Proof Positive

Luke ''The Drifter'' says:
"We Americans got so tired of being thought of as dumb by the rest of the world that we went to the polls last November and removed all doubt."

Hope Floats

I feel old and crabby on occasion as I rant about the current conditions in our great nation.  I look around to see if all the people who are agreeing with me are old and crabby too.  However, I was pleasantly surprised, during the Tea Parties on April 15, 2009, to see a goodly number of young people participating.  These are not the images we get of young folks from the "Mainstream Media".  Our group was led by a young medical doctor and his wife, and in the clips of the other groups meeting around the country, I saw many young people who were actively participating.  

I have been known to despair when thinking of who will be running our country when we are sitting in the nursing home.  My spirits were bolstered this week when I received an e-mail from a high school senior, Fernando Trevino.  Fernando proposed that the July 4th Tea Party in our area be held at South Padre Island.  He asked for input from those of us who participated in the most recent Tea Parties.  He also left a blog address; http://writefortheright.blogspot.com. This site is a political commentary site and is maintained by three high school seniors from Brownsville, TX, Fernando Trevino, Danielle Chavez, and Maggie Bice.  Fernando and Danielle not only helped to organize the Tea Party in Brownsville, TX, they made speeches there.  The text of their speeches is available on their blog.  These young folks aren't old enough to vote yet, but they show a wisdom far beyond their years.  I wish our legislators, especially those from our area, had the sense these young folks do.  I went to the site and was totally blown away by the quality of the posts.  I sent Fernando an e-mail and asked his permission to share the site with you.  He generously consented.  I hope you will go by for a visit and leave some encouraging comments.  If you like it, spread the word.  I think we got something very good happening here.

I think that one possible definition of our modern culture is that it is one in which nine-tenths of our intellectuals can't read any poetry.
  - Randall Jarrell

To Protect and To Serve

I really don't know how to tell you this and make you understand. The election is hardly over and already the handwriting is on the wall. In my former line of work we were sworn to protect and to serve. Most take this oath very seriously. Our government is choosing to ignore the constitution except when it serves their biased agenda. Old retired detectives who I know and respect are all wondering why people can't look past the persona and really listen to what is being said. Through the years we learned to keep up with what was said and what was not said. Both were important. In this post I am turning over the forum to a good friend of mine who is very good at remembering all the details and reminding us of those things some are choosing to forget. I hope you pay attention. David R. would like to remind you of the following:

To those who continue to denigrate Bush and to believe everything Obama is saying I submit the following:

Except for not being forceful enough with the Dems, who are now in total control, in stopping the problems with the banks, virtually all of which were instigated by the Dems, his unwillingness to do anything with the immigration problem, and his failure to stop the growth of government I thought Bush did a credible job.

In the long run, his pluses will outweigh his minuses. For all of his flaws, Bush is a man of honor who did what he thought was right, even if he was wrong, and who was guided in all he did by his Judeo/Christian principles. Even if one is not a Jew or a Christian, they are not a bad set of guidelines and are the same ones by which virtually all of the Founders scrupulously followed. Even ol' Ben Franklin, who was a Deist, forcefully recommended adherence to Judeo/Christian rules of life and stated that if the government leaders ever strayed from them, the Republic would not last.

And no, I don't hope Obama succeeds. Here's why. Even a cursory look at Obama should make you shudder. The Dems completely control Congress will run amok completely unfettered. This is a far more radical Congress than even that which existed during Jimmy Carter's tenure. If you remember, Carter and his Congress pretty well brought the country to its knees. He inherited a fairly stable economy when he took office. When he left 4 years later interest rates were 21%, inflation was running 12% a year, unemployment was almost 10%, the Panama Canal was given away and is now controlled by the Communist Chinese, and help to the Shah of Iran was refused because Carter thought the Ayatollah Khomeini was a nicer guy than the Shah. Carter and his Congress were also the ones who forced the Community Redevelopment Act down the throats of many banks. Strengthened by Clinton, it was the C.R.A., which required banks to make loans to mostly minorities who couldn't afford to pay them back and led to our current situation. We are still suffering from Carter.

So far as the current Congress, Pelosi has already cut the Republicans out of all decision making and even stopped their input to the decision makers. Republicans cannot even add amendments to Democrat sponsored bills, so don't count on the loyal opposition being able to stop or slow down the excesses. So much for "inclusion." Let run through a couple of things real quickly, just off of the top of my head: 1. Obama has stated that the "Constitution has many flaws." This is his stated opinion of the greatest legal document ever written. He finds the greatest flaws in the fact that it does not guarantee equality of outcome for the poorer classes. He intends to change this and thus change constitutional principles while ignoring economic principles and disregarding common sense. He won't be able to do it through the legal constitutional process by amending the Constitution so he will do it by appointing Supreme Court Justices who will ignore the intent and meaning of the Constitution to achieve the goals Obama is after. In fact, he has said he will appoint justices who will "break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, at least as it's been interpreted." There are already four justices on the court who hand down opinions based on what they think is right rather than what the Constitution says, and it will only take one more. FDR did this to get many of his programs, all of which failed, through Congress, but FDR's manipulations will seem as child's play for what is coming. What is left of the rule of law, and it's not much at this point, will cease to exist altogether. I still believe that there is a very good chance that Obama is not constitutionally qualified to be president. That is the best example so far of his contempt for the Constitution. Remember, when his wife was asked about the controversy over his birth certificate, etc., her response was, "No law is going to keep my husband from being president." Think about that for a moment. She didn't affirm that he was born in Hawaii or that he didn't give up his citizenship when he moved to Indonesia or even just laugh and say, "Of course my husband was born in the U.S." She simply replied that no law, in this case the Constitution, was going to stop her husband from being president. She was right. This business with the courts has been an ongoing process for almost 50 years and I believe we are now at the tipping point. That's what makes Obama so dangerous. It has progressed to the point where four of the Supremes have publicly stated at different times that they consider international opinion and international law when deliberating about cases before them. Such actions on their part, which they have admitted to, are both a violation of the Constitution and a violation of their oaths. They should have been immediately removed from the bench, but no one cared. No one cares now. Obama is going to push us over the edge. 2. He is a consummate liar. He is not pathological as are Bill and Hillary, but quite deliberate with his lies. For example, he says that he "supports the 2nd Amendment", but has voted to ban all handguns, put a 500% confiscatory tax on all ammunition, ban all semi automatic weapons, allow an individual to possess no more than 100 rounds of ammunition, and many more such similar laws. He says that he has no association with Rashid Khalidi, a Columbia University professor, and only knows him to speak to him. In fact, he served on the Board of the Woods Fund with him and directed several grants to a pro-Palestinian group headed by Khalidi's wife. Khalidi is a known associate of terrorists. Furthermore, Khalidi used his contacts at Harvard to get Obama admitted to law school there because his grades did not meet standards. He also has held at least one political fund raiser for Obama. But, hey, Obama only knows him to speak with him. Who is Khalidi? For one thing, he was a director of the official PLO press agency WAFA in Beirut from 1976 to 1982, and his wife was an interpreter for the PLO during the same period. He has called for the destruction of Israel. I guess he just helped Obama get into Harvard by drawing his name out of a hat. Then there is Bill Ayers. You remember him. In 2001, while standing with his feet on an American flag, he said "I don't regret setting the bombs. I feel we didn't do enough." His group bombed the Pentagon, the Capitol, a police station, and various other places, killing several people.Obama says, "I don't really know him. He is just a guy in the neighborhood." Obama failed to mention that he had served on the board of the same Woods Fund with Ayers, had participated in several public panel discussions with him, and that Ayers and his wife, convicted terrorist Bernadine Dorhn, held Obama's first fund raiser for him at the Ayers' home. Just a guy in the neighborhood. Khalid Al Mansour aka Donald Warden is a black nationalist/separatist Muslim radical who is the U.S. representative of the Saudi prince, I forget his name, who offered 10 million dollars to Rudy Giuliani after 9/11 to help with damages. Obama denies even knowing who he is, yet Percy Sutton, Malcolm X's lawyer says that Al Mansour largely funded Obama while he was at Harvard. Al Mansour confirmed this information. Then there is the classic lie that he didn't know his pastor of 20 years, the man Obama called his "mentor", was a hate filled black separatist. These are just a very few examples of the many outright lies from Obama, but I want you to also remember that he has thus far spent over a million dollars to fight suits requiring him to release the long form of his birth certificate. The long form reveals where he was born, what doctor delivered him, and what hospital he was born in. Most people don't realize that when Obama was born, Hawaii allowed people to register out of state and out of country births there. The birth certificate which Obama has presented publicly is the same as the one issued by the State of Hawaii for people either born there or born elsewhere. In other words, there is no difference between the certificates. It is the long form which tells the tale and Obama does not want anyone to see it. That's not all he doesn't want us to see. He has sealed all of his hospital records, his medical records, his college records, his passport records, his scholarship records, and his student loan records. The Kenyan government has sealed all records there concerning Obama. Now why would the Kenyan government have any records on Obama? Perhaps because his grandmother and two half-brothers there have given statements that he was born in Kenya, which would make him ineligible for the Presidency by not being a natural born citizen as required by the Constitution. If you are wondering why he would seal his passport records, I can give you an idea. Obama traveled to Pakistan in 1981 for three weeks. It is believed that he traveled with an Indonesian passport as Pakistan was a "No Go" country at the time and US citizens were generally prohibited from traveling there. The only way he could have gotten an Indonesian passport was if he was a citizen of Indonesia, where he lived as child for 4 or 5 years after being adopted by Lolo Sortero, an Indonesian citizen himself. Indonesia does not recognize dual citizenship. Also, one cannot attend public school or be adopted into an Indonesian family without becoming an Indonesian citizen. Therefore, it is obvious that Obama was an Indonesian citizen at one time, even when he began college in the US. The rest of this gets a bit murky. We don't know if Obama's mother denounced his American citizenship upon marrying Sortero or just ignored the situation by making him an Indonesian citizen and not advising US authorities. He refuses to discuss the issue. If his mother denounced his citizenship, then he re-entered this country either an illegal alien or as a naturalized citizen, either of which disqualify him for the Presidency. We really don't know anything about this guy's history except what he has released. Other than two Pakistani roommates, we don't know who he ran around with in college, what clubs he belonged to, or even where he lived when he was attending Columbia...and he doesn't want us to know. This in itself is a form of dishonesty and Obama is fundamentally dishonest. 3. Obama has stated that he wants to put together "a new New Deal." He apparently doesn't learn from history. Hoover is usually criticized for being an uncaring Republican who was responsible for the Depression. Well, that's true only in that he was a Republican and he was partly responsible for the Depression. The fact was that Hoover was a liberal Republican and constantly used government to intervene in economic affairs. It was partly because of his interventions that the Depression occurred in 1929. When it did, he increased his "government can solve this" policies and things worsened. By 1932 when Roosevelt was elected, we were in the throes of a really bad depression, as was most of the rest of the world. Roosevelt took government intervention to a higher level, or lower depending upon one's point of view. He instituted the programs we all know about and all failed. In 1941 unemployment was slightly lower than in 1932, but only because of employment in all of the government work projects such as the C. C. C. While these programs put money in people's pockets, it was government money and did nothing to improve the economy.Obama wants to institute a New Deal on steroids. It won't work, either. As Reagan once said, "Government doesn't solve these kinds of problems. Government is the problem."Obama wants to take things even further by taking from those who produce and giving to those who don't. As he has said, it isn't "fair" to everyone who is not prosperous that those who are have so much. He wants to make us all equally miserable, though I am sure he doesn't see it that way. Nonetheless, that will be the result and that's why I hope he fails.

David R.

Barack Obama plans to issue an executive order on his first full day in office, directing the closing of Guantanamo Bay. He said he needs the money for new prisons to hold Democratic mayors and governors. Jay Leno

Who will you be voting for?

Barry Soetoro, or Barack Obama? Who is he really? Curious Americans want to know.

An Obama Win Will Be More Than Historic
By THOMAS SOWELL Posted Thursday, October 30, 2008 4:30 PM PT

Some elections are routine, some are important and some are historic. If Sen. John McCain wins this election, it will probably go down in history as routine. But if Sen. Barack Obama wins, it is more likely to be historic — and catastrophic.

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While most of you slept, I googled my way through a myriad of blogs and news sources trying to see if anyone was trying to refute the allegations of Indonesian citizenship by Barry Soetoro, aka Barack Hussein Obama. All I could find were the profane rantings of people who dislike the fact it has been brought to light. I for one think this is something to address before tomorrow. If Obama wins will we have someone who is a citizen by birth, or a foreign national?

I must put in a plug for those who comment on this blog. Thanks for not getting profane in your commenting. I post everything that expresses an opinion with some supporting verbiage. I will not post anything with language I consider inappropriate for any viewer to read. Pappy

I don't approve of political jokes.
I've seen too many of them get elected.

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The Coming Obama Thugocracy Attempts to shut down political speech have become routine for liberals. By Michael Barone

‘I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors,” Barack Obama told a crowd in Elko, Nev. “I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face.” Actually, Obama supporters are doing a lot more than getting into people’s faces. They seem determined to shut people up.

Once upon a time, liberals prided themselves, with considerable reason, as the staunchest defenders of free speech. Union organizers in the 1930s and 1940s made the case that they should have access to employees to speak freely to them, and union leaders like George Meany and Walter Reuther were ardent defenders of the First Amendment.

Today’s liberals seem to be taking their marching orders from other quarters. Specifically, from the college and university campuses where administrators, armed with speech codes, have for years been disciplining and subjecting to sensitivity training any students who dare to utter thoughts that liberals find offensive. The campuses that used to pride themselves as zones of free expression are now the least free part of our society.

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Democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can stop people talking. - Clement Atlee

Saturday Stuff

Now that's funny I don't care who you are voting for. What scares me is the treatment "Joe the Plumber" got from several regulatory agencies at the state level in checking on every aspect of his life. Their excuses for doing so were lame at best. This was just one American expressing his concern to a candidate for the highest office in our land. This same candidate has had the records of his background sealed. Joe Citizen is fair game for veiled threats and intimidation for daring to confront a major candidate, while the candidate won't even release the most basic of his personal information. The real puzzle to me is no one except the fringe elements of media and the Internet seem to think it's strange. I was a criminal investigator for over thirty years and I think it is very strange. I have never seen anyone coated in so much Teflon.

Well, I was shocked Friday morning when I went to vote early. Since I am, according to the media, one of maybe five people voting for McCain/Palin, I expected huge media coverage. I just knew I would have to wait in a long line for the members of Obama's Opposition Obstructionist Party to cast their ballots. But there were no National Media Mobile broadcast trucks there, and only three Democrats. I was dressed in black to make a statement for all the world to see, but all in vain. I really haven't seen huge lines anywhere thus far in early voting. I wonder how they will handle all the dead people, and the masses of people living under the bridges? How will they get to the polls? I am still having to snipe at Democrats who will not let go of their lame reasons for supporting "The Phantom." He doesn't know where he came from, he doesn't know where he's going, and he doesn't know what or how he will accomplish his mission once he gets there. Be assured the socialists who pull his little puppet strings know what is going to happen. I just have trouble believing the majority of silent voters won't turn out in unheard of numbers and give the arrogant pretenders a good left hook to the liver.

Now I know some of you who read me are "good" Democrats. I just can't figure where your heads are right now. How could you condone the obvious voter fraud groups like Acorn are openly committing? How could you be for a party who has a platform plank making it legal to use abortion (murder) for birth control? Why don't you add a plank to make killing old people in nursing homes legal for the convenience of those saddled with the burden of caring for them? How could you be for a party, who as I recall, said it was O.K. for a sitting pardoned felon, Bill Clinton, to have oral sex in the White House with a young intern, and yet feigns shock when a young teen aged girl is pregnant out of wedlock (and this only because she is the daughter of the V.P. candidate of the opposing party). Check your voter roles - I would bet money the percentages of young women on those roles who are in the same condition are exponentially greater than those in the same demographic on the roles of the opposition party. It is pure hypocrisy. How could you be for a party which advocates taking over more businesses and involving itself in a greater way in controlling every aspect of our lives in direct conflict with the U. S. Constitution. Can you name one federal agency that is not mired in the hopelessness of managing programs of such magnitude? Do you not remember the Carter years? I just can't wrap my mind around it. Do you not realize it is not really the President, but the party who controls the legislature, and the judiciary that put us in these perilous times? Check your own party's record on ignoring the warnings about Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. Check to see where the warnings were coming from. As greedy as private business and banking may be, it was the leaders of the Democrat Party who forced them into abandoning sound business practices and making loans to people who they knew would never be able to pay them back. Who got rich? The Democrats who controlled these government backed giants. The same people who funneled millions to Community Organizers like Barack Obama, and the same people who will benefit from his election. The Republicans we voted for in record numbers eight years ago failed to steer the course and failed to place the proper road blocks in place to stop the "out of control" Democrats. But I can assure you we do not need any more input from our own Socialist Party in order to right the ship. We may need a Constitutional Convention to overcome the damage done to our Constitution by the liberal judiciary.

I leave you with these quotes:

="One of the best ways to get yourself a reputation as a dangerous citizen these days is to go about repeating the very phrases which our founding fathers used in the great struggle for independence.": Charles Austin Beard (1874-1948)

="What country can preserve its liberties, if it's rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms".: Thomas Jefferson

="A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves": Edward R. Murrow

=
"I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man who yields up his liberty, in however slight the measure, is bound to become a slave:" H. L. Mencken

It is hard to mount an argument in this day and time for one party without sounding like a sycophant, however to try and defend the Democrats is impossible without sounding like a psychotic. Dennis Price

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween. It is the last day of October 2008. Every year as a young boy, my October birthday was celebrated with all the trimmings of Halloween. For several years, my dad dressed up as a witch and made an appearance to all the kids who gathered in celebration. It was a happy time with minor scares to spice up the festivities. As I remember it through the years, most of the costumes were homemade. We had great fun trying to collect the proper pieces to make up our outfits. We walked our own neighborhoods and Trick or Treated at as many doors as we could manage. Parents were out with the little ones, and the big kids' tricks consisted of soaping windows, wrapping bushes and trees with toilet paper, or throwing a raw egg or two. People made many of the treats; homemade candy, caramel apples, fruit, and popcorn balls. In most cases the worst part of the next day might be a little clean up. Now, most choose not to call it Halloween. We have researched it and found its evil roots and find it necessary to call it by its more socially and politically correct name, "Fall Festival". The celebrations are held indoors in guarded security with only commercially manufactured treats which must be individually wrapped. Most of the costumes are bought off the rack. My, we have come a long way. I long for those quiet days of yesteryear before we were so well informed, and before we slid so far morally as a nation as to fear our neighbors. I plan to participate because of the little ones. I will buy some fresh individually wrapped candies to distribute (I ate the ones Bebe already bought).

Read these, and as you do try and guess who said them:

During this election year let's be reminded of these words:

* You cannot help the poor, by destroying the rich.
* You cannot strengthen the weak, by weakening the strong.
* You cannot bring about prosperity, by discouraging thrift.
* You cannot lift the wage earner up, by pulling the wage payer down.
* You cannot further the brotherhood of man, by inciting class hatred.
* You cannot build character and courage, by taking away men's initiative and independence.
* You cannot help men permanently, by doing for them what they could and should, do for themselves.

Do you recognize the author?
It was Abraham Lincoln.
Very, very wise words, written years ago and we still don't get it...

I'm Voting Today

I am voting today. Please alert the media. I know many of you faithful readers will follow my trip to the polls with great interest. I will not be available for interviews. To those who are members of the Opposition Obstructionist Party, your little bumps and bruises will heal as I have declared a cease fire for a few days. I suggest dissolving Epsom Salts in warm water to bathe your wounds. It has been a strange political year here in the Kingdom of Odd. Voting to keep someone out of office has never been my favorite political position, however, I am forced to do so in some election years. I think on occasion of Alaska. I visited there several years ago and found it to be a wild and unconquered land. The people hang on in small pockets mostly near the coast. I loved the scenery, but I don't think I would make a good Alaskan. I wrote a poem when I got back to sum up some of my impressions. I hope you enjoy it. Watch the major networks for coverage of me casting my ballot.

Lonely Maiden

Siren,
temptress,
rarely seen
except in silhouette.

Your calls are heard
across the frigid sea.

The summer light
shines on your wrinkled face.

We are not turned away,
but drawn.

Those who stay, cling to you
with tenuous
but determined grip.

Some persevere,
others wane.
Many look and sail away.

Haunted by your charms.

Alaska.

There art two cardinal sins from which all others spring: Impatience and Laziness. - Franz Kafka

He's Baaaaack!

Wow! It seems like I've been gone for a week. Oh, I have been gone for a week. I made a trip to Mississippi to attend the funeral of my Aunt Alexine. She was 86 years old and had suffered for the past several years from Alzheimer's disease. We celebrated her life with stories of her humor, character, and dedication to family and vocation. She was a nurse of the highest order in addition to being a dedicated wife and mother. She will be missed. Thanks to all of you for continuing to fill my inbox with e-mails and my comment section with new comments. I have been at this all morning, reading and sorting and preparing to respond.

I hope by now you have decided who not to vote for. I believe we have no choice. If you have been following all the political goings on, and I don't see how you couldn't have, I'm sure you are of the opinion that John McCain is the only sane alternative we have. If you voted early for Barack and have now been enlightened, please go and find some friends who have not voted and convince them to go and cancel your vote. This man is a major fraud. Anyone who fails to respond to the simplest requests for verification of basic information, as he has, does not need to be our President. The stink factors in his campaign are so strong you can smell them over a pot of chitterlings cooking. I won't be able to help you after the election is over. You have to do this for yourself right now. A large segment of the non-thinking population will be voting as told (This includes those dead and non-existant voters registered by ACORN). But there is also a significant number of voters who are simply deluded by polling data and biased media sources. Don't come back and tell me you didn't know. I'm going to post some things that should give you pause over the next few days. Have you ever gone to the market and chosen a really pretty cut of meat, brought it home and opened the package only to discover it was rancid? Well, the Obama package looks good on the shelf, but it is going to smell when we are allowed to unwrap it. I hope this is done prior to the election.

It's scary when you start making the same noises
as your coffee maker.

Uncle Obama Wants a G-Ride

A Government Ride. That's what Uncle Obama wants. It's what he's good at. He, like Bill and Hillary Clinton, who make a good living off the G, wants to continue to live off the taxpayer's generosity. Let's look at the good Democrats who are from the same area as Barack and see how they are doing in the governing department.

Chicago War Zone Information

Body count. In the last six months 292 killed (murdered) in Chicago, 221 killed in Iraq. Sens. Barack Obama & Dick Durbin, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Gov. Rod Blogojevich, House leader Mike Madigan, Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan, Mayor Richard Daley...our leadership in Illinois...all Democrats.

Thank you for the combat zone in Chicago (a lot of good gun control does, huh?). Of course they're all blaming each other. Can't blame Republicans, there aren't any! State pension fund $44 Billion in debt, worst in country. Cook County (Chicago) sales tax 10.25% highest in country. (Look 'em up if you want). Chicago school system one of the worst in country. This is the political culture that Obama comes from in Illinois. He's gonna 'fix' Washington politics? (Written by someone who lives there.)

I may not be in lockstep with the Republicans, but I am proud to say, I am not a Democrat. What is it these current politicians want? (I include those in my own party of choice) Well let me go to the Wikipedia on line encyclopedia for a definition.

Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe political systems where a state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private life. The term is usually applied to Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, Shōwa Japan or communist states, such as the Stalinist-USSR, Democratic Kampuchea, Vietnam, Mao-era and modern China and North Korea. Totalitarian regimes or movements maintain themselves in political power by means of an official all-embracing ideology and propaganda disseminated through the state-controlled mass media, a single party that controls the state, personality cults, central state-controlled economy, regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism, the use of mass surveillance, and widespread use of terror tactics.

Does this sound familiar? It should. This is what the leftist liberals want more than anything. We must steer politicians in both parties away from this path of action. We can take care of ourselves without the interference from government. This is the political platform of the Democrats. Republicans cross the line and defer to the pressure on more occasions than I care to innumerate, but this is primarily the focus of the Democrat Party.

Slowly we are being conditioned to get in step with the drumbeat. It is a slow and steady process designed to wear down all opposition and get everyone in step with greater global awareness. Beware. If you are a fish and can still appreciate the water in which you swim, you had better work hard to keep your individual sensitivity alive.

What's going to happen when government takes control of the mortgage institutions as the result of their sizable investment in the bailout? You won't like it. The recently fired former CEO of AIG was due a severance package of 22 million. He has refused it, probably because he knew someone would hunt him down and kick him in the shins. 22 million for someone who ran a major company into the ground. Does this make any sense at all?


No man's life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session. - Judge Gideon J. Tucker

Speak No Evil

I wish people who have trouble communicating would just shut up. - Tom Lehrer

In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress. - John Adams

Time Out till November

I don't know about you, but I already know who I'm voting for. Now that we know for sure who's running, I really can't see any need for further coverage of the candidates or their respective platforms. What happens after this point can only be considered mud slinging on a large scale. If you like abortion as a method of birth control, bigger government, reduction in our military preparedness, ceding all our gains in the middle east, over-regulation of business and industry, increased dependence on foreign oil, increased taxes, apologizing for being white while bending over backwards to validate every other racist group, letting the government control every aspect of your life, embracing every aberrant life style on the planet and almost certain embarrassment by a leader ill qualified to lead, then you are obviously voting for the other party. I will see you at the polls.

The big thieves hang the little ones. - Czech Proverb

Now What?

The convention is over, now what? When you are up to your neck in alligators it's hard to remember your main objective is to drain the swamp. We had some fun yesterday airing our differences and trying to bring reason into the lives of those we feel are lacking. I was not convinced by any of the arguments that differed from mine, and I'm sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that I swayed no one. It's just a relief to air it out now and again. I know you feel as passionately about your views, as I do mine, and I've found it hard to sway anyone once their neck is set. We will probably joust on other occasions before the next convention and trade political jabs. When it's all over and we've exercised our right and responsibility to vote, then whoever occupies the office of president will know the awesome burden of occupying it. I've watched men age before my eyes in four and eight years of service. We should press our legislators for proper service and become involved in letting them know what we expect. We should pray for them all regardless of their party affiliation because they are our leaders. I hope we all take our responsibility as U.S. citizens seriously, and vote. Pick a side and cast your ballot. It is almost a guarantee that at some point in your life you will be disappointed by the politician you voted for. Don't let this keep you from voting. Every once in a while you might just back a real winner. I hope you find our little sessions beneficial and entertaining. I thank you for your bold participation.

The world is governed more by appearances than realities, so that it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as to know it. - Daniel Webster

The Prohibited Zone

Many venues, (poetry contests, writing contests, etc.) ask you to submit items that have no political or religious reference. I would say if you are interested in people saying they like you, this is a safe way to go. However, if you like your eggs with a little salt, pepper, and hot sauce this formula will not be satisfying for very long. I don't like to stay on any one subject for too long, but I do like stirring the pot occasionally to let people feel the passion trapped inside. Many have been suppressed at work and home for so long, they bubble over when given the opportunity, and write long and many times entertaining commentary. Blogging is a fairly safe venue. This blog is open to views from the opposition. I don't guarantee they will pass without rebuttal, but I do not base my relationship with my readers (whatever that is in this shadow world of blogging) on their opinions. I do make one caveat here; If your religious beliefs or political stance threatens the life or well being of my family or country all bets are off. Otherwise, as I read the U.S. Constitution, you are free to form your own opinions and should not feel any obligation to apologize to me or anyone else for having them. I post all commentary if it is presented in a civilized tone. If I see we are falling into a lull of interest, I try and find topics I know people have expressed strong opinions on in daily conversation. I then try to present them with some humor and with enough explanation to cement the point I'm trying to make. Judging by the comment numbers and interaction of commenters with each other, I would say the practice has been successful. I know many people who read blogs and don't make comment. Sometimes I get e-mails from those who don't want their opinions aired in the global forum. I usually have to do some type of exercise akin to getting into an acting role to re-create some passionate feeling I had when things were in the now. I am very much an, action at the time of occurrence, individual. Once the impetus is gone, I get over things quickly. I do laugh at your rebuttal on occasion, and occasionally I moan when I know you missed the point, but I enjoy the interaction. I am firm in most opinions I've formed over long years of experience, but I am not closed to solid information on any subject. I have made changes in stances when I've been shown that I erred in my original conclusions (very rare). So, thank you for your patience and your participation when I wander into the prohibited zones. All of you enrich my life. Pappy (aka Cranky Pants)

Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one. - Charles Mackay

Discovery in the Storm

What if Benjamin Franklin had not gone out in the storm and conducted his experiment? Where would we be today? I was without electricity during our recent hurricane for only a few hours and I was reminded of how much we depend on electrical energy. Well, electrical energy, as we know it, is generated from other forms of energy. So, we need to find economical ways to generate it. Many who use a lot of the energy want others to carry the burden of producing it while allegedly protecting their own environment from damage. In following this path, they place all kinds of burdensome regulations on the industries who produce it and they become obstructionists when it comes to protecting the economy and well being of the rest of the country. I think something needs to be done and done soon to stop these single minded folks from exercising the power of their positions over the rest of the populace.

We need a sensible energy policy and we need it now. I know many of you read these blogging comments of mine with some angst, and wonder if you should participate in commenting on them. I can't answer that question for you. I believe that exercising our freedom to speak is very important. As people we have been over sensitized to always consider what others might think of us if we speak what is on our minds. I believe in being civil (while being frank and forthright) in making my arguments. I am keen on hearing the arguments from folks who don't see things as I do. Why? Because I can learn from their arguments. However, I am through attempting to tiptoe around issues that are important to me. I was gagged for thirty years as a government agent. I wasn't allowed to freely participate the way the rest of you could. I have a lot of catching up to do.

People everywhere confuse what they read in newspapers with news. - AJ Liebling

If you are using the major media sources for your information on anything you are being deluded. Major media has become a biased and one sided sycophant to the elitist liberal socialists. Their agenda is not what it seems and they hide their desire for global control behind all kinds of hot button social and environmental reform smoke screens. The uneducated masses who form a large portion of their voting base are swayed into blindly following by promises of various entitlement monies from the U. S. Treasury. While pandering to a plethora of single interest groups with promises of recognition of every aberrant philosophy and lifestyle, they throttle the freedom the majority of the educated voting public holds dear. The governmental leaders in this party don't follow the rules they lay down for others, and they get rich in businesses meant to ease the suffering of those who are less fortunate. When challenged with solid arguments that expose this hipocracy, they resort to holding their ears and shouting trite worn out slogans that lay the blame for our sorry state of affairs everywhere except their doorstep. I think this little illustration speaks volumes:

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, 'Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am.'

The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, 'You're in a hot air balloon approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level. You are 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49..09 minutes west longitude.

She rolled her eyes and said, 'You must be a Republican.'

'I am,' replied the man. 'How did you know?'

'Well,' answered the balloonist, 'everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to make of your information, and I'm still lost.. Frankly, you've not been much help to me.'

The man smiled and responded, 'You must be a Democrat.'

'I am,' replied the balloonist. 'How did you know?'

'Well,' said the man, 'you don't know where you are or where you're going.

You've risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air.

You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect ME to solve your problem.

You're in EXACTLY the same position you were in before we met, but somehow now, it's MY fault.

To be great is to be misunderstood. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Equal Time

In the interest of fairness, I want to give those on the other side of the aisle equal time. I just want you to listen to this Harvard educated lawyer as he speaks with out using a teleprompter. Go ahead Senator Obama. Thank you for clearing that up for us. Well, what did you expect? I know that nothing I can do will change the mind of those of you who are all set to make history with this guy. I'm just not sure it's the kind of history we need to make in this country. Do you understand now why he doesn't want to do any Town Hall meetings with John McCain? I think before November this transparent shell of a politician will self destruct. I wonder what other unqualified candidates the Democrats have waiting in the wings to take his place. He is going to break under the pressure of this campaign is my prediction. I'll be watching.

Our President

George W. Bush, President of the United States of America. How many of you think you could do the job? I for one don't think I would want it. I for one would like to applaud our president for the job that he has done over the last eight years. I know he is not the most eloquent speaker to ever occupy the office, but I think he is an honorable man. I voted for him because I believed this. I do not always agree with everything he says or does, but I rarely agree totally with any man. He took over the office after one of the most detestable presidencies ever. Bill Clinton has to be the low of all lows to occupy the office. We were weakened as a nation because a draft dodging pardoned felon was allowed to occupy the highest office in our land. He and his wife Hillary continue to drain valuable tax dollars from our U. S. Treasury to finance their opulent life styles. Combine this with a true Idiot in the person of V. P. Al Gore and you have the lowest of the low. Our enemies struck on September 11, 2001 and all the nation was with our president as he formulated a plan of action with our military and all the available data gathering sources at his disposal. I for one cheered him on. I continue to support our efforts in Iraq. Now that he is coming to the end of his tenure in office, and our war effort has cost us in lives and finances, the nay sayers are everywhere. Just like Vietnam. The politicians were cowards and refused to use the force we needed to win the war. People were tired of the losses, and rightly so in that case, and so our boys were vilified for their loyal service. I hope we have sense enough as a nation to never let that happen again. We are at war. All of the politicians on both sides of the aisle who do not show solidarity while our boys are fighting are in my opinion traitors and should be tried for treason and hanged in public. What right does the empty suit, Barak Obama, have to go anywhere outside the United States of America to talk to any foreign power about anything. George W. Bush is absolutely eloquent when compared to Barak Obama without a teleprompter. What do people see in this racist boob? If we as Americans are stupid enough to elect this unqualified nobody to the highest office in the land, then I think we are done for. I am going to continue to pray for our president for as long as he is in office. I know the options are not optimal this time around, but in my book there is only one choice.

That which has always been accepted by everyone, everywhere, is almost certain to be false. - Paul Valery

Click on the title for an entertaining video from Dennis Miller on Harry Reid.

“Who would be afraid of [President Bush]? He’s got a 29 percent approval rating.” —Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who has a nine percent approval rating.

Keen sense of the obvious: “Let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s.” —Barack Obama **Thanks for clearing that up.

Just Thinking

I guess the title could scare some of you who read my blog on a regular basis, but Pappy didn't just ride into town last night. I have warned you that some of my material is just balderdash, and I leave it to you to decide what portion that might be. I am concerned about the Democrats' candidate for President of the United States this year, Barak Obama. I have probably read every e-mail sent out to bolster or destroy both candidates and I have discounted the information I feel is manipulated or taken out of context. I have never met either candidate, but John McCain has been in the public eye for a long time, and it is easier to research him because of this exposure.

Barak Obama on the other hand is handsome, charismatic, articulate, family oriented, and apparently very intelligent. The problem for me is trying to define who he is. He has not made big tracks in arriving at the lofty perch he now occupies. I am disturbed by some of his rhetoric concerning the icons of our republic, and his seeming willingness to change his stance in the twinkling of an eye when it seems to be politically advantageous. I am fully aware of the political process with all its ugliness. I know that in the reality of politics, a candidate must prostitute himself to the wealthy power brokers who control the party making the nomination. I am wondering, in the case of the Democrats, who this is? I say follow the money. Even in this arena, Obama has made radical changes in his stance on how campaign funds are raised. Who is supporting him? I can tell you from experience it is not the average Democrat.

I have tried to vote for the candidate and the party whose political platform most resembles my own value system. I have also tried to cast my vote for someone who has a chance to win. I have been more closely aligned with independent candidates in past elections, but did not vote for them because I am in touch with reality. We have a two party system and without some catastrophic failure, the President will elected from one of the major parties. Although I have not agreed with the political stance of John McCain on all issues, I feel that he is more experienced and better qualified to be our President.

I don't know what your political leanings are, or what single issue agenda you might be trying to advance, but I say err on the side of caution this year. Look at the larger picture. I spent my career digging in other people's garbage looking for evidence to support their guilt or innocence, and I have developed a keen sense for something that doesn't smell right. My visceral inclinations have been proven correct in a very high percentage of these cases. My gut feeling is, there is something really fishy about the candidacy of Barak Obama. Be careful America. Don't let your emotions override your critical thinking process - this year especially.

My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what's really going on to be scared. - PJ Plauger

Olio

To the Moon

The tracks were laid
right to the Moon,
so Alice took the train.
She finally reached her limit
of hearing Ralph complain.

Dennis Price

Ocassionally I feel a real need to just hit the open road for a week or two. No plans, no company, and no mission. Just a week or two of roaming. When I had my big black V-twin, I would pack my gear and strap it to the sissy bar and head out for parts unknown. I did have to carry my cell phone so Bebe would know I was still in one piece at the end of the day. I hear the call of the highway, but with gas prices so high I'm thinking a long walk might be the answer. This is an interesting bit of video I think everyone should watch. I wish old Newt was running for President, I'd vote for him.

The people I distrust most are those who want to improve our lives but have only one course of action. - Frank Herbert

Change?

God made everything out of nothing, but the nothingness shows through. - Paul Valery

For those of you who visit but live outside of the U.S., the story is valid and carries a good message. For those who live here, think about what is being said in this political year. Change is not always what it seems. Modern Democrats always sound good, but I've yet to see a plan of action from them that is workable in reality. Many years ago I was right about candidate Jimmy Carter. Remember, for all their carping about current events, the Democrats have been in control of both of our legislative bodies (and making law) for several years now. Do you really want more of this?

A boat docked in a tiny Mexican village. An American tourist complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.

"Not very long," answered the Mexican.

"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?" asked the American.

The Mexican explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet his needs and those of his family.

The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my friends, have a few drinks, play the guitar, and sing a few songs... I have a full life."

The American interrupted, "I have an MBA from Harvard and I can help you! You should start by fishing longer every day and you can then sell the extra fish you catch. With the extra revenue, you can buy a bigger boat. With the extra money the larger boat will bring, you can buy a second one and a third one and so on until you have an entire fleet of trawlers. Instead of selling your fish to a middle man, you can negotiate directly with the processing plants and maybe even open your own plant. You can then leave this little village and move to Mexico City, Los Angeles, or even New York City! From there you can direct your huge enterprise."

"How long would that take?" asked the Mexican.

"Twenty, perhaps twenty-five years," replied the American.

"And after that?"

"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you can start selling stocks and make millions!"

"Millions? Really?" And after that?"

"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near the coast, sleep late, play with your children, catch a few fish, take a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking and enjoying your friends."

Know where you're going in life... you may already be there!

A taxpayer voting for Obama is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders.

I'm Pappy and I approve this message. This is a non-paid political announcement.

Summer Time/Easy Living

Summer time and the livin' is easy.... I was lying on a miracle, vinyl covered foam mat in my pool this afternoon at about 5:00 PM, and as I looked at the clouds through my polarized sun glasses I thought how true that line from the old song was. I say miracle mat because it held up my considerable girth with no problem at all. The sun was still hot at five in the afternoon and I watched the cotton ball clouds change shapes as they put on a morph show for me. Is this a great country or what? I knew many of you were worrying with how to comment on political banter without offending the author, or commenter who might drop by with an opposing view. Well, now you know what I was doing - lying in the pool looking at the clouds. I enjoy all your comments pro or con. If I didn't, I wouldn't post it for comment in the first place. So, if I should wax political at some time in the future before the election - fire away. You might even change my mind if your argument is sound. So, anyway as the gulf breeze turned my mat into the sun, I closed my eyelids and looked at the crimson curtain with its kaleidoscope of changing shapes and thought how many people will never know this kind of peace and prosperity. I am truly thankful for being a citizen of the United States of America. Several years ago I had a house with the master bath on the east wall. The frosted glass bricks above the tub were lined up with the door into the master bedroom. In the summer, the morning sun would shine through the glass and light my bedroom. I wrote this poem about waking up to the rising sun.

Sunrise

Epiphany?

No, just the rising sun
blasting through the frosted
glass on the east wall.

A laser.

Eyes closed,
I can feel it.

No fast moves.

Aroma of dark elixir.

Quiet electric hum
inside insulated walls.

A favorite time
that does not last.


The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self. Albert Einstien