Ignorance or assumed ignorance?

voluntary : 'vä-l&n-"ter-E1 : proceeding from the will or from one's own choice or consent
2 : unconstrained by interference : SELF-DETERMINING
3 : done by design or intention : INTENTIONAL as in voluntary manslaughter
4 : of, relating to, subject to, or regulated by the will as in voluntary behavior
5 : having power of free choice
6 : provided or supported by voluntary action as in voluntary organization
7 : acting or done of one's own free will without valuable consideration or legal obligation

option : 'äp-sh&n
1 : an act of choosing
2 a : the power or right to choose : freedom of choice b : a privilege of demanding fulfillment of a contract on any day within a specified time c : a contract conveying a right to buy or sell designated securities, commodities, or property interest at a specified price during a stipulated period; also : the right conveyed by an option d : a right of an insured person to choose the form in which payments due on a policy shall be made or applied
3 : something that may be chosen: as a : an alternative course of action b : an item that is offered in addition to or in place of standard equipment

These definitions have been included for the Democrats who are either too ignorant to know the meanings or assume that the public is too ignorant to know the meanings.

A VOLUNTARY (see meaning above) personal savings account that may be chosen by an individual as an OPTION (see meaning above) does not equate with forcing people out of the Social Security program.

There was a Dem on the news this morning claiming tha the majority of people polled do not want the option of a personal savings account. First of all, I don't believe that. The American spirit is alive and having a choice of the individual controlling part of their destiny versus leaving it up to the government is part of that spirit. Granted there is a faction of the populace that would rather let the government take care of them and their children. Let them stay with the tried and true Social Security retirement plan. For those of us who don't feel the return on our investment is worth a shit, let us take some of it and invest it in stocks and/or bonds.

Anyone who has a retirement plan at work can see the benefit of having your money diversified. Do you have a 401K? What if you were told that this would be invested in a passbook savings account and there were no other options because you were too stupid to be trusted with your own retirement savings? That is what the Democrats are telling you.

What are they afraid of? Well, the fact of the matter is, when the average person begins to acquire money in their life, they tend to want to protect it. They tend to think more like a Republican when it comes to finances. Have you ever wondered why the young are so overwhelmingly Democratic (and no...for all of you young Democrats, your generation is no different than any other). If the young of every generation subscribes to the "share the wealth" philosophy, where do all the Republicans come from? They grow up, they get a job, they start to get pissed when they see so much of their hard-earned money going to taxes, they really get pissed when they see how Washington pisses away their money. Soon the "share the wealth" philosophy goes out the window and is replaced by a "I worked hard for this, so screw off" philosophy. The Democrats are afraid that as their constituency gains wealth, they are lost. Keep 'em stupid and poor.

Wake up. The Dem party really thinks their constituency is stupid. How else do you explain the fact that they assume you don't know what an option is or what voluntary means. If they are convinced that the majority of people don't WANT this option, then let's try an experiment. Make it a reality and just see how many people grab the chance to control their own destiny.

The filibuster...

The filibuster is a long-practiced tradition in the Senate to prevent issues from coming to a vote. They happen all the time at both state and federal levels of government. The actual "rules" behind filibusters are now being debated - and a lot of partisan rhetoric is flying (big surprise).

There are rules in the Constitution regarding super-majorities. A super-majority (60 out of 100 votes) is required for certain things to happen in the Senate. Unfortunately, the Democrats are trotting this out and claiming that a super-majority is required to end a filibuster and force a vote. There is nothing in the Constitution regarding super-majorities where filibusters or judicial nominations are concerned. In fact, the founding fathers provided nothing for filibusters in general. This right to endless debate evolved in the Senate through the 1700s and 1800s. It is now part of the Senate's own formal rules (Rule 22). It guarantees unlimited debate and requires cloture (a 60 percent vote) to close debate. There is the paradox.

The Democrats are claiming that the Senate rules (specifically Rule 22) should supercede the Constitution itself. Judicial nominees were supposed to be voted in/out by simple majority according to the Constitution. By imposing a filibuster and Rule 22, the Senate is forcing nominations to be approved by super-majority.

I am not commenting on any nominee's qualifications. Honestly, I don't know enough about this subject to offer any comment. I'm simply pointing out that one of the few "loopholes" in the way the Constitution laid out the foundation for our federal government is being exercised for partisan politics.

This is not just to point a finger at Democrats. When Clinton was President, the Republicans used this exact tactic to block the appointment of Richard Paez for four years before he was finally approved by a 59-39 vote. The Democrats at that time were outraged that the filibuster be used in such a manner and called for the use of unlimited debate to be restricted or abolished. Now that the shoe is on the other foot, the same arguments are coming out of the opposite mouths.

I have read partisan postings. There are claims that the filibuster has never been used to try to prevent judicial appointments. Horseshit. There are claims that they have never tried to prevent an appointment where there was majority support. Horseshit. Remember Paez? You all know I'm a Conservative - just not to the point of irrationality.

All of this posturing, meeting, discussing, and general screwing around costs money - our money. While the Senate is in a filibuster, they can't do any other business. How efficient. I'm sure there have been endless lunch meetings, dinner meetings, meetings over drinks, etc, etc. - all at taxpayers expense - that allow these Washington fucks to play their political games. Enough already.

Yips...

I don't know if I have blogged this before, but I golf. In fact, I've golfed for more years than many of my readers have been alive. I play very seriously and have always played competitively - in school, in college, in tourneys.
Today I ran across this article about the yips being a physical condition. I laughed all the way through it.
Every golfer gets the yips. It happens to the duffer. It sometimes even happens to Tiger. The yips happen. They aren't due to a "muscular" thing. They aren't like leg cramps. Golf yips are from nerves (or lack thereof), plain and simple. Yipping equates to choking.
Golf is a mental game. After you master the mechanics (assuming you are physically coordinated enough to do that), it is all about pyschology. Of course, there are always little ways to improve your game - adjustments to your stance, your grip, your weight shift. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the basic decent enough coordinated swing. After that, winning and losing is in the head, not your hands. You can psych out your competition, or yourself. Golfing is less about conquering your opponent and more about conquering your own self doubts and the terrain of the golf course. If you can force your opponent to have self doubt in the process, so much the better.
A yip happens when you have a two foot putt to win, or to get your best ever score, or to not totally suck this weekend. During your putt you have a flicker of self-doubt. You let up on the putter head speed. YIP!
Of course there are suckers out there who take comfort in someone telling them that yips aren't their fault. It was a muscle spasm. It was a "condition". They are the same suckers that think spending 500 bucks for a driver will make them hit like Tiger. I don't think so, Scooter.

Weekend...

I spent Saturday painting my bathroom. I had already gotten the cupboards done and this weekend was it was the walls. Still need to paint the trim, get the new floor in, and get the new countertop and sink instlled. Give me a 30x30 room with no windows and doors to paint over a bathroom any day! Gingerly stepping up onto the ladder that is perched in the bathtub is an accident waiting to happen! That's all I need - breaking my new hip, or worse - my natural one! (Oh God, I sound like a senior citizen, but honestly this is continuously on my mind.)
Hit the casino late last night. Basically broke even, so count that as a win. LOL.
Took the twins shopping for some new summer clothes and new ball gloves today. I ended up picking out a new tree for the yard. We currently have a flowering cherry and a flowering pear. They are both in bloom and smell FABULOUS. I was just hanging out on the deck enjoying the fragrance. We had a smaller bush-type plant that ended up not making it over the winter. I found a miniature golden delicious apple tree. It only gets 8-10 feet tall. Can't wait to get it planted!
Went for a bike ride a little bit ago. Damn I'm out of shape. My legs are like jelly since the surgery. I need to build up some strength! It's pitiful.
That's the weekend in a nutshell. Hope everyone had a good one!

The amazing plastic woman...

Has anyone seen Joan Rivers lately? Good God! Until you hear her voice, she isn't even recognizable.
I saw a commercial for Sheer Dallas, a program that is airing on The Learning Channel. There is a realtor that is being featured that is clearly has exchanged cerebrospinal fluid for botox. Her cheeks are pulled so tight you could bounce a quarter off of them and her lips are so puffed out it looks like she just fought 10 rounds. On what freaking planet is this a good look?
I am a huge fan of Carnivale. This season Bree Walker was on occasionally. I hadn't seen her in several years. YIKES! The woman is giving Michael Jackson a run for his money in the "hideously transformed with plastic surgery" category. Downright scary!

The beginning of the end???

Yes, I admit it. I was not planning on it, but I did it nonetheless. I watched some of the coverage of Prince Charles and Camilla's wedding festivities.
It was interesting to hear some of the comments being made in Britain. The vast majority don't like Camilla - blaming her for Diana's woes and eventual divorce. They view this marriage as a weakening of the monarchy. Antiroyalists views are gaining support. Many are predicting the end of the royals.
I don't really care one way or the other, to be honest. I just find it interesting that these horse-faced people who haven't contributed a freaking thing other than their presence, are revered. I just don't get it.
As a history buff, one of my favorite historical figures is Queen Elizabeth I. The difference is, she actually ruled. What the hell do they do now but suck up money and feel superior?

The Incredible Popeman???

How tacky is turning the pope into a comic book hero?
I find this offensive. The man isn't even buried yet and some idiot thought it was a good idea to make him a superhero fighting the world's evils.
I remember when this pope was selected (yeah, I know...I'm showing my age again) and I was fascinated by the process. I watched the news coverage - waiting for the smoke to change color. The traditions surrounding the death of a pope and the selection of a new pope are curious. My favorite has to be that when the pope is "suspected" to be dead, his name is called out three times and he is struck on the forehead with a special hammer three times, to ensure that he is not just asleep. I'm sure that generations ago, this was necessary. Instead of dropping it when medical science made it unnecessary, it has become part of the ritual.

The English Stereotype...

Apparently there is a basis in fact for the stuffy, boring English stereotype. According to this article, in some areas they don't even like sex! A sex festival is moving from Manchester, England to a "kinkier" location due to lack of interest.

Satanic turtle....

This pet shop owner needs to quit sniffing the kitty litter.