Thursday, July 8, 2010
Show me the money!
Rielle Hunter, the infamous mistress of John Edwards, wants her fair share of the profits from Andrew Young’s book, because he discussed the sex tapes as a media ploy to promote his book. That’s just another sad reflection of our society’s morals. I think it might be more appropriate if she pays her fair share of whatever divorce settlement results in the destroyed marriage of John and Elizabeth Edwards. That sounds as fair as her present legal action against Young, does it not?
Saturday, July 3, 2010
No God in the US Constitution?
The recent news reports of the "One Nation, Indivisible" billboard that was defaced in Charlotte, NC, has drawn me into an online discussion/debate about the need for legislation to protect my beliefs. One person asserted that our Founding Fathers "were smart enough not to mention God anywhere in the U.S. Constitution." Part of my response is provided below.
Before the Constitution, we had the Declaration of Independence. In this document our founding fathers acknowledged God in the first two paragraphs of the document.
“WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.”
“WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
As for our Constitution, I see two references to God, albeit one is inferred.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Where did the blessings come from that they wanted to secure?
“...done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven...”
I believe that “Lord” is an acknowledgment by our founding fathers of the sovereignty of God.
I believe, whether or not someone else does, that God's hand is in all of this!
Before the Constitution, we had the Declaration of Independence. In this document our founding fathers acknowledged God in the first two paragraphs of the document.
“WHEN in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.”
“WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
As for our Constitution, I see two references to God, albeit one is inferred.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Where did the blessings come from that they wanted to secure?
“...done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven...”
I believe that “Lord” is an acknowledgment by our founding fathers of the sovereignty of God.
I believe, whether or not someone else does, that God's hand is in all of this!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Moving Day(s)
Guess I’ve been out of touch here for a while. Last week I went up to Charlotte to help my youngest daughter move out of her apartment. She lived on the third floor and hadn’t moved very many things before I got there. Took us three days to get everything moved, and each day was 100-degrees. Thankfully, there was no rain. That really would have sucked.
She found a duplex in the Central District, which was pretty nice. She’s also moving in with another girl. I was lucky enough to be at the duplex when she arrived with a washer and dryer. I got to help a Vietnamese kid carry one of them down into the basement. We also carried in her couch that was about ten feet long. After three days, I was whipped. I also don’t sleep well with two cats creeping around all night. I slept great when I hit my own bed!
Now I’m back in the routine of searching and applying for jobs. Next week will be nine months of unemployment. Ouch!
She found a duplex in the Central District, which was pretty nice. She’s also moving in with another girl. I was lucky enough to be at the duplex when she arrived with a washer and dryer. I got to help a Vietnamese kid carry one of them down into the basement. We also carried in her couch that was about ten feet long. After three days, I was whipped. I also don’t sleep well with two cats creeping around all night. I slept great when I hit my own bed!
Now I’m back in the routine of searching and applying for jobs. Next week will be nine months of unemployment. Ouch!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Unemployment Check Fopah
Currently, payday is on Tuesday. That’s when my unemployment check arrives. Last week I received a big surprise in the mail. When I opened the perforated envelope, instead of a check, there was a note that read as follows:
“THE EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PROGRAM, FROM WHICH YOU WERE RECEIVING BENEFITS, HAS ENDED. NO EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT CAN BE PAID AFTER CLAIM WEEK ENDING JULY 6, 2009. YOUR BENEFIT ENDING DATE IS 10/10/10. A NEW CLAIM TO DETERMINE ELEGIBILITY FOR REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS MAY BE FILED AFTER YOUR BENEFIT YEAR END DATE.”
What???!!!
I’ve read that three times, and I still don’t clearly understand what is says. I checked my balance on line, and there was still funding and a record of the check being issued for that week. When I called the unemployment office the next day to ask someone to explain it to me, they said that it was a mistake, and that checks were issued and sent out that morning. Whew! But who messed up? Was anyone held accountable for scarring the heck out of the dependent masses? Oops, just a typo, so sorry.
Bottom line...I need to find a job!
“THE EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PROGRAM, FROM WHICH YOU WERE RECEIVING BENEFITS, HAS ENDED. NO EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT CAN BE PAID AFTER CLAIM WEEK ENDING JULY 6, 2009. YOUR BENEFIT ENDING DATE IS 10/10/10. A NEW CLAIM TO DETERMINE ELEGIBILITY FOR REGULAR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS MAY BE FILED AFTER YOUR BENEFIT YEAR END DATE.”
What???!!!
I’ve read that three times, and I still don’t clearly understand what is says. I checked my balance on line, and there was still funding and a record of the check being issued for that week. When I called the unemployment office the next day to ask someone to explain it to me, they said that it was a mistake, and that checks were issued and sent out that morning. Whew! But who messed up? Was anyone held accountable for scarring the heck out of the dependent masses? Oops, just a typo, so sorry.
Bottom line...I need to find a job!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Pentagon spending too much on spare parts?
How much insurance is enough? How many canned goods should we keep stocked on our pantry shelves in the kitchen?
The majority of Americans pay for medical insurance, car insurance, house insurance, and life insurance, hoping they will never need to file a claim. But, in the event that something happens, we take comfort in the fact that we are protected.
Also, if we are fortunate enough, we keep our pantries well stocked with canned goods and dry foods to get us through times where we may be short on fresh food, or if bad weather keeps us stuck at home unable to go out to the local grocery store.
Similarly, the military must maintain an inventory of parts to support equipment throughout the world, in all climates and in all operating conditions. So, when I read the headlines from Reuters that say that the billions of dollars spent by the Pentagon each year is a waste of taxpayer’s money, I get angry that unsuspecting readers will be so easily mislead by reporting that does not offer the complete story.
While there are many methods and formulas for forecasting spare parts requirements for military equipment, “provisioning,” as it’s called, is not an exact science. For example, a particular formula for supporting 100 tanks may call for 20 engines to be kept in the inventory to support repairs that are projected based on the engine’s predicted reliability, the length of time it would take to restock the item, and also what is commonly referred to as “the fudge factor.”
It would be fairly easy to stock parts that would definitely be consumed in a short amount of time, and this would be relatively inexpensive to the “taxpayers.” But when those parts are consumed, we will have equipment that is not operational. That means we have an even more expensive piece of gear that is useless because we didn’t want to spend our precious dollars on “unnecessary” parts. Equipment that sits on the tarmac, the runway, or at the dock, means that we paid for equipment that is no longer protecting our troops or defending our country.
I read that the proposed defense budget for 2010 is about $664 billion. If the spares portion of that is $7 billion, as reported by Reuters, then that means the Pentagon is spending about 1% of its budget on spare parts. To me, that is a pretty low percentage. That would equate to an expense of $300 to repair a $30,000 automobile if a part needed to be replaced. Need I say more?
This is by no means a perfect system, and I believe that the Government personnel reviewing the supply lists that are submitted by equipment manufacturers should do a better job of analyzing what the parts are for, and why they are being recommended as spares. Both the defense contractors and the Government need to be a little more thorough in spare parts recommendations, and offer legitimate justification for each line item on the list proposed for purchase.
It must also be understood, that there are certain parts and quantities that should be kept on hand as insurance items. We don’t want “deadlined” equipment just because we didn’t have a 50-cent bolt on hand that will take a month to order and ship to some remote war zone.
We may not always like it, but it is better for us all to have a little insurance if the time comes when we really need it.
The majority of Americans pay for medical insurance, car insurance, house insurance, and life insurance, hoping they will never need to file a claim. But, in the event that something happens, we take comfort in the fact that we are protected.
Also, if we are fortunate enough, we keep our pantries well stocked with canned goods and dry foods to get us through times where we may be short on fresh food, or if bad weather keeps us stuck at home unable to go out to the local grocery store.
Similarly, the military must maintain an inventory of parts to support equipment throughout the world, in all climates and in all operating conditions. So, when I read the headlines from Reuters that say that the billions of dollars spent by the Pentagon each year is a waste of taxpayer’s money, I get angry that unsuspecting readers will be so easily mislead by reporting that does not offer the complete story.
While there are many methods and formulas for forecasting spare parts requirements for military equipment, “provisioning,” as it’s called, is not an exact science. For example, a particular formula for supporting 100 tanks may call for 20 engines to be kept in the inventory to support repairs that are projected based on the engine’s predicted reliability, the length of time it would take to restock the item, and also what is commonly referred to as “the fudge factor.”
It would be fairly easy to stock parts that would definitely be consumed in a short amount of time, and this would be relatively inexpensive to the “taxpayers.” But when those parts are consumed, we will have equipment that is not operational. That means we have an even more expensive piece of gear that is useless because we didn’t want to spend our precious dollars on “unnecessary” parts. Equipment that sits on the tarmac, the runway, or at the dock, means that we paid for equipment that is no longer protecting our troops or defending our country.
I read that the proposed defense budget for 2010 is about $664 billion. If the spares portion of that is $7 billion, as reported by Reuters, then that means the Pentagon is spending about 1% of its budget on spare parts. To me, that is a pretty low percentage. That would equate to an expense of $300 to repair a $30,000 automobile if a part needed to be replaced. Need I say more?
This is by no means a perfect system, and I believe that the Government personnel reviewing the supply lists that are submitted by equipment manufacturers should do a better job of analyzing what the parts are for, and why they are being recommended as spares. Both the defense contractors and the Government need to be a little more thorough in spare parts recommendations, and offer legitimate justification for each line item on the list proposed for purchase.
It must also be understood, that there are certain parts and quantities that should be kept on hand as insurance items. We don’t want “deadlined” equipment just because we didn’t have a 50-cent bolt on hand that will take a month to order and ship to some remote war zone.
We may not always like it, but it is better for us all to have a little insurance if the time comes when we really need it.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
I Voted Today!
I exercised my American right to vote today. I even did it without flipping a single coin. Here in South Carolina there have been some dirty tactics in the gubernatorial race. We have a female candidate, Nikki Haley, running on the Republican ticket. She was endorsed by Sarah Palin. About a month ago, some political blogger had made a claim that he had an inappropriate encounter with Haley. Then, about a week ago, another guy who had worked for a different candidate in the race made a claim that he had a one night stand with her. On top of all that, Jake Knotts, a SC State senator, called her, and president Obama, a “rag head.” I can’t believe he still has his job. I wonder why people think of this as a “redneck” state?
I feel sorry for Nikki Haley and her family, and truly hope that the allegations are proven false. But certainly her character has been tarnished even more than having that endorsement from Sarah Palin (okay, cheap shot on my part, sorry). I’m probably being unfair to Mrs. Palin. Tina Fey has done such an excellent job of lampooning Sarah that I sometimes get reality and TV comedy confused, especially since the media uses both video clips in their newscasts.
In the end, I voted as well as my independent God-fearing, conservative, pro-lifer, Fair Tax advocating, card-carrying Republican conscience would allow. Tonight, I will say my prayers and sleep peacefully. After all, God is in control.
I feel sorry for Nikki Haley and her family, and truly hope that the allegations are proven false. But certainly her character has been tarnished even more than having that endorsement from Sarah Palin (okay, cheap shot on my part, sorry). I’m probably being unfair to Mrs. Palin. Tina Fey has done such an excellent job of lampooning Sarah that I sometimes get reality and TV comedy confused, especially since the media uses both video clips in their newscasts.
In the end, I voted as well as my independent God-fearing, conservative, pro-lifer, Fair Tax advocating, card-carrying Republican conscience would allow. Tonight, I will say my prayers and sleep peacefully. After all, God is in control.
Monday, June 7, 2010
To be, or not to be?
I attended a local writer's meetup group the other day, and I actually had fun. At first I thought I was going to get that old 'I hate English class' feeling, but it ended up being quite envigorating.
Our moderator gave us a writing assingment to get the juices flowing. The challenge was to take the concept of "boring" and put it into words. I started out trying to write in script, but it's probably been 40 years since I actually did that. So, I reverted to printing, which I do faster and is somewhat more legible than my handwriting. Guess I've never gotten over that L (Low) I received in 2nd grade. I think I discussed that in my blog about being left handed.
I hope to attend more of the writing group meetings, but my time on the beach or kayaking is still a slightly higher priority for me. These are things that Carol and I do together. Maybe after we are both retired and she gets sick of me 24/7, I can make more of these weekend meetings.
The response and encouragement from the others at the meeting did make me think that I could possibly have some creative stories buried inside of me that would provide an interesting read for others. We shall see.
Our moderator gave us a writing assingment to get the juices flowing. The challenge was to take the concept of "boring" and put it into words. I started out trying to write in script, but it's probably been 40 years since I actually did that. So, I reverted to printing, which I do faster and is somewhat more legible than my handwriting. Guess I've never gotten over that L (Low) I received in 2nd grade. I think I discussed that in my blog about being left handed.
I hope to attend more of the writing group meetings, but my time on the beach or kayaking is still a slightly higher priority for me. These are things that Carol and I do together. Maybe after we are both retired and she gets sick of me 24/7, I can make more of these weekend meetings.
The response and encouragement from the others at the meeting did make me think that I could possibly have some creative stories buried inside of me that would provide an interesting read for others. We shall see.
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