Michaele and Tareq Salahi crashed the Obama's first state dinner. Unless you have been living under a rock you must have heard about the DC couple who talked their way into the state dinner.
While the lack of security is somewhat of a concern to me, the bigger concern for me has to be that Obama obviously did not know who was coming to his own dinner! There are photos of them talking talking to the President and first lady and the vice president, as well as pictures of them walking through the receiving line.
Granted there were a lot of people at the affair, but we had a lot of people at my wedding, and if I did not recognize someone I asked my wife who it was. Wouldn't you think he would know (and recognize) everyone who was invited...after all, didn't he make up the guest list (or at the very least approve it)?
My veterinarian sees a lot of dogs and cats, yet he knows all the dogs and owners by sight. he cheats of course. He has a picture of every dog and the file contains both the dogs name and the owners. In the morning he looks at all the files so he can be ready to greet each client. When he walks through the door he greets the dog and us by name. It is a sign of respect. The message is he cares about who we are. With all the resources at his command, Obama did not "study" the guest list? I know he is a busy man, but doesn't it make a better impression on the visiting dignitaries if you actually know who they are? Worse yet, what message does it send to the world? Obviously the terrorists are thrilled with this info. If a couple can so easily infiltrate the white house, they must be licking their chops.
The Secret Service says the Pres was in no danger because all the guests passed through the magnetometer. Isn't the comment a bit specious (not to mention self serving). This was a dinner wasn't it? What were they eating with, foam rubber utensils? I am certain there were some steak knives lying around. An amateur could kill a man with a fork if he was motivated enough. I'm guessing there were plenty of bottles lying around. I remember how jagged the glass shards of a broken bottle are. The SS is downplaying the danger they subjected the President too.
The rest of the world just sees this as another example of our lack of attention to detail. That can't be good for our worldwide rep.
With all the challenges we face now, a couple of party crashers seems like a dumb thing to focus on, but its more than just the ease with which they crashed an important event. It reminds us of how sloppy we've become. Sloppy is not what we want the world to think about America
Shame on Michaele and Tareq Salahi. They put their greed and their desire for publicity and a reality TV show ahead of their responsibility for their country. Rather than put them on a reality show, we should put them on the first plane to Iraq or Afghanistan. Let them spend some time fighting for the country they so callously embarrassed.
In my opinion, the producers of the "real housewives" should not consider her for the show. If they do use them, advertisers and viewers should change the channel. With every problem we have right now, we did not need another one! No network should pay them for their story or photos...isn't that profiting from a crime (trespassing)?
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Terrorists getting a Fair Trial?
I am not convinced the terrorists are going to get a "Fair Trial" When the Attorney General says in advance "I guarantee they will be found guilty", it begs the question: How fair can a trial be if the outcome is already guaranteed? But that's not the problem I have with giving them a civilian federal court trial.
My problem is that terrorists should not be given the same rights as American Citizens. Since they are not Americans, and since their goal is to destroy the American way of life, why should we afford them rights that they are not entitled to? Certainly they gave no thought to the rights of the thousands they killed in cold blood. These were not military combatants, they were everyday people
We all know that the Death Penalty is not really a death penalty in civilian court. In a military court if the terrorists are found guilty there is no appeal. They are basically taken from the court to the firing squad. In a civilian court if they are found guilty there will be appeal after appeal after appeal until 30 years later they are either executed or have their sentence commuted. In the meantime we are going to house them, feed them, let them watch TV, give them books and music and access to things they would never get in their home country.
I can hear the conversations in Afghanistan now. "Khalid, I have a great way to recruit new bombers" "How would do it Abu Khabab?" "We explain to them what will happen if they are lucky enough to be captured". "They will be given a trial where there is a chance they will be found not guilty." "In the meantime they will have a shelter with heat and air conditioning, a real toilet, running water, electricity whenever you need it, three meals a day with all the clean, pure water you can drink, and even juice or soda, cable television, the right to practice their religion, access to a library, and if they can't read these American Pigs will actually teach them how!" "They will have a lifestyle they could never dream of in Nawab City". "Brilliant Abu, don't forget they will not have to work, they get free medical and dental care, an exercise facility, A laundry, access to a shower with soap and shampoo, on a daily basis, and they may spit on, and throw feces and urine on the guards and call them American Dogs, without the fear of being beaten" "Khalid, when they hear the consequences are a better lifestyle than they ever dreamed for at least 30 years before they ever face the death penalty, we will have volunteers banging on our doors to help us kill the American Infidels."
OK maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but don't the consequences here seem trivial compared to what they have to deal with at home? On the other hand military prisons require hard labor, have far fewer amenities and the death penalty is swift.
Do we really want to give Terrorists a greater incentive to come to our Country and Blow Stuff Up?
The Civilian Criminal trial is a huge mistake...of course this is only my opinion. Do you share it?
My problem is that terrorists should not be given the same rights as American Citizens. Since they are not Americans, and since their goal is to destroy the American way of life, why should we afford them rights that they are not entitled to? Certainly they gave no thought to the rights of the thousands they killed in cold blood. These were not military combatants, they were everyday people
We all know that the Death Penalty is not really a death penalty in civilian court. In a military court if the terrorists are found guilty there is no appeal. They are basically taken from the court to the firing squad. In a civilian court if they are found guilty there will be appeal after appeal after appeal until 30 years later they are either executed or have their sentence commuted. In the meantime we are going to house them, feed them, let them watch TV, give them books and music and access to things they would never get in their home country.
I can hear the conversations in Afghanistan now. "Khalid, I have a great way to recruit new bombers" "How would do it Abu Khabab?" "We explain to them what will happen if they are lucky enough to be captured". "They will be given a trial where there is a chance they will be found not guilty." "In the meantime they will have a shelter with heat and air conditioning, a real toilet, running water, electricity whenever you need it, three meals a day with all the clean, pure water you can drink, and even juice or soda, cable television, the right to practice their religion, access to a library, and if they can't read these American Pigs will actually teach them how!" "They will have a lifestyle they could never dream of in Nawab City". "Brilliant Abu, don't forget they will not have to work, they get free medical and dental care, an exercise facility, A laundry, access to a shower with soap and shampoo, on a daily basis, and they may spit on, and throw feces and urine on the guards and call them American Dogs, without the fear of being beaten" "Khalid, when they hear the consequences are a better lifestyle than they ever dreamed for at least 30 years before they ever face the death penalty, we will have volunteers banging on our doors to help us kill the American Infidels."
OK maybe I am exaggerating a bit, but don't the consequences here seem trivial compared to what they have to deal with at home? On the other hand military prisons require hard labor, have far fewer amenities and the death penalty is swift.
Do we really want to give Terrorists a greater incentive to come to our Country and Blow Stuff Up?
The Civilian Criminal trial is a huge mistake...of course this is only my opinion. Do you share it?
Monday, November 2, 2009
The 16 Billion Dollar Question!
First I must apologize. My family has requested I stop putting personal stuff on the web. My explanation that it would never get lost and that after I am gone they can each have a copy without going to Kinko's was not acceptable. Because of that my blogs will be fewer and less personal. (perhaps that is for the best anyway. there are enough subjects I feel strongly enough about to keep me occupied!
So what exactly is the $16 Billion Question? Lets start with the number of zero's in 16 Billion. There are a few people in the world who do not have to look that up. Sadly I am not one of them. That knowledge belongs to the Gates, Buffets, DeVoss's, Davidsons, and Waltons of America. I will not apologize to the billionaires I left out because, lets face it, they are not likely to read this!
For the rest of us (including our Senators and Congressmen which I will make clearer in a few paragraphs), a billion dollars is a one followed by nine zeros (eleven if you count the pennies, but if you have a billion dollars you probably round off to the nearest dollar, or the nearest 100,000 lets face it), or more precisely 1,000,000,000.00. so $16 billion is $16,000,000,000.00
An article by Justin Fox in last weeks Time Magazine made me furious. The Obama Administration was answering the charges about whether or not the stimulus package was working. Their defense was that 30,000 jobs were directly or indirectly produced by "the first $16 billion" (God help us if there is a second $16 billion, bear with me and you will understand). House Minority Leader John Boehner said that such exulting was "beyond the pale" since "3 million private-sector jobs have been lost since it became law". Even he did not get the $16 billion question!
Since I am neither a billionaire or a math whiz I had to resort to a calculator to find the amount we spent per job created. Since my calculator can not handle numbers in the billions (without using scientific notation), I had to drop a few zeros. Take four zeros off of 16 billion and you get 1,600,000 (written out 1600000 0000 cancel the four zeros on 33,000 and you get 3.3). So divide 1.6 Million by 3.3 (luckily that number does make sense to me) and you get 484,848.
Pulling it all together $16 Billion divided by 30,000 jobs created means each job cost the American Taxpayer (that is us folks) Almost HALF a MILLION DOLLARS per job! ( I know I rounded up but if you made $484,848.48 you would tell everyone you made half a million) Feel free to check my math. I had to do it 3X because I could not believe the numbers myself. I assumed that I missed a zero somewhere and it actually only cost $48,884.00 per job created. NOPE!
Those better be some great F in jobs that were created! I am betting the jobs were most likely in the $48,000.00 a year range. Give my friend Doug Savage ( Bearing Service Inc) a fraction of that money and he would create meaningful jobs. Give Lee Iacocca a fraction of that money and we could buy Chrysler back from the French-and rebuild it to an American Icon! Give John Rakolta (Walbridge Aldinger) a fraction of that money and watch how many good paying construction jobs are created. The list of course is endless but the point is made. The private sector creates good jobs for far less money
So we finally get to the $16 Billion Question (I actually have a lot more than one question, but let's start with this one!)
So what exactly is the $16 Billion Question? Lets start with the number of zero's in 16 Billion. There are a few people in the world who do not have to look that up. Sadly I am not one of them. That knowledge belongs to the Gates, Buffets, DeVoss's, Davidsons, and Waltons of America. I will not apologize to the billionaires I left out because, lets face it, they are not likely to read this!
For the rest of us (including our Senators and Congressmen which I will make clearer in a few paragraphs), a billion dollars is a one followed by nine zeros (eleven if you count the pennies, but if you have a billion dollars you probably round off to the nearest dollar, or the nearest 100,000 lets face it), or more precisely 1,000,000,000.00. so $16 billion is $16,000,000,000.00
An article by Justin Fox in last weeks Time Magazine made me furious. The Obama Administration was answering the charges about whether or not the stimulus package was working. Their defense was that 30,000 jobs were directly or indirectly produced by "the first $16 billion" (God help us if there is a second $16 billion, bear with me and you will understand). House Minority Leader John Boehner said that such exulting was "beyond the pale" since "3 million private-sector jobs have been lost since it became law". Even he did not get the $16 billion question!
Since I am neither a billionaire or a math whiz I had to resort to a calculator to find the amount we spent per job created. Since my calculator can not handle numbers in the billions (without using scientific notation), I had to drop a few zeros. Take four zeros off of 16 billion and you get 1,600,000 (written out 1600000 0000 cancel the four zeros on 33,000 and you get 3.3). So divide 1.6 Million by 3.3 (luckily that number does make sense to me) and you get 484,848.
Pulling it all together $16 Billion divided by 30,000 jobs created means each job cost the American Taxpayer (that is us folks) Almost HALF a MILLION DOLLARS per job! ( I know I rounded up but if you made $484,848.48 you would tell everyone you made half a million) Feel free to check my math. I had to do it 3X because I could not believe the numbers myself. I assumed that I missed a zero somewhere and it actually only cost $48,884.00 per job created. NOPE!
Those better be some great F in jobs that were created! I am betting the jobs were most likely in the $48,000.00 a year range. Give my friend Doug Savage ( Bearing Service Inc) a fraction of that money and he would create meaningful jobs. Give Lee Iacocca a fraction of that money and we could buy Chrysler back from the French-and rebuild it to an American Icon! Give John Rakolta (Walbridge Aldinger) a fraction of that money and watch how many good paying construction jobs are created. The list of course is endless but the point is made. The private sector creates good jobs for far less money
So we finally get to the $16 Billion Question (I actually have a lot more than one question, but let's start with this one!)
Where did the Half a Million Dollars Go?
I am not an economist, but wouldn't it have been smarter to find 30,000 unemployed people and give each of them a $150,000.00 to spend? I know the answer our politicians are going to give us is a lot of the 16 Billion went to the stimulus checks they sent out, but again, if it cost us Almost HALF a MILLION DOLLARS per job was that such a smart idea?
My guess is a considerable amount of the "stimulus money" went to stimulate the friends and relatives of the Congress and Senate. I know that sounds cynical, but I am from the Detroit area where hiring idiot relatives (without even a high school diploma) and paying them outrageous sums of money to do do Jack-you- know-what (or to not even show up) was taken to an art form by our previous Mayor the Dishonorable Kwame Kilpatrick.
Lets face it, he must have learned that from his mom Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) Congresswoman representing Michigan's 13th District and his dad Bernard Kilpatrick . For more info on the dirty dealings of the Kilpatrick Family check out the blog of Skeptical Brotha, but do it when you have time (their criminal misconduct can fill a book just on the surface). http://skepticalbrotha.wordpress.com/category/carolyn-cheeks-kilpatrick/ I am guessing she and a lot of other Senators and Congress persons benefited directly or indirectly from the "stimulus money".
Unfortunately the $16 Billion Question will never be answered, but that does not mean we shouldn't ask them! I am forwarding this page to my elected officials. Whether you choose to do so is, of course, entirely up to you. I am also sending a copy of this to everyone in my address book and asking them to do the same. This is not a Republican or Democratic problem, This is an American Problem! Remember the comment about the "first $16 Billion" implying a "second $16 Billion" can not be far off. We can not let this go on. Our fore fathers started a revolution over much smaller numbers (even adjusted for inflation) than these.
My feelings are a wholesale replacement of all our elected officials is needed. The approval ratings of congress as a whole is less than 20% yet incumbents keep getting elected. The feeling seems to be "Government Sucks but our guy really looks out for us". NO NO NO. They all are guilty of looking after themselves. Tell me another profession where you can put in as little as 6 years and walk away with a pension equaling 100% of your salary, for life! Plus the best medical benefits in the country with zero copay, zero deductible and no premiums for life as well. You can't because there are none! Realize folks, they voted this benefit package for themselves. We did not get to vote on whether this was fair. If a publicly traded company offered their employees such a deal, there would be a shareholder revolt and every executive of the company would be fired for voting for such a ridiculous compensation package. why should we tolerate this from our elected officials.
There will be more on this subject I assure you but for now I will finish with this. If you agree with all or part of this, send a copy (or just the stuff you agree with) to your elected officials. I am including a link where you can find out how to contact them. Encourage as many of your friends to do the same thing. We need a government who looks after us for a change. One which severely limits the lobbying of special interest groups. One which quickly deals with the problems our country is facing. One which allows us, their employers, to decide on their compensation and benefits, or perhaps limits itself to the average of all the salary and benefits packages in the country. The "Compensation Czar" was good enough for the companies who took a tax payer bailout, why should the tax supported government officials be treated better?
As usual just my opinions. I hope you share them, and will share them with as many people as possible.
Elected officials contact information can be found at: http://conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm
and you don't have to be a conservative to use the info on their site!
I am not an economist, but wouldn't it have been smarter to find 30,000 unemployed people and give each of them a $150,000.00 to spend? I know the answer our politicians are going to give us is a lot of the 16 Billion went to the stimulus checks they sent out, but again, if it cost us Almost HALF a MILLION DOLLARS per job was that such a smart idea?
My guess is a considerable amount of the "stimulus money" went to stimulate the friends and relatives of the Congress and Senate. I know that sounds cynical, but I am from the Detroit area where hiring idiot relatives (without even a high school diploma) and paying them outrageous sums of money to do do Jack-you- know-what (or to not even show up) was taken to an art form by our previous Mayor the Dishonorable Kwame Kilpatrick.
Lets face it, he must have learned that from his mom Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) Congresswoman representing Michigan's 13th District and his dad Bernard Kilpatrick . For more info on the dirty dealings of the Kilpatrick Family check out the blog of Skeptical Brotha, but do it when you have time (their criminal misconduct can fill a book just on the surface). http://skepticalbrotha.wordpress.com/category/carolyn-cheeks-kilpatrick/ I am guessing she and a lot of other Senators and Congress persons benefited directly or indirectly from the "stimulus money".
Unfortunately the $16 Billion Question will never be answered, but that does not mean we shouldn't ask them! I am forwarding this page to my elected officials. Whether you choose to do so is, of course, entirely up to you. I am also sending a copy of this to everyone in my address book and asking them to do the same. This is not a Republican or Democratic problem, This is an American Problem! Remember the comment about the "first $16 Billion" implying a "second $16 Billion" can not be far off. We can not let this go on. Our fore fathers started a revolution over much smaller numbers (even adjusted for inflation) than these.
My feelings are a wholesale replacement of all our elected officials is needed. The approval ratings of congress as a whole is less than 20% yet incumbents keep getting elected. The feeling seems to be "Government Sucks but our guy really looks out for us". NO NO NO. They all are guilty of looking after themselves. Tell me another profession where you can put in as little as 6 years and walk away with a pension equaling 100% of your salary, for life! Plus the best medical benefits in the country with zero copay, zero deductible and no premiums for life as well. You can't because there are none! Realize folks, they voted this benefit package for themselves. We did not get to vote on whether this was fair. If a publicly traded company offered their employees such a deal, there would be a shareholder revolt and every executive of the company would be fired for voting for such a ridiculous compensation package. why should we tolerate this from our elected officials.
There will be more on this subject I assure you but for now I will finish with this. If you agree with all or part of this, send a copy (or just the stuff you agree with) to your elected officials. I am including a link where you can find out how to contact them. Encourage as many of your friends to do the same thing. We need a government who looks after us for a change. One which severely limits the lobbying of special interest groups. One which quickly deals with the problems our country is facing. One which allows us, their employers, to decide on their compensation and benefits, or perhaps limits itself to the average of all the salary and benefits packages in the country. The "Compensation Czar" was good enough for the companies who took a tax payer bailout, why should the tax supported government officials be treated better?
As usual just my opinions. I hope you share them, and will share them with as many people as possible.
Elected officials contact information can be found at: http://conservativeusa.org/mega-cong.htm
and you don't have to be a conservative to use the info on their site!
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