Stimulus Shmimulus!

A million here, 3 trillion there; what the hell are these people doing with our money. I say 'our money' like the damn stuff really exists physically. Does it? I mean I can't ever imagine what a trillion dollars looks like, can you? Someone on Fox last night said that if you stacked a trillion donuts on top of each other you could reach one of the planets that orbit our solar system......Really? I mean, has anyone ever tried it? That's pretty damn far. I'm sure some math major with no life has the answer.

Then we hear about how they want to use it; like re-sodding the national mall for a couple of million bucks (I have dibs on any leftovers, my yard could use it). How about for birth control? Why birth control, the more future taxpayers there are, the faster we can pay back this amount of dough. Here's my favorite.....the National Endowment of the Arts. I like art, pictures, and things of that sort, but I don't think BG&E would accept any of them as payment for a monthly bill. Maybe in the checkout line at Safeway;"will that be credit, debit, cash, or art?"

I think we all get the point, here. The banks screwed up big time over the years and now time has come to pay the pauper. People are losing their jobs, savings, retirement funds, their homes, unable to send their kids to college, forced to work till they're 70, and there is no immediate end in sight. Meanwhile, some giant financial institutions continue to rub it in our faces by providing their executives with large bonuses, that are paid them directly from the bailout money they got from the government. Do they really not get it, or are we just that naive.

The President, meanwhile, continues to press for yet another giant stimulus package to 'jump start the economy'. You want to jump start the economy, Mr President? You want to help solve the housing crisis, Mr President? How about telling all working Americans that we can live tax free for the coming year. I don't know the exact numbers, but I bet it would go a long way towards 'jump starting the economy'; probably more than that stimulus package you are pursuing.

That's right, NO TAXES!

Man, The Things That Tick Me Off!

I'm just sitting at my PC, it's about 7:45 in the evening and I just turned on Fox News. I'm greeted with the helicopter coverage of a police pursuit of some apparently mentally deranged chick who is driving a U-Haul truck, which has been apparently stolen, up the Pacific Coast Highway. This really isn't the reason for this post, but it goes to prove the presence of nuts at the mere pushing of a button!

Just returned from a nice dinner with friends at the local diner. Had the swordfish, and would recommend it highly to anyone. All was fine until the bill made it to the table. Lord and behold, we noticed that the gratuity had been added into the final amount. I have to tell you, this just absolutely sets me off, and I made it quite clear to the server when asked if everything was in order. Of course this will not change the policy, but at least I made my opinion known.

PS: Back to the U-Haul. This lady has avoided spike strips in the road by crossing a median and going full speed against approaching traffic; all without collision.

Biting The Hand That Feeds You

Take a good look at this aircraft! Why, you ask. Because it's yours, that's why. Just when you thought you've heard it all about the financial bailout, we finally can top it. Today, Citigroup who recently was recipient of a $45 billion bailout, went out and bought a new corporate jet for $50 million. To make this revelation even more bizarre, the aircraft isn't even US made. It was bought from a French company, so not even one American worker was involved in its' assembly! How the hell does that help the economy? This poor judgement is the result of simple arrogance and greed. These people just don't get it. People are losing their homes, their employment, their life savings, their retirement funds, and these alleged investment experts frivolously waste our money. I see a simple solution to this chunk of stupidity, withdraw their bailout funds and require they pay it back to us with interest.

And The Winner Is....

Kirsten Gillibrand (left) has been chosen by New York's Governor to occupy the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton after her selection by President Obama to be his Secretary of State. The seat had previously been sought by Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy. In a brief one sentence statement, Kennedy announced that she was withdrawing her name from consideration for personal reasons. Sources listed tax issues as well as nanny problems as playing primary roles in her decision. There was also an unconfirmed rumor of marital problems as well.

He's Done It

With the stroke of a pen, President Obama signed an Executive Order to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay Cuba within one year. What exactly is to be done with the current inmates that occupy it has not yet been determined. Apparently, some of them could conceivably wind up in US prisons, given that other countries are not actually lining up to take some.

This looked to me like more of a campaign promise fulfilment rather than a carefully thought out plan. (I can remember a recent former president being strongly criticized for not thoroughly thinking out his attack of Iraq). It seems that Obama supporters are all for closing Gitmo, but cannot come up with an answer as to what to do with the terrorists held there. My friends, it's all a simple case of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

THE GOOD: Liberals see nothing but good in closing down this facility, as they are more concerned on how its' ruthless occupants are treated.

THE BAD: I strongly encourage anyone reading this to carefully look at the picture of the 911 mastermind below. Now, can anyone truthfully say they wouldn't mind having him live in their country, much less in their neighborhood?

THE UGLY: Just imagine these people being put into our justice system. Any loophole or technicality could return any of them to the street. Do we really want this?

It's bad enough that they want to kill us, so let's just simplify their goals by bringing them into our country! Bad decision Mr. President.

Kind Of Says It All

'In His Hands'

Potential Costly Mistake

Glenn Beck of Fox News tells it like it is. Today, President Obama announced that he had ordered the closure of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay. I personally don't think that the new administration thought this thing out too carefully. There is a lot more to this than closing the prison. There remains the fate of the prisoners currently incarcerated there. Keeping in mind that they are all terrorists with ties to Al-Quaida, they would have to be transferred to other locations on the mainland.

While the idea gets many kudos amongst liberals, these same people don't want these criminals in their back yards. Whatever happened to 'you can't have your cake and eat it too'? Not to fear, though, Glenn Beck proposes to send them to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. True, it's located in House speaker Nancy Pelosi's district, but because she supports the President's idea, maybe she should be in charge of housing them! It's important to remember that many of these people return to the battlefield once they're released, as has been discovered in recent raids. Just think of it this way, Madam Speaker, every one of these suspects you release could cost many of our brave soldiers their lives.

Kennedy Out

Caroline Kennedy issued a statement shortly after midnight announcing that she would no longer be seeking to become Senator for the state of New York. When Hillary Clinton vacated the seat to accept the Secretary of State position in the Obama Administration, Kennedy expressed her interest in the office. She sited 'personal reasons' for her intention reversal. The whole thing reeks suspicion in many ways. Kennedy's reluctance to reveal her financial information, and yet another undisclosed issue regarding a housekeeper, make her withdrawal decision probably a very wise one.

Oath of Office (take 2)

On President Barack Obama's first full day as Commander-in-Chief his schedule was a full one. Dealing with cabinet positions, a late morning service at the National Cathedral, and making phone calls to several world leaders, were some of the things that kept him well occupied. All were scheduled on the agenda, but at the end of the day there was one piece of unfinished business that was abruptly added in sort of as a precaution. The president's last visitor to the White House was Chief Justice John Roberts who dropped by so that he could administer the oath of office to the new president. Because of the slight blunder in the oath at the swearing in, it was decided that in order to cast away any doubts (legal or otherwise), that they would do it over in order to satisfy the Constitution. There was no bible used for this retake, but everyone was assured that the oath was still legal and binding. With a less noisy setting, both men executed flawlessly. This marked the only time that the oath of office has been re-administered to an incoming president.

Back To Reality

It was spectacular, mind boggling, flawless, and sometimes a little tear jerking. But that was yesterday and now the time is here for reality to return to our lives as we know it. Time for our new president to begin denting the mound of business that awaits him for the next four years. All the campaign claims, promises, accusations, etc have all given way to what he faced shortly after noon yesterday; reality! Now I'm from the old school and have grown up respecting the office of the presidency, so I truly wish our new leader well, and actually believe that with the right attitude on our part, he could succeed. For the good of the nation, he must succeed.

A Reminder Of The Past.

And so, after all the anticipation, the moment finally came today where history was made in the United States of America. Shortly after 12 noon, the oath of office was administered to the nation's first African American president, Barack Obama. Regardless of one's political affiliations, we can all be proud to be Americans on the day when our country shines at its' best.

I don't think I've seen this many people on The Mall in Washington since July 4th 1976, when the nation celebrated its' 200th anniversary. I remember because I was there in person at the base of the Washington Monument to watch the fireworks, and abruptly leaving wasn't an option. No matter where you looked was a sea of humanity.....just like it was today.

Nothing Short of a Miracle

In less than five minutes from takeoff from New York's La Guardia Airport, a US Airways Airbus with 155 people on board was forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. The aircraft had collided with a flock of Canadian Geese, resulting in the loss of both engines. Thanks to the swift response of the pilot who realized that he could not set down at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport, all the people on board survived.

Once the pilot's decision was made, he quickly warned the passengers to prepare themselves for a hard landing, and proceeded to head for the Hudson River. Once he barely avoided the George Washington Bridge, he brought the craft down in the river. With a few bumps and bruises and some minor injuries, the passengers and crew were able to calmly exit onto the wings and were rescued by life rafts and awaiting boats.

To quote a witness , this incident was truly a 'disaster with a happy ending'.

Danger Zone!

With the Super Bowl fast approaching, there is a distinct possibility that two teams from the same state could be competing. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers will be battling for their conference championships on Sunday, and if successful, would represent their conferences in the Super Bowl. The problem is not the teams, but rather their fans. While Philadelphia boasts the meanest fans in the NFL, Pittsburgh fans hold up their share of the title as well.

Philadelphia fans once booed Santa Claus while he was making an appearance at a game, while Pittsburgh fans chanted that they were number one only to display it with the wrong finger. Should this match up occur, it may be necessary to call out the National Guard to keep the fans in order. The players in the meantime, can battle it out on the field, which, given the circumstances, sounds a lot safer to me!

'The View' On Single Mothers

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter appeared on The View last week to promote her new book entitled "Guilty". Her book addresses the issue of single motherhood, listing statistical examples including how 80% of inmates in the prison system as well as 70% of all runaways are products of single mothers. Not known to walk away from a fight, especially in this hostile liberal surrounding, Coulter managed to hold her own. They were able to attack her character, but not one panelist ever attempted to question the statistics.

This One's 'Organic'!

While driving home from work a few hours ago, I had my radio tuned into my usual Fox News channel, where I happened to hear the story of a doctor who had donated one of his kidneys to his critically ill wife. Compassionate, loving, unselfish, to be sure, however this tale turns bizarre at this point. Four years after the husband's saving her life, he learned of her having cheated on him around the time of the surgery. After attempts to save the marriage wound up failing, the doctor ended up filing for divorce and sued his wife for over a million dollars.

To label this lady as cold would not be too far off base. It makes me wonder when this infidelity all started, and why. Surely there must have been some sign of unhappiness on her part, or was her husband too busy with his practice to notice. Whatever the reason may be, the wife showed no regard for his feelings and took advantage of him.

"THE Snowman"

On December 27, I put up a post on Snowzilla, a huge snowman that has been a yearly atrtraction in Alaska. Well, if you think Snowzilla was big, the town of Bethel, ME has something to say about that; meet "THE snowman". As the picture below attests, he is rather tall. A mere 122 feet tall, to be exact. I realize that the picture probably was not the best one, but just the size of the crane gives you an idea of how big this creature is. With tires for a mouth and large pine trees for arms, I would say that defines big. One can only wonder how long it takes for it to melt.

Charm City, USA

While watching the national news tonight, I was greeted on the screen by the story of one Sheila Dixon, the not-so-Honorable mayor of Baltimore. Ms Dixon faces a multitude of charges pertaining to her accepting favors from a businessman with dealings with the city, and with which she was known to have had a personal relationship. The money and favors she received were apparently spent on herself. Among the things she allegedly obtained was a video game system for her home. If found guilty, Ms Dixon should be removed from office promptly. Governing a city with an extremely high murder rate nationally is difficult enough, and unlike a video game, the deaths are very real.

It's The Economy, Stupid!

All of us, in one way or another are being victimized by the current economic crunch. No matter where you look, businesses are cutting back in all areas in order to save money. Retail giant Macy's, for example, announced a few days ago that it would be closing 10 stores nationwide. In the meantime, with no immediate solution to the crisis in sight, Washington continues to address the problem. President-elect Obama is proposing a new stimulus package in an attempt to jump start the economy. With the recent massive bailout and another one pending, the big question still remains; should the government be bailing out these big corporations? Requests for bailout money keep rolling in, with the latest coming from the porn industry. Talk about a screwed up system! (pun intended)

Playoff Corner

First things first. As a New England Patriots fan, it pleases me a great deal to announce the defeat of the New York Giants football team; victims of a playoff loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. Patriots fans will never forget how this team took away our perfect season in the Super Bowl last year, thus necessitating their elimination this season.

How about those Arizona Cardinals defeating the Panthers in Carolina; the first home loss for the Panthers all season. Now the Cards will host the Eagles in next week's NFC Championship game. I realize that Philly is riding this incredible wave and seems to be a team of destiny of late, but let's remember last night's upset of the heavily favored Panthers, which came on the road for the Cards.

The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted the San Diego Chargers earlier today and prevailed, thanks to the absence of their key player Ladanian Tomlinson. One would think that last week's elimination of the Indianapolis Colts would lead to a better performance against the Steelers, but it never materialized. Up until last night, the cross country travel excuse was acceptable, but Arizona disproved that.

I've saved the best for last. The Baltimore Ravens visited the team with the best regular season record today, and when all was said and done, they walked away with a victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. If you just glanced at the game stats on paper, you'd think the Titans trashed the Ravens, but Baltimore's defense (with which I personally won my fantasy football league championship), prevailed as usual. The Titans didn't help their game any with three turnovers in the red zone, while Baltimore went turnover free the entire contest. The Ravens meet the Steelers in the Steel City next week for the AFC title.

In conclusion, with the Giants out of the picture, and having no particular allegiance to any of these teams, I can enjoy the games next week regardless of their outcome.

Pirates Pay The Ultimate Price

Friday marked a memorable day for the crew of the supertanker which was taken over by Somali pirates two months ago. After collecting a reported 3 million dollar ransom from the ship's owners, the pirates finally released the ship and its' crew. The ransom was delivered 'a la James Bond' by being dropped via parachute onto the ship (see photo below).

Perhaps in a fitting ending to this incident, it was reported yesterday that five of the pirates and their share of the ransom were thrown overboard when their small boat capsized in rough seas, resulting in all five drowning. Now I realize that human lives were lost here, and that in itself should not be taken lightly, but what kind of rationalization should be presented when trying to justify their actions?

Their act was not just an inconvenience to the crew, it went further than that. Livelihoods were threatened directly and indirectly along with the state of world economy. Consider the price of oil, for example. By having to take longer routes in order to avoid troubled areas could result in higher costs which would ultimately trickle down to us all. We also should realize that these incidents have been escalating at a record pace. I still believe that the only way to bring this to a halt is with force. Showing them we mean business will hopefully discourage these actions, and ultimately we won't have a repeat of what happened to these greedy victims.

Because they're on my mind.......

-Apparently, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has had enough, and has decided to strike back. In a preview of an upcoming documentary, Palin answers a wide variety of questions regarding her treatment by not only the press corp, but also by the McCain camp. I look forward to seeing the entire interview in the near future. -It has been reported today that the Somali pirates who had been holding a supertanker hostage for some time, have released it in exchange for a three million dollar ransom. Way to go oil companies! -Last night was the last show on Fox News for Hannity & Colmes. Liberal anchor Alan Colmes leaves the show to pursue other television interests. Sean Hannity will host his new show called Hannity beginning nest Monday night. -The Boston Red Sox recently signed pitcher John Smoltz, who until the signing, had been a career long member of the Atlanta Braves. How they managed to land the all time leader in wins and saves is beyond me. But, as we all know, stranger things have happened.

Cyber Death!

Well, life without a computer for some people is absolutely unbearable; thus describes my existence the past three days. Yes, I said three days! Finally after receiving a little helpful information from knowledgeable friends, I was able to perform a quick fix on my sick PC. The whole experience only serves as a reminder that this machine's days must be numbered.

What should we do with the 911 terrorists remains?

As the 911 investigation goes on nearly eight years after it happened, the question of what should be done with the remains of the hijackers still lingers. A recent Newsweek article deals at length with just that question, and how seriously it is being addressed. Click the image below to read the fascinating story.

Failure to call!

A story out of Kansas today reports that police are looking for a missing boy who disappeared ten years ago, and the adoptive parents are listed as 'persons of interest'. The boy, Adam Herrman, who had been adopted by Doug and Valerie Herrman when he was 2 1/2 years old was 11 when he disappeared in 1999. The family attorney stated that his clients had not harmed the child, and the only thing they were guilty of was not reporting him missing. The boy was a problem child according to the lawyer and had run away on several occasions. When he failed to return home, the Herrmans thought he had found relatives or possibly returned to his birth parents.

Details of the case are sketchy enough, and I'm sure that there are plenty of questions that remain unanswered, such as why on earth was he not reported missing 10 years ago? Didn't anyone notice something out of the ordinary? How did the police find out about this? Authorities have chosen to treat this as a death situation until they have reason to suspect any different. They have put out a public plea to the now 21 year old to contact them should he be alive.

I do not claim to be an expert on this case, but I sincerely believe the fault is with the Herrmans. By not making the call to police ten years ago, I find them grossly negligent of their parental responsibilities.