A Sweet First Kiss

    A plaque has been placed at a Baskins Robbins location to mark the spot of Michelle and Barack Obama’s first kiss.  I have several thoughts and questions about this.
• It is certainly interesting that Baskin Robbins was at one point in time rescued by Bain Capital.
• Did Barack ask for the kiss or did Michelle?
• Do you think Michelle is happy with this monument being placed at an ice cream joint, considering her efforts to get young people to make wise nutritional decisions?
• Will this plaque cause more youngsters to have some ice cream at this location, and will this contribute to the so-called obesity epidemic?
• Do YOU remember the location and circumstances of you first kiss with your spouse?
• Will the President visit this location and tell the owner, “You didn’t build that, I did.”
• Did Bain Capital rescue Baskin Robbins in order to cause more Americans to die of obesity?  Should the Obama Campaign turn this into a campaign ad?
• Will the President count the work done on this monument as jobs that he created?

Thoughts on the First Day of School

  Here in my hometown, today is the first day of school.  I will share a few of my thoughts on the quality of education in America which, in my opinion, has gone downhill..

• There should be higher expectations of students in the basic courses.  Too much emphasis is made on whether the students are enjoying themselves in school. 
• The problems in today's government schools will not be solved by throwing more tax money at them.
• There is no need for a Federal Department of Education.  The control of the schools should be as localized as possible.  America does not need one-size-fits-all approach to education.
• One huge problem in the government schools is the amount of influence that the public employee labor unions have on the system.  For one thing, way too much tax money is being directed to pension plans instead of being used to benefit students.  Secondly, we all know that so much of the money collected as dues by these organizations is being directed to the Democrat Party, much of it from members who have different political viewpoints.
• I am outraged that right now the present administration in Washington is placing new regulations on parochial schools concerning health care mandates and contraception/abortion.  Even if you ignore the doctrinal issues, these mandates, if permitted, will cause the cost of educating a student to go up.  In the economic climate we have now, it has become more difficult to get parents to commit to paying tuition to get a Christian education.  Many schools are closing.  I happen to think that the present administration likes that trend.
• Schools in America apparently need to be doing a better job of teaching the development and content of the U.S. Constitution.  Today's political discourse indicates that there are great misunderstandings about the importance of the Constitution in the operation of our country.
• The task of the teacher is much harder now.  I think the biggest cause of this is that students and parents have less respect for teachers.  Parents, more so than ever, will believe just about anything their children tell them about their teachers.  Parents need to have the teachers' backs.  Teachers have been put on the defensive these days.  That should not be.
• I am still on the fence about school vouchers.  I just cannot seem to get past the idea that as government money is deposited into the parochial schools, it comes with a large amount of strings attached.  I fear the loss of control in the parochial schools.

Much more can be said. There could be another post on this topic in the future.

Fear Not

    After the Ryan pick, we have already heard the horror stories about how he is bad news for seniors.  I am a senior, and he does not scare me.  I do not think I am going to be thrown off a cliff.  In fact, I have more worries about my medical future from Obamacare.  I think most seniors are more concerned about the future of their grandchildren than they are about their own interests.  They do not want their grandchildren to grow up in a country that has gone bankrupt.  They also do not want their grandchildren to live in a socialist country.  If you ask yourself which party has a fiscally responsible plan for America's future, you must conclude that it is coming from the GOP side.  The Democrats are trying to paint a picture that is not reality.  Seniors are not selfish.  Do not believe their scare tactics.

Thoughts on the Ryan Pick

• Paul Ryan is, in my opinion, the best person in America to present fiscal concerns and solutions to the American people.  He is brilliant.
• Having said that, one of my concerns is that he would no longer be on the Budget Committee in the House.  I would hope the GOP can find an adequate replacement.
• From a Tea Party perspective, Ryan is the better part of the team running for the GOP.
• The Democrats will ramp up their attacks, saying that Ryan is a dangerous choice for seniors, ignoring the fact that the Ryan budget does not affect those who are already on Medicare and on Social Security.
• My hope is that younger Americans will buy into Ryan's message and NOT want to be part of an entitlement nation.
• Ryan has a beautiful family.  Start praying for them.  Even if they do not get attacked, they are going to have to watch their loved one get viciously attacked by Chicago-style politics.
• The Ryan pick ought to turn the conversation back to the important issues of improving our economy, reducing our debt, and tightening our belts.  But will it?
• I am guessing that very few Americans really know who Paul Ryan is.  I am going to enjoy watching him impress them with his ideas.
• I am really looking forward to the VP debate.  The big question in my mind, though, is whether the folks asking the questions will even approach asking about money issues.  I am betting they will try to focus on foreign affairs.
• As a values voter myself, Ryan is now the best of the four people running with regards to social issues.
• I have already seen a comment online about this ticket as being the best ticket of all time when it comes to hair. Makes me giggle.
• Ryan should get the "Packers" vote, but will probably lose the "Vikings" vote.
• All in all, I think it is a good choice.

Positive News Day

There have been so many days in which the news seems to be so bad.  Today is not one of them.  Here are some reasons why.

• There has been an incredible outpouring of support for Chick-fil-A today.  I don't think this is so much an anti-gay movement as it is a statement about how America thinks about the effort to stifle freedom of religion.  They are fed up.
• A coalition of black pastors has spoken out against the President's support of gay marriage, saying their support will not just be based on the color of the President's skin.  They, too, are willing to stand by their Biblical values.
• Senator Reid claims to have been told by a Bain investor that Mitt Romney went ten years without paying taxes.  This claim is completely unsubstantiated.  This may sound like bad news, but it shows how desperate the Democrats are.  They must know that President Obama is in deep trouble going into this election.  And he is.
• Now the big one.  Texas Republicans rejected an establishment man and instead showed their support for Tea Party candidate, Ted Cruz.  This is monumental.  It should send shudders throughout not only the Democrats, but also all moderate Republicans.  Mitt Romney is going to have to sit up and take notice, too, and make sure he maintains a conservative stance on the issues.  There is a large groundswell of support for Constitutional conservatism in America.  Another lesson from this election is that people should learn that they should not be influenced by polls.  This was a classic case of the attempted use of polls to manipulate the election.  It did not work.

America's Perception

In a recent poll, only 50% of respondents said that President Obama is a Christian. Seventeen percent said he is a Muslim. I would like to think that if I were President, that people would be certain that I am a Christian.

A Vent of Olympic Proportions

I'm an Olympic cynic these days.  Why?
1.  I'm not an NBC fan.
2.  The coverage will be used to promote NBC programming.
3.  The coverage will be heavy on events that have judges decide the winner.  Not a fan of those.
4.  I checked the DirecTV listings  for the Olympics.  In 138 listings, 59 of them included gymnastics.  Since I'm not a fan of that, it discourages my viewing.
5.  I'm old-school.  I liked it when athletes were all amateurs.
6.  There will be too much coverage of the celebrities who are attending.
7.  There's always too much "up close and personal" stuff and not enough of the actual athletic events.
8.  The opening ceremonies have become sensationalized...like the Super Bowl halftime show.  I don't watch that either.
I still am likely to tune in on occasion, but it will not take much to get me to tune out if I do not care for the coverage. You folks who are fans of the Olympics....enjoy. I will probably watch some baseball.