Brian T Shirley

Brian T Shirley
Jokers Wild, Atlantis Resort

Friday, October 25, 2013

Big Government, Big Brother, Big Pain in the .....Wallet!

                The latest post for "Truth Be Told" in The Weekly Telegram is for ALL political parties! Unless you're a communist or socialist, you can't argue that our government has grown WAAAYYY to big! Since this has been posted in the magazine even more revelations have come out about the NSA and more problems with the AHA. If you still don't believe we need to severely restrict the power coming out of Washington instead of the other way around, you're just a partisan hack who wants a dictatorship rather than a representative republic!



                    Truth Be Told: Big Government, Big Brother, Big Pain in the ....Wallet!
 
 
 I don't think we as human beings ever really learn from the past. There's lesson's for just about every situation known to man that have been written down, seen on TV, the Internet or heard on the radio, yet we as a species make the same mistakes over and over! George Orwell wrote about "Big Brother" 60 or so years ago and now we have ANOTHER revelation about the NSA collecting information on US citizens and foreign nationals. We've even pissed off Brazil with our data collection antics, BRAZIL!!!  Our wonderful folks in Washington ( this includes Dems & Reps) are saying that this information gathering is necessary to stop terrorism or in other words to keep us all safe. That's one of the oldest lines in the book and people still eat it right up. I warned about this several articles ago, is anybody out there?
 
This and every week on Will Robert's Weekly Telegram Radio Broadcast, the "Pros & Cons" segment, we touch on these subjects. You really must give us a listen, we're on over 36 radio stations here and abroad. We try to flush out the truth and opinions as all sides see them. Last week I said something that stuck with Johnny Hotshot, so much so he quoted me in a private email to Will and myself in brainstorming this week's segment. I said, and Johnny will expound on this from the left, that "I would rather have someone in government that hates government". I stand by that statement and I don't think we've seen anyone like that since Reagan, at least. When a Democrat is in office and grows the size of government, like now with the AHA, he's looked at as a magnificent benefactor by his constituents. The Republicans and their followers fight tooth and nail against this, like we saw with the government shut down. The Republicans say these "Big Government" programs are hurting America and they are right! BUT, when the Republicans get back in power, they grow the size government in their own way and get cheers from their followers who were just crying about Democrats growing the size of government. Ridiculous!! They both do it folks, just because your guy is in does not mean his "Big Government" plans are any better that the competition's. ALL big government is bad, expensive and inefficient.
 
You want to clean up Washington, get rid of government waste, cancel all those lavish parties that we get stuck paying for while there's no one held accountable? It's easy, shrink the size of our bloated, arrogant , pig headed, festering cesspool of fraud and waste bureaucracy called The U.S. Federal Government. Do not vote for people in either party who promise more federal programs for this and that or more laws for such and so. Vote for the person in your party who will get the government debt down by getting more people who work for the government back into the private sector, if you know what I mean. There is list after list on the Internet of programs that our tax dollars go to that are complete wastes of money. Google "government waste" if you don't believe me. You may want to take a Valium before you do.
 
Politically, Big Government is about hurting the right people. We saw that with The IRS targeting certain folks because of their political views. If you don't think this will happen when the shoe is on the other foot, think again. Anybody at the top of the IRS go to jail? No. This should not happen no matter what party controls the reins. Oh and guess what. The IRS was not stripped down like it should have been, oh no. They added hundreds of thousands of new people to help enforce the AHA. Perfect, real smart move. That won't cost us any more money, hell no. These new agents are working for free, or food stamps and health care I guess. Get the point. Every time we add a new agency or program, more money is needed from the tax payers to fund these new adventures in waste. Here's a nice round figure for you, 634 million dollars at least, for the computer system that is still not quite working to enroll folks in the AHA. I know, Republican have had their big programs, The Patriot Act and such. We can be real idiots and just scream at each other "Your side does it too!" or we can come together, use the power we have been vested with by our constitution and start voting to make this a country where the citizens don't need a huge government taking care of them from cradle to grave!
 
 We are still  the government here in the USA, don't forget that. We still have the power, for now. Truth Be Told, a Big Federal Government threatens the sovereignty of the people it governs because the people become it's subjects instead of  the other way around.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

I Know You Are But What Am I?!!

 The latest post for my column in The Weekly Telegram. It's been a rough week as far as being attacked for what I believe is right for the country. You can read the comments on a post here on my blog from a post a few weeks ago, then I was told on LinkedIn that the article you are about to read lacked sincerity because I did not use examples on how folks on the right attack people on the left. I welcome the comments from either side with positive or negative feedback. All I ask is keep it civil. Thanks!!







                             Truth Be Told: I know You Are, But What Am I?!!
 
 I feel like I'm shouting at a wall sometimes when I write these posts or appear on the "Pros & Con's" segment each week on The Weekly Telegram.  Here's my short and sweet points in the column this week, then I will expound. If we the people, the politicians and the media would operate our dialogues from points of truth with no name calling, the country could get back on the right track. This is what Will Roberts, myself and others are trying to accomplish here at The Weekly Telegram. I urge as many people as possible to join us in this endeavor.  It's very simple, if you have to change or edit a sound bite to fit your point of view, then your point of view is a LIE! This has been done by several media outlets on very big news stories and they've been caught red handed. Now, the people who want these stories slanted to suit their ideology stood by and defended these media outlets. They should be ashamed. They care more for their mindset than they do this country. This is a big problem which keeps us divided.
 
 Here's a perfect example of why there's so much hate and bickering out there. I went to the Face Book page for my radio station, Kinetic Hi Fi, that is where my radio program The BTS Radio Show originates from and you can hear Will Roberts' Weekly Telegram on there as well. I was going to put up a promotional post about my show when my eye caught something on the page. Another show on Kinetic, The Right Wing Dixie Chicks, had posted a promo for their show and someone had left a comment on their post. Here's what it read and this is the exact post  "Yeah great I want to listen to a bunch of right wing crackpots talk their ignorant racist crap. That's just what I wanted this Thursday afternoon.". I was livid as I had been on their show several times and they are two of the nicest people you could ever meet. They also have had people as guests on their show who happen to be black and gave these people a platform to promote their products, services or shows for FREE! This is exactly what I'm talking about when I say truth and name calling. This guy does not know these ladies and calls them RACIST just because they have the words "Right Wing" in the title of their show. This kind of crap has got to stop, and yes I mean on both sides of the fence, if we are going to have a meaningful dialogue in this country. Do not comment on this post with examples of how people from the right did this as well, I know this to be true, if this is your first reaction then your missing the point and you're part of the problem, look at the title for this post again.
 
Here's where my frustration really reaches all new heights. When I'm trying to talk with someone about all the bickering going on in politics and they start the dialogue out by saying "Well the TEA BAGGERS, blah, blah, blah......". I say "blah, blah, blah," because that's all I hear after the insult. What sense does it make to begin a conversation about how bad the dialogue concerning politics and ideologies has gotten in this country with name calling  just to make sure you get your hate out there?
 
 Finally, I would challenge those of you who may be of a different ideology than mine to examine you inner most thoughts and plans. Do you really desire for the USA to be the best it can be and a global leader or do you think we should just be another country on the earth who's at the same level as everyone else. I believe we should strive the be the best in the world because when we are, we help make the world a better place. The USA has helped many of those less fortunate around the globe and we can help more when we get back to our top, peak condition. If you believe we should be average and on equal footing with other nations then I would ask you to leave, we don't need you. Go some where else where excellence is not expected and mediocrity is king.
 
Truth Be Told: If we look at each other as fellow citizens and strive to make this country the best it can be for EVERYONE, we ALL will prosper in the process.
 

Monday, October 14, 2013

The Crackdown On The Shutdown!

 Here's the latest "Truth Be Told" for The Weekly Telegram. I'm in the middle writing the next one and I feel like I'm going in circles. When will our "Leaders" in Washington quit bickering and get their act together? No time soon it looks like.


                                Truth Be Told: The Crackdown on The Shutdown!
 
 Like so many of the subjects covered by the schizophrenic media we have here in the USA, you can't pinpoint who's on the wrong side of what. Most reports show the Republicans as being controlled by the "Evil" Tea Party and they won't budge an inch on opening the Government back up. How people who just want their taxes lowered and a smaller federal government be called all sorts of insults is a mystery to me. Well, not really a mystery, just another example of intolerance by people who put their ideology above their fellow American citizens. This is exactly what's going on with the shutdown and it's starting to spread overseas.
 
 China and Japan are starting to get nervous about the whole debacle. You see they both hold over a TRILLION dollars in Treasury bonds and are  in no mood to see us, the U.S., default. They've dropped disputes they are having over small islands just to weigh in on our political and economical mess. How the hell did we get here? I'll answer after I lay out where we're at.
 
Here's the facts, you see who you think should bare the blame: This guy named Snowden leaks info about how the NSA is spying on American citizens and the folks in Washington say, "Nah, it's not that bad", then we find out it's really not that bad, it's far worse. Then Snowden runs to Russia, gets to stay and no one in our government does a damn thing, except talk about how bad the situation is. Then Syria uses chemical weapons, steps over somebody's Red Line and Russia brokers a deal to get the weapons out of Syria, rather than a military strike that would have been limited an ineffective to begin with. Now Obamacare is being implemented, a very unpopular bill no matter what you believe and the Republicans are trying to de fund part of it, but the Democrats say "No". Now the government is in a partial shut down because Republicans can't find another way to get around a law that already passed and The White House will not negotiate with their own countrymen. Meanwhile, here comes the default with Japan and China telling us we better raise the debt ceiling. Oh, and they mean NOW, by the way. Not in week, not in four days, not in  two hours and thirty seven minutes, NOW!!!
 
I don't who you blame, but as I said in my last article, I blame us voters. We don't vote according to what's best for our country anymore. We let these politicians divide us up and we vote for what we can get from them, to hell with everyone else. This is what you get, no true leadership, a bunch of useless bickering and foreign governments controlling our future. I have never been a fan of term limits, we have them, I always thought, it's called "The Vote". I've changed my mind, there's to many selfish, lazy, ignorant people voting for style above substance. ALL elected officials should have term limits. People don't think there should be voter ids, meanwhile we have tax evaders in the highest levels of the government! Use your damn brain and common sense for once, don't give me this racism crap!  Truth Be Told, if we don't come together, use common sense and stop bickering, the Government won't be the last or the biggest thing shut down!

Friday, October 4, 2013

Anger Management! The USA Needs A TIME OUT!!

 I am very concerned about the future of the U.S. The discourse between ideologies has gotten...., well there is no discourse. If you do not agree with some one's point of view, they just yell and scream and call you names. This is the latest post for "Truth Be Told" in The Weekly Telegram and I may be making a big announcement in the coming weeks about a project that has a lot to do with this subject, that is the anger issue in America today. Hopefully we can help facilitate a national dialogue about doing what's right for our nation as a whole and not just certain factions. Political Correctness needs to be done away with and the "somebody owes me " mentality has to be defeated. Here's the post:

                 Truth Be Told: Anger Management! The USA Needs A TIME OUT!


Obamacare, Syria, The Government Shut Down, The Zimmerman Case, Russia, Snowden, The IRS, The NSA, Egypt, Iran, Unemployment….whew, I’m pissed off, what about you? Even though I write or have written about most of these subjects, I’m dreading looking at or hearing the latest new reports on anything. There’s a lot of anger and finger pointing going around these days. What scares me is I may have contributed to some of that anger with this column and I apologize, it was not my intention. I do not apologize for writing what I believe is true, just the way it may have come off.
I recently read an article that stated “for every negative thought we have, it take 5 positive thoughts to counter act the negative thought”. The human condition seems to always lean negative to begin with. I know I have a hard time staying positive, a very hard time. Then I spend time with family and any positive vibes I’ve built up are quickly done away with, sad but true. I think we all go through that, but we need family, they do support us in their own special ways.
Then there’s the outside world. YUCK!! If we were to base reality strictly on what we heard on the news and talk shows we would find that: this is the worst place on earth to live, no one ever gets along, people are routinely killed because of their skin color, man is entirely to blame for climate change, your whole existence is based on what you believe on one subject i.e. gay marriage, any amendment to the constitution, abortion, gun control and if you’re white and disagree with anything Obama says you’re a racist!  Still thinking positive?
I’m not going into my personal life, I’ll just say I’m blessed to be able to get on stage, make people laugh and host my own radio show. I also enjoy writing this column and my time with Will Roberts and Johnny Hotshot on The Weekly Telegram’s “Pros & Cons” is time well spent. The fact is that these are the things that make me happy so I try to focus on them as much as possible. I’m still learning how to keep myself on the bright side of life, not easy, it take a lot of introspection.
Helping others, I’ve learned, is also another way to keep the positive juices flowing. If we focus solely on ourselves, we will never achieve true happiness. The real good feelings come with sharing and giving, sounds cliche, but it’s true. What does all this have to do with the bad news we keep being fed everyday? Simple, we only look at these headlines as in how they affect us and our families, that’s not very generous. If we stepped back and thought about our country as a whole we would not tear each other apart. The Zimmerman Case is the best example of this. People drew lines based on race and the truth did not matter.
We’re letting the media and our elected officials divide us up like we are sheep. Here’s a novel idea for all you special interest groups, religious zealots and self-proclaimed community leaders. If someone does not agree with your point of view, instead of calling them a racist, a homophobe or an heretic, why not say ” We may not agree on this now, but let’s see if there’s a common ground we can meet on.” I’m not talking about compromising on your beliefs, I’m talking about understanding each others point of view. Also, if the facts point to you being wrong, so what. Admit you were wrong and let’s move on together.
The Federal Government should give all the working family’s and individuals a couple of grand each for all the spying, lying, reckless spending and just plain aggravation. There’s a good start to some positive reinforcement! Truth Be Told: We do need change! A change in elected officials, a change in our government and a change of the American attitude!