;-) From my Colonel ....................................... ;-)

Like an American

A beautiful fairy appeared one day to a destitute refugee claimant outside a
Maryland immigration office.

'My good man,' the fairy said, 'I've been told to grant you three wishes,
since you just arrived in the United States with your wife and three
children.'

The man told the fairy. 'Well, where I come from we don't have
good teeth, so I want new teeth, maybe a lot of gold in them.'

The fairy looked at the man's almost toothless grin and -- PING! -- he
had a brand new shining set of gold teeth in his mouth!

'What else?' asked the fairy, 'two more to go.'
The refugee claimant now got bolder. 'I need a big house with a three
car garage in Annapolis on the water with eight bedrooms for my family and
the rest of my relatives who still live in my country. I want to bring them
all over here.

'PING! - In the distance there could be seen a beautiful
mansion with a three car garage, a long driveway, a walkout patio with a BBQ
in an upscale neighborhood overlooking the bay.
'One more wish', said the fairy, waving her wand. 'Yes, one more wish.'

I want to be like an American with American cloths instead of these
torn cloths, and a baseball cap instead of this turban. And I want to have
White skin

like Americans.

'PING! - The man was transformed, wearing worn out
jeans, a Baltimore Orioles T-shirt and a baseball cap. He had his bad teeth
back and the mansion had disappeared from the horizon.

'What happened to my new teeth?' he wailed. 'Where is my new house?'


THIS IS SOOOO GOOD ........


The fairy said, 'Tough , Mac. Now that you are a White American, you
have to fend for yourself.'



.

Color me overly-empathetic, but .....................................

I HAVE to admit to some degree of feeling sorry for Odrama with his Cabinet/Department head picks ....................... I seriously doubt that he's spent any great degree of time with these people {Richardson, Geithner, Killefer, Daschle, et al} - he "knows" them primarily by reputation and his advisors' commentaries - his 'advisors' are in you-scratch-my-back mode as far as putting someone in a position of power, so their "advice" isn't worth the powder it would take to blow it away .................... it just boggles my brain-housing group that SO MANY would have been getting away with being tax cheats - 'regular' Americans SWEAT BLOOD every year @ this time, from now 'til audit notices go out - the IRS is a monolithic creature that had it's time - it's time is now passed - what is NEEDED is to go to a straight "usage/consumption tax" - you pay tax on what you USE/CONSUME - it is then incumbent on BUSINESSES to deliver tax revenues to whichever authority, federal/state/local - if this were already in place, 3/4 of the names listed above wouldn't be going through this embarrassment ............................ ANOTHER point about usage/consumption tax - even if one is working in this country illegally, food & clothing would be subject to the tax, so illegals would be "contributing to the body politic" ........................


.

I can HEAR the wailing & gnashing of teeth now ...................................

ya know what? TOUGH! AMERICANS are losing jobs hand over fist - label me tribalist or whatever - I was taught from little on up - Charity begins at home - all the globalists can just back off, & let US get OUR HOUSE in order - once "we've" got things running smoothly again HERE, THEN we can discuss allowing others to come here & work toward the 'American Dream' ..............................



See also Nemesis' post on Crusader Rabbit - this ISN'T just happening here in the U.S. - ALL Western countries/cultures are under assault, spiritually, economically, socially, culturally - "multiculturalism" is being demanded of "us", yet we're expected to tug our forelocks & bow to those demanding such, with no concomitant display of acceptance of OUR ways ..................... I am all for showing respect for others - but, funny thing, respect is a two-way street - MY culture & values are just as worthwhile as anybody else's .........................

Rant {temporarily} over ....................



{Rant on} THIS is what I meant about respect being a two way street Egyptian Christians Sent to Prison after Brutal Police Raid


{Rant off}


.

One of my all-time favorite movies ...................................

is 1776; one of my favorite songs from the movie is becoming more & more my 'personal' anthem .................. in the scene, John Adams has just asked Congressional Secretary Charles Thomson where he stands on the question of independence - Thomson responds that he stands with General Washington, as he recently has come to feel that the general is writing dispatches directly to Thomson - Thomson then quotes from Washington's latest "Is anybody there? Does anybody care?"




Unfortunately, YouTube does not have the scene from the film {the recording is from a stage presentation}, but this photo montage kinda hits the nail on it's head ....................


.

Talking with SuperNova yesterday,

I mentioned Odrama's hypocrisy re: keeping the White House warm - SHE attended the same school he did in Hawaii - according to her, Punahou {or however it's spelled} KEEPS classroom temps at near-hypothermic levels - so his staff's bruiting about how he 'hates
the cold' is not only given the lie by his CHOICE of Chicago as his launch-point, but by his high school attendance ...................


.

ATTENTION ON DECK!! From the Colonel -

You are collectively hereby ordered to, at the very least, watch this trailer of the HBO production, Taking Chance. If possible, you are further ordered to WATCH said movie when it is shown on HBO.

Carry on.


.

;-) From my Colonel ....................................... ;-)

For those of you who have never been to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota,
have you ever wondered what was on the other side of the mountain?


Take a look:





.

Sorry, but I had to go to comment moderation ....................................

seems someone likes to fill the 'Net with noise, in the same manner that others fill the air with vibrations by speaking but saying nothing ........................... if anyone can explain to me how to remove the post causing this, I would appreciate the info ......................... trolls & hackers should be half-hanged, drawn & quartered!!


.

Nah-nah-nah-nah -- nah-nah-nah-nah - Hey, Hey, Gooood-bye

Via my Colonel






.

NOW, if we could just have Odrama prove he is, in fact and in deed, a "natural born Citizen", I'd probably shut up about this garbage & concentrate on what he's doing NOW ........................



.

Michelle Malkin is promoting ..........................

Operation Send-a-Pair {no, NOT socks!} to Senate Republicans ................... seems a GOOD idea to me! ;-)



.

Thanks to Gay Cynic for the code ................................

for the countdown as to when we'll have some real hope {versus 'Hope 'n' Change'} for a true change for America ....................



.

Crusader Rabbit's homesick ........................................

Also, I'm wonderin' ................... does anybody know of any great get-together of U.S. Marines & Diggers, 'way back in the late 50's-early 60's? {Other than southeast Asia.} Reason I ask is, my Dad was gone on a lot of cruises back then, & I remember him singing both songs to me when he returned - he was quite the Australophile {I THINK it's because his antecedents had a lot in common with Australia's British founders ;-) } - as far as we know, he never OFFICIALLY went to VietNam until '68-'69 timeframe. AND, why did it take until 1974 for Australia to choose Waltzing Matilda as their national anthem? Are Australia & New Zealand still somewhat subject to the British monarchy?



.

From my Colonel ................................... ;-) ;-)

Baskin Robbins New Ice Cream !!!
Baskin Robbins is introducing a new ice cream in honor of
the inauguration, "Barocky Road"
It's half vanilla, half chocolate, surrounded by fruits and nuts !!!

I'm somewhat of an Anglophile ...........................

half of my heritage is from the UK; the other half is what used to be called "mittel-Europa", so I read British authors as well as American .................... one of the funniest terms I've come across has been 'quango' - Wikipedia defines it as Quango or qango is an acronym (variously spelt out as QUAsi Non-Governmental Organization, QUasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organization, and QUasi-Autonomous National Government Organization) used notably in the United Kingdom but also in Australia, Ireland and elsewhere to label colloquially an organization to which government has devolved power. Lack of clarity over its meaning may have contributed to a decline somewhat in its use. The acronym can carry with it an implication of poor management and lack of accountability.

Just SAY the word aloud - it sounds like a dyspeptic waterfowl .................. now, WHY that tickles my funny bone, I can't explain - I understand it is NOT a laughing matter to those who come under quangos' less than beneficent rules - about the closest parallel I can come up with are our vaunted 'community organizers', funded by Uncle Sam, and running around like firefighters with no fires to put out. But, I'm afraid that, should someone decide "we" need quangos, & their representatives introduce themselves as representatives of "our local quango", I'll be hard-pressed to NOT laugh in their faces ....................... ;-)

On to other matters - just as a straw poll, to all & sundry who might read this: HOW MANY times would someone have to studiously ignore you before you would get the idea that they don't like you? We have a neighbor I've mentioned before, for whom there is no milk of human kindness in me, and this IS a small town, with limited locations for local shopping. HOWEVER, even with the paucity of choices, I have been subjected to this individual 3 times recently. Once, the FodGuy was with me, the neighbor was with his nephew, we were all standing in line at a convenience store. The neighbor notices the FG, and announces so the entire store can hear, "Watch out for this guy, he can kick your a$$." THEN, the idiot notices me, and announces to all present that "And his wife here is even WORSE." Fine, if I have a rep for a$$-kicking, so be it.

Couple of weeks later, I ran out to the little grocery store here; yep, idiot is there, only he's special - HE doesn't have to park in a parking space {not even a handicapped space} - no, he parks HIS vehicle directly in front of the store. I'm trying to get in & out quickly - no such luck, he sees me & gets in line behind me. Attempts conversation several times - finally, after I've paid & am on my way out, I look around & did the 'oh, didn't see you' routine. Couple of days ago, again at our local grocery, he's already in line, so I go to another checkout - he's YELLING over the display cases at me ........................ I am about at the point of telling him, in front of God & everybody, that I DON'T like him, there is NO HOPE of my EVER liking him, he is a thug to his wife, and a bloviating layabout who spends whatever monies they have on gambling, while they're having vehicles repossessed, awaiting foreclosure/eviction, and if he was on fire, I wouldn't cross the road to pi$$ on him ...................... do ya THINK that would get him to leave me alone? When I came home from the latest incident, I asked the FodGuy - HOW many times, as a man with SOME degree of self-respect, would you attempt to talk to someone who was obviously ignoring you? FG says about twice. That's MY attitude, but maybe we're just a couple of stiff-necked Marines ............................

One of the kittens of the latest clutch died last night - B-Butt had been ill, and had some congenital issues like their Mom, but apparently it was more of a problem for B-Butt - s/he was a sweet, loving little kitten, and will be missed ................



.

From VDare's blog ................................

I'm thinking we should send them a TON of cheese to go with this whine ..................


Immigrants Living In Caves In New Jersey

Posted By Brenda Walker On 24 January 2009 @ 10:24 In Immigration | Comments Disabled

Here’s my candidate for Sob Story of the Day…

PLAINFIELD, N.J. –- Dozens of unemployed Central American immigrants who lost their jobs and can’t afford to pay rent have moved into caves, reports El Diario/La Prensa. Immigrants have been living in the makeshift homes in Plainfield and North Plainfeld, N.J. for three months, and call their new residence the “Devil’s Cave.”[[1] Inmigrantes desempleados en la ‘Cueva del Diablo’] Their decision to move into caves is a testament to the harsh climate of the current economic crisis, which has had a greater impact on the undocumented who have more difficulty accessing government aid after losing their jobs.[[2] Unemployed Immigrants Move into Caves, January 24, 2009]

Say, why don’t they move into the nearest comfy Mexican Consulate?

Article printed from VDARE.com: Blog Articles: http://blog.vdare.com

URL to article: http://blog.vdare.com/archives/2009/01/24/immigrants-living-in-caves-in-new-jersey/

URLs in this post:
[1] Inmigrantes desempleados en la ‘Cueva del Diablo’: http://www.impre.com/inmigracion/2009/1/12/inmigrantes-desempleados-en-la-102803-1.html
[2] Unemployed Immigrants Move into Caves: http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=3b0a1a5aa1c07f6bf6a541b6e0caeb9c



.

Via Crusader Rabbit, an

online petition to protest the persecution of Geert Wilders for his willingness to speak the truth re: Islam ...................



.

With affection to our Doggies, from a Jarhead ............................ ;-)

It's about damn time ...................................

Michelle Malkin notes that Dubya is FINALLY commuting the sentences {that should NEVER have happened in the first place, IMNSHO} of Ramos & Compean - congratulations to them & their families!!

.

This is SO ME!!! ;-) ;-) ;-)

more animals





.

Bill Faith, Smalltown Veteran, died today ....................................

his self-description was: Baby boomer, nerdy kid, Viet Nam veteran, engineer, daddy, grandpa. Politically incorrect. Proud anti-idiotarian.

In her homage, Michelle Malkin noted a couple of articles that are, God help us all, extremely timely - first is an article from BlackFive; the second was inspired by that BlackFive post .........................


From BlackFive:

The following essay (an extract from the book, 'On Combat') was written by Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman, U.S. Army (Ret.) Director, Killology Research Group (www.killology.com). Colonel Grossman is a somewhat controversial figure - he authored the book - "On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society" - a very interesting topic that our politically correct society would rarely discuss. (Thanks to Tom and Mark for sending the article)

On Sheep, Sheepdogs, and Wolves
By Dave Grossman

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.

Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there that will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."...

If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, which is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheepdog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa."

Until the wolf shows up! Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- From sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke

Here is the point I like to emphasize; especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust, or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

For example, many officers carry their weapons in church. They are well concealed in ankle holsters, shoulder holsters or inside-the-belt holsters tucked into the small of their backs. Anytime you go to some form of religious service, there is a very good chance that a police officer in your congregation is carrying. You will never know if there is such an individual in your place of worship, until the wolf appears to massacre you and your loved ones.

I was training a group of police officers in Texas, and during the break, one officer asked his friend if he carried his weapon in church. The other cop replied, "I will never be caught without my gun in church." I asked why he felt so strongly about this, and he told me about a cop he knew who was at a church massacre in Ft. Worth, Texas in 1999. In that incident, a mentally deranged individual came into the church and opened fire, gunning down fourteen people. He said that officer believed he could have saved every life that day if he had been carrying his gun. His own son was shot, and all he could do was throw himself on the boy's body and wait to die. That cop looked me in the eye and said, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids' school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them.

Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones were attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?"

It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up.

Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn't bring your gun, you didn't train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear, helplessness, and horror at your moment of truth.

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in "Fear Less," his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn't so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling."

Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level.

And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes.

If you are warrior who is legally authorized to carry a weapon and you step outside without that weapon, then you become a sheep, pretending that the bad man will not come today. No one can be "on" 24/7, for a lifetime. Everyone needs down time. But if you are authorized to carry a weapon, and you walk outside without it, just take a deep breath, and say this to yourself... "Baa."

This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically, at your moment of truth.

Inspired by the above:

The Sheepdogs

Most humans truly are like sheep
Wanting nothing more than peace to keep
To graze, grow fat and raise their young,
Sweet taste of clover on the tongue.
Their lives serene upon Life’s farm,
They sense no threat nor fear no harm.
On verdant meadows, they forage free
With naught to fear, with naught to flee.
They pay their sheepdogs little heed
For there is no threat; there is no need.

To the flock, sheepdog’s are mysteries,
Roaming watchful round the peripheries.
These fang-toothed creatures bark, they roar
With the fetid reek of the carnivore,
Too like the wolf of legends told,
To be amongst our docile fold.
Who needs sheepdogs? What good are they?
They have no use, not in this day.
Lock them away, out of our sight
We have no need of their fierce might.

But sudden in their midst a beast
Has come to kill, has come to feast
The wolves attack; they give no warning
Upon that calm September morning
They slash and kill with frenzied glee
Their passive helpless enemy
Who had no clue the wolves were there
Far roaming from their Eastern lair.
Then from the carnage, from the rout,
Comes the cry, “Turn the sheepdogs out!”

Thus is our nature but too our plight
To keep our dogs on leashes tight
And live a life of illusive bliss
Hearing not the beast, his growl, his hiss.
Until he has us by the throat,
We pay no heed; we take no note.
Not until he strikes us at our core
Will we unleash the Dogs of War
Only having felt the wolf pack’s wrath
Do we loose the sheepdogs on its path.

And the wolves will learn what we’ve shown before;
We love our sheep, we Dogs of War.

Russ Vaughn
2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment
101st Airborne Division
Vietnam 65-66


Rest in Peace, Bill Faith ...................



.

The recent dearth of posting was due to ............................

my being 'temporarily' employed ..................... I started on my birthday at a local gas station/convenience store. SuperNova trained me, & we became very good friends .................... anyhoo, on Monday, I went in to pick up my pay {"paydays" are ostensibly Sundays} - but it was $40.00 {5 hours} short. Please bear in mind, in order to open the store Monday through Friday, one gets up & out of bed by 0330. Also, due to a dead starter on one of our vehicles, I had to WALK to work at 0430 {this town doesn't waste a lot of money on streetlights} along a two-lane country road TWICE last week.

I called the owner at 0800 Monday {SuperNova was working the store, but we'd both been up since zero-crack-tweet}, & left a voicemail about the missing $40.00 {due to time off over the holidays, the FodGuy's checks were shorter - we were looking to MY pay covering the costs of replacing the starter} - the owner calls, not me, but SuperNova - HE doesn't appreciate being called "so early" about pay issues, & tells her to fire me. So, I hand in my keys. In the meantime, SuperNova is going through familial issues {a terminally ill parent, in Hawaii} - emergency surgery was performed last night, an ileostomy was introduced, and the family is left with palliative care. 'Nova didn't sleep for the past couple of nights, due to worries about her family - she asked the shirttail relative of the owner who's the nighttime cashier, to come in an hour early, so she can leave early today - for the past EIGHT MONTHS, she's been staying at least an hour late on Fridays, so this ................ individual ...................... can "go pray" {nevermind that the first question this missing link asks about a new female employee is "will she f*** me?" When I learned he'd asked it about me, I made it a point to stop by with the FodGuy .................. heheheheheheheh, ain't I evil?} When 'Nova brought up the FACT of her covering for his supposed attendance at mosque, he told her the owner wouldn't like her bringing that up - which got me thinking - THEY CHOSE to come to America - they had to have SOME idea of what America is about - first & foremost, that little idiosyncrasy of ours called "freedom of speech" - 'Nova seems to think the owner will eventually call me to ask me to come back - the FodGuy initially suggested that I call & apologize for having called 'so early' {I think he interpreted "the Look" very well}, but now agrees that, if the owner calls & offers a half-assed apology for his behavior, I go back but actively seek something else. Also, once we get some money ahead, I'm having my rose & EGA tattoo done on my left arm - underneath it, in Arabic script, will be "I will not submit".

Please keep SuperNova & her family in your thoughts & prayers, as they travel this very difficult road ..................




.

OK, I admit a fascination with language ............................................

I LOVE researching etymologies {hey, small town, no airport, whatcha gonna do? ;-) }

I also TRY to gear MY language to whomever I'm talking to; I don't discuss the theory of relativity as I was finally able to understand it, with someone who gives me vacuous stares & either a grunt or a "Hunh?"

There's a group of young men who come in every morning for coffee; there's horseplay, sugar/creamer all over, but the language is what gets to me - I asked them Monday morning if they kissed their mothers with those mouths.*

THAT being said, I do NOT agree with censorship of the 'Net - this is the greatest facilitator of communication ever developed by man - when one is able to instantly "talk" with someone in Australia or New Zealand or the UK, when one is able to research ANYTHING that interests one, the idea of censoring this source sends chills up my spine. Maybe it's because I've had the idea of 'freedom of speech' given to me from birth {it's one of those quaint American ideas}, but, due to the nature of the 'Net, there is NO comparability to shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theater. {If someone is stupid enough to act on the first thing they view, consider it Darwin in action.}

VDare has an interesting article of something I had not been aware of, but will be following closely: UK Censorship in league with Obama.

They link to the wonderfully erudite Martin Kelly: Human Stains.

If this doesn't concern you, you've NO IDEA of what "freedom of speech" means.

*One of the favorite words of these young men is the "F-word" - DID you know, WERE you cognizant, of the origins of this word? It's an acronym, for For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, or Fornication Under {meaning without} Consent of the King ........................ Thus endeth your trivia lesson for the day ............................ ;-)



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To all my visitors from around the world ........................................

Merry Christmas Comments



And if you're offended, too bad!! ;-)


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New job is right on a major north-south interstate ............................................

we were getting a LOT of folks over the last week headed to Mexico, Guatemala, etc. This morning, had a young, VERY sweet young Mexican with limited English proficiency in, getting coffee, etc. As he was leaving the first time, I wished him Feliz Navidad; apparently, he's not too used to kindness/respect from most folks he deals with - he came back & tried chitchatting - asked my name, asked if I was married {bear in mind, he's late 20's/early 30's - I'm 52 & LOOK it! ;-) } - he wanted to buy me a Coke, or a beer - I think it was merely loneliness, in that he was unable to go "home", wherever that might be, and a little bit of kindness was interpreted as something more - no biggie, I can pretty much handle "situations" ......................... but he's most likely illegal, and I AM vehemently opposed to illegal immigration - don't care where you come from, as long as you come here legally ........................ but I have to admit a certain sympathy for people such as this young man ................... if Mexico & other places spent as much time FIXING their countries, as they do haranguing the U.S. to leave their illegal citizens alone here, folks such as this young man wouldn't NEED to come here as economic refugees .........................


.

I started a job 8 December ...............................

clerking in a convenience store - the lady who trained me {if she stops by here, her handle is SuperNova} is THRILLED that she's able to take some time off to visit family in CA & rest assured that at least "things" will be pretty well taken care of, while she's gone {she's been there over a year, so is pretty much the owner's right hand} - she initially was friends with the FodGuy, when he'd stop in on his way home from work in the mornings - HE gets really upset when I refer to her as his 'girlfriend' - here's the thing - they're both Harley aficionados, so they can talk cams, gear ratios, shifting issues, etc. - they're both VERY well-versed in how to put computers together {her degree is in IT} - which is a WONDERFUL outlet for him, as I'm not too into such, & any men around here who are into Harleys, can be rather snooty about the whole matter - 'Nova is just a really cool lady {built HER OWN BIKE, thank you very much!} - anyhoo, she's just so tickled that I'm there, that as a Christmas gift, she bought me a box of .380 ammo, that I can practice with, & save the expensive stuff for when I'm proficient & carrying on a regular {read: everyday} basis ........................... ;-) ;-)

Just washed my hands with Baby Magic .........................................

but one can STILL smell the {gun} oil on them ......................... YES, I got my .380 today - now, from all the horror stories re: background checks, waits, etc., I was thinking it'd be next week, if not into January, before I was permitted to bring it home - I asked a county Constable yesterday who he'd recommend for gun purchases - he recommended a shop dedicated to guns, ~ 20 miles distant - I called them this morning, they HAD the .380 in stock, so I hied myself up there - chose the pistol, filled out the paperwork {had to come home & renew my driver's license online, as the feds would've claimed it was expired, even though Texas would give me to the end of the month}, took the printout back up there, he filled in HIS part, called & within five minutes, I was OK'd to bring it home - NOW, for "potential gunnies" out there, I have to provide a caveat - 6 years ago, I purchased a Mossberg 12 gauge shotgun, & went through a half-hour wait, while they ran my name & SSN background check - since THAT one came back clean {I was able to take the shotgun home the same day, too}, and I've no charges/convictions/etc., in the intervening 6 years, this second check was very quick ............................. got a box of expensive ammo {20 rounds for $14.00}, but will get some cheap for use on the range. {For comparison purposes, picked up a box of "regular" ammo (50 rounds/$20.00) for my spousal unit}



.

Don't hate me, Crusader Rabbit ......................................

my "big" Christmas present is going to be {drum roll, please} .......................






That's IF we can find one - Academy Sports is having problems getting them from Bersa ....................... pawn shops are selling them as soon as they come in ........................ I'll be going for my concealed carry class/certification in January, once I HAVE the pistol ....................



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I had started avoiding WalMart for our day-to-day needs .............................

I can get cat food for less @ Sam's Club or Costco, OUR needs can be met at either the local independent grocery {spousal unit prefers their meats}, or the absolutely fabulous HEB in Kingwood - but, our prescriptions have been filled at WalMart for 6+ years now, so, when I needed to drop one off yesterday, I decided to check the cookie aisle & end caps, for Archway's Cashew Nougat cookies.

Now, LAST year, they were on the shelf before Thanksgiving; when I saw them then, I grabbed a pack - when I got to the checkout, the cashier couldn't get it to scan, so according to HER, they weren't in the computer, so she refused to sell them to me ....................... fast forward to yesterday - NO Archway Christmas cookies at all on the shelves - I went to one of the store managers & told him that his bean-counters were idiots & why {WalMart has a reputation for cancelling orders of products that don't produce a high volume of sales} - HE referred me to his grocery manager - I explained to her what I was looking for, etc., etc. - she realized then that she hadn't received ANY Archway Christmas products, so would be calling her reps ................ now, the REASON for my worrying about something as ultimately inconsequential as cookies - my Dad LOVED the cashew nougats - even after he was diagnosed with diabetes, he'd still indulge in them, and Breyer's Butter Pecan ice cream, in a serving bowl, "schmeared" with Hershey's syrup & Jif peanut butter - I just can't get into the ice cream/Hershey's/peanut butter routine too often - but I CAN {WHEN I can find the da## things!} enjoy Archway's Cashew Nougat cookies, and feel closer to my Dad for a bit .................... the grocery manager allowed as how HER Dad's favorite gnosh was cornbread soaked in milk; every once in while, she'll have some cornbread {even though she doesn't LIKE it too much}, and think of her Dad .....................


.

On Tuesday, 9 December, it will be 9 years since my Dad's death ...................................

he is missed, every day; I completely understand Kinsley Penny's sentiments





I don't know HOW many times over the years we said 'goodbye' to my Dad, as he went where the Marine Corps needed him; from a child's perspective, it was always too many, for too long ...................... I miss you, Daddy



.

;-) ;-) ;-)

.

I want to wish ALL my visitors a Happy Thanksgiving ..................................

our anniversary is tomorrow {I think I've told y'all this, but - we were married the day after Thanksgiving, 1999, 26 November - ever since, though, per my spousal unit, our anniversary is the day after Thanksgiving - no matter the actual date .................. ;-) }, & I received my gifts today - a card, flowers, a new Dean Koontz book, and a 10 carat sapphire tennis bracelet, to go with my all-diamond tennis bracelet, my diamond-&-sapphire tennis bracelet & my gold-with-diamond-as-cat-toy cat bracelet ......................... SIGH! I am a MOST fortunate & blessed woman - soooooooo, we won't be responsible for a turkey's demise this year {the FodGuy isn't too much a fan of fowl} - we'll be having Jack Daniels enhanced steaks, pork tenderloin, various gnoshes, & Jack Daniels birthday cake ..................... ;-)





Thanksgiving MySpace Animations





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Crusader Rabbit started it ..........................................

here's my all-time choice for a drinking song ...................... ;-)





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From a retired Master Sergeant friend ........................................... ;-)

What would Chesty do?

How history’s most decorated Marine would handle the issues of today

By Joe Bush - Staff writer

Posted : Friday Nov 21, 2008 18:28:52 EST

Nothing stays the same forever.

In 233 historic years, the Corps has evolved through technological revolutions, societal upheaval and changing attitudes.

Nicknames came and went. So did weapons and bases, customs and procedures. Every generation has had an Old Corps vs. New.

Not that it always mattered.

“Old breed? New breed?” Chesty Puller famously pondered. “There’s not a damn bit of difference, so long as it’s the Marine breed.”

Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller needs no introduction to Marines. From Haiti to the South Pacific to the Chosin Reservoir, Puller is the stuff of legend. Most of the time, you can’t go to bed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., or MCRD San Diego, Calif., without sounding off, “Good night, Chesty, wherever you are.”

His lore defines for many what it means to be a Marine. Which brings to mind the question: What would Chesty do if he were alive today? How would he tackle the sticky questions that trip up Marines from Afghanistan to Okinawa?

So listen up, Marines. We’ve applied Puller logic to the great questions of today.

Here’s what Chesty would do.

Should drinking be allowed in combat zones?
Marines are not allowed to drink in Iraq or Kuwait. If caught, they face nonjudicial punishment and the possible loss of rank and pay.

Despite the stiff consequences, Marines still smuggle in alcohol and find ways to tie one on. What would Chesty do about Marines getting drunk in combat?

He would open an enlisted club and serve it to them.

“Get rid of the ice cream and candy,” said then-Brig. Gen. Chesty Puller, in an interview after Korea, according to the biography “Chesty: The Story of Lt. General Lewis B. Puller,” written by Reserve Col. Jon T. Hoffman. “Give ’em beer and whiskey — that’ll help some. Get some pride in them. Tell them they’re men.”

Chesty helped established several enlisted clubs, and even added lunchtime beers in some places. He was also known for handing out his personal stash of hooch to Marines in the field.

At Koto-Ri, in Korea’s Chosin Reservoir, Chesty went up to the line to check on his troops and stopped in to see a former buddy from Guadalcanal in one of the fighting holes. In the privacy of the snow bank, then-Col. Chesty Puller produced a miracle — a drink of Old Grand-Dad bourbon, according to the biography “Marine: The Life of Chesty Puller.”

“It was like something out of heaven, you can’t know what that did for a freezing man who’d be up there for six hours without relief,” the sergeant recalled later. “I never saw the old man drink, but he knew when a little nip would save a fellow from going mad or becoming a casualty.”

Could Chesty find Osama bin Laden?
Maybe not, but he would have torn apart al-Qaida and the Taliban looking for him.

Chesty was a master at limited warfare and guerilla tactics, which he displayed in Nicaragua. He conducted patrols deep within the jungle in enemy territory to root out rebel fighters, away from any support, often outmanned and outgunned.

Chesty and his platoon of Nicaraguan Guardia slaughtered the Sandinistas and their top leaders, rendering them ineffective. Unfortunately, he never caught the leader, Sandino.

“It would take a guy like Puller, thrashing around through the back country, to catch him,” Hoffman said.

According to his second Navy Cross citation, Puller was serving as a first lieutenant in the Guardia when his patrol drove deep into isolated and mountainous bandit territory nearly 100 miles from the nearest friendly base camp. His small patrol was ambushed by more than 150 rebels, armed with automatic weapons and various small arms, and well supplied with ammo.

Puller lost two men and had four wounded, but the patrol managed to defeat the larger force. “This single victory in jungle country, with no lines of communication and a hundred miles from any supporting force, was largely due to the indomitable courage and persistence of the patrol commander.”

How should Marines handle prisoners?
A number of high-profile incidents involving captured enemy insurgents in Iraq have sparked debate over the proper treatment of the enemy on the battlefield. It begs the question: How would Chesty treat prisoners of war?

Frankly, Chesty would rather kill his enemy than dishonor him.

Then-Lt. Col. Chesty Puller was walking through the jungles of Guadalcanal with the men of 7th Marines when they spotted a wounded Japanese soldier. Unable to take the man prisoner and fearing he might be concealing a grenade, Puller ordered his men to kill the soldier.

Instead, the Marines loaded him up with their gear, three or four packs at a time, and forced him to carry the load, according to “Marine.”

At the end of the day, Chesty passed the Marines again and saw the prisoner.

“Why didn’t you kill that bird?” Chesty asked. “Didn’t you hear my orders?”

One of the Marines replied, “Sir, I thought he could carry today, and we could kill him tonight.”

That didn’t sit well with Chesty. “No you won’t,” Puller said. “He did your work all day, and you’ll sit up and guard him all night.”

So they did. And in the morning, the prisoner was sent back to rear with the wounded.

For Puller, treating a prisoner fairly was a requirement.

In Korea, a Marine private was ordered by a chaplain to take charge of five North Korean POWs. Instead of escorting them, he opened fire with an automatic rifle, killing all five, according to “Marine.”

The incident was brought up to Chesty, who placed the Marine under arrest. “What outfit was it that lost all those boys last night?” Puller asked his aide.

“Barrow’s company, sir,” the aide replied.

“All right, give that boy an M1 and send him up there,” Chesty said. The story has become legend for Chesty’s brand of military justice.

But Puller wasn’t a fan of hammering good Marines who make mistakes, even if the mistakes were extreme. In 1956, then-Brig. Gen. Chesty Puller testified in the Ribbon Creek court-martial on behalf of Staff Sgt. Matthew McKeon, a Parris Island drill instructor accused of getting drunk and leading six recruits to their deaths during an impromptu night march through the creek.

This case was a black eye for the Corps, and reshaped the way Marines train. Even Puller, a former Parris Island recruit, called it a “deplorable accident.”

But Puller still felt the need to speak up for McKeon and try to save his career. “The important thing is the Marine Corps,” Puller said, according to “Marine.”

“If we let them, they will tear it to pieces. Headquarters won’t speak up. It’s my duty to do it.”

Are combat awards important?
Puller is widely recognized as the most decorated Marine in history, earning five Navy Crosses. But if he were alive today, there’s little chance Chesty would receive the same recognition.

“Not even for specific things he did, even if he duplicated them today,” Hoffman said.

Before World War II, the only medals for valor were the Navy Cross and the Medal of Honor. If a Marine did not get one of those, he got nothing, Hoffman said.

All five of Chesty’s Navy Crosses were for leadership. Today, the award is generally associated with individual acts of heroism.

Only 18 Marines have received the Navy Cross for action in Afghanistan and Iraq, and one Marine has received the Medal of Honor. Of the 19 awards, only two were awarded to officers — a captain and a lieutenant. Three of Chesty’s Navy Crosses were received at major or above.

Would Chesty pass the Combat Fitness Test?
C’mon, really?

As one of the greatest combat leaders in the Corps, Chesty stayed in peak physical condition. He didn’t need a test to remind him of why it was important.

While under fire from the Sandinistas in Nicaragua, for instance, Puller dashed across railroad tracks to the opposite flank to prepare his men for a coordinated counterattack, then dashed back across to his own lines. The move wasn’t all that different from the CFT’s 880-yard sprint, and it was during this fight that Chesty earned his second Navy Cross.

In another display of physical prowess, during the battle for Guadalcanal, Chesty came under enemy fire again.

“The colonel fell to the ground, rolled over, and was up on his feet again, like a rubber man,” said a fellow Marine officer. “He kept that up for several minutes: hit the deck, roll. Stand and bellow orders.”

Should ‘hazing’ be tolerated?
Chesty knew how to dish it out, and he knew how to take it.

The “Order of the Shellback” was a long-standing Marine and Navy tradition, but can be considered hazing by today’s definition. While on ship duty in the Pacific in 1937, Chesty joined the Order when he crossed the equator for the first time.

Puller was jokingly charged with unmilitary bearing and gross display of medals, according to the book “Chesty.” For punishment he had to kiss a sailor’s fat belly and crawl through a greasy gauntlet of paddles made out of canvas fire hose.

According to “Marine,” on return from Australia, he gave an Army officer the royal treatment. The Army lieutenant colonel asked if he had to kiss the sailor’s fat belly, and Chesty said yes. The soldier supposedly had his entire face pushed into the fat rolls when he went in for the kiss.

What should we do with deserters?
Kill ’em.

Oh, you think not? According to “Marine,” during the perimeter defense of Koto-ri, a unit of soldiers that Chesty’s men had rescued from an ambush was assigned to guard a portion of the perimeter. One officer asked Chesty about the direction of a line of retreat, to which Puller responded by jumping on the horn and calling his artillerymen with the soldiers’ position.

“If they start to pull back even 1 foot, I want you to open fire on them,” he told the arty guys. Then he turned to the soldier.

“Does that answer your question?”

Are war trophies OK?
Chesty believed that “gear adrift is gear, a gift” among the troops, and he didn’t mind grabbing something off the enemy, either.

In Chesty’s first days of fighting on Guadalcanal, he and his men captured a Japanese camp, where Chesty took a beautiful dress sword off a Japanese major he had shot and killed. A few days later, the sword was stolen from Chesty’s command post.

Asked if he wanted to turn out the troops to recover the missing sword, Chesty said no. “I don’t know who got it, but any one of those boys rate it more than I did. They carried the big load, let them keep it.”

The sword later surfaced on a Navy ship. A Marine sold it to a sailor for $1,000.

How would Chesty handle urban warfare, such as Fallujah?
He’d bomb ’em back to the Stone Age.

Chesty was familiar with urban fighting. In 1950, before entering Seoul, South Korea, Chesty nearly leveled it with a massive bombing campaign. It set a record for the Korean War, with 326 mortar rounds, 650 artillery shells and 30,000 .50-caliber rounds, as his four battalions used all their ammo and depleted a nearby Army ammo dump.

As for the civilians caught in the crossfire, Chesty felt sorry for them. “I hate to see people in a shack like that get hurt. The same family has probably been living for generations in that same dump.” But there was no other way.

Even after the bombardment, Chesty’s men spent several days in intense house-to-house fighting with the Koreans. In the end, Seoul was destroyed, but captured.

How do we treat PTSD?
Honestly, Chesty didn’t believe in it. “There is no such thing as shell shock,” he said, using the terminology of the time.

Once, while recovering from wounds sustained during the fighting on Guadalcanal, Chesty spent a little time in sick bay. According to “Marine,” he was put near a private suffering from shell shock.

Chesty tried to tell the Marine it was all in his mind. “Until I got here, I never saw a bit of it. We fought all the way up and down Haiti and Nicaragua without it. You’ll be okay.”

But the Marine was completely unresponsive. Chesty saw him looking at a picture of his girlfriend.

Puller told him he would never see her again, and she wouldn’t even spit on him. He might have mentioned his face would be on wanted posters, plastered in post offices, for desertion. In the end, the Marine picked up his rifle and went back to the front lines.

Sometime later, that same Marine was decorated for bravery, according to “Marine.”

And what about those pesky reporters?
Journalists loved Chesty because of his irreverent behavior and straightforward quotes. And Chesty was all for getting reporters out with the troops.

On the drive into Korea, after the landing at Inchon, a group of journalists showed up in Chesty’s camp. “Take them up and get shot at,” Chesty told his driver. “Let ’em see what this is all about.”

In the frozen Chosin, a reporter arrived without a jacket and asked Chesty if he would supply him with one. Chesty got the reporter a parka from sick bay, and it was marked up with blood. “I hope you didn’t take it from one of your own men, sir,” the reporter said.

“I don’t care if you freeze, if it means keeping them going,” Puller said. “The boy that had that parka will never need it again.”

And unlike many of the policymakers of today, Chesty would not have shied away from showing the human cost of war.

At Chosin, Chesty needed to bury 117 Marines, but the earth was too frozen to dig. Instead, the Marines had to roll a tank over the frozen bodies, crushing them into the ground.

According to “Marine,” a photographer filmed the whole thing, but the footage was later censored by Washington and kept from the public. Chesty disapproved.

“How I wish our people could have seen the sight,” he said later, “to see just what happened to us in Korea.”

Ten bucks says Chesty would have subscribed to Marine Corps Times. He probably would have made fun of some general on the cover, though.

Good night, Chesty. Wherever you are.


Just as a FWIW, bit of history - my uncle {mustang Dad's younger brother} was at the frozen Chosin; he came back to Texas to die while working on an oil rig on the plains of Texas. For much of my Dad's 21 years, he would be asked if he was related to Chesty, due to our family name being "Pullin".


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I realize it won't be acknowledged in the MSM, or by most people ...................................

but tomorrow, 10 November 2008, is the U.S. Marine Corps' birthday. Founded in Tun Tavern, Philadelphia {yeah, all the Marines-to-be were in a drinking establishment - IMAGINE that! ;-) }

To all who have earned the Eagle, Globe & Anchor, past & present - Happy 233rd birthday, Marines!!!


USMC Marines Hymn Marine Corps Band Halls of Montezuma - Watch a funny movie here





I have attended Sunset Parades at 8th & 'I' Streets, in Washington, DC - should you ever have the opportunity, GO! You WILL need reservations; contact the Marine Barracks here.




From my Colonel ..................... - seems Bob Parsons of GoDaddy.com is one of The Few ........................ ;-)

Happy 233nd
Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!






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Y'know, all this talk about "post-racial" ....................................

Harris County just elected an Hispanic sheriff {the incumbent, a 'good ol'boy', has presided over a LOT of scandals} - but, a Houston City Council member, an African-American, just HAD to make the election a racial issue, talking about how wonderful it is for 'engaging' the Hispanic community ......................... shouldn't the City Council member have just affirmed support for the sheriff-elect, without injecting race, if this whole election cycle was about 'getting past race'?


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God help us all ......................................

no, I'm NOT happy with our election; I believe we're in for 4 years of hell. As a friend noted, however, "we" survived Carter & Clinton, scarred, battered & bruised, but "we" are still here.

On a rather ominous note - Bidet apparently hedged his bets, as he was running for his Senate seat at the same time he was running for VP - my spousal unit notes that, should he decide to resign from his election as VP in favor of remaining Delaware's senator, "our" VP will be appointed - THERE'S a scary thought, as I've visions of William Ayers or Jeremiah Wright ............................. :-(



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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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