Out with the Old, In with the New

THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

Two Different Versions!

Two Different Morals!

OLD VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself

NEW VERSION:

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.

CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast.

How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'

Acorn stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome.' Rev. Jeremiah Wright then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity and Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ants food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow.

The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2010

Obamacare, aka Healthcare Reform, aka Kennedycare, aka Whatever...

On Facebook, the grassroots Status for today was, "No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the day.".  So what does it mean?  As per usual Obama-speak, it actually means nothing of value.  Simply put, if you think that poor people are dying because they don't get proper medical care, then pass the Healthcare Reform and the government will take care of them.  Really?!  Seriously?!

How could the government possibly take care of them?  We have a government instituted and funded program called Medicare.  It is wildly out of control on spending, rules and regulations, and abuse.  Along with this program, we have Social Security that is all but bankrupt and borrowing against everything and everyone, including the future.  Where is the fiscal responsibility?  Where is the accountability?  Where is the better-run services?  Now President Obama wants to take over even more healthcare demands for an entire nation?  With what money?  Who is going to make the decisions of life and death?  How is it to be administered?  Are they going to issue National ID cards?  And what of the people who do not belong in this country, such as visitors from Mexico?  Who is going to pay for their healthcare?

I cannot believe how many questions keep coming up and yet no one from the Obama administration will answer them.  Clearly, our opinion as the people of the United States of America no longer matter.  Apparently, a "...government of the people, by the people, for the people..." as written in the Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln, no longer has value or strength in this great nation.

Questions abound, answers are scarce!

Knowledge IS Power

Headline: Senate Bill Would Give President Emergency Control of Internet

Fox News Link

What?!  Who in their right mind would even conceive of such a thing?  Oh, yeah, those that are in their "left" mind!

The internet is not something that can just be turned off.  It was originally created to be a channel to share knowledge and communicate.  In its simplest form, it is still doing just that.  Now, the power hungry, megalomania of the Obama administration believes they should be empowered to control it.  I say "NO!".  This is just another attempt to usurp our rights as Americans.  Nothing good can come of it.  Unless you believe the ultimate taxation and manipulation of the internet is a good thing.

Since this administration took office, or more correctly, took power, they have been in a "feeding frenzy" to seize control of everything they can.  They do it under the auspices of crisis management.  Just how many crises are there?  And more importantly, why are there so many?

When are people, even Americans, going to wake up and realize they are giving OUR country away?  Let's take a look at the scoreboard so far since President Obama took office (and this is not a comprehensive list):

1. Stimulus Money
2. Bailout Money
3. National Debt reaching into the TRILLIONS!
4. Seized control of several banks
5. Seized control of General Motors
6. Implementation of various Czars
7. Restriction / taxation of new and existing energy generating plants (coal, oil, et. al.)
8. Continues to spend money this country does NOT have
9. Devaluation of the American Dollar
10. Youth Corps and mandatory volunteer service (hello, oxymoron!)
11. Creation of the interrogation techniques
12. Redistribution of enemy combatants
13. Cash for Clunkers program

Now let's look at what he is attempting to do.

1. Attempting to seize control of healthcare
2. Attempting to seize control of the internet

He is single-handedly de-constructing the United States of America!  And he's done it in less than a year!  And, we as her citizens, have allowed it!  We must stop this runaway freight train of de-evolution and social and fascist ideals.  We must stand up and declare our sovereignty and end this reign of ignorance and stupidity before it cannot be stopped.  We must end the out-of-control spending and superfluous legislation before the only method of resolution becomes the next revolutionary or civil war.

As the old saying goes, as taken from the movie "Top Gun", "Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash.".  Barrack Obama's ego is writing checks this great country cannot cash.  When China, and the other foreign countries call their notes and want their money, we will not have it.  We cannot have it.  Economically speaking, the ONLY way to attempt to resolve this is to tax EVERYONE to their literal death.  By that, I mean if we don't pay our debts, these countries, or governments, will take it our of our hide.

Life is complicated enough without having to prevent or curtail a war that NOBODY wants!  Except, of course, the Obama administration.  I know that I have heard on the Glenn Beck program that there are self-avowed socialists and communists that have been hand-picked by the Obama administration.  Even some Democrats are now worried at the direction this country is going.  Alas, there may be no hope.  Biblically speaking, this must be.  America was the most unique nation in this planets history.  We were created anew, unlike every other nation where a war was fought, won or lost, and the leadership was just changed.  We separated ourselves from Matriarchal and Empirical rulers and declared that man has inalienable rights that governments shall not intrude upon.  Now, we have a government that insists on not just intruding, but invading our rights, to the point of subjugation.

It's been said, "The pen is mightier than the sword.".  Most, if not all of us, have experienced some kind of pain from a cut, a stick, a prick, or some kind of wound and the memory of that pain has faded over time.  All of us, at the hands, or tongues for that matter, have felt the stinging blow of a bitter remark whose pain lingers a lifetime.  Reduce those remarks to writing and the pain could be eternal.  Words have power and meaning.  Let us use them to stop this train wreck we call the Obama Administration.  Let us take arms against and out-of-control government by declaring our mistrust in written word.  Let us take back our nation, for the people, by the people, and tell our quisling leaders they no longer have power to do these things.

This is a call to arms, to pen our disdain, to end this tyranny, and take back what is rightfully ours!

It's Officially Unofficial

Just finished reading a news article on MSNBC.com about Michael Jackson. Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32542682/?GT1=43001

In my Friday, June 26, 2009, blog entry, "Death by Loneliness", I suggested his death would be due to polypharmacy. Here is the "Officially Unofficial" results:

Forensic tests found the powerful anesthetic propofol acted together with at least two sedatives to cause Jackson’s death June 25 in his rented Los Angeles mansion, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released.

Besides the propofol and two sedatives, the coroner’s toxicology report found other substances in Jackson’s system but they were not believed to have been a factor in the singer’s death, the official told the AP.

So there you have it. Now that that is over, maybe we can move on to something a little more important like Obama's train wreck in progress, also called Obamacare!

KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid

So I've been reading in the news how all the states are cash-strapped and trying to find new ways to create revenue, except, of course, President Obama who just keeps on spending. I'm reminded of the song on "Finding Nemo", "Just keep spending, spending, just keep spending...". Now that's funny. I'm making myself laugh.

Anyway, on to the point. One example I read about: California wants to legalize marijuana and then tax it at $50.0 per ounce. Another one I read: Some states are considering charging inmates for their stay, which could be up to $40.00 per day per inmate. Or, charging them for toilet paper. Or, worse yet, charging them for medical visits. Really?! Doesn't that just fly in the face of Obama and his all-encompassing health care that is paid for by the government? Seriously?!

I think I might have an answer that will work for everyone. Cut programs, rescind superfluous laws, and release inmates that really don't need to be behind bars in the first place. Most importantly of these is STOP SPENDING! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize there is no money to fund all of these ridiculous entitlement programs, let alone the proposed, and realized, spending of the Obama Administration.

It's amazing to me that just one hundred years ago, people were in the position that if they didn't work their farm (you know, till, plant, harvest, and store) they would die. If they didn't cut wood for the Winter, they would freeze. If they didn't have a gun when someone came on their land and threatened to take it, thy would lose it, or worse yet, be killed. What happened to the human spirit? What happened to the will and drive of mankind for self-sufficiency? When did it become vogue to play "Robin Hood" and steal from the rich and give to everyone else? Notice that I DID NOT say the poor. I have seen wealthier poor people than me with their bling and shiny things, new clothes, and super-huge house, while they were standing in the welfare line. I literally equate it to this: if i walk up to an old lady and ask her to give me her purse, and she does, and then I simply walk down the street and give that money to some total stranger, what is going to happen? I am going to be arrested for stealing! So why is it okay for President Obama and his administration, and all these states, to do the same thing? It's not! Well, technically. I should probably point out the minor flaw here. I asked the old lady for her purse and she willingly gave it to me. So technically, I didn't steal it. I "re-distributed" it. So with all of these government entities we must be willingly giving them permission to give our hard-earned money to these less fortunate people.

So why don't we say no? Now that's the question!

In the Book of Mormon, in Ether, Chapter 10, Verses 1-8, I found this:

And it came to pass that Shez, who was a descendant of Heth—for aHeth had perished by the famine, and all his household save it were Shez—wherefore, Shez began to build up again a broken people. And it came to pass that Shez did remember the destruction of his fathers, and he did build up a righteous kingdom; for he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep; and he did walk in the ways of the Lord; and he begat sons and daughters. And his eldest son, whose name was Shez, did rebel against him; nevertheless, Shez was smitten by the hand of a robber, because of his exceeding riches, which brought peace again unto his father. And it came to pass that his father did build up many cities upon the face of the land, and the people began again to spread over all the face of the land. And Shez did live to an exceedingly old age; and he begat Riplakish. And he died, and Riplakish reigned in his stead. And it came to pass that Riplakish did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, for he did have many wives and concubines, and did lay that upon men’s shoulders which was grievous to be borne; yea, he did tax them with heavy taxes; and with the taxes he did build many spacious buildings. And he did erect him an exceedingly beautiful throne; and he did build many prisons, and whoso would not be subject unto taxes he did cast into prison; and whoso was not able to pay taxes he did cast into prison; and he did cause that they should labor continually for their support; and whoso refused to labor he did cause to be put to death. Wherefore he did obtain all his fine work, yea, even his fine gold he did cause to be refined in prison; and all manner of fine workmanship he did cause to be wrought in prison. And it came to pass that he did afflict the people with his whoredoms and abominations. And when he had reigned for the space of forty and two years the people did rise up in rebellion against him; and there began to be war again in the land, insomuch that Riplakish was killed, and his descendants were driven out of the land.

Oh....my....gosh! I believe we could substitute Obama's name for Riplakish. Let's look at this just a bit closer.

• Obama promises change.
• Spending is out of control.
• Taxes are going up.
• If you don't pay taxes, the ultimate punishment is imprisonment.
• Governments continue to build spacious and lavish buildings when there is no money.
• Clinton, and other politicians, commit whoredoms and abominations.
• Government has taken control of business.

Wow! Does any of this sound familiar? Now let's consider a few more things.

• A seemingly innocuous man catapults to the highest position in Government, almost overnight
• He implements massive and sweeping economic and social changes, almost overnight
• He institutes a mandatory service for youth
• He rules with an iron fist and casts aside anyone who opposes him
• He lives contrariantly to his stated beliefs (i.e., he spends wildly while demanding others restrict their spending)
• Demonized an innocent group of people

Hmmm, I bet you thought I was describing President Obama? Well, I was actually describing Adolf Hitler. When did it become vogue to be fascist?

To Catch an Idiot

Now I've heard it all. Apparently, NBC, in their infinite wisdom, and left-wing media-biased way, has decided it is time to-catch-a-terrorist. They will be broadcasting "The Wanted" on July 20th.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i04af04c7447fd0dce5d83adb5f471a37
Likened unto the "To Catch a Predator" series, they intend to broadcast their efforts to identify and snare wanted international terrorists. Although the premise has a nice appeal, it is an accident waiting to happen. Above all else, people should realize that this is designed solely for ratings and nothing else. Much like the Predator exposé, where men are baited into engaging in sexual meetings with teenage girls as portrayed by adults, nothing good can come from "The Wanted".

Most people don't know that after predators are lured, engaged and confronted, and they experience the eventful multi-manned police tackle to "take them down" and arrest them, (they could have simply told them to "freeze" and "get on the ground" as they do in real life, but then, that wouldn't be riveting television now would it), most, and I'm talking HIGH percentages, have their cases dismissed, overturned, or dropped, because of evidence tampering, entrapment, and other, grossly negligent legal technicalities. And this, after, the police were involved. In Indiana, cases were overturned. Here's the link and an excerpt:

http://reporter.blogs.com/thresq/2009/01/by-matthew-belloni--datelines-to-catch-a-predator-series-always-fascinated-us-and-not-just-because-there-are-still-men-out-t.html

In two separate rulings, courts have overturned convictions of men busted by online stings because there was no actual "victim" in the case. Attempted sexual misconduct with a minor, the courts reasoned, requires an actual minor, not an undercover officer.

So, now that we know this, what can we expect from "The Wanted"? The same thing. Except this time, we will screw up the international legal system and in turn let these very dangerous men go free on technicalities. Where's the justice? Where's the value? Where's the rights?

I am reminded of the late 40's, 50's, and on into the 60's, when Americans "turned in" the "commie pinkos" for investigation...no evidence required. These people may have sympathized with communist beliefs, but were in no way associated with communism or its actions. So how many men, women, and let's not forget, children, are going to be accused and incarcerated, without merit. So I bet you are hung up right now about the "terrorist children", huh? Well, let's be realistic. How many children have been used in "homicide bombings"? How many children have shot at American soldiers in the name of Allah?

So if we keep going in this fashion, we will have a couple things we really don't want. The first is an extreme take-off of "The Running Man" by Richard Bachman, aka Stephen King. If you haven't read the book, go ahead, it's a good read. If all you ever saw was the movie, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson, it's not bad, but it's not good either. More or less, people are convicted of crimes and then sent to their punishment to "play in a game of life and death". Naturally, Arnold's character reigns triumphant and the evil-doers are killed. That ain't gonna happen! A lot of innocent people will be judged unfairly and killed or imprisoned. It will also spawn and age of "Video Vigilantism" where it is okay to chase after people with a video camera for a conviction, or worse, as long as they are ____________, and you can fill in the blank with whatever group you want. Hey! That sounds familiar. Oh wait, I remember. We had a war about this very same thing, but there were no cameras. Oops, I misspoke, they had cameras back then too. Oh what was his name...the little guy...with the mustache...and the hand-thing. Oh yes, I remember, his name was Adolf Hitler and HIS group was Jews.

Second, and not quite as extreme, would be camps. Now I'm not talking about the wonderful summer camps we went to as children. I'm referring to the concentration camps, like during World War II. You know the ones. A lot of Japanese-American's (and I'm being politically correct when I say this) were rounded up and put in these camps. These people lost their homes, jobs, and valued possessions without any evidence being presented. Their only crime, being of Japanese decent immediately after the Pearl Harbor bombing. You know, now that I think about it, it really was extreme.

So now I ask you, what's wrong with letting the law enforcement community do their jobs. I realize they may not do it very well at times, but they try. They have a very fine line to walk in order to correctly identify, gather evidence, arrest, and submit for judgement. There a so many reasons, and technicalities, to be careful of that conviction and/or release hangs in the balance the entire time. Now we want to let "investigative journalists" botch up the evidence, scare away the suspects, and in general screw up any chance of conviction...all in the name of ratings. I don't think so!

Obamanomics

I thought a few definitions were in order. I tried my best to be funny and descriptive.

Obamanomics
Main Entry: o·ba·ma·no·mics
Pronunciation: o-bä-mä-nä-miks
Function: noun plural but singular or plural in construction
Date: 2009

1 a: a social science concerned chiefly with description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services by a government entity b: economic theory, principles, or practices for a government entity

2: economic aspect or significance of change

3: economic conditions after spending money that does not exist

4: the conversion of one person or entity’s money into another person or entity’s money; what was yours is now someone elses

5: the ability to change currency into something of lessor value; to devaluate

6: the creation of a socially elite class of people based on the work or monies of a socially disadvantaged class, e.g., middle- and lower-class citizens

7: the use of or process of using the established accounting system created by the now defunct Enron Corporation

8: the federalization of a corporate business or entity

9: the creation of universal healthcare to care for or treat illegal aliens or otherwise disadvantaged persons at the expense of Americans who otherwise already have some form of healthcare

10: the flagrant and extravagant spending of taxpayer monies after counseling American citizens to the contrary

Death by Loneliness

Wow! What a day yesterday. First thing in the morning the news of Farrah Fawcett's death. Then, just hours later, the news goes chaotic. It starts out with Michael Jackson found not breathing. Just a few minutes later, the headline was Michael Jackson dead. Then a few more minutes pass and the headline turns into Multiple Reports about Michael Jackson. Finally, the news is confirmed and he is pronounced dead to the public.

The news is claiming full cardiac arrest. I believe that is very possible, but will ultimately come out that he was so addicted to drugs that he could hardly make coherent statements. This is sad, very sad. If fact, it would be a very literal re-enactment of Elvis Presley's demise. He, too, died alone, in a mansion, of a cardiac related cause, presumably brought on by:

"a strong belief that the primary cause of death was polypharmacy," with one report "indicating the detection of fourteen drugs in Elvis' system, ten in significant quantity."

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley.

So the King of Rock 'n Roll, who died at the ripe old age of 42 is now joined by the King of Pop, who died at tender age of 50. What a parallel. They had massive amounts of money, marital problems, drug addictions, strange behavior, and most importantly, lived the loneliest lives known to man.

How hard it must have been to not be able to go out into public and just take a walk. Or to go to McDonald's with a few friends to eat french fries and have a shake. To become a prisoner of your home, never to be alone. I can't imagine what that would be like! Still, this is what people aspire to. They want to be so famous that they can never be alone again. This has got to be a true psychological disorder, since it is almost a pathological need to be craved by people. It is the ultimate narcissism. Here are a few definitions:

Narcissism, as in excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance. noun (See egotism) definition:

• Psychology; extreme selfishness, with a grandiose view of one's own talents and a craving for admiration, as characterizing a personality type.
• Psychoanalysis; self-centeredness arising from failure to distinguish the self from external objects, either in very young babies or as a feature of mental disorder.

Wow, that nailed it.

Truly, Michael Jackson had an extreme interest in his appearance. Hence the "nose job" that he vehemently denied. And what about the glove, and the suits, and...and...and the list goes on.

Ultimately, his death, was of his own design. No matter what is said about him, or what accusations will be alleged, he died a lonely man! He will be missed. He can rest easy now that his pain has stopped. He doesn't have to be lonely any more.

Power Enough for Everyone

So I'm getting ready to look at my electric bill, which is to say, I am mentally preparing myself for the devastating shock that will come when I open my bill. It's around $250.00. Not bad. Hey, wait, "not bad" is good for this time of year, right? So, if it's good then why do I feel so bad?

Perhaps I need to take a closer look at this. I take the time and make the effort to use, wherever possible, Compact Fluorescent Lights, or CFLs, we use a toaster over when possible, we keep the house around 78 degrees during the day, and in general, turn off lights not in use. And still my bill is $250.00 with Salt River Project (SRP). Sure, I have a couple of computers that are continually in use and a laser printer that is almost 15 years old. But I find it hard to believe they are the culprits here. In fact, I believe I should be looking elsewhere for the reason.

Lets start with SRP, and the other power providers for Phoenix. For the average home owner, they get one of two choices, SRP or APS, depending, literally, on where they live in the Valley of the Sun. In fact, let me restate that, the home owner doesn't have a choice, but will end up with one of the almighty power companies. If you don't want an APS serviced home, you need to move.

Next, they each run countless commercials about how to "save" energy. They tout the use of CFLs and power conservation techniques. Well, here's a rub. They are all over the average Joe to save power, but big business is wasting it away. Back in the 80s, it was the practice of a business to turn the outside sign off when the business was closed. In fact, a lot of them were on timers so no one had to even think about it. Nowadays, you drive down the road at 2:00 AM and signs blaze away with no one in sight. Even worse, car dealerships have their entire parking lot illuminated all night. I realize they want to deter theft, but the problem is their lamps are might expensive to run, and they have a lot of them.

As if that were not enough, SRP has a program that people can voluntarily sign up for where they are punished, financially, for using electricity during the day. So people run their air conditioners all night as low as they can and then try not to use anything during the day. I guess that would work for some, but I don't see the value in it. In fact, I believe actions like these fly in the face of the standard Supply and Demand principles and are actually contrary to standard business practices. Confused are you? Well, it's simple really. Let me break it down for you. If I make a widget to sell to the public I would set a price that would include the cost of making, selling, and distributing the widget and then add enough to make a profit. So, if demand for my widget goes up, which is a good thing, I can do one of two things: 1) raise my price higher because I don't have that many widgets, or 2) I can increase my widget production to accommodate the demand and thereby keep my price steady and actually make larger profits. A great example of this is McDonalds. More people want more fast food so they build more stores and sell more food and make more profits.

So why doesn't SRP, and the other power companies, follow this model? Why aren't power companies building power generating stations to increase the amount of available electricity for its customers? See, what people are not getting is SRP, and the others, can continually go to the Arizona Corporation Commission and ask for increases each year and use the "demand is greater than our supply" argument and then they get it.

Here's an article I found that basically makes my point.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_200805/ai_n25415863/?tag=content-inner;col1

Headline: TransCanada Signs Contract to Generate Arizona Power

And finally, a small excerpt.

TransCanada Corporation (TSX: TRP) (NYSE: TRP) (TransCanada) today announced that the Phoenix, Arizona-based utility Salt River Project (SRP) has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to secure 100 per cent of the output from TransCanada's planned Coolidge Generating Station.

Here is a Canadian-based corporation that seems to think it is a great idea to build a power generating station in Arizona and make money from it. Why doesn't SRP build one? In fact, I don't believe an Arizona-based company has constructed a power generating station in decades. Why? Certainly they are making enough money from their increased rates each Summer. In fact, the average household's bill doubles during the months of May to September. Sure there is an increase in power needs, especially during the Summer, especially when using air conditioners, but why not accommodate that? And if that were not enough, SRP, and the like, BUY their electricity from other companies around the continent. Surely that has got to cost more then actually creating their own. It's not like outsourcing to India where they can get cheap labor. They are buying someone else's power, which the seller is selling for a profit, and then turning around and selling it for an additional profit. So, electricity could be cheaper just be eliminating the middle man. Shocking!

The State of Education in the Millennium

Headline: 17 bodies recovered near jet crash site

Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/07/20090607airfrance.html

This was so bad, and so short, that I'm actually posting the entire article.

RECIFE, Brazil - Brazilian military authorities say search boats scouring the Atlantic Ocean have now recovered 17 bodies of passengers on a doomed Air France flight that crashed a week ago.

Air Force Col. Henry Munhoz says four of the bodies were men and four were women. He did not immediately provide information about the gender of the other bodies. The flight was carrying 228 people when it crashed the night of May 31.

Munhoz also told reporters Sunday night that several structural parts of the Airbus 330 were recovered at the location from which Flight 447 sent a burst of messages saying it was having electrical problems and loss of cabin pressure.

Immediately, I have a problem with this article. Can you guess what it is? Why is it so important that we know the gender of those who died? Will this information better our lives? Will it enable us to determine what happened to the Flight 447? Will it lay to rest our fears for flying knowing that we could die at a moments notice? And finally, does it assist the friends and family members who have suffered a great loss at the hands of Air France's failure to provide the necessary maintenance to prevent this problem? Nope. Not at all.

It is superfluous information bordering on rhetorical!

It is sad that we live in the "Information Age" and all we can say is: "four of the bodies were men and four were women. He did not immediately provide information about the gender of the other bodies." We should be able to generate a long list of information from the moment a body is picked up. We have dental records, DNA, and a master list of the 228 people on-board. Surely they can tell us more that this.

Why can't we call it what it is?

Headline: Thai police: Carradine death may be accidental

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/05/20090605Carradine05-ON.html

First of all, let me say that this is a tragedy. I was a big fan of his work and especially enjoyed the "Kung Fu" series. I would also like to extend my condolences to his family and close friends. He will be missed.

Now onto the other part. I'm not sure why the "drive by media" as Rush Limbaugh likes to call them, insists on avoiding the stating of the obvious. Oh, but let an emergency situation flare up and the speculation and conjecture fly out of their mouths like vomit. I think the first paragraph gives us a clear picture.

BANGKOK - The body of American actor David Carradine, best known for the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu," was found in a hotel room closet with a rope tied to his neck and genitals, and his death may have been caused by accidental suffocation, Thai police said Friday.

A few years ago, the media would have just said it, and they said it often. Now it is taboo. So, I'll say it. He died of Autoerotic Asphyxiation. Here is what Wikipedia says http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotic_asphyxiation.

In some fatality cases, the body of the asphyxiophilic individual is discovered naked or with genitalia in hand, with pornographic magazines nearby, with dildos or other sex toys present, or with evidence of having orgasmed prior to death. Bodies found at the scene of an accidental death often show evidence of other paraphilic activities, such as fetishistic cross-dressing and masochism.

Sounds like it to me.

Healthcare for All, Service for None

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/06/04/20090604ObamaHealth04-ON.html

The first paragraph is our warning:

President Barack Obama says he's open to requiring all Americans to buy health insurance, as long as the plan provides a "hardship waiver" to exempt poor people from having to pay.

Many years ago, the insurance industry told lawmakers that if they would mandate seat belt usage, it would go a long way in reducing the already skyrocketing insurance rates. They did. It didn't! Now, with mandatory insurance, the insurance companies can charge any rate they want because it's MANDATORY.

Now, the federal government, or should I say, the Federal Socialists, have decided that in the interest of saving everyone, they want to make medical insurance mandatory. Worse yet, they want people to "buy into a government insurance plan.". Really? People don't like regular insurance companies. Do they really expect Americans to buy into a government-run insurance company. Why even Medicare, a government-run organization for health care, is having problems and losing money left and right. Now they want to nationalize it?

As I've said before, and I'll say it again:

Never, in the history of government, has anyone in government offices, under the direction of government officials, with the help of government entities, been able to effectively negotiate anything worthwhile!

Next, we'll have mandatory "volunteering" and mandatory "religion" and who knows what else. Hmmm, that appears to fly in the face of what our founding fathers wrote when they severed their ties with England, and the King, and the Church of England, and...and...and...oh, well, you get the picture (I HOPE!).

Holy Melted Icebergs Batman

I was kind of watching "ABC News Special: Earth 2100" last night while I working a few Sudoko puzzles and relaxing. Here is the TV Guide synopsis:

"An environmental road map to the 22nd century explores possible effects of climate change, population growth and resource depletion, as well as measures to forestall negative consequences of those effects."

As I half-heartedly watched, they talked about the rising sea levels and how man will not know how to live or something like that. Basically, how devastating it will be to have sea levels rise 20 or more feet. Ok, yes, it will be devastating, even catastrophic is sea levels rise 20 feet! But will they? here is what crossed my mind. Aside from the whole "melting Arctic ice" theories, I would like to offer a new theory. Quite possibly never before expressed. Right now, there are approximately 8 billion people on the Earth. Every single one of them requires water to survive. Isn't it just simple enough to explain that as more people are born, more water is needed to sustain life. Couldn't we just think of the polar ice caps as our water reserve? In fact, lets take this a little further. With more people, we need more food, so more cows...more water needed. Then there is the need for more food for the humans and the cows, so more grass and grains...so more water is needed.

I honestly believe that we are taking water out of the ground at a high rate of speed to sustain ourselves and our way of life. That, in turn, may increase the temperature of the crust because that "insulation" effect is now diminished. So, the direct response is a warmer crust that begins melting the ice caps. With the ice caps melting, that water must go somewhere. The "climatologists" would have us believe that our coastal areas are going to be submerged under 20 feet of water. I don't think so. I believe that water is going right back into the under water caverns through some form of ground filtration.

Lets look at a few "facts" as presented by "climatologists". They tend to use Iceland as their example. I'm sure you've heard the arguments: There is no more more ice on Iceland, or Iceland is on the forefront of global warming. Whatever. Here are a couple of pictures they use to suggest these arguments.

Before: http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/worldguide/html/image_620.html

After: http://www.intute.ac.uk/sciences/worldguide/html/image_622.html

Clearly, Iceland is not under water. And it was their ice that melted. Hawaii is not underwater. In fact, I haven't actually heard of any island or coastal region suffering more than a few inches of a rise, and I offer that liberally.

Now, check this out. I found this article that really messes with things. It's brief, but well stated.

http://icelandtalks.wordpress.com/2009/06/02/global-warming-not-true-in-iceland/

Now the glacier Dangjökull is getting bigger. The National Energy Authority of Iceland in partnership with the United States Geological Survey they are mapping out the glacier. It turns out that the glacier is getting bigger. Many reasons are believed to for this. The glacier is all under 1000 meters in height, and the weather system is a bit different from other parts of the country. Other glaciers in Iceland and in Europe have in fact shrunk a little. Could this be a change in climate or in the belief systems of the general public? Could this just be a normal phenomenon like the glaciers who shrink and grow all the time?

Can you believe it? First I reported that the "trend" was reversing after spiking in the 90's and now the glaciers are getting bigger. Wow! Didn't see that coming? Not! I especially love the part "could this just be a normal phenomenon like the glaciers who shrink and grow all the time?"

Even after all is said and done, and all the arguments and theories are posed, I still believe one thing: We, as responsible caretakers of this planet, as set forth in the Bible (see Genesis 1:28 KJV), should reduce, even eliminate, pollution. It's in OUR best interest!

Global Warming or Pseudo-science?

Energy Secretary's White-Paint Proposal Puzzles Climate-Change Experts

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,522411,00.html?test=latestnews

I gotta laugh! These "scientists", and the accents are intentional, are just baffling. I just love the opening:

Energy Secretary Steven Chu stunned the audience at a London scientific conference Tuesday with a radical but simple proposal to combat global warming: Paint all the roofs of all the buildings in the world white.

Granted, the simplest things are usually the best solution, but this goes way, WAY beyond simple. First of all, I believe the well-known heat island effect is very valid...to a point. It does raise temperatures some, but not like it has been proposed. In fact, consider this: the highest temperature recorded in Phoenix was 122 degrees on Jun 26, 1990. In second place was 121 degrees on July 28, 1995. If we are to believe that the ever-expanding heat island has a dramatic effect, then it would be safe to assume as more buildings are constructed, more people gather, and more vehicles traverse the inner city, then there should be a natural and systematic increase in the overall highes each year. Further, if the heat island were to have as significant an impact as the "scientists" say, then the astronomical increase in urban sprawl would actually made the heat island bigger, creating an even hotter environment. However, that does not seem to be the case. If you travel outside of the outskirts of Phoenix, the temperature dips a few degrees within minutes. What does that mean? Simple: the effect of a heat island is transitory and short reaching. Okay, in simple terms...It doesn't last long or go far. I don't see it.

Now lets consider global warming in general. There was an episode of MythBusters that did their study on global warming gases and the effects they have on the environment. They compared several gases and arrived a one conclusion. In the carbon dioxide chamber, the temperature did increase in a set period of time. That increase? Oh, it was one degree. That is where they left it. Now I ask the question, "so does that mean that an increase in global warming gases will only increase the temperature world-wide by one degree or is it exponential?" Of course, no one will address that in a provable method.

Finally, while the world "scientists" are speculating, debating and otherwise wasting everyone's time and money to prove that it exists, it probably doesn't even matter. The actual "spike" actually occurred in the 1990s and is now starting to trend down. You can see the graph here: http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/Fig.D.lrg.gif. Also notice that we spiked in the 1920s and 1930s and almost the same or higher then the 1990s. As they say in the court room, this is all circumstantial evidence. It doesn't actually prove anything except that it gets hot once in a while.

So all this hooping and hollering is for something else. Can you guess what that might be? Of course you can! Somebody wants more MONEY! Now they can get it by taxing for it, charging for the "repair", and my all time favorite, banning it so that other product prices increase and are taxed. What rocket "scientist" thought this up? A politician.

Now that's thinking

Phoenix ice arena evacuated due to carbon monoxide

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/05/24/20090524evacuate0524-ON.html

You're going to be hard-pressed to figure out why I'm writing on this one. I'm sure you've read the story by now, so here it is. Notice in the article:

When firefighters got to the arena, they found eight people outside vomiting and 25 patrons complaining they felt sick, the fire captain said. When a hazardous materials team arrived, they evacuated the ice arena where a hockey tournament was being held Sunday.

So what's my problem? Simple. They waited until AFTER the HAZMAT team arrived and THEN evacuated the building. What? The eight people vomiting outside wasn't an indication? The 25 people complaining of feeling sick didn't give a clue?

So here's what I think. Somewhere there is a stupid person involved with this story. I'm just not sure who it is. Is it the reporter who simply put things in the wrong order? Or, is it the fireman who chose to leave men, women, and children in a contaminated environment until someone could establish there was a chemical contaminant enveloping the building?

Either way, it takes my breath away!

Why do we give our money away?

Glendale Ballpark Deals in Limbo

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/05/24/20090524ballsalestax0524.html

I just don't get it! Never, in the history of government, has anyone in government offices, under the direction of government officials, with the help of government entities, been able to effectively negotiate anything worthwhile! When Glendale bought, and paid for, the now-named Jobing.com Arena, they used taxpayer money, "in their best interest", hoping it would generate a tax revenue windfall. It didn't! In fact, their complicated and sophisticated negotiations gave them concessions and deal, and then, to top it off, refused to put ANY teeth into the contract for failing to honor their agreement. I am, of course, referring to the 8 months of back rent owed by the Coyotes that their only recourse was to send a stern letter asking for the money. Now the Coyotes are in bankruptcy and threatening to move to Canada. I wonder how much money the citizens of Glendale made on this deal, after the building and other fees that went into its construction, not to mention all the lost concessions and tax revenues. I'm thinking we made a deficit profit (for the academically challenged, that would a debt, which must still be paid...BY THE TAX PAYERS OF GLENDALE!).

Now, Glendale has been in negotiations for 2½ years to receive monies from tax payer funded projects. Oh wonderful, here we go again. They made agreements, verbal or otherwise, then committed money to construct facilities, and then...wait for it....

WAIT FOR IT!

Never completed the paperwork! What rocket scientist thought that would work better then actually writing the deal down on paper and forcing a legally binding commitment? Now the City of Glendale basically has no "legal" right to claim the money as there was no agreement officiated and consummated (a signed paper for those still challenged).

When are we, the people of this city, county, state, country, whatever, realize that giving the government any kind of control with our money is just plain stupid? I'll leave you with this parting thought: President Obama ran his campaign on the platform of CHANGE, in which he kept his word. He changed our hard-earned tax dollars into C - H - A - N - G - E! He even managed to C - H - A - N - G - E our money from our hands to someone elses, like Bank of America, Chase, GM (bankrupting), and Chrysler (bankrupting), and even foreign entities.

Do you suppose this falls under the category of "good negotiations"?

UFO?

You're probably thinking "Unidentified Flying Object", but I was thinking more "Unidentified Faction of Obfuscation".

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/05/18/20090518abrk-ufosightings0518.html

I guess I have a real hard time with stories like this one. People all over the State of Arizona saw something, unidentfied, in the sky on Monday, the 18th. I, too, saw something hovering NNW of Phoenix. I even tried to take pictures of it, but each time there was a buildup of light that obscured the actual shape I saw when I looked through my view finder. Now you're probably wondering what could I possibly say about this article. Well...plenty!

Let's consider the facts in question. According the article above, a 4,000 pound balloon was launched on Sunday from New Mexico and landed around Kingman on Monday evening. Okay, that's plausible. And, based on picture attached to the article, it does look like a big bubble from the Wizard of Oz, as one witness described it. The acticle further states that a NASA organization is the agency behind this device.

So my questions are: Why does NASA, or any other agency, always wait until AFTER the device in question is "sighted" and UFO reports start flooding in? Why wait to issue a press release that a large, unfamilar device may be seen in the sky during the next few days?

As with all politically-based agencies, you must watch carefully what the right hand is doing while the left hand is waiving and showing off. In this case, they, the NASA organization, is explaining what happened after the fact. That would be the left hand. Where is the right hand?

It's hard to be humble...when I'm RIGHT

I bet you're wondering what I was right about, huh? Check this out: http://www.scribd.com/doc/14999927/Phoenix-Coyotes-Bankruptcy-Petition. As you may recall from my earlier post, actually, just look down the page a bit, I was ranting about the free pass the Coyotes were getting from the City of Glendale. Well, as stated, the only way they were going to get out of their penalty was to file bankruptcy. And there it is!

It's sad, though. I honestly believe they could have pulled it off if they weren't so damn arrogant about their business. When they first moved to Glendale, I contacted them to offer a small business proposition. I had noticed on their website a PDF application that wasn't form-fillable. So I made a sample form-fillable and sent a copy to the head IT guy and offered a business deal. He refused to respond. So I tried to contact him on the phone. He still refused to respond. Then I contacted the General Manager who was more concerned that I contacted him then about his staff not making nice. Short story: the IT contacted me and flatly said "NO!". He made such a funny comment. It went something like, "Do you think we have lots of money or something?". So I answered, "Yeah, I do.".

So I believe the Coyotes were very happy to get OUR money and a NEW building, but they were unwilling to give back to the people and businesses of Glendale. That elitist attitude that you can only get it better somewhere else will get you in the end! Oh wait...it did.

My Toaster has an Opinion Too

I have had just about enough! Why is it so important for celebrities and the like to tell me what I should be thinking? For years now, actors and entertainers, have been telling the people of the United States the Iraq War is wrong. Why? Because Sean Penn went to Iraq and saw for himself there were no weapons of mass destruction? Yeah, like they would pull them out for him to view and discuss! What an overly inflated sense of self-importance.

How about when the Dixie Chicks bashed America DURING their concert in another country. So you're telling me that when I buy a toaster, that I paid for with my hard-earned cash, I can expect a 20 minute diatribe (or bitch-fest for those academically challenged) about how my country sucks. Do I get a discount or a refund if I disagree?

Perhaps it is when Barbara Streisand decided to tell everyone how bad, sick and wrong President Bush was about the Iraq War. From her website, http://www.barbrastreisand.com/index.php?page=statements&n_id=112, she asks questions about it. Number 5 is especially enlightening, "How much of this war is about oil?". I recall in recent, and I do mean recent, history, where Americans were spending as much as $4.00 per gallon for gas. Apparently we didn't get to keep the oil we were supposedly fighting for. And what about Number 6, "How much of this war is a vendetta against "the man who tried to kill my dad"?". Why does it have to be personal? Wasn't it enough that Saddam Hussein was killing hundreds, thousands, and possibly millions of people for his own pleasure and service? I seem to recall when another crazed leader that was killing millions of people, the whole world banded together to stop him. Oh, what was his name? It's on the tip of my tongue. Wait for it... I remember, it was Adolf Hitler. When did "not being a good citizen" and "not sticking up for the little guy" become vogue?

My absolute favorite was when celebrities threatened to move out of the country because they didn't get their way.

'Academy Award-winning actress Susan Sarandon says "anywhere but here" if Republican John McCain wins November's election. She says she will "be checking out a move to Italy. Maybe Canada, I don't know. We're at an abyss."'

This can be found at: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,361023,00.html.

So...did they move? Of course not. It's only popular to bash America publicly. They count their money PRIVATELY...in America...in American Banks...

Now, don't go and get me wrong. I truly believe that EVERYONE is entitled to express their opinion, just like I have done here. I also believe that speaking your mind without consequences is unfounded and ridiculous. Besides, why is it such a good thing to make America look bad? What could someone hope to gain? More money from overseas sales of their movies? Last I knew, America was THE most prosperous nation on the planet. Who else is going to give them that kind of money?

All in all, I believe that opinions should be expressed and accepted by all parties. We don't have to agree, just respect. And I will respect my toaster's opinion, if, and only if, it will accept my right to disconnect it and fail to use it in the future for its stated position. Hmmm...do you think I can get ANY celebrity to respect MY opinion? Naw! I didn't think so.

A Pandemic Lie

Oh no, Swine Flu! Quick, see that you are unprotected. Run. Hide. Close everything.... and on and on the media drones on. Perhaps it's time to take a more pragmatic, nay, realistic, look at this Pandemic.

In the article posted here:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/04/30/20090430azswine-ON-CR.html

It states, "There are now more than 110 confirmed cases of the virus in the United States; people have fallen ill in 15 states." So let's do some math. I'll even jack up the numbers to illustrate my point. Let's say there are 30,000 cases in the US. Now, based on some estimates, there are 300 million people, legal or otherwise, living in the US. So the math would be 30,000 divided by 300 million to derive the percentage of the population affected by this Pandemic.

The answer is...

No peeking...

Doesn't even reach 1%. In fact it is: .01%. And remember, there are ONLY 110+ cases, NOT 30,000!

Now, let's take a look at last year. Boy howdy, this is gonna shock you! According the CDC, and here's the link:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5725a5.htm

During September 30, 2007--May 17, 2008,** World Health Organization and National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System collaborating laboratories in the United States tested 225,329 specimens for influenza viruses; 39,827 (18%) were positive (Figure 1). Of the positive specimens, 28,263 (71%) were influenza A viruses, and 11,564 (29%) were influenza B viruses. Among the influenza A viruses, 8,290 (29%) were subtyped; 2,175 (26%) were influenza A (H1N1), and 6,115 (74%) were influenza A (H3N2) viruses. The proportion of specimens testing positive for influenza first exceeded 10% during the week ending January 12, 2008 (week 2), peaked at 32% during the week ending February 9, 2008 (week 6), and declined to <10%>

So what does it mean? Well, there are two things. First, the data was collected from Sep 30th, 2007 to May 17th, 2008, where just over 250,000 (¼ million) samples were tested. Of that, 28,263 were Influenza A and 11,564 were Influenza B, for a total of 39,827 positive tests. Okay, that could be considered a lot in the US where, again, there are 300 million people. Not! so are you ready for the shocker? Here it is: of the 28,263 Influenza positives, there were "2,175 (26%) were influenza A (H1N1)". Doesn't that H1N1 look familiar some how? Oh yes, I remember now. The CDC says it's, "H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)". Here's the link: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/. Don't take my word for it; they wrote it.

So how is it we have a International Pandemic, which was elevated yesterday, when we haven't even reached last year's recorded levels?

I'm thinking the Obama Administration is trying to play a "slight of hand" act. Something else must be going on if we're all concerned with a 100+ cases of the flu when we've already achieved THAT flu in the thousands last year. What's that I hear? Hmmm, my money being flushed down the toilet...again!

Offerings

I am so proud of my son, Rusty. Today, while preparing his tithing, and since it is Fast Sunday, Marie and I explained the process of Fast Offerings. We explained how the bishop of our ward would use that money to help those who could not afford food or rent. After this, Rusty was given the choice to pay this offering or not. He promptly went into his room and retrieved his last $5 bill and brought it out to add to his tithing as a Fast Offering, and even used that money for the Humanitarian Aid and Temple Construction as well. It is such a pleasure to see the Holy Ghost move in a child's life!

WE Want OUR Money Back!

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/03/19/20090319aig-outrage0319-ON.html?&wired

Headline: House passes bill taxing AIG and other bonuses

"We want our money back and we want our money back now for the taxpayers," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

Well, WE WANT OUR MONEY BACK Speaker Pelosi! Unfortunately, the way the liberal mind works, they are doing us a favor by giving our hard-earned money to other countries, both domestic and foreign businesses, and people who just...don't...work! Do we get to pass a special tax over the Democratically-controlled Congress to tax them into oblivion to get our money back? Why is it that AIG, Citigroup, and the like, get millions, nay, billions of our needed money? What about my business? Isn't it worth something?

Truly, if ever there were a definition of the Gadianton Robbers (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadianton_robbers), Congress has just filled it. They are a not-so-secret criminal organization that is operating right under America's nose.

It was only a couple hundred years ago when we Americans had the Boston Tea Party for, what was it...oh yes, Taxation without Representation. Isn't that what is happening now. America is being taxed to death and they don't even know it. Where are these trillions of dollars going to come from? Certainly, you can't borrow money without repaying it. Yep, you guessed it, the next four generations are going to be paying for these decisions.

But wait, isn't there a problem with this "special legislation" that Congress is enacting? Could it be a violation of the very core of the Constitution? Aren't all laws supposed to be enacted for the good of ALL Americans, not a select few? And how does a special tax work? When in history have special taxes ever worked? Let's review, the Sheriff of Nottingham? Hitler? Rome? Nope. I don't see it ever working.

Once again, the American people have been robbed!

Glendale Charges the Little Guy, Gives the Big Guy a Pass

http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2009/03/04/20090304gl-coyotes0304-ON.html

Headline: No penalty for Coyotes' missing payments to Glendale

The Phoenix Coyotes won't have to pay any penalties to Glendale for missing eight months of rent and other charges at Jobing.com Arena. Glendale's contract with the team doesn't stipulate any fines for late payments. The Coyotes have an "unlimited" amount of time to repay or rectify any missed payments, the contract reads, as long as the team "commences to cure such breach within 30 days after the team's receipt of such notice."

So what does 8 months of payments look like? The NHL team shells out $42,708 each month to Glendale for rent at the city-owned ice hockey arena, as well as a percentage of parking fees, sales taxes, security costs and repairs. That's $341,664.00 in rent alone, not counting the "other fees" Glendale is not getting. Mind you, this total continues to increase when another month is not paid.

So what happens when you or I miss our monthly water payment, that is around $75.00? We get disconnected! Let's look at this. We'll assume 1,000 Glendale utility customers don't pay their monthly bill of $75.00 and they get disconnected two weeks later. That comes to: $75,000.00 due. Now factor in that an employee of Glendale must make physical contact with each address to disconnect the water, so now we're adding in gas, trip time, employee wages, printing of the little piece of paper they hang on the door to say your service was disconnected, and finally, maintenance on a fleet of vehicles to do all of this. And let's not forget the multiple mailers with paper, envelopes, postage, and the person who now assembles everything. Now they are losing money. Have no fear, if they can't get YOUR money for the $75.00 bill, which now adds a disconnect/reconnect fee, adding another what, $50.00, they go after the rental landlords (see http://www.azcentral.com/community/glendale/articles/2009/01/30/20090130gl-rental0130-ON.html, "Glendale wants landlords to pay tenants' overdue utility bills"), if there is one, now incurring legal and court fees, attorney's fees, and who knows what else. Now the deficit is probably hovering over $140,000.00, or more, to collect those 1,000 customer's due.

Wow! That's amazing! All that for a thousand customers in default. For the Coyotes, they send a well-worded letter that costs maybe a buck total to produce and then just wait...and wait....and wait...and WAIT.

Have no fear, though, if the Coyotes ever leave Glendale "early" we are entitled to a $750 million penalty. Of course, if the Coyotes ever leave, it'll probably be because no one is attending their games and they are bankrupt. You see, those same 1,000 customers who can't pay their measly $75.00 water bill can't afford the $15.00 to $300.00 dollar tickets, plus parking, plus the heavily taxed food and beverages, and any memorabilia, that, oh wait, the Coyotes aren't giving to Glendale anyways.

Explain to me again how Glendale made a good choice to bring the Coyotes here.

President Obama Bucks Tradition and Spends More

http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/decor/articles/2009/02/18/20090218obamahotel0219.html

Headline: President Obama bucks Biltmore tradition by checking in to Montelucia

So I'm reading this article about how Mr. Obama bucks tradition which is really a non-story in itself, but the hidden story is what got me. He decided to stay at the Montelucia in Paradise Valley (which, incidentally, is in foreclosure at the same time). That's all fine and dandy except that it cost $3,000 to $4,000 per room per night. The Montelucia was booked solid "...Tuesday night with Obama's entourage and other guests."

Now here's the rub. He could have stayed at the Biltmore, which is not insolvent, and is kind of tradition, which is actually irrelevant, but didn't. The cost: $1,600 per room per night.

So where is the change? He's passing legislation to help America out of this economic turmoil and he's spending money, that we don't have, flying staff and who knows who all over the country and staying in swanky, over-priced, hotels. This, of course, leads me to the next logical question. How many people are flying with him that they can FILL a hotel?

Wow, we're only a month into his presidency and we are over a trillion dollars in debt and he's spending money as fast as Washington can print it. Hmmm. Where will we be in four years?