In Space, No One Considers You Unemployed

I have been silent too long.  The signs were everywhere, and I ignored them. 
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To the few of us left behind, please know...
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The aliens have returned

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Over the past several months I watched and hoped I was wrong, but to my great dismay, I knew the truth, and still I did nothing.  I am complicit in the lives cut short by this current hostile alien threat.
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I am sorry.
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In reviewing the major news headlines of last week I learned that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the U.S. unemployment rate fell from 6.7% to 6.3%.  Knowing that current economic conditions were unlikely to yield such a dramatic increase in employment, I did what I normally do, I went cruising the Internet for...  
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The Rest of the Story.
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Here's the headline from the Huffington Post, May 2, 2014:
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Yay!  Super!  Mission accomplished! Perhaps the President should go on another vacation?!?!? 

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There's only one teeny, weeny little problem with the above headline - there was much more data in associated A/P reporting which was NOT included in major Media coverage.  
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I found some of it at CBSlocal.com: 
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WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) — Despite the unemployment rate plummeting, more than 92 million Americans remain out of the labor force.

 .The unemployment rate dropped to 6.3 percent in April from 6.7 percent in March, the lowest it has been since September 2008 when it was 6.1 percent. The sharp drop, though, occurred because the number of people working or seeking work fell. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not count people not looking for a job as unemployed.

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The bureau noted that the civilian labor force dropped by 806,000 last month, following an increase of 503,000 in March.

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The amount (not seasonally adjusted) of Americans not in the labor force in April rose to 92,594,000, almost 1 million more than the previous month. In March, 91,630,000 Americans were not in the labor force.
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...
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The White House posted on its blog that businesses have added more than 9.2 million jobs over the past 50 months.

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And yet, almost 92 MILLION Americans ceased looking for work so they are NO LONGER COUNTED as unemployed.  This means that while the President is taking credit for the creation of 9.2 Million jobs, for every job HE claims he created, 10 'other' Americans are no longer looking for work.  They are the forgotten men and women of the U.S. Economy.  From a purely statistical perspective, they have ceased to 'be'.  

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Since President Obama took office, the Labor Participation Rate HAS held a steady, robust, trajectory (in this case, 'steady' can best be described as 'down' and to the 'right') as illustrated in this chart I just accessed at BLS.gov:
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There will be those who say that, "You cannot blame the current President for the lackluster performance of recovery following the Great Recession".  They'll say that, "You cannot fault the President for the 92 MILLION Americans who have given up on their search for the American Dream."
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To them I say, if I cannot blame the President's Economic policies, only one other plausible explanation for the number of people out of the American workforce remains...
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Alien Abduction

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I'm sure it's the prior Administration's fault, but Dude, seriously, that was like five years ago. Plus under Bush, when things were 'bad', 66.1% of Americans were in the work force.  
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Today, when things are 'good' only 62.8% of Americans consider themselves 'employable'.  
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That 3.3 percentage spread between then and now?  
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Yeah, I'm thinking it's 'Aliens'...  What other logical explanation remains?  If you've got another theory, lemme know, but do it quickly, while I'm still here.
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Let the Chips Implant Where They May

Trillions of dollars spent on a fundamentally flawed educational system, generations of unionized teachers, decades of the 'best and brightest' nurturing the wide-eyed youth of America, and, in the end?

I keep finding articles like this one from 'theweek.com':

Confused uninsured people thought ObamaCare meant getting microchip implants


One of the Obama administration's biggest obstacles to getting people enrolled in new health insurance plans was the daunting educational outreach effort necessary to inform people of what in the heck ObamaCare even was. With such a massive overhaul of the nation's health care system, there was bound to be mass confusion, misinformation, and plain old ignorance. And indeed, even late last month, six in ten uninsured adults didn't even know the deadline to enroll in ObamaCare was only a few days away; only two-thirds knew the Affordable Care Act required people to get insurance or face a fine.

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Yet a weekend feature from The New York Times exploring how the swirling uncertainty suppressed ObamaCare participation among the poor offers one of the most astounding tidbits to date: Some poor people believed signing up for ObamaCare involved having microchips implanted in their bodies, like something out of a dystopian science fiction film.


Despite a terrible rollout, ObamaCare still managed to crack its 7 million enrollment goal by April 1. That said, it's worth wondering if enrollments would have climbed even higher had there not been so much confusion surrounding the health care law.


Yup, I sure do hate confusion, don't you?

Perhaps if the law were 'somewhat less than 26,000 pages of regulation' it would have made it easier for the common man, woman, or child to understand it?  

Perhaps if the people inflicting this social experiment upon U. S. Citizens KNEW how it worked in advance, it would have made it easier for them to explain it to US?

Perhaps if the program offered insurance to those people who DID NOT HAVE insurance, and left the rest of our doctors, health care providers, and insurance plans alone, it may have been easier to communicate with those 35 Million Americans vs. the 310+ Million Americans who have yet to discover that they WILL BE IMPACTED by it within the next three years?

Perhaps having the Federal Government taking over an ADDITIONAL one-sixth of the US Economy was 'not such a great (new?) deal' after all?

Yeah, perhaps it was not...

But here's the thing - Whenever well-intentioned Progressive / Liberal types try to explain their failure, it's NEVER their fault.

But, if you follow the logic of their argument?  

It always is.

The author of the article above states that the mythical 7 Million Subscriber goal was reached, in spite of:

• Confusion
• Misinformation, and
• Plain old ignorance

Who wrote the law?  Whoops, we need an easier question than this to begin?  Answering the question of "The Meaning of Life" would be easier to review with you here.

Who passed the legislation?  Democrats in Congress and the President

Who rolled out the program?  The Federal Government

Who botched the messaging?  The Federal Government

Who fouled up the roll-out of the website?  The Federal Government

Who created the confusion?  The Federal Government

Who failed to educate US Citizens on the requirements of the Affordable Care Act?  The Federal (and State) Governments

Who set the educational standards for the citizens who 'get easily confused'?  State and Federal Government

Who is going to manage your health care moving forward? The Federal Government

The common thread running through each of the items above?  

The Federal Government's inability to implement, communicate, teach, and lead 'coherently'.

But don't worry, take comfort in the knowledge that the Federal Government's 'hive mind' is here for YOUR well-being - and, there are a LOT of them looking out for you...

You'll never be alone, ever again.

As for your health care, don't worry, you'll be just fine.

Just um, make sure to do what they say...

They know what's best for you.

Sometimes all you need to do is to just, "take a pill".

And Now an Easter Message from the Reverend Al Sharpton...

 

. "Hey kids, you smell that?" the man in the faded blue overalls asks the three kids walking at his side.
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The boys next to the man each lift their heads to sniff the cold spring morning's air.  "I smell something, but what is it Dad?" the youngest asks.
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"It's the smell of lunacy.  You'll want to hold your breath until we get past it..." the man says as he picks up speed.  "Hey, why don't we run for a while?"
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Eight pounding feet can be heard stomping off into the distance as the scene changes from a bright April morning to a cramped radio studio where two men can be seen speaking into microphones...   

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'Big Al' Sharpton stopped by to share his Easter message with Tom Joyner yesterday.  Typically when a devoutly religious man discusses Easter, the focus of the conversation has something to do with the life of Jesus, the message of his life, the sacrifice He made for us,  and his victory over death.
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Did I mention that this particular 'devoutly religious man' was Al Sharpton?  Oh, yes I see that I did.  
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This being said, let's join 'Reverend' Al Sharpton and Tom Joyner, already in progress...
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From the Washington Times Online:  Joining the “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” Mr. Sharpton said that his message for this Easter is that “no matter what the world may do to you unfairly, no matter how you’re crucified — nailed to the cross at home, or in your personal relationships, or on the job — that you can rise if you don’t lose yourself during the hard times and the challenges.”.
The reverend went on to say that Christ endured so much humiliation and unearned suffering leading up to his death, “because he knew he could rise.”
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Moos Note:  Yes, we should all PROBABLY STOP reading at this point, however, Big Al wasn't done.  He had more to say.  And gosh golly, we've got a few more seconds to listen, don't we?  It'd be impolite to leave now without listening to the Rev's Easter Message designed to inspire us all...
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“As I looked to President Obama at our convention last Friday, with all he took, he’s been able to rise politically again,” he concluded. 
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“I’m not comparing him to Jesus, but I am saying that to every crucifixion there is a resurrection for those that believe.”
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Yup, I'll just sit here quietly while you go ahead and digest that.
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Another well-intentioned Progressive Liberal Democrat guy just compared President Obama to...  The 'Risen Christ'.  
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Well, he DID kind-of-sort-of say this, just before he said that he wasn't, um, comparing Obama to, you know, the post-crucified... Christ.
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I'll need to remember this uniquely progressive scholarly technique for future blog posts.  I can say something and then immediately tell people that it's NOT what I was saying
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How about this?
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"Hey, did you ever notice that the guy who plays the Devil in the History Channel series, "The Bible", looks a LOT like the President of the United States?  Hey, I'm not saying that the President of the United States IS the Devil, but if this is what the Devil looks like, then the President sure does look a lot like him.  I am  NOT saying the President of the United States is Satan Incarnate - that would be crazy talk..."
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Yes, by all adopting the 'Reverend Al Defense' you can say whatever you want, just so long as you take it 'almost' immediately back.  It's the literary version of a mathematical equation where you put a '+' at one end of the equation and a '-' at the other end, netting the equation out to '0'. 
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But here's the dirty little secret I learned in a Psychology class years ago:
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Your mind cannot focus on the 'negative' of something.
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Por exemplo:  'The Easter Bunny is not blue and pink.'
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Your mind gleefully tosses out the negative, 'not' in the sentence and...
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Quick, what color is the Easter Bunny?
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Don't even try to tell me that you didn't 'go there' with the bunny you had rattling around in your head...
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It's simply the way humans are wired - we seek the positive, and we attempt to ignore the negative.  
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So in the future, if you WANT to say something goofy while buying your own 'Get out of Jail Free' card, just toss a 'not' into the mix, follow up with a 'but' somewhere down the line and you'll be Free and Breezy to make whatever spooky crazy comment you like without fear of sustainable ridicule later on.  This I know for sure.
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The only thing I don't for sure is WHY Barack Obama looks so much like Satan?  Not that he is the Devil of course, but he sure does look a lot like him...
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Happy Easter folks, I'm spending some time with the Family so I'll be offline for a bit.
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Enjoy your time with family.
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This weekend, let's just all get along, okay?
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If I Were Truly Evil

I have heard quite a bit over the past two weeks about the subject of Racism in America.  Supporters of the President have been saying that anyone who opposes his policies are doing so simply 'because they are Racist'.  The President, the Attorney General of the United States, and Nancy Pelosi have each come out in the last week to attack their political opponents as being 'Racist' in order to silence opposition to policies of this President.  

Just so we understand each other (or more specifically, so you understand 'me') I'd like to say something on the record so no one misinterprets a few of things which come later in this post... 

Racism is wrong.  (In LARGE print just so no one misses it)

My parents, my Catholic education, and my life experiences have taught me to treat everyone equally based upon 'who' they are (the content of their character) rather than 'what' they are (the color of their skin, place of birth, or nationality).  

And while I haven't heard from Him directly, based upon what I believe of God, Racism IS a sin, well, at least according to the Ten Commandments...  

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor" 

To me, this means that you do not lie by casting aspersions upon someone solely upon a physical attribute, a surname, or place of birth.  In my book, these things are categorized as lying.  

I have had faceless folks comment on my posts over the past six years who have labeled me as 'Racist' (yes, everyone HATES the Irish, the German, the Scots, and the Dutch, but after a while, you learn to live with the hate).  

I was deemed to be Racist not because of anything I have SAID or written, but because I chose to write statements disagreeing with the Policies of the President.  

According to them, I MUST only be opposing the President and his Party because I am...  Ahem, a RACIST!!! 

Years ago I heard an expression which has provided me with a fair amount of comfort during the past five years:   

"It is not the name you call me which defines me, but rather, it is the name I answer to which does..."   -- Author unknown

This being said, I believe that Evil comes in many forms and lately the most 'popular' form of Evil is Racism.

But Racism, is not the ONLY Evil in our World today.  

Evil has many faces, many hiding places, and as sure as I'm sitting here, just as I believe in Good, I also believe in Evil.

Call me Racist, or Evil if you like, but if...


I were TRULY Evil:

• I would minimize the value of life by advocating for the cause of abortion in the name of 'Choice'
• I would allow children to be born alive following a botched abortion and let them die alone
• I would legislate 'Diversity' pitting one race against another by focusing the Nation's attention to our perceived physical differences versus the vastness of our similarities
• I would make marriage 'open to interpretation' via the courts, discarding many generations of cultural 'norms'
• I would replace the Father as the head of the household by interjecting Government Social Programs to take the Dad's traditional place within the family
• I would teach children that they cannot be successful without Government Assistance, effectively killing off their desire to succeed on their own
• I would pay these 'wards of the state' just enough to assure their compliance and then financially reward them for giving more power to me, at the expense of the Nation
• I would lie about things which have happened
• I would lie about things which have not yet occurred
• I would use fear to bring about compliance consistent with my ideological beliefs
• I would encourage the use of alcohol and drugs to dull opposition to my policies
• I would ridicule Religion
• I would tell you that God is a fiction and that man is the only truth 
• I would ridicule Patriotism (other than my own version of it)
• I would control what you see and hear in the News so that my agents only tell you the story which I have crafted for them
• I would control the content of Education from the day a child is born until they are old enough to vote
• I would tell others that their life has no worth
• I would tell you that our Nation is ill-conceived and fundamentally flawed, requiring me to 'Fundamentally Transform' it to what it needs to be
• I would tell you of your own importance while persistently taking all that 'is important' away from you

Therefore, if I were Evil...

I would be a Liberal.

I would be a Progressive.

I would be a Democrat.

And if you've been around these parts for a while, that ain't me.

Live as best as you can.

Love without reservation.

Keep Family, Faith, and Hope alive.

Pray for our Nation and for each other.

We're all we have. 

And just for the record, none of us are getting out of here alive.

Sorry if this is the first time you're hearing this...