How many people feel....spread the word....

  Dear readers,

  I am not yet a senior, but am not so far away I can't see it on the horizon.   This was sent by email.  Not going to change a word, but will post a link below as a couple of the "thoughts" in the email were a tad off....all good and worth reading. I would recommend each person finding their Senator, then cut and paste their name into the message and forward it to them.

    Alan Simpson, Senator from Wyoming, Co-Chair of deficit commission, calls senior citizens the Greediest Generation as he compared "Social Security" to a Milk Cow with 310 million teats.

August, 2010.

      Here's a response in a letter from an unknown farmer in Montana.  I think he is a little ticked off! He also tells it like it is! 

"Hey Alan, let's get a few things straight.

1. As a career politician, you have been on the public tit for FIFTY YEARS.

2. I have been paying Social Security taxes for 48 YEARS (since I was 15 years old. I am now 63).

3. My Social Security payments, and those of millions of other Americans, were safely tucked away in an interest bearing account for decades until you political pukes decided to raid the account and give OUR money to a bunch of zero ambition losers in return for votes, thus
bankrupting the system and turning Social Security into a Ponzi scheme that would have made Bernie Madoff proud.

4. Recently, just like Lucy & Charlie Brown, you and your ilk pulled the proverbial football away from millions of American seniors nearing retirement and moved the goalposts for full retirement from age 65 to age 67. NOW, you and your shill commission are proposing to move the
goalposts YET AGAIN.

5. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying into Medicare from Day One, and now you morons propose to change the rules of the game. Why?  Because you idiots mismanaged other parts of the economy to such an extent that you need to steal money from Medicare to pay the bills.

6. I, and millions of other Americans, have been paying income taxes our entire lives, and now you propose to increase our taxes yet again. Why?  Because you incompetent bastards spent our money so profligately that
you just kept on spending even after you ran out of money.  Now, you come to the American taxpayers and say you need more to pay off YOUR debt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To add insult to injury, you label us "greedy" for calling "bullshit" on your incompetence.  Well, Captain Bullshit, I have a few questions for YOU.

1. How much money have you earned from the American taxpayers during your pathetic 50-year political career?

2. At what age did you retire from your pathetic political career, and how much are you receiving in annual retirement benefits from the American taxpayers?

3. How much do you pay for YOUR government provided health insurance?

4. What cuts in YOUR retirement and healthcare benefits are you proposing in your disgusting deficit reduction proposal, or, as usual, have you exempted yourself and your political cronies?

It is you, Captain Bullshit, and your political co-conspirators called Congress who are the "greedy" ones. It is you and your fellow nutcases who have bankrupted America and stolen the American dream from millions of loyal, patriotic taxpayers.  And for what?  Votes.  That's right, sir.  You and yours have bankrupted America for the sole purpose of advancing your pathetic political careers. You know it, we know it, and you know that we know it.

And you can take that to the bank, you miserable ASS. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_K._Simpson

   If you read the above link, you will find that the Senator in question was only in the Senate for about 18 years, not 50. Everything else is spot on.  Just doing my part to help keep America free, and to hopefully retire a bunch of Senators and Representatives in the process.  

Trevor M Dodge

All Hallowe'en Special

 Hello readers,

  Being 10 hours ahead of the Pacific North West and seeing as the holiday falls on a weekday this year…..this posting may be late or moot.   But continue forth I shall.  

  I remember Halloween as a child being a fun time to dress up and go out and collect candy and treats, or to play a trick on unsuspecting friend.  Of course, as I grew, putting on costumes became no less fun although instead of collecting candy, I reversed the roll and handed out candies to youngsters.

  One thing that put a damper on festivities was the worry that the candy may have been tampered with….or even poisoned.  The following passages are culled from Wikipedia and are related to just that..

   The first event took place in 1964, where an annoyed Long Island, New York housewife started giving out packages of inedible objects to children whom she believed were too old to be trick-or-treating. The packages contained items such as steel wool, dog biscuits, and antbuttons (which were clearly labeled with the word ”poison”). Though nobody was injured, she was prosecuted and pleaded guilty to endangering children. The same year saw reports of lye-filled bubble gum being handed out in Detroit and rat poison being given in Philadelphia.^[2]

  In 2008, candy was found with metal shavings and metal blades embedded in it. The candy was Pokémon Valentine's Day lollipops purchased from a Dollar General store in Polk County, Florida. The candy was determined to have been manufactured in China and not tampered with within the United States. The lollipops were pulled from the shelves after a mother reported a blade in her child's lollipop and after several more lollipops with metal shavings in them were confiscated from a local elementary school.^[4]

In 1970, a 5-year-old boy from the Detroit area found and ate heroin his uncle had stashed. The boy died following a four day coma. The family attempted to protect the uncle by claiming the drug had been sprinkled in the child's Halloween candy.

 In a 1974 case, Timothy O'Bryan, an 8-year-old boy from Pasadena, Texas, died after eating a cyanide-laced package of Pixy Stix. A subsequent police investigation eventually determined that the poisoned candy had been planted in his trick-or-treat pile by the boy's father, Ronald Clark O'Bryan, who also gave out poisoned candy to other children in an attempt to cover up the murder. The murderer, who had wanted to claim life insurance money, was executed in 1984.^[7]

 By 1985, the media had driven the hysteria about candy poisonings to such a point that an ABC News/Washington Post poll that found 60% of parents feared that their children would be injured or killed because of Halloween candy sabotage.

   Advice columnists entered the fray during the 1980s and 1990s with both Ann Landers andDear Abby warning parents of the horrors of candy tampering.

"In recent years, there have been reports of people with twisted minds putting razor blades and poison in taffy apples and Halloween candy. It is no longer safe to let your child eat treats that come from strangers." –Ann Landers^[8]

"Somebody's child will become violently ill or die after eating poisoned candy or an apple containing a razor blade." –Dear Abby^[9]

This collective fear also served as the impetus for the "safe" trick-or-treating offered by many local malls.^{[citation needed]}

 I suppose the main point of this posting today is not to scare, but to let parents and kids know that they should be vigilant.  I remember having my parents check my horde of goodies as I ensure the candies I hand out are purchased from a reputable company ( not from street vendors….if there is such a thing ).  Especially during tough times.  We have already seen events unfold in the U.S. and other countries, as folks buckle under the pressure of some form of worry.  So….with that, be careful, have fun and enjoy a spooky yet safe Halloween!!  

   Trevor M Dodge

How deep are the cuts?

Hello readers and friends,

   I was going to highlight services that are being cut in Washington State during this recession..but found recently that :

At Least 46 States Have Imposed Cuts That Hurt Vulnerable Residents and the Economy

  At a minimum, the following services will be discontinued or cut in some or all of the 46 states as described in detail ( follow the link at the bottom ):

     Services for Public Health

     Services for Elderly/Disabled

     Services for K-12 and Early Education

     Services for Higher Education

     State Workforce

    It is terrible to think that the most vulnerable will be at risk.  Only slightly encouraging was seeing that some state agencies or workers took a minor pay cut…averaging less than 5%.  

    Some notes of interest:

•    An estimated 8,200 families in Arizona lost eligibility for temporary cash assistance as the time limit for that assistance is cut back to 36 months from 60.
• Colorado cut public school spending by $260 million, nearly a 5 percent decline from fiscal year 2010. The cut amounts to more than $400 per student.
• Florida’s 11 public universities raised tuition by 15 percent for the 2010-11 academic year. This tuition hike, combined with a similar increase in 2009-10, results in a total two-year increase of 32 percent.
• In Minnesota, as a result of higher education funding cuts, approximately 9,400 students lost their state financial aid grants entirely, and the remaining state financial aid recipients will see their grants cut by 19 percent.
• Virginia’s $700 million in K-12 education cuts for the current biennium include the state’s share of an array of school district operating and capital expenses, and funding for class-size reduction in Kindergarten through third grade.
• Washington will reduce assistance for thousands of people who are physically or mentally incapacitated and unable to work in early 2011. For 28,000 adults receiving cash grants through the state’s Disability Lifeline program, the typical monthly benefit will fall by $81 to $258 from $339.

This link has info on all 46 states :   http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1214

     A shorter post today….that link is a good read and has a lot of information.  Have a good day…see you tomorrow.

Trevor M Dodge

Golden Parachutes: Good for few, bad for many

Good day friends and readers,

     Imagine yourself working at a large home improvement store for several years.  You start saving into a 401k  plan, and with the company’s matching contribution ( maxed at 5% ), you see an incremental but sustained growth in your holdings.  Enter Bob Nardelli as CEO.

    His blunt, critical and autocratic management style turned off employees and the public. Nardelli was notably criticized for cutting back on knowledgeable full-time employees with experience in the trades and replacing them with part-time help with little relevant experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Nardelli

    Prior to his departure in 2006,  you see your stock dip, employees become apathetic and customers rail against the lack of knowledgeable associates.  That is what you are left with….he leaves ( resigns ) and walks away with $210 Million dollars.

   That was me in 2006….working for that same company and not having the smarts to leave before or even shortly after that happened.   I stayed with that company for another 5 years, even as the former CEO, now CEO of Chrysler was up on Capitol Hill begging for bailout money.

 

      Golden parachutes defined per Wikipedia:  A golden parachute is an agreement between a company and an employee (usually upper executive) specifying that the employee will receive certain significant benefits if employment is terminated. Sometimes, certain conditions, typically a change in company ownership, must be met, but often the cause of termination is unspecified. These benefits may include severance pay, cash bonuses, stock options, or other benefits. They are designed to reduce perverse incentives — paradoxically (and ironically) they may create them.

   http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Forbes/BadCEOsWhoWalkedAwayRich.aspx

  The above links showcases some of the best of the worst.....WORST.

    I have never griped about CEO’s regular pay…..give them millions….cool.  They hire thousands or tens of thousands, but none of that equates to the tens and hundreds of millions of dollars they walk away with in the face of a company in decline!

    

    Realizing that most of these things happened in the years prior to the proverbial "bubble burst", but they are no less relevant or important, even now.  

    Tomorrow I will showcase exactly what my home state is losing during this recession....good grief....well, nothing really good about it.

  Have a good day everyone.....catch you tomorrow,

Trevor M Dodge

Change you can believe in.....maybe......almost....

     Hello reader's and friends,


   It seems as though it was only three years ago, that chants of  "Yes, We Can" were heard in the streets and in the media.  "Change you can believe in".  Well, here I am, three years later and I can't believe it....still.

  

    Three years ago, we envisioned a good future with jobs, prosperity and troops returning home ( finally ).  With millions of foreclosures and jobs lost, the declaration that troops will be out of Iraq by years' end.....but will they be "home"?  Read the news carefully and don't be sucked into any "promises".   One of the most dangerous things to Government is an honest politician.

   What have we learned in the last few years??

     Likely, this is the only change that we can believe in....recently a presidential hopeful from Texas PROMISED IN A CAMPAIGN SPEECH TO CREATE 2.5 MILLION JOBS.   

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/republican-rick-perry-promises-25-million-new-jobs-in-first-campaign-tv-ad-starting-in-iowa/2011/10/25/gIQAeHFWHM_story.html

     I can only say to you, that as a voter and future candidate I will not be taken in by such claims as these.  I wonder how many jobs will be given to illegal immigrants in his path to create new jobs?  As the rhetoric ramps up, the two parties jockey for position...and may the best person win.  I look forward to the day, when I can stand in front of my peers and fellow voters and say with honesty..." I hope to do this and we can do that ".   I can only promise Americans one thing; That I will serve honestly with their best interests at heart.

   

   Have a great day everyone.  See you tomorrow.

Trevor M Dodge

My 1st Presidential Decree….or whatever it’s called…

Hello friends and readers,

   Having been in the military for umpteen years, it’s time to make some changes that will benefit the soldiers.

     First:   The term “fun run”  is hereby abolished, sent to the stockade and booted.  How can anything related to running be fun?  Out of breath, sore legs and backs…that’s fun?  I say no more.  If anything, the term “fun run” is an oxymoron such as “Jumbo Shrimp” or “Military Intelligence” and needs to go away.

     Second:   Promotion ceremonies/ Change of Command ceremonies will now be allowed 20 minutes from start to finish…changing the ever unpopular “as long as you want” ceremonies.  In the past, hour long ceremonies, wearing all your gear with bayonets fixed, made for an uncomfortable setting.  We were supposed to be standing at “ATTENTION”, but had to keep looking left and right to see if someone was going to “FALL OUT” and slice another troop with their bayonet as they fell.

     Third:   Any and all ceremonies occurring in extreme climates, from the mugginess of Georgia to the extreme heat of the Desert, will occur indoors with A.C. or during Winter or early Spring.   Bad enough to be exerting yourself when working hard…but should you be sweating and uncomfortable when standing in a formation doing absolutely nothing?  I think not.

    I realize these are humorous…as they were meant to be.  I have been in the military for almost 19 years and have experienced extremes from one end to the other.  I have met every type of soldier and nearly every type of American.  I have even met American soldiers that were hoping to become American….they enlisted under a naturalization clause that required them to fulfill a military obligation prior to becoming Naturalized.  On a positive note, all of the troops that were formerly in my sections or platoons are now Naturalized Americans.  Have a great day!

Trevor M Dodge

Presidential Hopeful

2016

Spams, Scams and other useful knowledge

Hello friends and readers,

      I want to get “off topic” for a couple days…since I cannot truly delve into what would be considered my “campaign”  for awhile yet.  A few reasons why I haven’t broached the main theme of what constitutes a campaign are, again, because I am currently still in the military and it’s fairly difficult to run a campaign ( especially one in 2016 ) from a deployed area.  Another reason is because there are currently campaigns going on in the US for the 2012 election and, to be honest, I don’t want the current field of politicians using what would be my beliefs for their campaigns….they wouldn’t do that would they???   I’m taking no chances.  Today’s post is related to scams, spams and some ways you can protect yourself.

    Since the invent of the Internet Age, it has been easier than ever for dishonest people all over the world to access…well, just about anything and everything about YOU.  Sites you visit, user ID’s, passwords and other more sensitive information.  I am not going to get too involved in how they get the information, but having had my email account hacked before….I can offer tips to make it harder or near impossible for them to pull one over on you.

1.        First and foremost:  Any email that sounds too good to be true…HOAX      Some examples may include, but not limited to…winning the lottery in a foreign country, any email asking for User ID or account information ( Banks, Yahoo, Google ) and any email saying that someone will pay money each time it is forwarded…HOAX

2.       www.spokeo.com

       For all my readers in the US….the site listed above is one site that collects information about you and sells it to others.  You will be amazed to see what information they have about you.  I strongly recommend that you go to the site and type in your name.  When you find yourself on there, scroll to the bottom, and click the "privacy" tab.  From there follow the on screen instructions to have your information removed from this site.

            3.   http://www.hoax-slayer.com/

                   The website listed above is the most comprehensive library of email and hacker scams that I have ever seen.  You should check ahead of forwarding anything, and if you are on Face Book, add them as friends or subscribe to their posts.  Very valid and helpful information.

                        Hoax-Slayer keeps you informed about the latest email hoaxes, true email forwards, current Internet scams and important spam and computer security issues. New information is first published as individual articles. New articles are added every week. These new articles are later collected and republished together in newsletter format. The Hoax-Slayer Newsletter is published once per month.

    Additionally, you should have secure passwords.  Make them long, using CAPS,  &^$ ( symbols ), lowercase and Numbers 123.  My passwords are up to 18 characters long, and in some cases....longer.  I hope this post helps some of you , and helps to prevent the spread of scams and hoaxes.  

Have a great day all!!

Trevor M Dodge                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

Really?

Good day readers,

  I had the most odd thing happen this morning.  I  was informally talking with another person and he wanted to ask some questions regarding my views on topics.  I said “sure”.   Below is a condensed…slightly edited version of the conversation.

Q.   What do you feel about 1919?

   

A.    Hmmmmm….is that a new tax code or are you referring to the precursor to the Great Depression?

Q.    No, the year of Women’s Suffrage….when women could vote.

A.    Actually, the year was 1920.

Q.    What do you feel about women being able to vote?

A.     Really?  You are seriously asking me that?

Q.     Yeah,  it’s because of women that Clinton and Obama were elected president….among women who vote, 56% vote Democratic.

A.      So I should switch from Independent to Democratic then?

Q.     Really,  I study history…it’s true.

A.     Do you live like it’s 1919 or 1920?

At this point, I ask him a question :   Have you ever heard of the Electoral College?

No response….

    The Electoral College, as archaic as it actually is, are the folks that cast the deciding votes to determine who the next president will be...unfortunately, the president is not elected by popular vote.

   It scares me that there are people with such a narrow scope…no vision and obviously living in the past somehow.   Believe me, he isn’t the only one.  There may be millions of people….hundreds of millions who feel that way.  Maybe not as extreme , but really?   During my life, I have voted Democrat…and I have voted Republican.  I have not subscribed to one view or ideology.  I have voted for the person I felt could accomplish the goals they set forth.  Have I always voted correctly, even though I have voted for some literal “bummers”?   I would say “yes” because I voted with my heart.   I have met some folks that vote one way or the other, not only because they believe the background of the “party” itself, but believe somehow, that their elected officials will benefit them.  This will be my most difficult task….to get folks that are hard set in their beliefs to look “ outside the box “.  Has any particular party really done anything for America lately?  I am going to continue posting important issues on here.  Let me finish this post by stating firmly…I have focus and vision.  I have never been so narrow of mind as the person I talked with earlier…  and never will be.  Have a great day everyone!!

   Trevor M Dodge

When the going gets rough, these folks are there to help….

  Hello friends and readers,

    Time to highlight some of the best of the best..of the best…SIR!   Times have been rough for many of Americans, and not just since the 2008 financial meltdown.  The last few years, and several for many of us troops, have been fraught with uncertainty for the homeless and troops with multiple deployments.

 The first folks I want to highlight are based out of Portland Oregon.  Bridgetown Ministries.  I found them through my brother on Face Book and really got interested in what they do.  On Face Book they are Bridge Town Inc. and post inspiring messages and heartwarming videos of work they do.  Let me copy and paste their Core Values: 

• Relational Approach: We believe the most influential, impactful and lasting way to love others is simply to live and experience life with the people around us. We move to be fully submerged and involved in the culture of the community serve while building raw and intentional relationships with the people we meet.

• Dialogue: Dialogue is the attitude in which we communicate our faith with others. Our communication is a dynamic and open-minded dialogue. A dialogue that is honest, truthful and respectful; never degrading, judgmental or condemning.

• Service/Action/Justice: We see service, action and justice as an act of grace and love to be experienced by those both giving and receiving. Acts of service, action and justice are means through which Love is revealed.

• Adventure/Creativity: We see life as a journey of creativity and adventure; with that we are continually searching for new ideas and possibilities for ways of loving people, because people matter.

• People: We value all people and seek to influence others to do good works, so that together, we may be a blessing to the people of Portland. 

I will also include a link to their site and a short video to show you what I mean….these folks are great!!

http://bridgetownministries.com/index.php?nid=3638&s=hm

   The next three groups work tirelessly…in an effort to make soldiers deployments more tolerable. I have interacted with all three groups during the last 18 years and four deployments….drum roll please..

    The first is Operation Spirit Inc.    Based out of Zanesville Ohio and the brainchild of my dear friend Melodie, her group runs a thrift store and accepts donations from folks to aid in sending soldiers care packages while they are deployed.   Operation Spirit Inc. is a Military Troop Support Ministry.  Their motto is: We support our military without apology, hesitation or reservation.  I had the honor to drive to Zanesville in 2008 and meet Melodie, her family and many of the wonderful people that make her mission a reality!   I will include a link to their site and keeping fingers crossed….a video of when I visited.

http://www.operationspiritinc.com/

   The second is  a group much similar to Operation Spirit, but larger in scope.  I am referring to Sponsor the Troops.  I am good friends with one of the Board of Directors, Jane , who is based out of Pennsylvania.  This group has a website in which you can register or just log on to request certain items that you can’t find in your deployed area.  Let me copy and paste….they explain much better…

   

What is Sponsor The Troops?
Sponsor The Troops (STT) is a 501(c)3 Non-profit organization (EIN No. 57-1236474) whose goal is to provide morale, welfare and recreation items to deployed American troops. The purpose of providing this service is to let the Troops know that people “back home” appreciate their service to our Country and appreciate the sacrifices their families make so that they can serve to keep us free.

   I haven’t had the honor of meeting Jane or any of the other volunteers in person, but we maintain contact on Face Book.  Including a link to their page and hopefully a video.

http://www.sponsorthetroops.org/index.php

   The third, but certainly not least group is the largest single supporter of the Military and it’s troops.  I am speaking of the U.S.O. ( United Services Organization ).  My aunt, Doris has worked with the U.S.O. for more than 30 years and has met countless soldiers..either on their way to or back from a deployed area.  Even I have had the opportunity to volunteer to help at the U.S.O. in a deployed environment.  It felt great to direct troops to the phones, where they could call their loved ones ( FOR FREE )…or set up a movie for them to watch and unwind.  The U.S.O. recently hosted a cartoonist convention at my base camp….they had several well known cartoonists and illustrators in attendance.  It was great to meet these folks and one did a caricature of me. 

   The above picture was  drawn by Paul Combs..he is an Editorial Cartoonist for Fire Engineering Magazine, and a firefighter!!  How cool is that?  Other artists and cartoonists that arrived for the one day event were:
Bruce Higdon ( Punderstatements and Army cartoonist ),  Ed Steckley of Mad Magazine, Todd Clark ( Lola comic ), John Read ( Freelance cartoonist ), T. Lewis ( Over the Hedge comic ), Debbie Shafer ( Freelance cartoonist and caricaturist ), Sam Viviano of Mad Magazine and Bill Janocha of Beetle Bailey fame.


http://www.uso.org/

 

   This is the most comprehensive post I have done thus far.  I hope all my readers, where ever you may be...read and watch the entire post....it's really great how folks make a difference.  If you have similar programs in your state or country that are similar in nature...don't hesitate to comment or send email to:

rozmun1@yahoo.com

I would be happy to showcase great people, no matter where they are from...be sure to include links.  Thank you everyone!!   Hope this makes you smile.....