Go Green!…..*uh*….YOU first! June 18, 2009
Posted by Andrew Berkuta in Other Rants.Tags: carbon, emmissions, Go Green, Green
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I have had enough of various people/groups/countries that say we ought to “go Green”. Call me old fashioned, but I value leadership as the one who takes initiatives first, and has his/her/their house in order before “suggesting” that I change what works for me. Let me give examples…..
Eg #1) Japan: wants the US to sign the Kyoto protocol to limit/reduce/ban Green house emissions, and other type of airborne materials. My counter point: This is the SAME Japan which continues to hunt Whales (illegal), source out their manufacturing to other countries which have not restrictions, and, oh yea, have it in for the US in knocking them off the leadership board in various industries……*um* OK….you first.
Eg #2) <*insert non-profit org here*>: These groups want you to go green, adopt new standards, reduce waste…etc..etc, basically creating a “Green Czar” in your companies, and other such locations. My counter point: Maybe they do have a way of stimulating the economy by creating useless jobs, but again, I am of the strong “old fashioned” opinion, that everyone is responsible to pickup their own litter, dispose of things which are broken, and be a responsible person as a whole, and your community matters. Why do we need extra jobs and careers to tell us something we have been brought up with?! Secondly, their advertisements are the papers I see posted on telephone poles, flying down the city streets from the handouts, and lets face it, are causing undo additional labor, effort, and resources because now we have to calculate emissions. Please….give me a break. Again, it doesn’t take rocket science to figure some of this out, just common sense- that everyone *does* posses, but do not employ.
Eg #3) Corporations: There are many corporations which are touting “green” alternatives, products, etc for your existing, fully functioning, in working order – widget. They are trying to make a buck by saying you are saving trees, or some resources by purchasing their products. My counter point: If my widget is in good working order, I save money by not buying another item, prevent landfills from filling with my old one working AND saving additional “carbon units” by not manufacturing something I don’t need because mine still works! What ever happened to fixing what you have? Your car – does it blow up after 3 years? No – not if you have maintained it, and, even if you have poor gas mileage, it still is cheaper per year to operate a “guzzler” that is fully paid off than having payments, and still paying for gas to feed the new car. Sure your burn rate is slower -LONG TERM- , but lets face it, unless you maintain anything, it wont last long anyway. It is marketing at it’s best.
Lets face it, we (humans) breathe air, and exhale carbon dioxide and ingest oxygen. We ARE carbon units… Trees, exchange oxygen for the carbon dioxide. Are you seeing a symbiotic relationship, and how we have to be good stewards to begin with??? Net-net, this is the new “vogue” thing to talk about. If you really want to have some fun, go to your local gym – the one which has a green construction program and recycle even air, and ask the “green” soy, artificial sales person this question: ” Do you have a green carbon displacement program where I can offset or save carbon credits by having others exercise for me?” It makes for interesting stares, and if they are “really Green” they will walk away and look into that for you. BTW…don’t wait for the answer or a call back.
I will wait for this fad to pass, and hopefully not witness people limiting their breathing in order not to get a ticket for excessive emissions! … time for a ride in my safe, paid for SUV. 
O-Commerce…. (coining the phrase with Obama) June 17, 2009
Posted by Andrew Berkuta in Other Rants.add a comment
Well, with a LONG vacation…and career 2.0 of sorts, I AM BACK!!
So what is the “new economic trend” you ask….. I call it (and you heard it HERE first!) “O-Commerce“.
Here is what O-Commerce is:
* The Executive branch (Obama) gets to
1) Change the free market economy by firing executives of well established, publicly held companies (GM). The danger is that *although GM did accept the money, which should not have been offered in the first place*, now the Government ala Executive branch steps in and appoints another individual who’s charter is to make the Government happy, and is in the process of striping off brands of car divisions, and making the #1 car company in the world into a former shadow of itself. (Read point 2.) This is an abuse of power from the Executive Branch, and I am WAITING for the Judicial branch to check and balance this as UNCONSTITUTIONAL!!! I am not holding my breath.
2) Encourages and approves the wholesale of Chrysler / Dodge to Fiat. First, a foreign investment, which is still part of a free market economy. But more brazen, is that FIAT is a holding company which has FINANCIAL TROUBLES ITSELF!! What?!! I can see an approval to some profitable company…but Fiat??? Wow. (Anyone want to buy California? Maybe sell it back to Mexico with the drug money surplus they have now thanks to our boarders!) Really this takes the cake. Thank God FORD did not accept the blood money! We at least have ONE company left.
3) Employment statistics: Well, apparently we are at 9% reported unemployment. A jump UP of 3%. Roughly translates to 4 Million unemployed. SO….Obama decides in a press conference to suggest he saved 110,000 jobs…… First, how does one collect those statistics (*hint* you can’t as this is not collected and speculative at best – vapor stats), and secondly, did I miss that part of the formula where the unemployment went up and he is selling /parsing off America and it’s assets like Dodge, etc?!!!
4) “When all else fails…re-write History and the facts”: Where to begin. Read Obama’s claims, his “historical prospective” , and get a sanity check. He is the master of spin. Wake up, smell the coffee, and get your head out of the sand. It is convenient for him to even change the history of his family contributions to World War II. (reference: Uncle freeing up a particular concentration camp, which he referenced and was not even in the country he said it was!) Remember, he IS a Lawyer…and as such, is a master of spinning the facts into half truths and convincing you what truth is.
5) Congress: OK. So a “harmonic convergence” of sorts for the Democrats happened where the Executive AND Congress is Democratically controlled. So where did that get us? No where, and more PORK than at a Barbque. What happened to “Controlling run away spending”, “A Change we can believe in”, or a balanced budget? Lets do a sanity check here…..My local county Emergency shelter for Child Protective services just got shut down for lack of funds….but the Speaker of the House (Pelosi) is including $30 MILLION in Pork to save a wild wetlands mouse in the San Francisco Bay area. (Fast forward a few years….it is a rodent…they will breed…..will be an over population, become a pest, then spend $60 Million in exterminating them). Also the House Speaker has her private Jet parties to Europe that cost taxpayers $10,000 for every hour in the air, not to mention it was a Junket. Ok Obama…where is the change…oh..I get it….out of every dollar of tax revenue…you get 50 cents in CHANGE….got it…you keep the change. I guess Americans thought you meant a switch in direction, not You keep the change (money)….We forgot…you are a lawyer….
There is more…but this is a BLOG, not a rant, or a venting (although I could).
So here is the definition of “O-Commerce” : n. 1) the systematic abuse of power from the Executive branch which methodically strips freedoms, restructures government from a Republic (not a democracy!! read your history books again!!!) to a Socialist model, and revises history to suit the agenda (hidden or public) of the Executive.
-ed v. 2) “I’ve been O-Commerced”, when said policy is applied to affects individuals, agencies, and/or corporations; usage – “GM was completely O-Commerced when it was called Government Motors” <*insert picture and sound byte of Obama*>
So here we go….in for a hopefully 4 year (ONLY) term….. I hope I do not have to wear red and celebrate “May day” instead of “4th of July” at the end of the term. Then again, why change it, just change history to say “July 4th” was Obama’s first 100th day in power…and the day the earth changed. God help us all.
RNC – Last thougths September 4, 2008
Posted by Andrew Berkuta in Other Rants.Tags: Convention, politics, press, RNC
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So it’s Day 4 of the RNC (Republican National Convention) and I am still stuck in the “bat cave” – the help desk and computer security center. Yes, I am helping in keeping the hackers out, and stuff working, and no, I did not get out much. Either way, I have met quite a few people.
A few thoughts came to mind, so here they are in no specific order.
Speeches: Let’s face it, in ANY party, there are teleprompters, and pre-written speeches. Regardless, I have to say that I would be interested in an impromptu speech from both sides, but let PEOPLE ask questions.
Candidates: It will be an interesting race this year. I am not sure if this is becoming more of an indicator for this race, but did you notice that the polls did not go up much if at all during either convention? I seem to remember in that past, during and immediately after a convention, the respective poll numbers go up for the respective party. Not so, it seems, lately. Are Americans split down the middle and are polarizing or aare the polls now ineffective? Either way, there is no “clear winner” throughout the course of this political race. And by the way, candidates (regardless of party) all have good and bad sides.
Press: It was VERY evident that this race is being pushed especially hard by the press. What is THEIR agenda? It is no surprise that they are controlling (or attempting to) the thoughts of Americans.
People: No matter what party you agree with, endorse, or are against, I hope you use YOUR opinion, and not someone elses. It bothers me that people align themselves with some snippet of information and claim it as their own. Don’t believe me, read the previous paragraph again.
Protesters: Why is it that the protesters are getting weirder and wackier? It seems like they are ineffective, and just looking for a press pass to impress. Quite frankly, they are stupid. Instead of properly representing your cause and REALLY influencing a ticket, they cant even come to the election table because of the WAY they do it, not because of their message! Grow up already…. and by the way, the protesters complain about the “conformists” ie: the parties, but if you look at the protesters themselves, they all dress alike, carry the same stuff, wear similar gear…..as Jeff Foxworthy says, “Here’s your sign – Conformist”.
That’s all for now. Going to put in some serious hours and help pull the plug on this show.
May the best man/woman/candidate win.
Cheers,
Andrew
At the grind… and political observations at the 2008 RNC September 2, 2008
Posted by Andrew Berkuta in Other Rants.Tags: news, protesters, RNC, vote
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It has been a while since I wrote, but I wanted to spend some time with the family. The past few weeks I have been up in St. Paul MN helping with the security of the RNC. Mind you, my political views are my own, and they are MY OWN not something someone said on TV and I blindly say “me too”. That said, I tend to find humor in every situation, and have comments on others.
1) Protesters: There is a group which wants a “Democratic Country again”. First, they were students which I have to ask which classes they skipped (history maybe?). Secondly, the United States NEVER was/is/will be, a Democracy….we are, and have been, and will be, ALWAYS a REPUBLIC!!!!!! Get a clue. What are skewls teaching these days? Phonics?
2) Two party system: Why do we have only 2 major parties? Are we not ready for a third or forth serious party? I think so. If Americans (according to the TV and journalists) really are tired of the “same old politics, then sign up with a new party! Easy.
3) Speaking your mind vs. complaining: OK….where to start. There is a difference between the two, and only one matters – Speaking your mind. It is different from complaining when you decide to push the button or pull the leaver, or mark the card when you VOTE. Make sure you vote and speak your mind through you vote…..or stop complaining!!! I am not complaining. I am writing a blog with MY opinion. Get your own or say “me too” and agree with me.
4) News: It always amazes me what the news agencies fixate on. They will look for the weirdest shoes/dress/people/stories to interview and create. Why? I want the real news….not some staged bogus story. I think I am giving up NEWS as a whole. Let ME make up my mind as to what to think – you present the raw story.
Well back to the RNC! Someone has to thwart the hackers!
Cheers for now.
