AN ASTERISK (*) ON THE BEHIND OF HISTORY!

AN ASTERISK (*) ON THE BEHIND OF HISTORY!

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

It was inevitable, the United States military had to show its muscle once Mother Russia begin flexing her sizable military prowess first in Crimea and then in the Ukraine. Using the age old ploy of military exercise, the message will be loud and clear in Eastern Europe; the U.S. has her back up so beware…..everybody.

It’s like the old “Boss,” Bruce Springsteen song, “here I go again, back on the stage again,” when will the United States understand that those days are over, the days when America’s military might was awe inspiring. Everybody who listens to a radio, watches television, or reads a newspaper understand that the U.S. has the mightiest military forces since the use of the rock and a stick were used to beat back an adversary…..everybody knows of this might.

So when I read an article in my hometown newspaper, the Green Bay Press Gazette about the First U.S. Troops Arrive in Poland, I am not surprised, it’s simply business as usual, and few people throughout the world were surprised. But when some jerk-water Army Colonel Steve Warren is quoted with “American actions are intended to reassure our allies that we are there for them,” I can do more than giggle, is this Colonel delusional, doesn’t he know what I know, what well over 50% of Americans know, and what in excess of 65% of the world knows.

Is this show of force supposed to frighten off Mother Russia, or Vladimir Putin, like it has the terrorists groups that are supposedly hatching plots to kill Americans because they “hate” our lifestyles even as I write this blog? You don’t really believe that bologna, do you? Exactly how hard is it to breach our borders…..think about it for a second, millions of people have crossed the Rio Grande River over the past few decades in attempts to better their lives. And to the north, Canada, God only knows who and what is coming into the U.S. unannounced.

Military exercises have been used for a long time to impress and deter any kind of military retaliation from those people who were supposed to be impressed. Sometimes it works, and sometimes, not so much. It’s like rating an athlete coming out of college into the professional ranks of baseball, football or basketball, if a kid has million dollar ability, but a 10 cent brain or heart…. you’ve just blown a 1^st round draft choice.

Now you take a chance on the kid who’s dirty, slows up early for practice, and stays long after everybody else is in the showers, you’d better take a chance and sign that kid; he’ll produce for your team for years and years.

Military might works quite the same way, like I’ve said, “everybody knows about the military power of the United States,” it’s impressive as hell…..but has it, or is it a deterrent for challenge and military skirmish, let me see, Iraq, Afghanistan…..no, I guess not, wonder what the hell the problem is with these upstart countries, or terrorist groups, don’t they realize that its suicide to piss the U.S. off…..what are these people missing anyways?

MILITARY EXERCISES

In some cases, when the United States is thinking about or is going to engage a prospective belligerent in a military skirmish, military exercises or war games will be orchestrated on the borders of the potential opponent. This is nothing more than a pissing contest to show which military force can pee the furthest, in today’s age, it is really unnecessary, and to be frank, childish. Everybody knows that bullets kill, booms blow things to smithereens, and that the civilian population involved ultimately is the biggest loser.

For a minute, indulge me, I’ve got a short story that’ll knock sox you’re off; I drove an ambulance from March, 1964 through June of the same year in a military war game called Desert Strike. The duty was in Arizona, and the California deserts around Needles, California, at the time, a population of 2,200. My duty was to be prepared for the ensuing war games that would take place in May and June of that year. In the end, the exercises involved 100,000 military personnel, utilize 900 aircraft and 500 tanks, and would cost the U.S. taxpayers $54,000,000. The individual cost of the military personnel would be $540 each, and as I mentioned, there were a little more than one hundred thousand men.

Now we fast forward to April, 2014, and we calculate what it’ll cost the U.S. taxpayer for a military exercises, or war games in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. The exercise will entail 600 military personnel, let’s use the 1964 scenario of cost per soldier…..only we’ll add the inflation of a dollar bill, which today would be $7.54 for every dollar spent back in 1964…..so, it’ll be costing the taxpayers $4,071 per man, or more than $2,400,000. My, my, how time flies when a guy’s having fun, especially when it’s not you’re dime.

But what the hell, the cost of muscle-beach showoffs doesn’t really matter, cause the U.S. needs that extra scare tactic that hopefully will be achieved with the war game exercise’s right on the back doorstep of Mother Russia, and that dictator, Vladimir Putin. However what happens if the ruse doesn’t work, do we go to war, I think NOT!      

Going to war in the 21^st century, for anybody is a foolhardy move that has, through the United State’s own experience, a no win situation…..it doesn’t matter what those silly neocon’s say, or think, war in  the 21^st century is a big loser. Even with all of the U.S.’s military expertise, and war machines, there has been a war in Iraq, (outta there in December 2011) and Afghanistan, (supposedly outta there in December of this year). Neither theater of operation went very well, and arguably the United States is leaving both countries in worse shape than when the wars started.

THERE IS NO CLEAR CUT SUPER POWER IN THE 21^ST CENTURY

For all the talk, and all the saber rattling, the U.S. has a spotty won-lost record actually since the Korean Conflict, 1950-1953 with regards to wins and losses in military confrontations. I’m not sure if that’s the right way to phrase it, I mean about wins and losses…..but somewhere, at sometime, somebody needs to tally the scoreboard.

The U.S. has been in ABOUT 76 conflicts, wars, or policing incidents mostly in an effort to protect other countries or to keep those people targeted from causing problems here in the United States. There have been some wins, and losses, but like the man said, “nobody wins in a war,” and it really applies to the United States.

Militarily the United States takes itself way too serious, especially if one considers the won-lost record, and the track record connected with America. I believe it’s time to take stock of exactly what we are allowing are military, the industrial military complex (oh yes, there is one), our elected officials, and the latitude that the president has with regards to his foreign policy authority.

Do we want a shooting war with Russia, you can’t be serious, Russia would be a worthy opponent, the U.S. found itself bogged down in both Afghanistan and Iraq…..and they were blowing themselves up because they had a serious weapons supply problem.

Russia can pretty much match the United States bomb for bomb, it would be, militarily, too close of a match, I think, for the United States war planners. I personally don’t see a war with Russia happening, it makes little sense, and I don’t think the world is ready for the blood and guts that would be spilled…..on both sides.

It’s getting to a time in history when there’s beginning to be a kind of changing of the guard, I think that the peoples of the world are getting a bit tired of how the United States runs in with their guns blazing, attempting to impress everybody. The world, and its historians will judge the United States, and I’m wondering exactly how well the grade will be, will we truly be an asterisk on the behind of history?

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!

ARE DOCTORS VISITS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

ARE DOCTORS VISITS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH?

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

Location, location, location…..when you visit a doctor here in the United States, there are many different things that create your bottom line bill for your routine six month or yearly check-up. However a large ingredient that greatly influences your bill is where you live, and were your doctor is located. It’s kind of like the guy who is driving a Cadillac, usually he’s got some money, and if he’s old(er), with white hair you can rest assured he’s got some bread stashed away somewhere.

I had open heart surgery (CABG) in October last year, and the overall charge was $117,094 and I got to tell you, the procedure saved my life. I also got to tell you that $117,094  just for the procedure is just a bit pricey. The rehab process takes months, and the cost is not included in the $117,094. To have one of these procedures…..which I call (top end procedures) you’d better be prepared to dish out some hard cold cash…..cause insurance doesn’t cover all of the related costs.

Having been involved with a medical procedure that I wasn’t prepared for (you don’t save up for them like you would a vacation or a car), I learned a lot. What I discovered was the really disturbing facts and many of those people who are wagging their tongues the loudest usually know the least. What I know about health insurance you could put in an 8 ounce drinking glass, and to be competent, you need four or five 5 gallon buckets.

Insurance is a scam, pure and simple…..and I don’t care what anybody says, health insurance is set up…..today, to fail, fail the policy holder. Simply put, well over 90% of the people who have health insurance are covered woefully inadequately. Usually the deductibles eat a policy holder to death and to boot, some procedures simply aren’t covered…..and the worst part is the fact that many insurance plans do not pay for preventative care, and maintenance.

Insurance plans vary in many different ways most of which I don’t understand…..even though I try and stay on top of it. Hundreds of thousands find themselves in the same boat that I’m in, and I have health insurance.  My head swims every time I listen to, or read what the experts are saying about the dilemma, and I got to tell you, it makes me think that these so-called experts are in the same fog that I’m in, and they really don’t know what they’re talking about.

I’m wondering if the Affordable Care Act (Obama-Care) has done anything that really helps the average American citizen, and I’m not talking about the welfare recipients, they are a whole different type of people, pretty much because they can’t afford diddly squat, you would almost have to give the health coverage away, and they’d still have a tough time handling their affairs.

I’m also unsure why the costs of U.S. health care weren’t addressed by the Obama administration, $75 for a band-aid, $439 for a visit to a doctor in Heartland, Wisconsin…..can you get serious…..a visit with my former wife’s not worth that much.

Nobody can argue with the facts, I had to have 5 bypass surgery, I had 70, 80, and in one particular area, 90% blockage. Without a doubt I’d be dead by now, or soon would be added to the worm food crop, so I’m grateful to my doctor, and the nurses that worked as a team at St. Vincent Hospital. On can’t put a dollar figure on the work that they did, and the results…..I’m still here, but now am saddled with a bunch of hospital bills. And will struggle to pay these, but in the end, will honor my obligations, no matter how long it may take.

However here is where I and millions of other senior citizens part company with those folks between the ages of 19 and 45. This age bracket has that invincibility syndrome that people my age vaguely remember, nothing can touch them, it’s why our military is inundated by people 20 to about 30 years of age. Thank God for that, cause old farts like me would never join the military, our joints won’t take it.

HOW WILL THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AFFECT THE UNITED STATES AND THE RANK & FILE

 

There are two areas of health insurance that need to be addressed, solved, and filed in the completed section of the country’s to-do list. Until these issues are addressed…..honestly, and without political bias of any kind, as a people, we will struggle.

The first is education, unless each and every male and female in the continental United States and the offshore tributaries, the United States will be less than it can be. Lax and shoddy programs that address education for the whole of our society have and will continue to blunt creativity, progressive thinking, and the adventure of discovery.

The other issue that today’s piece addresses, an issue with high priority scribbled all over it is how assessable health care is, both preventative, as well as treatment, to everybody. There are some silly, silly issues connected with who gets treatment here in the states.

Many people talk about how President Obama’s Affordable Health Care for American Act is going to wreck the insurance industry, yet the scribes of the insurance industry wrote the rules and regulations of the act, and law. Health care for Americans, all Americans has been an issue

Believe it or not, health-care for everybody has been a topic of interest and conversation for well over a hundred years. Advocates on several occasions believed they were on the verge of success; yet each time they tasted defeat. The evolution of the efforts and the reasons for their failure make for an intriguing lesson in American history, ideology, and character.

Since President Franklin D. Roosevelt, about every 15 years or so, somebody proposes some sort of health reform, or so it’s called, to alter or reform, you need to have a program, and frankly the United States has always lacked in this department. Medicare and Medicaid are not all encompassing in the private sector of healthcare in the United States today.

I don’t really care what people might think, either Medicare or Medicaid are what is popularly referred to as viable health care plans. I talk from experience, I’m retired (as is my wife) and we still pay several hundred dollars a month to supplement Medicare. The description of Medicaid explains in the first paragraph what it’s all about, a social health care program for families and individuals with low income and resources.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, (ACA,) expands both eligibility for the federal funding of Medicare and Medicaid. The LAW and it is a law, this Affordable Care Act, all U.S. citizens and legal residents with certain income criteria, including adults without dependents qualify for coverage in any state that participates in the Medicaid program. Here’s the kicker with regards to Medicaid, in a Supreme Court ruling, it is stated that “states do not have to agree to this expansion of funds in order to continue to receive previously established levels of Medicaid funding.”

What has happened since the Supreme Court ruled that states don’t have to take the additional funding, it’s okay, they can continue at their pre ACA  funding programs levels, AND eligibility standards. So a law is a law until the Supreme Court takes the teeth out of it.

Okay my friends, here’s exactly what is going on, remember that you read it here first…..oh and by the way, you can take this to the bank. The only way that the United States is every going to come out of the early 20^th century, and into the light of the 21^st century is for the federal government to take private insurers out of the equation, until that happens, bottom line mentality will prevail, and that attitude is counter-productive to overall country-wide health care.

LET’S GET DOWN TO SOME SERIOUS STATISTICS IN THE HEALTH-CARE INDUSTRY

 

Advocates of health-system reform believe that the time is right for action, the United States spends twice as much per capita on healthcare as the average of the 10 other richest countries in the world. You didn’t think that you’re personal physician bought his Cadillac with food-stamps did you. In the United States one person in six under the age of 65 is uninsured (those invincible). There also is a feeling that labor leaders and business alike are convinced that employer-financed healthcare has undermined U.S. competitiveness on the world stage with regards to labor costs and product prices.

The elites remain deeply divided on what needs to be done…..which has always been a bug-a-boo in the discussion about change in U.S. health care. There are basically two camps of thinking on the problem of how the U.S. is serviced by medical providers. Enroll everyone in a national administered system financed largely by taxes, shoring up the current employment-based system for workers and their families, or extending some sort of tax incentives to encourage individuals to buy insurance themselves.

The other camp includes those people, (85%) who are insured in several different ways, completely self insured, partially insured by their employer, and believe it or not, there are those who figure that they’ll simply slid through life not needing coverage.

It is not, nor has it ever been the responsibility of industry to offer health insurance, and then pay a hefty chunk of the premiums as a fringe benefit. Business is there for one purpose, to make money either for the owners, or the share holders. Any concessions that workers might get is usually through the kindness of the business owner’s heart.

The rank and file is at their place of work to perform their prescribed jobs in an efficient manner, giving their best effort at all times. Sick days, personal days, birthdays, bereavement, national holidays, and vacation days are all given by ownership, not because they love their employees, but because they want to hang on to the good ones.

The only one who is going to solve the mess that United States health care has gotten to is…..the government, those people that we elect to represent us…..they are nothing more than our mouth-pieces. The key word for us is diligence, we need to stay visual, and not lose our way of thinking, and to remember that American citizens aren’t OWED anything, whatever is gotten will usually be fought for…..and take years. Oh and by the way, “yes, Doctors visits are BAD for your health, at least in the wallet.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!

 

   

EVEN DYING IS BEING OUTSOURCED!

EVEN DYING IS BEING OUTSOURCED!

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

In case you missed it, the United States is at war in a whole different way than in the past, from the mess hall cooks to military camp security and convoy drivers, to the latrine waste buckets, private contractors are pulling the load. I was in the military too soon, no K.P. no night watch, and the crap cans are off limits to military staff….. it sounds like paradise,”where do I sign up?” 

I wasn’t in the military during war time, 1963-65, before Vietnam, so my war-time perspective comes from reading accounts, books, and research. But from I’ve read or heard, somebody somewhere is trying to take the danger out of a dangerous activity. Even I, never having been in a combat foxhole know that when somebody shoots at you, there’s danger involved.

In a way, when risks of war shift from soldiers to private contractors, it is a good thing because the attitude of soldiers is to serve and protect their country while private contractors or soldiers of fortune are in a military conflict for one reason only, to make money.

I looked it up, or rather went on line and gathered information about the job opportunities that exist, and was amazed at the civilian possibilities. Of course the lead-in headline for the webpage was “Would you like to make $50 to $250 thousand dollars a year or more, working in exotic locations all around the world.” Keep in mind that these positions were in, to name a few countries, Iraq, Qatar, Djibouti, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Somalia, and Curacao, Caribbean.

The jobs ranged from hygienist/technician, mechanic/electrician, pilot, force protection manager, dog handler, and an ammunitions and explosive manager. The list of job opportunities goes on and on, and of course there are hundreds of testimonials lauding the success stories, stories telling of how a man could retire well before he’s forty.

There are corner websites, complete with exotic logo’s, Middle East Security Contractor Corner with a skull and crossed rifles in the background, Temporary Assignments with an American flag and an eagle, or my favorite, Security Clearance Job Corner with a bomb and cross-hairs in the background. These are all job procurement websites…..and you can make you’re membership payments through PayPal, where the web is Secure & Confidential, and proclaims that  “We Never See Your Financial Data.”

A REALLY OLD PROFESSION

Mercenaries, merc’s, soldiers of fortune, or today, private contractors, it doesn’t matter what you might call them; they are all the same, soldiers for hire. To illustrate exactly how long these people have been around understand this, there is a protocol for these people, and establishes rules, that are supposed to regulate them, dictated by Article 47 in the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949. Laws of War is supposed to reign in these people, and reads as follows;

Article 47, Mercenaries

1. A mercenary shall not have the right to be a combatant or a prisoner of war.

2. A mercenary is any person;

a. is especially recruited locally or abroad in order to fight in an armed conflict.

b. does, in fact, take a direct part in the hostilities.

c. is motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain and, in fact, is promised, by or on behalf of a Party to the conflict, material compensation substantially in excess of that or paid to combatants of similar ranks and functions in the armed forces of that Party:

d. is neither a national of a Party to the conflict nor a resident of territory in the armed forces of that Party.

e. is not a member of the armed forces of a Party in the conflict; and

f. has not been sent by a State which is not a Party to the conflict on official duty as a member of its armed forces.

No matter what you call these people, their intentions are seldom honorable, it’s that old paycheck that keeps these people fired up about whatever theater of military conflict that they happen to be in. And its not only money that drives most of these people, rather its personal pleasures derived from adventurous exploits on the battlefield, or with some of the local…..ladies.

With little exception these people are a power unto them-selves, and will take whatever law might govern the country that they are in, and bend it to serve their own purposes. Private contractors in both Iraq and Afghanistan were NOT under the military rules that govern regular U.S. forces.

Mercenaries, soldiers of fortune, or Clint Eastwood making his day, it doesn’t matter, these people are basically out of control, and they enable countries throughout the world the ability to wage wars without getting their collective political hands in the dirt, and also protecting their militaries.

THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

What is happening right now, today…..at the present time is that U.S. hawks are benefitting from their use of these people. These people (Mercenaries) are paid handsomely and…..if frugal, can retire to wherever they want by the time that they are 40.

There of course is a down-side to being one of these John Wayne, Chuck Norris types, some actually get shot to death, or blown to smithereens. Thus far, over the last 14 years, during the Bush wars, more than 3,400 deaths have been reported, 90,000 injured or wounded, and an additional 1,000 missing. The bad karma that these people have spread around the world can’t even begin to be calculated…..it’ll take years before the jury is in on that damage.

One thing is clear, for the United States to continue to be the world’s biggest combatant, private contractors will continue to be an important item. Much of the payment (monetarily) for these companies, and their emissaries can’t be tracked, it’s through a swamp, in a sandstorm, and at the bottom of the ocean.

The George W. Bush impact (it’s what I call his foolhardy war) has spawned hundreds of security and private contractor companies with in excess of 150,000 employees. How some of the United State’s manufacturers have come to depend on military manufacturing is really criminal. Criminal because there is little desire to quit wars…..it would put way to many people out of work, and in fact could bankrupt the United States.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!

I’M HAVING TROUBLE JUSTIFING THESE PRACTICES!

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

Just call me “John Q Public,” I’m a guy with an inquiring mind, I need input, and in the following two issues that I have, I need answers, and not necessarily the verbiage that I got. The service departments that I’m having trouble with today both are part of what makes the city that I live in run in a relatively smooth manner. That said I do however reserve the right to question whenever I figure that a better way of doing things would make things more efficient, or less costly.

I’m wondering why more people haven’t questioned the departments services that’s got the short hairs on the back of my neck in an attention stance…..(of course I only have short hairs at this point in my life).  I’m talking about the Green Bay Street Department and their propensity to drop plow on wet streets with no snow or ice on them. I also wonder why the driver would salt the same street…..I still can’t figure that one out, no matter what I was told.

I know all about snow ruts and frozen slushy snow, but I also know about what 35 degree temperatures always does to that slush and ice…..it melts it, right down the storm drains. I’m looking at a Snow Plowing Information sheet as I type, and I got to tell you, I’m having a big problem with one sentence, “DPW will be able to clear streets to the curb on the first pass.” The rest of the sentence goes on to tell the reader that the street will not have to return to re-plow, reducing the time it will take to finishing plowing the city.

How do you say Pet Peeve, Green Bay city plows do not plow to the curb, I’m sure that this practice is justified because of the damage done to curbs by hitting them with the blade of a plow, plus the damage to the plow.

I used to live in an area that routinely received 180 to 200 inches of snow during the winters…..and this wasn’t in Alaska or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The streets in my former home were plowed from curb to curb, and they still are. In Green Bay, the streets go from 20’ to 18’, to 16’, the final measurement are achieved by about mid-March which signifies the outbreak of spring.

My point is simple, if you aren’t going to plow the streets curb to curb, say so, you won’t have that issue to rectify, I’ve plowed before, it’s a tough and thankless job, and can be time consuming. But I do think that the plowers of Green Bay city streets, should get closer.  

It’s appropriations time, the winters over, salt supplies are low, sand supplies (if it is even used) is low, time for next year’s supplies to be ordered. SSSOOO the plow and salt trucks hit the streets at a moment’s notice, kind of the not out of sight…..thing.

You’ll probably read this wrong, because I greatly appreciate what the street department here in Green Bay does…..but improvements can be made, maybe better judgment used. I personally could care less what a city official feels about his job, he’s on my clock, and when you’re on my clock, you’ll do the very best that you can…..cause I’ll be WATCHING!

A $500,000 TO $1,000,000 GROCERY PICK-UP TRUCK

Okay another PET PEEVE, the fire truck being used for pick-up and delivery service kind of like from the store to your door. I live a couple blocks from a major grocery store on the east side of Green Bay and I’ll see a fire truck with fire-fighters sitting in a running truck, while a couple of their team shops the aisles for their culinary delights.

This isn’t just once a week, oh no, its two and three times a week, I’ve been kind of ticked off at this practice for several years so I started to piece together some background information on this issue, and you’d be surprised at the cost, and what I was told as justifiable reasons for the practice, not only from the Green Bay FD, but from Milwaukee, New York City, Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Traverse City, Michigan.

They ALL follow the same operating procedure to feed their department force on any given 24 hour shift…..I was flabbergasted, especially in this time of austerity. It kind of reminds me of the street work crew where one guy is digging a hole and the other four guys on the crew are leaning on their shovels smoking cigarettes and carrying on a conversation.

Without exception every answer that I got to justify the act or practice was to;

1. Check the operational ability of the vehicle

2. Get fuel

3. Keep the firemen aware of the equipment that they use

4. Used in conjunction with fire safety surveys

5. Used in conjunction with fire inspections

6. Its protocol (the lamest reason of all)

Here are some sobering numbers for you all to carry away from my blog (by the way I told each person that I talked to that I was a blogger), the financial numbers, to me, were attention grabbing. These figures are based on 8 fire stations with the same grocery shopping procedures used;

1. Miles driven per week, 30 miles a week x 52 = 1,560 miles

2. Cost to taxpayers per year, 1,560 miles x .80 cent per mile, $1,248 per year.

3. Total cost x 8 fire stations, $1,248 per year x 8 = $9,984 total.

No matter the excuses, no matter the protocol, $9,984, is $9,984, is well you get my point…..do you, really? Street Departments and the Fire Departments offer tremendous services to us all, and to all of those who visit the area. And I tip my cap to them to each and every member of both departments.

However I take my responsibility as a blogger to report ALL OF THE NEWS THAT NOBODY ELSE WILL PRINT, and I do. If you want to continue paying the city’s fire-fighters to go grocery shopping, hey who am I to disagree. If you feel that it’s okay for the street department to plow asphalt and cement with neither snow or ice on them, and then to salt the same streets because it’ll be 35 degrees during the day, and then 19 degrees at night. Well la-de-da, exactly who am I.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!

EXACTLY WHAT DO THE DONKEY AND ELEPHANT MEAN

EXACTLY WHAT DO THE DONKEY AND  ELEPHANT MEAN

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

Have you ever thought about it, I mean it’s rather bizarre, at least to me, for the supposed strongest country on the face of the world to be equated to a jack-ass, and a big fat gray pachyderm. Neither is what could be called sexy, obviously an advertising agency was not consulted.

The now-famous Democratic donkey was firs associated with Democrat Andrew Jackson’s 1828 presidential campaign. His opponents called him a jackass, and Andrew decided to use the image of the strong willed animal on his campaign posters…..and the image stuck.

Cartoonist Thomas Nast, who had dickered around with the Andrew Jackson donkey is credited with the famous symbol of the Republican Party, when in 1874 a Nast cartoon of a Republican elephant appeared in the edition of Harper’s weekly. The Nast cartoon depicted a donkey scaring all of the animals at a zoo, one of which was an elephant, who was labeled the Republican Vote. That’s all it took for the elephant to become associated with the Republican Party.

Democrats today say that the donkey is not an ass, rather smart, brave…..and not stubborn, but rather loveable. Republicans refer to their elephant as strong and dignified, if being big, obviously overweight, and with the worst breath of any animal (or so I’ve read) is dignified.

Although the 2016 presidential campaign and elections are more than 20 months off, speculation, political ragging, and personal attacks have already begin. It reminds me of Wal-Mart, the day after Christmas begins the sales pitch for the next Christmas.

Early moves in the presidential campaign…..on the Republican side have already started; Representative Paul Ryan headlined a GOP Lincoln Dinner at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Also on Friday, April 11^th. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky held a rally in Dover, New Hampshire. Saturday Paul, fellow Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee all speak at a conservative conference in Manchester.

Although Democrats have yet to begin their stumping activity, I’m sure it’s because the White House is occupied by a Democrat, and maybe the Donkey figures that it has a bit of time before they’ll begin the very same things as their Republican brethren.

To this point, all that the Democrats seem to doing is taking those little swing trips that seem innocuous but aren’t, unless you call testing the waters, and planting the seed of potential candidacy at the same time harmless.

With all the fishing expatiations, toe wiggling in the waters of possible acceptance as their parties best candidate, small skirmishes in after dinner Brandy and cigar talks, I thought it appropriate, and probably kind of humorous for me to take a few swings at some of the people mentioned as candidates…..kind of like the spring training of the forthcoming presidential campaigns, which will end in November 2016 with the elections, and our nations new leader, and in the minds of most conservatives, the leader of the free world, whatever that means. Anyways let’s haul some these people out from the rocks where they live and take a quick look;

SOME REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

PETER T. KING

U.S. Representative from New York’s 2^nd. district

Been in politically elected office since 1977, 70 year old smoked the Islamists in the U.S. as fundamentalists during middle 2000’s…..they are an enemy living amongst us.

JOSUE LAROSE

Political organizer from state of Florida

Has formed 41 political parties, 60 Super Pac’s and more than 340 state political action committees’. Ran unsuccessfully in the Florida gubernatorial race, received 121 votes, and is also under investigation on over 2,000 counts of breaking election laws in Florida.  

MICHELE BACHMANN

U.S. Representative from Minnesota

Would rather switch then fight, started out as Democrat, switched to the Pachyderm party, and is a three term Representative…..let the games begin.

CHRIS CHRISTIE

New Jersey Governor

Was thinking about a run in 2012, and after Bridge-Gate, maybe he should have.

SARAH PALIN

Former Alaska Governor, on 2008 running mate of John McCain

I do hope that this foxy self-described “hockey Mom” came out of nowhere to go absolutely nowhere, but entertained with some of her outrages claims and speeches…..a great one to write about…..PLEASE RUN AGAIN!

SOME DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES

This is an equal political platform, and these Democrats that I’ve chosen can prove this feeling better than anything that I could say. Some of these guys, like their Republican partners are getting a bit long in the tooth, and before their term in the office of the president ended they’d be on the Medicare rolls, and that we just don’t need. Anyways let’s get started;

DOUG SHREFFLER

CIA and U.S. Envoy with G4 Classification

I’m not sure I know what a G4 is, but I do know what the CIA stands for, and understand what Envoy means when you list it after a CIA G4, its called trouble, and one look at his picture proves my point, he’s wearing shades and it’s a cloudy day.

WILLIE CARTER

Small business owner, Deacon Sunday School Superintendent

Retired United States Air Force, father of nine brings something different to the table, he’s been commanded by the Lord to be the president, and this’ll mark his 8^th attempt to be the U.S. president.

BEN AFFLECK

Actor, director, advocate

Say it ain’t so, Ben, I enjoy you’re movies, I even agree with much of what you say, but a 42 year old rookie, even though I love your wife, I’d advise to wait, at least a couple of decades.

MARIA CANTWELL

United States Senator from the state of Washington

Maria Cantwell, 56, quite a successful political career, unmarried, and is the United States ready for what that implies?

KIRSTERN GILLIBRAND, CHRISTINE GREGOIREKAMALA HARRIS, MAGGIE HANSSAN, AMY KLOBUCHAR, MARIA CANTWELL, MARY LANDRIEU, CLAIRE MCCASKILL, JAN NAPOLIOTANO

All quality women, and I left out a couple more

However none of these women carry the clout that Hillary Clinton has, the dynamics of the 2016 Democratic party campaign will be molded on what this lady decides to do, however she will be 69 by the time the inauguration ceremony is scheduled…..and take it from me, anything after 65 is getting lllooonnnggg in the tooth.

Well there you have it, the Frazer Chronicle initial report on some of the early candidates, some remind me of professional coaches and managers, they seem to move from team to team in their chosen sport, and carry the same baggage that brought them to failure at their last stop. Let’s keep track of these people together; maybe we can finally put a winner at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

HAVE A NICE DAY!

WARS WIND-DOWN WILL COST THOUSANDS OF JOBS!

WARS WIND-DOWN WILL COST THOUSANDS OF JOBS!

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

There are mostly bad things attached to war, deaths, murder, rape, displaced people, and carnage of environment. Each and every military conflict down through the annuals of time has tested human-kinds physical strength, emotional stability, and has brought into question man’s belief in cause, and his willingness to fight to the end, and do whatever might be necessary to achieve whatever ultimate goal is shared by the most people.

War, military conflict, and the instability of personal life that it can bring to a nation’s citizenry are just the norms, a distasteful side effect, but one that accompanies war. Planning for the manufactory of war machines and supplies is a tireless effort with a multitude of intersecting issues that need to be addressed, many on a daily basis.

Employment procurement at breakneck speed is always necessary, whether men or women, the overriding issue is always production, and the ability to reach mandated goals. Believe it or not some companies who are awarded military governmental contracts do not always do a good job. One company that has always delivered, no matter the project has been the Oshkosh Corporation, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Oshkosh Corporation has 23 locations in the United States and 15 foreign that are located throughout much of the world. The company has several divisions that deal in domestic manufacturing of fire and rescue vehicles as well as aerospace, air traffic, ordinance, military vehicles and engines, missiles and weapons, space systems, and naval systems.

OSHKOSH CORPORATION HISTORY

Founded in 1917 as the Wisconsin Duplex Auto Company, the company was created to build a severe-duty truck. After the first prototype was built, the company began to develop rapidly. The first four-wheel-drive truck, known today as Old Betsy is still owned by Oshkosh Corporation.

Although the company is diverse, a goodly amount of their income is derived from the company’s defense division. Motorized vehicles are their biggest ticket item, from tactical vehicles, to Global HET (heavy equipment transporter), to the HARV (heavy Army recovery vehicle), to the Packhorse Trailer System (a 5^th wheel trailer specifically made to haul odd shaped military equipment).

I guess one could say that the Oshkosh Corporation is the face of the city with a population of more than 66,000 people. Besides the Oshkosh Corporation, the community in central Wisconsin is also known for my favorite blue jean maker, OshKosh B’Gosh. However the Oshkosh Corporation employee more than 2,500 people in Oshkosh, making it the largest employer.

The list of defense contractors in the United States that has federal contracts is extensive, well over 500 U.S. companies deal in all sorts of that employ more than 200,000. There also are a multitude of smaller companies that employ 2, 3, or 50 employees, the list of these companies probably number in the thousands.  

So when more than a 3^rd of the city’s employees are laid off, it does tend to send shock waves throughout the entire community. Although the corporation is diverse, when a goodly portion of a communities labor force is let go, and on the streets collecting nothing more than unemployment, there tends to be a multitude of problems from alcohol, to spousal abuse, to boredom.

RELATIVE STEADY SINCE 2008

The good times in Oshkosh, at the Oshkosh Corporation seem to be at an end, now that the war in Iraq is over and the Afghan conflict is winding down. A tight federal budget and peacetime operations is the culprit. The Oshkosh Corp. laid off 950 workers last year in two rounds, so somebody somewhere should have known that the old handwriting might be on the wall.

At the height of employment over the past several years, Oshkosh was home to employment for more than 3,300 men and women. It seems strange to me that the president of United Auto Workers Local 578 seemed shocked, and said that the layoffs would be “gut-wrenching.” Really…. couldn’t this guy read the signs, didn’t he read the newspaper, listen to radio news, or watch television reports…..does this guy live under a rock?

The union chief said that the employees were caught by surprise, really…. then these people must have been on vacation last year when 950 employees in separate layoffs happened. The union may have worked with the Corporation to soften whatever blow was coming, but if there’s no work, no governmental contract, and NO WARS, how did these people figure that they’d stay employed, maybe out of the company’s good graces…..I don’t think so.

I am sure that Oshkosh Corporation and local 578 negotiated to look for alternatives to keep every single man and women employed, but when war’s cease, like I said, “no contract…..no work.” Personally I am glad to see these stupid wars at an end. The workers at Oshkosh Corporation are nothing more than innocent bystanders, and although I don’t feel sorry for them, I can understand their plight.

I only hope that the Oshkosh Corporation gets completely out of the defense vehicle manufacturing business, maybe brace peace signs, or pick-up trucks for farmers, and week-end excursions vehicles for family trips would be a safer bet.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!

GERRYMANDERING AIN’T THE SAME AS JERRY-RIGGING!

GERRYMANDERING AIN’T THE SAME AS JERRY-RIGGING!

(FRAZER CHRONICLE)

(All the News That Nobody Else Will Print)

 

It’s true, although the words are kind of close, they have nothing in common, I thought maybe Jerry-Rigging might have been a slang term for Gerrymandering, but my assumption wasn’t even close. Turns out that Gerrymandering deals with how political districts are made up…..geographically while Jerry-Rigging is about the same as cobbled together, in other words, like me, who doesn’t really have a clue on fixing something that is broken, will tie it together with bailing wire, a bandage, and some Duct Tape.

 

However, Gerrymandering can, and usually does take on a whole different meaning in how voter districts can be formed, or altered during the government census by which ever political party is in power. It sounds illegal at the most and morally wrong at least.

 

Jerry-Rigging is benign and oft times generates laughter when, whatever project is taken on turns out badly for the attempted fixer. I know it seems as if I’ve been a certified Jerry-Rigger most all of my life, at least according to my wife.

 

The word sinister comes to mind whenever anybody talks about political Gerrymandering, which is politically rearrangement of voting districts so as to favor the political party that happens to be in power. And make absolutely no mistake, both political parties, Republican and Democrats, rely on and use this tool to gain an advantage whenever possible. The object is to create as many districts as possible in areas of known support and to concentrate the opposition’s strength into as few districts as possible.

 

The origin of the term, though by no means the origin of the practice, was in such arrangements made by the Massachusetts Jeffersonian when governor Elbridge Gerry was in office, In office from 1810 to 1812, this Republican-Democrat saw little need for political parties, but was a champion of voter districts, so what our politicians practice in the world of the 21^st century has deep roots in the countries past history.

 

Voting is a citizen’s only hammer of power that is legally in use today, I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely not in the mood for a revolution, or even standing on a street corner with a protest sign. What Gerrymandering does to the political landscape of a state is to make it uncompetitive, when one party can redistrict known strongholds into a weaker area, ensuring the continued stay in power by the incumbents.

 

CHECKS AND BALANCES

I’m not talking about your checkbook, I’ve bounced a few checks in my time, it made my life miserable for a while, but once I got the funds into my account to cover the overdrafts, and paid the penalties, I resumed my life as if nothing had happened. That is not the case with government however, when politicians play around with voting districts, it’ll take 10 years before things can change, and then only if the party in power is voted out of office.

 

Our government is run quite the same as my checkbook; however it seems as if they are writing checks that aren’t being repaid. In Wisconsin where I’ve taken up residence, we’ve gotten a Republican governor, a Republican House, and a Republican Senate. There is no partisanship, it’s all cronyism, and it’s leading the state down a seldom traveled road.

 

The United State’s form of government depends on separate political views from the different branches to meld together and mesh, ideas and practices of either belief into acceptable rules for the good of the whole, not a particular party.

 

Me, I take stuff from more than one party, actually more than two parties, if I see something that I feel will be good for the country, my region, state and city…..and me. I’ve learned through my life’s experiences that sometimes, I might not like something, but can see how it’ll be good for the whole, and I’ll adjust my vote accordingly…..I’m not sure that many people operate that way.

 

GERRYMANDERING

I have a better understand of the term, and how it effects how government operates, mostly unfairly…..and that’s just plain wrong. What Gerrymandering does is to take the power of the vote right out of our hands and into the hands of the whore politicians.

 

It really is funny, politicians think that they operate like a preacher, or a priest or some other religious figure, but in actuality their operating like whores. They want your vote, they seek the power that that vote will bring, and they’ll do anything to keep the playing field tilted as much as possible in their favor. Many of these people, these politicians, are really to be pitied; they remind me of aging sports figures who need their ego stroked on a daily basis.

 

No Gerrymandering is not good for a state, a district, it diffuses the constituency and it makes for one hell of a lot less voice…..something that many, many politicians like…..its called silence. We’re almost as much to blame as these scruples-less jerks that WE elect into whichever office that they occupy.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!