John Lennon

30 years since John Lennon was shot....Wow.

Here is a quote that has a little something for everyone:

"They pick a president, they put him up there and then they set fire to him because he couldn't solve their problems. Because they are always looking for someone to provide for them."

Doesn't that sum it up? We want a president to solve our problems, some want him to provide for them, but we are seeing that a president cannot solve our problems. As usual John Lennon was ahead of his time.

What is it about AZ Senators

Arizona - the land of two of the most powerful Senators. McCain and Kyl - Johns both. Probably only in first name, but you never know.

Kyl is now impeding the progress and signing of a nuclear treaty between the U.S. and Russia. This is only for political purposes. There is no logical reason for him to be on the side of nuclear proliferation.

Once again progress is a victim of politics.

Medical Marijuana - Update

I am pleased to say I was wrong. Apparently those who voted at the "wrong" location or couldn't remember to bring their ID to vote (provisional votes) voted in droves for the medical marijuana provision. Proposition 203, passed by about 4,000 votes with more than 1.6M votes cast and counted.

It took about 10 days to finish the count and in the last day, it made up about a 1,500 deficit and won handily. Now those who are suffering from cancer, HIV, etc. will be able to utilized marijuana to help fight pain, nausea, and enhance their appetite.

Good job AZ!

Medical Marijuana

AZ voted down Medical Marijuana, or at it seems that this will be the case when all the votes are counted. California voted down Prop 19 which would have legalized marijuana in general. I am not surprised that it was voted down here in AZ but am surprised that it lost in CA.

As the conservative population of AZ continues to pollute the air, dump chemicals, drive ridiculously large vehicles (one person per), etc. and the cancer rate soars among the masses, especially the aging population, people will see the humanitarian side to its use.

I don't smoke it, but I certainly believe that someone in pain or experience nausea should be allowed without fear of being arrested. More foolishness.

Frankly, I believe it needs to be legalized in general, across the country, and regulated and taxed just like tobacco and alcohol. That will put a damper on the drug trade in Mexico. Jeez, they might even stop beheading people in AZ, leaving heads all over the desert (according to our Governor.)

Election 2010

Thank God it is over. Saw an interesting piece on TV last night about the negativeness of this campaign. Basically, the premise was that this isn't any more negative than in most of our history. Apparently candidates in the early days of our country accused people of rape, murder, etc., called their opponent's mothers names like prostitute, adulterer, etc.

Jeez, and I thought this was something new, at least to the last half century since ads have been on TV. In fact, the first ad on TV was from Eisenhower and it spent it time bashing Adlai Stevenson. (by the way, Adlai's middle initial is E which I know because quite often in the NY Times Sunday Crossword they will ask for a 50s candidate against Ike - the answer being AES)

I digressed. Well, the Tea Party nut jobs won some and lost some. Seems likely that if the Republicans would have put up a middle of the road candidate in Nevada and Delaware, they might have won the Senate also.

The real question is, how can the moderate Republicans harness these Tea Party folks and their energy in a real political process? In other words, if the Tea Party folks push an agenda that lacks any basis, eventually even their supporters will say, "what planet are you from?"
They are against everything. Now they will have to have an idea or two rather than I don't like.........(fill in the blank.) Plus they will have to do it with a majority in the House, but a minority in the Senate and a centrist Democratic President.

As to the general public and what is clearly a powerful statement they have made, they should remember the old adage, "be careful what you ask for as you just might get it." If we create the same environment for big business and banks as Bush and the Republican House and Senate did from 2000 to 2008, what will happen? No amount of bailout or stimulus, like those started under Bush and carried out under Obama, will be enough to bring us back from the abyss.

The world will be watching. Their economies and way of life are tied to the US well being, and I, like them, am praying that the Republicans learned some lessons and will not repeat those errors from just a few years ago.

Elections

Well, tomorrow is a big day if you are a fan of mid-year elections. Generally, people don't get too fired up in non-presidential elections.

John McCain and Newt Gingrich have been espousing the coming election and the likelihood that Republicans will gain large numbers of seats.

Barack Obama has been pushing, cajoling, etc. trying to activate his considerable base and return them to the polls. It is unlikely that the first time voters that supported him will come out in any large numbers. Moderate republicans that voted for Obama are disillusioned, at least some of them.

It seems likely, if you read the polls, that the House will swing back to the republicans and the Senate will stay with the Democrats. But, who knows for sure.

I hold out hope that Obama will transition, much like Clinton did in 1994 and learn to work with the other side. Clinton had both chambers for his first two years, and lost the majority in both at the first mid-term election. Clinton's administration was second to none in shepherding a hugely successful economic time. Since the depression, the single most successful period of time was with Clinton, a Democrat, and a Republican congress.

The American electorate is a fickle lot. In 2006, Republican Bush lost both chambers - basically for getting us mired in two wars and running up huge deficits. Republicans lost 6 Senate seats (huge drop given only about 33 are up for grabs any one year) and 30 House seats. Then, as the economy became totally screwed, the Republicans lost the presidency and another 8 Senate seats (again, only 33 up for grabs) and 24 House seats.

So what to make of the fickle voters? What do they see in the Republican slate of candidates that they didn't see in 2006 and 2008? Personally I believe that the average person is just a little right of center, generally fiscally responsible and against big government. But just a little. Obama has had to sell what is far to difficult for most Americans to grasp - had the government not stepped in to stimulate the economy, the economic system would have collapsed or be far worse than it is today. Remember, the whole bail out started under George Bush - Henry Paulson asking for and receiving nearly a trillion dollars to prop up the banking, lending, insuring companies. This is a hard sell for Obama since there is no way to know for sure. Yes, the vast majority of economists think it was necessary, and many think the stimulus and bailouts weren't big enough, but still it is hard to prove a negative.

Nancy Pelosi is a terrible Speaker of the House. Maybe it is because she is a woman in an "Old Boys Club." Maybe she is just in over her head and rode the "Change" wave to her seat. That is my guess - over her head and she should have ceded the Speaker seat. Now she will cede her Speaker seat, assuming the Republicans do win back the House.

Strictly voting my own pocketbook, I hope the Republicans get the House and Senate back. A few Democrats and the Department of Education have decided that for-profit schools are the root of all evil. Of course they are wrong and since my income depends on these schools surviving, I will return to my roots and vote for the Republicans. I don't think they have learned a damn thing since they were kicked to the curb in 2006 and 2008 and in fact have become crazier. Can you say, Tea Party? Those guys (and gals) don't even like normal run of the mill Republicans. But, it is unlikely that they want to kill my income stream. I am almost ashamed to admit that pocketbook trumps common sense.

Had the Republican put up a reasonable candidate in Delaware and Alaska, they may have had a better chance of getting the Senate back. But they nominated nut jobs, thus probably saving the Democrats from themselves.

Go vote!

Juan Williams

National Public Radio must have lost their collective minds. Juan Williams was fired for basically saying what many people feel when they fly. It isn't that their all bigots either. Some people feel a pang of fear when they see a person in what they assume is traditional Muslim attire.

I certainly wish I didn't feel that way as I am certain that nearly every Muslim in this country has no desire to harm me. Yet, I admit that it crosses my mind. I am not immune to fear, even irrational fear. I bet I am not alone.

In fact, because Juan Williams was honest, I know there was at least one more.

I know some Muslim folks and they are kind, friendly, and respectful. I like them and have no fear of them. So I know that I am not just irrational about all Muslims.

As a side note, people calling for the U.S. Government to stop funding public TV and Radio, should know that very small percentage is paid for by government. Yes they made a ridiculous decision but the body of their work is bigger than this mis-step.

Various Ramblings Again

Been a while since I have blogged. Frankly, the world has been a bit bland.

• The elections are coming and the level of advertising, on both sides, here in AZ is troublesome. Nothing positive, only negatives. Would love to have a candidate say, "this is what I think and would fight for." Not yet.
• Dan Quayle's son is running for congress. You remember the former Veep who famously corrected a school kid and said potato is spelled, "potatoe." Ben Quayle seems a bit smarter.His first ad he claimed that Barack Obama is the worst president in U.S. history. B.O. had been president about 18 months at that point. Idiotic statement designed to mobilize hardcore Republicans during the primary. It worked.Now, he quite correctly espouses that both parties have failed to look out for the electorate. Now he is talking. If he wins, I do hope he can spell.
• As I opined a while back, apparently the electorate is leaning toward putting the Republicans back in charge of the House of Representatives. Historically, a Democrat President and Republican House is the best at getting results. So I guess I hope that the Republicans win back the House.
• I hope they do not get the Senate back however because I don't yet trust that the Republicans learned any lessons from the debacle that created in the banking industry - the debacle that nearly collapsed the world's economy.
• Most reputable economists believe the stimulus package wasn't big enough, and without the smaller version, the economy would have collapsed in an even worse manner.
• Brett Favre - I wonder if anyone in his inner circle is saying, "what were you thinking?"
  I wonder if anyone in his inner circle is even speaking to him right now. I hope that he didn't hit up the female worker and didn't send pix of his naked self. Jeez.
• Football is hot right now but baseball is suffering. The "national past time" is no longer baseball. Too slow I suppose for our now fast paced society.
• The elections will be interesting with the so-called Tea Party candidates. They seem a bit out of touch with reality but who knows.
• The feds are suing many states for many things and I guess I think they should stop. I understand why they are doing it - there are ridiculous things going on all over in this country, but the suing needs to stop as a waste of precious resources right now.

Reasonableness, in my estimation, continues to elude us.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell......Blah, Blah, Blah

If one wants to understand the dysfunction of the U.S. congress, look no further than this article. There is a little something for each side to complain about. Harry Reid should be fired and the Republicans should try once in a while to get something done by adding the word "Yes" to their vernacular.

In the mean time, progress has been ground to a halt.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/us/politics/22cong.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&src=igw

Hmmm!

In the AZ Republic, the major newspaper for the 5th largest city in America, they post once a week a list of the 5 most expensive houses sold in the past week. What is interesting, and this is completely unscientific, but most of these houses aren't sold by people.

Of the 5 in any given week (with some exceptions), 3 will be sold by a husband and wife on behalf of a trust, 1 will be sold by a bank (million dollar repos?) and 1 sold by an individual. How many of you have a trust that owns your house?

When the really wealthy say they pay a lot in taxes, what they don't say is that they spend a great deal of time sheltering money from taxes, so much so that in reality they don't really pay so much. Now don't get me wrong, they are probably paying more than necessary because of government waste, but don't buy this business about them paying 50-70% in taxes. Not true.

And what do you want to bet the person who defaulted on their million dollar mortgage will be able to get another while Joe Middle Class will be screwed.

Reduced Government

Apparently in just 2 short years the majority of people have forgotten how the world's economy was nearly destroyed by lax regulators, greedy bankers, and otherwise smart people making stupid decisions by buying huge homes and SUVs they could not afford.

Thus, fiscal restraint is again in vogue. This is good when done correctly. In other words, we can procedurally make changes (ex. line item veto, cost reductions, etc.) that will allow for shrinking of government expenditures without telling the wolves that they are open for business once again.

Here is just one example: There are 2,768,886 people employed, about 90% FT by the U.S. government. This doesn't include military and other non-civilian jobs, except U.S. Coast Guard and the figures are for 2008.

According to reports, U.S. government civilian employees earn double what their counterparts in the private sector make. Ugh. The average salary made per the same report is about $120k per year in the government sector.

Those making less than $60K should take a 5% pay cut. I will assume that 1 million (about 35%) employees are in this category and will assume their average pay is $45k/yer. 5% of $45K is $2,250 per year multiplied by 1 million and the savings are $2.25 billion per year. With me so far?

Next, those making from $60K to $120K, with an average of $90K will take a pay cut of 5% on the first $60K and 20% on the rest. I will assume that about 30% of employees are in this category - approximately 830,000 workers at $90K. On the first $60k of their pay we save about $2.5B and the last $30,000 we save $4.9B. Total savings in this group - $7.4 Billion per year.

Next, those making $120 to $180K per year, I will guesstimate 25% or about 700,000 people fall into this category with an average salary of $150K. They should take the above cuts plus 40% of the last $30K. The math is: savings of $2.1B on the first $60K, $8.4b for the next $60k and $8.4b for the last part. Total savings from this group? $18.9 billion per year.

The last 10% are above $180,000. I will assign an average of $300k to this group of 275,000 employees. The math: $825 million savings on first $60K, $3.3b on the next $60K, $6.6b on the next $60K and with a 50% decrease on the last $120k, the savings would be $16.5b with a grand total of $27.25 billion.

Total for all savings are $55.8 billion per year. The total payroll is about $185billion so we have eliminated about 30%. Thus they are still being payed more than their counterparts in the private sector. Some may leave U.S. government employment, but I bet there is a private sector employee to step in.

Now, I have made multiple WAGs (Wild A-- Guesses) on the numbers, but you get the point. A reasonable approach to making government more responsive.

More Foolishness

The Reverend Terry Jones, with his flock of 50 or so in Florida, plans to burn Qurans this weekend. Basically everyone is asking or suggesting that he not do this. They are correct to ask but if he decides to do it, then he has expressed himself as allowed for by the U.S. Constitution.

As I always say, it is hard to be a true American and let people with different views have their say. If he wants to burn them, he can. Just like the group that wants to build the Mosque in NY City should be allowed to build.

However, just like the mosque dudes, perhaps the reverend could try to act a bit more civilized and not burn the Quran. We get his point - so what! Burning them will simply incite religious zealots in foreign lands to attack us more and will be recruiting material for like minded nut jobs. Plus, putting a soldier in harms way in Iraq or Afghanistan because you want to make a statement is ridiculous.

Just because you can burn the Quran or build the mosque, doesn't mean that you should burn the Quran or build the mosque. Apply some reasonableness and/or common sense.

Well Said!

Interesting post.

Physicist v. God

Stephen Hawking is a British physicist. Apparently quite famous. I have opined in the past that science and religion need not be at odds. Mr. Hawking apparently disagrees.

He has released a book which basically debunks the need for God in terms of creating the world. That will not go over real big with the religious zealots of the world. In fact, it won't go over so big with most people.

Personally I think the religious right who try to downplay Darwin are nut jobs and I think Mr. Hawking is also. Perhaps he is not nuts because he has made a sound scientific argument for the creation of the world without God's input. What he hasn't been able to do, is give any context for the world. For many people, God does that.

Science is already under attack, perhaps not in Europe (I don't know), but certainly here in the U.S. Conservatives decrying stem cell research, denying global warming, and in extreme cases banning Darwin in favor of creationism, are just a few examples. They would prefer to suspend science and thought, and promote blind following of organized religion's word.

As usual, there is no reasonableness in the debate. The truth, I believe, falls in the middle - thank God.

Primaries

Voted in the Republican Primaries yesterday - always a privilege although I haven't been good at voting in these primaries in the past.

So what spurred me to join the small crowd of voters on a day that temperatures reached 112 degrees in AZ?

Giving a vote to McCain for no other reason than keeping the vote from J.D. Hayworth who is a simple minded bigot similar to Rush Limbaugh.

Also cast my vote for Governor Brewer, the signer of SB 1070. While I continue to worry about the effect on our economy, the statute has definitely ignited debate and will force the issue to be dealt with in the next congress. They should do it now, but no Dem or Rep has the stomach for this during an election cycle. Wimps!

Political Ads

Ugh - I cannot stand the political ads. One learns nothing about what the candidate believes, only what stupid thing his opponent did last week, last year, last century! If it wasn't for the money they pour into the community espousing all this crap, there would be no use to the ads at all. Totally unreasonable.

Golf and Integrity

Golf tours, analysts, etc. like to tout their product's integrity. Take Sunday for example. At the PGA tournament, one of the 4 major golf tournaments held each year, Dustin Johnson was found to have run afoul of the rules.

He was told of the infraction, penalized, and the tournament went on without him. Without the penalty he would have been in a playoff to determine the winner. As it was, he ended up 5th because of the penalty.

They have rules and they follow them - it is a reasonable attempt by a sport to keep its integrity in order. Very reasonable - if difficult for young Dustin Johnson.

Obama on NY Mosque

Considering the Right Wingers like to say Barack Obama is a socialist, it is interesting who is really acting like the true American democracy advocate.

As I have said before, allowing free speech etc. is sometimes very difficult, but that is one of the incredible aspects of this country. Obama basically said, the Muslims can build the Mosque in NY near Ground Zero, because that is what the American constitution says - freedom to act.

He is right. I still wish the Muslim group would re-think their choice, but if they want to move forward, they ought to be allowed. Obama defended the American constitution and he should be given credit for that, even if you don't like the outcome.

Federal Salaries

Yikes. According the newspaper this morning, average federal employees make nearly double what a person makes in the private sector ($120K vs 60k). Double? Somehow I always thought they got paid less, but "got good benefits." Jeez, what a fool am I.

They apparently think they are getting the creme de le creme by paying more. Hmmm, perhaps they can cut all federal employees making more than say $120k in half and for those making less a somewhat lower cut. I assure you there are still quality people in the private sector who will take the job for what they are currently making and then they would get "good benefits" too!

My next step will be to pursue some federal job so I can make more money. Even local government employees make more than private sector jobs - not much, but some. Not enough to make me want to join the ranks of bureaucratic lunk head.

Federal job - the promised land. Sign me up.

Vacationing

Mrs. Obama and one child went on vacation in Italy. Caused a bit of a stir. Clearly when you become President and First Lady you still have a right to go on vacation. The bitch is about the money I guess. Look at it this way, the salary paid to a President is peanuts compared to the gravity of the job.

When presidents go on vacation, I think the media and pundits and the opposition party should shut up - give them a break from nuclear proliferation, terrorists, economics, race relations, immigration reform, etc.

In this case, I can somewhat understand the debate. Extraordinary times require extraordinary discretion. The president wasn't along so perhaps Barack and Michelle Obama should have rethought her need for a vacation that requires an entourage of secret service and expense. It isn't really fair, I know, but she was not elected.

When Laura Bush or then-First Lady Hillary Clinton went, the opposition party pissed and moaned just like they are now. No difference. But, I expect more understanding from Obama than the dunce Bush or the cad Clinton.

NY Mosque

A group called the Cordoba Initiative plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero in Manhattan. They own the building, the old Burlington Coat Factory facility and can presumably do what they wish with it within the existing building codes.

This group claims that the 13 story cultural center will include a mosque but will promote understanding between Muslims and the West. Sounds nice.

Democracy is tough. You have to be able to tolerate speech and action that goes against what you believe. If not, then the foundation of this country begins to tumble. Flag burners come to mind. Difficult to watch, especially at a time when our troops are in harms way, fighting for American ideals.

Having said all of that, I guess I think a group that claims to be a proponent of better relations would build their cultural center elsewhere and therefore honor the 3,000 or so folks who lost their lives on 9-11; If not honor, at least not dishonor them by building so near GZ.

A cultural center seems like a good idea, but not at this important spot. Only reasonable to move it elsewhere.

School

School is starting up here in AZ in the next 2 weeks or so. Some go year round. Some where you are will start after Labor Day. Regardless, it is important that we heed this sage advice from Barack Obama in the 2010 State of Union Address:

"In the end, there is no program or policy that can substitute for a mother or father who will attend those parent/teacher conferences, or help with homework after dinner, or turn off the TV, put away the video games, and read to their child. I speak to you not just as a President, but as a father when I say that responsibility for our children's education must begin at home.”

Personally I don't care if someone likes Barack Obama or not, or if you dislike him because he is 1/2 Black or because he is a liberal or because you think he was born in some foreign country, one cannot argue with that statement. If you feel compelled to question that statement, I urge you to look inward and evaluate how that is possible.

Judge Susan Bolton

Judge Susan Bolton, a federal judge appointed back in the Clinton administration, has tossed a good part of SB1070. SB1070 is the controversial, but popular AZ law that tried to basically enforce federal immigration laws.

I have opined in the past that while probably mean spirited (the author of the legislation is clearly a long standing bigot), the alternative of doing nothing is worse. So far, boycotts and demonstrations have been fairly small or unproductive. In the long run, should the law be reinstated, it will probably hurt our AZ economy which is fragile at best.

My hope continues to be that the Democrats and Republicans that we elected will do their job and fix the immigration laws and situation.

The judge allowed some parts of the law to take effect, but the teeth are gone. I feel certain that millions will be spent on both sides to fight this all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The waste of money and divisive nature of the law and the halting of enactment are all unreasonable. We should all call our legislative representatives and telling them to fix immigration.

"Republicans Block...."

Type the following: "Republicans block..." into Google. You get 119,000 hits. Now some might argue that they need to block all of this change and oversight. I disagree but I understand why some might say that.

However, at some point don't you have to have something like "Republicans think of a new idea?"

Page 1:

Republicans Block:
Campaign finance reform
tax on oil profits
Big oil bailout bill
Action on financial regulatory bill
#2 Interior Department nominee
Unemployment benefits

That was just page one. When did my Republican party become the party of blockers instead of the party of ideas? Totally unreasonable and embarrassing.

Tragic Story

Here is the story, sans names because they don't matter. AZ HS kids go to CA and on the way home a tire blows and the SUV rolls over. One kid dies later, one is okay, one girl is dead at the scene and one is still alive but in critical condition.

Got the picture? Not good.

The girl who is dead and the girl in critical condition are then mis-identified. They kind of look alike. The family who thinks their daughter is dead is planning the funeral when they figure out that their daughter is the girl who is alive. The girl in the hospital is really their daughter.

The family of the dead girl had been holding a vigil for the girl in the hospital as they mistakenly thought she was theirs. The mother thought something was wrong but couldn't bring herself to believe. The father, remembered that his daughter had a scar on her stomach and the girl lying in the hospital bed didn't.

Geez, that is confusing and just adds to the terribleness of the tragedy.

I suppose next will come a law suit against someone for making a mistake. I hope not as that would be unreasonable. The girl is dead, would have been dead, the other girl's life is probably destroyed along with the driver who was unhurt. 2 dead, 1 terribly hurt and yet might die, and 1 basically okay. No lawsuit will change that.

Ford

Two times in a week I feel compelled to espouse the praises of Ford Motor Co. They are rolling out this fall the new Explorer which is now built on a car frame, has only 6 cylinders and gets much better gas mileage.

Perhaps we are starting to get the whole problem of excessive size in everything. Too big houses, cars, appetites, etc. result in nothing good.

Good for Ford. If this keeps up, I might have to change my mind about buying American made cars. Fortunately, I don't have to decide any time soon.

Way to go Ford - perfectly reasonable.

WikiLeaks

Is this leaking of info really necessary? I understand free press and all, and support it. But when it potentially jeopardizes our young men and women in "theater", then I think a free press isn't really helpful.

So what if the info isn't new or particularly revealing. I doubt that the folks over at WikiLeaks knew that. I wonder if the person who posted them had a child serving in the military if they would have still put the info out?

I think we all know the answer to that one.

I wonder if it is treason when they figure out who leaked the docs to WikiLeaks in the first place? Do they still hang traitors.

I remember a few years ago, some guy at the VA losing a hard drive, and someone from the FBI or CIA as well. Now the military. Are we just that incapable of securing information from wandering eyes and inquiring minds?

Carbon Credits

The senate doesn't have the stomach to take on the whole carbon credits thing. Not good news for Obama, or for the air we breathe. But a necessary decision, or non-decision if you will.

There is only so much the country can tackle right now. We need to revisit the crazy mortgage situation, get the health care and financial packages launched, try to finish a couple of wars, etc.

That is plenty. Reasonable decision for the senate to do nothing - for now.

In the mean time Ford is leading the way. That is hard for me to say. But they are going to price their luxury hybrid car (MXL) at the same price as the gasoline only version. Hopefully this will carry over to other models and makers. The car will get more than twice the MPG than the gas only version.

Charles Rangel

Another member of congress - Rep. Charles Rangel has been charged by a congressional committee of corruption. Proof positive that it doesn't matter what party they come from, Rangel is a Democrat, they just seem to believe they are above the law.

Now they get to spend more money to hold what is equivelant to a trial.

Unreasonable- he should just resign.

Civil Discourse

No wonder this country can't get past race as an issue. The civil discourse is totally broken.

I don't know what to make of the Shirley Shirrod situation.

Some right wing group apparently aired a cut up version of something she recorded a few months ago as he recounted her struggles with race 20 plus years ago. What they played made it sound like she withheld assistance from a White family farm all those years ago. Fox, supposedly are real media outlet, didn't question the source and just played it. Shameful.

The White House, fear bubbling to the surface, then pressured the USDA to fire Ms. Shirrod. Had she said, and in fact done what it sounded like, she should have been fired. However, it turns out that the "cut and paste" made her look like the exact opposite of what she is.

Then reports that the White family said they would have lost their farm if it wasn't for Ms. Shirrod's work. So now the White House has had to apologize to her.

But, does she get her job back? It is crazy that a "news" agency can cut up a track like that and make the woman sound like a racist pig and she loses her job. It is crazy that the Obama Administration feels pressured to remove someone without vetting the source better.

No civil discourse going on in this country - totally unreasonable.

In the mean time, the economy continues to struggle, the border is porous, the Diamondbacks stink in baseball, the oil well is leaking, and the European economy is worse than ours. And what are we paying attention to? The lunacy caused by unscrupulous political machines who care nothing for America.

Did I already say, "Unreasonable?"

Goldman

My last rant, a few hours ago, about the bankers and financial regulations has just been validated! I suppose I shouldn't feel to pumped because I didn't really think of this on my own.

I have heard some people say they didn't think the bankers were at fault in the economic tragedy. Today, Goldman proved otherwise. It is ludicrous to give bankers and mortgage financiers a pass - they have destroyed millions of people's lives.

They agreed to pay $550M in fines and restitution, for the debacle of moving thousands of client's money ($1B worth) to hedge fund dude John Paulson. Mr. Paulson is cited as a "billionaire" leading one to ask, how many billions do you need?

Paulson skates (unreasonable) because he didn't do the wrong. GC did the wrong and now they will pay. Totally reasonable.

Financial Wish

What I wish is this: that the financial regulations passed today and sent to President Obama for signature didn't need to be passed.

Unfortunately, these rogue, really rich, old White men destroyed our economy. Yes they got a huge assist from Americans who took out ridiculous loans, 2nd mortgages to buy SUVs they couldn't afford, and failed to save money for a rainy day.

The bankers and mortgage lenders, no matter how you slice it, were at the root of the evil that took place. Not sure how they sleep at night.

George Bush deregulated them and then seemed perplexed that they ran roughshod over all of us. Actually, I agreed with GB about deregulation - it seems like a good idea. However, he clearly saw that it was going badly and should have acted presidential and put a halt to it. Instead, he let it get out of hand, "too big to fail" became part of our lexicon, and GW sent Henry Paulson to congress to bail them out.

Obama, despite bonuses being paid to these criminals, allowed the bail out to continue. I think he had no choice. I think the Stimulus package hasn't had the desired result although it is hard to prove a negative - without the bailouts and stimulus, the recession would have been worse.

In the end, you cannot trust the bankers and mortgage people to do the right thing, thus the regulations are necessary. Too bad but unbridled greed is a bad thing. Think Goldman moving $1B of their customer's money to one man. They made $50M on that transaction. Only reasonable to regulate.

Jesse Jackson

Jesse Jackson is another blowhard racist. Sort of an opposite of Rush Limbaugh. Both prone to make ridiculous statements and inflame hatred among their followers.

Jesse is center stage today - Rush is busy trying to reconfigure is golf swing - as he weighs in on the LeBron James situation. He likened Cleveland Cavaliers' owner Dan Gilbert to a slave owner and LeBron to a slave. Since slaves were unpaid, it is safe to say that LeBron earned more last year from Dan Gilbert than all slaves in all of American history.

Jesse does a disservice to the actual slaves who really were mistreated, jailed, raped, killed, etc. Mr. Gilbert acted like a child and will pay the piper for his histrionics. Jesse added nothing to the debate or public discourse. As usual, Jesse is totally unreasonable.

Oakland - The New Detroit

A police officer of the BART system in the bay area shot a man waiting at the depot. This was quite some time ago. The officer, Johannes Mehserle, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Mehserle is a White man, and his victim, Oscar Grant, was a young Black father. Some how this officer thought he was grabbing his taser and instead grabbed his gun and killed the man.

Tragic accident? The story sounds goofy to me, seems like a trained officer could tell the difference, but I imagine that the heat of the moment can be difficult for officers. The jury gave him a pass on murder and manslaughter, and settled on the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Again, tragic event, no matter what happened.

However, for reasons only known to the goof balls in Oakland - the residents "protested" by burning things and breaking into stores and stealing things. Apparently the shoes they stole from the FootLocker will help make the wrong a right. Huh?

I remember Detroit burning down the city to protest in the past, or even to celebrate when their basketball team won. What is the deal?

What is clear in Oakland is this - some people were probably upset, perhaps rightly (I don't know) but others used it as an excuse to steal stuff and act like thugs. They don't give a damn about Oscar Grant, his child, his mother, his fiance, or Oakland for that matter. They care about free shoes! Totally unreasonable.

LeBron James

I admit that I watched the LeBron show on ESPN last night. Seemed like a really bad idea. I didn't think LeBron looked too comfortable - perhaps even a little embarrassed. Too bad for Cleveland - this will hurt their already crappy economy.

However, he has a right to go wherever he wants. I guess the Cavalier's owner, Dan Gilbert, doesn't think so. He posted a very nasty letter on his web site. Craziness from a successful businessman. They need to take away his access.

He sounded like a baby. He will have a difficult time getting any real players to go to Cleveland again. Totally unreasonable.

Various Ramblings Again

Immigration continues to bring out some of the worst in this country. The U.S. government has filed suit against AZ for the 1070 law. Foolishness - Mr. President, just forget about politics and elections and work with both sides to come up with a sensible plan. While not simple - it is doable! Use your skills.

As to the other side of immigration idiocy - look no further than AZ - surprise surprise. Gov. Jan Brewer stated that we all know most of the illegals crossing the border are drug runners. Ugh! empirical data is apparently lacking in this area since arrests, etc. are so haphazard. Thus she gets away with this tripe. Add to this - Barry Wong, a republican running for AZ Corporation Commission is now advocating that electric companies shut off the power to illegal's households. It is 110 degree here and how does Mr. Wong know that there isn't an American living in that household too? One on a respirator etc. He doesn't - just more silly rhetoric to sound tough on immigration and garner votes from unthinking people.

Michael Vick can't stand prosperity - loses his $100M contract from Atlanta, loses his freedom, and is basically vilified by nearly every credible person and organization. Yet, he paid his debt to society and was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles last year as a backup quarterback. He is scheduled to make $5M this year. Now he has a birthday party at a bar and one of his fellow cons is there and gets shot. Yes, shot! These guys sure know how to throw a party! He is not supposed to be in contact with his fellow felons. Seems clear and easy to follow. Not in Michael's case.

Oil, Oil everywhere. Now on the shores of Texas. Can't wait for the super sucker ship to get here. Supposedly it can grab thousands of gallons of oily water, filter it and return the water back to the ocean. Hurry up!

The AZ Diamondbacks fired their GM and coach. They should have kept the last coach and perhaps they wouldn't have this problem. At a minimum they wouldn't be paying the one they just fired for the next 3 1/2 years. They owe the GM for the next 6 years. Geez.

Dana College in Nebraska was founded in the 1880s or so. It is basically bankrupt. A group of investors cut a deal to purchase it, keep the mission of the college intact, and to grow it so that it can once again thrive. The accrediting body, called the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association denied the change and now the school's Board of Trustees have announced that it will close. Geez.

Favre is coming back! Okay, that is just a guess, but he has been throwing a football to those HS kids again. Vikings 2, Packers 0. (I hope that is not the case AGAIN, but.......)

I am wondering where all of the "supporters" of 1070 are? Those who live in other states I mean. They are not vacationing in AZ. It is kind of hot, and not just in terms of temperature either.

World Cup soccer is nearly over - along with those annoying horns that have basically ruined the "Beautiful Game" for a casual observer like myself. Annoying is an understatement.

Hank Haney, Tiger Woods recent coach, has a program called the Haney Project on Golf Channel. He tried to fix Ray Romano and Charles Barkley. Funny stuff. Now he is trying to fix Rush Limbaugh. No more watching for Jeff - unless Mr. Haney can fix his bigoted mouth!

Totally unreasonable.

California Dreamin'

Jaycee Dugard is the 30 year old woman from CA that was abducted by a couple of nut jobs when she was 11. She was raised in a bunch of tents in the backyard and ultimately had children from the man who kidnapped her.

She was found about a year ago after having lived quite close to her real home. Bizarre.

Now, CA has agreed to pay her $20M dollars because they failed to find her despite several visits to the home. Apparently they never looked in the backyard and thus she was held much longer than perhaps was necessary.

Sounds like a wonderful ending. However, the state of CA doesn't have $20M to be paying to her. Why are the citizens of CA paying this money - they didn't kidnap and impregnate her. Yes, the police and probation people screwed up - tragically. They should be fired for incompetence and dereliction of duty. But there just isn't any money for this type of thing. Where does it end?

Not reasonable.

Ants and Nukes

Did you ever wonder from what planet some politicians come? Where they live, where have they been lately?

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R., Ohio) told a Pittsburgh newspaper this week that he did not support the Obama-backed regulatory overhaul of the financial system. Democrats say it is aimed at preventing another crisis in the financial sector. "This is killing an ant with a nuclear weapon," said Mr. Boehner.

On what planet does he live? Same one as John "I don't know how many houses I own" McCain? Does out of touch come to mind?

Has he read about Goldman and the Billion dollar fleecing they gave their clients? Has he heard anything about the continuing mortgage crisis? Derivatives ring a bell Johnny? What an idiot.

It is embarrassing. I wish President Obama hadn't pointed it out so clearly and concisely and with such humor. The rest of the world will now know just how ridiculous our politics have become. Ants? Really? I suppose the Gulf oil spill is just an ink blot! Totally unreasonable.

Universities and the Supreme Court

Interesting decision of the Supreme Court today. They voted 5-4 to support a college in California that said a religious group couldn't bar gay people from joining the group.

First, why would a gay person want to join the group, Christian Legal Society, that they know doesn't welcome them? Only to make a point I suppose.

The Hastings College of Law of the University of California allows a religious group to meet on its campus and the campus has a non-bias position. Thus the college has a right to tell groups operating on the campus that they must follow the anti-bias rule. The U.S. Supreme Court concurred. Justice Alito did file a scathing minority opinion basically saying this is political correctness gone amok. I agree, but I wonder if he would have had the same opinion had the group not been aligned with his Christian beliefs. Suppose the group was Jewish, or Muslim - would Alito have been as quick to label this PC gone amok?

Only he knows.

In the mean time it is unreasonable for the religious group to be required to let people in that they clearly find unacceptable.

McChrystal Follow Up

A tough decision for Obama but I believe the correct one. We have a system that has worked for our entire history, that of a civilian leadership of the military. When that is threatened or weakened, then changes have to be made. McChrystal was properly thanked for his dedication and work and sent on his way.

That General Patraeus was willing to step into the situation was very helpful.

General McChrystal

Between the rock and the hard place - that is where President Obama finds himself. What to do? If Obama fires McChrystal, he potentially sets back what is already a troubled war in Afghanistan. If he doesn't, he will be perceived as wimpy for letting McChrystal walk all over the him and his war advisers.

Geez - who wants to be the U.S. President?

Proves the old adage, be careful what you ask for.

World Cup Revisited

Rick Reilly is a sports writer for ESPN, formerly of Sports Illustrated. Here is his take on the World Cup. Enjoy!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5288738

World Cup

The World Cup is a pretty cool thing. Once every 4 years we get excited about the sport that the rest of the world loves best. It is a struggle for Americans to embrace a sport with so little scoring. Hockey struggles partially for the same reason, although the number of chances, and indeed the number of goals, are higher in Hockey.

Any way, when soccer teams get a play together and a goal is scored, it truly is "the beautiful game." Now, if they could just get rid of those annoying (and harmful) little horns. The beautiful game is nearly unwatchable because of the ridiculous noise caused by the Vuvuzola - a cheap plastic horn that makes a crazy loud noise. Ugh!! Totally unreasonable.

The Morning Joe

While thinking about Congressman Barton's stupidity, I thought again about some things that Joe Scarborough said last week. He indicated that Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck are part of the problem, not the solution to the partisan politics situation.

Couldn't agree more.

The Line Has Been Found

What is the line that Republicans should not cross? Will it ever be found? Yes - it has apparently been found. Using the names Hitler and Saddam to describe Obama wanting to speak to school kids about staying in school wasn't over the line per the Reps. But, as I said, it has been found.

Rep. Joe Barton, Republican from Texas, apologized to the foreign company BP for what he called a "shakedown" by the President and the White House. The line must have been crossed because the Republican leadership called him on the carpet and forced him to apologize or they would strip him of his powers on some committee.

He apologized but you know he didn't mean it. He meant what he said because he has accepted many thousands of dollars from the oil industry. He would clearly like the oil company to do better than the shrimpers, fisherman, restaurateurs, etc. Those that the BP executive called the "little people."

Just Gotta Laugh Sometimes

This was sent to me and I had a good laugh so it is only reasonable to share.

"The other day I needed to go to the emergency room. Not wanting to sit there for 4 hours, I put on my old Army fatigues and stuck a patch onto the front of my shirt that I had downloaded off the Internet.

When I went into the E.R., I noticed that 3/4 of the people got up and left. I guess they decided that they weren't that sick after all. Cut at least 3 hours off my waiting time!

Here's the patch. Feel free to use the next time you're in need of quicker emergency service.

It also works at DMV. It saved me 5 hours. At the Laundromat, three minutes after entering I had my choice of any machine, most still running.

Don't try it at McDonald's though.....the whole crew got up and left and I never got my order...

.........

.........

..........

Oil, Oil, Everywhere Oil - Part Deux

This cartoon appeared in the newspaper. When we take our 4 cylinder, small cars to the gas station here in AZ, this is exactly what we see.

I applaud Obama for getting the BP pledge for $20B, yet not allowing that to be a capped figure. In the end, BP cut corners to save hundreds of thousands per day and those short cuts will cost them, and the guy in this cartoon, dearly.

Morning Joe

Apparently there is a show on MSNBC or Fox or somewhere with Joe Scarborough, a former conservative congressman from Florida. He gave a keynote address at the convention I just attended in Las Vegas.

He told a great story which I will relate here - just a bit later. First, he stated that he ran for congress in 1994 because he "hated" Bill Clinton - the current president. He was elected and over the next 6 years learned to work with the Republican congress and Clinton. He correctly identified that this was a period of unprecedented economic growth. You will recall that many months ago, I showed that since WW2 the singular most potent economic time was the 6 years of Clinton and the Republican congress. They had to work together.

According to Joe, he and Bill have become close friends - don't agree on a lot of things but respect each other's opinions.

Now the story: Thomas Jefferson and John Adams apparently disliked each other. The both had signed the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July, 1776. 50 years later, as Jefferson lay dying (late July 3rd) he asked the doc if it was July 4th yet. Told no, Jefferson went back to sleep. He repeated this a couple of more times until the doc answered that it was indeed the 4th of July, 1826. Thomas Jefferson then died.

In another place, John Adams lay on his death bed and died on the same day. His last words to his family were, "Thomas Jefferson survives". Two old battlers who respected one another, died on the same day.

According to Joe S., the system is now broken. There is so much partisanship, that they cannot get anything done. He had equal blame on both parties for the partisanship. To be fair to Joe, he was brutal on Obama (he and I disagree here), just not so much on the partisanship issue.

There is Hope For Us All

This may seem trivial, but I simply don't agree.

In describing the events in baseball where Armando Gallaraga had a perfect game taken away from him by an imperfect umpire, Jim Joyce, I mentioned that the ump fessed up to his mistake.

So, does admitting one's mistake make a difference to Americans? I can answer yes in the case of myself and those from Detroit who go to baseball games.

As mentioned, Joyce admitted his mistake and you could see he was genuinely devastated by that mistake. The young man from Venezuela, Gallaraga, was very kind in saying that mistakes happen - we are all human. He could have exploded on Joyce, claimed racism against Venezuelans because of their idiot political leader, he could have cussed or been demonstrative. Who wouldn't? Gallaraga.

This incredibly poised young man had a rare feat stolen from him, and yet he smiled and graciously gave the ump an out. No pun intended. Wow.

The next day brings another game (same teams, same umps) so the manager of Detroit has Gallaraga take the lineup card to the umpire. The umpire is Jim Joyce. Because Mr. Joyce, who will be infamously remembered, had taken responsibility, and because Gallaraga had been so gracious, the fans cheered Jim Joyce, Gallaraga, and the Detroit Tigers.

There is hope for us - taking responsibility for one's actions, failures and successes alike, is still rewarded and appreciated. Incredibly reasonable.

Imperfect World of Sports

Yesterday a young man, Armando Gallarago, pitching for the Detroit Tigers, had a perfect game. 27 up, 27 down. Oops, the ump called the runner safe, almost inexplicably, and thus the perfecto was broken up. Instant replay clearly shows the error and the ump, to his credit, admitted his mistake.

About an hour after that, in game 3 of the NHL playoffs, Philly appeared to score a goal but the referee didn't see it so the play continued on for about 1 1/2 minutes. At the next whistle, they used video review and determined that a goal had been scored. They actually awarded the goal, and then wiped out the 1 1/2 minutes of action that had occurred erroneously.

My point is, the first game, baseball with all its tradition, couldn't get it right and the second game, hockey with all its traditions, could get it right.

MLB should rule the last out was an out and the perfecto was indeed achieved by Armando Gallarago.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could go back and fix all of the problems we experience in our lives just by reviewing video?

Politics - Becoming the Root of All Evil

Used to be that money was the root of all evil - or so the saying went. To borrow from the gun lobby - money doesn't create evil, people create evil. Now, having said that, people with money who steal from the rest of us - take bankers for example - are, in fact, evil personified.

As usual though, I digress. Politics has become evil incarnate.

Republicans, who have many things that they could be concentrating on - such as trying not to tork off the fastest growing sector of the electorate - have decided to try to make a connection between the Obama administration's response to the oil spill and the Bush administration's response to Katrina.

Look no further than elevation to see the difference. The problem in the ocean is that it is more than a mile underwater. You cannot just send thousand of troops to go plug the hole. You cannot send one to plug the hole. BP has the equipment, barely, to work in the PSI that far underwater. The coast guard is there to oversee the effort, again as best as they can.

Katrina - the city was under say 20 feet of water and the people were sitting on their roofs or in the attic. As soon as the wind died down and the water began to recede, thousands of federal troops could have been on the streets, in boats, etc. to assist those people.

No comparison. It is disingenuous to compare the lack of deep sea equipment with the terrible lack of compassion associated with Katrina. I think the goal of the Republicans is two fold:

• Try to embarrass the democratic president, thus helping their election prospects in November
• Try to deflect our attention from oil drilling gone bad, really bad, and make us some how think the government could have stopped this.

Isn't it interesting that they call Obama a socialist and now are critical that the government isn't enough involved?

Not that the federal government couldn't be doing more to help. They can assist with the attempt to keep the oil off the beaches and marshes. If that requires thousands of people, get at it.

More Immigration

Are there any adults left in this country? Cities boycotting AZ because of an immigration policy that has zero effect on them, except the illegals may move to their city and they don't want that to happen. Los Angeles boycotting AZ - are you kidding? Apparently the LA Lakers' fans didn't' get the memo as they were out in force for game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night in downtown Phoenix. (Suns whooped em')

Then we had an AZ guy who apparently works on "the grid" and said we could shut off a quarter of the power to So. CA that we provide. Yikes - talk about an escalation of idiocy.

President Obama is sending 1,200 troops to the border to assist with security because of the drug and human smugglers. McCain, who was once a Maverick and is no longer a Maverick (or so he says), who also didn't like the fence and troops, etc. a couple of years ago, now says we need 3,000. Not sure how he arrived at that number. The Maverick used to be smart, but now he just is trying to get elected.

In the mean time, people across the country say they like the new AZ law, yet conventions aren't being booked and some have been cancelled. I hope all of the supportive individuals spend their summer vacation here. (who wouldn't love to come to 115 degrees of dry heat?)

A young police officer was gunned down in west Phoenix two nights ago. The 4 year officer has two kids, including one only 2 weeks old. The guy the arrested has a Hispanic name, but alas he was born and raised in Tucson - in other words a regular old American citizen.

This place would have gone off like a powder-keg had the dumb ass shooter been an illegal. No matter what, the young father and husband remains dead.

Familiar Immigration Story

This appeared in a column in the AZ REpublic - EJ Montini (sort of a communist writer). I have not edited the story:

Tyson Nash, a former pro hockey player and current radio analyst for the Phoenix Coyotes, believes in doing things the right way. He moved from Canada to the United States 15 years ago, when he was 20, in order to fulfill his dream of a sports career. He was not the biggest or the most talented hockey player, but he managed through grit and determination to play professionally into his 30s, including a stint with the Coyotes.

'This country has given me what I have," he told me. "I am very grateful to be here." In 2001, Nash began the process to become a permanent resident of the U.S., to get what is commonly called a "green card."

During his time in this country, he has paid over a million and a half dollars in taxes. He has worked steadily and never been in trouble. He received the Coyotes' Man of the Year Award in 2004 for his involvement in the community. He has paid lawyers over $16,000 to help him go through the immigration process the "right way."

"I've tried to be a model citizen," he said. "Both me and my wife (who is also Canadian). I've tried always to do what is right and to follow the rules. And for all that what have I gotten? Nothing. Frustration. Disappointment. It's sad, really. You hear people talk about immigrants doing things the 'right way' all the time. I suspect that they have no idea what that entails."

The road to permanent residency involves a lot of paperwork, a lot of waiting, a lot of wondering, and an interview. Nash didn't get notice of his green card interview until 2008.

"It was a really long time to wait," he said. "You know how it goes in hockey? A career doesn't last forever. It's usually pretty short."

By the time Nash got an interview for his green card, his professional playing days were coming to an end. In fact, the interview was scheduled for the very day that he was to have a last-ditch tryout with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

"I called my lawyer and tried to get it changed," he said. "We wrote letters. We didn't hear back. In the meantime, the Coyotes called and said we have this opportunity here for you with an analyst's job. I was still interested in playing, but I canceled my tryout. The green card is the most important thing in my life. I told Phoenix if I can't get my tryout back, then I'll take the job."

The story gets more complicated after that, at least in the way that dealing with a bureaucracy and its red tape can make anything and everything more complicated.

What it boils down to is that in his original application, back in 2001, Nash listed his occupation as a hockey player. By the time he got to his green card interview all these years later, his occupation was TV analyst.

As a result, his conversation with the immigration official who was considering his application became, in Nash's word, surreal.

"Essentially, he told me that I filed my application as a hockey player and not a broadcaster so I had to get back in line and refile," Nash said. "I can't explain the frustration."

It gets even more bizarre. As Nash waits to find out if he'll be deported (along with his wife and three American children), he ran into a man from South Africa at a kids' baseball game.

"He told me, 'You wouldn't believe it, I won a green card in a lottery,'" Nash said.

It's true. Each year the U.S. government issues 50,000 green cards through a lottery, with applicants selected randomly by a computer. People from all over the world can apply.

But not Canadians.

Which left Nash, a good taxpayer, a good father and a good (if not quite legal) citizen, wondering what is right about the "right way."

My Note: Sasa - sound familiar?

Rand Paul

Rand Paul, son of presidential hopeful Ron Paul and newly nominated Kentucky Republican, has informed us all that private business should be allowed to discriminate against Blacks. When criticized, he tried to clarify and then blamed the liberal press and Democrats for the controversy. (Think of Sarah Palin and Katie Couric badgering her by asking what newspapers she read - nasty liberal press.)

Do you believe it or not Mr. Paul? Have a backbone. If you think the feds shouldn't be involved and just leave it to private business, then say so. That we tried that in this country and it resulted in "No N_____'s Allowed" signs has apparently been lost on this fine gentleman.

Ugh.

Ron Paul thinks his son was mis-characterized. Ugh again.

Please tell me the Republican party isn't going to be run over by these racist nitwits. And, if he mis-spoke and is not a racist, then please tell me the Republican party isn't going to be run over by these stupid nitwits.

P.S. - this just in - Rand now thinks Obama is being too tough on BP. Are you kidding? Thousands of people's livelihoods are about to be wiped out, the beautiful Gulf will be polluted for many years to come, and it might just put oil on the beaches along Florida and the Carolinas. And Obama is too tough? 11 people died. Too tough?

Idiot.

The "Didn't Read the Bill" Defense/Offense

From time to time a bill is floated and fought over in the congress or in the state legislatures. Then it is learned that elected officials didn't read the bill. They vote, pontificate, criticize, etc. without reading the document.

So what! If members of congress read the documents start to finish, they wouldn't understand all of the legal jargon that bloats these things to thousands of pages. The shear number of bills, all the size of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, would make it literally impossible to read them all. They have staffers who give the lawmaker a synopsis of the respective laws and proposals. Yes, that makes the staffers powerful people.

Griping about who read and didn't read them in whole is just a way to deflect criticism at the law or the lawmaker themselves. Nothing more than political noise. The latest example is the AZ immigration law. What has been reported is pretty accurate when you read the bill. It is the interpretation and implementation that will make this Nazi-like or much-ado-about-nothing. Personally, I think the latter will be the case.

Counter Terrorism

After 9-11 we were told that the government would revamp how information is accumulated and shared among the appropriate agencies. We even created some sort of clearinghouse, called the National Counter Terrorism Center. They were to analyze data.

The Obama administration made statements after the Christmas Day bomber failed that implied the parts of system worked. However, the congressional review is harsher, especially on the NCTC. They wrote:

"NCTC personnel had the responsibility and the capability to connect the key reporting with the other relevant reporting," the congressional summary said. "The NCTC was not adequately organized and did not have resources appropriately allocated to fulfill its missions."

It seems to me that bureaucrats need to be held accountable. They haven't been. Look at this example plus the SEC workers watching porn for the last 5 years, add in the banking regulators who were paid bonuses for doing such a fine job of protecting us from the banking whores. All should have been fired.

If you want to have bigger government due to a belief that government can do it better or won't steal like the private businesses (banks, insurance companies, etc.) then you have to hold them accountable to a high standard. Obama should step up pressure on agency leaders to dump the deadwood because there are talented people out of work who might give it a more honest effort.

Oh My - What a Surprise

Mark Souder is yet another conservative, Christian member of congress that has had to admit to an affair. Family values, a champion of Abstinence only training in school (think Palin, her daughter and the ex-boyfriend), etc. are a staple of his reign. Again a hypocrite.

He sounded like he was taking his lumps and fessing up to his weakness. Of course he couldn't help finishing with this beauty, "He said he chose to resign rather than subject his family to a "painful, drawn-out process" in what he called "the poisonous environment of Washington, D.C."

So it is Washington D.C.'s fault that he had an affair after selling himself to his constituents as the family value man?

Say it Ain't So!

Finally Sarah Palin has weighed in on the AZ immigration law. She blasted a north Chicago suburb for cancelling a trip for a girl's basketball team to come to AZ for a tournament this winter.

I hate when this happens, but I agree with Sarah Palin on this one. Jeez, shouldn't kids be allowed to be kids and to use their God given talents without politics getting in the way?

Oil, Oil, Everywhere Oil

Surprise! Haliburton is involved in the oil spill mess in the Gulf. Haliburton - the first love of Dick Cheney, former VP under George W. Bush. Oddly, Haliburton's leader blamed BP who had earlier blamed it on Transocean. Completing the ring-around-the-rosey was Transocean blaming Haliburton. I think that is the way the game was played.

Seeing the three big shots pointing at each other was comical. Of course there is nothing comical about it in any way. It is a full-blown tragedy.

To date, I thought BP was doing pretty good at owning up to the tragedy and saying they will pay. I hope that doesn't change now that Lamar McKay (president of BP U.S.) has the taste for passing the buck.

Bush-Cheney, the gift that just keeps on giving!

Speed Cameras - Revisited

Well, the speed cameras are coming down. The agreement expires in July and the governor isn't renewing it. The program only generated $65M and saved an estimated 24 lives (deaths down 19% during the period), thus I guess it is a failure.

What? We have a huge deficit here in the AZ budget and it is going to get bigger as we lose more and more conventions, events, meetings, etc. So if you are making $65M on the program and saving lives, how could you let it go? Smart people would not. AZ legislature and governor are not smart people. They are ideologues with power, but not of the brain variety.

They argue that illegal immigrants (and I agree) are illegal and thus need to be dealt with. People exceeding the speed limit by 11 MPH are illegally driving and being fined because of it. This is a silly thing to do. As a confirmed 7-MPH-over-the-speed-limit driver I found the program to be harmless.

Immigration Again

Each day we are provided more fodder about immigration problems in the U.S. There is no shortage of partisan B.S. but there is a shortage of action.

Apparently about 1/2 of the illegal immigrants in this country came via legal means - a visa of some sort. What makes them illegal? They are overstaying the visa and the feds are doing very little to fix the problem.

Perhaps we should stop all visas until we can figure out a better system. Or, at least stop visas for people from unfriendly countries. Define "unfriendly" as places that have citizens blowing up U.S. interests, their own people, hosting "build a bomb" training parties, etc.

We have technology, use it. Electronic visas that have tracking devices so that we can "remind" them it is time to go - now.

I always told my friend from Europe that he could stay in the U.S. because the feds wouldn't know or care that he was here. However, part of the appeal for him and his family was the U.S. has and enforces laws. He refused to become an illegal immigrant. Apparently he was in the minority.

Be Afraid, Very Very Afraid

Well, the Tea Party movement stepped up in Utah and beat a sitting Republican Senator. Senator Bennett has been a consistent Conservative for 18 years. What was his crime? He backed the Bush administration on the TARP fund.

Most economists backed the play, saying that the fund will make the then-coming depression/recession less severe. Hard to say if they were right but it seems that some improvement has occurred. Perhaps the recession or depression was less severe or shorter or both because of the TARP program.

Again, hard to know. Funny how the Tea Party people can be so sure. The fact is, they are not sure but are so ideologically "pure" that they are willing to give up the power that Utah is afforded by having a powerful, Conservative Senator.

In Utah, the state is very conservative so either of the remaining Conservatives will probably be able to beat whatever Dem gets put up in the general election. But what about less Red states? What will happen in November when they successfully put up a far right-wing Conservative that turns off the Independent voter and even the slightly right of center Republicans? It will be interesting.

NYC

NYC - just another radical Muslim idiot with a poorly constructed bomb. I read about this contraption that was built and put in a stolen SUV and parked outside the theater district. A Saturday night so the explosion would have been devastating.

Luckily these idiots are just that. Turns out he has been here for quite a few years and "earned" citizenship here a year ago. What kind of background check are we running?

Immigration is totally screwed up.

Drill Baby Drill or Spill Baby Spill

Can Louisiana get any more unlucky? Jeez. Our love for oil is now not just about air pollution and global warming. Now it is about destroying entire industries and shorelines that generate millions of dollars. Undeniable. Black goo in the water, headed for shore, covering fish, being consumed by sea turtles, etc. Ugh.

I wonder how the conservatives will spin this? Perhaps they will say, "Who needs those pesky white sand beaches, it just gets in your clothes and shoes anyway!" or "Shrimp are overrated" or "Who cares, old White guys don't live in New Orleans and/or they don't work on shrimping boats."

John McCain and Sarah Palin, where are you now? I assure you they are not down there sitting on the beach trying to scrub the oil off the sea turtles, birds, fish, etc. Obama, like Governor Arnold S. of California should rethink the added drilling sites approved. Clearly we do not have the technology to fix these problems as they arise.

Lastly, shouldn't the "pro-lifers" be concerned about the 11 dead people who died on that oil rig?

I Feel Like Brett Favre

Retire, un-retire, retire.........

Oh well - the fodder is just too good.

Immigration is now the hot topic. Arizona is being skewered by the media and prominent people but the average Joe likes the law, even if they feel a bit uncomfortable with the possible racial profiling.

Those of us that live here understand the argument for and against. I wrote earlier that I agreed with the Governor signing the law, hoping that it will spur the feds to act. I stand by it but I do worry about the massive loss of money that is already happening.

There are people who vote with their pocketbooks and where they schedule their meetings. Likely they will not be coming to Arizona. Okay, perhaps the Grand Poo Bah will bring the KKK annual convention.

Again Time to Retire the Blog

I again think it is time to retire this blog. It has been fun if not well read. Oh well, the act of blogging is therapeutic. I need to find another way to vent frustration with the simple mindedness of the public discourse. The two party system works because it allows us to compartmentalize the enormous amounts of information we have to process. It doesn't work because it makes people take positions that have no basis in fact or common sense.

So, my final vent.......

The epitome of stupidity was the rambling and venomous disagreement with Obama speaking to school kids about staying in school and working hard. Totally crazy that the opposition even existed.

Liberals are torqued because Obama isn't liberal enough. Conservatives are torqued because Obama is a Socialist in their minds. Of course, the truth lies in the middle.

I was raised as a child to not be prejudiced. I attended a public university with students from more than 70 countries, and I contend that you cannot be in that situation, see people of all persuasions, color, creed, etc. going through the same trials, tribulations, failures and successes as one's self, and be overly prejudiced.

A good deal of the dislike for Obama is he is left of center (not far in my opinion) and most Americans are probably are slightly right of center. But there is also a dislike by some for Obama because he is 1/2 Black. The "Birthers" sound like nut jobs to me. In AZ, we are working on more legislation to make the state a laughing stock - a presidential candidate will have to prove to AZ that they are eligible or they can't be on the ballot.

The Republicans are going to work together today to stop the vote to regulate the banking industry. Apparently they like Goldman Sachs. I am sure they read the emails that talk about screwing clients and making millions betting against the very financial derivatives that they were creating. Are they serious?

Banks, car manufacturers etc. are or have repaid the loans given to them by the tax payers. Some years in advance. Why would they do this? Because they don't want the oversight that comes with the continued use of the money. They should be commended for repaying the money, but the motivation should scare us all to death. We will not be able to sustain another hit like the financial mess we encountered in 2007-2009.

As in almost all mid-term elections, the opposition (to the President) party will pick up seats. How many? Who knows. It may be enough to regain control of the house and senate. That may actually be good for Obama and the rest of us. It certainly helped Clinton, and therefore our economy when he had to work with a Republican majority.

The single best historical combination for our economy is a Democratic President with a Republican congress. That is undeniable.

There are more subjects, but I need to be done. To the few of you who have read this blog, I encourage you to try to look at thinks from more than one side and get your news from more than one source. It is imperative that we have an informed public.

Immigration Law in AZ

The legislature in AZ has sent a bill to Governor Brewer for her signature. This basically makes an illegal immigrant guilty of trespassing in AZ. The national media has portrayed it as a license to racial profile.

I find it amusing to listen to both sides on this issue. It is exactly why this blog exists. The extremes are so out there.

Here is the reality - we have a porous border and have had one for a long, long time; true also in Texas, New Mexico, and California as well. The feds have basically done nothing to create a comprehensive program. We build fences, we send the Guard, we give amnesty, etc., yadda yadda, yadda, blah, blah, blah.

In the end, millions of people come to this country illegally. Many do not speak English and they don't even really try to assimilate, or worse try to create "Little Mexico" right here in AZ. However, most do not commit crimes (other than trespassing I guess) and are only here to try to make a better life for their families. They pay taxes, buy goods (thus pay more taxes), and in some cases pay into Social Security with no chance of ever getting it back.

We have already made strides in AZ by punishing employers who knowingly employ illegals. Many have left because of this and probably more so because of the stinky economy. Those that stay use medical services and send their kids to crowded schools.

I think the sponsor of the legislation is a mean-spirited man who simply dislikes minorities and women; loves old White guys. McCain, the now political chameleon, has suddenly come out for the Gov to sign it. This from the guy who last sponsored a much more illegal immigrant friendly bill a few years ago. Of course now he is in an election against J.D. Hayworth for the Republican spot in the Senate race. J.D. Hayworth is a blowhard of the Limbaugh ilk. If the Tea Party people get their way, they might actually elect the dimwitted Hayworth.

Immigration needs to be handled on the federal level but until then, I guess the state should do what it can to stem the tide. If this bill does that, so be it. As to racial profiling? An AZ driver's license suffices because you have to prove citizenship to get one. I wish I could get fired up about racial profiling but I cannot. Like airport security, I think it makes sense to look at the people who resemble those that have blown up airplanes, themselves, etc. I am an equal opportunity profiler however. For example, I understand why people fear the White guy of 20 some years old, wearing fatigues, and carrying weapons around, or driving a truck/van that might be filled with explosives - someone like Timothy McVeigh for example.

Here is my only real concern: If my mother, sister or brother were to visit (not likely with my brother) and be stopped by police, they may have trouble meeting the requirement since they have out of state driver's licenses and would not likely be carrying a passport. They do have light colored skin however so will probably be okay.

Re-Distribution of Wealth

The current mantra from conservatives makes it seem as if all wealth is being moved to the masses in some socialist movement. Clearly President Obama wants to make the rich, himself included, pay for some of his more important agenda items. No surprise - this was a major plank in his campaign.

What I find more fascinating is the redistribution of wealth that occurred with Goldman Sachs. It has been alleged, and this first part is pretty clear, that $1 Billion dollars from supposedly savvy investors was re-distributed to a hedge fund, ostensibly with the info coming from Goldman Sachs. Ouch.

I don't see the Tea Party dudes bitching about that even though it is just one example of how the financial empires screwed the world economy. Think how many jobs were lost when individuals and companies were bilked out of $1B so that one guy could bet against the investments and reap that exact $1B. Wow.

Enough Laughing

Nuclear weapons are not a laughing matter!

Actually, it appears that there is some consensus to that statement. I don't really worry too much about nuclear weapons on a daily basis. To date, the U.S. is the only country to deploy them in a war situation. That was more than 60 years ago.

I do worry about rogue nations (Iran, N. Korea, etc.) getting them and more importantly the loss of some nuclear weapons. Where are they? Are they secure? What happens if the Taliban get one or the ever elusive Bin Laden?

Obama is being presidential as he pursues this cause and I appreciate his administration's efforts along these lines.

Gotta Laugh!

As we enter yet another voting season, let us ponder upon this wise story!

While walking down the street one day a "Member of Parliament" is tragically hit by a truck and died. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

'Welcome to heaven,' says St. Peter. 'Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you.'

'No problem, just let me in,' says the man.

'Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.'

'Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,' says the MP.

'I'm sorry, but we have our rules.'

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had
worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people.

They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly & nice guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises....

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is
waiting for him. 'Now it's time to visit heaven.'

So, 24 hours pass with the MP joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

'Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.'

The MP reflects for a minute, then he answers: 'Well, I would never have said it
before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.'

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage.

He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

'I don't understand,' stammers the MP. 'Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable.

What happened?'

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, 'Yesterday we were campaigning.....

Today you voted.'

Lawyers.....

I was at a conference yesterday in CA and there was a lawyer speaking. About midway through he decided to tell a funny story about a fellow lawyer. His caveat was that he didn't really know if the story was true but on pretty good authority he was told that it was true.

An attorney purchased two dozen very expensive cigars and thus he insured them. Unbelievably there was an insurance company that was willing to write such a policy and take the lawyer's money. The lawyer then over a period of time smoked the cigars and when they were all gone he filed a claim with the insurance company claiming that the cigars were destroyed in a series of small fires!

Of course the insurance company denied the claim and of course the lawyer sued. When the case was heard by the judge, the judge found in favor of the lawyer, basically saying if you were stupid enough to write this policy and take the premium, then you should pay. Which they did.

(now, that is an odd enough story, but here is the kicker........)



The lawyer was in turn arrested on 24 cases of arson. Beautiful!