Daylite Sun Archived Commentaries |
Pet Food Rip-OffCommentary for Tuesday 02/27/2007 Exposing the Pet Food Rip Off
Cost of Catfood: For the cat lovers who read this column, have you
ever calculted how expensive that prepared canned catfood that you feed your cat
cost? If you buy the new deluxe Fancy Feast in the three ounce cans, 'Wal-Mart'
priced at $0.70/can, that comes to $3.73/lb. Regular Fancy Feast if bought at
Wal-Mart will set you back a modest $1.76/lb. That's $0.33 for a 3 ounce can.
Catfood for the Rest of Us: There are cheaper cat foods out there.
The house brand of Wal-Mart is named Special Kitty. Special Kitty Gourmet comes in in
3 ounce cans that cost $0.27 per can. The cost for this cheaper catfood comes to
$1.44 per pound. To put it in perspective, whole chickens cost me if I buy them on
sale about $0.67 per pound. The Thanksgiving turkey that sat on our table for
Thanksgiving cost $0.49 per pound. That turkey would have been $0.39 per pound if I
had made it to the store a day earlier. Premium turkeys sell for more and cost
upwards of $0.89 per pound.
The Ingredients List: Reading the ingredients list of pet food is
like a whose who in the meat by products business. This list is from a Special Kitty
Gourmet Select Ocean Whitefish and Tuna Entre. To their credit, Ocean Whitefish is
the #1 ingredient, but it goes downhill from there. In order after the #1 ingredient
is: Liver (not specified from what), fish (again not specified), Meat by-Products
(What's that anyway), fish broth (water?), tuna (finally), titanium dioxide (whats
that for?), Guar Gum (for that full feeling), and vitamins. The rest of the stuff is
just chemicals, and a lot of them. The point of course is to point out, that for what
the catfood industry is charging for their products, they could just use the real
thing. They don't need to use questionable meats and by-products. There is no telling
where those meat by-products come from. It could be anything from the orts of
meatpackers to the remains of euthanized cats and dogs (somebody uses them). The
vitamins I understand, but not all of the other chemicals.What is their
purpose?
The Point Is: I didn't write this to try and discourage your use of
prepared catfood, but rather to get you to think about how much better and cheaper
that your cat could be eating if you would just buy whole meats for food. Beef is a
little more expensive, for instance at Sam's, I buy boneless Chuck Roast for $1.90
per pound. It's not much more than Fancy Feast regular 3 ounce cans and a lot cheaper
than their premium stuff. You can also be confident that your cat is not getting a
lot of questionable chemicals and the dreaded meat by-products. Personally, I am
still waiting for "Mouse" and "Bird" as a variety of catfood. That is what my outside
cat eats a lot of, and really likes them. :-)
No Dogs in this Report: Since I don't own a dog, I can't vouch for
either the price or contents of dogfood. I rather suspect its much the same though
since it is all the same industry. Pet food in general is over priced and they get
away with it because they know how you feel about your pet. Most of the pet food that
I have read the labels for is just crap or some version of crap that you are paying a
high price for. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Pet Food, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Helping AfricaCommentary for Monday 02/26/2007 Missionary Work
The Good of Missions: I write this from personal experience about
the missionary work in Africa.
'Operation Handclasp': During my days in the U.S. Navy, one of our
missions was to deliver grain, toys, and books to the Horn of Africa. You would
recognize any of the bags of grain, or boxes of the other items; they all had the
emblam of the two hands clasping, which designated these items as part of the 'People
to People' effort by Americans to the less fortunate in the world. Our part in this
project was to deliver these supplies to several missions scattered throughout what
was then called French Somaliland. I considered myself fortunate to have been one of
the ones to help deliver this bounty to those missions. The experience was an eye
opener and changed my opinion about missionary programs.
Feel Good Enterprise: The Missionaries are all sincere about wanting
to help the poor. They feel like they are doing the Lord's work, and in most cases
they are. These people put up with a lot of pretty sorry and dangerous conditions in
order to carry out what they perceive is their life's work. So up front, I want to
convey my admiration for this dedication to principle. My problem with these
enterprizes is the results. The following is a summary of what happens whenever a
group or a church opens up a mission.
Opening a Mission: It doesn't take long for the word to get around
in the area that there is a new mission. The poor will congregate around the mission
because they know that there is going to be food and some medical assistance. Like I
said, feeding the poor is honorable, but making them wards of the mission is wrong.
These people become totally dependent on these missions. The missions fully realize
that there are a lot of people who won't eat unless they provide it. In U.S. churches
there is always a portion of the receipts that go to a fund that helps the missions.
It is this help along with goverments help that keep the missions supplied. And, no
doubt if the missions were to leave, those who are dependent on the missions would
probably starve.
A Different Direction: It doesn't have to be this way. The world has
been donating relief supplies for decades and the situation has not improved. Part of
the reason for the lack of progress is that the world is basically satisfying the
needs of these people to the point that they have become wards of the world.
Continuing to go down this path will only continue the same results.
Some Suggestions:
(1) Get these African Governments to institute some form of birth
control. The China model is a good example.
Rewarding: Making these people self sufficient rather than
dependents would be a tremendeous benefit for the African Citizens. The cycle of
being dependent has to be done away with. The missionary's role would still be
important but they would eventually get out of the food business. There are local
traditions and superstitions that will need to be dealt with. The missionary
community has only scratched the surface when it comes to helping with such huge
concerns as education and stimulating the personal effort that these people are going
to need. It is for certain they need more than soul saving and food hand outs to
break the poverty-famine cycle Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Missionary Work, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Bye Bye Internet ExplorerCommentary for Friday 02/23/2007 Changing Browsers
Don't Need a Nanny: I never minded the small pop-up warnings that I
may be going to a websight that might be malicious, or their certificate has expired,
or other imaginative reasons for the warnings, but I'll be darned if I want a Browser
that bars me from any location. That's exactly what happened to me when I tried to
make a purchase at 'newegg.com', an on line electronic store. IE7 would not let me
access my account at 'fidelity.com' without a lot of major hassel. Even then I get
this loud Pop-Up, taking up the whole screen, warning that the Fidelity web site has
an expired certificate. Not just one time but every time I changed screens within
Fidelity. Enough was enough.
Easy Way Out: Instead of Microsoft fixing their operating system so
that rogue code can't disrupt a computer, they opted to just not allow you to go to
any website they deemed that wasn't toeing the Microsoft line. If you can't go to a
website, that website certainly can't hurt you; What a deal! If Microsoft is so
intent on protecting my computer, then they should fix their software. Get rid of
that "cookie" system where prying eyes are allowed to spy on me. I don't need a
nanny, just an operating system that works. If Windows wasn't so buggy, and if they
used a different programming language that gives them control of the buffers, they
wouldn't have to be telling me where I can surf.
Switched to Firefox: I don't know if Firefox is any better, but I am
willing to try it. So far, so good. At least I get a warning, but it doesn't prevent
me from going to sites that I have been using for years. Microsoft has had all the
chances that I am willing to give them, so I will use Mozilla's Firefox Browser and
learn it's idiosyncracies. I will give a report on my experiences at a later date.
For now I am just getting my feet wet with it, so I have an open mind about it's use.
With a good enough experience, I may change all my computers over to Linux and quit
dancing the Microsoft shuffle.
In an Unrelated Matter I have found that my website doesn't appear
the same in Firefox as it does in Internet Explorer. The adjustments I made, changes
the look for IE7, but looks normal with Firefox. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Web Browsers, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Why Can't We Shut Down the Border?Commentary for Thursday 02/22/2007 Why Can't we Shut Down the Border
We Take Their Pictures: Ever wonder how all the photographers know
how to locate the Illegal Invasion? Sometimes I think that the Border Patrol should
follow the photographers. The frustrating events on our border are the result of a
vacancy of leadership from President Bush. His aversion to Border Enforcement is at
the least puzzling, and at the extreme appear to be aiding the drug cartels.
Imprisoning Those Border Patrol Agents: Clearly a bad signal for the
other Border Patrol agents. The restrictions placed upon our Border Patrol are enough
to make them look the other way when faced with those who are bringing poison into
this country. Where is the concern? The U.S. Government, at the request of the
Mexican Government, prosecuted two of our Border Patrol agents because they attempted
to apprehend a smuggler caught red handed smuggling drugs into this country. They
gave the smuggler immunity from prosecution to testify against the Border Patrol
Agents, then the smuggler sued the U.S. for 5 million dollars. The charges against
the Border Patrol agents are bogus, the justice department admitted to lying to
congress during a hearing about the incident.
The Original Justice Dept. Contention: Hoping to thwart the
congressional hearings about the incident, the Justice Dept.'s witness told the
committee doing the hearings that they had a signed statement by the
agents that they were just out to "Shoot a Mexican". This was a false statement, but
the statement had its intended outcome, which was to quieten the Congressional
investigation. It was in a later appearence by the Justice Dept. representative
before Congress, that they admitted to lying about the document with the statements
of the Patrol Agents that they were out to "Shoot a Mexican". The Justice Dept.
admitted that the Congress had been lied to.
Why is this Important? The incident involves the highest echelons of
this government, possibly even the President. Johnny Sutton, the federal prosecutor
has a long history with Bush, and it was the Justice Department who dispatched Sutton
to the border to handle the request by the Mexican Government. Originally, there were
not going to be charges against the Border Patrol agents, but the F.B.I. under Johnny
Sutton, took the case over and maliciously prosecuted those two Border Patrol agents.
The whole sordid story is an outrage and may reveal a Mexican Policy carried out by
the highest members of this government that is steeped in ulterior motives. These
motives may not be so honorable.
Please contact your Congress Person both the House and the Senate and express
your desire for a full investigation over this matter. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About the prosecution of the Border Patrol agents, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Warriors for IslamCommentary for Wednesday 02/21/2007 Holy WarHoly War: The militancy of the Muslim religion makes fertile ground for those who are power hungry and use Islam as a tool to further their ambitions. Make no mistake, what is being fought in the Middle East is a holy war. Religion is the only basis for the commitment of the Muslim soldier. The Mullahs have groomed every young school aged child with a fervor for "Jihad". Total Control: When I was in the Middle East, I was struck by the absolute power held over the populations by the Mullahs. It all starts in their schools, which are ran by the clerics, and they teach the Koran very forcefully to every child. Every child is indoctrinated (brainwashed) from a very early age. Upon completion of their training, they will willingly sacrifice themselves for Islam; they are soldiers for Allah. This training grants greater power to the Mullahs over the population.
Mullahs Wield the Power: So when a Mullah wants to extend his reach,
he whips up his faithful ready built army, into a frenzy and away they go. Nothing is
off limits to the army of Allah. They have no moral constraints against infidels.
This tactic has conquered all of the Middle East, most of Africa and the southern
Pacific basin. Presently the movement is making headway in Europe with significant
Muslim populations in all European nations. They arrive with the consent of the host
for their cheap labor, but through proselytizing and continued immigration, they
achieve enough political muscle to usurp the resident government. The French are
currently dipping their toes into this well and will eventually reap their
reward.
Stopping the Spread of Fanaticism: The only way to stop this
onslaught, is a national revival of our heritage. Should we ever lose pride in who we
are, or fail to teach our children of their roots, then we as a freedom loving people
are doomed to become what we are fighting in Iraq. Secularism helps to remove our
national pride and identity. The Muslims have shot a cannon ball across our bow and
if we don’t respond, it is only a matter of time before calamity visits this country.
Democrats are the unwitting consorts for the destruction of this nation with their
support for Secularism. Weaknesses of moral fiber, and a willingness to allow our
schools to fall prey to political correctness, are the biggest offenders.
The Cheap labor Takeover: The USA is also guilty of allowing in
cheap labor. Not in measured amounts but in large numbers which cannot be
assimilated. These large blocks of people have no roots in our system or in our
institutions, but are amassing sufficient numbers to recreate the systems, via the
democratic process, which they left, to come here
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
Buying a HDTVCommentary for Tuesday 02/20/2007 Helpful Information about HDTV
It's More Than a Little Confusing: When you look at a resolution
mark for a HDTV, you will see one of these 3 types: 1080p, 1080i, 720p. Interpreted,
the 1080 resolution is a picture with 1080 lines containing 1920 dots in each line
going across the screen. The ' i ' stands for 'interlaced' while the ' p ' stands for
'progressive' scan. 720p means that the screen has 720 lines with 1280 dots going
across and that it is a progressive scan.
ABC, ESPN, and Fox Sports: These networks broadcast their High
Definition signal in 720p. 720p yields smoother motion which is needed in high speed
sports. It eliminates the artifacts that are associated with the higher resolutions.
The reasons are mostly technical as it has to do with the bandwidth needed for the
frame rates necessary to broadcast high speed motion in the higher resolutions. The
frame rate is how often a picture is updated on your screen. PAL and NTSC (Standards
Bodies fo Europe and the United States respectfully.) currently are at 24 and 30 fps.
(frames per second) You should be aware that 50 and 60 fps are just around the corner
and will again add more options for you to choose whenever you go to buy your HDTV.
The resolution tags will contain another number to be considered at the end of the
resolution marker. The number will look like this; 1080p30 with the last number being
the frame rate capability of that particular television.
The Plugs: There are currently three plugging systems in use with
High Definition televisions, decoders, and receivers. The DVI plug is a video device
only, while the HDMI is both audio and video capable. You can buy different styles of
DVI plugs but the use of the dual link variety is the more common. The dual link plug
is capable of carrying more picture elements per second than the single link. The
HDMI is currently available in the 19 pin or 'A' style, but a 29 pin 'B' style will
soon eclipse it because of it's increased audio capability. Here are images of the
different cable ends that are out there. You will have to find out from your dealer
which ones you need, and be sure to specify whether you are getting your signal from
a cable operator, or over-the-air antenna, or satellite receiver. The cabling can be
different for each. For your information, here is an image of the different plugs that are availbale.
If I were Buying Today: I would be seeking out a TV that has the rating 1080p30 Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About HDTV, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Why Democrats Use Class WarfareCommentary for Monday 01/19/2007 Reasons for Class Warfare
Maintaining Loyalties: Class warfare helps the liberal cause by
creating the illusion of being a champion against those who are successful. Liberal
followers are led to thinking that those who are successful get that way at their
expense. In other words, they were cheated! Another myth created by liberals is that
most of the successful people are lazy bums who inherited their wealth. They don't
deserve it. That wealth should be distributed!
Keeping the Poor, Poor: All of these liberal elite tactics are
directed toward keeping the poor in poor conditions. Liberals are well aware of the
past, and what happens to political loyalties when people are allowed to succeed.
Success must be thwarted at all cost. Maintaining victims as victims is the only way
that liberals can keep their political power.
Mollifying their victims: Since the liberal establishment is working
to prevent their constituency from succeeding, they define happiness in other ways.
One of the obstacles that get in the way is religion. Religion teaches a strict code
of right and wrong, and also personal responsibility. Why is religion an obstacle to
liberalism? In a word, sex. Not that sex is something new, but with religion out of
the way, and with abortion on the ready to cure any accidents, there is no reason to
not just enjoy sex in any flavor that suits you. Without religion or the fear of
pregnancy, who is to say that indiscriminate sex is bad? By destroying the global
principles of right and wrong, liberals calculate that you as a people would
rather sin than succeed. And logically it follows, if your life is one
distraction after the next, you aren't going to be able to succeed. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Class Warfare, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Looking for a Conservative for '08'?Commentary for Friday 02/16/2007 A Look at a Lesser Known Conservative
Move Over Newt: Jim Gilmore is a conservative. Socially and
fiscally, Gilmore has solid credentials. Can he win the nonmination? Only with the
help from the conservative wing of the Republican Party can Jim Gilmore hope to win.
He is not well known outside of Virginia where he was Governor.
While Governor of Virginia: Gilmore, best known as a tax cutter,
sought to give Virginians relief from an onerous car tax that had become a mainstay
of the local governments finances. Local governments set property taxes on cars and
trucks in their districts. The taxes were not uniform county to county, because each
entity set it's own tax rate based on the value of the auto or truck. The thing to
remember, is that the car tax was not a Virginia State tax, so in order to eliminate
the local auto property tax, Gilmore came up with a phase out plan for the car tax,
based on reimbursing the lost local revenues with state funds for individual
counties.
Murphy's Law in Politics: When the Dot-Com Bubble burst in March of
2000, Virginia's economy went south. The economy in Virginia is crippled, but the
local governments kept spending on a par equal to and in some instances more than
when the economy was good. The reimbursement of the local governments for their
revenue losses from the car tax was unsustainable. But Gilmore was adament, and would
not go back on his promise to end the car tax. He refused to repeal the elimination
of the car tax. I relate this to you so you can get a feel for the courage of Jim
Gilmore as a conservative. The way spending was out of control is illustrated with
this graph which if you follow between 1998-2002. The period Gilmore was the
Governor.
Virginia's Spending Growth
The Spiraling Growth in Spending: As you can see from the chart,
just how out of control spending was during this period. The liberals were intent on
not curbing spending levels and created a crisis with the State budget. The State
went into a deficit and politics being what they are, the Democrats were able to win
back the Governorship. The car tax? Well, Governor Warner (D) put the car tax relief
into suspension, but later, the Virginia House voted to stop the suspension and
resume the phase out of this unpopular local property tax on cars and trucks.
The Legacy of Gilmore: The saga over the car tax in Virginia is
probably going to be his legacy. Daylite Sun finds that even with a
valiant effort, he was not able to go toe to toe with the spending of the Democrats.
The Democrats were able to out flank his efforts, and would probably do the same if
he were elected President. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Jim Gilmore, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Are Land Line Phones Doomed?Commentary for Thursday 02/15/2007 Alternative Phone Usage
Land Lines Going the Way of the Do Do: Well, not quite yet. However,
there is a growing number of people who have opted out of having a traditional wired
telephone. The latest information I could come by was a Pew Research Center poll in
July of 2006 that indicated 10% of the households were now using cell phones
exclusively. However the poll did not have any statements as to the other alternative
phone systems such as VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) represented by Skype,
Vonnage, and others.
Hanging on to Conventional Phones: The Pew poll also did not cover
the number of households that maintain a land line only for the purposes of having a
911 serevice or as a standby if they lost power. There are large numbers of
conventional phone subscribers who do not use their wired system for anything except
for modems on their PC's. The indications are that the common usage of the wired
phone has diminished considerably in the last several years.
Why is this Important? Those who take the pulse of what Americans
think using telephone polls, may be getting skewed results by depending on the wired
telephone system. I contacted the Rasmussen polling group for some updated
information, but they have not responded. I personally think it is an issue that can
lead to a misrepresentation of the polls that are so widely distributed.
Do You Still Maintain a Wired Phone? If you still maintain a wired
phone, I would be interested to know the wired phone's position in your household. Do
you use it as a primary communications device? Do you also have a cell phone? If you
also have a cell phone, do you plan on discontinuing the wired system? Let me know
and I will disclose the profile of the Daylite Sun readers in a future
commentary. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Phone Usage, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Another Blast from the PastCommentary for Wednesday 02/14/2007 Valentine's Day
We Never Leave the Past: Like most of our holidays, at least the
ones that cost us money, St. Valentine's Day has its roots well into the past.
Ancient Greece: This was the earliest I could find a celebration for
mid-February. A month long period that celebrated the marraige of Zeus and Hera. This
was actually a month long celebration between mid-January until mid-February. Some
believe that this celebration was not germane to the one we celebrate today, but read
on.
The Ancient Romans: In Ancient Rome, they celebrated a holiday
called 'Lupercalia'. According to Plutarch: Young nobles and magistrates ran the
streets naked striking those they met with shaggy thongs. The women would present
their hands to be struck with the belief that if they were pregnant, their delivery
would be easier, and if barren, it would help them to conceive. Pope Gelasius
(ad. 492-496) abolished Lupercalia and decreed in
ad. 496 that the feast of St. Valentine would be held on Feb.
14.
St. Valentine's Day Turns Deadly: It has not always been a lovers
holiday. On Valentine's Day in 1349, Christians burned 2000 Jews in Germany. The mobs
of Christians led by noblemen who owed the Jewish money lenders large sums of money
had accused the Jews of poisoning their wells and being the source of the bubonic
plague.
As we Continue the mid-February Celebration: I want to wish everyone
a happy and loving Valentine's Day. If you are pregnant, I hope that your delivery
will be pleasant. If you are wanting to become pregnant, I wish conception for you.
Candy and love for everyone else! Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Valentine's Day, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Dejected and RejectedCommentary for 02/13/2007 No Love for the President
A President who just doesn't get it: By not being either a
conservative or a liberal, this president has managed to isolate himself. He has
squandered the support of the American people who needed leadership, but instead were
treated to a bland helping of milk-toast. It reminds me of the old saying, "If your
not slow and are not fast, you are only half-fast." This remark sums up a President
whose courage didn't extend to the execution of his rhetoric about Iraq. He allowed
Al Qaeda to firmly establish itself there and destabilize the whole country. His
failure to sieze the moment, and dispatch with the radical clerics who were
operatives of Iran have cost us dearly. The war is too important to lose, but he
still takes half-way measures to win.
Bush's Half Hearted Attempts: Bush's anemic leadership is also felt
at home. His refusal to stop the illegal stream from Mexico is nothing short of
criminal. We at Daylite Sun have no problems with legal immigration where new
citizens are taught about our culture, history, institutions, and have to learn the
language. Those that have gone through the process are able to assimilate into our
society as opposed to changing our society to look like the one that they left.
Punishing those Border Guards: As if the border with Mexico wasn't chaotic enough,
Bush's justice department may have just landed a knockout blow for the drug smugglers
along the border. The border guards got Bush's message loud and clear that they are
not to interfere with drug operations. After all, it is better to turn your back on
the smugglers than wind up in Federal prison for trying to stop the criminals.
Not Overlooking the Good: It is just that the bad has outweighed the
good. Constantly reminding myself of the good that this President has done was what
kept me hanging on as a supporter. I kept thinking that he would find himself and be
a leader. I was wrong. He talked a good talk, but refused to do the walk. The
reinforcement of our troops may be an honest effort, but the moment has already
passed where we could achieve victory without widening the war. Leadership is about
taking decisive action at the appropriate time. This President has failed to do that.
Victory in Iraq, like victory at our border are just too much for a timid President
like George W. Bush. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Bush's Leadership, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Candidates Off and RunningCommentary for Monday 02/12/2007 Candidates are out of the Gate
Onward to 2008: Most of the major candidates have officially entered
the Presidential sweepstakes for 2008. The Democrat side of the spectrum is well
represented, while the Republican side remains a bit muttled.
The Democrat Side: The Democrat charge is led by Hillary Clinton who
has been covertly running ever since the Clintons left the Whitehouse in 2001. The
next tier of wannabes include Barack Obama, Senator Edwards, Senator Joe Biden,
Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa, and Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico. Obama the
rock star, Biden the Harold Stassen of the party, and Tom Vilsack the local spoiler
in Iowa, will probably turn out to be 'also rans'. But Hillary has to be looking over
her shoulder at Richardson and Edwards. Senator Edwards has the backing of the
liberal wing of the party, while Governor Richardson is a traditional Democrat with
acceptable centrist views and experience to match. Off in the way-out-there land,
still lurks Al Gore who at this time, hasn't committed to the race, but would garner
a lot of support if he decides to enter the fray.
The Republican Side: The current leading Republicans are Rudy
Guliani and Senator John McCain. The wannabes are Mitt Romney, Senator Sam Brownback,
Goverernor Mike Huckabee, and not committed yet, former Speaker Newt Gingrige. The
conservative wing of the party is not enthusiastic about any of the declared
candidates, and Newt may have baggage that will prevent him from the prize. Most
conservatives will tell you that they are hoping to have a true conservative emerge
to carry their banner. The Republican race for the nomination reminds me of the old
Redd Foxx comedic description of a race with "Cabbage by a head, and Tomato trying to
Ketchup". It will be fun to watch, as the competition for the prize heats up.
What is missing from this race: Neither side, Democrat nor
Republican wannabes want to tell us what they propose to solve any of the problems
that they so astutely discern. "A new beginnning" isn't a solution, it's a slogan.
"Withdraw" isn't a solution. "Quit" isn't a solution. "Taking the oil companies
profits" isn't a solution. All are good at throwing stones, but solutions are a bit
more difficult. Do you think that if the candidates manage to make Bush look bad,
that somehow it makes that candidate look like a hero? I'm looking forward to this
presidential race, as it has all the earmarks of being a historic one. Just think, we
have, the first woman as a major candidate, first Black as a major candidate, an
unpopular war going on, and a very unpopular President in office with no successor to
step in. you can be sure we will have to suffer countless T.V. ads telling us how
rotten the opposition is. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Presidential Politics, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Is Hydrogen the Answer?Commentary for Friday 02/09/2007 Drawbacks to Using Hydrogen as Fuel Alternative
Daylite Sun Disclaimer: Daylite Sun takes no position one way or the
other on using hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels, but we have
questions. Growing Consensus: The voices for accelerating the research and the eventual conversion to hydrogen for our autos and other energy requirements are growing louder. No doubt, hydrogen doesn't have a lot of the baggage of fossil fuels, but it does present challenges. Think in terms of 'Global Warming'.
Water Vapor as By-Product: Water vapor is several times the heat
absorbing material that CO2 is. Everyone can relate to the nights that are not as
cold on cloudy nights as they are on clear nights. That is because the clouds trap
the heat being reflected and prevents it from dissipating into the atmosphere. Now,
take a look at the earth. Whatever quantity of water vapor gets into the air, is more
or less a fixed amount. After all 66% of the earth is covered with water. So the
evaporation of water on earth, is what it is, and now the proposal before us is to
add to that amount substanially.
Millions of Cars Discharging Water Vapor: This is new water vapor
that is being manufactured that hasn't been there previously. So one of our questions
is; will the additional water vapor create a problem? Especially since water vapor is
much more potent as a greenhouse gas than fossil fuel emmisions.
Vapor Condensing as it Exits: Another question here at Daylite Sun,
about hydrogen as a fuel, concerns the water vapor that condenses as it leaves the
exhaust of our cars. Millions of cars will be dribbling out water keeping the roads
wet and potentially slippery. As stated in the beginning of this commentary, we have
questions.
Before Making the Change: Before the world makes this change, we
would like assurances that the consequences of spewing out vast quantities of water
vapor have been thoroughly thought out, and we don't enter the world of unintentioned
consequences. You know ---ooops! Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About changing to hydrogen, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Vacuum Cleaner WoesCommentary for Thursday 02/08/2007 Buying a Vacuum Cleaner
Working with HEPA Vacuums: The expensive model vacuum cleaner
($400.00 +) that was used at my house was just not cutting it. We took it back to one
of their local stores, only to be told that there was nothing wrong with it. But if
it isn't cleaning, then something is clearly wrong. This chain of events led us to
the great vacuum cleaner hunt. There are a lot of models to have to choose from
including the cyclonic type, which is touted as to never loosing suction, to the HEPA
cleaners that are a staple at Wal-Mart.
Choosing Our Vacuum: We looked at self-propelled models, small light
weight models, electric brooms, those that have bags, and those without bags. The
competing interest in all of this, was how much I wanted to spend on a vacuum. I had
already been the expensive route with an nationally known brand, so I knew that I
didn't want to repeat that scene. We settled on an $80.00 Eureka at Wal-Mart. It had
a useable hose feature with attachements and a duster. The duster was unique in that
there was a chamber off to the side, that you used to vacuum clean the duster. It was
really neat. Proud of our purchase, we took it home for assembly.
Using the new vacuum: Assembly turned out to be not too bad. I had
it ready to use within 30-45 minutes. The thing cleaned like a mad man. Happiness is
a vacuum that operates as you expect it too. My wife, not easily impressed, took a
wait and see attitude. Rightly she should have, because when she used it on our shag
carpet, she wasn't watching the small clear plastic collection basket and allowed it
to fill up. Since the debris didn't have anywhere to go, it clogged the filtration
system almost instanly, suction was lost, and stayed lost even after we emptied the
collection basket. Oh my, what a development!
Accessory Bag: I took the vacuum out to my shop and got out the
small accessory bag that came with the machine. It contained an extra sponge
prefilter, a spare belt and product registration papers. Changing the prefilter was a
snap. I turned on the machine and presto, it was again a cleaning marvel. Evidently,
we hadn't damaged the HEPA filter which does the final filtration before air is
released back into the room.
Conclusion: If you own one of these HEPA units, they take a little
more maintenance than a bag unit. But if you are careful, and keep the unit clean, it
will perform its duties just fine. I still have no regrets over this purchase. You
may also receive help from the manufacturer of your vacuum, they don't want unhappy
customers any more than you want to be frustrated. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About this subject, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Dems Don't Get Their WayCommentary for Wednesday 02/07/2007 No Senate War Disapproval for Democrats
A Distressed Harry Reid: The Dems wanted a bi-partizan victory for
their resolution to disapprove of the troop buildup. If not for their usual
overstepping of their perceived popularity, they would have succeeded. The Dems
denied the Republicans a vote on their resolution, so by being autocratic stepped on
their own toes. Harry Reid pompously accused the Republicans of squelching the debate
over Iraq. The truth is directly opposite. When the Democrats called for a vote on
their resolution, a vote would have ended the debate. However, the Republicans were
filibustering the issue, thus extending the debate over Iraq.
Daylite Sun Sees the Flap as a Victory for the Democrats: Even
though no resolution was passed, the press made sure that the whole world knew that
Americans don't like the war in Iraq. The Democrat tactic weakens us in the effort to
help the Iraqi Government to become strong enough to govern. The media arm of the
Democrat Party is a powerful force, and they and the Democrats are determined to make
sure that Iraq is a defeat for George Bush. They treat this war as if Iraq was Bush's
personal war, and not an American war.
Democrat Tactics are Working: Instead of the militant Islamists
hearing one voice that we as a nation will not tolerate their terror tactics, the
Democrats and the press are convincing the Islamists that the Americans support their
cause. This is the most convoluted, deceptive betrayal in this nations history.
Winning in Iraq is extremely important to this nation. I ask you to just listen to
what these liberals are saying. You never hear 'winning' or 'victory' come out of
their mouths. Their predominant themes are retreat, leave, withdraw and now, defund.
You also never hear any solutions about what strategy they would employ if the
Islamists succeed in taking over Iraq.
Please Take the Time: Sending emails to your Representative and
Senator can help. Let them know that you understand what a defeat in Iraq means. It
doesn't matter if you are for or against the war, losing is not an option. Stop the
Democrats from pulling the rug from beneath this nation. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Democrat Tactics, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Minimum Wage Gets AmendedCommentary for Tuesday 02/06/2007 Minimum Wage Bill
Illegals Not Covered: There were a plethora of amendments in the
Senate to the House Bill S.2. that raises the minimum wage for workers. Among these
amendments, were several relating to Illegal Aliens. These amenments make it clear
that Illegals are just that, Illegal. They spell out the fines and penalties for
hiring Illegal Aliens and even break down the offenses into categories from just
being record keeping violations, to willful intent to hire Illegals.
Daylite Sun Would Normally Applaud: But in this case, we think all
of the tough talk on illegal immigration is just smoke to cloud the real intent of
this legislation. Other amendments to this legislation, make it almost impossible for
an employer to access information about a prospective employee, and so as long as he
maintains the nominal records required in the hiring process, only minimum penalties
are mandated. That leaves the employer pretty much an open road to hire anybody with
minimum of documentation.
Why is this Bad? As long as the Illegal Immigrants have no status,
they are not covered by the minimum wage required by citizens. This puts our young
people in an unfair competition with those who are not covered by the minimum wage. A
large portion of the entry level jobs will be taken by those who work for less than
the minimum wage. It would be different if the Government were vigoruously
prosecuting those employers hiring illegals, but that is not the case.
Comclusion: This legislation only makes it harder for the legal
citizen to land an unskilled, entry level position. As amended, the current
legislation is nothing more than a green light for employers to acquire cheap
labor. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About the Minimum Wage Law, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Negative National ImagesCommentary for Monday 02/05/2007 Super Bowl Parties
Ahh! Those Superbowl Parties: During the coverage of the
pre-superbowl hoopla, there were pieces done covering the parties that were given all
over Miami. These parties all had one thing in common, clusters of pretty girls,
sprinkled throughout the party locations. Since they were in groupings, and evidently
not being escorted, several questions came to mind.
Questions I Thought of:
1.) Are these girls just for decoration?
2.) Are these girls intended for the gentlemen without a date?
>3.) Are these 'working girls'?
4.) Are these girls just groupies, wanting to be around famous
people?
Guessing the answers: Whatever the answer to these or other
questions may be, evidently, the hosts of these parties have no trouble locating
bevies of beautiful girls to stock their parties with. For their own reasons, these
hosts feel that to have a successful party, they need the party area stocked with a
bevy of pretty girls.
Message to the World: The projected images sent throughout the
world, shouted loud and clear that there are no morals in this country. The actions
of the party participants left little doubt about what this society is all about. The
superbowl, after all, is one of America's most celebrated events, and therefore must
reflect the entire culture. No matter our claims to being a country of good and
decent people, the images sent worldwide during this spectacle is our legacy.
It makes me sad: Our image as a nation is tarnished by such
activities, and we can do better. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Tarnishing the National Image, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
U.N. Issues It's "Summary for Policy Makers"Commentary for Friday 02/02/2007 U.N. Summary on Global Warming
The U.N. Report: The U.N. released a summary of their expected full
report due in May. It is unusual for a summarization of findings before releasing the
science that led to the conclusions. This "Summary for Policy Makers" only gave their
conclusions without any science backing. They are still writing the science part of
this report. Normally the science is done first, and conclusions are made because of
the science and not conclusions first and then the science.
The left continues to claim that man's activities are the cause of
global warming. According to these leftist, the U.S. is the largest offender followed
by China and India. Their alarmist rhetoric continues against this country. You never
hear that for the last 6 years, this country has poured over 30 billion dollars in
alternative fuel and climate research, and the spending levels for this research will
be increasing in the coming years. Instead of useless rhetoric, the United States is
actually working towards finding a solution if one is available. Ask the question;
what other nation on Earth has committed this amount of resources into actually
taking action? Do you believe that just trading in pollution credits solves anything?
Trading in pollution credits as detailed in the Kyoto Accords will do absolutely
nothing but wreck our economy without contributing anything to the understanding of
'Global Warming'. The Kyoto Accords is a political document aimed at draining this
nation's wealth. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About The U.N. report, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Corn Prices Create Panic in MexicoCommentary for Thursday 02/01/2007 Corn Prices in Mexico
Corn Prices Unsettling: Since the 'corn for ethanol' campaign
started, the price of corn has steadily been on the increase. So much so, that the
cost of tortillas in Mexico are beginning to be beyond the ability of poor Mexicans
to afford them. What is America to do? The use of fossil fuels is condemned, and when
we try to find alternatives, we make life unbearable to our neighbors. Prices being
what they are, if the price of corn keeps escalating, gasoline without ethanol will
begin to look like the bargain that it has traditionally been.
What about the CO2? We will just repeat what we have been saying all
along. If the proponents of the theory that the Earth is being heated by CO2 in the
atmosphere, then the temperature on Mars should be their example. Mars? Yes! Mars.
The Martian atmosphere is made up of 95% CO2, while here on Earth, the atmosphere is
only .04%(Wikipedia). That is less than 1% of the total. But anyone will tell you
that Mars is Brrrrr Cold!
CO2 in our Atmosphere: What you don't hear from the liberal media is
that mans contribution to the total of CO2 in our atmsosphere is only 3%. The other
97% is beyound our ability to influence. I will leave it to you to read my other
texts about CO2.
The decision to start using ethanol in cars was political. We do
need energy independence for political reasons, and ethanol is another industry that
is sure to help the economy. Additionally, it will satisfy a large contingent of
people who think that the U.S. is ruining the world with all of the CO2 emissions.
(whether true or not)
Unintended consequences: Potentially starving large numbers of
Mexicans was not planned. There definitely needs to be more research into non-food
crops that we can turn into ethanol. Messing with peoples groceries is not a good way
to win friends. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of the daily commentaries. Comment Here About using Corn based Ethanol for fuel, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Democrats Balk at Possible Iraqi SuccessCommentary for Wednesday 01/31/2007 Democrats Loathing a Success in Iraq
The Dems' New Direction The reinforcement of our troops in Iraq have
the Democrats in a full dither. This reinforcement, along with new rules of
engagement may actually work, so now the Democrats have to figure out a way to defeat
this effort. It is not like they can join with the President and root for this
nations success. No! The Dems want this defeat in Iraq so bad that there is nothing
out of bounds to achieving it.
Death Rates: It can't be that the Dems are worried about the number
of military killed. No, that deduction cannot be made, even though the Dems express
extreme distress over the U.S. casualties. The number of casualties bears out the
following: U.S. military deaths in Iraq during 2006 was 821. (A.P. Count) At the same
time, the top 27 cities in the U.S. had 5,074 murders in 2006. That statistic is only
for 27 cities, thats a lot of mayhem. The soldiers are in a war, but in peaceful New
York City, we had 579 murders. Our soldiers are just about as safe in Iraq in a war
as they would be in New York City where there is no war. The carnage on our highways
was even worse where we lost 43,443 citizens during 2006. By most accounts, we are
killing each other in this country in greater numbers than that occurring in Iraq,
including the Iraqis, a war zone.
It's All Politics: The Democrats only want to discredit this
President and any achievements he might make to gain power. They could care less
about the consequences for this country if the effort in Iraq fails. The next time
you have a conversation with a liberal, just ask what the Democrats have in mind.
What is the end game following an embarrassing retreat in Iraq? What is their plan
for a probable acquisition of a nuclear weapon by Iran? How do they plan on keeping
us safe from the inevitable resurgence of Al Qaeda in Iraq? All serious questions and
so far we have heard nothing but the brick bats from the Democrat Leadership and the
wannabes running for office. It is easy to find fault, but solutions are not so
easy. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of the daily commentaries. Comment Here About Democrats lack of National Pride, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Police State LoomingCommentary for Tuesday 01/30/2007 Police State on the Horizon
Christian Cushion: Have you ever thought of the freedom you enjoy by
living in a Christian country? Do you have any idea of the number of Christians that
are trying to live their lives in a peaceful, law abiding manner? The numbers would
surprise you. If the left have their way spearheaded by the A.C.L.U., Christianity
will be just a memory.
Recent Results: Prayers in schools abolished, display of the Ten
Commandments in public buildings is outlawed in most settings, Christmas Holidays are
now tied to every other religion other than the Birth of Christ, and the A.C.L.U. has
brought leagal action against a myriad of offenders. Among the offenses prosecuted
are; mentioning thanks to Christ in graduation ceremonies, displaying a Manger Scene
on public property, and wearing a T-shirt proclaiming Christ as Lord to school.
The Anti-Christian Effort is Yielding Results: As Christianity
declines, the number of police per capita have increased. Christians that surrender
to the pop-culture also lose that restraint that teaches love and respect for others.
Greed and selfishness begins to raise its ugly head. The only way to maintain an
orderly society will be with force. Once religion, with its strong appeal to our
desire to live by God's laws is gone, a full police state is not far behind.
Convincing the millions who believe, that the promise of God is false, will create a
calamity with no boundaries. Are we sure we want to go there? Police, anyone? Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of the daily commentaries. Comment Here About a possible police state, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
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