What Do We Call a Thousand Trillions?

Posted on 27/11/2009 by Grumpa Joe

My Flag Flies Everyday

What comes after a trillion? A trillion is one followed by twelve zeros. A smart ass would say a trillion and one comes after a trillion. What I’m asking is what do we call “one” followed by fifteen zeros? Since we base all of our money numbers on ones followed by zeros, it follows that for every thousand of a  number we call it by a special name. For instance start with one followed by three zeros or a thousand, then a thousand thousands, etc. It’s easier to say one, one thousand, one million, one billion, one trillion, etc. What do we call a thousand trillions?

Maybe it is easier to see it this way:

1=one

1000=thousand

1,000,000=million

1,000,000,000=billion

1,000,000,000,000= trillion

Why do we care? Because the Federal Deficit is headed toward that number. It was just a few years ago that a deficit of 500 million was huge, then it progressed to four hundred billion in the GWB era, now it has leapt to twelve trillion almost overnight. Comparatively,  ninety percent of the population will never have a million dollars in their retirement account.

The number one followed by fifteen  zeros is called a quadrillion. I hope we never get to use that number in reference to our deficit. If we do, I’m sure a loaf of bread will cost a thousand dollars.

1,000,000,000,000,000=quadrillion

        12,000,000,000,000=current deficit

Try visiting the National Debt Clock to watch how fast the debt is climbing. Take particular notice of the Gross Domestic Product compared to the debt. They are the same. I see that as “our country is broke.”  I don’t mean that the country is broken, I mean that we are near bankruptcy.

Answer this. Where will we get the money to pay for the new health care reform bill being shoved up our ass?

Filed under: Conservative, economy, family, Government, health care, liberals, politics, Society | Tagged: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

@*^#&a;*)Great Blue Heron

Posted on 25/11/2009 by Grumpa Joe

     Ever since we installed our pond, I have been waiting for the critters to show up. This summer the deer arrived after four years of absence. They cleaned the yard of every newly planted Hosta.  A possum has dug up the lawn looking for grubs. Squirrels have planted corn seed all about the yard. Slinky the garter snake slithered into the rocks around the water fall.  A red tail hawk often swoops through the yard after a squirrel or dove. The place is a veritable zoo at times. 

      I thought things would quiet down now that the leaves have fallen and the flowers are all gone. Last Sunday morning, I sat having my coffee reading the paper. I could see the window from the corner of my eye when it happened, A huge shadow swooped across the window. At first, I thought is was the hawk. I jumped up to see if he nailed a squirrel. Nope. I looked up at the pond, there he was, Big Bird in person. A great Blue Heron had spotted the goldfish. Before I could say “Peg come see,”  the bird had a bulge moving down it’s long throat. He nailed my largest, fanciest goldfish. He saw me, and took off looking like a prehistoric pterodactyl.

I left to deliver Thanksgiving food baskets with my Lions Club. I got home a couple of hours later. Peggy greeted me with “he’s been back three times already.” Later, I saw him again, but as soon as I made a move for the camera he flew off. It is three days later, and we have spotted him at the pond every day. My friend Al told me he would stay until he has cleaned all the fish from the pond. I hope it freezes tonight so he will migrate south.

Filed under: Birds, Fish, Garden, Garden,pond,, Gardening, Lions Club, Pond, Ponds | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Kangaroo Trial

Posted on 25/11/2009 by Grumpa Joe

Why do we insist on doing stupid things? Politics have reached a new level of absurdity. The liberals want to punish George Bush so badly they have lost their reason.  The GITMO boys were not caught on US soil breaking US laws. Why then are we trying them in a domestic  judicial system? The logic of it escapes me. One strong reason does come to mind. The liberals want to make a show case out of our judicial system. In the process they will open issues of  torture, and harsh treatment of prisoners, thereby punishing Bush once more. I have news for the liberals, the harshest treatment the GITMO boys will receive, is being moved to Illinois. Our winter will convert them to Christianity.

The world will wonder why we go out of our way to give these proclaimed warriors a voice.   I’m sure the accused would go to equal lengths to give their prisoners fair treatment.  Liberals make the argument that we are a nation of laws. I agree, but show me the law that says we try these guys in the US. In the meantime, because they were captured in a war environment, none of the usual citizen rights were awarded them. It is my opinion, that any good judge will throw this case out of court. The GITMO boys will walk. How will we look to the world then? Our great system will fail to convict admitted terrorists. They will not walk because we have a weak system, they will walk because we did not afford them the same rights on the battlefield as we do a gang member on the battlefield of a Chicago street.

Rules of war and domestic laws can not be crossed in court. Each should be treated separately. Our current leader is too stupid to see it that way. He wants this trial to blow up and degrade our country in the eyes of the world. Why does he hate America so?

Filed under: Cartoons, Conservative, Government, liberals, politics | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

What?

Posted on 25/11/2009 by Grumpa Joe

Both Peggy and I suffer from a malady that causes us to ask “what?” Repeatedly, we request each other to repeat what we said. Neither of us will admit it but we are losing our hearing. It occurs to me that congress must also be suffering from the same malady. What other reason would they have for ignoring  input from their constituents.

I suggest that our congressmen, and senators all use their Cadillac health care plan to have their hearing tested. The results to be posted on Congress.org. With hearing test results posted for our review, we can then decide whether they have a medical excuse for their stupid voting decisions.

Filed under: Cartoons, Conservative, family, Government, health care, liberals, politics | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Creating Jobs the SEIU Way

Posted on 24/11/2009 by Grumpa Joe

Those who know me well, know that I have a hang-up about unions. Perhaps they had a real purpose in the days of the Industrial Revolution when America was coming out of the agricultural age, but they have no useful purpose today, than to promote socialism. They were a tool used to boost individuals from agricultural serfdom to the industrial middle class.  On the political side, unions were used to elect Democrats. My Dad, who was forced to join a union when he worked for the railroad was told how to vote by union bosses. Eventually,  American workers abandoned unions as a tool because unions no longer  function to their benefit in this society

Today, unions are a business. Their goal is to make money, and  to keep union bosses employed. Many times, unions are in the pocket of the management. They know the management position is right, and the unioin is left with a “take it or leave it” proposition. Much of the export of  US industry to foreign countries is the result of union demands making business more expensive  to work in. Unions also demand more pay for less work.  Very often, the negotiated work rules have no reason, and offer a company less flexibility. For example continuing to demand a coal-shoveling fireman on deisel-electric locomotives. Too many union/management relationships are adversarial in nature. Instead of building a relationship that will foster a “together we will prosper’ attitude, it is a “we’ll take you down before we give in” credo.

Last week, I read an article about a Boy Scout who built a hiking-biking trail as his Eagle Scout project. Having served in the BSA for twenty five years, I thought he picked an remarkably ambitious project. He might become an Eagle Scout as a result, because with his leadership, he completed the project. His Eagle Board of Review has to determine if he met the requirements of  an Eagle class project.  Meanwhile Allentown benefits.

The Service Employees International Union argued that the work should have gone to fired union employees instead. Did the SEIU or their members conceive the project? Did they take it before  a Scout board of approval? Did they get  permits from the park district? Did they plan the work? Did they recruit people to work? Did they lead the workers, and arrange for removal of the trash? The SEIU leaders who filed the complaint against Allentown, PA  got paid. The Boy Scout didn’t, nor did his recruits. I guess the SEIU calls him a SCAB.

Perhaps the SEIU should redefine what it’s mission statement is and what it stands for; “The desecration of the basic human values that make our country great.” They fill that requirement exactly.

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