Above Reproach?

Apparently the self-selected manner by which Congressman Rangle intends to demonstrate what a truly ethical gentleman he has been during his 20-term tenure in Congress was to remove himself from the very venue in which such a declaration would most logically be aired; the House Ethics Committee. Imploring the committee to grant him an additional postponement of the hearings, citing as justification that he had previously spent two million dollars on legal counsel (which subsequently had left his employ), he had exhausted his available personal financial resources and thus could not at this time employ new legal counsel. The committee, comprised of four Democrats and four Republicans, said "No," recognizing that the 2 1/2 year old case had languished long enough. The hearings on Rangle's 13-count misconduct allegations began immediately unabated with Mr. Rangle choosing to be absent from the proceedings.

The preponderance of evidence of Mr. Rangle's malfeasance in the handling of his personal financial and fundraising activities appears at this juncture to be a fate accompli, which if Mr. Rangle is found guilty of any or all charges would most likely result in a full House vote "deploring" his conduct. Such an admonishment would at minimum represent a most sever and public humiliation for Mr. Rangle personally and an equally embarrassing humiliation for his Harlem constituency. None of the charges currently being levied against Mr. Rangle appear to reach the threshold of being eligible for civil criminal prosecution. Committee Chief Counsel, Blake Chisam, stated for the record, "I see no evidence of corruption." Perhaps Mr. Ragle should be thankful and content to hold his breath, less the IRS determine that an investigation into any of his fund raising endeavors made their way into his personal finances without income taxes being paid...especially as it might pertain to his failure to declare rent income from a resort unit he owns in the Dominican Republic.

Although Mr. Rangle would put forth is "50 years of public service" as ample foundation to be accorded latitude in his seeking mercy if not forgiveness for his transgressions, I would contend that such forgiveness, if not total blindness, has been afforded him by the electorate of his Harlem, N.Y. congressional district. Why these good folks, who deserve a representative that should always be above reproach in any of their official duties, would chose to continually elect this unethical man for the past 40 years escapes my powers to comprehend. I can only pose conjecture that the Harlem electorate chooses to adopt the same mentality that was evident in the O.J. Simpson trail; "it's us against them and to hell with them!" The definition of insanity aptly may be applied here: "If you continue to do the same thing and continue to get the same results, etc." Mr Rangle may look good in a suit and he may continue to "bring home the bacon" to his home district, but the man at the end of the day really has only one overriding personal objective, to take care of Mr. Rangle. If the Harlem electorate is satisfied with such mediocrity, then you have it in spades for at least another two years. Congratulations.

"Really!?!

Microsoft is introducing it's new "windows" phone with a television advertisement that depicts individuals so engrossed with their cell phones while each still remains engaged absentmindedly in other physical activities that otherwise would require some minimum amount of mental awareness. The results are deliberately predictable.

One scene has a woman adorned in alluring lingerie, whose mind is on anything but texting, only to observe contemptively that her significant other is more interested in his cell phone messages than in the overt, obvious fact that his wife is trying to send him her own message. "Really!?!

One dude can't even take time out from relieving himself in a public restroom before his lack of dexterity results in his precious phone falling into the watery abyss. Without missing a beat he quickly retrieves the instrument while the man standing next to him looks on in abject disgust. "Really!?!" Indeed..."Really!?!"

I'm all in favor of technology making our lives easier. The list of technological advances that have evolved since President Kennedy challenged our country to put a man on the moon is staggering, 99% of which I would hazard to guess have had beneficial impact upon how we humans live and conduct of lives. However, as is too often the case, advances designed to be of benefit can also produce contrary and non-beneficial results if the end user's misuse or abuse of the products produce an unintended and hazardous outcome. Microwaves are undeniably great for food preparation, but not to dry one's socks.

Let one person introduce a new type of mousetrap and no sooner has that product saturated the marketplace when another entrepreneur introduces yet another better means of accomplishing the same end result. "Bravo," I say. Microsoft obviously has determined that they can take their most successful "windows" platform and meld it into cell phone application, touting in their commercial that a user can "get in and get out" more quickly so each can get on with living their lives. What isn't suggested in this new version of the "must have electronic toy" is the fact that too many users will do anything but "get in and get out" more quickly, but will find even more reasons (excuses) to have their noses, eyes and full attention glued to that screen.

If the worse result is that some dude lacking in hygienic protocol continues to occasionally drop his new "windows" phone in a series of latrines, then society as a whole may, for the most part, avoid any detrimental consequence. However, there are still far too many people running around unsupervised in polite society who continue to still need prominent warning labels affixed to their coffee containers advising them that the liquid they are about to consume is "hot." These types of obsessed persons are the same gene deprived individuals who will drive unaware through an intersection and into the path of an on-coming vehicle. After the medics have transported their unwitting victims to either the hospital or the morgue, I'm betting that the investigating officer will have something more to say that just "Really!?!"

A Few Parting Words...

On behalf of all Americans who find your voice to be as grating as nine-inch finger nails on a chalkboard and who, unlike you, choose to appear in costume only on Halloween, please let me impart some heartfelt departing words as you slither into the dustbin of obscurity...

"Shut the Hell up!!"

&

"Bub-bye..."

We're going to miss you like a bad case of intestinal distress.

The Battle Has Been Engaged...

YOU'RE NEXT, DIPWEED!!

(That's all I'm saying...for the moment.)

"Headed To That Point Of No Return..."

Here's a shocker... According to the latest Rasmussen poll released today, only 24% of the individuals surveyed "strongly approve" of the job Barack Obama is doing as president. Let me guess... Those would be the same people who have both of their hands thrust forward, palms up, looking for the continuation of their free ride at the expense of every other hard working, over taxed American citizen. Among this collection of hardcore free-loaders is no doubt the individual who, upon hearing that the health care bill had been passed into law, immediately rose from his second hand couch and rushed down to the the nearest walk-in clinic and demanded their free health care. "What do you mean I don't get treated for free? Obama promised!!"

This type of human sloth comprises the voter base on which Obama is counting on to stick with him come hell, high water, or massive amounts of oil sludge washing up upon the shorelines of our gulf states. These waste of human corpuscles, thank God, do not represent a sufficiently large enough number of potential voters to put this colossal mistake of a president back into office for a second term. But the millions of illegal aliens populating our fifty states might just turn the tide if Obama can somehow, with the help of his liberal Congressional acolytes, manage to ramrod an amnesty bill through Congress. Obama and his Democrat minions must lay awake nightly salivating like Pavlovian k-nines at the prospect of tabulating millions of pay back votes for granting unwarranted amnesty to the unimpeded tide of foreign rabble who have been suckling free of charge at our nation's social services breast. Thank God the clear-headed, law abiding citizens of Arizona had the fortitude to undertake the long over due task of exposing the current administration's obvious transparent scheme to look the other way while thousands more illegal aliens flood into their state and say resolutely "No More. The rule of law will be upheld and the inept federal government can 'Go to hell!'"

And now, lurking just below the murky surface of the Obama White House, comes the latest miscalculation of this imperial presidency; the ever growing revelation that a potential bribe was in the offing in the form of a promise of a high raking position in the Obama administration, which would be forthcoming if Representative Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) would withdraw his Senatorial candidacy to unseat incumbent Arlen Specter. Sestak declined the alleged approach, defeated Specter in the Pennsylvania primary, yet has repeatedly maintained such an offer was on the table. Subsequently, however, Sestak has declined to be more specific as to the who, what, when and wheres of the contact from within the Obama White House, suggesting instead that the other person or persons involved "need to explain whatever their role might be."

As expected, the White House has initiated it's oft used full damage control, attempting to minimize the matter by offering the pretense that nothing untold ever transpired. "Lawyers in the White House and others have looked into the conversations that were had with Congressman Sestak, and nothing inappropriate happened." Thus spoke White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, with tale-tale feathers spewing from the corners of his mouth as he tried to dissuade members of the press from entertaining the possibility that his fellow band of ravenous wolves had been inspecting the hen house. At stake is the potential that the alleged job offer may indeed run afoul of federal bribery laws, which, if such allegations prove factual and reach to the utmost echelons of the Obama administration, including perhaps the President himself, could rise to the level of being a prosecutable, impeachable offense. We can only hope...

Obama has been quoted as saying "Plug the damn hole!," in response to his personal frustration that the thousands of barrels oil spewing into the gulf day after day is soiling and interfering with his agenda to remake American into a socialist style European country. "We The People" couldn't agree with you more, Mr. President. We, who comprise the 76% of Americans who believe you are doing a brilliant job of running roughshod over the constitutional rights of all freedom loving Americans are continuing to do our determined and unwavering best to "Plug the damn hole!" Come November 8th we will undertake our electoral form of affirmative action by retaking control of Congress, relegate you to a lame duck, one term President and turn you out of office to languish in the dustbin of deplorable American history. The day of the final Rasmussen poll on your job approval evaluation is fast approaching. It shall be your day of reckoning and it can't come too soon to suit me.

"Do It Right Or Go Home!!

Obama... What do you not understand about the word "illegal?"

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer took a gigantic and courageous step to confronting the tsunami of illegal immigrants that have been and continue to flood into her state by signing on this past Friday a statue that gives authority to state law enforcement agencies to question persons of suspicion as to their immigration status.

The hue and cry from the vocal opposition centers around the contention that such a law will legalize rampant profiling. Since it factually calculated that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants - primarily from neighboring Mexico - already reside in Arizona, one could safely assume that even with an occasional spot check one would uncover individuals who have to date crossed into our country without benefit of proper documentation. Profiling? I would hope so. It is about time that some one took the long over due initiative to confront this problem that is draining and straining the resources of many local and state governments, especially those that are in geographic proximity to Mexico. Do I care that there will be individuals inconvenienced by having a police officer inquire as to their legal immigration status? Absolutely not. If you came into this country legally, welcome. If not, you are going to be arrested and deported back to your country of origin and I won't lose a wink of sleep over it.

Of course Mr. Obama was quick to decry the Arizona initiative by labeling it "misguided," and further commenting that such a threatening effort serves "to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans." Tell me Mr. Obama, what is inherently fair about having approximately 10.8 million illegal immigrants sucking off the limited and underfunded resources of the American tax payers who must underwrite the social service benefits that these individuals soak up without contributing on penny in recompense? Apparently you idea of fairness, Mr. Obama, has very little if anything to do with the established and long upheld laws that for decades have dictated the correct and proper manner by which a foreign national may solicit and obtain legal status in this country. Climbing over a fence in the dead of night is not, to my knowledge, a statue that is duly recognized as permissible by any of the current immigration law.

Illegal immigrants have no "civil rights" in this country. Mr. Obama can have the Justice Department delve into that issue all he wants. The fact remains that illegal immigrants lose their civil rights when they elect of their own free will to cross the U.S. and Mexico boarder without benefit of a valid passport. They maintain only basic human rights, which prescribes that if and when they are apprehended each shall be treated with dignity and courtesy...and then given a helping hand to board the bus back to Mexico. That is all they are due, period.

Once again Mr. Obama, your continuing misguided efforts to wrought change on America is woefully misplaced. Americans, for the greatest majority, are not bigoted or prejudiced people. But we are a fair minded people. We expect and now demand that our fellow citizens, and all those who would wish to be accorded that status, do things according to the established laws of the land...not by the whim of an unpopular president or hordes of Democratic adherents who seek to admit these illegal millions solely for the sake of better assuring their re-election.

Arizona got it right. Now if all of the southern boarder states would do the same this country will begin at long last to turn back the tide of illegal immigrants. Washington doesn't prescribe to fairness. It only prescribes to self-serving rhetoric. Mr. Obama, I ask you again. What part of the word "illegal" seems to be giving you the most difficulty? Do the country an immense favor...play more golf and stay the hell out of the American people's way!

"Another Milestone Achieved..."

Much to my chagrin, it's been over a month since I last posted to my blog. I've thought about doing so numerous times during my self imposed interlude, but every time the notion occurred that I was being delinquent in exercising what limited writing ability I may possess, I came to the conclusion that my subject matter would no doubt be centered around my continuing extreme displeasure with what is occurring in our nation's capital. I am reticent to belabor that matter at further length for no apparent benefit to anyone other than myself. In my opinion there is no endearing benefit in continuing to work myself up into a frothy lather. At least not until the latter part of this coming summer when it will be time to whip up the languishing discontent among my fellow citizens and join them in our gathering march to the polls in November to cast a landslide of votes in opposition to those who have so foolishly disregarded our demands for common sense representation. Let those who consider themselves intellectually superior to the common man enjoy their few remaining weeks to relish their short-lived victories. The bell of just recompense shall toll for them in due time.

For me life has continued on a leisurely pace unabated. My 62nd birthday arrived without major fanfare last Thursday. I am now officially eligible to begin collecting my monthly social security stipend beginning in June. I shall welcome the extra monthly income to help augment my part-time employment, which fluctuates between 20 and 30 hours a week. I'm not complaining. In fact I am most thankful that I have this opportunity to earn a weekly wage, as there are so many people in this state and tri-county area that have been out of work for months and, in many cases, a year or more without a single prospect of finding any type of job.

A couple of weeks back a local company advertised that they were looking to hire a couple hundred people for a new construction project and over 7,000 folks showed up in the hopes of landing one of the offered positions. I couldn't help but be profoundly saddened as I studied the faces on the television screen who displayed so much desperate hope, yet knowing that for the greatest majority this effort would be but yet another disappointment in their struggle to keep mind, body and spirit afloat for yet another day. Yes, I am most fortunate and blessed to possess a marketable skill that affords me the opportunity to keep the creditor wolves away from my threshold.

My birthday was both a blessing and a curse. The blessing was having daughter Megan home from Chicago to spend 10 days with us. Our home was once again regaled with the laughter and spirited conversation that she and many of her friends re-introduced to our dinner table. Having her boyfriend Greg in her company for a shorter visit with us was also an added joy. We played golf together and renewed our fondness for one another.

The curse came with the realization that the gurgling sound emanating from the tub in the bathroom was most likely, as I suspected, due to the distinct possibility that the sewer pipe leading from our home out to the alley was most likely clogged. The tale tale odor that was turning the air blue around the old homestead was also an odious clue. So, rather than paying some day laborer to dig up the back yard, I spent my birthday weekend shoveling a trench three feet deep, following the uncovered sewer pipe section by section, knowing that sooner (I hoped) than later I would find the breach. What I discovered, much to my chagrin, was that the pipe I was laboriously uncovering was not in fact the actual sewer line, but had been abandoned years ago. I made this disappointing discovery when the last pipe I uncovered did not connect to another section. It just stopped! "Great!! Now what!?!" Since our home was constructed in the late 1920's, common sense dictated that somewhere beneath my feet was yet another sewer line or else, for all these many past decades, our waste was merely evaporating into the sandy soil to parts unknown. Fat chance...

Another hour and another two feet in the direction of China and I finally came across the heretofore illusive line and began once again digging my way toward the west side of the house where I knew I had previously replaced a bad section of line. About 9 p.m. I uncovered the broken pipe. "Victory!" However, repairs and replacement would have to wait until the following day, as I could barely drag my 62 year old body out of the ditch. Came too soon Saturday morning and once again I was back at it. A trip to Home Depot for PVC pipe and fittings and by noon all was repaired. Yelling out to Judi, "Let 'er rip!," she flushed in succession both toilets and I carefully inspected to make sure there were no leaks. Again to Judi, "If you'll pardonn the expression, 'We're good to go!.'" "Hurray!" came back here reply. By 9 p.m. I had again refilled the ditch and was left pondering if there is an unwritten Murphy's Law that states that "No matter how deep is the hole, them amount of dirt removed will not all go back into the same hole!" I'm left with two piles of dirt (make that sand...this is Florida after all) with no place to dispose of same. Alas...this conundrum must wait until next Saturday when I have allowed my tired old muscles the chance to recuperate. Maybe my neighbors won't notice that I've spread my wealth of good fortunes over their yards.

So...that's how I spent my birthday weekend. It could have been a lot worse, but I'm having difficulty imagining how.

P.S. If birthdays are regarded as achievable and celebrated milestones, how come the final destination is marked with a headstone?" Seems to me to be a matter of diminishing returns...