The Ramblings of an Ordinary Guy

2010-09-29T07:00:00.001-04:00

LOVE IT! Hilary Clinton in her true form...

Obama Kills the space program... without space workers present

2010-09-28T08:36:00.003-04:00

So I have been sitting on this for about a week or so, but I can no longer. Yesterday I see this post on Reuters about the space program and the loss of jobs with a prominent quote from Senator Bill Nelson:

"This NASA bill will push development of this new heavy-lift rocket with the goal to fly by 2016. Right off the bat, that would hire 2,000 of the space workers that otherwise would be losing their jobs," Nelson said.

He said another 2,000 workers would eventually be hired by firms developing space taxis and other commercial space services for NASA, under the proposal.

So he is now trying to be the hero. I have several friends who work for NASA (Not USA, which is the one most affected by the shutdown of the shuttle program) and now the shutdown of the Constellation program. As reported on this blog and in the Orlando Sentinel we see that Obama came to the Space Coast, stood in the room where the Apollo space craft were built which was recently converted to handle the Orion spacecraft and told how he believes the Orion should be used to carry people to space, but not on the Aries rocket series... effectively killing any future spacecraft development for NASA. This occurred on April 15th, 2010... the day after tax day.

What is so spectacular you might ask?

EVERY single KSC employee was TOLD TO STAY HOME WITH PAY! All the clapping, all the cheering, all those who 'approved'? Not one of them worked in the space program. Who else was in the Audience? Senator Bill Nelson. We have neutered our space program to such an extent that we now depend on 'private individuals' to push our program forward. If we had done that in the 60's we wouldn't have the space program, or Velcro, or Kevlar, or Vectran or... you get the picture. We have heard over and over again that we need more scientists, more engineers... where are they going to work? Who is going to push the envelope? After a tour of KSC I can attest that there is not much, if any waste there. They are continuing to use facilities and equipment from the 1960's! It's been updated, but seriously, that's how good it was designed ORIGINALLY... with Slide rules!

I am outraged that our President would go to the place where so much advancement has occurred... tell those who created it to stay home... and then kill all the work that has been done without any plan to move forward. And it's buried in the news. It took me a couple of days to find everything out and I had a starting point!

Be mad. Be upset. Our Government is wasteful and misguided. Send a message this year and again in 2012. It's time to stop just accepting and stand up for what is good and right in America.

-End of Ramble.

My U.S. Representative

2009-12-10T21:17:00.003-05:00

Open comment to Alan Grayson. Hey Alan, to use a vernacular that you are familiar with...

WTF ?

I understand that you serve a useful purpose for your political party as a lightning rod attracting the majority share of criticism and attention, which provides cover for your peers. What I don't understand or appreciate is that you are MY U.S. Representative and you don't represent anything which I hold dear.

Your office sent my wife a copy of the U.S. Constitution, which is a nice gesture, but in today's economy, was that the most wise choice to spend tax payer money? Really? Your literature says that you carry a copy of the Constitution around with you in your pocket. Have you ever read it? How about Article I Section 8, "...To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions". So when can we expect the National Guard on the southern U.S. border to repel the illegal alien invasion? The number can be debated, but I think illegals numbering in the MILLIONS constitutes an invasion. I'm sure you would agree.

And Alan, if you disagree with former Vice President Cheney, why not put forth a reasoned argument for your position rather than opting for Internet slang? Oh that's right, you think all Republicans are "knuckle dragging neanderthals". You know of course that Mr. Cheney is correct and you have no defensible position. The President is providing aid and comfort to our enemy my bestowing constitutional rights to foreign combatants that claim no country of allegiance.

Mr. Grayson, you are an embarrassment to your district, your State, your party, and your Country. Please resign.

##That's my opinion##

2009-12-08T21:26:00.000-05:00

Basic Business Facts missing in Government

2009-11-29T09:11:00.002-05:00

It appears to me that the basic business facts are just getting blown by in the current spending trend of our Government. The belief that the income can increase for the foreseeable future through the use of taxation is not only a flawed theory but one that is destined to destroy not only our economy but the country as a whole. In business school we are taught that the purpose of your ongoing concern is to service the profits of the shareholders. If meeting the basic premise of that rule begins to be one where the profits can no longer be serviced then the Ongoing Concern must be terminated. A classic case in point is recently I read an article in the Orlando Sentinel about a company that has had to close down because Charlie Crist (Florida Governor) accepted TARP money which required the company to pay unemployment on part time workers. It was cheaper for the company to close the doors then to continue to operate. Who does this affect? The ongoing concern employed workers who purchased things, paid taxes, supported their families... Now they are out of work and that cash flow is gone. The ongoing concern paid taxes, provided a valuable service, and provided profit for the shareholder(s)... no more.

So, what was once several credits on the balance sheet for the government is now not a zero dollar amount, but a debit because they are paying unemployment to those workers, perhaps welfare. This is basic accounting. The problem is that nobody in our most learned government is taking into account Organizational Behavior and the will of the people. This is an example of a small local company. What if you are a large Multinational? If it becomes cheaper to incorporate in China do you not think they will do that? Then they are no longer subject to the rules set by Washington. How does that help the American worker? Why do you think that many large organizations are incorporated in Delaware?

Basic human nature and the will to survive will lead the way... eventually... I just hope it is not too late.

-- END OF RAMBLE --

Islamist Terror Strikes US Again

2009-11-09T21:41:00.002-05:00

Article by Ralph Peters:

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/fort_hood_xjP9yGrJN7

Thanks Ralph. I could not agree more!

##That's my opinion##

NPR Poll on White House & Fox News

2009-11-02T10:11:00.001-05:00

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/10/in_white_house_vs_fox_news_war.html

I'd Like to Apologize

2009-10-29T23:02:00.004-04:00

I would like to apologize to the rest of the country for our Representative - Alan Grayson. He is a disgrace to our District, our State, and our Country. I did my part by casting my vote against Grayson, but it just wasn't enough. I do not understand what my neighbors were thinking when they cast their ballots for this press loving, YouTube inspired, spot light grabbing idiot.

I certainly hope that his rantings are simply a mechanism to get attention in an attempt to make a name for himself, because if he truly believes what he is saying then God help us all.

Mr. Grayson, please RESIGN. I'm one of your constituents and you sir certainly do not represent me!

##That's my opinion##

23 Rounds of Golf

2009-10-26T22:08:00.003-04:00

So, according to most news outlets, President Obama has played 23 rounds of golf since he became President. I personally couldn't care less about how the President spends his free time or relaxes. Frankly, it is kind of nice that we have a President young enough to play a pickup game of basketball or a full round of golf.

However, the number 23 does seems a bit excessive. I'm not a golfer, but I do know about how long it takes to play a round. Since Obama has only been President for 40 weeks (if I counted correctly from January 20th) then more than once every two weeks seems a bit much.

You'd think with all that time on the course to contemplate the universe, he would have made a decision on the Afghan troops by now.

##That's my opinion##

Press 1 For English - Really?

2009-10-26T21:41:00.003-04:00

Whenever I call a service provider (power company, phone company, bank, cable) and get the usual automated call router, "Please listen carefully as our options have changed..." - "Press 1 for English", I get rather crazed.

This is the United States and we speak English (American actually), but English nonetheless. If you want to press a number for Spanish, or Haitian Creole, or French - great, but please assume we can speak English unless we opt out for something else.

The amount of wasted resources, time, and productivity in this country due to people not bothering to learn the language is infuriating. Why people come to the U.S. and then try to force their culture and language on us is confusing.

It is a matter of safety and national security that our population reads and understands one language. It is not possible to have all signs in multiple languages. It is problematic for people to not be able to read Hospital, Danger, Stop, Yield, Fire, Rail Road Crossing, Police, Keep Left, Food Stamp Line, or Vote Conservative.

Please, for God sake - and ours - English first (or maybe only).

##That's my opinion##

So... should we run against Alan Grayson?

2009-10-08T16:47:00.003-04:00

So... Lucid and I are talking about mounting a campaign...

What do you think?

Platform:

(1) Fair Tax
(2) No Single Payer Health Care -- Health Care transparency and competition across state borders.
(3) America is a Melting Pot, but that is what makes it unique... and why we are all Americans
(4) Make sure our borders are secure
(5) Provide for defense.

Let us know...

-- End Of Ramble.

Hey Janet - Try Enforcing the Law

2009-10-07T22:27:00.004-04:00

Sheriff Arpaio, good job!

The sheriff of Maricopa County Arizona, Joe Arpaio, is a true patriot and enforcer of the law. Unlike Janet Napolitano, head of the Department of Homeland Security, who has drafted a new agreement with local law enforcement that specifies, "... the priorities of DHS, one of which is to go after 'criminal aliens' — illegal immigrants who have committed a state crime." Therefore, since illegal immigration is a federal crime, the DHS is trying to limit Sheriff Arpaio's power to enforce immigration laws.

Janet, we should be using any and all means to enforce immigration laws and you should be held criminally liable for not doing more to uphold the laws of the United States. It does not matter if you agree or disagree with the law, you must follow it - it is not up to your interpretation of it. Until it is changed, it is illegal for non US citizens to enter our country without proper documentation - PERIOD!

There should be no debate. Build a double fence 12 feet high and patrol the area between with the National Guard - that's right, the National Guard guards the nation (hence the name). The flow of illegal aliens across our southern border is no less than an invasion.

The last time I check Article I Section 8 of the United States Constitution states in part, "To provide for calling fourth the Militia (read National Guard) to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions".

This being the case, I believe that the American people have good cause to hold the entire Congress in contempt as they all took oaths of office to uphold the laws of the United States and to protect it against invasion. Please someone explain to me how over 12 million illegal aliens does not constitute and invasion. And please spare me the "racial profiling" and the "you have no compassion for the poor" garbage. The United States is a sovereign nation and you need documentation to enter it.

Congress (that's the Senate and the House), do your job or get out of the way. There's serious work to be done.

##That's my opinion##

And From the Peanut Gallery

2009-09-16T21:21:00.003-04:00

Jimmy Carter said,

"I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way and I've seen the rest of the country that shared the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time ... and I think it's bubbled up to the surface, because of a belief among many white people, not just in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country."

Well Jimmy, I too was born and raised in the great state of Georgia and while there are certainly examples of racism, the vast majority of Georgians are not racist. I have not visited your home town of Plains, so you may live in a bubble of exception.

I also believe that you are probably not the best arbiter of who is racist, what many white people believe, or for that matter who is qualified to be President - as your record and approval rating indicated.

Comments such as yours trade in hate and serve to divide our country. Since you are so quick to play the race card I would submit that you are the racist creating division where none exists.

Jimmy, the next time you have a thought - don't.

##That's My Opinion##

Let's Check the Dip-Stick

2009-09-15T21:40:00.003-04:00

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said today,

"...from a technical perspective the recession is very likely over at this point"

So let's stick the dip-stick in the economic tank and see what kind of
reading we get.

I bet we're not quite out of the woods yet Mr. Bernanke
since the major economic driver, housing, is still running on empty.

##That's my Opinion##

Axelrod, You're Wrong

2009-09-13T20:01:00.002-04:00

Commenting on Saturday's demonstration in Washington D.C., White House advisor David Axelrod said,

"You know, one of the great things about our country is people can express themselves even if they're not representative of the majority."

Take a real close look in the mirror Mr. Axelrod, because you're in the minority. You are witnessing the awakening of the silent majority. Just because we have been silent, does not make us irrelevant.

The American People are speaking - I suggest you listen.

##That's My Opinion##

8 Then Vacate

2009-09-03T22:39:00.004-04:00

Can you name one of your three elected congressional representatives? Yes, you have three - unless you live in the District of Columbia then you're surrounded by them.

Want to know who they are?

Senators:
www.senate.gov

House of Representatives:
www.house.gov

Once you know who they are, go check out some of their voting records. You may find some things you like, but I'll bet you find some things that make you mad.

Then, once you're educated on your elected representation, see how long they've been in office. If they have been there more than 8 years, I suggest you kick them out. Serving in Congress was never meant to be a job or a lifestyle. After someone has been lavished with the kind of benefits our "American Royalty" receive, they've pretty much lost touch with the real society. If they have been there more than 4 years, get someone warming up in the bull pen.

8 Then Vacate.

##That's my opinion##

Sec. of State Clinton - Thanks for the Shot

2009-08-30T19:19:00.005-04:00

While commenting on Nigeria's election system having problems with "lack of transparency and accountability", Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated,

"In 2000, our presidential election came down to one state where the brother of the man running for president was the governor of the state. So we have our problems too."

Thanks for standing up for our Republic and our system of democratic elections Secretary Clinton.

So for those keeping score at home, every legitimate recount (and most of the news organizations attempts) ever conducted in the 2000 election indicated George Bush as the winner - as did the Supreme Court.

Secretary Clinton, keep up the good work and tell the President Lucid Guy says Hi.

##That's my opinion##

Silent Too Long

2009-08-30T18:10:00.004-04:00

I have not posted in far too long. Taking advice from my good friend Ordinary Guy, I too encouage everyone to do your own research and not to trust any media outlet without validation. As Reagan wisely warned during the cold war, "Trust, but verify".

To that point, start doing your research before the tools to do so are silenced and placed beyond your reach.

You think I exaggerate? You think this too dramatic? Our new FCC Czar, Mark Lloyd, extols the "democratic" virtues of the Venezuela "revolution". From his 2006 book "Prologue to a Farce: Communication and Democracy" he writes,

"It should be clear by now that my focus here is not freedom of speech or the press. This freedom is all too often an exaggeration. At the very least, blind references to freedom of speech or the press serve as a distraction from the critical examination of other communications policies.

[T]he purpose of free speech is warped to protect global corporations and block rules that would promote democratic governance."

Is it not just amazing that someone with these views is now shaping policy for the Federal Communications Commission? This strikes a near fatal blow to free speech - you know - one of the biggies in the Constitution (the Constitution is good stuff, you should read it).

I'm not providing a web link on purpose. Research it. Find your own trusted source so that you know it is true.

I'm not giving up on Freedom or our Republic as the United States is the sole remaining flickering light of human freedom.

##That's my opinion##

SIGH...

2009-08-14T08:46:00.002-04:00

I started this blog some time ago as an outlet for my feelings on the government. I have been quiet on it as of late because, frankly, I am SO DISGUSTED with the garbage that is going on that I cannot take it anymore. I have read recently about data centers being raided by the FBI with little cause and no arrest warrants issued, I see the 'debate' on government health care, I see the talking heads on the news doing nothing but praising gun control, and I am SCARED.

I am frightened for our country. I am frightened for our way of life. I am frightened for my children. I am frightened for my paycheck.

WTF are we doing? Really? Give the government more control of our lives? What?

Reminder: We are a REPUBLIC, not a Democracy. Look it up people... and don't be a sheeple. THINK! THINK for yourself. Do some REAL RESEARCH. Stop listening to Robert Gibbs, MSNBC, CNN, FOX... LOOK IT UP! We live in the MOST connected internet age of all time and we have people who follow like it's 1984 from Orwell. ALL HAIL BIG BROTHER OBAMA and PILOSI!

Do a little research:

** 42 Million without Health care coverage? Really? Are they all citizens? Are they able to get coverage but choose not to? Ask these questions.

** Stimulus package? Is it working? Are they REALLY too big to fail? Who is picking up the tab for that thing? Your country, your money.

-End of Ramble.

1000 Words

2009-04-20T22:08:00.003-04:00

You know what they say about a picture...

Is it possible that the American President didn't know who he was greeting? Is it possible that the President of the United States is not aware of the pure contempt that Hugo Chavez has for all Americans?

Hugo Chavez is a brutal dictator and should not be shown any respect from a sitting US President, much less given the opportunity to personally hand him an unscreened object.

##That's my opinion##

A Christian Nation

2009-04-09T00:57:00.002-04:00

Mr. President, you're wrong and you do not speak for me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIVd7YT0oWA

Obama should be censured by the Senate and then not allowed to leave the country again.

##That's my opinion##

So this was on Michele Malkin's blog...

2009-04-05T18:35:00.003-04:00

Yes... I 'borrowed' it. This is amazing.

Everyone can agree with the fun of it all. Gracias Michele!

A Hair Cut or a Life Lesson

2009-04-01T22:21:00.002-04:00

It's difficult to believe that it has been a year since I stopped making my monthly visits to get my hair cut. Grady had been cutting my hair for over 20 years and had become a fixture in my life and part of a regular routine - a constant in an ever changing world. Our conversations often turned to current events, politics, work ethics, work place gossip, and any other topics that presented themselves. The most curious and enjoyable aspect of our conversations was that they would pick up as if we spoke every day rather than for a half an hour every 4 weeks.

Grady was one person with whom I could discuss any topic and rest assured that I would not be judged on my opinion or held in a poor light based upon my position. It was true and honest discussion. The last words Grady spoke to me were the last words he said to me after every visit, "...you be good".

I thought this appropriate for this blog since our conversations often center around politics and current events and I could certainly use a dose of Grady's counsel right now. I believe that many people today have lost either the ability to have a rational conversation, the desire to be part of the solution, or the intelligence to think for themselves. Here's hoping for change.

##That's my opinion##

Just returned from Honduras

2009-03-17T10:05:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I have just returned from Honduras where I was on a mission trip to an Orphanage. I am changed. For one week no news about the economic "crisis", no news about much of anything. I spoke to someone from Honduras and they stated that "it is unlikely that the global economic issues will effect Honduras because we are too poor." How true. But what is poor? Are they poor because they grow their own food? No. Are they poor because they do not have a 50" plasma TV? No. Are they poor because they don't have two cars? No.

They are rich is spirit. They are rich in love for each other. They are a genuine people. What you see is what you get. We were a curiosity to them because it was obvious that we were not Honduran, but from America, however once they got over that what we began to realize is that we are all just trying to make the best of our worlds with what we have.

We have forgotten the basics. We have forgotten what it is like to not have water, electricity, food. In Honduras the government run schools are not free... the student pays to go, for books, for the uniform, for everything. Here we complain because they want to shut down a school, or worse yet end a sports program.

WAKE UP AMERICA. Wake up to the fact that our strength is in our community, not in our government. In our ability to care for each other and ourselves. In what was once called "Rugged American Individualism". Stop being a sheeple. Stop following the heard. Stop thinking everything can be solved by the government. That is communism / socialism. It is weak and short term. We must find strength in ourselves and in our community.

The government finds strength in control through the tax base. Why do we choose to give that that control? Why do we feel that they should be responsible for taking care of Social Security Number YOU? You are just a number to them... not a person. A list in a database, on a spreadsheet... an income or expenditure.

Look to the 'third world' countries as an example of what real strength is.

-End of Ramble.

Economic Liquefaction

2009-03-12T22:59:00.002-04:00

Look around. Take note of what is going on in the world and the nation around you. For not too distant in the future, those who have the means to rewrite history will do exactly that to publish their version of truth. Don’t forget, in spite of 9/11, that our country enjoyed a strong economy until the mortgage fantasy of “affordable housing for all Americans” poisoned the underpinnings of our capitalistic economy and left many who played by the rules wondering where all their savings went. Don’t forget that long before we were all delivered from the wilderness in November 2008 that the price of gasoline had returned to reasonable levels. Don’t forget the federal income tax rate that you are paying for your 2008 AGI as it will not be so low next year. And most of all don’t forget that our homeland has not been attacked by terrorists since 2001.

Now back to the world around you; have you heard that there is an economic crisis? There is obviously much debate about how we should proceed to turn the economy around. Those who believe in capitalism and market forces believe that allowing the economic cycle to run its course, while painful, will lead us back to solid ground. Others believe that government should step in to shore up the economy by helping those that are “too big to fail”. As indicated by my mortgage fantasy statement, I believe the government shore up may help in the short term, but the overall affect will be to prolong the pain of economic recovery by allowing companies that will eventually fail anyway to hang on longer than they should.

It is my opinion that a convincing argument may be made by making your opponents position look weak. It is obvious that President Obama favors larger government and the shore up approach. Since President Obama uses every opportunity to state how much of a crisis our economy is in it is my opinion that he is practicing Economic Liquefaction. By talking down the economy, I believe President Obama is intentionally trying to convince the entire country that capitalism has failed through the destabilization of the economic ground beneath our feet. As the economy becomes less stable it will become apparent that the government shore up is the only available option. The weak economy also provides President Obama with an excellent margin of error as the history writers will “remember” how he turned the failed economy around since it had nowhere else to go but up. There is definitely a big upside for the President and the Democrat congress to allow the economy to languish a bit longer so that the eventual recovery can be attributed to all of their “help”.

Hoping for Change.

##That’s my opinion##