Congressional Reform Act of 2010...

The proposal is to promote a "Congressional Reform Act of 2010." It would contain eight provisions, all of which would probably be strongly endorsed by those who drafted the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (but not the incumbants).

I know many of you will say, "this is impossible." Let me remind you, Congress has the lowest approval of any entity in Government, now is the time when Americans will join together to reform Congress - the entity that represents us.

We need to get a Senator to introduce this bill in the US Senate and a Representative to introduce a similar bill in the US House. These people will become American heroes.. Please add any ideas on how to get this done.


Congressional Reform Act of 2010


1. Term Limits: 12 years only, one of the possible options below.

A. Two Six-year Senate terms
B. Six Two-year House terms
C. One Six-year Senate term and three Two-Year House terms

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

2. No Tenure / No Pension:
A congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

3. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security:
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund moves to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, Congress participates with the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, server your term(s), then go home and back to work.

4. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan just as all Americans..

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

5. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

6. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career.. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

7. Congress must equally abide in all laws they impose on the American people..

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

8. All contracts with past and present congressmen are void effective 1/1/11.

The American people did not make this contract with congressmen, congressmen made all these contracts for themselves.

Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, serve your term(s), then go home and back to work.

It is time WE the people took back our system of governence... Spread the message, and vote ALL of them out in 2010 and 2012 and we can start over...

Oh yeah, Happy New Year!!!

National Declassification Center...

This article appears in today's WAPO

President Unicorn signed out an Executive Order Tuesday to create the National Declassification Center, which will oversee efforts to make once-secret government documents public.

Among other things, PU instructs the government not to keep secrets forever, eliminates the ability of intelligence officials to veto declassification decisions, and requires agencies to conduct reviews of their classification procedures.

This from an administration that promised 'transparency' and is about as transparent as... well, this is a family friendly blog...

Sigh...

What REALLY scares me is the part about not letting those who's job it is, e.g. the career Intel types who ACTUALLY know what they are doing, overrule these bureaucrats who are going to be in this declassification center...

An example- 10 year old procedures or practices that still work, or might lead to rolling up a network in 'some' country. and it's forced to be declass'ed because it's "old"...

When Slick Willie was in, they routinely left classified material laying around in offices, and many of the staff STILL did not have security clearances when he finally departed the White House... And how many secrets did they give away???

All I can say is this does NOT bode well for our National Security in the future, and as far as I'm concerned is a step to MAJOR security violations...

Worry....

In a kinda left handed way, this subject came up over Christmas with the kids...

MY biggest worry now is who in hell is going to PAY for everything PU and his minions are shoving down our throats... Even my grandson, who is 11 wonders why things are being done the way they are. The really sad part, was that I didn't have a good answer for him...

Worry

Is there an imaginary cutoff period when offspring become accountable for their own actions? Is there some wonderful moment when Parents can become detached spectators in The lives of their children and shrug, 'It's Their life,' and feel nothing?


When I was in my twenties, I stood in a hospital corridor waiting for doctors to put a few stitches in my daughter's head and I asked, 'When do you stop worrying?' The nurse said, 'When they get out of the accident stage..'
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my thirties, I sat on a little Chair in a classroom and heard how one of my Children talked incessantly, disrupted the class, And was headed for a career
making License plates. As if to read my mind, a teacher said, 'Don't worry, they all go through this stage and then you can sit back, relax and enjoy them.'
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.

When I was in my forties, I spent a lifetime waiting for the phone to ring, the cars to come home, the front door to open. A friend said, 'They're trying to find themselves.
'Don't worry! In a few years, they'll be Adults. 'They'll be off on their own they'll be out of your hair'
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.

By the time I was 50, I was sick & tired of being vulnerable. I was still worrying over my children, but there was a new wrinkle..
Even though they were on their own I continued to anguish over their failures, be tormented by their frustrations and absorbed in their disappointments; and there was nothing I could do about it.
My Parents just smiled faintly and said nothing.

My friends said that when my kids got married I could stop worrying and lead my own life. I wanted to believe that, but I was haunted by my parent's warm smiles and their occasional, 'You look pale. Are you all right' ? 'Call me the minute you get home'. Are you depressed about something?'


My friends said that when I became a Grandparent that I would get to enjoy the happy little voices yelling Grandma! Papa! but now I find that I worry just as much about the little kids as the big ones. How can anyone cope with all this Worry?


Can it be that parents are sentenced to a Lifetime of worry? Is concern for one another handed down like a torch to blaze the trail of human frailties and the fears of the unknown? Is concern a curse or is it a virtue that elevates us to the highest form of earthly creation?


Recently, one of my own children became quite irritable saying to me, 'Where were you? I've been calling for 3 days, and no one answered I was worried.'

I smiled a warm smile. The torch has been passed.

Author unknown to me... But I agree with EVERYTHING that was said...

The Week AFTER Christmas...

'Twas the week after Christmas, and all through the house
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.
The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste
At the holiday parties had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber).

I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,

The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---

I said to myself, as I only can
"You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!"

So--away with the last of the sour cream dip,
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
"Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie--not even a lick.
I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie,
I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---
But isn't that what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Author unknown (at least to me)

But based on the amount of food consumed, AND the amount left over, this is pretty much true!!!

Merry Christmas...

Where ever you may be, I wish each and every one a Merry Christmas, or the greeting of your faith...

And best wishes for 2010!

Twas the night before Christmas...

Please take a moment to remember our service men and women serving far from home this year…

A SOLDIER’S CHRISTMAS
Michael Marks

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight;
The sparkling lights in the tree, I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem.
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn’t loud, and it wasn’t too near,
But I opened my eye when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn’t quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood; his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

“What are you doing?” I asked without fear
“Come in this moment, it’s freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!”

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts,
To the window that danced with a warm fire’s light
Then he sighed and he said, “It’s really all right,
I’m out here by choice. I’m here every night”

“It’s my duty to stand at the front of the line
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I’m proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at ‘Pearl on a day in December,”
Then he sighed, “That’s a Christmas ‘Gram always remembers.”
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ‘Nam
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I’ve not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he’s sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red white and blue… an American flag.

“I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home,
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat,
I can carry the weight of killing another
Or lay down my life with my sisters and brothers
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To insure for all time that this flag will not fall.”

“So go back inside,” he said, “harbor no fright
Your family is waiting and I’ll be all right.”
“But isn’t there something I can do, at the least,
“Give you money,” I asked, “or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you’ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son.”

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
“Just tell us you love us, and never forget
To fight for our rights back at home while we’re gone;
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust.
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.”

Written by Michael Marks- Thank you Sir, for a beautiful Poem…

Camouflage And Christmas Lights

Song by Rodney Carrington- Nuff Said...

If you go to this web site, http://www.letssaythanks.com/ you can pick out a thank you card and Xerox will print it and it will be sent to a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine that is currently serving overseas.

You can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to a member of the armed services.

How wonderful it would be if everyone sent one!!!

It is FREE and it only takes a moment.

Wouldn't it be sensational if the soldiers, sailors and airmen received a bunch of these? I will tell you, this time of the year, and ANYTIME cards are appreciated.

BTDT...

This takes just 30 seconds and it's an easy way to say "thank you."

Please take the time to send a card, we can never say enough "thank you's."

Thanks for taking to time to support our military!

Globull Warming My Ass...

THIS is as of 0900 this morning at my house...

Measured 12 inches since midnight, by 1300 it was 15 inches and it's STILL snowing!

sigh...

I'm too old to be out shovelling snow, and of course NONE of the neighborhood kids want to earn any money...

All us old farts were out and jokingly, kinda sorta, decided we needed a 55 gal barrel fire in the middle of the street just to warm up to...

In other news, it appears the Dems bought Sen Nelson's vote...

Hey Senator, what was the size of YOUR Bribe???

Bet it was higher than sleazebag Landrieu... $500 Mil, or higher???

Inquiring minds want to know!!!

The sad part of this snowfall, is the merchants are the ones that will suffer, as this is one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year, and at least here in the NOVA, DC area only fools are getting out today unless it is an emergency.

IF you've gotta shovel, remember- Good body position, take regular breaks, don't try to do too much... Thankfully this is light fluffy snow, not the 'heart attack' snow...

Now back to your regularly scheduled shovelling...

Sometimes you just have to laugh...

Well, since Gun Toting Seagull 'stole' my post, I had to dig up something else...

Sent by a friend up in PA...



This is the pull off SR 61 and Adamsdale Rd. in Shuylkill Haven.
The deer was hit there.
The couch was dumped there previously.
Day two the deer was on the couch.
Day three the end table and lamp showed up.
Day four the TV and TV stand showed up.


And then everybody started taking pictures... Read the sign too!

The Trooper had to call PENN DOT and wait because of all the people stopping to take pictures. I LOVE SCHUYLKILL COUNTY!!!!

Hmmm, THIS is Interesting...

Y'all can draw your own conclusions...

United Airlines Flight 227 Passengers Removed, Deja Vu?

UAL Flight 227 DEN-LAX 12-10-09

h/t Rick

Questions that may never be answered...

I was going to post about the unreality of the political mess in DC, but then I figured I'd just be wasting my time and yours...

So a little humor to brighten you day (I Hope)!


Questions That May Never Be Answered

If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?
Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
Can you be a closet claustrophobic?
If the funeral procession is at night, do folks drive with their lights off?
If a stealth bomber crashes in a forest, will it make a sound?
When it rains, why don't sheep shrink?
If the cops arrest a mime, do they tell her she has the right to remain silent?
Why is the word abbreviation so long?
If a book about failures doesn't sell, is it a success?
Do cemetery workers prefer the graveyard shift?
What do you do when you discover an endangered animal that eats only endangered plants?
Do hungry crows have ravenous appetites?
Is it possible to be totally partial?
What's another word for thesaurus?
When companies ship Styrofoam, what do they pack it in?
If it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?
Why do they sterilize the needles for lethal injections?
Why is there an expiration date on my sour cream?
Why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
How do you know when it's time to tune your bagpipes?
Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
When you choke a smurf, what color does it turn?
Do they have reserved parking for non-handicap people at the Special Olympics?
Why do they call it a TV set when you only get one?
Do radioactive cats have 18 half-lives?
If you shoot a mime, should you use a silencer?
What was the best thing before sliced bread?
How can they tell that twin lobsters are really twins?
How does a thermos know when to keep something hot, hot...and something cold, cold?
What is the speed of dark?
Why are there Braille signs on drive-up ATM's?
If women wear a pair of pants, a pair of glasses, and a pair of earrings ,why don't they wear a pair of bras?
How come you never hear about gruntled employees?
What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free?
After eating, do amphibians have to wait one hour before getting out of the water?
If white wine goes with fish, do white grapes go with sushi?
What's another word for synonym?
If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?
When sign makers go on strike, what is written on their picket signs?
Where do forest rangers go to "get away from it all"?
Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?
Why are builders afraid to have a 13th floor but book publishers aren't afraid to have a Chapter 11?
How can there be self-help groups?
Why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor when you can't drink and drive?
Why are cigarettes sold in gas stations when smoking is prohibited there?
If a cow laughed, would milk come out her nose?
Why is it that when you transport something by car, its called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, its called cargo?
Why do we play in recitals and recite in plays?
Why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?
Where are Preparations A through G?
Are there seeing eye humans for blind dogs?
If knees were backwards, what would chairs look like?
When your pet bird sees you reading the newspaper, does she wonder why you're just sitting there, staring at carpeting?
What happened to the first 6 "ups"?
If an orange is orange, why isn't a lime called a green or a lemon called a yellow?
Why does your nose run, and your feet smell?
If olive oil comes from olives, where does baby oil come from?

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms...

Mule Dung has an outstanding post, with citations up on his blog Mule Dung and Ash. It is well worth your time to drop by and take a few minutes...

And in a follow-up, since I got an email asking how the REST of the week went...

Not only was the hotel on the opposite side of Austin from where we needed to be, it was LOUSY... No coffee, no breakfast (it gets pretty bad when I VOLUNTARILY go to McDonalds), and lukewarm water. And we had to get up O.M.G early to beat traffic...

Sooooo... We finally get where we are supposed to be, only to find out the boss is NOT on the visit list (trust me, this ain't good)...

Once that 'little' issue was fixed, we have our meeting, only to find out we have effectively sunk to a new low in levels of success; .00052% success rate for the particular thing we were working on...

As they say, and THEN the fight started; and went on for the rest of the day. So we finally leave lovely Austin in the middle of rush hour, heading back to Dallas...

Four and a half hours later, we make it; after being run in the ditch by a woman texting while trying (obviously not well) to drive...

Better hotel, late Mexican dinner (La Fenix is GOOD!) and back to the airport Friday am.

As usual this time of year, flights are running late, so we are now three hours early, sit, wait, run the computer battery down; finally get on, end up with a window seat and 400lb asshole sitting next to me... sigh...

At least it was only for 2+00 enroute (good tailwinds), so I spent most of the flight in the back with the flight attendants.

We actually landed more or less on time, only problem was, a late departure was in our gate, so off to the A-gates we went...

And pulled in at the same time two RJs did, so they got parked first, then we got parked, but since we're an E170, now we get to wait on a ladder, and wait... and wait... 30 minutes later a ladder FINALLY shows up.

And it's off to baggage claim... another 25 minutes (they unloaded the two RJs first).

And off I go, until I get to 495; it takes me an hour and 20 minutes to go a total of 12 miles! I just 'love' DC rush hour traffic... NOT!!!

So I finally get home, throw a TV dinner in the microwave, and the @$&* microwave died!

I quit and went to bed...

A Novel Idea...

BUT A GOOD IDEA... And I have to say I agree with it...

The entire Congress of the United States is corrupt. Both Houses and both major parties..

We realize that a few Members of each House are trustworthy, but, as a group they are absolutely the most corrupt bunch to ever disgrace our Nation.

In November of 2010 the entire House of Representatives will stand for reelection; all 435 of them. One third of the Senate, a total of 33 of them, will also stand for reelection.

Vote every incumbent out...

Every one of them, no matter their Party affiliation...

Let's start all over in the House of Representatives with 435 people who have absolutely no experience in running that body, with no political favors owed to anyone but their own constituents. Let's make them understand that they work for us. They are answerable to us and they simply have to run that body with some common sense.

Two years later, in 2012, vote the next third of the incumbents in the Senate out...

We can do the same thing in 2014 and, by that time we will have put all new people in that body as well.

We, the People, have got to take this Country back and we HAVE to do it peacefully.

That's what the Framers of our Constitution envisioned...

We are also suggesting term limits on the new bunch: 8 years for Representatives and 12 years for Senators no exceptions.

The longer they stay in office, the more power they get, and they love it and will do anything to get reelected.

We have term-limited the President, now term-limit the Legislators.

It puts bread on the table...

This is turning into ONE of those weeks...

Monday- Entire month's worth of planning gets blown out of the water, entire January trip schedule gets changed, so back to square one.

Tuesday- In early to cover a meeting because the boss is at another meeting, miss an important meeting because the 1st meeting runs long.

Get to the airport 2 hours early, at the counter to check in, computer system goes down. 20 minute wait, FINALLY get a boarding pass. TSA is head up ass over the 'new' procedures at IAD, it takes 45 minutes to get to the WTMD, which promptly breaks... back of the 'next' line... another 15 minutes to get back up to the WTMD and through. Cell has a VM that flight is delayed, followed by VM flight is back on time.

Get to the gate, back to a 30 minute delay; can't raise the boss to advise him we will NOT be picking him up at DFW, as he will now be landing before we do. Finally board and PA announcement of ETE is 3+40 vs. the normal 3+00 due to 150kt headwind.

Supposed to land at DFW at 1930, finally on deck at 2100 after two turns in holding while they changed runways, rental car is cancelled, have to jump through hoops to get another one, finally get to the hotel at 2300.

Wednesday- Up at zero dark 30 for the pre-meeting before the real meeting, go to meeting skip lunch as we are running 'long', get out of meeting at 1500. Haul ass to try to get South of Dallas before rush hour, 'barely' make it, 3 1/2 hour drive to Austin. Find out we are at the wrong hotel (wrong side of town) for tomorrow's meeting...

Whatever...

I'm going to County Line and get some good BBQ...

I hope y'all are having a better week than I am!!!

December 7, 1941...

On Dec 7, 1941, Japan performed a sneak attack on the US at Pearl Harbor, the attack sank four U.S. Navy battleships (two of which were raised and returned to service later in the war) and damaged four more; other damages included three destroyers, three cruisers, 188 aircraft with 2,402 killed and 1,282 wounded.

This day does live in infamy...

Testing... testing... I was Wrong...

I was wrong to post the email I did without more in depth checking of the story. It has been an interesting evolution, to say the least...

Discounting the threats and the emails calling me a racist, it has opened my eyes to the fact there are people out there who are hard over in BOTH directions, and are not willing to be reasonable...

For something that I posted for the warning content, as one who flys frequently and AM concerned about not only MY safety; but those others who fly day after day, both as crew and as passengers; it took on a life of it's own.

Do I think something happened on that aborted flight? Yes... Maybe not what was portrayed in the infamous email, but I do believe 'something' happened. Will we ever hear the truth? I don't know...

Here are various links sent by a number of folks and the two links that started me down this trail:

The KHOU report-

http://www.khou.com/news/Phone-call-delays-Houston-bound-AirTran-flight-70369417.html

The Chaplain's comments-

http://espositosmusings.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/air-tran-flight-297-incident1.pdf

The other links...

The AJC article-

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/faa-to-investigate-cell-202143.html

Snopes- Which originally had nothing, then started as a two line entry, and now shows as a mixture rather than false...

http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/flight297.asp

The AirTran recapitulation-

http://www.insideairtran.com/?p=2200

And finally, this from today's Marietta Daily Journal-

http://www.mdjonline.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Laura+Armstrong-+The+curious++case+of++Air+Tran+flight+297%20&id=5017926-Laura+Armstrong-+The+curious++case+of++Air+Tran+flight+297&instance=lead_story_left_column

Did I learn anything? Oh HELL yes... Will I ever post something like this again? If I can personally confirm it, YES; if I can't no I won't...

For those media folks that contacted me, I gave the same information to everyone that I had...

I also learned a large number of my readers were willing to stick by me, and stood up for me, not only in the comments, but in personal emails to me. For that I thank each and every one of you. Some of my readers also spent their own time doing research and back checking for me, thanks too for that!!!

I was counselled more than once to not allow anonymous comments, and yes I did delete a couple of the more foul and abusive ones; but I chose not to block them, believing everybody has a right to be heard. Interestingly enough, many of the anons came from left of center, always calling the post a lie, but without any proof...

One thing I AM thankful for is that we live in a free country where this kind of discussion (both positive AND negative) can occur without interference from the government.

That is all.

Congratulations Mr. President...

You wanted a losing war, and now you have one...

That little speech you gave at West Point guaranteed it!

When you give the enemy your ENTIRE plan, laid out step by step, you have given them all they need to win...

The FIRST rule of warfare is security, but no... The number of troops, when they will deploy, WHEN THEY WILL LEAVE... sigh...

We have boots on the ground NOW that need support- not in six or nine months. These are OUR sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends. YOU put Gen. McChrystal in there as YOUR man in the field, and now you have tied his hands in such a way that I will not be surprised if he retires, rather than try to win in an unwinnable situation. I just cannot believe SecDef Gates, ADM Mullen, or GEN Petraus agreed with putting an end date in that speech...

And the congresscritters saying they are going to 'fight' the funding to prevent deployment...

I've got an idea- Since we are embedding media, how about this?

Embed congresscritters!

Take 50 a month (10 senators, 40 congresspeople) put them in front line units for 30 days at a time, spread around amongst the troops in theater! In ten months we could cycle through the whole congress and senate! Just think, then EACH congresscritter would have real world experience at down and dirty warfare, would know the privations the troops experience (no fancy jets, no luxury suites, no five star food, no staff of butt imps), and have a MUCH better understanding of what the military does!

After that, we could start on the Administration, then Justice, then State...

Oh yeah, and Chris Matthews- Your little 'enemy camp' remark is an insult to EVERY military member living and dead; past, present and future! If I were you, I'd be really careful about attending anything with a military presence, somebody is liable to punch your lights out or worse...

I would boycott your sleazy ass, but I don't listen to you or PMSNBC anyway...