Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

I'm tired of being lied to, and quite frankly I think that its time someone be held accountable for it. It started with the Bush Administration's stimulus package and bail out that told us all that these measures would make sure that the economy did not slide into recession. That seemed to work well, oh wait, no, it didn't work at all. Then the Obama Administration comes riding in and gives yet another Stimulus bill and an Automotive Bailout. We were all told that if we would finance the poor management of these companies it would prevent the catastrophic: Automakers going into bankruptcy. How has that worked for us?

In the last two weeks we have found out that Chrysler is going out of business and there are dealerships around the country shutting down on top of the Chrysler plant workers losing their jobs. GM announces today that they are going into bankruptcy and they are working on a quick sale deal to the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. Didn't we already buy this company once 90 days ago?

If we gave BILLIONS and BILLIONS to keep these companies open and they have not been able to do that, I DEMAND that the shareholders of these companies received NOTHING in bankruptcy and the federal government should get every bit of the money back. Whatever they can't pay back the government should receive and hold for no longer than 60 days, at which time it would sell the company back to the employees and a new management structure. This would help salvage some of the jobs, allow the iconic companies to remain (at least in name) and help the tax payers recoup some of the money that has been lost.

Watch what happens in the next couple of days. No one in the national media (except for a couple of the normal truth tellers) will ever ask why we spent all this money if it didn't even come close to working. What will happen to these Presidential "Analysts" that were so far off? Will we turn to them again when we need economic forecasts? Who were the people that were screaming that this would not work? (besides me).

The overall lesson in this is that government is not the answer. There is no reason that all of these companies should not have been sent to bankruptcy at the beginning of the year for reorganization. There would have been some lay offs and there would have been some closing of plants, but each company would have gotten to renegotiate their contracts, and they would have been leaner and more profitable companies that could compete in the local economy.

This is not a critique of the Obama Administration. This is a critique of the federal government. I have full faith that if John McCain had won the election, he too would have provided the bailout to the Auto company.

We have a problem in America. We have a lack of accountability, and we have been taught that when life gets hard we don't have to trim our lifestyles or our companies. We don't have to pick up extra jobs or eat a little bit more rice and beans. We have been trained that the government is going to swoop in and save us. WAKE UP. The government can't save us, because the government itself has pushed it to the point that it can barely survive itself.

Exhausted

There is one word that really sums up how I feel right now. Exhausted. This time of year always wears me out because I’m gearing up for the summer. Camp is coming, vacations bible school is coming and there just seems to be more things to do that are dragging me here and there. That coupled with the end of the semester just wears me out. I finished the semester yesterday and I can say with certainty that I am as burned out with school as I have ever been. I’m taking the summer off and going to try to get my head back on and relax some before the fall. This is going to be a good summer, I feel it.

David graduates from Birmingham Southern tomorrow. It absolutely blows my mind that my younger brother is graduating from college and is gearing up to get married. I’m not sure what it is that has made this so real for me the in the last couple days, but its just weird. I don’t know how many of you know David, but he is worth knowing. He seems by far to be the most driven Miller to do great things. He has a work ethic like no individual I have ever met. If there were a Miller Family “Most Likely to Succeed” David would win it. What would Donald win? “Most Likely to Show up in Lifetime original Movie”. I think this would be a fun blog for next week. Miller Family Who’s Who. Ima come back to that.

I’m really content with my life right now. I am not even close to accomplishing the goals I have set, but I’m making just a little bit of progress every day and I think as I get closer I gain more confidence and its has created a snowball. I think I’ll call it my Snowball of Happiness and Contentment.

Next week I will reveal my new website that will host all my pictures, blog, and other fun stuff. I’m shooting to incorporate all the things that are on my blogs with some of the stuff that I do on Facebook. I’m also going to try to make it helpful for people at church. Church calendar, announcements, contacts, etc. This might be a step in the direction of a church website, but I dont really have the time to go after that right now, so I’ll start it off my personal site and see how much interest and how helpful it is before I make a commitment like that. I have gotten a lot of it done yesterday and today, but I’m going to try to do a bit more before I unveil it. I reserved the address. The address will be www.umcmatt.com. I’ll let you know when its running.

Goodnight.

States Rights? In Montana?

An interesting post by Apopkasnakeranch. (He has links if you are interested in seeing the actual bill, etc)

Evidently Montana has passed a State law that declares all guns, accessories and ammunition that is manufactured used and kept in Montana as "legal". This basically undoes all Federal gun laws in the State of Montana because the Feds have no jurisdiction. The only way they have had jurisdiction in the past is through the Interstate Commerce clause. 

This is going to force a showdown with the Federal government over this issue and the larger issue of Federal intervention in state matters.

Should be fun to watch.

Too Hot To Fish, Too Hot For Golf, and Too Cold in This Classroom

I am beginning to get very concerned about this summer. I have enjoyed the nicer weather, but I really hope that the high temperatures are not an indicator of what is to come for the summer.

Bea Arthur
I've tried several times to write and post a tribute to one of my true loves that has gone on to her reward, Bea Arthur. Me and Donald are sending flowers, and the card attached will say, "Thank you for being a friend. The Millers, BIrmingham, Alabama".



Happy 100 Days!
Well, Barack Obama has been the President for 100 days. We are still here and basic services are still operating. Overall, I have not been any more displeased with him than I was with W there are the end. The only thing that bothers me is that Obama must think that I'm an idiot. We just spent $1 Trillion which was added to the national deficit, and at the same time he is talking about his "comprehensive look at government" and his pledge to cut the national debt by $1 Trillion over the next 10 years. Translation:" I'm about to spend a ridiculous amount of money, but if you let me do it, after that I'll get serious and I'll start getting us back to fiscal discipline."

It's kind of like a husband saying to his wife, "I'm about to cheat on you, but don't worry because once I get this out of my system I will immediately turn my attention to our marriage and getting it back to where it should be".

If we are spending $1 Trillion now, and we are looking to save $1 Trillion over 10 years, would it not be easier to just not spend the money now? . If we need to spend a bunch of money, do it and tell me you are doing it. If we are going to try to cut the deficit, tell me and do it. Don't try to make me think you are doing both at the same time. I'm dumb, but I'm not stupid. I'm just saying.

I Saw God Yesterday
I hate it when I see opportunities to live the faith that I hold, but manage to find ways to blow it. It happened last night. There was a mute homeless guy in the restaurant we were eating in and he came up with a piece of paper asking me to buy him something to eat. I brushed him off but eventually decided that I was going to do it, so I called the waitress over and told her to cook the guy a pizza and take it to him, but not to tell him who bought it.

The waitress told me that he was in there all the time and that I shouldn't do it because he was scamming me and she talked me out of doing it. I didn't really think about it again until I was in the car going home and it hit me, "Why did I let a waitress decide if someone was hungry?" I'm not sure how it happened, but I'll go back next week and hope he is there. I won't get talked out of it again.

So, About My Foot

Some of you are aware that I spent the majority of Wednesday afternoon in the Emergency Room at Methodist Hospital in Memphis.

I was eating lunch at Outback after class with Kim Johnson, April Watson, and Jennifer Sheffield. A good time was had by all and we had paid and were beginning to wrap things up and head back to the seminary. Thats when I heard behind me "oh %$&*" and then felt a cold sensation hit my back and legs and I felt glass hit my flip flop covered feet. You ever have something like that happen where you just sit there for a second, but in your mind you think and think and it seems like a longer time than it really is? You are 1) trying not to scream 2) trying to let what just happened process in your mind so your fully appreciate your predicament and 3) attempting to compose yourself and quickly remind yourself that verbal and physical altercations are not viable options.  Anyway, thats what I did. I decided in that instant that I was not going to kill this waiter.

When I went to stand up and turn around there was a small shard of glass in my flip flop that promptly went into my heel.  Thats when I forgot about #1. I yelled out in pain and you would be SHOCKED, I mean SHOCKED,  at how quickly a manager can appear when a tea covered customer screams out in pain. 

I sat back down and attempted to pull the little piece out of my foot with my hand hoping that it wasn't going to be a big deal, but all I managed to do is cut my finger on the little piece of glass. 

I can't begin to tell you how bad that manager wanted my bleeding, tea drenched, red faced butt out of his restaurant. He paid for my lunch (Sidebar: How ironic is it that this is the one time in my life I wasn't hungry when I went in and I only bought a $5.41 appetizer? Do you know how many times I've dropped $30 in there? Smited again). He got my information and gave me his card and I kid you not, his insurance agent was on my cell phone before I was a mile toward the hospital assuring me that there was no need to escalate this and that they would be more than happy to offer me a settlement "after my serious physical needs" were met. 

To wrap the story up quickly, I sat in the Emergency Room and they brushed out what they could and told me that the rest of it wasn't worth digging in my foot for. It will either work its way out or it will calcify and I will just live with a piece of glass in my foot forever. Either way within a week I should have no pain. 

Moral of the story: If you are going to wear flip flops into Outback, order something expensive. Don't let them get away with a $5 comp.

American Community Survey

Are you kidding me? Have you heard of this ridiculous tool that the government is forcing to me fill out?

I got the survey in the mail a few weeks ago and it was addressed to "Resident", so I did what I always do in that situation. I through it into the garbage can. When it came the second time addressed to "Resident" with a letter explaining that I had to fill it out, I through it away again. THEN, they send it FEDEX!!! Are you kidding me? I had to sign for the thing. I looked over the survey and it was wanting to know what I did, where I worked, the address of my employer, how much I made, how I paid the rent, how much my water bill is, etc. Why does the government need to know those things?

I called the 1800 number on the website because I have never heard of this before and it was soon explained to me that I am LEGALLY OBLIGATED to fill out this survey and return it, and if I do not I am going to be fined up to $500!!!!!!!!!!

I am not going to "go off" and explain why this is a ridiculous use of my tax money. Nor will I go off and explain why this is an invasion of my privacy. Nor will I go off and explain why I feel like the governments involvement in my life is becoming more than oppressive.