EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!

If you are interested in Justice Sotomeyer and her jailing and denying civil rights to a couple of Americans, click the header. **************************************** Goin' to have a smorgasbord here, now. Pay close attention as I will not be repeating any of them again. (I hope.) ***************************************** There's finally a semi serious movement afoot to totally ban texting throught the U.S. Imagine. We have to point out that you're five or six times more likely to have an accident than in any other automotive violation (except speeding, of course). How sad it is to have to create a law against this sort of thing (especially knowing how badly our lawmakers write laws). But wait. There may be still other ways, like: Perhaps a vow to cede your first born to the State if you ever violate this common sense approach would be appropriate? Perhaps a robotic control in all vehicles that, should the driver be texting, will shut down the engine, prevent restart and call the police to hand out a ticket in the range of, say $25,000 for the first offense, with geometric fines as the number of one's violations grow. For one thing, that might end the short fall some states consistently have due to their pork barreling. Or we could, for various degrees of violations, remove a lung, kidney, or other anatomical parts to be used to repair those victims who need these parts due to a texting driver causing a smashup? Just sayin'. ********************************************************************************* Social Security Hoo Haw This will come as a shock to those who don't know the history of Social Security, but it was devised by Franklin Roosevelt (a President, the only one to be elected four times) who, although from an extremely wealthy family, saw that the average man did not have the wherewithal when the time came for him to retire. And the guy might get a gold plated watch from the business where he had worked for fifty years. But no money to help him survive. He had earned enough money to raise his family in a reasonable manner, but often could not put money aside for retirement. Which meant his kids had to support him and his wife in their old age. And if the kids wouldn't, or couldn't, do that, then he and his wife would go to an "old folks home" where the remainder of their years would be dictated by rare gifts and hoping they got enough to eat while receiving virtually no medical care. Well, this ticked Franklin off and he created and got the Social Security Act passed. He thought he had written it so the greedy politicians in the Senate and House couldn't get their hands on it for pork barrel projects. And he had. He designed the bill to get money to the retirees. Their employers had no retirement or pension plans for them. The attitude among the greedy CEO's was sort of "to hell with you, I've got mine". (If that sounds familiar, so be it.) The money was to be used for no one else than retirees, for nothing else. Retirees and those injured on the job. Period. But the greedy ones figured out ways to add the needy children of fathers who couldn't care less about them and to add people who claimed to be handicapped and to add money to pay for some very phony mental problems that people claimed they had. They called that "Social Security", too. So we were screwed by the Democrats once again. And just in case you think I'm a hotheaded Republican here's a couple of facts for you: 1. I am a registered Democrat. Have been for years. 2. In my opinion, FDR and HST (this president really had no middle name. He smilingly made a word play on the phrase Harry S (Hairy Ass) and although some reporters told the whole story, it seems people weren't bright enough to understand. Truman had guts. These two are high up on my list of Presidents I feel have done most for their country. Which brings us to what needs to be done for SS. Simple. Take the phony "handicapped" off the rolls. Do not pay SS money to children. After all, they never had a job to pay into it. Social Security was not designed for them. Make funds available only for retirees. The other part is: Inaugurate new monetary bases for the handicapped (real or faked) and new bases for the children of "breeders." Leave Social Security to do its own work. Maybe if those who don't deserve to receive anything from it were removed, the seniors wouldn't have to be in the poorest grouping of Americans. Just sayin'. *********************************************************************************** Obama The Killer? Obama Kills Fly During Interview AP (June 16) Talk about flying at your own risk. President Barack Obama, nettled by a fly during a TV interview at the White House, took matters into his own hands Tuesday. Said Obama to the persistent fly: "Get out of here." But it didn't. So Obama waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked the fly dead in one try. Without missing a beat, the president said to CNBC correspondent John Harwood: "Now, where were we." Well, maybe one more second to gloat. Said Obama: "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker." The camera crew was still rolling in the East Room. Obama didn't mind. He pointed to the vanquished insect on the ground and said, "You want to film that?" CNBC did. That fly is history. My goodness, will the physical prowess and intellectual capacity of our President never cease to amaze the average man(woman)? Imagine. He actually swatted and killed a fly with assault on its petty mind. Wow. WTG, Mr President. When you're good, you're good, probably went through Harwood's mind. Oh, and by the way, we've been treated to photo ops of Michelle Obama showing off some dresses she bought and seeing her kids off to school. Why, we've even got pictures of the Presidential dog on parade. Known for his photogenic qualities (as well as needing Cesar Millan to rehabilitate him) Bo the pooch made headline news: BO OBAMA HAS OFFICIAL PORTRAIT TAKEN on Paw Nation. There's even a comic book with this pooch starring in it. Ain't it a wonder? *********************************************************************************** Here's a heart warmer and a tale of a wonderfully smart lady: http://growingbolder.com/media/technology/vehicles/romancing-the-road-259598.html%C2%A0 Enjoy. *********************************************************************************** I GET NEWSLETTERS One, in particular, usually has humor running through it constantly. However, the latest email carries this: I am in the neighborhood of 50-years-old (ahem), I have a 401k that I have been contributing to for 13 or 14 years, my wife has an IRA that she has been contributing to for about the same amount of time. We also have a savings account which provides us with a fund for if the engine in one of our cars blows up for an uninsured reason or if we need a few extra thousand for a vacation, etc. We are currently in our second house since getting married but thanks to an increase in property values we have about 35 percent equity in the house. We also started college savings accounts for each of our boys when they were born, which isn't going to cover four years at university but will give us a nice head start for each of them. To listen to it you'd think we were in pretty good shape, but apparently our toes are hanging over the edge of disaster. Until recently David Walker was comptroller general of the United States, meaning he was head auditor for the most important and powerful government in the world. In an interview last year Walker warned that there is a $43-trillion hole in America's public finances that's getting worse every day, and it is eventually going to lead to a financial collapse that will make my (and your) retirement plans disappear in a wave of recession, inflation and unemployment. It's becoming increasingly obvious that, within the next 10 years, the U.S. government will simply not be able to borrow money fast enough to keep up with its exploding expenses. The Economic Policy Institute recently projected that under the current tax regime, by 2014 all government revenue would be consumed by four areas of spending: health care for the elderly and the poor, Social Security for retirees, national defense and interest on the debt. Interest on the national debt would be about half of all gov-ernment tax revenues by 2031. And ten years later, the cost of servicing the debt will exceed all government revenues. History provides some harrowing examples of what happens when an economy collapses under the weight of unsustainable debt. One of the most chilling is Argentina in 2001. When the International Monetary Fund cut off its support for the country's escalating debt, the effect was catastrophic: the value of the national currency plunged, decimating the savings of millions. The resulting surge in inflation and sudden slowdown in consumer spending put thousands of businesses into bankruptcy within weeks. That, in turn, put further millions out of work and pushed one of South America's biggest economies into a punishing recession. As unfathomable as it may seem, most economists think something like that could happen in the United States. Doesn't sound very cheery, does it? Imagine if the company you work for suddenly went bankrupt and the market was so bad that you couldn't find a job for more than half of what you were making (if you could find work at all). You decide to cash in all of your savings and retirement funds to make ends meet to discover that what used to be worth 30, 40 or maybe 50 thousand dollars is now worth about 15 or 20. How long do you think you would keep your house or even your car? It makes you want to start writing letters to congressmen, doesn't it? The only fault I find with this is that Social Security is NOT for retirees only. (See Social Security Hoo Haw above). **********************************************************************************

THE FLY, EMAIL, STRANGE FORMAT

I thought you might like to be reminded of a few months ago. So there you are, shovel and all.

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Don't forget, click the header.

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I get email. I mean lots of email. Lots and lots and lots. Some of it I have even asked to receive.

Among the requested missives are a number of highly desired communications.

(I also have an variety of names I have signed up with and an infinite number of passwords that vary from 9 to 14 keyboard clicks. (Thank heavens for Roboform.)

I get upset when I have to scroll through a drop down menu to identify which state I live in. (A simple box for me to type it into would suffice. New Mexico is way down on the list.)

I rarely use my real phone number (the Do Not Call list only works once in a while, and no, I have not insured my car against uninsured breakdowns).

The space where it asks for my phone number? Well, 505-555-1212 works in those little boxes.

Yes, I'm a bit irritable where some obscure company wants me to tell them anything about what I am or do. (I've also been a Doctor, President of a famous computer magazine, head of the English Department at an Ivy League College, an automobile mechanic with more than 86 mechanics working under me, a kid in his second year of college and on and on. I have a lot of personal fun on the internet. But none of my poses hurt anyone.

Back to what started all this: I get a regular email from a newsy sort of company and the messages are difficult to read for a couple of reasons. Some have strange or out of place characters in them and/or broken lines where there should not be broken lines. I'll try to show it here, but with the vagaries of Blogger, you never know what you'll get.

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[0]sherl0k writes "[1]Opera 10.0, dubbed Opera Unite, has been

released. Built into the Web browser is a full-fledged Web

server, complete with nifty little gadgets such

as a 'fridge' that people can post notes onto, a chat room, a widget to stream your music library anywhere, and a

built-in

file-sharing mechanism.

It also scores 100/100 on the

[2]Acid3test."

Readers [3]fud

reporter and TLS point to [4]The Register's report

on the new release and a [5] 5-minute video demo, respectively. Update:

06/16 15:18 GMT by [6]T: Roar Lauritzse

of Opera Software writes to

point out that "release" isn't quite the right word here; though you can

download it, version 10.0 is still in beta, and the version with Unite is

a labs

(experimental) release.

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Now, this only happens with their email, not the web site. Weird, huh?

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You might be interested in this news flash that was put out by the once famous AP wire service...and then reprinted in newspapers and web home pages on the internet:

Obama Kills Fly During Interview

AP

comments: 2439filed under: National News, Political NewsPrintShareText

SizeAAAWASHINGTON (June 16) -

Talk about flying at your own risk.

President Barack Obama, nettled by a fly during a TV interview at the White House, took matters into his own hands Tuesday.

Skip over this content(sic?) Said Obama to the persistent fly: "Get out of here."

But it didn't.

So Obama waited for the fly to settle, put his hand up and then smacked the fly dead in one try.

Without missing a beat, the president said to CNBC correspondent John Harwood: "Now, where were we."(sic)

Well, maybe one more second to gloat.

Said Obama: "That was pretty impressive, wasn't it? I got the sucker."

The camera crew was still rolling in the East Room. Obama didn't mind. He pointed to the vanquished insect on the ground and said, "You want to film that?"

CNBC did.

That fly is history.

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I am so glad to bring that information to you, fellow Americans. Talk about BO saving the nation from that fly's offspring should warm the cockles of your hearts.

Hurrah, Mr. President.

Is there any chance of your either starting or keeping us out World War III? I know that's a petty question after the astounding news of your triumph over musca domestica.

But we'd kinda like to know.

THE JAWS ARE WAITING FOR YOU

The header needs to be clicked.

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I found a web site the other day that had me going from one thing to another. More than interesting, it had me riveted, from its quality and ease of use, to the very American messages it had on its pages. I urge you to look it over (but take your time, 'cause it's very graphics heavy). I am humbly giving you my opinion on three pages that should not be missed.

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Page 1: Wonderful World

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Page 2: http://apathetic-usa.com/

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Page 3: http://apathetic-usa.com/mission.htm

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Feel free to send any of these clips around the web, with the usual credits.

IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE

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Remember to click the header.

I thought you might like to see some of the currrent crop of bumper stickers. You know, after the 100 days of love and smooches.

************************************************************************** One other thing from a lovely lady: Economics White house style. It is the month of August, on the shores of the Black Sea. It is raining, and the little town looks totally deserted. It is tough times, everybody is in debt and everybody lives on credit. Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town. He enters the only hotel, lays a 100 Euro note on the reception counter, and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to pick one. The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the butcher. The Butcher takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig grower. The pig grower takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the supplier of his feed and fuel. The supplier of feed and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave her "services" on credit. The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note to the hotel proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there. The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything. At that moment, the rich tourist comes down after inspecting the rooms and takes his 100 Euro note, after saying that he did not like any of the rooms and leaves town. No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now without debt, and looks to the future with a lot of optimism. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is economic recovery stimulus.

BROKAW, AXELROD, OBAMA

Don't forget to click the header. On the left, a challenge from a free newspaper here in Albuquerque (I guess it's open to anyone who wants to speak out). Go for it. ************************************************************************************ I found this video to be properly respectful on the President's part. I also found it an eye opener on the collapse of a news anchor I once respected. Tom Brokaw was able (at one time) to take interviewees (sp?) apart with just one question. In this interview he clearly is in awe of BO. Mayhap Tom thinks BO is the Second Coming? http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31120874#31120874 ************************************************************* I've also just gotten a spam email offering me a chance to see "Naked Obama". From TMHewkin. (Who may not be the actual sender, I am warned.) Should I send it to David Axelrod? *********************************************************************************** From David Axelrod, The White House Hello - As a Senior Advisor to the President, I'm here in Cairo, Egypt where I watched President Obama deliver an unprecedented speech calling for a new beginning for the United States and Muslim communities around the world. We all know that there has been tension between the United States and some Muslim communities. But, as the President said this morning, if all sides face the sources of tension squarely and focus on mutual interests, we can find a new way forward. The President outlined some big goals for this new beginning in his speech -- including disrupting, dismantling, and defeating violent extremism. It was a historic speech, and since many Americans were asleep at the time it was given we wanted to make sure you had a chance to see it: Majority-Muslim countries around the world are filled with extraordinary people who simply want to live their lives and see their children live better lives, just as in America. Indeed, part of what makes America great is having nearly seven million Muslim Americans living here today and enriching our culture and communities. We can extend that kind of relationship abroad. It won't always be easy, but if we make an effort to bridge our differences rather than resigning ourselves to animosity, we can move toward a more peaceful world over time. Thank you, David Axelrod Senior Advisor to the President WOW! I missed this (June 4) in my email. I'm not sure, but perhaps I responded to something about our President. Only I always use a different ISP and screen name when I do. Hmmmmm. Don't know whether to be flattered or to watch my step. ************************************************************************************ A fart can be a good thing, It gives the belly ease; It warms the bed in winter, And suffocates the fleas. A fart can be quiet, A fart can be loud; Some can leave a foul, Poisonous cloud. A fart can be short, Or a fart can be long; Some farts are noted To sound like a song. A fart can create A most curious medley, A fart can be harmless, Or silent - and deadly. A fart might not smell, While others are vile; A fart may pass quickly, Or linger a while A fart can occur In a number of places And leave everyone there With strange looks on their faces. From wide-open prairie, To small elevator, A fart will find all of Us sooner or later. That farts are all bad, Is simply not true -We must never forget Sweet old farts like you! Sent to me by a friend -- I think. >)~..^(< *********************************************************************************** One last item: In the men's room at work, the boss placed a sign directlyabove the sink. It had a single word on it, "THINK!" The next day, when he went to the men's room, he looked at the sign and right below it, immediately above the soap dispenser, someone had carefully lettered another sign which read, "THOAP!"

MR. PRESIDENT, WHO ARE WE HELPING?

Click the header, just for fun.

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We seem to be alienating our few international friends and increasing our enemies at record speed. Granted, I am not an expert where diplomacy is concerned. I do, however, have some knowledge of picking friends and enemies. (At least on an individual basis and I've read Shakespeare's advice, too.)

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For a lot of years, we bribed and held out a carrot to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. Looks like we might have run out of carrots. To say nothing about money.

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China, while taking our money happily with one hand and clandestinely giving N.K. the needed technology to gain nukes, still lets us think we can coexist peacefully.

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The Philipines (who'd a thunk it?) are unhappy with the U.S. and are talking about "asking" us to leave their shores. (I just bet they'd still like our navy to visit regularly.)

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Mexico is sticking it to us, at us and up us at every turn. But they are still aiding and abetting acts of invasion by their citizens.

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Japan smiles and bows to us, all the while openly supporting their own automobile industry monetarily while they watch our car companies go down the tubes.

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A state (California) puts a proposition to the voters and they reject it. The people who were defeated start yelling discrimination and trying to force the bill back into life. As if it were their choice only and not all of the state's voters.

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It's being shown by automotive authorities that every single state has granted licenses to people who actually failed the written test for a driver's license. And some who failed the road test.

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Although MADD and DADD have gotten the nation up in arms about drunk drivers, no one has really done anything about the death rate from sober, speeding drivers. You know, those who think they are good drivers, but kill thousands every week. One week of their casualties takes many years for DUI drivers to equal.

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The President gives billions and billions to enterprises that were so mismanaged your sons and grand sons and 20x great grandsons will be paying the bills he is racking up. Yet he continues to destroy unions, those groups that protected the working man at one time.

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A bloke in England wanted to introduce his 14 year old son to the pleasures of sex and like any good father sought out a professional. She turned out to be a cop and the dad was arrested. The judge spared him jail because "he believed the man did not mean any harm to his son".

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Current joke: A businessman dragged himself home and barely made it to his chair before he dropped exhausted. His sympathetic wife was right there with a tall cool drink and a comforting word. "My, you look tired," she said. "You must have had a hard day today. What happened to make you so exhausted?"

"It was terrible," her husband said. "The computer broke down and I had to do my own thinking."

Isn't it something when we are so computer illiterate that we actually believe our computers

can think?

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An aside here: We're thinking of buying a 32" Vizio LCD 1080p HDTV. Any comments on it?

(It's well under $600. That's a bargain, I'm told, compared to the sets I used to pay $265 for.)

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Seems The Big O (BO?) wants $1.25 billion to settle discrimination claims by black farmers against the Agriculture Department. Just sayin'.

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I pay for a subscription for a semi nerd publication (Windows Secrets) that I joined when one of my heroes retired. Ads everywhere on the page. And what I thought was a strange offer of something for free. I can get two chapters of a book that might be of interest for nothing. (Yeah, I need to pay for the other chapters.)

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The BO was on TV today, telling us he was going to name a czar to watch over our safety on the internet. I couldn't help but wonder how many companies have already sprung up saying they will "meet government specifications on making your computer safe online"? You know, to sell to those sweet ladies and gents using Yahoo and AOL for their ISPs. He didn't mention any way this could be avoided.

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You know, of course, that BO's just setting us up to take full control of the web and read your email? Don't let him find out your an NRA member.

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