June 30, 2009
Kentucky Blonde
A young blonde woman in Newport, Kentucky was so depressed that she decided to end her life by throwing herself into the Ohio River. She went down to the docks and was about to leap into the frigid water when a handsome young sailor saw her tottering on the edge of the dock, crying. He took pity on her and said, "Look, you have so much to live for."
I'm off to Europe in the morning, and if you like, I can stow you away on my ship. I'll take good care of you and bring you food every day." Moving closer, he slipped his arm round her shoulder and added, "I'll keep you happy, warm and bring you food."
The blonde thought what do I have to lose? Perhaps a fresh start in Europe would give her life new meaning.
That night, the sailor brought her aboard and hid her in a lifeboat.
From then on, every night he brought her three sandwiches and a piece of fruit, and they made passionate love until dawn.
Three weeks later, during a routine inspection, the captain discovered her.
"I was stowed away by one of the sailors," she explained. "I get food and a trip to Europe , and he's screwing me."
"He certainly is," the captain said. "This is the Argosy Casino, and we never leave Lawrenceburg, Indiana."
H/T to Joanna M. Thanks for the laugh, Hon!
R.I.P.
Billy Mays, TV pitchman extraordinaire, was found dead in his Tampa, Florida home by his wife on the morning of the 28th of June, 2009. Preliminary results of the autopsy showed that Mr. Mays probably died of a heart attack as a result of hypertensive heart disease, but final results are being withheld pending receipt of toxicology and tissue test results. Mr. Mays is survived by his second wife, Deborah Mays, and two children: a son, Billy Mays III, and a three-year-old daughter, Elizabeth.
With all the hype over Michael Jackson's death, I'm sure that Mr. Mays' death will not receive the notice it otherwise might have...but at least Farrah will have company in Heaven's waiting room now.
Mr. Mays was a pop culture icon known for his brash rapid fire style of delivery, and for the fact that in December 2008, Mays began appearing in ads for ESPN's online service, ESPN360. These ads were a slight departure for Mays as they were designed to be parodies of his and other infomercial cliches with Mays appearing to be doing a parody of himself. He also made a live appearance during the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl promoting ESPN's and ABC's January 1, 2009 bowl games.
Farrah's chat with God
On the day Farrah passed away she went to heaven. God welcomed her and asked her what she wanted most in the world. She answered she wanted all the children in world to be safe.....then Michael Jackson died.
H/T Lil Sis
June 26, 2009
Quote of the Day
"Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition." --Thomas Jefferson
Rest in Peace, Marine!
From Wickopedia:
Edward Leo Peter "Ed" McMahon Jr. , was an American comedian, game show host, announcer, and television personality. Most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992, also as the host of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995, also co-hosting with Dick Clark on TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes from 1982 to 1986, he also became well-known as the presenter of the now-defunct American Family Publishers sweepstakes (not, as is commonly believed, its main rival Publishers Clearing House).
During World War II, McMahon was a fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps serving as a flight instructor and test pilot. He was a decorated pilot (six Air Medals) and was discharged in 1946, remaining in the reserves.
After college, McMahon returned to active duty. He met his first girlfriend, Jenifer P Smith, on his first tour. He claims that she was the one to motivate him to become a better person. He was sent to Korea in February 1952. He flew unarmed OE-1 Bird Dogs on 85 tactical air control and artillery spotting missions. He remained in the Marine Corps Reserve, retiring with the rank of Colonel in 1966 and was then commissioned as a Brigadier General in the California Air National Guard.
June 25, 2009
Quote of the Day
"A gun without ammo is like a Democrat without union money;impotent."--Steve Lunetta
June 24, 2009
Quote(s) of the Day
"The Pentagon deployed missile interceptors to Honolulu on Friday after reports that the North Koreans are planning to fire a missile at Hawaii. The president's birthplace is safe. It'll take them ten years to build a missile that can reach Kenya." --comedian Argus Hamilton
Mr pResident, show us the birth certificate !
El Rushbo at his pithiest:
"You know, most people, when they read '1984,' were scared. When Barack Obama read it, he started taking notes." --radio talk-show host Rush Limbaugh
Annie C hits the liberal philosophy nail right on the head:
"Whether it is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Weather Underground, Central Park rapists, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Jim Jones and the People's Temple, welfare recipients, Palestinian terrorists, murderers, abortionists, strippers or common criminals -- liberals always take the side of the enemies of civilization against civilization. In the view of The New York Times, every criminal trial is a shocking miscarriage of justice -- except the ones that actually are shocking miscarriages of justice." --columnist Ann Coulter
On government competing with private enterprise:
"Having the government compete against the private sector is kind of like my seven-year-old daughter's lemonade stand competing against McDonalds." --Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) Yes Virginia, bureaucrats really ARE that incompetent!
Last, but not least:
"The polite explanation for Barack Obama's diffidence on Iran is that he doesn't want to give the mullahs the excuse to say the Great Satan is meddling in Tehran's affairs. So the president's official position is that he's modestly encouraged by the regime's supposed interest in investigating some of the allegations of fraud. Also, he's heartened to hear that OJ is looking for the real killers." --columnist Mark Steyn
Time for US to start changing definitions
One of the Progressives stock in trade maneuvers is to change the definitions of words to suit whatever agenda they are either espousing or castigating, in that spirit, I believe that we on the other side of the aisle should give them a dose of their own medicine. To that end, I added tried to add a new page to the Wictionary :
community organizer (n): an incompetent, greedy, whiny,parasitic creature with absolutely no redeeming qualities; a worthless loser; a mooch; a scammer; a weakling with a hunger for power; the term is often used as an insult: “He is as worthless as a community organizer”.
The definition was written by my favorite GLOR and Army Lt., Princess Natasha.
Wictionary accepted the page, but it was taken down in less than 90 seconds...a new record in censorship perhaps?
Here is their takedown message:
This page has been deleted. The deletion and move log for the page are provided below for reference. 19:23, 24 June 2009 Msh210 (Talk | contribs) deleted "community organizer" (Fatuous entry)
Truly, they that control the definitions, controls the discourse...
June 23, 2009
Pastor's wife's letter
How's this for apocalyptic literature. This was written by a pastor's wife
in biblical prose as a commentary of current events. I think it's really good.
From the future Bible, Book of the Age of Insanity, verses 1-13:
And it came to pass in the Age of Insanity that the people of
the land called America , having lost their morals, their initiative,
and their will to defend their liberties, chose as their Supreme
Leader that person known as "The One". He emerged from the vapors
with a message that had no meaning; but He hypnotized the people
telling them, "I am sent to save you. My lack of experience, my
questionable ethics, my monstrous ego, and my association with evil
doers are of no consequence. For I shall save you with Hope and
Change. Go, therefore, and proclaim throughout the land that he who
preceded me is evil, that he has defiled the nation, and that all he
has built must be destroyed." And the people rejoiced, for even
though they knew not what "The One" would do, he had promised that it
was good; and they believed. And "The One" said "We live in the
greatest country in the world. Help me change everything about it!"
And the people said, "Hallelujah!! Change is good!"
Then He said, "We are going to tax the rich fat-cats." And the
people said "Sock it to them!" "And redistribute their wealth." And
the people said, "Show us the money!"
And then He said, "Redistribution of wealth is good for
everybody" And Joe the plumber asked, "Are you kidding me? You're
going to steal my money and give it to the deadbeats??" And "The One"
ridiculed and taunted him, and Joe's personal records were hacked and
publicized. One lone reporter asked, "Isn't that Marxist policy?" And
she was banished from the kingdom!
Then a citizen asked, "With no foreign relations experience and
having zero military experience or knowledge, how will you deal with
radical terrorists?" And "The One" said, "Simple. I shall sit with
them and talk with them and show them how nice we really are; and
they will forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!" And the
people said, "Hallelujah!! We are safe at last, and we can beat our
weapons into free cars for the people!"
Then "The One" said, "I shall give 95% of you lower taxes." And
one, lone voice said, "But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes." So "The
One" said, "Then I shall give you some of the taxes the fat-cats
pay!" And the people said, "Hallelujah!! Show us the money!"
Then "The One" said, "I shall tax your Capital Gains when you
sell your homes!" And the people yawned and the slumping housing
market collapsed.
And He said, "I shall mandate employer- funded health care for
EVERY worker and raise the minimum wage. And I shall give every
person unlimited healthcare and medicine and transportation to the
clinics." And the people said, "Give me some of that!"
Then he said, "I shall penalize employers who ship jobs
overseas." And the people said, "Where's my rebate check?"
Then "The One" said, "I shall bankrupt the coal industry and
electricity rates will skyrocket!" And the people said, "Coal is
dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we don't care for that part
about higher electric rates." So "The One" said, "Not to worry. If
your rebate isn't enough to cover your expenses, we shall bail you
out. Just sign up with ACORN and your troubles are over!"
Then He said, "Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted.
Let's grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free
lunches, free medical care, bi-lingual signs and guaranteed
housing..." And the people said, "Hallelujah!!" And they made him King!
And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs
and ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers.
Others simply gave up and went out of business and the economy sank
like unto a rock dropped from a cliff. The banking industry was
destroyed. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl. And more of the people
were without a means of support.
Then "The One" said, "I am the "The One" - The Messiah - and I'm
here to save you! We shall just print more money so everyone will
have enough!" But our foreign trading partners said unto Him, "Wait
a minute. Your dollar is not worth a pile of camel dung! You will
have to pay more..." And the people said, "Wait a minute. That is
unfair!!" And the world said, "Neither are these other idiotic
programs you have embraced. Lo, you have become a Socialist state and
a second-rate power. Now you shall play by our rules!"
This is the part I like best; at least the cursing and stoning part, the rest is really dismal to feel:
And the people cried out, "Alas, alas!! What have we done?" But
yea verily, it was too late. The people set upon "The One" and spat
upon him and stoned him, and his name was dung. And the once mighty
nation was no more; and the once proud people were without sustenance
or shelter or hope. And the Change "The One" had given them was as
like unto a poison that had destroyed them and like a whirlwind that
consumed all that they had built. And the people beat their chests
in despair and cried out in anguish, "Give us back our nation and our
pride and our hope!!" But it was too late, and their homeland was no
more.
You may think this is a fairy tale, but it's not. It's happening
RIGHT NOW !!!
H/T to Lil Sis
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
We are having a national discussion in this country today about the high numbers of people illegally immigrating into our country and the effect they are having.
The majority party politicians seem to be saying that it's just too difficult to deport all of these people (funny that most illegals would vote that party if made legal, isn't it?). They throw their hands up and blather fine sounding phrases like "pursuing the American dream" and "we are a nation of immigrants", and end up ignoring, or even exacerbating the problem with their policies.
Too bad we don't teach history in our public schools or the chillruns might learn some disturbing facts....
Back during The Great Depression, President Herbert Hoover ordered the deportation of ALL illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens that desperately needed work..
Harry Truman deported over two million Illegals after WWII to create jobs for returning veterans.
And then again in 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican Nationals! The program was called 'Operation Wetback'. It was done so WWII and Korean Veterans would have a better chance at jobs. It took 2 Years, but. they. deported. them!
Now...if they could deport the illegals back then - they could sure do it
today!!
lf you have doubts about the veracity of this information, enter Operation
Wetback into your favorite search engine and confirm it for yourself.
The PC crowd would have you believe that speaking out against the illegals is somehow only based in racism or some other form of bigotry and we should welcome these people in with open arms (and wallets too, it seems).
Some politicians (need I mention just what Party they belong to?) are writing bills that give these people access to our already overburdened Welfare, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs, and advocating streamlining procedures for illegals to obtaining citizenship....in the (somewhat demonstrably true) belief that these new voters will ensure their political positions as everlasting sinecures.
Am I a racist to want new immigrants to this great nation to follow the laws of this country? Am I a racist to expect new immigrants to at least try to learn English? Am I a bigot because I feel that it is every immigrant's duty to try to assimilate into his new country and not try to force it to accommodate his old culture as his mainstay of living?
Understand me, I am NOT anti-immigrant, I AM an immigrant myself, in case you didn't read the header of this Blog. I am anti- ILLEGAL-immigrant.
If you can't follow the same rules my family did to gain entry/citizenship into this country, you have no business being here. PERIOD. And don't give me the bleeding heart sob story that "they are too poor/disadvantaged/etc., etc." to be able to follow the immigration laws. Or that we must support these new ILLEGAL aliens with governmental programs/assistance.
My father came here in 1957 with $60 in his pocket, along with a wife and two young children to support, and speaking only three words of English. Within three months of arriving at Ellis Island, he had moved halfway across the country, found a job, rented a home, and was able to communicate in English enough to be understood, if not being as yet fluent. He did have some help in the form of sponsorship from the Catholic Relief Society in establishing himself, but at no time did he ever receive ANY assistance from the government, either Federal or State. In the intervening 52 years between then and now, he and my mother managed to raise six children to be good, contributing members of society. None of us has ever been arrested for committing a crime, or been dependent on the welfare system. Three of us joined and served at least one hitch in this country's armed services (one became a career NCO in the Army, now retired). We all graduated high school and three of us went on to get higher education and/or training.
I myself have followed four major career paths in the time I've been a Citizen here - as a soldier in the Army, LEO, Paramedic, and as a long distance truck driver.
The grandchildren have carried us on even further, two are career military (Army and Marines) Three have bachelor's degrees from good colleges (my own eldest daughter has a degree from Smith College, and is currently considering getting her law degree from IU) One of her cousins is a teacher working on her Masters degree.
If our family can do it, any family can. It takes hard work, discipline, and a goal to be the best Citizen that one can be. You have to give up some of the old to fit into the new environs; if you expect America to cater to your old culture you will (and SHOULD) be disappointed. Take pride in your heritage, by all means, but don't try to live as you did in your old culture. America, when it works at it's best, is a MELTING POT (something the PC multiculturalists seem to have forgotten), blending all the contributing cultures into something new and different; something greater than the sum of it's parts, a unique American culture that all can share.
We need to reassert that American culture and stop subjugating it to the new cultures coming in and demanding equality with it. We need to stop heeding the PC culture "experts" and ivory tower intellectuals that would place all cultures on an equal footing with our own. There IS none equal to our own, or we wouldn't have the number of people we have from all around the world coming here and trying to join it. It's time we celebrate it and strengthen it and stop trying to Balkanize it down into component pieces.
Reminder: Don't forget to pay your taxes....For the moment, 10 12 15 million (and climbing) Illegal Aliens are depending on you!
Tea Party Anthem
LLoyd Marcus has recorded a song to be the anthem of the Tea Party movement. Give it a listen and tell them what you think.
THE YEAR 1909
1909
2009
What a difference a hundred years make!
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1909.
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!
Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :
************ ********* ********* ******
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles
Of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year .
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used
Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from
Entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas , Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
Hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'
( Shocking? DUH! )
Eighteen percent of households had at least
One full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A. !
(Mainly because there was a firearm of some sort in almost every home! An armed society is a POLITE society!!)
I posted this here without typing it myself, I merely cut and pasted an E-mail onto my posting template... From here, it can be read by others all over the WORLD - all in a matter of seconds!
Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
IT STAGGERS THE MIND
H/T Jack Keel
A Religeous Experience
Grandma is 98 years old and still drives her own car.. She writes:
My Dearest Grand-daughter,
The other day I went up to our local Christian book store and saw a
'Honk if you love Jesus' bumper sticker ..
I was feeling particularly sassy that day because I had just come from a
thrilling choir performance, followed by a thunderous prayer meeting.
So, I bought the sticker and put it on my back bumper.
Boy, am I glad I did; what an uplifting experience that followed.
I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection, lost in
thought about the Lord and how good he is. I didn't notice that the
light had changed.
It is a good thing someone else loves Jesus because if he hadn't
honked, I'd never have noticed.
I found that lots of people love Jesus!
While I was sitting there, the guy behind started honking like crazy,
and then he leaned out of his window and screamed, 'For the love of
God!'
'Go! Go! Go! Jesus Christ, GO!'
What an exuberant cheerleader he was for Jesus!
Everyone started honking!
I just leaned out my window and started waving and smiling at all those
loving people.
I even honked my horn a few times to share in the love!
There must have been a man from Florida back there because I heard him
yelling something about a sunny beach.
I saw another guy waving in a funny way with only his middle finger
stuck up in the air.
I asked my young teenage grandson in the back seat what that meant.
He said it was probably a Hawaiian good luck sign or something.
Well, I have never met anyone from Hawaii, so I leaned out the window
and gave him the good luck sign right back.
My grandson burst out laughing.
Why even he was enjoying this religious experience!!
A couple of the people were so caught up in the joy of the moment that
they got out of their cars and started walking towards me.
I bet they wanted to pray or ask what church I attended, but this is
when I noticed the light had changed.
So, grinning, I waved at all my brothers and sisters, and drove on
through the intersection.
I noticed that I was the only car that got through the intersection
before the light changed again and felt kind of sad that I had to leave
them after all the love we had shared.
So I slowed the car down, reached out the window and gave them all the
Hawaiian good luck sign one last time as I drove away. Praise the Lord
for such wonderful folks!!
Will write again soon,
Love, Grandma
H/T Jack Keel
WWRRD?
Looking around today, it is becoming more and more evident to anyone with half a brain that things are going very wrong these days, and they are sliding downhill at an ever increasing rate.
Iran is on the brink of a civil war; yesterday, even the Iranian Guardian Council admitted that there were irregularities in over 50 of the voting districts in the recent elections. The Iranian people are tired of their President spewing Jihadist hatred out into the world and they felt in their hearts that the elections had been rigged. Braving a tyrannical theocratic regime, they have taken to the street to protest the farce that the elections have become. The regime has taken a hard line against the protesters; killing thirteen since last Saturday.
A young lady named Nada has become the face of the protesters to the world, as the world watched as she bled out her last after having been shot by "person unknown" as she was standing watching on the sideline of an anti-regime protest. Even the enforcement arm of the regime is beginning to question their orders to use live rounds against the protesters.
North Korea is threatening to launch a rocket at Hawaii. The rocket will supposedly fall 500 miles short.
President Obama is taking a "hands off" approach to the crisis in Iran and in North Korea. He seems to be worried that if the tyrants do succeed in suppressing the voices of freedom, that they will be upset with him and refuse to accept further sops to discontinue on their present courses of action.
I have to ask, what would Ronald Reagan have done if he had been the President under these circumstances?
President Reagan never had a problem confronting evil and calling it out on the world stage. He was never afraid to call evil what it is: evil. He called down tyrants publicly and without apology. The world is a better place because of his commitment to liberty.
Mr. Reagan understood that the United States was a unique place with unique role to play in world affairs. He understood that most people in the world wanted nothing more than the freedom to be allowed to conduct their own affairs without fear or oppression, and that the U.S. was the lantern that provided the light to show the way to that freedom simply by being.
If Obama were President in 1989, would the Berlin Wall have fallen? Would the Soviet Bloc have fallen as it did under the relentless pressure that Reagan placed upon it simply by refusing to accede to it?
Reagan’s Berlin speech was a turning point in history. We shall never forget those famous words, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” ...29 months later the wall came down.
Had Obama been president.....well that's speculation at best, but I think given his performance since his ascension to office, I think I can safely state that ,at the least, that The Wall would still be standing and Germany would still be a divided country.
We can never go back, but please let us take note from the past. The only way to stop tyrants is to not be afraid to stand up to them. Unlike Mr. Obama's seeming passion to apologize to the tyrants of the world for U.S. past actions both real or perceived, we need to tell these tyrants that we will not accede to their threats, but will oppose them wherever, whenever, and however it is in our power to do so.
While the Iranians are putting their lives on the line in a bid to exert their natural desire for freedom, and North Korea is publicly threatening our territorial sovereignty we here in there in the United states are passively sitting by and watching our hard won freedoms held for over the last 233 years slowly slip away under the leadership of an incompetent albeit glib thug coming from the Chicago political machine tradition.
In the time that he has had the reigns, Mr. Obama has tripled our national debt, nationalized our banking industry and a large part of our vehicle manufacturing industry, and seems hell bent on doing the same to our health-care industry.
He has apologized to petty tyrants and dictators all over the world and ignored his own citizens' pleas for redress.
He, with the assistance of his party and a compliantly fawning press has forced through legislation with lightning speed, such as the TARP bills and the other stimulus packages against the wishes of a majority of the American people.
No one truly knows just what is in those bills, no one has read them completely. The only thing that we can be assured of is that there are myriads of government-growing riders in those bills that we may not realize even exist until they come around and slam us with the heavy weight of government regulation and control. Little things like forcing all doctors and hospitals to become a part of the government network of providers or face stiff fines...(yep, it's in there!) Sounds reasonable? After all, we do want consistency in health-care don't we? Until you realize that it gives some governmental bureaucratic council the power to decide if your doctor can or cannot take a certain course of treatment for you. Thems that pay the bills make the rules, regardless of their expertise....do you care to put your health under the aegis of a G7 bean-counter? If the pResident has his way, you won't have a choice in the matter.
Realize that under the new system, you become a cipher in a cost analysis equation...if your too old, or too ill, you will not get the treatments that are available to you now. Even if you do qualify to get treatment, it may take a longer time to get needed treatments, thus reducing their efficacy. If you don't believe it, just look at the results in the two most referred to systems when touting government health care, the British and the Canadian NHS's...the single largest growing segment of the Canadian health care industry are the private companies that intercede for Canadian patients to be able to come to the U.S. for treatment that is either unavailable, or the waiting period before receiving treatment is too long for the treatments to be efficacious.
In Britain, if you are over the age of 59, you are not allowed to receive a heart bypass, or a stent procedure under NHS guidelines...seems the perceived benefit is outweighed by the high cost, you just need to "do quietly fade away without a fuss, dear boy", since your perceived worth to society isn't on a par with your perceived expense to same. Elderly patients with macular degeneration are not allowed a certain (you guessed it, expensive)sight maintaining drug until they have lost the vision in one eye, to try to maintain vision in the remaining eye.
Horror stories like these abound in all government run systems, it's an inherent consequence of government run systems. Just take a look at the Post Office or the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and ask yourself if you would want the clowns operating them to have control over your health care. I think NOT.
That's not to say that the system we have now is acceptable as it stands either. Health care costs have outpaced the average cost of living by treble percentages for over the last twenty years. The system is breaking under the strain, and action must be taken if we are to save it.
I think that tort reform would go a long way to that end, along with some changes in insurance requirements that only serve to raise costs without adding any true benefits...(tell me, why should I have to pay for obstrectical(sic) benefits as a 55 year old male in my policy?!?)
Ronald Reagan once said: "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
Americans have traditionally always had a well founded mistrust of government. It seems that we have forgotten that attitude of late, and I fear that unless we return to it with a vengeance, and soon, we will find that the reason for that mistrust will have bound us 'round with the chains of regulation and (albeit well meaning) control over every aspect of our lives by an overarching federal bureaucracy. When that state of being becomes entrenched, America shall cease to exist as America.
It's up to every one of US to try to ensure that it will not happen on our watch, lest our posterity curse us for the ones to lose their liberty for them.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. Ronald Reagan
June 21, 2009
ACORN has partnered with the Census Bureau to provide workers to help take the 2010 Census....
Recent Fraud associated with ACORN by State, Year, and Details :
AR 1998 A contractor with ACORN-affiliated Project Vote was arrested for falsifying about 400 voter registration cards.
CO 2005 Two ex-ACORN employees were convicted in Denver of perjury for submitting false voter registrations.
2004 An ACORN employee admitted to forging signatures and registering three of her friends to vote 40 times.
CT 2008 The New York Post reported that ACORN submitted a voter registration card for a 7-year-old Bridgeport girl. Another 8,000 cards from the same city will be scrutinized for possible fraud.
FL 2008 Election officials in Brevard County have given prosecutors more than 23 suspect registrations from ACORN. The state's Division of Elections is also investigating complaints in Orange and Broward Counties.
2004 A Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokesman said ACORN was “singled out” among suspected voter registration groups for a 2004 wage initiative because it was “the common thread” in the agency’s fraud investigations.
IN 2008 Election officials in Indiana have thrown out more than 4,000 ACORN-submitted voter registrations after finding they had identical handwriting and included the names of many deceased Indianans, and even the name of a fast food restaurant.
MI 2008 Clerks in Detroit found a "sizeable number of duplicate and fraudulent [voter] applications" from the Michigan branch of ACORN. Those applications have been turned over to the U.S. Attorney's office for investigation.
2004 The Detroit Free Press reported that “overzealous or unscrupulous campaign workers in several Michigan counties are under investigation for voter-registration fraud, suspected of attempting to register nonexistent people or forging applications for already-registered voters.” ACORN-affiliate Project Vote was one of two groups suspected of turning in the documents.
MO 2008 Nearly 400 ACORN-submitted registrations in Kansas City have been rejected due to duplication or fake information.
2007 Four ACORN employees were indicted in Kansas City for charges including identity theft and filing false registrations during the 2006 election.
2006 Eight ACORN employees in St. Louis were indicted on federal election fraud charges. Each of the eight faces up to five years in prison for forging signatures and submitting false information.
2003 Of 5,379 voter registration cards ACORN submitted in St. Louis, only 2,013 of those appeared to be valid. At least 1,000 are believed to be attempts to register voters illegally.
MN 2004 During a traffic stop, police found more than 300 voter registration cards in the trunk of a former ACORN employee, who had violated a legal requirements that registration cards be submitted to the Secretary of State within 10 days of being filled out and signed.
NC 2008 County elections officials have sent suspicious voter registration applications to the state Board of Elections. Many of the applications had similar or identical names, but with different addresses or dates of birth.
2004 North Carolina officials investigated ACORN for submitting fake voter registration cards.
NM 2008 Prosecutors are investigating more than 1,100 ACORN-submitted voter registration cards after a county clerk found them to be fraudulent. Many of the cards included duplicate names and slightly altered personal information.
2005 Four ACORN employees submitted as many as 3,000 potentially fraudulent signatures on the group’s Albuquerque ballot initiative. A local sheriff added: “It’s safe to say the forgery was widespread.”
2004 An ACORN employee registered a 13-year-old boy to vote. Citing this and other examples, New Mexico State Representative Joe Thompson stated that ACORN was “manufacturing voters” throughout New Mexico.
NV 2009 Nevada authorities indicted ACORN on 26 counts of voter registration fraud and 13 counts of illegally compensating canvassers. ACORN provided a bonus compensation program called “Blackjack” or “21+” for any canvasser who registered more than 20 voters per shift, which is illegal under Nevada law.
2008 Nevada state authorities raided ACORN's Las Vegas headquarters as part of a task force investigation of election fraud. Fraudulent registrations included players from the Dallas Cowboys.
OH 2008 ACORN activists gave Ohio residents cash and cigarettes in exchange for filling out voter registration card, according to the New York Post. Some voters claim to have registered dozens of times, and one man says he signed up on 72 cards.
2007 A man in Reynoldsburg was indicted on two felony counts of illegal voting and false registration, after being registered by ACORN to vote in two separate counties.
2004 A grand jury indicted a Columbus ACORN worker for submitting a false signature and false voter registration form. In Franklin County, two ACORN workers submitted what the director of the board of election supervisors called “blatantly false” forms. In Cuyahoga County, ACORN and its affiliate Project Vote submitted registration cards that had the highest rate of errors for any voter registration group.
PA 2009 Seven ACORN workers in the Pittsburgh area were indicted for submitting falsified voter registration forms. Six of the seven were also indicted for registering voters under an illegal quota system.
2008 State election officials have thrown out 57,435 voter registrations, the majority of which were submitted by ACORN. The registrations were thrown out after officials found "clearly fraudulent" signatures, vacant lots listed as addresses, and other signs of fraud.
2008 An ACORN employee in West Reading, PA, was sentenced to up to 23 months in prison for identity theft and tampering with records. A second ACORN worker pleaded not guilty to the same charges and is free on $10,000 bail.
2004 Reading’s Director of Elections received calls from numerous individuals complaining that ACORN employees deliberately put inaccurate information on their voter registration forms. The Berks County director of elections said voter fraud was “absolutely out of hand,” and added: “Not only do we have unintentional duplication of voter registration but we have blatant duplicate voter registrations.” The Berks County deputy director of elections added that ACORN was under investigation by the Department of Justice.
TX 2008 In Harris County, nearly 10,000 ACORN-submitted registrations were found to be invalid, including many with clearly fraudulent addresses or other personal information.
2008 ACORN turned in the voter registration form of David Young, who told reporters “The signature is not my signature. It’s not even close.” His social security number and date of birth were also incorrect.
VA 2005 In 2005, the Virginia State Board of Elections admonished Project Vote and ACORN for turning in a significant number of faulty voter registrations. An audit revealed that 83% of sampled registrations that were rejected for carrying false or questionable information were submitted by Project Vote. Many of these registrations carried social security numbers that exist for other people, listed non-existent or commercial addresses, or were for convicted felons in violation of state and federal election law.
In a letter to ACORN, the State Board of Elections reported that 56% of the voter registration applications ACORN turned in were ineligible. Further, a full 35% were not submitted in a timely manner, as required by law. The State Board of Elections also commented on what appeared to be evidence of intentional voter fraud. "Additionally,” they wrote, “information appears to have been altered on some applications where information given by the applicant in one color ink has been scratched through and re-entered in another color ink. Any alteration of a voter registration application is a Class 5 Felony in accordance with § 24.2-1009 of the Code of Virginia."
WA 2007 Three ACORN employees pleaded guilty, and four more were charged, in the worst case of voter registration fraud in Washington state history. More than 2,000 fraudulent voter registration cards were submitted by the group during a voter registration drive.
WI 2008 At least 33,000 ACORN-submitted registrations in Milwaukee have been called into question after it was found that the organizations had been using felons as registration workers, in violation of state election rules. Two people involved in the ongoing Wisconsin voter fraud investigation have been charged with felonies.
2004 The district attorney’s office investigated seven voter registration applications Project Vote employees filed in the names of people who said the group never contacted them. Former Project Vote employee Robert Marquise Blakely told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he had not met with any of the people whose voter registration applications he signed, “an apparent violation of state law,” according to the paper.
And these are the people that the pResident wants to oversee our National Census?!? I say not only NO, but HELL NO !
ACORN should be investigated and prosecuted under the RICO statues, not given the power to help determine voting districts...but what else can you expect from a Chicago Machine political THUG than attempted thuggery such as this? If WE allow him to get away with it, WE are just as guilty. WAKE UP PEOPLE !! It's time to take our country back; politically if possible, with force of arms if need be...that ISwhy the Founding Fathers gave us the 2ND Amendment, after all.
UPDATE: ACORN has now become COI (Community Organizations International) in an attempt to get out from under the fraud charges and other scandals associated with the old name.
H/T LC Gaius Lawrenitis Negris at the Rott
P.S.A. of the Day
CONSTIPATED?
If you are bothered by occasional or frequent constipation:
look in the mirror and repeat the following phrase three times in succession when symptoms occur:
My financial and personal well being are totally in the hands of :
Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Tim Geithner, Rahm Emmanual, Barney Frank , Chris Dodd, and Al Gore"
If that doesn't scare the shit out of you, you are destined to be backed up for the rest of your life.
H/T to GuyK
It's that one day of the year where we honor that most forgotten of beings, our fathers. We always make a great deal of fuss about Mothers day; woe be unro those that forget to call their Mama and send her a card on her special day, but it seems that Fathers Day is more of, "well if you remember, ok, if not, no big deal" kind of day. It seems that in our society, fathers are always the forgotten ones. If he's lucky, dad will get a new tie or maybe a new bottle of aftershave (usually one so odoriferious that he would never really use it). Not for him the spate of special phone calls and invitations to a posh brunch. And thats OK. Dad knows we love him without all the extra attention.
This is the first Fathers Day without my Father-in-Law, and it makes me realize how much I miss him. I would have liked to make one last call and wish him happiness and health on his special day. I'm just greatful that I still have my own Dad for one more Fathers Day. I searched the web until I found just the right sentiment to describe how I feel about my dad, here it is:
One can be a dad and not a father,
Or one can be a father and not bother
To earn through love the more endearing name.
Some find fatherhood a bit too tame,
Leaving all the details to the mother,
Or dumping the sweet burden on another
Man with just a passing twinge of shame.
You have been our dad so many years
That you've become the landscape that is home,
The mountain that we look to from afar.
No matter where we go we're not alone,
For you remain within to still our fears
And be the word that tells us who we are.
~Nicholas Gordon
I love you Dad.
Take time out of your busy day and let your dad know how you feel about him, it will be all too soon when you will no longer be able to share your feelings with him and you will regret every missed opportunity.
June 20, 2009
June 19, 2009
I just returned from my Father in law's funeral. He was a true example of "The Greatest Generation"; The third child of eighteen, He fought in Italy in WW2 as a member of the Army Air Corps and in Korea as a member of the newly formed Air Force. He retired as an E-7 after twenty years of service and then began his second career as a salesman for Sears, retiring for the second time after twenty years service. He and his wife of 54 years, Hazel, had three children, Lila, William, and Iris, and five grandchildren, Amber, April, Mariah, Anna , and Erin and two Great Grandchildren.
Wesley was born in Carabou, Maine, to Eugene and Eva Albert. He grew up on the family potato farm. He entered the Army Air Corps after Pearl Harbor. It was a family legend that he was the first one ever to wear the Air Force blue uniform because a quartermaster mix-up had resulted in all the uniforms ordered being made size small, and he was the only one in the first unit that was small enough to wear it.
He was a true Patriot in the real meaning of the word and he will be sorely missed by everyone that knew him.
June 18, 2009
Quote of the Day
'Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who Do not.'
~ Thomas Jefferson
June 17, 2009
June 15, 2009
RottFest 2009
Another RottFest is over. The attendees are wending their way home to their varied locales, both distant and near. A great time was had by all and I would really like to thank our hosts, LC M and Mrs M, for opening their home and even more importantly, their hearts, to a large bunch of people for those three days of fun and frivolity,drunken debauchery;serious political discussion, and finally, bonding between some of the best people to exist in our country.
We came from all over the United States, with differing backgrounds and social views, but we all had the most important thing of all as a common core belief; that this Nation is THE greatest nation on Earth and WE the People are responsible to the generations following us to ensure that it remains the greatest nation on Earth. Patriots one and all, simple as that.
My personal tale of travel almost turned into a tale of woe. I was scheduled to arrive in Dallas at 0915 hrs....I finally made it at around 1630 hrs. I was scheduled to fly from IND to St. Louis and then connect to Dallas; I arrived at STL on time and found that my connecting flight had been canceled, and that I had been rerouted through to New Orleans to catch a connection there. Two unexpected hours later I arrived in New Orleans only to find that all flights into or out of Dallas had been canceled due to severe thunderstorms over the airport.....two hours later I was notified by the airlines that I was rescheduled onto another flight....at 1000 hours THE NEXT DAY. Luck was with me however;I had stayed around the boarding desk to try to glean more information and when the weather over DFW had cleared, I was one of the lucky few that were added to the passenger list of a direct flight to DFW that had been diverted from Washing DC. Sometimes it really does pay to be a stubborn passenger; had I followed the advice of the boarding clerk, I would have missed out on my opportunity to get to my destination in the most timely manner.
I was delighted to finally meet some of people in the meat world that I had been talking to in cyberspace for so long. I was greatly pleased that they were even better people than I had surmised them to be from remote interaction.
M is more humorous in person than he is on the air at radio CIA and his wife can be truly counted among the 'salt of the earth' types that you only rarely have the great privilege to interact with.
Aggie Sith IS a goddess (and no difference iffen ya ask me), her husband Simon is a lucky guy. He was a fascinating person in his own right, enthralling all with tales of forensics in a war zone.
CM Blake is just the stalwart Patriot you get the impression of if you read his blog.
We had several newcomers, including Craig (you REALLY need to get a cruiser to replace that crotch-rocket, Brother!) Terry (she's a lawyer, but we discovered that she really is an undercover agent working to attain the goals of the Rottweiler Empire) a beautiful grandmother who can do it all, and her husband Laurence, who is that rarest of breeds, a conservative Black male. I understand that he's been invited to become the newest member of The Management(tm) at the Rott -- he will make a super addition to a super group of people.
Most of the regulars were there and they all know who they are (and know just how lousy I am with names ;)) Naming them all would tax my infantile brain (mothers, don't let your chillrun try to match the Rotts drink for drink !) right now... JackBoot and CountryRed (Your just too loud and raucous for me,girl!),FM Woods, CheapShot, Crunchie and Bangie thang & the princesses,Little Rott (hope you made it home OK, you had us all worried), Ruric -- a fount of esoteric knowledge, Radical Redneck, (good to know not all behind the scenes media types are Libs !) Mope made it down from Chi-town without killing anybody and brought his beer cap collection to uphold Rottfest tradition, Death Knight made the party with his usual flair (it was great to see you, grandson), last but certainly NOT the least, his Majesty, Misha the first, Sith Lord and Emperor of the Empire made a much awaited appearance accompanied by both of the Heirs. (you should have stayed Mope, but pictures are coming to prove that he does indeed exist.) The Emperor was his usual gracious self.
Hope I didn't leave anybody out, if I did, the fault is entirely mine, and not meant as offense.
They say that "what happens at RottFest; stays at RottFest", but I must report that the Three Traditions WERE all upheld, those being :
1. a pile of beer bottle caps overflowing the table,
2. a view of the Magnificent Ass (tm),
3. and last but most amusing, spewage caused by the unexpected antic of another Rott. (and as a bonus, not just once, but on three separate occasions by the same Rott ! ) (details withheld for ransom/blackmail purposes )
All in all, it was the BEST RottFest EVAH. I look forward to the next occasion we all get together again.
Little Johnny
A teacher in Elmira , New York asked her 6th grade class how many of them
were Obama fans.
Not really knowing what an Obama fan is, but wanting to be liked by
the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except for Little Johnny.
The teacher asked Little Johnny why he has decided to be different
again.
Little Johnny said, "Because I'm not an Obama fan."
The teacher asked, "Why aren't you an Obama fan?"
Johnny said, "Because I'm a Republican."
The teacher asked him why he's a Republican.
Little Johnny answered, "Well, my Mom's a Republican and my Dad's a
Republican, so I'm a Republican."
Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, "If your mom was a moron
and your dad was an idiot, what would that make you?"
With a big smile, Little Johnny replied, "That would make me an
Obama fan."
Out of the mouths of babes...
H/T Catfish
June 13, 2009
Excuses, excuses,excuse...
Sorry for no posting; went to Dallas Rottfest and I forgot to write anything before I left; and I'm have Waaaay too much fun with my people to write now.
See ya'all Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Please browse through the archives and if you have any comments to make on any of them, put them here and I'l get back to you on anything you want to discuss.
June 10, 2009
Open Letter to Neal Boortz
I have few people I really look up to for their opinions, I'm too damned opinionated as it is myself. One of the few people that I do consider as a teacher of my (hopefully informed) opinions is Neal Boortz.
That's why I was somewhat disappointed when he blew off one of his callers talking about pResident Obama's qualifications as POTUS.
His response was, essentially, "he won, he's President, get over it" and that 'by still questioning his qualifications, you are part of the right wing nut fringe' and thus hurting the Conservative/Libertarian cause.
I wrote Mr. Boortz a letter asking him about this. I doubt he'll respond to it, and I know he doesn't give a crap what some little blogger thinks, but it still felt good to try to communicate with someone who's opinions I respect, if not always agree with.
Here is my letter:
I was listening to the show today when the topic was government health care.
I agree wholeheartedly with your premise that we do not have a RIGHT to health care. During the discussion you had a caller who was a nurse, and he stated that he felt that there was a right to care in that he had chosen the profession voluntarily, ergo he had conveyed that expectation to his patients. You stated that 'ok, if you want to sacrifice the basic principle of individualism', or words to that effect.
That statement struck me because of a conversation you had had with another caller on a different topic several days earlier. The subject at that time was President Obama's refusal to allow his birth certificate/College records to be viewed by the public OR even a representative of the public.
I believe that YOU sacrificed on your own principles of following the rule of law when you told that caller essentially "He's elected,he's President, get over it". The fact is that the requirements to run for President are certainly not onerous, those being he/she be a person older than 35 and a NATURAL BORN CITIZEN of THIS country. That's all.Obama has refused to prove that he is, indeed, a naturally born citizen; moreover he has spent well over a million dollars and thousands of attorney man hours to prevent the public from being able to ascertain his true status, even though it would only take $20 and ten minutes to lay the whole issue to rest...I can see that you're trying to be practical and say "what's done is done and get over it", but if we are, indeed, a Republic based on the rule of law, doesn't it negate that principle to allow a legally unqualified person to rule? By your statement you are saying "if he broke the law; he got away with it, so just ignore it". WE are responsible as Citizens to ensure the law is followed,if we lose sight of that responsibility, we deserve what ensues. Either we follow our Constitution or we no longer exist as a true Republic.
I would have thought that one such as you who expounds daily on the need of staying with basic principles wouldn't dismiss this out of hand as you did.
Thank you for being there to represent a lot of people that don't have the forum you do. Thank you for not being a member of the 'Amen!' choir that most of the media seems to have become these days.
Bert Meyer
June 10, 2009
Your Thoughts, Opinions,Questions?
A trip to Churchill Downs
A group of Kentucky second, third, and
fourth graders, accompanied by two female teachers, went on
a field trip to Churchill Downs, the famous Louisvillerace
track, to see and learn about thoroughbred horses.
When it was time to take the children to the bathroom, it
was decided that the girls would go with one teacher and the
boys would go with the other.
The teacher assigned to the boys was waiting outside the
men's room when one of the boys came out and told her
that none of them could reach the urinal.
Having no choice, she went inside, helped the boys with
their pants, and began hoisting the boys up, one by one.
As she lifted one, she couldn't help but notice that he
was unusually well endowed. Trying not to show that she was
staring, the teacher said, "You must be in the fourth grade."
He replied, "No, ma'am, I'm riding Silver Arrow in the 7th race."
H/T to Catfish
GLBT Pride
Usually the White House will put something like THIS out on a late Friday afternoon, so it will fly under the radar of most news agencies....
Maybe somebody let it slip a couple days early? Either that, or the pResident really doesn't think it will really be too controversial...
All I got to say, in the words of GuyK: "GOOD GOD GERTY, WHAT A GASH" !
I don't care if anyone thinks my attitude on this is Homophobic, I still believe that PC/identity politics is a major cause of a lot of the difficulties we are facing as a society today.
We DON'T need a GLBT pride month thrust into our faces.
We need to accept all people on their own terms, yes, but as individuals, not as members of some amorphous group. I have a brother who is a member of this group, and I love him dearly, but just because his sexual orientation is different from mine is no reason to try to make him feel special, or accrue to him any special status or recognition.
He's special merely by virtue of being a decent law-biding citizen, that should be all any of us should expect.
I think one reason that the GLBT portion of our population has some problems "fitting in" with the general population is that they expect to live outside the norm and then have everyone else adjust their idea of the norm to that new paradigm. You can't have it both ways. Either you expect that some will not accept your lifestyle and deal with it, or you keep your lifestyle where it belongs...private. What you do in the privacy of your bedroom is NOBODY'S business, not the government, and certainly not mine.
My brother once complained to me that "it wasn't right that he couldn't show public affection to his lover just as a "normal" couple could". My only answer was that, if you want to display behaviour outside the usual norm; don't be surprised that some will be offended by it, and treat you differently because of it. I don't care too much for public displays of affection by heterosexual couples either,but the difference lies in the societal norms.
As a side note on this topic --'Gay marriage' is an oxymoron. Marriage is a religious institution, and most major religions don't sanction homosexuality. Civil Unions are a legal union sanctioned by the State, and it should be up to the population of each state to determine what they wish to condone. And yes, it DOES affect me as a heterosexual if such unions are condoned or not, since under the law those unions receive ( and SHOULD IMHO) the same benefits from the State as any other couple does in terms of social security, inheritance, enforcement of divorce support/alimony payments, etc, etc. Anything that can foresee-ably cost the public coffers affect ALL of us.
Hmm, I'm a Taurean-Heterosexual-Caucasian-Dutch-Emigre-Naturalized Citizen...where is MY month?!? Guess none of the groups I belong to just aren't vocal enough.
Just for Grins
A Jewish woman says to her mother, 'I'm divorcing Norm!
All he wants is anal sex, and my asshole is now the size
of a 50 cent piece when it used to be about the size of a
nickel.'
Her mother says, 'You're married to a multi-
millionaire businessman, you live in an 8 bedroom mansion,
you drive a Ferrari, you get $10,000 a week allowance,
you take 6 vacations a year and you want to throw all
that away over 45 cents?
H/T to Catfish
June 09, 2009
June 08, 2009
Quote of the Day
"I don't like 'repeat offenders', I like DEAD offenders" --Ted Nugent
Right ON, Nuge!
Just for Grins 2
Psychiatrists vs. Bartenders
Ever since he was a child, a man had a fear of someone hiding under his bed. So he went to a shrink and told him. . . 'I've got problems. Every time I go to bed I think there's somebody under it. I'm scared. I think I'm going crazy.'
'Just put yourself in my hands for one year,' said the shrink. 'Come
talk to me three times a week and we should be able to get rid of those
fears..'
'How much do you charge?' 'Eighty dollars per visit,' replied the
doctor.
'I'll sleep on it,' he said.
Six months later the doctor met the man on the street. 'Why didn't you ever
come to see me about those fears you were having?' he asked.
'Well, Eighty bucks a visit three times a week for a year is an awful
lot of money! A bartender cured me for $10. I was so happy to have
saved all that money that I went and bought me a new pickup!'
'Is that so!' With a bit of an attitude he said, 'and how, may I ask,
did a bartender cure you?'
'He told me to cut the legs off the bed - Ain't nobody under there
now!!!
SCREW THOSE SHRINKS.. GO HAVE A DRINK & TALK TO YOUR BARTENDER!
Just for Grins
A man boarded an airplane in New Orleans with a box of frozen crabs
and asked a blonde, female crew member to take care of the box for him.
She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's
refrigerator.
He pointedly advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for
the crabs staying frozen, mentioned that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to
rant at her about what would happen if she let them thaw out.
Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior.
Shortly before landing in New York, she used the intercom to announce
to the entire cabin, "Would the lawyer who gave me the crabs in New Orleans
please raise your hand?"
Not one hand went up ..... So she took them home and ate them.
Two lessons here:
1. Men never learn.
2. Blondes aren't as dumb as some men think.
Random Thoughts on Cairo...
On Thursday last, pResident Obama made at what he claimed was a 'straight talk' speech to the Arab world at a university located in Cairo, Egypt. He claimed that he was going to 'speak some hard truth" to the Arab world, and then began his speech with his disingenuous claim that," like America, Islam is committed to 'justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings,' " , a statement that is consciously and fundamentally fraudulent.
He then lauded the "achievements of the Muslim religion in America" and the "fact" that Muslims had 'contributed greatly to the success of the United States throughout our history'....
I believe that by these statements pResident Obama is exhibiting a goal to place the Islamic world on equal moral footing with the free Western world in order to try to place himself in the position as the arbiter of affairs in the Middle East. Seems the cancer of moral equivalence in this one is strong indeed.
Try as I might, I have failed to discern any solid contribution to the U.S. by the Islamic world in any part of it's history....except to foment hatred and distrust.
Quick history quiz question for you: Where and against whom was the first war declared by the newly formed United States ? I would bet pResident Obama doesn't know the answer, based on his laudatory rhetoric (it was against the Barbary pirates based in Tripoli, at that time, an Islamic sultanate).
pResident Obama makes the claim that Muslims were engaged in our great experiment in freedom from the beginning....but fails to cite just who any of these participants were by name,or what deeds they accomplished.
One of our Founding Father Presidents had occasion to interact with the Islamic world too, when he was acting as the American Ambassador to England; he was attempting to deal with the pirates of the Barbary Coast of Africa who were the terrorists of their day -- here are his conclusions in dealing with the Sultanate:
“...that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners, and that every Musselman (Muslim) who should be slain in Battle was sure to go to Paradise.”
Thomas Jefferson
Another of our founding fathers had this to say at the time:
"It is the madness of folly, to expect mercy from those who have refused to do justice; and even mercy, where conquest is the object, is only a trick of war; the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf." --Thomas Paine
I believe both of these men saw the Islamic world of their era with a great clarity, and the sad fact is that in all the intervening years between then and now, the Islamic world has changed but little, while the West has continued it's progress towards individual freedom and happiness.
pResident Obama would have us ignore the barbarity exhibited by the Islamic world on an almost daily basis for his own political aggrandizement; and to the great detriment of the safety and security of the Nation and the Constitution that he was elected and sworn to protect.
How happy are you now, you 52%'s ?
June 06, 2009
Pete died....
He provided $40,000 in his will for an elaborate funeral.
As the last guests departed the affair, his wife Martha turned to
her oldest and dearest friend. 'Well, I'm sure Peter would be pleased,' she said.
'I'm sure you're right,' replied Mary who lowered her voice and leaned in close. 'How much did this really cost?'
'All of it,' said Martha 'Forty thousand.'
'No!' Mary exclaimed. 'I mean, it was very nice, but $40,000?'
Gwen answered, 'The funeral was $6,500. I donated $500 to church.
The whiskey, wine and snacks were another $500.
The rest went for the Memorial Stone.'
Mary computed quickly. '$32,500 for a Memorial Stone? How big is it?'
Another H/T to the Catfish
PHONE REPAIR
A Kansas farm wife called the local phone company to report her telephone failed to ring when her friends called - and that on the few occasions, when it did ring, her dog always moaned right before the phone rang.
The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile lady. He climbed a telephone pole, hooked in his test set, and dialed the subscriber's house.
The phone didn't ring right away, but then the dog moaned and the telephone began to ring..
Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found:
1 . The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground wire with a steel chain and collar.
2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.
3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current when the number was called.
4. After a coup le of jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate.
5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring.
Which demonstrates that some problems CAN be fixed by pissing and moaning.
Thought you'd like to know..
H/T to Catfish
65 years
65 years ago today the Greatest Generation embarked on the operation that would CAUSE them to earn that title they carry to this day and forever after.
Most of them were young men, scared and unaware of what fates would befall by sunset of that day; yes they were scared, and the first wave of troop landing on the beaches in Normandy KNEW that they were into a virtual meat-grinder of an experience seldom seen in the annals of warfare, but they went onto those beaches, and despite extremely heavy casualties, they held those beaches and advanced yard by bloody yard until they had the foothold they needed to begin the reconquest of Europe. It was the beginning of the end for Hitler and his fanatical regime.
Now, looking backward through the mists of time, it seems incredible that so many ordinary people could be, and were, so extraordinarily heroic in their actions on this day. Take a moment and reflect on the events so long past, for they reverberate even to this day and still affect our world as it has unfolded since then. Set aside all your differences with your fellow citizens for a short time and give thanks that we had a 'Greatest Generation' willing to sacrifice their all to allow us our freedom to disagree with each other today. And take heart that the Sheepdog gene is still active in the young men and women willing to write that check to this great nation ;with their bodies and their honor, up to and including death, to defend those freedoms in the Armed Forces of the U.S.A..
I tried to make a small down-payment on the debt I owe to all those men and women today by participating in my 6Th PGR mission;riding a funeral escort and paying respect for one of the fallen.....what did YOU do?
June 05, 2009
R.I.P. Memoriam
Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004
Today marks the fifth anniversary of President Ronald Wilson Reagan's death.
We should all take a moment and reflect what a legacy President Reagan left us...and in doing so realize just how far we have dishonored and strayed from that legacy, ESPECIALLY with our choices/victors in the last election.
This goes beyond party, this speaks to a fundamental shift in how we conduct our political business.
We need another man such as President Reagan who can rise and use the phrase "well, there you go again" in response to his opposition's premises; and expose the truism that, in today's politics, "everybody KNOWS so much that just isn't true" and that the best government is that which interferes the least.
Quote of the Day
“If Al Qaeda wants to demolish the America we know and love they better hurry because Obama is beating them to it.” --Rush Limbaugh
The pace of that destruction is occurring at an ever faster level. Patriots are hoarding precious metals for that inevitable day when they will need them to send a message downrange.
159 years ago
Do you know what happened this week back in 1850, 159 years ago?
California became a state.
The State had no electricity.
The State had no money.
Almost everyone spoke Spanish.
There were gunfights in the streets.
So basically, it was just like it is today except the women had real breasts and the men didn't hold hands.
June 04, 2009
Quote of the Day
"Obama has just nationalized nothing more and nothing less than General Motors. Comrade Obama! Fidel, careful or we are going to end up to his right." -- Hugo Chavez
When the POTUS starts becoming the but of socialist in-jokes between Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro; you KNOW there is something very, VERY wrong with the state of government in the U.S. !
June 03, 2009
Just for Grins
Pinocchio, Snow White and Superman are out for a stroll in town one day...
As they walk, they come across a sign:
"Beauty contest for the most beautiful woman in the world."
"I am enter ing!" said Snow White.
After half an hour she comes out and they ask her, "Well, how'd you do?"
"First Place !" said Snow White.
They continue walking and they see a sign:
"Contest for the strongest man in the world."
"I'm entering," says Superman.
After half an hour, he returns and they ask him, "How did you make out?"
"First Place" answers Superman. "Did you ever doubt?"
They continue walking when they see a sign:
"Contest! Who is the greatest liar in the world?"
"I'm entering" says Pinocchio. After half an hour he returns with tears in his eyes.
"What happened?" they asked.
"Who the hell is Nancy Pelosi?" asked Pinocchio.
June 01, 2009
When Guns Are Outlawed...Only Government Will Have Guns
A man by the name of John Bowman has written what I believe to be one of the best essays ever written on WHY gun gun control is so bad for the People as a whole. It's long, so I put most of it below the fold, but please, PLEASE, PLEASE, take the time to read it in it's entirety.
Here's just a taste:
Author R.J. Rummel has produced a significant body of work including numerous essays and several books that deal with the subject of democide, a term he coined to describe a widely-accepted legal definition of murder that applies when perpetrated by government upon its own people. After examining about 10,000 sources over many years, Rummel estimates that governments of the world have murdered (i.e., committed democide on) approximately 262 million people in the 20th century alone. That shocking figure is no joke and, as Rummel points out, is about 7 times higher than the combat death toll from all wars fought over the same period combined. 20th Century wars were the worst in man's history and killed almost twice as many people as "ordinary" civilian criminal murders across the globe over the same one-hundred-year span. Yet, even though "the 20th century is noted for its absolute and bloody wars," war was not the 20th Century's biggest killer. Democide was. Or rather government was. And the comparison was not even close.
It should come as no surprise that the hallmark of democide according to Rummel is authoritarian government. It should also be no surprise that virtually every monstrous genocide or democide event in modern history was conducted by collectivist or socialist-style dictatorships, with the lion's share of atrocity garnered by the Marxist variety – those great saints who do everything "for the good of the people" and who without any sense or shame hold offices and/or comprise significant political parties in most "civilized" nations today. In fact, the results of various flavors of socialism are what prompted other historians to invent the word "genocide" in the first place.
To put the 262 million murders in more conceptual terms, consider that if one takes a random walk through the entire set of murdered men, women, and children, more than 9 out of 10 murders across all times and all nations, were perpetrated, not by civilian criminals, but by criminal thugs operating under the auspice or directive of government to murder its own people, generally those who oppose the government or who oppose the politically well-connected or who own what the government covets for itself.
If deaths due to war – what many currently believe is the greatest threat to life and limb – are included in the set, then still over 4 out of 5 violent deaths (83%) are the result of murder by the host government with the remaining 17% comprised by 11% war casualties and 6% civilian murder1. Yet, while totalitarianism, foreign invasion, and civilian crime – the primary historic threats to everyone's safety – all arise for a vast array of reasons, there is, fortunately, at least one thing that is proven to prevent or mitigate all of these to a very high degree: widespread gun ownership by the civilian population.
Therefore, if one cares about one's own personal safety or that for one's children, family, and neighbors, then there is no substitute for a well-armed society. This is not rocket surgery. A well-armed society is a civil society. A well-armed society is also a serious deterrent to foreign invaders and modern technology such as satellites, planes, missiles, and tanks has not changed that.
And finally, most importantly, a well-armed society has never yet, not once, been the helpless victim of democide to any significant degree, and it takes no great imaginative leap to understand why.
When guns are outlawed, only government will have them, and look at their sorry record.
The figure would be supremely monstrous and unacceptable if it were a mere 1 out of 100, yet more than 9 out of 10 murders committed on planet Earth were orchestrated by the victim's own government. In fact, major events of democide unilaterally occur to people who are disarmed, usually (ludicrously) within months of disarmament of the population, which of course was promoted and ordered for their own good and safety, and often made possible by government-maintained registration or licensing records.
Today, we are continually bombarded with propaganda relating to the dangers of gun ownership. This propaganda shamelessly claims stiffer and stiffer gun control is necessary to "protect the children" or some other nonsense about personal safety. At the same time, depending on age range, children are more likely to die from drowning in their own toilet or bathtub, from falling off a ladder or heights, or from bee stings than they are from intentional or accidental death from a gun wound.
And lest we forget, these same gun control advocates think nothing of putting their children in cars, which kills tens of thousands every year. Why? Because it is clear the great utility of vehicles justify the small yet deadly risks. Yet, wide proliferation of guns (with zero controls) also has great utility, namely prevention of the worst crimes in history as well as the run-o-the-mill variety.
Furthermore, guns have a lower risk factor to law abiders than do cars, so where is all the clamoring from the "I-want-my-children-to-be-safe" crowd for bans on automobiles? There ain't any because this brand of stupidity is emotional, not rational.
On the other hand, democide appears to expressly target children. Children whose parents if not unarmed would have long ago overthrown the tyrants who impoverish them to retain or regain their own property and means of feeding and rearing their children. That is why gun control advocates horrify me, especially those who are well-meaning and passionate about the issue. They genuinely believe removing guns from law abiders will solve social ills, while ignoring the consequences. To remove guns from the hands of law abiders is the tyrant's dream, the criminal's dream, the warmonger's dream. And it is the law abider's nightmare. To remove guns from the hands of law abiders unleashes every horror conceivable, and some that are inconceivable. And for what? To prevent some perceived threat that, even if realistic, is 5 or 6 orders of magnitude less likely to cause harm than the nightmare with a long and distinguished pedigree that may ensue if they get their wish?
It is as though gun control advocates seriously believe it is desirable to rip up the parachute, use the material to sew a windbreaker, then proudly proclaim they've prevented the skydiver from catching a cold on his trip down.
It would be comical if not so deadly serious.
To be fair, yes, many die from gun wounds.
Yes, that is tragic and senseless.
Without a doubt, guns can be quite dangerous, but the same can be said of cars. Of electricity. And even of love, a major player in crimes of passion and suicide, the latter of which takes more US lives every year than all reported gun violence and is in fact responsible for over 70% (higher in many other countries) of what is included in the gun-related death figures – a component that heavily skews these figures, yet is rarely considered by gun control advocates as if these suicides would not have occurred but for the availability of guns. Are there not consequences to banning any of these things: cars, electricity, love? Or of banning guns? Consequences that apparently go well beyond the narrow horizons and lack of historical knowledge of the typical ban advocate.
On the lighter side, one beauty of widespread gun ownership is that members of the adamant "I'll-never-touch-the-things" crowd do not have to own one. They need only pray that their neighbors do, because those law abiding, gun-toting neighbors will protect them from the true heinous threats to their existence and livelihood, even if they are unwilling or unable to do so themselves or even oblivious to the dangers. And consider further, that the protection afforded by widespread gun ownership by law abiders can extend across national borders as well as neighborhoods. For example, while Canada does have a relatively significant number of guns, many Canadian gun enthusiasts have noted that much of their personal safety can be attributed to the fact that the populace of their closest neighbor maintains so many firearms.
As a final, more mundane thought, basically everyone knows or has heard that there is a correlation between gun control and crime. In fact, areas in the US with virtual gun bans, like DC, have not only the highest crime rates, but also a disproportionately higher amount of violent crime, whereas areas with few gun regulations tend to show much lower crime overall, with most of it of a non-violent nature such as property crime like theft, instead of violent crime like assault, rape, or murder. Gun advocates tout these statistics, while gun-grabbers are completely mystified and so go in search of some rationale to explain it away, or they focus on other issues, usually something like the safety of children.
I earnestly desire that everyone in the world becomes or remains a staunch advocate of widespread, unregulated gun ownership. There are few, if any, paradigms one could adopt to better ensure personal safety and peaceful pursuits. Such a paradigm would mitigate crime, reduce warfare, and, by far the most important, provide the ultimate backstop – when unalienable rights and Constitutions fail – against the most heinous danger all inhabitants of the world face: democide. It is neither a joke nor the subversive tripe you have come to expect from the phrase to say, support gun ownership! If not for yourself, do it for the children.
Jim Bowman, June 1, 2009
Note
Please note, I understand this is a contentious subject, and mere statistics or numbers can never sum up these atrocities. Moreover, the figures I use are 35 million casualties of war in the 20th century and 20 million (probably too high) 20th century civilian-perpetrated murders worldwide, which appear to be widely accepted figures. Again, these are estimates, believed to be accurate, so please do not write me to suggest these figures are either too liberal or too conservative or otherwise incorrect unless any are off by one or two orders of magnitude or more because unless that is the case, it does not change in any way the thesis of this note – that widespread gun ownership by a civilian population will significantly improve the safety of said civilian population from every colossal threat, especially the most serious of all: democide.
Copyright © 2009 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.
Quote of the Day
"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well-armed lamb." -Benjamin Franklin
"'...just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can't constrain the exercise of that right...' – Barrack Hussein Obama, 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, speaking on the exercise of 2nd Amendment"
Compare and contrast those two differing views, and you will be able to see WHY we are in the state we are currently in.