Thoughts on President’s Day

I enjoyed Red Mind in a Blue State's blog about President’s Day. I had just posted on the WeadGate story when I started going over the blogs of my fellow HCBA. Did I just use a cheesy line, WeadGate? Not to blow any smoke, but I don’t think too many folks really think President’s Day is a valued holiday anymore.

When I was growing up, not that I ever made it, we had George Washington’s birthday and we also had Abraham Lincoln’s birthday as important dates on the February calendar. There would be a big deal about having their portraits in all the class rooms, projects to see which class could make the best stove pipe hats and beards from a piece of black construction paper. At least we knew why it was a holiday back then.

Somehow the labor unions and management got sideways over having 2 paid holiday and so we ended up with President’s Day. Now I can never remember who’s birthday is which, not that it matters all that much.

I looked at the Sunday paper, the one that has the color comics. There was a half page dedicated to every thing you always wanted to know about George Washington Carver, not George Washington. I have nothing against Mr. Carver; except that on the day before President’s Day one would think that an article about the George Washington would have been more appropriate. Maybe they were still going for the Black History Month thing.

I have an idea; let’s have a Black History Month Holiday to replace President’s day. Then in March we can have Green Beer Holiday, thereby avoiding any reference to Saints. April we can have Bug’s Bunny Day to replace Easter, again, no reference to religion. After a while this gets to be a real downer, almost as bad as the History that isn’t being taught anymore.

“But My Fingers Were Crossed”

According to CNN, "Doug Wead, the author who secretly recorded his conversations with then-Gov. George W. Bush told CNN Monday that the tapes were a historical record that he never wanted made public". Which begs the question, “Then why did Doug Wead give the tapes to the New York Times? Did he hand them to the janitor and say, “Please toss these in the furnace; I don’t want anyone to hear these tapes?” Maybe he was still acting out his childhood; you remember, it was okay to tell a lie as long as you had your fingers crossed behind your back as you said it. ( emphisis added )

“Wead revealed the existence of the tapes to The New York Times. The Times hired a voice analyst who concluded after eight days that Bush was the speaker on the tapes. ABC News also concluded the voice on the tapes was Bush.”, from the CNN story. I wonder if Dan Rather was asked for his expertise on the authenticity of the tapes, even though the White House is not denying such.

“Doug Wead -- a former aide to President Bush's father, George H.W. Bush -- said he was thinking about writing a book when he made the tapes, but would not say whether he thought the tapes would boost sales of his book about presidential childhoods.” The entire CNN article is linked in the title line.

This is not the biggest story of the month, not by a long shot; however, the main stream press seems to think so. When George W. Bush was running for the presidency the first time I can recall having some question, at least in my own mind, as to how he was going to “fade the heat” on a national level for some of his immature activities of the past. I knew that he’d been arrested for DWI, something that he was able to “float” past the public. The main test of his character at that moment in time was the fact that he met those charges up front and never tried to sweep them under the rug.

Yes, George W. Bush made some serious mistakes when he was sowing his wild oats; that was then and this is now. I hope Doug Wead’s book sells enough for him to buy back his soul, the one he sold for a hand full of silver.

Nerd Test Skewed

I just wanted to say that the Nerd Testing questions are skewed to reflect modern day nerds and left off some relevant questions for my generation. Here’s my list of questions that would have seemed just as important:

Have you ever owned a Slide Rule?

If the answer was yes, do you still know how to use a Slide Rule?

Did you ever own a shirt that had a Fruit Loop? ( I wonder if the newer nerds even know what a Fruit Loop is)

Were you a member of the Science Club or the Chess Club?

Do you now or have you ever received on a monthly basis:
A. National Geographic
B. Academy of Sciences Monthly
C. Neither
D. Both

How fast could you solve the Rubik’s Cube?

Do you still own any 8 Track tapes?

Is Times Roman your default font setting?

Now, with that out of the way I feel much better at having scored so poorly on the Nerd Test that I posted to my sidebar. I'd give a tip of the hat to The Unrepentant Individual, except that he quit showing off his 58% Nerd score on his side bar. Where's the pride, where's the pride?

A Spiritual Challenge

I may be going out on a limb, wouldn’t be the first time and won’t be the last, by writing a blog that is geared entirely toward my religious beliefs. I figure that all week long I involve my writings toward modestly important social events and ideas; why not share some of my more significant thoughts and if someone is bothered, they can tune it out. If, on the other hand, someone finds it of interest, then I have opened a door that I consider of inestimable value, the path toward a personal relationship with God.

I will turn the clock back; but only a couple of days, to an email that I got from a fellow blogger. I had emailed this person to comment about a posted blog and rather than fill up their comment section I decided to address the issues via email. I got a very curt reply, “I'm an atheist and am in favor of a completely secular government. Frankly I think all religious people are mentally ill. But have a nice day.”

Here is what I sent back, after having thought about the mindset of such an individual.
“I found your reply to my email mildly amusing and quite sad at the same time. It was amusing because I listen to the Savage Nation talk radio show and that is very close to one of the suggested answers for when someone from the liberal left wants to engage in some idiotic argument. It was sad because you have no comprehension of something that is greater than mortality; for this I feel pity for you. There is an “up side”; I hear that my particular form of mental illness is highly contagious. My invitation stands, not mean spirited; rather as a chance for you to investigate the cause of my illness.”

This evening I attended a meeting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, sometimes referred to as Mormons. I took notes throughout the block of instruction and I was struck with the idea of sharing a portion of my beliefs with the blogging community in general. It is my hope that at least one person who reads this will have a greater desire to understand what is within the pages of the Book of Mormon and ask those questions that would naturally follow.

The following quotation is taken directly out of the introduction pages of the Book of Mormon. I have always thought it to be a fair challenge in and of itself.

“Concerning this record the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”

This next quotation comes from one of the Prophets who died about 400 years after Jesus Christ’s ministry. There is something compelling about it; both a promise and warning in Moroni 10:27. http://scriptures.lds.org/moro/10

“And I exhort you to remember these things; for the time speedily cometh that ye shall know that I lie not, for ye shall see me at the bar of God; and the Lord God will say unto you: Did I not declare my words unto you, which were written by this man, like as one crying from the dead, yea, even as one speaking out of the dust?”

This all may be part of my “mental illness” and so take it with a grain of salt. I happen to believe that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, another witness that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of mankind written of in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. I offer a challenge to you, once again, directly from the Book of Mormon. It is found in the Book of Alma, chapter 32 verse 27.

http://scriptures.lds.org/alma/32

“But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.”

I think you will find that this particular blog does not force my beliefs on anyone, and it truly is an invitation to investigate the source of my “mental illness”. I have also been true to my own promise; that of using my blog site on the Sabbath day for things other than of a political nature. My blog site has a direct link to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints where you may read from the Book of Mormon or any of the other Standard Works that we call Scripture. I leave you my testimony that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Rituals

There must be a gene on one of the chromosomes, something that has been since dawn of man, a noble characteristic that causes each male of the species to protect and serve. ( This should not be confused with the non-existent gene mentioned by Senator Harry Reid, the one every American boy is born with that carries the American Dream.) This vital gift from our Creator ensures that the human family will continue; overcoming their dread of night and those unseen forces of evil that lurk just beyond our ability to observe them. Over the years fathers have taken their charge seriously; rolling a large boulder in front of the cave entrance at night to keep out the savage beasts, making sure the last embers of the fire were out and things like that. All these rituals were done to ensure his family’s safe passage through the dark hours.

My father possesses the same protect and serve mechanism; no, we didn’t live in a cave. My mother often wondered aloud, “Do you think we live in a barn?” It was her sarcastic way of asking us to shut the door; but we never lived in a cave. Dad was the bread-winner and protector for our family.

Each night he would start by walking to the front door, bolt the lock and turn off the porch light. His steps were traced in the terrazzo tile as he then bolted the side door leading to the garage; turning off each light in turn along the way. The last door to be checked was the sliding patio door that guarded the rear entrance to the house. He would then close the drapes, turn off the den lights and go to bed for the night; his job completed. I know this because each night without fail my dad made sure our house was secure. It didn’t matter if he was sick with the flu or worn out from a hard day at work; at 10 o’clock he managed to find the strength from within to accomplish his sacred duties.

One Saturday evening we were watching a movie, my dad had fallen asleep in his favorite armchair. Occasionally he would snore so intensely as to awaken momentarily; glance at his surroundings, then fall back asleep after assuring himself that all was well. 10 o’clock came and we all watched his lumbering frame arise, escaping the clutches of the Naugahyde throne. The television program continued; but the real show was just starting.

Dad walked to the front door; bolted and turned off those lights, retraced his steps until he was at the side door and bolted that too. He walked to the sliding back door, oblivious to the fact that we were all wide awake. There was the familiar click of the latch being engaged; leaving one last thing to accomplish, the drapes.

He reached around the edge of the drapes for the cord that pulls them along the track; they danced about half way shut on his first attempt. On his second attempt his grasp faltered and instead of closing the drapes he pulled the opposite cord and they flew back to full open. He breathed out, his eyes never once opening and started over. At some point we all forgot about the program we’d been watching. Instead we opted to watch a live Bolshoi performance, “Ballet of the Draperies”, a lesser known work that Tchaikovsky never got around to orchestrating. Each time Dad reached to pull, the draperies would dart and sway, back and forth; never quite opening or closing all the way. His breathing was becoming labored and the veins in his neck were beginning to swell noticeably; it was not going as planned.

“Dick…”, my mother interrupted; half alarmed, half amused in muted laughter, “…what the heck are you doing?” I know my mother didn’t say “heck”; refined and dignified as she is, there is no way she would have watered down the request for our benefit.

My father stopped to compose his answer. It is always wise to pause prior to returning a flame; especially when it’s to the woman you share your life with. The cobwebs broke away long enough for him to compile a few words, carefully and thoughtful so as not to create derision. “I’m practicing!”, until at last the draperies managed to play his curtain song.

Eminent Domain/Land Grabbing in Freeport, Texas

Updated February 19, 2005

Please notice the date that this original article was written (below). Originally I'd sent a copy to the Houston Chronicle, KPRC television/radio and the Voice talk radio. I now have also sent copies of this letter/blog to several elected officials; local, state and national. This issue is still unresolved in the court system and the City of Freeport is not being forthright in its dealings when confronted by citizen’s request for information. This is not simply a local issue for those who live in Freeport. The repercussions will affect any land owner or anyone who believes that he/she owns land.

For those of you reading this article on my blog, I have linked the URL for the web page Scandal in Freeport in my blog title bar. There are a few interesting pages; one in which you can sign up for automatic updates, another to contact various elected officials and also those directly involved. Please take an active part in this issue.

http://www.kissyourhomegoodbye.com/links.html

Eminent Domain or Land Grab
July 20, 2004


The City of Freeport is using the doctrine of Eminent Domain to “acquire” a parcel of land that is currently owned by a shrimp company and turn it over to another private investor for the purpose of establishing a luxury yacht club. According to the spokesman representing the City of Freeport; pardon my not having an exact transcript in front of me, “The State of Texas encourages this.” The idea being that the City of Freeport would be better off, its image would improve and more especially its tax base would greatly improve if there were a bunch of rich folks with yachts instead of a smelly shrimp company using that piece of the beach front.

The idea of a governmental agency: National, State or local, deciding who should own property based on this particular rational is Un-American in nature. I could understand if the land were barren and not useable for anything, left unattended for lack of any possible use or any number of zoning issues that were already in existence; however, this is not the case. This property has been and is currently used at the discretion of its rightful owner; just not the most advantageous tax revenue partners that the City of Freeport has chosen to support. This is nothing more than theft, outright theft.

A special thanks to Mover Mike for reminding me about the importance of keeping tabs on the government when they claim the right of eminent domain.
http://movermike.blogspot.com/

Relevance of Truth in Government

From blogger, "A Red Mind in a Blue State", a quote from the great Theodore Roosevelt:
"A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user."

Character of the user is the point of my blog today. New York junior Senator Hillary Clinton is pushing for a national holiday to get the vote out. On top of that she wants to extend the privalidge to vote to convicted Felons. Maybe, just maybe Senator Clinton wants to make sure that she and Bill won’t ever loose their voting status some day when it all catches up with them.

I was reading, Rewriting History, by Dick Morris. In the first chapter he explained about two known lies that Hillary fabricated over items that would seem irrelavant. She made up a preposterous lie about how she happened to have the name Hillary, an out right lie that was easily uncovered. She lied about concerns for her daughter Chelsea on 9/11, again a lie about the where abouts of her daughter in order to attach the Clinton family with the misery of those families who actually did have losses. Character is not something you can put away for a while and take it back up when the mood suits you.

So, the question begs for an answer, why would Senator Hillary Clinton want to extend voting privaliges to convicted felons? Could it be that she believes that most of the roughly 4 million felons would tend to vote for a Democratic Presidential candidate? Think for a moment, which of the 2 biggest national parties aligns itself as “tough on crime” and along that same vein of thought; then who would a convicted felon favor? The last presidential election was decided by about 3 million votes in favor of George W. Bush. I think the Democrats would relish the opportunity to add 4 million allies to the voter pool, just enough to swing the pendulum in their direction. This all assumes that these felony voters would even bother to vote.

I have another question, something that by its ommission stands even more brightly. How come Senator Hillary Clinton never mentioned the disenfranchised voters who are in the active military? It would seem that those who wanted to vote, or did vote and their ballots were denied have a greater voice to be heard than some dirt ball convict. Maybe its just my “take” on the issue; but didn’t the active military, those whose votes were actually allowed, didn’t they vote close to 75% Republican? Maybe its not so much the idea that some folks are disenfranchised as to which ones would benefit her particular motivation.

Last but not least in my thoughts regarding felons and voting; why was it that felons were denied the privalidge to vote to begin with? Didn’t it have something to do with their character not matching up to the level of citizenship necessary to properly administer that right? It’s a lot like a liar trying to pass herself off as an Honorable Senator.

It would seem true that, "A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user." There is little or no room for folks lacking character in the Senate, much less someone with her sights set on the presidency.

Pecaw's Gift / Table of Content ( link )

The link for Pecaw's Gift
Table of Contents is in the Title Bar.
Go ahead, make my day!

Border Gaps Are a Clear and Present Danger

I was listening to the local talk show this morning and heard the end of an interview with a caller. The information was from a fellow who flies the border of Texas 3 times a week as aerial surveillance in conjunction with the US Border Patrol. I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of his remarks when he stated that there are many Middle Eastern illegal aliens crossing the border from Mexico into Texas each week. These are not Mexican Nationals looking for a job picking fruit or some other labor related issue; these are potential terrorists who have been caught and documented as such.

I am in agreement with Nerdy Conservative . . .

( http://nerdyconservative.blogspot.com/ ) ( I still cannot use the “quiet link” that Blogger template supplies, it just isn’t working )

. . .when he say’s that this constitutes a Clear and Present Danger to the United States of America. I call on our elected representatives and those who have been appointed with the stewardship of security to address this issue.

Why haven’t the borders been sealed? Why have we not heard more about this threat, other than on talk radio? Why are we walking on rice paper when Mexico’s President Fox rattles his hurt feelings at us?

The $5.8 Billion slated to research for Kyoto environmental solutions would be a huge waste of money, based on actual scientific data rather than the “we should feel guilty for success” mantra of the green party. ( I have linked to this information via the Title line. ) Instead let’s hire as many new border patrol agents and equip them properly with that money. Use some of that same money to subsidize local police departments in the southern border states so that they can adequately deal with illegal aliens and last but not least; actually enforce those immigration laws rather than listening to the liberal left’s bleeding hearts puke about having to feed the worlds starving, patch them for free in our state of the art hospitals and teach their children for free in our public schools that are paid for with our tax dollars.

Can you hear me up there in Washington? Can you hear me “out there” you in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals; yes you assholes who overturned California’s Proposition 187? Isn’t it time to start defending the United States instead of leaving it wide open to those who intend to tear it down?

My answer; remember that I am a normally a good going to church on Sunday kind of guy, my answer is Damn right its time to shut those borders!

"Never Give Up, Never Surrender"

I love that line from the movie, Galaxy Quest. If you’ve never seen a good “spoof” movie, then take a Whirl with this one. I think it applies to bloggers just as easily as it does to goofy star ship crews.

Speaking of Whirl, I was reading an interesting blog from Instapundit ( for some reason I cannot quietly link to Instapundit so I will uncover it.)http://instapundit.com/archives/021196.php who had linked to Batesline, (which also will not link the way I wanted to.) http://www.batesline.com/archives/001274.html

The blog was all about the Tulsa World threatening a blogger for quoting and linking directly to their web site. I followed the links in the blog and found the the legal president which pulls the teeth out of such a threat. I took the time to save that articulation for future reference.
( link for legal president found in title line )
“By Grampa’s Hammer…I shall avenge you.!”. If you can’t have some fun with your blogs then why bother. I may link to the “Tulsa Whirl” some time soon just so I can get a nasty letter too.

Its not as much fun writing a blog when the tools for linking don't function properly.

A Little Time for Reading

I had some time on my hands and was able to
post a few more chapters of my novel,
Pecaw's Gift

An Ode to America

My thanks to Uncle Jim for sending this to my email. I had read this once before; it had the same effect on me then. To all the fans of Michael Moore, the Hollywood crowd who have forgotten who we are and to the jelly fish backboned quivering in the shadows; I place this before you to your shame and to your cowardice. Thank God most Americans are worth the effort. I took the liberty of removing all the email tags and have left the document exactly as it came to me.

"We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA. Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title "C"ntarea Americii, meaning "Ode To America" on September 24, 2002, in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei ("The Daily Event" or "News of the Day").

~An Ode to America~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs. Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart.

Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, and the secret services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about. The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand.

After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing.

On every occasion, they started singing their traditional song: "God Bless America"! I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours, listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put in a collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy.

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their galloping history? Their economic power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace.

I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion...only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu"

Backbone or Bonehead

The Unrepentant Individual blog "Time for a Strike” reminded me of an incident that happened while I was working as a night shift patrolman. The Houston Police Department had, at that time, implemented a “new” policy regarding hot pursuit car chases. There had been several high speed chases in the news and the editorial pages were brimming with public fears and talk about how much the City would have to pay out for damages caused by them.

The tone set by the new policy was fairly straight forward; in the event of any damages caused by a police chase, the officer/officers involved in that chase would be held accountable for those damages; regardless of circumstances for the chase. If the suspect’s vehicle ran a red light, collided with another citizen’s vehicle and there were injuries or death, it would be the officer’s responsibility. Somehow that didn’t sit well with me, shifting the responsibility from the criminal who was fleeing the law onto the shoulders of the police officer attempting to enforce those laws. The Department did build a “way out” clause into the policy to make it look like “hot pursuit” chases were permissible and leave it up to the line officer to determine the point at which a chase had become “too dangerous” to continue.

I had answered a burglary alarm call and upon arrival to a large automotive parts warehouse, met the bad guys as they were leaving. They were in a stolen pick up truck that was loaded with those fancy chrome wheel rims stolen from the warehouse. There were two bad guys in the back of the truck throwing those stolen rims at my patrol car as the chase began. I was a one man unit because the City didn’t have enough money to hire enough officers; but that is an entire blog unto itself.

I put the chase out over the radio while increasing speed through a neighborhood with stop signs, still dodging those boxes with the wheel rims. I could see that the suspects were not stopping and the speed was getting ever higher as they approached a major intersection that was controlled by a traffic light system. Even at night the idea of busting through a major intersection at those speeds would be hazardous. A light bulb went off in my mind and the “new” chase policy, complete with judge, jury and lawyer fees flashed past me. The best part was that I had sense enough to advise the dispatcher that the chase had become too hazardous and that I was “dropping back”. I guess the suspects hadn’t read the policy as they were so busy watching me in the rear view mirror when they crashed and all fled into the night on foot, leaving the stolen truck which was now only half full of stolen goods.

It took severl hours to clean up the mess, write the reports and go over the Department’s recording of the chase. I was so glad that I had timed my observation and had documentation on the record absolving me of any damages or I would have been responsible for the destroyed stolen truck and any injuries to the suspects because of my actions.

This is what your local law enforcement officer is up against, and I retired back in 1992. I haven’t had to read any of the newer SOP’s that have been written to save the City and the Department from new litigation issues. I never was one to support such a thing as a Strike by police officers. It seemed anti-american or something at the time; mostly because those calling for such a Strike were blowing smoke about salary issues and labor union efforts. That kind of Strike violated my sense of right and wrong. The idea of an entire Department walking away from a City that has no sense of right or wrong, not having enough backbone to support their officers, even when it might get expensive in litigation, now that kind of Strike I could support.

With a Little Luck...

Two Short blurbs from Neil Boortz got me going this morning:

“Astronomers are telling us that a giant asteroid, over 300 yards wide, will narrowly miss the earth on April 13, 2029. That's 24 years from now. April 13, 2029, by the way, is a Friday the 13th. Democrats are already protesting the possibility of a preemptive strike on the asteroid.”

Scientist have not determined, at least nothing for certain, that the asteroid’s path; calculated along with the Earth’s rotation, placed California as its primary target. Place your feet into a pair of brown shoes at this time. This will match up perfectly with the 9th Circuit Court’s review of a heterosexual couple’s suit claiming that the State of California should not have annulled their union simply because they were of a different sexual orientation. Put that date on your calendar, April 13, 2029; maybe we will get lucky.

“California lawmakers are upset by hybrid automobiles. They don't use enough gas, which means they don't pay enough in gasoline taxes. So ... they're considering a "tax by the mile" system. You charge drivers for how many miles they use the roads. On the one hand it seems fair. On the other hand, it's just proof that there is no limit to the desire that politicians have to get their hands in your pockets.”

“With a little bit of luck, with a little bit of luck when they come around you won’t be home”, is the line from My Fair Lady. The politicians still don’t understand that the money you take home from your labors is your money, not the government’s money. All the BS about making the air safe to breathe was a smoke screen. The Beatles had it right in their song, “Put rubber pennies on your eyes”, because they will tax you even when you die.

I pay my income tax quarterly since I am self employed. I have to estimate my profits and pay income taxes based on the negative assumption that I will not produce more than my predictions or else I have to pay a penalty on top of the tax. There is something fundamentally wrong with that philosophy. It would make much more sense to pay me a bonus for producing more; but when did government ever do anything logical?

Thanks to The Unrepentant Individual and A Red Mind in a Blue State for keeping this item in front of us. Did you know that when this country was founded that about 95% of all workers were self employed? Things have changed quite a bit, haven’t they? Glad I work for myself and have to keep track of how much the government takes from me on a regular basis.

This isn't the droid you're looking for either…

Neil Boortz must have been on the same page as me when he wrote his piece, “THE LATEST FROM THE TSA”.

I don't want to identify the airport ... but here's my latest TSA adventure. It happened over the weekend. As I approached the screening machine I was wearing a colored t-shirt (t-shirt of color, if you will) with an unbuttoned long sleeve sports shirt. The lady shoving the luggage into the machine told me I had to remove my jacket.

"It isn't a jacket. It's my shirt."

"Well you have something on under it."

"That's my undershirt."

"Well, you're wearing it like a jacket, so you'll have to take it off."

"What if I just button it?"

"That would be OK".

So .. I buttoned it up and went on through .... wondering just where they get some of these people, During that flight I couldn't help but think that my safety was dependent on a woman who couldn't tell a sports shirt from a jacket and who thought that by somehow buttoning it up all threats were removed.

The old Jedi mind trick, “This isn’t the terrorist we are looking for…. Move along”, works at other airports.

In a similar blurb coming out of the A/P, “Airport screener misses butcher knife in purse”.

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) -- A security screener at Newark Liberty International Airport failed to spot a butcher knife in a passenger's pocketbook and was removed from the said.

The screener was removed from the checkpoint and will undergo remedial training, TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis said.

The Jedi had this thought for the sleeping storm trooper, “This was the knife we were supposed to be looking for… move along”

Pecaw's Gift.... continued

Check out Stern's Stories were I
have placed several more chapters
of the novel.

This isn't the droid you're looking for. . .

Once a week I have the honor of picking my daughter up at the airport when she gets in from her business travels. I make every attempt to smile and pretend to be courteous to the security Gestapo posted to prevent terrorist, like myself, from parking anywhere on the airport property. The idea being that someone might park a bomb close to one of the terminals.

I see no point in driving around the terminal complex like a hamster for their amusement and so I have found a few inconspicuous nooks. One of them is a reserved parking place for employees. I was enjoying my music with the windows down on my green Z coupe when one of our Gestapo drove up, on my passenger side, and motioned for me to move along. I ignored him and looked the other direction; forcing him to exit his vehicle and actually carry on a conversation with me.

"Are you an employee?"

"Yes Sir, I am" It was a true statement, under the wide scope of the given question. I didn't say for whom I was employed.

"I need to see your ID badge."

"I no longer wear a badge, Sir. I keep my ID in my pocket." It were as if he had explained that the badge was what he wanted to see. I pulled out my wallet, thumbed to my retired Houston Police Department ID card and "flashed" it in his direction; making sure that my thumb covered the red ink stamped "retired".

"Do you work here often?"

"Only about three or four times a month, Sir", and then I threw in, "From now on when you see my little green Z you'll know its okay." It's an old Jedi mind trick, "This isn't the droid you're looking for. . .park as long as you need to, Sir."

I should feel terrible for having "badge'd" a parking place; except I don't. I also know that the Gestapo are too easily horns waggled.

Remote Viewing to Spy

I thought “Sci-fi” the first time I read this story’s headline. Remote Viewing, the stuff that you see at 7pm on Monday where the pretty lady with blond hair can see the bad guy stuff the dead body into the trunk of a car folded up in the red carpet, that kind of Remote Viewing; turns out that its for real. The government actually had a "black operation" that was using it to spy on the world. The old phrases, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and “a penny for your thoughts”, take on new meaning.

Maybe I should participate in that course, take a look at the Indian reservation where Ward Churchill grew up. “I see a large pile of manure, a pair of brown shoes, no wigwams yet, I see the American flag in a trash can next to a blackboard, now its on fire…are you getting all this?”, but I could see that long before I closed my eyes.

While on this Sci-fi binge, here’s part two of today’s reality installment:

The Ascent of the Robotic Attack Jet

“Last April, a low-slung aircraft, about the size of a sport utility vehicle but with batlike wings similar to those of the B-2 stealth bomber, took off, flew at 10,500 meters and then dropped a 110-kilogram inert precision bomb while zipping along at 700 kilometers per hour. Four months later, a pair of the aircraft took off and flew together. These were modest stunts, to be sure, except for this fact: the jets have no pilots. They are the future of warfare, the first working models of networked autonomous attack jets, and the U.S. Department of Defense would like to start building them by 2010.”

Now lets see if the fellow in room number one can target the robot plane from his joy stick so that it hits the target. Oh, come on, where’s your sense of fun?

Standing for Something

I found that the information in the following quote to stand on its own:

"In our day those found in dishonesty aren't put to death, but something within them dies. Conscience chokes, character withers, self-respect vanishes, integrity dies. How cheaply some men and women sell their good names!" -
Gordon B. Hinkley - Standing for Something p. 13

In his blog, One Man Against the World, alt – ctrl – del, points out that Evil is at war with Good. That war has been going on since before the first man, Adam, was placed on this Earth. ( I suppose that with a line such as that I can forget mending fences with the evolutionist sector. ) Those forces which fuel the war between Evil and Good are all part of the Great Deceiver’s war chest and will continue to redouble their efforts until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The victory, which has already been written of in the scriptures, goes to those who are able to follow the teachings of the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Those who choose to ignore the important lessons taught therein, those who are so filled with hatred have been blinded and cannot see that they are following Satan down the path unto their own destruction. Unfortunately our public schools are no longer permitted to reinforce the basic teachings found in the scriptures and the courts of the land are still under the mistaken interpretation of Justice Black who introduced the idea of separation of church and state. My fear is that the academia of the liberal left has such powerful hatred and contempt for the conservative religious right; that along with their position that they may and will convince so many innocents along the way.

The issue is not weather George W. Bush or The Pope is the target of those Evil Forces; rather, it is Anyone who chooses to stand for something good. The forces of Evil have been aimed at individuals from the beginning, even though individuals tend to form groups. The first recorded was with Adam and Eve in the Garden; but you won’t hear about that one in any of the public schools, now will we? We are all being attacked on a moment to moment on going battle. The divisive tactics that seem to blur more individuals are employed, Blacks versus Whites has been very effective, Rich folks versus Poor folks, Serb/Croat and so on until we are all brought down to some level of forming an attitude of hatred.

There is a defense that works against the forces of Evil; choose to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, do what he would do by setting the standard of human interaction. Go to church, teach the basics to your family and make your own homes safe havens from the Evil that is all around us. Simple, not easy to do; but simple.

Can You Say, “Flip Flop”

The University of Colorado reversed itself this afternoon, and is allowing Ward Churchill to give a speech tonight on campus. ( I had gone back to check my “links” to make sure they were all working and I noticed that the original story from World Net Daily had changed. )

"Ron Stump, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, said, according to the Rocky Mountain News. "Today, we met again with students who retracted their earlier reports of death threats and urged us to allow the event to go forward."

I think they crumbled when the letters "ACLU" came up; you bunch of wimps ( The new "fight song" at the University of Colorado will have to be changed. "Oh I wish I were and Oscar Meyer Weiner...)

I still contend that the University has left itself wide open for major litigation in the event that the “phantom death threat” is ever carried out by some of the “wackos” previously mentioned.

In the words of some other insignificant statesman, “I voted for it; just before I voted against it.”, or something like that….

9-11 Professor Sues Over Canceled Speech

Thanks to PowerPundit for his link to this article. I thought all the brouhaha about Ward Churchill had died out for at least another day or two; guess I was wrong.

“On Monday, CU administrators announced they had canceled Churchill's planned speech because of security concerns, reported the Denver Post. Earlier this month, Hamilton College in upstate New York canceled a speech by Churchill because of death threats against the professor and its administrators.”

David Lane, an ( ACLU ) attorney for a pro-Churchill student group, told Denver station KDVR-TV: "The university ... is obligated to provide security for Ward Churchill. They simply can't put a gag in his mouth by telling him, 'Well, there are these violent wackos out there that want kill you so we're not going to let you give your speech.'"

(This is the same David Lane who is serving as co-counsel on the case in which the ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal district court challenging the constitutionality of a new law that requires teachers and students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day in all Colorado public schools.)

The most important reason given for canceling the speech was a concern for the safety and well being of Professor Churchill; whose life had been threatened, along with those who might be in close proximity of him. The American Civil Liberties Union has defended Churchill, calling on regents, legislators and the governor "to stop threatening Mr. Churchill's job because of the content of his opinions." In other words they are attempting to link all of Churchill’s woes to the First Amendment and his right to free speech. Either that or they suspect that the regents, the legislators and the governor are the primary suspects in the threats on Churchill’s life. (They might have to get in line)

Unfortunately for us all; Mr. Churchill's speech isn’t free. He’s a paid representative of the University of Colorado and when he is on loan to other “establishments of higher learning” he is paid a fee on top of his teaching salary. I see nothing “Free” about it.

Maybe a refresher course in First Amendment is in order:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Look at what it says, “Congress shall make no laws…”, it says nothing about the private sector being able to regulate its own affairs, nothing. This has been abused for so long that kids think they can talk back to their parents, that they can talk back to teachers, that employees can say whatever they want and so on until there is no accountability for ones actions. This was never the intent of the First Amendment.

Take a giant leap forward into the litigation industry; what kind of damage lawsuits would be filed if the university had permitted the speech to go on? Even had additional security measures been taken, even had the university done everything humanly possible; if anyone were injured or killed there would be no way to defend themselves. The only way to avoid that particular lawsuit was to wash their hands of the gathering altogether.

The next step for the University of Colorado is to terminate Churchill’s employment altogether. The same security risks will continue for anyone who is about him when he teaches. If only one student were to be injured as a result of some “wacko’s” attempt to silence Churchill it could bankrupt the university due to their negligence to take proper precautions.

“It’s not personal, its only business.”, as they say.

*** Here is an interesting PS: You will have to read my very next blog to believe it.***

Texas is Running Out of Prison Cells – Again

I was listening to a news blurb while driving on the way to a job. It came down the fact that there are so many people in our Texas Prison System that there is no room for new offenders. There was some comment regarding what kind of tax increase would be needed to build more prisons or if there would be some relief created with some early parole of the less violent prisoners.

Ben Danmytt, wrote an article about "Tolerance" back on November 17, 2004 and brought up something interesting,

”In 2002 Oregon was struggling with their budget, not enough money for schools nor enough for prison. The great Oregon legislators came up with a brilliant plan to solve this. In the voters pamphlet for that year I read something that still shocks me today. They called it a temporay income tax increase. The Oregon legislators thought (wrongly) that the people of the state would vote for this tax to save their schools even though they had wasted all the moneys we had already given them. However, just as a side bar to help ensure the voters voted "Yes" they added a threat: should this temporay tax not be passed the drastic cuts that would have to be made would force them (the OR gov.) to release 1400 prisoners that they could no longer afford to imprison. Naturally the already highly taxed citizens wouldn't hear of another tax hike, temporary or not. So when it came time to vote the measure failed as did our trust in the government when they came through on thier threat to release the prisoners they promised. The kicker here is the criminals they put back on the streets not the harmless but stupid pot heads, but hardened, violent criminals including rapest and child molesters. It gets better, and more horrorfing, the people of my home state tolerated this.”

I have a better idea; actually its not my idea at all, read about it a while back. There was some place, here in the good ole’ USA, where they had a similar problem. Rather than raise taxes and further burden the citizens this one fellow, I think it was a county sheriff, decided that it would be very inexpensive to start housing the inmate populaiton in tents. There would be a secured perimeter just as with a standard prison with walls except that the cells would cost a mere fraction of what brick and cement walls cost. There would be, needless to say, a much more limited comfort zone for prisonersl; but no more so than what our Soldiers have to put up with. I know, the ACLU, is chomping at the bit to have a “prisoner’s rights” case. I say let’s throw them a bone.

Ten extra credit points to the first blogger to come up with the sheriff’s name and the original news story I couldn’t find.

It might take all of a month or two tops, to set aside some area for tents and port-a-johns, put up some tents with cots or sleeping bags, fill up the moat with hungry crocks … you get the picture. Think how much money would be saved if the prisoners had to sew their own tents and sleeping bags before they were able to enjoy the safety those items provide from the elements. Our Soldiers have to endure the elements with a lot more danger involved; why should prisoners be permitted to have “work out areas”, “entertainment systems” and all the comforts of home?

After putting all the prisoners into tents, that would leave the prisons free to use for something better. Maybe the taxpayers would be happier if those prisons were turned into public schools. It would give the students a better comprehension of the choices in front of them and at the same time get the most bang for the buck. The homeless who live under bridges or behind the 7 -11 stores could be sheltered in the evening and at night to make even more use of the same buildings.

Knowledge Comes With a Price Tag

I am not a talk show host or some kind of celebrity who gets perks on the side. ( That’s not entirely true; last week I got some complimentary tickets from Munday Chevrolet, to see the Auto Show just because I was their locksmith. My wife, both of my daughters and even my grandson had a wonderful time and saved some money.)

I was listening to the afternoon talk show, a brief interview with Mark Levin. He was given a chance to hype his new book, “Men In Black: How the Supreme Court Is Destroying America”. It was one of those interviews that I wished I could have listened to from beginning to end; however, I still have to work for a living. The good thing is I was able to get some work done; great except that when the job I was doing was over, so was the interview.

It did get me hooked on the idea that I wanted a copy of his book. I do remember the talk show host going on about how neat it was that he had already read his “Free” copy and was more than excited about the information it had. I put my order in; should be about a week before I get to do some first hand digging into the book. It cost me $ 18.45 at Amazon.com, that was the reduced price since I bought some other books while I was there. Those are crafty folks and they know that book junkies can never eat just one.

Rules of Blogging

When I was a field training instructor (FTI) for the Houston Police Department I would instruct the probationary police (PPO) in the basic approach to his/her job. I had a printed set of instructions that would remind each PPO that anything he/she did, on or off duty, should fit within the guidelines of the Department’s Rules Manuel or some known State or Municipal law.

A simple rule of thumb was to think before acting; I know, some of you are pointing to that thick manila personnel folder with my name on it and wondering, “Isn’t this the same guy who…?” I will avoid that last question and move along.

Any answer, such as, “I saw it on TV”, or “That’s the way Harry Callahan did it in Dirty Harry.”, or “I don’t know why I did it.”, were all considered to be “Not well thought out”.
I would then continue by adding, “Never say anything to anyone, including another police officer, that you would not want printed on the front page of the Houston Chronicle.” I think this same general advice would serve anyone planning to blog.

I was reading a blog from Lorimer which he called “Another one bites the dust”. (Think I’ll put on the Queen album and …)

I like his words of caution, “The line dividing free speech and libelous remarks contained in blogs is still blurred.” He referred to a couple of different BBC articles which you can read if you link to Lorimer’s blog. In those articles I found some good information; two of which I will put here in my own blog.

One blogger was quoted with the following,

“I would say to potential bloggers that you should think carefully about what you reveal, so that it can't be traced back to you.” This is good common sense if you plan to keep yourself anonymous.

I am more tuned in with a different approach as stated by yet another blogger,

“I don't blog about anything, or share opinions, that I wouldn't feel happy talking about up on a stage in front of friends and strangers.”

Here are the 12 Rules of Blogging that are included in the BBC article.

1. Make it clear that the views expressed in the blog do not necessarily represent the views of the employer
2. Respect the company's confidentiality and proprietary information
3. Ask your manager if you have any questions about what is appropriate to include in the blog
4. Be respectful to the company, employees, customers, partners, and competitors. Criticise but be balanced, give opportunity for feedback, and be justifiable.
5. Observe company requests that topics not be discussed for confidentiality or legal compliance reasons
6. Ensure that your blogging activity does not interfere with your work commitments or employee relations
7. Tell the truth and write with balance and accuracy. Acknowledge and correct mistakes promptly. Acknowledge conflicts of interest
8. Keep records of original posts and indicate where a message has been edited or summarised
9. Be prepared to delete inappropriate posts and spam or off-topic material
10. Reply to e-mails and comments promptly and be prepared to explain how complaints are being dealt with
11. Don't steal copyright material. Link to online references and original source materials directly
12. Keep private issues private and don't jeopardise the company's working relationships
Source: Nick Lockett, DL Legal

Now, "Go and do likewise".

Hoyle’s High Roller Club

TF is a member of Hoyle's
Virtual High Roller's Club.
Follow the link to read all
about one of my vices.

1400 Parking Tickets in One Day

In keeping with a promise I made to myself, blogs that I post on weekends will take on a more entertaining tone.

The title alone should make you want to read more. A long time ago in a City just down the freeway…

(If your seeing a diminishing title roll into the blackness of space and hearing regal music then your in for more diminishing returns as this true story unfolds, or is that unravels.)

My partner, to remain un-named, and I had almost no seniority when we were working evening shift downtown. Neither of us had any part of a weekend off and so we had the honor of noticing that almost nothing happened in downtown Houston on Saturday. We would drive around and since nothing was doing, we did nothing too.

One particular Saturday we were sitting in roll call and the Sergeant in charge was noticeably perturbed about something. “I got chewed out because you guys are not writing any parking tickets on Saturday. This is going to change as of today!”

We never wrote parking tickets on Saturday, not ever. There was some kind of unwritten code not to make it hard for those who actually came downtown on the weekend so they wouldn’t have to worry about plugging the meters. ( I know that some of you from New York City are already laughing since I said this was a true story; street parking being a totally different animal on the Houston scene back then.)

After roll call all of us low seniority officer had a second roll call. We decided that the Sergeant should not have to worry about getting chewed out again, at least not for the same thing. We all checked out an additional ten books of parking tickets, some of us more, all twelve of us, and agreed to make it happen.

We went by every fifteen minutes to check on expired parking meters; often having to check the time of the last ticket to make sure we had waited long enough. At the end of shift we turned in all 1400 parking tickets that we had written to the docket clerk’s office. It was a few minutes after 10:00pm when we handed her a medium sized cardboard box with all the tickets and at first she thought it was a joke. Then when she realized that she would have to enter each and every one of those parking tickets, enter them before she would be permitted to go home; she began to cry uncontrollably.

We then made the short trip down the hall and around the corner to Point Control's office and turned in our work cards; a detailed accounting of what each officer had done “for the City” that day, or better stated, what we had done “to the City” that day. Upon reaching the office our not so friendly Sergeant was sitting at his desk with a very unhappy citizen. There in his hand was a stack of tickets that had accumulated under his windshield wiper, his fingers fanning them as if they were a stack of dollar bills being counted.

“What am I supposed to do with these?”, half pleading and half yelling.

“I suggest you pay them.”, he dead panned while looking over to the group of smiling officers lined up at the door.

It didn’t help that we all let loose with a collective horse laugh to punctuate what the Sergeant had said. We never again were told to write parking tickets on Saturday or any other day after that.

No Free Pass for Academia

Eugene Volokh wrote, responding to the idea that Ward Churchill should be fired for his remarks regarding the victims of 9/11, “University professors are supposed to do a good job by saying what they think is right, even when that’s offensive or alienating to people. Such an ability to express highly controversial views, even views that many people find deeply offensive, is critical for the effective functioning of universities as institutions. If university professors know that expressing controversial views about the war effort, about racial differences, about sex or sexual orientation, and so on will get them fired, then effective scholarship and public debate about these issues would be very much stifled. A “ don’t offend the customers” or “if its controversial, don’t say it” approach may be perfectly sensible for many kinds of business or even government agencies. But it would be awful for universities.”

I have pondered the essence of what Eugene Volokh and Stephen Bainbridge have placed before us; the idea that members of the academia should be exempted from any personal responsibility for what they say, and it comes up short. I can understand and even agree that the introduction of varied thoughts, ideas that run in conflict with those that are currently acceptable, need to be protected so that fresh ideas may have a chance to flourish in the world of free thought; however, can anyone believe that individuals, regardless of their affiliations or job description, be exempted from being responsible for what they say or do. In this regard mankind, more specifically, “those citizens who reside within the area of influence and power” are the “customers” and academia must be held accountable just as much, maybe more than someone selling a product at the local market.

“We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.”, from the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Section 121:39. While this particular verse was written down to remind priesthood holders of the responsibilities associated with that sacred office; it also is a general observation on all mankind. I fail to see “wings” that elevate any member of the academia above the rest of us; possibly a few “horns” every here and there; but definitely no wings.

We have seen the eroding effect on our culture from years of abuse, some of it as a direct result from seditious activity within the academic community; much of that erosion would seem to follow the agenda found within the writings of Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto.

It might be a good time for us to ponder the idea that we all must be held accountable for our actions, to include those things that exit the mouth and land on the ear. Most universities accept support from governmental agencies, in the form of grants and/or tax advantages. It would seem only proper that a reciprocal responsibility be established to honor the gift giver. Standing at the lectern to provide a challenging or rousing set of ideas cannot be compared to treasonous contempt for national or religious values. This has nothing to do with First Amendment rights guaranteed to us; although that has been thrown out as a band aide to hide the sore; no, this has to do with basic accountability. I am one of the customers of the educational system and I want a refund or at the very least; fire that jerk Churchill so that he can’t poison anyone else with his words.

Ward Churchill Is Only The Tip of an Iceberg

"Ward Churchill is the University of Colorado professor and far left activist whose inflammatory essay on the 9/11 terrorist act compared the victims thereof to "little Eichmanns”, taken from a blog written by Stephen Bainbridge.

I was reminded, through my various readings and comments regarding what Ward Churchill had said, of the line by Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."

Professor Stephen Bainbridge, corporate law professor at UCLA, wrote in his editorial blog,

“I stand by my view that the man is an ass. Unlike Churchill, however, I take a rather expansive view of the First Amendment. As one of those rare conservatives in the academy, moreover, it is in my self-interest to insist that tenure and academic freedom must be protected.”

I would have to part company with Professor Bainbridge when he stated that “tenure and academic freedom must be protected.” The right to free speech does not include the guarantee of employment, only that you have the right to make a fool of yourself. I’m not saying that the government should go after this fellow Churchill because he said some rather foolish remarks, only that there are limits to how foolish he can behave before his employer shows him the door.

I quote a line from Ezra Taft Benson, "These men of power, prestige, and great influence in the political structure of America have permitted the concept of `freedom of speech' to be expanded to include subversion, intimidation, sedition, and incitement to riot; they have condoned the distortion of `academic freedom' to encompass the adulteration of young minds with Communist doctrine and the disintegration of a well-disciplined educational system; they have allowed `freedom of assembly' to mushroom into disruption of peaceful activity, mob rule, riot, and insurrection.”

I was employed as a police officer by the City of Houston and during my twenty years as their employee it was understood that my actions and comments would be a reflection of the City of Houston. If at anytime it became apparent that my actions ran contrary to those considered to be acceptable my employment could be terminated under a general violation of a “common sense” clause that covered almost any non-specific that might come down the pike. Granted, “common sense” clauses make plenty of lawyers a full time income; the point being that the employer should always have the right to determine what image is to be presented to the public.

In the case of the University of Colorado having the right to terminate any of its employees, to include Ward Churchill, the same general “common sense” clause would have to be taken into consideration. I offer the following, “We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.”, from Section 134 of the Doctrines and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

As governments have the right to protect their citizens, so it is with the private sector to protect themselves. Ward Churchill is not exempt from having to pay for the consequences of his own actions, to include the loss of his position as a teacher for an institution of higher learning. Whether or not he is guilty of treason or sedition is not the point of this article; however, it would seem that he clearly hates the United States of America and what we stand for. Is this the kind of person we want teaching young minds?

Edmund Burke, the great English statesman, explained that, "men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites,—in proportion as their love of justice is above their rapacity,—in proportion as their soundness and sobriety of understanding is above their vanity and presumption,—in proportion as they are more disposed to listen to the counsels of the wise and good, in preference to the flattery of knaves. Society cannot exist, unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere; and the less of it there is within, the more there must be without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things, that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters." (The Writings and Speeches of Edmund Burke Vol. 4, pp. 51-52.)

I wouldn’t let Ward Churchill be a dog catcher, much less hold such the influential position of professor teaching at the University of Colorado. Show him the door!

We Need to Pay Attention

We Need to Pay Attention
Americans are Destroying America

During the State of the Union Address to the Nation, February 2, 2005, many interesting and important topics were highlighted. I will not attempt to share my thoughts on the entire address; limiting my focus to one area of that speech. After extolling the need to restructure Social Security, which I will leave alone for now, President Bush stated,

“Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society. So many of my generation, after a long journey, have come home to family and faith, and are determined to bring up responsible, moral children. Government is not the source of these values, but government should never undermine them.”

In his next sentence he continued,

“Because marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be re-defined by activist judges. For the good of families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage.”

This one part of the State of the Union Address is worthy of more than two sentences. I intend to expand those ideas. President Bush opened the door and the “loyal opposition” was given a chance to voice their message afterwards.

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the new Democratic leader in the United States Senate in the Democratic Response to President Bush’s Address remarked,

“It's important that we succeed. It's time that America's government lived by the same values as America's families. It's time we invested in America's future and made sure our people have the skills to compete and thrive in a 21st century economy. That's what Democrats believe. That's where we stand. That's what we'll fight for.”

Senator Reid brought up the issue of morality and how it is perceived by our nation, its leaders and by the court system. There is a wide margin between what the “Liberal Left” has called “a family” and what the “Conservative “Right” calls a “family”. Senator Reid went on to tell a story,

“We were sitting down in a booth, when a young boy, about 10-years-old, named Devon walked up to us. Carrying a skateboard under his arm, he said, "Senator Reid, when I grow up I want to be just like you. Well, the truth is Devon could probably do a lot better. But the point still holds and it is this: no one ever had to tell young Devon to dream big dreams, no one ever had to teach him that America is a place of possibility. He knows those things because they are born deep in all Americans.”

I’m afraid that Senator Reid is missing the point, Little Devon does NOT know these things because they are NOT born deep in all Americans, and his line that no one ever had to teach him that America is a place of possibility is also off the mark.

Quoting Ezra Taft Benson, former Secretary of Agriculture, in a speech which was entered into the Congressional Record on April 22, 1968,

“If America is destroyed, it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers—normally good Americans, but Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free—Americans who have been lulled away into a false security."

"Morality, integrity, law and order and other cherished principles of our great heritage are battling for survival in many communities today. They are under constant attack from degrading and corrupting influences which, if not halted, will sweep away every vestige of decency and order remaining in our society."

In other words, our children must be taught, line up line and precept upon precept until they come to a full knowledge of their heritage, their responsibilities and their own individual possibilities. There is no chromosome that can transfer American History from one generation to another or impress upon our youth the sacred nature of our founding documents, our Christian foundations; these have to be taught. The process of passing along common values has been entrusted to us as parents; however, I cannot overlook the fact that most children attend public schools which is where a large percentage of general “knowledge” is given them.


Ezra Taft Benson continued to elaborate on the state of chaos which has been introduced,

"These men of power, prestige, and great influence in the political structure of America have permitted the concept of `freedom of speech' to be expanded to include subversion, intimidation, sedition, and incitement to riot; they have condoned the distortion of `academic freedom' to encompass the adulteration of young minds with Communist doctrine and the disintegration of a well-disciplined educational system; they have allowed `freedom of assembly' to mushroom into disruption of peaceful activity, mob rule, riot, and insurrection.

"Unless those in authority in the United States can be influenced to abandon the suicidal course on which they have embarked—or unless they can be replaced by men who will—we cannot hope to restore in our nation the kind of domestic peace and order which has made our many generations proud to be Americans . . . living in a land of freedom, security, opportunity, and justice under law.

While Ezra Taft Benson’s talk is quite lengthy, it does have at least a couple of more worthy quotes,

“We can never survive unless our young people understand and appreciate our American system, which has given more of the good things of life than any other system in the world—unless they have a dedication that exceeds the dedication of the enemy. Character must become important in this country again. The old essentials of honesty, self-respect, loyalty, and support for law and order must be taught the younger generation.”

Fast forward to the present and what is being taught to our children and to the future, what will be taught to them and it becomes painfully clear that our country is at a cross roads in time. Will our children be taught about the history as it actually happened, complete with reference to God and the importance of faith to our Founding Fathers or will it continue to erode into a Cliff Notes version that glosses over those important reasons for action. Will the concept of the “natural” family, a male husband married to a female wife with children born into a home be the rule or will it be perverted to include the “new tolerance” toward homosexual unions? These concepts are taught in schools to our children; exactly who is in charge of determining the content of what is being taught?

The answer to all the above is that there are enough Activist Judges already in high places who have no intention of following the Constitution or the ideology which our Founding Fathers had intended. The original documentation of what our Founding Fathers wrote and thought about is a matter of record; except that with each passing day, those records are being pushed further away from the light of day.

Quoting from, Alexander Hamilton and the Founding of the Nation, p. 462,

“Our priceless heritage is threatened today as never before in our lifetime: from without by the forces of Godless Communism, and at home by our complacency and by the insidious forces of the Socialist-Communist conspiracy, with the help of those who would abandon the ancient landmarks set by our fathers and take us down the road to destruction. It was Alexander Hamilton who warned that "nothing is more common than for a free people, in times of heat and violence, to gratify momentary passions, by letting into the government, principles and precedents which afterwards prove fatal to themselves."

It’s a shame that Senator Reid’s Democratic Party has abandoned him. I truly believe that he is an honorable man; unfortunately for us all, the Democratic Party is only a name that is used to hide the agenda of the New Socialist/Communist Party. Think about what is called tolerable; “Woman’s Choice which is another name for murder, Sexual Preference which is nothing more than denying the perverse activity between homosexuals, “Separation of Church and State” which is a perversion of the true nature of the original wording never intended to eliminate God or our dependence upon Him from government, falsifying history in order to minimize to the point of eliminating any and all reference to God and Faith in any social setting and the list keeps growing.

I will close and take as my own, the same words that Ezra Taft Benson used,

“As American citizens who love freedom, we must return to a respect for national morality—respect for law and order. There is no other way of safety for us and our posterity. The hour is late; the time is short. We must begin now, in earnest, and invite God's blessings on our efforts.

The United States should be a bastion of real freedom. We should not support the world's greatest evil, the Godless, Socialist-Communist conspiracy that seeks to destroy all we hold dear as a great Christian nation and to promote insidiously the breakdown of law and order and the erosion of our morality.

With God's help we must return to those basic concepts, those eternal verities, the rule of law and order upon which this nation was established. With an aroused citizenry and the help of Almighty God it can be accomplished. God grant it may be so, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Wisdom Right in Front of Me

“When you find a situation you cannot understand, follow the financial interest.”, is one of the words of wisdom included on a popular famous picture. I know because I have a copy of those clever little lines on the wall directly across from the “throne” in my bathroom. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”, “A man who makes 4 and spends 5 has no need for a purse”, and the list goes longer than I ever had to.

I wrote an op-ed piece that actually got published in the Houston Chronicle not too long ago. It was a short piece of sarcasm aimed at the Mayor and City Council making it known that they intend to implement the use of cameras to catch folks who run red lights, issue traffic tickets that would be mailed to the owner of the licensed vehicle caught by the camera and collect a pre-determined fine. ( Is that a run on sentence? I have several customers who are English teachers and it would be a shame to ruin a good thought with poor sentence structure.)

I still think there is nothing wrong with catching folks who run red lights; after all, I was a police officer for a little more than twenty years. I actually had “Running Red Lights” at the top of my hot button list; right up there with DWI for those trying to get a good read on where I stand. My editorial hinged on one Key word, pardon the plug for my locksmith business, that word was SCAM. Unfortunately when the Houston Chronicle edited my op-ed, they edited out the word SCAM. My sentence against the use of Cameras being used in such a way was changed from, “I have no problem with such a SCAM…”, to read, “I have no problem with such…”.

I got a response back after having pointed out the “minor alteration”, kind of like saying that the sun darkens the skies or that right is wrong; you get the idea. Here is the explanation:
“Regarding the change made to your letter and the deletion of the word scam: I wasn't trying to miss the point, but I didn't think you really meant "scam" which to me has a meaning of dishonesty or fakery! Surely you don't think the city of Houston police department is "ripping off" Houstonians by catching red-light runners....”, which missed the point I was working on; that being, that by side stepping the lawful manner in which traffic violators are dealt with, the City of Houston has decided to by pass the use of commissioned law enforcement officers, who are hired to protect the interests of not only the City of Houston; but to include the best interests of each and every individual who comes under his/her jurisdiction.

Right about now you should be asking, “What has this got to do with the title of this article, “Wisdom Right in Front of Me”? Actually, it has to do more with the first line, “When you find a situation you cannot understand, follow the financial interest.”, followed closely by the line, “A man who makes 4 and spends 5 has no need of purse”. I figure if you are reading this blog that you have a better than average distrust of governmental agencies; not to big a step for me to take.

The City of Houston spends more money than it takes in, it continues to put its citizens in harms way by creating monumental long term debt; hence the line, “making 4 and spending 5”. The City’s “solution”, find more money; any where as long as there is lots of it. That brings me to; “When you find a situation you cannot understand, follow the financial interest.”.

When I was a police officer we used to joke about how neat it would be to make a percentage off the fines collected from our efforts; sort of a bonus for being productive. We knew it could never be; way too much opportunity for abuse. The heat generated would be enough to burn down the police station, the court houses and city hall if such a commission were paid to any police officer.

Turn the page… The Mayor and City Council must not see the opportunity for abuse when they want to turn over a percentage of the “take” to a private sector entrepreneur. This does not include the fact that part of the fundamental process of our justice system provides for the right of any accused to confront the witness against him/her. No matter how nice it would be for the purposes of streamlining the testimonial process, camera equipment cannot ever be a stand alone witness. Testimony can only be given by a human being; who may at times rely on the use of mechanical verification, such as a camera. This one sticking point has been brushed over as insignificant by several major metropolitan cities across the nation where they have already instituted the use of camera issued traffic tickets and fine collection.

Turn the page… The City of Houston claims that it is all fired up and worried about the safety and well being of their fellow citizens; so much , that they are willing to save us all by installing a completely robotic enforcement system to protect us all. This system will make the initial observation, record it digitally or on film, and last but not least…send out the finding of guilt along with an envelope in which to put the fine. Does that about cover the new system; the system where citizens are automatically found guilty without the need for a trial?

Would the City of Houston be as fired up if all their new system left off the part about sending in the fine? How about a different twist; start paying police officers, regardless of his/her having to testify in front of a jury or in front of a judge, the same percentage as would be paid the private sector contractor who so willingly wants to help the City enforce those flagrant traffic violators? I think I already covered that turf. How fired up would that generous private contractor be if he were asked to donate all that expensive equipment; but forego the percentage of the fines?

I think the line from the movie, “Jerry McGuire”, answers all of these questions, “Show me the Money!” I rest my case.

A Waste of Tax Money

February 1, 2005

An early morning fire Jan. 24 destroyed the Bethel Baptist Church at Andrews and Crosby streets, in the Fourth Ward. “The city will give $24,000 toward shoring up a historic black church damaged a week ago by fire so that investigators can safely enter the building.”, according to Salatheia Bryant and Lori Rodriguez, staff writers for the Houston Chronicle.

“Terence Fontaine, the mayor's deputy chief of staff, said Monday the money will go directly to the engineering company selected to do the work at Bethel Baptist, a Fourth Ward church founded by the Rev. Jack Yates in 1896.”, according to an article from the Houston Chronicle.

“U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, announced that the Houston Endowment will give $17,000 toward the effort. Jackson Lee said the Texas Historical Commission also has agreed to offer its technical assistance to any restoration project. She said several bid proposals from engineering firms are being considered.”, also quoting the article.

One curious on looker had been heard to comment, “Why would the City of Houston take it upon themselves; meaning, the tax paying citizens, to burden all taxpayers with an additional $24,000 debt for a church? After all, the building was in such a state of disrepair and had been falling down, basically abandoned for a very long time. Sheila Jackson Lee can’t wait to spend “Other People’s Money”, as she has volunteered to throw an additional $17,000 at the project. If it was so important to save this Texas Landmark, then why wasn’t it done way back before it became a derelict and burned almost to the ground? The mayor’s office appears to be pandering for the Black community vote while literally flushing away tax money that should be used for other legitimate debts.

"Jackson Lee said plans are to restore the building to a multi-use facility similar to Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., where civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once was pastor". Such a statement is nothing more than political grandstanding to the Black community; something that Sheila Jackass Lee excels in. I find it more than curious that the building, which was once called a church is referenced as a multi-use facility; can’t have any reference to it being used as a religious symbol for the community now can we?

"That would make sense. . .”, ATF special agent Franceska Perot said Monday. Well, at least he got that part right, even if I did take the liberty of placing his quote out of context. Its fun to be your own editor; doing things just the way real newspaper editors do, letting the delete key change the quotes to suit your agenda.