Somalis

The majority of "Somali-Americans" are not Americans. They're Somalis living in America. There's a difference.

Government incentive

 Southwest recently made a huge announcement stating they will bring 2,000 high paying jobs to the area with an average salary of 180k.  The governor hailed this a boost for the local economy and providing jobs where people will earn enough money to live in the city.  The 2,000 high paying jobs will be flight attendants and pilots.

This big announcement demonstrates yet again how ignorant politicians are about business; specifically the airline industry.  Here is a newsflash for our esteemed political class.  Flight attendants and pilots typically DO NOT live where they are based.  They live somewhere with a lower cost of living and commute to their base either on the day their trip starts or a day before to insure they make their show time.

They do not contribute to the local economy.  If anything it is the equivalent of an illegal alien earning money in this country and sending it back to Mexico.  Or, in this case a pilot earning money in their "base" but living the rest of their lives in geography of residence. 

Austin will see minimum economic impact as result of Southwest bringing 2000 high paying jobs to Austin.  Yeah, bringing these jobs to Austin sounds great on paper but it is hollow.  The economic impact will be in the employees geography of residence.  Not the domicile they are assigned.

Shame on Governor Abbott for lacking understanding of how the industry works.  Shame on Southwest for exploiting economic incentives without providing any direct benefit to the community. 

Political class

Look! Mike Johnson took a picture of his colleagues from the podium in the chamber. The president is seated in the aisle.

Water study

Williamson county projected to have water shortage by 2036. Government has entered into a $500,000 water study to determine source of future needs. Participants include Georgetown, Round Rock, Cedar Park and Leander.

Some are looking for residential consumers to conserve more. Others are questioning continued economic development and industrial growth.

In the mean time government will continue allowing building of homes, apartments and data centers while luring industries that are water intensive - such as pistachio and avocado farming.

The way we're living and expanding can't be allowed to continue at current intensity. We're gonna run out of water. Keep building. We'll figure it out. Are you crazy?

Trump is a pig

For the last decade I've given Donald j Trump the benefit of the doubt despite being severely flawed. I was a believer in the America first agenda. Though he is merely a year into his second term, I see Donald for what he is - a con man who cares only about his ego and those who stroke it.

He hasn't done anything to fix inflation. With the exception of gas, everything is getting more expensive. The employment situation is dire. He's more worried about global problems than domestic problems. He's done nothing to fix healthcare costs. He's getting nastier in making public comments about people he doesn't like - directly to their faces.

Trump is proving himself to be a scumbag on a daily basis.

Why has my opinion changed? Ask Piggy how she feels? Or the Somalis. I don't particularly care for them, but you don't blanket statement classify them as garbage. Rosie odonnel was an easy target - she's a loud, ugly, liberal lesbian who can't shut her mouth. Donald is the same but a fat, arrogant, conservative jackass. Two parts of the same piece of wood.

What really tore it for me? The Kennedy center honorees. Pleased to see George strait included- but gene simmons? Gene Simmons (Chaim Witz) is every bit a pig as Donald Trump. Both of them are crass, sexist arrogant animals. Chaim can't even take his sunglasses off when in the Oval Office. Trump got mad at scam bag Zelensky for not wearing a suit. Light sensitivity? BS. Simmons is just a disrespectful asshole worried about looking cool. He also changed his name to be more palpable to Americans.  What a phony.

3 members of kiss being honored. Make up wearing cartoon characters using Halloween masks as gimmicks to hide their utter lack of talent. The same way Donald Trump uses his buildings with his name on them; to hide the outright ugly person that is his hollow soul.

Birds of a feather flock together. Both Donald Trump and Gene Simmons are pieces of shit flushed from the same toilet into the same sewer.  Both are ugly, arrogant, talentless fools. 

Chaim Witz is a demon. Just look at him. Donald may be one too. At least Chaim Witz doesn’t try to hide who he is minus changing his name. Donald tries and yet he keeps showing us he is a demon too. How many times to see a glimpse of demonism before one realizes there’s a demon inside? About 15 years, I’d say. 

 

Also, picking on Marjorie Taylor Green isn't cool either.  I think Donald Trump is too stupid to realize one thing.  He may have started Make America Great Again - but he is no longer the torch bearer of the movement.  He isn't even executing on it.  MTG could be the leader of the America First agenda.  Along with Erika Kirk.  Imagine them being president and veep - it'd be a one-two punch to the democrats saying America isn't ready for a female president.  America is ready for a woman president - just not a stupid one. 

Us businesses

US businesses need to stop advocating for foreign workers in an effort to drive down wages. The H1b visa program brings cheaper labor here. There are not any more experts in India or Pakistan than there are here. This model of extracting every available piece of profit and cost reduction under the guise of providing opportunity to foreigners is a joke. Corporations need to stop being a thuggish group of greedy bastards.

Pretty soon corporations won't have a population to sell to if all the silver spoons want to do is suppress wages.

Business is broken. Social contracts have been betrayed. There will be backlash.

Happy Birthday! Pastor Rob turned 65!

The senior pastor at church turned 65 on Sunday and we all got to sing happy birthday to him.  Pastor Rob is the man.  I was very involved in church up until December 2005 when I got hired at JetBlue and got reconnected after leaving my role.  Here is what I can say about Pastor Rob - He is 65 years old and looks like he is 35 years old.  He is a man who loves his family, loves pastoring our church and leads a life of excellence and integrity.  His messages have always challenged me to be a better version of myself and there are may times I felt like he was speaking directly to me.  I know it's hard to tell given my frequent mean blog posts.  I fall short.  I am flawed.

Years ago, he lost his son in a car accident.  He persevered through the pain and continued leading the church.  I can't imagine the loss he and his family experienced when that tragedy happened.  The previous Sunday he mentioned it was going to be his birthday and he had no intention of leaving his position and feels just as excited and motivated to lead our church as when he and his wife started it.  I understand he has been senior pastor at our church for 38 years and the current facility has been in existence for 35 years.  Our church is one of the larger churches in the community and one of the more active.

There was a time they gave away bumper stickers... I know... Anyway it seemed liked 1 out of three cars in the late 90s and early 2000s  had a church bumper sticker on their car.  We did.

The worship style is modern and the messages are relevant.  I enjoyed church back in the day and enjoy it just as much today.

For pastor rob's birthday, pastor jurie preached.  Pastor Jurie is from South Africa.  Up until he preached this service, he stirred the demons in me.  Or something like that.  I feel like he's trying to manipulate us and he's always yelling when he talks.  I think he tries to be exciting and engaging.  To me it falls flat.

Anyway - on Sunday Jurie hit it out of the park and did an exceptional job capturing the three themes of Pastor Rob's ministry.  I don't know how long they've know eachother, but I do know Jurie interviewed family, friends and staff members and read a lot of the old notes from various sermons over the years.  

Here are the three themes to Pastor Rob's life:  Grace, Grind and Grit. We have a collection of phrases we say at every service:

I am loved by God

I can not earn it

I can not lose it

I am forgiven and made brand new

In Christ I live with passion and purpose

I am empowered by the spirit to be the church in the world

and to love this love revolution

Instead of trying to describe the Grace, Grind and Grit - I'll show you:

I stumbled upon this message from 13 years ago.  It is an ordinary example of the messages pastor rob preaches on any given sunday.  He's the best pastor I've ever had the privilege of hearing and knowing.