Our Cold War just become Hottter

 

 

 

Stupid is as Stupid Does

  Forrest Gump

What in the world was he thinking? Does he not know how bad things are right now, and what a move like this will do? I am surprised that the President did not take Dingy Harry over his knee and spank him. Instead, he encouraged him to do this. Any chance, any small, sliver of a chance of getting ANYTHING done this second term, just flew out the window.

Many citizens will not stand for this. I will not. Advise and Consent is a critical part of our governance. To take that away from the Senate, will allow a simple majority of Left leaning Senators to put all kinds of fruitcakes in high judicial posts like the DC Court of Appeals. Our Judiciary will become a de facto extension of the Senate. This is NEVER what our framers had in mind. Advise and Consent was a critical part of ensuring our system of Government would work fairly.

Dingy Harry had threatened to do this before. He has backed down when Mitch would give him some concessions. This time he did not. This is not a shot across the bow. This is war - a direct hit. Between the Presidents "extra Constitutional actions" and the Senate's "nuclear option", there is no hope for marriage counseling. The Rubicon has been crossed.

Many have wondered why Reid would do this. Some speculate due to Obamacare (as well as a host of other issues), the Senate will probably change hands in the 2014 election. That means Obama needs to "make hay when the sun shines". In other words, if he wants to "pack" the DC Court of Appeals, he needs to get going. As Judicial watchers know, the DC Court of Appeals is right behind the Supreme Court in importance to Congressional challenges. Pack it with a bunch of "Lefties", and it just becomes a wing of the Democratic Party. Advise and Consent was suppose to protect us from that.

Every news station I watched (yes, even the vile MSNBC) played clips of then Senators Biden, Obama and Reid warning of the nuclear option when Bush was President. It was almost funny to watch. The word hypocrite does not quite do this justice. Somebody told Reid on the Senate Floor that "I guess where you stand on this issue depends on where you sit". Well Mr. President, your lackey in the Senate has just opened Pandora's Box. Good luck to you in the rest of your term. Good luck in getting help from the minority in fixing your failed ACA. Finally, Mr. President, good luck in the history books. They are about to be most unkind to what you have done , and how you have divided our country.

A Group Hug?

 

 

"We will either all hug and make up, or our health care will die a death of a thousand cuts..."

It happened again this morning. I was watching the very biased Morning Joe show on the vile MSNBC network, when one of the Progressives said the following, "The biggest disaster of this health care roll out is this law effects everyone in the country. To screw this up so badly, will set progress on health care back 5 to 10 years." Wow! I could not believe my ears! This is the choir now rebelling against not only the choir director, but also the minister.

There is now developing consensus that this thing is more screwed up than Hogan's Goat. It was a mistake from the get-go to ram this sweeping, very controversial piece of legislation through Congress without the support, the help and the amendments from any Republicans. Now the President needs Republican help, and needs it badly. This roll out, as well as what is predicted yet to come, is nothing short than a "death by a thousand cuts."

As in any relationship, sometimes saying "I am sorry" are the three toughest words in the universe. It is time for everyone to realize the train has come off the tracks and we can either marvel at the carnage, or we can pitch in to help. Not everyone is going to agree with this, but it is how I feel right now. To do nothing and watch this thing continue to kill our health care systems as well as our economy will help none of us.

Therefore, I believe the way forward is as follows:

• This one is going to hurt a bit. The President needs to address the American people and admit he made a mistake - a big one. He needs to immediately stop all Obamacare initiatives and put them on hold.
• There will be a panel formed before Christmas with members from the Administration, Democrats from the Senate, and Republicans from the House. They will first agree on what they can agree on. There have always been some things in the bill which everyone liked.
• There are some huge holes which need to be address before going forward. The web site is small potatoes. The big ticket items are 1) People being informed they are getting "more for more" when you don't want or can't afford "more." 2)  A "doc fix" now that word is slipping out doctors will have more patients and get less reimbursement from the government - net result - a projected doctor shortage. 3) The cost containment measures that were left out need to be revisited - such as tort reform and interstate insurance sales. 4) A "true up" on the REAL ten year cost of this thing - we all know now this thing taint free or even close to it.

Now, we can continue to fight over this thing until the cows come home, and watch the train wreck get worse. Or we can all have a slice of humble pie, admit our mistakes, and have a group hug. Having a group hug does not mean we sign up for a bad deal - it means we agree to negotiate a better deal than we have now.

Some might enjoy seeing the President twist in the wind with his numbers going south faster than ducks in November. My biggest fear is if we do not fix this thing and fix it soon, we will all be twisting right next to him.

Cookin' da Books!

 

 

"Did I really say that? You must not have heard me correctly..."

Well knock me over with a feather! I never saw this one coming! Actually I did, along with millions of others who happen to pay attention to what is really going on. What am I talking about? The revelation made this week the unemployment numbers were "jimmied" right  before the election.

First off, part of the fault is not of the Administration - it is ours. The fact we still use the most meaningless statistic on unemployment (that be the U3), is a shame on us. We should have been using the U6 for years. Most economists use the U6, as it tells a more factual story about the economy. That being said, the Administration still toyed with the U3 to make it come down under 8%. It seems there is an urban legend that many take serious - no President can be re-elected if the U3 unemployment rate is 8% or higher.

When the Administration announced the U3 had come down from 8.2% to 7.8% weeks before the election, the response by the public was split. For those who enjoy drinking Kool-Aid, as well as the "low information" crowd, the response was "See, told you so!" For those who pay attention to the metrics in the market (like Jack Welsh, the former CEO of GE), the response was "No way!" However, as we saw from history, the first group of people ruled the day, and the President was re-elected.

So how is our unemployment rate now that we almost a year into the second term? The U6 is still hovering around 14%. True, it has improved almost 3% since the start of the Great Recession. However, compared to most of the Bush years when it was slightly under 10% (still not good), it is terrible. However, the real story is not even in the U6 rate - it is in two other metrics.

First, our labor participation rate continues to drop. It has gone from troublesome to almost catastrophic. We now have 91.5 million people out of the work force. And it is still growing. We hear nothing on this issue from the "book-cookers". Second, the type of jobs being lost and the type of jobs being replaced are more dissimilar than similar. More service sector, more hospitality, less manufacturing. Low or no benefits, part time over full time, and lower wages. The economy has gutted the middle class so much that we are in fact becoming a bifurcated economy of rich and poor.

It has been a bad second half for the Administration. Lies, deceit and half-truths have caught up with them on many issues, including this one. As a young man, I was told the worst thing you could ever lose was the trust of others - once it is lost, it is almost impossible to regain. I think the Administration is about to learn that lesson.

Choices that matter...

 

 

 

"In the 1970 Bhola cyclone which struck Bangladesh, 500,000 people died in the incredible storm surge triggered by 115 mph winds..."

Back in 1971, after checking into my duty station in Winter Harbor, Maine, the news media was still talking about the mess in Bangladesh. Even in a region that suffers numerous catastrophic weather events, this storm was one for the ages. While the storm struck in November of 1970, the relief efforts by the world community were inadequate to fully ameliorate the suffering of the people.

Consequently, a year after the storm stuck, not much had been done. The people in the region were still living in the rubble, disease and filth caused by the storm. Concerts were organized, and charities redoubled their efforts. Due to technology in 1971, we could see the suffering in Bangladesh, up close and personal, every evening when we had our beer and popcorn down at the service club.

A few of us from my watch section could handle it no further. We found out there was a charity collecting money for relief efforts located in Bangor, about an hour's drive from the base. The next time we had time off between watches, we drove over to Bangor to learn more. We vetted the charity as well as we could, determined it was legit, and headed back to base with the goal of collecting at least $100 (quite a bit back then) to help.

As we collected from different people in the club after work hours, two things really stuck in my memory. First, we went up to a E-6 with many hash marks on his sleeve. When we told him what we were collecting for, his response was simple - "I pay my taxes, so I have given." The next evening, we approached a newly minted E-5 who had just come into the club. We barely got the story out of our mouth when he pulled out his wallet and all he had was a $20 bill. Without knowing us from Adam, he took out the $20 bill and gave it to us. He said, "Those people need this more than I do."

Who was right on this issue? Well, they both were. Yes, we do pay taxes and the United States often times the first on the scene for major world catastrophes. However, our government can't do everything. The fact that a year after the storm, people were still suffering under a newly formed, dysfunctional government was inexcusable. Charities had people on the ground, ready to get fresh water, food and shelter to people who really needed it. They just needed help with the resources to do so.

Last Sunday in church, our pastor talked about the freedom we experience when we give. Not just to church, but to people everywhere who have needs. Not just overseas, but people who have been impacted by this economy here at home. The message really spoke to my heart. Even though every year I try to be more generous as a giver, I have a long journey ahead.

I know that in my life, I have been blessed beyond belief. Tangible and intangible blessings. Someone once said in life we go through three phases. In Phase One, the first 30 years is spent learning; in Phase Two, the second 30 years is spent earning; in Phase Three, the final 30 years should be spent giving back. Now that I am in "Phase 3", every year I try harder to follow this recipe.

The "Do-Nothings"...

"It is okay to do nothing, as long as look cool while doing it..."

Someone once asked me if I had trouble coming up with topics to write about. My simple answer was "no" - in fact, there is so much to write about today, I have trouble doing only one or two articles a day.

I get a kick out of hearing people talk about Congress as the "do-nothing" Congress. I think quite often they do too much. Besides all of which, the Administration has told us repeatedly they will use Executive Actions to get things done - in other words, government by fiat.

Lets discuss the real "do-nothings" in Washington - our Administration. For the purposes of this posting, I will address only one issue - energy.

• Through practically NO HELP at all from he Administration, for the first time is decades our country is now producing more oil than it imports. If our "do-nothings" in the Administration had granted leases on more public land, more offshore drilling, AND authorized the X-L Keystone Pipeline, think of how much better our energy picture could be right now. 
• Today in the paper was an article about a subject we have not seen as of late - the temporary storage of spent nuclear rods. The "Wizards of Smart" in the Administration have given us a puzzle with no solution. First, they want to regulate the coal fired power plants out of business. That is where we get about 1/4 of our electricity. Next, they refuse to finish the long term storage facility at Yucca Mountain. All our nuclear reactors are stuck with temporary storage solutions - a disaster waiting to happen. Besides, no new reactors are being built. So, with a diminished coal industry, and a hampered nuclear industry, our electrical needs keeps growing like crazy. No solution to this problem from the "do-nothings" - except to pour good money after bad into inefficient, bird killing windmills.
• Planes, trains and automobiles. Our airlines are doing okay for right now. The "do-nothings" have not screwed this one up yet. How about trains? The American people have spoken with a loud voice - WE DON'T WANT THEM!. They are great for hauling freight, but not people. Hello? Remember Amtrak? Anybody need a better example? I will give you Northern Lights Express that Congress is going to help pay for. A train from the Twin Cities to Duluth. A train to nowhere. We don't want it . We always have been, and will continue to be, a nation of cars and hi-ways. The "do-nothing" social engineers hate that system and will continue to try and "change us".

I hope the next time we have a major election, more people really pay attention. We need real solutions to real problems. Recently, all we seem to get are solutions in search of  problems. Instead of "do-nothings" in the Administration, lets replace them with followers of "do the right thing" mantra. Anybody can do nothing, but we need somebody to do something (the right way).

"Biff"

 

 

 

"God will put different people in our lives at different times for different reasons..."

I passed him every day. I knew there was something lonely and lost about him. I had been "panhandled" dozens of times, so my radar was always out. However, this man was different. He never asked, never begged. There was never a cardboard sign, never a cup. Yet, by looking at him, I knew he was in need. In need of what? Most everything.

Every day that I passed him without saying or doing anything, it bothered me. In recent years, I have been trying to soften my heart, relieve myself of many lifelong stereotypes. Then one Tuesday when I was heading to a client's office, I saw him again. I slowed my gate so I could talk to God, if only for a minute. I said, "Lord, I know you are putting this man in my path for a reason. I am sorry I have passed him so many times without even the most simple of acknowledgements. Give me the words today Lord, so I may at least greet this man."

As I came up to the bench he was sitting on, I stopped. "Hello." He looked up at me with sunken eyes and did not respond. I said, "My name is Jim. Would you mind if I sat with you for a bit?" He looked up at me and said, "You a preacher?" I responded, "No, just a business guy. I work downtown with different clients." I knew right then I was going to lose the battle. I did not know what to say. Telling him about my clients was the wrong way to start out. Just then I noticed something on his left forearm. It was a small tattoo with a simple "USN" on it.

"I see by your tattoo you have spent some time in the Navy. I spent four years as an Operation Specialist. I was on two different ships and got out in 1992." He looked at me for a moment without speaking. Slowly, he held out his hand to me. "Biff. They call me Biff. I spent four years in the Navy off the shore of Nam as a Quartermaster Third Class. I was discharged in 1969 and then re-upped for a stint in the Marine Corp. I never finished my four years in the Corp as I got sideways with some of the brass."

I looked at him and wondered how many times he had been able to really talk, really share with someone. "Biff, even though you served before I did, I am always looking for Navy vets to be shipmates with me. I would be honored if you could be one of them." Again Biff looked at me for almost a full minute. "I don't think I can do that. You see, in Nam, I saw things - bad things. And then I did some bad things too. I done good in my tour as a squid, but my time in the Corp ended poorly. The Corp did not want me. I came home and got into drugs and drinking, and soon my family did not want me. I could not keep a job, and the VA was of little help. Only on the streets have I found people who accept me for who I am."

"Well Biff, I accept you for who you are. We all make mistakes in our lives and I know from history as well as talking to other vets, Viet Nam was a very confusing time - especially for our troops. There is a coffee shop just around the corner. I would love to share a cup and a donut with you." He looked at me with those sunken eyes and said, "I can't Jim. I got no money, and trust me, you don't want to be seen with me." I looked at him and smiled. "Stow it sailor. I have never heard of a couple of squids who can't engage in sea stories after a lousy cup or coffee!" A faint smile appeared on Biff's face. "Okay Jim - lets do it."

That was the first encounter I had with Biff. As time went on, our encounters became more trusting and comfortable. I found out his real name was not Biff - it was Norm, short for Norman. He hated that name. Years ago, one of his street pals told him he looked like the character "Biff" from the movie Back to the Future. The nickname stuck, even though Biff had never seen the movie.

As the Thanksgiving holiday approached, I summoned the courage to ask Biff a question I knew he would wrestle with. I wanted to share Thanksgiving with Biff and my family. We were sitting at what was now "our spot" to have coffee, a donut, and chat. That is when I asked the question. His face lost all expression and he said, "No, no Jim. I can't. I don't fit. I don't want to ruin it for your family. Besides, I told you - I done bad things in my life." I looked at him and said, "Biff, you are what Thanksgiving is all about. I am thankful every day that you and I met, and we became friends. I have told my wife and kids about you and they would love to meet you. My home is your home shipmate - you will always be welcomed there."

I could see Biff's eye starting to get moist. "Are you sure it is okay with the Missus?" I smiled and said, "Biff, if I showed up without you on Thursday, I would be sharing the dog's dinner outside. My wife makes a mean turkey and I am anxious for you to try it." He grabbed my hand and held it tight. Tears began to come down his cheeks. "Jim, I have not been to someone's home for Thanksgiving in over thirty years."

Thanksgiving came, and I drove downtown to pick up Biff. Somehow, Biff had managed to trade or borrow to get a fresh, clean shirt. He had showered at the shelter, and had a look of excitement that reminded me of children on Christmas morning. We chatted at the way to my house with Biff being more talkative than I had ever seen him. When we pulled into the driveway, my wife and kids were outside to meet us. My wife came up to Biff so I could introduce her. Biff held out his hand for my wife to shake it. She then grabbed Biff, and gave him the biggest hug you could imagine. "I am so happy you are here Biff. This will be our best Thanksgiving ever!"

We went inside, sat by the fireplace, and talked. We had a couple hours before the "bird" was done, so it was a chance to relax and enjoy each other's company. As the minutes passed, I could see a side of Biff I had never seen before - joy. He was happy and relaxed. The most important thing was he felt safe with his new friends. When the turkey was done, I had Biff help me cut it. Since I only had this task to do this once a year, I was having trouble doing a decent job. One big piece fell on the floor and the dog got an unexpected bonus. Since it was me who dropped the piece, Biff started to chuckle. The chuckle soon turned into a hearty laugh, and Biff could not stop. Once Biff started laughing, I started. Soon the whole family was in stitches, enjoying what a mess I made out of our poor Thanksgiving turkey.

As we sat at the table, I decided to take my second risk of the day. "Biff, would you like to join us in grace? We would like to thank God for this meal as well as all the blessings we have received this past year. In particular, we would like to thank God for bringing you into our lives." The smile and happiness left Biff's face. "No, no grace for me. You go ahead. I will wait for you to be done." I was puzzled at Biff's response. "Do you not believe in God Biff?" He looked at me for a minute and responded by saying, "I do believe in God, but I don't think he believes in me." I looked at him and asked, "Why Biff, why would you think that?" Biff stammered, and then said, "I told you Jim, I done bad things. Things that can't be forgiven or undone." I paused to collect my thoughts, as what I would say next had to be the right words. I looked at him and said, "Biff, we are Christians - followers of Christ. We are not so because we are perfect - we are so because we are not. One of the things we learned from God's Word is this - there is nothing so bad we have done in our lives where God would love us less, and nothing so good we could do where God would love us more."

Biff smiled and held out his hands, so we could join as a family in grace. I said the blessing and before I could say "Amen", Biff asked if he could also say some words. "Thank you Lord, for my new friends, my new family. And thank you Lord, for my blessings also." With that we said in maybe too loud of a voice, "Amen!". We ate our fill, talked, and enjoyed the day like it would never end.

That was the start of a wonderful relationship with our adopted family member, Biff. More and more meals were shared. Biff would often spend Saturday night with us, and yes, even go to church with us on Sunday morning. He became like an uncle to the kids, like a brother to my wife and myself. Biff still lived downtown in a shelter - he would not have it any other way. We had a steady date of me picking him up on Saturday afternoon, having dinner, Biff spending the night, going to church, having Sunday dinner, and then back to the shelter before dark. It was something I looked forward to each and every week.

One Saturday in March, I went to pick Biff up at our spot. He was not there. I drove around looking for him. I finally went to the shelter to see if he had overslept. I asked at the front desk if they could find out if Biff was still in his room. The man behind the desk looked at me and asked if I was family. No, I said. Not family, but a close friend. "Sir, Biff died in his sleep on Tuesday. We called the coroner and they came and claimed the body. We did not think he had any family, so the county took care of the burial."

I stood there in shock. This could not be - not Biff. "Sir we did have some personal effects that the county did not take. If you are a close family friend, please feel free to take them with you." I walked out to my car and began the long, lonely drive home.

When I got home, I shared the news with my wife. We hugged each other and cried. We had lost such a good and valued friend. As we went through Biff's personal effects, we came across a letter in an envelope. On the outside of the envelope it simply said "Shipmate Jim".

The letter was short and I could tell it was Biff's hand that wrote it. It said:

My dear friend and shipmate Jim. I am writing his letter just in case something would happen to me and I could not tell you face to face. Thank you for accepting me into your family, into your life. And thank you for letting me know that God is still my friend, and still loves me. I can never repay you and your family for what you have done. All I can say is thank you - from the bottom of my heart.

Your friend and shipmate-
Norman (Biff)

This tale is fiction, but it does not have to be. There are many "Biff's" out there who have been thrown away by family and society. Everyone needs to know they have value and worth. More than that, everyone needs to know, no matter what they have done, or where they have gone, they are loved.

Giving to the max...

 

 

 

"Can we truly help the least of us?"

 

Wow. I love juxtapositions, and last week we had a whopper. First off, the week finished off with the annual Give to the Max Day. By the way, this year's event was very successful, collecting a record $17M. The other thing which happened this week was the release of the Governor's last year's income tax return. In his own words, he was embarrassed by the disclosure. The $1,000 he gave was a fraction of one percent of what he earned.

 

Why do I bring these two things up at all? What is the point? My point is simple and twofold. First, we should never need a special day to remind us to give. It should be as natural as going to the gas station to fuel up your car; as natural as going to the grocery store to buy food once a week. Giving is not only a natural thing for us to do, it is also biblical. Second, we should never be embarrassed or proud of how much we give to any charity. This week, someone sent a letter to the newspaper containing a very good point. (If I may paraphrase), If you want to see the politics of a person, look at their income taxes. Democrats give very little as they believe government is the only agency that needs to help. Republicans give quite a bit more as they believe just the opposite.

 

Back to our Governor just for a minute. Let us pretend that he had a very modest giving pattern. For example:

• Even though most churches teach the biblical teachings on tithing, lets suppose he gave one percent instead of ten percent to his church. One percent of $380k is $3,800.
• As the titular head of our State's National Guard, many of whom have gone into harm's way of late, the Governor could support the Wounded Warrior Project at $19/mo. That would have given him another $228.
• Being the Governor of the state which houses one of the most successful hunger relief charities in the world, he could give 1% to Feed My Starving Children. That would have been another $3,800, and saved hundreds of young people from starvation or malnutrition.
• As a man of conscious, not wanting to see anyone go without during the Christmas season, a gift of only $1,000 to Operation Christmas Child would have impacted over fifty young lives of people overseas who have literally nothing.

Again, giving is a personal decision. My purpose in pointing this out was not to shame, but rather to illustrate how easy it is to give to a great many organizations which desperately need our help. As most were taught at a very young age, "From whom much has been given, much is also required."

 

So, to the success of Give to the Max Day, I say "Bravo!" To those who think the government can take care of all of societies and the world's unmet needs, I say only this - the ACA web portal. The government, just by the nature in which it operates, does very few things well. The bigger the effort, the less desirable the results. Many charities on the other hand (not all, they need to be vetted), have over a 90% efficiency rating.

 

Should we give until it hurts? No - give until it feels it is the right thing for you.