D a y l i t e S u n

Daylite Sun Archived Commentaries

Greenhouse Scam

Science Commentary for Friday 05/25/2007 What Greenhouse Effect?


Misleading the Public: I'm sure by now that everybody has heard of the "greenhouse effect" and how it is threatening to destroy the earth. But what exactly is this "greenhouse effect"? First a look at a greenhouse.

Heat Trap: Above all else, a greenhouse is a heat trap. A very useful heat trap that enables us to produce vegetation whenever it is still too cold outside for the plants to flourish. We have improved greenhouses to the point that we have control over humidity as well as temperature, and methods of storing up daytime warming to be useful during the night. In short, greenhouses are an integral part of food and plant production. Greenhouses work on a very simple principal.

Energy Transfer: Greenhouse enclosures are designed to admit radiant energy, which excites the molecules inside of the greenhouse into a higher energy state. This higher energy state of the physical world inside of the greenhouse then gives off additional "heat". (All matter that is above absolute zero gives off heat) This additional heat given off by the physical elements inside of the greenhouse is essentially trapped because we have built a physical wall to prevent its escape. The heat that escapes from the greenhouse does so largely by conduction. So to recap, we allow the radiant energy inside of the greenhouse to excite molecules inside of the greenhouse into giving off additional heat. We then prevent the heat from escaping by the physical barrier of the greenhouse walls and ceiling, so temperature rises within the greenhouse. Greenhouses are made more efficient using materials with higher insulating properties that prevent a lot of the heat loss by conduction.

The Earth: This greenhouse effect is not what is happening on earth. Earth has no physical boundaries to trap the excess heat generated by the radiant energy of the sun. If there are gases that are preventing heat dissipation in the atmosphere, then surface temperatures would have to be increasing, they are not. There would also have to be a heat build up in the troposphere, there is none. In fact, the surface temperatures have shown a slight decrease, not an increase. Tropospheric temperatures also have shown temperature decreases. So where, has the approximately 1 degree of temperature come from? Why is there an increase in CO2? There are as many theories as there are scientists, but one thing you can count on is that the heat is not because of any greenhouse effect.

CO2: One of the Earth's natural chemicals is CO2. CO2 comes from a lot of sources including living mammals and decaying vegetation. But the largest supplier by far is from the Oceans. Why? The Plate boundaries which are found in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans are teeming with subsea volcanoes. In fact there is over a thousand of them. Two of the by products of a Volcano is CO2 and heat. Even in absence of actual Volcanoes, Cold Ocean water circulates through the many cracks and fissures on the sea floor, is heated and circulated back to the Oceans. As Ocean water is heated, it surrenders more of the CO2 into the atmosphere. This process clearly demonstrates that CO2 is a product of warming rather than a cause of it. An additional fact is that the properties of CO2 absorb a very minor amount of heat, which is quickly released through convection.

Moisture: Clouds are a wonderful thing. They reflect an enormous amount of radiant energy, and at the same time give us a cooling shade in the daytime. At night, the moisture in clouds tend to block some of the radiated heat from the earth and as a result, we retain some of this heat. But remember, that during the day, they are preventing a lot of radiant energy from creating heat by reflection. A case could be made for clouds being more beneficial by acting more like umbrellas than greenhouse traps. Further, there is good evidence that increased sunspot activity inhibits cloud formation in the atmosphere because of solar winds created by the intense magnetic storms on the Sun. Any decrease in cloud formation means more radiant energy from the Sun is getting to the earth and creating more heat than normal.

In Conclusion: Please do your own investigation about these matters. Do not take to heart the rants of those who preach "Global Warming" as a man made phenomenon or "Greenhouse Effect". It is not! Put some time into your quest to find out all sides of this story before you decide.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
Comment Here    About Greenhouses, Thanks, Robert Gross   Back

Abandoning Iraq

Politics Commentary for Thursday 05/17/2007 Leadership Needed!


Leaving Iraq: Not that anybody really wants to stay, so the desire to leave is a natural one. But do we really want to leave under such damming circumstances? Democrats, seeing a good prospect for winning the White House in 2008, do not, under any circumstances want to have this war handed down to them. A defeat on Bush's watch is acceptable, but they don't want it on their expected term in office. Because of the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in, the Democrats may have to sing a different tune if they actually have to deal with the war.

Liberal Base: The shrill but well financed political Left appears to be winning the day. Financier George Soros and his many groups are leading the way to have the U.S. withdraw. And the billionaire has more tricks up his sleeve. He is also pushing for open borders, and drug legalization. I keep waiting to hear anyone on the left push back at Soros, but his goals, plus the money he is willing to pour into Democrat coffers are more than the Democrats can resist. Democrats see the open border issue as a winning issue for them, because they hope to capitalize on these migrants for votes. Drug use? Don't forget that the majority of the Democrat leaders are the "Flower Children" of the 60's. They do not harbor any bad feelings about drugs.

The Rest of Us: Those who usually oppose such liberal ideas seem to be confused over what to do. The endless drumbeat about how the United States is bad and causing all the worlds trouble that is emanating from the liberal press, is etching away at the confidence that we can prevail as a nation. Everywhere you look in this country, there is enough public corruption to make the liberal media sound truthful. The absence of any leadership among the conservatives is creating division within their ranks. No one is stepping up to the plate. Only the Liberal Left seems to be united, and they are. Reacquiring their power unites them in a way that no issue, no matter how deleterious to this country, will derail their effort to once again be put in charge to govern this country.

Republican Debates: Disappointing is the only word that comes to mind after listening to this crop of presidential wannabes. My impression of the so called leaders:
McCain: More than any other republican, has been a thorn in the side of George Bush. His little fits of being a "sore loser" has done more than almost any other Republican to embarrass this White House. He now wants your vote to become President. The torture episodes come to mind. His stand actually fed fuel to the fire that we might be torturing prisoners. Bush's job as President could have done without the ever ready knife to the back wielded by McCain.
Romney: I like Romney, but he still comes across as an opportunist. Somebody who will "go with the flow" for votes. His mind changes on various topics leave ne without any enthusiasm for his candidacy.
Giuliani: A Social Liberal. I like his leadership credentials, but I have issues with some of his liberal stands. Picking a wife to be loyal to during thick and thin, during good times and bad, better or worse also seems to cast doubt on decisions that he makes. One could ask the question, if you can't hold a family together, what are your qualifications in holding a country together?

Looking for a Saint? No, but I do think that conviction rather than convenience should be a quality to look for in a candidate. There is a lot more that could be said about this Republican crop, take Gilmore for instance. During Gilmore's term as Governor of Virginia, he allowed the Democrats to spend just so he could salvage a single issue. Spending went up dramatically during his administration. Not that Gilmore wasn't a conservative, it was his failure of leadership that allowed the Dems to go crazy with spending during his term as Governor. Ron Paul is a first class Libertarian. He is, by nature an isolationist and blames all of our woes on America. No thanks Ron. Tommy Thompson is OK but gets no traction. The second tier candidates as a whole are mired in the polls because of a lack of breakout ability.

Free Ride: The Republican debates also gave the Democrats a free ride. If I missed any comments about the Democrats with the exception of the joke about Edward's haircut, then I apologise. None of these yodels would even recognise that it is the Democrats that we have to face in the next election. I want to hear from this bunch how they intend to defeat the Democrats. In short, I didn't see a fighter in the bunch. Will a white knight come to the rescue? I doubt it. If Fred Thompson gets into the fray, if Newt gets into the fray --who knows. It is for sure that they don't seem to be anxious to commit to running.

In Conclusion: I may be wrong, but my ideal candidate would be more than milktoast. He would be passionate about what he believes, and be willing to defend his beliefs with enthusiasm. If a candidate respects marriage, then I would at the least expect him to have lived up to his vows as a husband. If a candidate respects life, then don't try and sell me your excuses for supporting "women's choice". If a candidate respects his party, don't keep trying to discredit its President for political gains or petty revenge. If a candidate respects his country, don't advocate it's defeat, be its defender.

Leaders: Even cattle herds need a leader. But don't go chasing that first old brindle that jumps into the mesquite. Ferret out the leader that stands for something and is willing to principally lead based on convictions and a sense of direction about where to take us.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
Comment Here    About Leaders, Thanks, Robert Gross   Back

Clintons Military Cuts

American Issue-Commentary for Friday 05/18/2007 Living with a Smaller Military


Reminder: Dec 9,2004 "As you know, you have to go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you want," Rumsfeld. A strange quote that was roundly criticised by the liberal media. What was Rumsfeld talking about?

Setting the Stage: Presidential politics had been in full swing just months prior to the statement. John Kerry's campaign was quoting generals about how we should have had at least 500,000 troops to go into Iraq. And truthfully, most Americans agreed with the fact that we should have sent more troops. The ugly fact was, we couldn't.

Cuts: Clinton saw to it with his draconian cuts in the military. When we invaded Iraq, maintaining 500,000 troops with normal rotation, would have meant a far larger army than what we had at the time. Why was our army in such a state? A look at the Clinton cuts will explain the shape of our army in 2003. U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe quoted in Muskogee, "Eight years of Bill Clinton decimated the military to almost half of what it was in 1990, and that cutbacks during the Clinton administration resulted in the lack of armor and other material faced by U.S. troops in Iraq." Clinton's loathing of the American military led to his failure in his primary responsibility: the protection of the American people. This is a partial list of the "Army's Downsizing":
1.) Manpower decreased from 2.1 million to 1.6 million.
2.) The Army was cut from 18 divisions to 12.
3.) The Navy was reduced from 546 ships to 380.
4.) Air Force flight squadrons were cut from 76 to 50.

"Reinvention" of Government: It was Al Gore during the 90's who was bragging about the reduction of federal employees. ("Reinvention" and reduction of Government) What he failed to emphasize, was that 90% of the reduction in federal employees was the military.

Materials Reduction: It wasn't just manpower losses that decimated our military, but equipment and arms were slashed as well. Here are just a few of the material cuts to the military:
1.) The Clinton administration delayed the V-22 Osprey, F-22 Raptor, the Joint Strike Fighter and the Comanche attack helicopter.
2.) The U.S. military had to cut valuable training, live-fire exercises and flight hours.
3.) The U.S. Air Force had to turn to the United Arab Emirates in order to upgrade the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
4.) The Clinton administration proposed that the B-1 bomber be retired early.
5.) Clinton also depleted the stocks of Smart Munitions and Tomahawk Missiles.

Research the Details: Go here to see greater detail than I have room to report:
Clinton Profile

Inherited Army Such was the condition of the military when Bush became President in 2001. Bush had a lot of damage to undo and time wasn't on his side. There were few good options for Bush when confronted with the probability that Saddam Hussein was developing WMD's. At the time, it was thought that waiting to oust Saddam would be disastrous for the West. There were two options available to Bush. Option one: Wait until the Military was built up to an acceptable level. Option 2: Devise and execute a "small footprint" force deadly enough to get rid of Saddam. Bush chose to go ahead with the small footprint and act before Saddam became even more dangerous.

Wasn't Sufficient: The force proved to be inadequate to control the violence that followed after Hussein's fall, so the generals were correct with their analysis about the number of troops that would be necessary to take and successfully occupy Iraq. But so was Rumsfeld, with his now famous quote. It wasn't the army he would have wanted, but it was the army he had.

A Reminder: I wanted to write this piece just to remind all of you that this isn't a perfect world, and hind-sight is 20/20. The war in Iraq is virtually won and the Democrat congress is wanting to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It is your emails and letters that will prevent that from happening. Write to your Representatives and Senators and tell the politicians to get on with finding ways to win rather than lose. This is an American Issue.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
Comment Here    About Clintons Military Cuts, Thanks, Robert Gross   Back

Hospital Adventure

Commentary for Thursday 05/24/2007 Hospital Adventure


Missing Columns: To those of you who have inquired about the missing columns this week, I relate this adventure.

Monday Morning: After several hours of fitful sleep, I was fully awakened by a stirring in my chest that was not comfortable. My heart was beating erratically, rapid at times, stop for a few seconds and then more irregular spurts of beating. No pain, just an unnatural feeling that was kind of spooky to say the least.

Long Ride: After waking my wife and completing several small tasks like getting dressed, installing my teeth, and trying to console my distraught wife, we started on the 35 mile trip to the nearest emergency room. Under normal conditions, the ride into Houston is uneventful and quick, but tonight each mile took what seemed was like an eternity to complete. The strange heart beat had my kidneys in hyperdrive and the urge to urinate was starting to rear its head. Finally I had my wife exit the freeway and jumped out of the van to relieve myself. I don't think I have ever been in that kind of bind before, even in my old beer drinking days. The urge to go was so powerful that I took scant notice of other cars passing us while I relieved myself. We finally made it to the Hospital and went inside the Emergency Room.

Gaining Admittance: The receptionist was very kind and understanding about my condition, and after taking my insurance information and properly identifying myself I was helped into the first triage room. Everyone agreed that my condition was known as A-Fib or Atrial Fibrillation. While in A-Fib, the heart or ventricle doesn't know when to pump, because the atrium of the heart is firing often and seemingly without reason. As a result both chambers are more or less on their own without synchronisation. The result is a wildly erratic heartbeat. With the exception of being pestered to death with forms that had to be signed, the experience in the emergency room was about what I expected. The Doctor on call phoned my Cardiologist and he gave my medicine and housing instructions to the Resident Doctor on call. This landed me in a private room they use for 'Observation'. It was welcome relief, for my kidneys were very active and it seemed as though I had to pee every 10 minutes or so. The private bathroom was much better than the plastic jar with an obvious shape that I had been using up until I was admitted into the observation room.

Emergency Room: I spent a total of about 8-9 hours in the emergency triage room and the observation room. They keep that facility pretty cold and my wife stayed with me during the whole ordeal. One of the nurses finally got her a blanket because she was shivering and miserable. Altogether, we were treated very well. My Cardiologist finally got to the hospital and after a brief examination, had me admitted into the hospital.

After Admission: Admission brought on a flood of activity including a shot of blood thinner in my abdomen region. There was a terrific nurse that was really helpful and went to great lengths to explain every medicine and procedure. She even made a long distance call to my son for me and had it transferred to my room. Long distance calls are not allowed from the rooms. A word should be spoken about the food. Your doctor supplies the hospital with the type of diet he wants you on such as 'low sodium', diabetic, or calory restricted. Then you are provided with a menu of the food available and all you do is call your order in from the menu. There are enough selections on the menu to satisfy most people, and the food is prepared and brought to your room. It really is an improvement over the old system, the experience reminded me of eating in a good restaurant.

My Hospital Room: All of the rooms in the Katy Memorial Hospital are private. They are spacious and nice. I can't end this column without mentioning the bed. That bed had to have cost at least $15,000 if not more. It had a constant pressure air mattress that regulated the air to fit every movement that you made. The mattress would compensate the air pressure if you chose to sit or lay down. Really comfortable. That bed would do everything in the way of adjustments like elevate up and down, tilt, legs up, head up, and handled communications with the nurses station. Really a remarkable bed.

Conversion: It was during the night Tuesday morning that my heart converted back to a normal rhythm. Twelve hours more observation and the Doctor was satisfied with the progress and he was able to discharge me. I was ready to go, but I didn't make it out until Tuesday evening. Wednesday I did nothing but try and get some rest. Hospitals are no good places to get rest. They are taking blood, or giving you medicine, or taking blood pressure all during your stay. The best I could muster was a few catnaps during my ordeal at the hospital.

Thank You: I appreciate your concern about me and will try and get caught up with this column. I do plan on making some more changes so be on the look out for them. --Robert

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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A Look at Wheat Gluten

Commentary for Wednesday 05/09/2007 What is Wheat Gluten?


Meat Substitute: When the pet food scare happened, I had already written a piece about 'Pet Food Rip-Off'. Little did I know just how much other than meat went into pet food. The revelation about 'Wheat Gluten' being tainted with melamine made me curious about two things. The first was why are we buying 'Wheat Gluten' from China? The second question that came to mind was what in the world was wheat gluten being used for. This commentary shares with you a little of what I have turned up.

Not New: Originated in Ancient China, and popularized there for it's characteristics of mimmicking meat. Wheat-Meat is very popular with non meat eating monks and others who have jumped on the anti-meat wagon. It is said to mimmick meat better than soy protein because of it has a 'stringy' consistency.

Countless Products: It is not the purpose of this commentary to denigrate any of the texturized wheat or soy products. However, I found it surprizing that the stuff has been so integrated, not only in pet food, but human food as well. Take a look at this image of fried gluten to look and taste like duck:

Fried Gluten-Wikipedia
Gluten 'Fried Duck'

Realistic: If you didn't know better, you could easily assume that you were eating duck. The pet food industry does the same thing with this stuff. It is passed on as 'Meaty' or other such phrases. Do the pets know the difference? My bet is that they do, but the pets aren't the ones buying their food. This stuff only has to fool the humans who purchase it. The pet food industry has so many ways to fool us, that it would take an expert to know exactly what we are feeding to our animals. Evidently we are getting large helpings of the meat substitutes that are flavored by using 'meat by-products' and broth. You also can't tell if the main ingredient list is by weight or by volume. For instance, I could make you gluten chicken, which would be large in volume, but if I mix it with the heavier chicken, meat by-products and broth, the label could actually read chicken as the main ingredient. That is if the ingredients label were reflecting weight instead of volume. The same would hold true for those petfoods that are mostly cornmeal soaked in broth, with a little meat added. This is not an accusation against the pet food industry, but rather a statement on how they could fool the unwary customer if they chose to.

At Daylite Sun: We think that the whole food industry could do better in describing their ingredients. We would also like to know what manufacturer is actually producing those "Store-Brands", and explain why the store-brands are so much cheaper than the ones produced by the food companies. Are there quality issues? We can only interpret those lower prices to a cheapening of the process somewhere in manufacturing those food stuffs. But that is a subject for another commentary. We do however want you to be aware of what you are feeding your pet. It may be just as cheap to make up your own food. At least then you will know what your pet is eating.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
Comment Here    About Pet food, Thanks, Robert Gross   Back

Buying that HDTV

Commentary for Monday 05/07/2007 Help with HDTV


Don't Be Mislead! The stores and online sites are all full of television sets bearing the moniker of HDTV. It is up to you to look under the hood and see what you are getting. Presently there are 3 main HDTV sets being marketed:

1). 720p The resolution with 720 P is 1280 pixels horizontally, with 720 rows or vertical resolution.

2.) 1080i The 1080i HDTV yields 1920 pixels across and 1080 Rows or Vertical Resolution. The format is "Interlaced"

3.) 1080P the 1080P HDTV has the same resolution as the 1080i but the picture is processed in the "Progressive" format.

"P" and "i" Differences: The "P" is for progressive scan, which means that the rows of pixels are scanned one at a time sequentially until the picture is complete. The "i" means interlaced, and instead of scanning sequentially, the odd rows are scanned and then the even rows are scanned. It takes two complete scans to paint the picture.

Connecting to an HDTV Signal: Newer HDTV sets include a DVI-D Connector, HDMI Connector and Component Video. Only the HDMI connector carries both Audio and Video. The DVI-D and the Component Video have to have a seperate audio carrier. If you use an outside antenna, most modern Televisions have an input for "Over the Air" input. Hooking up to a cable or Satellite receiver may be a mixed bag, but generally use this pecking order: HDMI 1st choice if both the Television and the Cable box or Satellite receiver are equipped with one, Second Choice would be the DVI-D hook up along with a fiber optic audio carrier, and lastly the component Video system.

Connector Choices: The following images are presented for those of you not familiar with HDTV Connectors:

HDMI and DVI-D:
HDTV Connectors

Component Cable:
HDTV Component

Ask Questions: You may already have 'Over the Air' high definition signals being broadcast by your local TV Stations, if so, receiving HDTV will not cost you extra. So when choosing a HDTV Receiver, be sure it has a built in digital receiver. Most newer models have them. If the TV label says "HDTV Ready", it may not have a built in digital receiver. In that case you would have to rely on your cable provider or Satellite Dish co. to provide the HDTV Signal, at an extra cost of course. Also avoid the receivers that have a maximum resolution of 720P. These are cheaper, but not that much cheaper. The only way I would think of buying a 720P resolution set if it were an interim move to enjoy better television in anticipation of getting better when there is more High Definition programming available to enjoy. Do not be afraid to ask your dealer questions, especially about future concerns. Plasma is getting better, but you may find that the DLP sets have better resolution and options.

In Conclusion: I wish you well in choosing your HDTV. Remember a little research will yield a lot more satisfaction than blind trust and luck.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
Comment Here    About High Definition Television, Thanks, Robert Gross   Back

Success is a Decision!

Commentary for Tuesday 05/15/2007 Keeping Poor People Poor!


No Easy Task: There is no doubt that making it to the upper echelon of income is a test of will power unless you are one of the lucky ones who inherited wealth or a bonanza of ore or oil was found on your property. If you are not of the latter classes, then the climb up the ladder is fraught with obstacles. Not only do you have to demonstrate your resourcefulness, honesty, and value to your patron (Bosses), but you must make certain sacrifices and forego those nagging little "wants" that haunt everybody, and use the money instead for investments of some type.

Its a Fact: This great land offers everybody the opportunity to step up to the plate and and achieve personal security. All it takes is effort and a willingness to stay focused on your goals. But alas, it is like swimming uphill against the current and few make it to the promised land. There are numerous distractions along the way. This list isn't complete, but you will understand why most people are living week to week with no real advantage in financial matters. My List of Life's Sidetracks:
1.) Quit School: Going through puberty is tough on boys and girls. Sometimes they get hung up with life and a girl/boy friend and make the decision to start playing house. Or, they don't see the value of school and refuse to work at it, so they become dropouts.
2.) Laziness: This is the person who for unknown reasons puts off doing what he/she ought to do because they just don't feel like it. We all know these people. They won't help around the house unless forced to, refuse to clean up their rooms, refuse to do homework, or just don't care or have much interest in anything except griping about how bad it is.
3.) Weak: I am not talking about physical strength here, but mentally weak persons. These are the people who have to spend every penny they make to try and comfort themselves and their ego. They may be hard workers, but are perpetually in debt because they have to have that new car, or cater to whatever fancies their interest at the time. They just can't resist spending their hard earned resources for frivolity.
4.) Politics: Yes, politics. Think about it, a lot of the bad choices people make are guided by politics. To win votes, politicians like to bribe those with a predilection for the above to maintain them as loyal voters. These politicians do not want anyone to climb up that ladder, because then they wouldn't be indebted to them. The politicians know that if people succeed, that these people will no longer need the minimum housing, welfare, food stamps and the rest of the goodies handed out for political reasons. The politicians will keep handing out these goodies as long as the votes keep coming. Breaking out of the situation when a person is trapped into needing this minimal help, is even harder than never accepting the help in the first place. It becomes a rut that is very hard to overcome.

Always Some: There will always be those individuals that will never muster up the courage to break out of their situations. This commentary is not meant for them. But for everybody else, there is hope. One rut to avoid is the rut that goes from work to the bar everyday at "beer-thirty". Or, that person who just has to have that gadget, boat or new car. Think about this. If he/she just saved a fraction of that wasted money and used it to buy either a few shares of quality stock every month, or invest monthly in a mutual fund. As the years go by and there are tangible returns for this effort, the person becomes eager to save even more as the pot grows.

Not Without Effort: Until a person makes that conscious decision to improve his situation will things get better. No situation will get better unless a decision is made to improve it. There are always those pot-holes in the road, and the strong overcome them while the weaker ones give up. Everybody has to live with whatever decisions that they make. Be wary of the Politicians trap. It is there only to ensnare a person for political purposes and not to help anyone succeed.

A Happier Note: Between 1966 and 1983 the Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with 1000. After the Reagan tax cuts, the stock market started an almost vertical climb. Between 1983 and 1998 the Dow Jones Average rose by 10,000 points. Then in the 90's, President Clinton raised taxes again and the market sputtered and eventually fell 2000 points between 2000 to 2003 until the tax cuts from George Bush took hold. Then from 2004 until the present the stock market has risen over 5000 points. Just be informed that the market is not just for rich people. Trying to grow wealth is better than squandering it. There are never any guarantees, but the odds are much better if the effort to succeed is made. There is also a wealth of money available to start a business. The rewards for owning a business can be very lucrative. So whatever path is chosen, we have to live with our decisions.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
Comment Here    About Succeeding, Thanks, Robert Gross   Back

Half of the Story

Commentary for Monday 05/14/2007 Are we Missing Something


Remember Those Briefings? Early on in Iraq, the military used to hold briefings that were televised. You never see them anymore, ever wonder why? They are still carried on, but the press, for their own purposes do not want those briefings shown. They want to filter what the American people hear with their own spin on what the military is reporting. And don't you just love the reporting that you get from the press. Whenever anything bad happens, it makes the news. When there is an ambush and some of our G.I.'s are killed, the press makes it sound like the soldiers just stood there and died and did nothing about it.

What is not Reported: What you are not hearing is the price that the enemy is paying for their acts of barbarism. Nor are you hearing about the Sunnis that have thrown in with the Coalition and is hot on the trail of the Al Qaeda insurgents. You are not hearing about the Sunni Leaders who have had enough of the killing of Iraqis by the Al Qaeda death squads. You are not hearing of the progress that we have made in protecting Baghdad from violence.

What You Are Told: It is essential to the Liberal Media to maintain the negative image coming out of Iraq. It is part and parcel of their battle plans for the 2008 election. So the press doesn't miss a carbomb with all of the gory details, and they also love to report on everything that is wrong in Iraq. The drumbeat of bad news is incessant from the Liberal Media. Our National Media seems to revel in negative news from Iraq, but listen, just like every coin has a head and a tail, there are also newsworthy events that are not negative. But the press will not allow their template of negativism to be contested, so they will not show you those daily briefings from Headquarters in Baghdad. The press wants to flavor the news in a negative way so as to leave you with a bad taste about what is happening in Iraq.

What To Do: Turn off those Biased Liberal broadcasts and look to those like Fox News to get a more balanced look at the world. I mention Fox because at least there, they don't demean this Administration, but instead, give an unbiased report of events. It is unconscionable the way that the mainstream press has become the lap dog for the far left of the political spectrum. If you do continue to listen to these left leaning accounts of the news, just remember what has happened. The many New York Times scandals involving making up the news, Dan Rather's attempt to fabricate a story about President Bush using phoney documents, and the constant slanting of the news to favor the Liberal Cause.

Other Thoughts: There are corrupt people who are both Democrats and Republicans. They are not endemic to any one party, and when they are found out, should be booted from public office. The real test is not about which party is the most corrupt, but in which party lives up to their obligation and gives them the boot. Has anybody noticed that William Jefferson democrat of Louisiana is still thriving in the Democrat Party even though he had a bundle of bribe money in his freezer? Has anybody noticed the fruitful land deals of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has not put him at risk within the Democrat Party? Read about his dealings at:
AP Exclusive Make your own conclusions with the facts.
Has anybody noticed that Nancy Pelosi is still riding high after managing to get deals that benefit her and her husband? Read details here: New York Post Story Read details for yourself. After your investigation, it will be pretty evident as to who tolerates corruption and who doesn't.

In Conclusion: Daylite Sun invites you to gather the facts about how the press reports the news and why you don't see the corrupt Democrats being run out of office. The investigation is worth the effort. Not because of the salacious details you might find, but rather the corrupt nature of our politicians. There aren't many Angels running around in Washington, but when the bad guys they are found, they should be excoriated and run out of office.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
Comment Here    About The Press, Thanks, Robert Gross   Back

Breaking Up America

Commentary for Thursday 05/10/2007 The Breaking Up of America


Victims of Affluency: As History so brazenly writes the epitaphs of past societies, it looks like that the United States will follow those of the past who endeavored to create a governable state so that it's citizens could live peacefully. Decay from within gradually wins out over the nobel foundation of such a state.

Collision Course: We have a date with destiny. It is clear that we cannot tolerate our freedom any longer. We prefer the slow agonizing death of self indulgence to the continuation of our prosperity as a nation.
Our Jobs: Every person who earns a living does so because of the success of a business. Our jobs all depend on the success of American business, yet we find them so contemptible that we tax them into either relocating or closing their doors.
Blame Game: Blaming our Government is easy. But we elect politicians to represent us and they are very attentive to the voters. It is really the voters who rule. We are to blame for our perceived or real troubles. It is "We the People" who get sold on the idea that others can do what we choose not to do. But the "Others" is not free, and when we delegate our share of the wheel turning to the "Others", we have to pay the price.
Our Good Fortune: Are you one of those who feel that it is just our good fortune to have a poor Nation next to us that we can exploit for cheap labor? When we think of 'cheap labor' do you automatically think in terms of yard work, or highway construction, or farm labor? Do you think that these people will do these very challenging labor intensive jobs infinitum?
Majority Rules: Our demand for that cheap labor hasn't really increased along with our burgeoning illegal population. What has happened is that as these poor can do better, they move on to better paying jobs. The hard common labor job becomes vacant, and another migrant worker is needed to fill it. The process just keeps adding more and more workers to keep refilling an endless rotation of these labor intensive jobs. The estimate now is that there are at least 12 million and maybe more illegal immigrants in this country. Their political power is growing, and the real impact is yet to come. These people will vote their interest just as you do now.
So What's the Problem? Whenever a person sneaks into this country, and is allowed to set up residence here without an appreciation of our institutions, our laws, our method of government, the language, and most importantly, why we have a good economy, they get a tainted view of us. Yes, that is why the immigration process is so important. Immigrants need to know their new country and what makes it great. We used to be referred to as the 'melting pot' because the end product was an American. The assimilation process is nonexistent with the illegal immigrant. He has no loyalty to this country, can't speak the language, and is personally taken advantage of for his willingness to work cheap. His taste of this country is bitter and he lives in fear of deportation. It is no wonder that for so many of these Illegal Immigrants, that they want to reclaim the land politically for their homeland.

Just Say No: You have it within your power as voting citizens to just say no to the endless stream of these Illegals. Believe it or not, life will carry on and we don't have to sacrifice our country in the process. Without this cheap labor, proper value will be assigned to those labor intensive jobs and whenever the price becomes too high, somebody will come up with a way to economically accomplish the jobs with fewer workers. That's how it works. As long as we have this endless supply of cheap labor, there is no incentive to fix the problem.

In Conclusion: Support efforts to enforce our immigration laws. At the present we need workers, so hound the Congress to set up a guest worker program with definable conditions for employment. Stop the granting of citizenship if a baby is born to undocumented parents. Before we allow the historical record from crossing us off as a nation, we can salvage the situation with unity of purpose.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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Commentary for Friday 05/11/2007 What Happens Next in Iraq?


Bush and Cheney: Sometimes intentions do count. I know it's hard to overlook the miscalculations of the Bush administration, but a closer examination does show real time decisions based on current knowledge at the time. Numerous decisions were based on faulty assumptions such as the one about being welcomed as liberators. To an extent, that was true, but the Saddam Loyalist certainly didn't think we were liberators. I can't figure out how Bush and his advisors ever thought that these guys would just suddenly start loving us as soon as we took their benefactor away from them. Did they think that the Sunnis would just give up without a struggle? It is obvious that they reached out to Al Qaeda for help. The rest as they say is history.

Hind Sight: Being armed with what actually happened make it a lot easier to see how much bumbling that this administration did as Bush tried to find a solution to the insurrection. What is not in "Hind Sight" is the question of the future perils that Iraq presents if the U.S. bails out of there. Here are a few thoughts to cogitate on:
Larger Conflict: The Saudis have already stated that they will not allow a Shiite take over. Meaning that they will back the Sunnis if we pull out. The implications of a much wider, and deadlier conflict that draws in Iran as they aid and support the Shiites.
World Oil Shortage: If you think oil prices are bad now, just wait until the major producers of oil go to war with each other. Our economy could collapse like a deck of cards if the Middle East deteriorates into a regional conflict.
Not Energy Independent: Thanks to the efforts of political alarmists, we don't produce anywhere near the nuclear energy that we should, the Democrats have prevented us from drilling for oil in most places, and the vaunted bio-fuels cannot be produced in sufficient quantities that would not interfere with our food markets. Our way of life is most certainly in the hands of those who produce the worlds oil.
The U.S. Goes to War: With a collapsing economy and way of life, the U.S. will have no choice but to intervene in the Middle East conflict. There are potentially millions of lives at stake.

Dangerous Game: The play for political power is a very dangerous game that the Democrats are playing. They have put all their eggs into one basket, the defeat of George Bush's policies and the Republicans in 2008. Their quest for power is driving the world towards an even larger conflict. They are blind to the results of what their actions are going to cause. The Democrats can't get past the 2000 election. They seethe with rage because their candidate won a majority of votes, but lost the election. They seethe with rage because they lost the Congress to the Republicans and the "Contract with America". Now that they have won back the congress, the Democrats are doing their best to purge and punish any opposition or perceived opposition to them. Consequences of their actions do not bother the Democrats as long as they retain their political power.

Tired of the War: Democrats are now taking advantage of the fact that most Americans are tired of the war in Iraq. It is their pretext to fail the funding of our troops over there. The far leftist elements of their party control the political purse, and Democrats have sold their independence for that money. It is truly sad to see the once proud party lining up for the handouts of these extreme left organizations. Remember, nothing is free, and by the Dems accepting that money, they turn their back on the voters who sent them. They have sold their votes to special interest.

A Backlash: Keep in mind that the Americans are tired of the war, but their feelings underneath do not want the U.S. to lose. That is why the Democrats are so fearful of the latest "surge". The success of the surge would be catastrophic for the Democrats. Their money is riding on forcing Bush out of Iraq. It is for sure that if we leave, there can be no successful outcome. We say to the Democrats, "Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it, then what?"

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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Liberalism: A Bad Choice

Commentary for Tuesday 05/08/2007 Liberalism the Spoiler!


Without Discipline: Nothing in this world demonstrates the failure of Liberalism like a spoiled child. Parents of spoiled children mimic the same actions as the Democratic Left. When the child cries and pouts the parents offer appeasement, that leads to more crying and pouting and more appeasement. They don't believe in correcting the problem, just pacification. Sound familiar? Democrats also believe in appeasement. Their belief that if they just award bad behavior with understanding, that the problem will eventually solve itself. This was sent to me by a friend and it perfectly illustrates the absurdity of appeasement:

"The Bird Feeder" author-Unknown "I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue. Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table...everywhere. Then some of the birds turned mean: They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket. And others birds were boisterous and loud: They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food. After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio. Soon, the back yard was like it used to be...quite, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal. Now lets see...our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, free education and allows anyone born here to be a automatic citizen. Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families: you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor: you child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English: Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to press "one" to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties. Maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder. Forget I said "Maybe." It IS time..."

Doughnuts: The bird feeder piece may or may not be true because there is no way to confirm the story, but I will tell you a true story that happened to me while in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Valcour, AVP 55, in 1964. Our cook was a big Pollack we called Ski. We were on assignment in the Persian Gulf and had been there several months. Big Ski decided to do something nice for everyone and got up extra early and made doughnuts. It took him almost half the night and until early morning to cook up the 800 or so doughnuts. He cooked enough for every man to have 2 each. However, instead of accolades and thank-you's from the crew, he was berated and castigated by them because they could only have 2 each. It was the last time we had doughnuts. Ski was just a man who wanted to do something nice for the crew, but instead was taken to the woodshed because some felt like it was their "right" to make gluttons of themselves. The crew never once thought about how much effort went into making those doughnuts.

Look Around: There were the Watts riots over welfare, the crime and disorder in our public housing, and the utter disrespect for our schools and other institutions. The Democrats have had the "Bird Feeder" out too long. Help is one thing, but creating a class that now demands everything for free is another. Very few of the underclass in this country would dare think about paying for health insurance or paying for the things that the rest of us have to pay for. But they always seem to have money for their CD's, drugs, and nice cars. It isn't the lack of funds that prevent them from being responsible citizens, it's their total disregard for those that are furnishing the freebies that is to blame. These people haven't the slightest idea of who makes up the 'Government'. To them, the Charity Hospitals, Emergency Rooms, WIC foods, Head Start, Aid for Dependent Children and public housing are just 'magic'. The priorities on what to do with the money that they have, always begins with, "how can I satisfy 'me' with this money". I realize that not all who have received welfare are this way, but those who have used welfare responsibly, are way, way down in the minority of welfare users.

Remove the Bird Feeder: Come on Democrats, quit ruining this country with your generosity with other peoples money! Be responsible yourselves and help by contributing to the rehabilitation of this country and remove the "Bird Feeder".

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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Society's Bad Omen

Commentary for Friday 05/04/2007 Pitting One Group Against Another


The Wrong Message: What is meant to be a cure for crimes against a particular ethnic group, religion, or sexual orientation may actually turn out to just be kindling for the fire. Hate crime legislation pits the very groups against each other that this legislation is wanting to eradicate. By the very definition of what constitutes a hate crime, the reverse is also a hate crime. The groups that are intended to benefit from the Hate Crime laws use this law to perpetrate their own hate crimes. The empowerment of any group with the weapon of super punishment only causes more resentment.

Reverse Hate Crime? When enforced, the perpetrator of a hate crime is subject to a higher stage of punishment. A super-punishment if you will. This super-punishment becomes a weapon of revenge. The political alliances for a group can stand together and demand hate crime status even when there is no hate crime involved. It gets really ugly and all because somebody thought that this type of crime definition would help. The reality is that the Hate Crime Laws only give these groups another weapon to wield with their hatred.

Political Correctness: Debate has been stifled over the issues that divide us into 'groups'. We are no longer allowed the freedom to air our grievances and settle issues, so we stay divided. Thank you political correctness.

Failure to Assimilate: The fabric of the United States is made up of several different cultures. But these cultures, for the most part, stay clumped together in their private little "villages" and are very clannish. In most cities you will find a White section, an Asian section, a Black Section, and a Latino section. Each section has their own culture and in some cases their own language. Black and Latino sections make up the poorer and less attractive neighborhoods, while the Asian and White neighborhoods make up the upper income classes with their bigger and newer houses. All groups have their thugs and theives, but in the poorer neighborhoods, crime is more prevalent.

Ideally: Newcomers to this country would have to learn the language, learn about our institutions, and our laws. But that is not the reality in the Latino Community. A lot of the people who are drawn to this country by our economy sneak in, fail to achieve the skills necessary to assimilate, and therefore are forced to live in enclaves with each other. Since they don't know about our customs and institutions, they mimic the only ones that they know; the one they left behind. Being perpetually fearful of being deported further isolates these individuals, and as a result, they do not develope any loyalty to this country. That is the significance of the failure to assimilate. Being here for economical reasons is fine, but an understanding of why those opportunities exists is also important. Without an understanding of the system that enables freedom and economic opportunity, there will not be any middle ground for understanding. Without this understanding, the myths of how America stole their lands, and impoverished their homeland will remain to fester, and breed contempt for Americans. No amount of Hate Crime legislation will cure that.

Liberal Politics: The Liberal Democrats keep the Black population hostile towards whites and use them as pawns for their political purposes. Democrats allow the "Race-Baiters" to flourish. Their job is to make sure that the Black Race keeps thinking that they are "victims" of the White majority. This political technique also keeps Blacks isolated with the feeling of being oppressed and put upon by the Whites. Resentments are high needlessly. With the Latino population now out numbering the Black population in this country, the Blacks are going to feel even more isolated than ever. Congratulations Democrats, no amount of your social puttering will solve these feelings.

In Conclusion: At Daylite Sun we think that enabling any group with a weapon that meats out super-punishment is counter productive, helps build resentment and is unnecessary under any conditions. We advocate the enforcement of our Border, and an end to the "Race-Baiting" that is so prevalent in this society. We also want an end to automatic citizenship to any child born within our borders by undocumented persons. This is an uphill battle that needs everyone to support. Political Correctness is an assault on free speech. that should be abolished. Only with the free flow of ideas, even the outrageous ones, will there ever be understanding between the races and ethnic groups. The politicians are already positioning themselves for favor with the undocumented crowd hoping that they can win their votes. Politicians are necessary, but they give me the same feeling I get from a used car salesman, or a lawyer.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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Hidden Costs of Bio-Fuels

Commentary for Wednesday 05/02/2007 Those Hidden Costs


Unintended Consequences: Kudoos to everybody wanting to do their part helping to stop global pollution. This commentary sincerely salutes you because you are honest with your intentions. However, there is a fly in the soup and your just as much a victim as everyone else. The vaunted "bio-fuels" are indeed less polluting. They have a slightly higher maintenance risk but not terribly significant. It's those darn 'gotchas' that creep in from the edges that act like a wet blanket to the party.

Land Needed: Large economies such as ours would need much larger tracts of arable land to furnish our needs, and probably diminish our ability to grow enough food to feed ourselves. The temptation of profits from manufacturing bio-fuels from oil yielding plants is already causing alarm in Indonesia and the Philippine Islands where more and more of the available land is being planted with oil palms. Oil palms are very profitable but there are other consequences such as the agriculture runoff from fertilizers, and the destruction of the rain forest to plant more and more of the oil bearing plants. Loss of habitat for animals is occurring in those countries at a grand scale. The question is, what means the most to us? Do we kill off the tropical forest and habitat to continue our crusade for a 20% gain in less pollutants? The economics of using plants and plant products for the manufacture of bio-fuels is hard to resist. Especially for the economically depressed regions of the world. The engine driving the destruction of these habitats is coming from the demand for clean energy in the developed Western Countries.

Competition for Crops: Industrial Food Giants such as Archer Daniels Midland is already embarking into the energy business. They want to convert a lot of our food plants into bio-fuels. The outlook for larger corn yields this year had been hampered by weather, and availability of high yied seeds. The forecast for a smaller harvest will put pressure on corn prices. The USDA says there is approximately 15% less corn planted this year than last. The use of other crops for 'fuel' is also a concern. Farmers are not primarily food providers, although they do produce food. Their primary goal is to make money and raising crops for bio-fuels is one way to do that. If providing food makes more money, then they will produce food, on the other hand if raising crops for bio-fuel makes more then expect those kinds of crops.

Bright Spot: The conversion of algae into bio-fuels is promising. Algae produces a lot more oil than conventional crops and have been successfully grown in sewage ponds for this purpose. At Daylite Sun we want technology to be used to look at all of the consequences of what will happen before we as humans jump off into a project. Unintended consequences from such follies can be serious and in the long term damaging to both our planet and us. We also believe that fuel from photosynthesis is a good thing, as long as profits do not blind us from the harsh realities of unforeseen consequences of our actions.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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Democrats! Americans?

Commentary for Thursday 05.03/2007 Oh! What might have been!


What Could Have Been: The Democrats have declined to help with the effort in Iraq. They have relentlessly pursued Bush and any policy he formulated. Democrats and their henchmen the "Press" have sought to restore their political power regardless of cost to the United States.

Arguments Can be Made: The merits of going to Iraq and the mistakes made there are legitimate topics for debate. The "whether or not" we should go, should have been a topic before we went into Iraq, and the "mistakes that we made" should be the critique after we have left Iraq. But the Democrats saw things differently. They wanted Bush to fail so bad that they have been undermining the effort in every way they could.

The Left: Democrats realize that they are providing hope for the enemy. Their reckless disregard for our servicemen and women is beyond belief. Tantalizing our enemy with visions of the United States leaving Iraq before the new Government can sustain itself has meant the prolonging of this war and needless death of our soldiers. Have you Democraats any decency at all. Is your quest for political power so great that you can be so callous as to put this Nation and its sodiers in such peril?

Try and Imagine: What if the Islamic Radicals saw us as determined and United about the War on Terror? Do you not think they would behave differently? The actions of the Democratic Party and the Left leaning Press continue to lead the Islamic Radicals into thinking that our will is broken, and that we want to give up. This "give up" attitude encourages the radicals and gives them hope. They will keep on with their suicide missions as long as they think they are gaining ground. For Shame Democrats!

Eye on the Prize: The only thing getting attention from the Democrats is the elections coming up in 2008. Their total effort is to defeat any positive outcome by Bush. Add the loud echo chamber of the leftist press and the effort finds traction. Should George Bush manage a positive outcome in Iraq, the Democrats will be completely unhinged. Their goal is a defeat for George Bush in Iraq, and a victory in 2008, regardless of the cost in lives to both our soldiers and the Iraqis.

At Daylite Sun: It is our belief that the Democrats have crossed a political boundary that disqualifies them from any position of leadership for this country. We are tired of hearing from Democrats about how bad this Nations is, and everything bad in the world is the fault of the United States. Whether it is the "torture" at Guantanamo, Cuba or how we are ruining the world with pollution. When is the last time you ever heard anything positive about this country from any Democrat? It is apparent that the Democrats have lost the love for this country by seeing it as the world's pariah. Enough is enough. If you see the landscape any differently, please let me know. I would love to be wrong about the Dems, but they do not give me reason for any conclusion except that which is stated above.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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The Imagination of Apple

Commentary for Wednesday 04/25/2007 Apple is Innovative


Apple's Innovation: I am writing about Apple and their new iPhone because Apple displays the kind of spirit that makes this a great country. The iPhone breaks new ground in several areas clearly demonstrating that an American Company, by utilizing new technologies can compete in a global economy. Apple and Steve Jobs have been on the cutting edge of simplifying technologies so that those with little or no technical ability can use these technologies. While other companies produce technical products, it is Apple who refines the technology into instruments that are both user friendly and intuitive to use. While others package their products with a myriad of buttons and leave you a learning curve before you can use it, Apple challenges their engineers to make their products both useable and instinctive.

Steve Jobs: Steve has always been an out of the box thinker. It was Apple who followed up on the technology developed at Xerox to create the 'Apple Lisa'. The Lisa was ahead of its time but was too expensive for most at the time. The Lisa's timing was just bad. But lessons learned with Lisa helped produce the 'Mac' and the rest as they say is history. Steve left Apple and founded the Next Computer Co. Jobs surrounded hinself with bright engineers, and with limited funding, they created a technological wonder, the 'Next Computer'. It was one of the first to utilize an optical drive. The worlds first Web Browser was developed at CERN on a NeXT computer and gave us the HTML page description languange. Jobs eventually made a triumpant return to Apple and began a storied career.

Achievements: Apple pioneered the desktop publishing phenomenom, refined the mouse, made point and click a household phrase, and stayed true to their operating system which is very competitive with the offerings of Microsoft. The 'forerunner' of the iPhone would have to be the Newton. The Newton was not a commercial success, but it did break ground on several technologies. It made use of a touch screen and utilized a version of the the Apple Operating System.

iPhone Attributes: This all in one device is a Camera, Mutimedia Player, Mobile Phone, Internet Client, and does email. The interface to the user is a touch screen with a virtual keyboard. When we say touch screen, it means finger touch, not stylus. The screen is 3.5 inches and makes up the most of the front. Here is a list of these features:

1.) 3.5" Touch Screeen, No Stylus.
2.) 4 Gigabyte Model is $499.00.
3.) 8 Gigabyte Model is $599.00.
4.) Automatic Spell Checker.
5.) Able to predict your next word.(Saves Typing)
6.) Using it as a phone, a proximity switch turns the screen off automatically when the phone gets close to your head.
7.) Built in Wi-Fi for Internet
8.) Music will fade automatically when using phone.
9.) Bluetooth wireless earphones.(optional)
10.) Runs a version of OSX.

Will be Offered by Cingular: The iPhone will offered by Cingular and will require a two year contract. The iPhone will define "cool" for those who need to be on the cutting edge of technology. As a multimedia device, you can watch 5 hours of video before the battery gives out.

The Down Side: These devices are so small, look for a lot of theft to take place. If you don't safeguard your iPhone, it could take a walk on you. I enjoy television as good as the next, but not on a 3.5" screen. However, I am just one person. Also with my large hammy hands, I don't see me doing a lot of computing with something this small. Even a full size keyboard feels small to me. I have a suspicion that the iPhone will be a success, but anything can happen.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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Mesmerized by Television

Commentary for Monday 04/30/2007 Are You Just a Sheep


Oh! The Theories: This is my second commentary of a series I will be writing about questions and fun facts. So much happens everyday to make one wonder where in the world did they come up with that? I don't really have the answers, but examination of the questions is a fun excercise.

Questions:

1.) Did you see the results of the tanker that caught fire on the exit ramp of the Oakland Bay Bridge? If you didn't, it was plain to see how heat weakens structural steel and causes it's collapse. Are you listening, all you conspiracy theorist about the World Trade Center?

2.) How about George Tenent? In his new book, he states for all to see that he thought Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, but that Bush was so interested in going to war he wouldn't give diplomacy a chance. --Hello Mr. Tenent! Do you not recall the ten years worth of U.N. Resolutions trying to get Iraq to be less belligerent?

3.) What is up with the "Discovery" Channels interest in their speculations about Jesus, John the Baptist, those phoney burial boxes for Jesus, and other shows about religious "Facts"? Is it fair to ask if the "Discovery" entertainment channels might be trying to undermine Christianity.--Very subtle approach

4.) Speaking of the "Discovery, History, National Geographic, and the Learning Channels", have you ever noticed how they advertise contents that never have a conclusion? For instance, the episodes about flying saucers. They go out of their way to talk about the images that they show, then bring on experts to debunk them. Never any commitment about what they are showing you, just a lot of speculations that leave you to 'wonder'.

5.) Is man causing Global Warming? That is the question many are asking. But the real question is, whether or not the American public will continue to finance this hoax? As everyone's energy prices go spiraling upwards to throw "oil" under the bus, will petroleum use be seen in a different light? How much useless sacrifice will people willingly continue to make? Energy independence is a worthy goal, but lying to everybody to get there is another matter. We will see if the ends justify the means.

6.) Those 24 Hour News channels. It's either the shows producers or the editors, if you watch those shows, it soon becomes apparent that either there is no news to report, or they are just being selective about what they do report on. We suffered through the media created saga of Anna Nichol Smith for days ad nauseum, the rants by Richards, Mel Gibson, Alec Baldwin, and Rosie O'Donnell. Did anybody ever think to ask just what do these News Shows really think of their audience? Are Americans this shallow? Why are we being fed this pablum? And doesn't it seem strange that we can never get out of an election cycle? We are bombarded with polls daily about a primary election that is still a year away, never mind the 2008 election over a year away in Nov. 08. Is there nothing else going on in this wide world to report on? You think you are tuning in to News, but what you are really getting is just a lot of talking heads spewing tripe and minutia.

At Daylite Sun: We want you to be informed and make the effort to read and be informed. If your source of information comes primarily from the television news shows, you are destined to be both a shallow thinker and person. We encourage you to broaden your perspectives on different issues. You'll find it both fascinating and rewarding to examine all sides of an issue.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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Inventions Source

Commentary for Tuesday 05/01/2007 Necessity the Mother of Invention


It's True: Great ideas and inventions arise out of necessity. Whether the need is a cure for some dreadful disease, or a more efficient way to do hard work. There has to be a need to overcome. Think about it for a moment. There have been cases where inventions came about by accident, and a need for them had to be established, but those are on the 'rare side'.

Ideas: Generally speaking, an idea springs forth from that special somebody who declares "There's got to be a better way". Any need that humans have, there is a potential solution for somebody to find.

Stifling Progress: The main enemy to good ideas and inventions is complacency. When people are satisfied with the way things are, and life has presented no challenges, then the main ingredient to progress, necessity, is killed. It is only through being challenged in life that we see a need for making life better. Should we ever decide that life is just good enough, then progress stops. No doubt, that in the United States, we have it better than those who came before us. No longer do we have to chop wood all summer in preparation for winter. Our stoves are thermostatically controlled for better baking. Travelling great distances is no longer so arduous or time consuming. Every facet of our life is easier for us than it was for those who came before us. All of the little things that we take for granted now were once challenges for prior generations.

Failure to Recognize Challenges: Right now, one of our greatest challenges is to decide if we want to preserve our culture. Our culture is in danger of being devoured because of our inability to see a challenge to it. One such challenge is the need for labor to do menial tasks. The premium for these tasks is not high enough to attract a domestic workforce. As a result, we have to rely on help from our neighboring countries. The downside to this is that once these imported workers establish themselves, they too want a better life, and in doing so, move on to better paying jobs. When those menial jobs become vacant, it takes even more workers from our neighbors to fill those slots, and the cycle repeats itself. Soon, the weight in numbers of this imported labor force, takes its toll on our culture. After all, we live in a majority rules society.

Not Bad People: The great majority of the immigrants are not bad people. They are just taking advantage of a need we have in this country. Remember the old saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention." But also remember, complacency kills the inventive spirit. So we have become complacent about our need for these labor intensive jobs. As long as the labor needs are being met, there is no need to invent more efficient ways of dealing with this work. By using our inventiveness to solve these labor problems, we would at the same time be able to stop the hugh influx of illegal immigrants because the demand would eventually go away.

Low End Jobs: Jobs that require little skill are often very demanding. Nobody, not even the Illegal Immigrants want to do them forever. These Immigrants always manage to move up in the system and get away from that type of work. It is because we do not try and solve our problems with the need for unskilled labor that we are always needing more help. We will never have enough of these people to do that hard and demanding work with this perpetual need. However, if the spigot to the cheap labor resources is turned off, then these labor intensive jobs will attract a higher premium, and somebody will figure out how to do those jobs more efficiently. It won't be the end of the world, just progress.

Decision to be Made: Yes, we as a Nation are going to have to decide if our culture is worth saving, because it is in peril by doing nothing.

Robert welcomes your comment to this or any other of my daily commentaries.
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Red Tape Grows!

Commentary for Tuesday 04/24/2007 More on Bureaucracies


Red Tape Growth: It's a fact. Red Tape is the outcome of Governmental Spawned Entities. First, in order to see how this happens, a look at the decision making process at the Federal level. Congress can just bring up a proposal, debate it and vote on it. This actually happens whenever a proposal has broad bipartisan support. (Meaning there will be no political fallout stemming from the issue.) Not all proposals are so easy though and quite frequently the issue is beyond the expertise of the legislative membership. The vehicle to handle such issues is a committee. A committee has the responsibility of exploring the issue from all sides; technical, cultural, and political. The committee will rely on a variety of sources during their deliberations. These sources can be Vendors, Lobbyist, Experts, proponents, and opposers of the issue. It is after the committee deliberates on the issue that they can either send it to the floor for a vote, or decide that the proposal wasn't a good idea and just kill it. So far, so good.

Commissions: Congress and the President can also set up "Commissions" through a legislative act, signed by the President. In a lot of instances, commissions are set up to relieve the politicians from having to make a decision. In other words, a dodge from their responsibilities. There are numerous 'commissions' set up for all sorts of purposes. I've listed a few chosen at random and these are just a small sampling of the total: Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Commission on Civil Rights, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Federal Election Commission, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission. You get the idea. The bureaucrats who are ensconced within these commissions are career people. (Except the Commissions Head) Some Commissions also have regulatory powers which means that the commissions regulations are enforced by Federal Law enforcement. Within each commission are several departments, each with it own set of rules. Department heads are keen on getting credit for their department, so they may not share information with other departments within the same Commission. Or, the Commission may have rules preventing the sharing of information. Commissions are influenced by competing interest, their own employees, and by the party in power who nominated the Commissioner.

The Party in Power: The nominating process by a President, with Congressional Consent, to the top positions give him a leg up on policy direction. But it is the career employees, the lesser executives of a Commission who have the ability to thwart policy that they do not agree with. This does not just apply to Commissions, but also to the different Cabinet Departments, such as the Department of State, Department of Defense and etc. The Federal Government is a Bureaucratic Monster that desperately needs streamlining. It is precisely because of the size and structure of the Government that gives us the red tape of congestion. There may be Commissions that could be dismantled, but by the nature of such an entity, it wants to survive. The bureaucrats that make up the commission work hard to make sure that they remain viable. Some of the creativity by some of these Commissions to stay viable is subject for another column, but suffice it to say that Government waste is not confined to wasteful congressional projects.

At Daylite Sun: We want you to research your government and how it operates so that you can be informed and not be a victim of propaganda. An informed person is a good thing. Start here to learn more about Comissions and Departments.

Federal Agencies

In Closing: Just seeing how big our Government is, takes your breath away. It is a wonder that anything ever gets done!

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Rosie Leaves "The View"

Commentary for Friday 04/27/2007


G'Bye Rosie: Unlike most of my colleagues, I find the exit of Rosie O'Donnell to be a sad affair. No doubt she made objectionable statements but so what. Those who found her objectionable could vote with their TV remote. Maybe I just object to the timing more than anything. However, she left the show under strange conditions. If ABC wanted her for 3 years, it is indeed strange that they wouldn't offer her a one year deal. One can only surmise that she didn't qualify for a one year deal.

Badly Timed: Rosie left too soon after the dismissal of Don Imus. It would have been cleaner if ABC and Barbara Walters had made a truthful statement about Rosie leaving rather than leave it up to Rosie to concoct her own tale. The whole matter, as told by Rosie, smells up the place, and leaves a bad taste about the integrity of ABC and Barbara Walters. "The View" had drifted into being Rosie's personal platform for her left wing rants, but neither ABC nor Barbara Walters would make a comment about their show being hi-jacked by Rosie. The only time Rosie was challenged was when she tangled with Trump, who didn't allow her to smear him. It is rare for anybody on the Right to stand up to the crazies of the Left, so I thought Trump's response was refreshing, not for the content of his respose, but instead just the fact that he pushed back.

Deserve Better: Even Rosie deserved better than she got. Both ABC and Barbara Walters knew what they were getting when they hired her. They knew she ruined the Rosie magazine with her dictatorial ways, so why in the world would they have thought she would be different on "The View"? Personally, I never watched the show, but I do object to anybody losing their job if they are being productive. People in the puiblic domain like TV personalities live and die by ratings. If the ratings for "The View" were good, then her dismissal from the show had to be for her just being Rosie. So I am left with dismay at her being denied a 1 year deal, after all, her personality was well known at the time of her employment. Am I missing something? My complaint is embedded in the belief that honesty is the best policy. Otherwise, these kinds of things have a way of coming back to haunt us.


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