This resulted from a Mom in Alabama asking her high school son to help with a commercial for the Tea Party she was involved in organizing. Boy, does it slam the message home. Very impressive. Here is her note: "I asked Justin if he could help me make a commercial for my group's Tea Party. He sat down at the laptop for about an hour, and then brought this to me and asked, 'is this okay, Mom?' After I finished watching it, my stomach was in my throat. Everyone that I have sent it to has really enjoyed it, so I wanted my friends to see it. I am so proud!" A very powerful video...turn up the sound & sit back...!!!
I was contacted by the author about 3 weeks ago and offered a copy of his book "Pure Patriotism" for review. I assured him that I was a fast reader and would enjoy reading it and giving my opinion.
About now I'm sure he's written me off as a flake, but I just finished the book today.
This is not a big book in the number of pages (98), but it is a big book on thoughts and beliefs. If you are like me, you won't want to just sit down and read through this book, you will read a section (or maybe two) and mark your place, set it aside and spend some time thinking through what you've read and how it applies to your life.
The book is not "Conservative" or "Liberal", it is an overview of what patriotism towards the United States entails and he points out the pitfalls of not adhering to the basic principles that were given to us by our founders.
Like me, Clayton's deepest concern is career politicians (royalty) and the lack of interest and action by us, the people of this great country. We were given such an immense gift, but through inattention and laziness are slowly watching our freedoms be stripped slowly away.
A book I will be glad to see on my bookshelf and will pull out just to open to a page and reread and rethink the topics.
U.S. soldiers were given a true Irish welcome at a wedding in Co Clare this week.
The 300 troops were stranded in Shannon last weekend after their Iraq-bound plane was grounded.
As luck would have it, they were booked into the same hotel as the wedding party for Amelia Walsh and Sean O'Neill.
And so the 300 troops were invited to join the festivities at the Clare Inn in Newmarket-on-Fergus.
The groom's uncle, Joe O'Neill said: "It didn’t take long before the combat fatigues were manoeuvring to the strains of ‘The Walls of Limerick'."
The happy couple posed for pictures with the troops earlier in the day and Eamon Walsh, the father of the bride, said the couple were "proud" to have the soldiers at their function.
Walsh said the couple invited the men in so they could experience an Irish wedding.
"They behaved in an exemplary manner at all times and if our troops behaved in the same way when they are on peacekeeping duties, I would be very proud," he said.
O'Neill, who flew in to the wedding from his home in San Francisco, said: "As the soldiers began to mingle into the private wedding party banquet area they were told by their Commanding Officer that the area was a private party and off limits.
"Common decency, and Irish hospitality however, overruled personal political opinions, and the groom, a fine young man, accepting that I might be a little prejudiced in this respect, informed the Commanding Officer that they were welcome to join the party.
"I believe the groom’s brother summed up the general feeling of wedding guests when he said, “If my own son happened to be in that situation in a foreign country, I would hope that someone would show him a bit of a good time before he had to face what they are going to," he said.
Sean and Amelia, may you have a long and happy marriage.
From the first essay that I read from Bill Whittle, an essay called "Honor", many years ago, I've envied this man's ability to put into words what I knew in my heart.
The Sarah Palin "controversy" has been sticking like a trout bone in my throat since she announced that she was stepping down as Governor. I wanted to write about it, but getting all the thoughts into a few hundred words just wouldn't come to me.
Well, Bill got it down. I wish they had an embed, but they don't, so go to PJTV and watch this video:
It's free, and if you've got a so-so computer like I do, pick the "Basic flash" player on the left sidebar. It's a guy talking to you from his heart, so HD isn't a factor.
While you're there, look around. They have a lot of conservative commentators there that will give you something to ponder over, or give you points the next time you get drawn into explaining your side of the debate.
I ran into this over the weekend and I think it explains a lot about my state. These are the politically active people?
Now you know how Pelosi, Boxer and Waxman keep getting elected.
Yeas, she does praise Bush for his stance on small businesses, but if she's a Republican then I'm sure the party left me. _______________________________
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile's recent O'ahu visit did not cut the mustard with the Outdoor Circle.
The nonprofit Outdoor Circle, best known for helping push Hawai'i's strict billboard ban through the 1927 Territorial Legislature, said the Wienermobile violates a recently enacted state law that bars vehicles used primarily to advertise or promote a service or product.
I swear that people like this are just trying to suck all the fun out of life. I can remember when I was a kid counting the days until the Wienermobile was going to show up at our local supermarket. I got to meet "Lil Oscar" (bet he's gone...it's so non-PC to hire midgets now) and I got a Wienerwhistle.
Black and white hound Clyde is totally blind and relies on his partner and fellow collie Bonnie to guide him everywhere.
She stays inches from Clyde's side while guiding him on walks or to food or water, and lets him rest his head on her haunches whenever he becomes disorientated.
I woke up early this morning (3AM) so I could IM with my son in Korea. He did have two E-mails waiting for me when I got up:
I just read that Gates is canceling the F-22 program. Really??? He said that we are just going to use the F-35 and because the 35 is based a lot off of the 22, we don't need to put that much more into the program. And other countries want to buy the 22 but Congress has put it into law and kept it that we can't sell it to other countries. A lot of other countries want to wait out for the 35 now. If we are going to export that and not the F-22... I just don't get it. But whatever.
How Chris ended up in the Army is beyond me. For as long as I can remember, he was always about aircraft. When the F-22 first came out I hated it...it was going to replace my beloved F-15, Chris just couldn't understand my attachment to "archaic" technology.
I was convinced (grudgingly) he was right when we saw the Raptor fly at Edwards Air Force Base at an Air Show with AFJROTC. In 20 years of Air Shows, I'd never seen a jet that maneuvered like that, and coupled with the stealth technology and the "super cruise", I was sold.
We knew that we had maintained air superiority for the next 20+ years. Of course the gov't doesn't see it that way. His second Email had some conflicting news articles:
To me this is the typical short sightedness the gov't usually displays, just like the kerfuffle over body armor at the start of the Iraqi war. The gov't decides we can cut the military budget by getting rid of something "not needed" right now, then screaming to high heavens that they "Shocked!, Shocked!!! I tell you!!!" that the needed equipment isn't there when required.
The Russians have 2 versions of Next Generation jets in production right now, and the WILL sell versions of it to get cash, not to mention the Chinese getting one and reverse designing it.
In about 10 years, our jets are going to be blown out of the sky, and congress and everyone who is saying we can't afford it now is going to be the first screaming about "How come someone didn't see this coming?" and this won't be just about old body armor or Humvees that aren't upgraded, this will mean major battles lost being the guys we're fighting have better planes than we do.
Air superiority is not something we can just ignore for years and then crank out a bunch of planes when we need them. In 10 years when the should have been there...the company that made them, the people that knew how to put them together, and the pilots that know how to fly them are gone.
The F-35 is a fine plane...for what it was designed to do. Land attack missions. which is fine if you're fighting the Taliban, but when we have to face the new Russian designed planes and their knockoffs, we're going to lose a lot of 35's.
I received an Email from Chris a week ago. After all his moaning about being posted to Korea, he's was considering committing himself to staying in Korea for an extra year.
It's not that he's any happier about being there, but if he signs on to stay there he gets a significant pay raise starting the day he signs the contract. He's got things he wants to buy and that cash will come in handy.
He asked me my opinion and I gave him a couple of pluses and minuses that I could see to start with and told him to work it through and figure out if he could be content stuck there...and to keep in mind when it's time to move, they could send him ANYWHERE. Of course being the Army they could send him anywhere at any time anyway.
For me, it would be great! I would love to see part of Asia and another year would help getting some money together to travel there comfortably.
I didn't hear from him for a week.
Last night he called. He still hasn't decided, but is leaning strongly in favor of the extension. His buddy from Ft. Rucker is posted at Camp Humphrey and they are rooming together. Their first order of business, get internet hookup.
After all those weeks of training in AirOps, the job they are looking to slot him into is...Driver for a Staff Sergeant. (G-d I love the military.) I don't know what this duty would entail, but someone has to do it, I guess.
UPDATE: Please read the first comment. My son informs me of my lack of knowledge of how the military operates. (I wondered why a lowly SSgt. would get a personal driver) I figure I'll grasp all the nomenclature and rules of the Army at about the end of his enlistment.
Before I get started some good news. Chris is finally at his base in Korea. He's a little miffed because he's on standby status, which means he isn't doing what he was trained for and he gets to occupy his time mopping a lot of floors. He hated being in Alabama because of the weather, so he goes half way round the planet and it turns out Korea in July is just like Alabama. Temps in the high 80's with 60 to 100% humidity and Thunderstorms every couple of days.
The reason I know this is although he doesn't have a phone he can get on the internet with a Wifi signal so we can IM over AIM. Even though he's 16 hours ahead of me, being I'm up most nights, we can communicate regularly.
I knew you were dying to know what is up with him, so I wanted to get that out of the way. (mheh)
Now, important stuff.
Have you bought any of those florescent light bulbs they are foisting on us? My local DWP sends me one every 6 months to get me going on being green.
I'll admit, they work fine, using less energy and they last longer that incandescent bulbs, we use them at work and even with vibration we've only had one or two out of about 35 go out over the last year and a half. But like all mandated "green" laws there is something they forgot to mention.
The congressional authors of the law understood they were, in essence, phasing out incandescent bulbs.
They did this, they said, to help save the planet from overheating. But the light-bulb left did not weigh -- or care about -- the unintended consequences of their crusade.
One of these consequences is the potential for an environment disaster in your family room.
You see, fluorescent bulbs contain mercury -- a bad, bad pollutant and health hazard that the Environmental Protection Agency has been sounding alarms about for years.
Well, isn't that special.
The first section is titled: "What Never to Do With a Mercury Spill."
It says: "Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury (but see the 'What to Do if a Fluorescent Light Bulb Breaks' section below for more specific instructions about vacuuming broken fluorescent light bulbs). The vacuum will put mercury into the air and increase exposure."
To vacuum, or not to vacuum? That is the question.
Idiots! Energy has to be produced somewhere to power the damn things. I guess they just thought that electricity is created at that thingy you put the plug in.
For the last few days I've been listening to this story of some black kids getting kicked out of a swimming pool.
I hope the SOB's running the pool are ashamed, embarrassed and even their dogs won't talk to them. If they want to do right, they should let these kids have their swim day for free for the rest of this summer and offer them a 75% discount to come back next year.
But there are some racist things going on out there that aren't getting any national coverage.
Akron police say they aren't ready to call it a hate crime or a gang initiation.
But to Marty Marshall, his wife and two kids, it seems pretty clear.
It came after a family night of celebrating America and freedom with a fireworks show at Firestone Stadium. Marshall, his family and two friends were gathered outside a friend's home in South Akron.
Out of nowhere, the six were attacked by dozens of teenage boys, who shouted ''This is our world'' and ''This is a black world'' as they confronted Marshall and his family.
I don't believe in "Hate Crimes". It a stupid concept. The idea that it can be proven exactly what a persons thoughts were while committing a crime is ludicrous. I've had some things pop out of my mouth that amazed myself when I've been nervous, scared or mad, but if the crime is agaist some minority group, it is always the first thing they say, "We are investigating this as a "hate crime", yet when it's a "minority group" committing the crime and racial things are said...well, "We don't want to jump to conclusions and get anyone upset". Bullshiite!!
They are going to have figure out how to level these laws if they want them to work.
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Obambi has broken another campaign promise. (Bet you're surprised)
Forced abortions. Mass sterilization. A “Planetary Regime” with the power of life and death over American citizens.
The tyrannical fantasies of a madman? Or merely the opinions of the person now in control of science policy in the United States? Or both?
These ideas (among many other equally horrifying recommendations) were put forth by John Holdren, whom Barack Obama has recently appointed Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology — informally known as the United States’ Science Czar. In a book Holdren co-authored in 1977, the man now firmly in control of science policy in this country wrote that:
• Women could be forced to abort their pregnancies, whether they wanted to or not;
• The population at large could be sterilized by infertility drugs intentionally put into the nation’s drinking water or in food;
• Single mothers and teen mothers should have their babies seized from them against their will and given away to other couples to raise;
• People who “contribute to social deterioration” (i.e. undesirables) “can be required by law to exercise reproductive responsibility” — in other words, be compelled to have abortions or be sterilized.
• A transnational “Planetary Regime” should assume control of the global economy and also dictate the most intimate details of Americans’ lives — using an armed international police force.
Impossible, you say? That must be an exaggeration or a hoax. No one in their right mind would say such things.
Well, I hate to break the news to you, but it is no hoax, no exaggeration. John Holdren really did say those things, and this report contains the proof. Below you will find photographs, scans, and transcriptions of pages in the book Ecoscience, co-authored in 1977 by John Holdren and his close colleagues Paul Ehrlich and Anne Ehrlich. The scans and photos are provided to supply conclusive evidence that the words attributed to Holdren are unaltered and accurately transcribed.
This man is adviser to the pResident on health and science? Things like the "The development of a long-term sterilizing capsule that could be implanted under the skin and removed when pregnancy is desired opens additional possibilities for coercive fertility control. The capsule could be implanted at puberty and might be removable, with official permission, for a limited number of births" was just a fantasy back when he wrote this, now the product exists. Good thing huh girls, otherwise you'd have to report to a gov't sanctioned station and take your pill under supervision every 24 hours.
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Now that I'm in a bad mood, and I hope these thing worried you too, I'll put something that while it's another little degradation that we are forced to deal with, but this guy got his revenge.
Good PR United!!! A few hundred to fix or replace the guitar or 2 million people laughing at you and booking on Delta or American, because you admit you don't care whether possessions entrusted to you get there in one piece or not...if they get there at all.
They've got that fancy plane to jet around in and if they ain't traveling to far they got that whirlybird to like jump them up to New Yawk for a night out. And hell, it's free!
The fashion mags were telling us for the longest time about how stylish Michelle dressed "on a budget" using common designers like J.Crew and The Gap, but now that they're in, they've started to give up the pretense of being just like us.
Earlier this week (while strolling the wooded landscape outside of Moscow), she carried a sexy black clutch, which Italian luxury house VBH boasts is their shiny black alligator manila bag – with a retail sticker price of $5,950.
$6000 for clutch!!! First, it's a clutch, not even a real purse. This is something that can hold a few non-bulky items (like Michelle needs to have a few bucks on hand to tip the doorman or something). You could survive a nuclear strike with the crap my wife could cram into a normal medium sized purse. I'd be willing to bet there isn't even anything in it. Second, what the hell does she need it for? She doesn't have a personal Aide or two that could carry what she requires?
Of course, the explanation given by the White House makes it all better.
The White House says she was carrying the $875 VBH patent leather clutch.
Oh, O.K.! She only spent $900 on something she doesn't really need outside of an accessory.
Back in April she wore a pair of $540 Lanvin sneakers at a Washington food bank.
What is it that someone can design into a pair of sneakers that makes them worth $100, let alone $550? I bet that these "Lanvin" sneakers were made by workers that got a major share of the profit assembling them.
Now that it's long after the election and Obama has won, it's cool for Michelle to spend $5000 for a clutch handbag and $550 on a pair of sneakers...She's the height of fashion!
Unemployment is at 9.5% and expected to climb, taxes are going up on everything, States are bankrupt or right on the edge, but hey, the Obama's care about the people.
Let's not forget how the left treats what they consider unwarranted expenditures on clothing.
In case you haven't heard, Michael Jackson died two weeks days ago.
I was never a hard core MJ fan (I think I have one of his albums, inherited from a friend who died) but I enjoyed his music with the Jackson 5 and in the 80's.
For about two days I put up with the 24 hour coverage of his death. I'll admit I was curious about the cause and what would happen to his children, but once it devolved into just opinions then the opinions of the opinions, I got disgusted with the coverage. If I flipped by a news channel and anything about MJ came on, I moved on immediately.
Hence, I haven't seen much news for the last week and a half. With all the important things going on in the world, that the MSM would drop everything just because some has been celeb of dubious character OD's makes me furious.
It seems like the Centennial was just yesterday. We are going through really tough times today, economically and politically, but I can't beleive that the people of this country will let the sacrifices of all those who fought to get us here will allow us to throw away all the rights handed to us, nor the benefits of those rights.
I speak as someone who didn't enlist because of political reasons, I've covered this before, but now has a son sitting in Korea as a trip wire against the oppression of even the most basic dignities of life.
May your steaks come out grilled to perfection and your beer be cold.
Set your beer down before clicking this link. It starts with the "Star Spangled Banner" so I don't want you spilling anything when you stand proud for the anthem of this country that has given us so much.
Make sure you are displaying the flag today, just make sure it's far enough away when you light the BBQ (don't want to get people confused about your patriotism or that those last 3 beers you had).
I'm going to spend the 4th watching the aerial display of the fireworks show at the the High School just up the street in a lawn chair in my front yard and thinking about my boy and all the other soldiers away from home this day protecting us so that we can sit in our lawn chairs and truly appreciate what this date signifies.
I wasn't going to post this morning...not enough sleep yesterday and a long boring night at work, but I found this over at Hot Air. It appears to be some unknown life form found in a North Carolina sewer.
I can't say I'm surprised. With the interesting cocktail of drugs and ...the normal stuff that pass through a sewer, it only seems natural that some of these things would get together and find a nice moist temperature consistent crevice to hang out in.
John Boenher Exposes Some of the Trash Crammed into Waxman-Markey Cap & Trade Climate Bill HR2454
So much (again) for the transparency of having a bill posted for at least a week before it gets voted on. This crap sandwich was released at 3 AM on the day it was to be voted on...not only that...there was 300 pages of additional junk crammed in at the last second...and...some of the pages are blank pieces of paper, to be filled in later, AFTER the bill is passed.
Think your house is yours to sell when you want? You can put it on the market and negotiate a price with a buyer as to the fair price? Nope. You will have to have the gov't's permission to sell it.
You are going to have to pay for a inspection of your property to make see if your house is "Green" enough for their standards, and if it isn't, you have to make the improvements before they will let you sell it. No negotiating with the buyer to reduce your price to offset the "lack of greenness", you pay it out first. If someone has to lay out 10 or 15 thou on upgrading windows, electrical hookups for cars,or re-insulating the place up to their standards, the price of the house has just gone up 15 to 25 thou to get your investment back.
That's going to open up the market to first time buyers and the poor.
Politicians are just that...Politicians. They've never held a job in the real world and if they did at one time, they are so insulated from it now that they don't know what it's like to live on a budget.
"Hell! If taxes eat into my lifestyle, I know I'll get a raise next year!!! I'm going to vote myself one!"
Listen to this asshat from my late great state of California:
She is correct in saying that "Living within our means" means nothing...TO HER!
She lays it out during her speech. When gov't has money during good times, they borrow even more, then when times cycle to bad...they still spend more than they have. You little guys are just going to have to suck it up and pay more so we can continue to spend more, and she'll need that raise next year so it doesn't hurt her lifestyle.
The consolidation of gov't over the last few months has scared the hell out of me. I listen to Obama and the Dimicrats tell me that this the the road our forefathers would have wanted us to take to ensure that everyone gets the benifit of living in this wonderful country, but they haven't read history.
“At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents….Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.”
For his being a "Constitutional Scholar", methinks he slept through the classes.
William Davie of North Carolina, a Revolutionary War hero, member of the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 and proponent of the Constitution
“If there were any seeds in this Constitution which might, one day, produce a consolidation, it would, sir, with me, be an insuperable objection, I am so perfectly convinced that so extensive a country as this can never be managed by one consolidated government.”
Connecticut native and patriot Oliver Wolcott:
“Mankind may become corrupt, and give up the cause of freedom; but I believe that love of liberty which prevails among the people of this country will prevent such a direful calamity.”
Alexander Hamilton:
“Sir, can it be supposed that the state will become the oppressors of the people? Will they combine to destroy the liberties and happiness of their fellow citizens, for the sole purpose of involving themselves in ruin? God forbid! The idea, sir, is shocking. It outrages every feeling of humanity, and every dictate of common sense.”
Patrick Henry:
“Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!”
That we are so rapidly giving up our individual rights and allowing the nanny state to dictate what is ours and what is the states has made me fear that my son may only be able to tell his children what America once was and stood for.
Chris is in Korea. He landed just after midnight my time (4:00 pm there).
The kid has spent 36+ hours in airports or on a plane. He had to fly all the way back to Dothan, Al. to meet up with the Army and he figured that he'd just sleep at the terminal, no such luck. They turn out the lights and lock the doors there, so he had to get a cab and rent a motel room to get about 4 hours of sleep.
The good thing about the trip back to Alabama was when the ticket agent at Bob Hope Airport found out he was military, he made sure Chris got the Emergency Exit seat on all three legs of the flight which gave him that little extra room for his 6'3" length.
I've got to go to the post office now and buy combination's of stamps that add up to $0.95, the cost of 1st class mail to S. Korea.
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I've added a widget to the sidebar to help me with the time difference to Korea.
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Did you notice that Micheal Jackson was on the cover of both Newsweek and Time this week? How am I suppose to know who my President is?
Andy Levy (Redeye)
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Top 10 Best States for Personal Freedom by Human Events
Compiled by the Mercatus Center, a nonprofit public policy research center affiliated with George Mason University, using a wide swath of comparative data to determine personal freedoms, including alcohol and drug laws, asset-forfeiture rules, and education regulations.
1. Alaska
2. Maine
3. New Mexico
4. Arkansas
5. Texas [c'mon Texas whatcha doing down at #5?]
6. Missouri
7. Oregon [Now this one surprises me, must be weighted by the drug laws.]
I dropped the boy off at Bob Hope Airport (Burbank) at 0500 this morning. He's off to Dothan Al (via Salt Lake City and Atlanta) to report back in. He'll get to sleep in the terminal all night before heading to Korea.
I won't be seeing him until May, and even then I doubt I'll see him much as he's coming home for his best friends wedding on a fly in, fly out schedule.
Being he crosses the Date line, it takes three days to get home and back.
I can't explain how good it was to have him home. I'd been here on my own for 6 months and having someone come in and move things was odd. Mainly because we were on opposite schedules.
We did get in a baseball game last week and I took him to his favorite Steak House (Damon's) Friday night, along with a couple of hours of sitting around and just talking. He won't have a phone in Korea, so I'm going to have to crank up the word possessor again and start writing until he gets a computer and internet hookup.
Chris told me the other day that the U.S. is moving their forward bases farther south. I'm not sure what to think about that. My interpretation is that they want a longer time to react to an incursion, and that doesn't make me happy.
How many things are wrong with this picture? (borrowed from the Rott)
The right to keep and bear arms may be in the Constitution, but good G-d Almighty!
I can only assume that when his partner fired it didn't startle him and he pulled his fucking trigger.
* He's wearing an ATF hat (I hope he got it on Ebay)
* He's, like, pointing a gun to his head.
* Finger inside trigger guard...You never, never put your finger inside that space unless your 99% sure you are going to fire the gun.
And just to prove that there are Dumbass guys that even if you take guns away from them will still try to find a way to keep themselves from procreating.
Missed one day of blogging because I was just too tired after work.
Missed the next day because I screwed up on paying the damn cable bill, they shut down my internet and was too tired to deal with it after work.
Today is a Friday for me, so I figured I'd deal with it. Igot caught up on the bill and while getting my internet connection back running, I got to talk to a very nice tech guy. My computer is over 7 years old and showing it's age...it's slooowwww. While waiting for my computer to reboot and get the browser going we had a lot of time to chat. Being he had asked me what state I was from at the beginning of our conversation, I asked where he was. He was in Panama.
He was pleasant, polite, knowledgeable, very patient and spoke English with only a hint of accent. I had to go though this same scenario about a year ago and it was not a pleasant experience. That tech was nice enough, but couldn't speak English worth a damn. On top of going through internet withdrawal syndrome and being PO'd at myself for missing the damn bill, I was dealing with a guy that couldn't explain how to correct the problem.
Either Charter is hiring better people, or I just had the luck of a bad draw last time. I just can't trust cable companies since my experience back in '85 when Sammons Cable insisted I owed them $300 and I showed them all the bills that said that actually they owed me $75 credit. They threatened to sue me, ...then went out of business...I still have their converter box that they insisted I bring into their office sitting in my garage.
SENATOR Boxer, because she's worked so hard driving California into bankruptcy...Actually she hasn't done a damn thing to drive us into bankruptcy escept vote for her compatriots bills. All her bills have to do with "honoring" some stupid group or event that happened long ago. The "lady" is a cipher.
But she's worked so hard to earn the title of SENATOR and those beneath her don't recognize what a Grand Dame she is.
She's been "employed" by the people of California for 16 years, but has no idea of protocol, most likely because it didn't involve her...or she's just one of those feminazi bitches that will find fault with anything that you say because you have the ulterior motive of dissing her.
This is highlighted by the end of the segment where "Liz" is sooooo upset that someone dared to use a friendly address and she has to take 19 Emails to push her point that she would preferred to be addressed as "Elizabeth".
Hell, I hate to be called "Scottie", but it doesn't grind my gears, and by pointing it out that it annoys me, it just give someone a button to push when they get desperate. (I only admit this because I'm way beyond that, so you can try....then I'll walk away and have another beer and know you were desperate for a rebuttal...and I won.
When I was a lad (8 to 16) my parents would send me "up north" to Aunt Lee and Uncle Curt's place in Bayside, Ca.. Bayside was a little town about half way between Eureka and Arcata. This was rural country. I mean rural. People living on a few acres of land raising vegetables, corn, potatoes and berries. There were barns to play in and a "crick" running through the back yard (if you could brave the stinging nettles to get to it).
There were pumps to bring the water up from the crick and they burned their trash in a 55 gallon drum in the back yard. There were no street lights and nobody wanted them.
You had to cross the neighbors sheep pasture to go hiking in the Redwoods across the street.
Being a "city boy" this was my training ground for doing real chores. I could sleep in as late as I wanted, but I was always given something to do the next day. Mow the back section, weed the corn, paint the fence, roto-till the bean patch. When my project was done, I was free to go off on my own (Just remember, suppers at 4:30 and if your more than 15 minutes late...).
At that time, I thought most of the folk up there were ancient, you know in the 40's to 60's, but I loved talking to these "old farts", they were real people, They had jobs, plus they worked their little bit of land because they liked doing it, or they were retired and loved keeping busy. My Uncle Curt was around 70 when I stared going up there, had gone through 2 heart attacks and was still up at dawn (literally) and doing something around the place until Aunt Lee got breakfast cooked.
The reason I'm telling you about this childhood experience is last night I read an article that made me realize that this bit of heaven probably doesn't exist anymore.
Two towns nestled in the rugged coastline and the liberal politics of Northern California have fought the federal government by banning the U.S. military from recruiting minors within their city limits.
Arcata — a town known for taking a stand against the USA Patriot Act and repeatedly passing symbolic measures to impeach President George W. Bush — approved in November an ordinance that would limit Armed Forces recruiters' ability to contact people under 18. And so did nearby Eureka, the Humboldt County seat.
My G-d, the people I knew living there 40 years ago would die all over again if they knew what that area has become.
"We fully expected a challenge, and we got it," said David Meserve, 60, a builder of environmentally friendly homes and former Arcata City Council member who spearheaded the measure. "But more importantly, people are becoming aware there is a problem — and the problem is the recruiting of minors."
The problem is...they don't recruit minors. They offer them a job opportunity to consider when they become adults.
"You will find that establishing trust and credibility with students, even seventh- and eighth-graders, can positively impact your high school and post-secondary school recruiting effort," reads The Recruiter Handbook, published in 2008 by the United States Army Recruiting Command.
The push to reach the young makes sense. A 2007 Department of Defense study found that at 16 years old, more than 25 percent of students considered joining the Armed Forces. By the time they were 21, only 15 percent considered joining.
Gee, going into the Army when you're 16 and getting to play with guns, tanks and other things that go boom sounds great...but a most get older, they realize there are other opportunities available and maybe they don't want to join the military.
My boy was Army from when he was around 8 or 9. Not through my pushing...and certainly not through his Mother's. He cut his hair short, wore camo and joined AFJROTC all on his own. I expected him to just enlist when he graduated, but he waited until he was 20.
So all those talks with recruiters, his paramilitary classes and his natural inclination to join where weighed out. I didn't know he had enlisted until the deal was done.
Meserve said he took up the fight one morning while sitting in a coffee shop and overhearing a National Guard recruiter giving three high school girls a hard sell. The sharply dressed young man bought them fancy coffee drinks and pitched the career opportunities, the scholarships, the camaraderie, while assuring them there was virtually no chance they would end up in a war zone, Meserve said.
This was in 2005, when members of the National Guard were regularly being sent to Iraq, he said.
"Hard Sell", I would guess that would be talking about all the positive aspects of the job. Like "We'll start you out mopping and cleaning, but soon you'll be on the fryer, then, you'll be running the grill and if you develop people skills working the register it's just a small step to Manager. From there you learn the knowledge to open your own franchise and then...Whoa...the money just rolls in".
The lawyer argues the ordinances prevent abuses without interfering with the federal government's ability to fill the ranks of the military. Anyone, independent of age, can still reach out to the military, he said, and recruiters are free to contact adults.
"If they don't contact minors, they can still meet their goals," Yamauchi said. "We believe there are limits to the federal power to recruit children."
They want to make this ordinance legal? Write it so that NO COMPANY can contact minors for jobs. That means no advertising a position unless specifically stated that those under 18 need their parents written permission to apply for the job.
My son chose to join the Army. He had my full support to do so, when he finished High School, and he had his Mom that was dead set against it. He waited until he was sure that he was doing what he wanted in his own time, in spite of the years of "hard sell" by his recruiters.
I can't say it enough. I'm damn proud of him!
He's going to Korea at the end of the month and it scares the hell out of me. It's a tossup whether Korea or the Middle East is the most dangerous place to be right now, but my son is going to be in Korea, so that makes it the most dangerous to me.
To all those anti-military communist assholes that have taken over a part of the country I use to love, FU!!
The Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th Championship title and being I'm SoCal born and raised, I love my Lakers (and Dodgers, and Kings, and still love the Raiders...sorry Clippers and Rams).
There will be no victory parade:
...such a celebration could cost the city $1 million or more at a time when city leaders, faced with a deep budget deficit, were contemplating worker layoffs and cuts in services.
"We can't afford to cover the costs," City Councilwoman Jan Perry told the Los Angeles Times. "How could we make a decision about people's jobs and then sponsor the parade?"
Barbara Maynard, a spokeswoman for the city's employee unions, agreed, telling the paper: "We do not believe its appropriate in this economic climate for taxpayers to be funding a parade."
Oops...never mind, I just this minute heard the parade is on. Guess the city isn't as broke as they were telling us. Either that or somehow the parade can be added to the next stimulus bill somehow.
Of course living here in Los Angeles, we just can't let a good chance to riot be wasted.
LOS ANGELES — Hundreds celebrated in the streets outside Staples Center after the Los Angeles Lakers' NBA title win Sunday night, with some revelers damaging police cruisers, throwing rocks and bottles at officers and setting bonfires in the street, authorities said.
About 25 people were arrested, most part of a rowdy crowd that split off on to surrounding streets after police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, officer Karen Rayner said.
I'm sure the owner of this car is really celebrating the Laker win today:
I was at work last night about 1/2 mile from Staples Center when the game finished. I heard LOTS of sirens and horns honking, but the crap was kept in a small area.
When I left for work, my son asked if I was going to take protection? I decided no, the games in Florida, how insane can people get here?
Last Friday, my states contribution to the downfall of the U.S., Nancy Pelosi visited Houston, Texas to deliver a speech to the Progressive Forum on health care, the war in Afghanistan, energy -- and her autobiography (and puff up her war chest...and betcha she used her gov't funded jet to get there).
The good news was there was some patriotic dissent there to let her know that there is a reason her poll numbers suck.
If only my fellow Californians could get this worked up about her idiocy and vote her butt out.
G-d bless and protect this country and allow us to continue to be that shining city on the hill for those who do not enjoy the benefits that too many of us here take for granted.
If it didn't turn my stomach, I'd think it was funny.
Remember the hue and cry that went up when President Bush fired some U.S. attorneys in 2006? Oh, the left was beside itself about how eeeevil it was that Bush was to fire so many U.S. Attorneys… even though he had the authority to do so. Charges that the firings were made for “political reasons” were thrown about and Congressional Democrats clamored for new laws and the head of Bush’s Attorney General on a pike.
The hue and cry that went up about the President expecting lawyers of his administration to lean towards his view. What to do to make sure this doesn't happen again...Ah yes, Pass a law.
Inspectors General are part of every federal department. They are given the responsibility of independently investigating allegations of waste, fraud, and corruption in the government, without fear of interference by political appointees or the White House. Last year Congress passed the Inspectors General Reform Act, which added new protections for IGs, including a measure requiring the president to give Congress 30 days prior notice before dismissing an IG. The president must also give Congress an explanation of why the action is needed.
Who, pray tell, was one of the Senators to sign this bill?
Then-Sen. Barack Obama was one of the co-sponsors of the Act.
Once again we find what must be a then Senator and now President sponsoring bills where he doesn't know what's in them, but hey, he got his name on an important bill that would stop corruption of an independent agency.
Well, last night, clearly for political reasons, Barack Obama tried to fire AmeriCorps inspector general, Gerald Walpin. Not only is it for strictly political reasons (Short take: “the AmeriCorps IG accuses prominent Obama supporter of misusing AmeriCorps grant money. Prominent Obama supporter has to pay back more than $400,000 of that grant money. Obama fires AmeriCorps IG.”) but Obama does not have the authority to summarily dismiss an IG as he tried to do last night.
Well, the IG has 30 days to plead his case to stay on, right?
Last night, Obama’s office sent a terse note to IG Walpin stating that he had one hour to resign or he’d be fired. Walpin alerted Congress and asked what he should do because he knew that his position wasn’t solely at the discretion of the president. He knew that he answered to both the president and Congress.
Let's sit back and watch this unfold. A socialist president with a socialist controlled congress, bet the interpretation of what 30 days really means comes into play. Perhaps 30 days before they appoint another IG to handle this...or not.
All you military buffs that drop by here, I could use some assistance.
My son has always been in love with military stuff, particularly aircraft. He can name just about any plane flown by this U.S....but this one.
The picture was given to him by a friend that found it in a relatives garage for a welcome home present. We know it's a bomber, a big bomber, but that's about all.
It's a big photo, so I had to chop it into two pieces to scan it (No!, I didn't cut it up.)
First the main fuselage:
And the tail section:
If you click on the pictures, they should biggify.
"Saved or created" has become the signature phrase for Barack Obama as he describes what his stimulus is doing for American jobs. His latest invocation came yesterday, when the president declared that the stimulus had already saved or created at least 150,000 American jobs -- and announced he was ramping up some of the stimulus spending so he could "save or create" an additional 600,000 jobs this summer. These numbers come in the context of an earlier Obama promise that his recovery plan will "save or create three to four million jobs over the next two years."
Well, being they got laid off, if they do get rehired sometime in the future maybe they can count as "created" jobs.
Of course, the inability to measure Mr. Obama's jobs formula is part of its attraction. Never mind that no one -- not the Labor Department, not the Treasury, not the Bureau of Labor Statistics -- actually measures "jobs saved." As the New York Times delicately reports, Mr. Obama's jobs claims are "based on macroeconomic estimates, not an actual counting of jobs." Nice work if you can get away with it.
I'm curious if they are using the same guys to write the program to get this "Saved or Created" statisticB.S. that the Goreacle use to get his Global WarmingClimate Change B.S.? Nothing like made up, unprovable numbers to back up your argument.
"The expression 'create or save,' which has been used regularly by the President and his economic team, is an act of political genius," writes Mr. Mankiw. "You can measure how many jobs are created between two points in time. But there is no way to measure how many jobs are saved. Even if things get much, much worse, the President can say that there would have been 4 million fewer jobs without the stimulus."
It's a "When did you stop beating your wife?" formula. You've got the answer you want no matter the answer.
Now, something's wrong when the president invokes a formula that makes it impossible for him to be wrong and it goes largely unchallenged. It's true that almost any government spending will create some jobs and save others. But as Milton Friedman once pointed out, that doesn't tell you much: The government, after all, can create jobs by hiring people to dig holes and fill them in.
The "Jobs Created" part is what really bothers me. I know that we've got 21 new "czars" with attendant staff and support that are jobs created, but who pays the salaries of these new employees?
Lucky us! We get taxed more to pay some more SOB's in Washington to tell us what else we are going to have sacrifice in our life so they can receive their bennies.
But we must remember that things aren't as bad as we think, just like back in in 2003 things weren't as good as we thought.
Chris landed at LAX right on time yesterday and I got to see him for about an hour (including the drive home)before he was off. First to the young couple next door. He's know Alexa his whole life and they're only about 6 years age difference. It really didn't matter, with getting his car legal, working that night then staying up until his flight got in, I was up for over 30 hours. That allowed me 4 hours of sleep before going back to work. When I got up, he was gone for his camping trip (home again Tuesday morning).
His tale of his trip home from Ft. Rucker confirmed my belief that the people of this country really do appreciate those who are serving. Of course he traveled in his ACU's and in Montgomery, they stopped at a 7-11 to get some snacks and a lady asked them where they were heading, she left, then came back inside and insisted on paying for anything he and his friends were getting..."No, Thank you ma'am, it's not necessary" was not an acceptable answer.
On the cross country flight, just before leaving the gate, the flight attendant moved him up to First Class. (Lucky little sh*t)
The thing that stunned him the most was while he was waiting for his gear to hit the carousel at LAX some guy came over and shook his hand and thanked him for serving. Chris was about dumbstruck. He told me that almost anywhere else in the country it wouldn't have phased him, he'd appreciate it, but in Los Angeles, he expected to be ignored, if not shunned.
Just talked to the boy. He's about 1/2 hour away from Montgomery Regional Airport where he'll get to spend the night sleeping on the floor. No USO's in Alabama. He'll hit the tarmac at LAX at 10:30 tomorrow morning which means I get to hang around work for 3 hours after my shift being work is 1/2 way to LAX from my house.
I spent the last two days getting his car insured, registered and smogged. Thank G-d for AAA. Chris should have handled this before he left, but didn't, so dear old Dad got to deal with it. I forged his signature so many times I can sign his name better than he can.
I'll only get to see him for about 2 hours because he's coming home dropping off his gear, loading up what he wants and is taking off for 3 days of camping with one of his buddies.
He got totally screwed on the Home Town Recruiter, his commander wouldn't let anyone tie their leave before deployment to an HTR, BUT... you can only do HTR right after boot and training.
Also, for reasons know only to the Army, he has to fly back to Alabama (on his dime) at end of leave to fly to Korea. Even though the plane flies from Alabama to LAX then to Korea.
Ah well, he'll be home for ten days, that's something.
One of those stories you read and go WTF!? How the hell could displaying the Globe and Anchor and patriotic sentiments on your car with window decals and bumper stickers be considered "advertising"?
Notice that, of course, political, health and other PC-like opinions are not targeted, just the military stickers and expressions of love of freedom. This reminds me of the thugs from the Black Panthers that were deemed not to be intimidating voters at the poles by standing in the doorway dressed in paramilitary uniforms, thumping a baton in there hand and telling people to get use to the country being run by blacks as not being worthy of prosecution. (one rule for thee...)
My parents lived in a HOA run development for a while. They thought they knew what they were getting into when they bought the house. One of the bylaws was that the front of the houses had to have a uniform apperance...no problem, they thought.
Their front door was half way up the side of the house and not visible from the street. There was no screen door originally and living close to the coast they wanted to be able to leave the door open to take advantage of the ocean breeze to cool the house, and couple of houses had been burglarized, so they installed a security screen door. Nice looking. After a couple of months they got a letter from the HOA stating that the screen door was out of compliance and had to be removed. You couldn't see this door unless you walked up the pathway and turned a corner. The reasoning was that it was the "front door" so it was considered part of the front of the house.
Idiots!!
It took another two months to get the bylaws amended to allow security screen doors (only off an approved list of screen doors), all the while my parents were racking up penalties, eventually set aside, for not removing the door.
The person who was trying to enforce this rule was the only one on the board that fought to keep her interpretation of compliance, the rest of the board and the homeowners all were for the change.
Cases of some busybody trying to exercise their supposed power over those they rule.
I posted a month ago that my boy was going to be stationed at Camp Humpherys Garrison, Korea. Tension with North Korea were high at the time, but back then it seemed like it was just one of those periods that we go through with them every couple of years.
Now it seems to be serious.
The Dear Leader Demented Asshole that runs the country is old and ailing and there doesn't seem to be an heir apparent lined up. They've already had a group of high officials "retire". The country has gone nuclear and has a semi-reliable transport system for it working. We're stuck in two wars on the other side of the globe...and in July, my son is going to be part of the trip wire in place to slow down the invasion if/when it comes.
Chris will be sitting about 100 miles from the DMZ...not a long distance for the NorKo's to traverse when they start throwing wave attacks across the border. I don't think the NorKo's beleive that Obambi will commit to defending South Korea (and frankly, neither do I), which will leave my boy in a bad situation.
If things go bad, I know Chris will be one of the best AirOps there, but 25,000 U.S. and 560,000 ROK troops they may have a rough time if a major portion of NorKo's 700,000 troops, over 8,000 artillery systems, and 2,000 tanks, postured within 90 miles of the Demilitarized Zone come pouring down the peninsula.
Special ops. You're sneaky, tactful, and a loner. You prefer to do your jobs alone, working where you don't come into contact with people. But every once in a while you hit it big and are noticed and given fame. You're given the more sensitive problems. You get things done, and do what has to be done. You are competent, resourceful, and resiliant.
"VULCAN NECK PINCH!!!" "owww.......(slump)"
Well maybe it does fit. It would explain why I love working graveyard shift. I'm at my job for 12 hours by myself, gates closed and no one to interrupt what I'm doing. I can pretty much decide my own project for the shift, or week. I'll pick up on a project from someone else if it needs to get done.
Bad news is that I could never be Special Ops. I learned from my son's enlistment that the color blindness he inherited from me would rule out any infantry assignment, but I'd give it my best if asked.
I heard last night that the government has taken over GMAC, the lending arm of GM. The news was that now they can make low interest loans on automobiles. Isn't this what happened to the housing industry?
Of course they'll be able to offer low interest loans...this is the government, they don't care if they make a profit...they don't even care if they lose money as long as the loan was given without any discrimination. It'll be more important that they have the proper percentage of minorities and low income loans so that no one is denied a loan just because they can't afford it.
Driving a car will be a RIGHT!!!
I wonder what name will be hung on the new "Peoples Car"?
We'll now be able to buy the overpriced piece of crap cars that the government will mandate GM and Chrysler/Fiat build in order to keep getting bailouts. More NINJA loans to people that can't afford the payments, but don't worry, the loan will be guaranteed by the government.
They keep saying they don't want to run business, but right now gov't controls banking, the auto industry, loan companies and insurance companies. Soon to control Health Care, salaries of ANY company executive (your salary won't be far behind) and the States of California, New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and any other high tax liberal state that is going to need federal money to continue to prop up their social experiments (so much for Federalism).
WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bluntly accused the CIA on Thursday of misleading her and other lawmakers about its use of waterboarding during the Bush administration, escalating a controversy grown to include both political parties, the spy agency and the White House.
"It is not the policy of this agency to mislead the United States Congress," responded CIA spokesman George Little, although he refused to answer directly when asked whether Pelosi's accusation was accurate.
But the House's top Democrat, speaking at a news conference in the Capitol, was unequivocal about a CIA briefing she received in the fall of 2002.
"We were told that waterboarding was not being used," the speaker said. "That's the only mention, that they were not using it. And we now know that earlier they were." She suggested the CIA release the briefing material.
She says she was informed that waterboarding could, but wasn't, being used at the first briefing. What the hell did she think they even brought it up for if the CIA wasn't considering it's use. If she believed it to be wrong at that point, why didn't she raise the point then?
I can tell you why. One of three things:
1) She really did get briefed on it and supported it. ("Are you sure we're doing enough?")
2) She did get briefed on it, but didn't want to look like the wuss she is about protecting, or caring, the citizens of the U.S. from another attack.
3)(most likely)She was there, but just didn't hear it. She was just stuck in another of those committee meetings that look good on her resume, and wasn't listening to what was happening around her.
She has now altered what she's said so many times, she can't even remember what the truth of the moment is:
She was just informed by her aide that a briefing had taken place...nothing important...nothing you should worry your pretty little empty head about Senator.
She now is accusing the CIA of lying to her and misleading Congress.
She's kicked a dog that isn't going to take it lying down. If she believes the CIA is going to let this aspersion on their reputation sit, she's crazier that I thought she was. I think it shows in that last clip that she's just treading water now with no shore in sight.
