Articles written by Chris Messner

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About me - Chris Messner

Hi,

My name is Chris Messner. I'm a native New Yorker (Let's Go Mets!), married with 2 adult children, retired military, currently working in hi-tech manufacturing.

I often daydream about writing short stories but I never seem to be able to recall the ideas

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Personal Finance > Retirement Should Social Security benefits be abolished?: 1 of 60
The basic premise of America's Social Security program is a sound one. Under Franklin D. Roosevelt, the federal government began deducting payroll taxes from most workers to fund an insurance program to provide a little something for people and their families after retirement.When first implemented, in 1935, Social Security w... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Bush Administration Was Bush right to commute "Scooter" Libby's jail sentence?: 1 of 30
Absolutely not. Libby was duly convicted, and I'm sure he has a battery of high-powered lawyers who are more than capable of putting forth a cogent, aggressive appeal of his conviction and sentence. President Bush should have kept his nose out of it.But by intervening, George W. Bush proved, once again, that, at his core, he'... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Sports News & Opinion (Other) Should drug use get a professional sports athlete banned for life?: 1 of 29
Yes, and for more than one reason. Sadly, as with most things in America, it comes down to money. My knowledge is of baseball more than of other sports, but I'm sure that the chase for big bucks has athletes in all sports willing to chemically enhance their natural abilities. In baseball, "America's Pastime", until the mid-19... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Thoughts on God Is God responsible for the good and the bad?: 2 of 42
Firstly, if you believe in God, the God of the Bible, the God of the Jews, Christians and Muslims, then you have no choice but to also believe in Satan. If God is the Creator of the universe and all it holds, He created Satan also. You know the story: Lucifer was one of God's most beloved angels, but although he was created b... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US Economy Should we replace our tax law with a flat tax or a national sales tax?: 1 of 16
It's a no-brainer: We SHOULD pressure Congress to repeal our current Internal Revenue Code (Title 26, United States Code), and enact a national sales tax. But WILL we? Better questions might be: Do we DESERVE that kind of control over our hard-earned money? Could we HANDLE it?After all, America's income tax system didn't beco... More..
Travel > Travel Diaries & Adventures (Other) Travel experiences: Best road-trip tales: 4 of 46
My most memorable road trip was just a day trip with an unexpected detour.Stationed in southeastern Italy with the Air Force in 1987, I was tapped to drive to Naples with a colleague in a US government vehicle, a Dodge Aries station wagon, to pick up a highly classified piece of computer hardware.I'm of Italian descent with a... More..
Sports & Recreation > Baseball (Other) High altitude at MLB's Colorado Rockies Coors Field alters baseball results: 1 of 10
Coors Field used to be a place where the ball really flew. Since 2002, the Rockies have stored all their baseballs in a humidor, a room where the temperature and humidity are controlled and monitored. Gone are the days of ridiculous home run totals and outrageous batting averagesby players who really weren't capable of that k... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Which baseball team has the most loyal fans: The Boston Red Sox or the New York Yankees?: 4 of 30
As a New Yorker who grew up a Mets fan, I say Yankees fans are loyal, but that is no hardship. It is SO easy to be a Yankees fan.The Yankees, since the birth of the American League in 1901, average a World Series appearance every 3 years, and a World Championship every 4 years. Those numbers even shrink slightly if you don't ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Is Alex Rodriguez the best player in baseball?: 3 of 22
Like the goat in the AFLAC commercial says, "Nah, nah, nah".Is Alex Rodriguez the best home run hitter in the game today? Yes.Is he the guy most likely to overtake Bubblehead Barry Bonds for the all-time home run crown? Yes (thank you, A-Rod!).Is he in a good position to have his next contract equal or exceed his current $252... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Economic News High gasoline prices and the solution: 3 of 21
The skyrocketing prices for crude oil and gasoline are grabbing most of the headlines these days. Newsreaders prattle on about whose fault it is and what can be done about it. You've heard the saying: "Talk is cheap". It's never been more true or more relevant.So whose fault is it, anyway? Well, everyone (yes, even you and me... More..