I just wanted to rant at a few things I have seen over the years. We all have heard of the bad raps some parents get especially when they get into it with umpires and refs at youth sports games. Here are a few of the things that have happened to me. There are a couple times when I got into it a little too heavy, but we don't hear about some of the reasons why. On a couple occasions umpires at my sons games have said they were going to throw someone out before the game even started. Like they have to prove who is in charge.
A few years back I was coaching first base. My wife was doing Chemotherapy at the time. She called me on my cell. Umpire jumped on me for answering my cell saying "I am going to throw you out if you don't hang up right now." I told my wife got to go and called her between innings. When I walked back out the umpire said "Give me the phone, if its an important call I will take it." My reply was "my wife has cancer and is doing chemotherapy, every call is important." He told me if I answered my phone he would throw me out of the park. My wife didn't call back.
Today while at a game there was a rule in question. I verified with the opposing coach and the umpire on the field prior to the pitcher throwing another pitch. The agreed with my interpretation. The head umpire came down and I was on the phone with a friend who happens to do the rules for parks and rec. The umpire told me I was wrong. I said to talk to my friend who does the county rules cause "He knows the rules as well as anyone." Umpire said "I've been umpiring for 20 years, I take offense to that." He talked to him, but didn't change his mind. I walked off to get ready to relay pitching signals to the catcher. He told the home plate umpire to throw me out of the game. This was done in front of our teams parents. In the end after a few phone calls the umpires of the game we were playing said I was right (and so were they). Now I fear tomorrow in the championship game whatever I do could get me thrown out. Absolutely ridicules.
I have seen games called in favor of a specific team. These are 10 yr old kids. Let the kids decide the game. I do not like the way this goes. Umpires are wrong too. I am too. Problem is that when some people get a little power they carry it too far. We see it in Politics and in youth sports. The game we played tonight the umpires were going to call the game cause the third base coaches shirt wasn't tucked in. I don't want to win a game because of that. Power corrupts. Another reason Congress and the White House need to be controlled by different parties. We need that check and Balance.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Pay your Taxes
So many people I talk to are so anti-Republican. Within a couple years we are going from a nation with total Republican control to total Democratic control. Remember Bush and Carter had the same thing. This complete swing may not last long. Who was the last Democratic President to get reelected when a Democratic congress was in place? Wow it has been a while. I honestly was surprised when Bush was reelected. I think the only reason he was reelected was because of Kerry. 70% of Americans are against gay marriage and gay civil unions. Yet with Clinton or Obama and a Democratic congress this will likely exist 4 years from now.
My father thinks that Democrats are Socialists. I think some of there policies are and government controlled health care is a big issue. Many Canadians come to the US for medical procedures due to the lack of wait time in Canada. How are homeless people going to be mandated to pay for health care? They will pay because of an increase in taxes. The tax increase will be on everyone. Those that make 100K to 500K will get the lowest percentage increase. Not those making 50K.
What many people do not realize is that the market is becoming a world market. All the complaint about free trade surrounds outsourcing. Actually it revolves around commodities. The run up in prices is more due to a world supply and demand free market. The US has lost more price control. Americans are upset about gas costs, but Europeans have been paying it for many years. Americans lost track of public transportation and became to luxurious in the 90's. Time to get real and conserve. Conservation is the issue. Bush shouldn't be blamed for the run up in oil and food. Some of it is due to a war that 80% of Americans polled wanted. If it is wanted politicians will do it. How quick many Democrats who voted for the war blame Bush. They allowed it and now want to distance themselves from it.
McCain, Clinton, and Obama. Yuck. I am not happy with any of them. I will probably vote for McCain at this point just to try to gridlock Washington as much as possible. By the way our budget would be balanced if all Americans honestly did their taxes. Those that cheat the government are cheating future generations.
My son is on an All Star team. Playing good baseball. My other two are still playing music. They haven't practiced much, but that should change over the summer. We are getting a bigger house. Each kid with their own room. This is something that should have been done years ago. We lived cramped for years so we could pay medical bills. Hopefully I no longer have too many of them.
My father thinks that Democrats are Socialists. I think some of there policies are and government controlled health care is a big issue. Many Canadians come to the US for medical procedures due to the lack of wait time in Canada. How are homeless people going to be mandated to pay for health care? They will pay because of an increase in taxes. The tax increase will be on everyone. Those that make 100K to 500K will get the lowest percentage increase. Not those making 50K.
What many people do not realize is that the market is becoming a world market. All the complaint about free trade surrounds outsourcing. Actually it revolves around commodities. The run up in prices is more due to a world supply and demand free market. The US has lost more price control. Americans are upset about gas costs, but Europeans have been paying it for many years. Americans lost track of public transportation and became to luxurious in the 90's. Time to get real and conserve. Conservation is the issue. Bush shouldn't be blamed for the run up in oil and food. Some of it is due to a war that 80% of Americans polled wanted. If it is wanted politicians will do it. How quick many Democrats who voted for the war blame Bush. They allowed it and now want to distance themselves from it.
McCain, Clinton, and Obama. Yuck. I am not happy with any of them. I will probably vote for McCain at this point just to try to gridlock Washington as much as possible. By the way our budget would be balanced if all Americans honestly did their taxes. Those that cheat the government are cheating future generations.
My son is on an All Star team. Playing good baseball. My other two are still playing music. They haven't practiced much, but that should change over the summer. We are getting a bigger house. Each kid with their own room. This is something that should have been done years ago. We lived cramped for years so we could pay medical bills. Hopefully I no longer have too many of them.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Uneducated Voters
Well here we go again. Obama does well and Clinton is still holding out hope. Why? Kentucky and West Virginia are still left to vote. Clinton should do well in both states. Obama should do well in Oregon.
"There was just an AP article posted that found how Sen. Obama's support among hardworking Americans, white Americans is weakening again, and how the whites in both states that have not completed college were supporting me," Clinton said in a USA Today interview May 7.
There you have it. White people who haven't finished college support Clinton. She literally is after the uneducated vote. These are people who make less money, have fewer items, and are probably being hit harder by the rise in gas prices. Now we know why she was so adamant about the gas tax holiday. They tried that in Georgia. The day before the holiday was lifted gas was $3.15 and the day after the tax was lifted it was $3.15. The prices were not lowered for me. Clinton also does well with voters on a fixed income. Again she is running around saying we should do something, isn't that her current job? Why do we have to wait till she is elected? Put your money where your mouth is Hillary.
I am still afraid of the same party controlling the House, Senate, and Presidency. I do not see how this can be good for us. Opposition can be a good thing in politics.
My son made the county all star team. This is a good thing. At 10 years old he should see the better pitching and that would be good for him. My daughter has been fighting me and not getting her school work done in time. I hope she passes all her classes this year. She is close to failing a couple of them. If I could just get some effort out of her. She is very capable. This just doing enough to pass with a C drives me crazy. She should be able to get an A.
"There was just an AP article posted that found how Sen. Obama's support among hardworking Americans, white Americans is weakening again, and how the whites in both states that have not completed college were supporting me," Clinton said in a USA Today interview May 7.
There you have it. White people who haven't finished college support Clinton. She literally is after the uneducated vote. These are people who make less money, have fewer items, and are probably being hit harder by the rise in gas prices. Now we know why she was so adamant about the gas tax holiday. They tried that in Georgia. The day before the holiday was lifted gas was $3.15 and the day after the tax was lifted it was $3.15. The prices were not lowered for me. Clinton also does well with voters on a fixed income. Again she is running around saying we should do something, isn't that her current job? Why do we have to wait till she is elected? Put your money where your mouth is Hillary.
I am still afraid of the same party controlling the House, Senate, and Presidency. I do not see how this can be good for us. Opposition can be a good thing in politics.
My son made the county all star team. This is a good thing. At 10 years old he should see the better pitching and that would be good for him. My daughter has been fighting me and not getting her school work done in time. I hope she passes all her classes this year. She is close to failing a couple of them. If I could just get some effort out of her. She is very capable. This just doing enough to pass with a C drives me crazy. She should be able to get an A.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Gasoline
Wow, things have been a little rough. I did find a position and kept my employment. Now for all the hard decisions to be made. I need a bigger home. We would have had one years ago had my wife not gotten sick with cancer. Things are rough. Decisions must be made. I will be going over my finances to determine costs of a new home and what I can afford. Unlike what many Americans did I will figure it out and not listen to a lender who makes money by selling me a loan.
I also have some thoughts on gasoline. For many years I rode a bus. The bus stop was 7 miles from my home. Now I am driving twice that far to go to my new office. There is no public transportation to take me to work. The cost is just a little more than I was paying as I no longer pay for public transportation. Politically gasoline has become a hot topic. Clinton and McCain want to cut the 18 cent per gallon gas tax for the summer. I do not like this idea. It is an election year idea. The money is used for road construction costs. Where is that money going to come from if it isn't in gas tax? I don't think after the Minnesota bridge collapse they can just not spend the money? They want to tax big oil companies too. Problem is they are working off a small margin. The profit margin for oil companies is probably only 8 percent. They would offset the gasoline by taxing a low profit margin company? If years ago the Alaska Wildlife Refugee was allowed to have been drilled for the oil up there. That oil would be coming online today and make us less dependant on foreign oil.
Democrats stopped the drilling plan and now the worldwide supply isn't enough. This issue with oil is because the biggest supply is in unstable regions. That forces risk factors into the market price. The way to lower oil costs is simply supply and demand. Raise supply and/or lower demand. Prices go up as a way to lower demand. Amazing how so many people drive too fast in big vehicles. If they followed the speed limit they may just lower their fuel bill. It might cost them 2 minutes and they can't deal with those minutes being gone. America created its own problem. With the demand for ethanol as a solution we may see gas and food prices rise. ethanol is not nearly as efficient as gasoline. That is why we use gasoline, its more efficient. Now food prices are rising due to transportation costs as well as more demand for food for alternative fuels. We are creating the double edge sword. Buy extra food. Store food up. Keep grains, rice, and other food. The day is coming when it will be needed to offset your food budget.
I also have some thoughts on gasoline. For many years I rode a bus. The bus stop was 7 miles from my home. Now I am driving twice that far to go to my new office. There is no public transportation to take me to work. The cost is just a little more than I was paying as I no longer pay for public transportation. Politically gasoline has become a hot topic. Clinton and McCain want to cut the 18 cent per gallon gas tax for the summer. I do not like this idea. It is an election year idea. The money is used for road construction costs. Where is that money going to come from if it isn't in gas tax? I don't think after the Minnesota bridge collapse they can just not spend the money? They want to tax big oil companies too. Problem is they are working off a small margin. The profit margin for oil companies is probably only 8 percent. They would offset the gasoline by taxing a low profit margin company? If years ago the Alaska Wildlife Refugee was allowed to have been drilled for the oil up there. That oil would be coming online today and make us less dependant on foreign oil.
Democrats stopped the drilling plan and now the worldwide supply isn't enough. This issue with oil is because the biggest supply is in unstable regions. That forces risk factors into the market price. The way to lower oil costs is simply supply and demand. Raise supply and/or lower demand. Prices go up as a way to lower demand. Amazing how so many people drive too fast in big vehicles. If they followed the speed limit they may just lower their fuel bill. It might cost them 2 minutes and they can't deal with those minutes being gone. America created its own problem. With the demand for ethanol as a solution we may see gas and food prices rise. ethanol is not nearly as efficient as gasoline. That is why we use gasoline, its more efficient. Now food prices are rising due to transportation costs as well as more demand for food for alternative fuels. We are creating the double edge sword. Buy extra food. Store food up. Keep grains, rice, and other food. The day is coming when it will be needed to offset your food budget.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)