Back after a long hiatus!!!

I gave up...    I decided that commenting on day to day current events is so commonplace that my little opines are insignificant.   So, it ended just after the B.P. oil spill and passage of the healthcare law (Obamacare) in 2010.   I think Jack Nicholson patted me on the back and told me that nobody cares what YOU think!  or so I felt.

Currently, I'm leaving my employer after 14 years and, well that new healthcare law, after passing several hurdles, is about to become reality.  The country faces an economic crisis and government shutdown and Tea Partiers are adamantly against Obamacare.  So, more time to vent by writing!!!

I hope to talk more about my own journey and trying to stay healthy (albeit with or without healthcare).  The "layoff" was really a choice and I could have opted to apply for one of the jobs under a restructuring.  I think I prefer my sanity first and foremost.   Enough said on that topic, as I am still employed there till the 30th of Sept, 2013.

Disappearing Oil???

I'm just catching up on blog entry's. I hear that Gulf waters are clearing since oil stopped flowing. Is this due to the fact that dispersants have taken the oil off the top and spread it to the depths. Or is it because of the warm Gulf waters fostering bacteria that break down the oil??? I hope it stays warm down there late into the fall. I hope nature helps us out!

To Mosque or not to Mosque...

President Obama, I believe, said the correct thing when talking to a group of Muslims at a White House event. Yes, we have this Constitution that guarantees freedom of religion. But I question the wisdom of him weighing in at all. His Muslim guests were probably delighted, but the majority of Americans find the idea of a Mosque in that area offensive. It was not Obama's decision to make, anyway. For me, it not a question of legality, but rather what kind of Islam will be taught there??? Tolerance and community involvement or urging Sharia Law for America!!! Imagine if Fred Phelps (God loves dead soldiers) built a church in my neighborhood... Would I be silent??? Law abiding? Probably not!

Are we going to see signs like radical Muslims display in London? All that offensive, in your face stuff??? Yes, they have the right to build it. Yes they do! But I hope that the Imam in charge will show us moderation and tolerance. Otherwise, things could get nasty, even violent.

I'd be just as happy if NO institution of religion were built there. I don't know if Muslims have enough "Islamic Centers" in New York to adequately serve them, but they probably do already.

Imagine...

Imagine if one didn't know what was happening throughout the world. Ah, it's summer now, nice and green because of the recent rains and driving to Nebraska, I would have noticed all the water flooding into Lake Mac without the benefit of the Internet statistics. And to think, I could read old books about the white sand beaches along the Gulf Coast and never know about the oil spill. Stuff is growing like heck in the garden this year...

I'm thinking about going away. I'm tired of news. It's all bad. I should kill this silly blog and forget about the trials and trivialities of humankind. If a disaster strikes my neck of the woods, I'll know it.

'

We don't hate the British, just B.P.!

Brits are supposedly getting defensive over anti-British sniping from frustrated Americans. Now, let me be clear here, Exxon-Mobile, Conoco-Phillips, Shell or any other American based oil corporation could have caused a spill somewhere.

It's hard to hate the British people as my first L.P. record was by the Beatles.

There is also some grousing about some Americans desire to see B.P. cut dividends, to have more cash on hand to help pay for this disaster. Frankly, I don't think this corporation has enough money to totally pay for this disaster, even if they wanted to... But they should pay, and pay well! I'm sorry if people see their pensions harmed because the funds are invested in B.P., but to my understanding, even some Americans funds are invested in B.P..

As some Brits have defensively said: we use the oil (gas) and we have to put up with the consequences of that. I'm sure a lot of Indians hated Americans after the Bhopal gas spill from Dow Chemical. But, as an American, I would have wanted Dow Chemical to pay and pay till the victims were fully reimbursed. I don't know if they have been, but they should have been. Sorry, but that is a thing called corporate responsibility!

And speaking of this, it is not totally B.P. that is responsible. There is the rig operator, Transocean, as well is Halliburton, which were involved. Yes, I heard about quarreling between Transocean and B.P., prior to the explosion. Whom is negligent here is my main concern. I suppose most of us Americans would like it to be B.P., but investigations need to be done.

First, stop the damed leak and clean it up!

Brownie? WTF?

That Katrina Brownie guy (former FEMA director) is trying to gain attention by claiming the Obama Administration is "using" the awful gulf oil spill to shut down big oil. Unless I see evidence that someone caused that accident on purpose, I just say it is ole Brownie trying to remain relevant after his famed Katrina debacle...

I'm not saying that the Obama Administration has done anything pro or con to solve this crisis. Frankly, I'm more concerned with B.P. and the engineers trying to cap the leak. B.P. needs to pay and pay billions!

Brownie STFU!

A sickening mess!

It is too depressing for me to think about the spreading oil mess in the Gulf of Mexico drifting towards the coast. Especially since there is no guarantee of them stopping the undersea leaks. I have heard it could go on for months!

Failed explosion!

Thank God for a vigilant vendor in Times Square spotting a suspicious vehicle. I hate to admit it, but I'd thought about blowing up propane tanks. It's just that the damned things are everywhere and under $20. But how would you ignite such a thing? Without blowing one up in a deserted area, like those Mythbuster guys would do, how would you know it would be set off? So it is my understanding that there were gas tanks and firecrackers as well in there. At what temperature will the tanks explode? And why not, as one guy suggested, were the release valves turned on prior to the attempted explosion?

Now, I hear of a naturalized U.S. citizen of Paki origin who is the suspect. Geez, all I hear about over in Afghanistan and Pakistan are successful detonations. Haven't they perfected the technique?

Too bad this guy is a U.S. citizen and can get all lawyered up. I do not make any assumptions that we will be so lucky in the future.

Sara Palin, Tea Party, angry white Christian Militia!

It's getting weird, I'm sorry, but this stuff is starting to freak me out! Initially I was somewhat supportive of Tea Party folks and their movement. But I wanted to see what the group would morph into. Sarah really wants to lead the Tea Party... But what are her aspirations? I'm tired of listening to the bimbo, myself! I've listened to Glenn Beck carefully and his comparisons of socialists like Hitler and Stalin and his casual comparison to the current administration gives me the chills! Obama and crew are a bit inexperienced and too far to the left, but Hitler??? I think not.

Now we see a resurgence of all white "Christian" militia... I'll say here and now to my brother George and everyone else that is Christian, that I in no way believe these members of this perverted sect are in any way Christians! Neither is the racist KKK for that matter.

As for the Tea Party, some of the signs at their protests border on racist. My gut feeling is that they make some good points, but if they let extremists hijack their agenda, I have no use for them.

It's passed and now what?

The massive healthcare bill passed, along with the fixit bill - both have been signed into law by President Obama. I don't know if the court challenges issued by 14 state Attorney General's will hold up, but I kind of doubt it. Anyway, would this hold up the entire bill?

Looking at it, I can see good parts and bad parts. I think it is good that parents can allow their children to stay under their insurance till age 26. It is good to think about exchanges for those with pre-existing conditions. But I worry that too many mandates, taxes and regulations could stifle the economy.

Wait and see, I say, I doubt if the bill will mean life or death for me.