Flagged for Consideration

http://wtvr.com/2013/02/26/condo-association-tells-soldier-to-take-down-american-flag/

     This is the big uproar running around the Internet right now.  An Evil Draconian (Love that word) Condo Association is being mean to a Veteran who just wants to fly his flag in front of his condo.  Patriots from all over are lining up in protest to defend this man's right to fly his flag where ever he wants and of course everyone is raging and quoting the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act as all the proof they need that evil is being done.  Well, unfortunately there is a bit more to this whole thing than most people want to admit.

     Don't get me wrong, I fully believe that any American citizen should be able to do pretty much anything they want on their own property.  This is why you will never find me living anywhere there is any sort of HOA agreement or Covenant.  If you own your home, condo whatever, you should be able to do whatever the fudge you want.  The concept of someone else being able to tell me what to do with my property is ridiculous.  Now, having said that, let us move on.

     First we'll deal with the main argument that everyone keeps using.  The Freedom to Fly Act.  Everyone is busy quoting how it gives all American Citizens the right to fly the flag no matter where they are.  They either have glossed over or just didn't read that far where it says, "(2) any reasonable restriction pertaining to the time, place, or manner of displaying the flag of the United States necessary to protect a substantial interest of the condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association."  Put at its simplest, this means that a HOA or Covenant Group CAN place restrictions upon the flying of the American Flag if they deem it necessary to protect the area.  So, restrictions can be placed and done so very legally.

     Second, let us cover the main argument when I see these "HOAs refuse to let X fly flag."  When the Veteran in question moved into his property, he would have been required to read and sign (Agree to) all of the rules of the HOA.  In short, he entered into a contract with them with the understanding that he would follow all of the rules.  He knew that flying the flag was against the rules of the HOA and he did it anyway.  Like it or not, that puts him firmly in the wrong.  He broke the rules, got in trouble for it and is now complaining about.  He didn't object directly to the HOA or file a protest.  He posted it to websites where he knew it would raise a stink.  This tells me that he knew he was in the wrong (Contractually speaking) and is trying to raise public opinion to further his case.

     Like I said, I am not objecting to anyone flying the flag.  I despise Covenant/Home Owner Associations because I feel that we are slowly ceding more and more of our privileges away to Others.  If you want to fly the American Flag, The Russian Flag or the Flag of the Federation then you should be able to.  If you want to run a (Licensed please) Distillery in your front yard, go for it!  If you own property then you should have the right to do whatever the fug you want.  Simple as that.  HOWEVER if, for some insane reason, you do join a Covenant Neighborhood with all sorts of restrictions than buck up and deal with it.  That was your choice and you made it. 

End of Rant

KKK (Kompletly Klueless Knutcases)

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/23/north-dakota-school-investigating-fans-in-kkk-style-hoods-at-hockey-game/

     Really, this little literary jaunt is not one I consider a rant.  I mean I suppose I could go on and on about Racism and Hate mongering.   The symbolism of the KKK Hood and Robes is one steeped in hatred and violence against most non-White races.  Cross Burnings, Lynchings and murder are indelible images that are forever engraved in American History.  So I could do blog after blog on hate groups like the KKK and the Black Panthers, but maybe for another day.

     No, this blog is purely about stupidity.  Three HS Kids thought it would be a clever idea to show up at a hockey game and don the trademark hood and robes of the KKK.  Now, in their defense, the section they were sitting in is a "All white garb" section, so their outfits fit the requirements, but I think maybe they were a bit much.

     This was stupid on so many levels.  First of all, there is the possible knee jerk reaction of "HOLY CRAP, IT'S THE KKK!  GET EM!"  I mean, unless you are at a meeting of the Bugtussle Chapter of the KKK, generally white guys in sheets do not receive very good receptions.  The kids were damned lucky that some Black Gentleman who's Grandfather was injured or killed by the KKK didn't see them and lose his mind.

     It is also stupid because since we are talking about HS, I am pretty sure there is some sort of dress code and I doubt that code included bed linen.  I am unclear as to their exact reasons for doing what they did, but I seriously doubt suspension or academic probation was on there.  (Course then again, it might have been.  Kids are odd.)

     Yes I am well aware that the kids broke no laws.  Whether people like it or not, the KKK is a legally recognized Organization so wearing the trademark Hoodie and Dress are not criminal acts.  Also, besides looking like ghosts who got lost from the cemetery, the kids committed no "racist actions."  I don't think they should arrested for donning the regalia.  If they wish to be seen as racist morons, that is their legal right.

     My Mom-In-Law calls stupid people "God's people" and says that He must love them because he makes so damned many of them.  These three Einsteins are proof of that.  In no way, shape or form can their actions be considered anything but stupid.  Whether out of some warped sense of humor or a demented expression of freedom, they got themselves in trouble while stirring up resentment and bad memories for a lot of people.  A wise man once said, "Freedoms are useless unless you have the wisdom to use them well."

End of Rant

Johns Hobkins Did not say that!

"LATEST CANCER INFORMATION
from Johns Hopkins

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY S TARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY …


1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.

7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.


11. An effective way to battle cancer is to STARVE the cancer cells by not feeding it with foods it needs to multiple.

What cancer cells feed on:

a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Note: Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.


b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells will starved.

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes t o nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells.

To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water--best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines will become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor.

Anger, unforgiving and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

(PLEASE SHARE IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT)"

      Oh Lord, where to begin on this one?  The above is another example of Internet Urban Myths that have very little if any basis in reality.  For the record, Johns Hopkins has never released any such statement and has officially denied it.

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/cancer-tips-john-hopkins.shtml 

Link supplied for any doubters. 

    The above stupidity is along the same lines as the Aspartame Hoax letters that keep floating around that cites a non-existent expert preaching on the dangers of artificial sweeteners.  Both articles give out exaggerated or completely fictitious data to support a premise that is an outright lie. Good example is all of the "diet" advice.  "Johns Hopkins noted in its statement that a poor diet and obesity can increase the risk of developing cancer. "However, there is no evidence that certain foods alter the environment of an existing cancer, at the cellular level, and cause it to either die or grow," the statement said." 

     I could go on and on (and often do) but I will simply leave you with the OFFICIAL Johns Hopkins Answer to this heaping pile of dung being spread around the net.

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/news_events/featured/cancer_update_email_it_is_a_hoax.html

     For the love of God, please stop believing all of this bull crap that is being spread around the web and please stop reposting it.  You only look silly and help propagate lies.

End of Rant

 

Books now available on all formats!

From Smashwords

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Marshallcolt

"Equality, you keep using that word..."

(Loving nod to The Princess Bride for the title to this rant.)

     "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.  That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights..."

     Now anyone with even a smidgen of education knows those words.  One of the most basic tenets of our way of live which were framed so well centuries ago.  It one of the strongest ideals ever framed by man and one that still rings out long after the man who wrote it died.  It is the ideal that most people cling to and point to with pride.  And like most ideals, the reality falls far short of the dream.

     Now ignore the fact that "All Men" meant literally all Men and also only meant all White Men.   Ignore the fact that even after other races and women were included, their equality tended to be a lot less equal.  Let us just look at the basic ideal and how the reality falls far short of the ideal.

     The idea that everyone is equal regardless of race, sex or social standing is a marvelous, utopian concept and much like most Utopian concepts (Believe it or not Socialism and Communism are included in those.) something is lost in the mix when you throw in Human Beings.  In this case, the plain and simple fact is that all people are not created equal.

     First we can take the actual "created" side of the coin.  Everyone is not born equal to everyone else.  Some are smarter than others.  Some are stronger, faster or just plain healthier than others.  If you'd like, some are more attractive than others.  We are not created as clones of each other.  

     Now I can hear you thinking, "Hold on now, that is not what they meant when they talked about all men being equal.  They were speaking in terms of rights and freedoms and liberties."  (Yes I can actually hear you thinking, and you the guy in the third row.  YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!)  Ahem, where was I?

     In a sense, your argument is correct.  The ideal behind those mighty words is fantastic.  Every person born is equal to every other person born with the same rights and privileges.  In the eyes of the law, everyone is equal no matter how powerful or rich they are.  However, anyone who reads the news or listens to the news knows that everyone is not equal.  

      If a poor or even lower class person is caught committing a crime, (Lets just say Illicit Hamster Smuggling for gits and shiggles.) they generally are given a Public Defender who may or may not be able to get them aquitted of the crime.  If they are convicted of 3rd degree Hamster Smuggling, they tend to go to jail.  

     Now lets take someone who is rich and powerful.  We'll call her Chintzy Moreham.  Chintzy is very famous and very wealthy.  She also has a crap load of money.  Now Miss Moreham is not only guilty of IHS, she is also guilty of letting Drunken Hamsters drive her car and also guilty of stealing expensive Hamster jewelry.  Chintzy hires the best lawyers money can buy to defend her.  Even when she is actually convicted of her crimes, she receives what is essentially a slap on her wrist.  Even more amazing, when she is caught committing the same crimes all over again she still only gets a laughable punishment.

     Everyone is not equal.  People with money and power have more "rights" than people who do not.  Like most grand ideas, philosophy falls far short when it encounters the reality of human nature.  

End of Rant

Stop the Lies, speak the truth, learn the difference!

"Micro Chip Implant Coming March 23, 2013
The New Health Care (Obama care) law H.R. 3590 Also HR 4872 requires all US citizens to have the RIFD implanted

This evil plan is being launched by America. its a micro chip injected in your hand. it will contain all your personal data heath and bank accounts etc. its also a GPS device being monitored. they can deactivate it at any time if they find you suspicious or not loyal to their government or go against them or their system and you will lose everything you ever had. soon this device will be made common just like they did credit cards, turning paper money into digital money. means nothing is physically in your hand. it will be made a must for every citizen with time according to their plan and then they will spread it outside America so they can monitor and control as many people as they can and turn them into slaves with their digital technologies.

this device is the future or slavery

BEWARE of this EVIL DEVICE. if you don't believe me do your own research before you come to argue or debate.

warn more people create this awareness do more research on your own and save yourself from this NEW DEVILRY."

     Okay as much as I swore I would not tilt at any more windmills because it makes my headparts hurt, this little bit of inspired stupidity could not be ignored.  Once again, the Idiot Mill is running something that is so moronic across the Interwebz that calling it a lie would be the height of kindness.  Really folks, this bit of garbage reeks more than my socks after working in the yard all day.

     Let me put this as bluntly as I can for the braincell challenged rumor readers out there.  There is no dreaded government micro-chip conspiracy!  None, nada, zip!

     Yes, there is a micro chip being made available that can store your medical information on it.  There is even a more sophisticated version being used in Europe that can also store your bank information, ID etc.  So that part of this drama is true.  

     The chip is not a GPS locator!  To access the chip, someone has to use a handheld scanner about the size of an old style bag phone that has to be pressed directly against the skin where the chip is located.  It is essentially a human version of the chip that has been implanted in animals for a long time.  Believe me, if the chips could be made to be GPS locators, we would have a lot less lost pets.

     (As an aside here, if you all are really so terrified that the "Evil Mean Bad President" is going to use a GPS beacon to fire a drone at you then you really should ditch your cell phones because they are GPS beacons and they can transmit.  I'm just saying that you should reattach the cord just to save your lives.)

     Nor can the bad mean man in the White House access the chips by remote control to take away all your monies and find out what porn you have been reading.  The chips can no more be accessed remotely than the USB fob you carry in your purse/pocket.

     These chips will not be mandatory, just be made more available under the health act.  Oh and for those who are concerned that Obama is going to conquer Europe by spreading them overseas?  Well see Europe has actually had these chips for awhile now.  Citizens can ever get the deluxe models that allow them to not carry credit cards or IDs.  If they want to buy a drink, they just have the chip scanned.  It is actually safer than using a credit card btw.

     Folks, there is plenty of messed up stuff going on in the world today.  Our politicians are more than fudged up that we don't need to make shift up about what they are doing.  Bull tripe like this just makes the people that repost it and believe it look bad.  In the end, use your brain.  In one part I agree with the moron that wrote this.  "do more research on your own" pretty much says it all.  These people spreading this stupid lies used to be the whackos standing on street corners carrying signs about UFOs beaming mind control rays into house pets minds. They aren't any more respectable or believable now that they can sit in their Mom's basement and anonymously spread this garbage on the internet.  Stop believing the lies and start learning the truth.  Trust me when I say that there is more than enough scary crap out there that is true.

End of Rant

Can we just get actual facts here?

Proof that a lie is more believable than the truth.

  If you have been paying attention to the Interwebz, you have seen this post or one like it running amok.  (Amok amok amok).  People post it and express outrage.  How dare our Sassensach President honor "American Zero" while ignoring a true American hero?  Well, there is only one thing wrong with all of this outrage...well maybe two. 
     The first thing that is wrong with this outrage is IT NEVER HAPPENED!  Obama never ordered the flags to be flown at half mast for Houston's death.  Chris Christie of NJ did and was greatly slammed for it.  So let me restate.  OBAMA never ordered flags to be flown at half mast for Houston and never even released an Official WH comment on the matter.  He did mention a person message about his family's thoughts and prayers but not an official WH response.  So just to make sure everyone groks, The above is A LIE!
     Second, Chris Kyle may have been a hero, but simply put, his senseless death in a murder is no more or less important than the deaths of hundreds of others that occur every single day.  If he had been killed in action on one of his deep sniper mentions, we probably wouldn't have even known about it.  Not a single one of these people who are in a uproar over the lie above could quote the name of a single American Soldier killed while in Active Duty recently.  We have lost 1000s of American Heroes overseas and very few mentions are made of it, but when a Civilian is murdered it is suddenly important because he was a Hero.
     Sorry people but Hero Worship is still Hero Worship.  Those who demand outrage because the Hero (99% had never heard or cared about this man before his death) are just as bad as the ones who wailed and cried when Houston and Jackson committed suicide.  Maybe worse, because at least the people destroyed by their deaths actually knew and (in their own way) cared about them before they died.  Someone's live who is famous is no more or less important than a man who toils away everyday just to feed his family or a woman who struggles to take care of her kids while working two jobs.  Maybe it is time we stopped believing the lies on the Internet and started looking at the truth.

End Of Rant

Of Cowards and Brothers

     All of you who have read this blog for awhile (all three of you) have heard me mention many times the name of my Brother in every way but blood, Ben Baker.  You have heard me talk about his honesty and courage much to often probably.  You know that he is a devoted husband and father plus one of the finest journalists I have ever had the pleasure to know.  He is just as brash and honest as I am when it comes to stating his beliefs.  He is one of the finest men besides my Father I have ever known.

http://www.walb.com/Category/240202/video-landing-page?clipId=8333507&autostart=true

     So you can imagine the sheer anger and frustration I feel when I watch the above video.  Cowards attempted arson and then when that failed, fired bullets through my Brother's home while his wife and children were in there.  (As an aside, let me say this was remarkably stupid since Mr. Baker has an arsenal that most small countries would envy.)  They then attacked his place of business.  No one is sure who did it or exactly what their motives were.

     Like me, my Brother has made a career out of speaking his mind and pissing people off.  Even back in our college days, his News reports covered everything from toxic cafeteria food to bison sized roaches in Alumni Hall.  He has never been one to hold back the truth or facts to protect anyone's feelings or to protect himself.  Being a small town news editor/reporter, this has gotten people riled at him more than a few times.

     More than likely, the criminals that attacked Mr. Baker were upset about something he wrote.  They probably felt offended or even threatened by some article that he published.  And like most cowards, instead of confronting him they attacked from secret.  Mr. Baker's wife, son and daughter were also home during the attacks and could have easily been injured or even killed.  

     History is rife with people/organizations trying to suppress honest journalists with violence.  A lot of journalists have caved to such pressure.  The good ones never did and never will.  My Brother, Ben Baker, is one of the good ones.  If I ever achieve half the integrity that he possesses, I will consider myself a lucky and blessed man.

     If anyone knows any thing about this, there is a $500.00 reward being offered and I will personally toss in a batch of my famous Sugar Cookies to (ahem) sweeten the pot.  Just contact the Ashburn Police or the GBI.  Help the cops catch this guy before we do.  Trust me, you will be doing them a favor.

End of Rant

It is called Freedom of Religion! Got over it!

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

      So I have seen over a half dozen people posting the above video and railing about how Obama is a Muslim and it reminded me of the rant below that I did a while back.  I am reposting it in the hopes that it might make some people think. 

     So the past few days, I have seen lots of "articles" (Personal Commentaries masquerading as news) and posts on various social sites once again discussing how Obama is secretly a Muslim instead of the Christian he claims to be.  They go on and on (I call it "Diarrhea of the Brain") about how he should be removed from office because he is secretly a Muslim and in league with terrorists plotting to destroy the American Way of Life.  Well, I have something to add to all of that mental dung.
     SO WHAT?  Let me repeat that for those who are hard of reading.  SO WHAT?  So what if Obama is actually a Muslim?  So what if he keeps a prayer rug in his desk and bows towards Mecca twice a day?  It is a complete and utter non-issue for one simple reason.  Freedom of Religion.  There is nothing in any of our laws/regulations/rules/fortune cookies that says the POTUS must be a Christian.  Matter of fact, the Constitution that everyone loves to wave about pretty much precludes any such restrictions.
     The only restrictions on being POTUS are age (Think that one should be revoked, too many geezers in DC) and birth.  (No way in Hell I am opening up that bucket of worms.  If you Birthers still cling to the idea that Obama is an African Born Socialist then more power to you.)  If and I do mean if Obama is a card carrying Muslim (Wait do Muslims have unions?) then he is perfectly within his right to be one while being the President.
     Of course, the major disconnect I see with most of these arguments is that the majority of the people railing against Obama's Muslimhood seem to equate Muslims with Terrorists.  Oh they will deny it, but the rants always contain the idea that being a Muslim is a direct threat to the safety of the US.  Claims abound that Obama being Muslim means that he will sympathize with Muslims over Christians.  (Gee kind of like Christian Government officials have done for a very long time.  Don't believe me?  Look up any political rant describing America as a "Christian Nation"  or a nation governed by "Christian Values and Morals.")
     It doesn't matter if Obama is a Muslim, Christian, Catholic or a Druid that goes out under the full moon to harvest Mistletoe.  Being a Muslim does not preclude him from being the POTUS and being Muslim does not make him or anyone else for that matter, a Terrorist threat.  He has the right to practice his own religion just like every other citizen of the US.
     Of course, I find this comical in a historical sense too because it is not the first time a President has been looked upon with suspicion because of his religion.  When JFK was elected President, the fact that he was a Roman Catholic terrified people.  Liberals were terrified and many Conservatives were too over the idea that Kennedy would break down the walls between Church and Stat. People even made analogies between Kennedy and the Catholic Church and Stalin and Communism (Which is funny because Communism denounces the existence of God.)  People were convinced that JFK's election would bring about the end of America as they knew it.  (Huh now why does that sound familiar?)  Well, that didn't happen although it is possible that his "evil" work was stopped before it could be finished since he was assassinated.
     So Obama could be a closet Muslim.  Doubtful, but it is possible.  It doesn't matter.  Faux News could release footage tomorrow of Obama doing evening prayers.  It won't matter.  At best, if such a thing happens, he will be guilty of lying to the public.  Huh, a politician lying to the public.  Now that's a shocker.
     If you want to rail against the man, do it for legitimate reasons.  Scream about Drone strikes that kill innocent people as well as "Suspected Terrorists."  Yell about the fact we are Trillions of dollars in debt and both sides won't fix the issues.  There are too many fudged up things going on right now to be focusing on a non-issue.  Nothing is ever going to get better in this Country until we stop letting the Parties and Powers that be keep us divided with Shift that isn't important.

End of Rant

The Pros and Cons...well the Pro Cons that is!

Hello?  Is it me you're scamming for?

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/10/24/joe-oconnor-cyber-scammers-no-match-for-canadian-sense-of-humour/

     So there I am, innocently working on dinner (Ribs and Blackeyed peas for those who are curious) and I receive an urgent phone call from Microsoft.  Horror oh horrors, there is something wrong with my PC and or Laptop's operating system.  Have no fear though, the nice man on the phone is there to help solve my problem!  Horray!  My hero!
     Now at this time I had not seen the above article yet, but certain subtle clues tipped me that it was probably some sort of scam.  First, it was some dude with a heavy Hindi accent who barely spoke English calling from an extremely bad connection.  Second, even though the "Tech" said that Microsoft had received dozens of error messages from my PC and or Laptop (He kept changing his mind on which is was) he was unable to identify which OS my PC and...well you get the picture was operating on.
     As I have mentioned in the past blogs (See "The Classics are still the best"), I am a (retired) con man.  At one time I was very very good at scams of all shapes and sizes.  In my day I have run everything from the Double Bag Con to the Big Dip Scam.  I mention this freely because I am pretty sure most if not all of the Statutes of Limitation have expired.  So I knew an (albeit inept) brother in crime was on the other end of the line.

If it is in there, I've done it.  Excellent read btw if you can find it.

     Now most people would have hung up once they realized they were being had.  Me, I had fun with it.  I must have kept this Schmuck on the line for 10 to 15 minutes while pretending to boot up my computer (Was in the kitchen for most of it), and listen to his instructions of how to "fix" my problems.  I would have prolly kept on going, but I got tired of the horrendous connection and hung up.  God bless the little Scammer's heart, he actually called back twice before giving up.
     Two famous lines come to mind here.  "You can't cheat an honest man" and "You can't con a Conman."  Both are equally true.  A Scam works on the principle that someone expects something for nothing (Sometimes it preys on gullibility too) and any Conman worth his or her salt will spot a fellow Huckster a mile off. 
     Sometimes I am tempted to start doing lectures to help people protect themselves from Hucksters and Conmen.  Ignoring the "Nigerian Prince" type scams, cons are getting more and more sophisticated all the time and desperate people are falling for them.  To protect yourselves from most cons, just remember another old saying.  "If it seems to good to be true, then it mostly likely is."  IN this example, Microsoft willingly calling individual customers to help them with their computer problems?  YEAH RIGHT!  To use a quote from one of the greatest series of all times, Hillstreet Blues, "Let's be careful out there."

Cute and Fluffy Bunnies with Internet Access!

Coal'd Hard Facts

http://news.yahoo.com/under-obama-coal-country-fights-way-life-080405169.html

     Before I actually get to the meat of my rant, let me toss some quotes out from the above article that shows a bit of what is wrong with a lot of people today.

"Murray is lobbying Congress to stop rules including one from the Office of Surface Mining (OSM) aimed at protecting streams from the adverse effects of coal mining; a Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) proposal for stricter requirements on the dust levels allowed in mines; and EPA rules to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions."

"Lieser, the longtime coal miner, remembers another regulatory campaign in the 1980s, when concerns over acid rain eventually led to a meaty section of Clean Air Act of 1990. Burning coal releases toxins such as mercury, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, the latter two contributing to acid rain."

     In the first quote, Murray complains that regulations designed to keep Coal Companies from literally burying or polluting streams and to make the air in Coal Mines more breathable and safer are bad things because it hurts coal production.  In the second one, Lieser is complaining that actions designed to clean up factors leading to Acid Rain also damaged the coal industry.  

     Big Industry (Not just Coal/Oil/Gas etc) cries, "Regulations are killing our industries!  Stop over regulation!"  I will admit that many of the regulations passed over the past 40 or so years have indeed done dramatic damage to many types of industry, but our air is cleaner now, our water is cleaner now and pollution emissions have have dropped to record levels.  We still pump too much garbage into our air and water, but it is slowly getting better.

     However, this rant isn't about that.  I guess you could say it is another one of my buggy whip arguments.  Here is a fact too many people don't want to admit.  COAL INDUSTRY IS DOOMED!  Course, you could also add in Gas and Oil too if you really feel the urge, but lets stick with Coal right now.

     Coal is a very expensive, extremely labor intensive (even with modern machinery) industry.  It is easily the most expensive energy industry out there.  It is also very dangerous and unhealthy.  Comparatively speaking Natural Gas and Oil are much cheaper to operate and nowhere near as dangerous.  And much like Oil and Gas, there is a finite supply.

     As the world moves on from fossil fuel systems (and it will, maybe not today or tomorrow but it will), there is going to be less and less demand for things like coal.  As the world moves toward cleaner and more accessible forms of energy, "dirty" fuels like coal will be phased out.  Even ignoring these factors, as the more readily accessible sources of coal are mined out Coal will simply become to expensive to produce.  Basically, we are moving beyond it.

     As an aside here, I personally think it is about time we move beyond energy generation such as Coal Fired Power Plants.  Not out of any sense of environmental protection or hatred of fossil fuels, but because we should have long since moved beyond it.  Ponder this.  We have reached out to other worlds in our system.  We have set foot on the Moon.  We split the atom.  In the past 80 years we have done so many amazing things, but we still generate power pretty much the same way we did when the Industrial Revolution first started.  It is time to move on.

     Okay, aside over with so lets get back to the rant.  I grok that people are afraid.  I understand that as less and less of Coal is being used that more and more people are in danger of losing their jobs and livelihoods, but that is the way things work. 

      New things come along and old ways fall to the wayside.  Sailing Ships fall aside as Steam Ships come of age.  Steam Ships fall to the side as Diesel Powered Ships move on.  Teamsters driving horse and wagon watch as Steam Engines roll past them.   Old industries and old jobs are always being replaced with newer, more efficient ones.  That is the natural order of Industry.

      In this situation, Natural Gas has become more plentiful and cheaper than coal.  It is being used more and more for power generation.  It is easier and cheaper to gather and produce than coal AND it is cleaner for the environment.  Eventually, something will come along to replace natural gas and another article will be written bemoaning the loss of jobs and profits for those poor souls.  Like I said, it is just way things work.  People have basically two choices.  They can either accept the inevitable and try to mitigate the damage or they can continue to rail and cry while Doomsday slowly approaches.

End of Rant

     (For those who are curious about my "buggy whip" comment, there are two previous blogs that cover the source of that comment and the general ideas.  Both have Buggy Whip in the titles.)

It Ain't Rocket Science, People!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/farm-worker-conditions-li_n_2593772.html

     Now this isn't a rant about Immigration, Illegal Immigrants or any type of Grants for that matter.  I'll leave that for another day and another rant.  This is about this attitude that so many people seem to have that they deserve to make really good salaries for not really good jobs.  You hear it all the time.  Whiners groaning on and on about how they deserve to make $75k a year with health benefits and paid vacation time and milk and cookies for ringing up burgers at the local Big Belly Burgers.  The cry that they deserve to make the same money as someone who has attended college, gotten one or more degrees and actually has some marketable skills.

      The person in the above article bemoans his fate because he can only earn $10k a year doing seasonal labor picking tomatoes.  He equates this to "slave labor."  Now ignore the fact that, as a general rule, slaves don't get paid at all and look at what this man and so many others do.  They are essentially unskilled farm workers.  They go out into the fields everyday and pick vegetables and fruit by hand.  Their only qualifications for the job are quick hands and a strong back.

     Yes they work in oppressive conditions and yes the labor is very strenuous.  Yes, deaths can occur from everything from heat stroke to snake bite.  However, nothing in the above sentences justifies high salaries.  Nothing in those sentences justifies expecting benefits beyond what you are paid to work.  

     The attitude that seems to be creeping across America now, pushed in most part by Damnocrats and Liarberals, is that Employers are required to pay their employees salaries (Regardless of Skills/Situation) that will allow them to live comfortable lives.  Cashiers at Burger King should make enough money to let them live the same as a Professional Contractor just from working at BK.  Never mind that the cashier's skill set barely qualifies them for minimum wage.

     In times past, if the job you worked didn't earn you enough money to live, you went out and got a second job.  My Father worked for over 30 years with the Pike County Road Crew 10 hours a day 5 days a week and still went out pretty much everyday (Except Sundays) cutting grass and doing yard work on nearly 20 yards a week.  Why did he do this?  Because his skills/education and job didn't earn him enough money from his main job to take care of his family.  Today the attitude is more "Gee I can't make enough money from my job at Wal-mart to afford that 72" flat screen plasma set I want.  Wal-mart needs to give me more money."

      If your job only earns you 10k a year and forces you to work out in hot fields, get a new job.  If 10k a year isn't enough money to feed your family, get another job.  If you want more money, get some skills and earn it.  It is not the Farmer/Manufacturer/Corporation's job to keep you in a comfortable fashion.  It really is as simple as that.

End of Rant

Special Order Do Upset us!

Today...not so much!

     (Okay first of all let me acknowledge that the old "Special Orders don't upset us" was Burger King not McDonalds, but it seemed appropriate.  Moving on...)

     So my wife and I decided that we would walk down to the local grocery store to pick up a couple of things and grab a snack at the Golden Arches.  (In search of a migraine cure of all things, don't ask it is a long story.)  So I walk up to the little girl behind the counter and I say, "I'd like a Big Mac with Ketchup, Mustard and Cheese."  I spoke these words in fairly clear English and the order itself was a simple order.  So why in all of Hades did it take 15 minutes to get through it.
     First the girl gets a confused look on her face while staring at her screen.  Then she starts randomly poking buttons while talking to herself.  Then, when she apparently can't figure out how to enter the order she calls over another girl and asks her how to enter the order.  The second girl can apparently figure out how to put ketchup only and mustard only on the order, but the cheese search seems to baffle her.  After about five minutes of poking, she then calls over another woman whose badge proudly proclaims her to be as Ass. Manager.  (I kid you not!)

Job opening, no common sense required.

    Now the Ass Manager, Nancy by name, looks at everything the two girls has done and then clears it all out.  She then takes another five minutes to reenter the order (with the two others occasionally pressing buttons beside her) before finally managing to enter my order of a Big Mac, Ketchup, Mustard and Cheese only.  (It should be noted that she also entered it in as a meal even though I told all three of them it was a sandwich only.)  So after 15 minutes, I could finally place THE REST of my order!
     Now folks, having worked in many many fast food places in my life, I grok that Rhodes Scholars do not apply for these jobs.  I understand that many of the workers don't have the common sense God gave a Congressman, but can we at least get people who know which Marked buttons on the screen to push without sparking a business conference?  In the time it took us to order our very simple meal (Aforementioned Big Mac, FiletOFish and a large drink) and finally get to eat it, we could have run our little errand at the store and been half way home again.
     I can imagine that maybe the first two girls were newly hired and not well trained...maybe?  But I am guessing that an Ass. Manager should at least have a rudimentary understanding of order taking mechanics.  Needless to say I have no real urge to revisit that particular McDonalds again any time in the near future.

As a final note, the burger was actually very good.  Once I actually got it.

End of Rant