A note to those who value the American Constitution ...............................................

and, to my readers from places other than the U.S.A. - yes, your opinions ARE a matter of interest to "us", but I trust that you will understand that this is OUR decision; while our choice for President will most likely have some effect on YOU & your lives, "WE" will have to live with our choice on a daily basis. {Nevermind that we're left with a "lesser of two evils" choice.} And NO, I do NOT agree with U.S. policy that permits "us" to try to influence YOUR elections/governments.

Immediately below, there are 2 links - one regarding illegal donations made to the Obama campaign - this is a matter of grave concern, as it is a matter of interference in OUR political process. And I would recommend those from other countries who wish to bring about "change", that they look to their own backyard and put their monies to work in their countries. "We" appreciate that they want to put their money where their mouth is, but this is a uniquely American process; they would be much better-served were they to apply their money & time to problems within their own communities.

The second is an article from former 60's radical David Horowitz, to Christopher Hitchens, on Hitchens' demonization of Sarah Palin - personally, I believe Governor Palin is the best thing to happen to "our" political process in a long time.

The letter is a breakdown of the lies that Senator Obama has built his candidacy on; I can't help but be reminded of a joke from my days in the USMC: Don't pi$$ on my back & tell me it's raining ..................... God knows we're used to liars in public office, but MOST of the time, their lies are discovered after they're IN office ...................

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Illegal donors here.


Horowitz vs. Hitchens here.


Via Barking Moonbats Early Warning System:
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2008
From: “Dennis”
Subject: A MUST READ… PLEASE OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE TRUTH

To Barack Hussein Obama,



The New York Times carried a story on Saturday, October 4, 2008, that proved you had a significantly closer relationship with Bill Ayers than what you previously admitted. While the issue of your relationship is of concern,
the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.

The Chicago Sun reported on May 8, 2008, that FBI records showed that you had a significantly closer relationship with To NY Rezko than what you previously admitted. In the interview, you said that you only saw Mr.
Rezko a couple of times a year. The FBI files showed that you saw him weekly. While the issue of your relationship is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about it.

Your speech in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008, about ‘race’ contradicted your statement to Anderson Cooper on March 14 when you said that you never heard Reverend Wright make his negative statements about white America. While your attendance at Trinity Church for 20 years is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on March 14.

In your 1st debate with John McCain, you said that you never said that you would meet with the leaders of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, and North Korea without ‘preparations’ at lower levels ... Joe Biden repeated your words in his debate with Sarah Palin ... While the video tape from your debate last February clearly shows that you answered ‘I would’ to the question of meeting with those leaders within 12 months without ‘any’ preconditions. While your judgement about meeting with enemies of the USA without pre-conditions is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America in the debate with McCain.

On July 14, 2008, you said that you always knew that the surge would work while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you stated that the surge would not work. While your judgement about military strategy as a potential commander-in-chief is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America on July 14.

You now claim that your reason for voting against funding for the troops was because the bill did not include a time line for withdrawal, while the video tapes of you from more than a year ago show that you voted against additional funding because you wanted our troops to be removed immediately ... Not in 16 months after the 2008 election as you now claim. While your judgement about removing our troops unilaterally in 2007 is of concern, the greater concern is that you lied to America about your previous position.

You claim to have a record of working with Republicans while the record shows that the only bill that you sponsored with a Republican was with Chuck Lugar ... And it failed. The record shows that you vote 97% in concert with the Democrat party and that you have the most liberal voting record in the Senate. You joined Republicans only 13% of the time in your votes and those 13% were only after agreement from the Democrat party. While it is of concern that you fail to include conservatives in your actions and that you are such a liberal, the greater concern is that you distorted the truth.

In the primary debates of last February, 2008, you claimed to have talked with a ‘Captain’ of a platoon in Afghanistan ‘the other day’ when in fact you had a discussion in 2003 with a Lieutenant who had just been deployed to Afghanistan. You lied in that debate.

In your debates last spring, you claimed to have been a ‘professor of Constitutional law’ when in fact you have never been a professor of Constitutional law. In this last debate, you were careful to say that you ‘taught a law class’ and never mentioned being a ‘professor of Constitutional law.’ You lied last spring.

You and Joe Biden both claimed that John McCain voted against additional funding for our troops when the actual records show the opposite. You distorted the truth.

You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted against funding for alternate energy sources 20 times when the record shows that John McCain specifically voted against funding for bio fuels, especially corn ... and he was right
.... corn is too expensive at producing ethanol, and using corn to make ethanol increased the price of corn from $2 a bushel to $6 a bushel for food. You distorted the truth.

You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted like both of you for a tax increase on those making as little as $42,000 per year while the voting record clearly shows that John McCain did not vote as you and Joe Biden. You lied to America .

You and Joe Biden claim that John McCain voted with George W. Bush 90% of the time when you know that Democrats also vote 90% of the time with the President (including Joe Biden) because the vast majority of the votes are procedural. You are one of the few who has not voted 90% of the time with the president because you have been missing from the Senate since the day you got elected. While your absence from your job in the Senate is of concern, the greater concern is that you spin the facts.

You did not take an active role in the rescue plan. You claimed that the Senate did not need you while the real reason that you abstained was because of your close relationships with the executives of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Countrywide, and Acorn ... who all helped cause the financial problems of today ... and they all made major contributions to your campaign. While your relationship with these executives and your protection of them for your
brief 3 years in the Senate (along with Barney Frank, Chuck Schumer, Maxine Waters, and Chris Dodd) is of concern, the greater concern is that you are being deceitful.

You forgot to mention that you personally represented Tony Rezko and Acorn. Tony Rezko, an Arab and close friend to you, was convicted of fraud in Chicago real estate transactions that bilked millions of tax dollars from the Illinois government for renovation projects that you sponsored as a state senator ... and Acorn has been convicted of voter fraud, real estate sub prime loan intimidation, and illegal campaign contributions. Tony Rezko has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to your political campaigns. You personally used your political positions to steer money to both Tony Rezko and Acorn and you used Acorn to register thousands of phony voters for Democrats and you. While your relationships with Rezko and Acorn are of concern, the greater concern is that you omitted important facts about your relationships with them to America.

During your campaign, you said: ‘typical white person.’ ‘They cling to their guns and religion.’ ‘They will say that I am black.’ You played the race card. You tried to label any criticism about you as racist. You divide America .

You claim that you will reduce taxes for 95% of America , but you forgot to tell America that those reductions are after you remove the Bush tax reductions. You have requested close to $1 billion in earmarks and several million for Acorn. Your social programs will cost America $1 trillion per year and you claim that a reduction in military spending ($100 billion for Iraq ) can pay for it. While your economic plan of adding 30% to the size of our federal government is of concern, the greater concern is that you are deceiving America.

The drain to America ‘s economy by foreign supplied oil is $700 billion per year (5% of GDP) while the war in Iraq is $100 billion (less than 1% of GDP). You voted against any increases to oil exploration for the last 3 years and any expansion of nuclear facilities. Yet today, you say that you have always been for more oil and more nuclear. You are lying to America.

Mr. Obama, you claimed that you ‘changed’ your mind about public financing for your campaign because of the money spent by Republican PACs in 2004. The truth is that the Democrat PACs in 2004, 2006, and 2008 spent twice as much as the Republican PACs (especially George Soros and MoveOn.org). You are lying to America.

Mr. Obama, you have done nothing to stop the actions of the teachers union and college professors in the USA. They eliminated religion from our history. They teach pro gay agendas and discuss sex with students as young as first grade. They bring their personal politics into the classrooms. They disparage conservatives. They brainwash our children. They are in it for themselves ..... not America . Are you reluctant to condemn their actions because teachers/professors and the NEA contribute 25% of all money donated to Democrats and none to Republicans? You are deceiving America .

Oh, Mr. Obama, Teddy Roosevelt said about a hundred years ago that we Americans should first look at the character of our leaders before anything else.

Your character looks horrible. While you make good speeches, motivating speeches, your character does not match your rhetoric. You talk the talk, but do not walk the walk.

1. You lied to America. You lied many times. You distorted facts. You parsed your answers like a lawyer.

2. You distorted the record of John McCain in your words and in your advertisements.

3. You had associations with some very bad people for your personal political gains and then lied about those associations.

4. You divide America about race and about class.

Now let me compare your record of lies, distortions, race baiting, and associations to John McCain: War hero. Annapolis graduate with ‘Country first.’ Operational leadership experience like all 43 previously elected presidents of the USA as a Navy officer for 22 years. 26 years in the Senate. Straight talk. Maverick. 54% of the time participated on bills with Democrats. Never asked for an earmark. The only blemish on his record is his part in the Keating 5 debacle about 25 years ago.

Mr. Obama, at Harvard Law School, you learned that the end does not justify the means. You learned that perjury, false witness, dishonesty, distortion of truth are never tolerated. Yet, your dishonesty is overwhelming. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty that caused the impeachment and disbarment of Bill Clinton. Your dishonesty is tremendously greater than the dishonesty of Scooter Libby. You should be ashamed.

Mr. Obama, it is time for us Americans to put aside our differences on political issues and vote against you because of your dishonest character. It is time for all of us Americans to put aside our political issues and vote for America first. It is time for America to vote for honesty.

Any people who vote for you after understanding that you are dishonest should be ashamed of themselves for making their personal political issues more important than character. Would these same people vote for the anti-Christ if the anti-Christ promised them riches? Would they make a golden calf while Moses was up the mountain? Would they hire some one for a job if that someone lied in an interview? Of course not. So why do some of these people justify their votes for you even though they know you are dishonest? Why do they excuse your dishonesty? Because some of these people are frightened about the future, the economy, and their financial security .... and you are preying on their fears with empty promises ... and because some (especially our young people) are consumed by your wonderful style and promises for ‘change’ like the Germans who voted for Adolf Hitler in 1932. The greed/envy by Germans in 1932 kept them from recognizing Hitler for who he was. They loved his style. Greed and envy are keeping many Americans from recognizing you ... your style has camouflaged your dishonesty .... but many of us see you for who you really are ... and we will not stop exposing who you are every day, forever if it is necessary.

Mr. Obama, you are dishonest. Anyone who votes for you is enabling dishonesty.

Mr. Obama, America cannot trust that you will put America first in your decisions about the future.

Mr. Obama, you are not the ‘change’ that America deserves. We cannot trust you.

Mr. Obama, You are not ready and not fit to be commander-in-chief.

Mr. Obama, John McCain does not have as much money as your campaign to refute all of your false statements. And for whatever reasons, the mainstream media will not give adequate coverage or research about your lies, distortions, word parsing, bad associations, race baiting, lack of operational leadership experience, and generally dishonest character. The media is diverting our attention from your relationships and ignoring the fact that you lied about those relationships. The fact that you lied is much more important than the relationships themselves .... just like with Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon ... Monica Lewinski and Watergate were not nearly as bad as the fact that those men lied about the events ... false witness ... perjury ... your relationships and bad judgements are bad on their own .... but your lies are even worse.

Therefore, by copy of this memo, all who read this memo are asked to send it to everyone else in America before it is too late. We need to do the job that the media will not do. We need to expose your dishonesty so that every person in America understands who you really are before election day.

Mr. Obama, in a democracy, we get what we deserve. And God help America if we deserve you.



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From a Navy friend, of a Navy friend, of my Colonel ...........................

Subject: from my oldest son

Well, never let it be said that my oldest son doesn't have an
opinion--thought some of you might be interested to read this; others, maybe
not. Hope you all vote in this election at any rate! ooo, Sally

My Fellow Americans,

I have seen this new ad that the Obama camp is running about John McCain, and I simply cannot stay silent about it. The ad alledges that since McCain has a couple of houses and was once seen riding in a golf cart with George Herbert Walker Bush that he must be evil in some way.

First, so what if McCain has seven houses? Good for him; he's worked hard his entire life and deserves his success. Isn't that what America is all about? I mean seriously, what kind of communist BS is Obama spinning in this ad? Is everyone is America supposed to have a house regardless of how they've lived their lives and squandered the opportunities for education and an honest living that abound in this country? Okay, let's do this: let's take all the extra houses from the people who have more than one and redistribute them to the people who don't have them. Let's also make sure that everyone makes the same income. Once we're done with that let's move to state production on all of our consumer goods. After all do we really need Fords and Chevys and Chryslers? Wouldn't everyone be happier if there was just one car to buy? Oh, and let's outlaw religion and religious symbols too. Your first and only allegiance should be to the state. Now let's look around and see what we've created. It looks suspiciously like the USSR circa 1980. Do you know what the USSR never had a problem with? Illegal immigrants. America has to build a wall to keep people out. The Soviet Union had to build one to keep them in. What does that say about our country in comparison to the rest of the world? Is that something that we really want to change?

Second, the ad references 'county club politics'. What does Obama think politics has been in this country, at least since there were country clubs? The leaders of this country are well paid. They also tend to congregate together outside of the halls of the congress and the senate to relax and get to know one another. You wouldn't see the CEO, COO, and CFO of a Fortune 500 company being criticized for getting together for a company happy hour would you? Let's examine John McCain and GHW Bush for a minute. Both men are Republicans. Both were Naval aviators. Both served their country with distinction and valor in combat. What could they possibly have to talk about while playing golf?

Third, If Obama thinks that the wealthy are leading this country astray then maybe he should vote to lower his own salary and those of the men and women around him. After all, he thinks that you and I should foot the bill for his plan to 'change America'. Maybe he should lead by example. Pot call the kettle black much? Fact, he's a sitting US senator. He's in the top 5% in terms of earnings. I'm tired of him espousing that he's an American Working Man. If he's such a working man then why would be criticize the working man by saying that they 'cling to religion and guns'?

Fourth, I guess they had to use GHW Bush in the ad since they couldn't find footage of John McCain with our current president. I guess any Bush will do. What did GHW Bush do to this country that was so wrong? He led our country through a recession. He joined with the United Nations in kicking Iraq out of Kuwait. The only real criticism that I can offer for GHW Bush is that he didn't press on and dethrone Sadam Hussein in 1991. I think that was the time to do it, as world opinion would have been on our side, and we would have recieved more help with the task. Maybe if 1992 hadn't been an election year that's what would have happened, but we'll never know. Overall I think that GHW Bush led this country with integrity, humility, and intelligence. Something the man who took office after him was sadly not able to do.

It infuriates me that people who will not go to the effort to draw their own conclusions will be led astray by ads like this. The truth is that the Obama camp must use attack ads like this becasue they cannot assault the character of the man they seek to defeat. I must agree with what Sarah Palin said in her speech when she noted that 'John McCain is the only candidate running who truly knows what it means to serve his country'. How can you attack the character of a man who spent six years in a Vietnamese prison camp being tortured? A man who was offered a trip home and told his captors 'I'll leave when all the men who are here with me go home'. A man who knows the virtues of this country like few others for he has seen the horrors that exist in foreign lands. This is the man who must lead this country. I beseech all of you to help me and those like me in cutting through the web of lies and misinformation that the media is feeding this country. Encourage our fellow Americans to examine the facts and make their own decision, instead of being spoon fed what to think by forces that only have their own interests at heart. Free thought and great ideas are what made this country great. We must all ensure that they make it great once more.


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The link below is to a PDF file of a letter

from 2012 - it gives a rather anxiety-producing view of what "we" have to look forward to after 4 years of Odrama/Bidet ......................... and no, I wouldn't vote for "The One" for sewer inspector .......................... and Bidet's hairplugs are affecting his cognition ............................ :-( :-(




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I make chicken salad throughout the year ................................

but mid-autumn is my specialite de la maison - when pomegranates are available - I know lots of folks will put grapes in their chicken salad, but a few years back, I added pomegranates on a whim - it provides a nice 'zing' to the standard chicken salad ......................

Diamond Mair's chicken salad

Chicken breasts
Chicken base/boullion {just tried Orrington Farms - GOOD base}
Celery seed {I LOVE the flavor of celery, but don't care for how the stalks "cook up" - celery seed provides the flavor}
Sweet basil {optional}
Onion, cut
Garlic, minced
Water to cover

Put in crockpot/slow cooker, use minimum of 6 hours' cook time. Allow chicken/broth to chill in refrigerator.

Pomegranate
Celery
Onion
Bell pepper {optional}
Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise {dealer's choice}

Remove fruit from pomegranate. Chop celery, onion, bell pepper, combine with pomegranate. Add chicken {I break it apart with my hands, others may prefer to run it through a food processor}. Add Miracle Whip or Mayo to taste, mix well.

Can be served on a bed of lettuce, in sandwiches, however you prefer.

Note: All seasonings are to individual tastes - I like LOTS of celery flavor, so I add a LOT of celery seed.



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Gotta a new blog for y'all to check out ..........................................

Random Acts of Patriotism belongs to another former Marine - Mark is extremely erudite; kind of like LawDog - go! Enjoy!! ;-)


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Let's see, thoughts/reflections on hurricane Ike .....................................

Number one - the folks who came from all over to re-connect our power lines ROCK!! A special thank you and Bravo Zulu to the gentlemen from Tampa, FL TECO operations - there were FOUR of their trucks lined up on one little dirt road, less than a half mile in length, getting the branches removed and replacing the lines to the 4 households on that road.

Number two - when preparing for a hurricane, EMPTY refrigerator.

We gathered Friday, 12 September, at the home of friends who had stored our generator after Rita in 2005. By that evening, there were 17 {7 children, 10 adults} of us there, just waiting on Ike. We were collectively antsy, but dealt with it - the FodGuy went to the Neon to get away from the rugrats - he tried sleeping there, but was unable to really do more than doze. I went into the passenger side of the Jeep, moved back/reclined the seat, to try to get comfortable, but couldn't. Our hostess, S., absolutely insisted that Mike & I either sleep in the house or the RV her father-in-law has parked there - we elected to go to the RV. Long about 0200, there was a LOUD crack, and the alarm went off on my Jeep {of course, waking EVERYONE} - S.'s first thought was that I was still IN the Jeep, but then she saw me standing @ the passenger door, unlocking it to turn off the alarm.


T., S.'s husband, had his Ford Ranger parked so that the tree hit IT, too, so there were 2 vehicles. The tree missed FIVE other vehicles {including the Neon, thank God! ;-) }. It also took down the power line to their house, as a lot of properties around here do NOT have buried electric/phone/cable - it bent the standpipe on the roof to a 90 degree angle, & lifted some shingles, but did not do too much damage to the roof.


Later that day {Saturday}, we got out to assess the damages {pretty much during the "eye" period} - per Mike, the Jeep is totaled - it bent the door, bent the roof, cracked the windshield, blew out the driver's side window, took out the {NEW} side power rearview mirror, bent the door itself, and blew out the left front tire.


T.'s Ranger fared worse; it fell right on the driver's side, crushing the roof to where unless you're REALLY vertically challenged, you couldn't sit in the driver's seat to drive it.


The fun REALLY started with keeping the kids {ages 2 years-15 years} AWAY from the downed power line, the tree laying on the two vehicles, and the glass from the vehicles. I know, the power was OFF, but you don't let kids play with/around main power lines at ANY time - it's a safety thing. I finally got the youngest full-grown man & one of the teenagers to "sling" the line on some branches of an intact tree, thereby raising it sufficiently that the kids couldn't get to it, and us ol' F@%TS Brigade could maneuver our {functional} vehicles without someone having to hold up the {unelectrified} power line. {Damn things are HEAVY.}

What was good, post-Ike, is that a cool front accompanied it, so we weren't drowning in our own effluent & unable to take showers to remove some of the surface 'goo'. We weren't able to take showers, but we weren't sweating copious amounts, either. Nonetheless, something like Ike DOES make one appreciate "mod cons" - showers, flushing toilets, just turning a tap & getting water! :;)

The FodGuy tried to go to work that Tuesday after, but traffic was such that he turned around & came back. He was there @ the house when the repair guys from TECO began their efforts, so he & 2 other men sheltering there fixed the pipe on the roof,
so that, when the TECO guys had worked their way up to us, there wouldn't be any question about hooking S. & T.'s house back up. The guys from Tampa were awesome - so often, you see workers standing around, apparently getting paid for doing nothing - NOT THESE GUYS - they wasted NO time fixing everything {one of 'em even offered an extra lunch they'd been served} - they were polite, professional, and by God were there to get the job DONE.

The evenings after the storm passed were some of the loveliest I've ever seen - calm, quiet, with gorgeous sunsets. It was as though God was comforting us, after having been through the turmoil & tumult of the storm.




Of course, no hurricane down south would be complete without a 'hurricane party' - here's the Texas version




This past Monday, the FodGuy was a man on a mission, to get another set of wheels for me; we were LOOKING for another Jeep, bu-ut ................................ meet my 2004 Buick Ranier:






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