Why did the chicken cross the road? Because gas was $4 a gallon...

There are a number of reasons we need "a change" of occupancy at the White House (as well as in Congress)...but rising gas prices isn't one of them.

President Obama has no more to do with the recent rise in gas prices than he had to do with the storm that blew through where I live last night. Now that's an ironic statement of unintended support for a moot position that Obama used himself against W. Bush four years ago. Why do we continue to let politicians insult our intelligence?



Uh...you're probably not going to like my answer here...

We live in an unprecedented age of information. With the click of a few keys, I can summons information on anything from making explosives to an awesome chicken casserole. Biographical information is available on most anyone in the public eye, as well as, information on corporations, legislations and litigations.

But we're just lazy and don't take the time to become informed consumers/constituents. Period.

True or False...The price of gas goes up at the beginning of summer each year because Big Oil knows demand will go up with warm weather?

False.

Demand is much higher across the board in colder months. Sorry....your summer vacation just doesn't have that much of an impact on gas prices. Some. Not much.

During winter months, butane is used as an additive in the production of refined gasoline because it is cheap.  However, butane can't be used in the summer because it evaporates in warm temperatures, so refineries must replace it with more expensive ingredients.

Blame chemistry for higher summer prices...not DisneyWorld or Obama.

True or False...If we drilled for more oil, all our problems would be solved!

Don't think so Sarah. Crude oil is not the problem. We have an abundance of oil overflowing from the North American crude trading hub in Cushing, Oklahoma. The problem is refineries are at near capacity in this country. While refining capabilities have actually decline in recent years do to aging facilities, no new refineries have been built in decades. Not to mention, U.S. exports of gas to fuel-thirsty foreign countries tripled over the past year!

So just build more refineries to fix the problem.

Seriously...think that's going to make gas prices go down? The huge cost of building new refineries would be directly past along to the consumer straight per the capitalism playbook. Hey, I love capitalism, but facts are facts. Besides, who's volunteering to have one of those built in their backyard?

Before you take this post as defense of failed economic leadership from the White House, just hear me out. The danger in blaming the wrong things on the wrong people goes beyond the obvious moral implications. If the electorate links the presidential election this fall to gas prices, what happens if gas prices fall? That's right. Point of contention lost. If Obama can be blamed for higher gas prices then he surely will take credit for lower gas prices, and the emotions of the moment sweep him back into the White House.

The fact of the matter is he has nothing to do with either stinking one!

Become an informed voter. Seek information on issues and don't just swallow what the left and right media sources feed us each day. Trust me. They're not working for a higher, nobler cause. The bottom line is all that matters on both sides, and that profit is sadly boosted when the public debates become toxic and less civil...as well as less cerebral.

I'm not afraid to give credit where credit is due even if that recognition falls on an opposing ideological figure. President Obama has been very successful from a foreign policy perspective.. in my opinion. But, that opinion thinks we were completely within our rights to go into Pakistan, without their consent, to kill Bin Laden. I don't think he has weak knees when it comes to these matters.

I also don't think he is a Muslim or wasn't born in this country. Those are both absurd and purely emotional arguments. Not to mention, we Christians need to be very cautious about blindly judging where another person is with the Almighty. I have no reason to question his proclaimed Christian faith...or at least any more than I did Bush or Clinton...and I shouldn't try to judge according to the Good Book.

My problems with the current administration are much more politically fundamental. President Obama believes government can solve all the ills of society. I most strongly disagree. While that's enough to turn me against his politics, it doesn't have to be bitterly personal.

If I vote for Obama, I know I'm voting for a liberal-minded ideology, and I can't do that in good conscience. Unfortunately, the catch here becomes that while most Republicans stand proudly on that platform of conservative policy making, their actions (read legislation) reflect a different motive. Some claim one thing and do another, and that does makes me mad.

Don't listen to the spin. Read how your public figures vote on the issues that matter to you. Hold them accountable for your vote. Become informed.

Click...click...click...

"...because I think religion of infinitely higher importance than politics..." Patrick Henry, 1796

Recently, I've been in discussions about the religious views of our nation's Founding Fathers. Titling those words is appropriate, I believe, because we've come to accept that specific label for the group of men pictured...among others.

The point of contention with most people seems center around whether or not our country was founded as a Christian nation...and I personally believe that argument to be dubious at best if not all together moot.

Nazi Germany of 1940 was a 'Christian' nation...

The outcry from most Christians is that Progressives are rewriting history to try to eliminate the role religion played during the infancy of America. There's little to no doubt  that may be true, but Christians are just as guilty of the very same deceptions.

And shouldn't we be the bigger person in the room?

History too well records the atheistic beliefs prevalent in the writings of Thomas Jefferson and the straight up blasphemy of both Benjamin Franklin and John Adams (a proclaimed Unitarian). Thomas Paine, a renowned Deist, wrote I would not dare to so dishonor my Creator God by attaching His name to that book (the Bible). So why do we deny these facts, or even worse, corrupt and distort them?

While the motive may be a noble defense of Christian legitimacy, the resulting effects of altering the truths of history are far more destructive to the cause of our faith. The Church has been in continuous existence since Pentecost following the Ascension of Christ (Acts 2:1-6), and far more damage has been done to His cause as a result of alterations to the true message as opposed to direct attacks on Christian principles (Inquisitions, Crusades and stake burnings come to mind). God's Word will stand until the very end, and all we need to do is promote and defend that Truth as presented in the Holy Bible. God doesn't need America to facilitate His will...actually...He doesn't need anything from us. Christianity existed long before this nation came along and will continue to exist should our country ever fail and fall.

Jesus didn't come to embrace the Roman Empire of the first century.  He lived under its rule and was executing in accordance with its laws. Jesus came to fulfill God's will...His plan for our redemption. Christ came and established a personal connection with but a very few people, yet from those connections...a movement of historically unmatched precedence was formed. That fact doesn't require embellishment or exaggeration on any one's part...especially Christians.

We've become both spoiled and ignorant in this country, and I state that with a grateful but heavy heart. We're overindulged with the luxuries resulting from numerous civil liberties. Religious persecution is a concept that exist only in other parts of the world, and its absence has resulting in a softening of our core beliefs. Very few people can tell you why they truly believe what they proclaim to believe because their ideas are largely unchallenged in a diverse culture of acceptance. Complacency has also replaced an undying quest for knowledge, and we've become a society content with lazily accepting what we hear or read without question. Critical thinking is slowly dying...even among those most educated in our midst.

Nothing good will ever come from distorting the truth. Nothing. Even when that truth isn't necessarily what we want to hear. The reality of fact that Jefferson, Franklin or Adams weren't men of Christian faith in no way hampers my pride as an American or lessens the contribution they made to form the greatest of nations. On the other hand as a Christian, it pains me dearly to think such great men died unwilling to accept an eternal gift given by a most gracious Creator. But then... that could just as well be easily said about anyone else who fails to believe. Why? Because Thomas Jefferson is no more important in God's eyes than the other lowly thief that hung beside His Son that dark day and refused to accept who Jesus was and died in his sins.

By altering the truth of history, we lessen the greatness and impact of men who were in fact good Christians and major contributors in the founding of our country...men like Samuel Adams, Alexander Hamilton and Patrick Henry.  Face facts...our Founding Fathers were just not all wearing the same hat of piousness and no amount of revision in our minds will push some of our historical heroes through the gates of Heaven. So, don't be guilty of putting the two thieves on the same cross...Jesus made a promise but to one of them...the one who saw and accepted the Truth.

Was our country founded as a Christian nation?

I'm not exactly sure how that really matter over 200 years later. The more important question to ask is exactly what are each of us doing today to shine as individual lights for our Savior? After all, that's what we've been commanded to do...

In God we trust...unless you're offended by that of course.

Okay...I stirred up more than one lengthy comment thread on various social media sites with my last post. Good. That was my intent.

When it comes to public office, I'm a firm believer that all issues concerning a given candidate running for office are fair game. Do I like seeing or reading dirty laundry? Absolutely not. But we all own the actions or words we chose daily, so why should political candidates be any different?

Choosing to ignore a candidate's view on matters of faith is only adding to the marginalization of faith already dominating this country. Now I'm being completely transparent on this issue. There's no hidden agenda. I'm a Christian voter who places a lot of emphasis on the adjective in that label. Removing my Christian values from any decision-making process is counter intuitive at best...blatant disregard for my faith at worst (Romans 12:2 among others)...so I shouldn't  feel pressure from the political correctness police to wave off or disregard the issue when it comes to voting.
Apparently, I'm far from alone when it comes to Romney. This past weekend, Pew Research conducted a survey of 1007 voting adults that included an open-answer description giving one-word responses-

Given the amount of negative connotations associated in the survey with the other two candidate's names, Herman Cain should be lauding these results. I don't know if I'm more intrigued by Perry's list or Cain's...but I had to chuckle that 19 people associated pizza with Cain. Once a pizza-chain mogul always a pizza-chain mogul...I suppose.

It was really good pizza.

So what's my point in all of this? Believe me, I'm not trying to steer people away from Mitt Romney. All things considered, he is a highly qualified candidate. Also, that is a personal matter for each individual voter.  I just don't want the left-leaning media, the out-of-control train called political correctness, or any political caucus for that matter telling me I shouldn't consider the faith of a candidate running for the highest office in our Nation...or any other office for that matter.

That's a clear contradiction to my individual right to practice my religion which is actually in the Constitution. Try finding the words separation of church and state in the same document...  

Hang on! We're in for a bumpy ride...

Most people knew it was coming, but I have to admit I'm surprised a Baptist pastor fired the shot and not the liberal-leaning, Godaphobes in the media. But then again...

Personally, I have very divided feeling about my subject matter today. As a conservative, I really like a lot of what Mitt Romney brings to the table. He's just center-right enough to appeal to a broad base of the voting public, and frankly, his platform is pretty solid when compared to the other Republican candidates in my opinion.

Let me pause right here for a moment for a disclaimer. If you're new to this blog, please note I'm not a R-party or D-party kind of guy. I have numerous issues with BOTH parties, there just happen to be fewer of them with the R's at the moment. I'm not a "dang you!" Barrack Obama flag waver either (or finger waver for that matter). My issues are with his policies...not his persona. Now back to the show...

As a constitutionalist, I understand the grave importance of keeping religion and politics separate issues. That's not saying that religion doesn't have part in matters of politics. Democratic governments are obligated to protect any one's right to practice their faith without risk or threat of persecution. Religion just shouldn't run the state as you see in some Muslim countries. Faith is a matter of choice by God's design...not mandated by legislation.

As a Christian...my position gets a bit more muddled. Having declared the first two positions as a conservative and a constitutionist, it almost seems hypocritical to say I have a problem voting for a candidate who is a known Mormon....but honestly...I do. Above every other adjective, attribute or modifier that can be used to categorized me, I'm a follower of Jesus first and foremost. Period.

That's just how I roll...

Should it matter what faith the leader of our country professes and follows?  Absolutely. As a man of faith and an advocate for Christ, I don't see how it could be any other way if I truly believe what I claim to believe. I can't wholeheartedly trust in and share the Holy Bible while voluntarily supporting someone who believes that same Bible is flawed and incomplete. If you're curious exactly what Mormonism teaching, here is an excellent overview.

Before you start throwing the 'judge not lest you be judged' spears at me, this isn't a matter of rendering eternal damnation judgement on anyone. Not my call, and believe me, I'm cool with that. This is about choice. This is about principles. For me, it boils down to this...does my confidence in the man's ability to effectively lead this nation become overshadowed by my complete sadness at his choice to put his faith in a deluded religion?

Would I vote for a Muslim? An atheist? How about a Scientologist?


Yes...that is a very personal matter. But it's also a fundamental question Christians better reflect upon before casting what could be a decisive vote in any election.

Losing a close friend is definitely like a punch in the gut...right after eating a McDonalds #2 Value Meal.

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I've received several inquiries of late on my writing absence concerning the debt ceiling debacle. While I did post an opinion back in May (click here if you're interested), I've remained silent since while still taking in the whole fiasco with great interest. Granted the matter at hand has grave consequences for our country's future which is why I'm thrilled Washington is finally doing a great service to the Nation and giving partisan politics a rest...

Right...

To be honest, I'm actually a bit in mourning. No...no one close to me has died recently, yet I have lost a dear, close friend nonetheless. My fond attachment to our space program is no secret on Tony C Today. I've even publicly stated a desire for my middle child, the Crazy Tomato, to be one of the first humans on Mars. Red hair to the red planet is our daddy/daughter motto...when her mother isn't around that is.

So it should come as no surprise that at 5:57 am ET yesterday morning, I became a bit melancholy when the Space Shuttle Atlantis landed thus ending my 30-year love affair with the retiring fleet of space buses...I mean ships.

To the world, the Space Shuttle was as American as it gets.

By that you mean a gluttonously expensive program ran by the government that came far from meeting originally stated expectation and far over estimated operational cost?

No! I mean American...like Mickey Mouse, the Yankees and Shoney's Restaurants! General Electric, corn on the cob, and yard sales! America!

Anyway...the Space Shuttle was from my generation. My parents had the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs which were definitely sexy and exciting. Then came Skylab! Who can forget that golden age of space exploration...well...at least space habitation. And finally the  monumental Apollo-Soyuz mission when original Mercury Seven astronaut Deke Slayton (The Right Stuff) finally got into space aboard a hollowed out Apollo capsule so stripped down there were only three toggle switches on the control panel: Up, Stop and Down. Those were the good old days of paranoid international relations when we weren't the only big boy on the block...remember?

The Space Shuttle was my generations to claim. Ronald Reagan, The Gap and the Space Shuttle...now two of the three are gone...mere pages in the history books.

I'm going to need a minute here...

Let's be sure we stay on the right'eous' side of this fight...

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Wow...did our President step in it or what?

Granted, I'm not far-right radical enough to criticize everything coming from President Obama's mouth. I don't like his politics in a macro perspective, but I don't fall in line with the entertainer/demagogues of talk-radio and television that try to sell to us that the man is capable of absolutely nothing good.

I like to think that I would much rather err on the side of optimism than cynicism...but truth be told...I don't trust anyone in Washington. Is that contradictory?

Back to the President. Last week President Obama gave some disturbing sound bites about America's friend and ally, Israel. Naturally, the Limbaugh's of our pop cultured world ran with the golden nugget offered up by their great adversary. This initially resulted in two distinct things...oddly enough (eye roll). The against-at-all-cost bunched yelled loudly with an OMG can he be serious!  I knew he was a Muslim!

The defend-at-all-cost bunch started bobbing and weaving in an immediate rope-a-dope (alert-unintentional pun) defensive maneuver and immediately broke the glass on the emergency Conspiracy Theory case to help put out the fires.

Blah-blah-blah, yada-yada-yada  the professional spin-masters worked their magic on both sides of the spectrum...and most of America apathetically shook their heads in perplexity once again. Thanks but no thanks Rush and Keith...I got this one.

So what makes this latest issue different from the forty-thousand previous ones in just last week alone? Read your Bible brothers and sisters...matters of Israel are very important to you know Who. Israel is much more to the world than a few ever-changing lines on a map. Christians should know that. ALL Christians should know that Mr. President.

I'm not going into a lesson on the biblical importance of Israel today. The information is too easily available with a quick internet search. But the fate of Israel is far beyond the abilities of men to alter. God's hand is directly upon the Nation of Israel, and their fate was predestined in a promise of prophesy long before the events that unfolded last century.

Ronald Reagan was the last U.S. President to fully understand the importance of Israel in the bigger picture outside of politics.

“The safety and security of the United States and the safety and
security of Israel are all part of a larger cause: the cause of human
rights for every man, woman, and child on this Earth.”

-- Ronald Reagan, remarks at White House Briefing on United States foreign policy, March 15, 1988

Excuse me please...I'm a little chocked up at the moment...

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And now a break from tomfoolery for some serious stupidity...

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So our federal government has once again reached the mandated debt ceiling that was established...by the federal government.

Interesting...and irritating all at the same time.

Surprisingly, this threshold isn't a rare occurrence as one might think. As a matter of fact as a nation, we've been here over 70 times before this last one. During that time, Democrats have controlled both Houses and the While House, Republicans have controlled both Houses and the White House, and ever other mix in between the two scenarios.

In each case, up went the debt ceiling as if we were living in some utopian society where the GDP always grows at double digit rates and it never rains on Saturday.

So, why is it such a big issue all of a sudden? (must be Obama's fault)

Well, the answer to that $14 trillion question is because the debt itself is so huge relative to GDP. We're on the verge of that famous 90%-100% debt-to-GDP ratio where many believe a sovereign debt crisis is inevitable (see Greece and Ireland).

A vote that used to be treated as lackadaisical is now the subject of massive nervousness in Washington. Why now you say again? Because Americans are finally paying attention to the math and know if borrowing into bankruptcy is possible on a personal level...(i.e. your debt ceiling exceeds your ability to pay said debt) it's sure got to be possible on a national one too.

The time has come and gone to discuss and debate how we got to this point in our fiscal house. Such reflection may be important at some point in the future to ensure we don't repeat the mess we find ourselves in today, but right now we need bipartisan action on a major scale.

Sure massive cuts in our federal budget are going to hurt. Nobody denies that...well...no rational person denies that fact. But so much is broken in our current system of federal spending that only by making deep cuts can real changes be made to fix the system. Necessary chances. We've got to get our fiscal house in order and radical changes through spending cuts is the only feasible, viable option.

Take a second and think about the ridiculous circumstances involving waste and abuse of tax dollars that you personally are aware of involving our federal and state governments (yes, states have a claim in this also as a distributing arm of some federal government programs). Let me give you only two of the many from my list:

Just this past week, I was talking to a friend about a situation he was personally familiar with involving government entitlements. A lady living near him was trying to sell her monthly food stamps to his wife below their face value. The mother of two receives $500 a month in food stamps, but was willing to accept half for the current and following two months ($1500 for $750). Seems she had taken her federal income tax return (based solely on federal entitlements) of a little over $5000 and, among other useless things, put a down payment on a big SUV at a local Buy Here, Pay Here auto dealer. When she missed a payment, they came and got the vehicle. Now she needed several hundred dollars to get the vehicle back, oh...and get her cell phone turned back on too.

Did I mention she doesn't work and lives with her mom? Didn't mean to leave that out. She doesn't work yet receives thousands of dollars in government hand outs from our tax dollars. Makes you wonder how her kids eat. My friend's wife didn't bite on the offer by the way.

This next one is a little more risky for me to share. I work for a DoD contractor, and we sell 'widgets' directly to a number of military bases worldwide. In all honesty, our company works very hard at providing excellent pricing not just out of good stewardship but also because we are in open competition with other DoD suppliers. The problem occurs when particular 'widgets' we could sell directly to a base are systematically divided up into block contracts for large conglomerate contractors (read- who pay lobbyist), who in turn bid the 'widgets' out to other subcontractors (including us) and then often award the bids to a contractor under a special government designator (i.e. female/minority owned company, disabled vet, etc.), who then in turn buys the 'widgets' from a distributor...you guessed it...us. So something that could have been purchased by the end user at a distribution level price directly from us originally (as is often the case) is marked up not only once more by the block contractor, but again by the third different subcontractor involved as the procurement moves through the often lunatic workings of the military industrial complex on its way to the end user.

If only I were making this stuff up...

Only in an environment of unchecked funding can such absurdities exist and grow. As the debate continues to roar on about raising our national debt ceiling, take a moment and examine similar situations you personally know about like the two I've shared. Maybe one is as drastic as this situation reported just yesterday in news sources where a lottery winner of millions receives food stamps. Now multiple those cases several million times, and it's easy to see how we've gotten to where our country needs to borrow more than $14 trillion dollars just to pay the outstanding bills.

It all starts at home with anyone and everyone as crazy mad about this as I am picking up the phone or dropping a line to their elected representative, Republicans and/or Democrats, and demanding the political games stop now and necessary action be taken immediately. Yes Mr. Politician, the American public does realize there's an important election just next year. The real question is- do you?

Raise the debt ceiling to avoid a devastating default, this one last time, then balance the national budget and lock that in with a Constitutional Amendment...period.

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The federal budget is really quite simple...when you think about it.

We all know the federal budget is complex. But come on... if a bunch as diverse (I'm using nice words today) as the United States Congress can figure it all out, I feel pretty good about your average concerned citizen.



Average concerned citizen = most of us...by the way.






While large numbers can have a discombobulating effect on the easily startled person, the federal budget is really no different from your household budget for the most part. Sure, you have to cut and paste a few line tags under the four major categories of:

• What's coming in
• What's going out
• What we have
• What we owe

Say for example, that line in your home budget for landscaping the front walkway would be exchanged for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, or the home budget line allocated for miscellaneous gifts would be replaced by the Poems in Zoos Project in the federal budget.

No really...that's a federal grant to place more poetry in our nation's zoos at the tune of  $1 million. Apparently our zoo animals are not cultured enough.

So as you can see, your home budget and the federal budget are basically the same...in principle...sort of.

I use the new sophisticated Mint.com online program to help keep the family finances in order. The program pulls data directly from my 'what's going out' sources and categorizes the expense across my pre-established budget. If I spend too much on, say, eating out at lunch, I get a friendly reminder telling me this once I've exceeded my monthly budget.

Of course in the said example, Mrs. Tony C has been looking for an interface that automatically connects with ediets.com, so they can send me a far less friendly reminder that I'm obviously lying on my journal entries. Luckily, she hasn't found one to date.

But, back to the budget issue. So, I can even create an neat, easy-to-read pie chart that shows my budget, my actual expenditures (what's going out) and the shortfalls at the press of a button. I looked for an easy-to- read pie chart breaking down the proposed 2011 federal budget, and surprisingly, I just couldn't find one! Apparently...there are some significant differences between the federal budget and our personal home budgets after all. Pie just doesn't come that big!

I did find a helpful interactive 2011 federal budget chart at (of all places) the NY Times (NY Times interactive link). It's worth taking a look at...if your Monday isn't aggravating enough already that is.

Now that I actually think about it... I don't think my personal 'what I have' category could ever sustain  $1 trillion added to the 'what I owe' side. Maybe that was a stupid analogy after all.

For the sake of good taste...I'll refrain from Dolly Parton references.

No sooner had the 2011 Federal Budget proposal been released, and the crap started flying.

I keep clinging to the hope that eventually the general public will wake up and realize what fools our elected officials in Washington take us to be. The budget is released this week and immediately the spin begins on both sides. Half truths. Blatant lies. Double talk. It's all there.

As a conservative, I'm actually madder at the Republicans than I am the Democrats. We know where the liberals are coming from in this country...tax, spend, rinse, and repeat. But for mainstream Republicans to get up and start spewing President Obama this and President Obama that is just a slap in the face to informed, concerned voters. The Grand Old Party was given back control of the House for one reason...get spending and the deficit under control and do it now!

I don't want to hear about tax cuts. I don't want to hear about non-discretionary spending. I don't want to hear about taking the military budget off the table. We've heard it all before...let's see...oh that's right, just five short years ago when Republicans controlled the White House and Congress and federal spending increased nearly 4 percent in back-to-back years of 2005 and 2006. Republicans probably don't want people to know spending only increased 1.4 percent in 2010 (aka President Obama's first year in office).

To hear the newly elected Speaker of the House stand at a called budget press conference and cry about Obama adding 200,000 new federal jobs this past year is both insulting and irritating. Here's an idea... Instead of playing the politics as usual blaming game, roll up your sleeves, make some difficult choices and give us a balanced budget. That's just for starters!

The first thing Washington and those who feed off the chum of Washington start spinning is how complicated the federal budget really is and how complex and intricately related the various variables are. Really? I don't need a Masters in Economics from Harvard to understand that the country's 2010 GDP was $14.7 trillion and the total 2010 Gross Public Debt was $14.13 trillion or 96.3 percent of GDP...and that can't be good.

But alas, I have studied economics and do understand that we are in fiscal uncharted territory in this country. Sure, Public Debt has been high before, but the cocktail of economic conditions were very different in each historical case. Public Debt has proven to have an adverse affect on inflation, interest rates and economic growth. Each of those affects all of us in one way or another too. All it will take to remove the dark cloud hanging over our economic future is to exercise a little self-control. No...we're past that point. A lot of self-control. The federal government is just too big and needs to be drastically reduced. It's that simple. Shrink the size of government and Public Debt returns to a manageable level. Balance the federal budget, and we don't have to worrying about our grandchildren not living in the world's dominant economic superpower.

Back to President Obama...you didn't think he was getting a pass on here today surely?

His proposed budget adds $1 trillion to the current debt. Let me just make sure and clarify that means increases. Have we become so callused by large numbers that a trillion just doesn't seem so darn big anymore? Well let me put that into perspective...

David Schwartz, a children's book author whose How Much Is a Million? tries to wrap young minds around the concept- "One million seconds comes out to be about 11½ days. A billion seconds is 32 years. And a trillion seconds is 32,000 years. I like to say that I have a pretty good idea what I'll be doing a million seconds from now, no idea what I'll be doing a billion seconds from now, and an excellent idea of what I'll be doing a trillion seconds from now."

To me, the same analogy applies to dollars, and it ends with a bankrupt future for our country. Don't be so quick to write off the Tea Party movement and its ideas as just Chicken Little crying 'the sky is falling!' That's just the typical politics of Republicans and Democrats alike...and exactly what they want you to believe about the Tea Party while they continue their Potomac Two-Step dance of irresponsible fiscal behavior.

It's time for true elected conservatives to start acting conservative and not just using the label. Yes, I'm a little aggravated...and if you're a conservative, you should be too!

Do you truly believe what you say you believe?

Today a new day dawned...and the 112th Congress came into session.

Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) took the Speaker of the House gavel in hand today to lead a newly elected Republican majority House. He pledges to cut spending, reduce the size of the federal government, and cut taxes.

Wait....haven't we been here before?




Promises come as easy and frequent as special interest campaign contributions in Washington. In little more than 2 years, the American public has been pumped up with vows of change from this side then promises of a new way from over there. I can't help but see a mental image of Newton's Cradle sitting on a desk somewhere with the end balls in the set of five swapping turns to swing out as the kinetic energy transfers from side to side. The whole matter is annoying, frustrating, tiresome yet vaguely entertaining all at the same time.

As Bob Dylan belted out Times They Are a-Changin'  in 1964, he couldn't have been more right. Again in 1980, American politics went through a transformation as Ronald Wilson Reagan was swept into the White House along with a Republican-led Senate, the first such party led chamber of Congress since 1953.

But since those Reagan glory days, the American public has heard a lot of rhetoric, and not seen very many results. What we have witnessed is the morphing of the federal government into a grotesquely obese entity that must be continuously fed with more and more substances stripped from the citizens it supposedly serves. Time, property, money and liberties all forcefully taken from citizens behind laws of Congress to sustain a house of cards so big that collapse in not only likely...but imminent. 

Then came the great revolution of change in 2008 which was quickly squelched by the reformation on the revolution in 2010.  Click, click, click, click, click....the balls swing out and back...side to side.

Americans know what needs to be done. The bigger issue or questions is do they have the stomach for seeing it through? Federal entitlements are simply out of control. Both political parties blame each other while continuing to grow their own projects with more and more borrowed money. Most people don't even realize when they personally benefit from a federal program, and there is where the problem starts.

A good friend of mine often uses the title phrase applied to Biblical principles when teaching a class at church or even a during a theological discussion among friends. The question, if taken seriously, should be one that every individual reflects upon before, during and follow conversation about any given topic. Do you actually believe the things you feel and say, and more importantly, are you ready to put words to action?

Back to today. Republicans in Congress, under pressure to reform from the Tea Party movement, have drawn a necessary, albeit dangerous, line in the sand. A smaller government, less spending, reduced deficits and taxes simultaneously. All happening while the world's largest economy putters along in a flat recovery. The question for them is do they have the intestinal fortitude to make it happen? Is the American public ready to sacrifice to get where most of us want to be without making the instrument of true change through tough decisions the scapegoat or whipping post?

Don't be fooled by the political double speak around cutting waste and abuse. That won't get it done. We need fundamental change and every single federal government program needs to be on the table for debate...including defense spending, Social Security and Medicare. That's right...nothing should be left exempt if this is going to get done. Most people don't realize the 2010 federal budget just addressed current expenditures to meet service needs. No bailout money is included in that budget because that money was an expenditure in the 2009 budget.

So what are you willing to sacrifice? If Congress does this right, you'll give up something  I assure you. I work for a DoD contractor and expect to see changes at work. If you are crying for changes in the categories being promised by our newly elected officials...then it's gut-check time people.

I have strong opinions, as I'm sure you do, that if brought to fruition would impact my own family. I'm in the last year of the baby boomer generation, and we're getting old. As a matter of fact, the front end of my demographic is turning 65 this very year! Tough decisions are ahead if Social Security and Medicare are going to survive the enormous payout coming over the next two decades. I want those necessary changes for the benefit of my children and their children.

Our tax code is beyond absurd and needs to be completely scuttled and rebuilt. Flat tax? I think we need one or a viable alternative. The nearly 4 million word tax code of this country begs people to find ways to get out of paying taxes. If I know going into a year exactly how much in taxes I'm paying (as opposed to guesses and wishes), household budgeting becomes a lot easier. Besides, I don't need the IRS to manage my vacation fund each year...at least when I'm due a refund.

We've got to get back to being a country that manufactures. We are slowly sliding down from the top rung of the ladder as the Big Kahunas in the economic world. Why? Because we don't make great stuff like we once did in this country. Throw that quality over quantity garbage right out the proverbial window too. There was a time not so long ago we produced both quality and quantity in this country, and we need to...no we better...get back there!

The balls in play as of today members of Congress. Let's see who has the true grit to do what must be done, and don't try to distract us with the Health Care Bill recant. There are much bigger, more important issues to tackle first. You've got two years Washington...and the clock started countdown today.

Please don't make this deja vu all over again...

Don't get cocky old-school Republicans...it's not about you.

The sure way to curtail any momentum handed to the Republican party is for the party to think this past election was a glowing endorsement by America for them. I don't think so. As Americans, we only have two real choices...for now.

The election two years ago equally wasn't about the Democrats either, and their victories were numerous. Republican had the position of power, voters didn't like what they were doing with it, so a vote for change was cast. Tuesday, voters sent a clear message to Washington that things aren't changing fast enough. Change? What changes?

THAT is the question everyone in Washington should be asking and fearing! Heads are coming out of the sand all over the country. For decades now, the Washington two-step with the American public has been more akin to professional wrestling than governance of the Nation. Sure, the two sides fight and squabble in public, keep throwing out hot-button issues as rally cries, and generally force over 200 million people to pick between us or them...but a lot of people are getting it now. The only thing worse than dichotomy is no choice at all, and we're tired of being forced to pick between two sides that are basically cut from the same piece of cloth!

The crying game is coming to an end and the rats are scrambling to get off the ship. Personally, I don't care if it's Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians or the Cap'n Crunch Party. Just somebody please define and act conservative by the same criteria I use when it comes to the federal government- balance the budget, get spending under control, eliminate the huge debt hovering over my children's children, and get your nose out of every single aspect of my life. I can take care of myself thank you very much. That last one should be easy if you just send most of the bureaucrats in Washington home. Come to think of it, that would probably help with the first three too.

Don't tell me you're going to lower my or anyone else's taxes until you get this stuff done either. I helped get us in this mess, and I'll do my share to get us out. Even if it hurts a little. I just don't want my children to have to pay for the indulgences and poor decisions of my generation. This country grew, flourished and did fine for well over 150 years without massive legislations, government interference at every level, and expensive special interest bailouts.

Lose sight of that this time Republicans, like you did after 1994, and voters will seriously wonder if you understand the meaning of the word conservative. Tea Party activist will be watching...you can bet on that.

At least it's not hard to spot a liberal because they don't hide who they are...thankfully.

I love the smell of political activism in the mornings...

You woke up in a different country today and probably didn't even realize it...

Despite the efforts of the Republican party to make-believe pander to them and the liberal left to dismiss them as irrelevant and even vile, the Tea Party revolution managed to oust three-term Senator from Utah, Robert Bennett, in the state's primary on Saturday.

He was a Republican.

While you chew on that a moment, shaking your head trying to connect the Tea Party with a effort to remove a conservative Republican Senator, add this to the processor...just because you claim to be Republican doesn't make you a conservative. At least, not by the definition of the Tea Party revolution.

Senator Bennett's undoing was two-fold. First, he voted for a stimulus package that was initiated under the Bush regime and passed under Obama's watch. People were paying attention. Second, his attempt to work out a bipartisan compromise on health-care reform and subsequent vote to make health care mandatory under the new law was on his legislative record. Again, people were paying attention.

Career politicians, lobbyist, special interest groups and the media need to take notice. Despite efforts to invalidate, scoff and even villanize the conservative revolution's movement to end the completely insane actions of Washington (i.e. tax and spend, outlandish debt, and a swelling government payroll), people are paying attention to the actual issues, the real votes cast by politicians, and following the money of influence that flows so freely within the Washington beltway.

It's not about Republicans. It's not about Democrats. Not the talking-head buffoons on radio and television.

It's about real people. Grassroots. Common Sense. How long can the world's largest debtor nation continue to be the world's leader? Where in the Constitution does it imply I should be required by the federal government to have health insurance? Save greed-ridden financial institutes and poor performing manufacturers with tax dollars?

People are paying attention Washington...bet that scares the hell out of you.

Dick Clark should be a U.S. Supreme Court Justice...

Since I've been on the 'Know Your Civics' soapbox of late, here's an interesting tidbit about our Supreme Court and the soon to be replaced Justice John Paul Stevens:

At some point...all this talk needs to go somewhere.

A good friend (Finding Michelle) turned me onto the below Born Again American video this week. I've watched it a dozen times at least....it speaks to me in a big way. So, I checked out the Born Again American website and movement. Turns out this is exactly the soapbox I've been on the past few weeks!

I hope you will not only watch the video, which features real people the recent economic downturn has touched, but you will also check out the Born Again American website. All you have to do then is get involved.

This is our country, built by our ancestors. How could we every forget that and grow apathetic...

Born Again American from Born Again American on Vimeo.

President Obama cancels National Day of Prayer...I don't think so.

I'm not a fan of President Obama. I'm not a fan because I disagree with most of his political views...but not all. Having said that, I believe he is sincere in his view on how to make our country better. Wrong...but sincere.

That doesn't make me personally dislike him, or worse, want to see him destroyed. Democracy only works when the minority respect the opinions of the majority. Now I didn't say agree...I said respect. But for some reason (ahem, say talk radio and other demagogues), we've become a polarized society of the we vs. them. A stance that totally negates the possible positions of how about them or maybe those. We've allowed the spectrum to be limited to two sides on most all political issues...it's become the Hatfield v McCoy, the Montague v Capulet, or Marcia Brady v Jan Brady. With that comes a great deal of resentment, even anger and rage.

The same happened with George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George H. W. Bush. President Reagan enjoyed a fairly healthy period of detente with the American other side while he crushed the Evil Empire of the Soviets. An age old tactic of if your enemy is my enemy then we must be friends played to perfection. I sure miss Ronnie.

Back to the matter at hand.

If you're not a fan of President Obama, his politics, the fact he's from Chicago, the fact he may not be from Hawaii, his wife's inaugural dress, or his disproportionate ear size...just please stop circulate the story he is cancelling the National Day of Prayer. It's just not true!

When you succumb to spreading these vicious lies based on your personal feelings and not objective political/moral reasons, you completely undermine the people who disagree with the President's politics and policies. I, for one, hate having the wind taken out of my sails, and my points of contention are with our President's spend and tax policies, not made up stories about his religious beliefs or birthplace. Stick to the facts please.

Christians...you know better! Bending the truth or just flat out lying is not the example our Savior set for us. When we participate in spreading false stories to damage some one's credibility or reputation for personal gain or just being mean spirited...we aren't being a light for Christ.

A federal judge ruled last week the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional. President Obama has declared he will honor it anyway. That's one for him in my book...although he's got a long way to go politically to break even.

I don't care what you think...just please do it for yourself.

So, where am I going with my rants on our responsibility to know our national history and also know our Constitution? Quite simply...I just want people to think for themselves!

We don't for a single second have to all agree on any particular issue to be good Americans. What we do need is for everyone to be able to develop and express an opinion based on the most accurate information available. As I stated at the end of the first post in this series... an intelligent, rational debate requires the element of intelligence.

Please don't misinterpret that statement. I'm not saying that only highly intelligent people are capable of rational debate. Actually, I feel that each and every citizen has a civic obligation to participate in matters of government...whether that means being loquaciously verbal or just by casting a vote alone in a booth on election day. However you chose to participate in our democratic process, please do so from a position that is informed.

Knowledge. That's what motivated me to write this series because without a basic understanding of our shared history and without a working knowledge of the Constitution that is the foundation of what makes the United States so unique, we are left to rely on the untrustworthy sources of a profit driven media, self-promoting pundits/talking heads, or worst yet...politicians themselves...for information.

I'm not real comfortable with that prospect...are you?

Let me provide two recent examples. I was watching a clip of interviews with people right after Glenn Beck's American Revival in Orlando. It does my heart good to see people passionate about our federal government on either side of the argument, and everyone seemed charged as they left the rally (I personally know someone who was there and said it was very challenging and uplifting). The person conducting the interviews stopped one particular, enthusiastic lady and ask if she had come away better informed. Her response without hesitation was she better understood about our Founding Fathers, God's role in the development of our country, and how we were going down the wrong path with Obama, bailouts, and health care reform. I'm shaking my head in agreement and anxious to see what she says next...

The reporter ask the women if she opposed the recently past Health Care Reform bill, and again she immediately responded with emphasis, 'I absolutely do!' When ask why, 'Because it's socialized medicine, and I don't believe in socialism!' Then came the question if she was happy with her current health insurance and feared it might be changed, 'Well I'm on Medicare, and I'm sure my benefits will change because of Obamacare.'

So much for the infusion of entertainment and enlightenment on her part...

Next we have U.S. Congressman Phil Hare from Illinois who was busted cold stating when it came to Americans receiving health care, he doesn't care about the Constitution. After being pressed by several media in attendance on the statement, he then quotes the Declaration of Independence thinking he's quoting the U.S. Constitution (see YouTube clip here).

Did I mention this was a United States Congressman?

His YouTube rebuttal is weak and pathetic as he tries to explain he was quoted out of context. Apparently he's ignoring the fact the words are coming directly from his own mouth and not paraphrased by a jaded journalist. He also references his military service and commitment to 'this constitution' several times. You just can't make stuff like this up...that's what's scary.

My point truly isn't to degrade Glenn Beck, his fans, or even Congressman Hare. I just want people to realize how foolish it is to let someone else do your thinking for you. Politicians and media types, especially talk show types, are demagogues that thrive most in hostile environments. That's how they make money...and lots of it. You will never, and I mean never, get objectively presented facts from either source. Right, left, red, blue, up or down doesn't matter...each side needs the dichotomy in order to thrive.

Do your homework. Brush up a little on our Nation's history. Know at a minimum the framework of our Constitution. Get involved in the democratic process, but do so armed with knowledge. Our federal government is completely out of control, and we have nobody to blame but us...and our own apathy and ignorance.

Remember why we never 'assume'...for both our sakes.

Often during a discussion concerning the safeguards of keeping church and state separate or a rant over the intrusiveness of the ACLU, I throw out the question in which article or amendment is the separation of church and state mentioned by our Constitution. Most people, especially younger ones, struggle to recall exactly where the constitutional right is located...

They struggle because it's not there.

If you're surprised by that statement and are now frantically web searching to prove me wrong...sorry. My intent isn't to make anyone feel foolish. Not by a long shot. The principle of separation of church and state is a classic example of two problems that I see have developed in our country.

First, we just don't know our own Constitution. What most people know about the very principles that are the foundation of our Nation they learned in a civics class in middle school. I refer back to my last post about our nation's history, and again I'm amazed at the level of apathy when it comes to people actually knowing the Constitution. If you were to limit yourself to knowing one critical item about the United States...shouldn't it go a little further than rote memorization of the Preamble?

Second, we again take what other pundits or talking heads say about the Constitution as fact without any effort on our part to check those facts. It is far too easy to pull up an actual copy of the U.S. Constitution online for more people not to be doing it. Let's go back to my example of separation of church and state. The Founding Fathers only saw a need to establish in the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The phrase separation of church and state is derived from a letter that Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Dansbury Baptist in 1802 and was made public. In the letter, Jefferson contends:

Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State.

The concept has been expanded to what we have today through interpretation of the Constitution by our court system...to include the Supreme Court. That's why our children no longer pray in public schools. Don't blame it on our Founding Fathers...well, not all of them.

Just a quick sidebar. Thomas Jefferson was not a man of Christian faith as many people presume. Please check that fact out for yourself. The Jefferson Bible was his attempt to take all the teaching of Jesus he liked while eliminating the 'supernatural events' surrounding Christ (i.e. healing, miracles, Son of God, and oh yeah...the Resurrection).

This is just one example of how the principles of our Constitution (and National history) are being distorted and misrepresented, but only because We the People allow it to be. My post today is a plea that you not be complacent or apathetic about your Constitutional knowledge. I think it is crucial in today's political climate that we each know the scope of the Constitution and Amendments as they were written, ratified and adopted.

It's not nearly as complex as our ridiculous tax code...but a little more in depth than the Schoolhouse Rock lessons.

To be continued...(no, I'm not done yet)

You can put a cat in the oven...but that doesn't make it a biscuit.

As I type these words, I know I'm going to tick a lot of people off today. Although it should, my subject has nothing to do with this Passion week. Well, I've never been one to shy away from sharing my thoughts regardless of subject matter...so here we go.

To state we live in dangerous times is both obtuse and minimizing. We lived in dangerous times long before our founding fathers came together with an idea...a revolutionary idea. From the moment Europeans step foot on American soil, there have been dangerous times.

Americans tend to define ourselves in terms of where we are going, not where we come from. Many in our society say that history holds little importance for us because we believe we live in a time so different from our ancestors. Their experiences could not shed light on our circumstances. They say that man’s intelligence has evolved and that anything from the past is outdated and irrelevant to us. Therefore, the past is worthless in the minds of many people. Our ignorance of the past is not the result of a lack of information, but of a choice.

History does matter. George Orwell wrote, “He who controls the past, controls the future.” Our view of the past affects how we respond to our present circumstances. If our view of history is wrong, we are likely to make wrong choices today. These wrong choices will lead to further conflicts and a waste of resources that can eventually lead to the fall of an entire civilization.

The real question that matters though is who controls that information about our past. How we are taught or learn history is as important as the actual historical events. Here's where I start having a problem...

The reason we live in such dangerous times, in my opinion, is the vast amounts of information available to most everyone in our society. For the sake of this post, I'm referring specifically to our country, and I'm not limiting that to just Christians in the U.S. (or Christian history). America is made up of a vast diversity of interest and perspectives, and that is what makes us so great...as long as everyone stays true to certain foundational principles, let's say...Constitutional principles.

Here's where we start getting into trouble in these current days. The tremendous amounts of information and misinformation available combined with a constant barrage of talking heads promoting their own agendas (Obermann, O'Reilly, Beck, Limbaugh and Maddow to name a very few) has blurred the 'facts' of factual history. People no longer research historical facts on their own to gain a personal perspective...most rely on learning history from the point of view of a school teacher, The History Channel, or even worse from talk radio/television.

My intention is not to apply the Pigeon Hole Principle to a complex, somewhat polarizing issue...but an intelligent, rational debate requires the element of intelligence...and that my friends can not be found on the pages of Wikipedia or over the airwaves alone.

To be continued...

"The prevailing style of management must undergo transformation..."

Chances are if you're reading this...you're not technophobic. Most people who read blogs, use the internet for shopping and information gathering, and join social media sites know a little about computers and networking. I use a computer all day at work and often come home to an hour or so of playing on the thing. Between my BlackBerry, laptop, and two desktops...computers have become an integral part of my life.

But don't take that statement as a complaint. Technology, and specifically the computer, have change my life for the better. I wouldn't have the job I love if not for a computer and the internet. Although I've been doing my job for nearly five years now, I'm still amazed that I can provide quality customer service to a buyer in Europe before ever arriving at work, and then to one in Korea before retiring for the night. Just last night, I responded to an email from a buyer in Japan on my phone that took all of a minute,yet the quick response made my customer very happy and under the impression I work around the clock (which I assure you is not the case).

It is easy for competitors to take away satisfied customers - it is not easy for a competitor to take away delighted customers. W. Edwards Deming

If you're a student of business, you know how influential Dr. Deming has been to both American and Japanese industry. His principles are taught in the very best business schools worldwide. Although he died in 1993 at the cusp of the internet explosion, I can't help but feel Dr. Deming would have somehow made the internet protocol process even better had he been directly involved and not just through his influential theories.

Dr. Deming countered Thomas Eidson's famous -There's no substitute for hard work -quote with his own- There's no substitute for knowledge. Personally, I think there's truth in both statements that can have a profound impact on a person's life. Hard work and intelligence have been the cornerstones in the building of our great nation. Unfortunately, they're trademarks most have abandoned. Dr. Deming was really big on sound leadership being the driving successful force in any industry. He believed a company would thrive or die on the basis of leadership, and proper leadership wasn't by any means limited to management. It must be exhibited by all those involved in whatever the company's purpose was deemed to be and was crucial not just for success...but for survival.

I've thought about Dr. Deming a lot yesterday and today. Technology has vastly improved my ability to keep my customers delighted, but I just wish Dr. Deming were still around today and in the prime of his teachings...and I wish this for very obstinate reasons. If only the elected/appointed officials in all three branches of our federal government could be forced to listen to the brilliance of Dr. Deming then pass a written exam on his principles in order to stay in office...sigh...who am I fooling. I might as well stop daydreaming now and get back to work.

At this point, I'd settle for just being a marginally satisfied customer of what Washington's selling...

It's just too good to be true...

Are my ears hearing correctly? Did I read that right? A U.S. Senator is calling it quits because nothing is getting done in Washington? Egad!

Senator Evan Bayh, a Democrat from Indiana, will not seek re-election for a third term because nothing is getting done in Congress. I won't paraphrase...get it straight from the jacka...excuse me...horse's mouth:



That could quite possibly be the smartest thing I've ever heard a Senator say....with apologies to Tennessee native son Howard Baker.

Forget party affiliation. Leave demographics out of it too. Senator Bayh is just admitting what American taxpayers have known for quite some time now...the system is broken, and our hard earned tax dollars are being used to wage partisan war while special interest groups get richer and fatter.

Don't let me forget to mention our beloved media in this production either. What's the first story they spin from such a monumental announcement? The Democrats are in trouble now! Whatever will they do losing yet another Senate seat? Like it really matters. The balance of power has been swinging back and forth for decades with the same results...more federal spending, a larger federal government, and increasing losses of constitutional liberties. It doesn't matter if the donkeys or the pachyderms are in charge. The instigating media needs continuing partisan conflict to keep ratings and ultimately revenue.

Senator Bayh went as far as to say, "If people are just pursuing narrow tactical political advantage, vote them out. If people are being rigidly ideological and unwilling to accept reasonable compromise, vote them out." What?! Leave it up to voters?! Have you gone mad Senator?

There will be momentum to break the gridlock we call Congress now. A window of opportunity has opened with the lead being a very unlikely character...a politician. Our country needs term limits for Congress, and we need them put in place now! Such legislation would send a clear message from our elected representatives to the electorate that they are serious about ending the idiocy that's been going on for years. Let's not get greedy for wholesale changes...term limits would be an excellent start to correct longer reaching problems.

Let's put our partisan politics aside and shut the extremes from both ends of the political spectrum up for a change. Call or write your Senator or Representative and tell them you are firmly behind term limits for Congress...and they should be too.

We always have the right to impose term limits at the ballot box if Congress doesn't have the guts to do it themselves...