Wednesday, March 30, 2011

89- Detroit

From Wikipedia:

Detroit (pronounced /dɨˈtrɔɪt/[5]) is the largest city in the state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. It was founded on July 24, 1701, by the Frenchman Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Its name originates from the French worddétroit (pronounced: [detʁwa] ( listen)) for strait,[6] in reference to its location on the river connecting the Great Lakes.

Known as the world's traditional automotive center,[7] "Detroit" is a metonym for the American automobile industry and an important source of popular music legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, the Motor City and Motown.[8][9] Other nicknames emerged in the twentieth century, including City of Champions beginning in the 1930s for its successes in individual and team sport,[10] Arsenal of Democracy (during World War II),[11] The D, D-Town, Hockeytown (a trademark owned by the city's NHL club, the Red Wings), Rock City (after the Kiss song "Detroit Rock City"), and The 3-1-3 (its telephone area code).[12][13]

In 2010, the city had a population of 713,777 and ranked as the 18th most populous city in the United States.[14][2] At its peak in 1950, the city was the fifth-largest in the U.S.A., but has since seen a major shift in its population to the suburbs.

The name Detroit sometimes refers to the Metro Detroit area, a sprawling region with a population of 4,403,437 for the Metropolitan Statistical Area,[15] making it the U.S.A.'s eleventh-largest, and a population of 5,327,764 for the nine-county Combined Statistical Area as of the 2009 Census Bureau estimates.[3] TheDetroit–Windsor area, a critical commercial link straddling the Canada–U.S. border, has a total population of about 5,700,000.[16]

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

88- Town of Osmak

Yes- there is a town in Bosnia with that name!

Osmak

Monday, March 28, 2011

87- Cutting the Yard

Here's my recipe for doing a quick job of yardwork:

1. Use the gas weedwacker and trim around the edging and along the house.
2. Run the gas mower around and cut the grass.
3. Pull out the electric edger and edge around the sidewalk
4. Use the electric leaf blower to tidy things up.
5. Pull out the pruners and do some touch up work on the trees and bushes.

there you go that's my secret!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

86- Today is March 27th...

From the Wikipedia:

March 27 is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 279 days remaining until the end of the year.

News on this day:
1306Robert the Bruce is crowned King of Scotland at Scone.
1309Pope Clement V excommunicates Venice and all its population.
1794 – The United States Government establishes a permanent navy and authorizes the building of six frigates.
1871 – The first international rugby football match, England v. Scotland, is played in Edinburgh at Raeburn Place.
1886 – Famous Apache warrior, Geronimo, surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars.
1915Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in the United States, is put in quarantine, where she would remain for the rest of her life.
1964 – The Good Friday Earthquake, the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history at a magnitude of 9.2 strikes South Central Alaska, killing 125 people and inflicting massive damage to the city of Anchorage.
1998 – The Food and Drug Administration approves Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence, the first pill to be approved for this condition in the United States.
2011- I took the dog for a 3.25 mile walk.

Born on this date:
1845Wilhelm Röntgen, German physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
1899Gloria Swanson, American actress (d. 1983)
1963 – Quentin Tarantino, American director, writer, and producer
1970Mariah Carey, American pop singer
1975Fergie, American pop singer (The Black Eyed Peas)

For the full entry go to:

Saturday, March 26, 2011

85- The Dark Side of the Moon

We look up in the sky but we never see it so here's a picture from NASA:





Friday, March 25, 2011

84- Friday Good News


It's an overcast morning and there's a promise of rain in our forecast. It has been a wetter than normal year for us. Someone heard that we are four inches above normal- normal is eleven inches a year. Yea for us. we are always looking for good news... and here are the top three google search results for- "good news march 25":

1- Though Harrisburg (PA) schools continue to struggle with low test scores, new data released by the state show the district is improving — especially in math. Harrisburg students were showing good signs in 2010, with fourth- through eighth-graders improving 2.2 units in math and 0.9 unit in reading. The math improvement is just above the statewide average of how much districts improved, and the reading improvement is just shy of it.

2. Young girl saves sister by raking blow from oncoming truck. A 9-year-old straight-A student from Georgia pushed her sister out of the path of an oncoming truck last month, losing her own leg and kidney but saving her sister's life. After more than a month in the hospital, Anaiah Rucker returned home last week to a heroine's welcome.

3. Good news for Sirius: Final March Auto SAAR estimate of 12.4 million expected. In an exclusive Satwaves Radio interview, Edmunds.com analyst Jessica Caldwell pre-announced that the final March SAAR rate will likely come in around 12.4 million, and predicts that total March sales will exceed one million units. In 2009, the only two months of more than a million unit sales came in August and December. The August numbers were attributable to the Cash For Clunkers program. Caldwell also predicts that Ford (NYSE: F) will once again own the top spot for March, with General Motors placing second and Toyota (NYSE: TM) coming in third.

Music lyrics to check out:

http://www.lyricsdepot.com/anne-murray/little-good-news.html

Monday, March 21, 2011

83: Niacin (part 3 of 3)

Dietary Sources:

The best dietary sources of vitamin B3 are found in beets, brewer's yeast, beef liver, beef kidney, fish, salmon, swordfish, tuna, sunflower seeds, and peanuts. Bread and cereals are usually fortified with niacin. In addition, foods that contain tryptophan, an amino acid the body coverts into niacin, include poultry, red meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Available Forms:

Vitamin B3 is available in several different supplement forms: niacinamide, niacin, and inositol hexaniacinate. Niacin is available as a tablet or capsule in both regular and timed-release forms. The timed-release tablets and capsules may have fewer side effects than regular niacin; however, the timed-release versions are more likely to cause liver damage. Regardless of which form of niacin you're using, doctors recommend periodic liver function tests when using high doses (above 100 mg per day) of niacin.

How to Take It:

Daily recommendations for niacin in the diet of healthy individuals are listed below.

Generally, high doses of niacin are used to control specific diseases, such as high cholesterol. Such high doses are considered "pharmacologic" and must be prescribed by a doctor, who will have you increase the amount of niacin slowly, over the course of 4 - 6 weeks, and take the medicine with meals to avoid stomach irritation.

Pediatric

  • Infants birth - 6 months: 2 mg (adequate intake)
  • Infants 7 months - 1 year: 4 mg (adequate intake)
  • Children 1- 3 years: 6 mg (RDA)
  • Children 4 - 8 years: 8 mg (RDA)
  • Children 9 - 13 years: 12 mg (RDA)
  • Males 14 - 18 years: 16 mg (RDA)
  • Females 14 - 18 years: 14 mg (RDA)

Adult

  • Males 19 years and older: 16 mg (RDA)
  • Females 19 years and older: 14 mg (RDA)
  • Pregnant females: 18 mg (RDA)
  • Breastfeeding females: 17 mg (RDA)

Precautions:

Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, you should take dietary supplements only under the supervision of a knowledgeable health care provider.

High doses (50 mg or more) of niacin can cause side effects. The most common side effect is called "niacin flush," which is a burning, tingling sensation in the face and chest, and red or "flushed" skin. Taking an aspirin 30 minutes prior to the niacin may help reduce this symptom.

At the very high doses used to lower cholesterol and treat other conditions, liver damage and stomach ulcers can occur. Your health care provider will periodically check your liver function through a blood test.

People with a history of liver disease or stomach ulcers should not take niacin supplements. Those with diabetes or gallbladder disease should do so only under the close supervision of their doctor.

Niacin should not be used if you have gout.

Taking any one of the B complex vitamins for a long period of time can result in an imbalance of other important B vitamins. For this reason, it is generally important to take a B complex vitamin with any single B vitamin.

Possible Interactions:

If you are currently taking any of the following medications, you should not use niacin without first talking to your health care provider.

Antibiotics, Tetracycline -- Niacin should not be taken at the same time as the antibiotic tetracycline because it interferes with the absorption and effectiveness of this medication. (All vitamin B complex supplements act in this way and should therefore be taken at different times from tetracycline.)

Aspirin -- Taking aspirin before taking niacin may reduce flushing associated with this vitamin, but should only be done under your doctor's supervision.

Anticoagulants (blood thinners) -- Niacin may make the effects of these medications stronger, increasing the risk of bleeding.

Blood Pressure Medications, Alpha-blockers -- Niacin can make the effects of medications taken to lower blood pressure stronger, leading to the risk of low blood pressure.

Cholesterol-lowering Medications -- Niacin binds bile-acid sequestrants (cholesterol-lowering medications such as colestipol, colesevelam, and cholestyramine) and may decrease their effectiveness. For this reason, niacin and these medications should be taken at different times of the day.

Recent scientific evidence suggests that taking niacin with simvastatin (a drug that belongs to a class of cholesterol-lowering medications known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, or statins), appears to slow down the progression of heart disease. However, the combination may also increase the likelihood for serious side effects, such as muscle inflammation or liver damage.

Diabetes Medications -- Niacin may increase blood glucose (sugar) levels. People taking insulin, metformin, glyburide, glipizide, or other medications used to treat high blood sugar levels should monitor their blood sugar levels closely when taking niacin supplements.

Isoniazid (INH) -- INH, a medication used to treat tuberculosis, may lower levels of niacin in the body and cause a deficiency.

Nicotine Patches -- Using nicotine patches with niacin may worsen or increase the risk of flushing associated with niacin.

Alternative Names:

Inositol hexaniacinate; Niacin; Niacinamide; Nicotinamide; Nicotinic acid

* Information source: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b3-000335.htm

For those of you who have followed the source link, you realize I just copy and pasted the text. All credit goes to this article.


82- Niacin (part 2 of 3)

High Cholesterol

Niacin (but not niacinamide) has been used since the 1950s to lower elevated LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglyceride (fat) levels in the blood and is more effective in increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol levels than other cholesterol-lowering medications. However, side effects can be unpleasant and even dangerous. High doses of niacin cause flushing of the skin (which can be reduced by taking aspirin 30 minutes before the niacin), stomach upset (which usually subsides within a few weeks), headache, dizziness, and blurred vision. There is an increased risk of liver damage. A time-release form of niacin reduces flushing, but its long-term use is associated with liver damage. In addition, niacin can interact with other cholesterol-lowering drugs (see "Possible Interactions"). You should not take niacin at high doses without your doctor's supervision.

Atherosclerosis

Because niacin lowers LDL and triglycerides in the blood, it may help prevent atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and is sometimes prescribed along with other medications. However, niacin also increases levels of homocysteine levels in the blood, which is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. This is another reason you should not take high doses of niacin without your doctor's supervision.

Diabetes

Some evidence suggests that niacinamide (but not niacin) might help delay the onset of insulin dependence (in other words, delay the time that you would need to take insulin) in type 1 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, eventually destroying them. Niacinamide may help protect those cells for a time, but more research is needed to tell for sure.

The effect of niacin on type 2 diabetes is more complicated. People with type 2 diabetes often have high levels of fats and cholesterol in the blood, and niacin, often in conjunction with other drugs, can lower those levels. However, niacin can also raise blood sugar levels, resulting in hyperglycemia, which is particularly dangerous for someone with diabetes. For that reason, anyone with diabetes should take niacin only when directed to do so by their doctor, and should be carefully monitored for hyperglycemia.

Osteoarthritis

One preliminary study suggested that niacinamide may improve arthritis symptoms, including increasing joint mobility and reducing the amount of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) needed. More research is needed to determine whether there is any real benefit.

Other

Alzheimer's disease -- Population studies show that people who get higher levels of niacin in their diet have a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. No studies have evaluated niacin supplements, however.

Skin conditions -- Researchers are studying topical forms of niacin as treatments for acne, aging, and prevention of skin cancer, although it's too early to know whether it is effective.

* information source: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b3-000335.htm

81- Niacin (part 1 of 3)

Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Overview:

Vitamin B3 is one of 8 B vitamins. It is also known as niacin (nicotinic acid) and has 2 other forms, niacinamide (nicotinamide) and inositol hexanicotinate, which have different effects from niacin.

All B vitamins help the body to convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which is "burned" to produce energy. These B vitamins, often referred to as B complex vitamins, also help the body metabolize fats and protein. B complex vitamins are necessary for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. They also help the nervous system function properly.

Niacin also helps the body make various sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands and other parts of the body. Niacin is effective in improving circulation and reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.

All the B vitamins are water-soluble, meaning that the body does not store them.

You can meet all of your body's needs for B3 through diet; it is rare for anyone in the developed world to have a B3 deficiency. In the United States, alcoholism is the prime cause of vitamin B3 deficiency.

Symptoms of mild deficiency include indigestion, fatigue, canker sores, vomiting, and depression. Severe deficiency can cause a condition known as pellagra. Pellagra is characterized by cracked, scaly skin, dementia, and diarrhea. It is generally treated with a nutritionally balanced diet and niacin supplements. Niacin deficiency also results in burning in the mouth and a swollen, bright red tongue.

Very high doses of B3 (available by prescription) have been shown to prevent or improve symptoms of the following conditions. However, taken at high doses niacin can be toxic, so you should take doses higher than the Recommended Daily Allowance only under your doctor's supervision. Researchers are trying to determine if inositol hexanicotinate has similar benefits without serious side effects, but so far results are preliminary.


* Information source: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/vitamin-b3-000335.htm

Sunday, March 20, 2011

80- Windy and Cool

Well we are battening down the hatches today. It's getting real windy as a cold front blows in from the Pacific Ocean. They have been talking about rain all week... originally it was to be on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I guess no one told the storm! Other than a few small drops yesterday afternoon, it was a very pleasant day. Early this morning it was a little chilly with clouds but the dog and I went out for a walk without any problems.

Now the weather forecasters are calling for "maybe" a little rain this evening and then turning to showers late tonight and into tomorrow. I guess I will believe it when it happens. I think the weatherman's job in San Diego must be one of the easiest jobs in the world for eight months of the year. This happens to be one of those months when they have to actually make a forecast that doesn't include the usual "sunny and warm, highs in the eighties, lows in the sixties".

Anyone notice I didn't mention any of the stuff in the "news" today. I'll just rundown the line items--- you all know the stories: Japan Nuke reactor meltdown, Libya bombings, Vote in Egypt, State Unions Workers in Wisc and Mich, March Madness, NFL union problems, your worries, my worries and tomorrow's worries.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

79- Predictors


Where did all of these modern day seers, prophets, psychics and predictors come from all of a sudden? I mean we have been bombarded in the media about stuff from Nostradamus, The Mayan Calendar, Bible, earthquake experts, global warming alarmists, economists, etc, etc, etc. All predicting nothing but doom and gloom for our foreseeable future. What's up with that?

I remember all the talk and worry about the year 2000. The world was going to end. All computers and technology would cease to exist. Nothing happened.

Today it's radiation from Japan, massive earthquakes, global warming, war in the Mideast... ohhh and let's not forget global terrorism, the strip searches at our airports, fluoride in the water, genetically modified food, energy shortages, budget deficits, and... oh my God does it ever stop ??? THank you headline news and 24 hour reporting !!!

I don't remember hearing all this stuff before the year 2000... but now it is running rampant throughout our media and society. Almost like the media is trying to keep us in a continuous state of stress and encourages us to always be on edge. Be alert they scream with nearly every headline.

Why the sudden increase in all these dire prognostications? I now understand all those comics with the bearded and robed prophet that always carried that sign. Perhaps it's in our nature to be constantly worrying about the future.

I just don't get it.

Friday, March 18, 2011

78- Is This Guy Going to be Right?



Either way he is scaring the crap out of my 17 year old son and I.

77- Spartans Find Out They Can't Dance No Mo'

Tough day in Spartanville... Their trip to "The big Dance" ended after only one short song. It was a microcosm of their entire season as mentioned in this M-live Article. I don't usually care for this writer's opinion.. but in this case he is "spot on". The Spartan cagers fell behind by 24 points at one point but charged back to within one point with 4.4 seconds. They ended up losing 78-76 when their "Best player" traveled with 0.2 seconds on the clock before he could get off a hail Mary attempt. I'm glad I didn't pick these Spartans to go too deep in my bracket selections. Just like all Spartan fans feel... this team severely disappointed us all.

Congrats to my daughters team- UCLA goes on to play another day.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

76- Last of The Salton Sea Trip Photos



75-West Coast Earthquake Prediction?

REPRINT FROM AN E-MAIL I RECEIVED:

INTRODUCTION
There is very persuasive evidence that a 'Perfect Storm' of various conditions will conspire to cause major new earthquakes around the world BY THIS WEEKEND AND ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST COAST OF U.S.
To make matters worse, a prime candidate for a major new earthquake is the the Cascadia Fault which dives under Vancouver Island creating a subduction zone which has the potential for triggering a 100 foot tsunami that would destroy whatever is left of Seattle and Tacoma after the quake itself has struck.
Scientists are also telling us that conditions are right for San Francisco to have another major earthquake as devastating as the one that struck in 1906!
And last but surely not least, the 25 million people cooped up in Southern California (SoCal) are long overdue for a devastating earthquake from the San Andreas and related faults which could easily destroy the infrastructure that provides them with most of their water, food and gasoline.
THE CASE FOR EARTHQUAKE(S) THIS WEEKEND
Two sources recently made cases for occurrence of strong, new earthquakes by this weekend:
1. Geologist Jim Berkland made following case on the Cavuto Business Report of Fox Cable News Network this afternoon (NOTE: Jim predicted 'to the day' the famous 'World Series Earthquake' that devastated various parts of San Francisco area in 1989!):
- The very full 'Equinox Moon' will be closer to earth this weekend than at any other time in the next 5 years, and it will create powerful tidal forces that will trigger long-overdue earthquakes;
- Recent, mysterious mass deaths of birds and fish are linked to disturbances in the earth's magnetic fields which are also believed to precede most earthquakes (magnetic disturbances appear to disorient animal's navigational systems);
- Strong electromagnetic solar storms have been correlated with recent earthquakes (and, as some of you know, I've also been trying to correlate solar storms with earthquakes);
- There have recently been a series of earthquakes starting in Chile and going around the Pacific Rim in a counterclockwise direction; the next quake was in New Zealand; and, most recently, in Japan thereby implying the next quakes will be in Northwest / S.F. / Etc. A similar pattern of quakes has been noted for the Pacific Rim in the past, i.e. before the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906;
Jim Berkland concludes from above that the close pass of the Full Moon (also Equinox Moon) to earth this weekend will generate strong tidal forces on earth which will trigger massive quake(s) that are long overdue on the West Coast.
2. Russian scientists are also warning that major earthquakes could occur this weekend according to following excerpts from article referenced below:
"A new report released today in the Kremlin prepared for Prime Minister Putin by the Institute of Physics of the Earth, in Moscow, is warning that the America’s are in danger of suffering a mega-quake of catastrophic proportions during the next fortnight (14 days) with a specific emphasis being placed on the United States, Mexico, Central America and South American west coast regions along with the New Madrid Fault Zone region.
This report further warns that catastrophic earthquakes in Asia and the sub-continent are, also, “more than likely to occur” with the 7.3 magnitude quake in Japan today being “one of at least 4 of this intensity” to occur during this same time period.
Raising the concerns of a mega-quake occurring, this report says, are the increasing subtle electromagnetic signals that are being detected in the Earth’s upper atmosphere over many regions of the World, with the most intense being over the US Western coastal and Midwest regions.
Important to note are that Russian and British scientists are at the forefront of predicting earthquakes based on these subtle electromagnetic signals and have joined in an effort to put satellites in space to detect more of them…
…At the moment we have Jupiter and Saturn on either side of the Sun and creating a tug of war with Earth in the middle. That started last September and will continue until about May. In September the Earth was right in line with Jupiter, Saturn and the Sun too.
That’s why there were several 7+ earthquakes around, it wasn’t just us. For instance there was one in Pakistan on the same day as Christchurch. This Jupiter/Saturn alignment continues until about May, and the Earth comes back into line as well in March. It is why there may be an extreme event, perhaps a large earthquake, around 20 March, which is when the Moon may be again in a trigger position.”
Above from article provided by Cheri at following site:
CONCLUSION
Based on the above, we should consider this weekend as a time of maximum danger for people living near major faults on the West Coast, and I would recommend that people in SoCal evacuate to safer, more sustainable areas that are as independent as possible from SoCal infrastructure… like Arizona.
Sic semper tyrannis.
ricardo / lonewolf
P.S. As most of you know, I have been correlating climate change with sun's activity for some time now, and I am still convinced that the 11-year sunspot cycle and the 22-year solar polarity cycle are by far the most dominant causes of climate change on earth. However, last year, I also noticed that the horrendous Haiti earthquake coincided with a rare hole in earth's magnetic field nearby over the Atlantic. This hole in magnetic field could also be correlated with the weaker-than-usual sunspot cycle occurring at the same time. So, I asked the question: 'could there be a cause-effect relationship between a weak sunspot cycle; weak earth's magnetic field; solar storms; and earthquakes / volcanoes'? From above article on Russian study, Russian and English scientists are partnering to launch satellites that will monitor variations in earth's magnetic field to predict earthquakes / volcanoes, and, hopefully, this effort shed light on what role the sun might play in these phenomena.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

74- Salvation Mountain


From his Website:

Salvation Mountain is located in the lower desert of Southern California in Imperial County just east of the Salton Sea and about a hour and a half from Palm Springs. Salvation Mountain is Leonard Knight's tribute to God and his gift to the world with its simple yet powerful message: "God Is Love." Leonard's passion has lovingly created this brilliant "outsider art " masterpiece resplendent with not only biblical and religious scripture such as the Lord's Prayer, John 3:16, and the Sinner's Prayer, but also including flowers, trees, waterfalls, suns, bluebirds, and many other fascinating and colorful objects.

Salvation Mountain must be seen to be fully appreciated as those who have made the journey will attest. Its 50 foot height and 150 foot breadth is made totally of local adobe clay and donated paint and is truly unique in the United States and probably the world. From its Sea of Galilee at the bottom, to the big red heart in the middle, to the cross at the very top, the reoccurring theme of "Love" is everywhere at Salvation Mountain.

===================================

My cut: This was one of the highlights of my trip to visit the Salton Sea. It was worth the ten minutes spent looking around. Other sites in the area: Slab City, Salton Sea Museum... very tough to find... I never did, the dead sea itself and the city of Brawley. Lots agriculture in the area- but I have no idea what crops were being grown.

Monday, March 14, 2011

73- Salton Sea



Went out to see the Salton Sea on Saturday. Once a thriving vacation spot, the salt naturally found in the soil turned it from a freshwater lake that formed from a burst Colorado River Dam in 1905 into a salty and unlivable cesspool by the 1970s. Well a picture speaks 1,000 words.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

72- Lazy Day


I hate the week that it takes me to get used to daylight savings time. I like the longer days we get for the summer months... but somehow I don't like paying for it with the hour it cost me this morning. I used today to sleep in... well not really... I just slept in like normal and it was an hour later.

Friday, March 11, 2011

71- Mayan Countdown Continues (650 days)


650 days until the Mayan Calendar ends. Hmmm... Major, major earthquake in Japan with 25 foot tsunami waves. Makes you think a little?

70- Earthquake and Tsunami Wave



Just got a phone call from K about a half hour ago (430 am) about that big 8.9 Earthquake in Japan. Wow. An 8.9 is huge. The powers of the natural world can be so destructive. Chile had a big one a few days ago and I remarked that I thought a bigger one was coming soon. Never thought I would be so right. The plates are shifting and we could be getting some aftershock activity here in San Diego. You never know.

Right now the news channels are covering the situation in Hawaii where they wait for any tsunami waves to arrive in a few minutes.

Pray for the safety of the Japanese people and the victims of the wave.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

69- Budget

How did the US government get into such a budget mess? The easy answer is they spent more than they took in. I hate to say it but I have to ask the question why is that? I mean I can't spend more than I make unless I want to go into debt. If I charge my credit cards or fail to make a payment on my house they foreclose. But we've used borrowing money from other countries to GIVE away the money to unneeded projects and foreign country aid. WTF?

Three questions I want answered:

1- Why did President Bush give out a huge tax cut when we had a surplus even though we had a huge deficit? I mean if I owe someone money and I get a bonus or raise, I am expected to pay off my debt. Again WTF? Why do our leaders think they need to spend ever last dime and then some? Short sighted leaders who want nothing else but to get re-elected. You know part of me would agree to paying more in taxes if only I knew they would spend it in a responsible manner--- but that will never be the case.

2- Why did Congress take all that money that was set aside for the social security program- the money everyone gets deducted from their paycheck- and "Borrow it" (that means take it and spend it on whatever they wanted) instead of investing it and actually having the money to use for social security payments. Again WTF? I mean really if I have money deducted from my pay check for my IRA, I can't just go out and buy a boat with it can I? I mean the government will hit me with a pretty huge penalty. I mean once i get to 59 1/2 I can spend it but not until then.

3- Why is Congress imposing all these rules and regulations on me and my healthcare- yet they don't have to live by them? Again WTF? Why are they getting treated like royalty... they aren't... all men ( and women) are created equal... says so right in the constitution. These guys are all exempt from the new healthcare mandates. Why??? Are they some special breed of American that is above the law? Just who do they think they are anyway? Momar Quaddafi or maybe Hasni Mubarik?

Hell, all these lawmakers don't even pay into social security. Their reasoning is that they won't receive any benefits from it... no kidding. Plenty of workers have paid into the system and never received a dime... they died before they could draw it. Chances are good I will never receive a dime either- the fund will be broke by then.

Sorry for the rant--- I didn't know what to write about and these items have been burning a hole in my brain lately.


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