Polish Christmas Cookie – Chrust

December 18, 2012 at 23:11 (Variety of Subjects)
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We are all looking for different Christmas Cookies and I am no exception. These are very light even when cooked in lard. Your kids will demolish them if you do not keep on eye on them. If you let them help, you will wish you had not. Just think of me laughing in the background.

Ingredients:

4 eggs
1 egg white
¼ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp rum
1 cup flour
Optional: cook in lard (best) or oil

Recipe:

First, add salt to eggs and hand whisk for ten (10) minutes. Next, add the sugar and the flavoring and whisk once again until well blended. Now, slowly fold in the flour into the mixture. Transfer the dough mixture to a well-floured board and knead it until the dough blisters. After the dough blisters, cut the dough in half.

Take one half (½) of the blistered dough and roll it out with a rolling pin into a very thin layer. Cut the dough into strips about four (4) inches long and one (1) inch wide.

Make a small one (1) inch slit in the center of each piece, longer if needed. The slit is parallel to the long edge. Now pull one end through the slit (it will look almost like a bow tie). Set all the bowties aside on a plate lined with wax paper. This will help them from sticking. Chrust is pronounced hrroost, the ch sounds similar to the h in the word hurricane with a rough r sound.

Melt some lard in a frying pan and fry the bow ties until lightly browned. Each stove is different so do test fry of one (1) and see how fast it cooks. Fry them for 15 seconds, 30 seconds, or 45 seconds on each side. Be careful not to burn them. If they look dark brown, you just burned them. Drain each bowtie cookie on absorbent paper towel and dip in a bowl (or shake in zip lock bag) with powered (10x) sugar. They are great as Christmas Cookies and as warming gifts for your relatives. You will never make enough as they go fast.

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Freedom is Alive

December 18, 2012 at 02:42 (Variety of Subjects)
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January, 17, 1951, was the date I was born.  I was in Spittal, on the river Drau, Austria.  My whole family was there as displaced persons (DPs) and my entire family lived in Bochnia, Poland, before my life began.

My grandmother, Leopoldine, owned a three story house where she rented out rooms and had a small café/restaurant downstairs.  She was a wonderful cook and because of her cooking she was visited often by the Gestapo and regular German soldiers as restaurant patrons.  The Germans didn’t bother Leopoldine and my grandfather, Henry, even though my mother and her siblings were born in Poland.  Leoplodine was a citizen of Austria, born in Vienna, but my grandfather was Polish.

Not everything was easy during the German occupation.  My grandmother’s sister was arrested and put in jail even though her husband was suffering with an illness.  The Germans’ reasoning for the arrest was to capture her son who was a member of the Polish Resistance.

My mother, Maria, was about ten years old then and she was allowed to walk to the jailhouse with food for her aunt.  The German guard was kind to little Maria and always had a smile for her when she arrived.  This situation went on for months.  On one occasion, as Maria was walking toward the town square, she was overwhelmed at the sight she encountered when she arrived at the square.  Hanging from one of the tall lampposts was three Polish residents.  She never forgot that ghoulish scene as it imprinted a picture in her mind for the rest of her life.  The three were hung in retribution for a shooting of a German soldier by the Resistance the night before.

Maria managed to make her way to the jailhouse that day even though her stomach felt queasy.  Finally after months of incarceration, her aunt’s husband died.  The Germans released her from jail in hopes her son would show up for his father’s funeral.  He never showed up and he never got to say goodbye to his father.

War was imminent by the United States, my grandmother managed to move the entire family back to Austria, at a place call Treffling. It was a Displaced Person Camp, where Spittal, Austria was a part of that functioning area.  Years later after the war, other countries began absorbing displaced people.  We were lucky to be taken to the United States on a troop ship.  I was ten months old on October 3, 1951 when we arrived and received my green card that was given to my mother, Maria. I never knew my father. I was in New York beginning a new life as a legal immigrant waiting for when I could appreciate the freedom that the United States stood for.  Growing up in Meriden, Connecticut, at 19, I joined the U. S. Navy during the Viet Nam Era and never regretted my time spent in honor of my country.

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Become A Courier And Even Fly Free

December 15, 2012 at 16:45 (Variety of Subjects)
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If you are looking for a job and you haven’t had much luck, how about becoming a courier.  If you cannot find a local courier service to work for, you might want to start one yourself.  The following segments will give you all kinds of ways and paths you can look into.

 Needs:

  • For Air Travel: folding suitcase, light briefcase, visa, and passport
  • For Local Couriers: Driver’s license, insurance, a bike, scooter, auto, or truck depending on your situation, and a good sense of direction.
  • For Both: Maps, GPS unit (optional)

Becoming a courier is pretty easy.  You look for a courier service to hire you for quick and safe local deliveries. You really don’t need a high school diploma, but you should have good communication skills and of course, read and write.  If you have trouble with spelling, carry a pocket dictionary.

Couriers have been known to make anywhere from $15,000 to $40,000 per year, depending on their aggressive commitments. Owning the business could double or triple your income if you do it right.

Cycling or riding a scooter would be the cheapest way to do the job, but winter may be somewhat of a detriment. You may want to get a vehicle for those cold months unless you reside in Florida or one of the other warm states.  If you opt for the bike, you need to be in good physical health and have a good sense of direction. A map or a GPS would be handy.

If working for someone else is not for you, I recommend you get some experience under your belt first and then open your own service.  It doesn’t take much to begin, and you or a writing agency can write up an advertisement brochure and do a mailing to announce your new venture.  Many places may need your service such as:

  • Law Offices
  • Courthouses
  • Hospitals
  • Laboratories, both medical & diagnostic
  • Companies’ information packages, (they can’t email or fax a package)
  • Doctor offices; eye, medical, psychiatrists, ophthalmologists, Chiropractors, Dentists, etc.
  • Government agencies
  • Blood and donor deliveries

These are just a few, but you can be creative in your search for business clients.

Another option is becoming a ‘Driving Courier’.  There are dealerships that require driving a vehicle cross-country.  You drive through states and you can enjoy the sights as you head to your destination.  Many older retired individuals do it for something to do.  Some couriers drive new RV’s to many destinations in the U.S.  You can always use Google or use your favorite search engine to look for various job site opportunities.  Once you are comfortable and familiar, you can contact businesses at your destination and then drive something back, doubling your efforts.  If you have to wait a few days in between, you can take in the sights.

You can fly to destinations around the world for little (50% of actual cost) or nothing.  This is a courier job I, myself, will be looking into when I retire.  I wish I had done it when I was young, but the Navy did it for me.  There are certain restrictions for this job.  You give up your space in the cargo area because you will be escorting the ‘package’ to its destination.  The ‘package” takes the place of your cargo luggage.  However, you can take two (2) small carry-on bags when you board.  You can carry a soft-folded suitcase inside one of your small cases and perhaps a briefcase.  You’ll have the extra folded suitcase for the trip home if you buy any souvenirs or clothes. You will also be given a manifest at the airport by the company that hired you.  If your schedule is flexible enough, you might get a call at the last minute.   That’s when you may get the free ticket to your destination.  Remember, even though you might be paid to be a courier, you still need money to stay where you are going.  You need to eat too.  Payment is usually after you return.

Remember that you may need a passport and/or visa if you travel to another country.  Before you go to your destination, try to find a travel package where you can stay if you wish to stay for any length of time.  Make sure you plan where you are going to go and what you will do before you leave.  Look into hostels.  They are cheap but you may have to share a room with two beds and one ‘community’ bathroom.  Hostels have a ‘Great Room’ or ‘Common Room’. It’s a place where you can sit, relax, and share experiences with other travelers.  One advantage is that you may meet someone from a country where you may travel to in the future.  The new friend you may meet might invite you to stay at their home.  I’ve offered to have foreign friends stay in my home and I have gone to another country as their guest.  Remember the invitation should always go both ways.  It’s a nice way to travel and take in the sights with a friend who is familiar with the area and it lowers cost for your trip.

So start researching the internet and look at each area for the type of courier you want to be.  Some websites have contacts for jobs in practically every state.  Check out www.jobmonkey.com because it has many contact points.  Try the travel website www.frugalmonkey.com and see what they have to offer. If you really intend on becoming a courier, get Mark Field’s book entitled, ‘The Courier Air Travel Handbook’.  Do your research, good luck, and happy trails.

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Cleaning Small Battery Terminals

December 14, 2012 at 14:06 (Variety of Subjects)
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buzzard[1]

There are too many advice givers think that their solutions to cleaning battery leakage in a battery compartment are their best solutions.  Cleaning chemical leakage is performed carefully by simply understanding and knowing all the facts and solutions first.  A car battery is a different animal in itself.  We will just concentrate on the small portable batteries.

Note: This method can also apply to any type of connector contact areas.

Needed:

Cotton swabs

Paper towels

Clean, new grease brush

Plastic picnic knife or similar

Isopropyl alcohol

Distilled water

Tarn-X® or similar

Can of compressed gas dusting air

Instructions:

To resurrect your non-working device, open your battery compartment and remove the batteries carefully.  Dispose of them in the proper manner as required by your local trash laws.  Most of the time you will probably see the Potassium Carbonate (CK2O3) residue on both the anode (positive +) and the cathode (negative -) terminals.  You do not want to get any of the CK2O3 on your clothes and hands, and especially, your mouth or eyes.

Note: CK2O3 is actually an alkali.  That means it is a Base rather than an Acid.  As an example, water (H2O) is about 7.0 on the pH scale, about mid point between the extremes of acidic and basic (See Scale Diagram).  From my product testing experience, alkali corrosion is just as detrimental as acidic corrosion. 184phdiagram

 The next step is to remove the CK2O3.  Get your grease brush and cut the bristles about half way down.  It will make it a little stiffer.  Stand outside or over a garbage can and carefully brush out the residue.  Try not to spread it in areas within the battery compartment.  Keep the residue from migrating into the PC board area.  That is important.  Use a can of compressed air to remove any loose residue.  Watch out that the compressed gas does not blow the residue back toward your face.

 There will be some hard-encrusted CK2O3 remaining on the terminals.  Use the plastic knife to scrape away gently as much as you can without damaging the metal portion of the terminals.  Once again, use the air can to remove residue.  Continue to scrape the terminals until you are satisfied.

Note: The reason for using plastic is that you must keep as must metal as possible to maintain the integrity of the terminal. Remove all that you can see.  You do not use small screwdrivers, knives (regular or X-Acto®), or anything that is metal-to-metal cleaning.  To understand the metallurgical aspect of the terminal, you must remember that the contact points (between terminals and battery poles, in this case) are designed for maximum electrical contact with as little resistance as possible.  Any degradation to the terminal coating will eventually destroy the connection and will produce failure in the future (just when you really need it).  The mating between the terminal and battery ends are called, contact asperities.  It is a condition of foreign buildup between the two (2) connection points. The buildup, sometimes microscopic, is often caused by the surrounding environment, and it increases resistance between the contact points.  More resistance produces less conduction and a greater chance for failure.  I taught a seminar on this issue to a class of electrical engineers and technicians.

 To minimize any additional removal of metal coating from the terminal, I recommend using the Tarn-X® product.  The justification for this is that a jeweler’s rouge compound, or an abrasive pencil or ink eraser, can remove and create more damage to the terminal. You can apply the liquid Tarn-X® with a cotton swab and coat the entire area of the terminals carefully.  Warning, it smells like rotten eggs, and it works well on silver and gold jewelry too.  Since it is a mild acid, it neutralizes the alkali and it will stop any further corrosive action on the terminals.  The corrosive action of the Tarn-X® is minimal compared to all the other types of abrasives.

Next, get your distilled water and your isopropyl alcohol.  Distilled water has no corrosive chemicals in it, so it is a safe liquid.  Measure out a ratio of 50% distilled water and 50% isopropyl alcohol. Isobutyl alcohol is better, but not worth the effort to get some and spend the extra cash.  You can only get it from a chemical retailer.  It is stronger and more effective.  The reason for the mixture is that the alcohol makes the water wetter.  I will not explain why, just that it will also help evaporate the water much faster.

After the application of the Tarn-X® get another cotton swab and use alcohol mixture to remove the Tarn-X®.

I will assume that you read this before trying the instructional because you want to remove the Tarn-X® within a minute of application.  Use the paper towels to remove the excess dampness and use extra pressure to remove any remaining CK2O3.  Check your work.  If you see (use a magnifying glass if you have one) any CK2O3 still remaining, scrape away with the plastic knife again and redo the cleaning procedure for that area again.

Once everything is dry, you can place new batteries in the compartment and all should be functional once again.

Here are some points to remember. Do not let any liquid seep into the PC board area.  Liquid can provide an electrical path across some of the foil traces and short out your device for good.  To avoid this you can do a number of things.  Place paper towels under the terminal area to catch the excess liquid.  In addition, you can use a hairdryer to dry the unit, provided you do not cook the device.  As a last resort, if you have a digital oven, you can (cook the device…lol) set the oven temperature to about 105°F for about 5 minutes.  No longer!  The best option is to let it sit for about two (2) or three (3) days to make sure it is dry.  You must realize by now that this is a very drawn out procedure.  However, when you pay hundreds and thousands of dollars for a device, it is well worth the effort to resurrect your cherished possession.

Tips:

If you want to use the short abrasive version just for a cheap remote, be my guest.  They are a dime a dozen.  My only concern is the big dollar items.

Battery acid reference is usually connected to the large car batteries not portable batteries. The term “acid” leakage for small batteries is a misnomer.  The internal liquid in a car battery is an acid that surrounds the plates internally.  The portable batteries are normally alkali.  Whether you buy “alkaline” batteries or “regular” batteries, the leakage is predominately the same…Potassium Carbonate, an alkali.

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The Downsizing of Unions

December 13, 2012 at 01:48 (Variety of Subjects)
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Unions are in turmoil.  It seems that state by state they are disappearing. And for the record, it is about time.  People complain how upper management gets rich because of greed.  I can say the same about the unions. There are many aspects up for discussion and I believe it leans toward a free work state.

I agree that in the early 19th and 20th centuries, the formation of a union was to protect the workers against the burden of manufacturing for little pay.  It placed the worker on an even keel with the economy.  Sweat shops were dealt with and laws were put in place.  For these reasons, the union was in its glory.

It’s a different story today.  Yes, some companies do take advantage of the workers, but not to the point of keeping the worker in poverty below economic levels.  There are a few negative aspects to the unions and it is unfortunate that the whining members cannot fathom the plethora of issues today.

Often unions keep negotiating for higher wages and better medical packages including pensions, and other benefits. A company by the name of Catapult manufactured earth moving vehicles and parts.  This large plant was manned by many workers.  It was time again (1991-1994) for union negotiations and eventually the workers went on strike.  Over the years the company always negotiated a decent contract. But it asked just too much to be reasonable. 2400 workers went on strike. The company threatened to lock out the other 5700 union workers.  After 17 months the union workers went back in without a contract.  Eventually a contract was negotiated.  Whose fault was it?  I’m sure there was fault on both sides, but what is a reasonable wage to live on with the economy the way it was during that era? If there was no union, there wouldn’t have been a problem.

I personally have seen a union protect a worker who has been documented for many infractions in the work environment; not working, too many breaks, drinking, etc.  The worker should be fired as it puts a burden on others that have to take up the slack.  Most often the union ‘mediates’ the issue to get that individual back to work.  It doesn’t change their character and that worker’s presence always creates animosity within the ranks.  The union was created to defend a person who was maliciously wronged by the management not to protect the person needed to be fired.

The union does not create a product.  It takes money like the government and call it protection of the worker’s rights.  Yet it needs money for all those executives who run the unions, and I mean big bucks.  And because they take dues, they do not have the right (which contractually they do) to give money to the candidate of their choice even though some members do not want to support the union choice.  Workers could have use their fees and individually donate it to their own candidate of choice.

Lastly, I think it is absolutely wrong for unions to represent teachers and government workers.  Most often, they keep the taxpayers as hostages since we pay their wages through the government.  Here is a thought; if you don’t like your wage, find another job that will pay to your satisfaction.  That is the rule in the private sector.  I advise to those two entities is to learn to offer a decent wage to attract workers and keep within your budget. Oh, and stop wasting money on superfluous projects and feasibility studies.

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The Ridiculous Hype of Global Warming

December 11, 2012 at 04:21 (Variety of Subjects)
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Here is another subject about hysterical groups that wallow and push their agenda for a pending world catastrophe in order to “Save the Planet.” It is always sad when there is one person who takes the lead and keeps perpetuating the agenda of Climate change even though he has no background on global education. Mr. Al Gore is nothing but a Kool-Aid server to his followers. In the 1970’s it was global cooling. In the 1980’s it was the ozone hole in the North Pole region. Since then it has been regulation to regulation to coincide with those climate and earth destruction scares.
There is always a controversy when it comes to who’s right or wrong when referencing scientific studies. Even when there is evidence of fraud and the perpetual climate scare was nothing but manufactured data, the convinced groups would not change their minds and continue to favor the idea of limiting, protesting, and pushing the government to make laws disrupting the normal course of living.
It was 1965 and I was in the 9th grade. My science teacher, Mr. Judd, explained so much in detail that it could be understood even for those who didn’t have the knack for science. He explained that the earth tilts every summer and returns during the winter. What that means is that it is summer in the northern hemisphere when the axis tilts toward the sun, and winter when then it returns. The southern hemisphere is a reversal of the same tilt.
However, there is another issue that contributes to the weather changes and that is the variations of earth’s orbital mechanics. For more info on that you can look up apsidal precession where it also deals with the earth’s elliptical orbit eccentricities.
What I want to concentrate on is the axis tilt. If you look down at the imaginary axis over a period of time, the movement is critical for those unaware of its importance. It looks like a toothed gear. But the gear teeth are never the same and each year the movement of the axis never returns to the same position. The axis tilts to 24.5° then comes back to 22.1° and back to 24.5°. The entire tilt movement takes approximately 41,000 years to complete. Just for your information, the tilt this year is at 23.44°. This tilt is now in the decreasing stage and it will be completed in the year 11,800 CE. The last maximum was reached in 8,700 BCE.
Now that you understand the complexity of the tilting with the additional orbital influence, and finally, the influence of the sun and the moon, ask yourself this question; how can anyone predict global warming with so many variables that can change each year without a constant? It can only be a wild guess, but never a finite answer.
You can look up to read about Milankovitch cycles. He describes the details including the orbital influences. Live your life without worrying about destruction. Be creative and make your life a meaningful occurrence rather than wasting time of your daily life.

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Microwave Oven Leakage Prevention

December 10, 2012 at 04:18 (Variety of Subjects)
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buzzard[1]Technology has changed so quickly in my lifetime, I keep wondering what it will be like in the next 60 years long after I am gone. Microwave ovens have come a long way since the 1970’s. Let me explain briefly, what you need to know.

There is an electromagnetic spectrum, and it is composed of radio waves, microwaves, gamma rays, and visible light. The only thing to remember is that it is not radioactive like uranium and plutonium. Microwave generators exist in many aspects of your everyday life, even as simple as the seam of a plastic bag.

Microwaves range between 10 – 300,000 megahertz (MHz). To be more specific, the wave oscillates or vibrates, up to 300,000 million times per second. Microwave radiation exists elsewhere as well (i.e. FM radio antennas, TV antennas, radar units, and of course, your cell phone generates some as well). You remember all those cell phone towers standing boldly in the countryside. EMF (Electromagnetic Field) and EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) are commonplace in today’s society. Electrical power lines generate radiation into the atmosphere. How often do you travel near high tensions wires and find your car radio goes crazy with static noise.

What is important is the higher the frequency of the microwave, the lower the health hazard potential. You can see a typical microwave oven in Diagram 1. The magnetron tube generates the microwaves in unison with the stirrer. It actually vibrates the water molecules in the food and when this occurs, the molecules vibrate and bang into each other causing frictional heat. The heat warms or cooks the food for the set duration of time.

Diagram 1

Diagram 1

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) along with FDA (Federal Drug Administration) has put safety limits on home and business microwave ovens. The radiation limit is set at one milliwatt per square centimeter (1 mw/c2) at a distance of five (5) centimeters from the microwave door.

With all the general information in your memory, let me talk to you about your microwave oven and give you a little more detail. You notice there is usually a window in every oven, so you can see the food boil or cook. Every microwave has a different wattage for cooking, depending on its size. If your regular oven varies with temperature and time for recipes that stipulate it, it is obvious microwave ovens have those same differences.

Have you ever noticed the wire mesh inside the window? The visible light inside the microwave can pass through that window because the wavelength is small enough to pass through the small holes of the screen. The microwave wavelength on the other hand is so large the screen acts like a solid wall and it cannot pass through. The microwaves just bounce back into the oven chamber.

Now that you know how and why, here are some things to remember. Make sure you never run the unit with the door open. Bypassing the safety switch is a no-no. Never run the unit empty. It must always have a “load” inside to complete its intended function. Never use aluminum foil, gold, or silver edged dishes. Oh, and remember to leave your spoon or fork outside the oven. The metal will spark and could destroy your unit. However, a few types allow foil inside the unit, as long as the foil does not touch any of the six (6) sides. Read the manual that comes with your unit.

To prevent microwave leakage, keep the seal of the door wiped clean and the area where the door seal touches when shut. Buildup of food particles will lift and separate the seal and release the microwave. NEVER slam the door shut. You can damage the seal or weaken the hinges and once again separate the seal from its proper place.

The previous paragraph indicated what to do and what not to do. The next question is, “How do you know if it is leaking?” Well the answer to that question is this; buy a microwave leakage detector. I have to assume the majority of people have no idea there actually exists a device specifically for the homeowner. It is much more affordable than the units we had at the test laboratory where I worked for twenty years. The unit is a MD-2000® Digital Microwave Leakage Detector (See Photo 1). The average cost is between $30 -$40 and you can buy it anywhere on the internet.

Photo 1

Photo 1

If you remember the OHSA limits I addressed earlier, this unit has a wide range of 0 – 9.99 mw/c2. When you use this unit, you put a cup of water on high for about one (1) minute and while the microwave is operating, you hold the unit approximately two (2) inches away from the door seal and check all around the door. This detector indicates the leakage at that distance should be less than 5 mw/c2. Any measurement over that would indicate there is probable leakage. In that case, do the prescribed cleaning I described earlier and try again.

After the cleaning, your second measuring attempt still indicates more than the limit, you have two (2) options. You can still use the microwave, but you may want to start it and step back about 5 feet to get away from it. If you have children, keep them away totally. As adults, we can absorb some, but young children are more susceptible to the radiation. The other choice is, get a new microwave. You may be due for a new one if it too old. If it is practically new, you may want to get it fixed and take it to a qualified technician who can replace the seal and has the capability to re-measure the leakage.

My recommendation is to get one. It comes with simple instructions and all you need is a 9-volt battery. It just may prevent any problems. Most families have smoke detectors, a gas detector, fire extinguishers, and have their house checked for radon. One more safety device is not going to make any difference when it comes to protecting your family.

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Religion and the Constitution

December 8, 2012 at 22:29 (Variety of Subjects)
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Straight up forward, I am a conservative atheist.  But, I do not have animosities against those who believe in their God.  Religion actually keeps most individuals on the straight path of decency.  The historical aspect of the Inquisition waged a war of doctrines against teachings within the Catholic Church.  Many disillusioned believers chose a protestant sect and were called atheists, even though they believed in God.  Today’s modern definition of the word ‘atheist’ has changed to no belief in a supreme being.

It was various contrived Dogma that appealed to different sects.  If Dogma is the word for some beliefs not in biblical text (such as the words Holy Trinity,) then Kerygma is the written word within biblical text.   Both make individual sects unique and often make good intentioned Christians volatile.   Religious fanaticism often violates the beliefs of others and in turn violates religious freedom.

The constitution is pretty blunt.  It is the interpreter that decides the differences (dogma).  The constitution (kerygma) defines the true meaning and without question infers the Federal government shall not force, create or rule by any religious means. It cannot be a theocracy, as we can see in the Arab ruling world.

Here is the actual verbiage of the First Amendment of the Constitution:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

There are politically correct quarrels across the U.S. about crosses, mangers, Christmas trees and reciting the pledge of allegiance with the word God.  According to the first amendment it is not a violation as claimed by the ACLU.  The founders knew that progress will change and were smart enough to make the constitution a living document for amending, providing that the basic freedoms of the document remain dominate with changes.

Every person should decide how important the freedom of expression is worth in order to maintain peaceful cohabitation within our cities.  It doesn’t matter what you believe or don’t believe.  You cannot violate the freedom of another because you don’t agree.  We can only make a difference if we follow the one humane rule of life; do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.  This one rule is the primary link for a prospering society.

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The Silencing of Freedom

December 7, 2012 at 22:54 (Variety of Subjects)
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I would be leery of any Associated Press poll as it usually becomes statistically flawed and skewed. I personally have my doubts about any media polls and I have my own feelings of patriotism. Some would say I’m a cynic, but I would say I’m a realist. Peoples have been attacked and killed for any reason; for power, hate, religious views or pure greed. Would I give up my freedoms…absolutely not in any way, shape or form. If the government wants to protect us, do it without limiting our constitutional rights. Our citizens are turning into “sheeple” as someone once quoted. If you believe that the government has the right to shred our sacred Bill of Rights in the name of protection, you don’t belong here. You are better off living where a dictator would like to offer you his way of life. Today’s citizens are a bunch of zombies and masochists.

You may think these words are harsh, but if you sit back, use your brain and consider what your life would be like under a dominating government. You want protection? Give it to your local government where everyone has a choice to live. Keep the federal government from doing a state’s job and have Washington, D C. keep our shores safe here and in foreign countries before they come to our shores.

War and peace is like growing corn. You can’t have some peace without war and you can’t reap the corn without putting up with the stench of fertilizer, sweat, and the will to succeed. There is no era, decade, or millennium back to the dawn of time where there was total world peace. The answer will always be the same, not in anyone’s lifetime.

Man will never change because of free will. Man chooses his path at every fork in his life. Good and evil intentions will always be at war. Historically, our country has been the closest to keeping their citizens away from tyranny because the citizenry fought to keep and protect those rights. Many feel oppressed by the word “fighting,” because no one wants to see sons, daughters, or husbands die in the act of war. People must understand that it is always the choice of the person to enlist in war. Relatives should look at their siblings as men and women and not as children to protect them from harm. Parents should grow up and accept the patriotism of their offspring and honor them rather than blame the war. When attacking an enemy needs to be done, consider it as defending. That’s how the government keeps the war from your front yard, your immediate family, and your way of life safe from destruction.

“The problem in defense is how far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without.” ~Dwight D. Eisenhower

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