There are approximately 150 million motor vehicles on the road in the United States of America.
This figure represents the number of automobiles only. There are approximately another 95 million trucks,construction off highway vehicles etc.
For the purposes of this article I will stay with the 150 million vehicle figure.
For my simple solution which will drive gas prices at the pump to $2.00 a gallon within one month lets say that the average fuel tank in these vehicles holds 14 gallons.
Okay are yout still with me? Now ,lets say, for the sake of this discussion, each of these vehicles fills their tank about every 10 days. Extrapolating will yield a total figure of 2 billion, one hundred million gallons of fuel pumped out of the nations supply and into storage (i.e. stored in those 150 million fourteen gallon fuel tanks).
So ,if, starting this 10 day "fill-up" cycle Monday morning, May 2,2011, and continuing it though May 11,2011 each vehicle, instead of filling their tank,opted to instead pump only 7 gallons into their tanks. In other words, 150 million car owners decided to fill their tank half way instead of full.
Within 10 days the amount of gasoline stored in motor vehicles in the United States would drop from 2 billion, one hundred million gallons to a new figure of approximately:
1 Billion, 50 Million gallons
In just 10 days we will have added over 1 Billion gallons to our fuel supply.
How fast would this supply/demand reversal reduce prices at the pump and by how much?
I am too old and too simple minded to figure that out for certain but my hunch tells me we would be looking at $2.00 a gallon gasoline by the end of May
What do my readers think?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Ten Movies Nominated for Oscars? There haven't been 10 Oscar worthy movies in the past 10 years!
Hollywood has jumped the shark and who can take them serious anymore?
They now nominate 10 movies a year instead of the 5 top films considered for the previous decades.
Are they implying that any one of 10 movies in 2010 might be worthy of this hallowed award?
Here are some movies I watched during the past 12 months, all of which I deleted before viewing 10 minutes of the film:
Nine ... Undoubtedly the worst musical in Hollywood history
The Other Guys... Will Farrell not content with wrecking his own career; he now wants to drag Mark Wahlberg along with him. Leslie Neilson risen from the dead would not be able to save this bomb.
Get Him to the Greek... What ?????????????????????
Nice Guy Johnny... Nice guy but OMG is he boring.
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With... Sarah Silverman and Jeff Garlin- A match made in Hell
Date Night... Tina and Steve will never appear opposite each other again. They wouldn't dare.
Leap Year...Amy Adams, a gifted actress spends 90 minutes walking and running through mud up to her ankles in Dublin and never once removes her skyscraper heels. Laughable and sad.
It's Complicated... Could have been a decent movie but Meryl Streep no longer even attempts to emote; her facial expression is frozen in time due to one too many face lifts.
Shutter Island... Most depressing movie since Peter Lorre as "M"
Duplicity...Is Drew Barrymore the only actress remaining who can bring present day mummified actors out of thier comas?
The Bounty Hunter... Anniston's 10th consecutive ridiculous role.
Neighbor...With Mink Stole and Stink Fisher. Nuff said.
Observe and Report... Seth Rogen gives a valiant effort but even Laurence Olivier couldn't have saved this turkey.
Public Enemies... Watching Bonnie and Clyde 100 times in a week would be more entertaining than watching this clone once.
An Education... An old geezer destroys the innocence of a very very young maiden. Stomach curdling
Role Models... Great Cast in a worthless movie; only in drug addled La La Hollywood
Vicky Cristina Barcelona... Three terrific stars and not one ounce of chemistry among them. Again, where else but in Hollywood could a screening not recognize this?
So I ask you in all seriousness. How Can these crack heads, heroin freaks and pot heads foist this type of stuff on us and then have the chutzpah to nominate 10 top movies in this or any other year???
They now nominate 10 movies a year instead of the 5 top films considered for the previous decades.
Are they implying that any one of 10 movies in 2010 might be worthy of this hallowed award?
Here are some movies I watched during the past 12 months, all of which I deleted before viewing 10 minutes of the film:
Nine ... Undoubtedly the worst musical in Hollywood history
The Other Guys... Will Farrell not content with wrecking his own career; he now wants to drag Mark Wahlberg along with him. Leslie Neilson risen from the dead would not be able to save this bomb.
Get Him to the Greek... What ?????????????????????
Nice Guy Johnny... Nice guy but OMG is he boring.
I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With... Sarah Silverman and Jeff Garlin- A match made in Hell
Date Night... Tina and Steve will never appear opposite each other again. They wouldn't dare.
Leap Year...Amy Adams, a gifted actress spends 90 minutes walking and running through mud up to her ankles in Dublin and never once removes her skyscraper heels. Laughable and sad.
It's Complicated... Could have been a decent movie but Meryl Streep no longer even attempts to emote; her facial expression is frozen in time due to one too many face lifts.
Shutter Island... Most depressing movie since Peter Lorre as "M"
Duplicity...Is Drew Barrymore the only actress remaining who can bring present day mummified actors out of thier comas?
The Bounty Hunter... Anniston's 10th consecutive ridiculous role.
Neighbor...With Mink Stole and Stink Fisher. Nuff said.
Observe and Report... Seth Rogen gives a valiant effort but even Laurence Olivier couldn't have saved this turkey.
Public Enemies... Watching Bonnie and Clyde 100 times in a week would be more entertaining than watching this clone once.
An Education... An old geezer destroys the innocence of a very very young maiden. Stomach curdling
Role Models... Great Cast in a worthless movie; only in drug addled La La Hollywood
Vicky Cristina Barcelona... Three terrific stars and not one ounce of chemistry among them. Again, where else but in Hollywood could a screening not recognize this?
So I ask you in all seriousness. How Can these crack heads, heroin freaks and pot heads foist this type of stuff on us and then have the chutzpah to nominate 10 top movies in this or any other year???
Sunday, November 1, 2009
PUBLIC OPTION IS NOT OPTIONAL
The Public Option is not an option.It is the core of the health care plan! Stop playing games with us
The only way to reform the most corrupt health care system in the world is to let the Government run it. The doctors know this, the fat cat capitalists know this and above all the greedy Pharmasnootikal companies know this.
Our Social Security program and our Medicare program are the greatest relief efforts ever given to the poor, old,and oppressed in this country. Why do you think these loonies who want to protect their own nests are freaking out?
Every argument you hear being presented against this "option" was heard when SS was being debated and many decades later when Medicare finally passed.The rich do not want to give away one solitary dollar of their treasures.
To understand the mentality of the wealthy classes, read the classic Balzac novel, Eugenie Grandet where the miser Grandet each evening retires to his barricaded retreat in the cellar of his castle and metaphorically bathes in his gold bullions. He has the lost the love of his only daughter because of his affliction but he has all that he really needs, his bullions. With those bullions he can buy back her affection.
An over simplification perhaps but human evil and human greed are difficult to explain to people who are without desperately needed medicine or surgeries. Dramatizing what motivates the affluent is a fair weapon.
Richard H Thaler, a respected behavioral economist, addressed the pros and cons of the "public option" in yesterday's Sunday Times. Here is some of what he says:
"In debating the public option — that is, an insurance option run by the government —the politicians themselves are making exaggerated claims about its pros and cons. We hear from the right that an insurance plan run by the government will drive all private-sector insurers out of business and be the first step toward socialism, if not communism. The left claims that only a public option can give evil insurers the competition they need to create much-needed reform.
"Nailing down this detail is crucial. If the public option does not have to break even — if, in fact, it is to receive government subsidies — then it is correct to worry that it would destroy competition, not foster it. If the public plan runs a deficit, who will fix it? If it is Congress, we have to worry that what should be economic decisions will turn into political battles.
"A second detail is whether the government will grant the public plan the power to impose special deals with suppliers like hospitals and drug companies — a move that would dampen, not enhance, competition with the private sector.
Well I think Mr. Thaler is trying to straddle the middle here and that is not what this health care situation needs. It needs to be run by the government which of course is not going to foster competition. Who needs competition in life and death decisions anyhow?
Are we implying that doctors practice their profession for profits. I thought they took an oath to abide by a higher standard than collecting gold bullions.
Look,there are certain areas of life where competition is not needed. or desired and health is one of them. Let Uncle Sam monitor the doctors,nurses,surgeons,drug companies and the malpractice lawyers. It has worked out for many many years in SS and medicare
Socialized medicine will not lead to Communism. After all Medicare and SS legislation lead us to the Nixon,Reagan, Bush,Bush eras which were closer to fascism than to socialism.
Please President Obama do not short circuit your great pursuits before they get off the ground. Stand by the Public Option!
The only way to reform the most corrupt health care system in the world is to let the Government run it. The doctors know this, the fat cat capitalists know this and above all the greedy Pharmasnootikal companies know this.
Our Social Security program and our Medicare program are the greatest relief efforts ever given to the poor, old,and oppressed in this country. Why do you think these loonies who want to protect their own nests are freaking out?
Every argument you hear being presented against this "option" was heard when SS was being debated and many decades later when Medicare finally passed.The rich do not want to give away one solitary dollar of their treasures.
To understand the mentality of the wealthy classes, read the classic Balzac novel, Eugenie Grandet where the miser Grandet each evening retires to his barricaded retreat in the cellar of his castle and metaphorically bathes in his gold bullions. He has the lost the love of his only daughter because of his affliction but he has all that he really needs, his bullions. With those bullions he can buy back her affection.
An over simplification perhaps but human evil and human greed are difficult to explain to people who are without desperately needed medicine or surgeries. Dramatizing what motivates the affluent is a fair weapon.
Richard H Thaler, a respected behavioral economist, addressed the pros and cons of the "public option" in yesterday's Sunday Times. Here is some of what he says:
"In debating the public option — that is, an insurance option run by the government —the politicians themselves are making exaggerated claims about its pros and cons. We hear from the right that an insurance plan run by the government will drive all private-sector insurers out of business and be the first step toward socialism, if not communism. The left claims that only a public option can give evil insurers the competition they need to create much-needed reform.
"Nailing down this detail is crucial. If the public option does not have to break even — if, in fact, it is to receive government subsidies — then it is correct to worry that it would destroy competition, not foster it. If the public plan runs a deficit, who will fix it? If it is Congress, we have to worry that what should be economic decisions will turn into political battles.
"A second detail is whether the government will grant the public plan the power to impose special deals with suppliers like hospitals and drug companies — a move that would dampen, not enhance, competition with the private sector.
Well I think Mr. Thaler is trying to straddle the middle here and that is not what this health care situation needs. It needs to be run by the government which of course is not going to foster competition. Who needs competition in life and death decisions anyhow?
Are we implying that doctors practice their profession for profits. I thought they took an oath to abide by a higher standard than collecting gold bullions.
Look,there are certain areas of life where competition is not needed. or desired and health is one of them. Let Uncle Sam monitor the doctors,nurses,surgeons,drug companies and the malpractice lawyers. It has worked out for many many years in SS and medicare
Socialized medicine will not lead to Communism. After all Medicare and SS legislation lead us to the Nixon,Reagan, Bush,Bush eras which were closer to fascism than to socialism.
Please President Obama do not short circuit your great pursuits before they get off the ground. Stand by the Public Option!
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Public Option is not an option.It is the core of the health care plan! Stop playing games with us
The only way to reform the most corrupt health care system in the world is to let the Government run it. The doctors know this, the fat cat capitalists know this and above all the greedy Pharmasnootikal companies know this.
Our Social Security program and our Medicare program are the greatest relief efforts ever given to the poor, old,and oppressed in this country. Why do you think these loonies who want to protect their own nests are freaking out?
Every argument you hear being presented against this "option" was heard when SS was being debated and many decades later when Medicare finally passed.The rich do not want to give away one solitary dollar of their treasures.
To understand the mentality of the wealthy classes, read the classic Balzac novel, Eugenie Grandet where the miser Grandet each evening retires to his barricaded retreat in the cellar of his castle and metaphorically bathes in his gold bullions. He has the lost the love of his only daughter because of his affliction but he has all that he really needs, his bullions. With those bullions he can buy back her affection.
An over simplification perhaps but human evil and human greed are difficult to explain to people who are without desperately needed medicine or surgeries. Dramatizing what motivates the affluent is a fair weapon.
Richard H Thaler, a respected behavioral economist, addressed the pros and cons of the "public option" in yesterday's Sunday Times. Here is some of what he says:
"In debating the public option — that is, an insurance option run by the government —the politicians themselves are making exaggerated claims about its pros and cons. We hear from the right that an insurance plan run by the government will drive all private-sector insurers out of business and be the first step toward socialism, if not communism. The left claims that only a public option can give evil insurers the competition they need to create much-needed reform.
"Nailing down this detail is crucial. If the public option does not have to break even — if, in fact, it is to receive government subsidies — then it is correct to worry that it would destroy competition, not foster it. If the public plan runs a deficit, who will fix it? If it is Congress, we have to worry that what should be economic decisions will turn into political battles.
"A second detail is whether the government will grant the public plan the power to impose special deals with suppliers like hospitals and drug companies — a move that would dampen, not enhance, competition with the private sector.
Well I think Mr. Thaler is trying to straddle the middle here and that is not what this health care situation needs. It needs to be run by the government which of course is not going to foster competition. Who needs competition in life and death decisions anyhow?
Are we implying that doctors practice their profession for profits. I thought they took an oath to abide by a higher standard than collecting gold bullions.
Look,there are certain areas of life where competition is not needed. or desired and health is one of them. Let Uncle Sam monitor the doctors,nurses,surgeons,drug companies and the malpractice lawyers. It has worked out for many many years in SS and medicare
Socialized medicine will not lead to Communism. After all Medicare and SS legislation lead us to the Nixon,Reagan, Bush,Bush eras which were closer to fascism than to socialism.
Please President Obama do not short circuit your great pursuits before they get off the ground. Stand by the Public Option!
Our Social Security program and our Medicare program are the greatest relief efforts ever given to the poor, old,and oppressed in this country. Why do you think these loonies who want to protect their own nests are freaking out?
Every argument you hear being presented against this "option" was heard when SS was being debated and many decades later when Medicare finally passed.The rich do not want to give away one solitary dollar of their treasures.
To understand the mentality of the wealthy classes, read the classic Balzac novel, Eugenie Grandet where the miser Grandet each evening retires to his barricaded retreat in the cellar of his castle and metaphorically bathes in his gold bullions. He has the lost the love of his only daughter because of his affliction but he has all that he really needs, his bullions. With those bullions he can buy back her affection.
An over simplification perhaps but human evil and human greed are difficult to explain to people who are without desperately needed medicine or surgeries. Dramatizing what motivates the affluent is a fair weapon.
Richard H Thaler, a respected behavioral economist, addressed the pros and cons of the "public option" in yesterday's Sunday Times. Here is some of what he says:
"In debating the public option — that is, an insurance option run by the government —the politicians themselves are making exaggerated claims about its pros and cons. We hear from the right that an insurance plan run by the government will drive all private-sector insurers out of business and be the first step toward socialism, if not communism. The left claims that only a public option can give evil insurers the competition they need to create much-needed reform.
"Nailing down this detail is crucial. If the public option does not have to break even — if, in fact, it is to receive government subsidies — then it is correct to worry that it would destroy competition, not foster it. If the public plan runs a deficit, who will fix it? If it is Congress, we have to worry that what should be economic decisions will turn into political battles.
"A second detail is whether the government will grant the public plan the power to impose special deals with suppliers like hospitals and drug companies — a move that would dampen, not enhance, competition with the private sector.
Well I think Mr. Thaler is trying to straddle the middle here and that is not what this health care situation needs. It needs to be run by the government which of course is not going to foster competition. Who needs competition in life and death decisions anyhow?
Are we implying that doctors practice their profession for profits. I thought they took an oath to abide by a higher standard than collecting gold bullions.
Look,there are certain areas of life where competition is not needed. or desired and health is one of them. Let Uncle Sam monitor the doctors,nurses,surgeons,drug companies and the malpractice lawyers. It has worked out for many many years in SS and medicare
Socialized medicine will not lead to Communism. After all Medicare and SS legislation lead us to the Nixon,Reagan, Bush,Bush eras which were closer to fascism than to socialism.
Please President Obama do not short circuit your great pursuits before they get off the ground. Stand by the Public Option!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Al Szekley,the Nam vet evicted from a homeless shelter for being homeless, is just the tip of a gigantic iceberg!
Some additional information about Al Szekely first, and then a broader view of the homeless vet problem in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
HERE'S AL.................
Al is an ordained minister and the founder of "Chairs for Christ"-Supplying Medical equipment-(wheelchairs,crutches,braces,& etc.) to those in need.
Here are some quotes from him back in 2006 when he lived on the streets of Bethesda,Md.:
"One thing I do is keep my faith strong with God,"said the graying and bearded man. "The more adversity people face, they're going to gain faith or lose it. My faith is stronger. I can still smile, tell a joke, make someone laugh, make their day better.If you manage what little you got, you can make do"
"There need to be more shelters," he said. "But not of the kind most people think about.Shelters are no more than warehouses. I'm not talking about handouts. Give me an opportunity to go to school. Give me an opportunity for honest work. Homeless people need educational resources, job placement and training and some form of counseling to get you back into society."
Here are some facts and figures about homeless veterans from a wonderful, informative site
http://oldtimer.wordpress.com/homeless-veterans-an-overview-of-the-problem/
750,000 total homeless count in U.S
400,000 veterans are homeless at some time in a year
200,000 veterans homeless in any one night
27% of our male U.S. population are veterans but:
43% of all homeless males are veterans – why?
7688 beds funded by the VA for homeless veterans
192,312 sleeping elsewhere – shelters, grates, creek beds, back alleys. We have Heroes sleeping on sidewalks in every big city.
95% of homeless vets have honorable discharges
If the homeless veterans were properly cared for by our country, the total homeless population would fall by more than 40 percent over night.
Pretty powerful stats. Here are some quotes from those vets and their loved ones:
"They use the “addicted” and “mental” labels to scare the public about homeless veterans. They want the money. Adult veterans do not deserve bunk beds and shared group showers and rotten food bank food. Where does all the money go? Veterans are not allowed to get real job training in the shelters just “how to write your name” classes."
"Obama is now saying he’ll at least make sure the homeless veterans get “some type of transitional housing”; all that mean is more of the same overcrowded human warehouses, forced 12 step religion, more never-ending group therapy, bunk beds, open bay group showers, and when the veterans get so sick of that because the are not allowed to get real career training/education or PRIVACY…blow their heads off or back to the streets. Homeless veterans do not need jail conditions. they want to move on! Any agency that says “We give a hand up not a hand out” means they keep all the money given for the veterans and the veterans get squat!"
"I am so thankful for a website such as your own………I am at the same time very angry at the so called Christians in our present day society.. (I am one of them).I am so tired of hearing this prosperity message while there are homeless eeking out a meager existence under bridges…They are tortured souls, yet humiliated by their own society even further.Perhaps some of our leading evangelists could do away with $650.00 shoes, and Lear jets and put their money where their mouths are…Jesus said “feed the hungry,clothe the naked.” The answer to homelessness is the church.” It is our responsibility to do these things. Can you only imagine if we stopped building these enormous churches which cost millions upon millions to build and operate (cystal Cathedral is a good example), and started to put that money into the poor and homeless of this world, what huge differences we could make…God help us all who run around with the “What would Jesus do?” bumper stickers and let a world go hungry and naked.Explain this prosperity message to me a little more one of you big shot pastors wit a jet and 7 or 800,000 dollar homes……The men who made that a reality for you are homeless….Those veterans who fought for your freedom…..The church alone has the ability to stop homelessness and hunger………We should all pray and seek forgiveness…"
"My father is veteran of the Korean War, and we live in Roanoke, VA. The Salem, VA is the regional office for the State of VA. There are more homeless vets in this small city than in a lot of bigger cities surrounding us. I am looking into private funding to renovate 1 of many old houses here and try to house some of them. They deserve proper care, or better care than what they receive in the system. Proper food (a cook), proper health care (a full-time nurse), and a clean environment, service to assist their living habits daily. Just want to give back what my Dad did for this country. He is 77, retired and enjoying his life; all vets should do the same."
Think back to the beginning of every war that was ever fought and you can recall the marching bands, patriotic songs, flags waving from every house. Think back only a few years when the initial contingent of troops was sent to Iraq.
Zillions of tiny flags waving from car antennas and even more bumper stickers on those same cars shouting "Support Our Troops"
Where are the patriots now when those troops need them most?
HERE'S AL.................
Al is an ordained minister and the founder of "Chairs for Christ"-Supplying Medical equipment-(wheelchairs,crutches,braces,& etc.) to those in need.
Here are some quotes from him back in 2006 when he lived on the streets of Bethesda,Md.:
"One thing I do is keep my faith strong with God,"said the graying and bearded man. "The more adversity people face, they're going to gain faith or lose it. My faith is stronger. I can still smile, tell a joke, make someone laugh, make their day better.If you manage what little you got, you can make do"
"There need to be more shelters," he said. "But not of the kind most people think about.Shelters are no more than warehouses. I'm not talking about handouts. Give me an opportunity to go to school. Give me an opportunity for honest work. Homeless people need educational resources, job placement and training and some form of counseling to get you back into society."
Here are some facts and figures about homeless veterans from a wonderful, informative site
http://oldtimer.wordpress.com/homeless-veterans-an-overview-of-the-problem/
750,000 total homeless count in U.S
400,000 veterans are homeless at some time in a year
200,000 veterans homeless in any one night
27% of our male U.S. population are veterans but:
43% of all homeless males are veterans – why?
7688 beds funded by the VA for homeless veterans
192,312 sleeping elsewhere – shelters, grates, creek beds, back alleys. We have Heroes sleeping on sidewalks in every big city.
95% of homeless vets have honorable discharges
If the homeless veterans were properly cared for by our country, the total homeless population would fall by more than 40 percent over night.
Pretty powerful stats. Here are some quotes from those vets and their loved ones:
"They use the “addicted” and “mental” labels to scare the public about homeless veterans. They want the money. Adult veterans do not deserve bunk beds and shared group showers and rotten food bank food. Where does all the money go? Veterans are not allowed to get real job training in the shelters just “how to write your name” classes."
"Obama is now saying he’ll at least make sure the homeless veterans get “some type of transitional housing”; all that mean is more of the same overcrowded human warehouses, forced 12 step religion, more never-ending group therapy, bunk beds, open bay group showers, and when the veterans get so sick of that because the are not allowed to get real career training/education or PRIVACY…blow their heads off or back to the streets. Homeless veterans do not need jail conditions. they want to move on! Any agency that says “We give a hand up not a hand out” means they keep all the money given for the veterans and the veterans get squat!"
"I am so thankful for a website such as your own………I am at the same time very angry at the so called Christians in our present day society.. (I am one of them).I am so tired of hearing this prosperity message while there are homeless eeking out a meager existence under bridges…They are tortured souls, yet humiliated by their own society even further.Perhaps some of our leading evangelists could do away with $650.00 shoes, and Lear jets and put their money where their mouths are…Jesus said “feed the hungry,clothe the naked.” The answer to homelessness is the church.” It is our responsibility to do these things. Can you only imagine if we stopped building these enormous churches which cost millions upon millions to build and operate (cystal Cathedral is a good example), and started to put that money into the poor and homeless of this world, what huge differences we could make…God help us all who run around with the “What would Jesus do?” bumper stickers and let a world go hungry and naked.Explain this prosperity message to me a little more one of you big shot pastors wit a jet and 7 or 800,000 dollar homes……The men who made that a reality for you are homeless….Those veterans who fought for your freedom…..The church alone has the ability to stop homelessness and hunger………We should all pray and seek forgiveness…"
"My father is veteran of the Korean War, and we live in Roanoke, VA. The Salem, VA is the regional office for the State of VA. There are more homeless vets in this small city than in a lot of bigger cities surrounding us. I am looking into private funding to renovate 1 of many old houses here and try to house some of them. They deserve proper care, or better care than what they receive in the system. Proper food (a cook), proper health care (a full-time nurse), and a clean environment, service to assist their living habits daily. Just want to give back what my Dad did for this country. He is 77, retired and enjoying his life; all vets should do the same."
Think back to the beginning of every war that was ever fought and you can recall the marching bands, patriotic songs, flags waving from every house. Think back only a few years when the initial contingent of troops was sent to Iraq.
Zillions of tiny flags waving from car antennas and even more bumper stickers on those same cars shouting "Support Our Troops"
Where are the patriots now when those troops need them most?
Thursday, August 13, 2009
“They Arrested a Homeless Man in a Shelter for Being Homeless.”
So you thought that was impossible in Poor and Rich America?
( Second in a series about being poor and/or old in America)
It happened to Al Szekley,a Nam vet who was shot in the spine in Fu Bai in 1972.
I see vets like Al all over the place but especially at patriotic events in downtown assemblages all over America.
They usually sit on curbs right next to the band shell and they are usually fractured from the pot/booze combo. I am a sucker for people who are hurting, but when I see a Nam vet especially one in a wheelchair,I get a lump in my throat.There is a special glow about them almost like a halo.
Al was sitting in his permanent prison on wheels on G St. in D.C. He lives here and sleeps here now. At 62, he is just entering the ranks of the poor and old but he has been poor for decades.Eight months ago he was evicted from a homeless shelter because of an outstanding warrant which he never answered. The warrant was for sleeping on a sidewalk in a Washington suburb.
Follow me closely.
The odds are that if Al slept on a sidewalk in any city in America in his wheelchair they would just let him be. The keyword here is SUBURB.
It just happened that Al ran afoul of the law in Virginia but it could just have well have been in any ritzy suburb, let's say for an example ,Spring Lake, N.J.. They give you a ticket for parking your car in the street overnight in Spring Lake.
Can you imagine what those people in those 5 million dollar houses overlooking the Atlantic Ocean would do with this homeless vet sleeping in his wheelchair in front of one of those stately mansions?
Oh my God. Think of what it would do to their resale values? Oh the shame of it.
But back to Al Szekely. Let's look at the whole story. Obviously,I suspect you well off suburbans are thinking; Al must have a lot more in his background than is being covered by the left wing media.
Not so.
Al is an "ordained minister,who does not drink,do drugs or curse in front of ladies" according to Ms Ehrenreich, NY Times columnist.
So you see the headline to this article is real . I happens every day in Poor and Rich America.
They do arrest homeless men in a shelters for being homeless.
( Second in a series about being poor and/or old in America)
It happened to Al Szekley,a Nam vet who was shot in the spine in Fu Bai in 1972.
I see vets like Al all over the place but especially at patriotic events in downtown assemblages all over America.
They usually sit on curbs right next to the band shell and they are usually fractured from the pot/booze combo. I am a sucker for people who are hurting, but when I see a Nam vet especially one in a wheelchair,I get a lump in my throat.There is a special glow about them almost like a halo.
Al was sitting in his permanent prison on wheels on G St. in D.C. He lives here and sleeps here now. At 62, he is just entering the ranks of the poor and old but he has been poor for decades.Eight months ago he was evicted from a homeless shelter because of an outstanding warrant which he never answered. The warrant was for sleeping on a sidewalk in a Washington suburb.
Follow me closely.
The odds are that if Al slept on a sidewalk in any city in America in his wheelchair they would just let him be. The keyword here is SUBURB.
It just happened that Al ran afoul of the law in Virginia but it could just have well have been in any ritzy suburb, let's say for an example ,Spring Lake, N.J.. They give you a ticket for parking your car in the street overnight in Spring Lake.
Can you imagine what those people in those 5 million dollar houses overlooking the Atlantic Ocean would do with this homeless vet sleeping in his wheelchair in front of one of those stately mansions?
Oh my God. Think of what it would do to their resale values? Oh the shame of it.
But back to Al Szekely. Let's look at the whole story. Obviously,I suspect you well off suburbans are thinking; Al must have a lot more in his background than is being covered by the left wing media.
Not so.
Al is an "ordained minister,who does not drink,do drugs or curse in front of ladies" according to Ms Ehrenreich, NY Times columnist.
So you see the headline to this article is real . I happens every day in Poor and Rich America.
They do arrest homeless men in a shelters for being homeless.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
OLD AND POOR IN AMERICA , a series
It's not as easy to be old and poor in America as it used to be.
Poor people die younger than the affluent,and the life expectancy gap is growing.
Nevertheless, the article on the Op-Ed page of Sunday's N.Y. Times might indicate some additional factors will dispose of the aged earlier. Apparently this would make the affluent breathe a lot easier. The article, by Barbara Ehrenreich suggests this might be the case and has an intriguing title:
IS IT NOW A CRIME TO BE POOR?
Of course if they could just make it a crime to be poor maybe they could at least put the old and poor in prison. Out of sight, out of mind. Thus the affluent would not be reminded of the kind of society they have created. Make no mistake,that's what all that hub bub you saw on your TV news was about last evening.
This is not a Right vs Left battle any more.The wealthy are panicking as Obama begins his crusade;The capitalists in his own party are fighting him tooth and nail.
Combining no health care, imprisonment and a few other ideas from Glen BRECK, Rush Oxycontin and Ann Couturier should should complete the dirty deeds.
Here are a few of the current attempts to criminalize being old and poor in America as outlined by Ms Ehrenreich in her brilliant article Sunday:
A new study from the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty,finds that the number of ordinances against the publicly poor has been rising since 2006, along with ticketing and arrests for more “neutral” infractions like jaywalking, littering or carrying an open container of alcohol.
Jaywalking?
I jaywalk just about every day but it's because my vision is so poor. I sometimes wander outside of the lines. Seventy eight years without an arrest and now I go to jail for jaywalking.No,they want me in jail because I am poor and old,not because I am almost blind and old.
I will be covering many similar prejudices affecting the old and poor in the next few days and weeks. Why? Because I am old and poor. Who better to write about it?
Tomorrow, "Crackdowns against the indigent," continues.
Poor people die younger than the affluent,and the life expectancy gap is growing.
Nevertheless, the article on the Op-Ed page of Sunday's N.Y. Times might indicate some additional factors will dispose of the aged earlier. Apparently this would make the affluent breathe a lot easier. The article, by Barbara Ehrenreich suggests this might be the case and has an intriguing title:
IS IT NOW A CRIME TO BE POOR?
Of course if they could just make it a crime to be poor maybe they could at least put the old and poor in prison. Out of sight, out of mind. Thus the affluent would not be reminded of the kind of society they have created. Make no mistake,that's what all that hub bub you saw on your TV news was about last evening.
This is not a Right vs Left battle any more.The wealthy are panicking as Obama begins his crusade;The capitalists in his own party are fighting him tooth and nail.
Combining no health care, imprisonment and a few other ideas from Glen BRECK, Rush Oxycontin and Ann Couturier should should complete the dirty deeds.
Here are a few of the current attempts to criminalize being old and poor in America as outlined by Ms Ehrenreich in her brilliant article Sunday:
A new study from the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty,finds that the number of ordinances against the publicly poor has been rising since 2006, along with ticketing and arrests for more “neutral” infractions like jaywalking, littering or carrying an open container of alcohol.
Jaywalking?
I jaywalk just about every day but it's because my vision is so poor. I sometimes wander outside of the lines. Seventy eight years without an arrest and now I go to jail for jaywalking.No,they want me in jail because I am poor and old,not because I am almost blind and old.
I will be covering many similar prejudices affecting the old and poor in the next few days and weeks. Why? Because I am old and poor. Who better to write about it?
Tomorrow, "Crackdowns against the indigent," continues.
Monday, August 10, 2009
OP-ED MONDAY
FRANK RICH- IS OBAMA PUNKING US?
Believe me, I do not want to think bad about this President; I worked too hard to try and get him elected.Frank Rich does present a powerful case suggesting I,and millions like me,may have been conned. It's far too early to be sure but it's not too early to be anxious.
A real estate agent in Virginia put it this way:
“Nothing’s changed for the common guy,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been punked.” She cited in particular the billions of dollars in bailouts given to banks that still “act like they’re broke.”
There is no question that the banks are PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1
Billions in billions of handouts from the government, 173 billion to be exact. They handed out 32 of those billions in bonuses to their employees so far this year and have only paid back 50 billion.
What have they done for us with all that money. Well I can tell you what they have done for me, a very old and very poor man living on my monthly SS check and my credit cards. One of those banks, J.P. Morgan Chase cut my credit line in half from 3500.00 to 1750.00 with no advance notice. Why? Who knows. I guess so their officers can sit in those 2500.00 a game boxes in the new Yankee Stadium.
I don't mind Kate Hudson sitting in them as at least we get some eye candy but those smug bank fat cats make me sick. Their ilk will be at the U.S. Tennis Open next month in Forest Hills.
So are the well off really getting burned in this recession/depression? NOT.
Continuing with Rich's brilliant expose of wealthy America.
PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 2- LOBBYISTS
These are the parasites Obama promised to clear out of D.C. NOT.
Most of them are ex-congressmen, both sides of the aisle. Face it we have no two party system,just one giant mob of corporate gluttons. As an example Rich cites Freedom Works an outfit run by ex congressman Dick Armey. Armey has received six million in fees in five years from this influence group.
The old saw about poor countries getting rich by declaring war on the U.S. and then surrendering has been replaced by one even more ironic. Run for congress,serve a few years and screw it up enough to insure your defeat.Then go join one of the corporate firms you pretended to be fighting while you were in office.
Where have you gone Tom Daschle, a nation turns it's lonely eyes to you??? You were supposed to be the guy who could get us a health plan. NOT.
PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 3- PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES
Former congressman Billy Tauzin from Louisiana (where in hell would he be from with a first name of Billy?)
Billy boy switched from the Dems to the Gop,then lost.Now he is President of PHRMA,the largest pharmaceutical trade group.Obama used to blast PHRMA for allowing the large drug companies to keep their prices inflated.Now Billy boy is a key figure in the health care plan battle and has succeeded in persuading Obama to keep these very same drug prices inflated. Frank Rich,in this week's column, wants to know what is going on here?
Why do these pharmaceutical firms charge so much? I paid $120.00 last week for 90 Benicar pills for my high blood pressure. I have no inside info but dollars to Dunkin Donuts,those pills cost about a dime each to produce.
What do these drug pirates do with all that profit? They pay mini-skirt wearing bimbos 6 figure salaries to nuzzle up to their MD customers. That's a fact;the NY Times has written several articles about it during the past 5 years.
I had a friend who dated one of these "detailers". She owned 3 condos worth a half a mil each. She didn't know the difference between a tablet and a pill and never read a newspaper in her life. She made Sarah seem like a rocket scientist
They use those profits to pay for lobbyists to sit in the Yankee Stadium box seats.So I am,in effect, paying for those seats.
As a child I used to pay $5.00 for a bleacher seat there during the Great Depression. Now I watch the games on TV and observe what's wrong with a country that treats it's poor this way?
Re the other Op-Ed columnists I would normally write about today, Dowd and Friedman, their pieces on Sunday were not up to their usual quality. They seemed to be looking forward to their vacations and repeated stuff they had already written.
There was another column this week in this same Op-Ed section, written by a truly great journalist,author, Barbara Ehrenreich. The column was earthshaking to me
personally.
Titled.......
IS IT NOW A CRIME TO BE POOR?
It influenced me so much that I am will comment on it in depth tomorrow and may change the direction of this blog beginning this week.
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