Daylite Sun Archived Commentaries |
My Curiostity!Commentary for Thursday 04/12/2007 My Curiosity
I Can't Find the Answers: Basically this commentary is about
questions that I have about several subjects. It seems as though unbiased and
accurate answers are in short supply. The best explanations I have come across for
the following questions are agenda driven theories. The problem with the theoretical
answers is that you have to choose the one you like, because for every theory about a
subject, there are counter-theories. Hard definitive answers may be locked up in a
theory, but in which? The theories source cannot be ignored when searching for
answers. Egos are often obstacles that get in the way of objectivity, as well as the
quest for research funds. Political goals also play an important part in obfuscating
poor science. So I present my questions. I hope that some of you share my
concerns.
Sun's Origin: Obviously, the Sun coalesced from a pool of hydrogen
that just "happened" to be in the neighborhood. My question is about all of the other
stuff that is in the Sun's sphere of influence. It wasn't the fusion activity of the
Sun that created all of the matter that surrounds the Sun. If fusion created all of
the elements of the periodic chart, then there had to be other stars that were
created and died before our Sun was created. So, do we know how many other Stars had
to come and go before our Sun came to life? Have we got the total age of the Universe
all wrong, as well as the process of Galaxy formation?
Evolution: I don't question the fact of the biomass evolving, but I
don't see any evidence that what has evolved was just a "chance" occurrence. My
question is how is it that the changes that occurred were always just what was needed
for a particular species to survive? How is it that the Make up of our D.N.A. is
programable? Biologist have been 'gene-splicing' for years to change the inherent
programming of bacteria. Some are reprogrammed to do toxic waste clean up among a
other customized tasks.
What is God? One argument is that God is omnipotent and can just go
"poof" and things miraculously happen. Others, myself included, believe that God has
to manage his 'miracles' within the bounds of the possible. For instance, if God
creates something, there has to be a vehicle of possibility for it to happen.
Whenever we discover how something works, that doesn't preclude God from having used
that same method for some of his accomplishments. No magician, just super smart. The
difference between God and man is a wide gulf of knowledge about how things work,
both physical and biological. What is your opinion of God?
What's Heating the Oceans? That' a fair question. Of course over a
thousand sub-sea volcanoes and the Sun can't be the explanation. When you listen to
Al Gore, you have to believe that CO2, that makes up only 00.54% of the atmosphere is
creating all of the problem. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is so small it is
measured in parts per millon rather than as a percentage. Never mind that CO2 is a
very minor greenhouse gas, very small in comparison to water vapor. Are politics and
ulterior motives driving this scam about CO2? Who stands to benefit from this
swindle?
Okay, I'll Stop. You get the idea though. We are force fed a lot of
hooey in the media that is designed only for either political or monetary gains. At
Daylite Sun we want to encourage you to be skeptical and try and find the
truth about the things you are told. There is no excuse in not looking at all sides
of any issue now that the Internet is up and running. True, there is a lot of bogus
information, but if you check the bibliography of what you read, and research the
stuff that isn't well documented, you can have an informed opinion. Being informed
isn't a bad thing, it is a good thing.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
American Idol Takes on HungerCommentary for Thursday 04/26/2007 Feel Good Antics of American Idol
Feeding the Hungry: Last night American Idol raised some 30+ million
dollars to feed the hungry. A little perspective on the problem will spotlight just
how far that money will go towards helping. That is assuming that no expenses have to
be paid, like transportation, local governments, and salaries. Just in the Horn of
Africa, (the top Eastern region)there are an estimated 11 million people starving
(concern.net). The money raised on American Idol last night may feed these starving
11 million for 3 days, then what? Such spectacles are nothing more than 'feel good'
excercises that rub a little balm on hurting consciences.
Hunger's Allies: Did you know that just to satisfy your sweet tooth
with chocolate, that these same starving Africans are using their good land to grow
cocoa beans instead of food? From www.hartford-hwp.com comes this:
Food systems were undermined: "The best agricultural lands were
taken for growing coffee, sugar cane, cocoa, and other export crops that were viewed
as the means to economic development according to the neoclassical theory of
comparative advantage. Private and government funds were invested to develop these
cash crops, while food production for the poor majority was neglected." I urge you to
go to this website for a new perspective on the problems in Africa. There are a lot
of sites about Africa, but most just want your money. Click on this link to inform
yourself about African Hunger.
Not heard on the Idol Show: The history of Africa's hunger is a
showcase of Western interference into that Continent. Of course, Transnational
Companies aren't the only cause of Africa's problems. Into the pot go Tribal
conflicts, religious wars, and the ever present corrupt governments. There are too
many forces against the poor African citizen to give them much of a chance. Many
young Africans have taken up the gun to try and forge a different path, but its like
sticking your hand in and out of water trying to leave the imprint of your hand. Most
Africans are in dire poverty. Africa has wealth, but it is not distributed. The
modern trend is to use the poor to satisfy greed.
Some Excerpts From BBC: Here are a few of the gleanings from the
Internet. The BBC has a lot of information that I think worth reading. There are many
countries in Africa under the "Hunger" gun. Here are a few of them:
Niger:
Mali:
Burkina Faso:
Small Picture of the Problem: This commentary is only a small peek
into the problems of Africa. Yes they need help, and one of their most ugent needs is
to be able to reclaim their farmlands to grow food. Or we can just adopt these people
and care for them forever. Enjoy your "chocolate".
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
Blame the BureaucracyCommentary for Monday 04/23/2007 Bureaucracies!
The Blame Game: The shootings at Virginia Tech brought out the
finger pointing brigades. Some say the 'Gun Laws are too Loose' while others want to
arm the kids in college. At Daylite Sun we want some common sense. It should
be painfully obvious to most of you that if we disregarded the 2nd amendment and
prohibited citizens from owning guns, that the law abiders would indeed follow the
law. But the law abiding citizens are not the trouble makers. Those outside the law
would still find a way to have guns. Passing laws is but a feel good excercise that
only affects those that obey the law. So we (Daylite Sun )do not relish the
idea of passing more gun control. But neither are we wanting to arm the students
going to college. The idea is patently ridiculous.
The Real Problem: The Bureaucracy is so bloated, and so unwieldy
that accomplishing the simplist tasks is difficult. What makes the Bureaucracy so
unwieldy? It actually boils down to making a decision. Those elected politicians are
averse to saying or doing anything for fear of being voted out of office, or losing
political power. Therefore, any decision that gets made has to have the political
cover for the person who should make a decision. Enter the Committees, subcommittees,
special Blue Ribbon Panels, Bipartizan Commissions, and fact finding missions. Even
within the bowels of a single department, nobody wants to make a decision unless it
has the approval of just about everybody from the janitor to the head of the
department. So they set up rules that make getting to a decision almost
impossible.
Back to the Virginia Shootings: There was a Judge who had to make a
call about the sanity of this troubled South Korean, but he passed. He ordered
outpatient treatment instead of the steps necessary to put the troubled student on
the watch list that would have informed the gunshop operator not to sell guns to this
guy. The nations colleges do not want to expel troubled students because of the harm
it might do to their respective colleges reputations. When those who should step up
to the plate and make decisions refuse because of political cowardice, we as a nation
are in trouble.
A College's Reputation: It is money in the Bank for a College to be
known as a place for wild parties, and where you don't get into trouble. The list of
students wanting to get into the "party" schools is long and competitive. A College
in demand, can charge higher tuitions. To help keep the money flowing, Colleges have
chosen to isolate the students from their parents as much as they can. In most
schools today, a parent, even though the parent may be financing the education,
cannot retrieve the students grades without the students consent. The fear here is
that if the parents knew how their child was actually doing in school, they might
pull the plug on the money. The College Bureaucracy has manifested itself into an
entity that no longer has to listen to parents, or politicians. The Universities
across this land are also big business to the cities and towns they are located in,
and many in the town make a living off both the School and Students. These Cities and
towns are also not wanting to upset the applecart with detrimental decisions
regarding students.
Will the Problem get Solved? Yes, the bureaucracy will eventually
find a Bureaucratic solution to solve the problem of campus safety, and you can bet
that whatever is decided will cost a lot of money. Even though tuitions are out of
sight now, you haven't seen anything yet. Additionally, the taxpayers will have to
cough up some of the money for the solution. Simple solutions like kicking the
trouble makers out of school will not be adopted. Nobody makes money from that, and
remember, the school reputation has to be maintained.
Bureaucratic Red Tape: It is the red tape and regulations that haunt
our Colleges as well as Government. God help a politician who makes a decision
without plenty of CYA. The whole business could use some streamlining, but that would
take a decision.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
Disappointment!Commentary for Friday 04/20/2007 Watching the President
Self Destruction: I admit it, but you had to make me say it, I
supported Bush in two elections. I am totally split on this one, on the one hand I
think George W. Bush is one of the most decent people to ever live in the Whitehouse.
On the other hand, his failure to lead this country has to rank among the
worst.
Compassionate Conservatism: What a joke! The only thing I see is
appeasement to the Democrats. George Bush has went out of the way to cater to the
Democrats hoping for their support, and in the process, made himself their target and
alienated those who supported him. Coaxing the Democrats into supporting him was
worth the effort, but when he saw that it wasn't going to work, he should have
abandoned the effort. Instead, he allowed the Democrats to Demagogue every issue and
turn public opinion against him. He failed to recognize that his position was not
going to prevail, and stubbornly refused to listen to his supporters.
Leadership or Stubborn: Early on in the Iraq War, with Bush's belief
about all people yearned to be free, do you think he was the only person who didn't
recognize that Iraq was drifting into lawlessness? Nobody was held responsible for
failing to plan for the collapse of law and order. He stubbornly clung to the idea
that these people would 'just do the right thing' because he removed Saddam Hussein.
Everything that this administration has touched has been a disaster. Katrina had the
Democrats scrambling because New Orleans and Louisiana were totally Democrat. Yet
Bush allowed himself to be the fall guy for problems that were mostly State issues.
He wanted to be a good guy for the Democrats. They have castigated him for Katrina
ever since. He refused to veto those huge spending bills that allowed the Democrats
(and Republican) to earmark all kinds of goodies back to their home states. No
leadership at all in guiding the budget process; it has to be categorized as
'stubborly clasping the idea of making nice' that enabled such a drain on the
treasury.
Other Issues:
1.) Failure to prosecute the leakers of national security
issues.
2.) Prosecuted 2 Border Agents for doing their jobs.
3.) Refuses to enforce our border laws.
4.) Refuses to pardon Scooter Libby for the high crime of
nothing.
5.) Allowed himself to be boxed in over the U.S. Attorney firings.
(Lack of Leadership)
6.) A general weakness on Constitutional Issues of Executive vs.
Legislative. Allowed House speaker to carry out 'Democrat' foreign Policy and prove
to the world that George Bush is irrevelant.
Not Enough Space: I could detail an entire page of the leadership
failures of this President. He has yet, even after 6 years to demonstrate anything
except a stubborn streak. Let us hope that the next President will have the internal
fortitude to lead this country.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
The FuneralCommentary for Thursday 04/19/2007 The American Funeral
Funerals: Funerals become a focus for a gathering of family members
and an opportunity to get reacquainted. There is a joy in seeing each other after too
many years of everyone 'going their own way'. I commented to the wife of a cousin
that I hadn't seen in a long time,"You know it's been too long when you no longer
recognize those who mean so much to you." Yes, funerals are a renewal of family ties,
a rebirth of the familial love that is so often pushed into the background as we
negotiate life's highway. At the same time, clouds of remorse pervade the event as
remembrances of the deceased permeate everyone's mind.
The Deceased: At the American funeral, the person who has passed on
has also earned the privilege of having only virtues remembered. We all write our own
eulogies. Some leave a wealth of good works to extoll about, while with others, the
package is meager. But there is still another, and that belongs to the selfless
effort by some to not seek credit for the good they do. Such was the case for my
Aunt. She was a genuine lady who saw good in everybody. Even though she was paralysed
and confined to a wheel chair, she never complained nor sought sympathy. She loved
those who came to visit, relishing in their company. Truly an inspiration to all who
knew her. And yet, being a very private person, most of her interactions with all was
personal. Those deeds that would normally be extolled at the funeral of someone else,
remained known only to those that she helped.
Other Elements: And lastly, at a funeral, we can't escape coming
face to face with our own mortality. Everybody knows our life span is short, and not
too many like to think of the 'future'. But at a funeral, you are forced to at least
think about your own mortality. I remind you of the old saying, "There but for the
grace of God go I." Good-bye Aunt Vernell, I love you, and will always hold my
memories of you close.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
Shameful DemocratsCommentary for Tuesday 04/17/2007 Democrats in Action
Power Hungry Mongrels: We elect them to represent our interest. But
to most elected Congressmen, this is only a furthering step in their personal
political career. It is nothing new, just the way things are. Term limits would of
course derail such ambitions and maybe, just maybe, give us legislatures that just
want to serve. Is it possible to weed out the power hungry and the corruptible? Only
time will tell. The one thing that is certain, a change needs to be made.
Campaign to Destroy Bush: Since the day Bush took the oath of
office, the Democrats have been out to destroy his Presidency. Is this the way our
Government was supposed to operate? Instead of good Government, we have the endless
squabble over power. If both sides were righteous it may make sense, but when the
thirst for power is so great that one party would sell this country down the road,
then it is time for a different set of rules.
How our Enemy Sees Us: We have enemies whether the Democrats are in
power or the Republicans are in power. To have either party giving hope to our
enemies is nothing short of treason. Right now our enemies see the United States on
the verge of collapse in Iraq. How do you think they got that impression? Was it
because one of our political parties want to tuck tail and run? Do they understand
that one political party is just trying to regain the power that they held since the
1930's? Do you think that the results in Iraq would be different if the United States
presented a united front and let the enemies know that we were in this for the long
haul? If the enemy knew they couldn't win, don't you think they would lose their
moral? If all the enemy had to look at was a United States that was determined to
win, and that they had no hope, do you think that the Mullahs' line would be wearing
pretty thin by now? But noooo! The Democrats have seen fit to embarrass the United
States with their shameful tactics.
Politics Should be Polarizing: Dissent is constructive, but the type
of opposition coming from the Democrats is not dissent, they have actually chosen
sides against the United States. They have sought to endanger this country just for
their political advantage and somehow think that if elected that they will make
everything alright.
All is Fair in Love and War: Isn't that the old saying? All the
Democrats have done is try to lurch this country to the left, appease our enemies,
destroy a President, and criminalize a whole administration. How far can they go? I
don't know, but their eggs will hatch some day, but at what cost to this country and
those countries that look to us for leadership? The Democrats, for now, are bathing
in the Sunlight, flush with victory, but they are Democrats and will continue to
overstep untill they have fallen over the edge. I just hope that they don't take us
with them.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
Give Us Your Poor?Commentary for Tuesday 04/10/2007 Getting More Than We Bargained For
Just Who is Making Out? It's the "illegal" part of immigration that
is so objectionable. There should be a distinction between a 'Guest Worker' and an
'Illegal' who has sneaked into this country. Those that just crash the gate are the
object of this article.
Try and Look Through Their Eyes: As an Illegal, You are taken
advantage of, not paid the prevailing wage, and are in constant fear of being sent
back to your home country. You went through tremendous hardships to get here, either
you walked for miles across a desolate desert, or, paid a large sum to someone to
smuggle you in. The only welcome mat you find are those who want you to work cheap.
But, if you persevere, by living very modestly in substandard conditions, you will
probably be able to send some money home on a regular basis. But, it is a life in the
shadows. You are enhancing the bottom line for someone or company that hires you
because you work cheap. The end result is that these employers are double dipping the
system.
Hiring Illegals: Even though an Illegal is working, there's a good
chance that he isn't paying taxes. The paper shuffle is carried out by the employer,
for he knows that the hiree is an Illegal. The Social Security Number is bogus, and
what he deducts from the Illegals check just goes into his pockets. This cheats the
system, and adds to the burden of Legal hirees who are paying the taxes. If the
Illegal has children, they are enrolled in school, and in the process contributing to
school overhead for which the Illegal is not contributing. Again, it is another
burden for the Legal workers to bear. Ditto for any medical problems that
arise.
Not a Bargain: These businessmen that hire Illegals are making fools
out of the American Citizen. They get cheap labor, do not have to contribute to the
welfare of these workers, and the American Taxpayer picks up the tab for all social
needs ranging from school to medical treatment. It is the employers of Illegals who
make out with this arrangement. Look, as long as the Federal Government doesn't
enforce the border, we as Americans are humane and will not allow these people to not
be able to educate their children or get medical help. Even at at great cost to this
society.
Feckless Government: Politicians are no help. The Democrats want the
Illegals to be granted status so they can vote, while the Democrat and Republican
businessmen want the cheap labor. These groups are a powerful force that keeps over
riding the wishes of the people. Most people want to see the border closed to
interlopers first. Then we can decide on a worker program. It isn't clear if most of
the Illegal workers even want to be citizens. Clearly, we need to increase the number
of Legal Immigrants as well as a guest worker program. However, a lot of resistance
is coming from those that hire the Illegals because then, they would have to pay the
prevailing wage and pay taxes on these workers. Once the workers become documented,
the employers lose the club that they are able to hold over the heads of the Illegal
workers.
A Depository of Poverty: The United States cannot become the
depository for the worlds poverty. We need people who are accounted for and not
living in the shadows. We need those that wish to have citizenship learn about out
institutions, learn our language, and laws so that they can contribute to our
society, and not try and rebuild the society that they left. This is so often the
case. Immigrants without the knowledge of how this country functions, usually live in
enclaves to themselves and replicate the only system that they know, and that is the
one they left. As a country, we need more than just willing hands for our undesirable
tasks. We need them to embrace and contribute to the American way of life.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
Gaining Energy Independence?Commentary for Monday 04/16/2007 The Quest for Energy Independence
There is Hope: The idea that the Earth's gain in temperature is due
to human activity is patently not true. But Western Democracies are continuing to
perpetuate this psuedo science and I know that you are mystified as to why. You have
to look no further than the quest for energy independence. The West has been at the
mercy of the most hostile regimes in history just to propel our advanced
civilizations. Our oil dependence makes us have to kiss the rear ends of those West
hating oil rich countries. They have grown so rich that they now feel strong enough
to move forward with schemes to overcome the West. The Middle Eastern nations have
not felt this emboldened since the day that they conquered the Iberian
Peninsula.
The High Cost: Changing from an oil based economy to an alternative
energy base requires the majority support of the Western Democracies because of the
cost involved. Enter the 'Global Warming' cause. Scientifically, it is a hoax, but
enjoys broad support. It blames fossil fuels and man's use of them for the increase
in Earth's temperature. The results of this scheme have already produced impressive
results. We now have "green" hybrid vehicles, cars that burn alcohol, and an
impressive increase in wind farms producing electricity. Wind farms are springing up
everywhere, and there is a revitalized effort to start building nuclear power plants
again. These changes could not have taken place without the willing cooperation of
the citizenry of the Western Democracies. To save the planet from the "ravages" of
global warming, people have shown a willingness to pay more for the "green" energy.
It will take a total commitment to make the swap from an oil based economy to one
based on alternative fuels.
At Daylite Sun: We have mixed emotions. We can see that
energy independence is a good thing, but hate to see it come at the expense of having
the people lied to. We are not sure what the unintended consequences of carrying out
this scheme will be. As you know we are the worlds largest consumer of oil, and as
our consumption goes down, the price of oil will also retreat. The future may leave
us unable to compete in the global economy if the underdeveloped nations start using
cheap oil. Our higher priced energy costs will put us at a disadvantage in the arena
of global trade. The oil consumption of the United States is the only reason that oil
is priced so high. Buying into the idea of throwing oil under the bus may sound like
a good idea, but in reality, it will only enable our demise as a flourishing economy
and enable those economies that use oil as a primary energy source.
Decide for Yourself: Sooner or later, everyone will have to decide
if gaining oil independence via the lie about global warming is worth it or not. The
way I see this heading, I think that putting the cards on the table up front and
coming clean about global warming would give every body a stake in what happens. If
we go down the road riding a lie, then the backlash could be disasterous, no matter
the intentions of those that came up with the scheme.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
Internet Bandwidth WoesCommentary for Monday 04/09/2007 Geek Issue: More Bandwidth Please
The Need for Speed: The Internet that we connect to is aging. Not so
much in years, but in terms of technology. Usages for the Internet are expanding
faster than it can keep up. Much of the increase in stress is coming from the
downloading of High Definition Video Movies, Personal Video files, and the streaming
Video from several popular sources. Add to that the billions of spam that litters
everyones mailbox, and you have a really sticky, bogged down Internet.
Heavy Users Being Penalized: Already several bandwidth hogs are
being booted from their providers. One of the largest in terms of available bandwidth
is Comcast. When their usage police go into action, they mean business. On Comcast,
the penalty is the boot for a year. Hughes Satellite Internet Service get you
penalized by the Network Operations Center for usually not more than 24 hours. At
least with Hughes, you can keep track, because they have posted limits. As long as
you stay withing those limits, you are OK. They differ by account, but for most, it
ranges between 200 and 350 Megabytes in a 4 hour period. But as with Comcast, there
is no appeal once you are in the penalty box.
This Digital Age: Look for new technologies in compression, and
shorthand to help out the Internet carriers. It isn't practical for the providers to
replace hardware as fast as technology can find uses for the internet.
Tiered System: It has been suggested that the providers be able to
charge by usage for Internet access, therefore you would pay $/Gigabyte of traffic.
It has also been proposed to offer the internet in layers of bandwith, which would be
charged by the speed you require. $/1000 bps. Both proposals would make sense and
would at least make the bandwidth hogs have to shell out for their excesses. The
problem with those proposals is that the charges would have to be pretty steep to
really make a difference, and would price ordinary users out of decent service. There
are enough deep pockets around that could buy all of the available bandwidth. This
would leave the providers without sufficient bandwidth to service the lower tiers.
Laws would have to be passed to mandate so much service for poorer subscribers,
forcing the providers to sacrifice profits.
The Only Solution: We need more availabe bandwidth. Bandwidth can be
added with more fiber being laid, and technology coming up with a good compression
algorithm. Next, the authorities should be given the tools to go after spammers.
Product vendors need to tune their adds to be effective using less bandwidth.
Utilizing the off-peak hours would also be helpful. Providers could provide caches
that hold non-time sensitive material until peak usage has subsided. Maximum delay
times could be made a part of a packets information to enable the caches for timely
delivery. There are numerous ways that could help our abused Internet system, if they
are utilized.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
The Problem with CompromisesCommentary for Wednesday 04/11/2007 Over Compromised
The Quest for Mediocrity: In a perfect political world, an idea
would come before Congress and if enough members thought the idea was good, or at
least had promise, then other members would work towards improving the idea. Alas,
this is not the case in Washington where Congress plays the game of partizan in
fighting to make sure that the opposition political party doesn't gain favor with the
voters. The stakes are high, it's all about power. They don't fight over what is best
for the citizens, -- they fight for maintaining their party in power.
Good Ideas Are Weakened: Think of the word 'compromise'. If I told
you that a building structure was compromised, you would understand that it was
weakened in some way. A political compromise is the same way. In a hypothetical
situation where an idea is presented by a member of a political party, and lets
assume that the idea needs funding of 200 million dollars to be a success. The
opposition party can easily see that this is a good idea, and if passed would make
those of the proposing party look good. So they seek a compromise on the proposal to
insure that it doesn't succeed. If the opposition party is successful in gutting the
proposal to 150 million dollars in a compromise, who do you think is the big loser?
Who do you think is the winner?
Not all Compromises are Bad: Some agreements are actually good. The
good ones are usually those that don't reflect any ideolgical split and have broad
support from both political parties. This occurs when the American Public weighs in
on a matter without leaving room for compromise. When the voters insist on a matter,
Congress generally listens. That is why it is so important for voters to pay
attention to what the Congress is up to. Without the public making it clear what they
want done, the Congress will just waste everyones time with political wrangling, as
they try to curry favor with their political donors.
Method to Weaken Legislation: Generally speaking, compromises are
just a means to weaken a piece of legislation. But it is just one tool in a toolbox
full of tools to prevent either political party from looking good. There is the
"Filibuster" rule, "Table Rule", "Recorded and Voice Vote Rules", "Point of Order",
and many other parliamentary maneuvers for a political party to foil the opposition
party. At one time it was so bad that the minority party would refuse to make quorum
to prevent legislation from coming to a vote. That had to be rectified by another
rule change that prevented the "less than a Quorum" tactic.
The Secret to Success The way to get meaninful legislation passed as
previously stated, is to have the American people involved with their Government. A
strong President is essential to sell his proposals to the public so that they can
prod Congress into passing the Presidents agenda. Without the sale to the American
public, most proposals are met with indifference to or ignorance of them. That leaves
too much room for the Congressional Politicians to play their games and do nothing.
The compromises will see that any proposed ideas are poisoned into oblivion. Worse,
they could wind up passing really bad legislation because of those compromises.
Write your Senators and Representatives They will get the message
and know that you are watching what they are doing. It gives them a little incentive
to do better when they realize that the voters have expectations of them.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
Politics of Global WarmingCommentary for Friday 04/06/2007 Science: Embrace the Idea of Human Caused Warming at your Peril
Man Made Global Warming - Global Swindle: It's like a snowball
gathering bulk as it rolls down hill. The notion that mankind through his emissions
of CO2 are warming the Earth is laughable. Those promoting this idea are relying on
ignorance about the issue. To make matters worse, those voices have been joined by
those who will profit from the trading of "Carbon Credits". Is it no wonder that
firms such as Goldman Sachs and other brokerage firms have signed on to this
bandwagon. "There's gold in them thar global warming hills." The Politcs: Degrade the Western Democracies and enrich the 'elites' who propagated this swindle. This commentary will not discuss the pros and cons of Global Warming, but instead look into what will happen if the United States ever decides to embrace the idea of trading in "Carbon Credits".
Increase Cost to Everyone: First, your electric bill will go up.
Espectially if your utility provider has a coal or gas fired generating station. They
will have to increase their rates to purchase "Carbon Credits". Energy cost will
spiral upwards for all manufacturers and these costs will have to be added to the
things you buy. We already see some of the results of such cost increases with using
corn as a "green" fuel. The price of corn has went up dramatically, and as a result,
those who depend on corn such as dairy farmers, have had to raise the cost of milk.
The price of corn is only on the fringe of the cost that will be born by the American
Consumer if "Carbon Credits" ever take hold.
Loss of Jobs: Just think, if your one of the millions who work for a
company that has to purchase these carbon offsets, the company owner(s) may well move
the business to India or China, as they are exempt from having to adjust their carbon
footprint. Practically none of the third world is under any restrictions, so they
will be an inviting target for businesses to relocate to. The added burden will be
too much for a lot of business's and they will just fold. The American standard of
living has to decline as a result. Ordinary Americans will be tapped to the point
that they can no longer afford electricity. We will join several of the third world
nations with large segments of their populations who live without power. All of this
because of a bogus theory. A theory that has been embraced by the left, not for its
scientific correctness, but for it's ability to defeat the United States.
You can do your part: Try and learn as much about the "Greenhouse"
theory and the properties of CO2. Investigate, there are plenty of sources available.
Not being ignorant is the first step towards gaining your freedom from this crippling
bogus theory. Below are some good places to go to help you understand that science on
the subject is not asleep. Don't get caught up in all the emotions of how man is
killing the planet. Education is key!
http://www.john-daly.com Result of tests:
This is roughly 80 times less than IPCC's radiative forcing. Enjoy your research--- Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About The Politics of Global Warming, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Democrat's Hard Won DefeatCommentary for Wednesday 04/04/2007 Politics: Osama Wins!
Political Victory for Osama and Democrats: Democrats can hardly
contain their glee! They have all but guarenteed a defeat for the United States in
Iraq, and given Osama his greatest victory yet. All in the name of politics.
Democrat's visceral hatred for George Bush along with their desire to return to
power, was the impetus for them to put their ambitions ahead of the Country.
Democrats are so desperate to not have to deal with Iraq if they win in 2008, that
they are willing to sell us down the river to have it ended before the next President
is sworn in.
Sad State of Affairs: Nothing, not this Nation, nor the soldiers who
have died fighting the 'War on Terror' means as much to Democrats as a political
victory. They have compromised Bush every direction that this war took that might
have led to a victory. First they accused Bush of neglecting the warning signs of the
9-11 attack, which gave us the 'Bi-Partisan Commission' to "investigate" the
intelligence from the perspective that Bush 'ignored intelligence' that could have
prevented 9-11. Then the Democrats generated a number of factually inaccurate
"tell-all" books that were released at key times for the most effect. Next came the
Valerie Plame incident that generated headlines for months over nothing. Democrats
even tried to convince the Nation that Bush was tapping their phone lines and
listening in on their private conversations. Another swipe at Bush's ability to win
the 'War on Terror'. And don't forget the popular Democratic smear, "Bush Lied
Campaign". This campaign started after there were no WMD's found in Iraq. But Bush
was accused of knowing this beforehand.
No Victory: Because of these and many more outrages pulled by the
Democrats, Bush's support has been reduced to the point that the the terrorists have
all but been assured of defeating us. Nancy Pelosi's recent trip to Syria was just
another nail into the coffin of George Bush's Presidency. That trip only did one
thing, and that was to demonstrate to the world that Bush was irrevalent. What a sad
tribute to the Democrats. This War: The surprise in all of this is that the war will not be hung around George Bush's neck. The defeat belongs to the Democrats. They engineered it, they nurtured it, and they are going to have to take ownership of us losing. Yes, the Democrats have won this defeat, they fought hard for it, but will it translate into a victory in 2008? Stay tuned.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily
commentaries. |
What Can You Trust?Commentary for Thursday 04/05/2007 American Issues: Can we Trust Anything?
Is the Water Safe? I don't ever remember being paranoid. But
paranoia is creeping into my existence and I want to share some of it.
Finicky Eating Cats: I'll begin here because of the money I have
wasted on catfood that my cat wouldn't eat. With a nation still reeling over the
revelation that there was tainted pet food, I am wondering if my cat was all that
finicky after all, or if she actually detected something that wasn't right about the
food. I had always assumed that the cat was just hard to please. Owing to the current
state of affairs with pet food, -- I don't know what to think now.
Press and Seal Food Wrap: It's only press and seal because of
chemicals that make it that way. So now I wonder what the effects those chemicals
have on the food that you wrap in that stuff!
That Contaminated Wheat Gluten: Do we assume that none of that stuff
found it's way into human food? There is a large political element here considering
the source of that stuff came from China.
Processed Lunch Meats: If you closely examine your sliced turkey
processed lunchmeat, you are going to find little bitty pieces of meat swimming
around in turkey broth. And they want $4.00/lb. for that stuff. Ever wonder what all
is in that broth? Have we gotten so sophisticated with packaging lunchmeat that we
can't just sell sliced turkey? You can buy real turkey breast, but it'll cost you
$6.00 or more per pound. Whole turkeys are only .39 cents to $1.15/lb. so your better
off slicing your own turkey. --What's in that processed meat anyway? --Wheat
Gluten?
Spoilage Retardation: Another of my food fears is the effort (and
chemicals) that go into increasing shelf life for foods. I can't even pronounce some
of those chemicals. Have they been thoroughly checked for effects on people? Do you
believe the government when they pronounce them safe? Let's not forget the many drugs
that are declared safe that turn out to kill people.
Drugs: Speaking of the drugs that we take to maintain and restore
our health, there is a laundry list of bad drugs that have been taken off the market
because they were found to harm rather than heal.
1.) Thalidomide--A sleeping aid and anti morning sickness pill
-caused birth defects.
2.) Baycol--A Cholesterol reducer -Caused fatal muscle
reactions.
3.) Vioxx--Arthritis Drug -Incresed risk of heart attacks.
4.) Fen-phen--A weight loss formula that wrecked heart valves.
5.) Bextra--Arthritis Drug with same problems as Vioxx.
6.) Tetrahydragestrinone, also known as "The Clear" or "THG" and Injectable
and oral anabolic steroids --Destructive athletic enhancement drugs that
have literally killed or decimated some of our finest athletes.
These Reminders: Reasons why we must all be a little paranoid. Use
caution before using untested new Drugs, don't feed your pet processed pet-food, and
read those grocery store labels for their contents. Look the chemicals up on the
internet to see what they are. You might save yourself a lot of grief by just being
diligent. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Things to Worry About, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Safeguard Your Email AddressCommentary for Wednesday 02/28/2007 Geek Issues: Protecting Email Addresses
Too Much Spam: Ever wonder just how all of those spammers get your
email address? I know that my spam filter catches hundereds of these nefarious
opportunities that come from everywhere. Other than those websites that you volunteer
to willingly surrender your email address to, there is another method that is busy
harvesting email addresses without a lot of effort.
Those Forwarded Emails: Everyone gets those cute little jokes from
friends, and we all share them with our friends. I personally look forward to
receiving these funnies. It is our method of forwarding that puts everybody's email
at risk. Just look at the following image. I get tons of these things a day, and most
contain a wealth of other peoples email addresses. If I were a spammer, it would be
so easy to copy these addresses into my bulk mailing list.
Don't Just Click the forward button, then address the missive and
hit the send button. Stop for just a second and delete the previous addresses before
you send the message to you mailing list. Those addresses have no further purpose
except to wind up on somebody's bulk mailing list.
Deleting the Previous Addresses: After you click on 'Forward', on
the image that comes up next, you can edit the document. So before you 'Send' the
email, using the mouse, trace over the previous sender's information including the
addresses that the previous sender used, holding down the left mouse button. If you
did it right, that information will be highlighted. While the mouse is still pointing
within the highlighted area, either hit the delete key or right click on the mouse
and select delete from the drop down menu. Now you can forward the email without
risking the email addresses of those who also received the same email that you
received.
The Following Image: As you can tell by the following image that a
lot of email addresses are making the rounds, and you can be sure that they have
already wound up on somebody's bulk mailing list. So use care when forwarding those
witty missives.
Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Surrendering Email Addresses, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Meet President PelosiCommentary for Tuesday 04/03/2007 Pelosi Undercuts the President
Her Highness: Just ask Nancy Pelosi, she will tell you, "There's a
new Congress in town." The agressive Democrat House Speaker has not only accepted her
job, but evidently, that of the President as well. She is currently on a Middle East
junket making sure that the world's leaders know that she is the 'real' authority in
Washington. In one leap Nancy Pelosi has thumbed her nose at the constitutional
authority of the President to conduct foreign policy, and assumed that position for
herself. She was advised to not go to Syria by the President, but she just couldn't
resist letteing the world know that Bush doesn't count anymore, and will go anyway.
After all, she is the queen.
Bush's Weakness: No matter how you feel about Bush, or the war, or
domestic politics, having a runaway House Speaker is not a good thing for this
country. The Constitution is clear about who is Commander-in-Chief and in charge of
foreign policy. Even if the country is stuck with a bad President, the way to change
policy if it cannot be done through persuasion is to vote him out of office the next
election cycle. This method of control preserves the sanctity of the office and
prevents chaos with both our allies and potential adversaries.
Opposition is OK: Opposition to anything in this country is fine,
but meddling with the structure of how we operate isn't. No matter what her
intentions, or any results of her Middle East tour, undercutting the prevailing
policy, President, and widening the already wide chasm of public opinion is not the
way to affect constructive change in this society. There are already ample methods
that can accomplish that without making things worse. Not for just this President,
but any sitting President in the future. Pelosi is taking on a responsibility that is
not part of our constitutional system.
President Affirms the Old Addage: Everyone will remember some form
of the old saying, "You can't Please Everyone". Bush made his mistake trying to
placate the left instead of just leading. Trying to please everyone has left Bush
with few political friends. His philosophy of inclusion has reduced him to being a
very weak leader in the eyes of most people. Half-way measures have been the hallmark
of his administration, and as a result, he has been ineffective at most endeavors.
Ineffectiveness creates the need for everyone to want to get something done. The
press has ideas, all of Congress has ideas, and most Americans have ideas, and now
here comes Nancy Pelosi who has made the determination that she will just take
control and impliment her ideas, to Hell with the Constitution and the President. Her
action sets a bad precedent for the future, but such head strong people like Nancy
Pelosi could care less about the damage they might be causing. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Nancy Pelosi, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Freedom and FaithCommentary for Monday 04/02/2007 Christianity and Freedom
Freedom and Faith: This is written for all of those who are out to
destroy Christianity. Christianity is a faith-based religion. Christians believe that
Jesus was the sacrificial lamb of God whose blood redeemed all who would believe in
Him. Just as the Jews had to sacrifice a lamb while they were in Egypt, and put the
blood of the lamb on their doors to keep the angel of death from where they lived,
Jesus fulfilled that same purpose for all of mankind. The Promise, for all who
accepts Christ as their Savior, is inner peace during life, and a home in paradise
(Heaven) after death.
Christian Teachings: Christians are admonished to live within the
Secular systems that they find themselves; hence the "Render unto Caesar" lesson in
the New Testament. And to be peaceful by, "Turning the other cheek". Christians are
required to live God fearing, useful lives, and to accept Christ as their Savior. For
the believers in Christ, their faith transcends fear. They have an understanding that
there is something better for them after death. Having faith is a far better way of
life than living in fear of what is to come. Any Christian, with the knowledge that
his life has been one of devotion is much better equipped to face his mortality than
the person who has rejected God and his teachings.
Christians in Society: There is nothing to fear from Christians in
and among a Society. And yet, Christians are attacked at every level. Why? Simply
put, they represent having to make a choice between right and wrong. There are a lot
of people who want to live certain lifestyles that are prohibited by God. So they see
the teachings of faith as an obstacle to what they crave to do. Those who are weak
and refuse to obey God, turn to Secular Laws to make things right for them. They
insist that laws be changed to accomodate them. Shaping the Secular Laws to suit the
wants of sinners, cannot alter the reality that these behaviors are prohibited by
God. Their mortality still approaches and God has the final judgment, not man. Those
who reject Christ need to ask themselves if a few years of depravity is worth an
eternity of damnation.
Message to Lawmakers: Likewise, to those who have the authority to
shape Secular law. By attempting to sanctify that which is prohibited by God, are you
also not in danger of losing Paradise for yourself?
No Misunderstandings: I want to be clear that rules are necessary
for the governance and protection of a society. But I want to explore the differences
between the Secular and non-Secular adhesion to rules. It is these differences that
define whether we are held hostage to "Big Brother" or allowed the freedom to
maintain our societies.
Obedience to Secular and God's Laws: Those of no faith are forced to
obey Secular Laws. Christians willingly obey both the Secular and God's Laws. Secular
laws are only boundaries. They represent limits of conduct imposed on society, as
determined by the State. There are Secular boundaries everywhere, but no guidance.
You are allowed to drive your car down the highway any way you like as long as you
don't go over the speed limit, make an improper turn, fail to yield, not stop for a
stop sign, and on and on. Society wants you to drive safely so as not to harm
yourself or others. Hence, we have the establishment of all those boundaries.
(Laws)
Non-Christian vs. Christian: The differences I am talking about are
profound. For instance, when a person who rejects faith approaches a stop sign and
sees nobody, he may or may not run the stop sign. Running the stop sign gives him no
remorse, because after all, there wasn't any oncoming traffic. However, because there
is no remorse, the lesson to him is that it is okay to disobey a law. Remember
though, all of the intersections won't be empty, and others could be put in danger
for failing to recognize this act as a breach of the law. Sadly, in this case, nobody
is there to reinforce the fact that a bad decision was made. Yes, there could have
been a patrolman, but a ticket only means that he 'got caught'.
Same scene with a Christian at the stop sign, and he also determines it is safe to
run it. Now however, he knows he has done wrong, and it bothers him. His conscience
will not allow the broken law to go unnoticed. Christians understand that they cannot
violate either Secular or God's laws without having their conscience wade in on the
matter. A persons conscience is a powerful tool that guides the Christian, his
constant reminder of those things that are right and wrong.
Being a Christian: When we accept Christ as our Savior, we accept
responsibility for our actions. Whenever a Christian does the wrong thing, there is
this tug at his conscience that tells him about it. Guilt is spawned out of doing
wrong, whether by disobedience to God's Law or Secular Law. The love of God creates a
goal that is beyond Earthly goals. It is for that reason Christians are constantly
aware of their actions here on earth. Once a person becomes a Christian, they receive
an indescribable joy in their hearts. This spirit will guide them for the rest of
their days. They will renounce sin and pray for forgiveness when they falter, and all
will falter.
Faith: Remember, it is faith that creates the need for a decent
life, not the threat of punishment from Secular laws. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Christianity, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Naked Jesus Offends ChristiansCommentary for Friday 03/30/2007 Disrespecting Jesus
Great Disrespect: When Jesus was crucified, he probably was naked.
But Christians have spared Jesus the indignity of a public display of his genitals,
opting for a loin cloth instead. Now comes artist Cosimo Cavallaro who creates an
anatomically correct chocolate statue of Jesus naked with his genitals bared for all
to witness. Is it indecent? No, but it is disrespectful. It is disrespectful in a way
that is hurtful and offensive to Christians. The display of Jesus's genitals marks a
new low on the attack on Christianity. Christians are under attack from those who
would do away with all icons that represent a standard for right and wrong.
Let Us Hope: The Roger Smith Lab Gallery at the Roger Smith Hotel in
New York will see fit to not put the statue on display. Catholic League president
Bill Donohue is already calling for a boycott of this hotel. The liberal press cannot
get past the idea that Christians are fearful of the display of genitals. They do not
relate how disrespectful that this display is to Christians. My comment to the Press
would be, "Nobody is offended at the sight of genitals. So please quit making the
whole thing sound like a flap over prudishness". Pure and simple, this is an assault
on Christianity and not just some clever prurient display of genitalia. Showing
disrespect of the Savior is an affront to our humanity.
It is Faith: Faith is our ultimate guarantor of freedom. It is faith
that exerts its invisible force on humanity that allows for people to peacefully
interact with each other. It is our faith that creates the need to be good. Should
faith be destroyed, our society would be doomed. Does anybody really want to see the
universal code of right and wrong destroyed? Without faith, anarchy would
prevail.
Not OK: Showing this type of disrespect for Christianity is not OK.
Even the title "My Sweet Lord" with its double entendre is disrespectful. Christians
everywhere should demand that this affront to decency be removed. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About The Chocolate Jesus, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Ann Coulter Sees No HopeCommentary for Thursday 03/29/2007 Ann Coulters Lament
"No Hope": Ann Coulter, the plucky conservative columnist and
author, in her latest column today, declared that there was 'no hope' for the
conservatives. She details in this column how being a Democrat is a "Get out of Jail
Free" ticket. The column is worth a read if you haven't already read it. You can find
it here:
Ann's Tongue In Cheek Assessment: The piece parallels my own
thinking about how the Democrats are able to get away with such outrageous comments
and acts. The Republicans are not bare-knuckle brawlers. They don't even make the
attempt at fighting. Why they won't defend their party is a question that continues
to haunt me. I can only surmise that they don't really believe in any political
cause. Bush won't stand up for anything with the exception of trying to salvage Iraq
because he knows that his legacy will either stand or fall on his decision to depose
Saddam Hussein.
Bush's Leadership: Or lack of leadership has utterly failed to keep
the country united on the 'war on terror'. He had to almost go out of his way to
destroy the pride and unity of "Being an American" after the attack on the WTC on
911. But somehow, he managed to throw it all away. Way to go George!
It's the Money Men: Iraq isn't the only place we learned that Bush
wasn't trustworthy. There is the border issues with Mexico. Cheap labor is the reason
that Bush won't close the border. In this country, there is a huge interest in
maintaining the flow of cheap labor available, and Bush has thrown in with them. The
Democrats see this undocumented labor pool as potential votes, while big business
sees cheap labor. What the American people see is a Government that doesn't listen to
them, and George Bush is it's leader.
So Ann May Have it Right: It is the lack of leadership that is
causing this country to drift around. The public is running away from the weak
leadership of Bush, but the Democrats haven't any solution either. They haven't the
foggiest idea what they will do after we surrender in Iraq. Eventually we will have
to confront those militant Muslims, even if we leave from Iraq. They also have no
answer for the morality of our precipitous action of leaving before the constituional
Government in Iraq is strong enough to succeed. As always, it will be the American
Citizens who will bear the consequences for the poor leadership in Washington. There
is no hope! Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Americas Leadership Crises, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
Good Shows Going BadCommentary for Wednesday 03/28/2007 Television Today
Two Shows I used to Like: The Fox presentation of two really good
shows; House MD and Bones have taken a turn for the worse. For some
reason, the writers and network have seen fit to turn these two shows into "Soap
Operas".
House MD: This was a first rate medical drama until the writers
turned it into a circus. Now you have to wade into the sex lives of the different
performers. Who is sleeping with who has become an integral part of what you have to
watch, before the disease of the day can get cured. Dr. House's character has been
turned into such an asshole, that it detracts from the cohesion of a once great show.
There are also lame attempts at justifying all the co-mingling that the writers have
introduced into the show. Please writers, just write a good story. Your views of the
culture have no place in a show that is watched solely for entertainment. Get a job
as an opinion writer if you must share your philosophy.
Bones: Another great show that is being corrupted by its writers. I
am beginning to believe that the writers may be short on talent. The writers of Bones
have managed to stretch a 30 minute storyline into an hour by turning this once great
show into a soap opera. The writing talent must be thin to have to include all of the
extraneous material in order to stretch the show out to make an hour long
presentation. Those first year shows were what captured me as a fan. They were great,
and I wasn't alone as the show garnered a large national audience as well. But then
somebody must have thought that the inclusion of a lot of material other than the
storyline would be even better. At least that way they don't have to be clever with
their writing continuously.
Pushing the Envelope: It happens a lot. Producers strive to improve
their ratings by continuously one-upping their last attempts. But historically, that
hasn't been necessary to hold onto an audience. Several shows come to mind that were
good from the first to the last, "I Love Lucy", "MASH", "Matlock", "Dragnet",
"Bonanza" --- you get the idea. When a show is well written, it doesn't have to
resort to gimmicks such as creating all of those personal situations with the players
and having to mouth off their cultural and political ideas. My Ideas: Whenever I watch a television program about solving a crime, it is my belief that solving the crime should be the focus of the storyline, and not about the personal life of the players. The inclusion of so much non-storyline material is a clue that the writers have run out of ideas. They need filler material to complete the show. Else, the producers want to cash in by taking advantage of society's prurient interest. Including salacious material into their show is one way to do that. Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries. Comment Here About Today's Television, Thanks, Robert Gross Back |
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