Me and Ron Kind (my congressman)

I sent an e-mail to Congressman Ron Kind (Wisconsin’s third congressional district) regarding the Iraq war. Below is his reply to me and my return e-mail. I encourage everyone to become involved. So few individuals contact their government representatives that you can have a disproportionately large voice. Take advantage of this. @@@@@@@@@@ Ron Kind’s e-mail to me Thank you for contacting me about the war in Iraq. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter. This is a critical period of transition for us in Iraq. With our help, the Iraqis have established a coalition government, and we have trained more than 250,000 Iraqi Security Forces. Further, troop causalities are at the lowest point since 2004, more security is being entrusted to the Iraqi security forces, and the Iraqi parliament has passed a U.S.-Iraq security agreement which stipulates that American forces leave Iraq by the end of 2011. As we move forward, it is imperative that we continue to send a message that the patience of the American people is not endless, and that the Iraqi people must take control of their future by making the tough political compromises essential to living in peace. In short, it is time to take the training wheels off. During my three visits to Iraq, I consistently heard from our military command that our objective cannot be achieved through military means alone. The Iraqis must be willing to make crucial political compromises to find a way to coexist peacefully and work together among the various factions to move the country forward. We cannot continue to ask our troops to baby-sit a civil war. I am confident that President Obama will develop a comprehensive strategy for responsible redeployment of our armed forces. With the security situation in Afghanistan continuing to worsen and Osama Bin Laden still at large, I believe we must renew our commitment to the unfinished work there. As the situation in Iraq continues to progress, please know I will keep your thoughts in mind. I remain hopeful, as do all Americans, that our brave men and women serving in our armed forces will be able to come home soon. Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to be in touch with additional comments or questions. I also encourage you to visit my website, www.house.gov/kind, where you can find updated information, sign up to receive my electronic newsletter, and send me e-mail. Sincerely, Ron Kind Member of Congress @@@@@@@@@@ My response to Ron Kind Thanks for your reply. I agree that we cannot forever babysit the situation in Iraq and other areas of the Middle East. I am not sure I agree totally with your assessment of Iraq situation as a civil war. It is certainly that, but so much more. Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and certain other nearby countries are an incubator for terrorists. The most effective way to fight terrorism is to go to the source. I have traveled to the Middle East on business and I have friends who are Iraqi, Lebanese and Indian with whom I still keep in touch. Because of communications with these friends I think I have a better understanding of the dynamics in the Middle East than most. My frank opinion is that if this were only a civil war and the combatants would stay in the Middle East we should let event play out without intervention. Since this is certainly not true, we must take steps to ensure the safety of United States and our true allies. Please take care so that our actions do not bring this conflict to our shores. Please also remember that Islamic terrorists do not hate us only because of our actions in the Middle East, they hate us because we are a Christian country and not an Islamic state. Best Regards, P.S. I would like to continue our dialog on this and another other subject you would like. If you need a citizens input on a continuing basis, I volunteer. I will keep in touch. If you would like to see my thoughts on varying subjects, you can view them on my weblog by doing a search for DATADIVER08.

Time to look through my local newspaper

Glass ceiling still solid in Wisconsin government. The gist of the article is that since only 22% of the state Assembly and Senate, there is a disproportionate number of women serving in Wisconsin government. This would only be a valid argument if the Lt. Governor goes on to say that "women candidates often have to pushed to run". From this statement I infer that there are fewer women running for office than men. That means perhaps the number of women running are disproportionately successful. To illustrate, there are 100 positions available.

• 500 men run for the 100 positions.
• 50 women run for the 100 positions.
• 22 of the positions were won by women.
• 78 of the positions were won by men.

This means that women, based on the number of women running, were successful 44% of the time. Men, based on the number of men running, were successful 15.6% of the time. It looks to me like women have the advantage when you base it on the mix of the candidates.

The moral of the story is statistics can be used to support any claim. Beware.

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Blagojevich won't attend impeachment

It's nice to see an honest Dem. for a change.

Datadiver08

The big day

Today was a big day no matter which party better reflects your political philosophy. During the oath of office, there was a little 'wording' mix up between Justice Roberts and President elect Obama. I don't really know or care who was responsible. I don't judge intelligence based on eloquence, unlike some others. I did however find it interesting that during the main stream radio news reports of the inauguration, there was no mention of the verbal gaff. It was almost as if the main stream radio networks were afraid to broadcast this very minor, insignificant part of the oath. If this were George Bush would it have been treated differently? I think yes. It remains to be seen if the main stream media will be consistent with their coverage of the president, or will they give President Obama a pass. In other words, will they be equal opportunity destroyers? Datadiver08

Approval Ratings

Much has been made lately of President Bush's "historically low" approval ratings. The results of the three most recent polls are; • ABC/Washington Post 1/13-16 2009, 33% • CNN/Opinion Research 1/12-15 2009, 31% • Fox/Opinion Dynamics 1/13-14 2009, 34% • Average rating = 32.7% As a point of comparison, let's look at the Democrat controlled congress approval ratings. The results of the three most recent polls are; • Fox/Opinion Dynamics 1/13-14 2009, 23% • NBC/Wall Street Journal 1/9-12 2009, 23% • USA Today/Gallup 1/9-11 2009, 19% • Average rating 21.7% I could accurately state that the President Bush's approval rating is 50% higher than the Democrat controlled congress. President Bush is leaving office, the Democrat congress is staying. Who do you think should be in the news?

Datadiver - Jan 18, 2009

My list of undeniable truths

• Labor unions never create innovation, but they do suppress innovation.
• National Public Radio, and the state affiliates such as Wisconsin Public Radio, is politically at the far left.
• Shame needs to recreated in society. Being on the dole (welfare) was such a shameful proposition that people would do anything to avoid the shame.
• Welfare needs to be unmasked. There are many euphemisms used to disguise welfare such as school lunch programs, pre-kindergarten, any "tax refund" that is more than the amount withheld etc...
• Governments can do nothing as efficiently and cost effectively as private industry.
• To be considered qualified by the Democrats to oversee an industry, one must have no knowledge of that industry.
• The Democrat party is not democratic and should not be so called.
• Affirmative action is racism.
• Jeremiah Wright, Jr. is a bigot and raciest.
• Jessie Jackson's greatest talent is extortion.
• Martin Luther King had a great vision, it's to bad none of the current crop of black leaders follow his vision.
• George Bush kept his pants zipped up for 8 years.
• The crime of invading the United States has been softened by calling the perpetrators undocumented aliens. They should be called criminal aliens and prosecuted at every opportunity.
• The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution really does means that all citizens can have firearms.
• Gun free zones are the safest place for a criminal to attack.

You can expect to see additions to this list in the future. Perhaps I will also expand on them.

Datadiver08 Jan 17, 2009

Electric cars a danger!

One topic concerning electric cars that no one has reported on is that they are very quiet. While some may view this as an advantage, there are others that view this as a dangerous situation. I am a cyclist (bicycle) and I am very safety conscious. I had a helmet when they were unattractive and so heavy neck hurt. Safety when riding takes not only your eyes, but also your ears. Hearing the sound of cars come from behind you is an early warning safety factor. Quiet electric cars will deprive cyclists of an important aspect of safety. In addition to cyclists others may view silent cars as a problem. I would think sound would be quite important for individuals who use a white cane. I am not sure how this can be remedied. Perhaps each electric cars should have a sound generator to simulate a combustion car engine. Am I serious or not. You decide. Datadiver 1-10-2009

Zero sum economics

Many politicians (in particular Democrats) subscribe, or at least pretend to subscribe, to the economic theory called zero sum. Wikipedia defines zero sum mentality as a way of thinking in which "there must be one winner and one loser, for every gain there is a loss." Politicians seem to like using the zero sum game as a wedge to divide their constituents into segments that can more easily manipulate. Blame the rich for the poor. Blame those that have for those that do not. The best way to test the zero sum economic theory is to apply it in the reverse and see if it holds true. Let's try it. In the last 6 months I have become poorer. That means someone else must have become richer. I would like to meet that fortunate individual who benefited from my stock market misfortune. We might have a few things to discuss. Datadiver 1-7-2009

A New Organization

I would like to announce that I have been named the president of a new liberal think tank. Just Kidding! First, I know that the words liberal and think together are oxymoronic. I was thinking of what could I come up with that would seem worthy of a liberal think tank that had not been, to my knowledge, addressed. Then it stuck me, I could write about anything that was intrusive. To get myself into the mood I first had to make up a liberal alter ego and decide what was important to them. Here is the list.

• Global warming is real and man made.
• The government is the solution to all problems.
• The minority should rule the majority.
• Some people need preferential treatment because of past wrongs.
• I am superior to anyone who is not a liberal.
• Individual rights are not important for the greater good of society.
• Rules are for others, not for me.
• The most important thing the Unites States should work for is to be loved by other countries.
• The Unites States should use international interpretation of laws as a guideline for U.S. law.
• The U.S. Constitution is outdated and needs to be revised. The revision committee should include "nationality challenged individuals".

Here it is.

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For the purpose of saving the planet, vehicle speed limits should be set for each vehicle based on the EPA highway mileage ratings. These speed limit guidelines have been approved by the United Nations but are not binding for developing countries.

• Ratings below 15 MPG would be limited to 40 MPH.
• Ratings 15 - 20 MPG would be limited to 45 MPH.
• Ratings 20 - 25 MPG would be limited to 50 MPH.
• Ratings 25 - 30 MPH would be limited to 55 MPH.
• Ratings 30 and above would be limited to 60 MPH.

Addendum A

• E-85 vehicles can jump up 1/2 a category.
• Gas - electric vehicles can jump up 1/2 and category.
• E-85 - electric vehicles can jump up 1 full category if random E-85 testing is done.
• Diesel vehicles using bio-fuel can increase by 1 a category if the exhaust does not smell like McDonald's french fries.
• Diesel bio-fuel (non McDonald's smelling) - electric vehicles can increase up to 1.5 categories depending on the source of the electricity used to charge the vehicle. Call the U.S. Government power plant hot line at 1-666-262-5223 (1-666-COA-LBAD) to determine the source of fuel used by your local power plant.
• Full electric vehicles can go as fast and as far and they can.

Any vehicle not specifically defined by the above regulations should not be driven until you petition the U.S. Government Department of Speed Regulation for their verdict. E-mail your petition to http://www.us-gov-dsr-un.org/. Speed of reply will depend upon completeness of your petition. Please call the U.S. Government Department of Speed Regulations hot line at 1-666-786-2986 (1-666-RUN-BYUN) for assistance in determining the completeness of your petition form.

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Please don't send this to a liberal. They might think it is a good idea.

Datadiver 1-1-2009