations, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love to the women around them in a way somewhat similar to Mother's Day and St Valentine's Day mixed together. In others, however, the political and human rights theme as designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner. The IWD is also celebrated as the first spring holiday, as in the listed countries the first day of March is considered the first day of the spring season.”

Here in Liberia - they are having the Women's Colloquium. Why they had to use such an odd word as Colloquium I don't know - but probably an internet registration thing - hence the site womenscolloquium.org. Yes a reaqal site you can go to to see what the women's colloquium is all about. All I know is that it means more work for us here and some of the higher-ups have been all over-stressed about it.

Why not have the colloquium here? The President is a woman. Not a lot of countries have that.

The good news - it will be over soon and things will go back to "normal" for here.

So why not an International Men’s Day? I doubt we will see that one come around. After all, women are special and men, well we are just men. :)

Going Backwards in Somalia

2009-03-03T05:53:00.000-08:00

I just received a notification in my email concerning Somalia:

"Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed met with religious leaders and elders and accepted their demand for ceasefire and reconciliation with the opposition members. He gave in on Saturday to demands from Islamist insurgents agreeing to a truce and the introduction of sharia law.

When in power in 2006, the Islamists introduced a strict form of sharia and carried out executions, shut cinemas and photo shops, banned live music, flogged drug offenders and harassed civilians, mainly women, for failing to wear appropriate dress in public. They also banned foreign music, romances between unmarried teens, all commerce and public transport during prayer times and decreed that Muslims who do not pray daily can be punished by death.

The proposal to introduce sharia law must still be ratified by Somalia's parliament."

Nothing like a government that wants to go backwards concerning human rights. I am glad I am not there.

Obama and the Superbowl - Both amazing "Spin" or Lack of Reporting

2009-02-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

Is the press asleep in America or what? Maybe things just look different because I am in Africa.

OK, first I want to kow where is CNN and everyone else who claims to report the new acurately - IGNORING the fact that FEMA has screwed up more - in the ice storm - especially for Kentucky, than they ever came close to in Katrina. Ok it is no Katrina with 1700 deaths - but FEMA moved slow.

They (FEMA) are there now, but 42 people did die. There is no "conspiracy theory" about allowing poor mountain folk to perish. Of course this goes on while Obama and his cronies enjoy $100 steak dinners.

On the Super Bowl: Why were we the fans robbed of the game? I am not saying the Cardinals were robbed - that is unknown. What I am saying is - as a fan - you end the game on a very questionable call and do ot review it? It is the SUPERBOWL!! How can you deny us the last 17 seconds or whatever it would be of the game?

The game was excellent yet messy mistakes by both teams and generally poorly officiated. Yet great performances on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals proved they belonged in the Superbowl and the Steelers proved themselves a Superbowl Team.

Like I said - I saw this from Africa - so maybe it looks different from here?

Y'all Stay Safe!

The UN - Israel - and the USA

2009-01-28T04:03:00.000-08:00

Last night I had a conversation with a fellow from Israel. I was off duty, so it was not obvious who I worked for at the time (no uniform). This guy went on and on about how horrible the UN was. I believe he had problems because of the "war crimes" accusaion by some in the UN against Israel for defending themselves.

I do not think the UN is so evil, and explained to him about his own history (this was a young guy). I explained to him how the UN was responsible in a way for the formation of the modern Israel. He thought Israel became a modern nation befor the United Nations was formed. Also the division into a Jewish area and Arab area of Palestine was one of the earliest acts of the UN. In 1947, the United Nations approved the partition of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab.(UN resolution 181). Israel declared independence in 1948 and won additional territory in subsiquent wars (which some still want to refer to it as "occupied territory"

Now I told him the the UN was often ineffective in how it conducts business and peacekeeping, but rarrely is there an alternative to finding a peaceable solution in many parts of the world.

"The UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945 upon ratification of the Charter by the five permanent members of the Security Council — France, the Republic of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States — and by a majority of the other 46 signatories. The first meetings of the General Assembly, with 51 nations represented, and the Security Council, took place in Westminster Central Hall in London in January 1946. " - Wikipedia

He said something about "Ask your Marines what they think of the UN" I told him I just had earlier when they were visiting UN Headquarters earlier that day. He seemed a bit peeved that I had interaction in a good way with the Marines.

Sometimes in our own zealouness we lose sight of the facts.

Anyways - Stay safe!

Now He is Prez - Will He Do What He Said He Would?

2009-01-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

OK, we now have a new President. Will he do what he said he would? We will see. This is an event that has absorbed all other news stories even here in Liberia. The world awaits as the new President hopes he had a "save the economy" task bar on his computer. Who knows, maybe he does. It is not like there are "cheat codes" for the economy.

I am sure all the Hollywood types like Paris Hilton, Jennifer Gardner, and Jennifer Aniston were tickled pink today as he was sworn in.

Well God Bless America - and God Bless our new president.

Y'all Stay Safe!

Obama Will Soon Be Inagurated

2009-01-18T14:24:00.000-08:00

OK, we all know it is coming soon. The big historic event which may not seem like much years from now, but at this time it is a big deal.

I hope this guy does OK

He has made some poor leadership decisions - Like Leon Panetta for CIA Director? I mean - who is less qualified (not including the mentally handicapped and children)? This guy has NO background in intelligence.

Let's see he was white house CHief of Staff (nothing to do with intelligence) has the Panetta institute for Public Policy... um maybe he spied on someone as a kid...

When there has been so much critisim of the intelligence community, we now will have a clueless leader of such stuff...

A Return of the Old Ways?

2009-01-15T00:52:00.001-08:00

I found this story interesting. It is about how the German police broke into an apartment and took down an Israli Flag to "calm a Muslim Crowd." You can find the story and video. It appears that Germany has joined Liberia in deciding that Mob Justice rules.

It seems that some of the old ways are creeping back into the German Goverment. However, in all fairness, the German Police later apologized for the act.

To quote a bit of the story:"Muslims in Denmark chanted, "Down, down Israel, down, down USA, down, down democracy, down, down Denmark." One Muslim executed the Nazi salute and shouted, "We want to kill all the Jews, all the Jews should be slain, they have no right to exist!"

Interesting stuff huh? Especially the down, down democracy.

You can see Israel's perspective of the ongoing war here. It is quite interesting.

Stay Safe!

Liberia Travels

2008-12-29T05:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes Travel in Liberia is just a bit Different..

OOPS!!

Crossing high quality bridges are fun too

Just a couple of photos I thought I'd share with you.

Stay Safe!!

A Leisurly Week-end Trip?

2008-12-20T06:07:00.000-08:00

One week-end me and one of my American friends here (We will just call him "Joe" - mostly because that is his name) took a week-end break in Ghana. Now we both have been working for a long stretch and thought that the week-end away would do us both some good.

So here is what happened: As I was planning this trip, several things started piling up to cause stress for me. First of all my unit was having a "Board of Selection" a process by which UN Police are chosen for leadership positions. Now I have empowered many people on my team to be able to handle this "Board", but I still like to make sure all is lined up and propared to go. So I over-prepared I think for this Board.

Then something else happened. Instead of the usual 757 that the UN flies to Ghana, they sent out a message that only the Dash-7 would be available. OK so we go from hundreds of seats to 48. Add this to people leaving the mission for holiday travel, and I figured we would get scratched from the flight - it is a first come (first to apply for the flight) first serve basis.

After stressing over are we going to get to go - I called our "MOVCON" and confirmed that "Joe" and I were on the flight manifest. (What they didn't tell me was that we were the last two names on the list).

So we arrive at the airport that the fight takes off from and the airport isnt even open yet. When the doors opened some UN folks from what I will call uncivilized* nations all rushed to the door cutting in front of us. *An uncivilized nation is one that has not developed enough that the people stand in lines (ques for you British types) while waiting for service. Being that we were on the manifest, we decided that we did not need to worry and saw no need ~~to jerk people out of line by their necks~~ politely tell them to move to the back of the line.

Now let me tell you about the Dash-7. This aircraft was designed to be a Short Take Off and Landing (STOL) aircraft from the ground up. It only needs 500 meters of runway to take off. That is around 1625 feet. There were only 113 of these made. Ours was serial number 31. That means it cannot quite take off from an aircraft carrier without catapult assistance. It does not have a large payload though, and despite "MOVCON" putting out rules about weight of luggage it seems many people decided "they don't apply to me."

Here is what started to ~~piss me off~~ annoy me. "MOVCON" was letting people check their ginormous check bags/crates/boxes - many weighing ove 50 kilos (110 pounds). This is after the message was sent to everyone taking the flight that: As usual, baggage allowance will be strictly limited to a total of 15kgs per passenger and cargo uplift to/from Accra will not be possible.

So, they were taking luggage - and because of the weight - kicking off passengers. They only took 24 passengers (which left me and "Joe" out, not because we were at the end of the list, but because we were civilized and did not act like idiots by cutting the line. I find this almost typical "UN-thinking" - there are rules, but not for everyone, and luggage is more important than people - At least that is what the message seems to be.

So we get cut from the flight, but they tell us we can get another flight in the afternoon. We deceided to go ahead and go, even though now the two days will more be like one. Also instead of under two hours, the flight ended up being 4 hours , oh did I forget to tell you that "Joe" hates to fly?

We ended up making the trip, even got a little shopping done, and ended up relaxing by the pool at night with the live band of Africans that were playing traditional Mexican Folk songs. It would have been ok, but they did that rather poorly, yet somehow it was almost more entertaining because they were bad.

We flew back on the Dash-7 and made it back safe and sound. I needed the day off to relax from the preparation for the day off!!

Y'all stay safe!!

Are We Doomed? or Are we Saved?

2008-12-06T23:14:00.000-08:00

I admit that I am not a big Obama fan. However, after he won the election I will give him the benefit of the doubt. I keep hearing how he is intelligent and makes good decisions (this despite his atrocious choice of Vice-president). Now he is forming his cabinet - most of his choices seem pretty good - yet one of the most important is another total blunder - at least historically speaking.

NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED:

TREASURY SECRETARY: Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Apparently a wise choice. Someone who understands the financial system and is not a total outsider.

SECRETARY OF STATE: Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. - Undoubtedly the one most divisive politician in recent U.S. History. First, I will quote Obama himself about this choice: "What exactly is this foreign policy experience?" He said in March. "Was she negotiating treaties? Was she handling crises? The answer is no." - Apparently he has now made a quantum leap in changing his opinion.

A new President-elect that claims he wants to reach the international community - he chooses a divider verses someone who is known to be able to bring people together. This appears more of a pandering decision and possibly a "keep your enemies closer" move. I will admit that the rest of the world loved her husband as president, but that does not discount the fact that she is very divisive. Obama is also making the mistake of predecessors in choosing a female for thi particular post when many nations of the world have no respect for women. This when he wants to "reboot" our image.

ATTORNEY GENERAL: Eric Holder, former deputy attorney general. - Not a real surprise. He was a large figure in the Obama campaign. From the Clinton administration he was a former Deputy Attorney General. Quite qualified as an individual, but hardly a sign of "change"

DEFENSE SECRETARY: Robert Gates, a holdover from Bush administration. During a time a war - keeping the current Defense Secretary, at least for a while is an excellent decision.

HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: Gov. Janet Napolitano, D-Ariz. This is really an odd choice as there has been nothing available showing she knows anything about homeland security - other than she used National Guard Troops on the Mexican Border in her state. (At least we can give her that) Interesting that she will now head US Customs and Border Patrol.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER: Retired Marine Gen. James Jones. This seems to be a good choice as long as Jones has not been "out of the loop" too long in security matters.

COMMERCE SECRETARY: Gov. Bill Richardson, D-N.M. - OK once again political pandering here - What can Richardson's commerce expertise be? He should have chosen a businessman/woman for this post.

NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL DIRECTOR: Lawrence Summers, former treasury secretary. This seems to make sense - though Treasury Department and the Economy are two totally different things.

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET DIRECTOR: Peter Orszag, director of Congressional Budget Office. The title is probably the biggest misnomer, but the choice of the appointee appears to be a good one.

President-elect Barack Obama will tap Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steven Chu as his Energy secretary and former New Jersey environmental protection commissioner Lisa Jackson as head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Both of these choices seem to make sense also.

World AIDS Day

2008-12-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I work for the UN

The UN's answer to AIDS is condoms

Lots of condoms

A guy came into my office today - called himself "Mr Condom" - had an inflated one on his hat and many taped to his clothes.

So, this is the answer?

Ross Perot is President Elect by Cloning?

2008-11-10T16:19:00.001-08:00

OK i just have to point out this observation. Doesn't it look like Obama was a cloning experiment gone bad from Ross Perot?

You can decide.

There is the Village Idiot and Then There are Villages of Idiots

2008-11-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

Just a comment about the Bali Bombers -

They are dead - deservedly so. Terrorism and senseless murder is all it was.

Some of the villages where these guys are from are calling them martyrs. Martyrs for what - killing people? Being murderers. There was no known motive other than hate and death.

Knowing the attitude of some of those villages - there will be more idiocy coming.

Some Liberia Photos

2008-10-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

I just thought I would share some photos of Liberia. Just some of the scenery I have seen recently. I hope you enjoy them.

Blue Lake aka Bomi Lake

A Jungle Road

A "Loaded" Van (Looks like it is about to fall over)

Old Church

Y'all Stay Safe!

International Day of Peace Celebrations

2008-09-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

Here in Liberia at the UN we had a big to-do with the International Day of Peace Celebration. The SRSG (Special Representative of the Secretary General), Vice President of Liberia were the main head honchos at the event. Many other dignitaries showed up as well. There were honor guards, speeches, songs, native dances, and a tree planting ceremony. I just thought I would post a few photos.

Indian Formed Police Unit Honor Guard

(yes they are all female)

SRSG Planting a tree

Native Dancers

Stay Safe!!

Bailing Out Lenders With Borrowed Money

2008-09-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

OK, call me dumb if you like. How come we (the US Government) is making plans to bail out failed lenders during this "financial crisis" who had really bad judgment in loaning money? We do not require them to pay for their own mistakes.

To top it off, we are bailing them out with borrowed money.

Talk about a recipe for disaster.

:)

Ok, one more line to this. Do you think a bank would loan you money to get you out of financial trouble because you foolishly loaned out your money to a bad risk?