Red Blooded American Boy

They warned us about it. Pandemic and death was on the way.

They said be worried about it. After hearing awful predictions of hospitals full of the sick, we were worried about it.

The government said they were ready for it. We lined up ready to submit to our shot of possible immunity. But, they were not ready. The H1N1 flu vaccine was still being mixed in the witches brew while the brunt of the flu season came and went. Now, they are begging to give the stuff away.

Not only was the government wrong about predicting the scale of H1N1 infections, they were wrong about being prepared to offer a vaccine for it.

But, how stupid are we for even thinking the CDC was going to make a difference for millions of eager Americans unable to get the vaccine? Instead, a classic example of government rationing took place. The “high risk” people were given the vaccine first, and then the common people were offered the shot in the arm. Welcome to government healthcare folks.

Now, with less than 24% of Americans immunized and over 50 million doses not administered, the CDC has a problem. They have too much inventory on the shelves, and not enough customers. So, the pandemic pandering is erupting again in the media in an effort to get those doses out and about.

Sorry, Charlie. Americans are trying to exercise and shed some pounds this time of year. A flu shot really doesn’t make much sense now to the Weight-Watchers crowd right about now. It never made much sense at all, anyway. The H1N1 scare was much closer to a hoax than reality. The CDC and other government clowns were running a good show for a while. Luckily, by the time the doses were ready, America was already distracted with something else.

The next time the CDC begins its media madhouse about a new deadly bug, America should take it seriously enough to disregard it. Maybe then, the CDC will have something really important to be worried about: being ignored.

Back in 1994, our esteemed Senator Jesse Helms warned President Bill Clinton that he “…better have a bodyguard…” upon visiting the Tar Heel State. Helms was echoing the sentiment of many military families who faced downsizing, base closures and reduced spending for America’s defense. Back then, the Liberal media dogged Helms and painted him as a hateful, racist homophobic. The assault on Helms was relentless.

Fast forward to today. Obama belched out criticism of Las Vegas again, advising Americans to not spend money there.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman ripped President Obama saying, “I’ll do everything I can to give him the boot back to Washington.” Mayor Goodman is refusing to give an apology.

The press is covering the story, but not with the same visceral effort. Mayor Goodman is a Democrat and will not be held to the same standard as Jesse Helms. Helms was tar and feathered by the media. Goodman is being portrayed as a hack that is giving the President some very good fun air time.

America is tired of the media bias. That is why the old media entities of Helm’s time are rapidly decaying into history. We have figured out that the old media owns the monopoly on hateful, racist and homophobic actions.

Jesse is looking down on us, smiling in satisfaction.

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For months now, Americans have been infuriated that 9-11 terrorist suspects may be tried in New York City. Not only is this in poor taste, but it places havoc in a city that already does not sleep. In a revolation, apparantly Obama has asked for Eric Holder to investigate other areas to try and convict the terrorists. Maybe, Obama is trying to save face? Forget it, it is too late for that.

In a bold move, Republicans are trying to block Federal funds to pay for the 9-11 trials if they are held in New York City. I didn’t know they had it in them, and I would not expect more. The whole entire Congress needs a reset button, no matter which party they claim obedience.

This is another example of how Obama has shown Americans just how idiotic he really is. No one with any sensitivity to NYC would even think of putting a terrorist trial there. If the slow revamping of Manhattan is not enough of a reminder, I do not know what is. Obama just does not understand that the World Trade Center site is sacred and hallowed ground. Placing a terrorist anywhere close to that area is an insult to those who died there. Even if Holder does not have the trial in NYC, Obama’s cowardly message has already been sent. Obama’s actions are like daggars in the hearts of the victims of 9-11-2001.

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For years I have been a traveling professional, spending my time in airplanes several times a week. In that time, I have peered out from the airplane window marveling at the sites. Looking at snow capped mountains thousands of miles above the earth while sipping on soda really puts the miracle of flight into perspective. What I didn’t realize was that the flight was more of a miracle than I knew. An alarming investigation published by USA Today exposes the bad state of repair our airplanes are in.

The first image to my mind is of angels flying in the sky guiding the wings of planes to their destinations. The thousands of flights that were airborne despite maintenance issues certainly had some guiding force to keep them from crashing. Luck alone could not have kept so many planes from meeting certain doom. At thirty thousand feet, there are no such thing as Atheists.

Most certainly, the sixty-five thousand flights that should not have flown are a fraction of the real number that are in need of repair. The investigation revealed that many of the repairs are done by untrained and uncertified staff with incorrect tools. This pretty much reduces the repairs done to nothing more than a jukebox side-smack delivered by the Fonz.

One can quickly scold the airlines. But, the FAA failed, too. The FAA allows the use of local uncertified cowboys to repair airplanes (if the repairs are approved by a certified mechanic). Mechanic unions complain that this sort of outsourcing is lowering the quality of work completed, and putting Americans at risk. I like the idea of certified mechanics – just not Unionized certified mechanics. Unions can breed apathy and complacency. A lazy mechanic that is certified is just as bad as an untrained mechanic in a sweat shop.

Meanwhile, the FAA will continue to act like it is doing something to help keep us safe. But, like a typical government agency it will only attempt to demonize the airlines. Forget about the fact that it is the FAA’s job to monitor and prevent such problems from occurring. The FAA is there to protect us, so when it screws up – well, it does not matter.

While agencies and companies battle over who is the bad guy, I will keep depending on my Angels. The miracle of flight is truly – a miracle.

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OK. I admit it. When I was a teenager, I thought librarians were hot. There was something about a quiet, studious woman with glasses that really fired up teenage horny-mones. That soft and pounding sound of library card stampers echoed the sound of my heart. Nothing made me happier than to see her pay attention to what I was reading, even commenting on my selection of books. Yes, that book about traveling the world certainly reflects my adventurous and rock-climbing side.

But, now things have changed. The librarian is no longer attractive. Instead, she is a digital spy that watches and records what I read. Even worse, she shares information with law enforcement about what I am reading. Now, I don’t want her to know what I am reading.

Luckily, I am a proud owner of a Sony Reader. They don’t seem to care about what you read, not sharing information with law enforcement. But, I do use Google Books to read public domain books.

The collection of my book purchase patterns or browsing does not bother me if it is used within the organization for marketing, sales and other proprietary business improvement purposes. But, what exactly does Google, Amazon and B&N have to share with law enforcement about me? Will the government begin to put people who buy or download controversial books on a watch list? So, for instance, if I read a copy of Mien Kampf will that put me on a Nazi extremist watch list?

Maybe, the government wants to know what I read to enforce intellectual property rights laws? For instance, if I have a copyrighted book on my device, I better be able to prove a purchase occurred for that book. However, if the Feds invade my home, will they demand a receipt for all books on my bookshelf? No. So, why all of this infringement of rights for digital copies of books? This appears to be an excuse for government intrusion in our lives.

The “Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement” being negotiated world wide is the catalyst for this type of imposition. We need to be aware and keep an eye on government before they can only keep an eye on us.

The proliferation of infringements of intellectual property rights (“IPR”) particularly in the context of counterfeiting and piracy poses an ever-increasing threat to the sustainable development of the world economy. The consequences of such IPR infringements include (1) depriving legitimate businesses and their workers of income; (2) discouraging innovation and creativity; (3) threatening consumer health and safety; (4) providing an easy source of revenue for organized crime; and (5) loss of tax revenue. — Fact Sheet, ACTA.

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