"I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death. "
Thomas Paine

Thursday, March 21, 2013

A Very Common Sense Way To Solve Our National Debt Problem

                Our countries financial crises is unimaginable! I've seen charts and comparisons to how much a trillion dollars is, but it is really unimaginable. Our countries debt will be its down fall if something major is not done. While all the folks up in Washington DC are debating and posturing trying to keep the folks back home pleased while groveling and prostrating themselves before their corporate sponsors and owners.
           I offer this very sane, very common sense way to balance the nation and the states budgets.
    Legalize Marijuana!~
          Now before you huff up and quit reading consider the following facts;
                 We spend 42 billion dollars a year trying to enforce drug laws.
                      40% of all drug cases are marijuana. We have been fighting this drug war with little or no success for decades while our streets become more and more unsafe. If marijuana was legalized not only would we save all that money but our court systems would be some what cleared up and our police could concentrate on violent criminals.
                  Around 100 million people have used marijuana in some form in the U.S.- some 25 million Americans smoked pot in the last year -  around 14 million Americans smoke pot on a regular basis.
    In Colorado there is a 14% tax on medical marijuana. Lets say each of these people spend a $100 a month on pot. ( From personal knowledge I think this is a VERY conservative number for a regular toker) That is $14 a month in taxes per person which multiplied out is 196 million dollars or 2 billion 352 million dollars in taxes to the US budget.
             Not only that..... your creating a whole new industry creating thousands of jobs which further stimulates the economy.
           There are no known cases of Marijuana  being unhealthy or harmful in any way in fact it might be useful in medicine, industry and might inspire and improve some peoples lives.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

An Update on Toshiba and Best Buy or A look at What Has Gone Wrong with This Country

         If you have been following along then you know of my continuing troubles with a Toshiba computer that I bought from Best Buy in June of last year. If not see my earlier blogs for a full view of what I've been going through with these corporations.
           At first it seemed Best Buy was going to work with me and get this straightened out. they sent me a $100 gift card, but I still had to make the 5 hr round trip to Boulder and send the Toshiba computer off.  I did state at this time that if I had any more problems that I thought the only right thing to do would be to replace the Toshiba computer.
         This all happened at the end of November. I took off on an extended trip that took me to South Carolina and then to New York City. Shortly before leaving for New York the durn thing started hanging up again. I've had to restart it to finish this blog post. While in New York I took the Toshiba Lap top to Best Buy, I think its on 23rd street, anyway, they told me the key board needed to be replaced. I called the lady I had been talking to a couple of times. this was just after new years so I figure she may be on vacation. I called her and emailed her. I hadn't heard from her. I gave her one more chance and emailed her last week. Not a word!
       My Mom contacted both Best Buy and Toshiba earlier on. Best Buy at least initially corresponded with me. As of today I have NOT HEARD ONE WORD FROM TOSHIBA!
      Now I will admit that if Best Buy was around the corner it would not be such a big deal.... maybe! Even at that they have had three chances to fix the thing, at this point I would want it replaced if I lived next door.
       I went to Best Buy instead of buying a computer on line and having delivered to my door because 5 years ago when I bought my last lap top the service was impeccable and I' not a computer geek. This was in South Carolina, but with a big corporation it shouldn't matter. That is what is supposed to be so great about big corporations no matter where you go the service and merchandise is supposed to be the same. Here is what you get. A faceless entity that thinks it can  treat anybody anyway they want  because of what they are and what they have and you will take it and be glad.
          NOT ME! This is exactly one of the things that is wrong with this country! If this had been a mom and pop store, it would have been replaced the first time, no questions asked. IF their name was on it and it wasn't right; They would give you another one and give you your money back! People used to be proud of what they produced and sold. You don't have to be that way when your working and buying from a faceless entity, no one to take the blame, pass the buck, its up to the great and powerful oz behind the curtain. AND its all the emperor's new clothes and everybody is going along!
     NOT in these pages. I will holler from the rafters like a crazy Don Quixote tilting at the wind mills of injustice both in the corporate world and political.. Toshiba and Best Buy think they have heard the last from me. ITS NOW the principle of the way I've been treated both at the stores; when I requested a new computer no one seemed to be able to take authority and make it happen and at this time  the not caring by the upper management.
   Whats next;
                      THE BOYCOTT IS ON
            I also plan to tell my story to as many consumer rating and consumer advocate agencies I can find.
      I'm just crazy enough to spend ten times the effort and money to tell my story as it would to simply go out and buy a new computer.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

A Look at Modern Addiction

     Addiction is serious business!
Yes it is and this addiction is especially insidious because most people don't even know they have it and each day there is more and more put out here to draw us in.
      Its there staring you in the face. That computer we can no longer do with out, although there are many of us who lived half our lives or more with out them. Now we can't go a day with out checking our emails. Then came social net working. Facebook and Twitter. Everyone putting there most recent life story out there for everybody to see. We have to be constantly attached, not talking to the person next to you but texting somebody a world away. We don't have a garden in our back yard but we have virtual farms and cites we have to tend hourly and daily. Then there is pinterest and stumbleupon. I could spend days on stumbleupon! There is an endless array of information out there on any subject you could be interested in and you could spend years tied to your computer discovering information that stumbleupon and pinterest throws out for you just by clicking a button. I have to limit myself to the time I spend on stumbleupon, but my real addiction is On line shopping. especially with sierra trading post and campmore. Sierra Trading Post really knows how to pull me in. I buy so much stuff they are giving me special discounts and free shipping, etc, etc. Its SUCH a DEAL,  how can I refuse!!!!! I told my self NO MORE! I delete their emails and don't open their catalogs and vow not to buy anything over the coming summer........ then I discover uncrate, gear junkie and nomorerack! arrrggghhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
          I'm telling you its a conspiracy to keep us tied to the computer, distracted and not outside where we belong so we can see whats really going on!!!!!

Monday, March 11, 2013

The American Dream

                            Is there such a thing any more?
               I remember as a young guy, 10 or 12, I don't know where it came from really, I got a good dose of Greek pride from my Mom's side of the family and a good dose of Southern pride from my dad.  . But an American dream? It was a house, wife two kids and a white picket fence. Right? I think if you were a kid of the early 60's that was the dream. You may dream of different jobs or skills maybe even your own business but I think everybody dreamed about owning their own homes being married and having a couple of kids.
            So what happened? Is it still out there? For what ever reason it didn't happen for me. I'm not complaining, I have a great life.
               But what do kids dream of these days. This age which seems to be filled with excess of technology and entitlement. When we are owed everything but not responsible for anything. this land of a failed economy, corporate bailouts while homes are being foreclosed on. This land where everything is disposable," Rent to Own Wheels and Tire" stores and virtual video worlds.
            I don't know...... Is there an american dream these days? Does it still exist? Or is it an American struggle just to get through?

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