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Thoughts, Opinions, and a little Ranting

  • Another Option For Healthcare Reform

    Number of comments: 1
    It's interesting that all we hear about is the Democrats plan to create government healthcare vs. the status quo (which is definitely broken). In fact, most of the time I hear the media saying that the Republicans don't have anything - no new ideas, no alternatives - and are left' [...]
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    Posted: September 10, 2009, 12:05pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Swing Vote

    Number of comments: 1
    If there ever was a great commentary on our apathy as a nation, it's the movie Swing Vote. I just watched and I have to say that I was impressed with the message. On the surface, it's played as a comedy where a total loser somehow ends up deciding the [...]
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    Posted: August 29, 2009, 9:52pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Our Rights and Not-Rights

    Number of comments: 1
    I stumbled upon a great little rant against liberalism. While I don't necessarily agree with everything on there, it made me smile and made me think.Here it is:NEW PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTIONThe following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA."We the sensible people of the United States,'" [...]
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    Posted: August 26, 2009, 2:10pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • AZ Budget Gets Bigger Spotlight

    Number of comments: 0
    It seems that it's not just Arizonans that are interested in the State Budget. The New York Times is running an article about it as well. I guess the fact that a Republican governor with a Republican legislature can't seem to agree on a budget is a great news story.The' [...]
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    Posted: August 06, 2009, 3:11pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • What We Need for Healthcare Reform

    Number of comments: 2
    Healthcare reform is big news right now. Congress is hard at work trying to overhaul our healthcare system to make it less expensive and cover more people. These are admirable goals and they will be extremely hard to accomplish. The ideas that Congress has come up with seem to revolve [...]
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    Posted: July 14, 2009, 12:41pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Winter Soldiers needed for Arizona Summer heat - Budget

    Number of comments: 1
    America has passed through several time periods that "have tried mens souls" and in Arizona we stand again at that precipice. In the past it has been both physical as well as ideological; now while it is still ideological it is also financial. We wait to see what the leaders [...]
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    Posted: June 30, 2009, 10:46am EDT
    by Kristina

  • Politics and The Law of Unintended Consequences

    Number of comments: 2
    Politics are complicated. Our country is a large, very complex system of services, mandates, checks and balances, power struggles, perceptions, economics, etc. No matter what the election time commercials may say, there are not easy, 30 second soundbite answers to the country's problems. Just look at Obama's problems.A couple of [...]
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    Posted: June 16, 2009, 1:41pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Partisan Politics

    Number of comments: 1
    What ever happened to the focus on serving the people?  You know, it's difficult not to get extremely frustrated watching the AZ State Legislature "work" on the budget.  The governor releases a budget that the ultra-conservative Republicans don't like.  What happens?  Do the Republican leaders point out where it will' [...]
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    Posted: June 09, 2009, 8:18pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Ethics

    Number of comments: 3
    I just finished by Master's Degree in Information Management at ASU - congratulations to me! - and was a little surprised at one of the convocation speeches.  If I remember correctly, it was the Dean of the School of Business, and what was surprising was how many times he talked [...]
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    Posted: May 19, 2009, 9:53am EDT
    by Jeff

  • When Government "Rescues" The Auto Industry

    Number of comments: 1
    There is an excellent column today in the Arizona Republic by Robert Robb. It's called The Chrysler Power Grab. Don't get confused, this is not about Chrysler grabbing power but the government using its "bailout" to benefit the union.Mr. Robb points out that the terms that the government is forcing' [...]
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    Posted: May 06, 2009, 12:53pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Government Shortfalls And Their Effect On Disabled Children

    Number of comments: 1
    A week or so ago my State Senator emailed a message to his constituents (including me) in response to the growing support for raising taxes to help with the budget shortfall.  In that message, he recounted the following:“In our friendly neighbor city of St. Augustine, great flocks of sea gulls [...]
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    Posted: April 17, 2009, 3:17pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Who's Responsible For The Mortgage Crisis?

    Number of comments: 8
    OK, there is an awful lot of finger-pointing regarding who is responsible for this mortgage meltdown. The Democrats are blaming the Republicans for loosening up bank/finance regulations. The Republicans are blaming the Democrats for encouraging the sub-prime mortgage market (loaning to people who wouldn't ordinarily qualify for a mortgage). Lots' [...]
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    Posted: March 09, 2009, 2:45pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Most Unfortunate Names

    Number of comments: 4
    Here's a bit of humor to lighten up your day (in this economy, we need all we can get). The BBC recently published an article about the most unfortunate names in Britain. Some of my favorites:Stan StillJo KingCarrie OakeyGive it a read - it's a lot of fun. [...]
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    Posted: February 27, 2009, 10:19am EST
    by Jeff

  • If Oil Is Getting Cheaper, Why Isn't Gas?

    Number of comments: 1
    The problem with our world of fast politics and 30 second sound bites is that they make complex issues look simple.  Just look at oil prices.  The price of oil keeps dropping but the price of gas is going up.  Huh?  How is that possible?I've heard a lot of conspiracy' [...]
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    Posted: February 19, 2009, 9:52am EST
    by Jeff

  • Do The Speed Cameras Help?

    Number of comments: 1
    There has been a lot of back and forth on whether the speed cameras are a safety measure or a revenue generator.  Most people that support cameras say they're a safety measure, most that oppose them say they're simply revenue generators.  So who's right?In my opinion they're both right.  No' [...]
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    Posted: February 15, 2009, 7:39pm EST
    by Jeff

  • Gilbert Mayoral Race

    Number of comments: 4
    Those of us who live in Gilbert have an election coming up.  While its not getting national attention and we're not being bombarded with constant TV ads, I submit that this election will have a far more direct effect on Gilbert's citizens than most others.  Why?  Because the Mayor and [...]
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    Posted: February 10, 2009, 2:56pm EST
    by Jeff

  • Measuring Success

    Number of comments: 1
    One of the blogs I follow is run by a man named John Halamka.  I stumbled across him from a case study I had to analyze for one of my graduate school classes.  He struck me as very intelligent and also very pragmatic (two qualities which are important to me) [...]
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    Posted: February 04, 2009, 9:47am EST
    by Jeff

  • How Readable Is My Blog?

    Number of comments: 6
    I found a readability test recently and thought it would be interesting to find the reading level of my blog.  I expected to get a high school or maybe undergrad level.  So I was really surprised to get genius (I actually thought it was broken - I had to check [...]
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    Posted: February 02, 2009, 7:49am EST
    by Jeff

  • If You Have About A Trillion Dollars, What Do You Spend It On?

    Number of comments: 1
    The stimulus plan is coming.  $875 billion of government goodness.  Will it save our economy?  Well, we won't really ever know.  After all, we don't know what would happen if it fails, we'll just have to see what happens when it succeeds.So what is of that mo all  ney spent on?' [...]
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    Posted: January 29, 2009, 9:50am EST
    by Jeff

  • Government Organization

    Number of comments: 0
    I know it sounds like an oxymoron but there really is a government organization.  It's just such a mess that it's hard to keep track of.  Well, in honor of inauguration day, here's a link to an organization chart that shows what our new president is getting into.  It's a [...]
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    Posted: January 20, 2009, 12:10pm EST
    by Jeff

  • Atlas Shrugged - I Need To Read This Book

    Number of comments: 0
    I've heard of the book Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand but I never really knew what it was about.  Well, I just read an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal that compared our current economic crisis with the events portrayed in Atlas Shrugged.It was frightening.  The gist is that' [...]
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    Posted: January 19, 2009, 1:53pm EST
    by Jeff

  • Thank Goodness For Comments

    Number of comments: 0
    Have you ever wondered how biased the news you get is?  I try to look at both sides of an issue and find the truth that's usually somewhere in between.  However, I have also found that both sides of an argument can present their cases so well, that it's difficult [...]
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    Posted: January 15, 2009, 3:48pm EST
    by Jeff

  • Here Come The Cuts!

    Number of comments: 0
    The State Legislature is meeting and something, probably many things, are going to get cut. The Arizona Capitol Times, the Arizona Guardian, the Arizona Republic, etc. are all running articles about people and groups trying to protect their funding.  First in line is our soon to be former Governor, Janet [...]
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    Posted: January 13, 2009, 12:44pm EST
    by Jeff

  • They're Not Stupid, Just Different

    Number of comments: 1
    Apart from my political leanings, I work in information technology. This is a profession that is full of smart, but often misunderstood people. Many people look on us as having some sort of magical rapport with computers. I have spent a lot of time troubleshooting computer problems (in fact it [...]
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    Posted: January 05, 2009, 9:02pm EST
    by Jeff

  • The Christmas Spirit

    Number of comments: 0
    You know, it's funny how a small change can sometimes have a huge impact. For example, the giving of gifts on Christmas was originally intended to mimic the wise men who gave gifts to Christ. Now modern society seems to have turned it from giving gifts to getting gifts and [...]
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    Posted: December 25, 2008, 3:53pm EST
    by Jeff

  • GM Gets Their Bailout

    Number of comments: 2
    When the bailout bill failed in the Senate, the cynic in me said that it was sabotaged. That's right, deliberately killed. Why? So that the White House would be forced to use the financial bailout money, which would be given with far fewer strings attached. Well, it looks like that's [...]
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    Posted: December 19, 2008, 8:41am EST
    by Jeff

  • Finding The Balance Between Today And Tomorrow

    Number of comments: 2
    Do you know anybody who seems to be wasting their whole life waiting for tomorrow? How about somebody so absorbed with today's problems that they're decisions don't anticipate future consequences? Both paths tend to make a person less successful/happy than they could be.So what's the appropriate balance? OK, that's rhetorical.' [...]
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    Posted: December 15, 2008, 8:45am EST
    by Jeff

  • Could Universities Help Government Be More Effective?

    Number of comments: 0
    I had a really interesting idea the other day. I'm currently a graduate student in information management at ASU. As part of the curriculum we are required to complete a project that has the students working with a company to "transform a business through information technology." This is a great [...]
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    Posted: December 12, 2008, 11:39am EST
    by Jeff

  • The Irony of the Automaker's Situation

    Number of comments: 1
    OK, maybe it's just inconsistency but have you noticed the differences between the bank bailouts and the automaker bailout? To me, it seems like our Treasury is writing blank checks to any bank that's big enough to warrant the label "can't be allowed to fail." On the other hand, the' [...]
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    Posted: December 03, 2008, 8:15am EST
    by Jeff

  • The Irony of Napolitano as Head of DHS

    Number of comments: 0
    I can't be the only one who sees the irony here. Our governor, Janet Napolitano, looks to be the next head of the Department of Homeland Security. That's right, our governor. The one who has spent the last six years blaming every single immigration problem on the federal government. Now [...]
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    Posted: November 21, 2008, 9:46am EST
    by Jeff

  • Do We Bail Out Automakers?

    Number of comments: 2
    Right now the Big 3 automakers are begging Congress for billions in bailout money. In the Wall Street Journal, Rick Wagoner - President of GM - makes an impassioned plea for the money he says will be a short term bridge to help GM get over this rough patch. He [...]
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    Posted: November 19, 2008, 8:11am EST
    by Jeff

  • Our New President

    Number of comments: 2
    Well, I'm not exactly surprised that Barak Obama won. He had the momentum and a message that really resonated with the American people. I'm actually surprised that McCain did as well as he did (46% of the popular vote when I last checked). This election marks a huge shift in [...]
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    Posted: November 05, 2008, 11:54am EST
    by Jeff

  • An Allegory About Our Tax System

    Number of comments: 4
    I stumbled across this neat allegory that compares (in an oversimplified form, of course) the US income tax system to 10 guys drinking in a bar. While some call it right-wing propaganda, I think it is a fairly good representation of our income taxes.Here it is:Suppose that every day, ten [...]
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    Posted: October 30, 2008, 2:27pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • What Do We Expect To Get From This Election?

    Number of comments: 0
    Change has been the big theme of this election. Both candidates are promising fundamental changes from the current administration. People are worried and frustrated and the prospect of change seems to be giving them some hope. However, I have to ask, what changes are we hoping for?It seems to me [...]
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    Posted: October 29, 2008, 9:20am EDT
    by Jeff

  • AZ Proposition 102 - Does it discriminate?

    Number of comments: 0
    For those that have read my earlier post on marriage, it should be obvious that I support proposition 102. What's great is that I can support it unequivically. Why? Because it doesn't have anything else tacked on. It doesn't restrict benifits, it doesn't outlaw civil unions, it doesn't have any' [...]
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    Posted: October 28, 2008, 9:52pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • AZ Proposition 105 - Does it take away our vote?

    Number of comments: 0
    Proposition 105 is very controversial.  On the face, it looks to take away the power of the voter initiative by forcing 50% + 1 to pass any initiative that has spending provisions.  We all know that just getting 50% voter turnout is pretty good (some elections have less than 11%) [...]
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    Posted: October 21, 2008, 3:41pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • AZ Proposition 202 - Stop Illegal Hiring

    Number of comments: 2
    The "Stop Illegal Hiring" proposition (202) sounds great at first.  After all, it makes the penalties more severe for hiring illegals, it gives the money collected in fines to hospitals, and increases the penalties for identity theft.  Doesn't this sound like a great proposition that everybody should vote for?  It [...]
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    Posted: October 19, 2008, 9:31pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Some Perspective on the Credit Crisis

    Number of comments: 0
    I saw a blog today that really got me thinking about the credit crisis and how we're all caught up in worrying about our bank accounts, mortgages, etc.  Sure that stuff is worrisome but, most of us have a roof over our heads, food for our families, leisure time to [...]
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    Posted: October 16, 2008, 11:50am EDT
    by Jeff

  • Who Pays for Healthcare?

    Number of comments: 0
    I know what you're thinking, "We do!!!"  However, that's not exactly true.  You see, I recently did an analysis of the healthcare industry for a graduate course I'm taking and I was surprised at what it showed me.  As I gathered information, one of the things I asked was "why'" [...]
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    Posted: October 14, 2008, 12:51pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • McCain Obama Debate

    Number of comments: 0
    So I just finished watching the second debate between McCain and Obama and I have to say that I'm impressed with McCain.  I'm not a big McCain fan.  While I'm a Republican from Arizona, I really haven't been that impressed with our senator.  He was my last choice in the [...]
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    Posted: October 07, 2008, 9:29pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Politics, Marriage, and Christianity

    Number of comments: 2
    There is a lot of misinformation out there about the aims of Christians in politics.  I see opinions from the left who are afraid that devout Christians running for office are simply doing it so they can ram their belief system down everybody's throat.  Unfortunately, there are some people on [...]
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    Posted: September 17, 2008, 12:40pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Governor Calls Arizona A State Of Losers?

    Number of comments: 0
    OK, it wasn't exactly like that but, at the Democratic National Convention, Janet Napolitano (the governor of Arizona) stands up and states that: "Barry Goldwater ran for president and he lost. Mo Udall ran for president. He lost. Bruce Babbit ran for president. And he lost. Speaking for myself, and [...]
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    Posted: August 27, 2008, 12:02pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Does Your Vote Count?

    Number of comments: 0
    I was listening to Ron Silver this morning on Sirius (Indie Talk, channel 110) and he was chatting with a caller about how people vote. The crux of the conversation is that many people don't vote for who they think is the best candidate. They vote for a candidate they [...]
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    Posted: August 20, 2008, 3:42pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • T-Mobile @ Home Experience

    Number of comments: 2
    About a week and a half ago, I signed up for T-Mobile's @Home phone service. For those of you who don't know what that is, it replaces your current home phone for $10 per month. Here's how it works: Instead of plugging into your phone line, it plugs into your [...]
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    Posted: August 07, 2008, 1:15pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Iraq Officialy Wants US Out - What Do We Do?

    Number of comments: 0
    I saw an article today that I just have to comment on.  It seems that the Iraqi government is officially demanding for a timetable for withdrawing US troops.  So what do we do at this point?  The current administration has been very adamant that timetables are wrong and will only [...]
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    Posted: July 08, 2008, 12:30pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Democrats, Oil Prices, and the Environment

    Number of comments: 0
    The Democrats have a bit of a problem right now.  Gas prices are shooting through the roof and they want to say they're doing something about it.  Their plan is a windfall tax on oil companies.  This tax (which the Republicans blocked so it probably won't happen anytime soon - [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2008, 12:33pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • Too Much Regulation Hurts A Free Market

    Number of comments: 0
    Keeping a free market going is a bit of a balancing act.  On the one hand, if it is entirely unregulated, monopolies start to form.  These monopolies will then prevent other businesses from competing by either buying them out or underselling them or something similar.  This in turn stifles innovation [...]
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    Posted: May 29, 2008, 10:54am EDT
    by Jeff

  • How Do We Help The Poor in America?

    Number of comments: 0
    Poverty is a tough issue.  Unfortunately, it's an issue that has been oversimplified.  Granted, it's really easy to oversimplify.  The conservatives tend to think that the poor should get jobs and work for a living like everybody else.  The liberals think it's unconscionable that a person starve and/or live on [...]
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    Posted: May 19, 2008, 10:26am EDT
    by Jeff

  • The Party of Opportunity

    Number of comments: 0
    Thanks to the leadership of Barak Obama, the Democratic Party has been effectively positioning themselves as "The Party of Hope".  However, when you look at their policies, it seems to really be the party of security (as in social security/social programs) or the party of entitlement.  I don't want to [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2008, 3:46pm EDT
    by Jeff

  • New Political Direction

    Number of comments: 0
    You know, knowledge is a funny thing. No matter how much we think we have, there's always more out there to get. No matter how well we think we understand something, there always seems to be more to it than that. Political issues are much the same; at least with [...]
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    Posted: May 13, 2008, 1:45pm EDT
    by Jeff
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