Brass Ones...

If you add hubris, hypocrisy, arrogance and gall together, what do you get?

Congress.

Amid all of the financial woes that are beating this country to its knees, the Congress of the United States of America thinks its doing such a bang-up job, that they approved a $4,700 per year pay increase for themselves.

I'm at a loss for words for once. Well, maybe not.

The $2.5 million that this increase will cost could be much better spent on many things. Tax cuts, paying down our ever-increasing debt, etc. How they could look the Big 3 automakers CEOs in the face and demand that they not take a salary when at the same time they INCREASE theirs is beyond me. All we've heard over the past few years is how corporate executives have been overcompensated. Do you have any idea what a CEO of a major corporation does in a day?

• Manage thousands of employees
• Answer to a board of directors
• Develop new concepts to increase production and profit
• Compete with other companies that would love to see them out of business
• Expand their products/services into new markets
• Create thousands of jobs
• Pay millions of dollars in personal and corporate taxes
• Testify before Congress

That's just scratching the surface. The responsibilities of these CEOs to keep their companies afloat so average people will have a job to go to everyday is staggering. Now, let's take a look at what an average Congressman/Senator does:

• Makes a speech to a Rotary Club
• Makes calls for fundraiser for re-election
• Makes a speech on the floor of the House or Senate
• Makes calls for fundraiser for re-election
• Attends fundraiser for re-election
• Manages staff of 15-20
• Makes calls for fundraiser for re-election
• Brings "home" taxpayer money for roads, bridges, fire houses, etc.
• Makes calls for fundraiser for re-election
• Asks grandstanding questions of CEOs at committee hearings

Whew! That's some hard work huh? Honestly, at approximately $170,000 per year, your average Congressman is seriously overpaid. I wonder which House member or Senator will do the right thing and not accept the increase? How long should I wait?

A Classic Case

Bedbugs. Yes, the thought of bedbugs makes one's skin crawl. Actually, not only the thought, but the actual little buggers themselves. So we all can agree that bedbugs are icky. I've never had them, so I don't know what it's like, but I do know that GOVERNMENT should NOT be in the business of thinking or doing ANYTHING about bedbugs.

Why do I bring up government? Well, I live in the great state of New Jersey and here, government sticks its nose in pretty much everything. Case in point: Bedbugs.

Two members of the New Jersey General Assembly have taken the time to research and write a piece of legislation, confer with their Assembly Housing and Local Government Committee colleagues and convince them to vote 5-0 to push a bill that would punish landlords if there is an outbreak of bedbugs in a multi-unit dwelling anywhere in the state.

Yes, we are in the midst of a financial crisis. Yes, we are one of the highest taxed states in the nation. Yes, people are leaving the state in droves. Yes, yes, yes. New Jersey is a mess.

But what do Assemblywoman Joan Quigley and Assemblyman Harvey Smith (both from Hudson County) feel is the biggest issue facing the state and its taxpayers? Say it with me: Bedbugs.

Now landlords will have to make sure there are no bedbugs in their units. If they slip up and someone starts scratching, they'll have to fork over $300 per apartment or $1000 per common area. I thought the security screens that State Senator Ron Rice mandated for high-rise apartments was the worst piece of legislation they could come up with.

I was wrong.

This is just another classic case of government run amok. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. We can't talk on cell phones and drive, everyone has to wear a helmet when riding a bike at a blistering 5 miles per hour, they are looking to ban smoking EVERYWHERE, including your car and home, good old fashioned Jersey road rage is frowned upon and heaven forbid if you decide to open a business in this state, you may as well just send your right arm and right leg to Trenton.

When will it all end? Unfortunately, it won't. The citizens of New Jersey have become too comfortable with this style of governance. If you take away those "protections", then people will be exposed to the rough elements of life and be expected to take care of themselves. Government can't have that. Where would their power come from then?

Russian Analyst may be on to something...

A Russian analyst predicted that due to the economic troubles we're facing here in the United States, we will see a breakup of our country into "regions".

Professor Igor Panarin predicted over ten years ago that the United States could soon be comprised of a Pacific, Northern, Southern, Atlantic, Texas and Alaska regions.

Hmm. Maybe that could work here in New Jersey.

Every New Jerseyan from whatever region of the state looks down on every other New Jerseyan from another part of the state. Let's face facts.

If you're from Union County (North Jersey to some, Central Jersey to others), then anyone from Gloucester County is a hick right? A Bergen Countian is tied to the mafia as far as someone from Burlington County is concerned yes?

Well, let's break the whole thing up and start over. This also may be a great way for Corzine to ensure his election. Just run in North Jersey and you're in like flynn Bearded One!

Here's the potential breakdown (or breakup): The Great State of South Jersey, with its Eagles fans, philly accents and mobile homes would have the attraction of the Jersey shore. Tourism and retail shops galore!

The Grand State of Central Jersey (yes, there IS a Central Jersey) would be the home of one of the most corrupt capital cities in the country so maybe they would have to move it to, oh, I don't know, somewhere in Monmouth County, no, wait...

The Colossal State of North Jersey, home of the Sopranos could continue their, uh, unique ways of doing things and continue to be the home of the New York Giants and Jets. Maybe then they would change the name to actually match their home.

And finally, the good old Tremendous State of Northwest Jersey. Home of the mountain men, brown bears and...yeah, that's about it.

Make four new states and our economic problems would be over.

I say go for it. Give those who want to continue to live under Nanny State rules (North Jersey, Central Jersey) their chance. Northwest and Southern New Jersey would see a massive influx of people, but be warned. That's where all the gun owners are!

The Southern folks tried to secede from the state many years back. It didn't work, but maybe, with all of the grim economic news beating us about the head and shoulders everyday, now's the time. Thanks Igor!

Uh Oh!

Iran is steadily increasing its uranium processing.

If that doesn't send chills down your spine, I don't know what will. It seems they have almost doubled their current yield since August and some say they could have a crude bomb ready as early as next year. It wasn't long ago that the experts predicted it would take 5, 10 or 15 years before Iran became a member of the Nuclear Club.

At this time last year, many people, led by the media, were howling that the National Intelligence Estimate showed that Iran had halted its uranium enrichment program in 2003. Oops.

Where are they now? Where are the people that pummelled the President and his national security team about saber-rattling? What happened to the cries of woe against confronting Iran?

They are silent because they were fighting tooth and nail to get what they wanted. They wanted the President and his party hobbled leading up to the 2008 elections. They wanted every American to associate all the bad in this world with the word "Bush". Well, they got their wish.

I hope Obama is ready.

Iranian President Ahmedinejad is a nut. We all know that. Is he a nut willing to use nuclear weapons against Israel or Europe or America? I think so. He is willing, but I don't think he would actually go through with it. Granted, I haven't sat down with him over a bowl of dates and a cup of tea, but he has to know that our response would be devastating.

However, the threat of using them may be enough to get what he wants. What does he want? Israel obliterated. Maybe favorable trading conditions. The West out of the Middle East. To be ruler of "Greater Persia". I have no idea (well, the Israel thing is a definite).

This is a time that we all need to be paying attention to what is going on in the world. We have to hold our leaders to a tremendously high standard when they tell us what they think should be done and how they plan to do it. This is not a game anymore (it never was). All of the campaign speeches, screaming and fainting are over.

Big boy rules are in effect now.

We have a few months until we open the morning paper and read:

"Iran test fires first nuclear-tipped missile with an effective range that encompasses Israel and most of Europe."

I REALLY hope Obama is ready. *sigh*

Don't Do It!

President-elect Obama is floating the idea of naming New York Senator Hillary Clinton to be our next Secretary of State. Big mistake.

If I can offer him a wee bit of advice: Keep her out of the Executive Branch if you value your Administration (and your sanity)!

The simple way to look at this is you have three large planetary masses orbiting each other: Obama, Hillary and Bill Clinton. These three masses have tremendous gravitational pull on each other and on millions of smaller masses. If these masses are brought closer together it would make the Big Bang look like a firecracker.

Here's a scenario: President Obama is having some trouble with, oh I don't know, Iran. He decides that, without preconditions, he's going to send SecState Hill over to talk to our new friend Mahmoud. She stumbles and says the wrong thing or doesn't wear the proper head scarf or whatever and the press gets wind of it. Who do they go running to for a comment? Big Bill. You know the press LOVES controversy, so this could turn into a great story!

Bill: "Heck, I don't know what she was thinking, but if I was over there..."

You see Mr. President, you are asking for a lot of trouble and a lot of leaks if the Clintons are anywhere near the White House or your foreign policy apparatus.

Leave her in the Senate and help pay off her debt. If she starts jet-setting around the globe she'll only be making more friends to help her in 2012 and you don't want to face that possibility do you?

Oh, and one more thing Mr. President: If your main reason for mentioning Senator Clinton for the most important cabinet position in the government is to bring the Democratic Party together, shame on you. Now is the time for a professional diplomat with an understanding of the geopolitical minefields that await us as we move further into the 21st Century.

Managing the problems brought by Venezuela, Russia, China, Afghanistan, Iraq, India, Pakistan and all of Africa are a bit more important than political party unity don't you think?

Veteran's Day

Today, as our military fights for our freedoms around the world, we should all take a moment to remember those who came before them.

From the oldest veteran, Corporal Frank Buckles, to the newest soldier, sailor, airman, Marine and coast guardsman, we owe a debt of gratitude to these men and women for their service.

Great way to start

First off, congratulations to President-elect Obama. I am disappointed that the election turned out the way it did, but, for the sake of the country I truly wish him and his new administration the best.

Well, now that that's over, let's get to the good stuff!

On Friday, at his first press conference as the soon-to-be most important man in the world, President-elect Obama managed to insult two groups of people. In ONE press conference.

I don't understand why this would even be in his mind at such a critical media event, but, when asked if he had spoken to all of the former "living" Presidents, he said, "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about doing any seances". Wow. Great start.

Then, speaking about the puppy he promised to get for his two daughters, he said, 'Our preference is to get a shelter dog, but most shelter dogs are mutts like me". (emphasis added)

Ouch.

I don't imagine David Axelrod or Rahm Emanuel told him it would be a good idea to make fun of an elderly widow (and millions of Reagan supporters) and scores of mixed race people across the country (well, Emanuel may have liked the Nancy Reagan dig).

He later apologized to Mrs. Reagan, but quite an auspicious start for such a sharp, articulate and intelligent wordsmith such as him wouldn't you say?

Let's hope he does better at his next press conference and doesn't make fun of a disabled child or Hispanics.

Talk soon.

At the end of the day...

Irritating phrases (not to mention irritating people) surround us every day, right?

It's not rocket science to catch these fairly unique phrases 24/7. I personally think it's a nightmare and, with all due respect, shouldn't of even brought this up.

But, at this moment in time, it is necessary.

Talk soon.

Mr. Corzine goes to Washington?

The Newark Star Ledger is reporting that Governor Jon Corzine is being vetted for a possible appointment to head the Treasury Department. *sigh*

This is like appointing Dr. Kevorkian as Surgeon General.


*sigh*

Time for the Civil Rights Industry to Shutdown

Now that an African-American has been elected President, isn't it time for the Civil Rights Industry to close its doors?

Who will help chip in for the gold watches for the Reverends Jackson and Sharpton?

Voting in District 23: A Walk-through

On the way to the polls this morning, you wouldn't know that we are on the cusp of an "historic" election that will "change" our "vision" of the "future".

The sun was shining. It was warmer than I thought it would be at this time of the year. People were just coming out of their apartments heading to work or the park or the grocery store or, like me, to the polls.

Everything was casual. No one was rushing around to try and get in on the "most important election in our nation's history" (How many times have you heard that one?). The local football team was even out doing laps and running contact drills. All is normal.

Well, until I got into the polling station. There were PEOPLE in there! Past elections, I've been the only one to walk in, chat with the little old ladies, smile my non-threatening smile, vote and wave goodbye. Now I had to wait. In a line. With other people. Madness!

So, this gave me a great opportunity to do what I do for a living. Observe and write. What did I observe? Well, the twenty or so people in line ran the gamut of demographics. Old, young, black, white, male, female. This is a true microcosm of America. The one thing that struck me, was no was really talking. You get a group of people together in a small room, all from the same neighborhood and you're bound to have a little banter. Granted, there were a couple of waves from one person to another, a smile here, a "how ya doin'?" there, but no one was really TALKING.

I guess I expected to hear, oh, I don't know, "blah, blah, blah McCain" or "Obama, blah, blah, blah". Nope. Not a thing. I kind of find that interesting considering the "historic" nature of this election. There was really no BUZZ. Maybe it was out of courtesy or shyness or based on one person who had no idea how to work the machines, ignorance. Who knows? Oh well.

Actually, the highlight of my time in line, was watching a Poll Challenger. He was a young guy with those hip thick-rimmed glasses, dark blazer and open collar shirt. I don't know if he was trying to look intimidating or he was just bored, but he just stood there and when a voter gave his or her name, he looked on his list to confirm they are actual voters (and one of his party or the other) then returned to staring off into space. I felt like that naturalist from the Geico commercials.

The line moved along, I went into the voting booth, pressed the necessary buttons and left. Thirteen minutes, in and out. Not bad.

Now, we wait to see how historic this election truly will be.

Almost forgot: Steelers 23, Redskins 6. One upset down, one to go.

Upsets

Here we are. A few hours from Monday Night Football and a day before we elect the next President of the United States. I'm hoping for two upsets.

The Washington Redskins welcome the Pittsburgh Steelers to Maryland (shouldn't it be the Maryland Redskins?) for an important game that could ultimately decide division winners, playoff berths and successful seasons.

The Steelers got caught napping last week against the Giants and came up short. The Redskins have a quarterback who hasn't thrown an interception all year. That will change tonight. The Steelers defense is tops in the league and I see them shutting down the run in order to force Jason Campbell to throw the ball more. More throws, more chances for interceptions; more interceptions = victory (see Giants v. Steelers last week).

That is upset Number One. Upset Number Two is a little more important than a football game. My "hope" is that Senator John McCain and his campaign have done something, ANYTHING to secure enough votes to win. Am I a huge McCain fan? Not in the slightest. Is Sarah Palin the next Ronald Reagan? No.

I am however, a huge fan of freedom, liberty and the fundamental belief that I know what is best for me and my future. The government is the antithesis of that. They have consistently ruined lives, businesses and futures through "well-meaning" programs that cost billions and do nothing.

Barack Obama is one of the strongest advocates for the government-first option and he honestly scares me. I want to be able to recognize the country in four years and not mistake it for Stalin's Russia, Castro's Cuba or Chavez' Venezuela. Harsh? Not in the least.

Waves of changes have swept over many countries around the world. Some are to sweep a dictator out of power; others are just efforts to get rid of an unpopular leader. This "wave" is so much different, because it's based on thin air.

What "change" are we looking for? People say they're sick of President Bush. Ok. It's been eight years and most two term Presidents tend to wear on people. But HIS policies haven't done near the damage as those of the Congress.

Housing Crisis? Congressional Democrats in bed with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
High fuel prices? Congressional Democrats won't allow drilling
Osama Bin Laden? Bill Clinton didn't get him when Bin Laden was in Sudan
Mistrust of Government? I'll give you this, both are at fault for sure

So, what "change" are we talking about? Unfortunately we may get a big mouthful of change that we weren't banking on.

Good luck Steelers and America!

What the Heck Happened?

I'm at a loss for words. I thought about writing something last night after one of the worst meltdowns in football (slight hyperbole, but hey I'm pissed) history.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost a WINNABLE game yesterday afternoon to the New York Giants. How winnable? The Steelers kept the Super Bowl champs to four field goals throughout three and a half quarters! The Giants were on the ropes and all the Steelers had to do was play smart (not conservative, but SMART) and protect the ball and...not have a starting linebacker serve as the back-up long snapper! With two experienced centers on the roster, why the hell is one of our key linebackers used as a long snapper? Well, on a punt in the fourth quarter, James Harrison (a great DEFENSIVE player) hiked the ball clear over the head of the punter and out of the end zone for a safety. This is with close to two minutes left on the clock.

Up to that point the Steelers were ahead 14-12. Safety. 14-14. I turned it off after that.

I found out later that Eli Manning finally found out how to get the ball into the endzone for a touchdown. Giants 21-14. There was still some time left, but Ben Roethlisberger being who he is tried to get the team down the field with bravado. Interception. Game over.

I'm disgusted.

Granted 5-2 is not bad. We still are first in the AFC North, but come on! We had the Giants right where we wanted them. Talk about snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory.

The coaching staff has to think of something and think of something soon. The offensive (truly offensive) line is going to get Ben killed. BEN is going to get Ben killed if he keeps holding onto the ball so long. Sacks, interceptions, hurries, knockdowns, three and outs are going to be the demise of this team.

The defense has been superb. Well, like they say, "Defense wins championships". So there is some hope. Oh, there was one bright spot to Sunday's games: The Bengals are 0-8 http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/scoreboards/2008/10/26/3274_viewcast_recap.html

The Washington Redskins are up next. The Steelers better get things worked out and quick.

Rant over. Talk soon.

Two More Weeks

Two more weeks until we elect a new President. Ho hum.

I don't know if it's the length of the campaign or the candidates, but I can't wait until this is over. Either candidate is saying they are going to save us from ourselves, but I just can't take it anymore.

I used to love watching the horse race and all of the ads on TV, but now every time I see McCain or Obama I cringe.

"McCain is going to destroy America!"

"Obama is a socialist!"

Enough already!

The people who think that either man is going to suddenly swoop down the day after the election and make their lives easier are at best fooling themselves and at worst displaying a mind-numbing level of naivete.

The stock market will still go up and down, Al Qaida will still want to kill us and Hollywood will still pump out rehashed movies that don't make any sense. So what's the point in getting yourself all riled up?

When will it end?

Once again, New Jersey politicians demonstrate a tin ear to what their constituents want and to the state of our national economy. Only in New Jersey would they contemplate, let alone approved, a massive toll increase on the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. Have they been watching the news or talking to any of the voters over the past year? I mean, their drivers surely see what the cost of gas is here in this state don't they?

By 2012, the cost of driving on both of these horrendous roads will DOUBLE.

They say reason for the increases is to fund road improvements. Unfortunately, a lot of that money is going to go to the contractors who have given them the most support which means the cost of the improvements will be astronomical.

When will it end?

Russia, Obama and the Future

Although this article doesn't specifically mention Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, it still brings to light a troubling question: Is Obama prepared to handle a resurgent Russian Bear?

I have been disturbed over the last few months about Obama's lack of common sense when it comes to foreign and national security policy. This story just makes one cringe. If Russian President Medvedyev feels it's important to achieve, "supremacy in the air, in delivering high-precision strikes against land and sea targets and in the rapid deployment of forces" merely on the basis of our anti-ballistic missile shield in the Czech Republic and Poland, we are facing some really troubling times.

Most polls (national and state) are showing Obama is in a position to win this election. Is he prepared? Is McCain? I guess you could ask is anyone prepared for something like that, but in Obama's case, I really don't think so. Either way, it's pretty damn scary stuff.

It is imperative that we maintain our position as a superpower and do whatever we can to keep others off balance. Especially power-hungry, behind the scenes operators like Vladimir Putin.

Remember the threats out there: Iran, Venezuela, Russia, China, Syria and North Korea among many others. The potential for a domino of increased threats from southeast Asia, through Southwest Asia, the Middle East and Europe is real. Now is the time to keep our eye on the ball, here and overseas.

Better Late Than Never

After many years of writing for political campaigns, public relations firms and other clients, and seeing how much fun people are having with their blogs, it's time for me to step into the blogging pool. Yeah, I know, where have I been?

Well, like the saying goes: better late than never.

So, here goes nothing. Stay tuned for more intermittent rambling about politics, society, culture, current events, sports and more.

Talk (blog) soon.