tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91589458072026789772012-01-22T12:15:21.448-06:00Random Rants and Ravings on Every Topic Under the Sun, the Moon, and StarsChristopher Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15108273533153080806noreply@blogger.comBlogger361100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-70856627074969272302010-11-29T06:48:00.000-06:002010-11-29T06:48:45.275-06:00

The rants and ravings of Christopher Tracy is moving to a new URL.  Will post that new location in the coming days.   Format will be roughly the same, but more consistent postings.

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-63083014705488849332010-11-12T16:37:00.000-06:002010-11-12T16:37:09.981-06:00

This is sad on many levels.  http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/amazon-removes-pedophilia-book-store/story?id=12119035 First, the hypocrisy is typical of the American public.  We cry foul when our right to free speech is trampled with, yet get incensed when someone says (or writes) something like this book.  Then we have the nerve to chastise the bookstore selling it.  Can't eat our cake and have

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-48992641287909830282010-11-12T16:02:00.000-06:002012-01-01T21:15:02.201-06:00

Finally some real solutions!  But of course, it didn't come from the GOP or from Democrats.  It's far too volatile and far too complex for a politician to understand. The story is from the Associated Press, and the report is from a bi-partisan deficit commission that Obama initiated in February 2010.  In short, it calls for serious cuts and tax increases - something all of the intelligent

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-54335048342723322582010-09-17T12:19:00.000-05:002010-09-17T12:19:50.139-05:00

The SkyRider - Worst Idea for Airlines Yet! Oh you have got to be kidding!!!   As a very tall passenger with a need for more legroom, some airline out there is trying to reduce that legroom even more?  On top of that, I have to squat for an entire flight (I doubt the seats will adjust high enough for me to straddle).  I want to know who is looking at this seat so I can make sure they don't

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-78904254030393556492010-08-07T09:43:00.001-05:002010-08-07T09:43:35.388-05:00

I really don't understand the GOP's fierce resistance to the recently passed Health Care Reform Law. Is it because a Democratic president and Congress pushed it through and the GOP did not? Jealousy maybe? No way. I can only conclude it is sheer politics. The "enemy" passed a bill that garnered some resistance in society and now the GOP is playing on that resistance. Classic!In November,

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-32535354844425401442010-01-10T20:00:00.000-06:002010-01-10T20:00:56.377-06:00

KWMU: Missouri Republicans try to exempt state from health care overhaul (2009-12-09)Talk About Showboating....Do these knuckleheads, er Republicans, not understand how government works? Federal law always trumps local and state law, so what are they gaining by declaring that Missouri should be exempt? For that matter, even if Missouri does get an exemption - they better have a better way

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-54211384128101161202009-09-23T20:56:00.005-05:002009-09-23T21:47:28.738-05:00

I saw this on NPR just today and find the entire legal defense rather troubling. I consider myself a champion of fair play and if ACORN and its employees have been wronged, I would be the first to speak up for them. But I don't see it here. If you haven't seen the vid posted all over YouTube, CNN and other places, you might want to check it out.[[[Part 2 of 2]]]]]The journalistic methods used

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-29332351949610774902009-07-03T08:37:00.007-05:002009-07-03T09:27:17.724-05:00

Senator Claire McCaskill Meets With ChryslerYou know how much it hurts to say this, but it must be said - again..... My friends who work at the Fenton, MO plant are being let go, possibly permanently. Much has been said and much is known about the Chrysler restructuring. And I cannot conceiveably blame McCaskill for going to bat for my fellow Americans who just completed their last day at

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-32018412511913240942009-06-26T23:02:00.004-05:002009-06-26T23:18:40.773-05:00

As everyone knows by now Michael Jackson, a person who's life and work I admired greatly, passed away yesterday 6/25/2009. My condolences to the Jackson family and friends. Like all of his millions of fans, I'm deeply saddened by his departure. My only wish is that the haters and naysayers who dogged him since 1987 will give him, the Jackson family, and all of us devoted fans the peace we

Waldonoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-59460982746219017182009-04-16T06:41:00.002-05:002009-04-16T06:45:02.757-05:00

From Marketplace: Heavy Passengers Must Buy Two SeatsAudio of StoryI prefer to fly first class, but can’t afford it. Although most people looking at me wouldn’t conclude I’m overweight, the fact is I’m very tall, of athletic build, and the airline seats are atrociously uncomfortable. So I would gladly pay an extra $100 more for a comfortable seat. However just paying extra doesn’t buy me more

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-14162246238861019522009-04-12T06:37:00.000-05:002009-04-12T06:38:13.035-05:00

I will probably not go to church today, although I know I should. I've become quite disenchanted with the entire religious experience over the years. Not that I don't love God or Jesus any less, not that I don't believe in the lessons Jesus and his disciples teach, but rather that church has become disturbingly passive and/or hateful. I no longer find peace in church, even in happier churches

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-17005573482002827942009-03-29T09:09:00.013-05:002009-03-29T10:25:51.563-05:00

I usually blog about worldly stuff - economic collapse, war, nation-building, etc. But sometimes a more important event happens right at home. This one has to do with my daughter, her lover, and a movie script....My daughter is bi-sexual - meaning basically she's attracted to human flesh be it male or female. She met a person while attending a trade school in Kansas City, MO and her name is D

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-37864993850809005852009-02-28T20:41:00.001-06:002012-01-01T21:18:32.525-06:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29289533/vp/29378488#29378488 You know, I really liked Bobby Jindal - that is until he did this rebuttal to President Obama's speech. I found it to be hokey, almost a "hey-we-Republicans-have-a-colored-in-our-ranks" kind of a ploy. I still like Bobby, but he was played a fool.

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-7461534339356728232009-02-28T10:14:00.008-06:002009-02-28T11:22:51.224-06:00

Get ready. The hype building around the next attempt to pass the so-called Employee Free Choice Act (HB800). First attempted in 2007 this act failed, due largely to partisan differences. Now, with a clear Democratic majority, the bill is poised to become law. So, hold onto your hat. Labor Unions and Corporate America are about to engage in that tried and true American tradition of hyperbole

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-84028662185818519142009-02-16T05:00:00.003-06:002009-02-20T06:22:53.169-06:00

This is horrible news for Venezuela. It's not the specter of no more term limits for Venezuelan presidents, or the prospect of 30 or 40 years of Hugo Chavez, it's the principle of the matter. Venezuela voted and decided to remove term limits - great, that's their decision to make and I'm in no position to question that, nor would I want to. But if Venezuelans want genuine change, a genuine "

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-53720924560503323482009-02-15T19:38:00.006-06:002009-02-18T05:27:45.759-06:00

I have mixed feelings on this. http://www.cnbc.com//id/29197739There's a couple of issues at work here. Number one, I like the fact that Congress isn't pushing for a hard number limit on compensation (unlike so many other rules). That allows a lot of flexibility to adjust to changing conditions both on the part of Congress and on the bank's part. That's a good thing. Number two, banks will do

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-64733094962678277002009-02-15T19:06:00.002-06:002009-02-15T19:52:42.141-06:00

As if we couldn't see this coming.... http://www.cnbc.com//id/29198688I have to side with the UAW on this one. Although that's a rather hollow endorsement because GM is in dire straits. If the UAW (and GM bondholders) stick to their guns and forces GM to honor previous commitments, things can and will probably get ugly - fast. President Obama may have to step in much like this CNBC article (

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-11047238699354120902009-01-17T08:04:00.002-06:002009-01-17T08:13:28.848-06:00

From Marketwatch.comIf you just got off the bus, newspapers are in trouble. They have been for a while, and if you listen to talking heads and other analysts, they'll tell you the decline began once the Internet became ubiquitous across the nation. The genuine experts will tell you newspapers started losing subscribers and revenue as far back as 1990 - when CNN and other 24/7 news outlets

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-63332513749387146822009-01-12T06:08:00.006-06:002009-01-13T06:42:03.871-06:00

In this story, there's only one thing I agree with Condoleezza Rice on - that history cannot be judged in the here and now. Bush's legacy and it's effect on the world won't be known for years or even decades. Will it be positive? Not likely. Will it be negative? I bet it would. This story (and a related story) shows that 75% of the US is glad to see the president gone. I count myself among

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-35623121458073204642009-01-01T07:24:00.004-06:002009-01-01T08:41:35.583-06:00

What a wild 2008 we had! What will 2009 bring? More of the same? More stability? More chaos? Of course no one knows, so let me offer my prediction along with everyone else. December 2009 will look vastly different than December 2008. There will be more certainty, better leadership, but the same problems. The difference will be the outlook for the future. We will have solid ideas and/or

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-28594662731942156802008-12-27T10:00:00.001-06:002008-12-27T10:17:30.185-06:00

A while back I got two emails from GM executives - not directed at me, I'm not quite that important yet - but generic emails with their signature touting their good products and asking for support to pressure Congress. I'd post the entire email, but it's not all that interesting nor convincing. Basically the emails stated that GM makes many fuel efficient cars - some over 30MPG, they tout

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-27853510330984877732008-12-08T20:42:00.009-06:002008-12-08T21:43:06.429-06:00

I knew this was coming, just didn't know what form it would take. Don't people have more things to do than to challenge Barack Obama's eligibility for the presidency? Apparently, this has been ripe fodder for bloggers, fact-checking sites, and certain newspapers. I just wonder what's taken so long for the chain letters to start. Maybe it started and I fortunately haven't seen it yet.This was in

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-30125439649412394932008-12-03T18:23:00.004-06:002008-12-03T18:55:04.876-06:00

This popped up on our local news, but it is of national stature, so maybe you've heard of this situation.  Virginia Republican Chairman Jeff Frederick claims that President-Elect Barack Obama has friends who bombed the Pentagon.  He was of course referring to Bill Ayers, a 1960s radical who bombed US targets in the 1960s (when Obama was just a child), but later in life gained a doctorate from the

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-26861791486488895352008-11-30T17:18:00.005-06:002008-11-30T17:43:12.413-06:00

For those who know me or have read my blogs, you know I pride myself on being fiercely independent.  I don't prescribe to any camp's unchallenged principles.  So it should come as no surprise where this post comes from.   You see, I keep hearing conservatives declare President-elect Barack Obama and the Democratic party as "tax and spend liberals".  I'm curious to hear more from these people, so

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-40084189011245903582008-11-29T16:12:00.003-06:002008-11-29T16:27:51.836-06:00

Yes, and so do I!   Why can't we have a tournment in College Football? I understand there's lots of money and contracts involved and the perennial bowl teams don't want anything to upset their cash flow. But....  The fans want a bonafide champion - someone we can all agree on, and the only way to do that is with a tournament.  The NCAA can still have their bowl games, but give me a concrete way

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-17440587765808925562008-11-28T14:06:00.004-06:002008-11-30T16:48:02.872-06:00

Those who don't stand for something will fall for anythingI found this site just yesterday called whereistand.com.  Very interesting as it challenges you to take a stand on the issues we face and you get to see other opinions from "regular people" as opposed to opinions from alledged experts and talking heads.   If something is on your mind, let out on whereistand.com.  What do YOU stand?

Waldonoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-30013644296970715552008-11-11T18:52:00.005-06:002008-11-30T15:29:31.575-06:00

I found this story today about a teacher's aide in Alison Park, PA who apparently went on a racist rant in front of a student.  How sad this small man is even in the teaching profession, and even worse influencing kids.  http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/cnn-news/17956560/detail.htmlNot just once, but twice, on consecutive days this fool went on with racist cantations about the nation changing

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-87933999738745621372008-10-18T11:18:00.013-05:002008-10-18T22:39:28.619-05:00

This will probably be my one and only blog about the 2008 Presidential Race.  My vote for president will go to Barack Obama.  I'm happy to say that despite the negative ads on both sides and some rather hurtful comments from respective supporters, we enter the 2008 election with two candidates I actually like.   Past elections have always been about choosing the lesser of two evils, as such I've

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-19649720101313775762008-08-11T20:07:00.004-05:002008-08-11T20:47:32.499-05:00

(With all due respect to cancer patients and their families and friends, this blog post has NOTHING to do with the disease or the caretakers or the doctors or hospitals. Like many, many other health concerns, cancer is a serious a grave issue - not to be taken lightly. The focal point of this blog is the economics of insurance and overall health care) 1Where I come from, when you say something

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-79962026407937961732008-07-12T06:47:00.009-05:002008-07-12T08:54:51.057-05:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121432182593500119.html?mod=2_1586_topboxI'd be remiss if I didn't mention energy on this blog. Last week (actually June 30), The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting piece on nuclear power and alternative energy. Although not the best piece of work I've ever seen by WSJ, at least it touched on a wide range of alternative energy options most of us wouldn't have

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-4824985049159644782008-05-31T07:05:00.004-05:002008-05-31T08:04:03.258-05:00

From the Wall Street Journal this week. Just had to write about it....http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121201747075327643.html You smart people might have noticed this commentary on WSJ.com was written by none other than Karl Rove - former Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff for the President Bush. That should have been enough to stop me from reading it but, I couldn't help it........Why

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-77923615115077546042008-05-18T08:36:00.004-05:002008-05-18T09:51:52.230-05:00

Okay, I'm being facetious..... This month features two ridiculous stories about Charter Communications here in Charter's hometown -St. Louis, MO. First my mom's.... This is just what I know about. My mom is notoriously thorough when it comes to asking questions. When she ordered service from Charter, she asked the kind of questions she always does - how much, how long is the promotion, what

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-78796906600581245882008-05-18T07:47:00.002-05:002008-05-18T08:08:19.729-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how many people will complain about everything under the sun, but refuse to vote. If you feel taxes are too high, we're spending too much time in Iraq, and your child isn't being educated - vote the bums out! If you don't vote, who's to blame? The bums who are still in office or you? I say you. At least if you vote, you've made your point known. Now who you vote

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-41107796298754334692008-01-12T05:50:00.000-06:002008-01-12T07:33:59.997-06:00

This will be a long post. Partly because I get so incensed about this topic at times, and partly because it is quite a serious issue as many "leaders" are expousing hatred toward our fellow man. Whether they realize it or not, that's exactly what they are doing.Terrorists: http://www.patrobertson.com/speeches/TerrorismEconomicClub.aspPriests: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-45466355467387017302008-01-12T05:14:00.000-06:002008-01-12T05:50:38.894-06:00

I found this article interesting. Here we have a state doing what most people want it to do - serve and protect - in this case the voting process. Somehow they wind up at the Supreme Court defending their right to require photo IDs to vote. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17942818Although I personally wouldn't have a problem showing photo ID (I carry my driver's license

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9158945807202678977.post-54727507546016519952008-01-06T11:55:00.000-06:002008-01-06T12:49:50.734-06:00

I read this from NBC (was also on Nightly News) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22493477/. It's about a new book produced by scientists who dismiss creationism. It sure won't settle any conflict anytime soon. And that's what I find so silly.....What is so difficult to believe about God creating life and using evolution to do it? Last I checked (and yes I've read the entire book of Genesis) there

Waldonoreply@blogger.com0