This is advice that you will get in any college course that requires writing. Since any important paper will require a bibliography, the sources are readily available for the instructor to check. I'm not being graded on this (at last check, an average of 3 people read each one of these posts), so I rarely feel inclined to include my sources. However, I will tell you what sources I never use (except to point out why they are not reliable sources), and give a general idea of the types of sources I often use.
My first and main source is my memory. Although it is not as reliable as it once was, I still retain most of what I see, hear and read. In my younger days I could remember entire, drunken, group conversations, verbatim. Such an incredible ability is rarely appreciated 3 days after the party. Now I try to focus on just grasping the meaning, unless I feel blackmail material is needed.
Of course, my memory isn't useful unless I put something into it worth remembering. These days most of the input comes from what I read online. Rather than seeking out one source, I read anything that interests me, regardless of the source. Many of the articles are either partisan (some conservative, some liberal) or regionally biased (the midwest is not overly concerned with the mating habits of lobsters). With these I try to find the points that are hidden in the bias and take what information I can from the article. Occasionally, I will find something that is such obvious propaganda, I can only learn the source is not reliable.
Sources I will not use are anything said on any talk radio, or television political commentary. These sources include Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, Bill Maher and Glenn Beck, among many others. Sorry that I can't include more rabid liberal pundits here, but since I'm not a fan, none come to mind. I have listened to/watched each of these personalities, but can not in good conscience recommend them to anyone. My first exposure to this pseudo-journalism was in 1992, when a girl I was dating insisted I listen to Rush Limbaugh. Twenty years later, I am still amazed anyone can listen to these people. The language used is clearly manipulative and intended to be inflammatory. The sources they use are either very weak, unreliable and unverified sources, or taken completely out of context. They serve up garbage, and millions swallow it whole and rave about the flavor.
If you plan on voting next week, perhaps you should take some time to check your sources. Most of the political rhetoric that has been ladled out to you, is garbage. Any claim made by your candidate should have substance to back it up. If an acquaintance asked to borrow your entire life savings to finance a plan to make both of you rich, wouldn't you want to know something about that plan before writing the check? If not, I've got a deal that is worth millions. All I need is a few thousand dollars. Trust me.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
I just finished a very long week of work which means I have had plenty of time to come up with more of my lunatic ravings. I'll give a quick view into my creative process before getting to my subject.
Work for me involves long periods of driving, mostly at night, on mostly deserted roads. To keep myself alert, I carry on conversations with, give lectures to and teach lessons to myself. The subject matter comes from things I've read, heard or seen, and I'll spend hours examining and debating a subject. Then I come home, go to sleep, wake up and the brilliant and insightful message I spent all night preparing comes out as incoherent rambling.
About 18 months ago I decided to teach myself how to play the guitar. After some research, I headed to the local Guitar Center, found a used Ibanez acoustic guitar and bought it for a good price. Knowing next to nothing about guitars, I ended up getting a good one and it goes with me in the truck every week. Since that time I've bought and sold other guitars and I now have a 12 string acoustic, 3 electrics (1 awesome, 1 decent, 1 crappy) and 2 electric basses (1 excellent, 1 crappy), along with my original acoustic. I've put a lot of effort into learning to play and either I'm a really bad teacher or a very slow student. The problem does not appear to be with the guitar. Still, I enjoy what I play and slowly I'm improving.
No musical instrument exemplifies American music like the guitar. It is the Grand Ol' Opry and Woodstock, Eddie Van Halen and James Taylor. Unless you're a drummer or a bass player, you probably can name only a few of the icons on these instruments, but the list of guitar players goes on and on. The guitar itself has become a very important symbol for America and our freedom.
If the guitar is symbolic of our music, then the Fender Stratocaster is the symbol for all guitars. The list of players who became legends on the Strat is too long to even begin. Personally, I prefer the Les Paul to the Stat, but I'm in the minority. There is something about having a guitar that weighs as much as a recliner strapped around your neck that appeals to me. Currently, the Fender company is in trouble and their future is uncertain. A big part of that uncertainty revolves around Guitar Center.
Guitar Center is by far the largest retailer of guitars in the United States. Just this week they opened their 238th store and I believe they have opened up several new stores in just the past few months. On the surface that looks good. The downside is that in 2007 Guitar Center was acquired in a leveraged buyout by Bain Capital. For a brief education on leveraged buyouts see my post "Money,.. It's a hit. Bain Capital has a proven track record for making money for Bain Capital. They also have a very long history of bankrupting companies and putting them out of business.
The Musical Instrument industry is heavily influenced by the economy. If the economy is weak, lots of used instruments are available and cheap, so why buy a new guitar? If the economy is strong, then sales of new instruments will increase. Since 2007, our economy has been struggling, although it appears to be showing signs of a slight recovery. So why has Guitar Center opened up 19 new stores in the past 16 months? The existing stores are losing money at an alarming rate and industry experts have described their current business model as unsustainable. Without a major overhaul of Guitar Center's operations, the only question is when they will go out of business, not if they will go out of business.
Between the weak economy and some poor business decisions by management, Fender is having their own difficulties. Without the sales going to Guitar Center's continued expansion, they would have probably already gone under. Once Guitar Center goes down, Fender and possibly Gibson will go with it. Gibson and Fender both manufacture the majority of their guitars overseas, so the U.S. manufacturing losses will be minimal, but the retail unemployment problems will be significant. Perhaps more importantly, the heart an soul of our music will be a thing of the past.
This is not an appeal for everyone to run out and buy something from Guitar Center. Personally, I've chosen to avoid them so that I don't in any way add to the fortunes of the bloodsucking parasites at Bain Capital. But, when the company that helped give us the music of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and Stevie Ray Vaughn goes away, think about how much has been taken from our lives by the greed of Bain Capital and all the other groups that are happy to destroy lives, even entire industries in order to make more money. The thrill is definitely gone...
Work for me involves long periods of driving, mostly at night, on mostly deserted roads. To keep myself alert, I carry on conversations with, give lectures to and teach lessons to myself. The subject matter comes from things I've read, heard or seen, and I'll spend hours examining and debating a subject. Then I come home, go to sleep, wake up and the brilliant and insightful message I spent all night preparing comes out as incoherent rambling.
About 18 months ago I decided to teach myself how to play the guitar. After some research, I headed to the local Guitar Center, found a used Ibanez acoustic guitar and bought it for a good price. Knowing next to nothing about guitars, I ended up getting a good one and it goes with me in the truck every week. Since that time I've bought and sold other guitars and I now have a 12 string acoustic, 3 electrics (1 awesome, 1 decent, 1 crappy) and 2 electric basses (1 excellent, 1 crappy), along with my original acoustic. I've put a lot of effort into learning to play and either I'm a really bad teacher or a very slow student. The problem does not appear to be with the guitar. Still, I enjoy what I play and slowly I'm improving.
No musical instrument exemplifies American music like the guitar. It is the Grand Ol' Opry and Woodstock, Eddie Van Halen and James Taylor. Unless you're a drummer or a bass player, you probably can name only a few of the icons on these instruments, but the list of guitar players goes on and on. The guitar itself has become a very important symbol for America and our freedom.
If the guitar is symbolic of our music, then the Fender Stratocaster is the symbol for all guitars. The list of players who became legends on the Strat is too long to even begin. Personally, I prefer the Les Paul to the Stat, but I'm in the minority. There is something about having a guitar that weighs as much as a recliner strapped around your neck that appeals to me. Currently, the Fender company is in trouble and their future is uncertain. A big part of that uncertainty revolves around Guitar Center.
Guitar Center is by far the largest retailer of guitars in the United States. Just this week they opened their 238th store and I believe they have opened up several new stores in just the past few months. On the surface that looks good. The downside is that in 2007 Guitar Center was acquired in a leveraged buyout by Bain Capital. For a brief education on leveraged buyouts see my post "Money,.. It's a hit. Bain Capital has a proven track record for making money for Bain Capital. They also have a very long history of bankrupting companies and putting them out of business.
The Musical Instrument industry is heavily influenced by the economy. If the economy is weak, lots of used instruments are available and cheap, so why buy a new guitar? If the economy is strong, then sales of new instruments will increase. Since 2007, our economy has been struggling, although it appears to be showing signs of a slight recovery. So why has Guitar Center opened up 19 new stores in the past 16 months? The existing stores are losing money at an alarming rate and industry experts have described their current business model as unsustainable. Without a major overhaul of Guitar Center's operations, the only question is when they will go out of business, not if they will go out of business.
Between the weak economy and some poor business decisions by management, Fender is having their own difficulties. Without the sales going to Guitar Center's continued expansion, they would have probably already gone under. Once Guitar Center goes down, Fender and possibly Gibson will go with it. Gibson and Fender both manufacture the majority of their guitars overseas, so the U.S. manufacturing losses will be minimal, but the retail unemployment problems will be significant. Perhaps more importantly, the heart an soul of our music will be a thing of the past.
This is not an appeal for everyone to run out and buy something from Guitar Center. Personally, I've chosen to avoid them so that I don't in any way add to the fortunes of the bloodsucking parasites at Bain Capital. But, when the company that helped give us the music of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler and Stevie Ray Vaughn goes away, think about how much has been taken from our lives by the greed of Bain Capital and all the other groups that are happy to destroy lives, even entire industries in order to make more money. The thrill is definitely gone...
Time for a Physics Lesson
I realize that "learn more about physics" was not at the top of anyone's "to-do list. Before you go back to the important things like painting your nails, scrubbing the toilet or watching Jerry Springer, give me a few minutes of your time. You might be pleasantly surprised. Besides, you already know there are going to be a bunch of fights, several involving women getting their clothes torn off, and the guy they are fighting over is skinny, ugly and missing half his teeth.
"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
"Energy can not be created or destroyed, only altered in form"
"E=MC²"
These are all ways of saying the same thing. Everything from the electricity running your computer to the forgotten, disgusting produce in the bottom of your refrigerator can be described in terms of energy. As Albert Einstein so elegantly pointed out, matter is just another form of energy. The useful (and damn clever) part is that the better you understand the energy balances (my phrase) involved, the better you understand everything.
There are many different types of energy, for a refresher, here are some brief explanations:
Kinetic Energy(KE): Motion and Mass. A moving vehicle has a lot of kinetic energy. Increase the speed, increase KE. A heavier vehicle has more KE than a lighter vehicle moving at the same speed.
Potential Energy(PE): Position and Mass. A baseball sitting on the ground has less PE than a baseball at shoulder height. A bowling ball at shoulder height has more PE than a baseball.
Chemical Energy(CE): When you start a fire, you're converting mass (the wood) into energy (heat and light). Chemical reactivity determines CE. CE is really just another form of PE, and it's the one that gives us mass equals energy. Wood has less CE than gasoline, which has less CE than plutonium.
Boring review over with, time to have a little bit of fun with this. One of the never-ending political points involves drilling rights in protected areas. The oil companies want those drilling rights, the tree huggers (I prefer birch or sycamore) want to protect the environment. All the rest of us want cheaper gasoline and an independence from foreign oil. The question is: Will opening up currently closed areas to drilling give us cheaper gas and oil independence? The answer can be found by figuring out the energy balance.
Oil in the barrel has more potential energy than oil in the ground, for the simple reason that you have to use energy to get the oil from the ground to the barrel. The farther underground and the more inaccessible the terrain, the lower the PE. The Middle East is an area where vast oil reserves are easily accessible. Of course we have to use energy to get the oil from Saudi Arabia to our shores, but it takes much less energy to move horizontally than it does to move vertically. Try running 100 yards, then try running up 30 flights of stairs.
Getting the oil in the barrel from a currently protected site requires a great deal of energy (energy = money). Roads have to be built and land must be cleared. Equipment must be transported, erected, maintained and operated. People have to be moved, fed and paid. Lawyers and activists have to be dealt with, and all this is money spent before drilling begins. If these untapped oil reserves were just 50 feet below ground then the oil would have more PE and more value to the oil companies, but much of the oil is thousands of feet down, making it worth less.
For the oil companies, their PE is determined by the price of oil, how much oil they sell and how much oil they have to sell. If the price of oil goes down, it's bad for the oil company. A significant increase in readily available domestic oil would reduce the price of oil. Any increase in our oil independence would reduce the price of oil. This means that the more oil we pump out from U.S. sources, the less money the oil companies make. What the oil companies want is the guarantee of access to another source of oil if we are somehow cut off from the Middle East supply.
So, the next time you hear some politician blathering on about opening up more areas for drilling, understand that there is absolutely no benefit to you or to the country (we, the country already have control of that oil), it is only to the future benefit of the oil companies.
But wait! There's more!
Even relationships can be described in terms of energy balance. If you build a fire with wood, it gives you heat for a long time. The more energy you add to the fire, the hotter and bigger it becomes. As long as you tend the fire, it will be there for you. Only when you neglect it does it burn out. If you build a fire with gasoline, it's very exciting and extremely hot, but it quickly burns out and leaves you scarred. Keep your fires burning.
"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
"Energy can not be created or destroyed, only altered in form"
"E=MC²"
These are all ways of saying the same thing. Everything from the electricity running your computer to the forgotten, disgusting produce in the bottom of your refrigerator can be described in terms of energy. As Albert Einstein so elegantly pointed out, matter is just another form of energy. The useful (and damn clever) part is that the better you understand the energy balances (my phrase) involved, the better you understand everything.
There are many different types of energy, for a refresher, here are some brief explanations:
Kinetic Energy(KE): Motion and Mass. A moving vehicle has a lot of kinetic energy. Increase the speed, increase KE. A heavier vehicle has more KE than a lighter vehicle moving at the same speed.
Potential Energy(PE): Position and Mass. A baseball sitting on the ground has less PE than a baseball at shoulder height. A bowling ball at shoulder height has more PE than a baseball.
Chemical Energy(CE): When you start a fire, you're converting mass (the wood) into energy (heat and light). Chemical reactivity determines CE. CE is really just another form of PE, and it's the one that gives us mass equals energy. Wood has less CE than gasoline, which has less CE than plutonium.
Boring review over with, time to have a little bit of fun with this. One of the never-ending political points involves drilling rights in protected areas. The oil companies want those drilling rights, the tree huggers (I prefer birch or sycamore) want to protect the environment. All the rest of us want cheaper gasoline and an independence from foreign oil. The question is: Will opening up currently closed areas to drilling give us cheaper gas and oil independence? The answer can be found by figuring out the energy balance.
Oil in the barrel has more potential energy than oil in the ground, for the simple reason that you have to use energy to get the oil from the ground to the barrel. The farther underground and the more inaccessible the terrain, the lower the PE. The Middle East is an area where vast oil reserves are easily accessible. Of course we have to use energy to get the oil from Saudi Arabia to our shores, but it takes much less energy to move horizontally than it does to move vertically. Try running 100 yards, then try running up 30 flights of stairs.
Getting the oil in the barrel from a currently protected site requires a great deal of energy (energy = money). Roads have to be built and land must be cleared. Equipment must be transported, erected, maintained and operated. People have to be moved, fed and paid. Lawyers and activists have to be dealt with, and all this is money spent before drilling begins. If these untapped oil reserves were just 50 feet below ground then the oil would have more PE and more value to the oil companies, but much of the oil is thousands of feet down, making it worth less.
For the oil companies, their PE is determined by the price of oil, how much oil they sell and how much oil they have to sell. If the price of oil goes down, it's bad for the oil company. A significant increase in readily available domestic oil would reduce the price of oil. Any increase in our oil independence would reduce the price of oil. This means that the more oil we pump out from U.S. sources, the less money the oil companies make. What the oil companies want is the guarantee of access to another source of oil if we are somehow cut off from the Middle East supply.
So, the next time you hear some politician blathering on about opening up more areas for drilling, understand that there is absolutely no benefit to you or to the country (we, the country already have control of that oil), it is only to the future benefit of the oil companies.
But wait! There's more!
Even relationships can be described in terms of energy balance. If you build a fire with wood, it gives you heat for a long time. The more energy you add to the fire, the hotter and bigger it becomes. As long as you tend the fire, it will be there for you. Only when you neglect it does it burn out. If you build a fire with gasoline, it's very exciting and extremely hot, but it quickly burns out and leaves you scarred. Keep your fires burning.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
In Honor of Our Troops
This is a story that I encountered about 12 years ago, while I was happily engaged in moving people all over the United States. The pertinent facts were told to me by a representative from the OMBUDSMAN (Human Resources for the military) at Camp Pendleton (a Marine Corps base in Oceanside, California), and from the mother of the person the story is about. About the only thing I don't recall about the story is the name of the Marine Captain this story is about. For the purpose of the tale, I'll call him Brian.
Since Brian was a pilot, I'm assuming that his permanent duty station was MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) El Toro, located a short drive up Interstate 5 in Orange County. According to his mother, Brian had become friends and then roommates with a young woman in Oceanside and eventually the two of them became a couple and bought a house together. Maggie (my fictitious name for this woman) apparently got Brian to co-sign for her on the house, although title was in her name. Brian did a lot of improvements to the house including a beautiful, slate floor in the living room. Brian also paid all the bills, or so I was told.
Several months before I was introduced to this story Brian's air wing was deployed overseas in Japan. This apparently coincided with Maggie's decision to no longer be part of the Brian-Maggie couple. Through letters and phone calls, Brian let his mother in Dallas know what was going on and how upset he was over the breakup. Then Brian began having problems while piloting. He was experiencing periods of vertigo, temporary vision loss and loss of muscle control. He was grounded briefly and sent to a Marine Corps psychiatrist, who shortly after cleared him to resume flying. After more problems he was grounded again, examined, counseled and returned to flight duty. A few days later Brian died when he crashed his jet.
Upon hearing of Brian's death, Maggie went to the base and retrieved Brian's pickup, then went to the bank and cleaned out his bank accounts. She refused to allow the return of any of his personal effects to his mother (his listed next-of-kin) until a court order was obtained. The actual process of getting control of his effects took a number of months, and before the local authorities could step in, much of Brian's stuff was sold.
When I arrived with my truck to move Brian's belongings back to his mother, I was completely unaware of this story. The basics were given to me by the OMBUDSMAN, who was required to make certain that every item on her list ended up on my truck. Maggie was in attendance and tried to claim a few of the more valuable items claiming she wanted them to remember him by. I can not recall ever meeting a less sincere person. After finally getting everything loaded up, I began my trip to Dallas, where I received the rest of the story from Brian's mother. For about an hour after unloading everything, I sat there while she showed me photo albums and cried over the loss of her son.
This story contains a few tragedies besides the untimely and unnecessary death of a young man. Perhaps everyone in favor of supporting our troops can benefit from them. The military life is difficult to say the least. The first full day of boot camp begins after about 3 hours of sleep and for the next 48 hours you're bullied, threatened, screamed at and intimidated. You either learn to gulp down your food quickly or you go hungry and you never get enough sleep. Quite often you end up a long way from anyone you know and your opportunities to stay in touch with family and friends are few and far between. This has probably changed with cell phones and e-mail. In my time about 10 minutes a week on the phone was all you got, and mail seemed to take forever to find you.
Once basic training is over, there is probably other training and some freedom. This means that most are going to have frequent opportunities to drink heavily. Sitting in the bars frequented by young sailors, soldiers, airmen and marines is some pretty woman looking for a guaranteed income, free healthcare and a husband that is out of town for months at a time. Guess where that boy you grew up with is likely to end up? Especially when his girl back home has stopped writing to him, and all his old friends are too busy to take the time to keep in touch. This is how decent guys like Brian end up with some soulless woman.
Another tragedy is the military itself. The medical care provided to our troops is not necessarily the best. This is not to say there are not some very fine people providing that medical care, but it does not compare to what is available outside of the military. One reason for this is money. If a civilian doctor makes a mistake, the lawsuits can run into the millions. If a military doctor makes a mistake, he might receive slightly worse performance evaluations. Let me tell you about a few of my own experiences.
During boot camp it was determined that my wisdom teeth had to be removed. Not because they were causing any problems, but because there was a possibility that at some point they might cause problems. I was sent to the dentist who was going to take out one of them, the one that was already most of the way in. The dentist walked in, gave me 1 shot of novacaine and immediately began trying to pull the tooth. I put up enough of a fight he gave me another shot, waited 5 minutes and tried again. This process went on for 5 injections at which point I was numb from the first injection and the tooth was finally removed. A few weeks after boot camp the other 3 were cut out all in one sitting, with no follow up appointment to check on the healing process.
While attending school in Orlando I came down with strep throat. I'd never had it before and didn't know what was going on. My throat was slightly sore and i had a fever of 106. Delirious, I stumbled to a friends room and collapsed. He called the ambulance, which promptly arrived and my vital signs were taken. For the next 20 minutes The ambulance didn't move while I was repeatedly asked what drugs I had taken. Once they tired of asking the question I was taken to the hospital and questioned for the next 45 minutes about what drugs I was on. Finally someone looked at my throat, took a culture, gave me antibiotics and left me to walk about a mile back to my barracks room. Two years later, once again with strep throat, I was not responding to the antibiotics so I was told to double the dosage. Three different times I was told to double the dosage. Finally, a friend took me in to the clinic where I passed out. Later I was told that I had taken too much erythmyicin and had a reaction to it.
For quite some time the Navy made a practice of prescribing Tylenol 3 with codiene for everything and I do mean everything. Eventually someone realized they were handing out narcotics like it was halloween and they switched to Motrin. Perhaps things have improved in the past 24 years, but I doubt if the standards are where they should be.
In the case of Brian, the doctors should not have let him back into a plane until they found the problem and corrected it. Instead the attitude of 'suck it up and quit whining' prevailed. How many others have died because those in charge were unable or unwilling to see their problems? How many mothers have had to go through life with the knowledge that their child gave his or her life for the country for no good reason?
Since Brian was a pilot, I'm assuming that his permanent duty station was MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) El Toro, located a short drive up Interstate 5 in Orange County. According to his mother, Brian had become friends and then roommates with a young woman in Oceanside and eventually the two of them became a couple and bought a house together. Maggie (my fictitious name for this woman) apparently got Brian to co-sign for her on the house, although title was in her name. Brian did a lot of improvements to the house including a beautiful, slate floor in the living room. Brian also paid all the bills, or so I was told.
Several months before I was introduced to this story Brian's air wing was deployed overseas in Japan. This apparently coincided with Maggie's decision to no longer be part of the Brian-Maggie couple. Through letters and phone calls, Brian let his mother in Dallas know what was going on and how upset he was over the breakup. Then Brian began having problems while piloting. He was experiencing periods of vertigo, temporary vision loss and loss of muscle control. He was grounded briefly and sent to a Marine Corps psychiatrist, who shortly after cleared him to resume flying. After more problems he was grounded again, examined, counseled and returned to flight duty. A few days later Brian died when he crashed his jet.
Upon hearing of Brian's death, Maggie went to the base and retrieved Brian's pickup, then went to the bank and cleaned out his bank accounts. She refused to allow the return of any of his personal effects to his mother (his listed next-of-kin) until a court order was obtained. The actual process of getting control of his effects took a number of months, and before the local authorities could step in, much of Brian's stuff was sold.
When I arrived with my truck to move Brian's belongings back to his mother, I was completely unaware of this story. The basics were given to me by the OMBUDSMAN, who was required to make certain that every item on her list ended up on my truck. Maggie was in attendance and tried to claim a few of the more valuable items claiming she wanted them to remember him by. I can not recall ever meeting a less sincere person. After finally getting everything loaded up, I began my trip to Dallas, where I received the rest of the story from Brian's mother. For about an hour after unloading everything, I sat there while she showed me photo albums and cried over the loss of her son.
This story contains a few tragedies besides the untimely and unnecessary death of a young man. Perhaps everyone in favor of supporting our troops can benefit from them. The military life is difficult to say the least. The first full day of boot camp begins after about 3 hours of sleep and for the next 48 hours you're bullied, threatened, screamed at and intimidated. You either learn to gulp down your food quickly or you go hungry and you never get enough sleep. Quite often you end up a long way from anyone you know and your opportunities to stay in touch with family and friends are few and far between. This has probably changed with cell phones and e-mail. In my time about 10 minutes a week on the phone was all you got, and mail seemed to take forever to find you.
Once basic training is over, there is probably other training and some freedom. This means that most are going to have frequent opportunities to drink heavily. Sitting in the bars frequented by young sailors, soldiers, airmen and marines is some pretty woman looking for a guaranteed income, free healthcare and a husband that is out of town for months at a time. Guess where that boy you grew up with is likely to end up? Especially when his girl back home has stopped writing to him, and all his old friends are too busy to take the time to keep in touch. This is how decent guys like Brian end up with some soulless woman.
Another tragedy is the military itself. The medical care provided to our troops is not necessarily the best. This is not to say there are not some very fine people providing that medical care, but it does not compare to what is available outside of the military. One reason for this is money. If a civilian doctor makes a mistake, the lawsuits can run into the millions. If a military doctor makes a mistake, he might receive slightly worse performance evaluations. Let me tell you about a few of my own experiences.
During boot camp it was determined that my wisdom teeth had to be removed. Not because they were causing any problems, but because there was a possibility that at some point they might cause problems. I was sent to the dentist who was going to take out one of them, the one that was already most of the way in. The dentist walked in, gave me 1 shot of novacaine and immediately began trying to pull the tooth. I put up enough of a fight he gave me another shot, waited 5 minutes and tried again. This process went on for 5 injections at which point I was numb from the first injection and the tooth was finally removed. A few weeks after boot camp the other 3 were cut out all in one sitting, with no follow up appointment to check on the healing process.
While attending school in Orlando I came down with strep throat. I'd never had it before and didn't know what was going on. My throat was slightly sore and i had a fever of 106. Delirious, I stumbled to a friends room and collapsed. He called the ambulance, which promptly arrived and my vital signs were taken. For the next 20 minutes The ambulance didn't move while I was repeatedly asked what drugs I had taken. Once they tired of asking the question I was taken to the hospital and questioned for the next 45 minutes about what drugs I was on. Finally someone looked at my throat, took a culture, gave me antibiotics and left me to walk about a mile back to my barracks room. Two years later, once again with strep throat, I was not responding to the antibiotics so I was told to double the dosage. Three different times I was told to double the dosage. Finally, a friend took me in to the clinic where I passed out. Later I was told that I had taken too much erythmyicin and had a reaction to it.
For quite some time the Navy made a practice of prescribing Tylenol 3 with codiene for everything and I do mean everything. Eventually someone realized they were handing out narcotics like it was halloween and they switched to Motrin. Perhaps things have improved in the past 24 years, but I doubt if the standards are where they should be.
In the case of Brian, the doctors should not have let him back into a plane until they found the problem and corrected it. Instead the attitude of 'suck it up and quit whining' prevailed. How many others have died because those in charge were unable or unwilling to see their problems? How many mothers have had to go through life with the knowledge that their child gave his or her life for the country for no good reason?
Just for Gretchen
So many questions and concerns it's nearly impossible to cover them all, but I've got a little bit of time to at least make an effort. Just to put your mind at ease, you're only partly to blame for the previous post. As I said, I've seen the "National Anthem" picture on several friends Facebook pages. I've also had it sent by e-mail and I've had several friends preach to me about it. All of the stuff I see, hear and read goes into the brain and marinates for awhile. Sometimes I'll get something I feel is worth writing (as opposed to something worth reading) and if I'm at my computer, I'll type it out and post it.
Now to try and take things in order. I'm assuming you're referring to the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens, recently slain in an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya. For the life of me, I can't figure out what issue there could possibly be, which has any bearing whatsoever on the upcoming election. The United States maintains hundreds of embassies and consulates around the world. I can't imagine how the President would have the time to set duty rotation schedules, manning and training priorities and security alert levels for each and every one of them. Just as I don't think President Reagan had any knowledge that at one point during my time in the Navy I was working 36 hours out of every 48. Is the issue over the conflicting reports following the attack? Some said terrorist attack, some said spontaneous rioting. In the world we live in today, the concept of national security is extremely muddled. Anything that happens, anywhere in the world, the media feels should be reported and should be acknowledged and responded to by the President. Unfortunately, in trying to be open, the President has often responded with a suspicion before any facts were available. If he had instead said absolutely nothing, the press would have claimed that either he didn't know what was happening or that he didn't care. The entire issue is one created by the media for the media and has no bearing on the upcoming election, in my opinion.
When it comes to the corporate tax rate, I'm somewhat at a loss. My research turns up three basic types of sources. The first type is the tax code itself, which is meaningless in any sort of general discussion, since each individual tax-paying entity is affected by any changes differently. The second source is blatantly partisan, definitely conservative and consists mostly of highly inflammatory rhetoric and scare-tactics. It's some kind of stew, but nobody can tell me what type of meat is in it. The third source is also partisan, but it contains useful information. The issue at hand is that effective January 1, 2013, the tax cuts enacted by President G.W. Bush will expire. President Obama wants to extend those cuts with the exceptions of those earning over $200k ($250k for married). For the past four years the Republican party has been insisting that the world as we know it will end if the over $250k crowd has to pay higher taxes. The latest emphasis is on persons who use "pass-through" corporations, in which the corporation earns no income. All income goes to the owners who claim it when they file their tax returns. If their net-taxable income exceeds the magic number, their tax rate would increase, this much is fact. The part that is left out is that the tax code uses marginal rates. What this means is that each tax bracket is taxed at whatever the rate is for that tax bracket.
Now to explain how this works. Without looking anything up lets say that income less than $10k pays no taxes, $10-50k pays 15%, $50-100k pays 20%, $100k-200k pays 30% and >$200k pays 35%. The actual numbers and breakpoints don't matter, what matters is how tax is figured. If you make less than the bottom bracket, you pay no taxes on income. If your income falls into the 2nd bracket, you pay no taxes on the portion in the first bracket, and the 2nd bracket rate on the remainder. This works all the way up the scale. So someone who has taxable income of $220k is only paying the higher rate on $20k, not on the entire $220k. In addition, someone making less than $50k probably has minimal deductions. Medical expenses, maybe mortgage interest deductions, maybe childcare and not much else. When you get into incomes over $200k the deductions increase dramatically. Most travel and entertainment becomes a business expense, investments can be tax-deferred, and charitable contributions (which are infinitely 'fudgeable') can become a major deduction. What this means is someone with a net-taxable income of $500k could very easily have a gross annual income of $800k. Using my fictitious tax rates let's figure some tax rates. With a gross income of $800k and taxable income of $500k the tax rate paid on $500k is 30.2%. The actual tax rate paid on $800k is 18.875%. Remember, these are not the actual tax rates, just numbers to illustrate the point. As has been shown by the return Governor Romney released for 2011, his actual tax rate paid for that year was about 14%, but, had he taken full advantage of his deductions his actual tax rate would have been 9%.
What it boils down to is the horror stories about companies that will lay off people and reduce their income to keep from breaking that $250k (or $200k) barrier are from people who really need to find a better accountant. The actual difference in tax rate is minimal since only the portion over $250k is taxed at the higher rate. The ones who will pay significantly more, aren't small businesses, they are large corporations and wealthy individuals, that through corporate incentives and deductions are currently paying a much lower rate than you and I. The media relies on the fact that most of us working-class slobs are too busy to dig into the food they've been shoveling at us. They assume that most will just eat the icing off the top and never dig down to find out that everything underneath is manure.
Israel, now that's a sticky situation and not one that is easily dealt with, as history shows us. First the brief history lesson. The area was first settled at least 800,000 years ago, although the first mention of Israel was about 1200 BC. About 930 BC, Israel was wiped out by the Assyrians and the survivors were dispersed. Following this the area was conquered, or changed hands, in 612, 586, 538 and 333 BC. In 135 BC, the Maccabean returned control of the region to Judaism. From that point until 390 AD, Israel was a client state of the Roman Empire. From 390-696 Israel was part of the Byzantine empire until conquered during the Arab expansion. Beginning in 1099, the Christian Crusades resulted in the massacre of Jews and Muslims living (peacefully) in the region, with many being sold into slavery. The crusades finally ended in 1291 and the region was ruled by Egypt until the Ottoman Empire conquered the region in 1516. The Ottoman's (Turkey) controlled the area until World War I (where a significant portion of European Jews supported the Germans). During the war, Great Britian conquered the region and Israel was part of their empire until the formation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948. From about 400 AD until the early 1900's, the main source of antagonism towards the Jews was Christianity. Ironic, yes?
Since 1948 the United States has been allied with just about every country in the middle east at one time or another. Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have all been beneficiaries at different times. Since 1970, the United States has been the main ally of Israel and have supported them in many different ways. Most significantly in military technology. What we are dealing with here is a region that has been at almost constant war for nearly 3000 years. The United States long ago chose sides in this war, not for any humanitarian reasons, but to keep the region in turmoil. If the middle east were to become one political entity, they would become a rival to our own power, economically and militarily. In order to maintain this balance our support of Israel must vary to meet changing conditions. If we provide too much support and write Israel a blank check, then the rest of the region gains a rallying point and could quickly begin a campaign which would require all of our resources in order to protect Israel. If we take all support from Israel, then it becomes weak and is easily conquered. In this situation, Israel should be pandering to the United States and not vice versa.
Should the President go running off to Tel Aviv every time Israel whistles? In the current world situation, they're our watchdog and we feed them. If they crap on the rug, we need to stick their noses in it. When they do the right thing we scratch them behind the ears and say "good boy". This isn't meant to be insulting, merely descriptive. There are a number of people who feel that Israel should be placed upon a pedestal and we should all bow down and pay homage, but that's not the real situation.
Much of the Anti-American sentiment in the world, and especially in the middle east comes from our obvious bias towards Israel in all situations. The only way there will ever be peace in the area is if the United States looks equally at both sides of the conflict. Our failure in this is what creates situations such as the Libyan Embassy attack, the Iran Hostage situation, The Beirut Marine Barracks attack, and the attacks of September 11, 2001. I'm not justifying any of these actions, just understanding that if you poke the tiger with a stick enough times, the tiger is going to react.
Any more questions or issues will have to wait for another day. That was more work than I was prepared to undertake on a Saturday. And I still have to tackle laundry.
Now to try and take things in order. I'm assuming you're referring to the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens, recently slain in an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Libya. For the life of me, I can't figure out what issue there could possibly be, which has any bearing whatsoever on the upcoming election. The United States maintains hundreds of embassies and consulates around the world. I can't imagine how the President would have the time to set duty rotation schedules, manning and training priorities and security alert levels for each and every one of them. Just as I don't think President Reagan had any knowledge that at one point during my time in the Navy I was working 36 hours out of every 48. Is the issue over the conflicting reports following the attack? Some said terrorist attack, some said spontaneous rioting. In the world we live in today, the concept of national security is extremely muddled. Anything that happens, anywhere in the world, the media feels should be reported and should be acknowledged and responded to by the President. Unfortunately, in trying to be open, the President has often responded with a suspicion before any facts were available. If he had instead said absolutely nothing, the press would have claimed that either he didn't know what was happening or that he didn't care. The entire issue is one created by the media for the media and has no bearing on the upcoming election, in my opinion.
When it comes to the corporate tax rate, I'm somewhat at a loss. My research turns up three basic types of sources. The first type is the tax code itself, which is meaningless in any sort of general discussion, since each individual tax-paying entity is affected by any changes differently. The second source is blatantly partisan, definitely conservative and consists mostly of highly inflammatory rhetoric and scare-tactics. It's some kind of stew, but nobody can tell me what type of meat is in it. The third source is also partisan, but it contains useful information. The issue at hand is that effective January 1, 2013, the tax cuts enacted by President G.W. Bush will expire. President Obama wants to extend those cuts with the exceptions of those earning over $200k ($250k for married). For the past four years the Republican party has been insisting that the world as we know it will end if the over $250k crowd has to pay higher taxes. The latest emphasis is on persons who use "pass-through" corporations, in which the corporation earns no income. All income goes to the owners who claim it when they file their tax returns. If their net-taxable income exceeds the magic number, their tax rate would increase, this much is fact. The part that is left out is that the tax code uses marginal rates. What this means is that each tax bracket is taxed at whatever the rate is for that tax bracket.
Now to explain how this works. Without looking anything up lets say that income less than $10k pays no taxes, $10-50k pays 15%, $50-100k pays 20%, $100k-200k pays 30% and >$200k pays 35%. The actual numbers and breakpoints don't matter, what matters is how tax is figured. If you make less than the bottom bracket, you pay no taxes on income. If your income falls into the 2nd bracket, you pay no taxes on the portion in the first bracket, and the 2nd bracket rate on the remainder. This works all the way up the scale. So someone who has taxable income of $220k is only paying the higher rate on $20k, not on the entire $220k. In addition, someone making less than $50k probably has minimal deductions. Medical expenses, maybe mortgage interest deductions, maybe childcare and not much else. When you get into incomes over $200k the deductions increase dramatically. Most travel and entertainment becomes a business expense, investments can be tax-deferred, and charitable contributions (which are infinitely 'fudgeable') can become a major deduction. What this means is someone with a net-taxable income of $500k could very easily have a gross annual income of $800k. Using my fictitious tax rates let's figure some tax rates. With a gross income of $800k and taxable income of $500k the tax rate paid on $500k is 30.2%. The actual tax rate paid on $800k is 18.875%. Remember, these are not the actual tax rates, just numbers to illustrate the point. As has been shown by the return Governor Romney released for 2011, his actual tax rate paid for that year was about 14%, but, had he taken full advantage of his deductions his actual tax rate would have been 9%.
What it boils down to is the horror stories about companies that will lay off people and reduce their income to keep from breaking that $250k (or $200k) barrier are from people who really need to find a better accountant. The actual difference in tax rate is minimal since only the portion over $250k is taxed at the higher rate. The ones who will pay significantly more, aren't small businesses, they are large corporations and wealthy individuals, that through corporate incentives and deductions are currently paying a much lower rate than you and I. The media relies on the fact that most of us working-class slobs are too busy to dig into the food they've been shoveling at us. They assume that most will just eat the icing off the top and never dig down to find out that everything underneath is manure.
Israel, now that's a sticky situation and not one that is easily dealt with, as history shows us. First the brief history lesson. The area was first settled at least 800,000 years ago, although the first mention of Israel was about 1200 BC. About 930 BC, Israel was wiped out by the Assyrians and the survivors were dispersed. Following this the area was conquered, or changed hands, in 612, 586, 538 and 333 BC. In 135 BC, the Maccabean returned control of the region to Judaism. From that point until 390 AD, Israel was a client state of the Roman Empire. From 390-696 Israel was part of the Byzantine empire until conquered during the Arab expansion. Beginning in 1099, the Christian Crusades resulted in the massacre of Jews and Muslims living (peacefully) in the region, with many being sold into slavery. The crusades finally ended in 1291 and the region was ruled by Egypt until the Ottoman Empire conquered the region in 1516. The Ottoman's (Turkey) controlled the area until World War I (where a significant portion of European Jews supported the Germans). During the war, Great Britian conquered the region and Israel was part of their empire until the formation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948. From about 400 AD until the early 1900's, the main source of antagonism towards the Jews was Christianity. Ironic, yes?
Since 1948 the United States has been allied with just about every country in the middle east at one time or another. Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have all been beneficiaries at different times. Since 1970, the United States has been the main ally of Israel and have supported them in many different ways. Most significantly in military technology. What we are dealing with here is a region that has been at almost constant war for nearly 3000 years. The United States long ago chose sides in this war, not for any humanitarian reasons, but to keep the region in turmoil. If the middle east were to become one political entity, they would become a rival to our own power, economically and militarily. In order to maintain this balance our support of Israel must vary to meet changing conditions. If we provide too much support and write Israel a blank check, then the rest of the region gains a rallying point and could quickly begin a campaign which would require all of our resources in order to protect Israel. If we take all support from Israel, then it becomes weak and is easily conquered. In this situation, Israel should be pandering to the United States and not vice versa.
Should the President go running off to Tel Aviv every time Israel whistles? In the current world situation, they're our watchdog and we feed them. If they crap on the rug, we need to stick their noses in it. When they do the right thing we scratch them behind the ears and say "good boy". This isn't meant to be insulting, merely descriptive. There are a number of people who feel that Israel should be placed upon a pedestal and we should all bow down and pay homage, but that's not the real situation.
Much of the Anti-American sentiment in the world, and especially in the middle east comes from our obvious bias towards Israel in all situations. The only way there will ever be peace in the area is if the United States looks equally at both sides of the conflict. Our failure in this is what creates situations such as the Libyan Embassy attack, the Iran Hostage situation, The Beirut Marine Barracks attack, and the attacks of September 11, 2001. I'm not justifying any of these actions, just understanding that if you poke the tiger with a stick enough times, the tiger is going to react.
Any more questions or issues will have to wait for another day. That was more work than I was prepared to undertake on a Saturday. And I still have to tackle laundry.
Friday, October 12, 2012
May I Have Your Attention Please
Over the past few months a picture and some commentary has been making the rounds on Facebook. The picture shows President Obama standing casually with his hands clasped together in the standard "man protecting crotch" position during the playing of the National Anthem. The commentary attached to the photo claims that President Obama refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance. The picture in question is not photo-shopped. It was taken during a campaign gathering in Iowa, September 2007. Accounts from the time indicate the Star Spangled Banner was being played when the picture was taken. Now we've got the basic facts along with the attached rumors, time to get to the meat.
First off, the "refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance" claim is completely false. Anyone who believes this is, to be totally blunt, an idiot that should not have the right to vote, drive, reproduce or use oxygen that can be put to better use keeping lab rats alive. The entire uproar over the Pledge of Allegiance is silly, since it began as an advertising gimmick to sell flags, did not originally contain the words "under God" and is not a well written piece of prose. Being able or willing to recite it does not make you a good American, it just means you have a vocabulary that is slightly smaller than the average dog's.
The standard for the National Anthem I learned at a young age was to stand at attention with my right hand over the left side of my chest (it's not really over the heart, but it looks better than hand on sternum). Personally, I doubt if I have held my hand over my heart for the National Anthem since leaving high school. For roughly 8 years I either stood at attention, sometimes saluting, or stood at parade rest whenever the National Anthem was played. Since leaving the Navy I either stand at parade rest, or with my hands clasped in front, similar to the infamous President Obama picture (that was taken before he was President). When possible, I observe what all the other good Americans are doing. Some have hand over heart, some are looking around trying to figure out what is going on, and some are texting. The other 50% are walking around, talking or doing anything other than paying attention to the National Anthem. Very few are actually facing the flag.
This is the world we live in today. Forty years ago, anyone caught not paying attention during the playing of the National Anthem would have been ostracized by the community. That was a breach of etiquette we would not tolerate. Perhaps those were better days, but you can't go back in time. We have to live in the world we have now, not the world of our parents or grandparents. On the upside, we now have Angry Birds.
For a person to be criticized, in today's world, for something that, also in today's world, is at best a minor breach of etiquette, is outlandish. If we're going to do that, then I know quite a few people that had Andy Gibb posters hanging in their bedroom once upon a time. And you don't want me to start in on the polyester leisure suit wearing crowd.
Now lets look at the situation that exists today. Today President Obama is the President of the United States of America (POTUS). Whether you approve of his actions, policies or politics is completely irrelevant to that fact. As POTUS, his person is deserving of respect and should always be treated, addressed and referred to, respectfully, by ALL Americans. Any insulting or abusive language used against him should get a response, from any American, similar to the response if someone were bad-mouthing your mother. If you disagree with this, you really should consider whether it is appropriate to call yourself an American. The office of POTUS is one of great responsibility and, as such deserves, at all times, to be treated with respect. This does not preclude discussion on the merits or short-comings of the administration, nor does it limit any political discussion.
One more rendition of the National Anthem and I'll close this out. As POTUS, President Obama is also Commander-in-Chief of all our armed forces. He is also the representative of all Americans at all times. At any military function, honors are given by the military to the President, not vice versa. Salutes are given to the President, which he is not required to acknowledge or return. Typically, the ranking, active duty, military officer present will return the salute for the President. At any foreign function, honors are presented to the country, and accepted by the President. During any playing of the National Anthem, the only thing that the President is required to do, is pay attention. Whether he does this with his hand over his heart or his hands over his crotch is his choice. Since I've never been kicked in the heart, I know what my choice would be.
First off, the "refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance" claim is completely false. Anyone who believes this is, to be totally blunt, an idiot that should not have the right to vote, drive, reproduce or use oxygen that can be put to better use keeping lab rats alive. The entire uproar over the Pledge of Allegiance is silly, since it began as an advertising gimmick to sell flags, did not originally contain the words "under God" and is not a well written piece of prose. Being able or willing to recite it does not make you a good American, it just means you have a vocabulary that is slightly smaller than the average dog's.
The standard for the National Anthem I learned at a young age was to stand at attention with my right hand over the left side of my chest (it's not really over the heart, but it looks better than hand on sternum). Personally, I doubt if I have held my hand over my heart for the National Anthem since leaving high school. For roughly 8 years I either stood at attention, sometimes saluting, or stood at parade rest whenever the National Anthem was played. Since leaving the Navy I either stand at parade rest, or with my hands clasped in front, similar to the infamous President Obama picture (that was taken before he was President). When possible, I observe what all the other good Americans are doing. Some have hand over heart, some are looking around trying to figure out what is going on, and some are texting. The other 50% are walking around, talking or doing anything other than paying attention to the National Anthem. Very few are actually facing the flag.
This is the world we live in today. Forty years ago, anyone caught not paying attention during the playing of the National Anthem would have been ostracized by the community. That was a breach of etiquette we would not tolerate. Perhaps those were better days, but you can't go back in time. We have to live in the world we have now, not the world of our parents or grandparents. On the upside, we now have Angry Birds.
For a person to be criticized, in today's world, for something that, also in today's world, is at best a minor breach of etiquette, is outlandish. If we're going to do that, then I know quite a few people that had Andy Gibb posters hanging in their bedroom once upon a time. And you don't want me to start in on the polyester leisure suit wearing crowd.
Now lets look at the situation that exists today. Today President Obama is the President of the United States of America (POTUS). Whether you approve of his actions, policies or politics is completely irrelevant to that fact. As POTUS, his person is deserving of respect and should always be treated, addressed and referred to, respectfully, by ALL Americans. Any insulting or abusive language used against him should get a response, from any American, similar to the response if someone were bad-mouthing your mother. If you disagree with this, you really should consider whether it is appropriate to call yourself an American. The office of POTUS is one of great responsibility and, as such deserves, at all times, to be treated with respect. This does not preclude discussion on the merits or short-comings of the administration, nor does it limit any political discussion.
One more rendition of the National Anthem and I'll close this out. As POTUS, President Obama is also Commander-in-Chief of all our armed forces. He is also the representative of all Americans at all times. At any military function, honors are given by the military to the President, not vice versa. Salutes are given to the President, which he is not required to acknowledge or return. Typically, the ranking, active duty, military officer present will return the salute for the President. At any foreign function, honors are presented to the country, and accepted by the President. During any playing of the National Anthem, the only thing that the President is required to do, is pay attention. Whether he does this with his hand over his heart or his hands over his crotch is his choice. Since I've never been kicked in the heart, I know what my choice would be.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
If I Were a King
After years of listening to the ridiculous and irrational political discussions I've decided it's time for me to become President. Too late to get on this ballot, so we'll have to shoot for 2016. To prepare for this I'm going to need a campaign manager, a political strategist, a few good speech writers, a make-up genius and a group of people who don't panic every time I say "yes, I did" to some horrible allegation. I'm also accepting campaign contributions. Time to rob those piggy banks. I'm expecting about $200,000,000 by January 1, 2013.
You're probably asking yourself if you can afford to give me millions of dollars, but the real question is, do you know a good country, that won't extradite? To set everyone's mind at ease, I'm going to lay out my plan for a better America. Since the word "Manifesto" has gotten so much bad publicity, I'm calling this my Transvesto. What's on the surface may not be what's inside, and it's subject to change.
1. All laws will be based on the Ten Commandments. Not in regards to content, but in composition. A law is for one thing, not 50 different line items attached to one thing. Any current laws that contain multiple provisions will be abolished.
2. All laws will be written in plain English. If a random group of 20 teenagers can't interpret the law and come up with the exact same definition, then the law will be abolished.
3. The tax code will be rewritten so the same group of teenagers will be able to understand and explain it, without needing to refer to the tax code.
4. The U.S. Secret Service will no longer be tasked with protecting a bunch of useless politicians. their skills can be best used elsewhere. The President will have a detail formed by random selection from all active duty military personnel. This detail will serve as escort and honor guard for visits to other countries. No other security will be provided at taxpayer expense.
5. All members of Congress will be required to serve as active duty military at a position determined by their military experience and abilities, during any war or action where U.S. troops are engaged in warfare. One half of the members from each state and territory represented will deploy at a time rotating each 6 months. If something is worth fighting for, then the people ordering the fighting should be willing to do their part. As Commander in Chief, the President will be required to lead at the position of greatest danger.
6. Separation of Church and State: In order to retain their tax-exempt status, each religious institution must meet the following guidelines.
A. The religious representatives must maintain a standard of living consistent with the median income of all members of that institution.
B. Each institution will adopt 2% of their members from the local homeless population, and provide for their sustenance at a level consistent with provision 6A.
C. Each institution must abstain from any action which supports any political candidate, except for providing moral support for any member seeking political office.
7. Welfare will be replaced. The majority currently on welfare will be adopted by religious institutions wishing to maintain tax-exempt status. The remainder will be trained to fill a position within their capabilities.
8. All currently illegal recreational drugs will be legalized with the following restrictions:
A. Drugs may only be purchased at government centers. These centers will be staffed by current government employees that would otherwise become unemployed as the size of government is reduced.
B. Anyone wishing to purchase drugs, must register with photo ID. The information on drug use will be publicly available and must be verified by all employers.
C. All drugs purchased, must be consumed on the premises.
D. Any drugs determined too dangerous for use, will only be sold and administered in lethal doses.
E. Anyone caught, selling, distributing, manufacturing or using drugs illegally will become a short-term addict of a drug covered by provision 8D.
9. All currently available and future prescription medication must be re-submitted for approval. As a prerequisite for approval, clinical testing must be performed on immediate family members of the corporation's board and major stockholders.
10. Political campaign contributions will be subject to a tax equal to 100% of the contribution for amounts over $50. Contributions of $50 or less are tax exempt. Contributions can only be made by individual taxpayers.
11. Every citizen will be allowed to live their life in whatever way they choose with the following restriction: Any action which may cause physical, emotional or financial harm to another, without their written consent, is prohibited. This restriction applies to children and pets as well.
12. All government supplied foreign aid will be replaced with cooperative exchange programs. Each country will be required to provide something of value in exchange for aid. This provision also applies to trade and military assistance.
13. Healthcare will be government provided at the same level as is provided for all active duty military personnel.
14. All students will be required to take, in addition to their current curriculum, Art and Music classes. Private schools will be required to provide, at no cost to the student, education to a number of low-income, public school students. A minimum of 20% of the student body will be required to be from this source.
That should be enough to start with. Let's get those campaign contributions coming in now, before I make them illegal. Time to practice answering some tough interview questions; "Yes, I did have sex with that woman." Yes, I did inhale." "Yes, I did visit those websites." "Yes, that is me in the picture and yes, I'm doing what it looks like I'm doing."
You're probably asking yourself if you can afford to give me millions of dollars, but the real question is, do you know a good country, that won't extradite? To set everyone's mind at ease, I'm going to lay out my plan for a better America. Since the word "Manifesto" has gotten so much bad publicity, I'm calling this my Transvesto. What's on the surface may not be what's inside, and it's subject to change.
1. All laws will be based on the Ten Commandments. Not in regards to content, but in composition. A law is for one thing, not 50 different line items attached to one thing. Any current laws that contain multiple provisions will be abolished.
2. All laws will be written in plain English. If a random group of 20 teenagers can't interpret the law and come up with the exact same definition, then the law will be abolished.
3. The tax code will be rewritten so the same group of teenagers will be able to understand and explain it, without needing to refer to the tax code.
4. The U.S. Secret Service will no longer be tasked with protecting a bunch of useless politicians. their skills can be best used elsewhere. The President will have a detail formed by random selection from all active duty military personnel. This detail will serve as escort and honor guard for visits to other countries. No other security will be provided at taxpayer expense.
5. All members of Congress will be required to serve as active duty military at a position determined by their military experience and abilities, during any war or action where U.S. troops are engaged in warfare. One half of the members from each state and territory represented will deploy at a time rotating each 6 months. If something is worth fighting for, then the people ordering the fighting should be willing to do their part. As Commander in Chief, the President will be required to lead at the position of greatest danger.
6. Separation of Church and State: In order to retain their tax-exempt status, each religious institution must meet the following guidelines.
A. The religious representatives must maintain a standard of living consistent with the median income of all members of that institution.
B. Each institution will adopt 2% of their members from the local homeless population, and provide for their sustenance at a level consistent with provision 6A.
C. Each institution must abstain from any action which supports any political candidate, except for providing moral support for any member seeking political office.
7. Welfare will be replaced. The majority currently on welfare will be adopted by religious institutions wishing to maintain tax-exempt status. The remainder will be trained to fill a position within their capabilities.
8. All currently illegal recreational drugs will be legalized with the following restrictions:
A. Drugs may only be purchased at government centers. These centers will be staffed by current government employees that would otherwise become unemployed as the size of government is reduced.
B. Anyone wishing to purchase drugs, must register with photo ID. The information on drug use will be publicly available and must be verified by all employers.
C. All drugs purchased, must be consumed on the premises.
D. Any drugs determined too dangerous for use, will only be sold and administered in lethal doses.
E. Anyone caught, selling, distributing, manufacturing or using drugs illegally will become a short-term addict of a drug covered by provision 8D.
9. All currently available and future prescription medication must be re-submitted for approval. As a prerequisite for approval, clinical testing must be performed on immediate family members of the corporation's board and major stockholders.
10. Political campaign contributions will be subject to a tax equal to 100% of the contribution for amounts over $50. Contributions of $50 or less are tax exempt. Contributions can only be made by individual taxpayers.
11. Every citizen will be allowed to live their life in whatever way they choose with the following restriction: Any action which may cause physical, emotional or financial harm to another, without their written consent, is prohibited. This restriction applies to children and pets as well.
12. All government supplied foreign aid will be replaced with cooperative exchange programs. Each country will be required to provide something of value in exchange for aid. This provision also applies to trade and military assistance.
13. Healthcare will be government provided at the same level as is provided for all active duty military personnel.
14. All students will be required to take, in addition to their current curriculum, Art and Music classes. Private schools will be required to provide, at no cost to the student, education to a number of low-income, public school students. A minimum of 20% of the student body will be required to be from this source.
That should be enough to start with. Let's get those campaign contributions coming in now, before I make them illegal. Time to practice answering some tough interview questions; "Yes, I did have sex with that woman." Yes, I did inhale." "Yes, I did visit those websites." "Yes, that is me in the picture and yes, I'm doing what it looks like I'm doing."
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