07 September 2010

A Labor Of Unions...
I know, it SHOULD be a labor of love, but with the current state of affairs, I think you'll more than get the gist of this soon enough.
Labor unions are powerful organizations...that's a FACT (Jack)!
And the ORIGINAL intent of them WAS in fact, to protect the working class for several kinds of sh*t that came at those working class men and women.
As such, they did pretty damn well straight away. They righted a LOT of wrongs against workers, and that was a GOOD thing.
They even provided pension plans for their workers in addition to the Social Security program to help them after they retire.
And on the surface, ALL of this looks REAL good.
But underneath, this labor behemoth has become drunk with power of the decades to the point of controlling a large part of our federal government.
That's not very close to that "original intent" of what a (labor) union used to be all about.
Think about this...only NINE PERCENT of workers are in a UNION.
That leaves NINETY-ONE PERCENT of the workers free to control their OWN destiny when it comes to retirement.
THESE people can decide where to place their money, and how to invest in their future.
The other 9% wind up costing everyone else, especially the other union workers in an unsustainable "pyramid scheme".
When you allow people to retire at close to (or sometimes even exceeding) their original wages, all that moolah's gotta be comin' from SOMEWHERE.
Let's say ONE person retires from the police force at gets near 80% of their pay AS a pension due to "the formula" system (years in the job plus their age, as most agencies tend to do these days). Who pays for that since the person retired is NO LONGER paying into this "system"?
Why that would be another TEN officers (give or take). I'm rounding off, as the actual numbers tend to fluctuate given pay scales in various cites, counties, etc.
And WHO will pay for THOSE TEN officers when THEY retire...???
If you said the NEXT 100 OFFICERS...give yourself a gold star!
You can easily see how this becomes a study in exponentially, with NO hope of sustainability.
This is why we see unions tapping city coffers to PAY for this...and as a result, why many cities have a lot of cobwebs in their treasuries when they should have some money for such things like infrastructure repair and upgrades, public works, and such.
And it's all done through negotiations at contract time, or as they say..."collective bargaining".
That's also why taxes keep going UP, and rarely if ever drop.
Now, one can argue that it's the responsibility of a city (and it's populace) to pay for all this.
I really don't think so.
The general public doesn't mind one bit if it has to pay the SALARY of a firefighter, police officer or even the public officials...the "civil servants" it elects.
What the citizens DO take issue with, is having to pay (sometimes grossly inflated) ALL the pensions for those who have retired from public service.
Look at all those in the federal government to see the writing on the wall.
Senators and Presidential secretaries get outlandish pension package "deals", and they're not even in a union.
Are they deserving of that, considering all the "perks" they get AS a federal official?
Not hardly. They SHOULD have been saving as they went along...as the REST of us who put them into office attempt to do.
Now consider all those in the auto industry, who make about $25 an HOUR (plus)...which in many cases is a crapload MORE than the average police officer OR firefighter!
Here the person is, sticking seats into the pickups along the assembly line for years, while that police officer is putting THEIR LIFE on the line every single day, not knowing if that next "innocent" traffic stop will wind up as a running gun battle...or worse. Ditto for firefighters. They walk into a burning structure, NOT knowing if the next step they take might be their last, because the floor gave way, or the ceiling collapsed.
Hardly seems "equitable" if we're JUST talking about UNIONS here, right?
Why would the private sector demand MORE pay for less work, or less possibility of injurious situations, while the public servant places themselves in harms' way daily for LESS pay and benefits?
And why would EITHER faction do so in such an unsustainable manner as I mentioned above?
What I find REALLY incredulous about these unions, is that they always seem to come up with MILLIONS to blow on political candidates.
When they SHOULD be blowing it on their union MEMBERS.
The "fat cats" in charge of these unions always seem to get the best and the most, while the proverbial carrot dangled now and again to the "rank and file" seems to keep those people quiet. It's just such an insidious device to control people...it amazes me.
My thought is that unions have accomplished what they ORIGINALLY set out to do, namely make the workplace safe, place decent wages in the pockets of the workers, and prevent abusive labor practices, like the sweatshops, unjust child labor, and the coal miners of PA...to name a few.
What these same unions have done though, is go way too far past that intent.
They demanded such high wages for it's memberships, that businesses have fled ELSEWHERE to manufacture the items that USED to made HERE...in the damn United States of America. President Clinton added quite a few nails in THAT coffin when he passed NAFTA.
This nation used to be at the "top of the heap" when it came to invention and manufacturing...
Not so these days...not even close.
And that's a damn shame...for every worker here.
Between the ever-increasing wages and high cost of pensions, this nation finds itself in some deep sh*t...and it's getting deeper with every generation.
Could we do without unions...?
I believe so.
Should we do without them?
Perhaps.
But it's not like a light bulb, where you can flip a switch and turn it the hell off.
This beast isn't going anywhere any time soon.
They have been given too much power, and since they've had this "taste" for so long, they are not ready to relinquish it.
The agencies and companies I have worked for that were NOT union-led were some of the BEST places I worked at.
Conversely, the union shops were not the best games in town...and if my father were alive, he'd second that claim...loudly!
He was a union man his whole working life, and his pension didn't amount to spit after he passed and mom got her "check"...!
Seems he died just shy of the retirement "age"...
So, what DID happen to all of Dad's "money" he pumped into the union?
Well, Mom certainly DIDN'T get it. I know that for a fact. She lived off of Dad's SSI (and my frequent "gifts") until she passed.
(As a widow, you have the option of your SSI or your spouse's - whatever will pay more)
Would it not be better for everyone if we (as workers) were permitted to DECIDE FOR OURSELVES where to put money gleaned from "the weekly insult" (read paycheck), instead of a bunch of power-hungry strangers?
Would we ever trust the care of our children to such people?
Well, that's what we're doing...placing their future in the hands of these union leaders (and they would so love to fundamentally transform this nation).
In today's economy, with ALL the job LOSSES, and failed "stimulus plans", (like this NEXT debacle which will cost $60 BILLION), the working man and woman is taking it on the chin repeatedly, and sooner or later, hitting the canvas is gonna seem a whole lot more comfortable than getting the hell back up only to be smacked on the chin again.
President Obama is lauding this latest fiasco (the $60 billion dollar plan I just mentioned), which WILL produce jobs to repair our crumbling infrastructure across the country (much like FDR did with his mess). That sounds good, doesn't it?
Well, what happens when those infrastructure projects are all COMPLETED? Can You say...LAYOFFS?
And it will be an en masse one to boot!
We'll more than likely wind up with HIGHER unemployment than we "enjoy" now...
There is nothing LONG-TERM about this recovery program...it's all just another band-aid on that compound fractured leg bone.
But, I'm sure the UNIONS will get some money out of this...no doubt about it, in fact.
Here's some links if you want to bone up on some of the history behind labor unions and the labor movement in America:
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Eco_Unionization.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States
And these sites are but the tip of a MUCH larger iceberg.
I could easily turn this post into a SERIES, but I wanted to peak your curiosity.
Now maybe this is all nothing more than tossing good money (YOUR money) after bad...maybe not.
But you have to do your homework on this...see if you come to similar conclusions as I have.
You might agree, or vehemently disagree...but if there is ONE thing you CAN take away from all this...it will get you to THINK.
At least the price is right there...thinking IS STILL FREE.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

06 September 2010

Monday Musings - Labor Day Edition...
Today is Labor Day.
This is one of those "cool" holidays...and by that I mean it celebrates something (or rather someone) we often take purely for granted.
And that's the WORKING men and women of this nation.
We always have the obvious holidays like Christmas, or Thanksgiving, and Easter.
And we also have the PATRIOTIC holidays like Veteran's Day, The 4th of July, and Memorial Day.
We do also celebrate religious holidays of various faiths throughout our year.
But today always seems a little different.
None of the fireworks, the fol-de-rol, the pageantry...just plain old sighs of relief by the working class stiffs.
It's a day to TAKE IT EASY...to receive acknowledgment for being one of the "grunts in the trench", as it were.
Here's the WIKI on today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day
And to borrow from this entry:
"The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations," followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement."
I would at this time also add a CAVEAT, that being this day appears to be MORE of a celebration of LABOR UNIONS than the WORKERS (themselves) WHO LABOR.
You might want to take a read at this:
http://www.econlib.com/library/Enc/LaborUnions.html
Labor unions USED to be a bastion of HELP to their workers, but have grown into quite another animal over the decades. The main thrust of having unions was to ensure fair bargaining power, fair wages and fair conditions for employees. It was more about being FAIR to the worker.
But by the same token, unions also COST jobs because of the lack of competition. If an employer has to pay MORE for the employees (becasue some union demands it), they are more likely to "purchase" LESS of them, ergo...fewer jobs available.
It's a vicious cycle (with the unions at the center); one that CAN be worked with, if cooler heads prevail and common sense is practiced.
But today SHOULD be about the WORKER...NOT the unions.
To all of you that have toiled or are still toiling for that paycheck...this is YOUR day!
Now granted, today is ALSO utilized by stores to have yet ANOTHER sale day.
I guess even some people can't figure it out...
Yes, Virginia, even though today honors those of the working class, that does NOT mean that ALL work is suspended for 24 hours...heaven forbid.
The police still patrol our streets, firefighters still answer that bell when needed.
Doctors and nurses still care for the sick and infirm.
Pilots still fly airliners, Captains still sail cargo ships, and even the neighborhood ice cream man still makes his rounds.
Some people are just "lucky" like that...
Actually, today means JUST as much to THEM, as it does to those who DO have the day off...if not more.
And it's to THEM that today should mean a little bit more to the rest of us.
Personally, I can't imagine WHAT would transpire should EVERYONE have today off...can you?
It would be total chaos, and we've got enough of that across the globe as it is. And speaking of "across the globe", today pertains to EVERY single one of our men and women in military uniform perhaps MORE than in any other occupation.
For it's these brave souls that have ALLOWED us to enjoy the ability to freely work HERE...to pursue the careers of OUR choice, and to enable us to have that "day off" in the first place.
So today, we fly our nation's flag to honor THEM.
Like I said...today IS a COOL holiday.
Yet, there is a "down" side to this, unfortunately...
I look about my neighborhood, and I see way too many people who DO not, HAVE not, nor ever wish to work.
And they also have the exact same freedoms as the rest of us.
They look at today as just another day to "party"...and that's sad.
They don't see today (or any holiday for that matter) as a way of HONORING anything or anyone.
If it were up to me, I'd make sure that every one of these people WOULD work today...just so they get an idea of what it's like to be RESPONSIBLE. I think that's only fair.
I mean, when EVERY day is a "holiday", you SHOULD take a break...once in a while.
Then again, these folks don't operate on the same societal plane as most other normal people do.
They are still living under the misconception that the solar system revolves around THEM.
Must be all the gub'ment money making them giddy that way.
That's a pitiful life they lead...pitiful.
While WE, as the working class can appreciate that FOR which we work...and we also appreciate the fact that we CAN work...earn a living, and save to purchase not only what we NEED, but also a few things that we "want".
That is what OUR lives are all about.
Without the ability to work...to achieve, to financially support OURSELVES, we become lessened individuals.
We fail to prosper, and fail miserably as a people.
It's that simple.
That's what BUILT this nation in the first damn place; people who busted their asses every day creating everything we see around us.
WE, the people built the houses, the stores, the office buildings, the airports, the docks, the very Capitol itself.
WE did it...and for the right reasons.
WE built the Panama Canal, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Brooklyn Bridge, The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and yes, even the World trade Center. Had it not been for the ingenuity OF Americans over the centuries, as well as their perspicacity and stubborn dedication for a better nation, we'd be just another 3rd world country.
I think we "done good" in that respect.
So as you fly your country's flag today, fire up your grill, go visit the relatives, or just sit back and take it easy, take a little time to think on some of the things mentioned here.
YOU, as a worker of this nation, OUR nation...made today possible.
Today is a day to THANK YOURSELVES.
Enjoy it all...you have definitely EARNED it.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

03 September 2010

Friday Follies...
We're rolling up on Labor Day weekend aka summer's "last gasp", as I like to say.
I finally have some of my larger tomatoes changing color. The cherry tomatoes are producing fruit as well, so I've got me some salad fixins...
Might even make myself some bacon & tomato sandwiches on toast this weekend. Dad got me started on those and I love 'em!
Kinda like a BLT minus the *T*.
But never fear, as there's plenty to ponder today.
We've got some GOOD, some BAD...and some UGLY to take a look at, and I will leave it up to YOU, my faithful readers to decide what goes where, fair enough? So, without any further ado...let the pigeons loose!
*** First, a breaking story...
(( Body found near McCulloch Park - Suspect in custody
Updated: Friday, 03 Sep 2010, 9:06 AM EDT
Published : Friday, 03 Sep 2010, 6:11 AM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fort Wayne police are investigating a fatal shooting. Investigators said just after 5:05 Friday morning, they received a call that several shots had been fired in McCulloch Park near the intersection of Lindley and Parkview Avenues. Police searched the park and discovered the body of a female victim near the railroad tracks toward the back end of the park. Officers also stopped a male suspect who was trying to get into a vehicle to leave the park. That individual is now in custody and is being questioned. ))
And now, to the rest of the news...
*** (( Two arrested for dealing cocaine -
Police arrested suspects after traffic stop
Updated: Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 10:16 AM EDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 10:06 AM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fort Wayne police arrested two people on Wednesday for dealing cocaine.
Over the past month, undercover officers purchased cocaine from John Bridges, 56, and Kim Wattley, 52.
Police had pending charges for the two suspects, and pulled Bridges vehicle over and arrested Bridges and Wattley.
After the traffic stop police found $1200 and eight grams of crack cocaine in the car.
Officers then obtained a search warrant for Bridges apartment, and found another eight grams of crack cocaine and $1600.
Bridges is on Federal Parole for prior dealing and firearms charges and Wattley is on State Parole for possession of cocaine.
))
Little OLD to be screwing your life up (more), aren't you?Already on PAROLE, hmm? Weapons charges, you say? Prior drug charges too?
Seems some lessons weren't learned all too well, were they?
Well, BOTH of them are gonna have some MORE time to "think things over" and how they can turn their (up to this point) flawed lives the hell around, right?
WHY do you think they call it DOPE???
God, how I love a happy ending.
*** But wait...there's more.
(( Two shot at Fort Wayne apartment complex
Updated: Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 9:45 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 02 Sep 2010, 9:05 PM EDT
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A man and a woman were both shot Thursday afternoon at Regency Park Apartments in Fort Wayne.
Police were called to 1604 Reed Road just after four o'clock. They found a man, who has not been identified, near the leasing office. He was suffering from a gunshot wound.
The victim told officers the shooting took place at 5010 Madiera, which is also part of the apartment complex.
Medics took him to the hospital in critical condition. He has since been upgraded to serious condition.
While investigating, police located a second shooting victim. The woman was in good condition. Officers say she was grazed by the bullet.
Witnesses told police that the male victim had been visiting family when several other men arrived and they all started arguing.
Soon after, shots were fired. The man left the apartment and ended up near the leasing office. A man walking by called 911.
The investigation continues.
))
This complex is almost within spitting distance from a high school, and 1600 hrs is a time when after school program students ARE in the area.
nice to know some people can't control their animalistic URGES, doesn't it?
Thank GOD some "passerby" happened to call 911. Lord knows those involved in the shooting were too BUSY to do that.
Hold on...we've got still more...
*** This was a letter to the editor published yesterday morning:
(( FWPD treatment of victim deplorable
I recently was a victim of a theft. I called the FWPD sergeant’s desk to report it.
I was given a different number to call to create a police report over the phone.
After being transferred to the correct department, I was told by the female who picked up that all operators were busy and that I needed to wait on hold. I waited on hold for about 10 minutes before the same female came back on and said that they were very busy – too busy to take my call – and that it was close to shift change. I was told to call back in 15 minutes.
This type of policy is unacceptable.
I am the victim, and I needed my law enforcement agency to handle the situation. These actions by FWPD tell me that, even though I have been through a very unpleasant experience, I am not worthy enough to have law enforcement on my side.
There needs to be a change in how FWPD handles their "customers." Every taxpaying Fort Wayne citizen deserves to have their plea for help heard. Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York and Mayor Tom Henry, this needs to happen now. No other Fort Wayne citizen needs to be disrespected like I was.
NICK HOBBIE Fort Wayne
))
I can sympathize w/ Nick. I've been put on hold when calling dispatch, and just yesterday, the phone rang over EIGHT tmes before the line was picked up.
Personally, I deplore the "over the phone" theft reporting, as I feel that a crime scene IS a crime scene, and that evidence that could catch a thief COULD be found on site. Then again, I'm very "traditional" in my approaches.
I had to make such a phone report when items wee taken from our garage years ago. Never heard back and never had anything recovered, so that makes MY point about boots-on-the-ground investigating and dusting for prints, instead of electronic "investigation".
In my opinion...go with WHAT has worked in the past...period.
Many times, the "5-0" is overwhelmed, and it shouldn't have to be that way.
Hang in there. We've still got more stuff coming...
*** We had a MAJOR Meth raid in Fort Wayne the other day.
The link to the story can be found HERE:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20100902/LOCAL03/309029983
This is some really good police work, but since the FEDS were involved, THEY will wind up with the majority of the credit (as is usually the case).
The majority of houses raided (and confiscated, along with vehicles) were located in the (all together now, gang)...the SOUTHEAST side of town.
One house in Butler, Indiana was also targeted in the raids.
Nice to know that MEXICO still has a decent EXPORT trade going on, though...
Only problem is that those exports are things WE, in America can do WITHOUT...right?
And it's nice to know that CRACK isn't the only "game" going on down here.
Seems we've got plenty to "share".
*** An update to the "Romeo & Juliet" case.
Yesterday I showed the "lovebirds" hanging out (loitering), and that I was going to keep calling into dispatch to voice my concerns (they might well be lookouts for a house down the street). Well, they were back out there yesterday afternoon, like clockwork, RIGHT after school, so I called in AGAIN.
This time, the kids had seen the police cruiser coming up the cross street, and attempted to walk "briskly" away, AS IF nothing was going on.
(Editor's Note: When a police car is approaching YOU, the last thing you want to do is give the officer MORE reason to be suspicious OF you...like suddenly heading the OTHER way...NOT a good thing.)
The officer rounded the corner, pulled up alongside them, stopped them, and gave them a good, solid FIVE minute talking to. The kids arms were flailing about as if to say "we wasn't doin' nuthin". Really?
Bullsh*t!
Then WHY do you NEED to be at MY corner EVERY day for SEVERAL HOURS after school (when you should be home doing your homework, so you don't have to live in a blighted area of town like you currently do), watching EVERY car that passes by.
After that, they went back to THEIR house...and "hung out" some more...until AFTER 2100 hours!!!
Guess they're gonna be sleepy in class this morning. Or at least ill-prepared for classwork.
This mentality of "education is whack" has to end. These kids have NO idea how much they're f*cking themselves over, but I'm sure some gov't program will "take care of those poor unfortunates" when she gets pregnant, and he gets incarcerated for drug dealing or weapons charges.
Multi-generational entitlements...the WORST thing that can be foisted upon ANY society...and we see it practiced daily. Very sad.
*** Lastly today, my nephew, Erik, who attended the Beck event last Saturday sent along some pictures, and I promised to share them with all of you.































He DID manage to get the V-formation of the "geese-fly-over" too...astounding!
And they were pretty darn low, too.
I have a much better sense of the crowds that were there, as well.
It's times like this that make me wish I still lived on the East coast.
Yeah, you miss a lot, but I have to say living HERE has TAUGHT me a lot more about human behavior...or at least the depravities of it.
And sometimes, we need to not only learn from the GOOD in life, but also the BAD, and often the UGLY as well.
Good things will teach us much, but bad things can teach us even more, as long as we choose NOT to ignore them, shy away from them, because they are bad. Like anything in life, we press on, into whatever maelstrom that comes our way, and we learn from the experience.
For any decent , God-fearing, law-abiding person, doing the easy and good things in life are just that...EASY.
It often becomes SECOND-NATURE.
Tackling the difficult and the bad, though not often looked forward to, will teach us more about others...and especially...about ourselves.
And we learn that we may teach others.
Have yourselves a fantastic weekend, and I'll be seeing you all on the flip side for Labor Day...the Good Lord willing.
Be well, do make a difference to someone, and as always...
Stay safe out there, America.

02 September 2010

...And The Rains Came Down...
Yeah, imagine waking up and finding something WET falling from the sky.
Been a few days since we got a decent soaking, and now, here in the "heartland" of America, we're enjoying just that.
It was getting to the point where the soil was pulling away from the concrete borders out back.
So, a little rain is welcome, especially if it means the "locals" will be kept relatively AT BAY.
*** Now, you have to understand a few things about living in the "ghettohood" when it comes to rain...
1) The locals don't like rain...it affects their BOOMCARS (bad for speakers) in that, they CAN'T thump at 140 Db with the windows DOWN to annoy you.
(awww...poor babies - breaks my freaking heart...BWAHAHAHAHHahahaha)
2) They can't hang out at YOUR corner, because they will get their new pair of bling-assed, baggy-saggy SOUTHPOLE jeans wet.
3) All drug deals will be "car-to-car" with some sprinting involved.
4) Litter will be kept IN the POS-mobile until it stops raining, and then will be deposited upon whatever lawn the vehicle is next to as it drives by.
5) People will STILL walk in the middle of the street, making driving in the rain even MORE problematic for "we lucky few...we Band of Normals".
6) The morning paper will NOT arrive, because the person delivering it either overslept, didn't get his Smirnoff yet, or can't find a trashbag "poncho" to wear to keep himself dry (oh yeah, ghettohood newspaper carriers are NOT the typical sort)
But, aside from all this, the garden gets a much-needed drink, and YOU get some much-needed solace...for a while.
As do my REAL friends of the four-footed or winged variety that frequent our daily "buffet".
Which reminds me...ever get a fortune cookie that misses the mark by a country mile?
I got one such cookie the other day...left over from my b'day dinner the other week.
I crack it open and it says (ahem):
"You will always be surrounded by true friends."
So, I stopped and looked around me...
I saw our two cats, a hummingbird at the feeder, a rabbit, a squirrel, and assorted other birds...that's IT.
(To borrow from Momma Fargo)
(*blink*-*blink*)
Okay, TRUE friends, huh?
Yeah, I'm good with that.
The NEXT fortune cookie was a bit more "interesting"...
"You will be called for a position of high honor and responsibility".
(whoa)
Really?
REALLY?
You gotta be sh*ttin' me, right?
Cripes, aside from you faithful followers HERE, and my immediate family (what's left of it anyway), hardly ANYONE knows I frigging EXIST.
(that's NOT really a BAD thing...being a "ghost")
I can't even get the police to acknowledge the chronic LOITERING problem at the corner (that only seems to occur when school is in session...), or get them to investigate the DRUG HOUSES in the ghettohood, or all those loud-mobiles, or people driving while intoxicated...yeah, the list gets longer each week, it seems.
*** That brings me to something about the loitering issue I have missed...until last night.
I was laboring under the premise that these kids were hanging out, milling about in the street and intersection, playing "slap and tickle" for several HOURS every night due to an overabundance of raging hormones.
And although that "could" be part of it (even *I* was a teenager...once), there may be a more important "reason" this takes place...
They could be LOOKOUTS for the friendly, neighborhood DRUG HOUSE down the block.
I MUST be getting old...I should have caught this straight away.
One of them (the girl) ALWAYS has a cell phone on her, and after calling the FWPD to move them from the corner one day last week, I noticed that right AFTER the call went out...they moved on...such CLAIRVOYANCE these days, hmm?
Or...is it something ELSE?
(a networking of these people watching the area)
It came to me last night in one of those "moments of clarity" things.
I know for a fact that from MY house, I have a commanding view along all FOUR directions from the intersection.
(I firmly believe that's WHY these people would LOVE to see us move out...so THEY could have this place and it's field of vision)
And these kids hang right AT the intersection, and the boy watches constantly up and down the streets, as well at every single car that passes, sometimes signing (their version of "waving") at a specific vehicle.
All this just makes so damn much sense now.
I mean, I KNOW that people AT that house down the block DO USE drugs...seen a male toking on blunts several times, and a female there staggered down our damn street the other week, with a toddler walking aimlessly in the street as well. (helluva role model parent, don'cha think?)
Well, it might have taken me longer to realize, but I think I have a much better grasp of the entire situation...NOW.
I WOULD like to see the police take this thing a LOT more seriously, because if things like this loitering go UNCHECKED, we wind up with situations up north in Phil Marx's neighborhood (where the thugs eventually OWN the damn corner and the block), and I don't even want to go there.
I would prefer to be a lot more PROACTIVE, than winding up becoming more REACTIVE.
I also like to hit what I aim at, so these people are "on notice". They've been "served", as it were.
And as long as I am on MY property, gonna be real hard to argue the point against ME, should things ever escalate.
(which, by all standards, they SHOULD NOT)
*** I also heard on the news that last year, we had FEWER ILLEGALS coming INTO this country...
(well, spank me rosy)
Maybe it's because the vast majority of them have ALREADY made it into America...'ya think?
Back during the year I was born (1952) there were approximately 300,000 illegals that came into America.
Do the math....if we ONLY had the same amount cross over in the past 58 years...that's a FEW MORE than this 12 million number we keep hearing about, right? Someone in the government needs a remedial MATH class....(big surprise THERE, huh?)
Guess that should make Mexico a lot more empty now...not really.
That nation is full of it's OWN number of "illegals" from even farther south.
Trickle UP illegality, I guess.
Amazing.
*** Finally today...since we have all the crap out of the way, I'll bet you're wondering about this "model-building gig" I've been getting back into.
(Not really, Bob, but we have the feeling you're gonna tell us anyway)


Right you are...
I finished that RAF Mosquito night fighter...finally.
Airfix sent along a brand new set of decals and it is finished.
They are still a fantastic company to do business with and didn't even charge me for the new decal sheet. Astounding!
I can't say enough about them, and I've been building their kits since I was in grade school!
I also made a tank model (M24 Chaffee, a late WW2 vehicle that also served into Korea and even Vietnam).
This was a kit I had since the 1980s, and decided to build. It comes with a mini-diorama as a base, so I went a little further and added some "houses" from our porcelain/resin micro-collection (Yeah, I love architecture, especially castles, even though we only have 4 buildings).
Didn't turn out too bad, but I know NOW why I never really went in for making THESE particular scale kits...
The parts are way too damn small !!!
Geezus, had to use a tweezers to hold the parts.
And God help you if you lose something...you ain't gonna find it.
People often wonder why others (like me) even bother to build these kits...
I think there's a very good reason.
-We want to be reminded of ALL the people that BUILT the real things.
-We want to acknowledge those that manned them and fought in them...and even died in them.
-We want to remember the sacrifice of those willing to climb into these machines, and take on the enemy...all to preserve something we like to call FREEDOM.
Okay, make that SEVERAL reasons.
And I think they're ALL good ones, don't you?
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.

01 September 2010

Humpday Happenings...
Welcome to month 9 of the year 2010...
September is finally here, and there's lots to ponder this fine morning.
*** Well, according to last night's address from our fearless leader, the war in Iraq is now officially OVER...sorta-kinda.
I did enjoy the rather stilted and quaint "We are the Borg" delivery OF the address last night.
Between yawns, that is.
And I don't recall hearing the word HONOR once when he referred to our TROOPS.
The president forgot to mention that 50,000 troops WILL remain in country (...in, as well all know, purely an "advisory" capacity)












Oh, and we'll ALSO have SPEC OPS teams in theater as well to KILL the bad guys, should any of them rear their towel-covered, sand-flea infested heads.
Would have been nice if the prez would have said THAT.
So, now we turn our attention to Afghanistan (another boil on the globe's ass), where fighting will continue (until NEXT year, when we're supposed to pull out of THAT country). In the meantime, the corrupt government THERE will do it's best to prepare for the "handover" of government at that time...JUST like Iraq.
What I find incredible about Afghanistan, is that the USSR was there for about a decade, and THEY couldn't "win" their war there (because WE were HELPING the opposition), and after a similar decade of fighting with OUR troops in that country, WE will be leaving as well (probably because someone is again HELPING the opposition).
I have never seen such a remarkable and near-perfect example of a STALEMATE in all my life.
You have TWO aspects to modern warfare these days.
1) Strategic
2) Political
Problem is, the POLITICAL always seems to outweigh the STRATEGIC part.
And you can't win any war running it on politics alone.
It really hacks me off when I think about the sheer might and resolve of OUR military being rendered impotent by bureaucrats in order to state we "have achieved our objective". No mention about a REAL (or decisive) victory anywhere. Do we even HAVE victories these days?
An OBJECTIVE is a means TO an end...and NOT the end result in warfare. Never has been and never should be.
The objective was to "take that pillbox", or that airfield...
The END result was that the enemy was vanquished and/or surrendered and we had a decisive VICTORY.
That's what it USED to be, anyway.
I can see a future where "war" is waged by computers and that tallies of "deaths" on either side will require people to report to a "death chamber" for elimination, because the thought of a REAL WAR, with REAL casualties is repugnant (and scary).
Wait a minute, that sounds EXACTLY like an old STAR TREK episode ( A Taste of Armageddon)...amazing. Life imitating art.
Bet'cha if we watched a few more episodes, we'd see some interesting things happening today that were alluded to way back in those late 1960s.
Nah...that's just a science-fiction show...no relevance THERE, right?
Moving along...
You'll have to look REALLY hard to find this little "news nugget", because someone must NOT want all of you to KNOW about it:
*** Federal spending surge sets record.
Federal domestic spending increased a record 16 percent to $3.2 trillion in 2009, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday, largely because of the huge economic stimulus package enacted to rescue the sinking economy.
The rise in spending was the largest since the Census Bureau began compiling the data in 1983. Overall, the spending total was the equivalent of $10,548 for each person living in the United States.
(Now, I didn't get MY check for that amount...how about YOU?)
The biggest chunk of money went to support Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, entitlement programs that are projected to consume ever larger portions of the federal budget as the U.S. population ages.
Now who would have EVER guessed that the FEDS were SPENDING...and at RECORD RATES?
A whopping SIXTEEN PERCENT you say?
And then we hear Obama whine about "We spent a TRILLION dollars on the war in iraq".
Yes, so...what's your point?
Did you have to get the cronies platoon out and go spend TRILLIONS (as in a sh*tload more than ONE trillion) more on useless programs that aren't doing a damn thing to HELP this nation (except to help it drop farther in debt)?
And how EXACTLY are YOU, Mr. President, planning on having THIS bill paid for, when we've got a stagnant economy, unemployment that damn near refuses to DROP, but rather increases, a TRADE DEFICIT that seems to grow exponentially, and a GDP in the crapper?
I mean, if you can pull this off WITHOUT raising current taxes, WITHOUT creating NEW taxes, or otherwise try to fundamentally change this nation AWAY from a capitalist venture (that has worked pretty darn well over the years) and into some sort of "collective" where you will take from those who HAVE (because they worked for it) and give it to those who have not (because they don't want to work for it)...that would be as great a feat as anything Harry Houdini could conjure up.
So please, clue us in as to HOW this can be accomplished (like our overwhelming "victory" in Iraq), OK?
Inquiring minds wish to know.
Still moving on...
*** Glenn Beck is still taking heat for his "event".
The leftards will NOT let this beautiful and patriotic event this past Saturday alone.
Claims of everything from "crazy" to Elmer Gantry from all those liberal news sources.
Funny, don't see ANY left-wing events in the offing, and IF there are, they certainly could NEVER have the numbers in attendance that Beck had.
Seems like everyone on the left is M.I.A. when it comes to GOOD solutions to America's problems.
And it takes a flawed person with a radio & TV program, who has come to know his limitations as well as the TRUTH, because he was bold enough to state that GOD meant more when it comes to redemption that the almighty buck, to say what NEEDS to be said, and to challenge ALL of us to get right with the Creator and get this nation back to her roots that were founded IN God, and BY God-fearing men.
Who knew?
Trouble with all this name-calling, bashing, flaming, and sundry other knocks at Beck is that it shows the REST of us ONE, very important thing:
It shows us the TRUE COLORS of those who want something other than America...AS "America".
All Beck did was UNITE people under a common banner and with common sense for a common cause.
That cause was to RECLAIM this nation AS America for ALL Americans.
Not a damn thing wrong with that...and it's been long overdue.
But these misinformed "outworlders" don't have any idea (themselves) how to chart a better course for this nation.
They're just pissing in the wind, and shooting in the dark (with an empty pistol).
--And I've got Bob's "Eight Simple Rules" for proper governance to back me up:
1) You don't spend your way out of debt. That's like drilling another hole in the bottom of the boat to let the water out.
2) You don't weaken America by apologizing your ass off to every other country.
3) You don't bailout every asshat that can't manage a business because of corrupt practices.
4) You don't punish those trying to offer jobs and grow a company. That denies incentive...and progress.
5) You don't take from the rich to distribute to the poor.
(Robin Hood took BACK from the "rich" the money that was ORIGINALLY taken FROM THE POOR in the first place...get the story RIGHT)
6) You don't ENSLAVE a nation through entitlements and control.
7) You don't mortgage the future on the backs of subsequent generations that won't be able to pay for it.
8) You don't treat the populace as a bunch of dumbasses or children, especially when THEY wield the REAL power in this country.
I'm sure I missed a few, and you readers can feel free to amend where needed.
So there you have it...plenty of food for thought, laced with some rather pungent social commentary.
But it's what you've come to expect here...nothing but "straight-shooting" from the hip.
And the truth. No more...no less.
Welcome to September, gang!
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.