One moment of patience may ward off great disaster...

Wisdom - From Ages

2009-04-27T09:53:00.000-04:00

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm and three or more is a congress. -- John Adams

If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed, if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed. -- Mark Twain

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But then I repeat myself. -- Mark Twain

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. -- George Bernard Shaw

A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money. -- G. Gordon Liddy

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. -- James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

Foreign aid might be defined as a transfer of money from poor people in rich countries to rich people in poor countries. -- Douglas Casey, Classmate of Bill Clinton at Georgetown University

Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. -- P.J. O'Rourke, Civil Libertarian

Government is the great fiction, through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else. -- Frederic Bastiat, Frenc h Economist (1801-1850)

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. -- Ronald Reagan (1986)

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts. -- Will Rogers

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free! -- P.J. O'Rourke

In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. -- Voltaire (1764)

Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you! -- Pericles (430 B.C.)

No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. -- Thomas Jefferson

Talk is cheap...except when Congress does it. -- Anonymous

The government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no responsibility at the other. -- Ronald Reagan

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery. -- Winston Churchill

The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermist is that the taxidermist leaves the skin. -- Mark Twain

The ultimate result of shielding men from the effects of folly is to fill the world with fools. -- Herbert Spencer, English Philosopher (1820-1903)

There is no distinctly native American criminal class...save Congress. -- Mark Twain

What this country needs are more unemployed politicians. -- Edward Langley, Artist (1928-1995)

A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have. -- Thomas Jefferson

The biggest difference between Republicans and Democrats is the spelling. -- Anonymous

Joke: Barack Obama Springs A Leak

2008-12-02T11:37:00.001-05:00

Barack Obama discovers a leak under his sink, so he calls Joe the Plumber to come and fix it.

Joe drives to Obama’s house, which is located in a very nice neighborhood and where it’s clear that all the residents make more than $250,000 per year. Joe arrives and takes his tools into the house. Joe is led to the room that contains the leaky pipe under a sink. Joe assesses the problem and tells Obama, who is standing near the door, that it's an easy repair that will take less than 10 minutes.

Obama asks Joe how much it will cost.

Joe immediately says, "$9,500."

"$9,500?" Obama asks, stunned. "But you said it's an easy repair!"

"Yes, but what I do is charge a lot more to my clients who make more than $250,000 per year so I can fix the plumbing of everybody who makes less than that for free," explains Joe. "It's always been my philosophy. As a matter of fact, I lobbied government to pass this philosophy as law, and it did pass earlier this year, so now all plumbers have to do business this way. It's known as 'Joe's Fair Plumbing Act of 2008.' Surprised you haven’t heard of it, senator."

In spite of that, Obama tells Joe there's no way he’s paying that much for a small plumbing repair, so Joe leaves.

Obama spends the next hour flipping through the phone book looking for another plumber, but he finds that all other plumbing businesses listed have gone out of business. Not wanting to pay Joe's price, Obama does nothing.

The leak under Obama’s sink goes unrepaired for the next several days. A week later the leak is so bad that Obama has had to put a bucket under the sink. The bucket fills up quickly and has to be emptied every hour, and there's a risk that the room will flood, so Obama calls Joe and pleads with him to return.

Joe goes back to Obama’s house, looks at the leaky pipe, and says "Let's see – this will cost you about $21,000."

"A few days ago you told me it would cost $9,500!" Obama quickly fires back.

Joe explains the reason for the dramatic increase. "Well, because of the 'Joe's Fair Plumbing Act,' a lot of rich people are learning how to fix their own plumbing, so there are fewer of you paying for all the free plumbing I'm doing for the people who make less than $250,000. As a result, the rate I have to charge my wealthy paying customers rises every day. "Not only that, but for some reason the demand for plumbing work from the group of people who get it for free has skyrocketed, and there’s a long waiting list of those who need repairs. This has put a lot of my fellow plumbers out of business, and they’re not being replaced – nobody is going into the plumbing business because they know they won’t make any money. I'm hurting now too – all thanks to greedy rich people like you who won't pay their fair share."

Obama tries to straighten out the plumber: "Of course you're hurting, Joe! Don't you get it? If all the rich people learn how to fix their own plumbing and you refuse to charge the poorer people for your services, you’ll be broke, and then what will you do?"

Joe immediately replies, "Run for president, apparently.”

I am waiting to be impressed..

2008-11-25T10:15:00.003-05:00

More wealth re distribution ...

Unions destroyed the big three car makers; Now Obama & the democrats are about to give unions a big helping hand by letting the Employee Free Choice Act pass. Good Bye Walmart!

And guess who will be advising Obama on the National economy ?.. the same folks who ran citibank to the ground.

Happy thanks giving y'all.. don't stop drinking the kool aid

Government Knows Best....

2008-11-24T10:13:00.001-05:00

In true "government-knows-best" fashion, New York City officials have ordered 22 churches to stop providing beds to homeless people because they don't fit the government definition of a "shelter." Behind a shrub next to the expressway is OK though.

Yet we continue to elect the same morons back into office, over and over..

Do as I say...

2008-11-24T09:57:00.002-05:00

Obama wants you to put air in your tire and go green.. when it comes to his own limo.. screw green!
But, somehow environmentalists seem willing to forgive him.

Obama wants you to send your kids to failing government brainwashing center, but when it come to his own kids Public schools are not good enough.

Put on an investor hat for a moment here...

2008-11-21T14:45:00.002-05:00

The good news is that there isn't going to be an auto bailout right now. No surprise. Did you pay attention to these hearings in Washington? These auto company executives weren't even able to sit there and tell the Congress just how they would spend the money if it were actually given them!

The Democrats wanted to limit executive pay ... but what about the over-inflated pay of the workers at these auto companies, thanks to union contracts. $1,600 of every GM car you buy goes toward the health care costs of union workers. For companies like Toyota that aren't unionized - that cost is only $200 per car. GM also spends another $1,000 per vehicle on holiday pay, work rules, plant-shutdown-pay and line-relief to UAW workers. Those are costs that auto makers such as Toyota don't have to worry about. The average Ford, GM or Chrysler union worker makes about $71.00 or more per hour. For Toyota, Nissan and the rest ... about $48.00 per year. Do you detect a small problem here?

The stock market was down another 400 points or so yesterday. People are wondering where in the world this will end. Retirement funds are being devastated. People are losing jobs. The picture certainly isn't rosy right now, and nobody can really explain why.

We have a president-elect who ...

Has promised to raise capital gains taxes, perhaps even double them. So this guy is just waiting for you to jump into the stock market and make some money so he can seize a huge portion of it. Why jump now? Obama has been asked if he plans to go forward with his capital gains tax increase, but he's not saying. Just hold off on your investments for a while until he tips his hand. If he goes the tax increase route you might want to consider trying to move your money offshore to grow until he's out of the picture.
Has promised to sign the so-called "Card Check" bill. Now again, you're smarter than the average voter, and you realize that this unionization-through-intimidation idea is going to have an adverse affect on American business. As soon as the bill is signed union thugs (organizers) will start their petition drives at thousands of businesses across the nation. Large businesses and small businesses. America's largest employer, Wal-Mart, will be one of the first targets. You don't know how far this will spread, but you do know that every business that is unionized will be a poor investment for you. So you wait .. you wait to see what is going to happen with card check.
Has promised to raise income taxes on the largest jobs producing segment of our economy, small businesses. During the campaign you heard him say that he would not raise taxes on 95% of small businesses, but you know that most of the jobs rest with the remaining 5%, and that's where most of the new jobs would be created. The ignorant voters bought his 95% line, but you're not that stupid. You saw through his rhetoric. So, again, why jump into the market now? Wait until we see what Obama is going to do with these tax increases on America's jobs-producing machine.
Has promised more business regulation. Obama is no fan of free enterprise. He loves government. Obama believes America is great because of government. You really think you need to wait before you make your investment moves until you see just what regulatory punishment Obama has in mind for the free market.

In about eight weeks we're going to coronate a new president that is clearly not in love with capitalism. You elected him.. deal with it!

The Dumb Masses Who Voted for Obama

2008-11-19T11:28:00.001-05:00

I posted this Video on facebook yesterday..

Certainly it was hard to judge the true nature of Obama supporters based on the random ones selected for this video ... So the Zogby people were commissioned to conduct a telephone poll to ask a greater number of Obama supporters the very same questions asked of the people in the video. Oh and one other thing to keep in mind. The people were given multiple choice answers to these questions. Even with multiple choices, here were some of the results.

* 94% of Obama voters correctly identified Sarah Palin as the candidate with a pregnant teenage daughter.
* 86% of Obama voters identified Palin as the candidate who spent $150,000 on a campaign wardrobe.
* 86.9 % of Obama voters though that Palin said that she could see Russia from her "house," even though the quote actually came from Saturday Night Live.

Now for some news about the candidate they were supporting ....

* 57.4% of Obama voters could not correctly say which party controls congress.
* 82.6% of Obama voters could not correctly say that Barack Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot
* 88.4% of Obama voters could not correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket
* 56.1% of Obama voters didn't know that Obama started his political career at the home of Bill Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist.

Begining of the End!

2008-11-14T16:24:00.002-05:00

Here it comes folks.. Obama wants to restructure the auto industry (control). It is not the government's job to restructure the auto industry. The auto industry got itself into this mess, and it doesn't need government or the tax payers to get it out of this mess. And besides, what makes the auto makers believe that government could do a better job of restructuring their industry? Politicians aren't in the industry ... let the companies that once enjoyed such great success build on the ingenuity that made them great. The only guarantee you will have from government is mediocrity.

If you'll notice, the Democrats are suddenly so focused and so worried about this auto industry bailout. That can be explained by two words: unions and votes. If they are the heroes of the auto industry, they can guarantee a win in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois for years to come. The line will be "we saved your job at a time when the Republicans wanted to let your employers fail."

This is what happens when you elect a socialist

2008-11-13T12:17:00.005-05:00

Investors have no confidence that the newly elected president will strengthen the market.

Week after Bush was elected the second time.

If you don't like chart, read this

if you voted for Obama, You got your change alright!

Are you a "HENRY" ?

2008-11-05T16:50:00.002-05:00

Henry - High Earners, Not Rich Yet). They make $250,000-plus and get taxed to high heaven. And they're about to get socked again. Put simply, the HENRYs are the bulwark of the professional and entrepreneurial class that drives the economy.

They are relentless strivers. Aspiring HENRYs played by the rules and did everything right: They won the best grades in high school, got accepted at good colleges and grad schools, and worked daunting schedules as medical interns or associates in law firms. They're an upwardly mobile group: Most HENRYs used their talent and grit to advance from the middle class, and those who got a hand from affluent parents are determined to do even better for their kids.

"What they have in common is that they worked incredibly hard to build their careers and work incredibly hard to move ahead." Now this group of superachievers is being targeted as a cash machine. Barack Obama has pledged to pay for middle-class tax cuts and credits by raising tjavascript:void(0)axes on the HENRYs. "It's time for folks who make over $250,000 a year to pay their fair share," Obama has declared regularly on the campaign trail.

Obama and the congressional Democrats frequently refer to households earning over $250,000 as the "rich" and the "wealthiest Americans." But whether the HENRYs are truly "rich," or ever will be, is debatable.

Congratulation Obama!

2008-11-05T16:21:00.002-05:00

You have won the "I WANT MY MOMMY" Election! This was not an election where the American voters were looking for someone to protect their freedoms. Instead, it was an election where people were looking for someone to take care of them. Self-sufficiency seems a bit old-fashioned right now. Why work so hard to be self-sufficient when candidates are falling all over themselves to provide the American people with womb-to-tomb or, if you will, cradle-to-grave paternalism.

This has been a "what's in it for me" vote. Are you going to give me health care? Are you going to make sure my job is guaranteed? Are you going to cover my child care costs? You aren't going to make me pay taxes, are you? How about all those evil rich people? Aren't you going to take some of their money away from them and give it to me? After all ... I work for my money, they cheated and stole for theirs. Make them pay their fair share of taxes. Me? I'm tired of paying any share.

WHAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FORWARD TO:

The end of the secret ballot in union elections
A return of the Fairness Doctrine
A tax code punishing the wealthy, businesses, entrepreneurs, achievers
More federal government in government schools
Universal healthcare
Cap-and-trade policies on coal (no nuclear power, no drilling)
Supreme Court justices who favor a vaporous idea of "fairness" over the Constitution
The security of our nation and our allies (particularly Israel)

I keep thinking about that foolish woman at the Obama rally who said that with a Barack Obama presidency she "wouldn't have to worry about putting gas in her car and wouldn't have to worry about paying her mortgage." There are so many like her – people who sincerely believe that an Obama presidency is going to be a substitute for work. Give these people about six months and they're going to be wondering what happened ... where their gravy train went ... why they're still having to work for a living.

IT'S UP TO YOU

2008-11-04T09:56:00.000-05:00

The last thing I would want to do is discourage any capable and qualified voter from heading out today to vote. Now by capable and qualified I mean someone who is actually a citizen and someone who has somewhat of a clue as to what is going on out there. The sad truth is that there are going to be legions of voters like that idiot woman at an Obama rally who thought that once Obama wins here mortgage payments and gas for her car were going to be taken care of.

Obama is going to win this thing. There are only two mysteries left. How big will the victory be, and will Obama get a filibuster-proof U.S. Senate. If I had not already case my vote during early voting I would stand in line as long as it took here in Georgia to make sure that our Republican Senator is not replaced by a left-wing Democrat – one who is destined to become Harry Reid's sock puppet if he wins.

So ... some Election Day thoughts:

Thanks, Republicans. This one belongs to you. The Republican Party completely abandoned its principles after the voter revolution of 1994. The GOP became the party of big spending and big government. Beltway Republicans became drunk on power and completely forgot why they were there. They gave us no real reason to go to the polls and vote for them save for that filibuster-proof Senate scare and the fear of what the election of a Marxist will mean to our freedoms.

Thanks, George Bush. Thanks for your spectacular lack of leadership on issues of spending and big government over the past two terms. You get all the credit in the world for keeping America safe from another terrorist attack ... but when a president signs a bill he thinks is unconstitutional (McCain-Feingold) just because he thinks the Supreme Court will straighten things out; and when a president introduces grand new entitlement programs (Medicare drug benefits) and fails to veto even one pork-laden spending bill ... well, the result is an uninspired electorate and ... Barack Obama.

Thanks, Government Schools. Back to that woman at the Obama rally: Does she really believe that once Obama is elected she won't have to worry about putting gas in her car or paying her mortgage? Yup, she probably does. Then we have those Harlem voters who think that Barack Obama did a fine job in selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate. This election, more than any I can remember, illustrates why Democrats are so determined to preserve our system of government education. American voters are, for the most part, spectacularly uninformed about the issues and the candidates they are voting for. Did I say "uninformed?" I meant to say ignorant. For the most part these people casting ballots today could not name their two U.S. Senators and their Congressman if their flat-screens and cell phones depended on it. Things are only going to get worse. Get ready for an all-out war on school choice .. and that includes the home schooling option. The era of the teacher's unions is upon us.

And thanks Voters. This is an election that has been driven by wealth envy and celebrity worship. I really don't see any of this changing anytime soon ... so, whatchagonnado?

Things that irritate me - Bad News Reports

2008-05-13T13:23:00.005-04:00

Good Samaritan causes accident on I-70

Posted: May 13, 2008 12:45 PM
I-70 just before the ramp to I-465 on the east side

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A man trying to be a good Samaritan on Interstate 70 caused a wreck instead.

The driver of a pickup truck told 24-Hour News 8 that he stopped his vehicle in the center lane of I-70 just before the ramp to I-465 on the east side. He did it to move a ladder out of the roadway.

But a woman driving her car didn't notice and hit the pickup, flipping her car upside down.

No one was seriously hurt in the wreck.

Now how the heck is this the "Good Samaritan's" fault. The woman driver essentially drove into a brick wall (brick wall, stopped truck - it is all the same; she wasn't looking to make a difference) and flipped her car. hats off the Good Samaritan for teaching a lesson in inattentive driving!

Don’t Close the Blinds...

2008-04-03T11:24:00.002-04:00

I Do not know who wrote this, and I could not find the with a quick search . Nevertheless a great read!

The other day, my son wanted to know why America goes to war... I told my son to look out of our front living room window.

I said "Son, tell me what you see?"

"I see trees and cars and our neighbor's houses." he replied.

"OK, now I want you to pretend that our house and our yard is the United States of America and you are the President."

My son responded, "OK."

"Now I want you to look out the window and pretend that every house and yard on this block is a different country."

"I want you to pretend you see the leader of that nation there (I pointed across the street) come out of his house with his wife. He has her by the hair and is hitting her. You see her bleeding and crying. He hits her in the face, he throws her on the ground, and then he starts to kick her to death. Their children run out and are afraid to stop him, they are screaming and crying, they are watching this but do nothing because they are kids and they are afraid of their father. You see all of this, what do you do?"

"Dad?"

"What do you do son?"

"I'd call the police."

"OK. Pretend that the police are the United Nations. They take your call. They listen to what you know and saw but they refuse to help. What do you do then?"

"I’m not sure, the police are supposed to help!"

"They don't want to, because they say that it is not their or your place to get involved and that you should stay out of it."

"But Dad...he killed her!!" my son exclaims.

"I know he did...but the police tell you to stay out of it. Now I want you to look out that window and pretend you see our neighbor who you're pretending is a leader of another country turn around and do the same thing to his children."

"He kills them?"

"Yes son, he does. What do you do?"

"Well, if the police don't want to help, I will go and ask my next door neighbor to help me stop him." he says.

"Son, our next door neighbor sees what is happening and refuses to get involved as well. He refuses to open the door and help you stop him.”

"But Dad, I NEED help! I can't stop him by myself!"

I ask him, "Well, what else can you do?”

"OK, no one wants to help you, the man across the street saw you ask for help and saw that no one would help you stop him. He stands taller and puffs out his chest. Guess what he does next son?"

"What Dad?"

"He walks across the street to the old ladies house and breaks down her door and drags her out, steals all her stuff and sets her house on fire and then - he kills her. He turns around and sees you standing in the window and laughs at you. WHAT DO YOU DO?"

"It’s time to do something dad…"

I raise my voice for effect, "WHAT DO YOU DO?"

"I'd close the blinds, Dad."

"Why?"

"Because... the police are supposed to help people who need them and they won't help. You always say that neighbors are supposed to HELP neighbors, but they won't help either they won't help me stop him. I'm afraid.... I can't do it by myself Dad. I can't look out my window and just watch him do all these terrible things and do nothing so, I'm just going to close the blinds and go turn on the TV so I can't see what he's doing... and I'm going to pretend that it is not happening."

My son thinking it was over bowed his head in thought. He needed to understand something else so I continued:

"Son"

"Yes, Dad?"

"Open the blinds - that man.... he's at your front door... "WHAT DO YOU DO?"

My son looks at me, anger and defiance in his eyes. He balls up his fists and looks me square in the eyes and without hesitation he says: "I DEFEND MY FAMILY DAD! I'M NOT GOING LET HIM HURT MOM OR MY SISTER! I'M GOING FIGHT HIM, DAD!"

A tear rolled down my cheek and I grabbed my son and hugged him tight, and said... "Don’t ever let it become too late to fight him, when he's too strong and he's already at YOUR front door son. You should stop him BEFORE he kills his wife, and his children and the old lady across the way. You have to do what's right, even if you have to do it alone, before it’s too late."

“Do you remember who Adolph Hitler is son?”

“I do father, we learned a bit about him in school.”

I told him, “The same kinds of people who are calling America bad today are the same kinds of people who let Hitler grow to be powerful enough to threaten the entire world. When America was drawn into their war because they did nothing, America lost millions of men and women to save everyone else.”

I ask him, “Do you know who Edmund Burke is?”

“No dad, I don’t”

“He once said, All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

Idol Video from Bulgaria...

2008-03-14T11:39:00.002-04:00

Trust me .. this is worth watching..

This guy is great...

2008-03-10T13:28:00.001-04:00

Addictive..

2008-01-08T17:34:00.001-05:00

Bloxorz from Albino Blacksheep

I am stuck at "Stage 07"
:(

Pick Your 2008 Candidate For

2008-01-08T11:29:00.000-05:00

Be an informed voter in 2008!
PresidentThere is a wealth of information out there on these candidates.

87% Mitt Romney
83% Fred Thompson
80% John McCain
77% Tom Tancredo
70% Mike Huckabee
69% Rudy Giuliani
57% Ron Paul
35% Hillary Clinton
33% Bill Richardson
32% Joe Biden
32% John Edwards
30% Barack Obama
30% Chris Dodd
22% Mike Gravel
16% Dennis Kucinich

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

WOW....

2008-01-02T10:44:00.001-05:00

Artist website: http://www.michaelisrael.com/

Omie Don't Like Grass

2007-11-21T14:52:00.000-05:00

I showed this to one lady at work and the next thing I know, there is a line of people waiting for me to see the video..

I guess cuteness comes with a price :)

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

Hillary! Uncensored - Banned By The Media

2007-11-21T14:11:00.000-05:00

The roughcut trailer for - Hillary! Uncensored - the documentary using exclusive home videos of Hillary to expose the illegalities that elected Hillary to the Senate and the obstructions of justice that keep her there.

Beauty Contest (scroll down for the text)

2007-10-29T15:55:00.000-04:00

I can't get the text to get any closer to the picture. So, please scroll down
(If you know how to fix it, please let me know how)

Miss America	Miss Afghanistan
On the left is Katie Harmon, Miss America, wearing the swimsuit she chose for the competition.	On the right is a typical Afghan girl, wearing the heavy smothering burqua as required by the oppressive Taliban regime.
Miss America is a junior at Portland State University, hoping to eventually get a Master's degree in Bioethics.	Miss Afghanistan is forbidden from receiving any education at all, and cannot read or write.
Miss America has worked as a lab assistant at both the Oregon Health Sciences University and the University of Puget Sound.	Miss Afghanistan is forbidden from working.
Miss America's father is an engineer. Her mother is a teacher.	Miss Afghanistan's father was shot by a gang of Taliban militants. Her mother begs for bread scraps since she cannot work or remarry.
Miss America wowed the judges by singing a Puccini aria, "O Mio Babbino Caro".	Miss Afghanistan is forbidden from singing or even listening to music of any kind.
Miss America will be traveling the nation nonstop during her reign.	Miss Afghanistan cannot leave her house without a male family member, cannot drive, and cannot be out after dark.
Miss America is an advocate for breast cancer research.	Miss Afghanistan cannot be treated by a male doctor, and for all practical purposes has no access to medical treatment of any kind.
Miss America can date, marry, or divorce anyone she chooses.	Miss Afghanistan will be stoned to death if caught in the company of a male outside of her family. She is likely to be sold into an arranged marriage to a man who already has two wives.
Miss America wears sunscreen on the beach to keep from burning.	Miss Afghanistan cannot live in a house with windows unless they are painted black. Since she must wear a burqua outside, her pale translucent skin has not seen a ray of sunlight in years.
Miss America could have been disqualified if her swimsuit did not meet pageant standards.	Miss Afghanistan can be flogged if the holes in the mesh covering her face are too large.
Miss America will decide how many children, if any, she wants to have.	Miss Afghanistan will be pregnant 3-4 times more often than Miss America. Unfortunately, her babies are 25 times more likely to die in the first year. One out of four will not see their 5th birthday.
Miss America is majoring in speech communications at PSU.	Miss Afghanistan is forbidden from speaking in public.
Miss America is 21. Since the US life expectancy for women is 80, she's still a very young woman.	Miss Afghanistan is also 21. But since the life expectancy for an Afghan woman is 43, next year she will be over-the-hill". (Besides having a shockingly short life expectancy overall, Afghanistan is one of the only countries in the world in which women have a shorter life expectancy than men)
Miss America is a beautiful, intelligent woman and everyone knows it.	Miss Afghanistan could be a beautiful, intelligent woman, but nobody will ever know it.
God Bless Miss America.	God Help Miss Afghanistan.

Senator Harry Reid’s letter; “A Glittering Jewel of Colossal Ignorance”…

2007-10-15T16:12:00.000-04:00

Now making money for The Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Foundation.
Thank You Senator Harry Reid!

Check out the latest bid

Final Bid

TRYPHORGETIN

2007-10-09T14:35:00.000-04:00

A new product from DNC Pharmaceuticals

We will NEVER forget.

2007-09-21T11:08:00.000-04:00

Here is the famous commercial Budweiser produced after 9/11. They aired it only once, at the Super bowl in January of '02, so as not to benefit financially from it. They just wanted to acknowledge the tragic event.

OR

http://stix1972.typepad.com/stix_blog/2007/09/teh-best-budwei.html

New Preamble to The Constitution

2007-09-21T10:35:00.000-04:00

The famed "Bill of No Rights" was written in 1993 by Lewis Napper, a self-described amateur philosopher and from Mississippi who ran for a U.S. Senate seat in 2000 as a Libertarian (Not State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA).

I don't agree with all of Libertarian platform, but more and more Libertarians are stepping up to the plate where Republicans are afraid to get into (I certaily don't expect a Liberal/Progressive to say any of this).

"We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other conservative bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights."

ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes . Get an education and go to work....don't expect everyone else to take care of you.

ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job.. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from!

ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!

Your IQ score is...

2007-09-19T17:43:00.000-04:00

I just took The Classic IQ Test and scored 138

According to the score My Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means I am highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, my exceptional math and verbal skills make me very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns.

According to this chart, I fall in the 99th percentile of the population. Nice!
But as far as rarity, 1 in every 177 people has IQ 138 or more. I guess I am not one of those one in a million geniuses

The Mensa entrance limit is 130.81 (98th percentile), may be I should see if I qualify with the real test.. :)

But the most interesting of all was this chart:

Watch out for my rolling head

2007-09-19T11:30:00.001-04:00

From a Bangladeshi blog, here’s the dreaded cartoon of blasphemy—it’s the Meow-hammed cat!

Sure is tough to be a cartoonist lately. The government of Bangladesh has ordered the arrest of another cartoonist for publishing a "blasphemous" caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.

Muslim mobs publicly torched the paper, and, of course, you have the required protests. The angry Muslims want "exemplary punishment" for the cartoonist and the paper's editor.

It's totally innocuous. Too bad we can't say the same thing about radical Islamists.

Translation:

* Boy, what is your name?
- My name is Babu.
* It is customary to mention Muhammed before the name.

* What is your father’s name?
- Muhammed Abu

* What’s this in your lap?
- Muhammed cat

Why were you fired from your last job?

2007-09-12T17:09:00.001-04:00

I used to work in a dairy. I got fired for getting in the whey.

I lost my job at the massage parlor. I rubbed people the wrong way.

I wanted to get a job as a gynecologist, but I couldn't find an opening.

I was working in an orange juice factory, but I couldn't concentrate.

I tried to be a chef. I imagined it would add a little spice to my life. But I didn't have the thyme.

I once was a tailor, but I wasn't suited for it. It was a so-so job.

I worked at Starbucks, but it was the same old grind.

I tried working in a muffler factory, but that was too exhausting.

I tried to work at a deli, but no matter how I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.

I worked for a plumber, but that work was too draining.

I even worked as a lumberjack, but I couldn't hack it. So they gave me the ax.

I tried to work in a shoe factory, but I couldn't fit in.

I became a fisherman, but couldn't live on my net income.

I was a musician, but I found I wasn't noteworthy.

I then got a job at a workout club, but they said I wasn't fit for the job.

I got a job as a historian, but there was no future in that!

I wanted to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patience.

Funny is Funny :)

2007-09-10T15:09:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday ???

2007-08-30T11:47:00.001-04:00

Only 58 more years to go...

2007-08-09T15:57:00.000-04:00

Funny, I thought I was gonna die from eating bad sushi!

How Will I Die Quiz

You will die at the age of 90

You will after a long battle with wasabi addiction

Find out how you will die at Quizopolis.com

The Earth is a Precious Thing!

2007-08-08T15:58:00.000-04:00

and other interesting videos. Gotta love those videos that neve make it to main stream media.

The Remember Song..

2007-07-24T12:15:00.000-04:00

Funniest song I've ever heard!

Abuse by our Troops - Things the media missed

2007-07-23T11:22:00.000-04:00

Armed American Troops Force Iraqis to Seesaw Until They Talk!

Iraqi Child Bites GI In Self Defense After Obvious Torture

GI Falls Asleep On Duty While Using Iraqi Child As Body Armor!

Overheard to say "Talk or I'll tickle you till you pee!"More Evidence Of Failed US Intelligence Policy.

Soldier Attempts to Eat Iraqi Child !

Clear Evidence of Forced Labor by Troops

Iraqis Grateful That American Forces Did Not Open Fire During Soccer Game!

Soldier Caught At "Tickle-Torture" To Extract Intelligence!

GI Forces Iraqi Child To Hang By Fingertips!

Nothing Funny About this one...

The old Paths...

2007-07-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

If you grew up when we did you will surely identify with the thoughts written here.

I liked the old paths, when
Moms were at home.
Dads were at work.
Brothers went into the army.
And sisters got married BEFORE having children!

Crime did not pay;
Hard work did;
And people knew the difference.

Moms could cook;
Dads would work;
Children would behave..

Husbands were loving;
Wives were supportive;
And children were polite.

Women wore the jewelry;
And Men wore the pants.
Women looked like ladies;
Men looked like gentlemen;
And children looked decent.

People loved the truth,
And hated a lie;
They came to church to get IN,
Not to get OUT!

Hymns sounded Godly;
Sermons sounded helpful;
Rejoicing sounded normal;
And crying sounded sincere.

Cursing was wicked;
Drinking was evil;
and divorce was unthinkable.

The flag was honored;
America was beautiful;
And God was welcome!

We read the Bible in public;
Prayed in school;
And preached from house to house
To be called an American was worth dying for;
To be called a Christian was worth living for;
To be called a traitor was a shame!

Sex was a personal word.
Homosexual was an unheard of word,
And abortion was an illegal word.

Preachers preached because they had a message;
And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY!
Preachers preached from the Bible;
Singers sang from the heart;
And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED!

A new birth meant a new life;
Salvation meant a changed life;
Following Christ led to eternal life.

Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God;
Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord;
Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus;
And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you!

Laws were based on the Bible;
Homes read the Bible;
And churches taught the Bible.

Preachers were more interested in new converts,
Than new clothes and new cars.
God was worshiped;
Christ was exalted;
and the Holy Spirit was respected.

Church was where you found Christians
on the Lord's day, rather than in the garden,
on the creek bank, on the golf course,
or being entertained somewhere else.

I still like the old paths the best !

~ Author Unknown ~

Why you should always wear seatbelts!

2007-07-17T15:29:00.000-04:00

I will never understand why people would run from cops. Then again, if they were smart, they wouldn't put themselves in a position where they feel like they have to run away from cops.

What's Your Power Element?

2007-07-17T15:13:00.000-04:00

Your Power Element is Metal

Your power colors: white, gold, and silver

Your energy: contracting

Your season: fall

You are persistent (and maybe even a little bit stubborn).
If you see something you want, you go for it.
You have a lot of strength, and it's difficult to get you down.
Very logical, you tend to analyze everything going on in your life.

What's Your Power Element?

The Worst Jobs in Science 2007

2007-06-28T17:43:00.000-04:00

Popsci.com’s annual bottom-10 list, in which they salute the men and women who do what no salary can adequately reward

Number 1: Hazmat Diver
They swim in sewage. Enough said.

Number 2: Oceanographer
Nothing but bad news, day in and day out

Number 3: Elephant Vasectomist
When your patient is Earth’s largest land animal, sterilization is a big job

Number 4: Garbologist
Think Indiana Jones— in a Dumpster

Number 5: Coursework Carcass Preparer
They kill, pickle, and bottle the critters that schoolkids cut up

Number 6: Microsoft Security Grunt
Like wearing a big sign that reads “Hack Me”

Number 7: Gravity Research Subject
They’re strapped down so astronauts can blast off

Number 8: Olympic Drug Tester
When your job is drug testing the world’s top athletes, there’s no way to win

Number 9: Forensic Entomologist
Solving murders by studying maggots

Number 10: Whale-Feces Researcher
They scoop up whale dung, then dig through it for clues

Never be late again...

2007-06-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

You will never be late to school in this school bus!

It was a different world..

2007-06-27T11:13:00.000-04:00

I heard this song on radio they other day .. I was surprised to learn it was Bucky! :)

I don't care much for the video, but i like the song :)
Oh, it is country music.. Yes I do listen to country music. It is very appropriate when driving through corn fields..

Lyrics

We were born to mothers who smoked and drank
Our cribs were covered in lead-based paint
No childproof lids
No seatbelts in cars
Rode bikes with no helmets
and still here we are
Still here we are

We got daddy's belt when we misbehaved
Had three TV channels you got up to change
No video games and no satellite
All we had were friends and they were outside
Playing outside

It was a different life
When we were boys and girls
Not just a different time
It was a different world

School always started the same everyday
the pledge of allegiance, then someone would pray
not every kid made the team when they tried
We got disappointed but that was alright

We turned out alright

It was a different life
When we were boys and girls
Not just a different time
It was a different world

No bottled water
We'd drink from a garden hose
And every Sunday,
All the stores were closed.

It was a different life
When we were boys and girls
Not just a different time
It was a different world

It was a different life
When we were boys and girls
Not just a different time
It was a different world

It was a different world

one hundred years ago

2007-06-13T16:22:00.000-04:00

The year is 1907, one hundred years ago.....but the speaker knew what he was talking about.

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag ... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

'nuff said

Cost of Amnesty? - $2.5 trillion

2007-06-12T10:32:00.001-04:00

That is how much it would have cost America Tax Payers if the Immigration reform bill would have passed.

I am glad the bill failed miserable. One positive step towards all this is the passport requirement to reenter US. But it won’t help much to curb illegal immigration, since we only have 11 miles of boarder fence so far (at this rate it will take some 20 years to finish).

Your Tax Dollars at work..

2007-05-16T10:26:00.000-04:00

Here is the story

I looked up the description for MPAA R-Rating
“Under 17 Requires accompanying parent or adult guardian” In the opinion of the Rating Board, this film definitely contains some adult material. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about this film before they allow their children to accompany them. An R-rated film may include strong language, violence, nudity, drug abuse, other elements, or a combination of the above, so parents are counseled in advance to take this advisory rating very seriously.

The movie is rated R, the kids are about 12. Ergo, the kids should not be allowed to watch the movie without parent or adult guardian. Any responsible parent would abject to this movie for a 12 year old but this teacher obviously did not care what the parent might have to say.

Certain groups of people are indoctrinating our children to accept their values and vision for the future. This is why the involvement of parents is a child life so much more important. This is why school choices are important. This is exactly why we should voice our opinion come November 2nd based on our value and principle, not based on what happened during the previous administration or along party lines.

If some Wicks are Slicks... Part 2

2007-04-23T16:29:00.000-04:00

Of course, just like any other liberal, Joseph jumped to conclusion and labeled all college kids as “Crazy” and Also assumed all kids are automatically eligible for carry a concealed weapon.

To answer your question, yes I have been to a college and did earn a degree. It is not the college kids that are crazy, it is the lack of discipline and political correctness that makes you think colleges are crazy. Let me ask you this Joseph, do you also think we never landed on the moon right?

When kids graduate high school and go on to college they think they are grown up and ready for the world. And in fact they are not ready and they don’t even know what real world. The society can not wait to let them loose, live on their own, and make rational decisions etc. And the result, with the new found freedom they party like there is no tomorrow.

Most of the solders that are fighting in Iraq are about the same age as the kids attending college theses days. If you can trust them with gun, why can’t we with some student who are not in Iraq?.. Yes there is a different between a trained soldier and a college student. The difference can easily negated with adequate training. I never suggested putting the gun in a crazy kid. You do a background check, do a psych evaluation and require training before you put a gun in somebody hand.

Guns don’t kill people. A gun is an inanimate object that cannot do anything itself. Gun in the hands of crazies like Cho kills people. Taking guns away from the hands of responsible, law abiding citizens are not the way to reduce gun crime. All you have to do is look at other countries (UK, Canada, Australia) that implemented gun control. Gun crimes went up when guns went away. Why?, because criminals who intend on doing harm will obtain weapons no matter how much controls there are in place. With gun control all you are doing in leaving law abiding citizens defenseless in a situation.

There are examples of guns actually saving lives… But you would not hear those stories on the Crescent News Network (CNN)

Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Va
Pearl High School, Pearl, Miss

Whenever I've seen one of those "Gun-free Zone" signs, especially outside of a school filled with our youngest and most vulnerable citizens, I've always wondered exactly who these signs are directed at. Obviously, they don't mean much to the sort of man who murdered 32 people just a few days ago. - Fred Thompson (United States senator from Tennessee)

On lighter note: What a tribute to VT

Very Sad Wednesday Indeed..

2007-04-19T10:39:00.000-04:00

Sanjaya got booted off American Idol and I missed that long awaited moment. I was too busy changing Omie in the Nursery and couldn’t throw my hands in the air and go YES!!! FINALLY!

Weird feeling of the day: “"He's a teenager, and young girls and guys really like him." - AP Really?. How many “young guys” really like Sanjaya?..

By Favorite comment on votefortheworst.com

Listen we were talking about vote for the worst at my Bible class (my teacher is a huge american idol fan) and you people are the spawn of satan. you all are stopping melinda dolitle from a million dolars. she is a wonderfull person who cares about everything like God and Jesus and u people are stopping her from winning. sanjaya is a evil satan worshipper who doesnt beleive in God and he will go to hell JUST LIKE YOU PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO GO AWAY AND DONT EVER COME BACK.
-GiveMeUrCat

Ooookkkaaaaayy.. Melinda Dolittle is a Christian, so she should win the title?.. HA!. Don’t get me wrong. Dolittle is my favorite singer this year. And I hope she wins. But this is a singing competition, America gets decide who gets to win. If Sanjaya can last this long, there is no way to say who is gonna win.

Playboy In Braille ?

2007-04-18T12:50:00.000-04:00

Playboy In Braille..

When I heard this on Radio, I was absolutely certain that the host was pulling my leg. So I did what any other useless knowledge seeking guy would do. Goggled “wiki Braille playboy”.

And sure enough, The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) has published a Braille edition of Playboy since 1970. The Braille version includes all the written words in the non-Braille magazine, but no pictorial representations. Congress cut off funding for the Braille magazine translation in 1985, but U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan reversed the decision on First Amendment grounds. -wiki

So in other words, part of your tax money is going to translate playboy and other pervert magazines on first amendment grounds. But you still can’t say God in public. I though free speech and freedom of religion was the same thing.

I am just thinking..

2007-04-17T15:18:00.000-04:00

Would 30 students die if one of them were carrying a concealed weapon?

If some Wicks are Slicks

2007-04-10T18:26:00.003-04:00

Then all Slicks are wicks?

If I say Islam and terrorist in one sentence that doesn’t mean I said all Muslims are terrorist. I bet there are a few Muslims that would like the psychos among them to stop killing. But the problem is, there is far too many of the bad guys and too few of the good guys.. case in point: PBS dropped 'Islam vs. Islamists' on political grounds

This film has something to do with the good group of Muslims who want to live a good life and condemn the terrorists. But the liberal media do not want to offend the bad ones and in effect have silence the moderates.

When ever somebody who claims to be a Christian (not everybody who goes to church are Christians) commits a murder and suddenly all Christians are evil. But if I say Islamic terrorist, I automatically implied that all Muslims are terrorist. You must have a pretty narrow mind to think that if I don’t agree with you on one issue, I am evil and everything I say is wrong. Well then again, it is typical liberal strategy.. Any and all topics end up with Bush lied, kids died. And you wonder why this country is going down the tubes..

The new breed of terrorists... Conservative Christians

2007-04-05T18:21:00.000-04:00

At least in the mind of some school officials they are.. Here is the story

A school in NJ stages a hostage taking scenario so they can prepare themselves in a real situation. That’s is fine; Prepare for the worst, hope for the best. right? What ticks me off is the details..

When you hear this, what comes to your mind?

“The scenario has played out in real life across America: Gunfire echoes through a school and students are held hostage”.

I am thinking Columbine, Jihad, Muslim, Fanatic or Islamic extremists. The last thing that comes to mind is this:

“As members of a right-wing fundamentalist group called the “New Crusaders” who don't believe in separation of church and state. The mock gunmen went to the school seeking justice because the daughter of one had been expelled for praying before class”

And get this “We need to practice under conditions as real as possible in order to evaluate our procedures and plans so that they're as effective as possible.”

You want this thing to be as real as possible? Get a bunch of psycho terrorist with bombs wrapped around their waist, take over the school, and force the girls to wear head scarves. Can’t get any more real than that. But no, that will be insulting to the peace loving religion of Islam! If the police had portrayed the real life scenario of gay terrorists or abortion rights activists upset for any contrived reason you would read about it in every major paper across the United States; and rightfully so because IT WOULD BE RIDICULOUSLY STUPID.

No other group in America would tolerate this kind of religious profiling! This is blatant religious hostility toward people of faith. The school district's mock hostage-taking program TARGETED CHRISTIANS as the perpetrators. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. And the timing couldn’t be perfect, during lent. It has become acceptable to discriminate against Christians with bigoted characterizations that portray them as gun wielding psycho killers.

I am sick and tired of the media and liberals trying to portray the conservative Christians as a threat to this country. Kids from this school who took part in this scenario went home thinking Christians do take over school and hold kids hostage (remember … under conditions as real as possible…).

Now why would a school purposely portray Christians as the bad guys.. here is my theory..

Members of Teachers Unions runs the schools. Unions are fundamentally democrats/liberals. Just look at their contributions. Christians are more likely conservatives/republicans
Conservatives like school choice for kids and teachers unions hate it. Because it takes power away from the unions and put it in the hands of parents. It also means the teachers will actually have to teach and compete against for the kids. So if you paint the Christians as the real threat, which will make them look good. Young impressionable minds are being wasted in public schools and America just sits back and takes it with out thinking twice! We have already forgotten what happened on 9/11/2001. People flocked to churches in record numbers days after 9/11. But soon, we are all back to our pre 9/11 mind set again because we have not been attacked since. Soon we will write off this tragedy from the history books because we do not want to offend the Muslims. Sadly, the left would prefer an attack by Islamic lunatics who cut off heads rather than have the kids see a crucifix. Liberals would appease to the terrorist rather than standing up and fighting for the freedom of this country.

I Just Couldn't Resist!

2007-04-03T15:58:00.000-04:00

Human Ingenuity at its best!

2007-03-21T16:35:00.000-04:00

Ever wondered how the Stonehenge was erected 4000 years ago?.. This man thinks he has. But more props to this guy, he actually did it proving it is not just a theory, it is so very doable!.

What is wrong wiht this picture..

2007-03-19T17:35:00.000-04:00

A LOT I tell ya!..

The mother is 20 years old; the child is in first grade. That makes the girl getting pregnant at 14!

The law thinks the mother is not old enough to drink responsibly, but old enough to rationalize child bearing?

The kid brings the drug for a “show and tell”. The mother actually thinks the 5 year old is responsible enough to take care of his school work with no attention at home?. Oh wait, we are talking about a 20 year old mother. My bad!.

Kids graduate high school and don’t even know how to spell mirror (true story, this 26 year old girl thought it was spelled “mirrow” because that is the way she pronounce it). And we (at least the teachers union) blame under funded schools for dumbing down America. I say blame (mostly) the parents. To some parents, schools are nothing but government funded day care for their kids. They never pay attention to them, don’t help with their homework, never get to know their teachers or friends. And when 14 year old kids come home pregnant, they wonder where they went wrong!. Then, these teenage mothers raise their kids wanting to be their friends rather than a parent (yes, I did say parent and not parents; show me one responsible married teenage couple and I will delete this post and apologize)

The law says you gotta be 21 to vote
The law says you gotta be 21 to drink

Why isn’t there an age limit to be a parent?

My 2 cents on Global Warming

2007-03-14T16:01:00.000-04:00

Do I believe global warming is real?
Sure… There is proof that there was an ice age, I am not knee deep in ice, ergo the earth must have warmed up to melt all that ice.

Do I believe global warming significant?
No. Ground-level temperature measurements suggest the earth has warmed between 0.3 and 0.6 degrees Celsius since 1850 (based on 1997 data by NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS. That’s warming. The earth's temperature has increased slightly, but the increase is well within the natural range of known temperature variation over the last 15,000 years.

Is the global warming caused by human activities?
No!. If you look at Vostok-ice-core sample data, you can see that CO2 concentration spiked every 10,000 years or so. The first internal combustion engine was developed (not mass produced) in 1979. The earliest mention of American petroleum occurs not until 1595. Lets us go back as far as the time of Herodotus (~ 500 BC) where something similar to crude oil is mentioned in history. And then take 2500 years of the data from Vostok-ice-core data to take any petroleum based atmospheric emissions out of the equation. You will still see CO2 (one of the main green house gas) went up, the temperature went up and with no human intervention both components came down. We know from the Vostok-ice-core date that the cycle has been continuing for at least four hundred thousand years. So even if we shut down all human progress, stop using all fuel usage, and revert to Stone Age, we will still have global warming.

So why is Global Warming an issue?
Just imagine how much money revolves around global warming. Al Gore’s movie made over $31,478,021 to date. (And he is also nominated for a Nobel Peace Price, Surprised? And what are the chances he is not going to win it among all the scandal on his hypocrisy) On top of that Al gore made millions in speaking engagements & books, and other loyalties. US government spends 400 billion a year on global warming related research and technology and the funding is only going to increase over time. World wide, millions of people depend on war against global warming for their lively hood. If the issue goes away, lot of jobs and money goes with it. It is in their best interest to keep the issue alive for their livelihood. In the process, they make it so that anybody who talk against it is considered evil or in cahoots with the evil oil corporations.

It is easier to believe what we see on TV and not think twice about it. And politicians depends it. Just like a car salesman hates and educated consumer, politicians hate an educated constituent. The great concern of many that we are ruining the planet is nothing but ideology to fatten their pockets. Image a world where people believe in something because they find it to be moral and the right thing to do (hey, a man can dream; can’t he?)

I do know this world is finite. And so are the resources within. If we trash this planet, we will suffer the consequences. Humans are the dominant species on Earth and the most advanced in intelligence and ability to manage their environment. We got where we are by questioning our own believes and transforming those questions into practical theories and workable solutions. But the fact that fewer people ask questions and bother to find the right answers may be the demise of human kind after all.

The Great Global Warming Swindle

Global Warming Myth Lecture CTH Stink Test

Junk Science: Global Warming Myth Busted

Follow the Money, and Ye shall find the truth!

2007-03-05T17:49:00.000-05:00

When ever somebody is telling you “Believe Me”, Don’t! Unless it is coming from somebody who has nothing to gain by what ever they are telling you.

Case in Point: Al Gore and Global Warming!

• In the movie “An Inconvenient Truth” Al Gore describes the consequences he believes global climate change will produce if the amount of human-generated greenhouse gases is not significantly reduced in the very near future. The way we are to reduce global warming is reduce our carbon foot print [THE CONVENIENT LIE]

• Recently, after Al Gore won the Oscar for best Documentary, It was reported that Al Gore’s electricity usage was 20 times the national average. [THE MINOR HYPOCRISY]
• It was later reported that Al Gore buys "carbon offsets" to compensate for his home's use of energy from carbon-based fuels. Gore buys his carbon offsets through Generation Investment Management (GIM)[THE MONEY TRAIL BEGINS]

• Turns out Al Gore is the Chairman of the US branch of the firm GIM and makes a profit as the company makes profit. So he is paying him self by purchasing the carbon offsets from a company he chairs. [SHORT MONEY TRAIL ENDS BACK IN GORE’S POCKET]

But the hypocrisy doesn’t end there. GIM was specifically established to take financial advantage of new technologies and solutions related to combating Global Warming [THE MAJOR HYPOCRISY].

Here is scenario: I come to you house and make you believe that your basement will flood and the damage will be irreversible in five months if you do not excavate around the house and water proof your basement now. But don’t worry; there is a company that can do the job for you (Jake’s Basement Repair). If you don’t think it is necessary, here is the list of 20 people that agrees with me. You really don’t have time to think about it, start the work now.

Things are not always obvious. Al-Gore is not dumb. He is a very smart man. He has you, me and the rest of the world trying to invest more money in alternate energy by professing the doom, gloom & Armageddon; while he sits back and enjoy the millions, if not billions in profits from “financial advantage of new technologies and solutions related to combating Global Warming”

2007-03-01T16:06:00.000-05:00

Take that Al-Gore!..

My Energy provider has a web tool I can use to calculate my energy usage at home. And look at that, I pay about $1,100 less in energy cost than most of the similar homes in the area. Your energy provider might have similar tools that you can use to calculate energy usage and tips on how to reduce cost.

If you have not heard, in his documentary (An Inconvenient Truth, collected an Oscar for best documentary feature), the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home. Gore’s mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity EVERY MONTH than the average American household uses in an ENTIRE YEAR (In total, Gore paid nearly $30,000 in combined electricity and natural gas bills for his Nashville estate in 2006).

Al Gore’s response is that he buys carbon credits to offset his pollution. Let’s try to apply this logic to a diet. You and I go on a diet, we both buy food, but I buy the food from you and eat twice as much. But that’s okay, because you didn’t eat when I ate your food!.

The Al Gore debacle reminds me of old practice of Catholic Dispensation. Pay a fee to a Priest in The Church Of Global Warming, and continue polluting, free of guilt, without worry of purgatory...

I am in no way an environmentalist and do not buy into the gloom and doom future they predict. When they start accurately predict weather three weeks into the future, I will start paying attention to what they have to say about 30 to 150 years into the future. Until then, to me, this is all a pointless exercise to instill fear in peoples mind.

Do not think I don’t care about the environment. I don’t pour engine oil down the drain or over fertilize my lawn. But I do care more about my bottom line. And I have measures at home to drastically reduce energy bills. For example, our homeowner’s association requires all houses in the development to have two lights outside the garage that go on at sunset and go off in morning. One of the first things I did was to change the 60W incandescent lamps to 13W compact fluorescent lamps. That change alone saved me $34 per year in energy cost. Not to mention the money saved by the extended life on the fluorescent lamps. Change all the interior bulbs, add a programmable thermostat, opt for energy star appliances and voilà, upwards of 1k in annual savings.

Calculate how much you can save by switching to fluorescent!

First Amendment rights or vandalism?

2007-01-31T08:28:00.000-05:00

During last Saturday's Washington rally protesting the war in Iraq, hundreds of anti-war protesters were allowed to desecrate government property by spray painting the Capitol with anarchist symbols.

That is right! “ALLOWED”.

“Chief Phillip Morse ordered his officers to fall back and allow the protesters to exercise what he called "their First Amendment rights" to spray paint the Capitol steps with graffiti.”

Since when is desecration of public property equates to exercising first amendment rights?. And where is the new media coverage?. I bet if this protest was against how the new minimum wage is affecting small businesses, their actions will be on front page an all major news papers. But anything the anti protesters do is fair game, including beating up others who are supporters for the troop in Iraq.

And anybody who would dare question Chief Phillip Morse actions will surely face the wrath of media!

Another Day, another Due Date!

2006-12-19T17:05:00.001-05:00

Today we received a call from Tracie’s doctor. The C-section have been changed from December 30th to December 29th. That means baby will be here a whole twenty four hours early. That is if the baby decides against coming out early. On 29-DEC, the baby will be 37 weeks and four days old. Can’t wait!

Wait.. I can.. I still have to finish the nursery. I know once the baby is here, that ain’t gonna happen :)

Update: The doctor called yesterday (12/22/06) and the Due date is now Dec. 30th. I get an extra day to prepare for the baby :)

Free Market at its best!

2006-12-07T15:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I wrote about government forcing good intentions on the people of NY. I also said if the people are health conscious, restaurants that serve unhealthy food would not survive. Here is the proof
McDonald's forced to shut from lack of patronage in healthy town
McDonald's is closing its outlet in a town known for quality food and healthy, local produce.

The fast food chain in Tavistock, Devon, simply wasn't being used enough by locals.

So after seven years struggling to make ends meet in a town that has won many accolades for the quality of its food, McDonald's will finally shut up shop on Saturday.

John Taylor, chairman of Tavistock EatWise campaign, said: "Because of the quality of our local food McDonald's has not been able to compete."

A McDonald's spokesman said: "As part of an ongoing review of our restaurant sites, it has become clear that the location of McDonald's in Tavistock is no longer suitable."

London, Thursday 07.12.06

Being fat is the byproduct of poor life choices. It is easier to point fingers at the a big business because getting out of the chair to fix their lives might be just too much work.

You can still smoke in NY, but no trans fat!

2006-12-06T12:16:00.000-05:00

"This is New York," she said. "People eat out a lot. We don't have a choice. We need someone to make it a healthier proposition."

When was the last time you saw anybody forcing people to eat at a specific restaurant or specific menu item?. If New Yorkers are not being force fed, then how is it that they do not have a choice?.

People always have the power to change things. That is the greatest thing about a free society. If you do not like the food a restaurant is serving, do not go there. The only option that restaurant have is to change and compete or shut down. Either way the people win. But today people want the GOVERNMENT to make choices for them.

If the state care about the health of the people so much, why don’t they just ban the sale of smoking products?. That would mean a huge cut in tax revenue; so the state is not ready to do that. The only thing lawmakers care about is votes. There is a bunch of idiots in NY who think government ban on Trans Fat will save them from being fat. Guess what, only you can change you. Stop eating bad stuff, exercise, and stop looking at politicians to make your life better!

If the government let the free market do its job, changes will happen. Wendy's International Inc. introduced a zero-trans fat oil in August; KFC said they will stop using oil with trans fats by April; McDonald's has been testing new oils. All results of demand. The NY law will put small mom & pop shops out of business with increased compliance and sudden change in supply logistics. The sudden increased demand in alternate cooking methods will ramp up the price on supply which in turn increase the price of menu items.

SO who exactly is the winners here?.
-The politicians who made a special interest group happy and now expect increased campaign donations.
-Suppliers who now have an imposed demand on non-trans-fatty cooking oil and can charge what ever they want.
-State treasury which will get higher revenue from the increased prices and fines imposed on people who just can’t comply.

Losers:
-NY’ers who doesn’t have much of a choice but to eat the crap they serve. Can’t complain because they bought it on them self by forcing the restaurants to change ingredients, and have to pay higher price because on the increased demand on certain cooking oil.
-Small businesses that do not have millions of dollars to spend in R&D and focus groups to test the new products or cannot order tons of new formulation and pay a premium for their ingredients.

The 25 Funniest Analogies

2006-11-30T09:05:00.000-05:00

(Supposedly Collected by High School English Teachers).

These are really funny and you will burst out laughing (so don't read this if you are in a meeting or any other place that can get you into trouble. It is rated G so you can share if you do get into a predicament!

I just don't get # 19. My Fav's; 9, 12, & 5 in that order :) Enjoy!

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a ThighMaster.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife’s infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you’re on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30.

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

Wow...

2006-11-27T18:36:00.000-05:00

That is all I could think when I saw this. Detention for being RIGHT?.

The arrogance of this teacher!. This guy had the nerve to say the student will be “better of simply accepting his teaching with out resistance”.

If you are wrong, you are WRONG. It doesn’t matter if you are being corrected by your student or a four year old. Granted, the teacher was embarrassed in front of his class. But by detaining the kid, he has insulted the entire profession of teaching.

If I were in his place, I would have corrected the wrong information I gave the student, apologized for the mistake, and commend the student for correcting the error. This course of action would create more respect for the teacher and give confidence to the students to speak up.

There are educators that genuinely want to teach and make a difference in a kid’s life; those who marvel in bright students that challenge them and further better themselves. And then there are others, to whom teaching is nothing but a union protected job and do not care about the students. I am so glad I went to school in India. I’ve come across so man great teachers but never realized their excellence. I wish I could go back and thank them individually for their contributions to society. Sad part is, I do not remember a single name but only faces; faces that are fading from my memories fast.

This is an eye opener for me. Now that I am about to have a baby, I can start thinking about things that will better her life when she is all grown up. May be pictures of her teachers with names are worth holding on to.

Wal-Mart – Bad for the America, good for Senator Edwards?

2006-11-22T11:17:00.000-05:00

While I was driving around in Atlanta, the most talked about news story of the day was about the limited number of PS3 at Wal-Mart and people getting mugged and shot for this unit. As a non-video game player, I really don’t care much about these stories. And I do think people willing go to these lengths do not have their priorities straight. It is no contest that PS3 is very advanced and came a long way from its predecessors, but it is still a video game. $400 dollars for a unit that only provides one mode of entertainment in not worth standing in line out side a Wal-Mart over night, especially there is only ten unit at that store. Kids don’t need another video game, they are too fat. Adults do not need a video game; grow up, get a degree, get a job, buy a house, invest, read a book, take your kids to the playground. This thing is not worth getting shot at.

That brings me to the hypocrite of the day. Some liberal have made a career out of campaigning against non-union labored Wal-mart. Union memberships have been steadily declining since their peak in 1945 and a place like Wal-Mart that employs 1.2 million is an easy target. A group called Wake Up Wal-Mart is demanding the company provide better pay and more health care for its employees. They would love to see the company run to the ground. They did that to all other places they’ve touched. Union labor is nothing but mediocre and have never proved to improve quality of any product. As a matter of fact, unions prevent a company from progression. Just Compare Toyota & GM. Or consider mass transit authorities or airlines. Senator Edwards jumped on the “Hate the corporation” bandwagon with many other liberals. After selling all his stocks on Wal-Mart before the 2004 presidential election Edwards turned against Wal-Mart. However, Mr. Edwards don’t have time to stand in line like the rest of the middle America so he sends one of his staff to get one for him, from a Wal-Mart that is bad for America!

I hate crooked lawyers, I Hate politicians. Edwards is both!

On the lighter side. If you missed the original release of PS3, you can get one from ebay for $20,000,000.00. Now that is what I call a smart buy!.

December 30 it is ...

2006-11-15T11:50:00.000-05:00

We had a doctor’s appointment today. We finalized that the mode of delivery will be C-section. And it is tentatively scheduled for December 30th.

December 30 is special to Tracie. It is her late younger sister Kindall’s birthday. It would be great if our daughter have the same birthday as Kindall’s. (No Cookie, her name ain’t gonna be Kindall!)

The doctor told Tracie to stop working and stay home starting December 1st. Tracie is excited that she gets to stay home. Although, her employer is starting to panic. We originally thought she could work until the 15th but the doctor advised against that. Now that the time has been cut short two weeks, they have to kick it up notch and find a replacement in

I have updated the count down timer to the new date... but everything depends on His will. This reminds me of the bible verse:

“The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.” (Psalm 33:10 )

Keep us in your prays y’all :)

World's Smallest Political Quiz

2006-11-13T12:02:00.000-05:00

My score makes me a CONSERVATIVE. What a surprise huh?.

The questions are right to the point, but assume that you have done your homework and know where you stand.

Click on the image to take the quiz & Have Fun!.

Worth a second look

2006-11-07T15:27:00.000-05:00

Message to "A Great American!".. I thought the cartoon was pretty funny, poking fun at both liberal (Pinko Liberal, Globalist Wuss) and conservative (Religious Zealot, War Monger). It is very likely that the cartoonist is a liberal, but the purpose of the post was to remind some 10 or so folks who view my flog to go out there and vote.. Trust me, that was the best one that I could find that came close to being neutral.

Where I stand is more towards right and for what is right. I do not call my self a republican, rather a conservative (How dare you call me a liberal!; don't you know you have just insulted me) :) But political, social, or economical issues on fotolog won’t generate much interest, so I stay away from it. I occasionally rant here about things that tickle my brain. Check out the links on the right to see what I read.

As far as reading books, it gives me indigestion most of the time unless I am researching some topics that help me to do something. I don’t read for fun (I know, I am among the minority). I started reading Ann Coulter’s “How to Talk to a Liberal…” about a year ago.. I am half way there.. reading just don’t do it for me.. if you read, more power to ya!.

I hope you got your answer; check out my blog once in a while. If I know more people read my rant, it might drive me to rant more :)

Priceless..

2006-10-20T13:58:00.000-04:00

Trip to the grocery store @ 1930 hours = 10 minutes
Duncan Hines Strawberry cake mix = $1.49
Total prep and cook time = 60 minutes
Seeing your wife's smile because she got her cake = Priceless!

When Tracie became pregnant, I was prepared to drive to the store in the middle of the night to get what ever she wanted. 27 weeks in to the pregnancy, I can only remember two times I went to the store to get food just because Tracie was craving for it. Once for Pizza, and yesterday for strawberry cake. I bet some envy me, but all I can say is, It ain’t over till the fat lady sings!

Have a great Weekend Y'all!

Baby Due.. Count Down Clock

2006-10-19T14:06:00.000-04:00

I searched the internet the other day for a count down timer and found this great java script (see below my profile on the right side of the page). Now everybody can see how soon the baby will be here. Though it is totally up to the Lord Almighty on the exact timing, I man can estimate, can’t he?.

Believe it or not, I am about to be a father. I couldn’t be more excited, but slightly nervous at the same time. Excited to be part of the Life’s greatest miracle. It is amazing how life start as a single cell and develops into a human. It is exciting to feel the increasing movement of the baby in her mother’s womb. Wondering how the baby feel, hear, think ..

I saw this statement on Fetal Psychology

“Just as adults do, the fetus experiences the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep of dreams.”

This is interesting, because we dream images, and can relate to what we dream. Even blind people have basic understanding of shapes and feel of everyday things. But the babies who are not born yet, have no idea what the world look like. So what exactly do they dream about?

I guess I could ask the baby when she grows up. But according to “Baby Geniuses” she won’t remember

What happened to my ...

2006-10-18T13:56:00.000-04:00

*Got this in the mail today. Just couln't keep it to myself.

This one is for everyone who

a) has kids
b) had kids
c) was a kid
d) knows a kid
e) is going to have kids

I was packing for my business trip and my 3-year old daughter was having a wonderful time playing on the bed. At one point she said, "Daddy, look at this," and stuck out two of her fingers.

Trying to keep her entertained, I reached out and stuck her Tiny fingers in my mouth and said, "Daddy's gonna eat your fingers!" pretending to eat them before I rushed out of the room again.

When I returned, my daughter was standing on the bed staring At her fingers with a devastated look on her face.

I said, "What's wrong, honey?"

She replied, "What happened to my boogey?"

Let the boy eat his cake..

2006-10-17T08:27:00.000-04:00

This news story is just bull crap gone overboard.

The 10 year old kid brought packed lunch, that broke government's healthy eating guidelines, to school and was banned from school. Here is my problem with the story. If the school ain’t providing lunch to these kids, why do they care what these kids eat. Shouldn’t it be the parents’ responsibility to make sure their kids eat healthy? Schools should not be in the business of enforcing “guideline”, rather educating the people. How many 10 year olds do you know pack their own lunch? Did the parents get investigated for trying to feeding the kid to death with the “Extra Snack” And the boy is banned from school for bringing in an extra snack. Good thing he didn’t bring an extra fork.

You take all personal responsibility away from the younger generation, hand it over to the government because the parents have their own agenda who think kids are a baggage, and then wonder why the morality of the next generation is in the sewer. Let the boy eat his cake I say!

Gimme a break!

2006-10-11T10:03:00.000-04:00

"Insects do not deserve to be eaten alive especially for a gratuitous marketing gimmick," – PETA

I am not an animal hater. I do not have pets partly because I believe animals should have the freedom and dignity to do whatever they want to do in the wild and not to be a slave to humans. Having said that, PETA’s stand on this is a little ridiculous.

*Cockroaches are notoriously hardy animals. The lethal dose for the American cockroach is 67,500 rems (Measure of Radiation) and for the German cockroach it is between 90,000 and 105,000 rems (A lethal dose for a human is about 800 rems). Most Natural death of cockroaches occurs in the stomach of a bird, bat, or other small animal. In addition, cockroaches can survive on very little; it has been discovered that cockroaches will eat the glue off of the back of stamps!

A Cockroaches’ natural way to die is to be eaten by something else. They do not feel pain as they do not have pain receptors like humans do. They in all probability don’t feel humiliated of being eaten by a human. If they do, they can petition the UN and get sanctions against six flags… (HA)

I think a “Cockroach eating contest” is a great idea. Much healthier than eating hot dogs or Jalapeño. And, we can have these contests in the problem areas where buildings are infested with them. Instead of catching them and serving them to the contestants, let the contestants catch them, and then eat them. Great exercise, less use of pesticides (not to mention less humiliating way to die for the cockroaches), and great for the economy by bringing these contests to your town and have the people spend money!

Revenge from the Grave?

2006-10-02T14:56:00.000-04:00

Inmate got 'Katie's Revenge' tattoo by force

Here is an idea, you get convicted of a serious crime, and the crime gets tattooed on your forehead.

Insensitive? May be
Effective? Heck Yeah!

I have no sympathy for this man or any other criminals that ever harmed or ended a human life. I am glad to hear "...child molesters rank near the bottom of the prison hierarchy and are often brutalized by other inmates.

I wonder, if Child molesters are “Near” the bottom of the totem pole, who exactly is at the bottom?..

2006-09-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

What the heck!

I am sitting on my bed, trying to catch up on some flog post and i get this message

"Sorry. You have posted an unusually high number of postings today. You must wait until tomorrow."

I know I barely posted ten comments. That's "unusually high number"?. yeesh.

Anybody else experienced this at fotolog ?

Tenacity

2006-09-06T15:06:00.000-04:00

Tenacity is a pretty fair substitute for bravery, and the best form of tenacity I know is expressed in a Danish fur trapper’s principle: “The next mile is the only one a person really has to make.” - Eric Sevareid

This blog goes out to the person (you know who you are) who pushed their way in to the end and not give up after setbacks after setbacks only to come out victorious in the end.

And what a victory that was.

There is nothing worse than the anxiety created by the uncertainty of a situation. Life then becomes that enormous roller coaster with its inherent highs and lows. We are often exhilarated by the ups, but that sudden drop will scare us to death. It is important for us to be reminded that we should never give up. You didn’t Give up! You didn’t surrender.

I believe everything happens for a reason. There is always a lesson to be learned. Sometimes we need to relearn a lesson or two. I hope you marvel in the fact that you did not give up. I hope you revel in your achievement. And always remember, you are never alone!

Pesti-cola ?

2006-08-11T17:15:00.000-04:00

This article is a spin of from Badmash’s blog . If you have not read it, read it (and the comments) before reading further on this here….

Now that I am actually looking at the numbers from CSE lab report, holy cow! I am just glad Indian population doesn’t drink soda like Americans do. Even though ISDMA refute the results, I have no reason to suspect the credibility of CSE. It is in the best interest of both the Indian governing agencies and ISDMA to come up with standards for their products when it comes to safety of the products. I am still sticking to my original statement that all soft drinks should have been banned instead of just the two major players.

“Pesticide residues found in all soft drinks tested. (CSE tested 57 soft drink samples from 25 different manufacturing plants, spread over 12 states – roughly 30 percent plants covered."

“In India, there are no provisions for penalties for unsafe food. Therefore, even if unsafe, because it does not meet standards, cannot be penalized easily".

What India need might be something like FDA here in the States. Food safety should not be up to the politician.

This issue reminds me of MTBE issue we had in the US around 2001’s. The issue was that the gasoline additive MTBE was contaminating ground water. Just because there was evidence of contamination, did EPA ban all gasoline production?. Of course not!. EPA came up with the time line to phase out use of MTBE and replaced it with ethanol (much environmental friendly).

As far as environmental laws in India. THEY SUCK! Is it a surprise that there is DDT in drinking water there?. Western world recognized the harmful nature of DDT and DDE (degraded DDT that not use) in the sixties, banned the chemical in 1972, yet India continue to use, and has not plan to reduce the use. It takes up to 15 years for DDT to break down in soil, even then the by-products are DDE and DDD which are also highly persistent and have similar chemical and physical properties.

When the The Environment Act of 1986 authorized the central government "..to protect and improve environmental quality, control and reduce pollution from all sources (that includes ISDMA), and prohibit or restrict the setting and /or operation of any industrial facility on environmental grounds.

I guess the environment is not a top priority to the people of India.

Willful ignorance?

2006-08-10T22:41:00.000-04:00

I went to ABC News to read the story about the airplane bomb plot in UK. Reading through the comments, I see there are people who refuse to give into reality. To these people, foiled terror attacks are nothing but propaganda. We are less than 3 months away from midterm election, so it must be a stunt to prove a point that the people are out there to kill us huh?.

There hasn’t been a single terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11. It is not because the Islamic jihads believe we are nice. It is because of diligence and proactive measures taken by the Dept. of Homeland Security and other departments by going after these terrorists.

According to a liberal, when a country fights for its own survival against these terrorist, they are only creating more terrorist. Instead of fighting them and eliminating any threat to the nation, you should “NEGOTIATE”. Imagine that!. Negotiate with terrorists!. The same terrorist who would use women and children as human shield?. The same cowards who dress in civilian cloths and hide in the midst of civilian so that they can make a quick get away?. The same terrorists who will kill they brethren for wearing short or having the wrong name?. These terrorist have no moral, no shame, no ethics. All of this in the name of religion?.

When I started writing this, the ABC story above didn’t have many comments and I couldn’t comment either. The fact that I couldn't comment really pissed me off. I feel better now :)

The good thing out of all this tighter security at the airports?. The garbage trucks never smelled better.

Isn’t this something ?..

2006-07-21T16:25:00.000-04:00

The Gay couple who fought and won legal rights to recognize their marriage in the state of Massachusetts have announced that they have separated. They have been together for 33 years , got married in 2004, and split two years later. Did the marriage change things between them?

The whole mess started when Julie was undergoing emergency Caesarian with “their” baby and the hospital staff will not let Hillary into the room because she was neither the spouse nor a relative.

We all know two women cannot make babies. So where was the father when all of this going on? I could not find any information on where the father was at the time of Annie’s birth, but later Art Rawding and Julie and Hillary Goodridge raised Annie through a type of co-parenting arrangement; Julie and Hillary are Annie's primary parents, but Rawding also spends time with her. This way, Annie will grow up knowing her father.

"I feel like I'm the divorced father without any of the baggage," Rawding says, "in that I have a great relationship with these women and my daughter. It's totally open-ended -- they're open to as much love and support as I can give, as long as it's consistent over time. They didn't want to see me around full-time in Annie's infancy and then split.".

BAGGAGE?? Since when is bringing a child to this world became baggage?.. or may committing yourself to another is what he is referring to?..

I feel sorry for the Annie. Talk about growing up confused!. Everybody else has a mommy and daddy, Annie has two mommies and a daddy. And now that they have been separated, divorce and custody battle will follow. Sole Legal custody of a child is an endangered reality. It will most like be a joint custody. But in this case, there is three individual involved (because Julie & Hillary were legally married, and there no denying the fact that there is a father).

Good old family values are not hip any more. A father and mother committed to only each other, raising a family, instilling morality & integrity in their children are too old fashioned. Today, if you speak against the homosexuals, you are labeled homophobic. If you speak against the legal right of pedophiles, you become a bigot. You talk about illegal immigrants, its rhetoric.

I’ve heard supporters of homosexuality quote bible and say if you read between the lines you will find David and Jonathan, or Ruth and Naomi enjoyed homosexuality. Where does bible say one thing and mean another. There are clear, irrefutable scriptures that call homosexuality a sin. Why would the bible say otherwise else where “subtly”? Love is an action, Not an emotion!. There is love between parents, siblings, friends, brethren etc, which are not sexual. They are conscious act or care for each other. Then there are churches that support it. So?.. Does that make it right ?. No!.. You ask Why?.. The answer came straight out of the mouth of Jesus Christ, and is recorded for us in Matthew 7:21-23.

“Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"

Headlines from the Year 2029!

2006-07-17T12:18:00.000-04:00

Obviously, this is from a conservative author mocking liberal influence on the future.. I would like to see the liberal version. If anybody want to take a gander at it, please post/link to post

Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, Mexifornia , formerly known as California.

White minorities still trying to have English recognized as Mexifornia's third language.

Spotted Owl plague threatens northwestern United States crops and livestock.

Baby conceived naturally. Scientists stumped.

Couple petitions court to reinstate heterosexual marriage.

Last remaining Fundamentalist Muslim dies in the American Territory of the Middle East (formerly known as Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Lebanon).

Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least 10 more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

France pleads for global help after being taken over by Jamaica.

Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

George Z. Bush says he will run for President in 2036.

Postal Service raises price of first class stamp to $17.89 and reduces mail delivery to Wednesdays only.

85-years, $75.8 billion study: Diet and Exercise is the key to weight loss.

Average weight of Americans drops to 250 lbs.

Japanese scientists have created a camera with such a fast shutter speed, they now can photograph a woman with her mouth shut. (Hummmmmmmmm) Now that's just wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Massachusetts executes last remaining conservative.

Supreme Court rules punishment of criminals, violates their civil rights.

Average height of NBA players now nine feet, seven inches.

New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screwdrivers, fly swatters and rolled-up newspapers must be registered by January 2036.

Congress authorizes direct deposit of formerly illegal political contributions to campaign accounts.

IRS sets lowest tax rate at 75 percent.

Florida voters still having trouble with voting machines

They really need your help...

2006-05-15T14:25:00.000-04:00

Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration. Certain people are angry that the U.S. might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and once here, to stay indefinitely.

Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.

Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover me in your home you insist that I leave. But, I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors: I've done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest ... except for that part where I broke into your house.

"According to the protestors, not only must you let me stay, you must add me to your family's insurance plan and provide other benefits for me and my family. My husband will do your yard work because he too is hard-working and honest ... except for that breaking in thing.

"If you try to call the police or force me out I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be here. It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm hard-working and honest .... ummmmm .... except for that breaking in thing.

"Besides. What a deal it is for me! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of selfishness, prejudice and being anti-housebreaker!

Did I miss anything? Does this sound reasonable to you? If it does, grab a sign and go picket something. If this sounds insane to you call your senators and enlighten them because they are stumbling in the darkness right now and really need your help.

Author: Unknown..

Rant on IRS

2006-04-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

I am absolutely dumbfounded by the lack of response I got on this post. May be lot of people out there do not care what happens to their money. Do you know how much taxes you paid last year? Not the refund you got or the check you had to write. How much did you pay as Federal Income tax? I bet you do not know with out looking it up. Everybody knows how much they take home, but do you know how much you make. The federal government is forcing us to pay taxes and we do not have any choice or say in the matter, unless we take action.

I know to most, politics and taxes are boring subjects. And they will like to keep it that way. What happens to the tax you pay out of ever paycheck, every thing you buy, every piece of property you own?

Where do politicians get their power? By manipulating the tax code to serve their constituents. What if you live in a democratic state and the party in power is republican or vice versa? The chances are your area get squat. Is that fair to you after paying your portion of the taxes just like everybody else?

Here is something you probably do not hear much about. Death Tax! Scary huh? Let us say you parents work hard to create a small successful business. When they pass away, as the children of the owner you are entitles you succeed that business is it not? Sure you are. You can keep what ever is left after you pay the death tax. And how much is it? about 55%. Imagine, a two million dollar business will lose half of their assets in taxes. Fair?. What would you do in this situation? Where would you come up with about a million dollars to pay taxes and keep the business? Or would you sell the business so that you can just pay the taxed. What about years of hard work your parents put into the business to make it successful?

Don't think it will not happen to you? Consider this.

AMT or Alternative Minimum Tax. The AMT was created 35 years ago to make sure high income-earners did not take advantage of perfectly legal deductions and credits to avoid the payment of taxes. Trouble is, due to inflation the AMT is now sneaking into middle income tax returns. Today the AMT will hit about 3.5 million Americans. I know if the tax code does not change, in a few years I will end up among the millions of Americans that would pay AMT. If you went to college, have a decent job, and are married, you will most likely end up in the same situation.

Okay. I am done ranting. I doubt this post, just like the previous one will generate any interest. Might be because people feel like if you spoke against the IRS they might come knocking down the door and audit you. Or may be because tax is something they have been paying ever since the first dollar you earned and never thought twice how the people we elected manipulate us, using our money to gain power and assume there is nothing to be done.

Just ponder this. When you cast vote at any election, you are giving the person power to act on your behalf. Do you know if the person you vote for have the same ideals and principles you have? Or do you vote for candidates that belong to the party you are registered assuming they have the same view as you? Before the next election, do you self a favor. Find out who is running and what their positions are. Remember: there is always a disparity between Perception and Reality! Do not trust the media, they will only tell you what generate rating for them. Building bridges and schools does not generate nearly as much rating as IED and kidnapping.

Our tax code is progressive. Meaning, the people who makes more money will pay more taxes, and the people who are poor, do not pay any. In other words, being on welfare and unemployment is encouraged and working hard, wise investing and savings are discouraged. Just look at the facts below.

The individual income tax is highly progressive, a small group of higher-income taxpayers pay most of the individual income taxes each year.

Taxpayers who rank in the top 50 percent of taxpayers by income pay virtually all individual income taxes. In all years since 1990, taxpayers in this group have paid over 90 percent of all individual income taxes. In 2000 and 2001, this group paid over 96 percent of the total.

In 2001, the latest year of available data, the top 5 percent of taxpayers paid more than one-half (53.3 percent) of all individual income taxes, but reported roughly one-third (32.0 percent) of income.

The top 1 percent of taxpayers paid 33.9 percent of all individual income taxes in 2001. This group of taxpayers has paid more than 30 percent of individual income taxes since 1995. Moreover, since 1990 this group's tax share has grown faster than their income share.

Taxpayers who rank in the top 50 percent of taxpayers by income pay virtually all individual income taxes. In all years since 1990, taxpayers in this group have paid over 90 percent of all individual income taxes. In 2000 and 2001, this group paid over 96 percent of the total.

The share of taxes paid by the top 1 percent of taxpayers will rise from 30.5 percent to 32.3 percent.
source: U.S. Treasury, Office of Tax Analysis

If you like to know more about the un-fairness of today's tax code and want to do something about it, check out these websites.
http://www.fairtax.org/, http://www.fairtaxvolunteer.org/,

I love all seasons of the year

2006-03-22T17:10:00.000-05:00

. Coming from Kerala, India; where the only two seasons are Rain & No-Rain, I have learned to appreciate the beauty of the ever-changing seasons.

Most people hate winter. It is Cold and barren. Tree are naked, and bird nest are empty. Grass is brown and fragile. How can I like winter you ask?

Winter is certainly unique. There is something about the white snows of winter that heighten one’s sense of hearing. For example, don't you think it is neat to go outside during a snowstorm and hear the soundless falling snow? And haven't you been outside on a cold winter day and heard ice cracking on a tree branch, or the sound of your feet walking, sounds seldom heard during other seasons of the year. The distinctiveness of winter intrigues me. It is foreseeable yet chaotic. Brightness of any sunny day can be vanquished by the brightness of a snow cover landscape.

Mar. 20, 1:26 PM marked the end of Official 2005-2006 winter season. But this year mother nature had a different idea. Most of Indiana was covered with a blanket of snow a day after the “official” end of winter. I guess the memo got lost in the mail.

Oh sparkling snowflakes gentle and white,
Clothing from heaven, so clean and bright.
Your cold winter cover, is beautiful still,
On mountains, in valleys, on my window sill.

Let me reflect the pure driven snow,
In the winter of life, as God's mighty winds blow.
Snow on my old roof top, let His glory abound.
Heavenly flakes elegantly swirling around.
Oh, I hope to be spotless and blemish free,
Beautifully shining your Spirit in me.

In winter house, may I find the warmth of His fire,
A blessing to others, keep the flaming desire.
Like vibrant holly, with it's shiny red berry,
Ignore chilly blasts, spectacular and merry.
My leaf of life, also will not wither and fade.
Nor joy found in praising my Savior each day.

Oh sparkling snowflakes, gentle and white,
Clothing from heaven, so clean and bright.
Your cold winter cover, is beautiful still,
On mountains, in valleys, on my windowsill.
By Nina Phillips (faithwriters.com)

2006-03-21T15:56:00.000-05:00

This is my very first attempt at any kind of public writing. I guess I will start of by explaining the name “Gentle Jake”. My last name is Jacob; hence, the second part of my name “Jake”. While in college, when I first realized the power of email, I needed come up with a user ID. My friend Quinn adopted the name BitterQ as one of his email ID and I thought, Hey, BitterJake sounds original. Lo and Behold I became bitterjake .. but I am not a bitter person. so it was time to change the name. I know I am the opposite of bitter, but “sweet Jake” sounded kinda, ya know.. yeah.. that.. So I decided to stick with Gentle. In a way, it pretty much explains what I am.