I wanted to share something personal on the 8th anniversary of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks.

Like so many of us Americans, I can remember vividly the moment I heard about the violent and cowardly terrorist acts committed on U.S. soil. I was on my way to class when I heard a rumor from a friend that something had just happened in New York. We weren't in class 5 minutes before our director took us all out onto the football field and sat us down. We all knew something serious had happened because of the drained look on his face.

I remember leaning back on the grass on that warm and sunny day, waiting for our director to come out and tell us what he was preparing to say. I remember the clouds, just a dozen or so, small and puffy, burning off as the sun was climbing into the sky. Having been an amateur planespotter with my dad and our shortwave radio, I realized that the scene was wrong. Being close to Cleveland, the sky would normally be full of dozens of contrails and commercial airliners making their way across country. Instead, it was a virgin sky, eerily quiet. I remember sensing that something was really wrong, like I was about to be hurled into a horror film sequence.

Our director rode out on his ATV and stepped up onto his platform. He did not need to use his megaphone, and he opted to speak instead of yell. It was the most quiet I ever remember being in school. He told us that today, it did not matter anymore what our beliefs were, or what our family beliefs were. That it did not matter what our opinions would be. We just needed to know what had happened, and that we needed to be with our families so they could help us understand and to be close with them. He informed us that two highjacked planes had flown into the World Trade Center in New York City and that they had collapsed. I could not tell you if there were gasps, I just remember all of us staring, sober. He then told us that a third plane had flown into the Pentagon in Washington DC and that we would never forget this moment, or this date. He finished by saying that his heart went out to all the families who had died in these attacks. He then dismissed us, and we were free to leave school.

My sister and I were picked up from school by my dad, which meant he had not even made it to work that day. We asked him about it, and he said that they have been showing it all morning on TV. My parents had been watching the news when it happened and they saw the entire thing live. We got home and he explained that the news was going to compare this to the Kennedy Assassination for reference to historical events, which they did. He said not to listen to them, and to remember this how the nation might have remembered the Pearl Harbor Attacks. Being a military man, my dad told us that any attack on the military or government like the Pentagon, was deemed an act of war. He said that this even would change the outcome of America, and thusly, the entire world.

The words spoken on that day are still so very true. I will always vividly remember those moments. I hope we never forget that day, so those who were innocently killed, can never be forgotten. There is a little framed printed message at my local deli that I see once a week. It is showing its age as it fades in the clear plastic stand. It is a simple promise printed on a sky blue background with clouds.

"We display our patriotic colors to remember those who perished September 11th, 2001. We must never forget." -MANAGEMENT

Please take the time today to remember those who died 8 years ago because they were American. Many Americans have made unknowing sacrifices for their country because they were born here. We must all stand together, united as brothers and sisters, as Americans. This, we must never forget.

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The Waffle House

I found it funny tonight, during President Obama's health care pitch, that the Administration continues to waffle on all their policies. Obama made a point that young, healthy adults, are choosing not to pay for healthcare coverage. By doing so, they are putting themselves at risk and causing a huge burden on the system. I am not sure how much burden a few million young, healthy adults are putting on the system, but the idea seems laughable. We are going to target the young, healthy, financially independent with fines for not choosing to pay for coverage they will not use, or not need to use because they have a backup with savings and investments. Again, we are attacking success again.

Then, at the same time, the Administration is going after overweight adults as victims. To pay for their coverage, they want to increase taxes on snack foods, fast foods and pop. A Sin Tax for gluttons. Except, that once again, punishes those who are healthy and know when to stop eating. Punish successful businesses like Coca-Cola and Pepsi because a man in Alabama cannot drink less then 9 gallons of cola a day. The real Tea Party is coming, and I suspect it will be in Atlanta when millions of gallons of sugary drinks are spilled to cut out their taxable profit.

If you want to lower health costs, Mr. Harvard Law Graduate, Mr. President of the Harvard Law Review; is to go after medical malpractice lawyers. Why would the President, a lawyer, go after other lawyers, jacking up the costs of everything because of the rising costs of malpractice insurance. It is not the amount of rewards from malpractice that make it a burden, it is the number of cases the sheer work hours spent by administration and courts that absorb the burden. Go ask John Edwards about his days as an ambulance chaser. He was so successful, he found plenty of money to pay for both his wife's kids and his mistress's. Most husbands struggle to cover just one partner in America.

Obama then wraps up his speech by promising to make doctors less likely to cause mistakes, so there are less lawsuits. Here he inserts his comments so he can claim he is a moderate. That is how he is targeting folks, going again, after successful PRACTICING doctors and MAKING them work safer. Not look into malpractice, just limit it, by punishing those who practice medicine in this country. He said malpractice lawsuits were a problem, then said he was going to correct them by going after the victims. Welcome to the Waffle House, may I give you your order?

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Obama Finally Gets Around to McCain

It has been a long time since the election campaigns, but I think it is finally nice to see President Obama making good on a promise to Senator McCain. For the past few months I have noticed the President traveling around the country, finally doing town-hall style meetings. Sure it is a lot easier taking telepromter instead of taking notes for debate, but boy does he make it look easy. It would be nice to see someone stand up and get the President distracted from doing little more then acting and reading lines off a moving screen. Too bad no one stands up and asks him the tough questions about his Healthcare Reform, such as "why should we punish the nation's largest employer?" I would like to hear a "middle-road" answer to that question from our leftist federal government. I doubt many of us will ever get these answers before it is too late.
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States Increasing and Adding Taxes

Even though it was promised that most Americans wouldn't see a penny increase on their taxes, States suffering with looming budget crises are looking to increase, or "adjust" tax code to offset expenses. While Reaganomics proposed to alleviate pressure on workers at the bottom by cutting taxes at the top; it seems Obamanomics can be summed up as refusing to help the top (Federal) and allowing the bottom to suffer (State and Local). It would be nice if I heard record "personal profits" more then "tax profits" in the news. This deficit and economic nightmare is only beginning...
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Ohio: Barometer for Failure

Congratulations social agenda! Ohio is the 7th worst state for employment in the nation. We haven't hit the bottom yet, as there has already been another massive round of layoffs for the month of July. If the Obama Administration Stimulus has had any effect, the graph would show at least a blip. Nothing. So again, congratulations, with benefits running out, there should be a much larger and angrier group of citizens. Shall we wave the media wand of Hope and Change? Or will they actually see what little greedy politicians have to offer a group of uncaring television worshippers. Here's to creating jobs and getting us out of bankruptcy by spending money that doesn't even exist.

Please note that the steepest unemployment began just after the November 2008 Congressional elections. Our legislature handles the budget and unemployment, so remember to hold them accountable, our Democrat majority, who clearly has not a clue as to which end is up.

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Why America is a Fiscal Nightmare

It never ceases to amaze me of the number of ridiculous lobbyist organizations out there. They seem to have corralled and saddled our nation's legislature to brand them with all kinds of bills that benefit very few while burdening the majority. Please take a look at H.R. 1018: Restore Our American Mustangs Act. The name sounds patriotic and proud, but the rest of us can identify with the act as "Wasting Tax Payer Money to Support Alien Wildlife."

Wild horses and burros have all been introduced from Europe and they are destroying indigenous plants, yet we are going to spend roughly $600 million to enhance their breeding, pay for any damages they cause to native plants, and to employ people to guard them. For cripes sake, horses are getting a bailout while the rest of the country is being laid off and people are living in fear because they cannot put food on the table for their families.

The sheer audacity of Rep. Nick Rahall to have spent so much time and effort fabricating such a piece of excessive tax payer waste is beyond my ability to comprehend. We are in one of the worst financial recessions of all time, and we have not nearly hit rock bottom. We are about to approve the biggest national debt ever imagined, if you can imagine what a trillion dollars is even like. We are also about to receive the biggest load of propaganda to nueter and destroy our largest industry: healthcare. Yet we need to spend money on pet projects like this to guarantee a bunch of hooved animals get more protections under the government then the american worker.

Please call or write to tell Rep. Nick Rahall who the real jackass is, this is absurd.

WV (D) Rep. Nick Rahall
email him
or call (202) 225-3452
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June Unemployment

Stay tuned, the big unemployment numbers are coming on Friday, July 17th from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. My prediction puts Ohio at 11.5% unemployment, the National average at 10.2% and the poor state of Michigan into the 16% range. The worst, apparently, is yet to come. Once unemployment benefits begin drying up, the country is going to be in a real angry mess. Hopefully grassroots conservatism and libertarianism picks up those angry, laid off blue collar workers and reminds them that they voted for Change. I still dream of the day civic responsibility overcomes fancy campaign commercials and media worship.
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Ford Sells More Fusions Then Chrysler Does Cars

This should be a lesson to those companies that took / needed bailout money. It seems using the ideas of a free market is the best way to go. Ford managed to cut back, reorganize and reevaluate their future investments to still be churning out enough product that they haven't gone under. Meanwhile, consumer confidence has been eroded so bad at GM and Chrysler, that they are going to plummet even faster. The next two years are critical for Ford, and I expect them to pull out of this whole mess with a better outlook for the future. Checkout the Fusion, it ranks high in the categories most people consider.

GM seems to have taken market lessons well and introduced the most ridiculous things from R&D. These soon to be classic models show exactly why Americans will continue to ignore the faltering auto-giants offerings. Would you invest in a company that thinks the future of driving is in a flimsy, upright Segway knock off? People seem to want cargo space, seating for 5, fuel economy and RELIABILITY. Not some death pod with gyro-training wheels. Seriously, how much medical marijuana was needed in the design meeting when this passed from a lousy napkin sketch to budgeting development? Enough to help Michigan toward 20% unemployment, that's for sure.

P.U.M.A - AN ASSAULT ON COMMON SENSE

I was happy to see Goldman-Sachs predicting positive growth and repaying their TARP money. The more companies not on the government dole, the better. We need to do exactly as President Obama said "roll up our sleeves and do the hard work". Asking Uncle Sam for money that isn't even really his, isn't exactly "tightening our belts". It is backdoor theft, and we are asking our children to be witness to a new culture of beggars. There are dozens of banks that needed punishment with failure. How soon will it be that another wave of companies is asking for help while promising campaign support? 2010 is next year, and I imagine the begging is already happening in the meeting rooms of many Congressmen and Senators as we speak.

I ask you to all continue to support and REWARD successful corporations. A Corporation is a business made up of individuals, and we should quit demonizing them and start supporting them. We are the ticket out of this mess, not more debt and doomed-to-fail-socialist fantasies. Let us help the country by fixing it at the bottom, not by adding weight to the top.

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In Obama We Trust

Sorry that it has been awhile since I have written anything, I have been slogging through the post graduation unemployment. Funds are dwindling, but I won't get a bailout because I live in a real world where you are punished by your situation, not praised. It is troubling to see the homeless here in DC with cellphones. Mine is about to be shutoff because I am back a few months on the bill and this homeless bag lady is ranting about cats on her phone. I feel like there are a lot of missing things here in the nation's capital.

My favorite so far has been the unnatural obsession DCers have with President Obama. I have seen more ridiculous bumper stickers then I care to ever see. I think a good percentage of the cars here are being held together in parts by these propaganda badges. We get it, you support the ticket. You just know that half of these stickers were applied after the election and likely by people who didn't even vote. We all want to pick a winner, even if the winner is a cheat. You can always say later on, "I thought he was great, but when I found out the truth, it was nice to know that I didn't vote for him, so, don't look at me".

This sort of is life though, full of false prophets and false hope. We all want it so bad that we latch onto whatever is shiniest and full of the most promises. Then slowly the gold paint tarnishes and we are left with what is real. This is such a constant theme in politics, sports and fame. We turn away from believing in the little guy and putting all our betting chips on one person. Even if they are Superman, all our hopes on one person makes them vulnerable to everything. Instead of believing in American workers, we are now believing in one man and his cupboard full of Czars. We bailout one executive after another, and ignore the workers struggling at the bottom. Someone keeps their yacht while another loses their retirement.

Perhaps instead of seeing people wildly looking to the sky every time a marine helicopter flies over, screaming "Obama, Obaaaamaaa!!", we can all look around at ourselves and begin to worry about our neighbors. He isn't our savior, and the paint is only beginning to flake.

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UNREAD: American Clean Energy and Security Act

We were told that the Obama era would be about accepting Change. Apparently naturally changing weather patterns were left off the list of allowable change. Also, we were told this would be the era of transparent government. So while everyone else calls on this bill to save our energy and save the environment; I can't help but wonder what the Security section is about. We will likely never read it. You can devote a lot of writing to garbage in 1,200+ pages. Remember this:

"We will go through, line by line, with a scalpel..."

More campaign promises, as I doubt a single person has read this bill. Do the secretaries and pages just run into the committee chambers and through large stacks of the bill in at the last minute? Do they have a thousand page bill shuffler? This bill, loaded with all sorts of unrelated nonsense, is as long as the Bible. It will likely never see the light of day as far as the public is concerned. Where is the ACLU pumping their angry fists demanding that we have public access to all these closed door shenanigans?

Just remember, Obama said the average American would not see a single tax increase during his tenure. The soft drink companies, ammunition manufacturers tobacco companies, grocery stores, gas stations and car dealerships see the increase instead. We don't get the increases directly and most of our children will bare the burden later. Think of the hundreds of copies at over 100 pages each were printed for this bill. Now we are going to label and go after those that produce carbon dioxide, or all living things. This is only within the first few months of this so called "moderate" presidency. If we do not exercise what rights we have left now, we will not have them later.

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ATTENTION: Please Read

One of the things I am a strong advocate of, especially given the vast resources of the internet, is finding and reading primary sources of information. There is no slant, bias or prejudice involved. Reading, listening or watching the news without someone analyzing or presenting you their opinions is the best way to view the world. I highly encourage you to take a look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and see for yourself what is going on in our country. There is no sugar coating the facts. Please take the time to read and digest the information, it is important to understanding our Country's current crisis.

ECONOMIC NEWS RELEASE

I want everyone in this country to understand the information in that release from the Labor Department. There are many ways to correct unemployment, please think about what makes the most sense and compare that with what the government is doing and not doing.

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San Francisco: Gayest City in the World

If California spent as much time and effort with their budget as they do thinking up schemes to nanny their citizens, there would be no state deficit. From banning real energy solutions, to denying consumers the purchase of a certain color car; California has gone from a land of opportunity to a land of supervision. San Francisco is pushing hard to be the city with more fines and regulations for citizens with the least for illegal immigrants. Their newest law on food scraps might take the cake.

FINISH YOUR FOOD: THERE ARE STARVING POLITICIANS WHO NEED YOUR PAYCHECK

Penalizing homes and businesses for throwing away scrap food is like penalizing people for having their house too cold in the summer. This is the sanitary department asking you to make your home a little less sanitary. I have spent a lot of time in San Fran, and there are numerous homes with compost bins in the kitchen. All of them stink. Worse yet is you cannot compost processed foods. Perhaps we should just quit eating processed foods all together, and switch to your local, organic market. They aren't viable businesses, but with the right legal tinkering, you won't get the choice.

Then you have the many businesses that will be required to compost, but cannot. Any fast food restaurant that doesn't serve unprocessed food is fine. I know of two. Then you have places like In-N-Out, who are going to be in a lot of trouble within city limits. Finding ways to tax and punish successful business always bodes well in a tough economic climate. San Francisco may have just upstaged Los Angeles ban on Taco Wagons by nailing 90% of the restaurants in the city with outrageous penalties. How happy is Boudin's going to be when they are slapped with millions of dollars for wasted food? The systematic punishment of successful business labelled with the moniker "crisis" has got to stop in this country. No infrastructure can continue to support failed socialist businesses with "living wages" in the backdrop of economic turmoil. We are all failing.

For the consumer, the outlook is less dim. Just stop in at your local hardware store and pick up an in-sink aerator. The Garbage Disposal needs to make a comeback anyway. Nothing melts your frustrations away like watching left over food disappear to the grinding sound of a legal and fine free disposal solution. Maybe by this time next year, the George W. Bush Water Treatment plant will be guzzling down millions of gallons of food waste. You knew naming that plant would be ironic, just not like this.

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AFLCIO: Actress Edie Falco Joins Healthcare Reform

You heard it right folks, actress Edie Falco, star of "Nurse Jackie", has gone ahead to endorse HCAN according to the AFL-CIO. HCAN is the Heath Care for America Now! organization that seems to think that the largest employer in the U.S. is not a viable business, but a burden. It sounds like someone was trying too hard to connect healthcare reform to "Yes We Can" and NOW! They finally have the acclaimed actress's blessing. If only playing a nurse on TV was like going to med school for 10 years.

RIVETING NEWS: FALCO MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Give me a break. Where are the endorsements from the private health sector? Where are all the stories pouring out from real physicians and real nurses. Mostly just service workers, free healthcare providers, certain politicians, marxists and television stars. When the new Government Regulated Healthcare passes, does Falco win a nobel peace prize for supporting it and appointed a position in the White House? It wouldn't be the first time an actor was appointed to head up a position for President Obama. And I doubt it will be the last.

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Unconstitutional Laws at Work

My heart goes out to those families involved in yesterday's senseless act of violence at the National Holocaust Museum. Especially the loved ones of Stephen Johns, who was killed doing his job. I also want to extend my prayers to the family of the shooter, James von Brunn, because he is obviously a very confused and lost person. Unfortunately in a country where free thinking and individual ideas are supposedly protected; you will always have an element who decides to take away the another's pursuit to life, liberty and happiness.

I did want to note, that the 88 year old white supremacist managed to somehow, circumvent laws in Washington, and bring in illegal firearms. Yes, even with a Gun-Ban in place, he somehow still managed to carry weapons within the district. Like a stealthy spy, he concealed and blatantly violated a law. How are we supposed to sleep know that law abiding citizens will not exercise their 2nd Amendment Rights, while seedy criminals will? This is a Gun-Ban dammit! It is supposed to stop crime.

Yet gangs, criminals, thieves and murders continue to use unregistered, illegal firearms. The government also continues to act in a completely unchecked, tyrannical manner. Because police cannot be everywhere at once, we rely on private security forces. Even with private security guards present, a shooting and a murder occurred. I am not arguing that privately armed citizens may have made a difference, but without legally concealed weapons and a death penalty, what did an 88 year old gunman have to lose? At worst he would be in jail till his death, or at best he would die a martyr to his scum cause.

Given that we live in a world where the constant threat of terror is very real, and given that ANYONE can obtain and carry a weapon; why are the law abiding letting this continue. In Chicago, where violence has escalated at an obscene pace, a Gun-Ban continues. The solution: a proposed highway speed camera system that uses fines to fund an elite urban commando force. The solution is never to generate legal business in gun sales, lessons and licensing. It is always the opposite, enforcing stricter fines, increasing infrastructure and adding more powerful policing units to the street with little effect.

Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes....Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."

He knew in 1764 that in order to be independent, courageous and bold, you had to be armed at all times. Also, that carrying a firearm also places great respect and responsibility on the citizen. If our own history is not taken more seriously, we will be doomed to repeat it.

The indicators are all there, and I feel sorry that more could not have been done to instill fear and respect into the mind of von Brunn so he would never attempt such a heinous act of cowardice. This isn't about gun lobbying, or using violence; this is about our constitutional rights to protect ourselves and generate respect for those who wish to control us. The sovereignty of this country lies within the people, not the law makers. We must exercise our freedoms as is written and protected. Otherwise, those who wish to violate the constitution will continue unchecked to take the lives, liberties and happiness of others.

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Diplomatic Relations with the Wrong "Diplomats"

I felt it pertinent to comment on the sudden revelation that Obama has Muslim roots. After all, he campaigned heavily to the extent that he was a good, hard working Christian, until that became unpopular too. I guess being the president of Harvard Law Review contradicts with the claim that you were unaware that your pastor was inflammatory after 20 years of sermons. When your image is all the experience you have, controlling what the public knows is crucial.

Now, we are playing up the Muslim heritage and this world traveller idea to be diplomatic with the Islamic world. Maybe the public will suddenly get over their islamaphobia and see this as another great reason for having elected President Obama. To be honest, I am not entirely sure what the outcome is to be.

This isn't going to get Iran to cease on their path for nuclear technology, their fight is with Israel. I also feel that the further we strain relations with Israel, the more panicked they are going to become. The entire world reacts now as if EVERYTHING were a crisis, so imagine Israel taking a crisis and arming their warheads.

Is Saudi Arabia going to pressure OPEC? The last 4 presisdents have had a hard time dealing with that situation (Jimmy Carter doesn't count) and I doubt Mr. Obama bowing to the Saudis is going to make a bit of difference.

The only discernible difference I can imagine from the Islamic world is Egypt. By getting Egypt to take up sides with the U.S. and the rest of the Islamic nations on the accord of a Palestinian state, perhaps Israel will concede? With hardline conservative leadership, this seems like it will only push Israel into exclusion.

That aside, Osama bin Laden managed to get onto Al Jezzera today (why can't they reveal their sources) and continue his jihad against America. So it continues. Unless our president sits down and negotiates, "diplomatically", with terrorists, they aren't going to stop. They don't stop because Islamic leaders are shaking hands with a black Muslim president. They don't stop because you bow to the Saudis. They HATE America and will not end their jihad until they are captured, or America falls. Diplomacy is great, but don't let the image fool you. We still are in a dangerous chapter, and without real pressure on the terrorists, 9/11 will find a repeat.

 

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Nuclear Holocaust

What right does the United States of America have in imposing the viewpoints of the righteous upon those who support tyranny? I'm sorry Mr. President, look up honor and service. Our brave men and women didn't die fighting for our freedoms so a tyrannical nation could come to power and threaten the security of the entire world. Did you not pick up a a newspaper in the past year? Were you too busy gazing admirably into the mirror that you missed the various international sanctions on a country threatening to go nuclear? A nation that believes it has no gays, and the holocaust did not exist.

IN AGREEMENT WITH THE ENEMY - THE NEW AMERICAN PASSIVIST

Honestly, as the morally superior world super power, we have EVERY right to impose our views onto an increasingly hostile world. If we don't, will we be allowing terrorist to dictate our daily lives because of our new passivist attitudes? We are rolling over on the biggest error in modern foreign policy, and Sec. Hillary will take the fall from the impending fallout. Never mind which nations might survive global warming, which ones will survive the nuclear winter?

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Entitled: The Boys in Blue

I'll confess, I was in Washington DC for Memorial Day weekend. I saw the concert Sunday night in front of the Capital Building. After the concert we stayed put on the green and were talking when an officer strolled up and shone a flashlight in our faces. I hate when they do that, although I understand that is just part of their job. I feel like I should spread my arms and call out for Jesus in the blinding light. He told us, flatly "Show's over, you need to leave". To which I responded pointing at the Capital and land around it, "didn't I pay for all of this, didn't my ancestors pay for this ground with their blood?". Cops apparently don't have a sense of humor, and we were forced to move.

We then crossed 3rd street back onto the mall to take the Smithsonian station Metro. We had to wait as two cops blazed down the gravel pedestrian paths in the dark and cut through the crosswalk onto the street. I thought maybe they were in a rush, but after getting on the street, they just slowed down, both officers smiling. Thanks for the rock and dirt shower.

This is a great representation of the problems in American government today. Congress Members, Senators, Judges and Presidents do things because they can. We don't have a real system of "shouldn't" but instead we have a system of "can". Maybe this is why Jefferson wrote about the government fearing the people. Tyranny must be held in check, otherwise, authority will continue to do everything and anything they CAN.
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GE: Government Everything

President Obama is bailing out banks, pushing green technology, rebuilding our energy, extending the war into Afghanistan and nationalizing healthcare. Doesn't General Electric:

1: Sign Loans
2: Produce Compact Fluorescent Lights
3: Supply Wind Turbines
4: Make Military Aircraft
5: Distribute MRI equipment

Thank goodness they don't own a media outlet, like NBC who is connected to Universal. Maybe our kids will be getting GE textbooks this year too.
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Move Over Bush, Hospitals Ruined The World

If you haven't seen the latest economy related political ads running on TV, I will direct you right to their source.

HEALTHY ECONOMY NOW - WORSE THEN TYING SADDAM TO WMDs

Prepare your defense liberals, because you are still complaining about the assertion that Saddam had WMDs and this wasn't reason enough to enter Iraq. You ignored the economic and political rationale at the time. This should be griped about equally, but you'll pass over it because your hypocritical policies never make sense as a whole. You don't mind waiting a few months for your AIDS treatment.

Apparently, the group Healthy Economy Now is blaming the current financial CRISIS on America's outdated and inefficient healthcare system. The commercial looked like it was made by the same producers who worked on the Obama campaign. The affiliated industries who make up this new group are the typical capitalist hating, socialist loving organizations. Surprise, surprise.

Healthcare in this country may need some work, but it certainly does not need to go nationalized. It is the largest employer in the country. Again, Healthcare is the #1 industry in America, and should be treated as one with room to grow, not a financial burden. The government does not need to get into the position of controlling healthcare. If it takes the President 2-3 days to know what he is talking about, how quick will it take budget leaders who decide whether or not your kidney surgery is too expensive. I'm guessing 2-3 days too late. Maybe the coffin and mortuary lobby is behind the scenes on this one.

Sadly, this is only the beginning of the propaganda parade associated with the new administration. I can't wait to see the other connections that are made. When we are attacked again by terrorists, I am sure it will be the fault of coal miners because they are tunneling too close to Pakistan as they dig in Appalachia. When do we decide the lies end?

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A Liberal House of Cards

The slogan for Ohio used to be "The Heart of it All," but has since been changed to "Birthplace of Lies." Alright, so it is really "Birthplace of Aviation," they meant to put soaring campaign promises and plummeting realities. I write this because our new, improved, liberal Governor Ted Strickland fails to keep up on his main campaign promise to assist education by listening to the people.

It hasn't received enough coverage, but Governor Strickland used the budget crisis last fall to cut education funding after making it a key issue on his election campaigns. He was sneaky too. He issued at the state level, that state grants and scholarships would be cut by up to 25%. Then the schools were given there own decision to also cut them by 25%. That is back to back cuts on money students need for schools. I didn't see any cuts in pay or staff at the state level, just student money. Good thing the unemployment rate is at 10%, so those students who need the extra money from jobs to support their education, will have to think about high risk loans and the prospect of dropping out.

For the rest of the country, Ohioans pay, on average, over $9,000 a year for in-state tuition. It is painful to think about the average being almost half that a decade ago. I paid almost $11,000 alone for this year, and I am glad I graduate when I do. My debt is enormous, but I don't get any bailout, just bills. My taxes pay for single mothers with 5 kids in 4 bedroom homes while I scrape by on rent. I don't have a flat screen TV or entertainment center, just an off-brand set I got at a garage sell with cash. I don't have a brand new government subsidized car, just a 20 year old beater I afforded after earning it with cash. I don't need a bailout because I was wise in my financial decisions.

Somehow, Ohio will get out of the red. Mr. Strickland wants to use "casinos" to generate the cash needed. I hate that mentality, finding schemes to pay for wasteful governments. The casino idea has been rejected by Ohio voters four times, and will continue to be, because the plan is too ludicrous for the media to spin. The idea was that Ohioans fork over millions to a casino company in money needed to fun the design, development, construction and staffing for a facility. They were asking Ohioans to pay all the upfront costs in the hopes that the casino would meet or exceed expectations on expenses and starting generating money. When the casino generates the required revenue, a variable figure, then Ohio could start to see money returned on it's investment. It was looking like paying millions of dollars over the next ten years, to start seeing money that might take another ten to pay off the investment. 

It literally was a scheme to buy a casino for a company to profit off of, and they campaigned hard to do so. The 2009 campaign for a casino in Ohio cost $60 million. Sounds philanthropic, right? This was to be 1 of 4 to be built, so the investment may have gone into the billions. Gov. Strickland scoffed at the latest election showdown as voters just not understanding what is good for them, and he vowed to do everything in his power to get more gambling into Ohio. You had to be the least bit curious as to where Keno suddenly came from?

STRICKLY OPPOSED TO GAMBLING, GOVERNOR OK'S KENO

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A New America: The Reward for Failure

President Obama may thank current Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm with a nomination to the United States Supreme Court. Yes, thank her. After all, she is CEO of the state with the worst unemployment rate in the nation. We need to think about Mayors, Governors, and Presidents as CEOs because they run the executive branch in their respective offices. She isn't to blame entirely for the high unemployment in the nation, and neither is President Obama. However, both have made it worse with their poor judgement on "stimulating" the economy.

The recession nationally, would have been a lot better off without such ridiculous and frivolous "stimulus" add-ons like that list of requested capital projects from the US Conference of Mayors. If you haven't casually browsed this list, it is highly recommended, because it is comedy writing at its best. Al Franken will do well in the Senate at this pace. $40 million for a Homeland Security training facility in Oklahoma that doubles as a manager training facility for motels. You can't make this nonsense up.

USCM READY TO GO PROJECTS - READY TO WASTE BILLIONS

State wise, Michigan has been spending billions on wasteful projects instead of protecting business investments to the state. They never seemed to diversify any further outside of the automotive industry, and Mrs. Granholm just continues to burn through tax payer money. Instead of encouraging their transition, Madame Governor sought to expand expensive green energy policies. Sound familiar? Instead of protecting jobs, she protected unemployment benefits and union interests. As it stands, Michigan's per capita is dropping and unemployment is skyrocketing way past national averages. Rumor has it, Michigan hasn't hit bottom yet, and bottom is a ways to go. Try and blame the conservative representatives, because you can't, it is a one party state.

Shall I Put That Into Large Bills?

This is just a series of foolish liberal ideology that President Bush shouldered at the end of his tenure, and President Obama is quickly expanding. Instead of punishing failure, and allowing businesses to earn their punishment for not being competitive in the market, we are destroying the Nation. We are telling businesses, like many of the employed, and those who have made gross errors in their financial lives; "don't worry, help is on the way!" Culturally, we are bastardizing the competitive spirit of all people, and replacing it with this government caretaker. Instead of Lady Liberty recognizing her nephew has a gambling problem, she just slips him another $400 and looks the other way.

We must stop the government from shelling out bailouts and rewards to those who fail. It is our tax money, supposed to be used to help support an institution that WE govern. I don't pay my taxes so people who don't pay them are rewarded with a US Treasury Secretary position. I don't pay my taxes so people who don't pay them are rewarded with a Health and Human Services Secretary position. How about appointing executives with poor judgement to the Supreme Court? How about bailing out corrupt, failed, campaign-contributing financial institutions so their directors can go on vacation and receive most of the bailout in the form of bonuses? Human embryonic stem-cell research shows less promise then adult stem-cell research, and we're advancing them more grants.

We all know what happens to the wealthy, spoiled brat who continually fails, while his father just knocks down any road locks on the kid's path to success. He assumes he deserves EVERYTHING and gets whatever he wants, hungry with power. Is this the lesson we are to pass onto our children? If you fail, someone will clean up the mess. The taxpaying in this country are tired of cleaning up messes and there has to be a breaking point. Bring back competition, and quit rewarding failure with my hard labor.

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Close Guantanamo, the Jail for Terrorists

It is only commonsense that punishments only encourage criminals. Why. if they got rid of prison sentences and trials, there would be less murders. The prison at Guantanamo Bay, which is run in accordance to the 3rd Geneva Convention of Humanitarian Law, is clearly causing an increase in terrorists recruitment. 

Radical Islamic Jihadist! Please hear our call, we are closing a prison that is entirely legal within International Law, agreed upon by the United Nations. You now have no reason to plot and kill the evil American Citizens. None what-so-ever. I know you said in all those tapes that it was because of our evolvement in the world, or exporting our culture, or the fact we give women responsibilities and authority power. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton must completely contradict your way of life. Have no more fear! Guantanamo will be gone soon, and you can have full access to the judicial system I pay for to make a mockery of me.

Give me a break President Appeaser. Guantanamo, while not always managed perfectly, is there to scare domestic terrorists out of committing heinous acts. Quit taking publicity polls drummed up by more special interest groups, who call themselves humanitarians, but would rather hurt and kill our men and women in the Armed Forces. When your national security policy fails, don't come crying to those who used to prevent it and blame them.

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The Empire Strikes Back

President Obama spelled out his plan for closing Guantanamo Bay without ever actually stating what the plan is. Look, no politician is infallible to holding a press conference to share details while at the same time withhold the very details the conference was called for in the first place. Mr. Obama does share the secret about finger pointing, how it gets us nowhere and that he will continue to avoid it. He then later contradicts that by stating that the issue of closing the detention center isn't on him, but rather on those who opened it. 

Official White House Transcript

This all seems to comply with the idea of making campaign promises to never tax the lower class a single dime, then increase their taxes on sugary drinks, cigarettes, gas and "unhealthy" foods. It also sounds like promising to use a scalpel like a surgeon to go through the budget line by line to remove unnecessary spending like pork, only to knowingly and swiftly approve of billions of dollars in new pork projects. He lambasted the Bush Administration for using illegal military tribunals, and then just last week gave his approval of them.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Cheney's comments on the whole matter. If you haven't watched the video of his speech, please do so. Although you may have many policy disagreements with the former Vice President, his intentions are clear. He used a method to make America safer, one that the current President has decided to personally attack, and he is receiving a response. Cheney said it best when he pointed out that attacking the method without releasing the results is foolish.

C-Span Video of Mr. Cheney's Response

Take a look at how concise and firm Mr. Cheney's message is. This should be the tone Conservatives and Independents need to use in order to win back citizen control of America. We need more, well thought-out, simply constructed, logical arguments without this feel-good, sugary image loaded nonsense in the current President's speeches. Simply having Robert Gibb answer every questioner with "ad hoc patchwork of laws" isn't going to show your intelligence. It is going to reveal why it takes Mr. Obama 2-3 days to "know what he is talking about." I am tired of hip teleprompter writers where experienced leadership is needed.

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Clooney's Hollywood Still at the Forefront of Civil Rights

Remember George Clooney's acceptance speech from the Oscars? He said how he was "proud to be out of touch" as a member of Hollywood.

Oscars Speech

I saw that three, wealthy, white Hollywood producers would be in charge of the upcoming Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. biopic. I am so glad Clooney cleared up the fact that they are all out-of-touch in Hollywood. If Spike Lee doesn't issue a statement for this, then the world is ending.

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University Prank Call

My school just called asking me to donate $100 to a Senior Class of 2009 gift. Because I have/want $100 to give back to the University so they can build a $10,000 plaque celebrating my student loan debt. What if we spent that $10,000 on a children's charity and had a donor, donate us a plaque as a generous gift. I fail to see how buying a trophy for myself is being considered a gift. 

To sweeten the deal, the voice on the phone said the extra proceeds would go toward commemorating our first "Green" day on campus. Last I checked "days" were free, and green meant scam. Move on University Autodialer, I didn't wastefully approve of your purchase with state taxes to coerce more money from me.

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California's $1 Billion Nuclear Park

I always enjoy a good story about government waste. Like green technology, I would have to say our bloated, lobby ridden, special interest group hindered and power corrupt government is about 10% efficient. I heard a long time ago that many of California's financial problems stem from their lack of new power plants. I was not able to find the set of laws prohibiting the construction of new plants, as I imagine the laws state something about minimum requirements that are too stringent to be economical feasible. For some reason the state went ahead and chose to import most of their energy from their neighboring states in the form of hydroelectric and nuclear power. Why taint Californian soil with dirty power plants when someone else can do the dirty work, right?

Well that is where the Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station comes in, just outside of Sacramento. It was built back in 1975, during my grandfather's tenure at Babcox and Wilcox, to supply the city 963 MWe. I have read about some of the controversy involving the reactor itself, so I am not going to try and refute any of the criticisms. The thing that interests me most, is that someone with the ability to balance a checkbook, was not present when they made any of the big decisions from the State and Local levels regarding the plants decommissioning.

The plant never ran to full capacity, which isn't unusual with nuclear power plants, and is still far more efficient that any other "green" power sources. Up to 1989, it cost the state $660 million to build, maintain and upgrade. That is somewhere around $47 million a year to supply power to about 400,000 people. That is like $120 a year for the electric bill, so we aren't losing ridiculous amounts of money, it is in fact profiting, something the anti-nuclear groups failed to mention in their campaign against the plant.

In 1989, they decommissioned the power plant instead of upgrading it further and getting it's full capacity, needed desperately for the city of Sacramento and San Francisco. They turned the plant into a lovely park 2 years later for a small $400 million fee. The anti-nuclear, and environmentalist groups seem to know better then common sense in California.

Rancho Seco Recreation Area - Well Worth the Capital Losses!

The $1.1 Billion non-operating nuclear power facility that now features RV parking and duck feeding. They wanted to make use of the former grounds and installed a Solar Panel array nearby for $266 million. That is 2 MWe of solar power for $266 million vs. 375 MWe for $660 million. Or you can look at it as Nuclear is $1.76 a watt while Solar is $133 a watt. So don't tell me the reason is cost, because nuclear was 76% more cost effective then solar, and it was running at almost a 3rd of it's capacity.

The other kick in the teeth for this project is the fact that Photovoltaic (Solar) panels are only about 40% efficient, and that is in direct sun on the summer solstice. Other times of the year, when the sun is lower in the sky, and other times of the day, assuming it IS sunny, they just don't reach capacity. They obviously don't operate at night, and they obviously are severely effected by clouds, inclement weather, and smog. Nuclear runs 24/7 regardless of what the weather is like.

The real losers are Californians, myself included, who are suffering through their worst budget crisis in state history. Is the $1.1 billion waste at Rancho Seco to blame? No, but it makes up a large portion of the overall debt. This is especially important because the state could have been supporting local power, instead of purchasing it at elevated rates from it's neighbors. This makes me wonder about what has kept Nuclear Commissioning companies from building in Tijuana to avoid state environmental laws. I hate to say it, but we need to look to France to model our energy policy. Buy American, support Nuclear.

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Tax Refund Reality Check

I won't comment on the state of California; they owe me a tax refund and the Governator's IOU wasn't exactly cute. I did get my Federal Tax Refund, and I went to the bank to deposit it. It is a common policy for banking institutions to withhold depositing checks to assure that the issuing institution has valid funds. Under normal circumstances, I might think my bank withholding a deposit from the U.S. Treasury would be silly. Instead, I realized just how bankrupt our Treasury is, and that this might be the first time my bank's policy made sense. Lets hope it goes through tomorrow so Geitner doesn't have to use even more tax money to pay for bounced check fees...
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Socialist Brothers, United for Change

Separated by only 2000 miles, you might think Presidents Barack Obama and Hugo Chávez could be long lost twins. If not twins, then at least brothers. They certainly share a special bond as the Western Hemisphere's first leaders to identify themselves as African. They both campaigned as young, charismatic orators, set to reshape their nations to help the capitalist-exploited lower classes. Having been elected 10 years ago, Chávez has already left a legacy that any leftist leader would be wise to study for it's successes and failures.

Many of their similarities are not by accident or a mere coincidence in the scope of modern politics. It is typical practice for a politician to align themselves with popular and iconic figures that lead before them. Obama, like so many other politicians, found unique and creative ways to associate and connect himself to the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. He has given speeches likening his accession to that of Lincoln, and promising someday to follow in the footsteps of honest Abe and liberate the enslaved. He made a tie to Kennedy in his fictional memoir, "Dreams of my Father," in which he concluded that Senator Kennedy's direct involvement with the African Airlift was solely responsible for bringing Obama Sr. to America to receive an education.

Chávez has pulled off similar political stunts to elevate his status using hero-worship. In 1983, on the anniversary of the bolivian revolution, he gave a provocative speech tying himself to Simón Bolívar through his grandfather. He hangs flags and portraits of Fidel Castro during television broadcasts in order to relate himself to Che Guevara. He may have been a military trained man, but he never once spent any time on the battlefield. Yet he is viewed as a revolutionary, much the way Obama is being hailed an experienced civil rights leader.

What I find most troubling is really at the root of both of their political philosophies and their campaign messages. Both leaders filled voters with soaring speeches about being able to change and fix so much, even though it is impossible. They promised massive reforms and more government while claiming to be middle of the road and the best leader for everyone. Follow their political ideas, especially after almost 10 years of Chávez, and they are leftist, socialist followers.

Socialism is always euphoric on paper and in theory. There are many left leaning media outlets now professing the brilliance of Chávez's reign and how the former Bush administration did nothing but smear a great Latin American leader. One would have to accept Chávez before they could accept Obama, so it is only natural that the media that fauns over the new Administration would be praising his southern brother.

In a scheme to provide oil to the poor, Chávez used a crisis to purchase the oil industry (CITGO) and take full control of the country's commodity. They even had a pilot program, that began in of all places, Chicago, to try and give the impoverished access to the same cheap oil. The plan was doomed to fail as the oil in Venezuela is heavy crude and requires more capital to refine. Until oil went about $50 a barrel, the plan would fail. But cheap oil from Venezuela on the market would have the effect of less OPEC output and higher barrel prices. Was it a scheme to help the poor, or to help the government of Venezuela? Methinks it was the latter.

I watched a fantastic documentary on PBS Frontline: "The Hugo Chávez Show". In it they interviewed construction workers and factory workers who were hired by the government to work on national projects to assist the poor. Claims that his government programs were working were refuted by unpaid, crying workers, forced to toil like slaves to make their leader look like he was delivering. Another man, a former community organizer and campaigner, sat before Chávez on a nationally televised public Q & A session. He praised the President for everything that he had done for the poor, and came to tears expressing his love for all the work that he had done for the people of Venezuela. Then he asked his question about why they were having problems getting paid for all the campaign work they did. Chávez leapt right into defense mode and claimed the man was being paid to come and attack him for being the good guy. The man was heart broken being attacked like this from his idol, but on air, the audience felt better about having voted for Chávez because he was still fighting for them.

This is how he operates, and I promise that Obama at the slightest tinge of negativity, will find a sacrificial lamb. Is it ironic that Obama chose his former competition for offices of high power, much like Chávez has done in Venezuela? It seems every time there are enough complaints against the government in Venezuela, Chávez comes on his state controlled news station to blame a member of his cabinet for the problems, and fire them to the applause of a crowd. When will Clinton's lack of experience in foreign policy land her on Obama's chopping block?

As the Obama years begin to unfold, I expect to find many more similarities in our new found Socialist America with Socialist South America. The first American African, socialist leaders with a lineage of hero political visionaries setting about to control wealth and saddle their future peoples in an insurmountable debt will continue on their twin paths. I only hope that us remaining objective Americans can pick up the lessons learned in Caracas to avoid the forthcoming mistakes to be made in Washington.

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Thank You Student Loans

I was at my sister's graduation this past weekend at Kent State University. The keynote speaker was Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, who was recently replaced by Stephen Knapp as Dean of George Washington University. He gave a rather unforgettable, clichéd speech (not that any graduation speech is free from being unoriginal) about baseball statistics. A successful batter in baseball hits only 30% of his at-bats, so you can afford to fail in life and still be successful. If you haven't heard the speech, there are plenty more graduation ceremonies to catch and the success of hearing it is probably 30%.

I myself have a stage to cross in the next month, and sitting watching the graduating class of 2009 up in Kent, I couldn't help but feel uneasy about our future. I plan on labeling the top of my graduation hat with the current unemployment rate for the nation. The job market is easily one of the worst in the history of our country, and there are billions of dollars in unpaid student loans. I feel fortunate that I will be continuing my education further, but what about the rest of my peers. Are we expected to take unemployment benefits to cover loan repayment? Or is this our golden opportunity to become community organizers or join the coming Civilian Volunteer Corps?

I, like many in this country, are upset with the economy. It will be interesting to watch how inflation takes rise from the ashes of the Government's bloated and poorly conceived "stimulus bill". I expect more State Government conflict with the Federal Government. In a lot of ways, the economy can be compared to a passenger jet. You must use all your training and experience to gentle control the plane. Any sudden direction changes, or overcompensation will lead to a catastrophic crash. We are headed for that crash still. I just hope I can get a job that pays what I should earn to take care of my debt myself. Last thing we all need is to be paying taxes in order to in-debt future generations with the Class of 2009.
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Conservative Protestors Have the Heart, but Lack the Fight

I had wanted to start writing this blog a few months back so I am going to play catch-up with some things that need attention. Special thanks to Mike Wilson and his partners who organized the rallies in Cincinnati.

I don't know how the first Tea Parties and tax day followups were perceived nationwide as I remember the only venues covering the story locally (Cincinnati, where I participated) were Fox and CBS. Fox, which seemed like the obvious outlet for such "right-wing extremism" had a small story and some photographs while CBS talked about the violent out-of-hand protest. They of course didn't post any footage, just that the cameraman and interviewer were afraid for their lives and staying in the crowd was asking for injury. They were just upset that a small group of educated protestors were yelling louder then they could respond near a group of maybe 6 anti-Tea Party protestors. We rallied for smaller government and more citizen control, yet a few people showed up to call the racially, ethnically, and gender diverse crowd white supremacists.

CINCINNATI TEA PARTY - HOME

The tax day Tea Party was a BIG wake up call for the nation's independent and conservative base. Not only were the rallies staged around the country important in reflecting on the mistrust and abuse done by our government, but they were important for showing the lack of fight we have as patriots. I feel like I can blame whoever wrote Nixon's November 3rd, 1969 speech. Was that Ben Stein? Although the phrase Silent Majority was never intended to become a heart felt excuse, it has, and it was alive and well at these critical rallies.

If any of you were at the Cincinnati tax day rally, you might remember my voice. That is both a good, and bad thing.

I photographed and made my own tally of the entire march procession to city hall before taking up the rear with a small group of SEIU representatives and some angry followers. There were maybe a dozen anti-rally protestors to our 4,000 rally protestors; and they were louder. They were screaming "you lost, get over it", "this isn't even your home", "go back to the cities you really come from" and "all of you racists disgust me". The leader of this group was an senior black woman (if anyone can find me her name, I personally would like to sit down with her and apologize for giving off the wrong impression and explain who we are) almost in tears shouting at us like we were trespassing on sacred grounds. It was starting to feel more like a guilt parade, where we marched to our own shame.

I began chanting, at the top of my lungs, at the top of my spirit and the hollow echos off the empty building faces chilled me. In a crowd of 4,000 people, I felt completely alone. I felt like the only person with a fight still flickering inside. A man turned around and said to me, "I think we get the point, you can be quiet now". What?! NO! So many people did not get the point, and are still missing the point! They have the heart, but not the fight!

It is bad enough, that we have to conform with municipal code and fill out permits and get approval to assemble. That is Constitutionally protected in the very 1st Amendment! Then we take the time during our lunch breaks, because some of us are still fortunate enough to have jobs, to silently march downtown and not be heard by the media. The Cincinnati City planners were brilliant in not providing any space for us to gather near City Hall. When we arrived, we were told to move out of the streets and disperse onto the sidewalks, go home and people complied! I am sorry, we were 4,000 people strong, and we had every Constitutional right to be there. We even filled out, filed and paid their unconstitutional fees. I was outraged, and anyone who went to these tax day rallies, should be too.

How much further down the road toward totalitarianism is America going to go? I expect all of you to make it back to upcoming rallies, and this time, bring the courage to make yourself heard. We must take back this country, united, and once again stand up to fight for what is right.

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Environmentalist to Poison the Great Lakes

I thought I would start off my first post with a topic very near and dear to my heart; lighting. It should be no secret in the weeks and months ahead, that I will be revealed to be a designer, so I will state it now that I am. To me, the most important aspect of design is lighting! Without light, the majority of human beings who rely on their sight as their top sense would not be able to see and make quick assessments of their surrounding environment.

The issue I wanted to address is actually our cultural shift toward Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs). This of course was another dynamic shift in consumer practices led by environmental groups and the manufacturers of these products. I don't think you can actually go for 5 minutes of watching TV without seeing an ad touting their money saving, energy saving, environment saving and soul saving properties. They last longer, won't kill the polar bears, and will save you so much money you won't have to shop at Walmart anymore. Would you believe it that their message is almost entirely hype?

They always forget to tell you that those curly, soft-white tubes require more energy and resources to produce, are toxic, and last just as long as incandescent lightbulbs. That's right, last AS long as the old outdated, Edison has an idea, ubiquitous globe bulbs. Howard Brandston, a fantastic lighting designer lays out that argument in an excellent Q & A for the New York Times below.

A DEFENSE OF THE INCANDESCENT LIGHTBULB

Also coming from a background in nature conservation, the entire CFL trend is an environmental disaster in the making. We are essentially swapping out a theoretical "smaller carbon footprint" for poisoning our ground water with mercury. I'll save the argument for why carbon is our friend, not our foe for later; but millions of tons of mercury vapor CFLs being shoved down the throats of Americans and others worldwide is a recipe for disaster. I would love to see how they "recycle" these bulbs, but I get the feeling it's another one of those feel good schemes. There are a number of studies that explain how a single gram of mercury can contaminate a 20 acre lake. We read about high school labs being closed so Hazmat can rush in and clean up a mercury spill, but never for a broken fluorescent light. 

Now here are the numbers. A fluorescent lightbulb can contain between 1 - 4 milligrams of mercury. Lets go with the accepted and commonly repeated amount, 4 milligrams. Census bureau estimated 127 million housing units in 2007. We'll be conservative and say 120 million, and we'll thank Fannie and Freddie while we're at it. In order for the EPA to get their numbers on energy saving, they used an average of 40 lightbulbs per home. All and all, that is almost 1 million grams of mercury. If improperly disposed of today, that's enough to contaminate 30,000 square miles of freshwater. When the government has their way, every American and American business would own enough mercury vapor in light bulbs to contaminate ALL 5 of the Great Lakes.

If environmentalists, and the government really cared about saving energy, and cleaning up our planet; they would all ask us to change our habits, dim our incandescent lights, and recycle burned out bulbs. Instead they are hoping to promote so-called "green businesses" because they in-turn promote them and their campaigns. Besides, how many incandescent bulbs give off large EMFs and flicker in a way known to make people ill? None. Not all new technology is better technology; stick with tungsten.

UPDATE - - I forgot to add, that this massive shift toward poisonous, unhealthy lighting products, is to save an ideal $600 million. California is about $20 billion in debt, and the nation is looking at a $4 trillion deficit. It's still a scam.

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This blog was started in direct response to the growing problems in American society today. As I am firm believer that the most powerful nation wills the rest of the world into their philosophy, this blog will also indirectly address world issues. I am in no way claiming that my opinions directed toward the United States applies directly to other nations in the world. I just feel that our Nation, which was built on the ideas of a Democratic Republic with representatives, is in need of a rescue. America has been set on a path toward destruction because of propaganda, politician corruption, and the manipulation of "argumentum ad populum". I sincerely wish all of those who read these writings are able to decipher and create their own unique opinions in which to question EVERYTHING with. If you cannot debate from both sides of an argument, you will never be able to understand your opponent, and you will never be able to overcome defeat. Please support free press and the diverse opinions offered by independent thinkers. Thank you and enjoy!
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