Monday, December 29, 2008

Santa Claus Bailout Hearings

Now I know we have reached a breaking point. Santa is bankrupt. This can not happen! SEE THE VIDEO HERE.

read more | digg story

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Reasons Delivery Exceeded 30 Minutes

So you come home from work. It's late and you just don't wanna make dinner. The wife comes home, or is already there with the kids, and she doesn't want to make dinner either (imagine that!). You make a quick call to Domino's Pizza and you wait with great expectation for the next 30-45 minutes for your food to arrive.

About an hour later, the driver Domino's driver pulls up in your driveway and and casually walked to the front door with the food. You ask him why it took an hour and he is confused. He checks the time on his cell phone and discovers he's missing the last 45 minutes of his memory. He grabs his pen and checks the appropriate box on the side of the pizza box. Check out the reasons below.




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John Crawford

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Why We MUST Bailout GM, Ford, and Chrysler

As an American that has ALWAYS owned American made vehicles, I don't see any choice about whether or not to bailout General Motors, Ford, or Chrysler. We simply have to do it. But like many Americans, I feel it shouldn't be a free lunch, nor should we just write them a blank check. So here's my very unqualified, but taxpaying opinion about how we should go about fixing these things.

1. For all those companies on Wall Street that went belly up, the government needs to hunt down their CEO's and other company officers that siphoned off all the profit, and seize all their assets. Oh, what's that, they put it in an offshore account the US Government can't touch. Fine, throw 'em in that Cuban jail for a few years. Let's see how they like living more like the rest of us for awhile.


By the way, I found this short article from the Miami Herald that explains how the stock market works. Did you know the Dow Jones Industrial Average is the "price-weighted average" of only 30 large US companies? Did you know that GM is one of them, but Ford and Chrysler are not?

2. For those publicly traded companies whose demise would adversely affect the market, and feel need to go under, the government takes 51% ownership of the company. The other 49% goes to the employees. The greedy CEO's and shareholders forfeit their interests in the company, period. If you are a publicly traded company, and your books are in the RED, no one walks away with a settlement, no bonuses, nothing. Those that took the company down can get a real job like the rest of us and make someone else RICH for a change.

This goes for GM, Ford, and Chrysler, too. A share of the profit would be put back into the company to its HARD WORKING EMPLOYEES, to maintain their salaries and benefits including retirement accounts. Yeah, I'm talking about the poor souls that do the actual work for the company. Everything else goes into research and development of alternative energy transportation.

3. These "Wall Street" expectations we hear about every quarter is a complete load of crap. For example, Corp X reported a profit of $1.6 billion last quarter. This quarter they only make $1.2 billion, below expectations. Immediately their stock drops and the hyperactive legions of financial analysts go into panic mode. Fox, CNN, and every other news networks have something new to talk about. It's all crap, and it breeds some of the problems we are now experiencing.

The only two things I remember my college Economics class is "the stock market is all about hype", and "OPM" aka Other Peoples Money. Hype it is, that's for sure. People think things are bad, they're bad. People think things are good, they're good. I think everyone that works on Wall Street, and all financial analysts should be required to take Prozac. Maybe, the market would calm down. As for OPM, that's that thing called credit, and most of us have too much of it.

OK, it's a socialist solution to a capitalist problem. But as a hard working taxpayer family, something drastic has to be done. The old business school approach to getting rich by standing on the back on a weaker person has to stop. Our greed and hunger for power has come around to bite us in the per verbal ass.

Our next president is all about change. Change is not gonna do it. The U.S. Needs something close to "Earth Shattering", something so drastic it causes psychological and sociological changes to the masses for the better.

So why do we need to bailout GM, Ford, and Chrysler? Do you remember in high school when you played that game about the car. And you had to name all the things, all the industries, all the inventions we have because of the car. Well, then it's 'elementary dear Data'. You're saying that you don't care because you got you spiffy Japanese, Korean, or German car or SUV. Who cares right, let 'em go under.

When the U.S. steel workers are out of a job because they aren't making cars in Detroit...

When Goodyear, Firestone, Michelin, and other tire makers go under because there are no cars being made in the US...

When all the domestic dealerships go out of business...

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's advertising, there's rental cars, there's the US Military fleet.

All of these things affect dozens or hundreds of other industries. If you think it's bad now, you're in for a rude awakening. It's things we can't even anticipate.

Whatever side you're on, it doesn't matter. This has to be done.


Regards
John Crawford

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Thursday, November 27, 2008

DIGG THIS -->Mr.Taliban: You've Got The Wrong Fricken Number!

This is hilarious. Mr.Taliban is assaulted by the FBI secret telemarketing service. See what happens when we hit them with our best weapons.




Amazon Product Description

The Taliban remain one of the most elusive forces in modern history. A ragtag collection of clerics and madrasa students, this obscure movement emerged out of the rubble of the Cold War to shock the world with their draconian Islamic order. The Taliban refused to surrender their vision even when confronted by the United States after September 11, 2001. Reinventing themselves as part of a broad insurgency that destabilized Afghanistan, they pledged to drive out the Americans, NATO, and their allies and restore their "Islamic Emirate."

The Taliban and the Crisis of Afghanistan explores the paradox at the center of this challenging phenomenon: how has a seemingly anachronistic band of religious zealots managed to retain a tenacious foothold in the struggle for Afghanistan's future? Grounding their analysis in a deep understanding of the country's past, leading scholars of Afghan history, politics, society, and culture show how the Taliban was less an attempt to revive a medieval theocracy than a dynamic, complex, and adaptive force rooted in the history of Afghanistan and shaped by modern international politics. Shunning journalistic accounts of its conspiratorial origins, the essays investigate broader questions relating to the character of the Taliban, its evolution over time, and its capacity to affect the future of the region.

Offering an invaluable guide to "what went wrong" with the American reconstruction project in Afghanistan, this book accounts for the persistence of a powerful and enigmatic movement while simultaneously mapping Afghanistan's enduring political crisis.
(20071119)

Mr.Taliban: You've Got The Wrong Fricken Number! | digg story

Family Guy Sums Up Iraq War In 30 Seconds


After I watched and listened to the puppet in this video "War In Iraq Was Necessary", I came across this gem. Peter Griffin takes the words right out of my mouth. Now I would hope that most of us are a bit more aware of world affairs than Peter Griffin, but you have to admire his simplistic view. For those of us that are big fans of Family Guy, you know they have no boundaries. Any and all subjects, politically correct or incorrect are fair game. But Family Guy also has that unique way of making a political statement that few, if any, other shows could get away with. This video speaks volumes.

Family Guy Sums Up Iraq War In 30 Seconds | digg story

Saturday, November 22, 2008

"Sir, you have to take your turban off. This is America."

A Halifax County man was turned away from a local mission when he refused to remove his turban while trying to make a donation. When Gary Khera, went with his wife to the Union Mission on Roanoke Avenue to make a donation, a staffer asked him to remove his turban. He is a Sikh with dual U.S. and Indian citizenship.

---- This Bloggers Comments ---------

There are two sides to this. If the mission workers have noting better to do than worry about who wears their hat while in their building, then they need to find other work. And if they have nothing better to do than chase away a financial donor, than the workers need to be fired, or asked to leave. I guess for most of us that figure 'who gives a rats ass' if you wear your hat indoors, it's stupid from end-to-end. The mission will probably not get that person's money ever again, and it's the missions fault.

However, if one of us had gone into their place of worship with, say, a baseball cap on. And they asked us to remove it.... and we said, hey this is America, I can wear it if I want to. Now whose side are you on?

The answer is mutual respect, but not to the point of futility and stupidity. We've forgot about that after 9/11...



Sir, you have to take your turban off | digg story

Sunday, November 16, 2008

T. Boone Pickens Expects Obama to Implement Pickens' Plan

Billionaire American entrepreneur T. Boone Pickens is optimistic that the Obama administration will bring the United States’ energy infrastructure into the new millennium by implementing his plan for energy independence.

T. Boone Pickens Expects Obama to Implement Pickens' Plan | digg story

Friday, November 14, 2008

Hillary Clinton would make a bad Sec of State

Yesterday my fellow blogger, jwilkes, posted a well written argument in favor of making Hillary Clinton the Secretary of State in a Barack Obama Administration. I have a great deal of respect for jwilkes's writing ability and opinions. ---- - Iraq war hawks already already well represent in Joe Biden and Rahm Emanuel; Hillary Clinton not needed

read more | digg story

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Bill Clinton Vs. John McCain


This is in response to the article The Return Of Clinton Futurism?. The article makes a direct correlation between the Bill Clinton presidency/Democratic control of Congress, to television and movies released during the 80's and 90's. Excellently written, for sure.

While the article relates to popular entertainment of the era, I've often wondered how the past few years of campaigning and the recent election might have fared if Bill Clinton had run again (instead of Hillary). Yes I know the 22nd Amendment prohibits that. But let's pretend for a few moments that's it's possible for a previously elected president to be reelected after sitting out for a term.

Now, let's also think back to some things that happened when Bill Clinton was president. There was Whitewater, Monica Lewinsky, there was a white house staff member that was found dead - an apparent suicide. And just before he left office he facilitated the largest pardon in history. Allot of Americans were hopeful for change, and a restoration of normalcy to the White House and it's executive leader. Boy, were we in for a shock. We had no idea how bad things could get.

Fast forward to 2008. Bill Clinton is showing his face everywhere, first for his wife, then for Obama. So I beg the question, what if he had been running again John McCain? Certainly Bill Clinton would have mowed down any Democratic opponent during the primaries. But how would he have fared against John McCain?


Regards
John Crawford

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How Self-Powered Nanotech Machines Work: Scientific American

Today we are beginning to create extremely small energy harvesters that can supply electrical power to the tiny world of nanoscale devices, where things are measured in billionths of a meter. We call these power plants nanogenerators. The ability to make power on a minuscule scale allows us to think of implantable biosensors that can continuously

read more | digg story

Contact your Congressman about Wind Power

Write and send emails to your local, state, and federal leaders concerning wind power, renewable energy, and events that concern you. View sample letters that you can copy, paste, personalize, and then email to every legisltor and congressional decision maker in the country.

read more | digg story

Saturday, November 8, 2008

A Tribute to 10cc - I'm Not In Love

Search for and download any file


When I was growing up in the 70's, this song was on the radio all the time it seemed. It's no coincidence that it's one of my most favorite songs of all time. The song was there during my first loves, and my first breakups. This is one of those songs that can cause love to be so much more intense, and a breakup that much harder. It plays on your emotions, it tugs at your feelings. They just don't make like this anymore.

First, I'm not sure if the group performing this video is 10cc, but they do a great job, and the video's a story in itself.


Link to this video



If you're not old enough to remember when television did NOT include MTV or VH1, this will look very strange to you. This is a vintage music video. Notice the hair, the colors (we call that psychedelic, funkadelic in some circles), and the layers of special effects. Also notice the classic scene of the main singer in the forefront, and the others kind of shadowed behind him.


Link to this video




Ziggy TV
Instantly turn your computer into a Super TV - Watch 3000+ TV channels on your PC. Find any TV show or movie fast. Enjoy all your favorite movies, TV shows, music videos and games. Watch what you want, when you want.



Finally, I absolutely love this next video, my personal thanks to Belanna - http://belanna.faketrek.com/ for creating this spectacular video. For all the true Star Trek fans out there, this is GOLD. I was noticeably moved watching this. I really like the different shades of grey, and then the switch to color. It gives it a very vintage feel. This one actually belongs on one of my other blogs, The Cartouche.


Link to this video




Regards
John Crawford

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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Day After Yesterday - Reality Sets In

I am hopeful he will be successful and at least some of the things he has talked about will become a reality. Remember people, it is just another day today. The day after yesterday. Regardless of the election results last night we are no better off yet. None of us. While last night was fun … now Obama has to do the actual job....

read more | digg story

The Day After the Election ... of 2012

This is PRICELESS!! Four years ago today, liberals were making empty threats about moving to Canada. Today, conservatives are ranting about our inevitable collapse into socialism. So what will the world look like on Wednesday morning exactly four years from today?

read more | digg story

Why is Family Guy Playing Above CNN’s Wall on Election Night



read more | digg story

A Landslide Win for White Spaces

The Federal Communications Commissions voted late Tuesday to approve the unlicensed use of “white spaces” — empty airwaves between television channels — for high-speed Internet access nationwide.

read more | digg story

Monday, November 3, 2008

10 movies the new President should learn from

Whether Barack Obama or John McCain, here are 10 pieces of important advice from the movies for our new president.

read more | digg story

How the economy stole the election

Two years ago it seemed that the election would hinge on Iraq, now it's the economy that's on voter's minds. Here's how that happened. Summer/fall 2006 - War at the forefront. With the mid-term elections in full swing, the war is being hotly debated. October is the third-deadliest month for U.S. troops in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld ...

read more | digg story

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Rocketman, Stewie and Shatner Headin' Out

Rocket Piano

Shatner's Original rendition of Elton John's Rocketman in 1978



MP3 Suite

Chris Elliot's version of Elton John's Rocketman on The David Letterman Show (date unknown)



MP3Download.net

Deforest Kelley Remarks on Shatner's Performance of Elton John's Rocketman



Wii Game and Movie Downloads

Stewie Spoofs Shatner




Sonic Music Producer



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John Crawford

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Study says most corporations pay no U.S. income taxes

Most U.S. and foreign corporations doing business in the United States avoid paying any federal income taxes, despite trillions of dollars worth of sales, a government study released on Tuesday said.

read more | digg story

Obama gaining among rural voters

Southeast Ohio, where many small communities are economically hard-hit, may be a bellwether.

read more | digg story

John Cleese Talks About Sarah Palin

"Monty Python Could Have Written This".... John Cleese

The former Monty Python star shares his unsparing thoughts and views about vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. An interview for http://www.seesmic.com.




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John Crawford

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Monday, October 13, 2008

Berlin Announces World's Largest Electric Car Infrastructure

Electricity provider RWE will install 500 power-points, where electric cars can charge up. Daimler AG and Smart are partnering in the project, which aims to have100 electric Smart Cars on the streets of Berlin by the end of 2009.

read more | digg story

DIGG THIS --> An Open Letter To The 2008 U.S. Presidential Election Winner

As we head into the home stretch of the 2008 U.S. Presidential race, the rhetoric and promises we've been hearing about the last 2 years will soon fade. They will give way to the climax of victory. It will be at least 100 days before we get any real statement from the new administration, and we will undoubtedly get more empty promises. With that in mind, I'd like to give them some specific things to think about, and shape their decisions.


1. Government and Business need to be friends. Anyone who has or has had a business knows that government at all levels is their enemy. Be it taxes or regulations, government is a thorn in the side of every business. It's no wonder that businesses try to find every imaginable loophole in the laws. Take a look at Japan for instance. Government and business work together to better the economy, and even have long term plans. Hint, Hint, and I'm not talking about strengthening the lobbyist relationships.

2. NO MORE BAILOUTS! I mean, are you gonna come help me when my web business going belly up? I think not, so stop doing it for those huge corporations where the CEO has stolen hundreds of millions of dollars. Let the free market take care of itself. Punish the perpetrators. That's what the EU is going to do.

3. We need long term plans to end our fossil fuel dependence. For now, all we've done is curb our driving habits, and maybe purchased something more fuel efficient. But that's temporary. We need to go at this from as many angles as possible.

---First, we have to maximize our use of alternative energy. There should be wind towers EVERYWHERE, my electric company should be beating down my door to put them up on my land, and everywhere else possible.

There should be power units lining our rivers to harness the power of the waterways.

Homeowners should be compensated for installing solar technology or building homes (or other buildings) with solar technology.

The big oil companies need to shift their focus to finding alternative energy technology.

---Second, we need to stop using taxpayer money to build and improve roads, unless it improves mass transit. We should be building rail infrastructure, everywhere. Ever been to Europe? you can take the train or bus to practically anywhere, or within a few blocks. We seem to only think about that in major cities. I live just 30 miles from the nations capital, but mass transit is largely inadequate in my area. Worse yet, they have no plans, short or long term, to change or improve it. This is bad news for the hundreds of thousands of commuters that must trek the highways into and around the nations capital each day to work. In fact, it's a crime if you ask me.

---Third. This is where government and business need to work together The U.S. Automakers need to redirect their focus to alternative fuel vehicles. We need to transition, not just offer options. They need to stop worrying about creating a new line of fossil fuel vehicles each year, stop retooling their assembly lines for them, and stop marketing them altogether. Alternative fuel vehicles sold in 2010 should be the norm, not the exception.

---Lastly, set a date to outlaw the internal combustion engine for private transportation, say 2025 or so. This will FORCE the world to change.

4. I liked Ross Perot's idea of eliminating the tax code, throw it away. If everyone, including big businesses, paid a flat 10% tax on their disposable income, we'd have plenty of money to run the government and provide the services we expect the government to provide. (Perot advocated 13% I believe). Just think about how simple that would make filing taxes, none of those complicated forms, and ambiguous tax codes to sift through. And it would be so much simpler for the government to plan and budget because they would have a much better handle on how much money will be coming in.

5. We have to start making friends on this planet. We have this habit of going around the world and bloodying the noses of anyone we think may have had a part in terrorism. While I'm for the block bully being taken down, we have not gained many friends along the way. The U.S. has alienated itself over the last 8 years. Even our allies are backing away from us, as they know that no country is off the radar. Now we have a presidential candidate that would all a new cold war to start with Russia.

Listen, take a literary note from Hollywood. There have been many movies and television series about a "post-war", post-apocalyptic America. Inevitably, peace and longevity are only achieved after we are able to break down the barriers and develop a meaningful dialogue with the enemy. OK, in some cases we had to destroy an alien race, but we're not dealing with that here. I think we should NOT be afraid to sit down with our sworn enemies and talk about peaceful co-existence. This planet is not getting any bigger, and we're all running out of places to hide. Compromise, tolerance, and mutual respect are all we need.




Regards
John Crawford

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Saturday, October 4, 2008

DIGG THIS-->More About Nothing: The Bailout, Sarah Palin, and OJ

Enough already, isn't this election over yet? I am so sick of hearing about anything involving the 2008 election. Every place I go it's there, in my face. Can't listen to the radio cause the ads are there too. I completely avoid CNN, FOX News, and MSNBC. I have in my face all day long at work, when I get home I already have my fill.

OK, my rant is out of the way. Oh wait, there's the $700 billion bailout that we the taxpayers have to pay for. It's not bad enough we are spending $10 billion a month in Iraq, now we're going to condemn our children, and our children's children, and more to financial disparity. Can it get any worse? Ross Perot told us back in the 90's when he ran for President that our children would be the first generation to do WORSE than us. Any of us with children in the 18-30 age range know they are staying at home longer then ever before. They are not able to get established liked we did. It's next to impossible for them to have their own life and be comfortable. What Congress did this week, sealed the fate of our grandchildren, and probably their children. George Bush, and all the guilty parties will have long left this Earth by the time the "Red" is gone from this thing.

OK, now I'm done ranting. Let's talk about Sarah Palin. She's her won worst enemy, she needs to shut up. The more she talks, the more the polls lean away from the Republican ticket. She's not helping her cause at all. American voters are becoming acutely aware of her complete inability to run the country if the need should arise. My suggestion, she needs to drop the librarian look. Drop the hair, get some sexier glasses (or hey maybe wear contacts). She dresses like Hillary Clinton. At this point she has nothing to lose. When she is in front of the camera, she needs to look like the girl next door. Her campaign people need to focus on her beauty and sex appeal. Wear something a bit more revealing, open a button or two, show a little leg. Sounds very sexist, right? It is, I'll give ya that. But if she wants to capture the votes of your average hormonally driven male voter, she needs to turn up the heat, way up. I'm almost shocked this hasn't been tried this yet.

On a lighter note, I think a really cool turn of roles would be for Sarah Palin to guest star on SNL as Tina Fey. Play all of her skits as she would. I think it would be hilarious.

As for this weeks VP debate, WHO CARES! Being Vice President of the United States is the easiest job on this planet. You get a cushy pad over at that Naval Observatory in Bethesda. You get paid to basically do nothing, just be on standby in case the President dies, is killed, or otherwise incapacitated. Lest we forget that John McCain is 72 years old! Oh, and you get Secret Service protection for the rest of your life. Hey, you can't beat that with a stick. Seriously, I mean, take a hard look at the VP's of the past 30 years. How does history remember them? Barely, that's about it, they are insignificant in presidential history. Most of us, if asked who was VP in any given year, would not know the correct answer, it's that unimportant. They have no role in day-to-day operations. They got their 15 minutes of fame by arguing the correct pronunciation of potato, and Al Gore "inventing" the Internet. Just for the record, Al Gore did NOT invent the internet. It's been around since the 1960's as a DOD (DARPA) program. Al Gore just opened the door for the rest of the world to have it. He may actually be the most memorable VP in our history. I bet if you ask 10 random people to name something Dick Chaney has done while VP, I bet 7 of them will say "shot someone while hunting".

Too bad for OJ, poor guy. I guess his luck had to run out sooner or later. This whole thing about stealing his stuff back is all trumped up. I think he just wanted his glove back (from the first trial).



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John Crawford

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Thursday, September 4, 2008

In The Market For A '72 Pinto?



Isn't this election over yet? Seems like we've been going full-tilt since George Bush stole the 2000 election. And the craziness grows with every featured report CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. I think someone's trying to sell us a '72 Pinto, I'll expand on that in a minute.


I'm a fairly simple person, non-political, conservative by most peoples standards. I have always reserved my political opinions, and have never told anyone who I've voted for in the past. I think this year will be different. I'm past all the caring if my parents, relatives, in-laws, or friends know, or how they feel about it. I am not one of those people who allows the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Chris Matthews, Anderson Cooper, or Fred Thompson to influence my vote.


For the first time since I was old enough to vote, I find that I've made my decision long before I'm waiting outside the voting booth. Even the 2004 election, I'll struggled up to the last minute about whether to vote for Big W, while knowing full well the Democrats had failed to put up any kind of opponent.


For the record, I'm a registered Independent. I firmly believe in evaluating the candidates and the issues, ignoring party lines. What are they anyhow? I find them to be bother-some boundaries that divide people based on ignorance. I haven't been able to wrap my head around the thought of blindly voting along party lines - it's like a moth to a light. What ever happened to people voting according to their conscience?


That probably sounds harsh, but in case you haven't noticed this country has has a ton of problems, not to mention we're spending $10 Billion a month in Iraq. Granted it's not gonna all be fixed in the next four years, but it will not get any better with John McCain. He's just more of the failed administration we have now.


Yes, you knew I was gonna say that.How can he not be more of the same? Did he mis-speak when he said he would keep troops in Iraq for 100 years if necessary? Let me make it clear I'm not one of the 28% who actually approve of the U.S. being in Iraq. But, this is not 1972. Disagreeing with the Bush administrations decision to invade Iraq doesn't mean I won't give my fullest support to the men and women who have been asked to put their lives on the line to comply that decision. Hence, elections are just one way to overturn such bad decisions.


As for Ms. Palin, I personally think she'd make a wonderful president. The sexist card everyone is dancing around on TV is off-the-scale stupid. I told my friends and people I work with back when Hillary was still a possibility, that when we decide to elect a non-white male to the Oval Office, every bigoted opinion is going to surface. We have a long way to go as a nation with regards to race and gender. While the political hot shots think it would be kool to play one or both of those cards, I doubt seriously America is ready for the realities of a non-white, non-male president. The bigotry is just beginning...


In fact, if Sarah Palin was running for president, the election would be a toss-up. I like her, I wish her and Obama were on the same ticket, but one of them will be unemployed on January 20, 2009. For shame too. I think it's so unfair what they are saying about her family. In today's America, they're a normal family. Moms having babies in their forties, having to deal with the realities of raising a handicap child, and teenage pregnancy; All sounds like middle America to me.


I mean, what is normal now? What is normal for the presidency? Was Bill Clinton shagging a White House intern normal? Was the 2000 election normal? Since 1983, we've had a steady increase in overseas military campaigns, beginning with Beirut and Grenada, then Panama, then Iraq, and the lists grows quickly from there. Is that normal? I think not, and this election will launch a new era to break out of it.

The John McCain Experience



Let me sum up my opinion of John McCain and Sarah Palin. Electing John McCain would be like buying a '72 Pinto. Sarah Palin is the really kool, limited-edition set of Ginsu knives you get when you buy the Pinto. They cut through the toughest beef, bones, metal, and your old muffler, and never go dull. They're worth more than the car, and you'll probably get more use out of them. They'll be around long after the Pinto has gone to Pinto heaven and salvaged for parts. You can't buy the knife set by itself, it just wasn't that kind've deal. I'm saving my money for the next election to buy that kool, limited-edition set of Ginsu knives by itself.



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John Crawford

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Saturday, July 19, 2008

Digg this --> Ripped From The Headlines, 7-19-08




12 Local Starbucks to close

This was a bubble waiting to burst anyhow. I was never a fan of Starbucks, I think I can count on my left hand the number of times I patronized them. Their coffee is so rich, it has a burnt taste. Besides the fact it costs 3 times more than EVERYWHERE else you can buy coffee. Granted, I like my coffee in the morning, but Starbucks is not on the options of places to get it, and I work a half mile from a Starbucks.

I think they could recapture the market though if they back off from all their hype. While they glamorize the whole idea with their mix with bookstores, malls, and shopping centers, they are much too complicated for most of us simple people. They have the right idea and the right intent, but they over power it with crap. That drives up the costs for sure. If they would just concentrate on offering a basic cup of coffee at a REASONABLE price, and I don't mean $2.00 for a 16oz cup. They have to compete with all the 7Elevens, Wawas, McDonalds, Burger Kings, and every other corner convenience store and fast food chain. Connect that with the necessity for consumers to tighten their budgets, the $4.00 cup of cappuccino is going the way of the dinosaur.

NYC Chains Must Post Calorie Info Or Face Fines

This has to be one of the more futile laws to be enacted in modern history. Do people really have to be told how unhealthy fast food is? They're not eating there because it's healthy. They're eating there because is fast and convenient. They don't have to go to a store, buy it, transport it home, and prepare it. Most of us don't give a hoot how much fat or carbs is in it, we're gonna do it.

It's another stupid effort by government to regulate our lives. While a small percentage will be frightened away, for the most part, it will be in vain. The most it will accomplish is the added cost and headaches for business to have this information posted. Oh, and give some city officials a job to enforce this.

Maliki: I Support Obama’s Withdrawal Timetable

Given John McCain's pledge to keep troops in Iraq for 100 years if necessary, I think this wins hands down. Is there anyone still supporting John McCain? Let me rephrase that, is there anyone outside the current White House administration that support John McCain?

Oil Prices Tumble in Biggest Weekly Drop Ever

Oil company shareholders beware, you stock is dropping. But you won't notice it among the billions you've taken from Americans.

I personally haven't seen any drop in gas prices recently, but I hope it's a sign of things to come. Meanwhile, I think U.S. auto makers need to shift their thinking away from everything conventional. GM, Ford, and Chrysler need to take a year off from new models. Divert all their efforts to developing alternative transportation means. Why is it necessary to come up with 20 new vehicles every year? Volkswagen made the same bug for 30 years, the SAME vehicle with only subtle changes.

In 1987, I bought a brand new Doge Omni. It was allot like the VW Golf. It had 4 doors and a hatch. I could haul 5 people (including the driver), and cargo. That is as long as the total weight was less than 815 pounds. This thing was loaded, a 5 speed transmission, A/C, comfortable seats, front wheel drive, and it went almost anywhere in the snow. Best of all I got 40+ MPG on the road, 34 MPG or so just around town. Chrysler stopped making them in 1990 (The Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon). As my family was growing beyond this little car, a Dodge dealer commented to me they don't make enough money from them, so they are being discontinued. I don't know if that's true, but it was by far my most cost effective vehicle to own. In 3 years of ownership, I drove it 34,000 miles, and had everything original except the battery when I traded for a minivan. Still had the original Goodyear Vector tires. Other than putting gas in it and regular oil changes, it got a tune-up when I returned from Germany.

So here's the question, why can't they make that kind of car again? Datsun (which later because Nissan) had the B210. It was common for B210's to get 45MPG, and this was in the 70's! The answer, automakers make no money unless you're buying new cars from them. They're gonna have to get out of that frame of mind or they will find their way into bankruptcy.

FDIC Insurance for BIG Bank Deposits

I only have one thing to say to this. That is, I wish I had that problem, then I'd actually care.


Regards
John Crawford

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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Wind and Solar Energy: Why Aren't We Using Them?



The answer is that a thin slice of homeowners have adopted wind and/or solar power. That was a different era, however. A gallon of gas was around $1.30 a gallon (slightly higher in Hawaii). We were not feeling the pinch from the electric company either. You could get 2 loaves of bread for a dollar in most grocery stores; maybe 3 loaves if you catch a special.

I don't need to waste my breathe telling you what those same costs are in 2008. But the ideas of wind and solar energy for residential use is still "pie in the sky" for most of us. Oh, we'd like to do it, it's just not in the budget.

What puzzles me is why my electric company isn't beating down my door to get a wind generator (or two or three) put in my yard. Why isn't my county or state government encouraging me to use some of that undeveloped land I have to put wind generators up? I mean, if everyone who has a little bit of land was given the incentives (and subsidies) to put some renewable power back into the grid, wouldn't that help? Wouldn't that help reduce the amount of coal burned and deposited into the atmosphere? Wouldn't that bring down the cost of electricity, and our overall cost of living?

OK, there are incentive programs, but it's not going to help the vast majority of us. Most of us simply cannot afford the upfront costs, period. What I would like to see is the electric companies, local, state, and federal government make wind and solar power sources a viable option for everyone.

One promising initiative is being led by T. Boone Pickens, and if you watch TV at all, you've no doubt seen his commercials about America's dependence on foreign oil. He proposes to replace up the 22% of natural gas electricity with Wind. Then shift the natural gas to transportation needs. The end result is that we reduce how much money we export to oil producing nations (and in some cases terrorist supporting nations) by from $700 billion to $400 billion a year. This is going to be accomplished by creating "wind farms" that will feed back into the grid.

Here's the link to Pickens Plan or watch his video here.


So, I breach the question... What would be the impact if everyone who had the land put up as many wind generators as they could? Granted, some people do not live in houses with land around them. Apartments, townhouses, condos, and other multiple dwellings structures would still be disadvantaged for wind energy, but could probably implement solar energy. Homeowners associations would have to get over their rules and allow these things in. The overall cost of electricity to all of us would be greatly reduced. With mass production, and better government incentives, the upfront costs would come down to where everyone could afford it.

Valuable Resources:

American Wind Energy Association

U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies program

Solar Electric Power Association

Alternative Energy

National Renewable Energy laboratory




Regards
John Crawford

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Sunday, July 13, 2008

Video - Lazyboy- Underwear Goes Outside The Pants

This has been on YouTube for almost 2 years, but it's priceless.



Regards
John Crawford

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Daily Rant 7-13-08

Ripped from the headlines.... Are We In A Recession?





Obama says "little doubt we've moved into recession". What was his first clue? While I'm a registered Independent, I've come to like this person as a potential leader of the US. He is bit green on the foreign policy front, but maybe we need someone with fresh, untainted views. Oh yeah, the recession comment. Well it's like everyone is afraid to say the "R" word, but we're definitely in it. But if you're not old enough to remember the last time things were REALLY bad, then you need to wake up and smell the coffee. Comparatively, we are well off, but you decide for yourself.

On October 17th, 1973, OPEC cut us off. A gallon of gas was 39.9 cents a gallon, but we didn't have any to sell. It wasn't a matter of just paying more for it, you simply were not going anywhere . (The embargo ended on March 4th, 1974). In 1979, there was a revolution in Iran that caused a severe drop in the world's oil supply. Again, gas was hard to come by, long lines were the norm, and you could only buy gas on certain days depending on where you lived.

Also during this period, President Richard Nixon was impeached, a very little known Jimmy Carter became President in 1976. He subsequently gave away the Panama Canal. He allowed Iran to hold 52 American diplomats hostage for 444 days, only to be released on the inauguration day of President Reagan. The cold war with the Soviet Union was top story every day almost. It wasn't if we ever have a nuclear war, but when. Oh yeah, we nearly caused our own extinction after a partial meltdown at the Three-Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, PA. To add insult to injury, interest rates were at 21%. That was a recession.

As for whether I'll vote for Obama in the November election, that depends on who the independents are on the ballot. While I know they won't get elected, at least I'll exercise my right to vote for who I want, and not who the press and majority leaders want me to vote for.

That being said, a choice between Obama and McCain is a no-brainer, Obama wins hands down. Anyone (McCain in this case) who says he'll stay in Iraq for 100 years if necessary will not ever step foot in the oval Office if my vote has anything to say about it. Since only about 30% of Americans believe we should be in Iraq, then that's definitely the wrong platform to be on. Besides I think McCain's just more of what we have now. No domestic economic cares and we'll continue to make enemies on our planet. Personal freedoms will continue to erode in the name of national security. We'll continue to live our lives in fear, looking for a terrorist over one shoulder and big brother over the other. The streets of Baghdad are still safer than the streets of Washington, DC. That just ain't right!

Regards
John Crawford

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