Senate Plan to Resolve National Debt and Debt Ceiling

The Senate's stonewalling on a resolution via filibuster or any other means, leads me to believe they have a solution to introduce but are going to wait until the last hour to introduce it.  Everyone else will be forced to go along with their plan to prevent the country from going into chaos.  Good tactic but leave no choice for debate.  Good way to force your desires on the rest of the country.  What's next?  Marxism?

End of Space Shuttle

Sad day for me!  I think NASA is making a mistake ending the Shuttle program, but I understand they want to focus what little funding they have on new programs.  I like the idea of landing men on an asteroid and a return to the moon and eventually a mission to Mars.  I thing NASA made a mistake when they ended the Apollo program.  If they had continued to go to the moon, they may have discovered how to gather and return helium3 to earth and solve our energy problems.

I don't want to appear too critical of NASA because they are doing a great job of pioneering the solar system and the universe.  History shows us that pioneering is done in small steps that lead to large advances for mankind.  I don't believe man will ever achieve the space travel of Star Trek but I do believe man will someday travel the solar system mining resources from the planets, moons and asteroids.

We should not be too concerned over the expense of a space program because the investment could pay of big someday.  Look at the Louisiana purchase, the purchase of Alaska, the building of the Union Pacific Railroad  and Panama Canal as examples of pioneering paying off big from large investments.

New Band Wagon for CNN

The News Corp scandal seems to be dominating CNN reporting today.  CNN seems to have jumped on the band wagon to bring down the executives of News Corp and it's subsidiaries. There are more important things going on in the world today than newsmen tapping peoples phones.  Newsmen are all think they are God's gift to the world and will do anything or destroy any company or person to advance their status in the industry.

More important issues are Somalia refugees, US Economic crisis, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, US Mexican border and the war on drugs.

A better story might be to find out which newsmen in the US are doing the same thing to US citizens.

Treatment and Cure for Homosexuality and Other Conditions of the Mind

I for one believe curing homosexuality can't be done, but recent news stories report that there are clinics that try, and claim they can.  In the report a psychologist indicated that it is not really possible to change because sexual preference is built into the individual.  I believe this to be true but the psychologist's comments raises a question in my mind.  Pedophilia is built into the individual just like homosexuality but they are supposedly cured and released back into society all the time and in many cases prey again.  If homosexuality can't be cured, neither can pedophilia and pedophiles should be locked away for ever.

An additional note regarding insanity pleas to avoid prison.  The only insanity plea I find legitimate is a crime committed in the heat of passion such as finding someone raping your daughter and killing him.  That rage could make a person temporarily insane.  The man who shot Rep. Gabrielle Gifford should not be allowed to refuse medication in order to avoid prosecution.  Did he refuse is medication before the crime occurred?   If he did refuse, he should have been immediately confined to a mental institution!  All those poor people would be alive and uninjured.  I know it's expensive to confine someone but how many people have to die before the realization that these people can't be allowed roam free in our society.

Do Nothing President and Congress

The debate between the democrats and republicans  regarding the debt ceiling makes me sick.  They remind me of the religious sects of the world who preach that if you don't conform to their way you will burn in hell because their way to the only right way.  They, the congress and administration, got us into this mess by trying to solve all the problems of the world while ignoring the problems at home.  They let politics rule what they do and think nothing of the people they represent.  It's time to step up and get us out of this mess.  Bring all the jobs they have provided to Mexico, China and others home.  Get America producing again!

They are scaring Americans to death with their rhetoric and threats that Social Security Checks will not go out if they don't raise the debt ceiling.  If they don't come to a resolution, Social Security Checks will be the least of their worries. If things are this dire the members of congress should give up their salary before any American loses anything.  They won't do that though and there is probably some secret law on the books that says if the country goes bankrupt the Treasury will continue to pay their salaries.  They have exempted themselves from every other law so why not bankruptcy.

If the congress does not get themselves straight and start doing their jobs and ignoring special interest and political lobbies,  they are going to find Americans rioting in the streets like Greece, Egypt and Yemen.  They are very likely to get themselves voted out of office.  My proposal to my fellow Americans is vote against any candidate who is currently in office.  Vote out the incumbents!!!

Auto Insurance Regulations Need to Change

I learned today that the State of Maryland allows insurance companies to exclude family members from driving your car unless you pay additional premiums.  My son is 27 years old and lives 50 miles away from me, has his own car and his own insurance.  He pays a high premium because he has a several points on his license.  My insurance company the Hartford told me I had to sign an exclusion agreement or pay an extra $100 per month in premiums in order to be covered if he drives my car.  I also have to exclude my daughter in-law because she lives in my house, or pay an extra $60 per month in premiums.  She also has her own car and insurance.  She does not pay a high premium because she has never had a ticket or accident.  The $60 per month is more than she pays her insurance company for full coverage on herself and her husband.

Maryland regulations are such that if I loan my car to my next door neighbor, and he has an accident the Hartford will cover the losses because the insurance is on the vehicle and not the driver as long as he has a valid drivers license and regardless of his driving record.  It's not fair that I can provide more to my neighbor than the my own family.  I am 64 years old and have been driving for 48 years.  In that time I have had two tickets and 4 fender benders, 2 of which were my fault.  Still my insurance premiums are about the same as my younger son who has had one accident and several tickets.

This may seem petty to anyone reading this but think about the logic.  I can loan my pick up truck to my neighbor who has a bad driving record and be covered.  However, I can't loan my pick up truck to my son or my daughter in-law because I am unwilling to pay an addition $160 per month in premiums.

The state regulators for automobile insurance need to seriously think about changing these regulations so that you only have to purchase insurance for the vehicle and it be covered regardless of who drives it.

Casey Anthony Case

The not guilty verdict is unbelievable but apparently the prosecution just did not do it's job!  On the other hand it seems that her lies should have led to another charge of child neglect and endangerment.  If you can assume for a moment that she did not kill her daughter, the fact that she intentionally led the fervently searching police on a wild goose chase, constitutes neglect and endangerment.  If Caylee had been alive as Casey was insisting, during these lies, police were hindered from finding her by the lies she told that sent them searching elsewhere.

We all know that Caylee was dead and Casey knew she was dead.  As a mother, Casey should have been frantic and doing everything she could to help the police find Caylee.  Instead she tried to lead police away from suspicion of herself.

Even if the story that Caylee's death was due to an accidental drowning were true, a mother's first response should be to call 911 in hopes that Caylee could be revived.

It makes me sick to think that Casey may now become a millionaire from book and movie deals.  Additionally , every talk show host in America will want to increase their ratings by having Casey as a guest.

I believe this is a horrible travisty of justice.  Poor Caylee deserves better from us!

American Priorities Need to Change

There are many problems in the American economy and Congress just doesn't seem to have the answers to fix them.  One of the many problems that seems to be overlooked is education.  In fact, when things are going bad, the first place to get budget cuts is education.  I believe that there is a lot of intelligence in America's children but they are not getting the chance to get the education that would provide them with the ability to excel.  America needs to ask itself some questions.

How many potential doctors who could provide the world with a cure for many of the diseases  we suffer, are killed on the streets of our cities?  How many children in America are not given their full measure of support in pursuing an education because they are locked in poverty?  How many potential great economist are unable to get the education required for them become great economist?

America's priorities for the disbursement of tax dollars are misplaced.  Only the rich have the money to get a good education.  They attend private schools from elementary to high school with special tutoring to ensure they can get into the best colleges and in many cases, never use what they have learned.  Public schools which are lacking in both the right teachers and money to provide our children a chance to excel are just not good enough.

So, here is a proposal for you America!  Take the ten billion dollars you are currently giving to Pakistan and inject it into America's public school system.  Doing so will help prevent Pakistan from haboring enemies like Osama bin Laden and although it's not a lot of money, ten billion dollars would certainly be welcome in America's education system.

I'll bet if we search our souls,  we can find many other such expenditures that could be re-directed.  It doesn't seem like much but just maybe if we start educating all of our children and not just the rich, some great minds will emerge who can solve our problems.

America has federal colleges but the main focus of these colleges is military leadership.  If we are so willing to invest so much to ensure military leadership why can't we establish federal colleges that focus on leadership in areas like economy, medicine, business and job creation?

Rape Victims Actions Worse than the Victimizer

I am by nature a pessimistic and suspicious person.  My suspicious mind came alive today with the story of the International Monetary Fund executive being released and the possibility of all charges being dropped in the rape case of his hotel maid.  It seems suspicious that the case was so solid a few weeks ago but suddenly (even though evidence indicates she was raped) her reputation is so tainted that she must have deserved to be raped.

This whole thing reeks of pay offs.  This man had so much money that he could rent his own luxury jail cell.  How can people not be suspicious that he has paid the right people to build a case that his rape victim was worse than he is.  Even the press who is usually suspicious of every thing, now seem to be on his side.  There is no push to find the truth, even though what is being reported may be the truth.   The press usually will not let up until the truth comes out.  They question everything!

I will be very suprised if history doesn't reveal that the rich executive paid off government officials, lawyers, the victim and the press to make the charges go away.  This revelation will only come after he has retreated to a place where extradition is not possible!