Random Musing..

So they're saying that this is the most important Presidential election of our time.
Until the election in 2012 that is. Then that one will be the most important election of our time. I wonder if we'll ever hear them say an election doesn't matter much?

Polls report Obama is up by 10 points. Another poll reports it's tied. Another says the race is tightening. The only thing tightening is the rear end on people listening to pollsters. Any more tightening and we may need a government sponsored enima for the population.

Some news columnist in Missouri wrote a column stating that the term "Socialism" is code for African American. Funny, Websters defines it as: A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. And "Columnist" is code word for "lacking a proper dictionary".
Just because McCarthy used that term back in the 60's does not give him the authority to redefine the word for the rest of the world. If I say "goofy" means "news columnist" do I get to change the definition for everyone else later in history?

We need to have a math quiz for anyone who applies for a mortgage. That way people can qualify only if they know how to subtract the amount of a house payment plus insurance and escrow from the net take home pay they recieve every month. Pass the test and you can qualify for a house.
The test also should be given to the politicians before they can vote on any spending bill and any bill that involves money!

Why can't we have a coalition to patrol the coast off of Somalia and start blowing the pirates out of the water? Do that a few times and I bet it'll get safe to sail through there really quick!

Is it me or have halloween costumes become cheaply made and poorly designed?

Fall is my favorite time of the year.
The temps cool down, the leaves turn brown,
and a chill is in the air.
Now if only we can have snow for Christmas Day!

Who's watching the watchers?

Mortgage Crisis. Banking crisis. Stock Market Crisis. 800 Billion bailout. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And yet where did this slippery slope begin? Perhaps we're concentrating on the wrong cast of culprits?
I was watching the TV today and there was a congressional committee drilling the CEO of Lehman Brothers about how much compensation he received before the company went bankrupt. It got me thinking. The people asking the questions should also be the ones on the receiving side of the inquisition. You see, it was the US Congress that relaxed the rules on the mortgage giants called Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. This resulted in banks and lenders offering subprime mortgages to people who were clearly not qualified for the amount they requested. This in turn led to housing prices surging to unreasonable prices, defaults, foreclosures, housing slumps, and bankruptcies.
See this link...

As a result, whether for good intentions or bad, we have in effect people (congress) making business decisions that they are not qualified to make. Let me ask you...if you had a person you knew not too well, who was not steadily employed or did not make very much, come up and ask to borrow $10,000, would you lend it to them? What if they threatened to take you to court? That is essentially what the government set up the banks to do. Banks are to blame for allowing the loans but congress is to blame for putting them in a position that in order to make solid financial decisions they would have to fight lawsuit after lawsuit.
We need a whole new congress. Not just democrats, not just republicans, we need a good ol' house cleaning. The people all spoke when the bailout plan was put forth. At least 2 to 1 against any bailout yet not only did they pass it (the 2nd time around) they added PORK to the 2nd bill! How wrong was that!!! That's adding salt to the wound. By adding another 100 billion in pork to an already bad bill, they not only told the american taxpayer to stick it, they did it while giving us the finger!
I for one am going to be looking at who voted for this pig of a bill and making my decisions with that in mind this November.

Smooth Sailing

What a great week it's been at work. In the airline industry if you're late the issues just multiply. These last two weeks, even with Hurricane Ike, have been extremely smooth. Yesterday we were at 97% on time. I haven't seen that in years!
All week we've been in the 90's for on time performance and that's a great thing.
The weather across the country has helped a lot also. We've had sunny weather everyday and in the 80-90's for temperatures. Let's hope that we can continue this for as long as possible.

Gas, Oil, Politics

Wow! It's been almost a year since my last post. Seems I think about it occasionally but it's usually at times when I don't have the time or proper venue for blogging. Usually it's in the car while listening to some news talk show who gets me to start thinking about topics of the day, week or year and then of course once I turn off the engine I completely forget about blogging.
I have a lot to say, just not the memory to keep it long enough to reach a computer. Gas has gone from $1.75 a gallon to $3.80 or more. We're down to the remaining nominations for this years Presidential elections. People in Myanmar and Zimbabwe are still being oppressed by their malevolent leaders, and inflation is rising here in the USA. While every year we elect a new president is important, this one could be different. John McCain and Barak Obama. This could be the year of choosing between the person who is disliked the least.
Barak Obama is a liberal. Plain and clear. He talks a good message but what he wants to do scares the crap outta me. Raise taxes, pull out of Iraq and the middle east, talk to people who have been saying for longer than GW was in office that they want to kill us and increase the size of the government. If he wins it will be a bad ride for the USA. We may be better liked by other countries, but only because they'll see us less potent a player in global events.
John McCain. He's got attitude. Sometimes good sometimes bad. He is more middle of the road. He supported amnesty for illegals, went against a President of his own party (which is not necessarily a bad thing but..) and has been known to go off the handle a little. I like that he supports the troops, I do not believe that Obama feels that way, and I do think John McCain has the background serving our country which you can't help but to admire. The man was imprisoned, tortured and even went so far as to let others take his place for release when the time came. Courage is something he has an abundance of. He doesn't have a great economic background though. Then again, neither does Obama. I was going to vote for McCain back in 2000 but he failed to win the nomination and by the time Texas was voting in the primaries the choice was made. He's a maverick in the Republican party, but perhaps that's what they need? Most are failing to adhere to republican principles of limited spending and reduced government. Especially limited spending. We are going to lose more seats in the House and Senate and that will be why. Scandals, big spending and a general disregard for the people of this country will cause the Dems to be in total control for 2-4 years. If the Republicans don't get their heads straightened out it will be much much longer. The only hope will be to have McCain as president during this time. One of the biggest things the Republicans can do to show they've changed is to allow Jeff Flake or Mike Pence into leadership roles. Stop the pork, stop the funding of pet projects under the pretense that it creates jobs and stimulates the market, stop lying to us. The reason this country is so politically divided isn't because of the population, it's because of the politicians. There's a civil war that's been going on in the nations capitol and it needs to end.
Oil. Drill. Here. Now. It may take 5-8 years before it reaches the markets but if we had started drilling back in Clintons years we'd be coming online right now, when we need it the most. No one in Washington has a comprehensive energy policy. Everyone wants to make something happen now, but no one is setting up the future except for failure. We have an abundance of oil 100 miles from the coast. Several other nations are already in those areas drilling so why aren't we? Why would you allow other countries to drill in areas you won't allow our own corporations to go? Make a deal. Tell the oil companies that in exchange for allowing them to drill off the coast 100 miles (deep sea) and perhaps even in Wyoming, they will: 1-subsidize the cost of the oil bought by the US thus reducing the cost to the population as does several other oil producing nations (Saudi Arabia gas cost about $1.00 a gallon) and 2-reserve a percentage of the profits from selling oil on the open market to pay the Federal Government with the funds earmarked solely for the reduction of the national debt and alternative energy research. No pork spending, no government programs, and no wasteful spending of these funds. We could drill, extract, refine, and sell gas to other countries, just as several middle east countries do and reap the profits for our country. This would reduce our dependence upon unstable regions and allow us to reduce our need of global presence by our military. Once these unstable regions realize their cash machine no longer needs them I think you would see a drastic change in attitude toward the United States. Imagine the United States energy independent and even gaining profits from our production of oil. The possibilities would be limitless. Reduced debt, energy independence, reduced military responsibilities, and perhaps even a trade surplus. That city of lights on the hill could be us, if only we allow it.

The Candidates

Seems the Presidential race is is full swing and has been now for several months. Is it me or are they starting earlier and earlier? Before you know it people will be announcing their Presidential aspirations a month after a new President is sworn in. After all, you gotta build up that big ol' war chest.
Seeing as I generally vote Republican I'm going to dedicate this blog to my view of the current field of candidates.

Rudy Guliani. Rudy has created quite a buzz around his ability to gather support. I see him as the leader on what we need for a strong defense and military. I also like his ability to be tough on crime. He has a good amount of experience albeit with a mega-city and not any state experience. What I find lacking in Rudy is his stance on abortion and his liberal leaning tendencies. Lack of a firm immigration policy and his personal history could be the issues that make me look elsewhere. He's tough, but is he conservative enough with budgets and Constitutional rights.

Mitt Romney. Mitt has a lot going for him. I like his fiscal responsibility and business sense. He would make a great leader for our economy and would hopefully reduce government waste and spending as well as put us back on track. We need someone like Mitt to keep Congress' spending under control, because frankly they can't do it themselves. Mitt doesn't seem to have strong foreign policy experience and his past dealing from the left only to move right could be something that gives me pause. I like Mitt, but can he be more than 1 dimensional. He also needs to find a way to address the religion issue. I don't have a problem with it, but it does seem to pop up regularly and he needs to find a way to put it to rest.

John McCain. John is a wild card. He has strong qualifications in foreign policy and experience inside the beltway so he knows his way around. He also has valuable inside knowledge of Congress. But he comes from Congress and as such I haven't heard too much from him about how messed up they are which to me means he is complicit in the out of control spending spree. He also tends to break from the Republican party at times when he shouldn't and doesn't when he should. There's a reason he's not doing so well. He's his own problem.

Fred Thompson. I was one of the many who awaited Fred's jump into the race with high expectations. I am very disappointed. Fred's lackluster start is only fueling the controversy around his previous Senate record and rumors of his "lack of enthusiasm". He has a good pitch, but needs to refine the substance of his pitch and get more detailed. His folksy approach will only go so far. He had gravitas before he entered the race but seems to have been unable to maintain that perception. He could turn it around but he better get a plan and start getting out there. His MIA status on the campaign trail is hurting him.

The other candidates are so far behind (I should include John McCain in that group) that to vote for them at this time would be an effort in futility if you really intended to have your selection become President. That could change as there are a few that could be promising such as Duncan Hunter, Sam Brownback and Mike Huckabee but until they gain some traction we'll just focus on the main players.

Here's what I would like to see in a candidate:
Fiscally responsible. Reduce spending, cut taxes or hold them, get rid of earmarks and fund the most important issues such as Education, Defense, Housing, Social Security, Medicare, Infrastructure, and Children's Health care.
Secure our borders. Improve and modernize the military. Build foreign coalitions and relations. Pursue restructuring of the United Nations to clean out those with dismal human rights records and histories of corruption until they change their ways. Otherwise withdraw from the United Nations until action is taken. (I'd like to see how well they do without our tax dollars going to supporting the corruption rampant in that organization).
Reform the tax code. Reform Social Security. Reduce the size of government.
Reduce the national debt. Improve trade and encourage and assist nations who are struggling to jump start their trade. Equalize trade agreements. If you tax our goods coming into your country we will tax yours accordingly. Ban partial birth abortion. It is a cruel procedure that goes against everything we should stand for with the exception of if the life of the mother is in jeopardy.

So where is my candidate? I really don't know. I'm sure that I am in the same boat as many others this election cycle. There are parts of each that I like but not one has all the parts assembled into one complete candidate. Perhaps this is why the Republican membership is so fractured.

Air Travel Delays

Delays and the Airline business are as synonymous as peanut butter and jelly without the fond memories. As an airline employee who has intimate experience with the day to day operation, I can attest that the delays are getting worse. I can also attest that a big reason is the antiquated Air Traffic Control System we use in this country. I can watch on our radar sites as aircraft are rerouted around storms and taken the long way around storms. Once an aircraft is in the air it is directed by Air Traffic Control centers into what could be called airborne highways to a predetermined point only to be redirected to the next "fix" as it is called, until they reach their destination. It's like driving your car around a bunch of detours and construction zones and not using 60% of the other streets along the way. This take you miles out of your way to get to where you are driving. By utilizing only the predetermined sky-highway routes aircraft are forced to take the long way more often than they should. The airlines don't have any choice. Think about it. Would we want to delay you, use up more fuel and make all the flights after you late if we didn't have to? We are using a system that is from 1960 to route aircraft through our skies in 2007. Are you still watching a TV from 1960? Driving a car from 1960? The system needs to be replaced. Analog to digital. Ground based to satellite based. Radar blips on a screen to GPS. Until congress gets off it's butt and appropriates funds for this change you can expect that the delays will only get worse and the system more taxed. Meanwhile the airlines take the heat from the traveling public for delays that, for the most part, are beyond our control. The government has been collecting billions of dollars in taxes from the airline industry and our customers but have yet to fulfill the promise of an updated air traffic control system. It's time they put our money where their mouths are.

Boblo Boats

In today's Detroit Free Press news online the front page has a picture of something that brings a flood of memories back to when I was a child. The Detroit Boblo Boat Ste. Claire. She was one of a set of twin sister paddlewheel steam boats that used to ferry hundreds of people a day from stops along the Detroit River to Boblo Island, an amusement park located in the middle of the Detroit River. The only way to get to the park was by boat. Her sister ship is the Columbia. The boats are 97 years old so when I used to ride them they were already over 60 years old but what a majestic ride they gave us. Looking at the pictures brings back vivid memories of riding on these boats, the wind blowing through the decks, the smell of the water and the low chug chug of the steam engines driving the paddles around in the back of the boat. As kids, once we were aboard and away from the dock we would explore the decks and watch over the railings at all the people out on their own boats or the shoreline as we steamed on by. Our parents would relax while the kids would have free reign to go where ever they wanted. There was a souvenir shop on board but not much else. The ride was about 45 minutes to an hour but was rich in memories. I can still hear the sound of the chugging engine and the cool wind as it blew through our hair. The seagulls would form a chain behind waiting for any food that may get tossed overboard. Of course we were happy to accommodate them. My Uncle Pat took us several times and for a while it was his time to spend with us. We only saw him a few times a year but he sure made an impression when he did visit those summer months!
The decks were always freshly painted with a battleship gray paint and the railings and supports were painted white. The upper deck was open to the sky but sometimes it was a little to cool to stay up there. Once at the park we spent the entire day on the rides and playing games. Some of my favorites were the Comet, Antique Cars and The Log ride. We played all day long running around the park without a care in the world. We didn't worry about strangers or injuries or anything that is so prevalent in today's society, we just had a great time. I didn't realize how strong those memories could be until I saw the photograph taken from the deck as she is towed upriver. It's almost as if I was standing right there again on her deck as she sails up the Detroit River.