Paul Ryan - Do what I say not what I do

So the 2012 Olympics are done and there is little to divert our attention from what is bound to be a very dirty political season.  If only we could stay as civilized as those many Olympic athletes who held their heads high and were proud to represent their countries.  Not so in American politics.

Mr. Romney has now chosen his running mate.  Conservatives (exactly what are they trying to conserve?) are in ecstasy.  Mr. Ryan was a bold choice, or so they say.

Here is why Ryan has garnered favor among the right.  He is tough, he knows economics.  He will repair the economy.  He will walk on water.

But, here are a few things you might like to know about the Mr. Budget Guru, beside the fear mongering that the Democrats will attack you with:

1. Ryan voted for the Bush Tax cuts
2. He voted for the Bush military campaigns with no future funding plan
3. He voted for unfunded security initiatives
4. He voted for the Medicare prescription benefits
5. He voted for the bank bailouts
6. He voted for the auto industry bailouts
7. He supports oil industry subsidies (his wife's father owns land leased to Exxon)

I could go on, but I'm sure the point is well taken.  Words rather than actions.  Twelve years in Congress and little to nothing to show for it.

I'm sure Ryan is a smart guy.  And a very ambitious guy.  If they lose in 2012 he'll surely be back in '16.

Politics 2012 - What is the meaning of "Conserve?"

One of Romney's ads contains the line, "I know what it's like to try to make ends meet."  Wow, it must be tough when you have hundreds of millions of $ in investment income.  Plus the hundreds of millions you inherited.  Plus all those Cayman Island accounts.  Plus Bain.  Poor guy.

Alexander Hamilton favored a lifetime executive, believing 1) he would not be swayed by corruption having to do with re-election 2) he would not be swayed in to unnecessary wars.  Rather like a monarch.

Does anyone today believe that Washington has Mr. & Mrs. Average American in their hearts and minds?

Solution: 1) Six year executive branch with recall.  2) Senators limited to two six year terms.  3) Representatives limited to four year terms.

Limit the Supreme Court to it's duties, i.e. judging laws not making laws.

Limit the use of Executive Orders so popularized by Theodore Roosevelt and our of fashion until Bush II.

Protect the Constitution.

Conservatives.  Can you explain exactly what it is you are trying to "conserve?"

Tea Party?  Explain your plan for America?

Say "Thanks" to a WWII vet

I was shopping at Sam's today and was walking next to an older (than me) gentleman.  I noticed his cap identified him as a WWII vet.  I asked where he was during the war and he explained that he spent time near Siberia...in a submarine!  For two years.  Wow, two years on a submarine.  We owe a lot to the now dwindling vets from WWII.  I was thinking how most of those men signed up, volunteered.  As they diminish in number we all need to say thanks when we have the opportunity.

Olympics 2012 and the Big Question

So, almost five hours of...WHAT???  Most of it, maybe fifty percent, left us thinking, "What's going on and what in the world does GOSH and NHS have to do with the Olympics?  And texting?  You've lost me.  Voldemort, Captain Hook, what a mess.  Great spectacle, but perhaps too British for the rest of the world.  I love when the teams march in.  That's the real show.  204 countries, with North and South Korea, Iran and Iraq, Israel and Palestine.  All standing together on the 5 Olympic rings.  But the biggest mystery to me, the head scratching moment, more baffling than the Queen jumping out of a helicopter, was...

WHERE'S RINGO???

"Friends" 2012

Thought for today (got to get this off my back)...Beware of those who pose as "friends." In today's world the word "friend" does not mean what it did when I was young. Back then a friend was someone you could depend on, who would never do you wrong; who you could reach out to; who would borrow a dime and give you back a dollar. Today a "friend" is someone who reaches into your pocket and takes a dollar; who sees you as someone they can exploit for their own ends; to whom loyalty and kindness means nothing. This seems to be the way of the world these days. I feel better now...sort of.  Perhaps we need to come up with a new word.  If you think this is about you then it probably is.  The innocent need not apply.

The Illegal has become glued to our lives.

We sit by as Congress, the Supreme Court, and the President make laws, pass laws, and judge laws that are basically AGAINST the law.  

Here are the words of James Madison, the framer of the Constitution...

The Federalist #45

"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government, are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce; with which last the power of taxation will, for the most part, be connected. The powers reserved to the several States will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, and the internal order, improvement, and prosperity of the State." 

Notice "...few and defined."  Special attention needs to be focused on the word "defined."  Defined as written.  Yet not a day goes by that the Fed doesn't stretch the undefined.  We submit to this tyranny because we are used to it, and lazy.

Where's the GOLD?

So, this morning, March 8, 1933, Americans received the news that all GOLD had to be turned in to the Fed.  Didn't matter what is was, bullion or trinkets, you had to turn it in.  The Fed promised it would be returned to you at the time that the banking crisis was over.  Remember this is the Depression.  The banks are in trouble because there has been a run on the banks.  Banks traditionally had a 10% reserve of cash to handle customer cash demands.  But, somehow, the remaining 90% was lent out and the demands exceeded the cash reserve.  Therefore, everyone had to turn in the GOLD to assist with the emergency.  Nobody, not the Fed or the banks, explained how or why the GOLD would circumvent the emergency.  The price of GOLD meant that the cash you were given was not equal to the value of the GOLD.  Who set the price of GOLD, none other than the Fed in the person of the Secretary of the Treasury and (hold the applause) the President...Franklin Roosevelt.  How did they determine the price?  Well, maybe they looked outside and it was a sunny day so let's make it $20 an ounce.  Oh, it's raining today so maybe $25 an ounce.  So, would you want to deal with a GOLD standard that had no standard?  Essentially the value of money the very next day was not based on anything but the Fed determining value.  And has been ever since.  No GOLD was ever returned and in fact it was not until the 70's that the ban was lifted.  Today the value of your money is set at the Fed level, which is unconstitutional.  The Constitution does not allow the value of money to be set by the Fed, it only grants the Fed permission to coin money and value it.  So they just print money and nobody know or cares what the standard is.  Thus inflation is at the whim of the Fed.

Anyway, does anyone know where the GOLD is?  Fort Knox?  If it is in Fort Knox what is it being used for?  We no longer place the value of a dollar as a certain amount of GOLD.  So why does the Fed need to store our GOLD in Fort Knox?  If it really is there.