Apple V Samsung

Posted on August 24, 2012 by SJ

Samsung didn’t copy iPhone design, court in South Korea rules

I’ve been following the whole Apple V Samsung fiasco since the beginning.  Cliffs notes version: Apple created the iPhone.  Numerous manufacturers created other smartphones to compete.  Samsung’s products, while nearly indistinguishable from just about any other smartphone today, was similar enough to Apple’s design that Apple is suing them everywhere possible to make bank as well as an example of Samsung (one of its biggest competitors) on why they should control the patent on innovation.

First of all, I like Samsung’s products, as well as the Android OS used on them.  I also like Apples products.  The simple fact here is that if Apple produced a product at a price point which was favorable to consumers – they wouldn’t have to worry about Samsung.  IMHO – they’re both great products, but when it comes to this whole argument which has resulted in both companies reputations being damaged, they’re both to blame.

Any time someone produces a product, you can guarantee that there is someone else out there who is trying to make a better one.  While Apple’s mobile device catalog has gotten faster and more streamlined over the years, they really haven’t done anything that I would call truly groundbreaking since the first iPhone came on the market.

The problem with the iDevice market can be explained very easily by looking at another product from a manufacturer in an entirely different industry… the Chrysler PT Cruiser.  From the moment of its introduction in 2001 to its death in 2009, the Chrysler PT Cruiser was effectively the same car, reproduced ad infinitum, will various options added and improved over its lifetime in order to keep it fresh.  Personally, I’m a fan of the PT Cruiser as I’ve had to drive one for the past few years.  Sure, its gas mileage has never been stellar, but it handles well, has plenty of pep, and as far as utility goes – I love it.  Still, just as if you hold an original iPhone side by side with an iPhone 4, the new iPhone may look nicer, have a crisper picture,  more features and options, it’s still just an iPhone.  Whether you have a base model PT, a Turbo PT, a fully loaded PT, or the convertible – it’s still just a PT Cruiser.

After nearly 10 years on the market, even Chrysler knew when to move on.

As for Samsung, whether they stole ideas, infringed patents, or outright slapped a Samsung logo on an iPhone and said ‘BUY IT’ – instead of innovating, they built the rough equivalent of a Chevy HHR.  Both the Chevy HHR and the PT Cruiser could be cousins (although the HHR looks like that cousin who was conceived after a party full of cousins) – and while the PT has gone out to pasture, Chevy still pumps out HHR’s because the original formula established by Chrysler is still valid.  Chevy didn’t innovate a damned thing when they created the HHR, Chrysler didn’t innovate a damned thing over the lifetime of the PT Cruiser.

What Samsung needs to be doing right now – and they may very well be doing so – is to get the jump on the iPhone.  To hell with making another traditional smartphone.  INNOVATE.  Apple has gotten lazy, that more than anything is why it is suing Samsung.  Samsung started out lazy, which is why it is getting sued.

Samsung should make something drastically thinner and lighter, with greater features, insane battery life, portability and make it in a way so that it can’t be confused with any product currently on the market… then in 5 years, if they do a good enough job – they can sue Apple.

 

http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/index/~3/tXwG5ns1bxc/

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The other side of school prayer…

Posted on August 20, 2012 by SJ

Valedictorian fights for diploma

To be perfectly honest, I don’t care that the pledge of allegiance says “Under God.”  I don’t care that the phrase was added in the 50’s.  I don’t care if a single student, or a group of students want to pray while on school grounds.  As far as I’m concerned, the school should not – and constitutionally can not stop them.  On the flip side, a school can’t make you pray.  They can’t require you to say under God.  They can’t sanction prayer.  I also don’t believe in the so called ‘separation of church and state’ that is shouted down from the rafters by so called ‘free thinkers.’

When I was growing up, there was a kid down the street from me, seemed like any other kid, any other family.  There was an exception though, the word “Hell” was a vulgarity to them.  You couldn’t say it.  You might as well say “fuck.”  Ok, didn’t make sense to me as my parents (who were devout Roman Catholics) never aired an opinion either way on the word “Hell.”

Now here we are, Oklahoma, buckle of the “bible belt.”  A girl works her ass off to become valedictorian (and surprisingly enough in this day and age was the ONLY valedictorian) and gives her speech.  During the speech however, she deviated from her “approved” script and instead of saying “How the heck do I know” said “How the Hell do I know?”  Now you might notice if you’ve taken the time to read the linked article, that even the report on the channel 4 website from Oklahoma City has “Hell” written as “H***.”

When she said it – the crowd laughed – and when she was done, they applauded.  Afterwards, the principal denied her the diploma unless she writes an apology for saying what she did.  Now she didn’t quote George Carlin here, nor did she go off on a racist tirade – she used a word that some folks find offensive.  I hold those people in the same category as people who laugh at my jokes, then later on complain.  If you don’t like it, don’t laugh.

Now you don’t bust ass through high school and obtain valedictorian status if you plan on going on to manage a Sonic.  No, you’ve got higher aspirations, a drive to excel and succeed that going by the number of people on unemployment these days, a will to transcend your peers despite whatever is holding them back.  What I think should happen here is the following:

1. Ask again, nicely, to have your diploma.  If that fails…

2. Call the ACLU, if anything, that will get some more attention on your plight (beyond a tiny link from the Drudge Report), and add pressure to the Principal to stop being a flaming douchebag at the behest of his or her own personal religious beliefs.

3. Go viral.  This is the sort of thing that the Internet community will absolutely eat up.

There’s a big country, and a bigger world outside of Oklahoma,  one that needs people like this girl who survived high school at the top of her class.  Now is her chance to seize the moment and prove to her school, her community, and future employers – that she’s got what it takes to get what she’s earned despite any road blocks thrown in her path.

I titled this post “The other side of school prayer…” because this is the sort of close-minded bullshit that really chaps my ass.  As much as I agree with the concept (as described at the start of this post) – the school can’t make you pray, and they can’t control what you say.  Hers was not a religious statement, but someone who has a bit of pull in that district thinks it was, enough to deny her what she’s rightfully earned and attempt to publicly embarrass her.

In the end, they’ve publicly embarrassed themselves – this will bring real negative attention to the district – the kind that won’t be shaken off easily if they decide to fight it.  If they just let it go, give the girl her diploma, and move on – it’ll just be one of “those” stories, told from time to time and remembered like the time Bobby Joe got drunk and decided to do donuts at the 50 yard line.  I hope for their own sake, they give the girl her diploma before meme’s start…

As a side note – I just tried to visit the district’s website at http://www.prague.k12.ok.us/ and it isn’t loading.  ~giggle~

 

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Not sure about Romney / Ryan 2012

Posted on August 13, 2012 by SJ

Here’s the thing, when Obama was up and coming on a wave of media hype with very little mainstream media vetting (beyond the thrill Chris Matthews felt running up his leg) – and the best counter the Republicans could come up with was John McCain I knew we were absolutely fucked.

I was in the same boat as 99.9% of Americans who were either sick of Bush relentlessly spending in the name of Conservatism, the tireless expansion of government power during his tenure, or the endless vilification of the guy for everything BUT what he was actually doing wrong.  I wanted a break, a reprieve, and what I got was a well spoken community organizer with a questionable past whose leadership experience was about on par with Bush’s public speaking skills.

In the nearly 4 years since Bush left office, we’ve seen politics as usual when a ‘popular’ (read: Liberal) president is in office… Broken campaign promises, general malaise, high spending, high unemployment, vilification of anyone who is successful and not a party donor, and overwhelming class warfare meant to keep the general populace arguing with itself so much we completely ignore how screwed up things are.

When the new crop of candidates came up for the Republicans, my guy quickly got shot down (Herman Cain) by a media incapable of supporting a minority candidate that doesn’t walk in lock-step with their supported ideology and the remaining candidates really didn’t peak my interest much.  Sure, Ron Paul had some great ideas – but he just seemed a little too kooky for me and his unshakable hesitance and lack of direction on foreign policy in this day and age left me very weary of what could come about should he get the keys to the castle.

Eventually, Mitt Romney came to the forefront and got the nod.  In my mind, what he had going for him was his business prowess and decision making ability.  He knew how to make money, keep money, build business and most importantly – when to cut his losses.  The converse of this is that his state implemented socialized medicine.  Now keep in mind, I have no problem with a state – at the behest of its voters – implementing such a plan.  While the federal government IMHO has no business there, the states have the right to do so.

Once he was a lock, the big question on everyone’s mind was ‘who will he pick as a running mate?’  The answer we got after much vetting and rumors was Paul Ryan, a representative from Wisconsin.  Paired up with that choice was a flood of damned entertaining YouTube videos showing him going head to head with Obama, and caused the predicted Conservagasms amongst the voting public who are starving for real leadership and real recovery.

I’ll admit – I was quickly absorbed by the hype – but then I started to find out disturbing things about Ryan that had me weary that the next 4 years could bring us some marginal improvement but more ‘politics as usual.’  Ryan’s voting record (at least the portion that is getting the most attention right now) shows a party-line Republican who worked his way up the ranks by voting with the party and supporting decisions that were wholly detrimental to the Conservative movment…  TARP, bailouts, DHS, Patriot Act, etc…  Where was his passion for fiscal Conservatism in those decisions?  Where was his passion for smaller government in those decisions?

That string of votes easily groups him in with the class of Republicans that the Tea Party has been greatly successful in identifying and voting out of office… but they apparently are very supportive of Ryan and his being picked for the VP slot on the ticket.

Now I’m confused, and when I’m confused – much more research is needed.  Ryan is an establishment Republican just by looking at his voting record.  As far as I can tell, he has had a hand in many of the decisions which lead to our current debt and economic crisis – while much of the positive publicity he has gotten very recently is due to decidedly Conservative actions such as putting the screws to Obama over his healthcare plan.

Is he a flip flopper?  Did he see the tide of Conservatism taking root and decide to jump on the bandwagon for no more than self preservation?  That’s what it seems like to me, and it has me very weary – as I need to know that when it comes down to voting in a way that pushes forth the Conservative agenda, will he be a willing lapdog to his establishment ilk or a guide-post in the form of a pro-Conservative pit bull that will put ideas ahead of establishment, and the people ahead of the government?

All I know is that drastic change is needed, and recovery from the enormous mistakes made by those in Washington over the past 12 years needs to be swift and consistent.  I don’t need a moderate shill, or someone who is going to change tack under the slightest ripple, but someone who is going to declare all out war on every aspect of our government that is holding our nation back from the prosperity it is capable of achieving – a predator drone of Conservatism that will obliterate anything that threatens the freedoms guaranteed to us by our constitution without hesitation.

I’m cautiously optimistic here, but my eyes are open – and that the Tea Party – a group which I have supported – has so willingly accepted a man with such a questionable past makes me wonder whether i’m being handed my hat or a future where I can afford to buy my own.

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NYC, Then and Now

Posted on August 9, 2012 by SJ

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Break out the tin-foil hats folks…

Posted on July 25, 2012 by SJ

Drivers Befuddled By Area Of Bermuda Triangle Parking That Renders Car Remotes Useless

Mysterious force blocks car remotes in Yonkers

I heard about this on the radio yesterday – basically there’s an area in Yonkers where the signals from keyless entry systems are being jammed.  Other reports claim that cars in the area won’t start unless they’re pushed or towed from the area.  Apparently a local hardware store is upset because the disruption is costing them business… I say they should start selling keys at half-price and encourage folks to stop polluting the air with filthy radio waves.

First and foremost, if your keyless entry doesn’t work USE A KEY.  That said, i’m very curious as to what could possibly be jamming the signals, and what else is affected… cellphones? Cordless phones? Wireless internet?  Generally in a situation like this you’d call in the FCC (if they’re not too busy invalidating the first amendment) who could find the source and stop it and/or fine the crap out of whoever is causing it.

If its strong enough to actually keep a car from starting, short of a natural anomaly – what could actually be pumping out a signal that strong?  It may be the side-effects of my tin-foil hat here but maybe there’s some super secret government facility there which has malfunctioned (or is actually operating correctly).  In any event – if some mystery device hidden a in a building in a populated area can do this – imagine what’d happen if a few dozen of them were hidden around a real populated area…  sounds like something Homeland Security should get on top of.

Either way, I may just take my Subaru out for a drive this weekend and see if I can experience it first hand, sounds like fun. 🙂

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The NYC Nanny

Posted on July 25, 2012 by SJ

Anyone with at least one half of their brain still functioning knows that drinking something packed with sugar, sodium, and other chemicals only Walter White could translate too much can’t be good for you.  Anyone who has stopped drinking soda outright most likely notices that within a week they’ve lost 5-10lbs of water weight because all of the sodium has finally been flushed from their system.

All that being said, I can’t help but throw up in my mouth a little when I hear ‘man on the street’ interviews where an ‘average New Yorker’ is asked about the proposed ban on soft-drinks over 16oz and actually agrees with it.  Now mind you, there are several reasons that don’t involve nanny state bullshit which justify such an action:

  • Decreasing litter.
  • Decreasing pollution by producing fewer containers over 16oz.
  • Increasing tax revenue by forcing people to buy more soft drinks in separate containers.

That’s right.  I’m of a mind that this has less to do with promoting healthy living and more to do with increasing tax revenue to the city of New York.  If Bloomberg’s plan had ANYTHING to do with health, he would have either imposed a higher tax on soft drinks, or banned them outright.

See, there are certain things that when a tax increase is proposed, people will not argue – such as cigarettes.  Try it on something a greater portion of your population enjoys and there is sure to be backlash.  Smaller sodas generally cost more per liter than larger ones (compare a 16oz bottle of Coke to a 2-liter bottle), sales tax is a percentage of the total price of the product, so by eliminating the lower cost option Bloomberg effectively increases the tax revenue by forcing people to buy more small bottles, as well as increasing the revenue from deposits.  Now while everyone knows you can take your bottle to one of those machines and get your $.05 back, how many of us actually do it?  How many people in NYC actually do it?  Exactly.

Don’t forget about the retailers… they’ll now have plenty more space on their shelves and refrigerators to store even MORE soda and greater variety… or the manufacturers that will end up selling more soda because of this ban.  Follow the money my friends, Bloomberg is just as crooked as any other politician, he’s just better and weighing the odds.

The kicker is, the only way to push this through is to accept a restriction on personal liberty – and Bloomberg isn’t an idiot.  Raising taxes in an election cycle is a mistake.  Imposing a ban at the cost of personal liberty (which the American population doesn’t seem to give a shit about) because it will supposedly improve your health… well that’s a no brainer!

 

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And the real lunacy begins…

Posted on July 23, 2012 by SJ

Already saw a bunch of absolute retards trying to tie the Colorado shooting to a comment that Limbaugh made (jokingly) comparing the character Bane to Bain Capital…  Yeah.

Now I’m seeing backlash in the form of people trying (even Conservative pundits that I wouldn’t expect this from) to link it to the so-called ‘de-sensitivity’ to violence as a result of the violence in movies.

Give me a BREAK people.  We have had plenty of disturbingly violent cinema since the 70’s, maybe even earlier.  I said this when I was a wee teenager, and it still holds true today – the violence we see in movies and television is not the CAUSE of violence in reality, it is a REFLECTION of it.  Blaming that reflection is a copout.  Charles Manson wiped out how many people because of a song… were there calls to ban shitty music because of it?  Exactly.

The shooting was perpetrated by someone who was a complete and utter CRACK JOB.  Sure, you can call it mental illness if you want, but generally mentally ill people have the common decency to just kill THEMSELVES.  Now this ‘Joker’ (who had red hair while the movie/comic/television character had GREEN) will get to enjoy our penal system as a slew of bleeding hearts wait for the precise moment to try and get him clear of the charges based on typical bleeding heart bullshit.

Movie’s didn’t cause it, the second amendment didn’t cause it, the fact that this jackass was able to obtain a drum magazine for his AR15 didn’t cause it – he did.  If someone is neurotic enough that they plan on going out and slaughtering innocent people, it doesn’t matter whether they have a gun, knife, safety scissors, or explosives – they’re going to do it, and there isn’t a single thing we can do to stop it.

Perhaps if after the Columbine shooting, Colorado legalized conceal and carry, someone MAY have been able to take his ass out before a single innocent person was killed – but we’ll never know.  I’d rather have a legal holster and weapon on my person at all times than rely on some imaginary kinder and gentler society full of hapless Eloi just waiting for the Morlocks to come out of their underground lairs to slaughter them.

We’re fish, the world is our barrel, and the nutjobs don’t give a shit about gun laws.

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Guerrilla Tech Support

Posted on July 9, 2012 by SJ

I have a bad habit.  If I’m out and about, and pick up a wireless network on my phone, I try to poke around.  It’s amazing how many people set up a wireless network and just forget about it, or try to get a little more advanced and do it completely wrong.

Where I stayed, the network was setup with a single DSL connection feeding the 4-unit condominium.  That connection had a single Buffalo router running DD-WRT.  All in all, not a bad setup.  The problem was that it absolutely ran like garbage.  No signal was strong enough, and when you got a strong signal – the connection between the main router and the access-point you were connecting to was shaky at best.

I’ve been working with DD-WRT for some time now, so when I was able to get in with the default admin credentials, I realized that not only had they put 4 routers on the same channel, they throttled back the Tx power.  DD-WRT defaults at 71mW, and Buffalo recommends running their units at 30mW due to some form of built-in amplifier.  These were all set to 20mW using channel 7.

The problem with running all of these devices on the same channel is interference, so I’m guessing they cut the transmit power to try and lessen how crappy everything ran, but in the process lessened the performance when communicating with the main router.  I proceeded to turn up the transmit power to 30mW, and then put the devices on separate channels.

The main router went to channel 9, and the rest were set to 7, 5, and 3 (you generally want to keep a free channel open both before and after the channel being used).  As a result, every wifi network I connected to ran well enough that I could watch Netflix on my phone without any buffering.

Sure, running multiple AP’s is nice and avoids having to run wire or multiple broadband connections… but if you’re going to do it, at least GOOGLE the best way to set things up, and even if you decide NOT to encrypt the connection, at least change the default admin credentials.  Not everyone is going to be as helpful as me…

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First road trip on the bike…

Posted on July 9, 2012 by SJ

Last Tuesday night I decided to catch up with the rest of my family down at OBX.  The catch was, OBX is around 600 miles from here, and generally takes 10-12 hours to reach.  Since I’ve been riding for a good 4 years now, I decided to take my bike down.  Now there are many things which out and out scream – do not take a 500cc Kawasaki on a long road trip, such as a 2.9g fuel tank (150 miles max range) and a seat that was designed by satan to steal life from anyone who sits on it for longer than an hour.  Still, I decided to throw caution to the wind and get going.

The first thing I came to realize, is that while the bike can keep up easily with interstate traffic (90+ mph on average), the gas mileage drops significantly (from 50mpg to around 36mpg) – so while I can go faster, technically its a wash because I would have to stop more often for refills.  So I brought the speed back down, and slowly other issues cropped up – mainly comfort.  The bike itself isn’t all that uncomfortable, but the seat isn’t exactly made for long rides.  Shifting back and forth in line with the varying levels of discomfort helped – but what I eventually tried was to plant my feet on the rear pegs and lean forward on the bike (like a sport bike).  That took most of the load off my rear end, and allowed me to relax my arms and legs.  Each time I did this I’d have to adjust the mirrors so I could see whether or not anyone was coming up from behind (NY bike, riding south, was waiting for the eventual ticket…).

As the ride progressed, I came to realize that everyone speeds – and at least during the time I rode – they speed a lot.  This helped make some good time once I was off the interstates, if a pack of traffic was doing 70mph through a 40mph zone, I just kept up with them.  Most of the ride was pretty un-eventful on the back-roads, but my general practice of ‘wait to get passed, then keep up with a decent gap’ worked pretty good.  At one point I was running very low on fuel, I ended up stopping off in Virginia at a closed gas-station which kept the pumps online.  Was a little creepy but got the job done.  I had tried to wire up a 12v port on the bike before I left, but all I managed to do was fry my cellphone charger.  So my primary source of navigation was a short direction list stored in my seat-bag.  I only managed to goof once or twice, like getting on route 12 in Kitty Hawk instead of staying on 158.  Also discovered that having a crosswalk button nearby is a great asset when stick at a light that isn’t configured to support a motorcycle.

I made a point at every stop to take a little extra time to stretch my legs, re-hydrate, and check that everything on the bike was still working right.  All in all, the ride down took about 14 hours including stops and waiting for the ferry to Ocracoke.  The best way to go on a trip like this, is to leave with the sun up, travel through the night, and arrive for sunrise.  The next day I took a few power-naps to partake in the absolutely glorious weather without collapsing.  I ended up deciding to head back early Sunday morning.  Since weather reports showed rain on the horizon for the coming week, and I had no desire to ride 600 miles soaking wet.  The ride back was a little more than I bargained for.

Starting with the wait for the ferry, the bike wouldn’t fire up when it came time to actually board.  After putting the kick-stand up I was able to get it started.  My best guess was that the kickstand safety switch which is designed to stop the engine if the bike is put in gear decided to start working (it never has).  Once back on the mainland, I made a point to stop for ear plugs (a dozen hours of wind noise and open exhaust can get a little rough).  I also stopped at an Ace Hardware store in Virginia to get a Leatherman – it felt a bit like going to Radio Shack and asking for a specific type of resistor – the kid who tried his damn-est to help me didn’t even know what a Leatherman was.  I ended up finding a knock-off in the outdoors section.  I removed the switch and re-attached it so that it would always be open.  This appeared to work for a short time, but eventually the bike wouldn’t turn over again.  I’d say at least 50% of my stops required pop-starting the bike.  Made me start to wonder how hard it would be to install a kick-start on it.

The next problem with the ride was the heat.  It was about 75F for the ride down and I didn’t have much trouble staying hydrated.  For the ride up, the average temperature was around 100F (a real-feel temperature indicated the temp felt more like 123F around Cape Charles, VA).  At each stop I’d pound two of those $.99 Arizona cans, but by the afternoon I started to get a headache and feel the dehydration starting to take affect.  The clouds began to roll in around Delaware, so I took a long stop at a Waffle House ($10 T-Bone Steak & Eggs… can’t beat it).  That helped me get my bearings as I continued back up through NJ.  I stopped on the turnpike for gas, there were some pretty long lines – one woman decided not to wait and drove around the lines to the other side of the pump.  To my amusement – they refused to fill her tank and told her to get back in line.  Between exits 6 and 8 I hit some massive slowdowns due to construction zones (although I couldn’t see a single bit of construction being actively performed).  This tacked another hour onto the ride, I had hoped to make it back without stopping again, but as the sun went down after that long wait I decided to get off of the highway and take some familiar back-roads home.

Heading up 206 through Flanders, I had to detour due to an accident.  Apparently a bike clipped a car, and the passenger on the bike was killed.  Gave me pause… I stopped to top of the tank and just sat there, astonished that I had gone over 520 miles at that point without a single problem and these folks who made the mistake of stopping at a 7/11 for whatever have had their lives destroyed.  I always ride like anything with 4 wheels is out to kill me, and thus far that has kept me safe… still, its only a matter of time before your ticket gets punched… if you’re lucky, you walk away, if not…  Damn.

Managed to make it home around 10pm last night, 14 hours.  Looking back, I’m glad I took the trip.  I wish I could have stayed longer (seriously considering driving back… lol), but as far as long trips on a motorcycle go – I don’t think I’ll ever take another on this bike again.  That accident last night really shook me, moreso than the dehydration, soreness, and wear and tear on my mental faculties the 1200 mile round trip took on me.  Perhaps some day I will get a bike designed more for long trips, until then I’ll stick to cruising locally and commuting.  Seeing the world on two wheels is entirely different.  The sights, smells, sensations… After awhile I got the sensation that I was flying over the road…no longer a passenger, but part of my bike.  Next time, I’m driving!

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See, the thing is…

Posted on June 11, 2012 by SJ

Folks used to call GW an idiot because of his speaking ability and the popular trend of labeling anyone identified as a Republican – as an idiot.  I wouldn’t go as far as calling him an idiot, I absolutely disagreed with this rampant spending (rinse and repeat of the Reagan years – huge tax cut leads to massive influx of revenue to the federal government, federal government spends said money as fast as it comes in), as well as his decision to buck the free-market by implementing TARP (which contributed to the eventual housing collapse).  I  agreed with the reasons for going in to Afghanistan and Iraq as well.  Heck, I voted for him twice.

Obama won for 2 main reasons – an effective campaign of hype that could have made OS/2 Warp outsell Microsoft Windows, and Bush fatigue.  8 years of war, terrorism, and the media constantly attacking his administration at every turn (while completely ignoring the facets of GW’s administration that were actually worthy of criticism) pretty much made it a guarantee that any successor was going to have to provide a tangible alternative.

Instead what we got was a man with no real speaking ability, executive experience, or decision making skills with a past that was covered up by the media that was meant to inform us of, and protect us from such things.  There hasn’t been a single net job increase for the duration of the Obama administration.  Our deficit (when compared to both GW and Clinton) has exploded in the past 3 years.  Inflation is out of control, prices are through the roof, the US of A used to set the bar – now we barely cling to it.

Obama is no more a true Liberal than GW was a true Conservative.  When it comes to their party affiliations – they’re both frauds.

I believe that the November 2012 election will most likely resemble the 2008 election and not the 1980 election.  People are tired of Obama, there’s been no hope since he was inaugurated – and the change he promised hasn’t done a single thing to help our nation.  Americans of every age group and background who proudly voted for him in 2008 either aren’t going to vote for him again, or they simply are not going to show up at the polls.  Bush was no idiot, and with exception to his spending, the Patriot Act, and that God awful TARP program, he delivered.

Obama hasn’t delivered a thing.  No new jobs.  Unconstitutional legislation.  Massive spending.  There hasn’t been a more idiotic president in the oval office in my lifetime… an idealist without the conviction to stand behind his ideals.  A chief executive without the conviction to make decisions.  His big campaign slogan was ‘Yes We Can’ but he never actually decided what he was talking about.  He’s a puppet with no strings.  All he’s done is further the policies of the previous administration and leave key decisions in the hands of a Congress that is the most laughable group of intellectually bankrupt crooks our nation has ever seen.

I’m still on the fence about Romney.  I believe that he can easily win the election and possibly get our economy on the right track… but the America of 2012 is going to need some real convincing that transcends any spin concocted by the media and their cabal of talking heads.  The America of 2012 is going to need to regain the ability to restore hope for tomorrow itself, and its faith in our leaders restored by action – not hype.  Romney can win, but America won’t even begin to heal until we get real cut and dry ideas out in the open and someone at the top to make the tough decisions regardless of what any opinion poll says.

Romney may or may not be the one for the job, but 4 more years of Obama will be no better than Carter – or even GW.  We need change, we need hope, we need direction, and most importantly of all – we need a destination.  Where do we go from here?

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