Happy 40th Birthday to… Me.
Oh, and Happy 80th Birthday to William Shatner, Star Trek’s original James T. Kirk.
Now I’m feeling old.
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/happy-birthday/
Feb 06
Happy Birthday Ronald Reagan!
Ronald Reagan was born 100 years ago today.
Most of my school years was with him as President, with George H. W. Bush elected during my Senior year.
In studying the Presidents of the United States, Reagan was likely the most influential of the 20th Century. The four Presidents that have followed have not been able to fill Reagan’s boots.
Let us hope that the United States still exists in another 100 years, so we can celebrate Reagan’s 200th.
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/happy-birthday-ronald-reagan/
Dec 15
Quick Video – TSA
I seem to get a lot of jokes, pictures and videos sent to me from friends, co-workers, and family. This one hit my inbox today, but looking it up on YouTube, it’s now nearing 2 Million hits.
As we move into the well-traveled Christmas and New Years vacations next week, many more people will be flying, and suffering through the TSA’s draconian procedures. While this is not the only reason I drive to see family in Kansas every December, it definitely weighs on it, even with the higher gas prices.
Thanks to Buck Howdy for a fun (but what seems to be true) song.
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/quick-video-tsa/
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/tsa-time-for-the-curtain-to-fall-on-security-theatre/
Nov 10
An Excursion of a Lifetime… Coming to Houston?
Union Pacific Railroad is the only surviving major railroad that still regularly operates Steam locomotives. While other steam engines are operated through muesums and historical societies, and depend on donations and volunteers to keep operating, Union Pacific has a full time crew to maintain and operate two complete steam excursion trains.
Earlier this year, Union Pacific’s 844 graced Houston with an appearance, and Challenger 3985 has passed this way a couple of times in recent years.
Union Pacific 844 parked at Houston's Downtown Amtrak Station
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/an-excursion-of-a-lifetime-coming-to-houston/
Nov 03
2010 Election: Red Light Cameras to go Dark?
A personal hot-button issue that I have championed against may finally be getting the plug pulled.
Red Light Cameras came to Houston under former Mayor Bill White. They have been controversial since their installation, including comments on this blog back in 2007.
Today, the voters in the city decided by 52.8% to shut the cameras down.
While there’s a good chance the city and their vendor could go to court to challenge it, the public thinks that the “safety” gained by the cameras was not sufficient for all of the negative issues.
While anyone violating the law should be prosecuted, the failure to face your accuser is clearly a violation of our Constitutional rights. At the same time, a malfunction of the traffic signal or an emergency vehicle needing their access cleared did not stop the wrongful prosecution of citizens legally moving through the light.
Technology never will be able to replace human intuition, and the cost of these cameras would have better gone to putting more officers on the streets. Thanks to the voters of Houston, maybe that will finally happen.
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/2010-election-red-light-cameras-to-go-dark/
Nov 02
Today’s Election Day: Get out there and VOTE!
With the ratification of the US Constitution in 1787, the framers set a course of a then unheard of form of Government, a Republic.
Under that Republic, it is up to the people to select Representitives (and later by the 17th Amendment, Senators) to represent our interests on a National level.
Today represents the one responsibility that we the people have to the direction our country is going, and that is by voting. I encourage everyone to vote today, as our Republic depends on it.
And before you ask, yes, I voted in the Texas early voting.
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/todays-election-day-get-out-there-and-vote/
Oct 24
“Queen Sheila” On The Campaign
Sheila Jackson Lee is once again making the wrong kind of headlines. Late yesterday, it was reported over at Big Government that she was electioneering within the 100 foot boundries of a polling place:
Of course, The liberal media at the local news stations or the Comical will not go near damaging the credibility of their local hero.
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/queen-sheila-on-the-campaign/
Oct 18
Countdown to the Election
Today marked the beginning of early voting here in Texas. I took advantage this year, particularly in light of the warehouse fire that destroyed most of the voting equipment here in Harris County.
My location of choice was the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center on West Gray:
Being this was the first day, and it was after lunch, there was only a short line. I was in and out in about 30 minutes.
There were a number of campaign representitives working just beyond the “no campaigning” signs, including several vehicles with billboard-like signs attached to them. With parking already at a premium, these should not have been allowed, as I and several others abandoned trying to find a parking space in the Multi-Service Center’s lot, instead parking across the street in a shopping center’s lot.
If you have early voting where you live, take advantage of it. If you don’t, take your cameras. With as many contested contests as there are this year, I suspect November 2nd will be full of bad apples trying to intimidate or discourage voters.
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/countdown-to-the-election/
Oct 03
“One Nation” was not indivisable with liberty and justice for all
I did not have the opportunity to view the “One Nation” rally yesterday. As I had commented over on Big Government, I suspected that we the taxpayers were going to be stuck with the overall costs of this event.
It appears that I was right. Unlike the “Restoring Honor” rally on August 28th, this rally spewed hate, as well as a communist/socialist agenda. Crowd estimates appear to be in the 175,000 range, well below what “Restoring Honor” brought in (estimates of 350,000).
Most of those in attendance were Union members, some forced to attend by Union mandates. Most of the funds for the event were donated by Unions.
Permanent link to this article: https://onthespotblog.com/one-nation-was-not-indivisable-with-liberty-and-justice-for-all/
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