Quote of the day...

Meme of the week...

Quote of the day....

Trump Will Improve the Lives of Illegal Immigrants...

I know this may sound crazy, but hear me out. I think we can all agree that the current policy of the selective enforcement of illegal immigrants is very flawed. The process to become an American citizen is drawn out and expensive. Persons from other countries risk their lives and many times die trying to get into the United States in order to have a little piece of the American dream. Once illegal immigrants are here it is always in the back of their mind waiting for the other shoe to drop, unable to obtain driver’s licenses and other legal documents in order to truly become a part of the country. Any tangle with local law enforcement could result in a one-way ticket back to their country of origin which has its own risks. This policy has separated families. Thousands of children have been separated from their parents and sent to an unknown and sometimes dangerous future.

This issue of revamping our policies on illegal immigrants has not changed in either Republican or Democrat administrations. Had Donald Trump not made this issue a key part of his Presidential campaign we mostly likely would not be talking about it and this current “do nothing” policy would continue for years to come. It has been almost eight years since President Obama has taken office with zero change regarding immigration.

A serious overhaul of our immigration policy would not only secure our borders, but could simplify the process to become a citizen. Deporting of serious felons would be necessary for the safety of our current citizens.  But, there is a good argument that the hard working illegal immigrants (the majority) that have established themselves in our communities and have become contributing members of our society be able to stay in-country. By registering with the Federal government, paying a small fine, receiving a work visa can lead to becoming a full-fledged citizen of the U.S. This is a very logical and realistic solution to dealing with the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently in this country. Those still on the other side of the borders will be able to re-unite with their families in the U.S. with less red tape and do it legally without risking life and limb by not being subjected to smugglers and human traffickers.

Sometimes as a good leader you have to make the tough decisions that feel harsh at the time but are necessary in order to make major change to a system that is broken. A complete overhaul of this system, if done right, will not only benefit the citizens of this great country but will benefit the future citizens of this country.

- Sean

The President Creates Toxic Atmosphere for Police...

When President Obama was elected for the first time, I watched his inauguration and listened to his speech. Although, I was not a supporter of his, I did get a sense of hope.  The first thing that came to mind and to most people’s minds was that this was a big step towards total equality for the black population. The fact that a black President was elected this would be a great blow to racism in our country and race relations. Or so we thought.

As his Presidency progressed, certain incidents would come up in the media where race would be injected.  In many, if not most cases, race was not the key factor, but may have been present down on the list.

Prior Presidents would comment on issues in general and normally would not comment on specific cases and if they did, it would be to show faith in whichever authority was handling the matter.

The first incident I remember where the President commented was the black professor that was away on a trip to China (2009). When he returned to his home in Cambridge MA, he had trouble getting into his house because the door was jammed shut. A neighbor, still thinking the professor was away, called the Police and reported a possible burglary in progress. The Police responded and the professor was initially thought to be a burglar. The professor was subsequently arrested for disorderly conduct in which the charges were later dropped.  Obviously, a mistake on the part of the Officer, but the Media ran with it and it was suggested that the Officer was “profiling” the professor.  I’m assuming that because it was turned into a race issue the President felt compelled to comment on the incident. Amongst other things, the President said, “…that the Cambridge police acted stupidly…”.  I found it odd that the President of the United States would be commenting on a minor incident such as this.

There was the Tryvon Martin incident in 2013 where the President commented that “Tryvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago.” Although this incident did not directly involve Police, the comments made by the President following Zimmerman being found not guilty showed that he questioned the decision. Zimmerman later commented about the President that he was  ”…making racially charged comments and pitting American against American.”

It starts off slowly, but there is a theme here.  His comments regarding the Cambridge Police show a distrust for Police and now the Zimmerman verdict shows a distrust for the justice system. Both incidents involving race where the President perpetuates the belief that the system is slanted against black Americans. Don’t get me wrong, there is no question that racism exists and people’s perceptions and biases towards black people can determine how someone might react in a situation. The issue is that this is the President of the United States. What he says matters! Especially in regards to the black community.  If the President is validating this belief and he can’t do anything about it, then what kind of message does that send to the black community? For me, I might feel powerless and angry.

The President’s job is to reassure people that justice will be served and show confidence in the system, even if he personally does not believe it. Why you ask? Because when the President talks, people listen. If you give some group of radicals the littlest reason to act out, they will.

Now more recently this issue has progressed.  Michael Brown , Eric Garner, Freddy Gray , each of these incidents involving Police and the death of a black male. The President’s comments on each of these incidents had an undertone of distrust for the Police involved and the court system handling the cases. 

After the Eric Garner case on December  8, 2014 in an interview of the President on BET he completely validated that Police are targeting blacks. Even saying that he himself as a young black man has experienced this. Less than two weeks later, two NYPD Police Officers were eating their lunches in a patrol car when they were executed at point blank, four days before Christmas.

To date, the killing of Police Officers has continued as a direct result of the anti-Police atmosphere that the President of the United States has created along with the Media and their complete disregard for public safety.

-Sean

The Liberal Machine Releases the Kraken...

Uh oh! The liberal machine has released the kraken...much like his anti-Palin video, Matt Damon has set his liberal sights on the Donald. Damon has released a statement regarding his interpretation/spin of Donald Trump's stance on immigration. Oh wait a minute, Trump is referring to "ILLEGAL" immigration. Of course, Damon and most other liberals will drop the illegal part and try and sell to the masses that Trump is against all immigrants which includes the majority of Americans.


Shockingly, Damon begins his rant with name-calling. I know, hard to believe. Check out my earlier blog about Matt's buddy Ben where I describe how liberals argue, hint, I mention name calling. He uses the term "xenophobe" which for us dumb Republicans means the fear of foreigners. Even though Liberals claim to hate bullying, they always resort to bullying tactics when someone dares to disagree with them.


Damon goes on to say that Trump is talking about "..anyone who lives south of the border in inhuman terms." Now, wait a second. If you live south of the border than you are not an illegal immigrant in the U.S. However, if you decide to illegally enter the U.S. then, yes, that is who he is talking about.


Here's the big stretch, Damon spins Trump's words to mean that he is talking about Damon's family who are from Argentina. I'm guessing that they are here legally, so a real big stretch.


He then comments about Univision's Jorge Ramos when Trump removed him from his press conference saying that it was "unbelievable" and "unimaginable". He fails to mention Ramos' unacceptable behavior and the fact that Trump let Ramos back in and answered all his questions. I actually think that Trump gave Ramos too much of his time.


It boggles the minds of liberals the polling numbers that Trump has been getting.  Damon and his friends already believe that most Americans are dumb and need Government to guide them like sheep. Trump's polling reassures this for them. Of course they would never consider that they are the ones that are not thinking straight instead of the millions of Americans fed up with politics as usual. I think the liberal's new strategy is to try and convince all immigrants that Trump is talking about them and not just the illegals. To try and tap into their emotions, to create an outrage that really does not exist.


It boggles MY mind that these millionaire Hollywood types think they have their finger on the pulse of the average American and know what is good for us. Sorry Matt, your statement lacks any substance and your attempt to blind people with your fame in order to spin what Trump was saying will not work. Try playing the portentous liberal that you are in a movie and see how well liked that character is.


- Sean

Ben Affleck is a big liberal jerk...

Why I think Ben Affleck is a big liberal jerk.  It has been reported in the tabloid news that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were divorcing after however many years of marriage. When we first heard it, some were surprised thinking that this came out of left field. I personally, was not surprised.  Number one, Hollywood couples rarely do well. The atmosphere in Hollywood is not conducive to being married. It seems like a spouse in Hollywood is merely an accessory or a business partner to help promote your career. 

Besides the Hollywood thing, the reason why I wasn’t surprised with their split up was because I think Ben Affleck is a big liberal jerk. Jennifer on the other hand seems to be more balanced. I watched Ben on a Bill Maher episode when Bill and Sam Harris were discussing how liberals have dropped the ball on criticizing Muslims out of fear of being labeled anti-Muslim or whatever the correct term is. Ben’s reaction proved their exactpoint. 

Ben is the typical liberal who, when you are trying to discuss or debate an issue. They get all mad and start throwing out insults at whoever they are debating, instead of giving a rational counterpoint to why he may think that their stance is wrong. For some reason Affleck has embraced the Muslim religion and now takes it personal if you dare criticize their doctrine.

Unlike Liberals, I am not looking to eradicate all things Democrat or Liberal. Liberals want to reign supreme and eliminate everything that is Conservative or Republican. I believe that we need a balance of both to have steady progression that is at a reasonable pace. 

That is why I think that Liberals get so angry. One, they base their beliefs on emotion or the concept of something. And two, they do not want ANY opposite views expressed. When I debate or have a heated discussion, I actually listen to the opposing viewpoint and determine the correct response that would express my beliefs or counter argument. A Liberal will hear maybe one or two key words or just may only understand the topic being discussed. They don’t truly listen to the opposing view. They stew about how angry they are that someone can think so stupidly on an issue that is so obvious and then they will lash out with insults because they weren’t even listening to you, just waiting to yell their side. I think I just described Ben Affleck. Hence, why I wasn’t surprised at their divorce.

-Sean

Meme of the week....

Smokescreen and The Donald...

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that when it comes to politics, everything is on purpose.  That may be a pretty solid limb, but I said it.

I’ve been getting a big kick out of Donald Trump and his antics.  He’s kind of like a living and breathing political comic. Some of the things he says will resonate with a lot of Americans. As a political comic, he will offend you, but will get whatever his point is, across to the reader. But, this is not the point of my commentary today, just an observation.

While watching The Donald and seeing all the media coverage he is getting, I start to get suspicious. This brings me back to my first comment about everything in politics being on purpose. Maybe I’m a bit tainted from watching House of Cards, maybe a little. 

I’m thinking that the GOP is kind of beating the Media at their own game. Let’s distract the Media with someone very colorful and attention getting. This will get us closer to election time without the Media doing its typical bashing of all the “good” candidates (there’s actually only one good one). By the time they realize that they have been duped, the voters will have already made up their minds and it may actually be a more educated decision without all the Media fodder to muddy the waters.

This is where my Smokey and the Bandit comparison come to play.  Trump is the black Trans Am that distracts the Smokey’s (the Media) from the real purpose of getting the shipment of Coors beer to the finish line. Just in case you were wondering, Rand Paul is the beer and of course the finish line is Election Day. I almost don’t want to post this and give the mainstream Media a heads up, but I love using classic movies to make my points.

The last election, the Media had way too much time herding us towards a losing candidate and ignoring Ron Paul. They succeeded in a second term for our glorious Commander in Chief that broke the barriers of racism (he actually made things worse) and upheld the Constitution (he actually weakened it). This plan may actually work! Go Bandit Go!

-Sean

Empty Trains...

Recently the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a measure to increase the length of a Tandem Truck from 28 feet to 33 feet. Safety advocates are concerned about the impact this will have on our roads and highways. 

Currently, I drive an hour and a half to work each day and listen closely to the traffic reports on the radio in order to safely make it to my office. During days of bad weather it is very common to hear of a tractor trailer over turned or jackknifed.  Needless to say that when there is a tractor trailer versus car accident, the occupants of the cars usually come out on the losing end.  

In the U.S.A. we have an excellent railway system.  I had a conversation with a railroad employee a few years back and was told that the trains are underutilized. Often the train cars are not filled or even empty. A train car can carry a much larger load than a tractor trailer that has weight limits. In Europe there are countries that require items that are being shipped over 50 miles go by railway. I know for a fact that there are truck routes here in the U.S. that travel cross country.

 Less wear and tear on our roadways, more environmentally friendly, less congestion on the highways and less chance of fatal accidents involving tractor trailers. I’m always seeing advertising for more and more truck drivers needed to keep up with the demand. If that demand is transferred to trains, those jobs could be also transferred to the railroad companies. It just makes sense. 

 

-Sean

Unleash My Creativity...and my dog

Working a full time job really curtails my creativity. I get ideas driving into work and while at work, but, by the time I get home, I'm too tired to implement anything. I thought this picture of my dog was very symbolic. The tree represents your job and the tether is your responsibilities that keep you tied to your job. The more responsibilities the more you are wrapped around that job until you have little room to move. This of course, does not apply to "jobs" that you love to do. When I worked for myself, I was happiest. The key is to keep your financial responsibilities to a minimum and this will loosen that tether which gives you more space to be creative or inventive. There is a lot to be said to simplifying your life. Your mortgage, car payments, big cell phone bill...these things move you closer and closer to that tree. Maybe it's because I am closing in on 50 that I am looking at things differently. How many talented and creative people are tethered to that tree and in turn are not following their true calling or at least taking a few steps in that direction?

I had the same job for almost 20 years. Went to work everydayworking 60+ hours a week and still struggled with bills. Once in awhile you have to make big changes in your life. Take a chance. If you don't, then you cannot complain about your current situation. I took a chance, it was a great experience, it was a financial hit, but I knew that when I did it. You can either sit in the stands and watch or jump in and start playing the game! I was tired of watching. I'm back in the stands for now, but plan on putting my jersey back on soon.

- Sean

The Yankees, nobody else...

I have thought about it and I have come to the determination that the New York Yankees should be the only baseball team, period.  Why? Because, they are the only team that I support. I do not support the other 29 teams, therefore they should not be allowed to play baseball, wear their uniforms and certainly not be able to hold the World Series Championship trophy. I think if any of these other teams continue playing baseball, they should be arrested. They should be treated as criminals.  The Yankees are the only true baseball team.

Well, I will admit that this is America and we pride ourselves on this being a “free” country, so I will, reluctantly allow the other teams to play baseball. BUT, they cannot wear their team uniforms and DEFINTELY not be able to compete for or hold the championship trophy.

After some more thought, the Constitution does allow for freedom of expression. So, I guess we can allow the other teams to not only play baseball, I guess they can wear their uniforms too. But that’s as far as it goes, no further. Only the Yankees can compete and win the championship trophy, just the Yankees.

Hmm, there seems to be a flaw in my thinking.  Without those other teams being able to compete for the championship trophy, the Yankees cannot really compete for it either and actually win it. And technically, the other baseball teams ARE baseball teams. They just wear different uniforms and I have heard of players on the teams change uniforms from time to time. So, some of the Yankees may have played for other teams and vice versa. 

With that said, the only way this whole baseball thing works is if every team is allowed to play the game, wear their uniforms and be able to equally compete for the trophy.

I’m still going to root for the Yankees, nobody can change that.

- Sean

Police work, a necessary evil?...

The essence of  Police work is  treacherous. Especially in high crime areas. Police Officers are injected into the worst situations in any city or town on a daily basis.  Just like a fireman is more likely to be burned by fire, Police are more likely to be injured or killed or cause someone else to be hurt or killed. How many of these fatal shootings are justified? They will always focus on the innocent lives that were taken as opposed to the dangerous criminals that create the situation which force Police to take a life. If you were never a Police Officer or never have been behind the scenes to see what an Officer does on a daily basis then you can theorize all you want. Officers make life or death decisions in a matter of fractions of seconds. They don't have days or months to ponder over a situation like posters on FB. Keep in mind that they are human beings and do a difficult job that not everyone will or can do. Enforcing laws that many don't agree with but don't have much choice. Because of these hard choices Officers are REQUIRED to make in the heat of a dangerous situation, they are not treated the same as a criminal who would plan out and carry out a murder and they shouldn't be. Why? because we are requiring these people to place themselves in deadly situations with only what's hanging off of their belt and expected to remedy whatever situation is occurring with the least amount of damage. If you were wronged by someone in law enforcement, I am truly sorry, it happens, maybe more so than it should. But as my Mom always told me that life was unfair and you can make all the laws you want and stomp your feet all you want. As long as there are bad people out there, there will be a need for Police. And as long as Police continue to be human beings and not robots, they will make mistakes.  Stay safe.

- Sean

General lee speaking...

I wanted to comment on this movement to get rid of the Confederate Flag and those opposed to this flag have used the tragedy of the church shooting as their platform.  My first observation is that every time there is a tragedy such as this, there is this faction of people that use the period of time when emotions are high to forward their political agenda. During the fall-out of such a tragedy, people are not using logical and rational thinking. We instead react with our gut and lash out at some inanimate object. “It’s the gun’s fault!”….”It’s the flag’s fault!” Irrational, right?

My second observation is that this is a slippery slope, this political correctness movement. This direction that we are starting to move toward to, for lack of a better term, whitewash our history in order to make it more palatable for everyone. The obvious problem with this is summed up in George Santayana’s quote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”. I, myself love history and have learned that what we were taught in school is already a very, whitewashed version of history. Thanks to the History Channel, we are learning more and more of how things actually occurred and why. Those of you who oppose the Confederate flag may want to research history and learn of its true meaning then and now. 

I personally am not attached to this particular flag, having been born and raised in Connecticut and consider myself a true New Englander. But my short stint in Tennessee, I have made many friends in the South. As I see it today, the flag represents Southern Pride and Southern History, not slavery. Much to my chagrin, there was also slavery all over New England. Here in the Northeast we look back at the Whaling industry and how it boosted the economy of New England.  Connecticut became one of the richest states because of the gun industry. Today, whaling is a swear word and guns are not far behind. Our history is our history. Some good, some bad. We as a society can redefine symbols. The “Victory sign” for example, or is it the “Peace sign”? Instead of deleting history, how about we redefine our future.

- Sean