Right on the Mark

Zero Tolerance: Zero Equivalence

"No tolerance: Execution."

"Kill her, kill her by firing squad."

These were just some of the rants by protesters in Sudan according to an AP article at YahooNews. This was because a British teacher in Sudan allowed her students to name a teddy bear Muhammad. Or, was it because 15 days in jail & deportation was not punishment enough? Television news reports have claimed the students were naming the teddy bear after another child in their class; not after the Islamic prophet. None the less, the protesters insist this was an insult to their religious figure head.

Christians were lambasted for their civil outrage at Kathy Griffin's "suck it, Jesus" comment. And yes, it was civil as not a single Christian rioted in the streets calling for her death. An apology is all that was asked. Yet, Christians are treated far worse than the violent death mongers who chant for executions if anyone, even if unintentionally, insults Allah or Muhammad. Instead of apologies, Christians get websites called "stupid church people" & not only compared to violent extremists but are labeled as equal to them.

I'm sure someone will want to bring up the ancient history of Christians calling for death, but haven't we come a long way since then? Haven't we learned from the errs of our ways? The intolerance of Christian violence set a path to change Christians & move us out of that mindset. However, there appears to be tolerance & even justification for Islamic violence.

There is absolutely no equivalence in asking for an apology & calling for an execution because of insults to ones religious figures.

Presidential Endorsements: Influential?

How much stock do you put in presidential endorsements?

Unions seem to be split on Hillary Clinton & John Edwards. The National Right to Life organization supports Fred Thompson & Rudy Giuliani got Pat Robertson's endorsement. As a union member I can assure you that my union leadership has no influence over my vote. As a Christian & one who believes Roe vs. Wade was a moronic decision I can also assure you that those endorsements won't entice me to vote for their candidates either.

I look at the endorsements as a source of money. While we may not know the exact amount of money; nor will most of us even care; endorsements let us know publicly where a candidate's money is coming from. Voting for a candidate endorsed by a particular organization does not mean you support that group. Even candidates who take an endorsement/money from a particular organization doesn't really mean they support that group either. Campaign finance is a sticky business. What's sticky is: Will a given candidate be beholden to a particular group for their endorsement if they should reach the White House? I'm guessing most folks have felt that way for quite a while. In which case, do you believe it's necessary to vote in the direction of endorsements of groups you support? This way your opinion gets an inside track to presidential policy.

It seems that some folks do put a lot of stock in endorsements. At least the media would have you believe that as they can't wait to report the various endorsements when they're made public. Union endorsements are portrayed as the working man's endorsement. As if you labor for a living you should follow the endorsement of organized labor. Or, if you're a Christian you need Pat Robertson to think for you. It's all hogwash.

A recent endorsement will probably get more laughs than votes. None the less, the Bunny Ranch has endorsed Ron Paul for president. Not just the owner but it appears the employees as well. They certainly know how to work the polls.

GOP YouTube Debate Tonight

As the GOP candidates get ready for another debate tonight I want to encourage you to watch. There's been talk that the Democrats have already picked their candidate. Some might even say it was predetermined. I'm sure the other democratic candidates would beg to differ. But, the Republican race seems to be wide open. While certainly Rudy Giuliani has enjoyed the ride as the national front runner thus far, he's clearly vulnerable. Other GOP candidates have enjoyed front runner status in various state polls.

I'm guessing most of us believe Hillary Clinton will win the democratic nomination bar something crazy happening. However, with all the focus on Senator Clinton are we overlooking other credible & capable candidates? With so much negativity pointed at Hillary does that leave an opening for Barack Obama or maybe John Edwards? Or, is a Clinton nomination & a second Clinton administration a foregone conclusion?

While we ponder some of these questions & listen to the GOP debate tonight take a moment & enjoy this YouTube GOP Debate Song.

To Be Thankful; Or Not

It's Thanksgiving & traditionally we're supposed to tell everyone what we're thankful for. Of course we'll all say nice things about our families; even though we may have just been arguing a few hours earlier. We'll be thankful for our jobs; even though we wish we were paid more money or we think our boss is an idiot. Then there's our health to be thankful for; even though you need to call your insurance company on Monday to find out why your emergency room bill from three months ago still hasn't been paid. I suppose the point is that even though things aren't perfect, on this day we seem to be able to find something to be thankful for. Why does that seem to be so hard the rest of the year?

Throughout much of the year we may think life isn't fair because the neighbor just got a new car & you can't afford to replace your two year old Chrysler yet. Or, a flood just ruined some priceless family heirloom while folks up the street got no damage at all. Just remember there's a homeless guy wishing he had your 2005 Sebring just to sleep in. Let alone your house with a thermostat you can set at a toasty 72 degrees if you so desire. There's a family somewhere cracking open a can of beans for their Thanksgiving dinner; not quite the Butterball turkey feast you'll be having. Yet, they'll say a prayer for those less fortunate & be thankful for that generic brand of beans.

Around the world there'll be soldiers pouring water on a dehydrated piece of meat & heating it up over a can of Sterno for Thanksgiving dinner. He'll be thankful no rocket-propelled grenade was shot in his direction. A mother will likely mourn the death of a child; a wife will mourn for her husband; & a child will cry for the loss of a parent. Some of those losses will be due to the horrors of war while others will be due to acts of terror. Some people will pray a forbidden prayer to God in secrecy for fear that their government will find out. A young woman will face an honor killing for attempting to live free despite her father's wishes.

Next week we'll get back to the normal hustle & bustle of life. We'll be rushing out to start our Christmas shopping. We'll be impatient; at the store & on the street. You just know some idiot driver is going to pull out in front of you & go way too slow. There'll likely be a few fender benders; probably due to an idiot on a cell phone.

The holidays are a great time to practice being kind to one another. Take that practice & apply it to the rest of the year. Instead of thinking about what you're thankful for; make someone thankful for you.    

NYPD Blues

Meet retired NYPD Sergeant Herwerth. It seems that retroactively the New York DMV has determined Sgt. Herwerth can no longer display his previously approved vanity plates that simply state: GETOSAMA. The man apparently served honorably as a police officer & supports our foreign policy to "get Osama." Yet, the New York DMV has determined that this foreign policy is now “obscene, lewd, lascivious, derogatory to a particular ethnic or other group or patently offensive.” Outside The Beltway author James Joyner makes a point when he asks "Who exactly is offended by the idea that we should “Get Osama”?"

I suppose this really shouldn't come as a surprise. It's New York for crying out loud. Where Governor Spitzer recently advocated giving driver licenses to illegal immigrants. Also, an issue in which Senator Clinton couldn't give a consistent opinion on.

What the heck is wrong with these people? At what point does a state decide that advocating the capture & the bringing to justice one of our country's most heinous enemies is offensive or obscene? At the same time find it reasonable to give illegal immigrants permission to drive legally without enforcing the immigration law they originally broke?

What An Impression

After a long week of presidential quizzes I figured we'd take a little time & poke a little fun at presidents & maybe a possible future president. There have been some very good impressionist over the years. Of course there was Rich Little with his Ronald Reagan impression. Dana Carvey & his George H.W. Bush. Today, we have Frank Caliendo who does a fantastic George W. Bush. And, we may be taking a look at a future presidential impressionist.

Let's start with Rich Little.

How could we ever forget Dana Carvey?

I think Frank Caliendo is today's premier impressionist. You've got to see this.

And, in the future we may be seeing this impressionist.

Election Choices

Today is the last quiz. Hooray. Did it feel like exam week? Today's quiz is a bit different. Here you'll pick a topic & then go through several quotes & check the ones you agree with. Then the test tabulates your results & puts it in a nice little graph to show how many quotes from each candidate you agreed with. There are twenty topics ranging from gun control to taxes to foreign policy. I put a little less stock in this one simply because a candidate can say anything but that doesn't necessarily translate into actions or votes. Plus, each of the quotes can be taken out of context. Certainly every candidate has said something we've all agreed with. But, in context of a larger discussion we may find ourselves less agreeable. None the less, I thought it was interesting. Instead of giving you my results for each topic individually I'll just show my overall results with every topic calculated together.

Here's the quiz: Election Choices Quote Quiz

My results below will list the candidates & how many of their quotes I agreed with.

• Rudy Giuliani - 40
• John McCain - 39
• Duncan Hunter - 38
• Mike Huckabee - 37
• Mitt Romney - 36
• Sam Brownback - 35
• Ron Paul - 35
• Fred Thompson - 35
• Tom Tancredo - 31
• John Edwards - 25
• Joe Biden - 21
• Barack Obama - 21
• Mike Gravel - 17
• Hillary Clinton - 15
• Chris Dodd - 14
• Bill Richardson - 14
• Dennis Kucinich - 6

I was surprised that Giuliani was the top. I was also surprised that I agreed with Kucinich 6 times on anything. Other than that, the majority of these results didn't really surprise me. Let's see if you have any surprises.

   

Pick A Winner

Today, I have two quizzes again & they are quite similar. They both list several issues & you are to support or oppose & indicate to which degree with the importance meter. There are subtle differences. EXAMPLE: one quiz lists "waterboarding" as an issue while the other lists "torture" instead. That probably indicates there will be a difference in how your answers are calculated. As always, this quiz & results are not scientific. As suggested before, take them with a grain of salt. But, above all, I hope they get you really thinking about the candidates, issues & what the results of the next election may do for our future as a nation.

QUIZ #1 - pick a candidate

top five RESULTS of quiz #1:

1. Duncan Hunter
2. Tom Tancredo
3. Mitt Romney
4. Mike Huckabee
5. Rudy Giuliani

QUIZ #2 - find your candidate

top five RESULTS of quiz #2:

1. Duncan Hunter
2. Tom Tancredo
3. Mitt Romney
4. Mike Huckabee
5. Fred Thompson

Top four were the same for both but number five was different. I wonder what was different in their calculating to make that one difference in the results. My bottom three were the same in both quizzes: Kucinich, Gravel & Edwards. But, as you move up the ladder the results were different. I suppose there may have been a difference in the way I rated some of the answers on the importance meter. That may have contributed to the difference in results. None the less, there's Duncan Hunter again at the top of my results.

Select A Candidate

Today's quizzes are quite similar again. One is from Minnesota Public Radio & the other is from WQAD who based their quiz on the MPR quiz. They have many of the same questions. A few are different. They're both in the same format & both have an "importance" meter. Although, the meters are different. The scoring appears to be different as well. The nice thing about the results of both quizzes is that they show you what issues you agree with a candidate on & those issues you don't. Click the links below to select your candidate.

MPR - select a candidate

WQAD - select a candidate

The results of my MPR quiz with scores are:

1. Tom Tancredo - 15
2. Rudy Giuliani - 14
3. Duncan Hunter - 14
4. Fred Thompson - 14
5. Mike Huckabee - 13
6. John McCain - 13
7. Mitt Romney - 11
8. Ron Paul - 10
9. Joe Biden - 7
10. Mike Gravel - 3
11. Barack Obama - 3
12. Hillary Clinton - 2
13. John Edwards - 2
14. Dennis Kucinich - 2
15. Bill Richardson - 2
16. Chris Dodd - 1

The results of my WQAD quiz with scores are:

1. Duncan Hunter - 38
2. John McCain - 36
3. Rudy Giuliani - 34
4. Fred Thompson - 33
5. Tom Tancredo - 33
6. Mitt Romney - 30
7. Ron Paul - 30
8. Mike Huckabee - 26
9. Joe Biden - 26
10. Barack Obama - 13
11. Hillary Clinton - 13
12. John Edwards - 13
13. Bill Richardson - 9
14. Dennis Kucinich - 8
15. Chris Dodd - 8
16. Mike Gravel - 3

There were a few surprises. The two quizzes obviously put the emphasis in their scoring in different places. I believe the the MPR quiz put more stock in where you rated the question/issue on the importance meter. Where as the WQAD quiz seemed to put more stock in how many issues you agreed with a candidate on. While these results certainly aren't scientific, they're interesting none the less. Again, share your results if you will.

Match-O-Matic/Candidate Match Game

Today I have two quizzes that are pretty much the same. They have the exact same questions. One has an "importance" meter you can adjust at the end that may change your candidates while the other doesn't.

First is the ABC Match-O-Matic quiz. The quiz results show a top three. My results were 1) Duncan Hunter, 2) Mitt Romney, 3) Fred Thompson.

Second is the USA Today "Candidate Match Game" quiz. It's the same questions as the first quiz but this one includes an "importance" meter that may change your results. However, my results were the same. This quiz also allows you to see where the other candidates finished on the graph. By placing your cursor over the graph you can see what each candidate thinks about the issue asked in the questions. Also, you can see the source of the info. It looks like Ron Paul & John McCain would round out a top five for me on this quiz.

Again, I want to note that none of these quizzes are 100%. Alan Keyes is missing from the graph. Not sure if he hadn't declared yet when this quiz was published. None the less there's Duncan Hunter again in my top tier candidates. Although, these two quizzes calculated Tom Tancredo lower than the previous one. It'll be interesting to see how several different quizzes calculate the results & who is consistently in the top tier & who peaks in & out from quiz to quiz. I hope you enjoy them & that they're helpful. Keep sharing your results, if you will.

Back Popular Demand

While at the National Presidential Caucus last Friday it was suggested that I post more quizzes to help folks find out what presidential candidate they most agree with. Back in June I posted the VoteMatch QUIZ. You might want to go back & check it out.

This week I plan to post several quizzes. A few of them are very similar. They have the same questions but their way of calculating may be slightly different, which may explain the differences in the results. Plus each of them have their own "importance" meter. They don't take long & the results may help if you're on the fence about a couple of candidates. The results may even surprise you as sometimes we like candidates for their ability to communicate to us rather than what they've actually done in their public life.

Today's quiz comes from SelectSmart. It includes 26 questions & an "importance" meter to help calculate your top candidates.

My results, excluding #1 as it's just a theoretical candidate, are Tom Tancredo, Alan Keyes & Duncan Hunter as my top three. John McCain & Mitt Romney round out my top five. My bottom end results (from the bottom up) are Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama & Mike Gravel as the bottom three. Joe Biden & Hillary Clinton round out my bottom five. My middle seven from most favorable to least are Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, John Edwards, Bill Richardson & Chris Dodd. Of course, as you read your own results you'll notice several others not currently running for president in the list. I excluded them from the results here as that only muddies up trying to find your candidate. No sense in looking at someone not running.

I hope you find these quizzes helpful & enlightening. They tend to be based on what candidates have actually done & not on their talking points. Of course, no quiz is 100% correct. That's why I plan to post several of them this week. Hopefully between them all you can begin to get a clear picture of the candidate that best represents your viewpoint.   

If you could be so kind as to share your results with the rest of us. 

Armistice/Veterans Day

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

3071

Whereas it has long been our customs to commemorate November 11, the anniversary of the ending of World War I, by paying tribute to the heroes of that tragic struggle and by rededicating ourselves to the cause of peace; and Whereas in the intervening years, the United States has been involved in two other great military conflicts, which have added millions of veterans living and dead to the honor rolls of this Nation; and

Whereas the Congress passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926 (44 Stat. 1982), calling for the observance of November 11 with appropriate ceremonies, and later provided in an act approved May 13, 1938 (52 Stat. 351) , that the eleventh of November should be a legal holiday and should be known as Armistice Day; and

Whereas, in order to expand the significance of that commemoration and in order that a grateful Nation might pay appropriate homage to the veterans of all its wars who have contributed so much to the preservation of this Nation, the Congress, by an act approved June 1, 1954 (68 Stat. 168), changed the name of the holiday to Veterans Day:

Now, Therefore, I, Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States of America , do hereby call upon all of our citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954 , as Veterans Day. On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.

I also direct the appropriate officials of the Government to arrange for the display of the flag of the United States on all public buildings on Veterans Day.

In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose.

Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this eighth day of October in the Year of our Lord nineteen hundred and fifty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and seventy-ninth.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

The Gales Of November

The Wreck Of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee' The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead When the skies of November turn gloomy With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty. That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed When the gales of November came early. The ship was the pride of the American side Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most With a crew and good captain well seasoned Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms When they left fully loaded for Cleveland And later that night when the ship's bell rang Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'? The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound And a wave broke over the railing And every man knew, as the captain did too, T'was the witch of November come stealin'. The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait When the Gales of November came slashin'. When afternoon came it was freezin' rain In the face of a hurricane west wind. When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'. Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya. At Seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in, he said Fellas, it's been good t'know ya The captain wired in he had water comin' in And the good ship and crew was in peril. And later that night when his lights went outta sight Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Does any one know where the love of God goes When the waves turn the minutes to hours? The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her. They might have split up or they might have capsized; May have broke deep and took water. And all that remains is the faces and the names Of the wives and the sons and the daughters. Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings In the rooms of her ice-water mansion. Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams; The islands and bays are for sportsmen. And farther below Lake Ontario Takes in what Lake Erie can send her, And the iron boats go as the mariners all know With the Gales of November remembered. In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed, In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral. The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald. The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'. Superior, they said, never gives up her dead When the gales of November come early!

On November 10, 1975 the Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior. I've always been intrigued by this story. Probably because it's relatively recent history & it happened in our backyard so to speak. Some of the crew was from Toledo & surrounding areas. I think this Gordon Lightfoot tune captures the story quite well.

NPC Consensus...damage control...?...

Just returned from the NPC meeting tonight held by FCPolitico at the University of Findlay. I want to say thanks to all those who showed up & to Ron for organizing the event. For those who didn't make it tonight, I hope you can find the time to make the caucus in December. Check with FCPolitico for time & what not.

It started off a rather awkward evening as none of us knew each other going into it. I don't think any of us knew what to expect. I met a couple of really nice folks. I was encouraged by the dialog. Knowing what some of the issues & concerns of local voters gives me some things to look into for future blog topics. Of course, the war on terror seemed to top the list for a majority. There were healthcare issues & the economy; which encompasses a rather large list of issues.

Keeping names aside I was very encouraged by a mature woman in attendance. She was there to find out more info on each of the candidates. I hope she went away with something to chew on. I was a bit nervous so some of my thoughts may not have been very well thought out. I will try to address some the issues mentioned in the straw poll in upcoming blogs.

One of the Virtual Village regular commenters, anon e mouse, was in attendance. Mr. Mouse had some real insight & I think gave us all some food for thought concerning issues & candidates. Concerns on China & the economy are well founded.

In the end, because our group was small, I don't think there was a real consensus on who we'd vote for in the coming election or primary. Even my own picks are subject to change as they have changed several times throughout this election season thus far. I find myself identifying with Duncan Hunter but worry about his electability in a general election. John McCain seems like a faithful standby. But, I've had moments of being drawn to Huckabee, Thompson, Giuliani & Romney. I think the real consensus is that the republican field is wide open & Hillary will likely win the democratic nomination bar her doing something extremely stupid to lose it. Although, there were a couple folks liking Biden. He & Hillary certainly wouldn't be the worst we could do.

Maybe this next election will come down to who will do the least amount of damage at this point. I think we all agreed that may not be a bad thing.

Thanks for a great evening & hope to see more of you there in December.

The China Syndrome

Here are a couple of headlines from The Epoch Times:

• Toys 'R' Us Recalls Elite Operations Toys for Lead
• Recalled Mattel Toys Topped U.S. Legal Lead Limits
• U.S. Recalls More China-Made Products for Lead in Paint

With these stories & headlines I could have titled this blog posting "Get The Lead Out." These cases of lead in Chinese made products sold here in the United States is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A Washington Post article found that there were 107 food imports & 1,000 dietary supplements, cosmetics, & medicines from China detained by the FDA due to contamination back in April of this year. That was just one months worth of contaminated products.

This ongoing problem has sparked other controversies as well. FOX NEWS tells us that "China moved to sharpen its product safety image..., shutting down a chemical plant linked to dozens of deaths in Panama from tainted medicine and closing two companies tied to pet deaths in North America." International Herald Tribune reports "The head of a Chinese manufacturer whose lead-tainted Sesame Street toys were the center of a massive U.S. recall has killed himself..."

Even with all this controversy we're still finding tainted products coming from China. Couple these issues with our monetary & employment issues with China & you have the making of a real China Syndrome that would make the 1979 film look like a Disney cartoon.

Let's review: China is killing our pets, killing us, taking our good paying jobs & turning them into low paying jobs, & they're undermining our economy with their under-valued currency. Okay, I know I didn't exactly cover all that but I did make simple references. Since no one in our government is interested in protecting us from this danger we have to be vigilant while shopping. I suggest avoiding any product made, processed, or distributed by China.

Findlay Area Rapid Transit

Okay, maybe it wouldn't be called F.A.R.T. but it may as well be. I know some folks support the idea of a public transportation system in Findlay. Today, a letter to the editor in the Courier expressed such support. The letter writer also included thoughts on a downtown movie theater. That's another issue I'll try to address here as well.

The movie theater first as it's the easiest to deal with. If you think a downtown movie theater would be a great idea, make an investment into a private venture that would bring it to fruition. I would hope no one believes our local government should be charged with building or providing us with a movie theater. It's a private business. Maybe a tax abatement to convince a theater company to locate downtown might be in order. Although, I'm sure there'd be folks against that idea as well. It wouldn't be able to provide the same kind of employment numbers that businesses who typically receive such abatements do. I like the idea of a downtown theater. The question is: How should it be paid for?

TARTA & RTA were given as examples of public transit systems in the area. RTA, is the Regional Transit Authority in the Greater Cleveland area. Cleveland proper has a population of 478,403 according to the 2000 Census. TARTA, is the Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority. Toledo proper has a population of 298,446 according to a 2006 Census estimate. Findlay's population is 38,967 according to the 2000 Census. I hope you see the point. All of Hancock County only has a population of 71,295. Lucas County: 455,054. Cuyahoga County: 1,393,978. The largest of the Toledo suburban areas is Sylvania Township with a population of 44,253 & they certainly could not support a public transit system by themselves.

In Findlay we enjoy one of the lowest income tax rates in the state. Toledo's tax rate is twice that of Findlay. We also enjoy comparatively low property taxes as well. This year the Toledo area had a 1.5-mill replacement levy for TARTA on the ballot. There's also another 1-mill levy for TARTA set to expire in three years. Of course there will be a push to renew or replace it as well. Is this what we want for the future in Findlay?

If you want Findlay to spend more money on something, why not on a second high school? Sylvania Township, as I stated previously, is close to the size of Findlay & has two high schools. Even Fostoria & Tiffin have two high schools. Of course, Fostoria & Tiffin have one public & one private (Parochial) high school. Still, our population is more than twice that of either of them.

Now that the election is over & we have a new & not so new crop of public servants preparing for their role in local leadership we need to set the priorities for them. Are movie theaters & public transportation the priority? Or, is it jobs & education?

A Life/Face Given For Tourism

I'm not sure why there's been such a fascination with the face of King Tut. The so called face is obviously just a skull. We've all seen skulls before. So, why the fascination with this particular one?

This fascination with King Tut began when his tomb was first discovered in 1922. This latest revelation is sure to increase tourism to Egypt.

Here's the footage of King Tut's face being revealed for the first time:

While there may be some sort of historical significance here, I can't help but to think about a song I knew as kid.

Hope you enjoyed a little history mixed with a little comedy.

Just Do It

Nope, this isn't a Nike commercial. I'm encouraging you to go out & vote tomorrow. Whether you see it as a privilege, a duty, or a right; voting is something we should never take for granted. Plato had it right when he said "One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors."

Flag City Politico did a great job covering the many candidates running for local offices. Even FCPolitiGal chimed in. You don't have to take their suggestions. You can disagree but you should still vote. Take these words from John Quincy Adams as inspiration as you step into the voting booth: "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, & you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

Voting is not difficult. Although, it requires action. We exercise our bodies & minds to develop both our mental & physical muscles. Voting is an exercise that enables you to flex your political muscle. As the Nike commercial says; Just Do It.

A Taxing Proposal

Over the years we've heard many arguments about income taxes. Most recently, the Bush tax cuts. Do they favor the rich? Was there an increase for middle to low incomes? My honest assessment is that the rich did get a pretty darn favorable tax cut. But, so did everyone else except those making between $6,000 & $27,000 per year (for singles --- see the chart for head of household & married filing jointly). Their tax rate stayed the same. The lowest incomes got a new lower rate that didn't even exist before. However, no one; not a soul; got an income tax increase.

Below I've included a tax table that shows the difference between before & after the Bush tax cuts. You can easily see if you were helped, hurt or stayed the same. I would like to see us all pay the lowest tax rate. 10% is good enough for the Lord; it ought to be good enough for Uncle Sam.

Of course this doesn't even address the Social Security tax. That's been an issue lately too in which no one running for office seems to want to take a real stance on. I believe the cap should be eliminated. At which point the rate could be lowered to a much more reasonable rate for everyone.

Institute a flat income tax rate; right around 10%; eliminate the Social Security tax cap & lower that rate to about the same. While the highest wage earners would get a larger cut on their income taxes, their Social Security contributions would go up. While those earning less wouldn't get quite the reduction in income tax, their Social Security tax would also be going down simultaneously. Of course all deductions would be eliminated. Those making less than the poverty line would pay no federal income tax. Although, they would still make their Social Security contributions. Business taxes should be the same. Even for off-shore companies wanting to do business in the United States.

That's my simple tax plan. It's probably a little crude & might even pose some problems with implementation. But, we could always go to the "fair/national sales tax." I don't know. That would be so Canadian. 

Tax Rates by 2001 Taxable Income*

Current Code Bush Plan** Single Single $0 $27,050 15% $0 $6,000 10% $27,050 $65,550 28% $6,000 $27,050 15% $65,550 $136,750 31% $27,050 $136,750 25% $136,750 $297,350 36% $136,750 -- 33% $297,350 -- 39.6% Head of Household Head of Household $0 $36,250 15% $0 $10,000 10% $36,250 $93,650 28% $10,000 $36,250 15% $93,650 $151,650 31% $36,250 $151,650 25% $151,650 $297,350 36% $151,650 -- 33% $297,350 -- 39.6% Married- Joint Filing Married- Joint Filing $0 $45,200 15% $0 $12,000 10% $45,200 $109,250 28% $12,000 $45,200 15% $109,250 $166,500 31% $45,200 $166,500 25% $166,500 $297,350 36% $166,500 -- 33% $297,350 -- 39.6% The President's Tax Plan

The Daily Idiot

Today, I'm blogging about another blog: Daily Kos. It's one of the most popular blogs on the net. We could argue the blog's political leanings all day but they sponsored a convention in which all the democratic presidential candidates attended. Clearly Daily Kos is liberal minded & maybe even far left-wing. With that, my issue is with a blog posting dated October 23, 2007 titled "A Simple Way To End The War On Terror" by Yacka Jah Yacka.

The basic contention is that if we (meaning all Americans) simply converted to Islam that the war on terror would cease to exist. I've struggled with whether or not this blog was intended as a joke or not. Since I am not a regular reader of Daily Kos I simply don't know for certain. What I do know is that if it was an attempt at humor; it failed miserably.

This idea that individual conversion would thwart the war on terror is completely is absurd. First, we're not the only ones the terrorists are trying to kill. Certainly our conversion would do nothing to stop things like the Madrid bombings or the continued attacks on Israel. Second, conversion would not be good enough. It would take the United States becoming an Islamic state; not just our personal religious conversion. How do I know this? Iran, 1979. A country primarily made up of Muslims was not good enough.

Another point made was that as a nation we're really not that serious about our religious practices (primarily Christian). I suppose in a lot of ways that's probably true. However, no matter how often or little one goes to church, I believe, most Christians would be opposed to denying Christ as their personal Savior; the Son of God. The author also assumes that Christians just mindlessly recite their prayers. Of course that's probably true in some cases. I doubt it's true in most cases.

Two points made towards the closing were that conversion would be a small price to pay & that we'd somehow get a bunch of new holidays added to our calendar. However, the price is not small at all. It would mean the abolition of the 1st Amendment; if not all of them. Apparently that's a small price according to the author. While certainly we'd see new Islamic holidays fill our calendar, those Christian holidays we currently enjoy would no longer exist.

Let's get one thing straight. Our conversion would do nothing to stop the war on terror even if we converted the entire nation into an Islamic state complete with our very own Taliban. At which point the honor killings would ensue ridding us of the infidel.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. All this hogwash about converting to Islam ended with some crack about pumping oil. Blah, blah, blah. Daily Kos should consider changing their blog name to the Daily Idiot.