TD's Blog (Book) http://www.Writing.Com/main/profile.php/blog/todirsa/action/archive I hate to say it but there are more and more indications that we are heading for some real tough times. If things were not bad enough things are looking worse. Everyone keeps talking about that fact that the business has 2 trillion dollars in savings. What they don't tell you is that they also have nearly 8 trillion in debts. That's a 4 to 1 r...[Read Full Post] Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:59:31 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/747132 I continue to wonder why something that is suppose to do good does so much harm. I am talking about religion. America was founded by people who came to the New World in order to practice their beliefs without fear. The Pilgrims, Quakers, Amish, Catholics, Hutterites, and Mennonites all came so they could practice their beliefs in peace. None of them ...[Read Full Post] Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:30:14 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/747099 At my age everyday has become an adventure. I am in good health, but when you enter the beginning of the eighth decade of one's life each day brings a wonder. Some days you hear about the end of a life that ends too soon, other days you get to see something that has never happen before, or learn about what was once a mystery is now known. I re...[Read Full Post] Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:46:47 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/746981 Why is it that many of the people we put on pedestals tend to fall? Some slip off, some come crashing down. Some of them their fame is brief others last for years, but too often they end before we have seen their best. Yet others do quite well and even in their nineties still can bring joy to the world. I guess it is something that has been with us...[Read Full Post] Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:43:00 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/746910 I was supposed to get a scope done next Wednesday, but I canceled it for a couple of reasons. First my latest blood tests came back with flying colors and al the reasons Doc had ordered the scope were no longer valid. He still wanted me to have it "just in case" and I thought why not! Well two days ago I get my letter with instructions. I d...[Read Full Post] Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:18:20 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/746439 The market is booming, the Russians and Chinese deny the UN to do anything about Syria as people continue to die from the hands of their OWN government, and then Castro announces his two volume memories of his early life and Romney takes Nevada! What a Day! Pardon me if I don't get real excited by any of this. The market is just setting us up for ...[Read Full Post] Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:57:30 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/746383 We have been in a bear market for the past 34 months, most Bears last between 36 and 48 months. So I figure by the time the market hits 13,000 it will be time for the Bear to act. When it does expect the market to drop to below the 6500 mark! If Obama is lucky it will be at the end of the year, but it is more likely to start around the time of the con...[Read Full Post] Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:17:25 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/746329 Finally there has been a study relating IQ with political beliefs and guess what they have concluded? Are racists dumb? Do conservatives tend to be less intelligent than liberals? A provocative new study from Brock University in Ontario suggests the answer to both questions may be a qualified yes. The study, published in Psychological Science...[Read Full Post] Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:11:43 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/746223 Got an email from a friend that relayed a story that made me think of Republicans and Democrats. Which wolf would you assign the Republicans to? Maybe we should stop feeding it! One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. "...[Read Full Post] Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:21:16 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/746051 It is kind of amazing how US politics can make other more important things disappear from the headlines. While we have been watching the clowns called Republicans Syria has gone south, al-Qaeda has taken over Yemen, Myanmar is about to have an election, the Seals have rescued two kidnapped people in Somalia, Greece is still sending chills throughout t...[Read Full Post] Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:33:57 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/745994 The Onion just put out an article by "scientists" stating that we need to get rid of 2.3 billion people if the planet is to survive the plague of humans. It was a tongue in cheek article as it concluded by asking the question how would you go about reducing the population. Well Hitler had some concrete ideas about that subject.... Personally ...[Read Full Post] Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:10:36 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/745790 Recently I have sent the Canada Party video to my friends in the states. One of them has enjoyed it and asked for more. One began to rant about the weakness of the Canadian military, from an experience he had thirty years ago. Then he went of a short rant about the greatest of America ending with a "God Bless America" comment. I had to respond to...[Read Full Post] Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:17:43 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/745672 Finally someone has presented the truth about the current election processes. And wouldn't you know it came from Canada! Recently two gentlemen from BC (British Columbia for those that don't know anything about Canada) have formed the Canada Party and indicated that Canada should be considered as the next US President. They have presented two ...[Read Full Post] Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:26:10 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/745537 I see the Republicans have started the lies about the Oil Sands and China. The real truth is that SEVERAL years ago China invested in an oil sands project to develop the resource. This has of course resulted in plans to build a pipeline to the west coast. It is NOT a sudden thing because of Obama's refusal to go along with the Republican's ran...[Read Full Post] Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:26:10 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/745325 During the first stages of public education each student had a slate to practice their writing and numbers. As time went by the chalkboard replaced the slates and then smart boards replaced the chalk board. Today Apple has introduced the most innovative tool since the slate! Today it is not uncommon to find textbooks costing up and over $100.00 thi...[Read Full Post] Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:58:26 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/745227 Seems like the American consumer has been dipping into their retirement funds in order to keep their heads above water. It appears that many Americans have taken the attitude that the current economic down turn is temporary and by dipping into their retirement funds they think they can weather the bad times. As a result Americans have not altered thei...[Read Full Post] Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:03:19 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/745071 Last night the temperature dropped to -48F and then the power went out for two hours followed by a house fire just down the street! Just last week the temperature hit 62F, that's a one hundred degree drop in six days. Looks like the US will soon be catching up to Canada in the near future regarding the price of gas. Currently the Canada price ...[Read Full Post] Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:19:08 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/744866 With Huntsman out Romney now has a clear shot. Seems like it will be a Paul vs Romney final with Romney getting the nod. I give Romney a 45/55 chance to defeat Obama with his chances to improve as the economy continues to decline. I just don't know if I want a multimillionaire running the country during this time. He just might fire all of us for ...[Read Full Post] Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:02:21 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/744711 We have been in a Bear Market for the past three years. Bear Market's have three phases. The first is the sudden drop in the market. This occurred in March 2008 when the market fell below 7,000. Since then we have been in Phase two. This is where the Bear sucks back investors. Since 2008 the market has improved each year. As the bear gets long in the...[Read Full Post] Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:56:18 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/744326 Recently there was an OECD report released ranking the best countries to work in. The US came in 23rd and Denmark was ranked 1st. Canada came in 14th. The report looked at three factors. The first is the share of the labor force that works more than 50 hours a week. Second, time spent on leisure and personal care, and third employment rates for women ...[Read Full Post] Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:04:26 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/743838 Everyone seem to be giving the credit to the warm winter we have had to date to Global Warming. Pretty much rubbish. Our weather is generated by the conditions in the Pacific Ocean. When a condition called le Nino occurs we general have a terrible winter, however every once in a while his sister la Nina shows up and she provides us with a mild winter....[Read Full Post] Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:41:41 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/743752 Latest poll out of New Hampshire has Huntsman at the number two spot. Now if he can finish there maybe the media will start to give him more space and time. Unfortunately I think the same thing will happen to him as all the others and Mr. 25% will go on to win the nomination. Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:53:36 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/743638 I see that people are now starting to mention Huntsman more and more in the media. I expect it is about to be his turn to become the new darling of the Republicans. The only problem is that he is not going to draw support from the Tea Party members but from those who support Romney. There are a lot of Romney supporters that support him only because th...[Read Full Post] Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:22:44 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/743507 How can someone win when three out of four people vote AGINST you? Only in Iowa! As I have been saying Iowa will not produce a winner as much as getting rid of some losers. No more Michelle and Perry is on the ropes waiting for South Carolina for the knock out punch! And we now have a new leader for the anti Romney pack. First it was Michelle, t...[Read Full Post] Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:36:27 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/743314 Iowa gets to send 25 delegates to the Republican Convention in August out of over the 2000 plus delegates that will be deciding who the Republicans will nominate their presidential candidate. So why is there so much hype about this first episode? Well for one its the first one and though it may not pick winners it does usually help in cutting down the...[Read Full Post] Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:30:41 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/743242 Does it really matter what happens tomorrow in Iowa? Iowa has had less than a 50/50 success rate in picking the candidate that goes on to win their party's nomination. Even the most die hard conservative must realize by now that only Romney will be able to put up a half decent campaign against Obama. Nobody seems to realize that the only candidate...[Read Full Post] Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:42:28 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/743117 In many ways this Christmas was the same as everyone I have been involved in since I can remember. The big diner, the opening of gifts, the gathering of family, and the Christmas cheer. These have been around for a long time, but recently I have seen a slow change in behavior. The one that has impressed me is the one where parents and children are doing ...[Read Full Post] Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:26:30 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/743035 To everyone I hope the new year is the best one to date in your life. The older I get I find each new year like wine. Some are better than others and some look better as time passes. Here is to an interesting election year, here is to an improvement in world peace, here is to 2012 being as interesting as the Mayan calendar indicates. To everyone...[Read Full Post] Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:14:41 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742863 In the late 1960's I was recruited by a school division to come to Canada. I came for two years and stayed for a live time. At the time I was teaching in a school division just north of Denver. My salary was to be $5200 for the upcoming year. At the time Alberta was in a teacher shortage and were recruiting teachers from all over the world and their ...[Read Full Post] Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:42:13 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742756 Seems like the extreme right members of the Republican party are going to pick Rick S as the latest darling of the right. The only candidate left is Huntsman, but there is no way in heck they will back him! This maybe the first time in history the nomination will go to someone that couldn't draw a 30% level of support before the first primary ...[Read Full Post] Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:24:39 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742699 Yesterday my wife and I mentioned that next year we were thinking of going somewhere away for Christmas. My daughter's first response was where were we going? When I said what do you mean by we? She began to tear up realizing I was only talking about her mom and me. My wife since the beginning of our marriage has done a tremendous job of blendi...[Read Full Post] Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:45:13 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742656 In Canada they have a nice tradition they call Boxing Day. It is the day after Christmas and it is considered a national holiday. It allows families one more day to sit back and enjoy time with their families. It is also the kick off to the "Boxing Day" sales that usually last a week. No one can return or exchange gifts on that day as there are t...[Read Full Post] Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:14:45 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742583 I am sorry but Happy Holidays just does not cut it! December the 25th is to celebrate the birth of one of the world's greatest prophets. You don't have to believe in him to celebrate his birth and to recognize his contribution to mankind. I don't knock other religions who celebrate the special people that contributed to their religion, so ...[Read Full Post] Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:19:05 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742514 It is this time of year where just about everyone is doing a review of the events of the past twelve months. I usually find this to be an interesting, but pointless review. There is not much we can do about the past, after all it is past. If we can learn something about the mistakes we have made then maybe there is a benefit, However, how many time do we...[Read Full Post] Fri, 23 Dec 2011 13:43:51 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742436 I see that Paul is now the flavor of the week for Iowans. Personally I like Paul and some of the things he says make sense. However, when you listen to the whole package you end up saying "you got to be kidding"! I keep wondering when Huntsman will have his turn at the top? If he ever does make it I doubt he will slip back like all the...[Read Full Post] Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:20:37 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742331 How daffy are the Republicans? Here they have the best opportunity to make a Democratic president of being a one term president since Carter and all they do is give the public more and more reasons to vote AGAINST them! If things continue as they are we could not only see them not winning the Presidency but also get wipe out in Congress as well. If...[Read Full Post] Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:06:06 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742239 Well the world has lost a major clown, but the fear is that a clown could be better than no clown. I am of course referring to the death of North Korea's Kim Jong II. If his son replaces him then we are looking at a new "dynasty". We don't know much about the son but we do know the father was a worse leader than the grandfather and the ...[Read Full Post] Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:21:27 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/742131 Been thinking about all the things that point to 2012 as being a year for disasters. First the Mayan calendar runs out and people figure the Mayans thought that meant the end of the world, then sometime during 2012 the current bear market is going to collapse, and finally there is the 2012 election cycle. Basically the Mayan calendar does on Dec. 21, ...[Read Full Post] Fri, 16 Dec 2011 20:50:28 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/741935 I see that Huntsman has moved up to third place in N H. Just maybe the Republicans are seeing the light and maybe the moderates do have a set and are finally willing to take on the extreme members of the party. But, the real question remains to see if they can wrestle back control of their party.... Is it too late? If the economy's for coming c...[Read Full Post] Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:43:45 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/741872 I see that Huntsman has moved up to third place in N H. Just maybe the Republicans are seeing the light and maybe the moderates do have a set and are finally willing to take on the extreme members of the party. But, the real question remains to see if they can wrestle back control of their party.... Is it too late? If the economy's for coming c...[Read Full Post] Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:43:43 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/741871 Noticed today an article written by a CNN writer that maybe Huntsman desires a second look. For the first time a major media outlet has taken a look at Huntsman and seen the positives in his candidacy. Huntsman is Obama's biggest fear and the one individual most likely to defeat him. With Huntsman there is no downside, unlike ALL the other Republi...[Read Full Post] Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:52:11 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/741645 Where are all the real Republican candidates? Check the weeds and that is where you will find the Jed Bush's Christe's, and other excellent Republican candidates. At first I thought they had given up to the Tea Party, but the more I think about it I think they have decided to take a pass. Why you ask? One reason is that they would like to t...[Read Full Post] Sun, 11 Dec 2011 21:47:03 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/741585 Today is a day for reflection. I remember in 2010 walking around Pearl Harbor and realizing I was walking where my parents once walked seventy years ago with a ten week old son. I never understood why my parents use to tease me about starting WWII until my mom told me about the story of being giving a guided tour of Pearl Harbor, with me, when it was sto...[Read Full Post] Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:39:23 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/741257 We all have them! Some days where we would love it to never end and then the days we wished we hadn't got out of bed for! Yesterday was one of those days I could have done without. It began with me rear ending a brand new car and ended up with me quiting as my grandson's basketball coach. The accident was totally my fault. I had come to ...[Read Full Post] Tue, 06 Dec 2011 10:57:10 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/741182 Well Cain is gone and after we see where his supporters go another one may be on their way out. Still waiting for the Republicans to wake up and take back their party from the religious right. Time for them to stand up and begin to support the candidates that are more representative of American rather than the vocal 15%. In the real world the Repub...[Read Full Post] Sun, 04 Dec 2011 13:32:23 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/741053 When Obama came to office the country was in a mess. The country was involved in two unfunded wars, a medicare drug bill that was unfunded, unemployment rate that was over 10% and a failing economy. It took two years for people to get over the fact we had elected a black man, as everyone took a shot at him, doubting his religion, his birthplace, and h...[Read Full Post] Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:09:11 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/740924 When the President of the US is floating around the 40 percent approval rate its hard to believe that Congress has less than 10 percent! When the economic mess the country is in it is hard to believe that the current President has a hope in H-ll in getting reelected. So what do the Republicans do? They get a candidate that flip flops on issues and...[Read Full Post] Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:39:23 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/740762 I am thankful that I was not born a woman living in the Congo where rape is a daily, if not an hourly, event. I am thankful for not being a woman living in countries where went raped you are put in prison for your safety from your OWN family! I am thankful to be living in a country where I do not have to march in the streets of my city to express my d...[Read Full Post] Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:49:58 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/740239 They started with the best looking female candidate, then went to the new good looking guy, then it was the minority candidate, and now it's the old guy! Just wondering when they will get around to the candidate with the ability to actually defeat Obama? Since it is obvious that Romney can't attract enough voters it has to be Huntsman. By t...[Read Full Post] Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:29:42 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/740133 How long is it going to take for the Republicans to get it? What do they think the Occupy Wall Street is all about? Guys it's about the fact that the 1% don't need their tax breaks extended. It's about the fact that entitlements need to be reformed. It's about the need for a VAT type of tax. It's about taking responsibility o...[Read Full Post] Mon, 21 Nov 2011 09:56:10 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/740072 Sports do not build character. They reveal it! The past couple of weeks has really shown that to be true. We have seen some individuals reveal their character and unfortunately what was revealed in several cases was disgusting. The Occupy Wall Street have got one thing very right it is the 1% that can ruin it for everybody. While I was think...[Read Full Post] Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:01:23 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/739833 Many have written about Europe's PIGS. Looks like we are finally at the s as Spain's economy is now in the spot light. Every time this happens the market takes a tumble. The economy is like walking in muddy bog. Every time a step is made forward we seem to get stuck in the mud and slide backwards and there is always a chance we will stumble...[Read Full Post] Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:12:06 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/739753 Noticed that Walmart's sales dropped last quarter and Home Depot's went up. What that means is there is less money around and people are having more and more difficulty even buying goods at the lowest possible price and instead of people buying houses they are repairing what they have. This indicates that the American economy is far from re...[Read Full Post] Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:35:49 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/739642 I have been watching the Occupy protest for some time and unfortunately I think they missed the boat. While they have been downtown protesting against "Wall Street" the people that put us in this mess are continuing to do their thing as if nothing is wrong. Today we hear that the CEO's of Freddie Mac and Fannie May got a 100 million in ...[Read Full Post] Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:39:31 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/739563 Well it looks like it is Newts turn to take a run at Romney. First there was Michelle, then Perry took a crack at it, until we discovered the guy was clueless, Cain came up with 9-9-9, but was tripped up by too many attempted 69's! Now the conservatives are trying out Newt. Meanwhile the Democrats have already focused on Romney, knowing full we...[Read Full Post] Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:42:18 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/739492 Today was a very unique day on a very special day. I am sure that the individuals responsible of signing the treaty that ended WWI were not thinking of today. 11/11/11/11/11/11 will not come again and to have it happen on Remembrance Day made it all that special. On a side note I find it amazing how the Republican candidates are able to walk without f...[Read Full Post] Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:28:26 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/739272 I see the clowns were at it again last night. Just when one of the Republican candidates gets into difficulty another one does something so stupid it takes the heat off the other candidate. Like I said earlier they look more like the Keystone Cops than serious presidential hopefuls. I am sure you all have, by now, heard of what Perry has called a b...[Read Full Post] Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:39:35 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/739177 Just about everyone by now has heard of the Canadian dentist that bought a tooth of John Lennon. He has had his 15 minutes of fame and even made Anderson Cooper's Ridiculous List. Well the dentist was a student of mine. He and his brothers all played basketball for me and were great additions to the team. They are all very bright individuals. One ...[Read Full Post] Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:42:05 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/739003 A couple of days ago I said relax. I mentioned that it didn't matter what the Greeks did about their economic problems that it would work out one way or another and of course that is what happen. Looks like I nailed it! The market no longer reflects reality. Fact is it never did. If it did it would be going down to historic levels. How can we have...[Read Full Post] Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:40:50 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/738553 Here we have an economic mess in Europe, a political candidate under attack for harassment, and a President trying to get a jobs bill through Congress and what does the media focus on? Kim's marriage and Justin's first encounter with the opposite sex! Give me a BREAK! You know something is wrong when ET gets more viewers than Face the Natio...[Read Full Post] Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:31:37 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/738425 The market is now reeling because the Greeks are going to let the people decide if they want to go along with the conditions established by the European banks. It really doesn't matter what the people decide. If they decide to go along then the market bounces back. If they say no then Greece gets kicked to the curb side by the rest of Europe and the ...[Read Full Post] Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:51:36 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/738363 Watching the Republicans is a little bit like watching the Keystone Cops, Abbott and Costello, and Red Skelton. Basically they are a JOKE! They are either trying to figure out who's on first, running around with no real purpose, or making speeches like Clem Kadiddlehopper! Today it's Cain trying to avoid sex harassment charges tomorrow who ...[Read Full Post] Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:38:25 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/738236 The Occupy folk are just as bad as the Tea Party. Here we have thousands of people walking around protesting and very few of the rest of us can understand what they are doing. It almost seems like all the unemployed have decided they needed to do some thing and since they had a lot of time on their hands they headed for the places they thought would g...[Read Full Post] Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:39:48 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/738161 When I started school there were about 2 billion people walking around. On Monday we will reach 7 billion. It took us more or less 6,000 years to get to 2 billion and then within 60 years we add another 5 billion! I have always viewed Earth as a spaceship with a limited amount of resources. Some of them renewable and others not so much. There is on...[Read Full Post] Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:56:39 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/738079 Tell me why when a person shoots another individual we send them to jail or even death, but when a drunk kills four individuals we blame the bartender or the liquor store for providing them with the booze? Nobody questions the shooter if they were drunk. Nobody blames the store who sold the gun. This past weekend four young teenagers aged 15 & 16 ...[Read Full Post] Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:12:49 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/738024 A couple of years ago I wrote an article about the last time my wife had a smoke and began collecting Boyd's Bears. I called it The Last One and it can be found as one of my writing items. Last month I had to renew my drivers license and as I looked at the expiry date of 2016 I began to think that maybe it would be my last drivers license. Not, th...[Read Full Post] Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:31:40 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/737760 Each week one of the Republican candidates seem to be up for the Clown of the Week award. This week we have a two time winner when Perry seemed to indicate he had doubts about Obama's birthplace. A number of media individuals seemed to have come to the same conclusion that while the Republicans have a number of Dick, Jane, and Harry candidates ...[Read Full Post] Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:10:47 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/737680 Everyone is talking about a recession, but what very few "economic experts" are mentioning the word inflation! If anyone was paying attention the signs of inflation is all over the place. First England announced an inflation rate over 5%. Canada has recently projected a rate over 3%. Even Social Security has announced an increase of 3.6% in pa...[Read Full Post] Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:28:40 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/737547 For a guy who wasn't suppose to be strong in foreign matters Obama looks better every day. First he takes out bin Laden, then he gets NATO to step up in Libya and ends 42 years of cruelty, and keeps on putting pressure on the terrorists as they keep losing key members of their organization. Guess he is the guy I want answering that 3 AM call. Fact...[Read Full Post] Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:28:05 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/737501 Last night's Republican debate reminded me of the old Gong Show where terrible acts were shown and you got to vote for the worse one. Romney looked like the straight man for a bunch of clowns. None of them looked like they were capable of being President of anything never mind the USA! The Republicans do not need Cain's 9-9-9, they need 911...[Read Full Post] Wed, 19 Oct 2011 12:33:01 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/737381 That is the name of a new book that was written by Judy Dutra, my cousin's wife. She tells a story of a fishing family, hers, working the ocean off Cape Cod. It is a story of how one can fall in love with the ocean and how the government can destroy a way of life in a misguided attempt to save an industry. You may laugh as she explains how one can...[Read Full Post] Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:41:39 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/737325 If you think 2011 was a bad year look out for 2012! The people occupying Wall Street have hit it right on the nail! Companies are only interested in the bottom line. Wall Street will only favor you if you have made more money than the previous quarter. How do companies show an improvement over the previous quarter if the sales are dropping or le...[Read Full Post] Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:00:19 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/737148 One by one the various Republican candidates have taken their turn as the leading candidate for nomination. This week is Cain could Huntsman be next? I will give credit to Cain for putting a VAT tax on the board, unfortunately his plan is terrible and will make it more difficult for those who realize a VAT tax is going to be needed before we get out o...[Read Full Post] Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:35:54 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/736824 A couple of months ago I mentioned the US would have to look at a VAT or GST type of tax if we were ever going to get out of the economic mess we currently find ourselves. Since then a couple of economists have mentioned the tax, but no media people have followed up on it. Last night Herman Cain has it as part of his 999 Plan. To bring it up in New...[Read Full Post] Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:50:54 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/736713 An unemployment rate of 9.1%, Millions of people out of work and millions more under employed and the NBA players want MORE! Someone should tell these fat cats that their are NOT Oliver Twist! I love sports and I know that owners make money on their investments, otherwise they close up shop. Just look what happened to the Atlanta hockey team (TWICE...[Read Full Post] Tue, 11 Oct 2011 11:37:39 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/736608 I knew it took a special kind of woman to become a politician. In many cases they display a set of "balls", but to have breasts too seems a little too much. Have you noticed that when ever a lady politician stands up to speak that they are always covered, almost like they were a Muslim. They may not have covered their heads, but from their nec...[Read Full Post] Sun, 09 Oct 2011 14:07:42 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/736316 About a year ago I answered an ad for Returning Officers for Elections Alberta. The job and the procedure to be appointed an RO looked interesting. After applying on line there was an interview and then an appointment. It was the first time in Alberta's history that the province's RO's were not political appointments, but done directly by ...[Read Full Post] Sat, 08 Oct 2011 18:49:59 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/736243 My first computer was a small Texas Instrument. I remember how happy I was when I programed a simple pong game on it, but I also remember how many hours it took to program that simple game. Then I bought an Apple IIe and got hooked on Space Invaders. When Macs came along my life changed as soon as I realized the capabilities of word processing. ...[Read Full Post] Fri, 07 Oct 2011 14:14:40 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/736121 It has long been part of the American Dream that anyone can become President of the USA. To emphasis that we look at the individuals who have become President, they have come from education, business, acting, military backgrounds, and a dozen other careers. What we seem to forget is that they were the very best at what they did, except for maybe th...[Read Full Post] Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:06:16 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/735859 October has always been a down month for the stock market. Seems like when ever the baseball season comes to an end the market heads south. It has been going on for a long time. Every down turn begins in October, The most famous down turn was in 1929! Generally the market heads north by Christmas and I expect this year will be no different, except for...[Read Full Post] Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:23:27 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/735757 For those who don't know David Frum he is a conservative writer. David is a transplanted Canadian. His mother, Barbara Frum, was a noted Canadian TV journalist who died from cancer a number of years ago. At any rate David brings an interesting perspective to the table. He is one, if not the only conservative, that I listen to, as what he has to sa...[Read Full Post] Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:15:51 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/735673 I have a cousin who grew up on the sea. His grandfather and father were fishermen and he grew up loving the ocean from day one. Today he is a 65 year oldtimer, with a graying beard and a sharp mind. When he was young he knew how to use all the technology that helped make him a better sea captain. He was the first to use a cell phone to know where the...[Read Full Post] Sun, 02 Oct 2011 15:55:47 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/735589 Yes the rich need to pay their share of taxes, but by making a special tax rate for those making X more than the rest of us is a bad idea and a non starter. Fixing up the tax laws and getting rid of loopholes is a much better idea. hate to say it but Huntsman's tax ideas make a lot more sense. What Obama has done is take the focus off what nee...[Read Full Post] Sun, 18 Sep 2011 17:51:45 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/734422 Let me see if I got this straight. We have 9% unemployment We have 51 million without health insurance if Obamacare is repealed. Our children no longer expect to be better off than us. The American economy is in the outhouse. The country instead of pulling together is ripping itself apart. We no longer believe or trust the very people who led us....[Read Full Post] Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:59:10 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/734367 If I was a Republican candidate I would be keeping a very low profile. Man is the mud being thrown and it seems to be sticking. The only one that seems to be keeping clear of it is Huntsman and that is because he is trailing just about everybody else. The picking of the next Republican candidate is really a decision of who is going to control t...[Read Full Post] Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:47:05 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/734169 Well he hit all three factors I mentioned and few days ago. Now the ball is in the Republican's court. They have already shown they won't play ball. The market fell today not because of Obama's proposal, but the Republican response! Wall Street has seen this with the debt ceiling debate, but this time the Republicans do not have a timel...[Read Full Post] Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:17:14 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/733688 Recently I have been watching the Debate regarding the Keystone XL pipeline. It is a pipeline that will travel from northern Alberta to Texas and has been in the news for bring "tarsand" oil to the US. You know the "dirty" oil. First of all the oil going through the pipe will be unrefined oil and not be "tar&#3...[Read Full Post] Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:57:33 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/733586 A prime example of the US continuing to make the same mistake over and over again is the recent action by the Feds in going after the major banks, left in the country, for a screw up dealing with Fanny Mae and Mac. Back in 2004/05 Greenspan decided to lower interest rates, I believe he thought if he did this the US dollar would cool down and make the ...[Read Full Post] Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:40:15 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/733501 It seems that we are fixed on the negative instead of the positive when it comes to reporting the news. Of course it generally isn't news unless its a negative event. You have to pay for the reporting of a wedding or a birth unless you are an entertaining star or really wealthy. An athlete that gets into trouble with the law gets front page cover...[Read Full Post] Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:54:47 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/733403 Today an old classmate of mine sent me an email about Peter Lewis, the retired CEO of Progressive Insurance, you know the one with the girl in a white dress in their ads. The email was a slam on the fact that Lewis supports moveon.org and the ACLU and how could he turn his back on the very thing that gave him his riches.... Of course my friend had...[Read Full Post] Sun, 04 Sep 2011 00:47:06 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/733216 About six weeks ago I mentioned the R word and finally today the media is using it when describing the economy. How is it that an old "f--t" like me, living in the wilds of northern Alberta, can see what is happening long before the bright media types? Simple it just goes to show how the media has sold out to Wall Street and the other major...[Read Full Post] Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:36:40 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/733099 About six weeks ago I mentioned the R word and finally today the media is using it when describing the economy. How is it that an old "f--t" like me, living in the wilds of northern Alberta, can see what is happening long before the bright media types? Simple it just goes to show how the media has sold out to Wall Street and the other major...[Read Full Post] Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:36:33 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/733098 The United States is one of a few democratic countries that relies on two political parties to represent the wishes of its citizens. Most democratic countries have three or more and this usually results in the cooperation of two or more to remain in power. In the past the two party system has worked well for the US. One party was a little bit to the r...[Read Full Post] Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:14:59 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/732839 Seems to me that most of the damage that Irene caused was washouts and rees falling on power lines. I couldn't help think that maybe this is because of the various governments have cut back on inter structure maintenance. A bridge collapse in Minn, windows fall out of a government building, and washouts suddenly occur in areas where major spill o...[Read Full Post] Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:54:37 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/732734 Seems to me that most of the damage that Irene caused was washouts and rees falling on power lines. I couldn't help think that maybe this is because of the various governments have cut back on inter structure maintenance. A bridge collapse in Minn, windows fall out of a government building, and washouts suddenly occur in areas where major spill o...[Read Full Post] Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:54:36 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/732733 Last night I went to a ballgame. We got there early and I watched the ground crew getting the ball diamond ready for the game. I watched as a crew member took great care preparing the home plate. He raked in two different directions that developed a neat pattern around the plate. You could see he took pride in his job, even though he knew that at the sta...[Read Full Post] Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:23:02 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/732633 You sure can tell that as Libya is winding down that CNN is really hard up trying to find news that can grab their viewers interest. A Cat 1 hurricane is nothing more than a heavy rainstorm with a breeze! All the safe guards being discussed is nothing more than people trying to justify their budgets and politicians covering their butt. In the da...[Read Full Post] Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:53:11 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/732559 After listening to Huntsman this pass week I can understand why the Democrats fear him the most of all the Republican candidates. He is honest, bright, well spoken, good looking, and has an excellent grasp of what needs to be done to pull the country back to economic stability. He would be a very dangerous opponent and is the one Republican candid...[Read Full Post] Fri, 26 Aug 2011 21:39:24 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/732532 What is the big deal about a Class 3 hurricane??? Navy ships have always put out to sea when a storm comes. It's safer riding out storms at sea than tied to a dock.. When I grew up in the fifties we always looked forward to a hurricane. First hours before the storm hit you could always count on the water being very warm, then when it hit the wi...[Read Full Post] Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:34:00 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/732445 The recent drop in gold prices is a great time to BUY!! You buy on the drop sell on the rise. Don't let anyone fool you the long term future of gold has not been reached! Why did the Feds announce that interest rates would remain low for sometime? Could it be they would rather see inflation rather than a depression? You bet they would! In...[Read Full Post] Thu, 25 Aug 2011 00:02:47 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/732407