There’s an AP article out of Omaha explaining how the Air Force honorably discharged Jene Newsome under the “don’t ask, don’t tell” rule regarding gays in the military.
My personal stance regarding sexual orientation as pertain to individuals serving in the military is irrelevant and has nothing to do with issues brought out in today’s article.
Jene Newsome was discharged only “after police officers in Rapid City, South Dakota, saw a marriage certificate from Iowa -- one of the handful of U.S. states that recoganize (recognize) same-sex marriage -- in Newsome's home and told the nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base.”
“Newsome and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a complaint against the western South Dakota police department, claiming the officers violated her privacy when they informed the military about her sexual orientation.”
A bit further into the article, “Police officers, who said they spotted the marriage license on the kitchen table through a window of Newsome's home, alerted the base, police Chief Steve Allender said in a statement sent to the AP. The license was relevant to the investigation because it showed both the relationship and residency of the two women, he said.”
There are a couple of issues I’d like to bring up; the first would have to be, “If this all happened in Rapid City, South Dakota; why is the AP story coming out of Omaha, Nebraska?” I’m guessing Rapid City doesn’t rate a story from the AP so they had to find the nearest “real” city.
The police chief’s statement clearly indicated police knew where the suspect lived; the law does not require the assistance of a neighbor, friend, loved one or spouse in apprehending another person with or without a warrant. “Ca-ching!”
In case you’re wondering about the use of “Ca-ching!”; that’s the sound of the civil courts lottery cash register being loaded in favor of Jene Newsome when all the smoke clears.
Jene Newsome wasn’t parading about town with a sign announcing her relationship with another woman or anyone for that matter. Her lesbian marriage, while difficult to fathom by many members of our society, was legal and had been kept under the radar of the military in accordance with the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy; that is, until a police officer allegedly peeked through the kitchen window and decided to share what he’d seen.
It would appear the police officer who shared what he saw with the folks at nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base violated his oath of office and probably several rules and regulations within the Rapid City Police Department. How’d you like to be writing a letter up the chain of command explaining this one, much less have to stand in front of a panel of jurors? Jene Newsome’s rights were trampled on, her career has been destroyed along with the trauma of going through the public mockery of her lifestyle. Beyond that, a police chief believes these actions were appropriate; no citizen is safe with that kind of approach to police work.
“Even though 80 percent of “don't ask, don’t tell” discharges come from gay and lesbian service members who out themselves, third-party outings are “some of the most heinous instances of ‘don't, ask, don’t tell,’” said Nathaniel Frank, a research fellow with the Palm Center think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a New York University professor.”
Ray Bradbury wrote, Fahrenheit 451, many years ago. There were several social issues brought to light; but for today I’ll only mention two of them.
In the pasteurized world of the book burners, neighbors could turn in anyone suspected of hiding books; all it took was an anonymous tip. There were no consequences for turning in your neighbor, your friend or even your spouse; it was your civic duty, a means of keeping society running smoothly. The “firemen” would be alerted, storm the house of the suspect, burn any books found and haul the individual off to a rehabilitation center.
The idea of a third party destroying the life of any individual, maliciously or inadvertently under our constitutional form of government should be a warning to us all. We live in a land where our founding documents define each individual’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness along with the right to be secure in their homes. There isn’t a clause which gives your neighbor additional rights or the police powers to remove those rights; quite the contrary, we have a Bill of Rights to protect us from such violations.
Paper burns when it reaches 451 degrees Fahrenheit; books are the stored knowledge of our society and once burned that part of our collective progress is gone. Our nation has as its foundation, divinely inspired documents, documents which are being burned away; a line here and a line there. Once the standard to which we’ve been raised has been destroyed through neglect or intentional abuse we’ve burned it; or am I mistaken?
In my reading of history I ran across many references to the Brown Shirts of Nazi Germany; one written by Gareth Jones, Germany Under the Rule of Hitler , does as good a job as any explaining the dangers of throwing away the safeguards which keep a nation free.
“They have created a secret police, which will make still more nebulous any freedom of expression which may remain.”
In our day, individual liberties are being cast aside; does it matter what color shirt the policeman wears as he/she destroys our God given rights; brown or blue? I don’t think many of us will remember Jene Newsome's name a year from now or that a police officer appears to have shared information which wasn’t his to share; but if our police departments are not working to defend and protect individual rights they’re not much different than Hitler’s Brown Shirts.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Invitation to Local Burglars
In one of my early meetings at church this morning someone mentioned how dumb it was announcing to the world, via the internet, your comings and goings. I decided it was time to have some fun, having read some unbelievably revealing entries in the past.
Use this short letter as a model, changing details to fit, as you let all your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you’ll be on Spring Break, Vacation or just going to the ball game next Friday. As you press the “send button” on your computer, remember; it won’t just be your close circle of friends reading this.
Hey Guys, Fred and I are leaving for our trip to Disney World in a few minutes; wanted to let you know not to expect any postings for a while. We’ll take lots of pictures and share them when we get back Tuesday the 30th.
This part’s for Nan who’ll be taking care of Fluffy: We left the key to the house under the back door floor mat. There’s an extra container of Fluffy’s food in the garage all the way in the back by the freezer if you run low. There isn’t much room to squeeze by; just back Fred’s Mercedes onto the driveway if you need to, key’s on the dinning room table. He worries more about getting a scratch on that car than about the cat; you know how men are about their toys.
Fluffy like’s attention so just sit with her a few minutes and rub behind her ears and she’ll start purring up a storm. We left an extra couple of hundred dollars on the kitchen nook table if you need anything; right next to the envelope with our veterinarian’s emergency phone number and address. If that’s not enough there’s a Master Card in the envelope clipped to a note giving you permission to act in our behalf.
The automatic timer is set so don’t be alarmed if you notice the lights and television on. Fluffy likes to sit on the cable box next to the big screen television, keeps her warm at night. If she’s not there, try looking in the bedroom; she hides in that crawl space under the bed. You might have trouble seeing her because we stashed the silverware and my good jewelry in some old shoe boxes; Fluffy thinks it’s her private cave.
I almost forgot, the code to disable the alarm system is 8514, same as our house numbers. You know how Fred has trouble remembering numbers now that he’s retired; so it’s the same combination for the safe in his closet. For a man who worked with large sums of cash at the bank before retiring you’d think he could remember, oh well.
We’re expecting a delivery of gold coins from that place we found on the internet so make sure you check the mailbox; just put it in the floor safe. You should look into that; we’ve been buying from them for years now and they don’t charge a delivery fee on orders over $10,000.
We had the newspaper shut off while we’re gone; wouldn’t want to alert the bad guys that the house will be empty all week.
Gotta’ go now, I’ll Twitter everyone as soon as we land in Orlando. Love to all, Dottie.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Use this short letter as a model, changing details to fit, as you let all your friends on Twitter and Facebook know you’ll be on Spring Break, Vacation or just going to the ball game next Friday. As you press the “send button” on your computer, remember; it won’t just be your close circle of friends reading this.
Hey Guys, Fred and I are leaving for our trip to Disney World in a few minutes; wanted to let you know not to expect any postings for a while. We’ll take lots of pictures and share them when we get back Tuesday the 30th.
This part’s for Nan who’ll be taking care of Fluffy: We left the key to the house under the back door floor mat. There’s an extra container of Fluffy’s food in the garage all the way in the back by the freezer if you run low. There isn’t much room to squeeze by; just back Fred’s Mercedes onto the driveway if you need to, key’s on the dinning room table. He worries more about getting a scratch on that car than about the cat; you know how men are about their toys.
Fluffy like’s attention so just sit with her a few minutes and rub behind her ears and she’ll start purring up a storm. We left an extra couple of hundred dollars on the kitchen nook table if you need anything; right next to the envelope with our veterinarian’s emergency phone number and address. If that’s not enough there’s a Master Card in the envelope clipped to a note giving you permission to act in our behalf.
The automatic timer is set so don’t be alarmed if you notice the lights and television on. Fluffy likes to sit on the cable box next to the big screen television, keeps her warm at night. If she’s not there, try looking in the bedroom; she hides in that crawl space under the bed. You might have trouble seeing her because we stashed the silverware and my good jewelry in some old shoe boxes; Fluffy thinks it’s her private cave.
I almost forgot, the code to disable the alarm system is 8514, same as our house numbers. You know how Fred has trouble remembering numbers now that he’s retired; so it’s the same combination for the safe in his closet. For a man who worked with large sums of cash at the bank before retiring you’d think he could remember, oh well.
We’re expecting a delivery of gold coins from that place we found on the internet so make sure you check the mailbox; just put it in the floor safe. You should look into that; we’ve been buying from them for years now and they don’t charge a delivery fee on orders over $10,000.
We had the newspaper shut off while we’re gone; wouldn’t want to alert the bad guys that the house will be empty all week.
Gotta’ go now, I’ll Twitter everyone as soon as we land in Orlando. Love to all, Dottie.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
DWI’s Were My Favorite Arrest
Looking at the calendar, it’s hard to believe I retired from the Houston Police Department 18 years ago; how can that be? Time is one of those intangibles created to make things less confusing and remind us of our mortality.
There’s a story by Hasti Taghi on KPRC’s website, Officer’s Out For Drunken Driving Crackdown which jogged my memory; some of the best times on night shift had to be arresting DWI suspects. The story related how money from “impaired driving mobilization grants”, in other words federal tax dollars, would highlight the surge of DWI’s that happen each year around the Rodeo and Spring Break.
I don’t want to get into the finance side of police work, overtime pay for special operations or politics today; just the singularly gratifying aspect of getting a dangerous driver off the street from a line officer’s point of view. Making an arrest for DWI made a complete package from the time the driver displayed erratic movement, stopping that vehicle, verifying his/her state of intoxication, the official breath test and formal interview done by the Accident Division, walking the suspect to the jail doors and lastly; the paper work, to include the filing of charges. This made for a satisfying process, a validation of the original observation.
Hasti’s story brought up the fact; Rodeo time in Houston brings out a rash of DWI’s and extra dangers to anyone who shares the roadway with them. There will also be plenty of extra police units out with only one purpose, to spot and arrest folks who’ve been out drinking and driving.
One night I got behind a DWI suspect driving an SUV on Long Point near Campbell. His vehicle was doing a bob and weave as it went down the street, occasionally taking a bite out of the raised curb and then over reacting as he crossed over into the adjacent lane; half a mile or so was enough as I put on the emergency lights and added some noise.
After getting him pulled over, a well dressed man in a business suit wearing a Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo button on his lapel greeted me and expected the “good ol’ boy” treatment since he was a big “muckity-muck” with the Rodeo. He was a good sized fellow and before he could blink he was cuffed and in the back seat of my patrol car.
“You’d never have gotten those cuffs on me if I knew you were gonna’ arrest me”
He might have had a point there; but I’d never let size keep me from getting the job done in the past and wasn’t about to start with him. I went through my own verification process; a good whiff of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and his inability to remain focused while I spoke with him. His recitation of the alphabet left much to be desired as I took dictation, “A, B, C, D, E, F, M, N, R, F, G…” I’ve taken some liberties with the exact order he supplied that night thirty plus years ago; but you get the idea.
About a year later I got subpoenaed as a witness on his case. His lawyer explained to the judge how it was all a mistake; that his client had borrowed a friend’s SUV and its handling characteristics were unfamiliar which may have looked as if he were out of control. The lawyer then added how his client was vice president of a local bank, an upstanding member of the community who would never endanger anyone.
I had my notes, the ones taken during the field interview. The prosecutor brought up the alphabet portion and how anyone, much less a vice president of a bank could do so poorly; sarcasm dripped with each point. The confidence level of the defense attorney faded as he watched his client sputter; looking at his shoes while trying to explain away slurred speech and the inability to recite the alphabet, as if a borrowed SUV had anything to do with being intoxicated.
DWI is an equal opportunity offense; anyone, rich or poor, can find a bottle and a set of car keys. Go out and enjoy the Rodeo and spring break; but remember, life’s tough enough without having to sober up, hire a lawyer, pay court costs and visit a probation officer each month. It will be that much harder if you crash your car or end up killing someone; is it worth the risk?
There’s a story by Hasti Taghi on KPRC’s website, Officer’s Out For Drunken Driving Crackdown which jogged my memory; some of the best times on night shift had to be arresting DWI suspects. The story related how money from “impaired driving mobilization grants”, in other words federal tax dollars, would highlight the surge of DWI’s that happen each year around the Rodeo and Spring Break.
I don’t want to get into the finance side of police work, overtime pay for special operations or politics today; just the singularly gratifying aspect of getting a dangerous driver off the street from a line officer’s point of view. Making an arrest for DWI made a complete package from the time the driver displayed erratic movement, stopping that vehicle, verifying his/her state of intoxication, the official breath test and formal interview done by the Accident Division, walking the suspect to the jail doors and lastly; the paper work, to include the filing of charges. This made for a satisfying process, a validation of the original observation.
Hasti’s story brought up the fact; Rodeo time in Houston brings out a rash of DWI’s and extra dangers to anyone who shares the roadway with them. There will also be plenty of extra police units out with only one purpose, to spot and arrest folks who’ve been out drinking and driving.
One night I got behind a DWI suspect driving an SUV on Long Point near Campbell. His vehicle was doing a bob and weave as it went down the street, occasionally taking a bite out of the raised curb and then over reacting as he crossed over into the adjacent lane; half a mile or so was enough as I put on the emergency lights and added some noise.
After getting him pulled over, a well dressed man in a business suit wearing a Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo button on his lapel greeted me and expected the “good ol’ boy” treatment since he was a big “muckity-muck” with the Rodeo. He was a good sized fellow and before he could blink he was cuffed and in the back seat of my patrol car.
“You’d never have gotten those cuffs on me if I knew you were gonna’ arrest me”
He might have had a point there; but I’d never let size keep me from getting the job done in the past and wasn’t about to start with him. I went through my own verification process; a good whiff of alcohol on his breath, slurred speech and his inability to remain focused while I spoke with him. His recitation of the alphabet left much to be desired as I took dictation, “A, B, C, D, E, F, M, N, R, F, G…” I’ve taken some liberties with the exact order he supplied that night thirty plus years ago; but you get the idea.
About a year later I got subpoenaed as a witness on his case. His lawyer explained to the judge how it was all a mistake; that his client had borrowed a friend’s SUV and its handling characteristics were unfamiliar which may have looked as if he were out of control. The lawyer then added how his client was vice president of a local bank, an upstanding member of the community who would never endanger anyone.
I had my notes, the ones taken during the field interview. The prosecutor brought up the alphabet portion and how anyone, much less a vice president of a bank could do so poorly; sarcasm dripped with each point. The confidence level of the defense attorney faded as he watched his client sputter; looking at his shoes while trying to explain away slurred speech and the inability to recite the alphabet, as if a borrowed SUV had anything to do with being intoxicated.
DWI is an equal opportunity offense; anyone, rich or poor, can find a bottle and a set of car keys. Go out and enjoy the Rodeo and spring break; but remember, life’s tough enough without having to sober up, hire a lawyer, pay court costs and visit a probation officer each month. It will be that much harder if you crash your car or end up killing someone; is it worth the risk?
Friday, March 12, 2010
The Shame of America or is that Sham?
Our founders must be spinning in their graves watching what’s going on in Washington. The efforts of men like Adams, Jefferson and Hamilton are being slashed to pieces in order to force unpopular legislation through. The safeguards built into the legislative process are being sidestepped in the name of expediency. You could say our Republican form of government was being slaughtered.
Bill Wilson’s Daily Grind, an internet publication which comes to my email, had a political cartoon summarizing the mindset of Democrats in congress, specifically the suggestion by congresswoman Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D) of New York, to do away with voting on the health care bill and simply say it was approved so it can move along. The fact that such an option has been seriously discussed and might be used is beyond the pale for folks who took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
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Moving right along with underhanded political strategies intended to sidestep the legislative process, a process put in place to protect liberty and freedom for as long as the sky is blue and rivers flow to the sea, a means to regulate the powers of congress from within; enter Harry Reid and the nuclear option , also called reconciliation, to force health care reform down our throats.
The health care reform bill has yet to be finalized and they want an up or down vote on it. They claim that once Obama signs it, any issues which might need fixing can be dealt with later.
My father in law was a carpenter. The old rule governs equally as well in other areas; “Measure twice, cut once”, applies to legislative issues. If they couldn’t get it right the first time; what makes anyone believe they will even try later, once they’ve gotten their way?
“But, because Democrats passed a full health reform bill in December with 60 votes and are only proposing to make changes to that through reconciliation, it’s easier for them to argue that those changes are simply about making the bill fit the overall budget.”
That wouldn’t be so bad if the changes made had anything to do with the budget; however, the changes made have to do with major issues such as abortion, mandatory enrollment of businesses and individuals to health care through legislation. In other words individual liberties are being destroyed under the guise of saving money; that’s not a budgetary issue and doesn’t qualify for reconciliation.
Over the years I’ve seen this kind of political tomfoolery from both sides of the isle; the idea that winning at any cost justifies the methods used. I’m sorry; but the blood of patriots spilled on battle fields to protect individual God given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness deserve better than the likes of Slaughter, Pelosi, Reid and Obama’s determination to eradicate the free market systems which supply health care and its associated insurance paths. These folks are intent on destroying an individual’s choice by having government mandates when it comes to health care and other areas of life.
It won’t be long before the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights will be taken off display; they will only be painful reminders of how it used to be. In their place will be empty frames, much like the promises made by congress to uphold these sacred documents and what they stand for.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Bill Wilson’s Daily Grind, an internet publication which comes to my email, had a political cartoon summarizing the mindset of Democrats in congress, specifically the suggestion by congresswoman Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D) of New York, to do away with voting on the health care bill and simply say it was approved so it can move along. The fact that such an option has been seriously discussed and might be used is beyond the pale for folks who took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
.jpg)
The health care reform bill has yet to be finalized and they want an up or down vote on it. They claim that once Obama signs it, any issues which might need fixing can be dealt with later.
My father in law was a carpenter. The old rule governs equally as well in other areas; “Measure twice, cut once”, applies to legislative issues. If they couldn’t get it right the first time; what makes anyone believe they will even try later, once they’ve gotten their way?
“But, because Democrats passed a full health reform bill in December with 60 votes and are only proposing to make changes to that through reconciliation, it’s easier for them to argue that those changes are simply about making the bill fit the overall budget.”
That wouldn’t be so bad if the changes made had anything to do with the budget; however, the changes made have to do with major issues such as abortion, mandatory enrollment of businesses and individuals to health care through legislation. In other words individual liberties are being destroyed under the guise of saving money; that’s not a budgetary issue and doesn’t qualify for reconciliation.
Over the years I’ve seen this kind of political tomfoolery from both sides of the isle; the idea that winning at any cost justifies the methods used. I’m sorry; but the blood of patriots spilled on battle fields to protect individual God given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness deserve better than the likes of Slaughter, Pelosi, Reid and Obama’s determination to eradicate the free market systems which supply health care and its associated insurance paths. These folks are intent on destroying an individual’s choice by having government mandates when it comes to health care and other areas of life.
It won’t be long before the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights will be taken off display; they will only be painful reminders of how it used to be. In their place will be empty frames, much like the promises made by congress to uphold these sacred documents and what they stand for.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Census Jobs No Different Than Welfare
Some folks are overjoyed at the prospect of creating nearly 800,000 new jobs for the Census Bureau . I see very little difference between being on welfare or working for the government; they both involve redistribution of wealth from folks who actually produce goods and services in the private sector to folks who just want a pay check, a huge difference if you consider the impact on the economy.
“Honey I have great news. I got me a government job that will last only a couple of months at best; but we’re still eligible for 99 weeks of unemployment benefits.”
No real jobs are being created, at least nothing that will strengthen the economy; government jobs are expenses which have to be paid for by taxing the private sector. It’s all smoke and mirrors for a compliant news media, a diversion from reality now that the Olympics have concluded and we’re waiting to see who makes the Final Four in basketball.
The national treasury is already in debt far beyond our ability to pay, to the point where foreign governments holding our markers have begun to call in those markers.
Trade agreements with China come to mind as they’ve become the most powerful holder of our debt. I don’t think the term free trade really applies as China is now in a position to dictate terms of trade rather than openly trade with U.S. companies.
Some products from China are inferior, or worse, health hazards. Recently questions have been raised about the safety of Chinese dry wall products showing up in newly constructed houses in Florida, a product which smells of rotten eggs and destroys wiring within the walls. I don’t think the Chinese care as long as we keep buying other inferior products, toys contaminated with lead or pirated movies and software.
Our balance of trade with China is strained to say the least, quoting from a report prepared as a brief for Congress by Wayne M. Morrison dated April 13, 2001.
“U.S.-China commercial ties have expanded substantially over the past several years. Total U.S.-China trade rose from $17.8 billion in 1989 to $ 116.4 billion in 2000. Yet, U.S.-China economic ties have been strained by a number of issues. For example, U.S. policymakers have expressed concern over the surging U.S. trade deficit with China, which rose from $6 billion in 1989 to nearly $84 billion in 2000. Many analysts blame the burgeoning trade deficit on China's restrictive trade and investment practices.”
Let me run that by one more time, “…policymakers have expressed concern over the surging U.S. trade deficit with China.” That was nine years back; but the only things which have change are the number of attacks on the free market system along with the frequency of those assaults. Are we less dependent on foreign oil or more? What about EPA restrictions so burdensome as to make it impractical to build refineries. Add to that the threat by our current administration to put the coal businesses out of business and it all adds up to shutting down the economy rather than growing one.
More recently, according to an article by Patrick Heller , posted on March 9, 2010, “Something is developing in China which will have a major impact on the value of the US dollar and the price of gold.”
How much more difficult can we make it on ourselves, continually adding to an already staggering debt? The value of our Dollar is in jeopardy because of reckless spending by congress, decades of entitlement programs and pork barrel items from both sides of the isle have become accepted as the way things are done in Washington. The Treasury Department has the most efficient printing presses in the world working around the clock destroying the value of what money supply is already out there.
How will spending money that we don’t have solve our indebtedness problems, money that won’t be collected for decades to come? The answer is; it will only make the debt worse.
“But we’re helping 800,000 people who’ve lost their jobs get back on their feet”, I can hear the violins in the background. In that case, let’s drill for oil, grab some coal out of the ground, build refineries and power plants. Once the entrepreneurs are reassured that their government is on their side real jobs will automatically be the result as production rather than reduction turns the economy around. We have idiots running our country!
“Forecasters had been expecting the Chinese government to allow the yuan to rise possibly 5% against the US dollar by the end of 2010. Any shift in value between the two currencies is important as the Chinese government held $894.8 billion in US Treasury debt as of the end of last December and about 2/3 of the country’s $2.4 trillion in reserves are denominated in US dollars. If the dollar were to decline against the yuan, that would also reduce the value of China’s reserves.”
That means China is putting up with our reckless ways because they’re holding far too many of our Dollars, money which only has value as long as our means of production back it up. If not for that China would drop us like a hot potato and we’d be just another third world country with our hands out. Come to think of it, we’re pretty close to that now as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attempts to shore up relations with our benefactors in China. For all her saber rattling, we’re sending Dragon Lady over to China hat in hand.
The foundations of production are being hand cuffed with the threat of Cap & Trade legislation which will raise the cost of energy several fold. Why would anyone consider investing capitol to expand industry when their own government was doing its level best to destroy them? Competing in the world market with mandated expenses included in health care reform is just another example of government control over industry as a recipe for a declining economy.
When those new Census workers sign on, will they have suits made in America or China? How much will these folks get paid and will it be more than folks working in the private sector? Will they be required to join a union and how long are they to remain on the government payroll or hadn’t anyone bothered to think this thing through past the immediate press release, “800,000 new jobs”? Washington mentality will bankrupt us all; tell me again, how’s that hope and change working out?
“Honey I have great news. I got me a government job that will last only a couple of months at best; but we’re still eligible for 99 weeks of unemployment benefits.”
No real jobs are being created, at least nothing that will strengthen the economy; government jobs are expenses which have to be paid for by taxing the private sector. It’s all smoke and mirrors for a compliant news media, a diversion from reality now that the Olympics have concluded and we’re waiting to see who makes the Final Four in basketball.
The national treasury is already in debt far beyond our ability to pay, to the point where foreign governments holding our markers have begun to call in those markers.
Trade agreements with China come to mind as they’ve become the most powerful holder of our debt. I don’t think the term free trade really applies as China is now in a position to dictate terms of trade rather than openly trade with U.S. companies.
Some products from China are inferior, or worse, health hazards. Recently questions have been raised about the safety of Chinese dry wall products showing up in newly constructed houses in Florida, a product which smells of rotten eggs and destroys wiring within the walls. I don’t think the Chinese care as long as we keep buying other inferior products, toys contaminated with lead or pirated movies and software.
Our balance of trade with China is strained to say the least, quoting from a report prepared as a brief for Congress by Wayne M. Morrison dated April 13, 2001.
“U.S.-China commercial ties have expanded substantially over the past several years. Total U.S.-China trade rose from $17.8 billion in 1989 to $ 116.4 billion in 2000. Yet, U.S.-China economic ties have been strained by a number of issues. For example, U.S. policymakers have expressed concern over the surging U.S. trade deficit with China, which rose from $6 billion in 1989 to nearly $84 billion in 2000. Many analysts blame the burgeoning trade deficit on China's restrictive trade and investment practices.”
Let me run that by one more time, “…policymakers have expressed concern over the surging U.S. trade deficit with China.” That was nine years back; but the only things which have change are the number of attacks on the free market system along with the frequency of those assaults. Are we less dependent on foreign oil or more? What about EPA restrictions so burdensome as to make it impractical to build refineries. Add to that the threat by our current administration to put the coal businesses out of business and it all adds up to shutting down the economy rather than growing one.
More recently, according to an article by Patrick Heller , posted on March 9, 2010, “Something is developing in China which will have a major impact on the value of the US dollar and the price of gold.”
How much more difficult can we make it on ourselves, continually adding to an already staggering debt? The value of our Dollar is in jeopardy because of reckless spending by congress, decades of entitlement programs and pork barrel items from both sides of the isle have become accepted as the way things are done in Washington. The Treasury Department has the most efficient printing presses in the world working around the clock destroying the value of what money supply is already out there.
How will spending money that we don’t have solve our indebtedness problems, money that won’t be collected for decades to come? The answer is; it will only make the debt worse.
“But we’re helping 800,000 people who’ve lost their jobs get back on their feet”, I can hear the violins in the background. In that case, let’s drill for oil, grab some coal out of the ground, build refineries and power plants. Once the entrepreneurs are reassured that their government is on their side real jobs will automatically be the result as production rather than reduction turns the economy around. We have idiots running our country!
“Forecasters had been expecting the Chinese government to allow the yuan to rise possibly 5% against the US dollar by the end of 2010. Any shift in value between the two currencies is important as the Chinese government held $894.8 billion in US Treasury debt as of the end of last December and about 2/3 of the country’s $2.4 trillion in reserves are denominated in US dollars. If the dollar were to decline against the yuan, that would also reduce the value of China’s reserves.”
That means China is putting up with our reckless ways because they’re holding far too many of our Dollars, money which only has value as long as our means of production back it up. If not for that China would drop us like a hot potato and we’d be just another third world country with our hands out. Come to think of it, we’re pretty close to that now as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attempts to shore up relations with our benefactors in China. For all her saber rattling, we’re sending Dragon Lady over to China hat in hand.
The foundations of production are being hand cuffed with the threat of Cap & Trade legislation which will raise the cost of energy several fold. Why would anyone consider investing capitol to expand industry when their own government was doing its level best to destroy them? Competing in the world market with mandated expenses included in health care reform is just another example of government control over industry as a recipe for a declining economy.
When those new Census workers sign on, will they have suits made in America or China? How much will these folks get paid and will it be more than folks working in the private sector? Will they be required to join a union and how long are they to remain on the government payroll or hadn’t anyone bothered to think this thing through past the immediate press release, “800,000 new jobs”? Washington mentality will bankrupt us all; tell me again, how’s that hope and change working out?
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Frustrations with Blogger
Before I get started let me make it clear that I’m grateful beyond being able to express my gratitude to the folks at Blogger for providing a medium which permits just about anyone with internet connections the ability to rant on and on about anything they so desire at no expense. I’m sure they make money from their services; just not directly from me. Thank you; it would be a sin and a shame for me not to acknowledge such a neat service.
Okay, why am I frustrated with Blogger? It has to do with Blogger having a will of its own, so to speak, when uploading articles for publication. Maybe it’s just the dummy on the keyboard, maybe not; but I’ve been having the devil of a time of late.
Yesterday when attempting to post Bing This I ran across some significant challenges. Granted, there were some built in facets which required planning and execution; tabbed quotations and colored background on certain paragraphs led the way. What turned out to be the straw, the straw that broke this camel’s back, was watching Blogger reorganize the article, placing entire paragraphs helter-skelter each time I went in to edit. Any seemingly insignificant alteration moved paragraphs from the middle of the article all the way to the bottom.
I almost gave up on that particular post; but remembered a trick from long ago. I grabbed the entire article and dropped it into a temporary Notebook “txt” file. At that point it washed away any hidden commands and let me post back to Blogger. That worked fine until I attempted to tab over the quotations; you’d have thought I shot my computer in the gut the way it treated my article. I decided to settle for less than planned for; but close enough for “government work”.
Today was a re-run of the same issues while posting, Houston’s Metro a Microcosm of Washington , and without the back colored lines for effect. The tabbed quotations worked just fine; that is until chaos broke out each time I tried to edit the post, the post which showed up beautifully once, now started moving paragraphs all over the article. Why is that, Blogger fans?
I did away with tabbed quotations and made sure not to do any editing, none. That worked and I guess I’ll have to live with these new limitations; no editing, zip, nada and zilch!
I did have to go back over to my Facebook account, delete the reference link I’d established after having seen what I thought was the finished product, re-enter the link with the newly assigned URL and call it a morning. Gosh and oh by golly that was fun, now where’s that bear with the tooth ache?
I think from now on I’ll simply leave a comment after the article has been published instead of taking the chance Frankenstein’s Monster will show up if I attempt to edit, even making a spelling correction. Now I can let out a sigh, breathe in, breathe out and get on with my day.
Okay, why am I frustrated with Blogger? It has to do with Blogger having a will of its own, so to speak, when uploading articles for publication. Maybe it’s just the dummy on the keyboard, maybe not; but I’ve been having the devil of a time of late.
Yesterday when attempting to post Bing This I ran across some significant challenges. Granted, there were some built in facets which required planning and execution; tabbed quotations and colored background on certain paragraphs led the way. What turned out to be the straw, the straw that broke this camel’s back, was watching Blogger reorganize the article, placing entire paragraphs helter-skelter each time I went in to edit. Any seemingly insignificant alteration moved paragraphs from the middle of the article all the way to the bottom.
I almost gave up on that particular post; but remembered a trick from long ago. I grabbed the entire article and dropped it into a temporary Notebook “txt” file. At that point it washed away any hidden commands and let me post back to Blogger. That worked fine until I attempted to tab over the quotations; you’d have thought I shot my computer in the gut the way it treated my article. I decided to settle for less than planned for; but close enough for “government work”.
Today was a re-run of the same issues while posting, Houston’s Metro a Microcosm of Washington , and without the back colored lines for effect. The tabbed quotations worked just fine; that is until chaos broke out each time I tried to edit the post, the post which showed up beautifully once, now started moving paragraphs all over the article. Why is that, Blogger fans?
I did away with tabbed quotations and made sure not to do any editing, none. That worked and I guess I’ll have to live with these new limitations; no editing, zip, nada and zilch!
I did have to go back over to my Facebook account, delete the reference link I’d established after having seen what I thought was the finished product, re-enter the link with the newly assigned URL and call it a morning. Gosh and oh by golly that was fun, now where’s that bear with the tooth ache?
I think from now on I’ll simply leave a comment after the article has been published instead of taking the chance Frankenstein’s Monster will show up if I attempt to edit, even making a spelling correction. Now I can let out a sigh, breathe in, breathe out and get on with my day.
Houston’s Metro a Microcosm of Washington
“Houston, we have a problem”, while spoken by astronauts on Apollo 13; the line has relevance in other areas closer to home. I caught a well written article by Bradley Olson and Mike Snyder in the Houston Chronicle, highlighting local Metro’s $2.6 Billion bond plan which exceeds by about “four times the debt capacity voters authorized in a 2003 referendum”.
Normally I would have “read” a well written article; but I’ve been listening to the Astros each afternoon; spring training games are now in full swing. You could say I’m addicted to baseball and have had to wait all winter long; sitting in the dugout too long will do that to a player.
A couple of lines explains the frustration citizens have with government bureaucracies, the sinking feeling that no matter how loudly we voice our desires, the bureaucrats are going to do what ever they damn well please; pardon my French.
“Metro President and CEO Frank Wilson said the agency does not have to ask for voter approval for the additional debt because it would be paid for with sales taxes, fare revenues and federal grants.”
‘“If you read the referendum, there are a number of sources in there that we’re allowed to use that doesn't require us to go back (to voters),” he said.”
That’s like having one of your children ask to borrow the car for a trip down to Galveston’s beach and finding out, after getting a collect call from San Diego, that some of his friends talked him into going to Disneyland. “Could you wire me a few hundred dollars? That Twenty you gave me is all gone?” Have I overstated the issue?
There’s a difference between mild exaggeration and an out right lie. Voters are seeing the same level of respect, or more accurately, lack of respect at nearly every level of government, all the way to Washington.
Speaking of Social Security; my old police partner used to change subjects like that when he wanted to talk about something else. Whatever social skill he lacked he made up for in being direct.
Social Security, when put before voters, was promised to be no more than 1% and limited to the first $15,000 earned (*). That has been has expanded to 6.2% tax on the first $250,000 (*); most folks entire annual income, not including an additional 1.45% assigned to Medicare. I don’t care which age you live in; 1% remains constant. What happened to make it 6.2%; they lied to the American people.
(*) I put that in there because I couldn’t find the page with all the stats in my files and was going from memory. I tried finding the exact figures on the internet; but mostly what I found was a rousing socialist justification for the Ponzi scheme we call Social Security . I’m sure someone has the exact amounts and could leave a comment; not intending to mislead anyone by my lack of investigative skills, just wanted to focus on how the lie was established.
I’m getting off target a bit. I never even brought up the fact (my opinion) that Houston’s Metro rail system has been a disaster from its inception; building a ground level rail system which competes for space with cars, trucks, busses and pedestrians is asinine, you heard me, asinine! The toy train project was shoved down the public’s throat and competing ideas were thrown in the trash without serious debate; much like health care reform being worked out behind closed doors and being voted on in the middle of the night. Now they want to expand that nightmare to other parts of the city.
There’s a fine line between representative government and tyranny. In my lifetime I’ve watched that line edge ever closer toward tyranny; don’t know how long the average American will put up with being lied to. I hope the great fall holds off until I’ve gone the way of all the world; but what about my children and grandchildren, what kind of America are we leaving them?
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Normally I would have “read” a well written article; but I’ve been listening to the Astros each afternoon; spring training games are now in full swing. You could say I’m addicted to baseball and have had to wait all winter long; sitting in the dugout too long will do that to a player.
A couple of lines explains the frustration citizens have with government bureaucracies, the sinking feeling that no matter how loudly we voice our desires, the bureaucrats are going to do what ever they damn well please; pardon my French.
“Metro President and CEO Frank Wilson said the agency does not have to ask for voter approval for the additional debt because it would be paid for with sales taxes, fare revenues and federal grants.”
‘“If you read the referendum, there are a number of sources in there that we’re allowed to use that doesn't require us to go back (to voters),” he said.”
That’s like having one of your children ask to borrow the car for a trip down to Galveston’s beach and finding out, after getting a collect call from San Diego, that some of his friends talked him into going to Disneyland. “Could you wire me a few hundred dollars? That Twenty you gave me is all gone?” Have I overstated the issue?
There’s a difference between mild exaggeration and an out right lie. Voters are seeing the same level of respect, or more accurately, lack of respect at nearly every level of government, all the way to Washington.
Speaking of Social Security; my old police partner used to change subjects like that when he wanted to talk about something else. Whatever social skill he lacked he made up for in being direct.
Social Security, when put before voters, was promised to be no more than 1% and limited to the first $15,000 earned (*). That has been has expanded to 6.2% tax on the first $250,000 (*); most folks entire annual income, not including an additional 1.45% assigned to Medicare. I don’t care which age you live in; 1% remains constant. What happened to make it 6.2%; they lied to the American people.
(*) I put that in there because I couldn’t find the page with all the stats in my files and was going from memory. I tried finding the exact figures on the internet; but mostly what I found was a rousing socialist justification for the Ponzi scheme we call Social Security . I’m sure someone has the exact amounts and could leave a comment; not intending to mislead anyone by my lack of investigative skills, just wanted to focus on how the lie was established.
I’m getting off target a bit. I never even brought up the fact (my opinion) that Houston’s Metro rail system has been a disaster from its inception; building a ground level rail system which competes for space with cars, trucks, busses and pedestrians is asinine, you heard me, asinine! The toy train project was shoved down the public’s throat and competing ideas were thrown in the trash without serious debate; much like health care reform being worked out behind closed doors and being voted on in the middle of the night. Now they want to expand that nightmare to other parts of the city.
There’s a fine line between representative government and tyranny. In my lifetime I’ve watched that line edge ever closer toward tyranny; don’t know how long the average American will put up with being lied to. I hope the great fall holds off until I’ve gone the way of all the world; but what about my children and grandchildren, what kind of America are we leaving them?
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
I’m An Ordinary Man
I couldn’t resist the opportunity to post this YouTube video after having had such a time on my last blog experience . For anyone never having had the chance to hear the performance which accompanied the wonderfully written play, here’s your chance.
Bing This!
A short explanation prior to posting this particular article is in order. I tried several times to post this with tabbed quotations and orange background where called for; but after 2 hours of watching those efforts come up with Frankenstein results, paragraphs moved from their original position and general mayhem, I've simmered down and will simply post it directly from my file without any of those accustomed enhancements.
Bing This!
A tune from My Fair Lady is playing in the back of my head; don’t know if I can recall the words exactly, nor does it matter that much; I’ll Google it while writing. You might wonder why that tune popped into my head; I’m about to tell you.
“…I’m an ordinary man,
Who desires nothing more than an ordinary chance,
to live exactly as he likes, and do precisely what he wants...
An average man am I, of no eccentric whim,
Who likes to live his life, free of strife,
doing whatever he thinks is best, for him,
Well... just an ordinary man...”
The simple task of reading an article on the internet, an article which has those annoying Bing buttons triggered one of my hot buttons. You’re probably familiar with the little orange buttons placed next to key words in a sentence, words you might have simply glanced at while reading. When your cursor passes in close proximity to one, a secondary window opens up right in the middle of whatever you’re reading, a chance to further research that particular item. They call it Bing; but that’s not the word which sprang to mind when interrupted in mid thought.
“…I’m a very gentle man,
even tempered and good natured
who you never hear complain,
Who has the milk of human kindness
by the quart in every vein,
A patient man am I, down to my fingertips,
the sort who never could, ever would,
let an insulting remark escape his lips
Very gentle man...”
I was reading an article, historical in nature, regarding Japan’s “secret pacts” with the U.S. during the cold war era over at FoxNews. Imagine, one of our allies helping us keep an eye on one of the most explosive situations to ever threaten the entire planet; must be a sinister conservative plot. The next thing you know one of those nasty little boxes popped up.
Yukio Hatoyama (born 11 February 1947) is a Japanese politician who has been Prime Minister of Japan since September 2009…
I have a new fancy mouse, the kind that lets you zoom in and enlarge text; a nice accessory; but it didn’t alert me to the fact that the cursor, hidden from sight due to the enlarged area being read, had gone past yet another Bing spot.
Nuclear umbrella refers to a guarantee by a nuclear weapons state to defend a non-nuclear allied state. It is usually used for the security allia...
“…You are a man of grace and polish,
who never spoke above a hush,
all at once you're using language that would make
a sailor blush…”
I managed to get through the article; veins swelling in my neck with each imposed distraction. I bet there’s a way to disable the Bing feature; please somebody, tell me how to get rid of that nasty piece of technology.
“…I'm a quiet living man,
who prefers to spend the evening in the silence of his room,
who likes an atmosphere as restful as
an undiscovered tomb,
A pensive man am I, of philosophical joys,
who likes to meditate, contemplate,
far for humanities mad inhuman noise,
Quiet living man....”
This past week I got an email from someone concerned that I’d been rather harsh as I replied to a comment left to one of my posted blogs. It was an opportunity for me to grow, to explain myself to a stranger, in pleasant terms while at the same time reminding him that I expect a certain level of respect to basic blogging etiquette. Once that had been explained I tossed in how I’d learned social graces from Professor Higgins in the play My Fair Lady.
“Bing, Bing, Bing!
I’ve grown accustomed to …”
A little poetic license with one line spoken rather harshly later in the play and yet it covers my disapproval rating for Bing. While I’m off on this tangent I wanted to give credit; the link where I found the lyrics to, I’m An Ordinary Man .
Monday, March 08, 2010
“Fighting Words” & the 1st Amendment
If you walked up to someone and hit them with your fist, that’s assault. If you call someone a name, such as a racial slur intended to antagonize, that’s covered under disorderly conduct in most places. What’s different about an organized hate rally at the funeral of a fallen United States soldier, a rally intended to antagonize those attending that funeral?
The only reason I’m asking is there’s an AP story in today’s Houston Chronicle about a case going before the Supreme Court regarding a protester who had a sign, “Thank God for dead soldiers.” The original case ruled against the sign carrier; but “The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the signs contained "imaginative and hyperbolic rhetoric" protected by the First Amendment.”
It seems nothing is ever settled until the fat lady sings, so the Men in Black will get to define the fringe details; yet another assault on common sense.
“Other signs carried by church members read, "America is Doomed," ''God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11," ''Priests Rape Boys" and "Thank God for IEDs," a reference to the roadside bombs that have killed many U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
You’d have thought the entire group would have been thrown under the jail for disorderly conduct at the very least for assaulting every single member of the U.S. Armed forces, their families and those protected by them; that’s pretty much the entire United States of America, excepting those few who actually hate our country.
It would be nice to have a member of the the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as my next door neighbor. After changing the oil on one of my vehicles, instead of carefully having the contaminated oil disposed of properly; I could write my name in his/her immaculately manicured front lawn, a steady stream of brown acidic oil destroying the grass and shrubbery. No doubt such would be my use of imaginative and hyperbolic rhetoric”.
In yet another AP story dated February 10, 2010, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled, in a similar case, that “fighting words” are not covered under the 1st Amendment . My goodness how are we to know what’s covered and what isn’t? I didn’t see any thing about the North Dakota case being taken further up the line on appeal.
“North Dakota's Supreme Court has ruled that a white girl who used racial slurs to taunt a black classmate isn’t protected by the U.S. Constitution’s free-speech guarantees.”
I guess the Supreme Court is going to have to come up with a list of objectionable words which are permitted and the manner in which they may be shared publicly.
The first list would include most of the four letter words used by the entertainment industry. There would be a separate list of prohibited “fighting words”; words which when spoken, violate everyone’s level of decency, not just some folks. Topping the list would be the “N” word followed by the “Q” word and so on until each minority segment of society was properly addressed. We’ll call this list “Politically Correctness”.
Minority groups which are not covered under the “fighting words” interpretation of free speech will have to be tolerant. Here are some of the folks who can still be verbally assaulted; the “C” folks, conservatives which includes the (R) Republicans with its sub groups, returning soldiers of foreign combat and “W”, White folks or Caucasians and Christians in general.
There really is a better way of understanding what’s protected in the Bill of Rights under the 1st Amendment right of free speech. It all gets back to understanding where rights come from. Rights come from God, they are not granted by the powers of government.
Rights must be viewed in light of a higher order; that which God would approve. Many perversions have been foisted upon society in the name of freedom of expression, a tolerance of nearly any abomination the human mind can imagine; they are just that, perversions. Profanity, pornography and a multitude of vile activities too numerous to mention should be avoided in decent society.
For some reason, falling short of what our Creator intended when he blessed us with the right of free speech along with our agency to act independently; we have tolerated these perversions to the point of embracing them and the result is fairly clear. A considerable portion of society is not decent, at least not in the sight of God. God would never have included such perversions as he blessed His children with inalienable rights; he expects his heirs to live to higher standards.
Think about that for a moment; if you were addressing the Creator of this world, how would your language be assembled? You now have the answer to what is covered by the right of free speech. Taking this case before the Supreme Court only shows our collective unwillingness to abide God’s laws.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
The only reason I’m asking is there’s an AP story in today’s Houston Chronicle about a case going before the Supreme Court regarding a protester who had a sign, “Thank God for dead soldiers.” The original case ruled against the sign carrier; but “The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the signs contained "imaginative and hyperbolic rhetoric" protected by the First Amendment.”
It seems nothing is ever settled until the fat lady sings, so the Men in Black will get to define the fringe details; yet another assault on common sense.
“Other signs carried by church members read, "America is Doomed," ''God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11," ''Priests Rape Boys" and "Thank God for IEDs," a reference to the roadside bombs that have killed many U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.”
You’d have thought the entire group would have been thrown under the jail for disorderly conduct at the very least for assaulting every single member of the U.S. Armed forces, their families and those protected by them; that’s pretty much the entire United States of America, excepting those few who actually hate our country.
It would be nice to have a member of the the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as my next door neighbor. After changing the oil on one of my vehicles, instead of carefully having the contaminated oil disposed of properly; I could write my name in his/her immaculately manicured front lawn, a steady stream of brown acidic oil destroying the grass and shrubbery. No doubt such would be my use of imaginative and hyperbolic rhetoric”.
In yet another AP story dated February 10, 2010, the North Dakota Supreme Court ruled, in a similar case, that “fighting words” are not covered under the 1st Amendment . My goodness how are we to know what’s covered and what isn’t? I didn’t see any thing about the North Dakota case being taken further up the line on appeal.
“North Dakota's Supreme Court has ruled that a white girl who used racial slurs to taunt a black classmate isn’t protected by the U.S. Constitution’s free-speech guarantees.”
I guess the Supreme Court is going to have to come up with a list of objectionable words which are permitted and the manner in which they may be shared publicly.
The first list would include most of the four letter words used by the entertainment industry. There would be a separate list of prohibited “fighting words”; words which when spoken, violate everyone’s level of decency, not just some folks. Topping the list would be the “N” word followed by the “Q” word and so on until each minority segment of society was properly addressed. We’ll call this list “Politically Correctness”.
Minority groups which are not covered under the “fighting words” interpretation of free speech will have to be tolerant. Here are some of the folks who can still be verbally assaulted; the “C” folks, conservatives which includes the (R) Republicans with its sub groups, returning soldiers of foreign combat and “W”, White folks or Caucasians and Christians in general.
There really is a better way of understanding what’s protected in the Bill of Rights under the 1st Amendment right of free speech. It all gets back to understanding where rights come from. Rights come from God, they are not granted by the powers of government.
Rights must be viewed in light of a higher order; that which God would approve. Many perversions have been foisted upon society in the name of freedom of expression, a tolerance of nearly any abomination the human mind can imagine; they are just that, perversions. Profanity, pornography and a multitude of vile activities too numerous to mention should be avoided in decent society.
For some reason, falling short of what our Creator intended when he blessed us with the right of free speech along with our agency to act independently; we have tolerated these perversions to the point of embracing them and the result is fairly clear. A considerable portion of society is not decent, at least not in the sight of God. God would never have included such perversions as he blessed His children with inalienable rights; he expects his heirs to live to higher standards.
Think about that for a moment; if you were addressing the Creator of this world, how would your language be assembled? You now have the answer to what is covered by the right of free speech. Taking this case before the Supreme Court only shows our collective unwillingness to abide God’s laws.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Define Joy
A few meandering thoughts as Spring transforms the world around me. I saw a couple of Robins this week, Dogwood bursting forth in wild bloom as are the Redbud trees; won’t be long before it will be safe to put our tomato plants outside. I found myself smiling for no apparent reason, an expression of joy.
A scripture from the Book of Mormon came to mind, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy”; but define Joy.
My guide to the scriptures has a fairly simple definition, “A condition of great happiness coming from righteous living”. There were references to living in obedience to the commandments and the atonement offered by Jesus Christ which brings a fullness of joy leading me to believe that joy has an eternal nature as well as a lesser form, one which permits us a glimpse of things yet to come while in mortality. Maybe joy has levels in conjunction with the levels of glory; not so far fetched a thought.
I was reading the over view of chapter 41 in Alma regarding the resurrection which explained that men come forth in a state of endless happiness or endless misery as a result of choices made in mortality.
Interestingly, a young girl referenced this very scripture while bearing her testimony this morning. She related how one of her friends had asked if there were some pills which might make her smile all the time, feel good regardless of how bad life’s challenges were.
“Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.”
I contemplated the list of commonly associated synonyms offered in my thesaurus; ones which stood out as least compatible where pleasure and thrill, going by modern interpretation. Others listed were more in line with my perceived meaning of joy; delight, happiness and bliss conjured a vision of the sublime rather than things carnal.
My exploration of joy’s meaning may have been sparked by an item I read on Facebook the other day, a quote from a rather unhappy individual, “We fell sorry for people who don’t drink, cause when you wake up in the morning that’s as good as you’re gonna feel for the rest of the day”. That didn’t fit with my idea of having a great day, much less experiencing joy.
There are many who believe pleasure comes from doing things which are not good for you and often times in direct conflict with eternal principles; however, it’s what sells products and life style enhancements.
It’s difficult to watch nearly any form of entertainment coming out of Hollywood without wincing for the general absence of obedience to the laws of God. There’s a steady parade of debased carnal passions displayed as if these momentary distractions were within reach and would make us happy. No, they offer little if anything worth a shout for joy; quite the opposite. What we reap we sow; isn’t that what Job recorded ?
Thrill seekers, folks living on the edge, doing hazardous stunts which endanger life and property simply to see if it can be accomplished experience an adrenaline rush. All the same, do these bring joy or are they ‘funny money’ for the soul, a hollow promise which can’t be redeemed in the long run?
Returning to the council found in Alma 41, the answer to finding joy is given in summation.
“Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.”
When I was young I learned to appreciate simple things; a beautiful sunset, Queen Anne’s Lace in full bloom while walking along the edge of a field, thunderstorms and the cool breeze which preceded the eminent downpour; all these were gifts from God to be enjoyed, to bring us joy. Part of that joy was in being able to express gratitude; my acknowledgement, a “Thank you, Sir”, for every breath of life which supports me from moment to moment is a gift from above.
What a marvelous thing this mortality is, a chance to learn about the Great Plan of Happiness ; may we take full advantage of each moment for tomorrow is promised to no one. May you find joy in abiding by God’s commandments is my prayer, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Edited March 7, 2010
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
A scripture from the Book of Mormon came to mind, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy”; but define Joy.
My guide to the scriptures has a fairly simple definition, “A condition of great happiness coming from righteous living”. There were references to living in obedience to the commandments and the atonement offered by Jesus Christ which brings a fullness of joy leading me to believe that joy has an eternal nature as well as a lesser form, one which permits us a glimpse of things yet to come while in mortality. Maybe joy has levels in conjunction with the levels of glory; not so far fetched a thought.
I was reading the over view of chapter 41 in Alma regarding the resurrection which explained that men come forth in a state of endless happiness or endless misery as a result of choices made in mortality.
Interestingly, a young girl referenced this very scripture while bearing her testimony this morning. She related how one of her friends had asked if there were some pills which might make her smile all the time, feel good regardless of how bad life’s challenges were.
“Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.”
I contemplated the list of commonly associated synonyms offered in my thesaurus; ones which stood out as least compatible where pleasure and thrill, going by modern interpretation. Others listed were more in line with my perceived meaning of joy; delight, happiness and bliss conjured a vision of the sublime rather than things carnal.
My exploration of joy’s meaning may have been sparked by an item I read on Facebook the other day, a quote from a rather unhappy individual, “We fell sorry for people who don’t drink, cause when you wake up in the morning that’s as good as you’re gonna feel for the rest of the day”. That didn’t fit with my idea of having a great day, much less experiencing joy.
There are many who believe pleasure comes from doing things which are not good for you and often times in direct conflict with eternal principles; however, it’s what sells products and life style enhancements.
It’s difficult to watch nearly any form of entertainment coming out of Hollywood without wincing for the general absence of obedience to the laws of God. There’s a steady parade of debased carnal passions displayed as if these momentary distractions were within reach and would make us happy. No, they offer little if anything worth a shout for joy; quite the opposite. What we reap we sow; isn’t that what Job recorded ?
Thrill seekers, folks living on the edge, doing hazardous stunts which endanger life and property simply to see if it can be accomplished experience an adrenaline rush. All the same, do these bring joy or are they ‘funny money’ for the soul, a hollow promise which can’t be redeemed in the long run?
Returning to the council found in Alma 41, the answer to finding joy is given in summation.
“Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.”
When I was young I learned to appreciate simple things; a beautiful sunset, Queen Anne’s Lace in full bloom while walking along the edge of a field, thunderstorms and the cool breeze which preceded the eminent downpour; all these were gifts from God to be enjoyed, to bring us joy. Part of that joy was in being able to express gratitude; my acknowledgement, a “Thank you, Sir”, for every breath of life which supports me from moment to moment is a gift from above.
What a marvelous thing this mortality is, a chance to learn about the Great Plan of Happiness ; may we take full advantage of each moment for tomorrow is promised to no one. May you find joy in abiding by God’s commandments is my prayer, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Edited March 7, 2010
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Friday, March 05, 2010
Activist Judge Should Step Down
There’s a story out of Houston this morning by Carl Willis which starts off, “A Harris County judge declared the death penalty unconstitutional in a ruling during a pretrial hearing Thursday, KPRC Local 2 reported.” That’s not what Texas state law says, not what the appellate courts have upheld or how the Supreme Court has ruled; but Judge Kevin Fine made the ruling anyway.
I wanted to include a picture of Judge Kevin Fine; but my dictionary is an older addition and has yet to have the definition of Activist Judge included. If I had time I’d go through my collection of Mad Magazines, he’s got to be in one of those.
I’m not a lawyer so I’ll let others duke it out over the short comings of such an inept ruling by a sitting criminal court judge; however, there’s a great deal of similarity to being a juror.
I’ve been called to serve in that capacity on more than one occasion. Jurors, whether they are impaneled and actually sit through the entire process or released from their civic responsibility at one stage or another; are put under oath to follow the law as it is written in order to be fair both to the state and the accused.
One time my civic duty lottery ticket came up with 72 other prospective jurors; a chance to sit in on a rather nasty criminal case, aggravated sexual assault of a child. The introductory evidence supplied during the weeding out process included several points of law which had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in order for a finding of guilty to be established; sexual assault of a child, a weapon was used and that the incident happened within the jurisdiction of the court. The list was edited to save space.
Each lawyer asked plenty of questions as they went down the list of potential jurors to see how they might react during the actual trial; scratching those who would be clearly detrimental to their cause, either for the state or the defendant.
One question was asked which violated my sense of right and wrong, even though state law clearly included the parameters, I’ll paraphrase since it was a long time ago.
“If, upon finding the defendant guilty, you as a juror sitting in the punishment phase of this trial, were asked to consider a range of punishment to include everything from probation to life in prison; could you do that?”
Bear in mind the most basic elements which had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt; that the defendant sexually assaulted a child and that a weapon was used during the commission of that crime.
I raised my hand, having considered the question as ludicrous, even though state law was written in such a way as to provide both extremes. In my mind the law had been written so badly as to include probation for such a heinous crime; no, I could not uphold the law in that case.
The prosecutor asked me to explain my reasons for not being able to follow such a stipulation of the law to the judge and in front of the entire box of potential jurors. Once the explanation had been given he asked if anyone else felt the same way. I’d never seen an entire jury dismissed as each one of them raised their hands, many of them shaking their heads in disbelief that probation could ever be considered with the knowledge that such a crime had been committed.
The only reason I brought that whole jury duty issue to light was because I’d raised my hand to the square and sworn, before God and everyone present, to follow the law as it was written. By so doing I was honor bound to remove myself from consideration by letting both the prosecutor and defense team mark me off the list, rather than proceed under a ‘flag of false colors’.
You might ask, “What’s a flag of false colors?” Think of when you watched an old pirate movie, where the bad guys flew the Union Jack right up until they were within firing range of their target. Some rope monkey scurried up, removed the Union Jack and replaced it with the Skull and Crossbones flag. “Oh no, Pirates”; but everyone thought they were okay until it was too late.
That’s your history lesson for today; tomorrow topic, Thermo Nuclear Dynamics and how to Keep Radical Islamic Terrorists from Smuggling an Atomic Bomb into a City Near You. I may need a little more time for that one as each of you will be required to pass through a full body scan.
I know lots of folks who would have kept quiet, let their personal feelings remain hidden, waited for a finding of guilty and hammered the rotten pervert to the fullest extent the law permitted. That kind of thing happens; but those who do so are ignoring their oath to honestly consider the other end of the spectrum which included probation, that’s a flag of false colors.
Judge Kevin Fine raised his hand to the square; he promised to uphold the laws as they have been written. He’s honor bound to remove himself from that position, not because he’s been dishonest about his feelings regarding a particular point of law, the death penalty, which he’s made perfectly clear; but because he, perhaps better than anyone, should understand the duties and responsibilities of following the laws as they have been written, not as he would like to see them written.
Judge Kevin Fine, in all likelihood, had this same opinion before he ran for office, before he asked his fellow citizens to elect him to that position. If that’s the case he ran under false colors and should be concerned for his eternal soul for having lied before God and his fellow citizens when he took his oath of office. In either case, an honorable man would step aside for the benefit of society and the laws which govern that society.
I wanted to include a picture of Judge Kevin Fine; but my dictionary is an older addition and has yet to have the definition of Activist Judge included. If I had time I’d go through my collection of Mad Magazines, he’s got to be in one of those.
I’m not a lawyer so I’ll let others duke it out over the short comings of such an inept ruling by a sitting criminal court judge; however, there’s a great deal of similarity to being a juror.
I’ve been called to serve in that capacity on more than one occasion. Jurors, whether they are impaneled and actually sit through the entire process or released from their civic responsibility at one stage or another; are put under oath to follow the law as it is written in order to be fair both to the state and the accused.
One time my civic duty lottery ticket came up with 72 other prospective jurors; a chance to sit in on a rather nasty criminal case, aggravated sexual assault of a child. The introductory evidence supplied during the weeding out process included several points of law which had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in order for a finding of guilty to be established; sexual assault of a child, a weapon was used and that the incident happened within the jurisdiction of the court. The list was edited to save space.
Each lawyer asked plenty of questions as they went down the list of potential jurors to see how they might react during the actual trial; scratching those who would be clearly detrimental to their cause, either for the state or the defendant.
One question was asked which violated my sense of right and wrong, even though state law clearly included the parameters, I’ll paraphrase since it was a long time ago.
“If, upon finding the defendant guilty, you as a juror sitting in the punishment phase of this trial, were asked to consider a range of punishment to include everything from probation to life in prison; could you do that?”
Bear in mind the most basic elements which had to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt; that the defendant sexually assaulted a child and that a weapon was used during the commission of that crime.
I raised my hand, having considered the question as ludicrous, even though state law was written in such a way as to provide both extremes. In my mind the law had been written so badly as to include probation for such a heinous crime; no, I could not uphold the law in that case.
The prosecutor asked me to explain my reasons for not being able to follow such a stipulation of the law to the judge and in front of the entire box of potential jurors. Once the explanation had been given he asked if anyone else felt the same way. I’d never seen an entire jury dismissed as each one of them raised their hands, many of them shaking their heads in disbelief that probation could ever be considered with the knowledge that such a crime had been committed.
The only reason I brought that whole jury duty issue to light was because I’d raised my hand to the square and sworn, before God and everyone present, to follow the law as it was written. By so doing I was honor bound to remove myself from consideration by letting both the prosecutor and defense team mark me off the list, rather than proceed under a ‘flag of false colors’.
You might ask, “What’s a flag of false colors?” Think of when you watched an old pirate movie, where the bad guys flew the Union Jack right up until they were within firing range of their target. Some rope monkey scurried up, removed the Union Jack and replaced it with the Skull and Crossbones flag. “Oh no, Pirates”; but everyone thought they were okay until it was too late.
That’s your history lesson for today; tomorrow topic, Thermo Nuclear Dynamics and how to Keep Radical Islamic Terrorists from Smuggling an Atomic Bomb into a City Near You. I may need a little more time for that one as each of you will be required to pass through a full body scan.
I know lots of folks who would have kept quiet, let their personal feelings remain hidden, waited for a finding of guilty and hammered the rotten pervert to the fullest extent the law permitted. That kind of thing happens; but those who do so are ignoring their oath to honestly consider the other end of the spectrum which included probation, that’s a flag of false colors.
Judge Kevin Fine raised his hand to the square; he promised to uphold the laws as they have been written. He’s honor bound to remove himself from that position, not because he’s been dishonest about his feelings regarding a particular point of law, the death penalty, which he’s made perfectly clear; but because he, perhaps better than anyone, should understand the duties and responsibilities of following the laws as they have been written, not as he would like to see them written.
Judge Kevin Fine, in all likelihood, had this same opinion before he ran for office, before he asked his fellow citizens to elect him to that position. If that’s the case he ran under false colors and should be concerned for his eternal soul for having lied before God and his fellow citizens when he took his oath of office. In either case, an honorable man would step aside for the benefit of society and the laws which govern that society.
Edited: March 5, 2010
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Somebody left the back door open, again ...
I haven’t given an update on the Hobo Kitties in a while so today’s as good a day as any. Bubba, our senior kitty, has about given up on us. She got up off the end of our bed, which she would argue is actually hers and she just lets us use it; yelling in our direction as she walked over to the kitchen nook, “Hey, somebody left the back door open, again”, sarcasm dripping off her sharpened front claws.
When weather permits I’ve been leaving the kitchen nook door open hoping Head Buttr’ will take us up on the invitation. This morning both Brother and Head Buttr wandered in while a disgusted Bubba kept a close eye on them from her perch atop the kitchen counter top.
Brother, having wandered inside several times now, knows to check out the corners of the cat bed which gets a regular spray of cat nip. It didn’t take him long to curl up, his head pushed over the edge of one corner in a mild stupor, gently purring with a knowledge that the back door remained an easy escape should the need arise.
Bubba sulked off and lay down on top of the cable box, a nice warm spot where she could keep an eye on the interlopers. “Would somebody please close the door" followed by, "Were you guys raised in a barn?”
As soon as Brother and Head Buttr’ bolted out the door Bubba took up a more aggressive position, sitting on the threshold smack dab in the middle, “Aint no Hobo Kitties getting’ past me this way!”
When weather permits I’ve been leaving the kitchen nook door open hoping Head Buttr’ will take us up on the invitation. This morning both Brother and Head Buttr wandered in while a disgusted Bubba kept a close eye on them from her perch atop the kitchen counter top.
Brother, having wandered inside several times now, knows to check out the corners of the cat bed which gets a regular spray of cat nip. It didn’t take him long to curl up, his head pushed over the edge of one corner in a mild stupor, gently purring with a knowledge that the back door remained an easy escape should the need arise.
Head Buttr’ wandered around the den for a short while, got lonely and went over and did what she does best, butted heads with Brother. They’re making progress; more than our tomato seedlings which don’t look much different than they did last week; oh well.
As soon as Brother and Head Buttr’ bolted out the door Bubba took up a more aggressive position, sitting on the threshold smack dab in the middle, “Aint no Hobo Kitties getting’ past me this way!”
Is Education a Right or an Entitlement?
I was brought up through the public school system and have heard many folks express the idea, “obtaining an education is every child’s right”; for that matter, everyone’s right. Until I understood the difference between rights and entitlements I never would have questioned such reasoning.
I guess red flags being waved in the gray matter portions, deep inside my head are the reason for the salt and pepper around my temples. When I hear, “It’s for the children”, those little red flags start going back and forth as a warning not to buy into what ever line follows.
When I was a police officer, one of my captains, a man easily in his 60’s, had a full crop of jet black hair. I mentioned how nicely he’d matured, sucking up to a superior officer if you will. He smiled a wry smile and replied, “I don’t get gray hair, I give it!” I bet he read nothing but the funny papers, leaving that other garbage for others to worry about.
A brief history; rights are inalienable and come from God while entitlements are privileges granted by government to various segments of society. Just think how the world would look today if that line had been included in Cliff Notes version of American History for Dummies.
If you’d like a list of rights, may I suggest reading the Constitution and Bill of Rights; imagine that, actually knowing what constitutes a right. On the other hand, if you’d like a list of entitlements I’m afraid I haven’t got the time or inclination to list them all. Here’s a clue on how to determine for sure if an item falls into the entitlement category; if it requires someone else’s time, effort or capital investment then it’s an entitlement.
That having been said, go back in your thought processes and classify education in all its forms from Pre-K on through college, medical services, transportation services, telephone and the entire idea of communication services and tell me, are these rights or entitlements? If you answered “rights” you likely swallowed the Kool-Aid offered by our government run public education system. If you answered, “Duh, rights?”, then it’s time for another hair dresser appointment; your blond roots are showing.
I must be out of the loop; never got my invitation from SDS, the one telling me about the March 4 Day of Action and Strike in Defense of Public Education . Brenda J. Elliot wrote about a group of unhappy anti-Americans; I guess she wasn’t invited either.
You might question my use of the term “anti-American”; let me list some of the organizations who are lined up, lined up to demand the entitlement of a free education.
I’ll start with the International Socialist Organization, “which David Horowitz’s Discover the Networks describes as an “Anti-American, anti-capitalist Communist organization” found on “many American campuses”.
“Also listed among the endorsements is Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS), the geriatric Students for a Democratic Society group that supports the new and improved SDS.”
Visions of Patty Hearst brandishing a machine gun come to mind when the letters SDS are put next to each other; must be something I ate and it tasted really bad.
The list goes on; Socialist Party of Connecticut, and the Ohio chapter of Progressive Democrats of America are demanding a strike for education too. I see a pattern developing; could it be all these organizations want capitalism to fail in favor of socialism?
“The Boston link is sponsored by Communist affiliated United for Peace and Justice, the same radical group Barack Obama associated himself with while in the Illinois State Senate. Unsurprisingly, Van Jones worked with UPJ in California.”
Dustin Hoffman did a good job in his part, “There’s definitely a pattern, definitely a pattern” followed by “two hundred thirty seven, two hundred thirty eight, there are two hundred and thirty eight tooth picks on the floor”. In the movie, Rainman he’d wander around waiting for Judge Whopner on television. As a note, I have no idea of Dustin Hoffman’s political leanings; just wanted to use that line.
I’m pretty sure I want nothing to do with any of those organizations; but tell me, how much influence do these folks have in our public school systems, in our colleges and universities?
David Horowitz wrote in his book, One-Party Classroom, “If even a university with an unequivocal academic freedom policy like Penn State can’t be bothered to take action to cope with the problems of radicalism and political activism in the curriculum, what hope is there for other colleges and universities across the country?” (page 113)
The folks in charge of teaching our children have been infiltrated with hard core anti-Americans, folks who will stop at nothing to destroy the foundations of our society one brick at a time.
Unfortunately we have a President who surrounds himself with hard left anti-American socialists. I can’t remember who said it recently, “a line has been drawn in the sand and future generations will hold us accountable for having destroyed their liberties and the American dream”. I may have that off by a word or two; my apologies for not having properly given credit as I normally save important truisms to file.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
I guess red flags being waved in the gray matter portions, deep inside my head are the reason for the salt and pepper around my temples. When I hear, “It’s for the children”, those little red flags start going back and forth as a warning not to buy into what ever line follows.
When I was a police officer, one of my captains, a man easily in his 60’s, had a full crop of jet black hair. I mentioned how nicely he’d matured, sucking up to a superior officer if you will. He smiled a wry smile and replied, “I don’t get gray hair, I give it!” I bet he read nothing but the funny papers, leaving that other garbage for others to worry about.
A brief history; rights are inalienable and come from God while entitlements are privileges granted by government to various segments of society. Just think how the world would look today if that line had been included in Cliff Notes version of American History for Dummies.
If you’d like a list of rights, may I suggest reading the Constitution and Bill of Rights; imagine that, actually knowing what constitutes a right. On the other hand, if you’d like a list of entitlements I’m afraid I haven’t got the time or inclination to list them all. Here’s a clue on how to determine for sure if an item falls into the entitlement category; if it requires someone else’s time, effort or capital investment then it’s an entitlement.
That having been said, go back in your thought processes and classify education in all its forms from Pre-K on through college, medical services, transportation services, telephone and the entire idea of communication services and tell me, are these rights or entitlements? If you answered “rights” you likely swallowed the Kool-Aid offered by our government run public education system. If you answered, “Duh, rights?”, then it’s time for another hair dresser appointment; your blond roots are showing.
I must be out of the loop; never got my invitation from SDS, the one telling me about the March 4 Day of Action and Strike in Defense of Public Education . Brenda J. Elliot wrote about a group of unhappy anti-Americans; I guess she wasn’t invited either.
You might question my use of the term “anti-American”; let me list some of the organizations who are lined up, lined up to demand the entitlement of a free education.
I’ll start with the International Socialist Organization, “which David Horowitz’s Discover the Networks describes as an “Anti-American, anti-capitalist Communist organization” found on “many American campuses”.
“Also listed among the endorsements is Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS), the geriatric Students for a Democratic Society group that supports the new and improved SDS.”
“Evoking the Communist tradition of Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky and Vladimir Lenin, the Chicago-based International Socialist Organization (ISO) aspires to “organize activists in workplaces and communities and on campuses in order to mobilize opposition to all forms of oppression and exploitation.” The chief source of this oppression and exploitation, in ISO’s view, is capitalism — whose inevitable by-products are poverty, environmental degradation, war, famine, and most other ills that plague humanity. ISO places the blame for international strife largely on the United States, and more specifically the Republican Party…”
Visions of Patty Hearst brandishing a machine gun come to mind when the letters SDS are put next to each other; must be something I ate and it tasted really bad.
The list goes on; Socialist Party of Connecticut, and the Ohio chapter of Progressive Democrats of America are demanding a strike for education too. I see a pattern developing; could it be all these organizations want capitalism to fail in favor of socialism?
“The Boston link is sponsored by Communist affiliated United for Peace and Justice, the same radical group Barack Obama associated himself with while in the Illinois State Senate. Unsurprisingly, Van Jones worked with UPJ in California.”
Dustin Hoffman did a good job in his part, “There’s definitely a pattern, definitely a pattern” followed by “two hundred thirty seven, two hundred thirty eight, there are two hundred and thirty eight tooth picks on the floor”. In the movie, Rainman he’d wander around waiting for Judge Whopner on television. As a note, I have no idea of Dustin Hoffman’s political leanings; just wanted to use that line.
I’m pretty sure I want nothing to do with any of those organizations; but tell me, how much influence do these folks have in our public school systems, in our colleges and universities?
David Horowitz wrote in his book, One-Party Classroom, “If even a university with an unequivocal academic freedom policy like Penn State can’t be bothered to take action to cope with the problems of radicalism and political activism in the curriculum, what hope is there for other colleges and universities across the country?” (page 113)
The folks in charge of teaching our children have been infiltrated with hard core anti-Americans, folks who will stop at nothing to destroy the foundations of our society one brick at a time.
Unfortunately we have a President who surrounds himself with hard left anti-American socialists. I can’t remember who said it recently, “a line has been drawn in the sand and future generations will hold us accountable for having destroyed their liberties and the American dream”. I may have that off by a word or two; my apologies for not having properly given credit as I normally save important truisms to file.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Reality Mimicking Sci-Fi
I read a story in the Houston Chronicle about film critic Roger Ebert having the ability to speak via a computer generated voice synthesizer ; but for some reason I couldn’t pull the story up on their internet version. I looked some key words up on Yahoo and found basically the same story as told on the BBC internet site. Roger had gone through a battle with cancer with major surgery; his ability to speak was a major loss for someone who made a living in front of a microphone.
I think it's neat, pardon my use of an antiquated phrase; I’m so tired of the word Kool. Maybe somebody at Cereproc read my book, Pecaw’s Gift. It never got published; but might still be accessed through my blogsite; last time I looked only the last half of the book was available on the archives. I still have each chapter’s URL; that should pull it up.
A short lead in; the main character was in a coma like condition, able to hear everything around him, yet unable to respond in any way other than to direct his thoughts toward electronic equipment such as blood pressure monitors with digital read outs or computers. During various stages of recovery he learns to control his digital transmissions and has outside help; a sharp young computer repair employee figured out how to open up the world to him, first through the use of a laptop to capture his thoughts and later on with a computer generated voice; I called this chapter, “Mr. C” .
I never got past the rough draft stage, lots of typographical errors and things like that needed to be re-worked to make it publishable. I wrote the story for self entertainment and, once completed, moved on to other interests. If you find you just have to read the whole book I’m sure I could figure a way to make it available via email; drop me a line.
Maybe I can get a piece of the royalties out of Cereproc; I hear J.K. Rowlings get sued all the time, folks claiming her Harry Potter ideas came from some obscure book nobody ever heard of. That’s it, Cereproc must have stolen my idea from twenty or thirty years ago and made it work for real.
I think it's neat, pardon my use of an antiquated phrase; I’m so tired of the word Kool. Maybe somebody at Cereproc read my book, Pecaw’s Gift. It never got published; but might still be accessed through my blogsite; last time I looked only the last half of the book was available on the archives. I still have each chapter’s URL; that should pull it up.
“…after working with hours' worth of recordings of Ebert's film reviews, Cereproc have created a prototype of his voice.
It is the first time the company has rebuilt an actual voice from original recordings.”
A short lead in; the main character was in a coma like condition, able to hear everything around him, yet unable to respond in any way other than to direct his thoughts toward electronic equipment such as blood pressure monitors with digital read outs or computers. During various stages of recovery he learns to control his digital transmissions and has outside help; a sharp young computer repair employee figured out how to open up the world to him, first through the use of a laptop to capture his thoughts and later on with a computer generated voice; I called this chapter, “Mr. C” .
I never got past the rough draft stage, lots of typographical errors and things like that needed to be re-worked to make it publishable. I wrote the story for self entertainment and, once completed, moved on to other interests. If you find you just have to read the whole book I’m sure I could figure a way to make it available via email; drop me a line.
Maybe I can get a piece of the royalties out of Cereproc; I hear J.K. Rowlings get sued all the time, folks claiming her Harry Potter ideas came from some obscure book nobody ever heard of. That’s it, Cereproc must have stolen my idea from twenty or thirty years ago and made it work for real.
Montana Not Covered by Bill of Rights
Yesterday I posted my thoughts regarding the Supreme Court case which will determine how the 2nd Amendment, more specifically, how the right to keep and bear arms will be interpreted. I tend to run long winded, each critical word placed properly, often repeated for effect; hopefully leaving little if any doubt as to my meaning, if only we could get the same out of Washington.
I mentioned how Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg wasn’t sure if the 2nd Amendment, the part about an individual’s right to keep and bear arms, should be extended to citizens in all states since the Heller ruling only covered folks living in Washington D.C. or other federal protectorates. The veins in my neck just started swelling as I re-read that part of the article.
Today I read Bill Bumpas’ article in OneNewsNow , a follow up to one by Charlie Butts of the same organization covering a Montana case on the 1st Amendment right of free speech.
According to the update, “A judge in Montana has ruled against a high school valedictorian who wasn't allowed to speak at her graduation ceremony because she wanted to give God credit for her success.”
I’d like to know the name of the judge in Montana, the one who hasn’t been told the Bill of Rights was ratified, that it was intended to insure God given rights to every citizen; even those living in Montana of all places. Judge Ginsburg seems bewildered by the Bill of Rights; actually believing they only cover folks in Washington D.C., now I find Montana residents are exempted from the 1st Amendment; what’s next?
No wonder kids are confused about life here in America, the rules keep changing with reckless abandon. We’d better get back to basics in one big hurry, re-establish our foundations in order for our nation to prosper, a nation which shall not perish from this earth.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”. Please take a moment to add them to your list of favorites or include them in your side-bar.
I mentioned how Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg wasn’t sure if the 2nd Amendment, the part about an individual’s right to keep and bear arms, should be extended to citizens in all states since the Heller ruling only covered folks living in Washington D.C. or other federal protectorates. The veins in my neck just started swelling as I re-read that part of the article.
Today I read Bill Bumpas’ article in OneNewsNow , a follow up to one by Charlie Butts of the same organization covering a Montana case on the 1st Amendment right of free speech.
According to the update, “A judge in Montana has ruled against a high school valedictorian who wasn't allowed to speak at her graduation ceremony because she wanted to give God credit for her success.”
‘Whitehead explains he has seen many incidents of constitutional rights violated in graduation ceremonies, and has won several such cases. But Griffith's case -- which he describes as "pure censorship" -- is the worst he has seen, he says.
"Society seems to be going another direction," observes the attorney. "But the scary thing is, even these students who just want the right to freely speak like other students about what they believe in [are] being denied their rights. So what's happening is we're gutting the free-speech clause [in the Constitution]."
Whitehead maintains that students have constitutional rights -- but warns that "if we don't begin protecting the right to free speech in the schools, we are going to lose the right to speak entirely."'
I’d like to know the name of the judge in Montana, the one who hasn’t been told the Bill of Rights was ratified, that it was intended to insure God given rights to every citizen; even those living in Montana of all places. Judge Ginsburg seems bewildered by the Bill of Rights; actually believing they only cover folks in Washington D.C., now I find Montana residents are exempted from the 1st Amendment; what’s next?
No wonder kids are confused about life here in America, the rules keep changing with reckless abandon. We’d better get back to basics in one big hurry, re-establish our foundations in order for our nation to prosper, a nation which shall not perish from this earth.
This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal , a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”. Please take a moment to add them to your list of favorites or include them in your side-bar.
The Moral Liberal
Steve Farrell contacted me a while back and invited me to become involved with a project he wanted to expand, The Moral Liberal. Steve and I have shared ideas a few times over the years and I felt honored that he would consider my efforts, to have me submit articles which would be read by his audience.
The Moral Liberal is a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”. Please take a moment to add them to your list of favorites or include them in your side-bar.
Now that I’m officially a Pundit my hat fits a bit snug; need a larger size. Rubbing shoulders with quality writers like Phil Brennan, Alan Caruba, Bill Federer and other top notch pundits blows me away. Thanks Steve, now I can aggravate a different segment of society with my thoughts.
The Moral Liberal is a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”. Please take a moment to add them to your list of favorites or include them in your side-bar.
Now that I’m officially a Pundit my hat fits a bit snug; need a larger size. Rubbing shoulders with quality writers like Phil Brennan, Alan Caruba, Bill Federer and other top notch pundits blows me away. Thanks Steve, now I can aggravate a different segment of society with my thoughts.
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