Conspiracy???

This might be reaching but have an open mind.

Some things have been happening in this country that seem a bit more than coincidence.

Swine flu - Shortly after President Obama was elected there was a world wide outbreak of Swine Flu. What was one of the big things on his campaign platform? Healthcare reform and providing healthcare to all americans. What just happened? Government healthcare.

Gulf oil spill - What was another one of his big things on his platform? Green energy. Even after his election he's been pushing for reform in our energy sources. He wants to get away from fossil fuels. Now we have a major accident in the gulf. Comes to light there were issues with safety and other things. Just so happens it's one of the deepest wells in the Gulf. They also seem to be having issues getting it under control. Environmental impact could end up being worse than Valdez. Just when they think they got it something happens and more oil escapes. Now a tropical wave is heading to the Gulf and could cause more issues and spread the oil faster and wider across the coast. And what is he talking about again? That we need to reform and spend money to expand green energy research and he's trying to couple that with adding jobs to the economy. Something tells me a huge amount of money from the stimulus money is going to be spent for that. AND there is going to be fast moving legislation to get things enacted towards green energy.

There are other things that make you go...Hmmmm.

But doesn't it seem odd that when it comes to things he was pushing on the campaign trail there seems to be a catastrophe that seems to justify him spending money to make his campaign "promises" come true?

Coincidence????

2nd Place win.

Second place in the Writers Weekly Summer Contest.

http://writersweekly.com/contest/summer08winners.html

The Owner, the Girl and the Truck
By Jack Mason, Binghamton, NY

Kate stopped outside and closed her eyes. Please, she said to herself. The bells over the door rang as she walked in. The lights were dim. She wondered why a toy store would be so dim; after all, the point is to get people to come in. The owner looked at her, smiled and winked. He turned back to the small black and white television.

She pretended to look at toys on the tables and glanced at the owner every few steps; he was engrossed in a rerun of Ozzie and Harriet. She walked to the back wall and reached under the rack. The truck was still there. She sighed in relief, but it wasn't really much of a surprise. The toys on the rack were covered with as much dust as the ones on the tables.

Kate was excited and smiled as she approached the counter. The owner turned to her and grabbed the truck, "This is NOT for sale." His eyes were wide, almost as wide as hers she imagined.

She stepped back, "But it I mean I I'm sorry." She pulled her coat up around her neck and hurried out. Kate stopped just outside on the sidewalk. The cold wind bit into her. She had to go back. She had promised Ben.

She turned around and peered through the window. The owner was watching the television again. She took another deep breath, pushed the door open and walked halfway to the counter, "Please, sir. I would like to buy this."

He peered over his horn-rimmed glasses, "I told you. It's not for sale. Buy something else or run along, missy."

"But, sir." He glared at her. She hurried out the door, turned the corner to the alley and sighed. I can't do this, she thought. She paced back and forth in the snow. I have to get it for him. It is too important. "Pull yourself together, Kate," she said out loud.

She straightened herself up. Her dad always said, "Pull those shoulders back. It makes you look confident and you'll feel that way too." She strode back to the store. This time she pushed the door open and walked straight to the counter.

The owner looked at her, "I told..."

She slapped her money down on the counter. "No sir. I'm telling you. I'm buying this truck. It was here last week and it's still here this week. I worked very hard to get the money to buy it."

"But I told you, it's NOT for sale."

She took a breath, reached over the counter, grabbed his shirt and pulled. The stool he had been sitting on skittered across the floor. It banged and clattered as it fell over. The owner's eyes were wide. His pungent breath made her catch her own.

"No, sir. I'm buying this. My money is on the counter. I'm taking the truck." The owner pulled back. She let go. He fell against the other counter.

"As I was telling you, missy, this is not for sale because it belongs to my grandson. He lost it. Thank you for finding it. You can HAVE anything else in the store but this is NOT for sale."

Kate was deflated. Her shoulders fell. She picked up her money and shuffled to the door. "I'm sorry, sir." The bells rang overhead as she opened the door; the cold wind blew in and through her.

"Miss, wait. What's so important about the truck?"

She let the door close, fidgeted with her coat buttons and pulled it up around her neck, "My brother. It's the only thing he wanted for his birthday and the only thing he was going to get. I already told him I got it. My mistake." She opened the door again.

"Miss, please wait. Come here."

She took the few steps to the counter. Tears started to well in the corners of her eyes. It wasn't intentional. He leaned forward, "You were here last week. I saw you put the truck under the rack. You didn't think about stealing it?"

She straightened herself up and looked him square in the eye, "Yes, sir. I did. But that would've been wrong and I couldn't give my brother a stolen truck."

The owner stood up and crossed his arms. He looked down at her, the light from the television reflected in his glasses. He slid the truck toward her, "Take it."

"But..."

"No but. Take it. Most kids would have stolen it. Besides, I don't have a grandson," he smiled.

She caught her breath. "Thank you, sir. Thank you." She tucked it in her pocket and placed the money on the counter.

"No, missy. Just take the truck."

Kate smiled. "Oh no, sir. I have to pay for it. I don't take charity. If you gave it to me and then I gave it to my brother, it wouldn't be from me, it'd be from you, and you don't know my brother or me, and my dad always said not to take gifts from strangers." She patted her pocket as she turned and walked out the door.

Kate made the turn into the alley and pulled the truck out. She smiled as she turned it in her hands. With a quick flip the truck disappeared into a dumpster. She smiled, patting the owners wallet in her other pocket, "Ben will be so proud of me."

Moving...

Ok. I'm moving. There are a number of reasons why that I am not going to get into. There are also reasons to stay here. But in the interest of things that I want to accomplish I'm moving.

My blog can now be found at Ponder the Thought (http://zigtag3d.bravejournal.com/)

Space Travel and Vending Machines – What do they have in common?

We have put men on the moon and have kept humans in space for decades. We have robots on Mars that have been working far longer than anyone ever expected and we have probes circling other planets and even a couple ready to exit our solar neighborhood. So what does that have to do with vending machines? Nothing. Well, sort of.

Last week I had a conversation with a co-worker. He made a good point. We as humans have the ability to do all of the above but for some reason we have an inability to manufacture a vending machine that works consistently. Seriously, how many times have you walked up to a vending machine and put your money in only to have your selection stick in the machine? A vending machine is very simple and probably has more ‘computer’ power than the Apollo moon lander.

Why is it that we can put a man on the moon and yet the vending machine doesn’t work right? Knowing that we have a lot of technology in our day-to-day lives, all courtesy of the space program, why don’t things work right? Ok, so they needed a ballpoint pen to hold in a breaker so they could leave the moon. It broke because it was hit by their suits and not because of pure failure. Considering the feat and where things have gone technology wise you would think a simple vending machine would work correctly.

Have we become so technologically advanced that when it comes to simple things we are clueless? I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with some amazing people. The knowledge they had in their heads was unbelievable. Yet, they had a hard time grasping some simple day-to-day things.

Have we as a society, in terms of technology, reached the same point? Are we so closely tied to technology that we can’t do simple things or make simple machines that work consistently? Calculators work flawlessly every time. Computers will work for years and years doing what they should. Argument on computers is they fail a lot. This is not true though. They work fine and just as they should. A computer crash 99.9% of the time is not hardware related; it’s software or user error. Sure hard drives will fail, cooling fans will fail, and CPUs will fail. It is, after all, a machine but the failure rate of a computer due to hardware is much, much lower than that of a vending machine.

So, again the question: Why is it so hard to make a vending machine that works consistently? Is it harder than putting Man on the moon? Is it harder than keeping humans in space for decades? Is it harder than sending a robot to Mars? Or is it a matter of vending machine manufacturers just wanting to make things cheap and make a profit? I’ll go with cheap to make a quick buck.

The next time you put your money in a vending machine think about the men that went to the moon and the ones in space. Would you trust this machine with their lives? If not, will you trust it with your quarter?

Illegal Immigrants – Political and Social Awe

I read an article a couple weeks ago regarding New Haven Connecticut and their plans to issue ID cards to illegal immigrants so they can open bank accounts. I was flabbergasted. So I did some more reading on the issue of illegal immigration and I became even more amazed at the stupidity of some of the stuff going on out there.

So let me get this straight. The Federal government (IRS) issues Tax ID numbers to illegal immigrants so they can pay taxes. In some states illegal immigrants have access to some welfare programs. Some politicians want to issue ID cards to illegal immigrants that are untraceable or will not identify these people as illegal so they can open bank accounts and have access to other services that they normally wouldn’t have access to.

Ok so let’s break this down a little shall we?

Tax IDs. – I can see the government’s point of view on this. They are in this country, albeit illegally, working and making money. They should pay taxes on those wages like everyone else and help pay for programs they are getting access to. Makes sense doesn’t it? I have to ask this though. How do they go about getting the tax ID? Have you ever tried getting a REPLACEMENT Social Security Card? You were born in this country, have been paying taxes for untold years, filing your tax returns just as you should, working 5+ days a week, got a driver’s license, bought a car, bought a house and do your civic duty and vote at every election. But to get a replacement SS card you have to do the following:

Complete Form SS-5
Show original documents or certified copies from the issuing agency: US citizenship or immigration status, Age and Identity.

Seems straightforward right? Here are the documents to prove your status: U.S. birth certificate, U.S. consular report of birth, U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship. If you are not a U.S. citizen then you have to provide immigration documents.

It gets better. Immigration documents include Form I-551 (includes immigrant visa and unexpired foreign passport), I-94 w/unexpired foreign passport or work permit card from the Department of Homeland Security.

How about your age? Prove that with a birth certificate, but if you don’t have one you can prove it with your passport. If you don’t have either I guess you have to call to find out what proof you can provide.

And how do you prove your identity? Provide a U.S. driver’s license, state-issued non-driver ID card or U.S. passport. Other acceptable forms are Employee ID card, School ID card, Marriage document, Health insurance card, U.S. military ID, Adoption decree or life insurance policy.

Now go back and read through all that again and pay attention to what is listed there. With the exception of the immigration documents every other piece of documentation requires you to have a social security number already. Ok your birth certificate doesn’t require one unless you have to get a replacement one of those too. So to get a replacement you need all that stuff. How is it that illegal immigrants can get a tax ID number so easily?

Welfare programs – Ok when it comes to kids I have a soft heart so yes kids should have access to schools and welfare programs. No that doesn’t stop the abuse of the programs because even natural citizens abuse the system but hopefully the kids are being taken care of. However to access the programs you still need documents. I know in my early adult years I needed to rely on the welfare system for a few months. If I remember correctly I needed to show proof of who I was (social security card, photo id) and provide utility bills and phone bills and a lease. Never fear though the government has a card for you. There is a card that shows your name and number but is marked “Not Valid For Employment”. This is issued to people from other countries lawfully admitted to the U.S. without work authorization but with a valid reason to be here needing a SSN or who need a number because a federal law requiring a SSN to get a benefit or service.

Please note, “lawfully admitted”. This does not equate to illegal immigrant. I am sure there is some legalese in the bill so there is a loophole tied to that last part “…who need a number because federal law … to get a benefit or service”

ID Cards – So someone wants to issue ID cards so that illegal immigrants have access to things they wouldn’t normally have access to such as opening a bank account. When was the last time you tried to open a bank account? Didn’t they need three forms of ID, promissory of your first-born son and you little finger? And that is so THEY can hold on to YOUR money. Maybe we should be asking for their information? So with these ID cards, that would no way indicate they are illegal immigrants, it means they would pretty much have access to everything a legal immigrant or natural citizen would have?

It all boils down to this. They are illegal immigrants. They do not belong in this country. If they want to be here they need to go through proper channels to obtain citizenship. Instead of making things difficult for them so they go back to what ever country they came from, we continually make it easier and easier for them to have access to things. Why don’t we save billions of dollars every year and just make this country a free for all? Just open the borders, do away with citizenships and just let everyone in? Oh wait we already do that, it’s called the Mexican border. All anyone in the world needs to do is get to Mexico and they can walk across the border to this country. Coming from Canada isn’t so hard either.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not an isolationist. We can’t cut ourselves off from the world. This country would die if we did. What we can do is make it tougher on those that are here illegally. I have a co-worker that is here legally and every year he has to jump through hoops to stay in this country. He loves this country and is considering application for citizenship. In the mean time he has to work hard each year at some expense to stay here. Even then there is a limited amount of time he can stay here even with the yearly hoops. It’s sad that someone that follows the rules and does what they should to be here legally can be forced out of the country very easily while those that are here illegally have access to more services and can go about their business their whole lives without worry.

I don’t have the answers to the problem. Wish I did because I would be rich or the next President of the United States. I do know the things they are trying to do are not the answer.

Men, Women and Razors

Ok ladies this is for you. I’m ready for the backlash so let loose if you wish. Keep in mind this is an off center look at the subject and not necessarily my personal view.

What in the world is it with women using their man’s razor? Why is it that women have this need to use a razor that is not their own to shave their legs, arm pits and what ever else? Then to just go and put it back like nothing happened, to leave their man with a razor that is dull and full of hair that is not their own only to knick their face and not get that baby smooth face that women love?

I mean, come on. There are razors at the store for women and their shaving needs. Each week we are at the store with you and we stop in the shaving section and pick up new blades. Why is it that you can’t pick up razors for yourself? Most disposable razors for men are good for three or four shaves. Then they find themselves making more passes over spots to get that stubble so they can be smooth and silky for their women. However because the woman decides she is going to use the razor, unbeknown to the man, he finds he is getting fewer shaves out of the blades. Often times he finds out after the fact when he has blood dripping from his face and has voiced several four-letter words.

Can you explain to me why you do it? It is a control thing? Is it that you feel you own us and by default own our things? Is it because you enjoy knowing that you are causing him pain and possible permanent disfigurement? Is it that you just don’t want to spend money on yourselves? Is it that men’s razors are sharper and give you a better shave? Don’t get me wrong. I prefer women that are properly groomed and I am not one for hairy pits and other body parts. I just really want to know why women have this need to use the man’s razor.

So let’s open this up to the floor. I would love to have input from the women or even men on their take on this issue. I’m just looking for some insight.