MILLSTONES OF FAILURE

An interesting article I uncovered from "The North American Almanac of 1929", pages 64 and 65. Perhaps good advice for us all from many years ago.

MILLSTONES OF FAILURE
Finding the Bad in the Best of Us
1. SELF SATISFACTION - Lack of ambition.
2. DISHONESTY with yourself and others.
3. MENTAL INDOLENCE or lazy minded.
4. MISMANAGEMENT of yourself and affairs.
5. BAD TEMPER and a sharp tongue.
6. INEFFICIENCY on your job whatever it may be.
7. ENVY of others.
8. ALIBIS or failure to take responsibility.
9. UNDEPENDABILITY - Lack of self reliance and self control.
10. INACCURACY - Slip-shod and haphazard methods.
11. DISINTEREST - Failure to take interest in civic affairs or the affairs of your friends and employers.
12. TARDINESS - Always late at work, to meals or on social engagements.
13. INTERFERENCE - Just plain "butting in".
14. PROCRASTINATION - Putting off till tomorrow what you ought to do today.
15. ANTAGONISM - Inconsiderate of the opinions of others.
16. RUMORS - "Back yard scandal," spreading of false gossip.
17. RESENTMENT - Refusing to take advice and smarting under just criticism.
18. LETHARGY - Commonly called lazy.
19. EGOTISM - Sort of a human frog, a "blow hard".
20. FAILURE - Largely because of misfits.
21. BAD INVESTMENTS - The opposite of thrift and judicious saving.
22. PROFANITY - Alright in the army but not in modern life.
23. GROUCHINESS - A cross between bad temper and plain "cussedness".
24. WORRY - that saps your health and mental efficiency.
25. DRIFTING - Going thru life without a definite goal from one job to another.
26. DISCOURTESY - Failure to appreciate the rights of others.
27. UNTIDINESS - Careless and indifferent about personal appearance.
28. COWARDICE - "Yellow" in a tight place or moral situation.
29. WASTEFUL - Needless destruction of time and material things.
30. RETICENCE - Just a bit too shy.
31. IT CAN'T BE DONE - When all others fail this will sink you.

Curious, this listing was written by the elders of Americans who survived the Great Depression, World War II, and arguably created the greatest economy of the twentieth century.

WHY IS DHS BUYING UP ALL THE BULLETS ?

In a recent report, Alex Jones' infowars.com disclosed that the Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) has purchased 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition and thousands of rifles. Why has DHS refused to give Congress an answer for this huge purchase which could sustain a military force for years. Why ?

Is the obama Administration equipping a private military force ? Is DHS buying up ammo and rifles to deprive citizens of guns and ammunition ? Why does the Secretary of DHS refuse to answer legitimate questions from Congress ?  Does the Administration or DHS know of some huge threat to our homeland security ?  Where is the "transparency in government" that candidate obama promised America ?

Is there a Congress person or respected public figure willing to champion this issue and demand from the obama Administration a proper explanation  ?

SADLY, I THINK NOT !

OUT WITH THE DONKEY & ELEPHANT POLITICAL PARTIES

Is it time American voters shun both major political parties for a new political party ?

For decades democrat and republican lawmakers have wasted trillions of taxpayer monies, snared economic progress with reams of laws, and built a maze of expensive bureaucracies producing few tangible services or products of any value. Like lemmings voters are hypnotized by campaigning and elect unworthys on the emotion of a smile or slogan.  Rather then any loyalty to our Constitution or using the grey matter floating between their ears  politicians of every stripe use their office to gain power and enough funding to win their next election.  With a total disregard of any spending limits, politicians stand ready to fund any cause or special interest group to simply get a few more votes.

Rather then being an efficient octopus with many tentacles reaching out to states providing assistance and support, our federal system is something much different. After decades of ineffective leadership from, democrats and republicans, our federal system now resembles a giant jelly fish plopped on the Potomac unable to move or reach out to any states. This armless blob is sustained by a constant diet of taxpayers, their contributions, and fawning lobbyists.

I call this new political party The Common Sense Congress. My invention would amend our Constitution to allow a single term, five years,  for leaders of the executive and legislative branches.  After their first term,  incumbents would have to stand down for  five years before their next reelection opportunity. To insure continuity, the new rules would take effect as current members are up for reelection, retire, quit, or die.

A most important guiding philosophy of this new party would be to privatize all things the federal government consistently mismanages. Sell the assets, personnel, and services provided by the Postal Department, Amtrak, TSA, Veterans Administration, GSA, US Forest Service, HHS, Departments of Energy, Education, Commerce, Obama Care and, the litany of ABC federal agencies to domestic "for profit" corporations. Soon, the savings would be astronomical and the services more efficient. Finally, return more governing and rule making to individuals, the states and territories.

To prove the need for a Common Sense Congress here are a few recent Wall Street Journal story quotes:

1. " Congress wants the mail service to keep losing $ 15.9 billion a year."
2. "After spending nearly $300 million on a high-tech surveillance blimp ... the US military is being asked to give it back to the company that designed it. Last month the Army killed the project."
3. "Obama's missile-defense reversal ... a tacit admission that the US will soon be vulnerable to attack ... reversing a 2009 decision that was part of President Obama's fantasy of a world without nuclear weapons."

Simply stated we need to unload a bunch of jackasses and pachyderms. Lets find more folks with common sense, respect for tax payers contributions, and an understanding that the most significant role of the federal government, per the US Constitution, is National Defense.

BABY BOOMERS

Sometimes I wonder if all our national travails are the fault of my generation (1946 - 1964). Already there are occasional stories about greedy and self centered baby boomers. I totally reject the idea that an entire era of children born after WW II poisoned the waters of American "exceptional ism".  Most of us learnt  the value of work, worship, and responsibility from our parents, members of the Greatest Generation.  I believe a few historic events and small groups transformed the best decades of the twentieth century into the disorder we now experience.

For America the Korean War was an undeclared United Nations effort. We sacrificed thousands of our best men in a "conflict" which was poisoned by the geopolitics and vested interests of world politicians. Vietnam was another undeclared "conflict". Both of these wars involved warriors controlled by more politics than clear military objectives. Neither Korea or Vietnam involved all the people of the nation as there were never any clear security risks to our homeland.  Also, during the Vietnam era true news reporting collapsed and in it's place came a new media with it's own agenda of political views. Too many people gave up thinking and accepted the "uncle Walters" as truth sayers. Uncle Walter and the leaders who got us into Korea and Vietnam were not Boomers.

From the 1950's to present, politicians and special interest groups built upon Franklin Roosevelt's idea of a "Fair Deal".  Education, labor, welfare, home loans, civil rights, commerce, transportation, natural resources, huge tracts of western lands, and many other aspects of American life came under the control of  the federal government. Federal bureaucracies grew and  families disintegrated as individuals gladly surrendered their liberty and personal responsibilities for handouts. At the same time many politicians sought to capture more voter blocks  by appealing to any cause or group no matter how depraved. These same politicians saw more votes and power in dividing the loyalties of Americans by economic class, race, and ethnicity. Many of these progressives were not part of the Baby Boom generation, but rather members from the Silent and Greatest Generation.

Today in our America:  illegal aliens vote, every form of sexual depravity is recognized - even celebrated, millions of unnecessary abortions are performed, prosperous businesses and their agents are demonized, the Constitution is rejected, taxes are rising to pay for the dole, our national defence is slashed, our public education system ranks low among the world's other nations, leading members of the federal executive, judicial and legislative branches are treated as royalty, and our nations capital has become a Kingdom for Bureaucrats. All of these things did not go south because of my generation.

As a boomer I often wonder what happened to the world and values our parents worked so hard to give us. I worry that my grandchildren and their grandchildren will live in an increasingly unpleasant America.  I don't feel guilty since most of my kin and friends seem to emulate the qualities which built our great nation. Even as I recognize change as inevitable whilst the decades roll along, there have been too many bad changes in our society.  In my opinion,  I see many bumpy years ahead  for coming generations but I trust their knowledge of this difficult period will eventually bring America back to it's greatness.  

JERSEY BOYS - COMMENTS

Last night my eighteen year old grandson and I attended the Broadway musical Jersey Boys. It was a show highlighting the fantastic rock and roll of Frankie Valli and his Four Seasons from the early sixties. It gave insights into their difficult path from obscurity to fame and the the troubled personal lives encountered by  some of the performers.

Aside from being an excellent evenings entertainment, I offer several observations from our evening at Chrysler Hall.

First, before the openning act lights dimmed I noticed that most of the audience were old people. Seniors just like me. Lots of baldies and grey hairs with just a few younger folk mixed in. However, when the lights dissolved and the music began I sensed we were all suddenly 50 years younger albeit for just a few hours. In the darkness the clapping hands and  impromptu singing brought me unexpected tears and good memories of younger yesterdays.

Next, at the intermission I witnessed a new phenomenon. Waiting my turn at the restroom there was an extraordinarily long line of anxious gentlemen. I commented to several of my fellow baby boomers, waiting their turn, that my frequency of visits to the "necessary"  had increased over the last few years. One guy commented that, when traveling, the first thing he now searched out when entering a new town were the restroom facilities. After my visit and passing the still waiting queue a most unusual sight ! The line of ladies waiting to enter their bathroom was much much shorter then the guys line. This was the first time at any large  function I'd seen a ladies bathroom line shorter then that for the boys. Has the world turned upside down ?

Finally, after the shows closing encore, cheers, and generous clapping I asked Corbin his impression of this  rock and roll performance. With enthusiasm he commented, "it was really quite cool". Hearing our conversation as we were exiting a gentleman commented to grandson Corbin that he might even like the music of Mozart. Later in the car, Corbin asked me what rock and roll group Mozart belonged to !

Advice for Little Kim of North Korea

Little Kim of North Korea would be wise to look at history.

To enhance his world standing, and improve the lot of his people he should formally declare war on the
United  States and all it's allies. After a few days of some harmless and gratuitous missile launches he should  then unconditionally surrender.

Following the history of the United States in it's previous wars and conflicts we would then rush in and supply the North Koreans with their every want and need. We might require a few occupying soldiers for window dressing, but essentially the economy and culture of North Korea would be opened to all the wonders of the modern world.

Under the most liberal of surrender terms Little Kim would be free to take his wealth and escape to an island paradise or be given a tryout with the NBA.  The long suffering North Korean people would be deluged by trillions of dollars in foreign aid and quickly resemble a snowy Hong Kong.

STAND WITH RAND

Why can't President Obama and his Administration reassure the American people that his government will not kill Americans on American soil without due process of the law  ? 

Why are Rand Paul and just a handful of US Senators challenging the President on this important constitutional issue ? 

Is Obama a wannabe King George seeking absolute power over the  life and death of American citizens ? 

How long will American citizens, of every political stripe, allow President Obama to defy the Constitution ?

What can you do, what can we do to keep President Obama from totally destroying "American Exceptionalism" during his second term ?  

obama - PRINCE OF THE USA ?

An interesting tidbit from an old political classic of strategy. 

" ....I say it would be splendid if one had a reputation for generosity; nonetheless if your actions are influenced by the desire for such a reputation you will come to grief. This is because if your generosity is good and sincere it may pass unnoticed and it will not save you for its opposite. If you want to acquire a reputation for generosity, therefore you have to be ostentatiously lavish; and a prince acting in that fashion will soon squander all his resources, only to be forced in the end, if he wants to maintain his reputation to lay excessive burdens on the people, to impose extortionate taxes, and to do everything else he can to raise money. " 

The noted entry is from Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" written in 1517.  He claimed his book  was inspired by the devil.  In it's twenty six chapters he outlines the techniques which gave power to despotic political leaders. It has worked for the Italian Medici's and Borgia's to today's modern political leaders.  

The referenced quote applies appropriately to many American politicos who have risen to power offering all manner of largess to their constituents in exchange for votes (political power) . From Huey Long, Franklin Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Barack Obama we have suffered too many leaders willing to promise anything and everything to get votes. The result of all this 'Santa Claus' politics is ultimate taxation from a diminishing number of productive citizens. 

American voters must realize that benefits and things from the federal government are never free. It's all a bag of tricks which ultimately steal our economic freedom, grant the government total power over individual rights, and rob future generations of their economic liberty.  We must see the wave of European economic failures as a harsh reality which may soon visit our shores. 

The ancient  treatise of Machiavelli offers many lessons on how politicians gain unlimited power.  It is the Bible of realpolitik and to curb it's practice by some of our leaders we have few remaining resources. Vote wisely, and maintain your second amendment rights !