Andy Strum's Blog, page 5
October 22, 2010
EXPRESS YOUR VIEWPOINT WITH SHIRTS AND MORE
Are you looking for shirts and gifts that express your Patriotism and Ideals?
Then go to my on line store at Zazzle. The link is below.
It's fun and there are over 200 selections. You'll smile at the images and quotes.
There you can pick and customize the image and slogan you're looking for.
Click on the Zazzle link below, then:
Click on "View all Products"
Double Click on the Item you're interested in. (From the all products "pull down" you can quickly narrow your search)
Select "Customize It" – You can then edit the size and location of the image
Select the quantity and size (if you want a shirt)
Choose the Style and Color and add to cart. You're Done!
My Zazzle Store Link:
http://www.zazzle.com/areufedup
Then go to my on line store at Zazzle. The link is below.
It's fun and there are over 200 selections. You'll smile at the images and quotes.
There you can pick and customize the image and slogan you're looking for.
Click on the Zazzle link below, then:
Click on "View all Products"
Double Click on the Item you're interested in. (From the all products "pull down" you can quickly narrow your search)
Select "Customize It" – You can then edit the size and location of the image
Select the quantity and size (if you want a shirt)
Choose the Style and Color and add to cart. You're Done!
My Zazzle Store Link:
http://www.zazzle.com/areufedup
October 21, 2010
Term Limits - Jefferson had the Right Idea
During the forming of our government, a committee was appointed to study proposals for the new union. Thomas Jefferson wanted a term limitation, saying it was "to prevent every danger which might arise to American Freedom by continuing too long in office the members of the Continental Congress." (HE WANTED TERM LIMITATION, SINGULAR, NOT TERM LIMITATIONS, PLURAL)
The Articles of Confederation omitted mandatory term limits. Soon after the Revolutionary War and victory over the British, there was a continuous turnover in Congress and a strong tendency to mistrust anyone seeking too much power. King's were on the throne for life; Americans did not want any one person to be in power for very long. Politicians also felt the same and did not continually seek re-election. The Constitution was ratified without term limits. Many statesmen thought it was a dangerous omission. President George Washington set a standard by having to be persuaded to run for his second term and refusing to run for a third. This two term practice was followed by every President, except Franklin Delano Roosevelt who served four terms. The twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1951, limited the term of office for the President.
During the Civil War, The Confederate States Constitution limited the President to one single, six year term. They knew something we still haven't learned, being an elected politician is not a career, it is short term service to your country. In the early 1990s, almost half the States put a Congressional Term Limit Referendum on their ballots. The referendums passed. However, in the mid 1990s, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that States cannot impose term limits on Congressmen. If re-elected, Congressmen can stay in Congress for their lifetime. The longer someone stays in office, the more relationships they build, the more favors they owe and the larger their war chest becomes. Many end up staying in office until they wish to retire or family matters take precedent.
In 2008, an estimated $5 Billion was spent by various politicians seeking election including $2 Billion spent solely on Presidential campaigns. That's a lot of money to find employment. Along with this money come obligations for the victors. These obligations might not be in the best interest of the entire country. Favors are granted, earmarks and entitlements are entered into legislation and special interest groups are rewarded. Unless our system is changed, we run the risk of future politicians being partners to their supporters, not impartial legislatures.
Although it sounds like an impossible task, our country needs to limit the term in office, for all elected officials, to ONE six year term.
Please see the rest of my writings in my new book:
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
Excerpts available on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287673134&sr=1-1
The Articles of Confederation omitted mandatory term limits. Soon after the Revolutionary War and victory over the British, there was a continuous turnover in Congress and a strong tendency to mistrust anyone seeking too much power. King's were on the throne for life; Americans did not want any one person to be in power for very long. Politicians also felt the same and did not continually seek re-election. The Constitution was ratified without term limits. Many statesmen thought it was a dangerous omission. President George Washington set a standard by having to be persuaded to run for his second term and refusing to run for a third. This two term practice was followed by every President, except Franklin Delano Roosevelt who served four terms. The twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1951, limited the term of office for the President.
During the Civil War, The Confederate States Constitution limited the President to one single, six year term. They knew something we still haven't learned, being an elected politician is not a career, it is short term service to your country. In the early 1990s, almost half the States put a Congressional Term Limit Referendum on their ballots. The referendums passed. However, in the mid 1990s, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that States cannot impose term limits on Congressmen. If re-elected, Congressmen can stay in Congress for their lifetime. The longer someone stays in office, the more relationships they build, the more favors they owe and the larger their war chest becomes. Many end up staying in office until they wish to retire or family matters take precedent.
In 2008, an estimated $5 Billion was spent by various politicians seeking election including $2 Billion spent solely on Presidential campaigns. That's a lot of money to find employment. Along with this money come obligations for the victors. These obligations might not be in the best interest of the entire country. Favors are granted, earmarks and entitlements are entered into legislation and special interest groups are rewarded. Unless our system is changed, we run the risk of future politicians being partners to their supporters, not impartial legislatures.
Although it sounds like an impossible task, our country needs to limit the term in office, for all elected officials, to ONE six year term.
Please see the rest of my writings in my new book:
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
Excerpts available on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287673134&sr=1-1
October 20, 2010
Donkey - Elephant; It's Your Tax Dollars They're Spending
You must see where your tax dollars are being deposited!!!!.Harry and Nancy Riding on a Donkey!!!
You Gotta' See This!
Click this YouTube video link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVnbFE-7dFE
After you've enjoyed the YouTube Video; please click on the link below to read excerpts frommy book:
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287585796&sr=1-1
Do you Wonder What Happened to the Good Old Days?
Man must cease attributing his problems to his environment, and learn again to exercise his will - his personal responsibility. -Albert Schweitzer
No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us, WE ARE AWESOME!!!! OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF!!!! To Those of Us Born 1930 – 1979. TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930s, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints...We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight…WHY? Because we were always outside playing...that's why! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on…No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill; only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. We had friends and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?
If you feel things have changed and wonder why; see excerpts from my book on Amazon:
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287584372&sr=1-1
No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us, WE ARE AWESOME!!!! OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF!!!! To Those of Us Born 1930 – 1979. TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930s, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints...We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes. Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight…WHY? Because we were always outside playing...that's why! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on…No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill; only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. We had friends and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?
If you feel things have changed and wonder why; see excerpts from my book on Amazon:
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287584372&sr=1-1
October 19, 2010
You must see where your tax dollars are being deposited!!!!.
Harry and Nancy Riding on a Donkey!!!
You Gotta' See This!
Click this YouTube video link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVnbFE-7dFE
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
See excerpts on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287504136&sr=1-1
You Gotta' See This!
Click this YouTube video link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVnbFE-7dFE
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
See excerpts on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287504136&sr=1-1
What the ruling political parties are really doing with your money.
Harry and Nancy Riding on a Donkey!!!
You Gotta' See This!
Click this YouTube video link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVnbFE-7dFE
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
See excerpts on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287504136&sr=1-1
You Gotta' See This!
Click this YouTube video link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVnbFE-7dFE
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
See excerpts on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287504136&sr=1-1
October 18, 2010
HANG ON, WE'RE WORKING ON IT !!!!!!
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
Preview my book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287418645&sr=1-1
Preview my book on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287418645&sr=1-1
Benefit of the Administration's Economic Recovery Program
[image error]
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287418645&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Essays-Fed-Up-Middle-Class-American/dp/1453640460/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287418645&sr=1-1
October 15, 2010
Was that explosion a balloon bursting or our economy?????
Our parents and grandparents were appalled when the Government's spending and debts were put in numbers as Billions and Tens of Billions. Now our government expects us to accept Trillions as the norm. Make that Tens of Trillions!!!!
For every Billion Dollars our government spends 100,000 families must pay $10,000 in taxes.
There is a straw out there and the camel's back is sagging!!!
Remember watching a child pushing a pin into a balloon. One second the balloon is filled with air and then, in an instant, it has burst. The child cries and apologizes. He can't understand what happened. He didn't mean to break the balloon. Everything was going his way. Only after the balloon burst did he realize he went too far. While he was fooling with the pin, he felt in complete control. He had heard that bad things could happen, but he reasoned, bad things would not happen while he controlled the pin.
Our economy is the balloon and the administration is the child. No one knows when or if our national debt will bankrupt us. There are concerns; and intelligent people have warned of the consequences. Like the balloon we will only know after it happens. Of course, by then it is too late.
The balloon did not have to break. The child could have eased off with the pin. Our economy does not have to break, or be on the brink of financial disaster. The administration and Congress could ease off its spending rampage. This is not something that is comfortable for politicians, but it is a good idea. It needs to be done today.
The link, below, takes you to a chart that shows how Federal Spending Is Growing Faster Than Federal Revenue, it goes back to 1965. It is worth a look.
http://www.heritage.org/budgetchartbook/growth-federal-spending-revenue
Please visit Amazon Books to see excerpts from my new book:
"Essays from a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American"
Amazon Link to Andy's Book
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum https://www.createspace.com/3462397
For every Billion Dollars our government spends 100,000 families must pay $10,000 in taxes.
There is a straw out there and the camel's back is sagging!!!
Remember watching a child pushing a pin into a balloon. One second the balloon is filled with air and then, in an instant, it has burst. The child cries and apologizes. He can't understand what happened. He didn't mean to break the balloon. Everything was going his way. Only after the balloon burst did he realize he went too far. While he was fooling with the pin, he felt in complete control. He had heard that bad things could happen, but he reasoned, bad things would not happen while he controlled the pin.
Our economy is the balloon and the administration is the child. No one knows when or if our national debt will bankrupt us. There are concerns; and intelligent people have warned of the consequences. Like the balloon we will only know after it happens. Of course, by then it is too late.
The balloon did not have to break. The child could have eased off with the pin. Our economy does not have to break, or be on the brink of financial disaster. The administration and Congress could ease off its spending rampage. This is not something that is comfortable for politicians, but it is a good idea. It needs to be done today.
The link, below, takes you to a chart that shows how Federal Spending Is Growing Faster Than Federal Revenue, it goes back to 1965. It is worth a look.
http://www.heritage.org/budgetchartbook/growth-federal-spending-revenue
Please visit Amazon Books to see excerpts from my new book:
"Essays from a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American"
Amazon Link to Andy's Book
Essays From a Fed-Up Middle Aged, Middle Class American" By: Andy Strum https://www.createspace.com/3462397
![[image error]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hK5QW1YVP0M/TLx_84laWxI/AAAAAAAAADQ/jLjnGry11WY/s1600/Economic+Recovery+Benefit+2.JPG){kind=link}