Author Archives: bfrhodes99

Not Taking No for an Answer

Posted in Advertising, Being serious about Sirius by

Sirius called me today. This after I told them not to send me any more Emails. This after I filled out a questionnaire for them…explaining I did not want the service and exactly why. It angered me. Not only did they have someone to call to try to get me to change my mind, I couldn’t even understand the woman.

I have no idea what her accent was but she had to repeat herself three times before I could figure out who she was representing, and then barely. How in the world am I supposed to carry on a conversation with the woman? If they are going to pester me, they should at least do it with someone who knows how to speak English.

So, tonight I looked them up on the web. Nowhere, but nowhere do they have any place to leave a note a complaint. I guess they figure they won’t get any complaints that way. I can call them during business hours of course. I do wonder how that would go. Moreover, I wonder if it would do any good. They simply do not want to take no for an answer.

I guess the next step is a letter. I suspect that won’t work either. Perhaps a word to the auto dealer will work. They just might have a little more clout.

There is simply no excuse for any corporation to behave this way. Moreover, they really need to have some way of saying no without an act of Congress. It has been over two months since I purchased the car now. Does anyone out there have any suggestions?

My suggestion. If you buy a car and you don’t want Sirius, you might want to have them put it in the contract. I mean the idea was a three month trial. What they really meant was 3 months trying my patience.

I Don’t See the Connection

Posted in Unions by

Recently, I heard a union spokesman say that the CEO was making 20 million a year, implying that it means they should be paid more.

So now a man should be paid, not on his worth, but rather how much his boss makes?

To some degree, I do agree CEOs are being paid too much too, far more than than they are worth. However, just because they over pay the one man, that does not mean everyone else should be overpaid too.

When the price of union produced products goes up, then their ability to compete with imports goes down.

It is so interesting to look through employee parking lots of US car manufacturers. Many, perhaps as many as half the cars there are foreign made. Invariably, if you ask those working at the plant why they bought the Nissan instead of the Chevy, they will say the Nissan provides more for the money.

Mainly, that is because unions demand too much. To be sure, it’s not just the car manufacturers, but those mining and making the steel, those making tires, and yes, even the windows.

Before those of you working in any union shop start the complaints, think about who you buy your products from, including thar nice suit you bought made in China, or maybe the carseat you paid a C-note for.

1900, almost all fabrics and clothing were made in the US. Now hardly none. What benefit is that for the fabrc unions? Are there any fabric unions left in the Us? Are the any fabrics even made in the US?

Why the Delay?

Posted in Abuse of Power, Biden, Christian values, Collusion, Controllers, Deceit, Education, Politcal Opinion by

It is no secret that the dems wanted to indict President Trump even as he left office. However, they had a strategy for waiting. First, if he wasn’t going to run again, there was no reason to risk the truth getting out. When he decided to run, the dems figuratively turned all their guns on him and opened rapid fire.

The second and more important reason was that it was far more effective to level the charges during the election.

One aspect they might have overlooked is that the charges could actually fall apart in front of their eyes. The egg on faces would be but a small part of their problems.

On the other hand, Trump just might have a strategy of his own. While he provides the distraction, DeSantis just might slip into office unscathed by the dems dirty tricks. That would provide a probability of a very strong president.

The truth of the matter is that any of the major Republican candidates are lightyears ahead of Old Joe…or any dem for that matter. (Sorry. The lightyear idea is a poor one, but I am sure you get the idea.)

On a side note, I saw on the news that a man is going to prison for tax evasion. My guess is, his real mistake was not having a last name of Biden.

The man is guilty of just 1 year of not paying taxes. Joe’s son, Hunter has admitted to 2 years and is likely guilty of at least 4. However, Hunter is quite safe. Not only does his dad control the justice department, but Hunter also knows where all the skeletons are not so well hidden.

Tail Spin

Posted in Biden, Border wall, Bribes by

A relatively new term in the English language. Mostly it came from a potentially dangerous mistake by a pilot. Those pilots that don’t regain control of their plane will almost certainly die within minutes.

Why would I bring up the subject? Well, it would appear Old Joe has gotten himself into a figurative tail spin and will very likely suffer the figurative crash as a result.

His approval seems to have taken a nose dive with his handling of the border, amoung other things. The thing is that he is the figurative pilot of the dems. Unless someone else takes control, the whole party just might figuratively crash and burn along with him.

It comes as no to me that some dems are now trying to wrestle the controls from the derelict pilot as their panic increases.

Targeted Ads

Posted in Advertising by

Lately, I have noticed a TV ad. If you ignore what they are advertising, objectively a person would swear it was targeting 6th graders.

The fact is that it is aimed at adults. Even so, the evidence shows it must be working. There are a bunch of full grown adults buying lottery tickets.

Some would say it is a good thing as it permits more students to attend college.

I guess I am in the minority, but I don’t think that is a good thing. It is called letting ends to justify the means. In the end we will regret the means.

Sadly, it was not that long ago that the majority of Americans would agree with me. Then again, we are now referring to folks who think a lot like 6th graders.

I Hate Questions Like This

Posted in Entertainment by
Daily writing prompt
What’s your all-time favorite album?
View all responses

I have, literally close to a hundred albums. Picking one as my favorite is really tough. I guess at any one time, many of them were my favorite. Moreover, it sort of depends. That is to say, I have a favorite album of Christian songs. I really like my recording of the New World Symphony but I still don’t know if I want to call it my favorite.

I really like my album “Love is Blue” by Paul Mauriat. I really like the title song, but there are certainly 4 or 5 others that are great: San Francisco, Don’t Cry for me Argentina, etc.

The thing is, nowadays, many of us simply extract the songs we like and discard the others. In the case of the “Love is Blue album, I think I have extracted 5 or 6 off of it.

I have several John Gary albums and I certainly enjoy almost all his songs, though I can’t remember the names of the albums. I have an Ed Ames Album I just love. I actually think he is a better singer than actor. There are at least half a dozen songs on his album I listen to regularly.

If I may, might I change the question around a little and answer the question, what are my favorite songs. Let’s start with Whispering Hope sung by Gordon MacRae and Jo Stafford. I doubt there are many around that will remember it, but I will play it over and over when I feel really bad. It is what I thought of when I walked guard on rainy nights and saw the sun break through in the morning.

My second favorite is “Romance,” from “The Desert Song.” Most won’t like it because sopranos sing it and it does not have much of a beat. However, it does have some very thoughtful lyrics and once you get use to it, a haunting tune. By the way, that one is old too, written before I was born.

Then, of course there is Sunrise Sunset from “The fiddler on the Roof.” The fact is, I don’t think there are many who dislike that one, especially those of us who have seen our share of sunsets.

Kind of an honorable mention is a song sung by John Gary, Something Simple. I have never heard the song before him nor after. I guess we can say it is not so popular. I can understand why. The song is not just titled something simple but something simple describes it. The tune is simple, the words are simple. But they hide a very deep thought. If you get a chance to hear it, listen to it a few times. The concept it has is that it is the simple things that are so important, even complex, even the song itself.

Okay, as for my favorite album, right now, Paul Mauriat’s “Love is Blue. However, next week, it might be New World Symphony. I do have a tendency to change my mind regularly.

The Problem With Crime

Posted in Abuse of Power, Biden, Fear, gun control, Gun Safety by

It’s getting worse. The evidence is all over. The dems have decided not to put the criminals in prison. So now they roam our streets, frequently with guns. Might I remind one and all that the criminals don’t care if the guns are legal or not.

The illegal aliens are streaming across the border. Not by the tens or the hundreds but by the thousands. All of them share one common thing. They have broken the law, to get into the country if nothing else. Many of these people are criminals or will soon become criminals. Some will wonder our streets with knives or guns. They will be looking for drugs or money or both.

Some will break into businesses, homes, or perform their crimes out in the open. Thanks to Old Joe and his friends, the nation, the states and the major cities have become dangerous. I live near a major city…with crime, which spills over into my neighborhood.

For this reason, I have made a decision I was hoping I’d never have to make. I now have a carry permit and I also have a gun. Because of my Marine training, I do know how to use it. I shot at targets 15 and 25 yards with a sidearm.
I don’t like the idea of ever having to use it, but if it is for my defense or the defense of my wife, I will.

Thank you President Joe Biden for putting me in this position. By the way, I am sure that many others have made the same decision for the same reason. It would seem he has done more for the encouragement of arming the populace than anything or anyone else.

It is not just bad. It is far worse.

A Second Thought

Posted in Abortions, Abuse of Power, Adam Schiff, Awkward Situation, Christian values, Deceit, Hillary Clinton, January 6, law enforcement, Liberals, Politcal Opinion, Uncategorized by

My original thought was that President Trump should try to have his trials moved. Let’s face it. NY, NY is not a friendly town for him anymore. He used to be popular there. Now, when he is tried there, the chances are pretty good that he would be convicted regardless of how weak the case is against him. I would prefer to have the trial moved up to northern New York where he would stand a better chance of winning.

Then of course, almost any republican would be convicted in DC. The city approaches 100 % democrat. Worse, most are very strong democrat.

However, consider this. What if he were tried in NY, NY and found not guilty. What if her were tried in DC and found not guilty. WOW! Would the dems be red faced then. I mean, it would mean he really was not guilty. It would mean the dems really don’t have any proof of any guilt.

It is sort of the way things went while he was still in office. The dems kept saying that they had proof positive. When it came down to time to show the proof, they had none. In spite of four years of some of the most intensive investigations, they had nothing. Even their accusations fell apart in the end.

I suspect, out of all the things President Trump did that the dems were really angry with, the appointments to the Supreme Court were the one thing that really angered them the most. He caused the fall of their great god of abortion. For that, they decided that he must fry. The decided that it was very important that he be made an example.

If they can’t prove him guilty of anything, then they will have failed miserably, especially if they fail with the home team advantage. They will have the judges. They will have the jury. The one thing they really lack is a case.

However, even if they do manage a conviction, it won’t hold up. You and I both know that. The Supreme Court does not like kangaroo courts. That is exactly what the trial in NY, NY will be as well as the one in DC. They know it. The only reason they try is that they are desperately desperate. Once they lose, they will be in a really awkward situation.

If I Were President

Posted in Abuse of Power, Border wall, Christian values, Climate Change, Coronavirus, Crime, Electric Automobiles, Fantasy, Fauci, Going Green, January 6, law enforcement, Lawyers and Representation by

It is, of course. a ridiculous idea. After all, I have already admitted to being a bad leader. Still there is the little word, ‘if.’ That little word that separates reality from what might be. As I sit down her and contemplate, I wonder just how many men have considered the question before. I have heard that a person’s 40th birthday is the worst. It is when you awake to the reality that you will never be president.

Those who have read my posts already know many of the things I would do: clean out the leadership of many of the bureaucracies in DC; certainly, I would downsize many of the departments. (Education, combine intelligence agencies, etc.); I’d make other agencies more responsible as well. I would hire a ten man teem to search for waste in the systems.

I’d make sure we had a nice big wall on the border from the Pacific to the gulf. Those who are already here illegally would know to go into hiding, because I’d make sure those who are not here legally would have to leave. I’d make sure those who were not citizens or here legally would not be able to find employment. Those caught hiring people here illegally would be fined, thrown in jail or both. The deportation process would be far more effective at keeping people from crossing the border than the fence. When people know they can’t stay, they won’t go though such an effort to come here.

I simply have not one idea how I could incarcerate Fauci, but I’d have five lawyers researching it. Moreover, I’d do what I could to encourage congress to pass laws against some of the stuff he did. We have enough disease. We do not need to invent any. More importantly, we do not need to pay our enemies to develop such things.

I would encourage a few amendments. Right at the top would be term limits. While idealistically, the voters should determine term limits, history has shown us that does not work. Just look at the age of some of those senators. Therefore, I would encourage age limits as well.

I am not so idealistic as to think I could get any such thing passed immediately. Too many old codgers in there that would vote against it. It would have to be grandfathered in. In other words, it would not apply to those already in the House or Senate. Not my preference, but it would be the only way to get it to pass.

I would insist that all bills passed by congress be shortened. Long bills have a tendency to have a lot of pork and they are difficult to understand. If they send me a 10,000 page book, I’d would simply veto it. When they pass a law, the people are expected to live by these laws. Only lawyers have the time to read 10,000 page books.

Certainly, I would do what I could to help the production of oil. When Joe slowed the oil production, he did almost as much damage as everything else he did. Low prices for fuel would help to solve a long list of problems. The cost of energy affects everything.

I would appoint someone to look into those arrested on Jan 6. Most, I would pardon. Those that caused damage would be commuted to a lesser sentence. I would make sure that that Epps character would be investigated. If appropriate, he’d be tried, convicted and tossed in prison for as long as possible. He’s a good example of someone who needs to be made an example.

There are many other things I would do, but what’s the point of covering them. I’m not 40 and I’ll never be president. However, as bad a leader as I am, there is not a doubt in my mind that I would do far better than Old Joe. And I’m but five years younger than he is.

Now. As for that presidential limo. I just wonder. Would it be possible to convert it to elect power. No need angering those going green folks unnecessarily.

How’s This for a Scenario?

Posted in Abuse of Power, AOC, Being woke, Biden, Bribes, Build the Wall!, Cancel Culture, Cease fire between Israel and Gaza, Deceit, Drill Baby, Drill, Elections, experience, Fantasy, FOC, gun control, Immigration, Lawyers and Representation, Liberals, Price of Oil, Social Media, Socialists, The Squad by

Old Joe fights to maintain his leadership in his party and loses the election to Trump. First day Trump is in office, the price of oil is cut by 25%. In the next week it goes down to $40 a barrel. Russia and Putin go into a tailspin and inside a month they are broke and can’t fight any kind of war. They won’t be able to give their oil or natural gas to anyone.

All those folks in Afghanistan that Trump knows who they are and where they are, decide it is time to head for the hills and Afghanistan become a free country again.

China is afraid that the cost of trade with the US will go up so they start getting more reasonable about Taiwan. Who knows? They might even let go of their hold on Hong Kong.

The folks in Iran are afraid of being picked apart by drone strikes so they agree to give up their effort to build atomic weapons. After a few more months, the money going from Iran into terrorists groups starts drying up so they stop sending rockets into Israel.

All those folks heading the no-justice department are afraid so they start for parts unknown. Possibly, they might join that commie friend of theirs north of the border and find their refuge there. Some might go to Russia or China and find out what it really means to live in country where freedom is no more than a word.

I would hope that Trump would hold some serious housekeeping and fire anyone he can in the leadership of the FBI, CIA, IRS and Justice department. On day two, he can start arranging the return transportation for all illegal aliens. He can tell them that they would be far better off if they go back willingly.

Okay. I know. It is wishful thinking. First he has to get elected. In a country that holds elections like that last one he was in, that is going to be difficult. I mean, when the laws and rules of elections are ignored, it will be a uphill battle all the way. This is especially true when the media is on going to be all out for Joe.

I don’t hold out much hope. However, I think this just might be the last chance for the republic. If Old Joe wins; if the dems win, I’m afraid there will be little left of the constitutional government that so many gave their lives for over the years and over the decades.

Unfortunately, it might also be an end to peace in the Middle East as well. Israel just might have to start fighting for her survival. I don’t have any idea what that will lead to. I sort of hope I won’t be here to see it.