Sunday, July 31, 2011
Persecuted Prohpet ? or Plain Pedophile ?
Warren Jeff's trial tends to bring some interesting questions to a very serious and important issue in our day. Religious freedom is a bedrock of the American way of life. The founders thought that is was so profound that an article of the Constitution was written to protect that freedom. Speech is often seen as one of the most important freedoms we hold as a people. It would be hard to argue otherwise, but the freedom to worship without the restraint of government in any way, shape or form is far more fundamental in my opinion, in fact I feel it rivals the right to life in many instances. To debate that is irrelevant however, a fundamental freedom is just that. A sacred covenant between the people, and those that establish laws, that there are some subjects that are untouchable. So sacred that the mention of establishing law on these matters should require the dismissal of any one who dares violate that fundamental truth. Apparently Mr. Jeff's hopes that a jury, and you and I the public will share that sentiment on his behalf, and acquit Mr. Jeff's of the charges that have been brought against him. To Use that covenant and trust to conduct an immoral, and illegal act that violates the rights of another human being is just as despicable. To take the freedoms that have been fought for over a period of centuries now, and to try to twist the meaning of such a foundational covenant to the end of pursing criminal behavior is some of the most vile forms of behaviour a human being can perform, and to use freedom, and God as a means to accomplish that is the most appalling conduct of a human being.
His case essentially began with a phone call. A phone call that brought an accusation of abuse; and the presumed victim was a young lady named Sarah. Sarah claimed she was being abused by an elder that she was being forced to marry and was being locked in a room with no windows. Rozita Swinton was the fictitious Sarah. The fictional character had contacted Flora Jessop who belonged to the Child Protection Project (http://www.childpro.org/ ) . Also Sarah was calling a shelter in Texas which alerted authorities who then conducted a raid on April 3rd. This raid established some troubling patterns of abusive behaviour with the authorities, 400 children were removed ( although they were returned by court order ) and the person that the authorities were looking for a young lady named Sarah never surfaced, and no one had ever heard of such a person within the community. The raid for the search for Sarah produced other material that became direct evidence against Mr. Jeffs, including audio tapes of physical contact with a 12 year old child, and DNA that was extracted from the child of a 15 year old girl, which proved to be the child of Warren Jeffs.
Warren Jeffs has a conviction brought on by his faith that allows him to conclude that he is a Prophet, it is also the stated believe of the FLDS that for a man to be a god that he must have plural wife's. Young girls may be assigned to older men in the community and " Celestial Marriages" may be performed, these marriages are often in direct violation of law, and the ages of these young girls that are assigned to the elder men would make them in violation of State laws as well, some as young as 12 years old. Of course these young brides according to the doctrine of the FLDS may not refuse there " husbands" and are viewed to be gods, in fact in open court Mr. Jeffs has referred to himself as a God. This is not an insane man, but a man driven to action on an insane view of theology, which is not practiced my mainstream Mormon churches, but the fundamentalist believe that the Mormon church does not follow the proper doctrine of faith, however what Mr. Jeff's never addresses nor has addressed is a faith that violates the law of the land. It is the slight of hand that is being practiced in the courtroom and in the public arena that I am sure Mr. Jeff's hopes that the jury and the public will overlook. I once sat on a jury where an attorney tried a similar slight of hand trick, in which one of the witnesses of the case was an ATF agent, and the attorney spent an inordinate amount of time trying to discredit his testimony on the case just on the fact that he was a Federal Agent, the attorney even referenced actions by the ATF at Waco as proof of the Agency and it's agents from telling an honest account of a lawful situation.
I would be the first to stand in line to defend the rights of any individual to worship the Almighty as they see fit in this Nation, it is an unalienable right that exists just as your right to property, and liberty. No government should be able to enact, or enforce any laws that prevent the free exercise of religion, and that same government must show tolerance of the practices of many different forms of worship. However to use that sacred right as a means to violate the rights of children, and to perform acts and violations that would put any other individual in prison in the name of faith is one of the most vile acts a human being can commit, further more the damage that is done perceptually to individuals who may have deep convictions and may worship outside what may be called the mainstream is indefensible. Families whose children are home schooled, families who choose to believe outside what the majority of the country may worship are put in danger because of the likes of Warren Jeffs. Practitioners who have fundamentalist believes may be subject to undo law enforcement arrests because of a panic and fear that the actions that a man like this may take thus denying a right to worship. Violating the most innocent of our society to feed an insatiable appetite of deviancy is of the most appalling nature, and to justify it in the name of God shows a manipulation and indecency of the most base kind of behaviour we could ever know.
If found guilty I hope he gets his full term in Jail. The sentence could be as high as 119 years. Even that is to short a sentence, but keeping pedophiles away from society and young children is the least we as a society can do to protect our children.
For more on this please follow these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-iIOWOblW0
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2011/0730/Has-Warren-Jeffs-turned-his-trial-into-a-sermon-on-polygamy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rozita_Swinton#Rozita_Swinton
Friday, July 29, 2011
how you tell when a politician is lying
It has been an interesting week, I do believe we are on the edge of seeing history in the making. it is comical to see the theatrics and the contortions put into play. Speaker Boehner just can't muster votes to please the masses and his puppet masters. Oh the pain, how to raise billions in spending while calling it a budget cut, how he must root for the days of Tip O'Neil, wearing buttons on his jacket lapel that say " Reality is negotiable " ........ it's just not fair, why is this Congress faced with the hard task of living within it's means, while sessions of Congress in the past have just been able to pass the buck....... Oh the pain...... the pain...........
You just know this raising the debt is about spending more money on the hopes of paying later, check this out from the LA Times :
Late in the evening, still about eight votes short, Boehner and his allies considered changes to the bill. One point of contention has been that the bill would allow billions of dollars for the Pell Grant program, which provides scholarships to low-income college students. That rankles conservatives who want to cut — not add — money. Cutting Pell Grants could win over a few conservatives, congressional officials said.
This has never been about cutting the budget, it's not even about the excessive spending, it is a way to keep spending without having to pay the bill. It's like going to a restaurant with someone and they leave to go to the parking lot, waiting for you to pay the bill.You can argue the merits of any Federal program that uses taxpayer dollars, at the end of the day the Treasury collects 2.2 trillion dollars. They collective in Congress, and the Executive Branch want to spend just shy of 4. These clowns are in agony over a debt ceiling that was created by law, and for once Congress has to obey a law it has passed......... they must have forgotten to exempt themselves from their own law .......... which is how Congress gets to use accounting tricks that no other body in the country, public or private can use...
All the talk of cutting spending is pacification to keep the masses happy for a moment or two........ why look at the spending on Pell Grants. I am just wondering what other things to the LA Times forget to mention ?
You just know this raising the debt is about spending more money on the hopes of paying later, check this out from the LA Times :
Late in the evening, still about eight votes short, Boehner and his allies considered changes to the bill. One point of contention has been that the bill would allow billions of dollars for the Pell Grant program, which provides scholarships to low-income college students. That rankles conservatives who want to cut — not add — money. Cutting Pell Grants could win over a few conservatives, congressional officials said.
This has never been about cutting the budget, it's not even about the excessive spending, it is a way to keep spending without having to pay the bill. It's like going to a restaurant with someone and they leave to go to the parking lot, waiting for you to pay the bill.You can argue the merits of any Federal program that uses taxpayer dollars, at the end of the day the Treasury collects 2.2 trillion dollars. They collective in Congress, and the Executive Branch want to spend just shy of 4. These clowns are in agony over a debt ceiling that was created by law, and for once Congress has to obey a law it has passed......... they must have forgotten to exempt themselves from their own law .......... which is how Congress gets to use accounting tricks that no other body in the country, public or private can use...
All the talk of cutting spending is pacification to keep the masses happy for a moment or two........ why look at the spending on Pell Grants. I am just wondering what other things to the LA Times forget to mention ?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A World of Two Realities
Limited government, sovereignty of the individual, the rights of man. Principles that set this country apart from any other nation on this earth. It is a rich legacy, it was or rather is an enlightened legacy handed to us in our contemporary time thru literature, and documents debated, analysed, scrutinized by some rather prophetic individuals. It has been historically the nature of most established governments to increase it's power, and control over it's citizens, or people depending on the form of governance, until the system implodes. The power that any government has as it pertains to the money it collects comes from the individuals that are productive within the society. I realize I am being simplistic, however it seems to me that in our day and age we as a country are so bogged down with the idea that it is imperative, it is essential, that the scope, size, and intervention of Washington D.C. in our daily lives is crucial to the very republic, that if it were not for the intervening, controlling, regulating, or mandating, that emanates from the Central Planners in Washington that we as individuals would fall apart, and die. If the President did not put on his royal robes, and the Lords of the Senate were not contemplating the depth and breath of our existence then we the citizens of what I had presumed to be of this great nation, why we would cease to exist. Our lives and our good fortunes would cease to exist with out the meddling interference of Lords of the Manor from on high on the mountaintop called Washington D.C.
At least that is the view I believe the political class has of things. Our debt, our deficits, both of the past, and what we will incur in the future stem from the view that without the interventionist, welfare system that is currently in place the entire economy will collapse. I have news for anyone that will listen. At it's current trend, it will collapse any way. It is a model that cannot exist at it's current pace. What is even more alarming is that a sitting United States Senator has the audacity to ridicule the citizenry, and call them " Hobbits " and act as if reigning in the spending and reducing the power of the Central authority is anathema to being ignorant, shows that those in power have no desire to curb spending, or reduce the influence over the lives of those who put them their. There are two different realities that exist in our country, one that believes the money belongs to Washington, and should be dispersed as they see necessary and in the form they deem appropriate, and the other is that those in Washington need to step back a let free people live their lives as they see fit. I cannot understand a sitting Senator who actually believes going deeper in debt to save money down the road, actually believes, or more importantly thinks he can convince us to believe a scenario where Our Federal Capital will not spend more than they take in. An American Empire lite has taken place. The only resolution is to refuse to send money to Washington. If the checks start to bounce, then objective reality will start to take place, and the money will no longer be there to spend and play with, and our Lords of the manner will then have to take their place in history as one more band of anti conceptual lunatics who have refused to see the forest thru the trees.
Persuasion I feel is useless, the welfare state and it's sycophants will try to reduce freedom to Washington granting favours. If the cost is more than is being generated, the plan will be to confiscate more from the productive, and if the productive cry for their rights to ownership of property, and sovereignty then they will be demonized, and coerced into submission. Compromise is the word of the day, after all how can any proper government operate with anything less than 4 trillion dollars in the next year or two. Sitting Senators will think you are a kook if you are not willing to hand over your savings, your labor, your individual comfort so that they may rule from on high. Congressman who snap pictures of themselves nude will ridicule any one who balks at paying more taxes, after all the Social Security taxes individuals pay is only 7 %, heck whats a percentage or two more from the working class who dare rebuke our authority.
As long as we the people allow this type of arrogance to exist, as long as we succumb to the statist argument that more is needed, then we the people should forget about liberty, and recognize with honesty that this is not a republic, but a fascist mixed economy. If an enlarged Welfare State is what the majority of the people want, then all I can offer is be prepared to pay for it. I think your gonna be real surprised at the cost you will have to bear.
At least that is the view I believe the political class has of things. Our debt, our deficits, both of the past, and what we will incur in the future stem from the view that without the interventionist, welfare system that is currently in place the entire economy will collapse. I have news for anyone that will listen. At it's current trend, it will collapse any way. It is a model that cannot exist at it's current pace. What is even more alarming is that a sitting United States Senator has the audacity to ridicule the citizenry, and call them " Hobbits " and act as if reigning in the spending and reducing the power of the Central authority is anathema to being ignorant, shows that those in power have no desire to curb spending, or reduce the influence over the lives of those who put them their. There are two different realities that exist in our country, one that believes the money belongs to Washington, and should be dispersed as they see necessary and in the form they deem appropriate, and the other is that those in Washington need to step back a let free people live their lives as they see fit. I cannot understand a sitting Senator who actually believes going deeper in debt to save money down the road, actually believes, or more importantly thinks he can convince us to believe a scenario where Our Federal Capital will not spend more than they take in. An American Empire lite has taken place. The only resolution is to refuse to send money to Washington. If the checks start to bounce, then objective reality will start to take place, and the money will no longer be there to spend and play with, and our Lords of the manner will then have to take their place in history as one more band of anti conceptual lunatics who have refused to see the forest thru the trees.
Persuasion I feel is useless, the welfare state and it's sycophants will try to reduce freedom to Washington granting favours. If the cost is more than is being generated, the plan will be to confiscate more from the productive, and if the productive cry for their rights to ownership of property, and sovereignty then they will be demonized, and coerced into submission. Compromise is the word of the day, after all how can any proper government operate with anything less than 4 trillion dollars in the next year or two. Sitting Senators will think you are a kook if you are not willing to hand over your savings, your labor, your individual comfort so that they may rule from on high. Congressman who snap pictures of themselves nude will ridicule any one who balks at paying more taxes, after all the Social Security taxes individuals pay is only 7 %, heck whats a percentage or two more from the working class who dare rebuke our authority.
As long as we the people allow this type of arrogance to exist, as long as we succumb to the statist argument that more is needed, then we the people should forget about liberty, and recognize with honesty that this is not a republic, but a fascist mixed economy. If an enlarged Welfare State is what the majority of the people want, then all I can offer is be prepared to pay for it. I think your gonna be real surprised at the cost you will have to bear.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Your Gonna Pay Now.........
In January of 2012 The incandescent light bulb will no longer be a legal product to manufacture in the United States. It will also be illegal to purchase a 60W A-19 incandescent lamp in the United States of America. This is not right wing conspiracy theory. It is the Law. What the President and the Congress has mandated to the American public is in essence a decree, the only thing missing is a fur lined robe, and a staph made of Gold. The thought behind this royal decree, ...... well I should be accurate, the thought behind this law was to encourage the American public to change their habit from using the old style light bulb and to start using the Compact Fluorescent lamp instead. Now in full disclosure I have been an advocate of those lamps myself for well over 20 years, both professionally and at home. I like the color of the light, I like the longevity of the bulb, and I like the fact that you can produce light with 15Watts rather than 60 watts, which is a huge savings. I have stood by electric meters rigged up to test the usage of the compact fluorescent versus an Incandescent, and there is a huge savings in usage. I have done it voluntarily. I would always encourage someone to do it as a choice that is well reasoned. I would never demand that someone use them. I cannot fathom the idea of requiring someone to use a fluorescent lamp while pointing a gun at them ( after all isn't that what happens when you violate the law, some one with a badge and a gun comes looking for you ? ) it confounds me that there are servants of the public who derive their power from those that elect them, that such a mandate exists in what is presumed to be the " freest " nation on the planet. Does any one have a dictionary on hand....... ? I want to look that word up and check the meaning again.
There was a notion on the part of those issuing the law that by economies of scale, the cost of a CFL as it is commonly known would start to come down as the bulb became more mainstream, and because there was a national standard put into place, every manufacturer would be producing the same type of light bulb thus passing on the cost savings to the consumer, the utilities because of reduced electric loads, and a reduction of oil and coal usage by the power plants that produce the electricity. Of course you and I know that the political class in this country doesn't know diddly squat about economics, Hell Ben Bernanke doesn't even know what is real money. So I am not surprised that our great leaders and our President has not taken the time understand Praxeology, or the importance of understanding Praxeology especially in economics. In this case the worlds largest producer of Phosphor is China. Without Phosphor there are no fluorescent lamps. That material is what is ignited with in the glass tubes to produce the light. You see the Chinese have figured out that since they produce 97 % of the world's supply of phosphor, they want to use the restriction of rare earth materials against the United States which happens to be the largest market for the material, ............ you guessed it because we have painted ourselves into a corner on this matter.
If the Federal government had not intervened in the market place in regards to the manufacture of Light bulbs you and I would not be facing the price increases ( as much as 50 % ) for a mandated lamp. In fact had the President and Congress left well enough alone, there would be a wide variety of competition on the types of lamps available, and no one style would have a monopoly and the laws of supply and demand would take place. Hey can't get phosphor, no sweat, tungsten is readily available, and cheap to ........... and it happens to make a great filament. Time and again intervention in the market does more harm than good, and this is a classic case. Look these are the same guys that are telling us that they need to borrow more money in order to spend less in the future.................
ahhhhhhhhhhhh OK !
For further reading on this please follow these links :
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/for-rare-earths-an-abundance-of-interest/article2099191/
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2007-12-16-light-bulbs_N.htm
There was a notion on the part of those issuing the law that by economies of scale, the cost of a CFL as it is commonly known would start to come down as the bulb became more mainstream, and because there was a national standard put into place, every manufacturer would be producing the same type of light bulb thus passing on the cost savings to the consumer, the utilities because of reduced electric loads, and a reduction of oil and coal usage by the power plants that produce the electricity. Of course you and I know that the political class in this country doesn't know diddly squat about economics, Hell Ben Bernanke doesn't even know what is real money. So I am not surprised that our great leaders and our President has not taken the time understand Praxeology, or the importance of understanding Praxeology especially in economics. In this case the worlds largest producer of Phosphor is China. Without Phosphor there are no fluorescent lamps. That material is what is ignited with in the glass tubes to produce the light. You see the Chinese have figured out that since they produce 97 % of the world's supply of phosphor, they want to use the restriction of rare earth materials against the United States which happens to be the largest market for the material, ............ you guessed it because we have painted ourselves into a corner on this matter.
If the Federal government had not intervened in the market place in regards to the manufacture of Light bulbs you and I would not be facing the price increases ( as much as 50 % ) for a mandated lamp. In fact had the President and Congress left well enough alone, there would be a wide variety of competition on the types of lamps available, and no one style would have a monopoly and the laws of supply and demand would take place. Hey can't get phosphor, no sweat, tungsten is readily available, and cheap to ........... and it happens to make a great filament. Time and again intervention in the market does more harm than good, and this is a classic case. Look these are the same guys that are telling us that they need to borrow more money in order to spend less in the future.................
ahhhhhhhhhhhh OK !
For further reading on this please follow these links :
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/for-rare-earths-an-abundance-of-interest/article2099191/
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/environment/2007-12-16-light-bulbs_N.htm
Stay tuned..... Sorry for the delay.......
I have been sitting on this story for a few days doing some research, I have been trying to get a hold of one of the authors of the article, but have not been able to get in touch with her, I have also been trying to get a hold of the person that the article was about. His name is Ronnie Bryant, and there were a few articles in various news outlets about him. In fact he is being referred to as the new John Galt. Perhaps that is true, but I have some immediate reservations, in particular with such a use of a fundamental figure ( albeit fictional ) and I have not been convinced that it is an accurate reference.
Ronnie is a miner. He does have a coal mining buisness. He did have a permit. There are indeed 3 Federal agencies that have tried to block him from starting to mine for coal, even though he already has a permit. Those facts are undisbuted. There are many unanswered questions in regards to the story, poor writing ? I am not sure. It is true Ronnie said he would quit. That is a stroy itself.
If I can get the details I want....... I promise a good post..........
Here is the story I read :
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/8357-environmentalists-halt-plans-for-new-coal-mine-near-birmingham-ala
Ronnie is a miner. He does have a coal mining buisness. He did have a permit. There are indeed 3 Federal agencies that have tried to block him from starting to mine for coal, even though he already has a permit. Those facts are undisbuted. There are many unanswered questions in regards to the story, poor writing ? I am not sure. It is true Ronnie said he would quit. That is a stroy itself.
If I can get the details I want....... I promise a good post..........
Here is the story I read :
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/8357-environmentalists-halt-plans-for-new-coal-mine-near-birmingham-ala
Monday, July 25, 2011
Compromise
In the course of our public debate over the debt ceiling the word compromise continues to surface, it is a mantra that politicians like to use as if by not allowing certain positions within a debate on a political matter one may be construed as narrow minded. There is some merit to the position that compromise is essential to our Republic. It was Ben Franklin himself who could be called the original compromiser at the Constitutional Convention the following is a quote from the good Doctor " When a broad table is to be made, and the edges of planks do not fit, the artists takes a little from both, and makes a good joint. In like manner here, both sides must part with some of their demands " There was also the compromise of 1850 which came about during the discussions of admitting Texas to the Union.
Certainly though not all compromise could be construed as good. For example there is the 3/5 compromise in our constitution which gave slaves the 3/5 status of a white person, would anyone today suggest such a compromise of principle is a good thing ? Henry Clay was considered in his time to be the Great Compromiser he ended up proposing legislation that would allow one Free State into the Union for every Slave State, again would we wish to compromise on the issue of slavery today ? Being 3/5 of a person, or persuading the assembly's that a little bit of bad is okay as long as we let in a little bit of good, that stands reason on it's head, and certainly takes liberty and equality and bastardises the very concept.
When you have a scenario for example of a buyer and a seller, both parties come to the table with an equal share. The buyer comes with a medium of exchange ( hopefully a medium of objective value ) and knows at what point he will no longer be willing to purchase the object of the seller. As well the seller knows at what point he can no longer afford to sell his object for he will be losing money. What can reasonably happen at that point is a compromise on price. Please note however at no point is any one being asked to accept the price of the other as a starting point and then is given a demand to compromise from there.
The debt ceiling being raised is simply the United States government borrowing more than a level than they have already set for themselves as a limit. This borrowing is in addition to an already exorbitant amount of money. The Federal Government takes in 2.2 trillion dollars already. If that is not enough to provide for the defense of this country, provide for the general welfare, to provide for standards of weights and measures, to provide for secure borders, then it appears to me that what we have is an ineffectual Federal Government that should be abolished. There is no empire that has existed on this earth that wastes as much of the public treasury as the United States Federal government does today. There should be no compromise on the debt ceiling, there should be no increase in the debt ceiling, and there certainly should be no more increase in taxation to attempt to raise more revenue.
I will leave you with a quote to think about on this matter, and you can decide for yourself the value of compromise " A compromise is an adjustment of conflicting claims by mutual concessions. This means that both parties to a compromise have some valid claim and some value to offer each other. And this means that both parties agree upon some fundamental principle which serves as a base for their deal. " Putting future generations into an impossible debt to be repaid because of a lack of integrity today offers no value, and no government can by right make that claim.
Certainly though not all compromise could be construed as good. For example there is the 3/5 compromise in our constitution which gave slaves the 3/5 status of a white person, would anyone today suggest such a compromise of principle is a good thing ? Henry Clay was considered in his time to be the Great Compromiser he ended up proposing legislation that would allow one Free State into the Union for every Slave State, again would we wish to compromise on the issue of slavery today ? Being 3/5 of a person, or persuading the assembly's that a little bit of bad is okay as long as we let in a little bit of good, that stands reason on it's head, and certainly takes liberty and equality and bastardises the very concept.
When you have a scenario for example of a buyer and a seller, both parties come to the table with an equal share. The buyer comes with a medium of exchange ( hopefully a medium of objective value ) and knows at what point he will no longer be willing to purchase the object of the seller. As well the seller knows at what point he can no longer afford to sell his object for he will be losing money. What can reasonably happen at that point is a compromise on price. Please note however at no point is any one being asked to accept the price of the other as a starting point and then is given a demand to compromise from there.
The debt ceiling being raised is simply the United States government borrowing more than a level than they have already set for themselves as a limit. This borrowing is in addition to an already exorbitant amount of money. The Federal Government takes in 2.2 trillion dollars already. If that is not enough to provide for the defense of this country, provide for the general welfare, to provide for standards of weights and measures, to provide for secure borders, then it appears to me that what we have is an ineffectual Federal Government that should be abolished. There is no empire that has existed on this earth that wastes as much of the public treasury as the United States Federal government does today. There should be no compromise on the debt ceiling, there should be no increase in the debt ceiling, and there certainly should be no more increase in taxation to attempt to raise more revenue.
I will leave you with a quote to think about on this matter, and you can decide for yourself the value of compromise " A compromise is an adjustment of conflicting claims by mutual concessions. This means that both parties to a compromise have some valid claim and some value to offer each other. And this means that both parties agree upon some fundamental principle which serves as a base for their deal. " Putting future generations into an impossible debt to be repaid because of a lack of integrity today offers no value, and no government can by right make that claim.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
The Space Race ..... What it meant and what it should be
Starting in the 1930's the Nazi war machine was looking for a way to use rockets as a means to improve on long range artillery, in such a way as to not violate the Treaty of Versailles. According to the treaty, the Germans could not conduct research on long range cannons, nor could they develop such cannons, rockets however were never mentioned in the treaty, thus research began to find ways to enhance the strength and capabilities of the German forces so drastically reduced by the standards of the treaty. Eventually the research and development created the V2 rocket which was used to bombard England. It was fast, very fast and could barely be seen by radar, it was also used as a weapon to create terror on the British people and in part in that particular vane was successful. Thus the space race was born.
The Space race in it's infancy was more about weapon superiority than anything else. Rockets that carried bombs.The United States for the first few years after the war was the sole nation on Earth to have atomic weapons, the Soviets although a former ally feared the status of a sole superpower, who had bases and weapons near the Soviet Union. The Soviets had acquired technology and scientists from Germany as did the United States, but most of those scientists were sent to the United States, the Soviets began to work immediately on the designs the Nazi's had created, and worked feverishly to improve on those designs, as they saw it for the defense of the Motherland, never trusting the intentions of the United States.
The Soviets developed the R-7 rocket which was used to launch Sputnik the very first satellite put into earth orbit, it was a simple radio transponder that could be heard on shortwave radios as it revolved around the earth. The race to space was still more about missiles and carrying nuclear weapons, than communications or cameras which could be used for spying. Somewhere in the back of the minds of the various engineers though was the notion of putting a human being into space. It was the dream of these engineers to allow man to travel thru the stars and to explore the universe.
The technology of today allows for more than placing humans into orbit around our planet, we have travelled to the moon, landed there and even brought back samples of the soil. We have sent probes to Mars, and have even sent probes beyond our universe. To explore that which is beyond our tiny little globe. What we need is the courage to challenge ourselves. Our only knowledge of the universe is that which we can see with a telescope, or at night with the naked eye. Space as far as we know is infinite. But that is only what we know. To solve the problems needed to master the complexities of long range space travel would require immense study and mastery of a whole range of issues including health, energy, time, mechanical, environmental problems that would appear during long range travel whether it be to Mars, or beyond the effort should be a global approach, utilizing the very best of the Human race. A cooperative approach in engineering, finance, technology. Putting our resources to their best use for a common goal, for a common people. Given our history as a people we have accomplished a lot as it pertains to flight, and travel into space, but our imagination is limitless. Thus our ability is limitless. For all the goals we have achieved, the goals that we have not are just waiting for us to reach them.
The United States and it's people have always been a catalyst for change, let the change begin here in our hearts, let us vow to change the way we think of Space, and where we shall go. Let it be the United States and it's people that initiated the effort that leads an entire people in to a great leap, that will transform travel, energy, communication, all the complexities that are inherent in travel into space are complexities that we face here on Earth. It is the frontier of our time. It is the frontier of our future. Space is indeed, the new frontier.
The Space race in it's infancy was more about weapon superiority than anything else. Rockets that carried bombs.The United States for the first few years after the war was the sole nation on Earth to have atomic weapons, the Soviets although a former ally feared the status of a sole superpower, who had bases and weapons near the Soviet Union. The Soviets had acquired technology and scientists from Germany as did the United States, but most of those scientists were sent to the United States, the Soviets began to work immediately on the designs the Nazi's had created, and worked feverishly to improve on those designs, as they saw it for the defense of the Motherland, never trusting the intentions of the United States.
The Soviets developed the R-7 rocket which was used to launch Sputnik the very first satellite put into earth orbit, it was a simple radio transponder that could be heard on shortwave radios as it revolved around the earth. The race to space was still more about missiles and carrying nuclear weapons, than communications or cameras which could be used for spying. Somewhere in the back of the minds of the various engineers though was the notion of putting a human being into space. It was the dream of these engineers to allow man to travel thru the stars and to explore the universe.
The technology of today allows for more than placing humans into orbit around our planet, we have travelled to the moon, landed there and even brought back samples of the soil. We have sent probes to Mars, and have even sent probes beyond our universe. To explore that which is beyond our tiny little globe. What we need is the courage to challenge ourselves. Our only knowledge of the universe is that which we can see with a telescope, or at night with the naked eye. Space as far as we know is infinite. But that is only what we know. To solve the problems needed to master the complexities of long range space travel would require immense study and mastery of a whole range of issues including health, energy, time, mechanical, environmental problems that would appear during long range travel whether it be to Mars, or beyond the effort should be a global approach, utilizing the very best of the Human race. A cooperative approach in engineering, finance, technology. Putting our resources to their best use for a common goal, for a common people. Given our history as a people we have accomplished a lot as it pertains to flight, and travel into space, but our imagination is limitless. Thus our ability is limitless. For all the goals we have achieved, the goals that we have not are just waiting for us to reach them.
The United States and it's people have always been a catalyst for change, let the change begin here in our hearts, let us vow to change the way we think of Space, and where we shall go. Let it be the United States and it's people that initiated the effort that leads an entire people in to a great leap, that will transform travel, energy, communication, all the complexities that are inherent in travel into space are complexities that we face here on Earth. It is the frontier of our time. It is the frontier of our future. Space is indeed, the new frontier.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Ben....... You Ignorant Slut !
I hope Bill Murray will forgive me for using his famous line. I just couldn't help myself this morning. Watching Ben Bernanke and Congressmen Ron Paul this morning, reminded me so much of Jane Curtain and Bill Murray on the set of Saturday Night Live, Bill sitting there with a look of contempt on his face, Jane in puzzled wonder as she sits across from Bill Murray spewing dribble, and Bill just staring at her as if to scream are you serious with this ? Jane you ignorant slut.
Ben Bernanke as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve was asked a direct question from Congressman Paul yesterday, he was asked by Congressman Paul if he thought gold was money. There was a slight pause to his answer, and then he replied ..... NO. And there it is folks, thousands of years of history, Empires created, and destroyed, Society's that have imploded thru out history, and Ben Bernanke is apparently ignorant to all of this, and of course in his infinite wisdom, creating paper off of a printing press, and distributing that paper is the answer to all of our ills, even though it was pointed out to Mr. Bernanke that with the aggregate amount of the " Injection of Liquidity " that QE 1 and 2 that has been supplied into the economy totals to around $ 17,000 per person in this Country our economy is still in a malaise ( to put it mildly ) and the Federal Reserve Chairman is ready and willing to add more to the economy if needed. I just got to ask this again....... Ben are you serious ?
I guess I don't want to be to hard on Ben, after all he is in a tough spot, He was nominated by the very people who want to spend the money he prints. He is in a position to tell the United States Congress, and the world for that matter, that printing all this money is okay. Don't worry fellas I got your back, is the stand he is paid to take. In Atlas Shrugged James Taggert spent his whole life evading the truth, Ben Bernanke is a paid puppet whose destiny is to tell the political class that he is there to keep the fiat train a runnin,......... there is just one glitch in all this. A Congressman from Texas, who is shinning the light of truth on the Federal Reserve and just how much of a farce it is.
Our founders were keenly aware of the dangers of fiat, or paper money which is why specie was important to them as a currency for the United States. Hayek was kind in this matter, in fact he felt that if all you had were wash machines to put in reserve, that would be fine, the point is if you want a stable currency, one that has objective, predictable value, there needs to be a tangible asset in reserve for that currency. What Ben is giving us is paper that is printed at will. I wish Ron would have had more time with the Chairman, I am sure that he would have detailed more about inflation. You see Ron understands that not including fuel and food because they are volatile in the core inflation rate is like having a pool with no water in it. Fuel and food are the core of survival. Oh and by the way, if your currency has no value, the cost of both will increase. Ben apparently doesn't want us to recognise that. But as the good Congressman pointed out, ask any wife in America if inflation over the last few years has only been one or two percent.There would be a completely different point of view on that.
Our money is our Liberty, and if the Central Bank can take away the value of our work, then the Central Bank is taking away our liberty. Folks I encourage you to do all that you can to understand the dangers in that. Especially if you want to live in a world of liberty.
For further reading on this please follow these links:
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
So The Free Market is a Failure ?
Driving in to work today on a local radio program was a discussion on the legislation that phases out the incandescent light bulb, a proponent of this mandated phase out was a Gentleman named Daniel Weiss. His fundamental argument was the reason such a phase out is required for progress in the 120 year old technology of light bulbs was there is such a thing as Market Failure. Very interesting. In other words the idea that I will exchange my labor, for money, so that I can then use that money to have someone else exchange there labor for money, has a flaw. To quote Spock from Star Trek ....... fascinating !
There are academics who espouse a school of thought that believes there are " externalities " in the economy and those externalities both positive and negative keep producers and consumers from achieving rational decisions with out the influence of an outside referee if you will, that referee in our case is the United States Federal Government. A negative externality in this case is that the incandescent light bulb, is inefficient and uses to much energy, and in order to produce electricity for that incandescent lamp, the coal fired power plant is harming the health of the citizens who live within the downwind areas of that coal plant, inhaling mercury and other toxins that are spewing in the air. The other negative externalitie is that producers will not take capital risks to produce a more efficient light bulb, or rather there is no one producer willing to take the risk of being the first to produce a more efficient light bulb, due to the fact that there is no level playing field, or standard that all producers have to follow so therefore why take the risk, and lose lots of business and capital ?
What really is being laid out here is that unless there are mandated standards for all industry's and services, there will not be real competition in our economy. This attitude makes business less competitive. This attitude makes for a statist planned economy. This attitude will make the American manufacture and service provider a failure in the global economy. Just take a small trip down memory lane, Edison had a completely different view of how to provide Electricity than did Westinghouse, by the standards advocated by academics And Mr. Weiss the United States government should have mandated how electricity would be provided to consumers and then the experimentation of how to build the plants would be regulated, and then the capital would be laid out, and then there would have been competition. The Electricity we enjoy today would never have been created. It was thru learning, building, experimenting, and risking capital in a free market that created both the power to create electricity, and the light bulb that was screwed in a socket to the consumer.
Have we lost the spirit to create in this country ? Are the producers of this nation nothing more than managers of concerns ? I hope not, if that is indeed the case than there will be more innovative ideas from abroad, and those innovators will be the winners in the global economy, and our standard of living will surely fall, and our position as a leader will indeed be diminished. I personally like the compact fluorescent lamp, and have been an advocate of it's use for well over 20 years, but that is me, I do not think there should be a referee telling you or me or any one else how to light our homes or business. If you have a problem with pollution fine, that is a valid " property rights " issue. So the pants off of utilities, or the coal mining company, sounds good to me, but to regulate an entire economy, in particular as if a Central Authority could be wiser than 300 million people all trying to satisfy their individual needs is promoting fascist ideas, and have no place in the United States, or within a world of Liberty.
For further reading on this please check out these links:
http://www.fff.org/freedom/0593f.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Westinghouse
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=IssueItems.Detail&IssueItem_ID=f10ca3dd-fabd-4900-aa9d-c19de47df2da&Month=12&Year=2007
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Dear Mr. President...........
I have to admit....... I actually woke up this morning thinking the President needed my advice on something, and I actually had the arrogance to think that he would listen. After all I am a reasonably well informed citizen, and he professes that he is open to all ideas. So let's pretend that all of you are the President of the United States, and I am just an ordinary, but well informed, deeply concerned citizen trying to help your ( or his in this case) political career and the country both at the same time, and in this scenario, just keep in mind I have no ambition for your office, I have no desire to reside in Washington D.C. ( after all it's not even a State, so how important can the place be ? ) I just know that if you follow my advice, the economy will perk up rather nicely, folks will become productive taxpaying citizens, and we as a nation can once again feel good in taking care of our neediest of citizens improve our infrastructure, and be the place in the world where everyone wants to be, because this will be where you can make Lot's of money and have fun doing it all at the same time.So Mr. President here is my advice:
1) What needs to desperately take place for the economy to start moving is to spur private investment. Capital formation is not taking place in this country, you have relied to much on the Central Bank, and Banks in general to be the major source of Capital in our society. Ditch that model, mind you a bank has a role in the formation of Capital, but there should be more competition in the marketplace. Private equity, savings, issuance of stock, Private cash holdings in the hands of individuals are methods far more productive than a credit system by a Central Bank. And one of the best ways to accomplish this is to work with Congress on: ending all taxation on savings accounts.End the Capital Gains taxes. End all taxes on the sale of Stocks and bonds. Allow 401(k) accounts to go completely untaxed as the Roth IRA does.Also include in this that any Capital from abroad in savings accounts or purchase of bond or stocks, should go completely untaxed.
2) Taxes. No one sir disagrees that government needs revenue. The question is how much, and for what purpose. We can all reasonably disagree on what the legitimate function of government should be, that after all is what a society is about. But what is important for a strong economy is predictability. Calculations need to be made by everyone for economic consideration, these calculations determine whether or not a project, or purchase will go forward. So let's make it simple. A national sales tax for the end user of a product, or service for the whole country. No deductions, no loopholes, everyone pays. It's fair, it's simple, it's predictable. The States can decide for themselves how they wish to raise revenue, that is not a Federal matter, what you and I are concerned with here Sir is the Federal Revenues.
3) The Budget. We currently take in according to CBO 2.2 trillion dollars. Set our budget on that framework, and adjust our spending accordingly. We can pay our bills on a 60 to 90 day framework. Business does it all the time. We can to. If we find there is a shortfall, then we adjust the budget quarterly, sitting down with Congress and finding out the priorities is going to be important, but that is what a good leader does, it will be up to you And whomever is in charge of the House to figure that out, but realize we must live within our means. Debt no matter what any one else tells you is not a good thing.
4) Money. Our money is a fiat currency, that needs to come to an end. Hayek pointed out that money needs tangible assets to give currency value, Gold is the tradition, but there are a multitude of options, this country has a large portfolio of tangible assets that can be set aside, to be used solely for the purpose of giving our currency value. Again what the market needs is predictability. Rather than worry about the strength of the Dollar, sit down with Mr. Bernanke, and Congress a decide a level of value, keep assets aside to maintain that value, and leave well enough alone. If Ben doesn't want to play this way, replace him, and in the meantime allow the Treasury to issue Dollars with intrinsic value. Watch how fast Ben and the boys start to play team ball.
I know Sir you have a lot on your plate, and I tend to drone on and on....... so before the caffeine you so generously offered really kicks in, I will stop here for now, and try to keep things simple. Take your time to think this through, give it a couple of days, and then I encourage you to go forward with this 4 point plan with boldness, and courage.If you decide not to follow this advice, or may be unsure if you agree, please let me know within a week, I know a few other folks who are interested in your job, and coming into office with a sound strategy for the economy I am sure is number one on their list.
Thanks, and Good Day to you Sir !
Monday, July 11, 2011
Il Duce !
Mr. Paul Krugman wrote an opinion piece for the New York Times on the 10th of July titled " No We Can't, or Won't " with his assertion being that the economy of the United States has been stuck in a rut for the last year and a half. His premise, at least one premise with in the article any way, the one that caught my attention more than anything else in the article was " creating jobs in a depressed economy is something government could and should be doing ". Really ? What Mr. Krugman does not tell his readers, or go into any depth explaining to his readers is how he had come to the conclusion that government should be creating jobs, nor did he take the time to explain if government could create jobs. Real jobs. It is I take it, a forgone conclusion then that in the United States a nation founded on liberty, and freedom, the purpose of our government, that is our government " of the people, for the people, and by the people " is to create jobs.Why stop at a time of depression ? Why not guarantee every one a job ? Why not call the United States the people's republic ? Would that not be more consistent ?
Mr. Krugman has insisted for several years now that deficit spending to spur the economy on public works projects is sorely needed ( as did his philosophical father IL Duce ) it is the Socialist answer to all economic ills, a model that has been proven to be a failure time, and time again. Read this excerpt........Mussolini launched several public construction programs and government initiatives throughout Italy to combat economic setbacks or unemployment........now read Herr Krugman: Think about it: Where are the big public works projects? Where are the armies of government workers? .........As you can see deficit spending, public works projects, and increasing taxes are all the Progressives have for an answer. A one line play book, designed by statist over 90 years ago.
By listening to progressive economic ideas what the President and his predecessor missed was the importance of the price mechanism in the economy, had Banks that had issued bad loans gone out of business, there would have been room for Banks that were solvent to step in a purchase the bad assets at fire sale prices. If homes are allowed to foreclose, and new owners who have the cash to pay for them at bargain basement prices, are allowed to then be the new owners, the housing crisis would come to an end. Instead what statist politicians, and interventionist progressives prefer is the idea of inflation to keep prices up in the economy rather than seeking their bottom. This only perpetuates the problem, which is one of the main reasons the Great Depression was prolonged for the length of time it went on.
Our economy to succeed needs to return to it's free market roots. We need to end subsidies, in particular for failed automobile companies, as well as banking institutions. Mr. Krugman would be correct in his analysis if his premises were correct. However they are not.
What we need in our economy in order to make it thrive, is a world of liberty.
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini#Economic_policy
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/opinion/11krugman.html
http://mises.org/daily/4807
Mr. Krugman has insisted for several years now that deficit spending to spur the economy on public works projects is sorely needed ( as did his philosophical father IL Duce ) it is the Socialist answer to all economic ills, a model that has been proven to be a failure time, and time again. Read this excerpt........Mussolini launched several public construction programs and government initiatives throughout Italy to combat economic setbacks or unemployment........now read Herr Krugman: Think about it: Where are the big public works projects? Where are the armies of government workers? .........As you can see deficit spending, public works projects, and increasing taxes are all the Progressives have for an answer. A one line play book, designed by statist over 90 years ago.
By listening to progressive economic ideas what the President and his predecessor missed was the importance of the price mechanism in the economy, had Banks that had issued bad loans gone out of business, there would have been room for Banks that were solvent to step in a purchase the bad assets at fire sale prices. If homes are allowed to foreclose, and new owners who have the cash to pay for them at bargain basement prices, are allowed to then be the new owners, the housing crisis would come to an end. Instead what statist politicians, and interventionist progressives prefer is the idea of inflation to keep prices up in the economy rather than seeking their bottom. This only perpetuates the problem, which is one of the main reasons the Great Depression was prolonged for the length of time it went on.
Our economy to succeed needs to return to it's free market roots. We need to end subsidies, in particular for failed automobile companies, as well as banking institutions. Mr. Krugman would be correct in his analysis if his premises were correct. However they are not.
What we need in our economy in order to make it thrive, is a world of liberty.
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_Mussolini#Economic_policy
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/11/opinion/11krugman.html
http://mises.org/daily/4807
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Hey Baby !
Every once in a while you meet some one in your life and know just with in the first five minutes that you are looking at this person and know " that's the way life is meant to be lived " and if you ever meet Ernie Hassan you know what I am talking about. Usually this kind of spirit is found in a church, maybe in politics, but Ernie is about living, and his living is sandwiches. The best in the Detroit area ( voted that way 4 years in a row by the way ) and he has been doing it for 60 years. When Ernie makes a sandwich he likes to hook it up ! When he really likes you, Ernie will make you a sandwich and put a " lot of love " on that sandwich. He will tell you it's not about the money. It's about a simple idea. To make the best sandwich your lips have ever put themselves onto. Having tried one myself, I got to say I was really impressed. That is not what has stuck with me, even though the sandwich was pretty impressive itself, but to actually meet someone who is living their dream, who day after day is pursuing their pleasure, always a smile on their face, it's almost as if you were standing in real life inside an Ayn Rand novel, it can make you feel in real life what Galt's Gulch was written about. Why the concept of " the pursuit of happiness " is so important. To stand in front of that kind of enthusiasm, watching someone actually enjoy their work, even if only observing, the excitement this man brings to the world with his little store can fill your entire soul for days.
There is a deep satisfaction in knowing that we live in a country where this type of independent, small business still can thrive. The Market itself sits on a corner in the back of an industrial neighborhood in Oak Park. It is the kind of place you would drive by in a more Urban area and not pay attention to, in fact it almost looks abandoned. Step inside, and all you feel is love, warmth, and appreciation. That's what Ernie brings to this world......... if only there were more like him..............
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt0xnwcdJIY
There is a deep satisfaction in knowing that we live in a country where this type of independent, small business still can thrive. The Market itself sits on a corner in the back of an industrial neighborhood in Oak Park. It is the kind of place you would drive by in a more Urban area and not pay attention to, in fact it almost looks abandoned. Step inside, and all you feel is love, warmth, and appreciation. That's what Ernie brings to this world......... if only there were more like him..............
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt0xnwcdJIY
Friday, July 8, 2011
So Long Atlantis......... We will miss you ?
I noted with interest the reaction of people in general about the Atlantis Shuttle launch today. There was a sense of disbelief, even disappointment in the launch. The Last. Finished. The End of an Era. To tell the truth I didn't give it much thought, nor cared. I knew it was coming, but it didn't seem to matter. We live in an age where Seniors in the next 10 years may loose there medical and retirement benefits, the economy is anemic to say the least, gas prices are still very high. Soldiers are still in Iraq. Just one more end to our greatness. Or to be cynical, the end of more bloated, wasteful government spending on useless programs.
During the 90's I really questioned the need for NASA. The space race as I grew up knowing it was to " beat the Russians " . Can't let the commies put a missile on the moon, so my grandfather would say to me. There was a sense of National purpose to all this. The cold war was on and it had to be fought for freedom.It's strange though, I was not always so critical of the program. In fact as a boy I did want to be an astronaut. I learned the Constellations, took a great interest in science, physics, chemistry these were things that if I did not learn in school, I found the information myself in the Library. I don't know when that changed, and I don't know why that changed, I just know that at some point it become just another shuttle launch, or just another satellite put into orbit, yet for the most part, the history of NASA and all the combined missions are a timeline of my life for the most part.
I was born on the 21st of February in 1962, as a child growing up my mother always made a remark that had I been born a few hours earlier I would have been born on the same day that John Glenn orbited the Earth. She often talked about that as I was growing up. I can remember riding in the back seat of my fathers car listening to the radio,both my sister and I, when Neil Armstrong was setting foot on the moon. I was still pretty young, but I remember the excitement of the grownups of this happening, you just KNEW something big was going on. My next memories are of the launch of Skylab, and the local news talking about how you could see the spaceship passing over Detroit, and that night I went out in the backyard and saw the lights and a faint trail of the jets at the rear of the craft for only a moment. It was so exciting to be a kid and look up and see this craft right over your house. I was standing there with my sister yelling " see it ....... see it..... !
After that my next real memory was when the Shuttle Challenger had exploded. I had just gotten out of the Navy, I was laying on my Aunt's living room floor watching TV. Everyone had gone for the day, every one was at work, and I knew the launch was going to take place so I flipped the channel ( in those days you had to do it by hand ) and the ship took off and then .....B O O M !. It was surreal, my eyes told me everything that was going on, but my brain refused to accept the reality. The ship had exploded, it was gone. Surely everyone on board was killed, and then a few seconds later you could hear the tower; it appears there has been a malfunction........ya think ? was all my brain could say to no one in particular. I sat there in total disbelief of what I had seen, but knew it was as real as the carpet underneath me.
Really the next thought I have of NASA would be of the Colombia, it was a Saturday morning, just another mission. It was gray and cold, and that was all that was on the radio all morning long, and you just knew once again that all those aboard were lost, it had occurred to me that morning that it had been a long time since I had cared about a shuttle launch, and really the only reason I knew about it was because my father was watching it on television, otherwise I would have read about it on the Internet. There is the major change in all of our lives. We now had access to the world, and there were 500 channels on the television rather than 3, this gave us more opportunity to explore other things, to open our eyes to what WE wanted to see, rather than what the networks wanted to push into our living rooms. Don't want to watch the President's speech, no problem...... what's on HBO ?
Quite frankly until this morning I have not thought about NASA, or the Shuttle as I said, I do think much of the program is a waste of money. I do think we pour billions into a program that does not give back in return that what it is perceived to give. Maybe though there is a hidden hypocrisy within all of us. Or let me take all the blame here. I don't want the shuttle program to end. I don't want NASA to end. I want the glory of what NASA does stand for, I want the glory of what this country can be when she sets her mind to it. I do love when " we the people " roll up our sleeves and do the impossible, when we "Americans" do what no one else can do. I want An American to be the first. That is what NASA always stood for, and what America has stood for.Let me go out on a limb. I have no right to do this, but I want to speak for a generation of Americans. Do not End the NASA program. Let us pledge to endeavour forward and make NASA what it was meant to be. The problem is, as it is for much of our country, there is no direction. There seems to be no purpose. Existing for it's own sake NASA has come to embody much of the American malaise. You can have the best engineers, the finest pilots, the most sophisticated computers known to man, but if ya got no where to go, then what is the point of being here. what is the point of fueling a rocket just to round and round the globe. Been there and done that.
Somewhere in each and every one of us that grew up with the Apollo, Skylab, and now the Shuttle programs we have seen the very best that our country can offer. Now let's get that spirit back, put it to work and to use a paraphrase from another series of movies : to boldly go where no man has gone.........
that is what should be next, that is the direction we all need to be going, that my friends, can be the enduring legacy of our generation.
Next stop . Mars.
for further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/135_splash/index.html
http://history.nasa.gov/sts51l.html
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/glenn-j.html
During the 90's I really questioned the need for NASA. The space race as I grew up knowing it was to " beat the Russians " . Can't let the commies put a missile on the moon, so my grandfather would say to me. There was a sense of National purpose to all this. The cold war was on and it had to be fought for freedom.It's strange though, I was not always so critical of the program. In fact as a boy I did want to be an astronaut. I learned the Constellations, took a great interest in science, physics, chemistry these were things that if I did not learn in school, I found the information myself in the Library. I don't know when that changed, and I don't know why that changed, I just know that at some point it become just another shuttle launch, or just another satellite put into orbit, yet for the most part, the history of NASA and all the combined missions are a timeline of my life for the most part.
I was born on the 21st of February in 1962, as a child growing up my mother always made a remark that had I been born a few hours earlier I would have been born on the same day that John Glenn orbited the Earth. She often talked about that as I was growing up. I can remember riding in the back seat of my fathers car listening to the radio,both my sister and I, when Neil Armstrong was setting foot on the moon. I was still pretty young, but I remember the excitement of the grownups of this happening, you just KNEW something big was going on. My next memories are of the launch of Skylab, and the local news talking about how you could see the spaceship passing over Detroit, and that night I went out in the backyard and saw the lights and a faint trail of the jets at the rear of the craft for only a moment. It was so exciting to be a kid and look up and see this craft right over your house. I was standing there with my sister yelling " see it ....... see it..... !
After that my next real memory was when the Shuttle Challenger had exploded. I had just gotten out of the Navy, I was laying on my Aunt's living room floor watching TV. Everyone had gone for the day, every one was at work, and I knew the launch was going to take place so I flipped the channel ( in those days you had to do it by hand ) and the ship took off and then .....B O O M !. It was surreal, my eyes told me everything that was going on, but my brain refused to accept the reality. The ship had exploded, it was gone. Surely everyone on board was killed, and then a few seconds later you could hear the tower; it appears there has been a malfunction........ya think ? was all my brain could say to no one in particular. I sat there in total disbelief of what I had seen, but knew it was as real as the carpet underneath me.
Really the next thought I have of NASA would be of the Colombia, it was a Saturday morning, just another mission. It was gray and cold, and that was all that was on the radio all morning long, and you just knew once again that all those aboard were lost, it had occurred to me that morning that it had been a long time since I had cared about a shuttle launch, and really the only reason I knew about it was because my father was watching it on television, otherwise I would have read about it on the Internet. There is the major change in all of our lives. We now had access to the world, and there were 500 channels on the television rather than 3, this gave us more opportunity to explore other things, to open our eyes to what WE wanted to see, rather than what the networks wanted to push into our living rooms. Don't want to watch the President's speech, no problem...... what's on HBO ?
Quite frankly until this morning I have not thought about NASA, or the Shuttle as I said, I do think much of the program is a waste of money. I do think we pour billions into a program that does not give back in return that what it is perceived to give. Maybe though there is a hidden hypocrisy within all of us. Or let me take all the blame here. I don't want the shuttle program to end. I don't want NASA to end. I want the glory of what NASA does stand for, I want the glory of what this country can be when she sets her mind to it. I do love when " we the people " roll up our sleeves and do the impossible, when we "Americans" do what no one else can do. I want An American to be the first. That is what NASA always stood for, and what America has stood for.Let me go out on a limb. I have no right to do this, but I want to speak for a generation of Americans. Do not End the NASA program. Let us pledge to endeavour forward and make NASA what it was meant to be. The problem is, as it is for much of our country, there is no direction. There seems to be no purpose. Existing for it's own sake NASA has come to embody much of the American malaise. You can have the best engineers, the finest pilots, the most sophisticated computers known to man, but if ya got no where to go, then what is the point of being here. what is the point of fueling a rocket just to round and round the globe. Been there and done that.
Somewhere in each and every one of us that grew up with the Apollo, Skylab, and now the Shuttle programs we have seen the very best that our country can offer. Now let's get that spirit back, put it to work and to use a paraphrase from another series of movies : to boldly go where no man has gone.........
that is what should be next, that is the direction we all need to be going, that my friends, can be the enduring legacy of our generation.
Next stop . Mars.
for further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/135_splash/index.html
http://history.nasa.gov/sts51l.html
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/glenn-j.html
What is the Debt Really About ?
The budget news in Washington somehow has really bored me, I do not think of myself as a cynic but what is there to this story ? The United States government has, and is spending too much money. Period. That's a story ? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. A quick look at the Office of Management and Budget, as well as the White House website show that the proposed budget for FY 2012 is 3.7 trillion dollars. And they already know there will be a shortfall. Let me say that again......THEY ALREADY KNOW THERE WILL BE A SHORTFALL. The country we are in debt to the most right now is China. The Chinese government has already publicly stated that there will be consequences for a default on the debt payments if Congress considers taking that course of action. So I just want to ask amongst friends here; why would anyone spend more money than there taking in ? Oh and by the way before you answer that keep this in mind, the government is taking in 2.2 trillion dollars. That's right boys and girls we are taking in 2.2 trillion dollars now. Somehow it strikes me as wrong that we send that much to Washington, and by the way that is just what we send to Washington ( that means more to your State, and local municipality ) and it is not enough. Guess what; it will never be enough. Off of the top of my head I could name a few Federal Departments we could close tomorrow, and the world would not come to an end. In fact life would go on just fine. For example The Department of Labor, The Department of Agriculture, The Department of Education, The Environmental Protection Agency. We could close all of these departments tomorrow and we will all still be able to live healthy productive lives. Also most State governments already have these Departments so why not save a trillion and not go in debt and just close these Departments ? I suppose I am just to simple of a person to ask such a question, I mean after all, we do pay Congressman and there staffs to tell us the people that these are necessary functions of government, and I am sure they are quite sincere when they tell the public this with a straight face.
For my money ....... the bet is we will get the 3.7 trillion dollar budget, the higher taxes to pay for it, there will be loopholes for large corporations, or corporations based outside the U.S., and the debt will be passed along to another generation......... oh and if you think you are going to retire in the next 15 years........... he he he he he he he he........
Any Takers ?
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021400906.html?hpid=topnews
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Overview/
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/year2012_0.html
For my money ....... the bet is we will get the 3.7 trillion dollar budget, the higher taxes to pay for it, there will be loopholes for large corporations, or corporations based outside the U.S., and the debt will be passed along to another generation......... oh and if you think you are going to retire in the next 15 years........... he he he he he he he he........
Any Takers ?
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/14/AR2011021400906.html?hpid=topnews
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Overview/
http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/year2012_0.html
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Is it Reasonable ?
We as a people are faced again with another question of the limits to our liberty, a matter in which technology can be used in such a way as to track precise movements of the citizenry. It is not new, we all know it as GPS. We have it on our cellular phones, just as streaming video is now a common feature. The question is can an officer put a device on your car and track your movements without a warrant ? There is a case coming before the Supreme Court on this matter. I am not amazed that a government entity would usurp it's powers, after all seeking power is the largest form of corruption known to man. What is more interesting is the slow response of legislators in protecting the rights and liberties of it's citizens, at both the State and Federal level. Is that not why we institute governments ? To protect our liberties ? It can be appalling how in a matter such as this the premise is the amount of power the State requires, rather than the limits of it's power over the invasion of liberties of it's people.
What Police Departments feel just in doing is putting a GPS tracking device on a person's Automobile, and track there " precise" movements. They then use this information against a defendant in a court case. All without a search warrant. It seems they feel they do not have to. Let me show you a portion the 4th amendment to the constitution:
The Right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures your effects alone would translate to your belongings, your PROPERTY that would be including your automobile. Even if it is parked in a public parking lot it is still YOUR property, but that is one of the arguments the government is making that an automobile parked in public is fair game, What if I go to the grocery store my car is no the domain of whoever can get in and start the car ? Really ? Without transfer of title and paying the same taxes that I paid to get to the grocery store ? Absurd.
Watch this case closely the ramifications are dangerous, to allow this kind of police encroachment without due process of the law gives the police unlimited power to search you, this is not what the framers had in mind when they spoke of liberty. It is not the actions of a government intended to secure our world of liberty as we know it as free citizens either.
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/89214-do-cops-need-a-warrant-to-plant-a-gps-tracker-in-your-car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0410a.asp
What Police Departments feel just in doing is putting a GPS tracking device on a person's Automobile, and track there " precise" movements. They then use this information against a defendant in a court case. All without a search warrant. It seems they feel they do not have to. Let me show you a portion the 4th amendment to the constitution:
The Right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures your effects alone would translate to your belongings, your PROPERTY that would be including your automobile. Even if it is parked in a public parking lot it is still YOUR property, but that is one of the arguments the government is making that an automobile parked in public is fair game, What if I go to the grocery store my car is no the domain of whoever can get in and start the car ? Really ? Without transfer of title and paying the same taxes that I paid to get to the grocery store ? Absurd.
Watch this case closely the ramifications are dangerous, to allow this kind of police encroachment without due process of the law gives the police unlimited power to search you, this is not what the framers had in mind when they spoke of liberty. It is not the actions of a government intended to secure our world of liberty as we know it as free citizens either.
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/89214-do-cops-need-a-warrant-to-plant-a-gps-tracker-in-your-car
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0410a.asp
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Better to be Judged by 12...........
I had attended a rally a few years ago hosted by a Group called BRASS ROOTS, the rally was intended to gather signatures for petitioning the new CCW laws that are available to Citizens of Michigan, somewhere along the line someone made a comment that went " it's better to be judged by 12, then carried by six" . Of course at the time that meant in the context of self defense, it was better to arm and defend yourself, and then be judged by your peers, rather than being a victim and carried away in a coffin.Judged by your peers,.......... from that moment forward I realized that we have a special system in this country, it has it's flaws, but can you name anything devised by man that does not ?
This topic of course is big news today because of Casey Anthony and her trial. If there is one thing I have come to trust it would be to accept the wisdom of 12 independent minded people who sit on a jury. There is no doubt in my mind that the system that is letting her go free of murder ( as of yet there are charges waiting to be sentenced for ) is the fairest system we can devise to protect innocence in this country. I can recall a saying that goes " tis better to let 10 guilty men go free, than to harbor one innocent man to prison". If we were to adopt a system of professional jurists in this country we would then subject ourselves to an entrenched bureaucracy of whom would be quite comfortable with judges, prosecutors, even police, with that kind of familiarity what chance does an innocent person have against a Leviathan that has the sole discretion of power in our society ? With a system of professional Jurists how do you maintain a system of " Innocent until proven guilty" ?
We could trace a multitude of court cases in our history and show that juries have made " mistakes" ( according to how we see the evidence ourselves ) but would that then demonstrate the correct premise of a government Jury system ? Would those mistakes as some would like to define them, demonstrate a necessity to take away the right, the absolute duty of citizenship to participate in a Jury ? Hardly; for that gives credence to a false premise, the premise of the benevolence of government. Any right a government gives, it can take away, the Citizen Jury system is the final check and balance to that. The power, an absolute and undeniable power the citizenry has in that jury box, tells the government they have permission to proceed with their monopoly on power, or on the other hand, completely strips the government of all of it's power over it's citizens. Would we trade that, for a Professional Jury system, I hope, I pray we never do that in this country, it is the epitome of " We The People " as far as I am concerned.
I know that there is a small child in Heaven who is standing next to God looking up with a smile on her face. I see them holding hands and walking in peace among the clouds. There is no justification for the brutal death of that young girl. Period. Listening to the radio this morning and reading a few news accounts, from what I have determined someone made a huge mistake yesterday, but I was not on that Jury, chances are none of you were either. We have a wonderful system, it puts the absolute burden of proof onto the government, that burden of proof must be beyond reasonable doubt. It is our job as citizens to make sure that the proof is just that, beyond reasonable doubt. if a jury of our peers do not feel that the Prosecutor meet that criteria, then at best we must accept that the intentions of the jury was in the best interest of the loss of a truly innocent life, and also in preventing the loss of liberty of another life. In the end God Almighty will be the final judge.
In the end if we are to preserve our world of liberty, then the jury system we have is the final guarantee of that system.
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/jury/moreinfo/dialoguepart1.authcheckdam.pdf
http://www.lysanderspooner.org/node/35
http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0511d.pdf
This topic of course is big news today because of Casey Anthony and her trial. If there is one thing I have come to trust it would be to accept the wisdom of 12 independent minded people who sit on a jury. There is no doubt in my mind that the system that is letting her go free of murder ( as of yet there are charges waiting to be sentenced for ) is the fairest system we can devise to protect innocence in this country. I can recall a saying that goes " tis better to let 10 guilty men go free, than to harbor one innocent man to prison". If we were to adopt a system of professional jurists in this country we would then subject ourselves to an entrenched bureaucracy of whom would be quite comfortable with judges, prosecutors, even police, with that kind of familiarity what chance does an innocent person have against a Leviathan that has the sole discretion of power in our society ? With a system of professional Jurists how do you maintain a system of " Innocent until proven guilty" ?
We could trace a multitude of court cases in our history and show that juries have made " mistakes" ( according to how we see the evidence ourselves ) but would that then demonstrate the correct premise of a government Jury system ? Would those mistakes as some would like to define them, demonstrate a necessity to take away the right, the absolute duty of citizenship to participate in a Jury ? Hardly; for that gives credence to a false premise, the premise of the benevolence of government. Any right a government gives, it can take away, the Citizen Jury system is the final check and balance to that. The power, an absolute and undeniable power the citizenry has in that jury box, tells the government they have permission to proceed with their monopoly on power, or on the other hand, completely strips the government of all of it's power over it's citizens. Would we trade that, for a Professional Jury system, I hope, I pray we never do that in this country, it is the epitome of " We The People " as far as I am concerned.
I know that there is a small child in Heaven who is standing next to God looking up with a smile on her face. I see them holding hands and walking in peace among the clouds. There is no justification for the brutal death of that young girl. Period. Listening to the radio this morning and reading a few news accounts, from what I have determined someone made a huge mistake yesterday, but I was not on that Jury, chances are none of you were either. We have a wonderful system, it puts the absolute burden of proof onto the government, that burden of proof must be beyond reasonable doubt. It is our job as citizens to make sure that the proof is just that, beyond reasonable doubt. if a jury of our peers do not feel that the Prosecutor meet that criteria, then at best we must accept that the intentions of the jury was in the best interest of the loss of a truly innocent life, and also in preventing the loss of liberty of another life. In the end God Almighty will be the final judge.
In the end if we are to preserve our world of liberty, then the jury system we have is the final guarantee of that system.
For further reading on this please follow these links:
http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/migrated/jury/moreinfo/dialoguepart1.authcheckdam.pdf
http://www.lysanderspooner.org/node/35
http://www.fff.org/freedom/fd0511d.pdf
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