The National Budget Mess

So the Ayatollah Barry Obama said this week that 80% of Americans WANT more taxes.  I'm wondering where that poll came from.  I don't know anyone that thinks more taxes will resolve this debt issue.  I agree with many who have opined that this is not a revenue issue, but rather a spending issue.

Here is the thing.  Mr. Obama wants to tax upper income individuals.  I remember back when it was decided the way to increase revenue is to tax personal yacht purchases.  The problem was that it put yacht makers out of business because people were simply purchasing their yachts overseas.  Today a similar situation exists.  Taxing higher income folks will damage the livelyhood of those who can least afford it.

Example 1.  Citizen earns $300,000.00 per year.  He purchases an estate and hires people to care for it.  If Citizen pays more taxes, the likely hood is that he will not purchase the estate and will not hire help.  Therefore, the builder of the estate is out of work along with his workers, and the domestic help that would have been hired are also out of work.

Exampls 2.  Citizen earns $1.3M, and decides to open a business.  Along come new taxes and he decides perhaps he will bank the money rather than just give it to government through higher employment taxes and increased regulation, and more personal income tax. He decides that he will open his business in Mexico or India, because they are more business friendly.  Therefore, the building he would use is not rented, the employees he would have hired are still out of work and the economy for many people stagnates.

Money is like water.  In order for it to remain fresh it must circulate.  Unfortunately, when money is given to the Government, much of it winds up in the pockets of undesirables.

Government must learn to live less large.  I have said many time how that should be done.  The crises could be resolved THIS YEAR if the knuckleheads in Washington would just do what they were sent to do.

Our representatives were not sent to Washington the make laws, but rather to protect us from unrighteous government.  However, these representatives get perverted by the power they perceive themselves to have.  They think they just HAVE to make laws, because they are in congress.  I say now they must repent and be about OUR business and not about their own.

Mr. Obama also needs to understand.  He is becoming the American Hitler.  Oppression of the masses will foster revolt.  The tea party started it, but the populace will finish it if government can't get itself under control.

Back to the Torture Tube

So when the tests are not definitive, you get to do more tests.  I had MRI/MRA this week, but I get to enjoy MRV now.  We're going to see if I have anything running around in the veins of my brain. 

My doctor called yesterday to tell me the results of MRI/MRA.  He said they could see my ears, but didn't notice anything between them.  I'm pretty sure he meant nothing unusual beween them. 

I saw the Neurologist today.  I will undergo EEG, Nerve Conduction Study, the MRV, and then we'll talk some more.  He suspects that I had a seizure instead of a mini-stroke.  So here we go.

More when I know something...

MRI /MRA - Torture in a tube

I wonder who invented the Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine.   He/She must be a sadistic individual.  Why would one purposely put himself through such a nightmare?  In my case it was to see what is going on with my brain.

It was an interesting experience.  I am mildly claustrophobic, so I requested a sedative before I underwent the procedure.  It was a good thing.  I'm rather large.  6'2" and well over 300 lbs.  The insurance carrier I have wouldn't permit a so-called open MRI, so I had to use the conventional machine.  They put me on this flimsy sled devise, put a helmet over my head and told me not to move my head.  Then they said, "this will take about 12 minutes.  Here's some ear plugs because it will get pretty noisy."   The sled wouldn't take me inside the machine, so they had two gorillas shove me into a tiny little tube. My arms were pressed against my belly, my elbows ground against the wall of the tube, and my belly rubbed against the top of the tube if I took a deep breath.

Pretty noisy?  WOW!  Jet engines with afterburners lit don't make that much noise.  After about 2 weeks inside the infernal thing it stopped, and I slid out.  They said they had kept me a little longer than planned.  I was in there 14 minutes. I thought I was done.  Silly me.

I was done with the MRI....but...The doctor had also ordered MRA, whatever that is.  AND ordered with and without contrast.  So...The two gorillas that shoved me into the machine the first time, did so again.  The thing began to blast like a flock of jack hammers going all at once and then the jet engine began to roar again.  Nearly a month later it all got quiet, and the sled pulled me back out of the machine.  15 minutes that time.  Done?  Nope.

They had to inject some kind of dye in my veins so they could begin the torture again.  I was ready to tell them all the secrets I had.  I began to wonder if water boarding could be any worse than this.  The gorillas shoved me back into the machine again and told me that this would be the longest one.  It was a little different though.  No jack hammers, no jet engine.  HOWEVER.  someone with a little tack hammer beat on the left side 6 times and then someone on the right side rang a little bell 5 times, back and forth and over and over.  I lost count of how many times.  THEN started the jet engine.

Finally it was quiet again and out I came.  I was only in this time for 12 minutes.

Maybe in a couple of days I'll be sane again and will learn what the torturers found.

"We all have to sacrifice"

The Ayatollah-in-chief, Mr. Obama, says that we all need to tighten our belts and "sacrifice".  Now I wonder exactly what he means.  He just gave his staffers a raise. I haven't seen a raise in over 6 years.  The cost of living increases conveniently do not count the cost of gasoline for the little people, but evidently for the elitists, every little penny counts. 

So these people, who should be working as interns because of the very high salaries they will gain when they leave government service, make 3 times the national average.  They are not 3 times as smart.  They are not 3 times as educated.  They ARE 3 times as ignorant of conditions in the USA today.

I guess when we are in a budget crunch, the thing to do is raise government salaries.  I wonder if my company would go for that.  When we struggle for existence, we should raise salaries.  However, that isn't the way the real world works.  We, in the real world, take pay cuts so that our company can stay viable.  We take benefit reductions so our company can stay fluid.  We increase our work load so that our company can continue to employ us.  We work longer hours because it is needed to complete our work load. 

Those in government service sacrifice by working less and receiving more compensation each year.  Why does it take all of those people to run government?  I forgot....It take all those regulators to keep the sheeple in line.  To snap the whip so that we can continue to pay and pay so they can reap and reap. 

Years ago I saw a cartoon depicting the new Federal Tax form.  There are just two lines. 

Line one:  How much money did you make?

Line two:  Send it in.

That's kind of the way it feels already. 

Those in power will never take my suggestions, even though they could balance the budget THIS YEAR if they would only use them.

Makes too much sense.

News I can use

Well.....Thangs ain't always what they seem, I guess.

When I went to the Doctor on Wednesday, the nurse took 6 vials of blood.  The tests to be done were cholesterol, minerals, hormones, and other things.  My Doctor called me yesterday to give me the results.

Mildly high cholesterol
marginal on several minerals, but..
Low on thyroid. 

The light came on!  Hypo-thyroid can cause obesity (that'd be me), fatigue (that'd me me too), dry brittle nails (another one), thought process problems, bowel problems, depression, irritability, among other things.  All are symptoms I've been having. 

It doesn't explain my painful lower extremities or the headaches, or the muscular problems in my hands, though, so there is more going on.

A better day

I have had a better day today, although I've struggled through it.  I still have trouble focusing on my chores, but I've been able to speak cogently and hear most of what is going on around me.  My voice is still gravelly except when I raise it.  My hands continue to let things slip out of them.  I find my typing to be more tedious than normal though.  I have to watch pretty close or I wind up typing things that don't make sense.  My brain sees the problems, but my fingers don't follow instructions well.

I believe I will post my progress for the next few days.  I'm doing this mostly so I have a record of my thoughts and actions, but also so my family and friends will know what is happening.  I believe my political rant will have to take a back seat to these events that have the potential of changing my very life. 

I want you to know that I know that God lives and that He cares for each of us.  I have experienced sacred and awesome things of which I don't speak.  While that is the case, I still worry about my station in this life and the life to follow.  

enough for now.

Personal News

I hope my readers will indulge me a few lines of personal news.

Many of you know that I've had some medical problems over the past few years.  I enjoyed a heart attack two and a half years ago, had knee replacement surgery a year ago, and have not really felt well at all over the past few weeks.

There are many symptoms that have presented themselves.  I've noticed over the past few months that my voice has become a little bit gravelly.  I occasionally have trouble focusing my eyes.  My feet and lower legs are becoming numb.  I noticed that I sometimes get confused and can't understand what is going on around me.  I noted last Sunday that sometimes the words I hear are gibberish. I have trouble grasping small objects.  I lose grip on things like coins, pens, and the like. My speech is slurred and harder to understand, even by me.  I thought this must be just because I'm getting a little older.   But yesterday I was in melt-down mode.  My blood pressure spiked.  My hands began to shake, my left cheek tingled into partial numbness, my head ached horribly.  I was terrified, and I still am terrified.  I worried that I might be experiencing a "mini-stroke".  The symptoms soon subsided, but my supervisor advised me to go home and I did.  I didn't think it was anything REAL serious, but when I began to research the symptoms I began to be terrified again.  I was pretty sure I had experienced a mini-stroke. 

I went to my personal physician today.  He ran a bunch of motor tests, and talked to me for quite some time.  At the end of our time together he advised me to see a neurologist and to get an MRI on my brain.  He indicated that it may well have been a mini-stroke.  He didn't, however, tell me not to work (although I didn't ask either).  I went back to work and finished out the day today.

I will undergo MRI on Monday, and then I have to wait for 2 weeks for my appointment to see the neurologist.  We don't have that many of them in St. George.

I notice that I am slower today than normal.  I can't get my body to respond well.  I have trouble balancing.  Some of the tests my doctor gave me to do were: balance on one foot, balance on tip toes, balance on heels, walk as if on a line, heal to toe.  I had trouble with all of those tests. 

I am prescribed a blood pressure medicine, but I suspect that is not a cure for whatever is going on. 

Through it all my princess bride has been stalwart.  I love her, and I know she loves me.  She must for all I've put her through over the past few years.

I apologize for the deviation from my normal rant.  Perhaps I'll return to it later in the week.

Independence Day 2011

235 years ago the American colonies declared independence from its oppressor.  The political conditions then are much like those of today, except now we must resist our own government's oppression.  When the Declaration of Independence was written, our people only wanted self governance.  They were distressed because of regulation without representation.  Today we send our representatives to Washington, but they don't represent us.  Instead they only represent their own interests.  They ignore the will of the people, and pervert government.  They build their own little empires and then are indignant when someone calls them on their actions.

Why can we not return to the values established by the framers of our nation?  Why can we no longer trust our governmental leaders?  It appears to me that our elective leaders think that we send them to Washington so that they can "adjust" government.  What we really need is representatives that will go to Washington and RESIST temptation to make laws that are oppressive.  We need representatives that will go to Washington with the idea in mind that they will work to repeal laws that are not in the best interests of the masses.  There are many.   We need honesty, integrity, maturity, thriftiness, and quality in our elective leaders.

We need to return to our Christian roots.  We need to worship Almighty God.  We need to accept the atonement and remember it is freely given if we will freely accept.  We need to remember that this life is only a step in the eternal plan of happiness.  We need to know that our actions here will affect our status when this life is over.  We need to return to brotherly kindness.  Small town America generally has it right.  The people are protective of each other.  They watch out for one another and work together. 

We need to be Americans instead of Irish-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans or any other kind.  We are all simply Americans and should act that way. 

Enough for today.

Political unrest in the good ol' USA

Our friends in federal elective office just don't understand the tensions that are running so high here in the normal regular world.

We sent them to Washington to represent us.  We didn't send them to ignore our calls, emails, snail mails or personal pleas.  Here is what I expect our elective representatives to do:

1.  Stop spending money we don't have.  The tax well is dry.  Just cut off the faucet.

2.  Stop supporting nations that don't like us.  Money will not buy their allegiance, friendship, or help.

3.  Close departments not supported by the constitution, i.e. Education, Energy, Transportation, Health, Agriculture, HUD, Homeland Security.

4.  Consolidate ALL armed law enforcement into the justice department. No other department should have armed agents.  Consolidate Defense and Homeland Security into one Department. 

5.  Return welfare to the churches.  They know best how to deal with their neighbors and congregations.  Those who don't attend churches ought to consider doing so.

6.  Consolidate NSA, CIA, MI.  Put all intelligence gathering into one single department.  Take special ops out of CIA and put it back into Defense where it belongs.

7.  Defund the "Czars"

8.  Defund use of National Defense resources for congressional/executive personal use.  They want to fly?  Pay commercial carriers at their own expense.

Create volunteer committees to oversee expenditures.  I'll bet there are many ways to cut the bleeding.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas)--How pathetic

When I wrote my post of yesterday I had yet to read this little tidbit of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), but I'm not real surprised.  The only religion that can't possibly be injurious to the good ol' United States of America is the Muslim religion, obviously.

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/analysis-how-christian-militants-might-b

In this article, Ms Jackson-Lee, wants to investigate how Militant Christians might bring down the country.  What unmitigated garbage!  This country was founded by "Militant Christians", is supported by the same, and will continue to be supported by us.  How pathetic that these congressional nazies are worried that we are interested in returning to the values instituted by Almighty God. 

Every nation that has maintained a close relationship with our Christian religion, called upon our Heavenly Father for assistance, and then honored His prophets has flourished.  Every nation that has persecuted the prophets, rejected Heavenly Father and His Son, and taken upon itself idols, has fallen. 

The South American country that I visited years ago has a little one-word exclaimation that is appropriate:

OHO!  meaning Watch out!

We lose more freedoms

I learned, a few days ago, that the FBI has taken upon itself more invasive powers.  Now they claim the right to invade a private residence EVEN IF THEY HAVE NO REASON TO SUSPECT a law has been broken.  We are becoming more and more of a gestapo state.  I wonder if the Ayatollah Barry Obama thinks that he is now the re-invention of Adolf Hitler.  The same tactics are being used today that were used in the late 1930's when Hitler took the leadership of Germany.  I fear for our nation, our people, our families, and our religion.  I wonder when he'll set the "brown shirts" on Christians because we are subversive.  I wonder when our Government will deem, by executive order, that it is illegal to practice our religion because it is offensive.

We need to get on our knees as a nation and pray to Almighty God.  And then we need to raise the Title of Liberty high above our homes, automobiles, and places of employment.  Then we must gather our forces to combat this evil.  For those of you who don't know what the Title of Liberty is, it is this:

IN MEMORY OF OUR GOD, OUR RELIGION AND FREEDOM, AND OUR PEACE, OUR WIVES AND OUR CHILDREN.

In my not so humble opinion it is the only way we can return to the values that formed this nation.  We have sunk into apostasy and we must repent and plead with our Heavenly Father to help us return to be the land, most favored of all nations.

We must cease to be aggressors in the world, but be defenders of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  We must vigorously defend the Constitution of the United States instead of trying to figure out how to circumvent that inspired document.

We must close down those government departments that are not specifically mentioned in the constitution.  We must get government out of the private lives of individuals and families.  We must get the government out of the business of  "controlling the public".  We must find a president who will covenant to do just that.

I don't see anyone running that fits the bill as of yet.  Each of them has good points, but their history is not compatible with the vision that we need in the White House.  I will vigorously campaign for the candidate that will make the covenant to enforce the constitution and the Title of Liberty.

Enough for the moment

It was only a matter of time..

It was only a matter of time until we figure out that Gadianton Robbers have invaded every facet of  our lives.  They are in Congress, the White House, courts, local and state legislatures, business and even in some churches.  We knew it would happen, but hoped it would take a little longer to become so pervasive.

Gadianton Robbers are especially subversive because their methods are very subtle.  They invade carefully, like wolves wearing sheep's clothing. We elect, hire, appoint them because what they SAY is appealing.  However, what they DO is particularly revolting.  They are immoral, leading our people into error and sin.  They are evil, in that they make particularly repugnant issues seem appealing.  They are vicious, in that they are violently enforcing their will, plans and goals.

Who are these people?  I won't name them, but I will describe them.  They:

1.  Sext, and say, "it's ok because I'm a congressman/judge/advisor to the president."

2.  They force their will on the public, i.e. ObamaCare, immoral searches at airports, etc.

3.  They cause confusion and intimidation at the polling places.

4.  They blackmail the public by threatening investigations.

5.  They cause loss of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness when they shut down a business because of inconsequential, oblique, little known or enforced laws in order to protect their "buddies".

6.  They cause loss of life and liberty by starting illegal, immoral, unrighteous wars in which we have no business becoming involved.

7.  They work to destroy the institution of family with one father and one mother.

8.   They are sexual predators, preying on the weak and helpless, and then discarding them like used kleenex.

9.  They work to prevent our God given individual choice.

10. They destroy our homes in the name of "homeland security".

If we want peace in our time, we need to root these individuals, groups and ideas out and isolate them.

enough said.

Is it time to go?

I have been a transportation manager for 31 of the 37 years I have been in the transportation business. Over the years, I have enjoyed much of the time I've spent working in both the railroad and trucking industries.  I have put much of my personal energies into my work.  I live and breath transportation.  In the few years of my professional life that I spent outside of transportation, I have yearned to return, and I have.  However, now I wonder if my energies are appreciated or even wanted.  

When I began my love of transportation, all one had to do to be noticed and therefore improve one's position was work hard, learn everything possible about one's current position and then learn the next position even before being offered a promotion.  Hard work payed off.  I progressed from lowly switchman to a prestigious line management position.  In that environment I learned that the best way to lead a force was to pull my team along, coaching when necessary, teaching when needed and encouraging at every step of the way.  As a result of those efforts, work place injuries were reduced, productivity was increased, revenues improved, and morale was high.  

Along came the time, however, when those efforts were not appreciated.  The corporate moguls turned a corner and wanted those of us in the field to work hard to "lie in wait" for employees to err and then hold hearings to determine that these employees should be sacked.  When management style went from coaching,teaching, and leading to pushing, testing and immoral "gotcha" moments, I elected to terminate my relationship with the railroad I loved.  I cannot justify, in my own mind, that kind of behavior.  I still have to live with myself.  I have to look at myself in the mirror each day.  I tendered my resignation and left my position.

I began my love of trucking in much the same mind as I began my railroad career.  I again wanted to begin my trucking career at the bottom.  I went back to school and learned how to be a truck driver.  I found a fledgling company, and I drove truck for a couple of years.  Then I was asked to come into the office and take over a portion of the company that needed strengthening.  It was another challenge that I enjoyed.  I learned much and I hope that I have contributed much.  I left the trucking industry for a few years to chase a dream.  I learned, though, that I am a better truck driver than Insurance Salesman and I returned to the trucking company I loved.  

I still work for that same trucking company.  I love the owners, I love my co-workers, I enjoy doing what I do.  I ride for the brand, as I always have done.  I am fierce in my defense of my work, my subordinates, my peers, and my company.  So much so, in fact, that I was told yesterday that I have a "bad attitude".   We have changed management and management styles over the past year or so.  Again we are going  back to the style of leadership that causes me concern.  And so I am at a crossroads.  

I am of a mind to return to driving.  I love driving, but current regulations are such that it is difficult to want to do so.   Government seems anxious to drive transportation companies out of business. 

Some of my peers and family think I should not return to driving, but should hang in there and do whatever I need to do in the office, even if it violates the values I hold so dear.  

What should I do?  I invite your comments.

It depends on your point of view

I guess much depends on your paradigm.  From where I stand I an see much to improve.  I like Paul Ryan's government reduction plan, but a the same time I see value in protecting our nation's poor and disabled.

Here are some things I consider worth discussion.

1.  Return welfare to the churches where it belongs.  The churches are better qualified to administer aid to individuals and familes.  They know the people and their circumstances. 

2.  Government is, by definition, non-producing.  In fact it is definately a resource pig, sucking up all available resources if it is left to do so.  This pig needs harvesting for the better of the nation.  Both the Republicrats and the Demicans have helped to fatten the pig, and now it is time to enjoy the barbeque.    I've said before and I'll say again; the following departments need to be abolished:  Energy, Transportation, Labor, Education, Homeland Security,    Each of these department spend its time discouraging philanthropy, terrorizing businesses and individuals, and causing governmental hatred.  Just think how much money could be saved by government and business by eliminating the departments cited above.

3.   Return education to the local level where it belongs.  The local people know best how to handle their respective children.  The federal government has no reason to be involved in local education.  Each mandate that federal regulators put onto local school districts costs money they don't have and don't want to spend.  We have school administrators doing nothing but keping watch on federal regulators so they won't be found in non-compliance.

4.  Increase tariffs on Chinese goods.  I have much trouble finding goods made in America.  I can't believe nobody in America makes Padlocks, or scissors, or staplers or any number of things.  I'm willing to pay a little more to get goods "made in America".  We need to produce and purchase only goods "Made in America".

Enough said for the moment.

Mothers' Day: A day to honor mothers everywhere

Mixed with all the political turmoil; mixed with all the terrorism; mixed with all the factions at war; mixed with those of us that live in relative peace; mothers are still giving birth to children.  In my mind there is no greater calling than that of Mother. 

Years ago, when families were strong basic units, mothers were the strength of the home.  They taught the children respect, duty, honor, and honesty along with cleanliness, responsibility and worship.  Mothers taught children to read.  They prepared the children to enter school. They were the primary teachers for their children.  Mothers and Fathers took their children to church to learn of God.  I long for a return of those days.

Today's mothers have a much harder life.  Many women must work outside the home and take care of their children at the same time.  I long for a return to the days of the past when families were able to send Father out to work to sustain the family, and Mother could stay home and nurture the children.  Families would be stronger, communities would be stronger, crime would likely be decreased.  Television's influence on the children could be diminished. 

Hollywood's characterization of the family has caused the current generation to view the family with a false paradigm.  Governments seem to view parents as "optional", even promoting the idea of single parenting.  Governments seem to foster the idea of killing unborn children as a way to keep illegitimate children from being born instead of fostering the idea that children are precious and when a child is born he/she has the right to a two parent family.  Children thrive better when there are two parents involved in a family.   Additionally, studies have found that families with more than one child thrive even more.  The idea that small families are better cared for is a myth.  Large families instill a responsibility in children that they will take with them into their adult lives.

I was privileged to enjoy a family where our father taught us how to work and how to use tools.  He was an educated man, but he didn't stop with what learning he received in the University.  He was self taught in many areas and taught his children to do the same.  Our mother was also self educated.  She was strong enough to keep her children in line.  I remember being irritated by her lengthy "preachings" when we did something wrong.  I was loath to do wrong because I knew there would be a "preaching" if  I was found out.  The preaching was sometimes more painful than the alternative whipping.  My mother worried about me even when I was an adult.  I imagine she still worries about me even though she passed away several years ago. 

This post is to honor mothers everywhere, but especially my mother and the mother of my children, my queen, my sweetheart, my lover, my wife.