Follow The Money

The rich get richer taking their money elsewhere creating a downward spiral wherein the poor get poorer. Meanwhile, the moderate income taxpayer continues to get the squeeze.

Click over to Judy Hansen Commentary: Bankrupting Michigan.

Screwed and Scrooged Again! Obscenity and the Wealthy

The word obscene means different things to different people. I use the word in a variety of contexts. Today I use the word obscene to describe the rich fat cats of the financial and corporate world. Some people refer to those folks as the wealthy. I say they are obscenely rich. I direct your attention to the story contained in this embedded link.

2010 Top Ten Anti-Semitic Slurs

I have previously written a few times here in Roland Hansen Commentary about anti-Semitism. As much as this prejudice and discrimination against Jewish people (or Jews as some prefer to say) continues to rear its ugly head, it still never ceases to amaze me that many Americans refuse to recognize the fact that anti-Semitism is truly prevalent in the United States of America and indeed throughout the world. This refusal to acknowledge anti-Semitism reminds me of the stories I have heard and read about Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. I am also reminded of the Spanish Inquisition. As a person who is Jewish, I have personally experienced the effects of anti-Semitism on numerous occasions.

Recently, I received an interesing e-mail concerning anti-Semitism throughout the world entitled "ANTI-SEMITISM GOES MAINSTREAM - NEWS ALERT: SWC Releases its “TOP 10 ANTI-SEMITIC SLURS OF 2010” List" which had been forwarded to me. As I understand it, this list was initially put together by the Simon Weisenthal Center. I think Many peopple might be amazed to read it; and, others will simple refuse to read it because they really do not give a damn.

If you would care to read that of which I write, and read some actual anti-Semitic quotes of persons from around the world including the U.S.A., just click on the following:
2010 Top Ten Anti-Semitic Slurs

Feel free to give some feedback on all this. I certainly will be interested in reading your comments.

It is Monday. Go Meatless.

After having read the Judy Hansen Commentary Meatless Monday, my curiosity was aroused to learn even more about the Meatless Monday Initiative that has been getting attention.

There has been Meatless Monday in the Media. This whole Meatless Monday thing appears to have been started back in 2003 by the Hopkins School of Public Health.

It used to be that certain Christians had the practice of meatless Fridays; but, that pretty much went by the wayside. Now that there is the movement underfoot to go with Meatless Mondays, even Israelis are jumping on the meatless Mondays bandwagon.

So, people, go meatless. I say go further than just Mondays, though. Save an animal and go meatless every day. Eat Seaweed.

It is Chanukah!

To read what I have written on this, I respectfully request that you click on:
Chanukah Greetings Courtesy of Adam Sandler

Hack Yourself as recommended by Adam Hansen

Hey, this is not my post; and, truth be told, it really is not my son, Adam Hansen, who made the original posting.

However, Adam has made a posting on his blog that revisits someone else's work that is just so darn worthwhile, I thought I would share it with the readers of Roland Hansen Commentary.

Ready? Then, click on over to read Hack Yourself as recommended by Adam Hansen.

God Bless the TSA (Transportation Security Administration)

You gotta love the Transportation Security Administration, aka the TSA.
I just cannot understand all the people who are slamming the TSA. Did you know there are some folks who want to protest the thoroughness of the job that the Transportation Security Administration is performing in trying to assure the safety of all who fly the skies in the good ol' United States of America? Yes, indeed, these good Americans want to disrupt the rest of us in our air travel; they want to impede the TSA in the performance of its duty and thereby consequently delay all the airline passengers across all of America, or even causing innocent passengers to actually miss their flights.

Please, go on over to my other blog, Roland's Ramblings, to read The TSA (Transportation Security Administration) Watches Out For Our Safety.

The protesters allege that our right of privacy is being abridged by the new TSA procedures. What these folks fail to understand is that there is no such thing as a constitutional right for privacy, per se. Constitutionally speaking, there is no broad general expressed right to privacy or right of privacy in the United States Constitution.

None-the-less, in regards to an implied right of privacy, there are decisions of the United States Supreme Court interpreting various sections of the Constitution and applying those interpretations to certain types of situations. Generally, speaking however, none of those situations really apply the right of privacy for an individual in a setting that involves the public at large. As an example, an individual may generally expect an implied constitutional right of privacy to be applicable to conversations taking place in a person's private home or even conversations held on a person's land-line home telephone; but, there is no express or implied constitutional right to privacy that is applicable to conversations being held over a cordless telephone that uses public radio airwaves.

Commercial airlines are available to the general public. Air travel is conducted in the skies of the public air routes. Why on Earth or above the Earth should anyone expect any right to privacy? Come to think of it, why should anyone even think they have the right to wear clothing at anytime during the process of participating in air travel?

This whole thing about a constitutional right of privacy is clear as mud!

Are You A Sarah Palin Fan?

Little Johnny is not a Palin fan

A teacher asked her 6th grade class how many of them were Palin fans. Not really knowing what a Palin fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny.

The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different... again.

Little Johnny said, "Because I'm not a Palin fan."

The teacher asked, "Why aren't you a fan of Palin?"

Johnny said, "Because I'm a Democrat."

The teacher asked him why he's a Democrat.

Little Johnny answered, "Well, my Mom's a Democrat and my Dad's a Democrat, so I'm a Democrat."

Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, "If your mom were a moron and your dad were an idiot, what would that make you?"

With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, "That would make me a Palin fan."

MY VOTE IS FOR JOHNNY.

p.s. My thankful appreciation goes out to Jerry Rosen for bringing this cute little story to my attention.
Incidentally, I think that Little Johnny is wise way beyond his years.

Good Things, Objective and Subjective

This entry is not the usual Roland Hansen Commentary. In fact, it is not a Roland Hansen Commentary at all.

Instead, I would like to direct you over to the blog of Nina Amir that is called As The Spirit Moves Me in order that you may read her blog entry about objective good and subjective good:
Is What You Want "Good" For You?

I pretty well think that most people could learn a lesson or two from reading that writing of Nina Amir and take it to heart.

The 17th Amendment and The United States Senate

The history of government of the United States of America is quite interesting as it also continues to be an ever-evolving story. The original form of government with its subsequent changes, the creation of the Senate along with the change in how Senators have been chosen coupled with current proposals in the selection of Senators has got me pondering.

It was the Second Continental Congress that approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. However, it was not until 1781 that the United States of America adopted its first form of national government under the Articles of Confederation. While each state was granted much independence, the Articles of Confederation did not provide the national government with the authority to make the states work together to solve national problems. Under this early form of federalism, early Americans were not all that happy with the national government and decided a change was needed. Consequently, the call for governmental change resulted in throwing out the government entirely with the adoption of a new form of government under the Constitution of the United States in 1789.

Article 1 of the Constitution is known as the legislative article because it establishes the national legislature for the United States. In compliance with this article of the Constitution, the national legislature is composed of a two-chamber Congress consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as stated in Article 1, Section 1: “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”

According to the Article 1 Section 1 of the Constitution, members of “the House of Representatives shall be … chosen … by the people of the several states, …” with each state having proportionate representation, i.e. each state having its number of representatives determined proportionately by the size of its population.

In regards to the Senate, the Constitution provided that each state shall have two senators regardless of the population size. Additionally, the Constitution stipulated that those senators were to be chosen by each state legislature. Section 3 of Article 1 states, in part: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each state, chosen by the legislature thereof, ....“

Note that the Constitution as ratified in 1789 provided that each state be allowed two senators with each state legislature choosing those two senators. This is how United States Senators were chosen for the next 124 years.

It was in 1913 that the 17th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. It is the 17th Amendment, adopted 124 years after the Constitution of the United States was ratified, that changed the manner in which United States Senators are chosen. It is the 17th Amendment that took the responsibility, authority, and power of electing senators from the state legislatures. It is the 17th Amendment that gave the power of electing Senators directly to the people of the states. Amendment 17 to the United States Constitution states, in part: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two senators from each state, elected by the people thereof … “

Now, 97 years later, there is a group of people, most of whom have aligned themselves with the Tea Party movement, who wish to change the method of choosing Senators by going back to the original method of having Senators chosen by the individual state legislatures.

So, if we are to essentially repeal the 17th Amendment, are we taking a step backwards or are we correcting the error of our ways to go back so that we may move forward?

I have heard some pundits criticize this proposal of having the state legislatures choosing U.S. Senators as taking away the right of people to vote. If we return to that method of selecting Senators, do the people really lose power? In our republican government, our representative democracy, are not the state legislators elected by the people and empowered to act on the behalf of the people? If we do not trust our state legislators, why did we elect them? If it concerns a matter of having a direct vote and a direct voice, why do we have a representative democracy, why not just go to a direct democracy form of government?

Why do we keep going back and forth about how we select members of the United States Senate? I get so confused with the arguments, pro and con. Do we want a representative democracy, a direct democracy, or what?

University of Toledo: More BS, as in BULL

With the University of Toledo being the topic of Roland Hansen Commentary today, a reference to BS might refer to Bachelor of Science; but, that is not the case.

I just read with great interest a story from The Independent Collegian. After having read the article, all I can sputter is "What a bunch of BS!" (Hint: the "B" stands for "bull" and the "S" - well, you can fill that in for yourself.)

Tell you what. Click on over to read Board approves restructuring plan, University to be reorganized into new colleges and schools; implementation process to begin by Hasan Dudar; and then, tell me of your reaction.

Ya know? This is not the first Roland Hansen Commentary about the University of Toledo. I have made several blog entries about the University of Toledo. To get the flavor of my perspective of U.T. under the watch of Lloyd Jacobs, you might click over to read these three previous commentaries of mine:
University of Toledo: A Non-Responsive Bureaucracy
University of Toledo: A Success As A Failure OR A Failure At Success?
University of Toledo: President Dr. Lloyd Jacobs Should Resign Or Be Fired

There are more Roland Hansen Commentary entries about U.T. that you may read; and if you so desire, go ahead and knock your socks off. But, I think you catch my drift.

Postnote: The University of Toledo is a great place to learn, thanks to its excellent faculty and faculty support staff, and no thanks to (or should that be "despite"?) its administration

Consumer Alert: 760-284-4698 Scam By Telephone

Most people are aware that I have two places that I call home. One is the home of my legal residence in Toledo, Ohio. The other is my little retirement home in Dreamland Villa, a 55 plus community in a Maricopa County island of Arizona surrounded by the municipality of Mesa where I am at the moment.

Well, the other day, I received a telephone call from my brother, who lives in my Toledo house. He was frantic and was quite distraught. He started out with, "I do not know if you are in trouble or not; but there was a telephone call that I answered that, as it turned out, was for you. I took a message and promised the caller that I would give it to you."

He then proceeded to give me the message, as paraphrased and summarized below:

"A fellow using the name Frank Jefferson telephoned. He said his name was 'Frank Jefferson' but he spoke with a really strange accent that sounded like it might be East Indian. He said that a friend of yours (note from Roland: name being withheld to protect the innocent) is involved in some legal matters with American Cash Advance and since you (Roland) are named as a reference that you are equally involved. He aid that it is very important for you to call him back at the telephone number of 1-760-284-4698 or you can be in real trouble."

Wow! That is some heavy stuff, but something just did not seem correct. I, mean, give me a break - How could I be in trouble just by being named as a reference for someone else? I figured no way I will call this 'Frank Jefferson' person until I let my friend know about the call. I had absolutely no clue as to why either my friend or I would be involved in legal matters with American Cash Advance. I thought my friend might be able to shed some light on this.

Meanwhile, Sherlock Roland decided to let his fingers do the walking on the computer keyboard connected to the internet armed with trusty Google. So, into the google search space went the telephone number that was to supposedly be this 'Frank Jefferson' character.

Lo and Behold! Upon seeing the results, I got all kinds of warnings that it is a big scam to get money by fraudulent means. I thought I should share this information with everyone I can and to advise you all:
BE CAREFUL. IT IS A SCAM!

Here, click on over to the following embedded link to take a look for yourself at the Google search results for the telephone number 760-284-4698.

This is a public service announcement of Roland Hansen Commentary.

Seeking Intelligent Life

It is often said that astronomers, other natural scientists, and some other enthusiasts on Earth are seeking intelligent life in the Universe. Hell, I would be happy if we found some intelligent life right here on Earth.

I mean, come on people, look around you and do so objectively. How many people do you know actually have any real level of “smartness” sufficiently enough to be labeled as intelligent? Now, take another look around you, and tell me how many people you know that you have at sometime thought to yourself “Wow, he (or she) is really dumb (or stupid)!” Come on; be honest.

In everyday contacts with people and in observing others, I bet most people who read Roland Hansen Commentary think the majority of folks are dumb. Chances are good that there is not a majority of people who can be called intelligent. Chances are that most people around us do not keep current on the affairs of their community, let alone the affairs of the nation. Chances are that most Americans do not even know the basics of our governmental system. Chances are that the bulk of Americans have absolutely no understanding neither of the authorities, responsibilities, or of the limitations of the various branches and levels of government, nor of our elected officials.

And yet, these are the very same people who elect our leaders, our representatives, and all the other various elected officials. These are the same people who constantly slam and criticize our government and cry about those who have been put into office through the electoral process. My, gosh! Stop and think. The elected officials who comprise our government are a reflection of the American electorate. To those people who are so critical of our government, of our elected officials, I say, look in a mirror. What do you see? It certainly does not reflect any intelligence on your part. I say, if you are intelligent, you would realize that all our elected officials are smarter than the majority of people; otherwise, you tell me how the elected official got there in the first place.

Oh, I cannot believe the lack of intelligence that permeates the American citizenry! The other day, I saw a campaign sign for a candidate to the state legislature with a few key phrases on it that left me scratching my head. A little elaboration of that perplexing and confounding political sign: One phrase stated “better schools” and yet we elect boards of education for that important function; another phrase stated “lower taxes” but did not say what public services should be eliminated as a result of decreased public revenues; and another phrase on that sign proclaimed “create new jobs” and yet that candidate was of the political party that professes the government should stay out of the affairs of private business enterprises advocating that capitalism of the marketplace regulate itself and should set its own pace.

Give me a break! How stupid! And yet, the public falls for such irrationalism. People lack the intelligence to properly read (or listen) and interpret the real message. People lack the ability to think for themselves. People also lack the initiative to obtain the facts for themselves. All they do is react. That is why negative advertising in campaigns works so well. The receivers of the negative campaign ad do not stop to process the information; they just knee jerk, saying “yeah, that’s right” and then vote for the other candidate without ever taking the time to gather objective information in order to intelligently assess that “other” candidate.

I dare say, none of those people even read Roland Hansen Commentary or any other material that requires their attention and mental processing. Most people are just too damn lazy; they prefer to complain and criticize and moan and groan and attack the few people who do have intelligence and initiative and a sense of real, true public service.

I am seeking intelligent life. Who wants to help me in my quest?

Religion and Politics

Religion and politics do not mix, just like oil and vinegar do not mix. Or at least religion and politics should not mix, regardless of all the so-called "good Americans" who think their personally held religious beliefs should control our everyday lives here in the United States of America. However, people do mix religion and politics, in the same way as they mix oil and vinegar, as described in part of the article to which I linked in the opening sentence, "There is a way to make oil and vinegar combine. For example, if you were to get grease on your hands..."

As I wrote over on my Roland's Ramblings blog:

Out of respect for the First Amendment, I cannot help but have the opinion that candidates for elective office, especially those persons who seek election to the United States Congress, and/or those who already hold elective office, should keep religion out of politics.

I found an article in Wikipedia to be very interesting and I highly suggest you click on over to read:
Religion and politics in the United States

It seems to me that some people think that their religion is the correct one and that everyone else should conform to their religious beliefs. Gee, if memory serves me correctly, I learned at a very early age in elementary school history class that the early colonists came to the New World in order to escape religious persecution and oppression and to safely observe their own religious beliefs.

Political conservatives and many persons who have embraced the Tea Party movement seem to have forgotten that very basic principal of the United States of America as they try to force their religious beliefs on others who do not share the same religious beliefs, things like prayer in school, returning CHRIST in xMas, declarations that the USA is a Christian nation, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera (as Yul Brynner said in The King and I).

It is my passionately held opinion that religion and politics do not mix and that religion and politics should be separate. "And now you know… the rest of the story." as told by me. This is (with all due respect to Paul Harvey) Roland Hansen ............. Good Day!

The Cost of a Colonoscopy

Okay, many people I know keep saying that a person of a certain age should get a colonoscopy at regular intervals just as a preventive medicine health care measure. I understand the necessity for a person at risk, i.e. for someone in which a health problem is medically suspected; but to have a colonoscopy on a regular, just because basis, I don't know. Especially when I see what the costs are for a colonoscopy.

Recently, my wife, Judy, was in need of a colonoscopy due to medical necessity in that the primary care physician suspected some problems after a physical examination and the return of some medical tests. I will not even go into the costs of these preliminary exams and tests.

However, I feel compelled to tell you about the costs of the colonoscopy including the associated costs of the removal of the five polyps that were discovered and removed during the process of the colonoscopy itself. All total, there have been five different medical providers involved. i.e. the surgeon, the facility, the anesthesiologist, the laboratory, and the pathologist.

Are you ready?

$3517.83 or $1363.10, depending upon how you look at it.

If a person has no medical insurance, the medical providers would make that person pay $3517.83 out of his or her own pocket.

But, if a person has the same medical insurance as I do, the medical providers would accept $1363.10 as payment in full. In our situation, my insurance company paid $729.90 and we paid $633.20 out of our own pocket. The medical providers actually wrote off $2154.73 of their charges because - - - well, basically because the insurance company said the medical providers were overcharging by that much.

This is a summary of that of which I just wrote:
Amount billed: $3517.83
Amount allowed: $1363.10
Insurance paid: $729.90
We paid: $633.20
Written off: $2154.73

If you want to know the details of all that, like how each of those line items are broken down by medical providers, go over to read my comments on Judy Hansen Commentary Medical Cost Ripoff and see the precise amount for each of the medical providers --- and I name names.

A person without health insurance would have to pay $3517.83 for a colonoscopy and removal of polyps. But, as you can see in the case of Judy, those same medical providers are willing to accept $1363.10 as payment in full for persons who have insurance such as mine. That means the person without insurance is charged $2154.73 more than a person with my type of medical insurance. HECK, for the uninsured, that is almost three times as much as it is for the insured. That kind of gouging of the uninsured by the medical providers is a real pain in the ---, just like a hemorrhoid.

I will never ever understand the compassionless political Conservatives and Republicans who think it is all right for low and moderate income people without adequately sufficient health insurance to go without needed health care because of the expensive, overpriced American Health Care Industry.

I do not need to go on with my thoughts on that particular matter because, as my regular readers may recall, I have written a previous Roland Hansen Commentary about health care in the United States.

Sarah Palin: Harmful to Women's Causes

Jill Miller Zimon is a woman I admire. Jill Miller Zimon is a real leader, a true thinker, an active advocate, and a genuine champion of women.

To me, Jill Miller Zimon is "She Who Could Be President" - SWCBP.
Or maybe,
I should proclaim Jill Miller Zimon: SWSBP - "She Who Should Be President."

Not so for Sarah Palin, "She Who Wishes To Be President" aka SWWTBP.

Read what Jill Miller Zimon has written about Sarah Palin in regards to advancing the social and political positions and causes of women. Just click on over to:
Palin Continues To Damage Women While Others Spend Time, Money To Help Them

In my opinion, it just seems to me that Paling Palin is harmful to women's causes. Speaking of women's causes, I would like to suggest you check out the website of Women for Women International.

Obituary: Dave Schulz; Toledo, Ohio; R.I.P.

Do you remember the Roland Hansen Commentary of June 5, 2010 concerning Dave Schulz of Toledo, Ohio?

If you do remember that entry about Dave Schulz, that is fine. If you do not remember that entry about Dave Schulz, that is fine, also.

Whether you remember or not, you can read it now by clicking onto this:
Dave Schulz: Toledo Politico Aspirant.

Well, it has now been almost 3 months since I wrote that piece concerning Dave Schulz. And still, no word from Dave Schulz, the 'wannabe' elected official in Toledo, Ohio. To me, the non-responsiveness of Dave Schulz from Toledo, Ohio to the request about which I wrote in the Roland Hansen Commentary Dave Schulz: Toledo Politico Aspirant is indicative of his lack of desire to have open, honest, transparent communications with the citizens of Toledo, Ohio. Either that, or he has 'passed away' from this world.

Whether Dave Schulz has 'passed away' from this world or just plain does not care is not relevant to me; Dave Schulz is now considered by me to have 'passed away' from my world in the political sense. This Roland Hansen Commentary, then, is my political obituary for Dave Schulz of Toledo.

Consequently, I have now withdrawn the request about which I wrote in the Roland Hansen Commentary Dave Schulz: Toledo Politico Aspirant.

Political Obituary
Dave Schulz
Toledo, Ohio
R.I.P.

Glenn Beck. God Save Us.

I ain't sayin' nuttin.
Someone else is; or rather, some one else is writing about Glenn Beck to the point of connecting the name of Glenn Beck to the descriptive noun of neo-Nazi.

Go read the Outrage blog entry God Save Us with its embedded link on Glenn Beck.

Now, I ask you: Do you have any comments to make?

Ignorant People Believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim

You have read the title of this Roland Hansen Commentary correctly. As the title explicitly declares, "Ignorant People Believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim."

Regardless of the facts, people believe what they want to believe. Well, what are the facts about Barack Obama and his religious beliefs?

Snopes.com, the website that investigates rumors and then reports on whether the rumor is true or false, had addressed the rumor concerning Barack Obama being a Muslim more than two years ago. Move your computer mouse over and then click to read that report, "Who is Barack Obama?".

Despite all the facts to the contrary, despite factual information distributed by numerous sources on numerous occasions in numerous forms to educate the American public, despite all the repeated efforts to dispel the false belief that President Barack Obama is a Muslim, the number of people who actually believe that President Obama is a Muslim has increased.

For example, read some excerpts from the latest poll from The Pew Forum On Religion & Public Life:

A new national survey by the Pew Research Center finds that nearly one-in-five Americans (18%) now say Obama is a Muslim ...

Roughly a third of conservative Republicans (34%) say Obama is a Muslim, as do 30% of those who disapprove of Obama’s job performance. ...

The belief that Obama is a Muslim has increased most sharply among Republicans (up 14 points since 2009), especially conservative Republicans (up 16 points). But the number of independents who say Obama is a Muslim has also increased significantly (up eight points). ...

Click over to read the entire report:
Growing Number of Americans Say Obama is a Muslim.

I am telling you in very simple plain language,
Ignorant people believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim.

Let your computer mouse move on over and click to read:
Barack Hussein Obama: Once a Muslim, Always A Muslim by Debbie Schlussel, debbieschlussel.com;
(Reverend) Franklin Graham: Obama born a Muslim, a Christian Now by Sarah Pulliam Bailey, ChristianityToday Politics Blog;
President Obama: Muslim Missionary by Chuck Norris, Townhall.com; and finally,
31% of Republicans believe Barack Obama is Muslim from POLITICO.

And yet, the question still remains:
Is Barack Obama Muslim?

And once again, I proclaim:
Ignorant people believe President Barack Obama is a Muslim.

Costco and Bahar BBQ Catering

It appears to me that Bahar BBQ Company has endorsed Costco chicken. What an endorsement of Costco and its famous Costco Rotisserie Chicken!

Bahar BBQ Catering proudly proclaims on its website that it "caters for corporate and social events, weddings and any other special and celebratory events in life."

Amongst other things, including its menu along with some very appetizing, mouth-watering, pretty pictures of prepared food items, he website also states:

"Welcome to the home of great-tasting BBQ!

BBQ catering service in Toronto and surrounding area is our speciality and we are proud of serving fabulous food; we are an institution that’s been pleasing the discerning palates of our customers in Europe and North America for over 30 years.
We use only the freshest, top quality ingredients and slow cook all meats to lock in the delicious flavor that’s associated with our name...."

Wonder of wonders, you say! I bet you wonder why I postulate that Bahar BBQ Catering has endorsed Costco and its famous Costco Chicken.

Well, dear readers, to understand that premise, you need to read:
Costco Chicken from Judy's Jewels
and
Is Bahar BBQ Catering a Fraud? from Roland's Ramblings

Gee, I wonder how many other catering firms and individual Costco customers have made an endorsement of Costco chicken.

At the very least, it does seem as though Bahar BBQ Catering has partnered with Costco in its (Bahar BBQ) catering business venture.

Car Deal Shams

I am so angered by the alleged car deals being foisted on the American public! Most of these so-called car deals are nothing but shams.

I really got peeved by the advertising campaign I first noticed a few months ago of the Yark Automotive Group in Toledo, Ohio when they claimed they would pay off the car a person used as a trade-in for a new car.

Bullfeathers! as Teddy Roosevelt would say.

Yark Automotive Group does not pay off the trade-in car. That is a bald-faced lie! Well, they do pay it off in a way, but they do so with money the customer borrowed from a new lender to give to Yark for the new car purchase. You see, the car dealer sets the customer up with a lending company who in turn rolls the balance of the trade-in car, i.e. the payoff, over into a loan the customer takes out for the new car. The balance of the old car loan is paid to the former lender by the car dealer who gets the money from the new lender who in turn adds that amount to the new car loan that the customer takes out - AND now you may even be paying more interest than you had been paying before on the previous loan.

I do not know how Yark Automotive Group and others just like them can get away with what I consider to be false or misleading advertising. Where are the consumer advocacy groups and government watchdogs on this one? Shame on all of them for letting the auto dealers bait and trick and financially gouge the American buying public. And shame on the auto dealers for being less than honest. Is it no wonder that the stereotype of the car salesperson is that of a sleaze-ball?

Then, there are the other shams in the auto sales industry. Take for example all these good offers that you can read about in the Yahoo online article Best Car Deals: August 2010.

Well, I consider them shams, even if you do not. Why? You may ask me that question or not. Makes no difference to me. I am going to tell you regardless of whether you ask.

Think of the phrase: "Show me the money." Now, stop and think a minute about cash on the barrelhead when purchasing a new automobile and these car deals in that article to which I linked. Where is the deal for the person who does not plan to finance the purchase of the car. It seems to me as though all those deals, in one way or another, are geared toward the customer who goes into debt. With the gimmicks used by the automobile sales industry and others, such as the real estate industry and credit card companies, is it no wonder that America is in such terrible financial difficulties?

Car dealers, I say to you:
Give me a real, true, honest to goodness deal. Better yet, just lower the damn inflated car prices to something that is realistic for the buying public and that will still provide a fair profit to the car sales industry. Oh, yeah, the same goes for trucks and motorcycles.

Universal Health Care in the United States Long Overdue

"Medical providers gouge non-insured people. Capitalistic swine that they are. ...
How dare, I SAY HOW DARE, the anti-universal heath care supporters advocate the denial of adequate health care for all Americans regardless of their economic abilities!!! I wonder if any of those tea-party type people have been in the position of needing necessary health care but were unable to get it because they either had no insurance or could not afford to pay for it themselves."

The above quotation is just part of a comment I made in response to an entry from Judy Hansen Commentary.
You may read Judy's entire entry and my complete response to it by going on over to:
Medical Cost Ripoff

Oh, by the way, if you did not previously read, or do not remember reading, a commentary I made a few years ago, I suggest you click on over now to read the Roland Hansen Commentary: Giuliani Illness Insurance Plan.

American Government Reflects The People

I am so darn sick and tired of the apathetic, crybaby, complaining Americans who want to blame "The Government" for all the ills in American society. You know, the ones who keep yelling that we are supposed to have "government of the people, by the people, for the people" and yet they have no clue how our system of government (called federalism) works.

These are the same type of people who blame the "terrible" two-party system for the "crooked politicians" in office and corruption in government.

There are so many people who scream for more "Independents" to be elected. What would happen if all "Independent" candidates or even a lot of "Independents" got elected? They would all have different perspectives on the issues, different ideas on that in which our government should be involved, different approaches to obtain solutions, and so on and so forth. How would they ever agree on anything, good or bad?

Do these complainers not know how a republic, a representative democracy, works? I mean, come on people, the United States is not a direct democracy; nor does the U.S.A. have a parliamentary form of government.


For goodness' sake, I wonder if all these supposed outraged Americans ever took the time to truly be actively involved in the political process. How many of these crybabies actually vote, or better yet, how many of the "We need more Independents" proponents have ever gone out and actively worked for an "Independent" candidate? How are independent-minded aspiring politicians ever going to be elected if "The People" do not work on behalf of "Independent" candidates?

The moaning groaning typical American and those people involved in the Tea Party movement need to bone up on the American politics, the American electoral process, and on the basics of American Government.

In the United States, it really is "government of the people, by the people, for the people" - the people being those who actively participate in electoral politics. All the others are just mindless drones.

The American people get the government they deserve. After all, it is the government that got into power by a vote of the people.

Just Blowing Smoke...: The Rules of Laws

Immigration, illegal immigration, and immigration reform are all hot buttons in the realm of present-day American politics.

Charges of racial profiling, prejudice, and discrimination are being shouted from the mountaintops.

The State of Arizona seems to be at the epicenter of the debate on the very polarizing issue of American public policy regarding legal and illegal immigration.

Yes, indeed, it is all very emotional. And yet, should such debate be based on emotions or is the debate better served by taking a more rational approach?

Perhaps, you just may find the answer to the preceding question by reading:
Just Blowing Smoke...: The Rules of Laws

I know I did. A tip of the hat to Tim Higgins.

mud_rake

Okay, so some people are wondering what the Hmmm ..... entry here on Roland Hansen Commentary is about.

Okay, for you then, I will tell you.

It is about a gutless slimeball troll who goes by the pseudonym of mud_rake.

I have saved some of the dialogues and postings of that worthless piece of fecal matter and am now placing copies of some them here for you to read for yourself so that you may hopefully understand why I do not allow comments by the scum mud-rake or any other trolls and flamers.

Here is some of the dialogue and comments made by the a-hat over on Glass City Jungle:

July 3rd, 2007
The Scarlett Golf Outing…Strippers or Waitress

mud_rake Said: @1:36 pm
One thing that this event proved: Domenic Montalto continues to reign as the local Dem’s most dopey figure [and there are a lot of candidates for this spot].


July 3rd, 2007
Press Release: Lucas County Democratic Party on Golf Outing…

mud_rake Said: @8:09 pm
He’s the consummate politician. He knows that his position is safe because Chris Redfern is incompetent.

Roland Hansen Said: @8:30 pm
Chris Redfern — why in the world would his name be brought into this?

mud_rake Said: @7:44 am
To Ronald Hansen: Redfern is the incompetent head of the Ohio Democratic Party who has not been able to reign in the shenanigans of the LCDP.

Roland Hansen Said: @1:14 pm
Hey mude_rake,
My name is Roland, not Ronald. I have a brother by the name of Ronald, and I would not wish that he be attributed to remarks that I make.
Now, in regards to the topic at hand:
To the best of my knowledge, Chris Redfern as Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party organization has no legitimate authority over the 88 county Democratic party organizations just as the Governor of Ohio has no legitimate authority over the elected officials in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. These are all separate entities with each having its own electoral jurisdictions.
I ask that you cite the rules, regulations, policies, organizational constitution, bylaws, or whatever that give Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party authority over the elected leadership of the County Democratic Party.
While you are most assuredly entitled to your opinion, I believe you need to provide some objective facts to be credible in your allegation.

Roland Hansen Said: @9:46 am
Hey mude_rake, UH, I mean mud_rake, aka Man with the Muck-rake,
Have you got those facts for me, yet?
By the way, aren’t these your own words: “One blunder after the other has caused them to loose …. credibility.”
I am calling for you to establish your credibility with facts as opposed to allegation, innuendo, speculation, name-calling, sarcasm, and the like.
I’m trying to establish whether your commentary is legitimate or just flaming.

Roland Hansen Said: @9:39 pm
Mud must be on someone’s face. The silence is deafening. Facts are absent. Seems to make one blunder after another. Maybe, it is just plain easy for mud and misinformation to be thrown rather than to base opinion on fact.
Give us the facts, not conjecture, supposition, and malinformed perspective. Yellow journalism I can do without.


July 5th, 2007
Allison Perz blames Carty for the delay in Charter School opening…

mud_rake Said: @3:17 pm
Perz and Carty: two scam artists

Roland Hansen Said: @4:59 pm
Can the name-calling mud_rake ever provide some contributing positive commentary rather than the constant barrage of derogatory insults?
Or, at a bare minimum, can mud_rake stop flaming and at least provide some thoughtful commentary of any kind? Even negative commentary can be constructive if done in a manner that uses cognitive processes.

mud_rake Said: @8:52 pm
Mr. Hansen: Sure, come over to my blog. By the way, neither of these two people deserve more than I said about them.
Perhaps you could give us a few postive comments about each of them.
For me, nuff said about these two clowns.

Roland Hansen Said: @9:06 pm
Wow, mud_face, I mean mud_rake, your credibility is now nonexistent. Fools call other persons clowns when they themselves need to belittle others in order to feel good about themselves. Small minds deserve small places.
Been to your blog, won’t be back. The National Enquirer is more credible than you. Regardless, I prefer not to read trash.

mud_rake Said: @8:13 am
Last evening I was trying to figure out Mr. Hansen’s sudden anger with my postings. Then it dawned on me: over in Toledo Talk many weeks ago, I challenged one of his postings.
Apparently Mr. Hansen keeps a record of folks like me who dare challenge his perspective.
But, LisaRenee does not deserve this babble on her blog. Come over to my posting today [Friday] and the two of us can hash it out.


July 5th, 2007
McNamara V Irish…Szollosi…WSPD…”Strippergate” and Trash…

mud_rake Said: @8:13 pm
What a bunch of garbage, literally. This city takes 3 steps backwards for every one foreward. No wonder the voters don’t come out on election day.

Roland Hansen Said: @8:56 pm
Even more trash from mud_slinger, er I mean mud_rake.
The maker of mud pie should step up to the plate and become a candidate for elective office. Slinging mud is easy. Criticizing others is easy. Being the eternal pessimist is easy. Hiding behind a pseudonym is easy. Taking cheap pot shots from the shadows of anonymity is easy.
Talk is cheap. Stand up and be counted. Run for office. Show us what you got.

Roland Hansen Said: @9:57 pm
I love FACTUAL information!

And here is a copy of the mud-rake trash that I deleted from Roland Hansen Commentary:

mud_rake has left a new comment on your post "Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan: Facing anti-Sem...":
Sorry, Roland, to see that your blog has been infected by Barb and Jeanette. They bring a very stubborn and intolerant virus with them that is very difficult to eliminate.
Best wishes on effectively disposing of said pests.
Posted by mud_rake to Roland Hansen Commentary at July 12, 2010 9:42 AM

mud_rake has left a new comment on your post "Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan: Facing anti-Sem...":
...I even called the Orkin Man but he couldn't help, either.
Posted by mud_rake to Roland Hansen Commentary at July 12, 2010 1:30 PM


mud_rake has left a new comment on your post "Sandy Isenberg, Political Hack and Big Time Loser":
What is your present-day beef with Isenberg? She's gone, out of the political arena. What made you choose to go off on her?
Posted by mud_rake to Roland Hansen Commentary at July 14, 2010 10:01 PM

mud_rake has left a new comment on your post "I Told You So: Lucas County Democratic Party and U...":
I notice that you deleted my comment. Any particular reason? Or did Maggie tell you to?
Posted by mud_rake to Roland Hansen Commentary at July 15, 2010 7:13 PM

mud_rake has left a new comment on your post "Sandy Isenberg, Political Hack and Big Time Loser":
You, Mr. Hansen, are also a political hack by not allowing my comments. What a fraud you are.
Posted by mud_rake to Roland Hansen Commentary at July 16, 2010 4:04 PM

mud_rake has left a new comment on your post "Conklin and Company with Sandy Isenberg: Disservic...":
Wow! BFD!
Posted by mud_rake to Roland Hansen Commentary at July 20, 2010 10:50 PM

Apparently mud_rake the troll cannot read the message up there by the header of Roland Hansen Commentary that was specially put there for him and others such as he. As you can see, it reads:

Trolling Not Allowed
Comments from anonymous trolls are not permitted and are deleted if posted by the offending pest.

Do you understand why mud-rake and others like mud_rake are not welcome here on Roland Hansen Commentary?

It is that type of sleazeball who is allowed to post on Glass City Jungle that brought about my disillusionment with that blog and why I have chosen not to participate on that blog.

Oh and by the way, the information contained in the Roland Hansen Commentary "Hmmm ....." is what I was able to discover about the originating location of the the comments being made by mud_rake here on my Roland Hansen Commentary blog.

Hmmm .....

I wonder who this may be:

Domain Name adelphia.net internic.net (Network)
IP Address 24.53.140.# (Comcast Cable)
ISP Comcast Cable
Location
Continent North America
Country United States
State Ohio
City Chillicothe
Lat/Long 39.3335, -83.0168

Give ya three guesses; the first two don't count.

Conklin and Company with Sandy Isenberg: Disservice to Community

I do not agree with the "Conklin and Company" television program hosted by Lee Conklin having Sandy Isenberg referring to her as a political analyst on the weekly program. IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT!

When it comes to the subject politics and political science, I am not without a clue. I do have some background in the field having taught political science classes at the University of Toledo and at Owens Community College. Additionally, I am an inductee of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Honor Society for Political Science and also an inductee of Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Administration. Not to mention that I have experience as the Political Action Chairman of a major organization, been the campaign manager of quite a few candidates, worked on many campaigns for issues, and have run for elective office on seven occasions winning three times. I have a pretty good idea of what a real political analyst does in the real world; and, it is not what Sandy Isenberg does.

I am of the strongly held opinion that the producers of Conklin and Company are denigrating true political analysts every time they refer to Sandy Isenberg as one of that elite group of people. The producers at 13abc WTVG-TV Toledo, OH are doing a disservice to the community by leading the viewers into thinking that Sandy Isenberg is a "political analyst" - in my opinion, Sandy Isenberg is nothing more than a walking and talking loud mouth yenta, plain and simple.

Sandy Isenberg with her roof and ethics isn't credible in any way, shape, or form.

Sandy Isenberg, Political Hack and Big Time Loser

This Roland Hansen Commentary has been brewing for quite some time and is still being formulated.
None-the-less, I thought I would give a preview (or maybe I should use the word prequel) here and now.
My commentary is triggered by the continued appearance of Sandy Isenberg on a local Toledo area television station in its Sunday morning local production of a community and political talk show.

Some refer to her as SWMBO, as you may read in this article, some have called her "Queen" while others describe her as foul-mouthed, and still others like these ill-advised television people refer to her as a political analyst, which she is not.

In my opinion, Sandy Isenberg is nothing more than a political hack and a big time loser.

More about SWICAS, i.e. She Who I Consider A Slimeball, will be written in a future Roland Hansen Commentary.

Politics can be interesting. Ohio politics are definitely interesting. Politics in Lucas County, Ohio are peculiar, to say the least.

I Told You So: Lucas County Democratic Party and Unity

Awhile back, I wrote on several other blogs and e-bulletin boards my thoughts on the Lucas County Democratic Party under the then-new chairmanship of Ron Rothenbuhler. Those comments resulted with me (there's no polite way to say this; well, yes there is, but I don't care) taking an ass-beating on those sites.

So, I said to myself, the heck with those idiots, I'll write about it on my own blog, where hardly anyone ever comments - I think that is because I don't allow cowardly anonymous trolls as do some e-bulletin boards and as do so many other blogs just so their authors or administrators can have a "large" readership to inflate their ego by enhancing their low self-esteem and in order that they can brag and feel important about themselves.

At any rate, way back in 2007 on Roland Hansen Commentary, I made this statement:
"I predict that the Lucas County Democratic Party will come together on a united front in the not-too-distant future."
Click on over to read the entire Roland Hansen Commentary - OHIO: Lucas County Democratic Party and Unity.

While I was poopooed by quite a few people across the blogosphere, I stood by my prediction.

Well, here it is, almost three years later. I do believe enough time has elapsed to have validated my predication. I wonder how all the a-hats that belittled me back then like eating crow.

To those naysayers and pessimists and incompetent wanna-be political analysts, I say:
I TOLD YOU SO!

Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan: Facing anti-Semitism?

It seems as if the face of United States Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is all over the place, media-wise, that is.

To provide a sampling of what is going on in the wide wonderful web media, I provide the following (along with my commentary, of course) for information and for your reading pleasure.

For a nominee to the United States Supreme Court, Elena Kagan has an interesting non-judicial background. In attempting to find some reason in an 'any-excuse-will-do' mentality, her detractors stop at nothing. Click on over to read:
Kagan's Opponents Grasping at Straws by Eduardo Penalver, Published June 30, 2010 | FOXNews.com.

It is no secret that Elana Kagan is Jewish, as can be read in the two following web pages:
Kagan, Judaism and the Bible: 'Justice, justice shall you pursue'
Elena Kagan’s Jewish Background: Just What Pat Buchanan Fears
To me, it appears that once again the anti-Jewish sentiment in America is rearing up its ugly head.

Thus far, Elena Kagan appears to be taking the salvos being fired by anti-Jewish conservatives in stride as she fends off the "jew baiting" being thrown at her. I mean give me a break! How else can the questions "Where were you at on Christmas Day?" and “I just asked you where you were at on Christmas?” posed by Senator Lindsey O. Graham (R, SC) be explained?

From the Chicago Tribune, you can read;
Kagan's a not-so-leftist liberal, The daughter of a crusading New York street lawyer and protege of Justice Thurgood Marshall, the Supreme Court nominee has specialized in finding a middle position on the most contentious issues from James Oliphant, Richard A. Serrano and David G. Savage Reporting from Cambridge, Mass., New York and Washington, June 27, 2010.

Perhaps you may wish to read:
Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on hate speech and pornography (aka the First Amendment) by Chris Moody - The Daily Caller | Published: 12:52 PM 06/28/2010 | Updated: 12:55 PM 06/28/2010

If you are the type of person who likes biased information from twisted minds, you can click on over to read:
Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is Israel partisan, Wednesday, June 30, 2010, from If Americans Knew, Israel-Palestine, The Missing Headlines.

Is any anti-Semitism (as in anti-Jewish sentiment and/or prejudice) at play in any of this? People will deny it. However, I hypothesize that not only is it playing a part in the opposition of the nomination of Elena Kagan to SCOTUS but anti-Semitism throughout the United States is also prevalent.

It is quite often that we Jewish Americans hear and read other Americans say "America is a Christian country" and proclaim "America was founded on Christian principles." To the latter statement, I respond: "From where do you think Christian principles came?"

Oh, as an aside, you may want to click on over to read:
Was the U.S. Founded on Christian Principles?

Toledo, Ohio Losing Population Over Trash Issue

If you recall, last month I wrote Toledo, Garbage, Water and Toledo, Ohio: The Trash Town.

It now is evident that Toledo, Ohio will be experiencing a decline in its population as residents leave the City of Toledo over the trash issue.

To learn more about this, read the comment I placed in response to More Trash Talk by Chili Dog.

Socialism and President Barack Obama

Ya know, I hear a lot of people making emotionally charged allegations in their ill-informed attempts to link President Barack Obama with socialism. I strongly suspect the vast majority of small-minded political pundits have little or no knowledge of socialism.

I much prefer to hear or read the opinions on socialism from some one with intelligence. Some one like Albert Einstein who penned the article Why Socialism? way back in May 1949.

If you have something you want to say about socialism and/or President Obama corollaries related thereto, please do not hesitate to leave your comments.

Republican Women Smarter Than Republican Men

From what I have been reading and from that of which I have been listening, it appears to me that maybe, just maybe, Republican women might very well be smarter than Republican men.

I mean, come on, it's in the news. Is it not?

The granddaughter of POTUS George 41 (Republican) and the daughter of POTUS George 43 (Republican) 28-year-old Barbara Bush has proclaimed her support of Obamacare; and, her mother, Laura Bush, wife of George 43, has proclaimed her support of the Supreme Court nominee of POTUS BHO (Democrat). Laura Bush has also voiced her support of gay marriage and of the rights of women to seek and secure abortions.

These positions run counter to that of both Georges and of the political planks contained within the political platforms of the Republican Party on the issues.

If you think I do not know that of which I speak when it comes to these women, I suggest you move that little computer mouse of yours and click onto the following:

->Barbara Bush, daughter of George W, supports President Obama’s health care reform efforts (video)
->Bush's Daughter Barbara Glad Obama's Health Care Reforms Passed
->Laura Bush: pro abortion and gay marriage
->Bush women run afoul of GOP orthodoxy

A question keeps bouncing around in my pea-brained head:
Are these Bush women Republicans, Democrats, or what?

Helen Thomas and The Rabbi. Never Again!

Although I do not share her perspective and while I do not agree with her, I do assert that Helen Thomas is entitled to her opinion.

However, I also say: "Thank goodness the Rabbi caught her statements on video tape."

You may ask: "Who is Helen Thomas?"
You may ask: "Who is the Rabbi?"

Let your computer mouse do the walking and clicking to learn the answers.

You may read about Helen Thomas here.
You may read about Rabbi David Nesenoff over here.

Head over this-a-way and you may watch and listen to the YouTube video:
Helen Thomas on Israel.

And one more recommended read for you from me is the blog entry from Rabbi Jason Miller:
The Rabbi Who Took Down Helen Thomas.

My own final word on the matter:
Never Again!

Dave Schulz: Toledo Politico Aspirant

Earlier this week, I had the occasion to be on the Facebook page of my Toledo City Council district representative Lindsay Webb. It was on Wednesday, June 2, 2010, that she posed a very good question to which quite a few people responded with comments, included politico aspirant Dave Schulz, a former candidate to Toledo City Council, and me.

Here, I'll tell you what, instead of trying to accurately summarize what transpired between Dave Schulz and me, I'll just put a 'copy and paste' of our dialogue following this paragraph. Please note that I have placed only the original question and the comments between Dave Schulz and me. I have omitted all other comments as they are not relevant to this entry of Roland Hansen Commentary.

Lindsay Webb
So, on refuse collection: is anyone else out there upset about the Administration's proposal to limit unlimited pick up?
Wednesday at 9:39am

Dave Schulz
I am fine with the limit. I have done 3 this year mostly due to a renovation project. All in all they were good about it. You can always work with a neighor on overflow you might have from time to time. I do have an issue with the recycling portion. I am single and an avid recycler since the beginning. I have a large can and it takes me 6-8 weeks to fill it up. I could just work around that by putting it out more frequently.
Wednesday at 10:01am

Roland Hansen
You know me - I always hold back on my opinions; because, I do not wish to offend anyone. But seeing how you asked: I am mad as hell with this administration and the whole thing about garbage. It's all a bunch of trash! We Toledo voters of yesteryear approved the city income tax on the promise that it would be used for garbage pick up and disposal, and that it would pay for the construction of a municipal garbage incinerator. The incinerator was never built but at least we got no-fee garbage collection. Later, an increase in the income tax was a result of the promise for unlimited garbage collection. The original broken promise has escalated into an imposed garbage tax and now a proposal to impose a limit on collection. I am not opposed to taxes or user fees; I am just sick and tired of being deceived. Liars have no place in public service!
Wednesday at 1:57pm

Dave Schulz
It's overly simplistic to say that a promise has been broken because the tax revenue based on current demoraphics only pay for police and fire. Times change and we have to adapt to the changes and slowly but surely the right-sizing of government and its labor costs will take place.
Wednesday at 2:32pm

Roland Hansen
Dave,
That is a BullSh** response and you know it. I agree times change, but there is an open and honest way to make the necessary adjustments, and then there is your way.
Wednesday at 4:26pm

Dave Schulz
Our elected officials have been telling us for awhile now that the current tax doesn't support the "promised" services....that's no BS lol. You can quibble about how they have handled the refuse tax but we all have to make adjustments, including the payroll and benefits structure of our employeess. What should be more outrageious is that alot of the "cuts" this year were just punted down the road to be paid next year and we will be in the same cycle again.....
Wednesday at 7:55pm

Roland Hansen
Well, Dave Schulz,
The fact that you have totally sidestepped the last sentence of my first comment in which I firmly stated "I am not opposed to taxes or user fees; I am just sick and tired of being deceived. Liars have no place in public service!" does not surprise me. You are, after all, a wanna-be politician.
I will put my credentials up against yours, any day.
ref: http://tiny.cc/bgftg
Now, let us stop discussing our differences on Lindsay's facebook thread. It is not the purpose of the thread, nor is it our place to do so.
Sorry Lindsay, but he started it: no, I started it; no, he started it; no, .... Bye. No more from me on this message thread.
Wednesday at 9:34pm

Dave Schulz
Good bye!!!!
Thursday at 7:55am

Okay, so I went to the Facebook page of Dave Schulz and hit the "Add as Friend" icon button. I figure, I have many friends, both in real life and on the internet, with whom I have had some exciting, political disagreements and we remain friends. It makes for stimulating discussions. Now, here it is already a few days later. I see that Dave Schulz has made some comments on the "walls" of mutual "Facebook friends." Consequently, I know that he has gone onto Facebook since I sent my request to add me as a friend on Facebook, but all I have gotten thus far is the Facebook message: "Dave Schulz * Awaiting friend confirmation."

I am anxiously awaiting the decision of Dave Schulz to either add me or to deny my request. I hope he adds me. He may find that while I may be argumentative and abrasive and that while I may fly off the handle (can you believe that some folks have labeled me a loose cannon!) that I really can contribute to good political debate (of course, that is just my own unbiased opinion of me - LOL). I may be old; I may be washed-up; I may be a has-been; but, I ain't dead yet.

Meanwhile, you may wish to take a look at:
Dave Schulz on MySpace
Dave Schulz on Facebook

Mike Bell, The Motorcycling Mayor of Toledo, Ohio

I found this very interesting, attention-getting quote today:

The level of incompetence that is coming from the mayor's office is mind-boggling. I think the honorable one took a spill off his famous motorcycle without his helmet one too many times.

buckeyepayroll.com, Chili Dog Blog, June 2, 2010

The quote is the last paragraph of the eye-grabbing, but somewhat trashy, blog entry entitled "What Am I To Do With My Independence Day Tree?"

You should read the whole article. Just move your mouse over and click here.

Now put that in your chili dog and smoke it, Mr. Mayor!

Aliens Are Amongst Us! Shall we shoot them or welcome them?

Catchy title, is it not?

About which aliens should we be concerned? Unannounced or undocumented? Or both? Are they all illegals? To what extent should we be concerned?

I have been watching and listening very carefully on television about some visitors who have come here without prior permission. Some people would call them aliens and shout out:
"Aliens Are Amongst Us! Shall we shoot them or welcome them?"

This new exposé about visitors is not necessarily new in its thinking. It was exposed before some time ago. I followed the story with interest back then; and, I follow the continuing story with interest now. Regardless of whether one follows the previous 'visitors' story or the more recent 'visitors' story, it is the same old story!

The same old story. Hmmmm. Yep, it is also the same old story also when it comes to people and prejudice and discrimination. Here, in the United States of America, it is especially disconcerting to me that so many present day Americans conveniently overlook the fact that this country was founded by 'visitors' who stole the land from the original inhabitants. It seems that each generation of Americans has found some new group upon which to practice prejudice and discrimination. After the USA was officially formed through the Declaration of Independence and the adoption of the Constitution, as time went by, with every new group of immigrants, Irish, Germans, Jews, Chinese, Japanese, and so many others, there was another wave of prejudice and discrimination.

And the story continues. Today, our country is in a very polarizing discussion about American public policy concerning immigration. It is all over the television, newspapers, magazines, every day conversations, and is being hotly debated in state legislatures, especially Arizona, an in the United States Congress. Most recently, President Barack Obama has entered the political storm in dispatching National Guard troops along the United States border with Mexico. To the best of my knowledge, no troops have been dispatched along our border with Canada.

Is the United States no longer a safe haven? Is the United States no longer the land of opportunity? Has the welcome mat been taken away? What is to become of the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse, the homeless, tempest-tost? Has the golden door been shut along with its promise?


I am placing below a copy of an entry from my other blog, Roland's Ramblings which I wrote on May 16, 2010. It just seems appropriate for me to make a dual entry on this subject of "illegal aliens" or "illegal immigrants" or "immigrants" or whatever phrase you choose to use.

Below is part of a dialog that took place on Facebook:

J: i dont agree with the bible thumping conservatives but rather them be in charge rather than a person who wants to grant amnesty to all the illegals

R: Point and counterpoint. I certainly do not want "bible thumping conservatives" as J--- calls them to dictate their views upon me and to legislate their ideas onto the masses. While I do not favor illegal entry into the USA, I believe we do need to revisit the immigration laws to determine whether there should be any changes. Quite frankly, I would bet that most people are not even familiar with those laws. Whatever happened to the USA being the land of the free? I have to wonder how many people even know about the Message of the Statue of Liberty.

(note: J--- is the facebook friend of a facebook friend of mine. R - well, that's me.)

Roland's Ramblings: My Other Blog

This is a public service announcement for those persons who follow my other blog.

Roland's Ramblings has moved to a new address. The new URL is http://www.jasonhansen.net/roland but the name remains the same - Roland's Ramblings.

This is the third URL for that blog since I first began it way back on July 17, 2004. First it was www.warpedthoughts.com/roland/; then it was www.theglitch.ws/roland/; and now, it is www.jasonhansen.net/roland.

I am grateful to my nephew Jason, who has hosted Roland's Ramblings since Day One.

Incidentally, below is a copy of the very first Roland's Ramblings:

July 17, 2004
Welcome to Roland's Ramblings

Well, I did it. I finally decided to try blogging after having followed the blogs of my son Adam and my nephew Jason for quite a long time.
I call this blog "Roland's Ramblings" because I tend to ramble about life, family, friends, people in general, politics, community, outlooks on life, public affairs, religion, and on and on and on.
Chances are I will at some time offend someone, which is why I hesitated so long in making a decision to join the ever-widening world of bloggers. I do not intend nor do I wish to offend anyone. But, guess what. Don't guess, I will tell you. I am who I am and I tell it as I see it. I am also usually bluntly honest. That is where I usually wind up rustling some feathers. On the other hand, how many people have said "I just wish I could be myself" or have said "I wish people would just be honest with me" or other words to those effects????
So, here we go ---- on with the show.
p.s. My deep appreciate to Jason for setting this Blog up for me. The one big thing is "How do I use this thing?"
Posted by Roland at 09:34 PM

UPDATE (August 21, 2010)

I noticed that some people have been coming over to this Roland Hansen Commentary posting to find my Roland's Ramblings blog. Because of that, I am providing this update to the posting here on Roland Hansen Commentary.

Well, that URL did not last very long at all, only about two months, in fact.

Yet, once again, and for the fourth time, Roland's Ramblings has moved to a new address. The new and hopefully the 'for sure' last URL is http://rolandsramblings.wordpress.com

If you missed my first entry on the newest home, I wrote this:

Hello World!
Posted on July 28, 2010 by Roland Hansen

Welcome to the new home of Roland’s Ramblings over here now at WordPress.com.

I first started my Roland’s Ramblings blog way back on July 17, 2004. Since my first posting, Roland’s Ramblings has undergone several incarnations with the fourth and hopefully final version being totally of my own creation.

The first three incarnations of Roland’s Ramblings were the result of my nephew, Jason Hansen, setting it all up for me using his computer as a server, that is, if I understand it correctly. Heck, I do not understand all this stuff; I just use it the best I can., At any rate, the first incarnation of July 17, 2004 was under the domain of warpedthoughts.com. The second incarnation made its appearance on March 27, 2006 after Jason changed the domain over to theglitch.ws. The third incarnation came along on May 25, 2010 when Jason switched the domain over to jasonhansen.net.

Then, on July 22, 2010, I received notice from Jason that effective September 1, 2010 he was no longer going to be the conduit for the hosting provider of Roland;s Ramblings. The question then for me was whether I would continue with blogging under a site named Roland’s Ramblings, and if so, how. I had absolutely no idea how to set it all up or how to save all the hard work I had put into the previous Roland’s Ramblings. The first two years of work for the first incarnation had been lost, and it is only through something called the Wayback Machine that I was able to recover some of them but not able to transfer the actual contents thereof onto the newer 2006 version of the Roland’s Ramblings blog itself.

That brings us up to the present. Today, after much careful thought and introspection over the past week, I decided to try to learn how to set up a new home for Roland’s Ramblings and to try to learn how to transfer all my previous work. As I keyboard this entry, I think I have been able to do so successfully. I will be able to ascertain that after I hit the publish button.

If you are reading this, and if you can see all the previous entries, then yell:
EUREKA.

And, if that is the case, I can say:
Hello World!

As it turned out, everything works fine and I was able to transfer all my previous entries (well, all of the previous entries from the immediate past two URL homesteads, the first got lost a long time ago). I was also able to reproduce the additional pages from the previous blog URL.

Unfortunately, however, I lost all my sidebar information when somehow within a couple days of having created the new home upon visiting the old URL at jasonhansen.net/roland, I and everyone else was automatically transported over to the new URL. That happened before I could gather all that information to replicate it on the new URL home. Consequently, l have created an entirely new sidebar for the latest incarnation of Roland's Ramblings.

Check my anthology of writings on a wide variety of subjects in my renewed Roland's Ramblings blog.

Toledo, Ohio: The Trash Town

I do not mind paying taxes, I just have nothing but disdain for liars! That is why I have nothing but disgust for City of Toledo decision-makers that jammed a trash tax down the throats of Toledoans. Those (expletive-deletive) worthless, no-good, City of Toledo elected and appointed con artists are despicable!

All the trash talk about Toledo, Ohio is not a bunch of garbage. It is very real. When the trash settles, if it ever does settle, the City of Toledo will be one big garbage heap with trash heading up the helm of elected political non-leadership, backstabbing, lies, dishonesty, and worse. All that will be left in the future ghost town of Toledo will be trash and garbage vultures.

If you read my immediate preceding Roland Hansen Commentary entitled Toledo Garbage Water (er, I mean: Toledo, Garbage, Water) you already have an idea from where I am coming. And if you have not yet read it, go on over to read it now by following the embedded link within its title.

But Wait! There is much more on the topic of Trash In Toledo, or Toledo, The Trash Town, or The Trash Town of Toledo, or whatever your imagination may conceive.
(Hey, the wording makes for a great Google search - or for results from any other web search engine, for that matter.)

If you have a hankering to do so, click over to read the following:

SHANAHAN SELECT -- FIGHT THE TRASH TAX

Is it a Fee or a Tax?, Shanahan v. City of Toledo

Appealing and refusing to pay trash tax, er I mean trash fee, in Toledo, Ohio,
Toledo Ohio Neighborhood Concerns

Toledo trash fee going down after Issue Five passes, 13abc news

Trash, Future of Toledo

Mayor Bell cancels discount trash fee for recycling, 13abc news

News about trash fee in Toledo, OH, Outside.in

Trash tax and broken promises: we told you so!, Thurber's Thoughts

Let’s flash back to the trash fee promise made before Issue 5 passed…, Glass City Jungle