Late Again...um...Still

Still...the poor Blog of Doob is sitting quietly, Covered in cobwebs, smelling musty.

A lesser man would close up shop. But, I will prevail. I will not quit. So enjoy the vid below while I devise a strategy to get me off my lazy rear.

It's 2011 and I'm still behind....

I WILL get back to this blog. It was one of my New Years Resolutions. In the meantime... enjoy this dulcet tone from an underrated musician, Papa Nez:

In an effort to post more frequently...a blast from my past!

I know it's hard to believe but I was once a prankster. As usual, it was typically something that amused only me. If other people dug it...BONUS! In the summer of 1987, I was working at a small radio station in the quaint hamlet of Brunswick, GA.

At the time, there were 6 or so radio stations in town. One, in particular, was the pinnacle of old school radio. The station played music that made elevators weep. But it's bread & butter was a little "talk show" called Open Mic. It's host was the stalwart John Lane. For a show that was a community interest show that craved opinion, Mr. Lane gave none. His comments were typically given on one side of the topic then , suddenly, he'd give the other side. it gave the impression that he had no opinion & was, quite possibly, conflicted. Having met the man a few times, I can also add that he really didn't have a sense of humor.

To top it all off, it was a rite of passage for the town's other DJ's to prank call the show & see if the caller could get through without laughing or being cut off. Bonus points were given for slang or innuendo.

The following was my opening salvo in what would become a memorable summer & the birth of a local folk hero...Fred C. Dobbs.

Enjoy....

Am I really gonna do this just once a year....

How soon we forget. Truth be told, I'm sure some shiny object glimmered on the horizon and I was transfixed.

That's just a glossy way of saying..."wait. I have a blog?"

After all the good intentions and mea culpas of the Facebook post...I forgot again. At least I'm consistent.

There is no defense. I should probably leave Post It's around the office. Not with those cheesy affirmational/motivational Oprah-style missives but the more apt "Hey Stupid!" reminders.

I always have lots to say on a variety of subjects. I need to get busy and spread the wealth of useless knowledge that I possess in mass quantity.

This is me, Good Ol' Doob, doing my best Neil Armstrong. I am planting my flag on this site and vowing that it is my one small step.

Better yet...I am McArthur. "I Shall return!"

I... hey...look at that shiny object......

Facebook and the Laziness of a Blog

Lazy.

Just plain lazy.

This blog, once a bastion of my insights, desires, ramblings and other fluidly transposed what-not, has gone unattended for a VERY long while. In that time, a veritable eternity, time has not stood still. Many changes. A new Prez (yuck). A growth in my business (yay!) while others are losing their jobs (boo!). And, the dawn of Facebook.

Facebook. The old Facey McFace. The good ol' FB.

A tool to let everyone know every step you take...every move you make. The Police would not have needed to write that song in this modern age. Just sign on to FB. "Oh...she's doing her nails." Sting would discover. Is FB the death of romance or the 21st century solution to stalking? The jury is still out. They're busy updating their status.

That being said...of course I have a Facebook account!! Where else can I discover what my Science lab partner form 1983 is doing? Forget that I haven't seen him in 20+ years. As long as I know he is drinking a beer while watching the sun set...the earth will continue to spin on it's axis.

As has been posted here before, the creation of this blog was simply because Google required that I sign up for an account to reply on other folks' blogs. That was my modus operandi. Swoop in, make a snarky or offensive comment, then swoop out. De-swoop? Disinswoop? Retroswoop? Sigh. Once I signed up...the blog was the next logical step. An outlet. It was also fun & a bit therapeutic. I still can't read the Lucy post without tearing up.

Enter Facebook. It's technically a gateway drug. You get there. See posts from The Ghosts of Christmas Past & Present. And you're compelled to contribute. It's downright impossible not to. Once you do...you're inundated with 'friend' requests. Good manners dictate that you accept a hand outstretched in friendship. Even a virtual one. I currently have 255 friends. Now, if hard pressed...I'm not sure if I talk to 255 people in a year outside of work. Again, a lot of these are from the distant past where, to be honest, I tended to make the occasional impression here & there. Additionally, it has become a major source for my news exposure(!). It was there I found out about Michael Jackson's death, check on Braves' scores and other "important events"

Best of all...it's designed for the snarky comment. My stock in trade. My forte. My creative spark. Again, impossible to resist. But in my snarky revelry...The Blog of Doob has not only been dormant but non-existent. The sad thing is...I actually enjoy writing. Emails & Texting have done a Tonya Harding to the written word. Americans' grasp of the English language was tenuous at best. Now, we are succumbing to the LOL/LMFAO/BTW/:) form of prose. Let's all say it together...awwww. This blog kept me, in a small way, from becoming literarily and mentally stagnant.

With that in mind..I'll consider my past absence from this blog my mulligan. I will pledge to return here more frequently... if only to free my mind of cumbersome yet important thoughts. Ones that can't be contained in a mere Facebook reply space. Trust me...I've tried.

Plus...here I can delete the replys to my posts I don't like without deleting the post itself. Comforting. Because...after all..it is all about me.

It's the Economy, Stu..um.. Darlin'!

I recently got this post on my facebook page. It was in response to my off-the-cuff blurb" The Doobie thinks the only change Obama wants is the stuff in my pockets. Then he'll go after the folding money. "

"Wow, then congratulations are in order. That means your household makes over $250k a year! Go you guys! See, because everyone under that amount will have MORE money in their pockets. Power to the middle class! Finally!"

Now the person who wrote this is a lovely person. Very kind, giving, thoughtful. An all around great person.

Unfortunately, even awesome people can be convinced that ubiquitous "change" is the answer. (i.e. They can be wrong).

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You see, I don't make that much. it would be reeeaaaly nice if I did. But, as I replied on Facebook: "As a small business owner, my business earns a good deal more than I pay myself (due to operating expenses, overhead, etc). My tax filing is a Sole Proprietor. S corps , etc have far more restrictions. There are just too many benefits that fit my situation. So,that is the most economically feasible classification at this time. but, EVERYTHING my business earns is seen as PERSONAL Income. Mr Obama & his cronies don't see that distinction or don't care. To them...I'm "RICH". They will increase my tax liability to that of 37.9% up to 50%" (these are not arbitrary numbers. the info came from many places but is crystallized here: http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=0E92FEE0-3048-5C12-0002330C2A831238. )

"By all means, let's penalize success. Let's say sure...achieve the American Dream but then, we'll punish you for it. I learned a long time ago the flashiest, prettiest car isn't necessarily the best car. I could always close up my business. That'd show em. No Obama is not only the wrong choice but an expensive one. But thanks for asking."

But what if I did make that much? If so, it would be through hard work, toil, investment in time & money, etc. It's not because I got a visit from the Cash Fairy. Liberals see success as something actionable. "How Dare you succeed! others are suffering" I care about my fellow man & make charitable contributions like a responsible citizen...but where does it say I'm required to make everyone's life wonderful? There was a society that preached Universal Healthcare, Caps on income. Where capitalism was discarded and where all income was funneled back to the government for the "common good". It was created in 1922 under a gentleman named Vladmir Lenin. A police state. A socialist society where workers had no rights. I'm not ready for such a society to become the letter of the law here. i never will be. No. I have to line up on the side of more personal responsibility. More financial responsibility. Hard work leads to great reward. I know my needs better than outsiders or politicians. Why would I leave my welfare up to strangers? And Sharing the "wealth"? The more successful I become...jobs are created. the more I make...the more I contribute to organizations like Special Olympics, American Cancer Society, etc. That's how you grow an economy. That's how you help others.

There are many issues I have with McCain. He was not my first choice. But further down the list, after Brittany Spears and Daffy Duck is Barry Obama. The guy is so eager to please that he'll say whatever is expedient to get elected. Sure...politicians do that. But the guy has ZERO experience in ANYTHING. He has 145 days in the US Senate. Would you hire a lawyer or doctor with that amount of experience? I'm sure they'd do their best but there are things that experience gives you that eagerness and lofty wishes does not. Charisma does not solve problems.

Universal healthcare? It's a program that is breaking both Canada & the UK. It allows for a shoddy, over-crowded, under-funded system. People will suffer far more that under the current program. Plus, where does the money come from? The magic $250 grand club can only pay so much. Such a grand plan is guaranteed to raise ALL taxes. No matter where they come from...a physician's time is not free. And if it becomes so...what corners would have to be cut to make them comply to the system? Questions.

Energy? I'm all for Boone Pickens plan. Problem is...what do you do on no/low wind days? Easy...use existing energy (battery backup, etc) to power it. Yep. The wind...she don't blow everyday. What about the millions of oil using cars currently on the road? What happens to those? Is the government going to retrofit them all to burn cleaner energy? What's the cost? Where does this money come from? Most likely, raising taxes but i can see the govt. offering tax breaks for those that comply. What about the lower middle class & the poor? How do they get their clean energy cars? Again...the money has to come from somewhere. Questions.

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The reason that there is a US (and by extension international) energy crunch is that a Democratic Congress halted a large percentage of US exploration & farmed it out overseas. owls were saved but costs were incurred. You have raw crude purchasing and import costs. Then there's taxes on the gas. States get roughly .28 per Gallon. The US Govt gets about .18 per gallon. The oil companies? Yes...there are production costs to make raw crude user friendly but the Oil companies do purchase, refine & distribute the fuel. That aint cheap. Don't they deserve something for their efforts? Should they just give it away? I'm more concerned with the taxation. What exactly does the govt do in this transaction? Oh yeah...they LET us buy it. If drilling can be resumed here...the supply will drive the cost down and allow funding for exploration of hydrogen, nuclear and other alternatives.

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A "Windfall Profit" tax like Obama proposes will drive costs even higher, cost jobs and limit our ability to explore other options. And who determines what is "too much" money for the Oil Companies to make? What happens if Pickens plan becomes successful? You don't think the Govt will tax wind? They'll find a way. Further more, not re-establishing our own oil drilling program means money can continue to fund terrorist supporting countries overseas. Money that helped make 9-11 happen. How is drilling not a winning proposition? Supply & demand. Increased supplies forces pricing down. Pres. Bush announces an Executive lifting of the drilling ban & the price magically dropped. Coincidence? OPEC makes the rules now. We can change the game easily. So why not drill? Questions.

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I support all energy exploration. Everything. But right now...we need oil to run things. That part CAN'T be changed easily. Questions.

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There are many other reasons...and there are MANY. Simply put: Obama's platform is flawed. It penalizes success while championing mediocrity. What he explains makes no fiscal or financial sense. But far more troubling is what he can't explain. Change. Change what? Change how? Change when? How Much? For who? His answers cause more questions and, in hard economic times, consumers don't need to pay more. And it wont just be the "Rich".

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It's popular to bash the President. He's not perfect. But the problems we face are not solely on his shoulders. the Democratic Congress controls a lot of these issues (see the no vote on drilling for proof). But it's easier to focus on just one target. Then explain to me why congress has a lower approval rating than he? People do know the truth. You just have to coax it out of them.

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A little known fact is that I have strong political beliefs. I don't share them often because Conservatives are demonized but the press as war-mongering, rich folk who hate the poor & are racists. Nothing is further from the truth. I was liberal when I was younger. But, now that I've worked hard, made a life & have begun to create a future for my family...I see how easily someone can take it away with the stroke of a pen. All to make the world "better". And done, Without my having any say so in the matter. But in this election, we all have a says so. Don't buy into "Change" as an all encompassing placebo. THINK about what to change, how that gets done & what are the consequences. often, It's not as simple as the politicians make it seem. No I'm not rich. I'm middle class. And I'd like it to stay that way. But I do aspire to greater things eventually. And for me to have that opportunity, Obama's "Change" will take more than I can give.

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And as for my kind friend who started me on this diatribe? She's still an awesome person. One of the best. A valued friend. She has every right to her opinion. But so do I. :)

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And with that...my soapbox is holstered. For now.

In The Spirit of The Election Season...

I have decided to use my evil powers for good by designing & selling (at a modest sum) t-shirts bearing the design below:

Is it art? That's Subjective. But I think it says what needs to be said.

I created the Choose Wisely '08 brand (and it's accompanying website) as an outlet to vent my frustration at the messianic tenor that the depicted candidate's campaign has come to display. Apparently, someone's reading his own press & believes he's the Savior of The Universe. As we all know...that's Flash Gordon. So where does the Big O get off?

Feel free to support the cause at http://www.choosewisely08.com/ . You know you want to.

Free enterprise. It's what this country's all about. At least it should be.