Kids and the Border

I am 100% against amnesty for illegals. The current situation on the border, however, is disheartening, discouraging, unprecedented, and disgusting. Our porous border situation which has led hundreds of thousands of children to America, created by Barack Obama, has given me pause, and it has made me look at this particular situation in a new light.

As I look at the pictures of the kids piled up in rooms, the vast majority of them without parents, hearing stories of our border patrol changing diapers instead of protecting the borders, reading stories about an HHS order for clean underwear, it breaks my heart. Many of these kids don't know any better. Many of them are looking to get out of squalor in their own countries, while meeting equal squalor here in America once they are piled up in a room with others, given a number, and waiting for someone to care enough to come get them.

I took a little bit of action today. I called the Office of Refugee Settlement to see what is being done with these kids; to see if there was anything we could do for them. I asked if any were up for adoption, whether or not they could be fostered, and after a long process of asking the same questions to multitudes of indivdiuals in our vast government bureaucracy, I finally spoke with Elaine Kelley (202.205.4792).

Elaine stated the following:

• The kids are able to be fostered.
• They will only consider licensed foster families
• 90% of those currently housed in rooms will be united with family/sponsors already in America
• Foster care will generally be temporary - usually 30 days or less
• Just because they have family here already, they may not be released to them
• Family members/sponsors are put through relationship tests
• Family members/sponsors are given background checks by the FBI
• Family members/sponsors may not receive the children if they fail any aspect of the scrutiny given by the government
• In certain circumstances, attorneys representing the children can elongate the reunification process, should any preconditions not be met

I am not a licensed foster care provider, so I asked her what I needed to do to become licensed. Elaine stated that the ORR works with a couple of non-profits who have a network of licensed foster care providers within your state. Both are faith-based: The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. She recommended to reach out to these organizations and they may have some information on how to help if foster care is not possible (currently) and how to get these kids coloring books, clothes, etc.

I guess my point in all of this is that these kids deserve to see how great Americans can be. I know that if my child ran away, I would pray that she was safe, warm, disease free, in a friendly environment, well taken care of, and under the care of a loving family. I would wonder constantly about her well-being, and I would want to make sure that she was given a great opportunity. My heart breaks for these kids. As a conservative, I hate what Obama has done to lure these children here, without their parents, to stack them into a room, put them on a bus, not give them any idea on what is going on, and to put them in a situation of wonder and hopelessness. As a Christian, I want to give them a great experience while they are here. I'm torn, I admit it. However, in the end, I know that the Christian in me wins over politics any day. 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. So, if you are like me, please reach out to your state foster care agencies. Look up the faith based agencies that Elaine provided, and see if there is anything you can do to help. I know America will take this lemon and make lemonade, because that's what we do. We need to embrace these kids and show them how great we are, even if it's only for a little while. Hope this helps answer any questions you all may have, and I hope you all act in a caring way to support the kids who need help.

Gardasil: Still a Risk and Worth Discussing with Your Congressman

You might remember the Republican primary in 2012, when Gov. Rick Perry from TX was running for President. While governor, he mandated that all girls age 12 and over receive the HPV vaccine. Upon signing and implementation, 12 girls died in TX. At that time, there was no linkage between the vaccine and the deaths, but he coined the phrase "coincidence" in relation to the vaccine and their deaths. The protest of the law grew so loud, Governor Perry repealed it. The funny thing is, that if I weren't so into politics, I may not have ever heard about the risks of this vaccine.

It was then that I began to be reluctant in getting the vaccine for my girls. Kari, my wife, is a nurse, who at times, recommended the vaccine for the girls, but I was, and still am, reluctant. We had discussed it at length, and I voiced my apprehension. Thus far, we have not had them get the vaccine. To my knowledge, since my girls are over 12, and law does not require them to notify us, they have not received the vaccine on their own accord (I have discussed the possible ramifications with them, and trust that they would discuss this with us, however).

This video is pretty powerful. I don't think that the risks outweigh the reward. Cervical cancer is horrible, no doubt, but I am happy that we haven't had our girls get the vaccine. We may not have them today. All I can say, is if you have a little girl or a young woman in your family, educate yourself on this. Based on these testimonials, it could be the difference of life and death. The name of the drug is Gardasil.


Click here to watch a powerful plea from those who have suffered from the Gardasil vaccine.

MLK 50 Year Anniversary, And My Family's Character.

I was a little disappointed listening to the 50th anniversary of the MLK - I Have a Dream speech. Listening to the speech itself, it brought about all the wrongs of the times, and was an uplifting verbal assault on those who were oppressive. They happened to be Democrats, by the way. He spoke about character, and its importance. He spoke of a future where his children and grandchildren would prosper, based on their merit; that a world would look at them not by their looks, but how they acted.

Today was disappointing, because no one addressed the issues in the black community. No one stood up and said "50 years ago, 85% of us had mothers and fathers. Today, only 25% of us do." No one stood up and said "when our character includes hundreds of murders per year of black on black crime, it wasn't what Dr. King was speaking of." No one stood up and said "our community has less than 50% graduation rate from high school and only 25% of us graduate from college."

Instead, Bill Clinton said that it was easier to buy an assault rifle than it was to vote. John Lewis, the last living speaker from 50 years ago, took his time to address Trayvon Martin. Oprah was the only one who was uplifting and gave the community something to ponder. Good for her, especially after lying her ass off about being a victim of racism in Switzerland.

I can't imagine going through life as a victim. Constantly blaming others for what happens to me. I grew up poor too, in a single parent family, the youngest of 7. My parents divorced shortly after I was born. My mom, who raised us, sacrificed all she had to ensure that we were raised with good character. She encouraged me to get involved. I didn't always take the right path, but she stood firm when I strayed. She didn't make excuses for me. She didn't sit back and say "well, he ain't got no daddy, so what am I supposed to do?" She didn't go on assistance, take welfare, WIC, or anything else. She worked hard. She punished me when I did wrong, and she loved me when I did right.

I look at my brother and sisters, and we are as follows: A retired administrator for a successful nursing home. An office manager for a successful surgeon. A fantastic nurse who has seen many new lives brought into this earth. A stay at home mom/daycare provider/movie maker. The Emergency Medical Technician licensing person (sorry, don't know her actual title) for the entire state of Michigan. A small business owner who hauls steel across the midwest to make America work. A Business Analyst for a multi-billion dollar company.

My mom didn't tell us we had privilege because we were white. She made sure we had character. And that is what builds success.

Quit with the Minimum Wage Talk Already. Or, Why work when I can get Welfare?

Some dude on Twitter was dogging me over a NY Post article that stated it was better in some states in the country to stay on welfare than it was to work; realistically, to even take a wage that the left considers a "fair wage". In fact, the article states that in NY, NJ and HI, it would take at least $20/hr to get off their asses and get a job. In other words, why work, with no education, no plans on climbing the corporate ladder, or even trying to do something different, if the government will pay someone at least $20/hr to sit at home?

His last tweet to me was "forget the bickering. can you agree that raising the minimum wage would help to combat ppl exploiting pub welfare programs?"

My answer to that is a resounding no! I'll explain this simply. Those who work, pick the job, and they are told at the time they take the job what the wage will be. In America, we don't have to take a job, and we are not forced into a job that we do not want to have. If, at the time you are given the opportunity to have employment, you do not like the offer, you can either ask for more money, or you can refuse the opportunity.

Minimum wage jobs were never meant to be a staple of the American Dream. Minimum wage jobs are the lowest rung on the corporate ladder, often times part-time positions, and they are offered to those who are seeking a position with a company where an "evaluation period" is preferred hiring practice for a little while before hiring a person full-time at more money.

The drive for the American Dream should be to look at a position as an opportunity to learn. Perhaps grow in an area of interest, and look forward to growing with the company, or being afforded the opportunity to take on duties which help the company grow and become more efficient. Marco Rubio spoke of his father working years as a hotel bartender, working overtime so that his kids didn't have to. Steve Jobs started Apple in his garage. Michael Dell started making customized computers out of his dorm room. I'm sure all of those guys didn't make much starting out either, but boy did they turn their dreams into reality.

Now, the people today think that by raising the minimum wage, poverty will disappear. By raising the minimum wage, people will go get jobs and get off the public dole. It is such a fallacious premise! Economics 101 teaches everyone how to establish COGS or Cost of Goods Sold. To establish a price at which to sell a good, you must determine how many of the product will be sold, how many people will be required to make the product, what type of technology will be required, and how many hours it takes to make the product.

Taking all of those things into account, let's say that it takes 5 people @ $8/hr to make a product that is sold to the general public at $1/ea. The product starts to take off, and we have to hire on more workers. Those workers all make $8/hr, and we continue to sell the product for $1.

Then, one day, the government decides to up the minimum wage to $9.50. The company now has to make a choice.

1) The company can either keep making the product, keep all of the employees, and lose profit on the product.
2) The company can fire some workers in order to keep the product at $1 sale price, and keep profit margins the same.
3) The company can raise the cost of the product, keep the employees, and hope that people will still buy the product at the elevated cost.

Given those choices, 2 are uncertainties, but one is absolutely certain. The certainty is that the company will cut its losses, fire employees, pay the others overtime and continue to offer the product to the customer at the affordable price.

The reality of the situation with salary and wages in America is that if you don't like your job, find another one. If there is a company that will pay you more for your services, by all means, take that position. No one is telling you you HAVE to work at Walmart, but they pay 1.2 Million people for their services. People have to quit looking at work and wages as though the company owes them something. You are selling yourself when you work. If you feel you are underpaid, ask for a raise or find another company that will pay you what you feel you are worth. It really is that simple.

If you don't want to work 3 jobs, then go to school. Get a certificate that sets you apart from the countless others out there who are just like you. Differentiate yourself from your competition. And above all else, when you decide to take a job at a price offered to you and accepted by you, perform at peak performance all the time. Those are the ones who rise to the top. If you aren't rising fast enough, then look in the mirror, not in the boss's office.

A-Rod, Hated Gladiator

I can't stand the Yankees, and I'm no Alex Rodriguez fan. However, I'm not a sterioid hater either. I believe that science has progressed enough that we are now at a point where HGH (Human Growth Hormone) can be beneficial to not just athletes, but to the human race in its entirety. I also believe that some of these supplements out there which target specific areas of health and fitness are also beneficial. We are no longer shooting horse tranquilizers into our system, and we are no longer doing great bodily harm to ourselves if we decide to take a substance which can help us out physically. I can go on and on about the benefits of supplements and medical breakthroughs used today in cell regeneration, recovery and overall health improvement, but that isn't what this is about today.

With that disclaimer out of the way, why is A-Rod hated? I mean, this guy is the poster boy for villain. He is demonized in every article, every newscast, every time the Yankees are on, even by the Yankees announcers themselves. The GM won't even talk to him anymore, because A-Rod is going on offense and is suing the Yankees.

But why is he hated? My take: A-Rod has been kicked around long enough. He doesn't feel that he should be the "example", when he was coming in the league during a culture of steroid use and later PEDs. He wants to give MLB a taste of its own medicine, and I predict by the time it's over, Pandora's box will be opened and nothing will be sacred. A-Rod's going down swinging. And he's taking everyone with him.

Did he lie? Yep. But here's a little secret: So did every other athlete who was part of an investigation into Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). Think Sammy Sosa wasn't juicing? How about Mark McGwire? Ryan Braun? Well, he lied to everyone around him, won in arbitration last year, and then did a 180 and is now admitting he used PEDs and is serving a 64 game suspension. Andy Pettite - remember him? He not only admitted it, but he also suggested that it sped up his recovery, and got him back to peak performance in very little time. Whether or not you believe that he quit once he was there is another story.

Fun Fact: A-Rod has never tested positive for PED's. Now, the story behind this little deal would more than reveal that he had taken them, and I get that. However, he has never tested positive. He's willing to take his suspension, but Braun lied too. Why should A-Rod have to take a 1.5 year ban, or even a lifetime ban, as has been suggested? Now, he admitted to using them back in 2003, but he has never tested positive one single time.

My point is this. A-Rod is no different than any other liar out there. He lied his butt off to protect his contract, continue to perform in his profession, and to live an all-star kind of life. He got caught. Now, he's fighting hard to not be made an example.

What is it with our society today that desires to see the successful torn down? What is it with our society today, when we revel in the plight of others? I'm just not that way, so I have a hard time with the group hatred of a person.

It disgusted me the other night when Dempster threw at A-Rod not once, not twice, but 4 times, and then finally hit him in the back. Was Dempster thrown out of the game? Nope, but he was warned. Joe Girardi, the manager of the Yankees, promptly went out to dispute the warning, and he was ejected. Meanwhile, the crowd CHEERED at A-Rod getting hit, and began taunting him as well.

Disgusting.

End result? I'm finding myself happy that A-Rod is the antagonist in this whole escapade. I find myself rooting for him; that he does open up the box that let's the truth out regarding sterioids and PED use. I hope he does blow the lid wide open, and then we can see just how two-faced the management, ownership and the league really is. Because, you know what? You just might find out that all of these people who are condemning A-Rod for standing up for himself are the same people encouraging the use of PED's when the door is closed.

Sports and Politics. Enough Already!

The lines are blurred ladies and gentlemen. Once upon a time, not so long ago, people used to go out on the first Tuesday of November and vote for politicians every two years to represent them in all forms of government; from local to county to state to national representation. Politicians ran ads stating why you should vote for them, yards had signs telling you who the homeowner supported, all in an attempt to give you something to think about when the curtain closed.

It used to be that music and art were the only extra-cirricular means by which politics were somewhat brought into the fold; generally youths who had all this angst built up and wanted to fight the man. From The Sex Pistols to Bruce Springsteen to Green Day, music was the outlet of anarchy and freedom; a relentless pursuit of the truth through anthems dictating to their audience to fight back hard and to recognize the ills of the country and its leaders. Always from a leftist perspective, the rants were geared toward family values, the ruinous policies of Reagan, Bush, etc., and almost always a war drumbeat that stated how awful it was to venture into foreign lands.

Fast forward just a couple years, and we now have politics intertwined with every aspect of our life. Not through policy, mind you, but through every single that touches us on a daily basis. Michelle Obama presenting the Oscar for Best Picture, Obama making his picks for the Final Four, Presidents throwing out the first pitch in games, Obama's throwing galas at the white house, and inviting stars with which to mingle are all obvious examples. Even the mainstream media brings stars to their events in a game of one-upsmaship to see who can snag the best A-Lister for the dinners in Washington.

These industries are reciprocating for the politico full force. Most notably, the sports profession. From both the players themselves to the reporters and play-by-play guys, politics and social issues are almost a nightly story on ESPN, or during events such as the Daytona 500, NFL Sunday Night Football, and the list goes on. Announcers offering up their opinions on guns, drunk driving, being gay, and basically, telling the low information people what they should think in the coming days and weeks.

Frankly, I'm tired of this crap. Sports and music are my escape. I would like to escape for a couple hours during an event of which I suppliment through tax dollars for the stadiums in which they play, or through a direct purchase of a pay-per-view event or through a ticket, parking and over-priced food when I see an event live. I would like to escape without being told how great it is that a basketball player announced he was gay. I would like to escape without being told that I am a moron for agreeing with what Sarah Palin had to say that week. I would like to escape and watch superior athletes perform on any given day at optimal performance level, leaving only one winner and one loser.

Sports is the epitome, to me, of survival of the fittest. It is the purest sense of competition, in that, men or women, no matter their color or sexual orientation have to work together in harmony, and each person needs to complete their assignments and execute flawlessly to accomplish a goal together. When that is over, each person goes back to their own life, supports their own causes, speaks out for whatever they want until it comes time to perform again. It's awesome. It signifies teamwork, project management, production, and each member is evaluated based on their performance, not who their best friend is, or whether or not they hang out with the boss. There are no politics on the field, and the coaches will put the best players on the floor, court or field who give them the best opportunity to win. If the coach fails numerous times, he will lose his job. If a player fails to perform, there is always someone behind him or her to take their place. It is the way that the world should run.

Mike Lupica, a douchebag of a reporter for the New York Daily News and the biggest blowhard on ESPN, wrote a column decrying the NRA. He called its member contemptible. He called them creepy. He spewed so much vitriol in this opinion piece, that he let us know first hand that he is all in for gun control and for confiscation. I don't need this. He's a moron who has probably never played a down in his life. Yet he critiques those who do. He has probably never fired a gun. Yet he calls all of us who have, contemptible. He has probably never written policy for a school district. Yet he states what is best to keep those in a school safe. He has probably never written a Bill that became a law. Yet, he is telling us what is best for our country.

Mike Lupica, Bob Costas, Michael Waltrip and Tony Dungy have all interjected their thoughts on politics into a sporting event. I realize that they need to talk and provide commentary. However, they need to stick to sports. Offer their perspective on the teams who are playing or the cars that are racing. I'm growing weary of listening to these idiots talk about what's best for me. Especially when their commentary on the game could use a little work in its own right. Sports is an escape for all who love it. Allow us to escape, just for a couple hours a day or week, from the constant drumbeat of all things Obama or Washington. This just needs to stop. It is getting to a point where nothing is enjoyable anymore.

Obama and Buffet: Two Peas in a Wilting Pod

Knew I shouldn't have started reading the news. Here is a macro-economics lesson for everyone. Yes, the unemployment rate is at 7.5%. However, we get there by subtracting jobs that disappear, plus those who quit looking for work, and we get what is known as the U3 unemployment rate. The real rate, U6 (which includes all of those dirty details, like quitting looking for work or the jobs that just disappear) is still well over 12%.

There are now 9 million fewer people looking for work or unemployed than there were 5 years ago when Obama took office. Fewer jobs + fewer people looking for work = lower unemployment.

So, how is the DOW so high you may ask? Well, very simply, when we bailed out the banks and passed Dodd/Frank, it gave a surplus of money to the banks while simultaneously telling those same banks not to loan the money. All the while, the Federal reserve is pumping money into the economy keeping interest rates low, in order to keep the economy afloat. So, the banks are getting money at almost zero percent, can't loan money to people, and they can't hang on to the money, so they are investing in the market. What you are seeing is an unbelievable disparity between rich and poor grow wider and wider.

This is not looking out for the middle class, the little guy, the poor, or whatever else Obama wants to say he's trying to do. He is single handily contributing to a widening gap between the rich and the poor. He is single handily contributing to the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer. We have over 50 million people on food stamps. We have a growing epidemic of individuals who, once unemployment dries up, go on disability. We have more people on medicaid than at any time in our history. It is a disgrace.

This rant brought to you by the guy who wants the Buffet rule enacted, so the rich pay more in taxes, all the while fighting a billion dollar tax bill of his own. Meanwhile, his company sees record profits. FYI - It's an investment company. I really wish the people who don't give a shit would start at some point....

H/T Bloomberg:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-03/berkshire-profit-rises-51-on-insurance-buffett-s-investments.html