Why?

Yesterday, ABC News released a story about how the "Obama administration" would be releasing information today, Monday, June 14th, 2010, that the United States government would stop sending checks of any kind and convert everything to "Direct Deposit." I reported that story to you here on this blog.

I watched 3 and a half hours of televised news today, Monday, June 14th, 2010, on four different news networks and there was not one single word mentioned about this announcement.

Why?

You Heard It Here First!

In my June 1st, 2010 post located here, I wrote about Direct Deposit and how someday it might become the only method the government uses to pay it's citizens. How prophetic was that? Tomorrow, June 14th, 2010, the Obama administration will announce that all payments from the government will now be made to consumers electronically, i.e. "Direct Deposit." I knew it would be here eventually, but never suspected that it would come this soon. But, then, Barack Obama is on an agenda which seems to be time-sensitive, so everything is happening fast these days.

American citizens receiving payments for Social Security, unemployment insurance, veteran's benefits, IRS tax refunds, railroad retirement and government benefits will now find the money automatically deposited into their personal bank accounts. It's just like I predicted - call me clairvoyant!

Why the shift to direct deposits? According to ABC News sources, for two reasons. One, it will be easier and faster for consumers to get paid and, two, it will save taxpayers money – an estimated $303 million over the first five years and about $120 million each year after that. Do you think your taxes are likely to go down because of this maneuver? Me neither.

The article from ABC went on to say: For instance, despite repeated attempts to get recipients to convert to electronic payments, the Treasury Department still mails out more than 136 million benefit checks each year. I suppose that many checks per year means that a lot of people didn't want Direct Deposit; count me among those people. But, after all, it is America - where we have the freedom to choose which method we want. Right....? Freedom? Guess again.

Now, as part of President Obama's effort to eliminate waste and modernize government for taxpayers, that will change with Monday's announcement of a complete shift to direct deposits. Obama is changing a lot of things; and he's doing it quicker than anybody before him ever did. Oh, sure - the "Obama administration" will make it sound like they're only doing it for good reasons to help the American people, but don't let it fool you. It's his ulterior motives that have brought about the announcement and change.

"[The] announcement is a win-win for the American public because it makes government more convenient and cost-effective while generating significant savings for the country," said Office of Management and Budget director Peter Orszag. "This is precisely the type of smart, streamlined improvement that this administration is committed to making across government to boost efficiency and modernize how we do business."

That's a bunch of hogwash. What he plans on doing is eliminating the Post Office. Think about it for just a moment. If your telephone doesn't work and the internet goes down, (guess who controls the internet - the government.), just how will you communicate with loved ones or convey information from one part of the country to the other if you can't mail a letter? The ability to mail letters is one of our basic freedoms, don't let them legislate it away as simple "economizing measures."

Wake up, America! Before it's too late. If the "Obama administration" succeeds with their plans, (and who is really doing anything to stop them?), there won't be an election this November. This country, as you and I know it, will not be functioning in the way it used to. It simply won't be the United States of America any longer. Maybe in name only.

Do you want your family and loved ones to survive the coming "fundamental transformation?" You'd better start stocking up on foods that won't need refrigeration. Don't be caught without a way to feed your starving family - you owe them that much.

Get Your Money On Time, Every Time

Direct deposit is not for me. I firmly believe it is nothing more than an attempt to get people out of the habit of handling cash. I also believe that because of it, there could come a time when people will have to pay with a chip implanted in their arm. Don't misunderstand me, that technology is already here and being used. It's just that it could become the only method for payment someday and that worries me. What if the Government decides you don't need to eat any longer because you have nothing to add to society? Your chip will stop working and you'll be left out in the cold. You will eventually starve to death if you can't purchase food.

But this blog is about something else; it's about the attempt to get Direct Deposit in place and have everybody using it.

I like the feel of real money in my hands; I always have. The United States Government, however, wants you to believe that having real money in your hands is too dangerous and could lead to fraud, theft and who knows what else.

I served in the United States Army and got an injury that will impact me negatively for the rest of my life. Because of this, I get a small disability check from the Government every month. Not a month goes by where I don't get the above slip inserted into the envelope that carries my check. You'll notice the top line says it all - "Get your money on time, every time." Well, I believe I should get my money on time and every time, no matter what method is used to deliver it to me. If the Government uses one of their departments to deposit it directly into my account, that's a part of the Government. If they employ the United States Postal Service to mail it to me, that's another arm of the Government. I should be able to expect either method to work correctly so that my check gets to me "on time, every time." In fact, I demand that both methods work equally as well and that I be allowed to choose which one I want.

For the United States Government to tell me point blankly that unless I use direct deposit I might not get my check on time every time - that's the same thing as them admitting that mailing it to me is not reliable. Everyone knows how reliable the United States Post Office is, don't we? Not very reliable at all. The United States Government should do their job and make sure the Post Office is efficient - it's their obligation to do so by taking our money from us in the form of taxes. For them to allow the Post Office to falter and become disreputable and unusable is nothing more than a crime. Of course, I know why they're doing it. See the opening statements I made above about direct deposit and the phasing out of cash.

So, all I ask you is to look at these little "nudges" from the United States Government, think about them and then ask yourself that by doing devious little things like this, where are they taking America? Is it really somewhere you want to be?

You Can Fix The Healthcare Crisis Yourself

I just had to relate this incident because it made me so mad! Yesterday, I saw a liberal blog where they were proud to announce the fact that, by getting 75,000 people to sign a petition, they were able to get GEICO insurance company to pull their sponsorship from the Glenn Beck program on the FOX News channel. This is so ridiculous! I have GEICO insurance and immediately wrote to them to see if it was true. Because if it is, I'm going to drop buying my insurance from them because of it! What kind of company can you be that will kowtow and bow to the wishes of so few of a number of people as that? Which brings me to the other reason I'm posting this. So many people are saying that what Obama promises in his Universal Health Care Plan will be good for America. Well, I don't think so. But, that doesn't matter. And it doesn't matter what anybody thinks about what his plan is or isn't about. Just like the liberals who got GEICO to drop their sponsorship of a tv program, we Americans have that same power to fix the health care crisis ourselves! That's you and me, people.

Yes, you and I can make a difference and fix the crisis! Most people complain about the bad things insurance companies are doing and maybe rightly so. The simple solution, of which we need no "bountiful help on high from the government or Obama," is to simply let our money do our talking. Protest the insurance companies with bad policies and get insurance from those with policies you like. The liberals swear that this is a very effective tactic to use.

If you think that all insurance companies are bad and you can't do what I suggest, you're probably right. There just isn't a fix for the health care crisis. But, that includes Barack Obama's proposed solution also. It will prove to be just as ineffective because you can't fix the problem. America has the best health care system in the world and Obama wants to bring it down to the level of the rest of the world. You have to ask yourself why he's doing this and things like this?

It's certainly not for the good of America or the American people. What are you going to do about this problem?

Listen

Let's say that you and I are on vacation, taking a cruise ship to Acapulco. I happen to find out that the ship is sinking and you don't know about it. Naturally, I want to try and help you, as I would want to help anyone else who could potentially drown if the ship goes down. I find you and tell you to put on a lifejacket because the ship is sinking.

Okay, what did I just do that was wrong?

If you happen to be an elitest, you would call that "fear-mongering."

If you have to ask what an elitest is, you're not one of them. That's just their newest game. Make up bad names for everybody else, so that they will look good themselves. They like to think of themselves as the only truly normal, rational Americans. They like to tag everybody and everything that's different than what they do as being bad. If it isn't a part of their channeled thinking of how life is supposed to be lived, then they label it with a bad name and by the very repeating of these names, others will automatically think like they do or risk being branded a "fear-mongerer" themselves! And that the people on the other side of the spectrum to these elitists are all rightwing extremists and bad for America. They lump everybody else who isn't trying to be one of the "beautiful people" as "nutjobs," "fear-mongerers," "un-democratic" or just plain stupid. That would be you and I they're calling those names.

So, by pointing out obvious truths, (at least if you haven't got your head up your butt), about what Obama and his people are doing to bring down this once-great country of ours, that does not make me a "fear-mongerer." And it doesn't make anybody else one, either.

Since when did the United States government have the right to dictate the hiring and firing of CEO's?

Since when could the United States government take over huge corporations such as General Motors and Chrysler?

Since when did the United States government need to convince the American people that a new health care bill would be good for us? They never felt the need to convince us of anything before - they just passed it, whether we wanted it or not. So, what is behind all the propaganda and lies and disinformation about the new Universal Health Care Plan?

Cap and Trade is un-American.

We are losing jobs at an alarming rate. What is being done about it? If anyone can tell me, don't hesitate and post it in a comment.

If you think Obama cares about America, where do you get this information from? Please show me the proof of it. When a country's government takes over it's industries and infra-structure, this is called, by the very definition of the word, Socialism.

The United States of America was founded as a free country. It was never meant to be a Socialistic country. If you are reading this, there are things that you specifically cannot do now that you could do before. Don't believe me? I could name many:

You don't have the freedom to get in your car and go somewhere without the threat of being stopped by the law. Why, the simple act of leaving your driveway involves potentially breaking a thousand laws! Do you consider that freedom or safety? If you were so worried about safety, I would have heard you talking about it before, you elitists, but you never said a word. So, I don't want to hear anything you've got to say about it now, either. You gave up your rights to speak by crawling in to bed with them who are bringing down our country. It's just another instance where they took away one of your freedoms.

You can't buy a battery for your Minolta SRT-101 camera. They use Mercury batteries and the United States Government has deemed that the use of Mercury is hazardous to your health and the planet. But yet.... they are forcing us to change our lights to the new flourescent "corkscrew" type of bulbs. Guess what? They have Mercury in them. Well, I guess they're not concerned about our health after all. Do you seriously believe they care about our health and welfare? Seriously!?

I am a veteran of the U.S. Army. Other people who have served this country in the same manner have fought and died for our freedoms. You can't smoke in an American Legion or a Veteran Of Foreign Wars club. Why is that? That's what those people died for, so that we would have the freedom to do things such as this. You say it's a health issue? If the United States Government was really concerned about our health and well-being, don't you think they would stop the biggest pollutants to our lungs? Well, yes.... if they really cared about us. But they don't. You ask, what am I talking about? Petroleum-engined automobiles spew out much more pollution that is harmful for humans than smoking cigarettes will ever do. Would you rather be locked in a garage with a smoker or a running automobile for 24 hours? You see the difference. The United States government has deemed that smoking is hazardous to our health. But, collecting tax money on cigarettes is a pretty all right thing to do. If cigarettes were truly so bad and evil and hazardous, they would outlaw them. That is, if they were really concerned about our health.

Wake up, America, before it's too late and all your freedoms are gone. Do you really want to live in a world ruled by elitists whose only care is about themselves? Your lives mean nothing to them. If they mean something to you, stand up for your freedoms. Inform yourself and speak out. And for God's, and all our sakes, stop Obama from passing any more ridiculous laws that ruin our country. Tell him no, we don't want his idea of a health care utopia.

The Real Me

I always wonder if the readers of my blog ever wonder what kind of guy I am? From the different subjects in my posts, it may be hard to pinpoint exactly what I'm like. I like to feel I'm the way I am because that's what gets me through my life the best way. I love living life and doing all that I can in this life of mine. Read on for some insights into this life we're all trying to live these days.

Yes, I like the outdoors. If I didn't have a computer, I would probably be out most of the time. (But, it's hard to see a monitor in the bright sunlight!) Ever since I was a little boy, being out too long in the sun would cause my dark brown hair to get blonde streaks in it. Now, the picture above shows me as being totally blonde, but that's not because of the sun. I wanted to try something different and had my hair bleached that color. Don't be afraid to try something you want to do in your life just because you think people might laugh at you. What you think in your heart means much more than what other's think is best for you.

Sometimes, I can seem quite sarcastic, but it's only my way of laughing at life. Usually, my sarcasm is based on humor because I like to think that if people are smiling while you're talking to them, they might be more apt to listen to what you're saying. So, don't let them down. Say something important once in a while!

You know.... If I was to say that because I'm a white w.a.s.p. male and that because of that and my experiences I would be able to do things better and make more informed judgements than say.... a Latino woman, I would be branded "a racist." At least, that is the definition of "a racist" in this politically correct world we live in, so I suppose it must be right. Now that you know exactly what denotes "a racist," you'll also know why Sonia Sotomayor is too much of "a racist" to sit as a member of the Supreme Court. The members of that body are supposed to be above things like ethnicity, color, creed, race and gender and just rule on points of law as they are defined in the United States Constitution. And that is why we don't need or want somebody as racist as that deciding what we already know to be our God given rights. Am I not right on this?

Ah.... the good life. That's me yachting in the above picture. It was the first and, so far, only time I've gotten to be on an honest-to-goodness expensive yacht. (It wasn't mine, either!) I've never even been able to buy a bass boat. But, that hasn't mattered in my life. I have my family and friends, I work hard and I like to think that I live my life like it means it's worth something. I try to contribute to the human race in my own way and make it a better place when I can. Yes, that was me playing my guitar for free in a nursing home to entertain the residents the other day. Yes, that was me noticing that the clerk had given me too much change for what I had purchased and taking it back in the store to give it back and make sure she didn't come up shorthanded at the end of her workday. And, yes that was me assisting a car accident victim because nobody else was around.

What I'm mostly trying to say is that your life can be blessed with riches, but only if you decide what is worth more to you and then going after those things.

I hear so many stories about politicians who have never worked a real job in their lives and wonder just how they come up with the ridiculous laws they do. For instance.... do we, as Americans, need to allow amnesty to all the illegal aliens that are here just because politicians think it's the right thing to do? If we were in a country like North Korea or Zimbabwe, illegal aliens would be shot on sight. There's a right way and wrong way to move to a new country; and when you do so, it's with the prerequisite that, if you come to the United States to live this life, you do not bring your old life here and change us around to your way of thinking. If your old life is so good, stay in it and don't come here. That's not a racist way of looking at things, it's just the way it has to be or you won't have a viable country for very long. My ancestors were Vikings and we adjusted quite nicely since we've been here. You'll note that I don't pillage and plunder anywhere near as much as they used to! (Although, there are sure times I'd like to! Why can't I have my heritage, too? Everybody else gets to have theirs!)

Every year at Easter, I watch my favorite movie - The Ten Commandments. Which is not to say that the above picture is my statement that I feel I'm as holy as Moses. I'm not - I'm just an average, ordinary guy. But, I do believe in God and I believe that he blessed the United States of America and all the people in this great land. I am truly proud to be a free citizen of the U.S.A. and will fight anyone who tries to take that freedom away from me or my family. I served in the United States Army for the freedom to believe that way. And you can darn well bet that I'm not changing my mind on this issue even though the federal government or the state of Illinois tries to legislate otherwise. There are certain things that are right and wrong and I was raised to know the difference. Calling it the law or for safety reasons does not make something right.

No fear. Look at the above picture and you'll see me holding a branch with thousands of bees on it. I'm wearing no protective clothing except for the gloves. I didn't consider it stupidity at the time and I still don't. There are just certain things you know that if you treat them right, they'll treat you right. It's like our planet. However we treat it, it still revolves and allows life to flourish. No matter what we do, it always adjusts so that we can survive. This next phrase I'm going to say may sound quite scientific and be above some of your heads, if it is, I apologise beforehand. Global Warming is nothing but a bunch of hooey. Well, maybe it's not so hard to understand after all. All us normal people get it. Planet Earth has been through ice ages and drought spells before and has always pulled through. Let it do it's thing and stop worrying about it. All we as humans need to be concerned about is getting along with each other. It starts with you and the people you come in contact with. Put yourselves in their shoes and try to treat them like you would want to be treated and things will be a whole lot easier. Trust me on this, it works.

Hank Williams, Jr. sang years ago, "We can skin a buck, we can run a trout line, and a country boy can survive." Now, I wasn't born and raised in the country, but I've spent lots of time out there enjoying it. The above picture shows me in my "Great White Hunter" mode. When I go camping, I do it right. I carry in my tent and sleeping bag, pots and pans, hunting knife and utensils and my rifle. I have meat for supper if the hunt goes well. But, whatever I shoot, I know how to clean it, cook it and eat it. The early pioneers used to live or die while using these same techniques. They survived if they took these methods to heart and died when they didn't. True, there were Indians and other natural dangers they had to contend with, but we have just as many hazards, if not more, to contend with these days. Have you ever been stranded in your car in certain sections of Chicago? You don't want to do that. Have you ever seen a cop trying to plant drugs in your car so that he can have something to arrest you for? Not a pleasant experience. But, whatever life has to throw at you, just try to be prepared for it and your chances of survival will go up greatly. Previous posts on this blog about Survival Kits, Emergency Cooking, Disaster Preparedness and Earthquake Safety Tips can be found at the highlighted links. You can bet that me and my family will be better off than most people if anything should happen here in America. Don't let you or the ones you love down in a crisis - be prepared!

Well, there you have it. Now you know a little bit more of what I'm like. Maybe you've also learned a little something about yourself that you didn't know before. If you've learned anything, please just try to be happy and true to yourself, your family and your loved ones. They are what matter the most.

Don't Tread On Me. (And I Mean It!)

Just a quick note to explain why I haven't posted anything for awhile. Two weeks ago, a powerful thunderstorm moved through my area and lightning struck my computer, rendering it totally unusable. But, I'm back online now with a new computer and equipment from my internet provider, (which got taken out, too). As you can see, I've got one of those Gadsden Flag stickers on my bumper, which I blogged about here. Be sure to get one of your very own!

Does it look familiar? Oh, no.... now the State Police are gonna start profiling me as a terrorist!

Don't Tread On Me

I just wanted to post this so you could get a good look at it. If you remember your high school history lessons, you'll know it is the Gadsden Flag, made famous in our Revolutionary War. The one where we fought for that little thing called "freedom." You may remember it well!

You're probably going to be seeing a lot more of this particular symbol in the coming days and weeks because the federal government of the United States has now decided that it stands for domestic terrorism! Exactly why are we paying these guys and gals!? To try and get us to fall for propaganda such as this?

You haven't heard the last of this story.

America, Land Of The Free

With a new year fast approaching, I thought this would be an appropriate time to say how proud I am that I live in a country where I enjoy the freedom to blog and share my opinions with the world. People can't do that in every country. The United States of America was formed so that people who chose to live here could have the freedom to live life as they choose, without a tyrannical monarch ruling their every movement. There's a reason why the U.S.A. is called the "land of the free and the home of the brave."

So that we can continue to enjoy our freedom, men and women throughout the history of this great nation have given the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, just so that we can stay free. There's a reason why we, as a nation, erect so many monuments to these fallen brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and uncles, and why we equate the name "hero" with them. It's to honor those who have died fighting for this great society. Who among you cannot be awed and humbled when standing in front of the rows and rows of headstones at the revered Arlington Cemetery?

And the flag that always waves atop the Iwo Jima monument:

Or the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? A monument honoring a nameless soul who died fighting for what he believed in:

And now, some of my antecedents, (which I don't often show in public!) What many on here may not realize is that I served in this nation's Armed Forces, when I was a member of the US Army:

I also did a short stint in the Navy, when I served aboard the U.S.S. Martini:

And, in my younger days, I was a cowboy who fought in the wild, wild west:

Just so nobody thinks I'm making light of anything, I want you to know that I was proud to have served this country while I was in the Army. I felt that I was helping, in a tiny way, to preserve the freedoms that we have known and loved for over 200 years. Freedoms for which others have died to protect. So, it saddens me when I see something like what I saw this past Monday. I was out Christmas shopping (thank goodness we still have some freedom to worship the way we want to....) with my sister-in-law, when an Indiana State Trooper pulled me over in the Toys R Us parking lot. The offense I was potentially guilty of? Not wearing my seat belt! How insignificant can you get? Now, a short bit later, we were almost ran down while crossing the road on foot by an angry woman in an SUV. Where were the police to help save my life in that instance? They were nowhere to be seen. I'll tell you why. They're not interested in saving our lives. They're busy earning all that overtime pay, which the United States Government grants to states if they will enforce the seat belt law.

It would seem to me that in the "Land of the Free," we would have the right to decide for ourselves whether or not to wear seat belts. Isn't that the very essence of freedom? Not to have some tyrannical power telling us every little thing that we can and can't do in our ordinary lives? Our government has become exactly what we were running away from when we formed the United States in the 1776. Are you sick and tired of seeing freedom after freedom of yours being taken away by some law that they say is ostensibly designed to help keep you "safe?" Know this - the United States Government or your state governments are not interested in saving your lives. They couldn't care less if you should live or die. They just do what they're told to do so that the tax money or the grant money will keep coming in. Remember that little phrase you learned in high school? That our form of government was "of the people, by the people and for the people?" That means that you and I are the boss. I think it's high time we start exercising our executive powers and tell them we don't want any more new laws that are designed to "protect" us. And, it's high time we tell them to reverse a few that are on the books already because they're not actually worth the paper they're printed on. In a free society, we have the right to decide matters that affect our own lives. So, all those laws saying it's illegal to smoke in a bar, but it's not bad enough to just outlaw cigarettes, should be repealed. If smoking is so harmful to people's health, why aren't they just outlawed? I'll tell you why. The government gets too much tax money from the sale of cigarettes. Doesn't that sound hypocritical to you? Oh, they don't care whether you die from smoking, they just want their money. And they don't care whether or not you die in an automobile accident. If they did, they would be going after the people that cause the accidents, the wreckless drivers, instead of the helpless victims of potential accidents. If they actively pursued the causes of most automobile accidents, the drivers that are the ones that kill and maim regularly, it would be much safer for ordinary people to drive these roads in America. Don't let them tell you that seat belts save lives and that it's the only reason they force you to wear them by passing laws to such effect. Studies have proven that the mandantory wearing of seat belts has not resulted in a decrease in traffic fatalities. There are also studies which prove cracking down on wreckless drivers improves traffic safety. I mean, that one is obvious to me, as it should be to you.

So, are you going to continue taking whatever the United States Government force feeds down your throat in the name of safety? I'm not! I am an American and I have the freedom to decide for myself how to live my life and to keep it safe. And I'm going to do everything I can to prove it in the coming year. The first thing is to try and get rid of that ridiculous seat belt law which hasn't saved any more lives than before it was "the law of the land." That's got to go. It's time for every good American to take back control of their own life. You have that right guaranteed to you in the Constitution, you know. And if you value your freedom and want to be able to have selection in where you shop, stop going to Wal-Mart or there won't be any other stores left and they can then charge whatever they want. There goes your bargains. You've already lost the selection that Wal-Mart used to offer, so that's no longer an attraction for them.

The Time Is Here

To quote Ricky Ricardo when their baby Little Ricky was about due, "The time is here!" As I said in a post from a few days ago, it's a very good idea to be prepared in the event of an emergency. Because in this day and age, not only could you experience a natural disaster such as a tornado, fire, flood or hurricane, you also have to deal with the threat of an economic collapse. Such a thing is very possible. Have you bought anything recently? Have you noticed how everything is going up in price? How long do you think this can go on before the bubble bursts?

Sure, you may have heard people like me mention something about being prepared before, but tonight I heard for the very first time, this same message from a very important and unexpected source: The United States Government. Yes, you heard right. As I was driving home tonight from a gig I had at the Moose Lodge, I heard a public service announcement that asked whether or not you had enough fresh water and non-perishable food items to last for a 72-hour period. Where have you heard that phrase before? Yes, that's the exact same timespan I was advising you to be prepared for on June 30th, 2008! Here's the kicker - this public service announcement was paid for by the United States Department of Homeland Security.

Be afraid, be very afraid. But.... get yourself prepared so that your family doesn't suffer during any hard times we could possibly be subjected to. Please take this seriously. And don't forget what I said about not shopping at Wal-Mart! Wal-Mart is bad for you.