And the winner will be…

Navy CyberSpace 2010 NCAA Basketball Tourney Bracket

Kansas!

Who is your pick to win it?

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

I am registered for next semester, and expect the 911 GI-Bill payment fiasco to be under control. I have all of my classes scheduled for Mondays and Wednesdays once again; I really liked having a 4 day liberty every week.

This weekend will be filled with cramming for the exams and watching Navy beat Army in the annual Navy-Army Game. If the Army will ever again, win a football game against Navy, we can change the name back to Army-Navy.

After next week’s finals, Bonnie and I are heading to Florida. We will spend the holidays with family, couple of days at Disney, and take a 5 day cruise out of Tampa. It will be a busy break, but should be a great time.

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

The ramp assists those confined to a wheel chair in entering and exiting the pool.

The ramp is an example of a tool used to make life a little more accessible for our wounded warriors. Like the Shades of Green, you too can help our wounded with a donation to Project Valour IT of Soldier’s Angels, a not for profit organization, which provides voice-controlled/adaptive laptop computers and other technology to support Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand wounds and other severe injuries.

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

Progress Energy is a power company that generates electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes in Florida and beyond. I want to discuss the effects Cap and Trade may have on Progress Energy, specifically the power plants located at Crystal River.

Crystal River Units 1&2 are two of the oldest and dirtiest coal burning plants in the southeast. They are the type of plants the Cap and Trade legislation would force companies like Progress Energy to upgrade or replace altogether. Not a bad plan, clean up the air and reduce the CO2 emissions. Win Win, ummm, lose.

The big problem is Progress Energy wants nothing more than to replace Crystal River’s Units 1&2 – they would like to do it at the soonest. The company cannot just shut the plants off, Florida is a big state with lots of electricity hungry residents – other plants must be built and online before shut down can commence.

The “tax” Cap and Trade will be levied on the company will be passed on to the customers. So not only will Florida take the major hit from the current recession it will also pay even more for electricity for the foreseeable future after Cap and Trade takes effect. The soonest those dirty plants can be turned off is projected to be late 2016, and that is only if everything goes smoothly from here.

Progress energy has applied to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for permits to build nuclear power plants about 10 north of the Crystal River power plant’s site. It will take a minimum of about TWO years for approval of the permits putting ground breaking at the earliest mid to late 2011.

My suggestions to the Senate – if you must pass this legislation please figure out a way to speed up the approval process for beginning construction of nuclear power plants across our country! A minimum of two years to test the soil and clear the paperwork is about a year and a half too long. Use the stimulus money you have left over and increase the NRC staff to get this done – I know those in Florida would appreciate it. OR, kill the bill altogether, yea lets go with that choice – makes more sense anyway – Floridians can’t afford it until 2017 at the earliest.

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

Twitter has captured me and has yet to release it’s ransom demands.

Don’t get me wrong, Twitter – namely the people I follow, offer me a trusted portal to current events and pretty good banter. I do take the time to research each prospective person I will follow, I look at a number of things ranging from their bio, twits and web site/blog (if any) the person may have.

I’m sure, as with most things, I will budget my time better to become more productive here on my blog – until that time comes bare with me and if you don’t already, come Twit with me! NavyCS on Twitter

My last 20 Twits (short term resume) just before article publish.

1. @GIJessDC @vicbeck Teens 75 yrs ago today witnessed the birth of Donald Duck! #pavi093 minutes ago from web in reply to GIJessDC

2. RT @CAPTCate Fear & Loathing? Check this out as UNSECNAV Work recommended: http://bit.ly/dpKUQ36 minutes ago from web

3. RT @w1t Awwww I’m a sucker for these critter tidbits: http://bit.ly/x7mYc ~I guess we can “all just get along” about 1 hour ago from web

4. #crapsuperpowers trends with little problem but #militarymon cannot seem to gain traction – we must do better next week!about 2 hours ago from web

5. Happy 75th Birthday to the Disney Sailor, Donald Duck!about 3 hours ago from web

6. RT @PeterSantilli N. Korea Warns of ‘Merciless’ Nuclear Offensive – FOXNews.com http://ff.im/-3Lk4xabout 3 hours ago from web

7. Reading: “Information Dissemination: Pols Speaking Out Against LCS” ( http://bit.ly/1by8NG )about 3 hours ago from twitthat

8. Responding to: “I Want | Neptunus Lex” ( http://bit.ly/cnUC3 )about 12 hours ago from twitthat

9. @johnvallas Today was a great day in #Tennessee! ~~I cannot disagree about 12 hours ago from web in reply to johnvallas

10. @NavyNews I envision starting at NRD Chi, then to an NRS, RTC, NTC – show the entire transition from civ to Sailor.about 12 hours ago from web

11. @NavyNews Battle Stations – A schools – barracks – fire fighting – hat ceremony, so much to see and do.about 12 hours ago from web in reply to NavyNews

12. RT @NavyNews: Navy musicians send 20K RUNNING. No wonder they’re called the Destroyers. http://bit.ly/7HgLF ~The Navy ROCKS!about 12 hours ago from web

13. RT @NavyNews Your Navy from eyes other than ours… http://bit.ly/goeDJ ~~Next Blogger tours NTC/RTC Glakes?about 13 hours ago from web

14. @GeoffBreedwell Your welcome about 13 hours ago from web in reply to GeoffBreedwell

15. Dah dit Di dah Di di di dah Dah di dah dah -Dah dah dah Dah dit -Dah Di dah dah Di dit Dah Dah Dit Di dah dit!! #militarymonabout 13 hours ago from web

16. — —, — — —, • — •, • • •, •, ,— • — •, — — —, — • •, • Morse Code #militarymonabout 13 hours ago from web

17. RT @AHTVGuy Are you prepared for a Hurricane? Didn’t think so – go check out this awesome video! http://bit.ly/14Km9rabout 19 hours ago from web

18. Supreme Court Issues Stay For Chrysler -Fox Businessabout 19 hours ago from web

19. @jbruin and a new compass about 20 hours ago from web in reply to jbruin

20. RT @dixbert great show in Basrah tonight! thanks comics Scott Kennedy, Theo Von and Sam Fedele!!about 20 hours ago from web

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

President Obama

President Obama has recently proposed a budget outline for 2010 that contains some programs he feels will balance social issues with growth in our nations economy. His political capital will not be enough to carry the day if the stock market hangs in mediocrity.

Individuals are starting to wake up to the fact that their investments into 401K have lost much more than proposed tax cuts for those who make less than $250,000 will gain. President Obama’s political capital will have to remain at it’s current levels to have any hope of getting the budget mostly intact through the congress.

For that reason alone I think you will see and hear many policies released over the next 3-4 weeks, prior to the release of the full 2010 budget proposal, that will but the nations financial institutions back to work.

You are already hearing about the reinstatement of the up-tic rule which will slow market decline by placing rules on the short sellers. You are now hearing about the possibility of modifications to the mark-to-market accounting as it relates to the toxic assets. I expect other policies to be announced in the short term which will endear the president’s administration to Wall Street.

I think you will see each of the major banks report higher earnings and increase in capital for the second quarter of this fiscal year. It is when you have the market report of those banks gains released in the first week of April you will see the bulls take hold of the market and we will see 4 continuous days of market gains. It is then President Obama will release the full budget proposal details with what will be reported signs the economy is back on hard pavement with serious traction. It is all about politics.

It wouldn’t surprise me to hear President Obama say after the budgets release, “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.”

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

For the 6 years we have lived in the Memphis area we have come to expect about an inch of the white stuff every year, seems we are getting about 4 years worth in one day today.

Somebody tell me again why global warming is a bad thing…

Snowing in Memphis

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

Whatever…

Anyway, my prognostication for this years playoffs didn’t go near as well as my fantasy teams performance so I’ll stop guessing. This year no matter who ends up going to the Superbowl I think it will be a good game.

Gah, I hope my Bucs make the playoffs next year!!!

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

Round One:
Ravens over the Dolphins
Colts over the Chargers

Round Two:
Titans over the Ravens
Colts over the Steelers

AFC Championship Game:
Titans over the Colts

My predictions for the 2008 NFC playoffs….

Round one:
Eagles over the Vikings
Cardinals over the Falcons

Round two:
Eagles over the Giants
Panthers over the Cardinals

NFC Championship:
Panthers over the Eagles

Superbowl 2009:
Panthers over the Titans, 31-24.

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart

Buccaneers Flag

First the bitter – Today the 2008 football season for my beloved Buccaneers came to an end. Just a few short weeks ago I thought for sure we would be entering the playoffs, heck we were 9-3! Tampa Bay’s defense, for whatever reason, started to self-destruct in the 4th quarter. The once feared defense started making mediocre/bad teams look good down the stretch. They just looked slow, wore out. I look forward to the draft, we need another Warren Sapp!

Now the sweet – The Dallas Cowboys lost! The Cowboys, in a must win game, lost to the Eagles 44-6.

The Eagles lost their last game in their old stadium and first game in their new stadium to the Bucs. I hope the schedule next year has the Ravens playing the Cowboys in their first home game next year… Actually, it doesn’t matter to me who does it – I just want the Cowboys to lose

Now for my predictions for the 2008 NFC playoffs….

Round one:
Eagles over the Vikings
Cardinals over the Falcons

Round two:
Eagles over the Giants
Panthers over the Cardinals

NFC Championship:
Panthers over the Eagles

2010 Military Pay Chart
2011 Military Pay Chart