545 vs. 300,000,000

It's political, but aligned with no party's ideology... Charlie Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel... He has been a journalist for 49 years. He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN. 545 vs. 300,000,000 People -By Charlie Reese Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits? Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes? You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does. You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does. You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does. You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does. One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes. Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to. It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist. If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red. If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan ... If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way. There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy," "inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do. Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses. Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees... We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess! Tax his land, Tax his bed, Tax the table, At which he's fed. Tax his tractor, Tax his mule, Teach him taxes Are the rule. Tax his work, Tax his pay, He works for peanuts anyway! Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants, Tax his coat. Tax his ties, Tax his shirt, Tax his work, Tax his dirt. Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he Tries to think. Tax his cigars, Tax his beers, If he cries Tax his tears. Tax his car, Tax his gas, Find other ways To tax his ass. Tax all he has Then let him know That you won't be done Till he has no dough. When he screams and hollers; Then tax him some more, Tax him till He's good and sore. Then tax his coffin, Tax his grave, Tax the sod in Which he's laid... Put these words Upon his tomb, 'Taxes drove me to my doom...' When he's gone, Do not relax, Its time to apply The inheritance tax. Accounts Receivable Tax Building Permit Tax CDL license Tax Cigarette Tax Corporate Income Tax Dog License Tax Excise Taxes Federal Income Tax Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA) Fishing License Tax Food License Tax Fuel Permit Tax Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon) Gross Receipts Tax Hunting License Tax Inheritance Tax Inventory Tax IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax) Liquor Tax Luxury Taxes Marriage License Tax Medicare Tax Personal Property Tax Property Tax Real Estate Tax Service Charge Tax Social Security Tax Road Usage Tax Recreational Vehicle Tax Sales Tax School Tax State Income Tax State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) Telephone Federal Excise Tax Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax Telephone State and Local Tax Telephone Usage Charge Tax Utility Taxes Vehicle License Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Watercraft Registration Tax Well Permit Tax Workers Compensation Tax   STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?' Blessed be Cougina

Another Guacomole Joke

This is an oldie but goodie, in the inimitable Guacomole style...
Some engineering students were sitting around discussing who might have designed the remarkable human body.

One student said, "It must have been an electrical engineer who designed the human body.  Consider the sophisticated communications and information processing systems formed by the brain and nervous system.

Another student said, "It must have been a mechanical engineer who designed the  human body.  Consider the reliable lifetime performance of the system of levers in the musculo-skeletal system.

The last student to speak said, "It must have been an architectural engineer who designed the human body.  Who else would run a toxic waste line through a recreation area?"

COOLINARY ADVENTURES Part Two: Amazing Ayurvedic Chef

Ayurvedic Chef and Siddhu, Krishna Johnny Brannigan

Krishna's Book with Recipes and Healing Approach

Krishna Johnny Brannigan noticed our Ayurvedic Gem sign and stopped by the booth.  The next day, he brought us the absolutely best tasting chicken tandoori that either of us have ever tasted. It turns out he was trained by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of the Transcendental Meditation movement.  That is where he learned to be an ayurvedic chef, and also where he became a siddhu (teacher) of TM.  Cougina knew the Maharishi and many people in the movement, but, it seems, a few years before Krishna became involved, making for interesting conversation.

Krishna's web presence includes
His personal ayurvedic site: http://www.thevedicchef.com/
The book website: http://eattasteheal.com/

THINK GREEN
BLESSED BE
COUGINA & AGGIE

COUGINA - THE ULTIMATE FEMININE

1.	Cougina
	The genitalia of a woman over 40 years old. Mixture of the words cougar and vagina. Billy: "I got me some cougina last night." Johnny: "That's disgusting."

from the Urban Dictionary http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cougina

(Cougina has always said that he is The Ultimate Feminine. And I thought that was because he bitches a lot.  For the whole story, join Covina Hermiticia - email covina.hermiticia@att.net)

BLESSED BE
V&A

COOLINARY ADVENTURES Part One: Amazing Ant

Our next blog post will describe our meeting with the Vedic Chef, Krishna Johnny Branigan.  However, two days before having the good fortune to meet Krishna, we resorted to a crunchy taco lunch from Taco Bell.

The next morning, we looked down to see a fire ant carrying off a piece of shredded cheese. He moved slowly at first, stopping several times to assess his situation, apparently mulling over how to drag his load over the larger rocks.  Before long, he found the flattest path, and was able to drag the cheese 6 feet in a few minutes.  Pretty amazing.

As I write this, Cougina tells me that these are the real bad fire ants, not the little ones that we have in Texas that climb up in droves and bite you.  These are the larger ones that try to avoid you, but can make you dizzy with a few bites.  Hmm. I will be sure to continue to feed them, away from our booth, as C frequently recommends.

BLESSED BE
COUGINA & AGGIE

Alan on TV

It's a rough copy but you get the gist.
Blessed Be,
Alan

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

Certainly, by now you are aware that the primary principle of hermetics is balance, the centerpoint between right/wrong, good/evil, war/peace, etc. As the community's impsissimmi for North America, I spend several hours per day allowing communication between our continent's community and the communities on other continents. For several months, we have been aware that as many as a thousand children per day are starving to death in the horn of Africa. It really bothers me, when I purchase food and do not finish my plate. It bothers me even more when I recognize the amount of garbage disposed of in our country every day, that I assure you would feed a million people.

It is not your fault. No one has supplied the infrastructure through which we may even feed the hungry in the USA. Definitely not in Somalia or Kenya. However, as conscious people, it would behoove us to be aware that because we are on one end, or one particular spot in that circle of wholeness, within reason, we still have at least a conscious responsibility to the rest of that sphere.

I DO NOT EXPECT YOU TO SELL YOUR HOUSE, HOCK YOUR CAR, IN ORDER TO ASSIST THE SITUATION. (THE SITUATION MAY BE AS IT SHOULD.) HOWEVER, AN ABSOLUTE REPRESENTATION OF self THAT IS SERIOUSLY CONCERNED WITH SELF WOULD REQUIRE AT LEAST SOME POSITIVE THOUGHTFORM ASPECT TOWARD SOLVING ONE OF THE MINOR PROBLEMS ON THIS PLANET. RESPONSIBILITY FOR self AUTOMATICALLY IMPLIES (FOR THE HERMETIC) SOME CONCERN FOR THE BIG SELF. THINK FOR A MOMENT: 29,000 CONFIRMED CHILD DEATHS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND IT HAS NOW REACHED 1,000 PER DAY.

IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, AS A SUPPOSED SEEKER OF THE WHOLE, TO AT LEAST SUPPLY SYMPATHETIC THOUGHT TO THIS SITUATION.

This is also your responsibility to put self first, so that you may assist others. Your ability to discern and judge where self is in direct relationship to the whole is part and parcel of your development hermetically. Remember, my friends, do no harm without reason. Do good without fear. Love thy neighbor as thyself, and hunker down. We are only fifteen months away from the awareness of consciousness that we have waited for for so long.

BLESSED BE
COUGINA

PS I QUIT SMOKING YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, AND I'D LET FIVE OF THE LITTLE BLACK BASTARDS DIE FOR A CIGARETTE.

PPS AGGIE JUST WANTS YOU TO KNOW THAT HE SENT OUR LAST $500 TO UNICEF. THAT'S WHY THE ASSHOLE AIN'T SMOKING.