I don't do posts on poolitics, but since this is a neutral article, I'm posting it.
A very interesting column.. COMPLETELY NEUTRAL
Be sure to Read the Poem at the end.
Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel...
He has been a journalist for 49 years.
He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.
Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.
This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!
545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ...
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.
Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.
They, and they alone, have the power.
They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.
Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees...
We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!
Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.
What you do with this article now that you have read it... is up to you.
This might be funny if it weren't so true.
Be sure to read all the way to the end:
Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'
When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'
I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!!
GO AHEAD. . . BE AN AMERICAN
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
long overdue
Of course we always say "long overdue post" when we don't blog for a long time.
Is like looking for an excuse why we haven't blog. Does anybody really care?
We've been busy is the first excuse. well what is my excuse, I've been busy, riding, painting, riding, visiting my parents in PR which was a whole adventure.
It started with a taxi ride at 4:30am for a 6:10 flight to Atlanta, "delayed". Finally around 7:30 we boarded just to sit for another hour and a half while they kept telling us that we would be in the air soon. Finally we "de-planed" because we were going nowhere. It so happens that "Pinnacle" a Delta subsidiary was supposed to load the flight plans two weeks before our trip but never did. So they decided to load 100 flight plans all at once and guess what, the computers crash, a ten year old would have known that. 100 flights were cancelled. Then Delta told us that the earliest they could get us a flight was on Friday, it was Wednesday. Before I go on you may think I was mad and unhappy, no, I was quite calm reading my bike magazine while my wife was about to hurt somebody. She was beside herself pouting like a little kid, but I understood her frustration so I didn't say anything, I didn't want to get hit with a flying purse. A couple next to us missed their flight and connection to Punta Cana.
Anyway, Friday flight, NO way when we were coming back on Monday. We told them, (well, my wife really) to give us our money and sky miles back that we were going home. While on the phone, our flight finally was cancelled and they said that now that the flight was cancelled they could help us get on another flight. It just so happened that we could board in 30 minutes next to the gate we were at.
Our flight back was also moved one day. We were supposed to have been at my parents around 5pm. we finally made it at 10:30pm the same day. Not bad but it was a very long day. We were eating oatmeal at midnight that day, both my wife and I had a taste for it. The rest of the trip was spent at my parents or visiting and as usual the last night was spent in Old San Juan. I love that place, blue cobblestones, 400 year old buildings, great restaurants, a Coach and Dooney purse stores to keep the wife happy and simply a great place to just lose yourself walking around.
Here's some pics.
Is like looking for an excuse why we haven't blog. Does anybody really care?
We've been busy is the first excuse. well what is my excuse, I've been busy, riding, painting, riding, visiting my parents in PR which was a whole adventure.
It started with a taxi ride at 4:30am for a 6:10 flight to Atlanta, "delayed". Finally around 7:30 we boarded just to sit for another hour and a half while they kept telling us that we would be in the air soon. Finally we "de-planed" because we were going nowhere. It so happens that "Pinnacle" a Delta subsidiary was supposed to load the flight plans two weeks before our trip but never did. So they decided to load 100 flight plans all at once and guess what, the computers crash, a ten year old would have known that. 100 flights were cancelled. Then Delta told us that the earliest they could get us a flight was on Friday, it was Wednesday. Before I go on you may think I was mad and unhappy, no, I was quite calm reading my bike magazine while my wife was about to hurt somebody. She was beside herself pouting like a little kid, but I understood her frustration so I didn't say anything, I didn't want to get hit with a flying purse. A couple next to us missed their flight and connection to Punta Cana.
Anyway, Friday flight, NO way when we were coming back on Monday. We told them, (well, my wife really) to give us our money and sky miles back that we were going home. While on the phone, our flight finally was cancelled and they said that now that the flight was cancelled they could help us get on another flight. It just so happened that we could board in 30 minutes next to the gate we were at.
Our flight back was also moved one day. We were supposed to have been at my parents around 5pm. we finally made it at 10:30pm the same day. Not bad but it was a very long day. We were eating oatmeal at midnight that day, both my wife and I had a taste for it. The rest of the trip was spent at my parents or visiting and as usual the last night was spent in Old San Juan. I love that place, blue cobblestones, 400 year old buildings, great restaurants, a Coach and Dooney purse stores to keep the wife happy and simply a great place to just lose yourself walking around.
Here's some pics.
Lunch
Fresh, right of the boat.
The view from the restaurant.
A visitor at the restaurant.
While walking down a small alley to get to a reataurant my wife says, I recognize that voice. it so happens it was Sabrina Soto from HGTV. And of course my wife had to have her picture taken with her.
The entrance to the walled city back in the days. Very steep climb and at the very end is the Cathedral where they would go in kiss the floor and give thanks for a safe passage across the ocean
The Governors mansion
Pigeon square
What a 400 year old chain looks like.
The cobblestones are actually the ballast that the ships used to cross the ocean. they didn't need it on the way back since thay were full after plundering the new world.
I'm thinking about going back soon and maybe do La Vuelta again.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Week, Friday, Weekend
Still on the mend, letting the ribs heal like they are supposed to, not a lot of long rides. All I've been doing is short rides of 1.5 to 2 hrs. mostly going to the local trail on my single speed and just having fun.
Friday was my long day at the office so I had to work all day instead of having half or a full day off.
my lovely co-workers were so nice to send me the picture below to let me know what they were doing on their Friday afternoon off.
As you can see, they are real "good" to me.
The weekend was more of the same with spin classes on Saturday and finally some much needed rain.
The problem with that, I'll have to cut the grass now. In 8 weeks I've cut the grass 3 times only because it grows in the spots were you water your flowers.
Sunday was a good 2.5 hrs on the bike with a couple of hot laps at the trail, which I'm not suppposed to do. Do I really want to heal!!!!!
Wednesday I'm flying with the wife to PR to visit my parents for a few days of rest if I can find it.
Thought about taking the single speed and doing a 100K off road race in my hometown on Sunday but Delta charges $200 each way for a bike. It's better I don't do it anyways, my fitness is not good. I don't like to race unless I feel I'm prepared.
Later.
Friday was my long day at the office so I had to work all day instead of having half or a full day off.
my lovely co-workers were so nice to send me the picture below to let me know what they were doing on their Friday afternoon off.
The weekend was more of the same with spin classes on Saturday and finally some much needed rain.
The problem with that, I'll have to cut the grass now. In 8 weeks I've cut the grass 3 times only because it grows in the spots were you water your flowers.
Sunday was a good 2.5 hrs on the bike with a couple of hot laps at the trail, which I'm not suppposed to do. Do I really want to heal!!!!!
Wednesday I'm flying with the wife to PR to visit my parents for a few days of rest if I can find it.
Thought about taking the single speed and doing a 100K off road race in my hometown on Sunday but Delta charges $200 each way for a bike. It's better I don't do it anyways, my fitness is not good. I don't like to race unless I feel I'm prepared.
Later.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Overdue
Has it really been 2 weeks since my last post!!!
It has been a long two weeks, a wedding and finally came to grips with the fact that I won't have to watch I don't hit my daughters car pulling out of my driveway. Yes, it's been only two weeks and i miss her like if it a year has passed. i miss seeing the red car on the driveway whne I pull in.
First we want them to be on their own, then we don't want them to leave, figure that one out.
*********************************************************************************
We sure picked the hottest weekend of the year for a wedding, 102f and the heat index was well over that. It was a perfect weekend and I even got to ride the bike wearing my tux.
It has been a long two weeks, a wedding and finally came to grips with the fact that I won't have to watch I don't hit my daughters car pulling out of my driveway. Yes, it's been only two weeks and i miss her like if it a year has passed. i miss seeing the red car on the driveway whne I pull in.
First we want them to be on their own, then we don't want them to leave, figure that one out.
*********************************************************************************
We sure picked the hottest weekend of the year for a wedding, 102f and the heat index was well over that. It was a perfect weekend and I even got to ride the bike wearing my tux.
And it was hot.
I wanted to go ride the trails in the early morning since the wedding was at 1, but my wife threatened to break my legs if I crashed and broke something. I don't know which one would have been better.
At 11:30am everybody in the house was yelling at me to go get dress, my answer, after the TDF stage ends. And yes, I watch the whole stage and then raced upstairs to get dress.
After the wedding we came home to rest and get ready for the reception and I asked everybody if they had seen the dog, NO was the answer. everything seemed to be in order untl I checked the latch on the gate, somehow it came undone and the dog got out. Mayhem ensued, I changed into shorts and jumped on the bike, the wife was running down the street like a lunatic calling him, my sister in law jumped in the car and drove all over the place until they found him. He's never been by himself on the street and would have been killed since he doesn't know how to cross the streets.
I tell you what, I got all my intervals for the week done that day.
The rest of the day went perfect thank you GOD. We had a lot of fun at the reception and it goes to show you that fun can be had without alcohol involved. Although I did have one beer at the restaurant bar later in the evening.
Have a great hot, humid day everyone.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Happy birthday USA.
Please correct whoever says happy birthday America.
It is not America's birthday.
It is the United States of America birthday.
Monday, July 2, 2012
In da house / Jamis Dakota 29er for sale
***************************************************************************************
Spent both Saturday and Sunday fighting with the freaking back wheel on my SS. first the bearings came lose, then too tight, finally I gave up and put the old wheel back on. I'm going to get a new set of wheels and a better SS frame when I can. I like riding SS better than a geared bike.
Saturday I had the first argument with another rider at the trail. I took the center trail down and rode the road to the yellow loop to place the Gnome on the trail and I'm going up the short little bump after the first bridge/board walk
and I pinged my bell to pass a rider in front of me amd he flat out tells me he's not lettting me pass.
I thought I heard wrong so I pinged again and he still refused to let me pass. I told him the rule of the trail is to let the faster rider go y and he still refused. I slowed down to calm down after I said a "few" words to him and then started chasing him and I was about to catch him the back wheel on my SS locked up and I had to stop, take it appart and try to fix it on the trail with the set of wrenches I always carry. It was the best thing that could have happened because I was really PO and ready to start rubbing his back wheel and push him off the trail. Gave me a chance to cool off and just let it go.
I'm selling my Jamis Dakota 29er.
a year and a half old, well taken care off. New rotors new organic brake pads.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Find the Gnome
If you go biking or hiking at the new trail in Strongsville, look for the hiking Gnome.
If you find him, caress him, kiss him, rub him and hide him somewhere else on the trail, where it can be found by someone else of course. Hide him behind a tree, a rock, anywhere you want to but don't take it home with you or pestilence will follow you until it is returned.
A hint where it'll be placed first. EAST.
40 days
It had been 40 days since the last time I rode my road bike, since I'm the all day person at the office today and my start time is 8:30, it was time to ride the road. I've been riding off road almost everyday at the new trail since TSE. I try to put in 2hrs every time I ride there and just enjoy the trail. Riding fairly easy letting the ribs heal. Yeah, with a rigid fork on the single speed bouncing all over the place, yeah, they are going to heal fast.
Anyways, I rode last night at the trail and Ross had just finished a few hard laps with Steve T. and we rode together for a lap. The place is great, as hot as it was yesterday, it's always 5-10 degrees cooler in there and no sun, the entire trail is under the canopy. I even had a Sam Adams Summer Ale at the end of the ride. Had it packed very nicely in ice and it tasted great after a hot ride.
The ride today was warm from the begining, but riding through the Bedford reservation is one of my favorire routes. I like to stop at the overlook for a few minutes and just take it all in. The pic doesn't show how nice the place is.
Anyways, I rode last night at the trail and Ross had just finished a few hard laps with Steve T. and we rode together for a lap. The place is great, as hot as it was yesterday, it's always 5-10 degrees cooler in there and no sun, the entire trail is under the canopy. I even had a Sam Adams Summer Ale at the end of the ride. Had it packed very nicely in ice and it tasted great after a hot ride.
The ride today was warm from the begining, but riding through the Bedford reservation is one of my favorire routes. I like to stop at the overlook for a few minutes and just take it all in. The pic doesn't show how nice the place is.
Road kill. Probably came out to the warm pavement and got run over.
Lots of painting tomorrow getting the house ready for all the visitors that are coming for the wedding.
I'll still find a couple of hrs in the day to hit the trail.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Single speed changes
I like riding a single speed either off road or on. Makes you work hard at keeping your momentum going.
For a SS my Specialized SS is (was) heavy at 26lbs. This is stock out of the door. The first upgrade I did to it was a carbon flat handlebar which I quickly trimed to 22 inches and it dropped quite a few grams from the riser aluminum that it brought. The next upgrade was a lighter set of specialized wheels I bought off one of my team mates. Almost dropped 1 pound.
For the last couple of months I've been toying with the idea of installing a rigid fork instead of the crappy sid it came with. Cashed my spinning check and "thanks" to Jason at the Edge Outdoors I now have a White Brothers carbon fork and it looks sharp. The bike dropped 2 1/2 lbs to a hair over 22lbs. More improvements coming to try to hit the magic under 20lbs line. (a better set of wheels)
What a difference it is riding with a rigid fork after riding with squishy forks for the last whatever years it has been. The front wheel bounces all over the place, you need to grip the handlebars tight or risk losing it. One thing I have yet to figure out is if the front wheel is flexing on the turns, it sure feels that way. But since I haven't ridden a rigid fork in such a long time I can't figure it out. Going downhill is going to take some time to get used to, but so far I'm enjoying the ride. One very important fact I learned on the first ride is that a big volume tire like a 2.4 pumped to 25-30psi will be better for the front end. I found out the wrong way. After the fork was switched I didn't put anymore air in the front tire and I burped it going downhill leaning hard on a turn. Needless to say it was my broken ribs side that I fell on. Slid down the trail and stopped before I hit a pile of rocks. Got lucky there, no damage other that a couple of scratches. I told the wife and I was warned that she doesn't want any broken bones before our daughters wedding next week. After the wedding is ok, thanks honey I love you too.
I'll post some pics maybe tonight. It does look like a real SS now.
Later.
For a SS my Specialized SS is (was) heavy at 26lbs. This is stock out of the door. The first upgrade I did to it was a carbon flat handlebar which I quickly trimed to 22 inches and it dropped quite a few grams from the riser aluminum that it brought. The next upgrade was a lighter set of specialized wheels I bought off one of my team mates. Almost dropped 1 pound.
For the last couple of months I've been toying with the idea of installing a rigid fork instead of the crappy sid it came with. Cashed my spinning check and "thanks" to Jason at the Edge Outdoors I now have a White Brothers carbon fork and it looks sharp. The bike dropped 2 1/2 lbs to a hair over 22lbs. More improvements coming to try to hit the magic under 20lbs line. (a better set of wheels)
What a difference it is riding with a rigid fork after riding with squishy forks for the last whatever years it has been. The front wheel bounces all over the place, you need to grip the handlebars tight or risk losing it. One thing I have yet to figure out is if the front wheel is flexing on the turns, it sure feels that way. But since I haven't ridden a rigid fork in such a long time I can't figure it out. Going downhill is going to take some time to get used to, but so far I'm enjoying the ride. One very important fact I learned on the first ride is that a big volume tire like a 2.4 pumped to 25-30psi will be better for the front end. I found out the wrong way. After the fork was switched I didn't put anymore air in the front tire and I burped it going downhill leaning hard on a turn. Needless to say it was my broken ribs side that I fell on. Slid down the trail and stopped before I hit a pile of rocks. Got lucky there, no damage other that a couple of scratches. I told the wife and I was warned that she doesn't want any broken bones before our daughters wedding next week. After the wedding is ok, thanks honey I love you too.
I'll post some pics maybe tonight. It does look like a real SS now.
Later.
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