Government Blame Game

Okay I will be the first to admit that this is not a new game. As long as more than one person has lived alongside of someone else there has always been "His fault/No it's His fault" arguments going on. Governments just take it to a much grander scale. One side blames the other of being "intractable" or "unwilling to compromise" will doing the same damned thing. To borrow the words of my brother, Damnocraps and Reboobicans are showing us the perfect example of the Blame Game right now. In fact his most excellent blog also covers that. http://porkbrainsandmilkgravy.blogspot.com/2011/04/shut-it-down.html
(Let me insert an Author's note here that whereas my wife does work for the government and a shut down would put some financial pressure on us, my wife and both support Benjy's attitude of "Shut it down." Hells, if it stays shut down long enough maybe people will learn something about compromise. Doubt it, but hey I still believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny.)

Both sides are dancing around compromise demanding that the other side give a little or everything shuts down. Of course, each side is also saying that it will be the other side's fault if there is a shut down. (R) claims that (D) are unwilling to make the necessary sacrifices to move the talks forward and (D) claims that (R) are catering to the Tea Party "Extremists." (Actual quote there folks) I say, "Horse hockey" to both sides.

I am all for cuts to the budget. Hells, I am for more cuts in places where most people deem sacred. I want our deficit down and for someone to steer us away from the same fate as Ireland and Greece. Anyone that doesn't see that we are heading to the exact same end as these countries is either blind, not so bright or both. For way to long we have been spending money we don't have. We elected the most popular people because they promised us that we could have it all and not have to pay for it. Now we are paying the price and it's not going to get better until we start cutting out expenses.

Now, that said, I understand that this is not going to happen overnight. There is no way in hell (despite what Tea Party members and a huge section of the US seem to think) that we can move back to a happily balanced budget in a few years. It took us decades of wasteful spending to get to where we are with admirable efforts by both (R) and (D) members to bankrupt us. It will probably take just as long to fix things. So for the time being, we have to compromise a little. Any budget we create has to be a mixture of "Okay where are we going" and "What do we do right now." Neither side is going to have it all, I'm sorry but that's the way it is.

So, (R)&(D) peeples, quit blaming each other for the problems, stop pushing us towards the brink and compromise a little. It makes you look good, keeps things rosy for your re-elections and moves us forward. Isn't that good enough for now?
(Note: Okay Benjy, I added a link to your blog again. Hows about doing the same for me?)

Edumacation for Dummies

Well, once again while out riding my bike, I just witnessed decisive proof that our education process is severely lacking in its approach to one particular group of individuals. These poor folk suffer daily because they had not received the special training that they need to overcome the severe disability of having somewhat less than a full deck of mental cards.

You know the poor souls I am talking about. We see them all the time. We see them in the grocery store standing in the 15 items or less lane with two buggies full of stuff. We see them on the interstate when, after its been announced for 20 miles that the left lane is closed ahead, they are waiting right where the lane ends for someone to let them over. Hell we ever see these poor schmucks sitting on railroad tracks at intersections waiting for the lights to change.

Now before I received enlightenment over the suffering of these poor souls, I was much like everyone else and grew angry with them for their inability to read signs or comprehend simple ideas like "Choo Choo Train smash little car." Now I simply accept that these mentally challenged morons need help and guidance and pray to the good Lord for the day to come where someone "Cough" (2x4) "Cough" helps them see the error of their ways. Pray with me for that one Brothers and Sisters.

Now the wise among you (You too Benjy) are probably wondering what started today's sermon. Well (Since that is kind of the whole purpose of this blog) I will tell you. I was out riding my bike to work off some calories and drop my blood sugar down some and was making my last loop through the neighborhood. I had just pulled onto Oliver and was approaching Windsor (Yah I know this doesn't mean anything to most of you, but the Devil is in the details.) Now Oliver/Windsor is a one way stop with the stop sign being on Windsor. Which means that all traffic on Windsor must stop until traffic on Oliver is clear. (For the record Bikes do count as traffic despite what a lot of nuts on the road seem to think)

I was still maybe two blocks away when three cars pulled up. The first two made rolling stops which bugs me but not to much. The third car, little white model being driven by a little old white woman, rolls up to the stop sign just as I get to the intersection. Instead of stopping to let me pass, the lady rolls right out into the street then slightly across since she is trying to turn left into the right hand lane.

To keep from slamming into her after she runs the stop sign, I have to slam onto my hand brakes so hard I almost do a forward wheelie. I am still moving so fast that I actually have to push off her front bumper with my foot to keep from going over her hood. I managed to get around her and roll to a stop a few yards away.

Now keep in mind that this woman was in the wrong and I could have been seriously hurt despite my safety gear. Still, I was pretty much willing to ignore it, file it away with hundreds of stupid people stories when she pulls up alongside of me and rolls down her window. She gives me this fierce, sour look and says, "You'd better not have dented my bumper or hood or you'll have to pay for it." She then drove off way to fast for the neighborhood and I finished my riding.

So you see, this poor unfortunate soul not only suffers from extreme stupidity in her inability to read simple signs and comprehend their meanings, but she also suffers from the terrible affliction of complete lack of common sense. Instead of being grateful that her actions didn't cause me serious harm which would have reflected badly on her, she gripes at me about maybe scuffing her paint job. A truly tragic soul indeed.

So please, take pity on these poor people and try to educate them on the error of their ways "Cough" (Pepper Spray) "Cough" Sorry about that, maybe I am coming down with a cold. Always remember that the next life you save may be your own.

Racism 101

Recently I was talking to one of my many neighbors and sadly I can't even remember what the actual conversation was or what the comment I made was that prompted the comment but this very nice older lady stopped what she was ranting about and told me "That was a very rude thing to say, you are a very racist individual." Now being called this by a middle aged white woman certainly came out of left field, but the plain and simple fact is that she is right. I am probably one of the most racist people you will ever want to meet.

Now anyone who knows me well and has met the wonderful woman I have been happily with for 15 years will probably be astounded by this statement and I am very sorry if I have shocked people, but I am indeed a card carrying member of the Racist Party. Now if anyone is still reading after that shocker, sit right down and let me illuminate on the meaning of them there words.

Decades ago, I read a book by an author whose name escapes me now (Sci-Fi nuts and students can help me out with the name and the book the quote is from) who said that the concept of racism among the various people of Earth was ludicrous since there was only one race of humans on the whole world. He did go one to say that the Race of Humanity could be broken down into three sub-races; these being Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid. His premise was the only way that one could be racist is if they hated on whales, dolphins, monkeys or (insert favorite alien species here).

Well, I completely agree with him/her. Which is why I can claim to be a racist, because I really don't like the human race. I once wrote in a short story that Mankind was the only real mistake that God ever made. In my opinion he would have been a lot better off going with Apes or maybe Dogs.

Don't get me wrong, there have been and still are some amazing examples of just how great mankind can be. People that have changed the world and our lives for the better. Unfortunately, they are in the minority. Again, I am not saying that the majority of mankind is evil or deserve to be destroyed. The truly horrible ones are just a small a minority as the really good ones. The real problem is the huge majority left.

Every single problem from pollution in our air and water to our governments being broke can be traced back to one thing, greed. People everywhere in every single country don't care about tomorrow as long as their tanks are full of gas and their 72" Flat Screen High Def TV set has enough juice to show them the latest dancing with the stars episode. Never mind that coal plants are putting out enough CO2 to choke a planet and spent nuclear fuel rods are simply sitting around in concrete barrels.

People want free health care and cheap goods, but they don't want to pay taxes so the government spends more and more money that it doesn't have. People want it all and they want it now, hang the environment and all the "other people."

So you can see why I consider myself a true racist. I just don't like the human race very much. I see so much potential in all of us and it drives me crazy to see so many people wasting it. "They can be a great people...they want to be" is one of my favorite quotes from a great movie. (an official BB H'ray to the person who actually can tell me where the quote is from) Let's stop wasting our potential as a race and start being great.

Evolution VS Creationism

Now before I get going here let me make a statement that is probably going to truly cheese off a lot of people, but bear with me for the explanation. There is no known Scientific evidence to support the existence of a Supreme Being who created the heavens and the earth and made man/woman in his own image. Yes there is plenty of historical evidence to support the fact that many of the people, places and events portrayed in the Bible happened, but nothing to suggest a divine hand was involved.

The belief in a higher power that guides us and helps up is driven purely by faith. (I won't go into my own beliefs here. Anyone that truly knows me knows my faith and my beliefs.) Because people have faith, they see the proof of God all around them in everything from a tree frog to a blue whale. Their beliefs give them all the proof they need and all the proof I need.

Now all of that said, what does it have to with the title of this blog? Simple, once again many different organizations are pushing to have Creationism taught in public schools alongside (Actually most would prefer INSTEAD) of Evolution. This is causing the usual stink about separation of church and state plus just a smidgen of freedom of religion. Now my brother in Arms and Faith recently wrote a really excellent blog on School Prayer that deals with that subject much more eloquently than I could so we will move on.

Here's the thing. I am all for teaching Creationism in Public Schools with one caveat. Wait for it! I am all for teaching the THEORY OF CREATIONISM right alongside the THEORY OF EVOLUTION. The dictionary defines Theory as : a plausible or scientifically acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain phenomena or an unproved assumption. Despite the fact that most people and most teachers "preach" that Evolution is a FACT, it's not The TOE is simply the widest accepted idea because it's assumptions fit observation the best. It is not a Scientific Fact and prolly never will be until someone invents a time machine and sits through the whole shebang from day one.

Now Creationism as a Theorem is on about as solid ground as Evolution. (Okay the idea that a lot of people have that the universe is only thousands of years old is quicksand, but besides that.) Creationism is not religion nor is it universally accepted. Hells, the various and sundry Sects of Christianity can't even fully agree on it. It is simply an attempt by scholars and researchers to use the available data to explain the universe around them. So why shouldn't it be taught alongside other scientific Posits? Toss them all in and let everyone decide for themselves which one is right.

Hell no, we shouldn't have gone.

A good friend of mine has already covered this subject in his most excellent Blog but I like redundancy and am somewhat repetitive so I am going to fling in my $20.00 worth. (Used to be 2 cents but inflation got a hold of it. The topic is Libya or What The Fudge Are We doing?

I was okay when we hit Afghanistan because like most everyone else I was royally cheesed off after 9/11. Sure it was a knee-jerk response to the death and destruction, but I felt it was a justified response. I was NOT okay with the attack on Iraq. Even to my limited experience with military and political situations, I could see that this was just some ill-advised ploy by the powers that be. (As an aside here, let me state as an American, I was sorely disappointed with our propaganda mills. Hells in my Daddy's day if the US had gone to find "WMDs" and there weren't any, we'd still have darned well found hundreds of the buggers. Shows you just how incompetent old Dubya was.

Now we are leading the front on an attack against a SOVEREIGN nation to help the forces that are REBELLING against the Legal government. Sure it's not a very nice government and is led by a Madman but it is still the legally appointed government. Last time I checked, fomenting and aiding rebellion in an attempt to overthrow any nation's government was a distinct no-no but here we are firing missiles and such to stop the government from defending itself.

Now people argue that KaDAFFY is a crazed, megalomaniac with a list of delusions longer than my right arm. They argue that he has, will and probably commit horrible crimes against his people and these people would be right. However, he has currently committed no crimes against the US or committed no over acts of violence against us. We have no justifications for launching an UNPROVOKED attack against Libya but we have. What ever their reasons or justifications, the Rebel forces at work there are the "legally" in the wrong so why are we supporting them?

You can bet if "dissidents" in say New Zealand (Sorry picked the most unlikely place I could that still has people in it) suddenly decided that they didn't like the way things were going and staged an armed rebellion, no one in NATO or the UN would be rushing in to enforce a no-fly zone. We'd be supporting the government in any way possible. The same goes for any of our "friends" in the world.

The plain and simple fact is, we and the rest of the countries active in this WAR are doing this because we don't like Daffy and his ilk. We would love to see a more PC and friendly government take over in Libya. (Sure history shows this won't happen, but hey hope springs eternal) Daffy offends us and maybe scares us a little so our government leaped on the band wagon to try and get rid of him. Hey we did it in Iraq and look how well that turned out.

I like Obama and generally support him, but this is easily one of the dumbest things I have seen any president pull off. Starting a 3rd war when we are still fighting two other disastrous ones is stupid. Obama has promised that America's lead in the attacks will only last for a few days, but already that is showing signs of being a lie. Most countries don't want to take over and the few that do, no one wants to be in charge. So now, we are stuck in yet another war. Come on folks, lets just call this all a really bad deal and bring everyone home.

Illegal People

Okay this is probably going to peeve off a bunch of people, but I have never let that stop me in the past so I am just going to say my peace and dodge whatever slings and arrows that come my way.

I just finished reading an article posted on FB which decries the usage of the terms "Illegals" and "Illegal Aliens." The article and many of the respondents seem to think that it is harsh, cruel and dehumanizing to call people who travel to our shores without the legal right to do so "Illegal Aliens." Many take the stance that these people have done nothing illegal or against the law and are simply here without the consent of the US government.

Okay last time I checked, if someone is doing something that is contrary to the laws of a nation is doing something illegal. If you walk into a bank and pull out a gun to rob the place, you are committing an illegal act. If you cross the borders of the US without permission, you are committing an illegal act. These people are not "displaced persons" or "undocumented." They are, in every sense of the wording, "Illegal Aliens."

Now many argue that these people are coming here to escape from the horrors of their home countries and to make better lives for themselves and their families. All well and good, but do it legally. People from every country and every walk of life come to America every year and become legal citizens. Yes the process is difficult and takes a long time sometimes, but they do it. Illegal Aliens flaunt this process, avoid the responsibilities of becoming a legal citizen and basically mock all of the people who work so hard to do it right.

The argument that their existence in their home lands is so horrible that they have to make a new life here is another dodge. If your home is terrible, stay and fix it. Make your land a better place not run away to avoid the problem. No problem was ever fixed by running away from it. Stay where you are and fight to make things better for you, your family and everyone else.

Another argument is that America was founded on immigration so we should let all of the people who wish to immigrate do so. The only problem with that is, like every other nation in the world, we are a nation of limited resources. Because of its massive size, America has substantially more room and resources than most nations, but we still have limits. This is another reason to make anyone who wants to immigrate here work for it.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the vast majority of Illegal Immigrants are bad people or a threat to the American Way of life. The US is massive cultural melting pot and is in no danger of being "over run" as some potty mouths like to claim. I don't feel like these immigrants are "ruining our country." I just feel like it has to be acknowledged what their status is.

Whether you like it or not. Whether it hurts your oh so politically correct feelings, Illegal Immigrants are breaking the law. By simply being here in the US, they are criminals. They are not Undocumented Workers and they aren't, for the most part, Refugees. They are Illegal Aliens. No amount of fancy rhetoric or verbal rumba will change that.

So there you go. Yell at me, call me insensitive or a racist, but the truth is the truth.

Showing some respect to teachers.

When did being a teacher become a bad thing? When did teachers become one of the "privileged?" The Union debates going on in Wisconsin has turned into some sort of mental fungus that is rapidly spreading across the nation. People making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year are pointing to teachers as the source of all the budgetary woes befalling the nation. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, who makes $137,097.00 a year is accusing teachers and unions of ruining his state with their salaries and other benefits. He is being backed by two BILLIONAIRE brothers who would like nothing better than to see salaries of $70,000 a year cut in half and all the teachers benefits taken away.

Now, just for a moment, lets take a look at the sheer stupidness of all of this. We have a man who makes twice as much and you can bet has way more benefits than these hard working people teaming up with men whose anti-union/anti-middle class attitude is well known by anyone who can read. This should have sent up red flags across the board. The Press should have been crying foul. The common person across the nation should have been shouting from the rooftops against this injustice. Has that happened? No.

Instead, we are bombarded with press reports calling the teachers "elitists", "privileged", and "uncaring." We hear people from the Senate on down talk about how teachers make to much money and their benefits are too high. And even worse, for the most part, the American people seem to be buying this load of Horse Kark. Instead of standing by these people who help educate our children, we rail against them while dancing on the end of the strings being pulled by the Haves of the nation.

Now God knows I am no financial whizz. I can do basic math up to long division, but could never balance my own check book. Thats one of the reasons I married an accountant. I can't speak for how great the benefits received by our teachers are today. (When I was teaching they sucked, but that was a long time ago.) However, I can do math, so lets take a look at the "massive salary" most teachers receive every year and how far that goes.

Most news reports I have seen quote the average teacher salary in Wisconsin at about $70,000 a year. Now I am guessing that is gross not take home, but let's run with that figure for now.

+$70,000.00 Take Home Salary
-$12,000.00 House Note
- $6,000.00 Car Note
- $4,800.00 Utilities
- $2,400.00 Food
- $2,400.00 Gas
- $4,800.00 Clothes
- $3,600.00 Credit Cards/Loans
- $6,000.00 Misc.
Total remaining from net= $28,000.00

Hm, seems like a lot doesn't it, but not really. First of all, those figures are way low end estimates based off a single person living by themselves whose spending and expenses are on the lower end of average for an American. Most of the expenses I listed are probably closer to half again as much for most Americans.

Now If you add in say two kids that just adds even more massive expenses to the pot. School fees, uniform fees, clothes, shoes, computers, more food than is really decent since kids eat like horses. Kids are expensive and a lot of people have them.

Add to all of that, God help you if you have to replace a water heater or get the plumbing fixed. Once had to shell out $3000. to get a drainage pipe fixed and recently payed $1.400. to get my truck fixed. When you add all of these things in, $70,000. (which is not net pay) doesn't seem like a lot of money.

I am fond of pointing out that my Daddy and Momma never made a lot of money but somehow managed to raise three kids and keep us fed and clothed. So it is possible to survive on smaller salaries. Course I am also quick to point out that we never lived in a house with central heat and air and our clothes were generally hand me downs from the next one up. (Ever had to wear one of your sister's shirts to school and you are a guy?)

These teachers who work hard to educate and guide our kids can make do with less. Hell anyone can. But ask yourself this, would you want to? Would you want to be forced to not give your family what it needs just to survive because people who make a hell of a lot more money than you order it? I doubt it because I know I wouldn't.

So get off the hate band wagon, folks. Fight for these people not against them. "There but for the Grace of God go I" is a quote that should stick in your minds because your profession might be next.