Dan's Thoughts

Respect for a General

2009-06-19T12:40:00.003-05:00

Most of you have heard about the General that was reprimanded by a Senator for not addressing her as Senator. Well, here is a compilation. Please watch this video and let me know if you think her comments to the General were appropriate. Please leave comments. Was a General way off base to call a Senator "ma'am" or "sir"?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpU_BYI9d24&feature=response_watch

Also, please note this from the Fox News story:

"Tuesday's hearing was hardly the first time a military officer used those terms during sworn testimony.

The same day at a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing, two Navy officials repeatedly referred to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., with the title, "sir."

"Yes, sir," Navy Vice Adm. Bernard McCullough said when answering questions.

Wicker raised no objections."

Aloha.

Supreme Court Nominee

2009-05-26T22:04:00.004-05:00

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/26/sotomayors-judicial-record-battlefield-critics-advocates/

Before the selection of nominee, I heard that President Obama was looking for a female, Hispanic judge to nominate.

Now, judge Sotomayor may very well be the best candidate for the position. (I doubt it, but for reasons of judgment, not skin color.) However, simply making the statement that one is choosing a Justice for the Supreme Court based on race or gender (or worse both) diminishes her perceived value. I must ask the question: Was she the best nominee, or was she the best female Hispanic nominee?

For the Supreme Court, I want the best nominee. I don't care about gender or race or religion. I care that the person will provide justice for this nation.

Which one of us (President Obama or me) do you think is living up to Rev. Dr. King's dream?

Also, let's review a critical case involving racism:

To quote from the article on one of Sotomayor's appeals court decisions:

"Perhaps Sotomayor's most controversial decision was in Ricci v. DeStefano, in which she was part of a panel ruling against a group of white firefighters in New Haven, Conn. -- they objected after the city threw out the results of a promotion test because too many white firefighters, and not enough minority firefighters, scored high."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517074,00.html

Judge Sotomayor decided that it was OK to throw out a test because not enough black test takers would be promoted.

To refute that argument, I quote from the article:

"All were afforded the same notice, the same study period, the same exam syllabi, etc.," said Torre, who would only answer questions by e-mail. "The rest was up to the individual."

And again I quote:

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The color of anyone's skin should not be used to make decisions. If you think otherwise, reread the last sentence until you change your mind.

Our President has just nominated a racist for the Supreme Court most likely because he himself was being racist. Stellar.

To test this theory, what if a white President came out and said he was looking for a white male to put on the Supreme Court. And he chose someone who had ruled in favor of separate but equal education for minorities. In this day and age, would that ever be allowed? Would anyone believe that was acceptable? The obvious answer is "Of course not." As well it shouldn't be allowed or be believed to be acceptable.

Aloha.

Memorial Day

2009-05-23T18:59:00.000-05:00

First, go read the article and look at the picture, then come back. It is worth it.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=47507

http://www.blackfive.net/.a/6a00d8341bfadb53ef01156fa97022970c-pi

The picture is a card Gen. Pace left at the Vietnam Memorial on his last day as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Quoting from the article:

The lesson for Pace was immediate. “Regardless what you do in your life, hold on to your moral compass,” he said. “When you are emotionally least capable of defending yourself is when the biggest challenge will come. If you don’t have an idea of what you will let yourself do and what you will not let yourself do, you may find that you have done something that you would never believe yourself capable of doing.”

He said his epiphany came in combat, but it doesn’t have to. “I learned that day, to think through what was going to be happening each day thereafter, and to think through what I would allow myself to do and not do,” he said.

It could come in a meeting, a test, a temptation, whatever. “If you have thought through who you want to be at the end of each day, you will see that person,” he said. “But, if you have not, you may not like the person you end up being.”

This Memorial Day, remember the reason for the 3-day weekend and thank someone who risked everything to defend you, your nation and your freedom. Or, better yet, thank the family of someone who gave everything to defend you, your nation and your freedom.

Aloha.

An example of socialism

2009-05-23T17:54:00.004-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/23/china.suicide/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Quoting from the article: "A passerby pushed a would-be suicide jumper off a bridge in southern China because he was angry at the jumper's "selfish activity," Chinese media reported Saturday."

How selfish could the individual be to hold up traffic for 5 hours?

So what if that individual was contemplating suicide?

So what if the person PUSHED HIM OFF OF THE BRIDGE?

Wasn't that the best for society collectively?

Welcome to the logic of socialism.

Aloha.

Abortion and Obama

2009-05-18T11:11:00.002-05:00

Watch the video, then come back:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI67MuPwsX0

I've said it before and I'll say it again: When government views itself as caretaker of the populace, when abortion gets rid of economically disadvantaged people, when abortion limits the number of mouths for the government to feed, they view abortion as a good thing.

People who believe liberals are standing up for the individual right to do anything are wrong. Abortion isn't the right of a person to terminate a pregnancy, it is the way for liberals to reduce government spending (perhaps, the only way they know).

Now, reconcile these two statements:

"I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it -- indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory -- the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable," Obama said.

vs.

But Obama called for "open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words" in the midst of such persistent debates.

So, one side thinks the other side is murdering millions. And, Obama realizes that this could cause a problem with trying to come to an agreement. But, with the belief that millions of lives are on the line, he is urging "open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words"???

If Obama were president during WWII, we would still be trying to convince Hitler that he should "understand our view".

Aloha.

Social Security, Medicare and Socialism

2009-05-12T20:53:00.001-05:00

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/taxRates.html

Social Security:

In 1937, the amount contributed out of your paycheck was 1%.

By 1960, 23 years later, that rate was up to 3%.

Medicare was added in 1966.

By 1970, 10 years later, the total amount was up to 4.8%.

By 1980, another 10 years later, the total was up to 6.13%.

By 1990, we reached our current rate of 7.65%

Please note that this is the rate for employees AND employers each. So, for every 7.65% you are paying, your employers are paying 7.65% for you as well. That is another 7.65% that the employer could be paying you if there was not this tax. Combined, that's 15.3% of your pay that the government is getting for Social Security and Medicare.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/12/social-security-medicare-seen-failing-faster/

I am 35 and began working in jobs outside the home/farm around 1991. That means that my entire adult working life, the government is getting over 15% of my pay with the implied promise that Social Security and Medicare will be available to me. That promise is an empty lie.

According to the above article, as it stands now, Social Security will be broke 2 years before I turn 65 (current full retirement age). Please note that this is 4 years earlier than anticipated just last year. So, who knows how long it will really last, but the estimates keep getting worse.

Medicare will be broke 20 years sooner, in 2017, or 22 years before I retire. This estimate too is getting worse.

Other than my personal interest in the fact that I am getting the shaft on this program, why does this matter?

Great question.

Here's why it matters:

FDR, the man who "Beginning with his inauguration address, ...began blaming the economic crisis on bankers and financiers, the quest for profit, and the self-interest basis of capitalism", the man who tried to drastically change the Supreme Court when it didn't agree with his New Deal, and the man who sent 120,000 Americans to interment camps and deprived them of liberty and property, is the man who started the Social Security system.

This man started the biggest American experiment in Socialism that has ever been conducted...and that experiment is failing.

Let us all remember that as we think about "universal health care" and "fairness".

It cannot succeed. I'm not saying that it cannot be allowed to succeed, I am saying that the math says it is incapable of success.

Socialism doesn't work. All of the best intentions will simply lead us down the road to hell.

Aloha.

FDR References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court-packing

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Franklin_D._Roosevelt

Here's what institutional discrimination will do

2009-05-11T21:43:00.002-05:00

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7561561&page=1

So, they hire a minority who has driving violations to drive a trolley. They make this hire to discriminate for this person's minority status. Then, this person decides to text his girlfriend instead of drive while driving. This causes a 9.6 MILLION DOLLAR accident. And, this person is only a minority by choice, being "transgendered".

Overall, this person should not have been behind the wheel. There should have been a competent person driving. Instead, let's make sure that everyone has a job.

This form of discrimination is simply occupational socialism in action. We shouldn't hire someone based on ability, we should hire based on need or "fairness".

If you want to know what a socialist future looks like, look at this incident and know.

Aloha.

Greatness

2009-05-11T16:33:00.002-05:00

Recently, our media and politicians have been proclaiming the need for equity. Everyone should have access to "basic" health care. Everyone should have access to "basic" education. Everyone should have access to "basic" home ownership.

In the 80's we didn't talk about "basic" anything. We talked about being the greatest nation on the face of the planet. We did that not through lowering our standards and making sure we were all equal at the lowest standard possible. We did that by striving for greatness and working our collective tails off.

When I get ill, I don't want basic health care, I want great health care.

When my children receive an education, I want them to have a great education, not a "basic" education.

When my children want to purchase a home, I want them to be able to buy a great home because they work for it and save their pennies. I don't want them to have to settle for a "basic" home because that is as high as the lowest member of our nation can reach.

We, as a nation, should not focus on providing the "basics" for all. We should focus on on providing the best for all who can afford it. This drive will reduce the cost of the same service for all of us in the long run.

We talk about the current cost of health care in this nation, yet forget to mention the advances we have made in this arena.

The average life expectancy of someone born in 1900 was 49.2. In 2008, that average life expectancy reached 78. We have increased our life spans by about 60% in the last century.

Do you think that happened because we aimed for providing "basic" health care in America? We achieved this by striving for greatness in health care.

Do you think that adding nearly 30 years onto everyone's life is free and inexpensive? Someone has to pay for all of that medication and all of that health care, all of the machines, all of the lawsuits, all of the hospital beds, all of the wheel chairs and "hover-rounds", all of the home nurses, all of it.

It is not free, in spite of what some might believe.

We expect to live 60% longer and do it for free. We spit in the face of reality.

We forget that we achieved these great things by striving for greatness, not by striving for mediocrity.

Aloha.

Did you hear the good news?

2009-05-09T21:53:00.002-05:00

The President is looking to cut the budget. The video explains why I am underwhelmed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWt8hTayupE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wretchedradio.com%2Fdaily_update_archives.cfm%3Fid%3D111&feature=player_embedded

This video says it all.

Aloha.

Theft

2009-05-08T14:05:00.002-05:00

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,519515,00.html

Theft.

Pure and simple theft.

One group of people decided to steal what other people owned.

Welcome to a very simple explanation of socialism.

Those in power, I'm sure, had a "good reason" why stealing was acceptable.

Let me be clear: Whatever "reason" they came up with is irrelevant. Stealing is stealing.

This is what the U.S. taxpayer, business person, property owner is experiencing to a lesser level now and will experience to a greater level soon.

Aloha.

What am I paying for?

2009-05-08T13:57:00.003-05:00

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/08/government-funds-study-gay-sex-argentina-bars/

That's right. To quote from the article, "The National Institutes of Health are paying researchers to cruise six bars in Buenos Aires to find out why gay men engage in risky sexual behavior while drunk -- and just what can be done about it."

Why does anyone think that this is acceptable?

This is what happens when government begins believing that it exists to solve all problems.

Aloha.

How much did we just spend again?

2009-05-07T22:26:00.002-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/07/seniors.stimulus/index.html

So, looks like we just spent another $13,750,000,000.

I hope everyone who receives this money enjoys the fruits of my labor.

I was going to say you're welcome, but you're not. You didn't earn it, you didn't work for it, you shouldn't be getting it. Any plan at redistributing wealth is bad.

Let's all sing a song as we take another step down the road to socialism.

Aloha.

Lest we forget - Updated

2009-04-20T19:25:00.006-05:00

The caliber of Democratic military analysis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niPmXym7u3g&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_igpyewuzQ

The war is lost, the surge has failed, we should run away.

No apologies to our great military who has won not only the war but the peace in Iraq without the same level of commitment from their counterparts in the State Department and with a complete lack of support from the Democrats.

These people disgust me.

Never forget the facts. The Democrats betrayed this nation and the great men and women serving in the military.

Aloha.

Wall St. vs. Main St.

2009-04-15T18:37:00.002-05:00

How much did our new President make last year?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30234253/

You read correctly... $2.7 million!!!!!

There are about 525,949 minutes in a year. So, stated differently, he made a little over $5.13 every minute or $308 dollars every hour or $1,298 per work hour (figuring a 40 hour work week). I don't know about you, but I made a little less than that per hour for my work.

Does anyone remember Obama criticizing McCain for not being in touch with main street because he owned 7 houses?

How in touch is Obama with an income of $2.7 million?

How many houses can you buy with just one million dollars? You can buy about 7 houses just like mine.

Obama couldn't locate main street unless he asked his chauffeur to drive him there.

Aloha.

I need one!

2009-04-07T21:06:00.003-05:00

This has got to be the best infantry weapon ever!!!:

http://www.gizmag.com/aa-12-combat-shotgun-frag-12-automatic/11393/

Again, I NEED one!!!! (And a few hundred rounds of that ammo!)

Aloha.

Save the Turtles!!!

2009-03-21T11:47:00.001-05:00

Here is the story:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/21/feinstein-dont-spoil-desert-solar-panels/

Some entrepreneurial companies want to turn a barren wasteland into a space that will produce renewable energy, and, according to Sen. Feinstein and David Myers, the turtles are more important.

Let me be clear. I have nothing against turtles. I like turtles. My girls watch Franklin.

However, does anyone remember the energy crisis? Does anyone remember the Liberals charging that oil, coal and nuclear were bad choices and things like wind and solar (what these companies want to do) are the way to go? The short of it is that Liberals think people are bad, especially the masses. We don't deserve power or really even life. We might bother the turtles or the birds or the grass or the wind in the process of living.

Here's my proposal: Instead of building solar and wind in the desert and killing off some turtles, let's build a few dozen nuclear power plants there and provide for the whole nation. That way, the turtles get to live and we get power. Even France does this. How stupid are we when the French are ahead of us?

Aloha.

Let's make Vets pay for service-related injuries

2009-03-10T17:49:00.002-05:00

Well, that's one way to pay for socialism:

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2009/03/obama-wants-vet.html

Sarcasm alert!:

This is a great idea. Let's pay the military low pay for risking their lives, then let's discharge them and make them pay for their medical care with private insurance. I mean, why should they get any special treatment for defending us?

End Sarcasm.

Wow. First he tries to lose the war that we've already won. Then, he says that he's going to cut military spending during a time of war. Now, he wants to screw our vets. I expect the next story will include firing squads for those doing their duty.

Aloha.

News Flash

2009-03-09T11:15:00.002-05:00

Who would have thought? Barbie a prostitute? This quote from a CNN story:

'"Who would have thought," Gerber said. Barbie was thought up by a woman and modeled on a cartoon character "who was essentially a prostitute."'

Who would have thought? Let me think...anyone who has ever seen the doll.

It really took decades for someone to figure this out?

Aloha.

The Economy

2009-03-05T16:15:00.002-05:00

I'll keep this brief.

Since Nov 4 (election day) the Dow has lost over 29% of its total value in 4 months.

Most would say the goal of socialism is to bring everyone up to the same level. I would disagree. The goal of socialism is to bring everyone down to the same level.

Looks like socialism is working.

Aloha.

An Historic Day

2009-01-20T20:28:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow will be an historic day in our nation's history. It will be the 36th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. The last abortion statistic available from National Right to Life (which appears to be from 1973 to 2007) is 49,551,703 dead in the United States.

Based upon the average of over 1 million abortions each year, it would be safe to estimate that over 50 million human beings have been killed.

In perspective, 9/11 death toll is around 2,750.

The Iraq war death toll is just over 4,200.

World War II U.S. death toll was over 400,000.

The Civil War death toll (both sides) was around 625,000

Estimated Holocaust death toll: 5.9 million Jews and about 6 million others for a total of 12 million.

To say that this is the greatest tragedy of this century or the last would be accurate.

When the history of this time is written many years in the future, those authors will fail to understand us as much as we fail to understand the Germans in the 30's and 40's.

How can we let this happen? How can over 50 million be killed and it is "legal"?

What baffles me is that more poor minorities have abortions than any other group, and yet no one picks this up as a class warfare issue or a racial issue.

Our nation, with its fresh new minority leader who promises economic equality, should be ashamed. We have killed 50 million of our own.

How can God bless our nation while be allow such an atrocity to continue unchecked?

Aloha.

Goodbye Dave Brondsema

2009-01-10T11:00:00.003-05:00

A former employee (as of Friday) is making news online. Dave Brondsema, who has worked at Cornerstone University for over 3 years and for me over 2 years, is moving on to SourceForge. These are the people who do sourceforge.net and thinkgeek.com among others.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SourceForge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thinkgeek

If you're a techie, you've probably heard of them.

Anyway, I found this story out there:

http://caps.fool.com/Blogs/ViewPost.aspx?bpid=128359&t=01005232244381733972

And this:

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/what_comes_after_sourceforge_a.php

Looks like Dave is having an impact on his new company even before his first day on the job. Impressive.

Dave is a quality individual and a good friend. Cornerstone University will miss him and, more importantly, I will miss him.

I wish you well Dave. Don't forget to keep in touch.

Aloha.

President-Elect Obama Visits Troops!

2008-12-26T12:17:00.003-05:00

So, what's the catch? Why the sudden interest in our troops? Was Dan wrong about Obama not really caring about our troops?

Here's the catch: He is visiting our troops in...

wait for it...

you can't wait, can you...

HAWAII!!! (Where he is already on vacation.)

That's right. Our President-Elect is so concerned with our troops during war time, he is taking time out of his busy VACATION to visit the troops in HAWAII!!! How much time? ONE HOUR!!! He spent one whole hour "connecting with" and "supporting" our troops.

That's like saying "I care about the environment because I walked by a tree." or "I care about fiscal responsibility because I went to a bank today."

A real President-Elect would visit troops on the front lines, or at least in the same time zone as war operations were happening.

Sarcasm alert: I am truly moved by the extreme effort President-Elect Obama is putting forth to embrace his role as the future Commander in Chief.

I am under-bleeping-whelmed.

Link to the story:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/12/26/obama.holiday/index.html

Aloha.

Global Warming

2008-12-16T19:37:00.002-05:00

Read this, then come back:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,468084,00.html

My favorite part:

"The mean global temperature, at least as measured by satellite, is now the same as it was in the year 1980. In the last couple of years sea level has stopped rising. Hurricane and cyclone activity in the northern hemisphere is at a 24-year low and sea ice globally is also the same as it was in 1980."

Yet another example of how the media is being used as "propaganda" for the leftists/elitists/socialists. We are entering an era where the media is using its power to press its own agenda. The press has lost its status as impartial and objective. How unfortunate for the world and future journalists who won't be trusted to be impartial and objective.

Aloha.

We have a "perfect 10" on the loser scale.

2008-12-12T09:12:00.002-05:00

This guy is the biggest loser in the world:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,465844,00.html

If you are even thinking about doing this, here is my advice: Go out and find a real one!!!

Aloha

More on the Economy

2008-11-20T19:05:00.002-05:00

The Dow is now down 21.5 % since President-elect Obama was elected.

The Dow has lost more than 1/5th of its total value in the 12 days since the election!

Is anyone hearing anything about any tie-in between election and the Dow from anywhere (especially the main stream media)? If so, please post a link. I have heard absolutely nothing.

Aloha.