Thanksgiving MySpace Animations
.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
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
.
Thanksgiving MySpace Animations
.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Crusader Rabbit started it ..........................................
here's my all-time choice for a drinking song ...................... ;-)
.
.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
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".
.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
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!
.
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!
.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
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'?
.
.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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 ............................. :-(
.
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 ............................. :-(
.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
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 ...................
.
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.
.
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 ...................
.
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.
.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
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.
.
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.
.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
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 ............................ :-( :-(
.
.
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.
.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
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!! ;-)
.
.
.
.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
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:
.
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:
.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Birk Economic Recovery Plan
From a friend - wouldn't THIS be a hoot?!? ;-)
I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.
Instead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.
To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bona fide U.S. Citizens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up….
So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%.
Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in his or her pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00.
What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family? Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads!
Put away money for college – it’ll be there!
Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car – create jobs.
Invest in the market – capital drives growth.
Pay for your parent’s medical insurance – health care improves.
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else.
Remember, this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
If we’re going to re-distribute wealth let’s really do it…instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( “vote buy” ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.
If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!
As for AIG – liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here’s my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn’t.
Sure it’s a crazy idea that can “never work.”
But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party? How do you spell Economic Boom?
I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.
And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Ahhh…I feel so much better getting that off my chest.
Kindest personal regards,
Birk
T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic
PS: Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it’s either good for a laugh or a tear or a very sobering thought on how to best use $85 Billion!!
.
I’m against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG.
Instead, I’m in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend.
To make the math simple, let’s assume there are 200,000,000 bona fide U.S. Citizens 18+.
Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up….
So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let’s assume a tax rate of 30%.
Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam.
But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in his or her pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00.
What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family? Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads!
Put away money for college – it’ll be there!
Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car – create jobs.
Invest in the market – capital drives growth.
Pay for your parent’s medical insurance – health care improves.
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else.
Remember, this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
If we’re going to re-distribute wealth let’s really do it…instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( “vote buy” ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our candidates for President.
If we’re going to do an $85 billion bailout, let’s bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!
As for AIG – liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here’s my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn’t.
Sure it’s a crazy idea that can “never work.”
But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party? How do you spell Economic Boom?
I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.
And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
Ahhh…I feel so much better getting that off my chest.
Kindest personal regards,
Birk
T. J. Birkenmeier, A Creative Guy & Citizen of the Republic
PS: Feel free to pass this along to your pals as it’s either good for a laugh or a tear or a very sobering thought on how to best use $85 Billion!!
.
Friday, September 12, 2008
OK, I MAY be offline for a bit ..................................
LOTS of places are having electricity turned off proactively .............................
Hat tip to Bayou Renaissance Man for the link - below is OUR predicted 'cane impact ....................
Flood Watch
Hazardous Weather Outlook
Hurricane Wind Warning
Today: Tropical storm conditions expected, with hurricane conditions possible. A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 89. North wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to between 30 and 35 mph. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.
Tonight: Hurricane conditions expected. Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Low around 78. East wind 40 to 50 mph increasing to between 45 and 65 mph. Winds could gust as high as 85 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Saturday: Hurricane conditions expected. Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 83. South wind 45 to 65 mph becoming west 35 to 40 mph. Winds could gust as high as 85 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Saturday Night: Tropical storm conditions possible, with hurricane conditions also possible. Showers and thunderstorms likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 78. Southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
.
Hat tip to Bayou Renaissance Man for the link - below is OUR predicted 'cane impact ....................
Flood Watch
Hazardous Weather Outlook
Hurricane Wind Warning
Today: Tropical storm conditions expected, with hurricane conditions possible. A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 89. North wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to between 30 and 35 mph. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph.
Tonight: Hurricane conditions expected. Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Low around 78. East wind 40 to 50 mph increasing to between 45 and 65 mph. Winds could gust as high as 85 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Saturday: Hurricane conditions expected. Showers and thunderstorms. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 83. South wind 45 to 65 mph becoming west 35 to 40 mph. Winds could gust as high as 85 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Saturday Night: Tropical storm conditions possible, with hurricane conditions also possible. Showers and thunderstorms likely. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 78. Southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
From my Colonel ............................................
Absolutely The Funniest Joke Ever! NOT!!!
(and it was "ON US !)
I was going to pontificate on several issues today, but I was reminded of something so funny and horrific at the same time, I have decided this is the only message of the day.
What was the reason given for developing the Department of Energy during the Carter administration ?
We have spent multi billions of dollars in support of this agency and I am willing to bet not one person who reads this will remember the reason given.
It was very simple.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WAS INSTITUTED TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.
NOTE: IN 2008 THE BUDGET FOR THIS DEPARTMENT IS NOW AT 24.2 BILLION A YEAR THEY HAVE 16000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATE 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES.
THINK BEFORE YOU VOTE DEMOCRAT!
.
(and it was "ON US !)
I was going to pontificate on several issues today, but I was reminded of something so funny and horrific at the same time, I have decided this is the only message of the day.
What was the reason given for developing the Department of Energy during the Carter administration ?
We have spent multi billions of dollars in support of this agency and I am willing to bet not one person who reads this will remember the reason given.
It was very simple.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WAS INSTITUTED TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.
NOTE: IN 2008 THE BUDGET FOR THIS DEPARTMENT IS NOW AT 24.2 BILLION A YEAR THEY HAVE 16000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATE 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES.
THINK BEFORE YOU VOTE DEMOCRAT!
.
Dunno if y'all saw this over on LawDog's or MattG's blogs ....................................
for whatever reason, doing an embed doesn't always work, so I provided a link to YouTube if the embed doesn't work for you - very powerful message to Mr. Obama ..........................
Direct YouTube link HERE
.
Direct YouTube link HERE
.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
;-) From my Colonel .....................................................
A president's pension currently is
$191,300 per year,
until he is 80 years old.
Assuming the next president lives to age 80. Sen. McCain would receive ZERO pension as he would reach 80 at the end of two terms as president. Sen. Obama would be retired for 26 years after two terms and would receive $4,973,800 in pension.
Therefore it would certainly make economic sense to elect McCain in November.
How's that for non partisan thinking ???
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
On a personal note: D. is OK, power is back on in their apartment, & J. is back WITH her - she did have an episode of tachycardia, evaluated by medical-types, determined to be due to an anxiety-conversion situation, now that her adrenaline levels have returned to semi-normal ..........................
.
$191,300 per year,
until he is 80 years old.
Assuming the next president lives to age 80. Sen. McCain would receive ZERO pension as he would reach 80 at the end of two terms as president. Sen. Obama would be retired for 26 years after two terms and would receive $4,973,800 in pension.
Therefore it would certainly make economic sense to elect McCain in November.
How's that for non partisan thinking ???
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
On a personal note: D. is OK, power is back on in their apartment, & J. is back WITH her - she did have an episode of tachycardia, evaluated by medical-types, determined to be due to an anxiety-conversion situation, now that her adrenaline levels have returned to semi-normal ..........................
.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
OK, Folks ........................................
I realize I've been rather remiss in volume of posting, and it will probably get worse before it gets better - our daughter is stranded in New Orleans {long story, but her husband's commanding officer refuses to allow personnel to leave the base to safeguard their families - this 'female' officer is looking at her intransigence and total lack of compassion as a stepping stone to promotion - mark my words - no matter if D. just experiences heavy rain, this particular officer's career is history if I have anything to say about it} ............................. as you can probably imagine, I'm not handling it too well ............................ so please, bear with me ............................. and please keep D., her husband and all other active duty members & their families in your thoughts & prayers ........................
UPDATE: As of 1700 this evening, she was doing OK - the storm hit hardest about 100-120 miles west of her location, and was still moving in a WNW direction {toward US! ;-) } - she'd been without electricity since 0600 this morning, so "we're" trying to conserve the battery for her cellphone .......................... there is STILL a Naval officer out there who's career is OVER - she just doesn't know it yet .............................
.
UPDATE: As of 1700 this evening, she was doing OK - the storm hit hardest about 100-120 miles west of her location, and was still moving in a WNW direction {toward US! ;-) } - she'd been without electricity since 0600 this morning, so "we're" trying to conserve the battery for her cellphone .......................... there is STILL a Naval officer out there who's career is OVER - she just doesn't know it yet .............................
.
Friday, August 29, 2008
OK, SportFans, I'm not a great McCain supporter ........................................
but he was absolutely BRILLIANT with his choice of Sarah Palin .............................
CNN article here.
.
CNN article here.
.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
OK, Folks, Roger of RadarSite is requesting some assistance .................................
via Crusader Rabbit, he's asking folks from places other than the U.S. to talk about
what y'all like about America & her people;
it sounds as though it will be a verbal single finger salute to "our" MSM, who are
constantly informing "us" how America & Americans are hated around the world - since
my Neo-Counter indicates that I have a lot of visitors from different parts of the
globe, I'm asking that those of you so inclined go here:
Let's hear it for America! and give Roger some feedback.
.
what y'all like about America & her people;
it sounds as though it will be a verbal single finger salute to "our" MSM, who are
constantly informing "us" how America & Americans are hated around the world - since
my Neo-Counter indicates that I have a lot of visitors from different parts of the
globe, I'm asking that those of you so inclined go here:
Let's hear it for America! and give Roger some feedback.
.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)