Top Of My Head


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Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day - Shake a Vet's hand, tell them thank you

Today is the day that we honor the men and women who gave the absolute sacrifice for their country.  Without these men and women, our country would be very different than it is today.  We wouldn't be free, the majority of us wouldn't speak English and we wouldn't be the amazing country we are today.

But, I wonder about those men and women who have survive.  I wonder, do we do enough for them?  Do we show our gratitude often enough?  Do we give them our thanks?

So, here's what I purpose for anyone reading this article - starting today - every time you see a vet, tell him or her, thanks.  

It doesn't matter where you are when you do so.  If you see a soldier, Marine or sailor in uniform, shake their hand, look them in the eye and thank them for their service.  If you see someone in a hat that says veteran on it, do the same thing.  These men and women put their lives on the line for us.  They serve their country with honor and for very little pay and benefits. Their families live with the separation of war and service and they're rarely thanked.

If you can read this, thank a teacher.  If you can read this in English, thank a vet.

God Bless our vets and God Bless America.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Protect Drug Addicts?

There's a Milwaukee Journal Times editorial calling for a better law to protect people from abusing prescription drugs and, quite frankly, I don't think we need the law at all.  When will we stop allowing the government to protect us from ourselves.  If you want to ruin your life or even die by taking prescription drugs, oh, well.  If you're that stupid, we didn't need you in the gene pool anyway.

If this was a matter of the government making sure a company didn't put a drug on the market that was known to kill one out of every 10 users, then I'd be for it.  But, frankly, I don't need the government to protect me from me.  If I want to run around town, convincing doctors that I need that prescription drug, so be it.

If I have a brain cell left, then I know there are plenty of programs that will put me on the straight and narrow path from drug addiction.  Is it easy - no, it isn't.  But, that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

I've been on pain medication and I realize that the soothing effects are quite addicting.  I do have an addictive personality, if I didn't, I would've quit smoking for good years ago.  But, despite my stupidity for still being a smoker, I do have enough good sense to know that when I crave the drug for the effect and not the pain in my leg, it was time to stop taking the drug.  Three days after my knee surgery, I was done with the vicodin.


Enough is enough.  It is time we expected everyone to take care of themselves and if they can't, and they die, that's just a sad fact of life.  It may be a little harsh, but only the strong survive and if you're not strong enough, well, they you're out of the gene pool.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Social Security, Medicare and the Tea Party

I've been reading that the Tea Party wants smaller government.  And, Republicans want to privatize Social Security.  And, the country wants less government interference in their health care.  Add to this a soaring debt that most Americans want paid down, plus Corporations want to pay less in taxes (even though they're the lowest since the 1950's), as do most Americans (even though they're the lowest since the 1950's).

Well, I've got a plan.  You ready for it...

Let's get rid of Social Security and Medicare.  Just like that, let's stop both programs in their tracks.  Now, I know what you're thinking, we can't do that -- we have thousands of retirees depending on their Social Security checks and their Medicare!  Well, I have a plan.

I say that starting January 1, 2011, no one in this country pays anymore Social Security and Medicare taxes.  Period.  Those people who are 65 and over on 1/1/2011, get to use up the rest of the money in the pot.  Once the last of them die, those of us who aren't on either program would get an amount of any remainder, based on how much we paid in and how old we are.  I think if you're 64 on 1/1/2011, you should get back at least as much as you put in.  I don't think there would be any left, but we should plan just in case.

Then, all of us, would get to keep the approx. 8% we put into Social Security every year.  It would be up to us to figure out how to invest it.  And, our employers who pay another 8% would get to keep that money to use however they wish.  If they choose to put it in our 401ks, well, that would be a bonus and I say no tax on that money for the employee and employer.  If they choose to keep it in the company coffers, well, Corporations work hard for their money and they should get to keep it, but tax it as profit.

If you invest wisely between now and the time you retire, you should have a nice little nest egg.  I mean, you know better how to take care of your money than the government, right?  You're on time with your bills, you pay your mortgage.  You made a good deal when you purchased your new car, so you must know what you're doing, right?

But, I don't believe in Government safety nets.  I've really had it with bailouts so, if you don't invest wisely, well, that's just too damn bad.  You're on your own.  Oh, and we should enact a mandatory retirement age of 65.  We can't have people hanging on to their jobs in order to make ends meet.  We need the next generation to get out there, work and save for their retirement.

So, who's with me?  Anyone?  Let's write our Congressmen and Senators and let them know - No More Social Security and Medicare.  Let's start standing on our own two feet!  Come on, America!  Let's get together and push this through!

God Bless!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Twisted Headlines

Yesterday on facebook, a co-worker of mine posted the following: "Obama skipping Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. 'He'll be on vacation in Chicago'"  You would think a comment like that couldn't possibly start any trouble, could you?


Well, it went on and on.  There are actual news articles and blogs calling Obama out for sending Joe Biden in his place.  As it turns out, President Obama will be at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.  It's not like, in the words of my co-worker, he's spending the day at a waterpark.


You're probably wondering why I am posting about a post from facebook and here's why.  It bugged the heck out of me.  I couldn't find much in the way of Presidents attending the Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington.  But, I did find out that Obama isn't the first President to miss it.  When I pointed out that Bush II had missed to be in Normandy, France.  A person stated, "And it always goes back to Bush II for some reason....very interesting. The hatred for him knows no bounds"  And, proceeded to post Bush's Normandy comments.  


Here's what bugs me:  Yes, I thought President George W. Bush was a bad President and, yes, I voted for Obama and I will be voting for Obama in 2012.  But, I don't pull out something Bush had done and necessarily mean it was a bad thing.  And, can't people say anything about Bush and not be accused of hating him? 

In fact, I don't even care that Bush went to Normandy, I was merely pointing out that this Presidential tradition had been broken before.  In fact, later in the day, I learned that Reagan missed in 1983 to attend an economic summit and Bush I missed to speak at an American Legion and then play golf.


So, I was thinking, Are we really that bad in this country that we infer or project how we think a person feels because we label them?  Some people think I'm a radical liberal -- far from the truth -- but does that mean that no matter what I say, they hear a radical liberal response?


Does that mean that we have stopped paying attention to each other?  I realize our pundits have completely lost their minds and stopped listening, but have the rest of us?  And, if we have, isn't that the saddest thing ever?  How can we solve our country's problems if we when hear an idea, we only agree if they're a Conservative Republican or a Liberal Democrat?  Why are we so polarized when, except when driving a car, the middle of the road is usually the best place to be?


God Bless

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Arizona's Immigration Law Part II

It isn't often that I change my mind about something. It happens even less often that I make a turn around in such a short period of time.

I just found some new information that in fact the AZ immigration law doesn't give police officers the right to stop someone because they think he's an illegal immigrant. They have to have pulled the person over for some other reason, like a traffic violation.

To me, that makes all the difference.

I see no harm in asking to see id -- police do that all the time.

God Bless