We watched a wonderful children’s movie last night set in WWII Scotland near Loch Ness. It’s a fanciful tale from a young boy’s view as his father’s away in the military, a way of coping with the loneliness and fear.
The young boy found an odd looking item along the edge of the loch and, according to the tale, as told by the grown up version of that boy, the legend of the Loch Ness Monster is told as the Water Horse developed from nearly a tad pole sized creature into a full blown wonder to behold. The story is of the relationships garnered with all around him; but mostly between the boy and his Water Horse friend.
Instead of growing up with a father, the young boy grew up with the help of the Water Horse more commonly known as the Loch Ness Monster; taking him past his fears and into an acceptance of how things are with the war going on. Near the end of the movie the young boy accepts the likely hood that his father might not return, all those thoughts being tied with the escape of the Water Horse from the loch and out to sea while the shore guns fired on thinking it to be a German submarine. “He might not come back” and if you’re not paying attention you might think he was simply referring to the Water Horse making it to the open sea.
There was a talk given in General Conference a couple of years back, which I cannot find, having exhausted the search engines at LDS.org for hours, where at the end of WWII the father of the house returns home. The older children all shout with joy, “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home!” and the youngest boy who had never known his father since the war separated them soon after being born was shouting along with his older brothers and sisters, “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home! What’s a Daddy?” I hope my memory of those lines is close enough, not having the talk in front of me.
I had to wonder in my own heart as the words came to my ears, how it must have been growing up without the constant care and love of a father, one who was serving his country in time of war. I was lucky, my dad served and came home, then I was born. I still get to talk with him on the telephone; that is, when he’s not out bowling with his buddies. “Bowl a hundred!”; that’s my way of saying, “I love you”.
As we celebrate Veteran’s Day take a moment to appreciate the sacrifices made which might otherwise slide under the radar, time spent away from young children who miss their Daddy.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Garbage as Art
The 22nd item on Cleon Skousen’s list in his book, The Naked Communist , “Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. … “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms” came to mind today. While listening to the Paul Harvey radio show this morning there was a spot announcing the possibility that two pieces of “art” by Mark Rothko may have accidentally been hung upside down at a gallery showing modern “art”.
I had to laugh as I was driving at the time, at the implications. If the experts on “art” couldn’t figure out which side was up, what it was or how to hang it, then what kind of garbage was it? I mean ( insert your best Arlo Guthrie voice at this point ), “I mean…” what the heck kind of “art” permits such a travesty to be pulled off?
I took the time to look up this piece of “art” when I had the chance. Garbage with a frame would be more like it. I’ve seen paint samples that had more expression. Quoting an article by Alastair Jamieson :
“… Rothko is thought to have wanted the works - which he donated to the Tate before committing suicide in February 1970 - to be hung with the stripes running horizontally and the location of his signature on the back of the paintings is believed to reflect this wish.”
If, after waking up from a night of serious drinking or drugs, I found one of my expensive canvases covered in such a way I might have considered suicide as well; however, rather than give the paintings away, I’d have had the decency to cover them with something which could have at least been classified as artistic impression. Like I said earlier, I’ve seen paint samples that had more expression.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Prop 8 Reporting Diluted
Depending on the sources you read, violence related to the passage of California’s Proposition 8 could go under the radar. I read on the Fox website a short article which summarized the fact that the Mormon Church supported the passage of Prop 8 and how the Gay community had targeted them in marches and protests.
“In Salt Lake City, a crowd of about 2,000 chanted "Separate church and state" and waved rainbow flags outside the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which encouraged its members to work to pass the amendment by volunteering their time and money for the campaign.”
The article made the protest sound fairly tame and civilized mentioning only a marginal amount of unrest and displeasure aimed at Mormons in general. I then read another account in Meridian Magazine containing more information which was slightly more unsettling.
“The LDS Temple in Los Angeles was under siege yesterday by 2,000 protesters angry over the Church's role in passing Proposition 8, forcing the closure of the temple.”
“Signs were hung from the fence around the temple and protesters screamed in anger, snarled afternoon rush-hour traffic and said, “This isn't going to stop us…If we do this we have a chance.” “We're going to fight it until the world changes,” protesters claimed.”
“Shame on you,” chanted the protesters. Outside the temple, graffiti was scrawled on the walls and signs hung, “Go back to Utah,” and “Go to hell Mormons.” Their signs said, “No on H8.”” (emphasis added)
This type of activity went beyond civil protest and into the area of criminal behavior which should have been acted upon by the local police department; but the police simply stood by and watched.
“One LDS member in the area said, “I don't quite understand our police response (even though I'm one of the police). If this was happening at a Jewish synagogue or a Catholic church, we would be arresting people for hate crimes. As it is at the moment, protestors are sitting on the walls of the temple and the police are on the grounds inside. Church members in our area were called last night to come down to the stake center and spend the night protecting the building from vandalism -- it's like 150 years ago.””
Worldnetdaily found some rather disturbing threats on the Internet/Blogoshere directing violence toward members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, threats which need to be investigated and the instigators brought up on charges.
“"Burn their f---ing churches to the ground, and then tax the charred timbers," wrote "World O Jeff" on the JoeMyGod blogspot today within hours of California officials declaring Proposition 8 had been approved by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent. Confirmation on voter approval of amendments in Florida and Arizona came earlier.”
A little further down in the article was this gem, “On yet another site, "Americablog," "scottinsf" wrote, "Trust me. I've got a big list of names of mormons and catholics that were big supporters of Prop 8. … As far as mormons and catholics … I warn them to watch their backs."”
“Liberty Counsel's Barber said, "This is not free speech; these are 'hate crimes' under the existing definition. Imagine if Christian websites were advocating such violence against homosexuals. There'd be outrage, and rightfully so. It'd be national front-page news. Federal authorities should immediately investigate these threats and prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law."”
I have to ask the question, perhaps it’s already been answered somewhere else in one of the major newspapers, an obscure article on the 24th page tucked in between a story about the elk not coming down from the mountains because there hasn’t been enough early snow and another story warning customers that this years crop of Pecans will have thicker shells and so you won’t be able to shell them as easily as last years crop.
Why haven’t we heard about Muslim Mosques being targeted by these same homosexual miscreants, after all, Islam has provided that homosexuals should be hanged publicly for crimes against Allah. I haven’t heard about marches in the streets against Islam or threats against anyone who practices that particular faith by discontented homosexuals. I guess you don’t get up in the face of any religion which promises to hang you for being a deviant, or am I wrong?
“"If you're planning a heterosexual wedding in California … be prepared for picketers. Designate someone to watch the parking lot … You're going to have lots of unexpected expenses. Add $500 to your budget for security. … Be prepared for the flowers not lasting to the reception or the tuxedos showing up two sizes too small or the music at the reception being a way too loud or the cake tasting a little funny," stated another threat. "Be afraid. Be very afraid. We are everywhere."”
Yes, these are the remarks of a tolerant, civilized American homosexually oriented citizen simply expressing his God given right as covered under the Constitution. Where is the condemnation being expressed for this in the major news outlets? The answer is, there isn’t any!
“In Salt Lake City, a crowd of about 2,000 chanted "Separate church and state" and waved rainbow flags outside the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which encouraged its members to work to pass the amendment by volunteering their time and money for the campaign.”
The article made the protest sound fairly tame and civilized mentioning only a marginal amount of unrest and displeasure aimed at Mormons in general. I then read another account in Meridian Magazine containing more information which was slightly more unsettling.
“The LDS Temple in Los Angeles was under siege yesterday by 2,000 protesters angry over the Church's role in passing Proposition 8, forcing the closure of the temple.”
“Signs were hung from the fence around the temple and protesters screamed in anger, snarled afternoon rush-hour traffic and said, “This isn't going to stop us…If we do this we have a chance.” “We're going to fight it until the world changes,” protesters claimed.”
“Shame on you,” chanted the protesters. Outside the temple, graffiti was scrawled on the walls and signs hung, “Go back to Utah,” and “Go to hell Mormons.” Their signs said, “No on H8.”” (emphasis added)
This type of activity went beyond civil protest and into the area of criminal behavior which should have been acted upon by the local police department; but the police simply stood by and watched.
“One LDS member in the area said, “I don't quite understand our police response (even though I'm one of the police). If this was happening at a Jewish synagogue or a Catholic church, we would be arresting people for hate crimes. As it is at the moment, protestors are sitting on the walls of the temple and the police are on the grounds inside. Church members in our area were called last night to come down to the stake center and spend the night protecting the building from vandalism -- it's like 150 years ago.””
Worldnetdaily found some rather disturbing threats on the Internet/Blogoshere directing violence toward members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, threats which need to be investigated and the instigators brought up on charges.
“"Burn their f---ing churches to the ground, and then tax the charred timbers," wrote "World O Jeff" on the JoeMyGod blogspot today within hours of California officials declaring Proposition 8 had been approved by a margin of 52 percent to 48 percent. Confirmation on voter approval of amendments in Florida and Arizona came earlier.”
A little further down in the article was this gem, “On yet another site, "Americablog," "scottinsf" wrote, "Trust me. I've got a big list of names of mormons and catholics that were big supporters of Prop 8. … As far as mormons and catholics … I warn them to watch their backs."”
“Liberty Counsel's Barber said, "This is not free speech; these are 'hate crimes' under the existing definition. Imagine if Christian websites were advocating such violence against homosexuals. There'd be outrage, and rightfully so. It'd be national front-page news. Federal authorities should immediately investigate these threats and prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent of the law."”
I have to ask the question, perhaps it’s already been answered somewhere else in one of the major newspapers, an obscure article on the 24th page tucked in between a story about the elk not coming down from the mountains because there hasn’t been enough early snow and another story warning customers that this years crop of Pecans will have thicker shells and so you won’t be able to shell them as easily as last years crop.
Why haven’t we heard about Muslim Mosques being targeted by these same homosexual miscreants, after all, Islam has provided that homosexuals should be hanged publicly for crimes against Allah. I haven’t heard about marches in the streets against Islam or threats against anyone who practices that particular faith by discontented homosexuals. I guess you don’t get up in the face of any religion which promises to hang you for being a deviant, or am I wrong?
“"If you're planning a heterosexual wedding in California … be prepared for picketers. Designate someone to watch the parking lot … You're going to have lots of unexpected expenses. Add $500 to your budget for security. … Be prepared for the flowers not lasting to the reception or the tuxedos showing up two sizes too small or the music at the reception being a way too loud or the cake tasting a little funny," stated another threat. "Be afraid. Be very afraid. We are everywhere."”
Yes, these are the remarks of a tolerant, civilized American homosexually oriented citizen simply expressing his God given right as covered under the Constitution. Where is the condemnation being expressed for this in the major news outlets? The answer is, there isn’t any!
Friday, November 07, 2008
Department of Energy is an Absolute Joke
Absolutely, and the joke is . . . on us! Does anybody out there have any memory of the reason given for the establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY during the Carter Administration? Anybody? Anything? No? Didn't think so.
Bottom line . . we've spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an agency the reason for which not one person who reads this can remember.
Ready? It was very simple, and at the time everybody thought it very appropriate.
The Department of Energy was instituted 8-04-1977 TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL. HEY, PRETTY EFFICIENT, HUH?
AND NOW IT'S 2008, 31 YEARS LATER, AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS NECESSARY DEPARTMENT IS AT $24.2 BILLION A YEAR, THEY HAVE 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, AND APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES AND LOOK AT THE JOB THEY HAVE DONE!
THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD AND SAY 'WHAT WAS I THINKING?'
Ah yes, good ole bureaucracy. And now we are going to turn the Banking system over to them? God Help us, and this is just the beginning; Universal Health Care, “and you thought the HMO management team was out of touch”, Cap and Spend policy on Energy intended to promote a better environment by bankrupting the coal industry, Immigration or what it really is, “open the boarders and let those future voters in”, and let’s not forget how well the national program of education has helped with No Child Left Behind, which translated into reality means, “Throw some more money down the toilet”.
Bottom line . . we've spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an agency the reason for which not one person who reads this can remember.
Ready? It was very simple, and at the time everybody thought it very appropriate.
The Department of Energy was instituted 8-04-1977 TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL. HEY, PRETTY EFFICIENT, HUH?
AND NOW IT'S 2008, 31 YEARS LATER, AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS NECESSARY DEPARTMENT IS AT $24.2 BILLION A YEAR, THEY HAVE 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, AND APPROXIMATELY 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES AND LOOK AT THE JOB THEY HAVE DONE!
THIS IS WHERE YOU SLAP YOUR FOREHEAD AND SAY 'WHAT WAS I THINKING?'
Ah yes, good ole bureaucracy. And now we are going to turn the Banking system over to them? God Help us, and this is just the beginning; Universal Health Care, “and you thought the HMO management team was out of touch”, Cap and Spend policy on Energy intended to promote a better environment by bankrupting the coal industry, Immigration or what it really is, “open the boarders and let those future voters in”, and let’s not forget how well the national program of education has helped with No Child Left Behind, which translated into reality means, “Throw some more money down the toilet”.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Improbable Progress
Hair is growing on my right leg on the very spot where I’ve had a psoriasis spot for the last fifteen years. I know this information doesn’t rate as high as the first Black man getting elected to the Oval Office; but good news is good news. There hasn’t been hair on that part of my leg for fifteen years or more, only an ugly spot which flakes off skin every other day, appears to heal a bit then itches to the point of unconscious scratching which makes it inflamed and the process repeats.
Think about how marvelous the human body is, its regenerative abilities and the miracle of it all; the idea that dormant hair follicles would spring to life after all these years was more than improbable, down right unimaginable. I went to brush away what I thought were scales of dead skin and found a cushion of new hair instead.
I don’t believe in coincidence, this having taken place at the same time the Great One was elected. I had my doubts about Obama and his promise of Change; well slap me on the knee and shout “Halleluiah”, I’ve got hair on my right leg once again.
Dear President Obama,
I’ve been having my barber clip the hair that grows inside the opening of my ears and nose for some time now, a disgusting burst of unsightly salt and pepper. Would it be too much to ask for a reduction, sort of a cap and spend trade off; more hair on my right leg in exchange for less growth in other areas. I know you plan to bankrupt the coal industry and move our nation towards other energy forms; could you do the same for unsightly hair, a redistribution of follicles, think of them as capitalists in need of governmental help.
Thank you and looking forward to Change oh Great One
TF Stern
Think about how marvelous the human body is, its regenerative abilities and the miracle of it all; the idea that dormant hair follicles would spring to life after all these years was more than improbable, down right unimaginable. I went to brush away what I thought were scales of dead skin and found a cushion of new hair instead.
I don’t believe in coincidence, this having taken place at the same time the Great One was elected. I had my doubts about Obama and his promise of Change; well slap me on the knee and shout “Halleluiah”, I’ve got hair on my right leg once again.
Dear President Obama,
I’ve been having my barber clip the hair that grows inside the opening of my ears and nose for some time now, a disgusting burst of unsightly salt and pepper. Would it be too much to ask for a reduction, sort of a cap and spend trade off; more hair on my right leg in exchange for less growth in other areas. I know you plan to bankrupt the coal industry and move our nation towards other energy forms; could you do the same for unsightly hair, a redistribution of follicles, think of them as capitalists in need of governmental help.
Thank you and looking forward to Change oh Great One
TF Stern
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
A Carefully Orchestrated Election
My dad used to tell a story, more of a joke; something about a couple of base player in an orchestra who got bored in the middle of playing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Apparently there’s a section where they had little if anything to do so they decided to quietly exit through the back area of the concert hall, walk across to a tavern on the other side of the street and tilt back a few. They got carried away and forgot how much time had gone by and nearly missed staggering back for the finish. Imagine the dilemma the conductor was in as he looked down, noticed the score was tied in the bottom of the 9th and the bases were loaded…
This morning should have been tougher on my conservative frame than it is. Obama waltzed through the election without the media exposing him for what he is, a Marxist Socialist with holes in his character that would make Swiss Cheese envious. Don’t get me wrong, I was never a supporter of McCain either, McCain being the DNC pick to be an “also ran” candidate for the Republican Party. Neal Boortz got it right when he said that conservatives got left behind when the Republican Party decided to go off on a spending binge after acquiring power back in the 90’s; kind of how the old time Democrats must feel when they realize their party was hijacked by the New Socialist Party.
So the Republicans had a middle of the road Democrat to lead them to defeat while the Socialist Party ran an end around, with the help of the mass media and an adoring mesmerized stampede of sheeple. The handwriting was on the wall months ago and all I could do was sit back and preach to the choir while waiting for the house of cards to cave in on itself.
What do I do now, other than congratulate my liberal left leaning friends for having turned the direction of America from one of self sufficiency toward the chasm of socialistic despair? The first Black President of the United States is a feather in the cap of any Black person, of that they have every right to celebrate and even snicker at their White neighbors; to the victor go the spoils and all that.
Now, my Black American friends, it will be time for you to figure out just what kind of sorry SOB you’ve put in the White House. All the covering up of Obama’s character flaws, of which there are many; but which the drive by media willingly left out of their reports, all the ugly ties to crooks, home grown terrorists, black militants with no intention of unifying Black and White America and the rest of the Middle East ties which sent millions of illegal political donations in small increments so as to fly under the radar; all of these issues just might cause some problems for America in the near future.
What do I do; nothing much different than I did the day before or the year before. I will continue to work each day to provide for the needs of my family; only now “I won’t have to worry about buying gasoline or paying the mortgage”; sorry, couldn’t resist highlighting one of the more ignorant voter responses when she was asked why she was voting for Obama.
I’m afraid the America I learned about, "who more than self their country loved", that country which I learned to love and respect may only be a memory as entitlements replace self sufficiency and my fellow Americans grow more comfortable accepting a mediocre existence rather than fighting for individual achievement.
The lazy and incompetent will find it easier to maintain the appearance of achievement, even though dependence on the government’s dipping into my wallet makes such a travesty possible. We will all become a little less hopeful about achieving personal financial security, something of a punch line to a bad joke since Obama’s campaign was all about hope as government intervention into almost every facet of our lives will pour cold water on most efforts; it will be ever so much easier to just go with the flow.
The Universal Environmental Church will become the State religion with forced contributions collected to cover such things as exhaled CO2, imposed user fees for anyone with an internal combustion engine with extra fees for trips lasting more than four miles, mandated thermostatic controls in the warmer months not to fall below 81 degrees with a similar mandate not to rise above 68 degrees in the colder months.
There is always the chance to stick it to the rich folks, determined by comparing the living space of a single family dwelling with the living space of a standard government subsidized housing project unit; those with excessive waste will be penalized so as to bring about a more fair and equitable community. One way or the other, parity will prevail; I could be wrong but the machinery is already in place and those leading our nation head long into the chasm are more than willing participants.
So, it was the bottom of the 9th, the score was tied and the bases were loaded; all the conductor could do was keep playing and hope for the best. This tune popped into my head and a tear fell down my cheek…
Oh, beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.
Oh, beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine.
Oh, beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
This morning should have been tougher on my conservative frame than it is. Obama waltzed through the election without the media exposing him for what he is, a Marxist Socialist with holes in his character that would make Swiss Cheese envious. Don’t get me wrong, I was never a supporter of McCain either, McCain being the DNC pick to be an “also ran” candidate for the Republican Party. Neal Boortz got it right when he said that conservatives got left behind when the Republican Party decided to go off on a spending binge after acquiring power back in the 90’s; kind of how the old time Democrats must feel when they realize their party was hijacked by the New Socialist Party.
So the Republicans had a middle of the road Democrat to lead them to defeat while the Socialist Party ran an end around, with the help of the mass media and an adoring mesmerized stampede of sheeple. The handwriting was on the wall months ago and all I could do was sit back and preach to the choir while waiting for the house of cards to cave in on itself.
What do I do now, other than congratulate my liberal left leaning friends for having turned the direction of America from one of self sufficiency toward the chasm of socialistic despair? The first Black President of the United States is a feather in the cap of any Black person, of that they have every right to celebrate and even snicker at their White neighbors; to the victor go the spoils and all that.
Now, my Black American friends, it will be time for you to figure out just what kind of sorry SOB you’ve put in the White House. All the covering up of Obama’s character flaws, of which there are many; but which the drive by media willingly left out of their reports, all the ugly ties to crooks, home grown terrorists, black militants with no intention of unifying Black and White America and the rest of the Middle East ties which sent millions of illegal political donations in small increments so as to fly under the radar; all of these issues just might cause some problems for America in the near future.
What do I do; nothing much different than I did the day before or the year before. I will continue to work each day to provide for the needs of my family; only now “I won’t have to worry about buying gasoline or paying the mortgage”; sorry, couldn’t resist highlighting one of the more ignorant voter responses when she was asked why she was voting for Obama.
I’m afraid the America I learned about, "who more than self their country loved", that country which I learned to love and respect may only be a memory as entitlements replace self sufficiency and my fellow Americans grow more comfortable accepting a mediocre existence rather than fighting for individual achievement.
The lazy and incompetent will find it easier to maintain the appearance of achievement, even though dependence on the government’s dipping into my wallet makes such a travesty possible. We will all become a little less hopeful about achieving personal financial security, something of a punch line to a bad joke since Obama’s campaign was all about hope as government intervention into almost every facet of our lives will pour cold water on most efforts; it will be ever so much easier to just go with the flow.
The Universal Environmental Church will become the State religion with forced contributions collected to cover such things as exhaled CO2, imposed user fees for anyone with an internal combustion engine with extra fees for trips lasting more than four miles, mandated thermostatic controls in the warmer months not to fall below 81 degrees with a similar mandate not to rise above 68 degrees in the colder months.
There is always the chance to stick it to the rich folks, determined by comparing the living space of a single family dwelling with the living space of a standard government subsidized housing project unit; those with excessive waste will be penalized so as to bring about a more fair and equitable community. One way or the other, parity will prevail; I could be wrong but the machinery is already in place and those leading our nation head long into the chasm are more than willing participants.
So, it was the bottom of the 9th, the score was tied and the bases were loaded; all the conductor could do was keep playing and hope for the best. This tune popped into my head and a tear fell down my cheek…
Oh, beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
Oh, beautiful for pilgrim feet,
Whose stern, impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.
Oh, beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev’ry gain divine.
Oh, beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Tax Reductions and the Wealthy Explained
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
· The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
· The fifth would pay $1.
· The sixth would pay $3.
· The seventh would pay $7.
· The eighth would pay $12.
· The ninth would pay $18.
· The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. “Since you are all such good customers”, he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20”. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33.
But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
· The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
· The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
· The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
· The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
· The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
· The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
“I only got a dollar out of the $20”, declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!”
“Yeah, that’s right”, exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!”
“That’s true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!”
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
· The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
· The fifth would pay $1.
· The sixth would pay $3.
· The seventh would pay $7.
· The eighth would pay $12.
· The ninth would pay $18.
· The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. “Since you are all such good customers”, he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20”. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33.
But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
· The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
· The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
· The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
· The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
· The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
· The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
“I only got a dollar out of the $20”, declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!”
“Yeah, that’s right”, exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I!”
“That’s true!!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!”
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!”
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Cory the Well Driller Letter to Obama
Take the time to read this all the way through if you have the willingness to do so. This was a letter sent to Obama by Cory Miller. It is long, but he has a lot to say. Even if you support Obama, you should give some thought to what he has to say. Is where we are going better than where we've been? I called and got permission to share this letter and found that Cory Miller was going to be on the Fox network later today (10/31/2008)
Mr. Obama,
Given the uproar about the simple question asked you by Joe the plumber, and the persecution that has been heaped on him because he dared to question you, I find myself motivated to say a few things to you myself. While Joe aspires to start a business someday, I already have started not one, but 4 businesses. But first, let me introduce myself. You can call me "Cory the well driller". I am a 54 year old high school graduate. I didn't go to college like you, I was too ready to go "conquer the world" when I finished high school. 25 years ago at age 29, I started my own water well drilling business at a time when the economy here in East Texas was in a tailspin from the crash of the early 80's oil boom. I didn't get any help from the government, nor did I look for any. I borrowed what I could from my sister, my uncle, and even the pawn shop and managed to scrape together a homemade drill rig and a few tools to do my first job. My businesses did not start not a result of privilege. It is the result of my personal drive, personal ambition, self discipline, self reliance, and a determination to treat my customers fairly. From the very start my business provided one other (than myself) East Texan a full time job. I couldn't afford a backhoe the first few years (something every well drilling business had), so I and my helper had to dig the mud pits that are necessary for each and every job with hand shovels. I had to use my 10 year old, 1/2 ton pickup truck for my water tank truck (normally a job for at least a 2 ton truck).
A year and a half after I started the business, I scraped together a 20% down payment to get a modest bank loan and bought a (28 year) old, worn out, slightly bigger drilling rig to allow me to drill the deeper water wells in my area. I spent the next few years drilling wells with the rig while simultaneously rebuilding it between jobs. Through these years I never knew from one month to the next if I would have any work or be able to pay the bills. I got behind on my income taxes one year, and spent the next two years paying that back (with penalty and interest) while keeping up with ongoing taxes. I got behind on my water well supply bill 2 different years (way behind the second time... $80,000.00), and spent over a year paying it back (each time) while continuing to pay for ongoing supplies C.O.D.. Of course, the personal stress endured through these experiences and years is hard to measure. I do have a stent in my heart now to memorialize it all.
I spent the next 10 years developing the reputation for being the most competent and most honest water well driller in East Texas . 2 years along the way, I hired another full time employee for the drilling business so that we could provide full time water well pump service as well as the well drilling. Also, 3 years along the path, I bought a water well screen service machine from a friend, starting business # 2. 5 years later I made a business loan for $100,000.00 to build a new, higher production, computer controlled screen service machine. I had designed the machine myself, and it didn't work out for 3 years so I had to make the loan payments without the benefit of any added income from the new machine. No government program was there to help me with the payments, or to help me sleep at night as I lay awake wondering how I would solve my machine problems or pay my bills. Finally, after 3 years, I got the screen machine working properly, and that provided another full time job for an East Texan in the screen service business.
2 years after that, I made another business loan, this time for $250,000.00, to buy another used drilling rig and all the support equipment needed to run another, larger, drill rig. This provided another 2 full time jobs for East Texans. Again, I spent a couple of years not knowing if I had made a smart move, or a move that would bankrupt me. For the third time in 13 years, I had placed everything I owned on the line, risking everything, in order to build a business.
A couple of years into this, I came up with a bright idea for a new kind of mud pump, a fundamentally necessary pump used on water well drill rigs. I spent my entire life savings to date (just $30,000.00), building a prototype of the pump and took it to the national water well convention to show it off. Customers immediately started coming out of the woodworks to buy the pumps, but there was a problem. I had depleted my assets making the prototype, and nobody would make me a business loan to start production of the new pumps. With several deposits for pump orders in hand, and nowhere to go, I finally started applying for as many credit card as I could find and took cash withdrawals on these cards to the tune of over $150,000.00 (including modest loans from my dear sister and brother), to get this 3rd business going.
Yes, once again, I had everything hanging over the line in an effort to start another business. I had never manufactured anything, and I had to design and bring into production a complex hydraulic machine from an untested prototype to a reliable production model (in six months). How many nights I lay awake wondering if I had just made the paramount mistake of my life I cannot tell you, but there were plenty. I managed to get the pumps into production, which immediately created another 2 full time jobs in East Texas . Some of the models in the first year suffered from quality issues due to the poor workmanship of one of my key suppliers, so I and an employee (another East Texan employed) had to drive across the country to repair customers' pumps, practically from coast to coast. I stood behind the product, and made payments to all the credit cards that had financed me (and my brother and sister). I spent the next 5 years improving and refining the product, building a reputation for the pump and the company, working to get the pump into drill rig manufacturers' product lines, and paying back credit cards. During all this time I continued to manage a growing water well business that was now operating 3 drill rig crews, and 2 well service crews. Also, the screen service business continued to grow. No government programs were there to help me, Mr. Obama, but that's ok, I didn't expect any, nor did I want any. I was too busy fighting to make success happen to sit around waiting for the government to help me.
Now, we have been manufacturing the mud pumps for 7 years, my combined businesses employ 32 full time employees, and distribute $5,000,000.00 annually through the local economy. Now, just 4 months ago I borrowed $1,254,000.00, purchasing computer controlled machining equipment to start my 4th business, a production machine shop. The machine shop will serve the mud pump company so that we can better manufacture our pumps that are being shipped worldwide. Of course, the machine shop will also do work for outside companies as well. This has already produced 2 more full time jobs, and 2 more should develop out of it in the next few months. This should work out, but if it doesn't it will be because you, and the other professional politicians like yourself, will have destroyed our countrys' (and the world) economy with your meddling with mortgage loan programs through your liberal manipulation and intimidation of loaning institutions to make sure that unqualified borrowers could get mortgages. You see, at the very time when I couldn't get a business loan to get my mud pumps into production, you were working with Acorn and the Community Reinvestment Act programs to make sure that unqualified borrowers could buy homes with no down payment, and even no credit or worse yet, bad credit. Even the infamous, liberal, Ninja loans (No Income, No Job or Assets). While these unqualified borrowers were enjoying unrealistically low interest rates, I was paying 22% to 24% interest on the credit cards that I had used to provide me the funds for the mud pump business that has created jobs for more East Texans. It's funny, because after 25 years of turning almost every dime of extra money back into my businesses to grow them, it has been only in the last two years that I have finally made enough money to be able to put a little away for retirement, and now the value of that has dropped 40% because of the policies you and your ilk have perpetrated on our country.
You see, Mr. Obama, I'm the guy you intend to raise taxes on. I'm the guy who has spent 25 years toiling and sweating, fretting and fighting, stressing and risking, to build a business and get ahead. I'm the guy who has been on the very edge of bankruptcy more than a dozen times over the last 25 years, and all the while creating more and more jobs for East Texans who didn't want to take a risk, and wouldn't demand from themselves what I have demanded from myself. I'm the guy you characterize as "the Americans who can afford it the most" that you believe should be taxed more to provide income redistribution "to spread the wealth" to those who have never toiled, sweated, fretted, fought, stressed, or risked anything. You want to characterize me as someone who has enjoyed a life of privilege and who needs to pay a higher percentage of my income than those who have bought into your entitlement culture. I resent you, Mr. Obama, as I resent all who want to use class warfare as a tool to advance their political career. What's worse, each year more Americans buy into your liberal entitlement culture, and turn to the government for their hope of a better life instead of themselves. Liberals are succeeding through more than 40 years of collaborative effort between the predominant liberal media, and liberal indoctrination programs in the public school systems across our land.
What is so terribly sad about this is this. America was made great by people who embraced the one-time American culture of self reliance, self motivation, self determination, self discipline, personal betterment, hard work, risk taking. A culture built around the concept that success was in reach on every able bodied American who would strive for it. Each year that less Americans embrace that culture, we all descend together. We descend down the socialist path that has brought country after country ultimately to bitter and unremarkable states. If you and your liberal comrades in the media and school systems would spend half as much effort cultivating a culture of can-do across America as you do cultivating your entitlement culture, we could see Americans at large embracing the conviction that they can elevate themselves through personal betterment, personal achievement, and self reliance. You see, when people embrace such ideals, they act on them. When people act on such ideals, they succeed. All of America could find herself elevating instead of deteriorating. But that would eliminate the need for liberal politicians, wouldn't it, Mr. Obama? The country would not need you if the country was convinced that problem solving was best left with individuals instead of the government. You and all your liberal comrades have got a vested interested in creating a dependent class in our country. It is the very business of liberals to create an ever expanding dependence on government. What's remarkable is that you, who have never produced a job in your life, are going to tax me to take more of my money and give it to people who wouldn't need my money if they would get off their entitlement mentality asses and apply themselves at work, demand more from themselves, and quit looking to liberal politicians to raise their station in life.
You see, I know because I've had them work for me before. Hundreds of them over these 25 years. People who simply will not show up to work on time. People who just will not work 5 days in a week, much less, 6 days. People always looking for a way to put less effort out. People who actually tell me that they would do more if I just would first pay them more. People who take off work to sit in government offices to apply to get free government handouts (gee, I wonder how things would have turned out for them if they had spent that time earning money and pleasing their employer?). You see, all of this comes from your entitlement mentality culture.
Oh, I know you will say I am uncompassionate. Sorry, Mr. Obama, wrong again. You see, I've seen what the average percentage of your income has been given to charities over the years of 2000 to 2004 (ignoring the years you started running for office - can you pronounce "politically motivated"), you averaged of less than 1% annually. And your running mate, Joe Biden, averaged less than ¼% of his annual income in charitable contributions over the last 10 years. Like so many liberals, the two of you want to give to the needy, just as long as it is someone else's money you are giving to them. I won't say what I have given to charities over the last 25 years, but the percentage is several times more than you or Joe Biden (don't you just hate Google?). Tell me again how you feel my pain.
In short, Mr. Obama, your political philosophies represent everything that is wrong with our country. You represent the culture of government dependence instead of self reliance; Entitlement mentality instead of personal achievement; Penalization of the successful to reward the unmotivated; Political correctness instead of open mindedness and open debate. If you are successful, you may preside over the final transformation of America from being the greatest and most self-reliant culture on earth, to just another country of whiners and wimps, who sit around looking to the government to solve their problems. Like all of western Europe. All countries on the decline. All countries that, because of liberal socialistic mentalities, have a little less to offer mankind every year.
God help us...
Cory Miller
Just a ordinary, extraordinary American, the way a lot of Americans used to be.
P.S. Yes, Mr. Obama, I am a real American... www.cmillerdrilling.com
Mr. Obama,
Given the uproar about the simple question asked you by Joe the plumber, and the persecution that has been heaped on him because he dared to question you, I find myself motivated to say a few things to you myself. While Joe aspires to start a business someday, I already have started not one, but 4 businesses. But first, let me introduce myself. You can call me "Cory the well driller". I am a 54 year old high school graduate. I didn't go to college like you, I was too ready to go "conquer the world" when I finished high school. 25 years ago at age 29, I started my own water well drilling business at a time when the economy here in East Texas was in a tailspin from the crash of the early 80's oil boom. I didn't get any help from the government, nor did I look for any. I borrowed what I could from my sister, my uncle, and even the pawn shop and managed to scrape together a homemade drill rig and a few tools to do my first job. My businesses did not start not a result of privilege. It is the result of my personal drive, personal ambition, self discipline, self reliance, and a determination to treat my customers fairly. From the very start my business provided one other (than myself) East Texan a full time job. I couldn't afford a backhoe the first few years (something every well drilling business had), so I and my helper had to dig the mud pits that are necessary for each and every job with hand shovels. I had to use my 10 year old, 1/2 ton pickup truck for my water tank truck (normally a job for at least a 2 ton truck).
A year and a half after I started the business, I scraped together a 20% down payment to get a modest bank loan and bought a (28 year) old, worn out, slightly bigger drilling rig to allow me to drill the deeper water wells in my area. I spent the next few years drilling wells with the rig while simultaneously rebuilding it between jobs. Through these years I never knew from one month to the next if I would have any work or be able to pay the bills. I got behind on my income taxes one year, and spent the next two years paying that back (with penalty and interest) while keeping up with ongoing taxes. I got behind on my water well supply bill 2 different years (way behind the second time... $80,000.00), and spent over a year paying it back (each time) while continuing to pay for ongoing supplies C.O.D.. Of course, the personal stress endured through these experiences and years is hard to measure. I do have a stent in my heart now to memorialize it all.
I spent the next 10 years developing the reputation for being the most competent and most honest water well driller in East Texas . 2 years along the way, I hired another full time employee for the drilling business so that we could provide full time water well pump service as well as the well drilling. Also, 3 years along the path, I bought a water well screen service machine from a friend, starting business # 2. 5 years later I made a business loan for $100,000.00 to build a new, higher production, computer controlled screen service machine. I had designed the machine myself, and it didn't work out for 3 years so I had to make the loan payments without the benefit of any added income from the new machine. No government program was there to help me with the payments, or to help me sleep at night as I lay awake wondering how I would solve my machine problems or pay my bills. Finally, after 3 years, I got the screen machine working properly, and that provided another full time job for an East Texan in the screen service business.
2 years after that, I made another business loan, this time for $250,000.00, to buy another used drilling rig and all the support equipment needed to run another, larger, drill rig. This provided another 2 full time jobs for East Texans. Again, I spent a couple of years not knowing if I had made a smart move, or a move that would bankrupt me. For the third time in 13 years, I had placed everything I owned on the line, risking everything, in order to build a business.
A couple of years into this, I came up with a bright idea for a new kind of mud pump, a fundamentally necessary pump used on water well drill rigs. I spent my entire life savings to date (just $30,000.00), building a prototype of the pump and took it to the national water well convention to show it off. Customers immediately started coming out of the woodworks to buy the pumps, but there was a problem. I had depleted my assets making the prototype, and nobody would make me a business loan to start production of the new pumps. With several deposits for pump orders in hand, and nowhere to go, I finally started applying for as many credit card as I could find and took cash withdrawals on these cards to the tune of over $150,000.00 (including modest loans from my dear sister and brother), to get this 3rd business going.
Yes, once again, I had everything hanging over the line in an effort to start another business. I had never manufactured anything, and I had to design and bring into production a complex hydraulic machine from an untested prototype to a reliable production model (in six months). How many nights I lay awake wondering if I had just made the paramount mistake of my life I cannot tell you, but there were plenty. I managed to get the pumps into production, which immediately created another 2 full time jobs in East Texas . Some of the models in the first year suffered from quality issues due to the poor workmanship of one of my key suppliers, so I and an employee (another East Texan employed) had to drive across the country to repair customers' pumps, practically from coast to coast. I stood behind the product, and made payments to all the credit cards that had financed me (and my brother and sister). I spent the next 5 years improving and refining the product, building a reputation for the pump and the company, working to get the pump into drill rig manufacturers' product lines, and paying back credit cards. During all this time I continued to manage a growing water well business that was now operating 3 drill rig crews, and 2 well service crews. Also, the screen service business continued to grow. No government programs were there to help me, Mr. Obama, but that's ok, I didn't expect any, nor did I want any. I was too busy fighting to make success happen to sit around waiting for the government to help me.
Now, we have been manufacturing the mud pumps for 7 years, my combined businesses employ 32 full time employees, and distribute $5,000,000.00 annually through the local economy. Now, just 4 months ago I borrowed $1,254,000.00, purchasing computer controlled machining equipment to start my 4th business, a production machine shop. The machine shop will serve the mud pump company so that we can better manufacture our pumps that are being shipped worldwide. Of course, the machine shop will also do work for outside companies as well. This has already produced 2 more full time jobs, and 2 more should develop out of it in the next few months. This should work out, but if it doesn't it will be because you, and the other professional politicians like yourself, will have destroyed our countrys' (and the world) economy with your meddling with mortgage loan programs through your liberal manipulation and intimidation of loaning institutions to make sure that unqualified borrowers could get mortgages. You see, at the very time when I couldn't get a business loan to get my mud pumps into production, you were working with Acorn and the Community Reinvestment Act programs to make sure that unqualified borrowers could buy homes with no down payment, and even no credit or worse yet, bad credit. Even the infamous, liberal, Ninja loans (No Income, No Job or Assets). While these unqualified borrowers were enjoying unrealistically low interest rates, I was paying 22% to 24% interest on the credit cards that I had used to provide me the funds for the mud pump business that has created jobs for more East Texans. It's funny, because after 25 years of turning almost every dime of extra money back into my businesses to grow them, it has been only in the last two years that I have finally made enough money to be able to put a little away for retirement, and now the value of that has dropped 40% because of the policies you and your ilk have perpetrated on our country.
You see, Mr. Obama, I'm the guy you intend to raise taxes on. I'm the guy who has spent 25 years toiling and sweating, fretting and fighting, stressing and risking, to build a business and get ahead. I'm the guy who has been on the very edge of bankruptcy more than a dozen times over the last 25 years, and all the while creating more and more jobs for East Texans who didn't want to take a risk, and wouldn't demand from themselves what I have demanded from myself. I'm the guy you characterize as "the Americans who can afford it the most" that you believe should be taxed more to provide income redistribution "to spread the wealth" to those who have never toiled, sweated, fretted, fought, stressed, or risked anything. You want to characterize me as someone who has enjoyed a life of privilege and who needs to pay a higher percentage of my income than those who have bought into your entitlement culture. I resent you, Mr. Obama, as I resent all who want to use class warfare as a tool to advance their political career. What's worse, each year more Americans buy into your liberal entitlement culture, and turn to the government for their hope of a better life instead of themselves. Liberals are succeeding through more than 40 years of collaborative effort between the predominant liberal media, and liberal indoctrination programs in the public school systems across our land.
What is so terribly sad about this is this. America was made great by people who embraced the one-time American culture of self reliance, self motivation, self determination, self discipline, personal betterment, hard work, risk taking. A culture built around the concept that success was in reach on every able bodied American who would strive for it. Each year that less Americans embrace that culture, we all descend together. We descend down the socialist path that has brought country after country ultimately to bitter and unremarkable states. If you and your liberal comrades in the media and school systems would spend half as much effort cultivating a culture of can-do across America as you do cultivating your entitlement culture, we could see Americans at large embracing the conviction that they can elevate themselves through personal betterment, personal achievement, and self reliance. You see, when people embrace such ideals, they act on them. When people act on such ideals, they succeed. All of America could find herself elevating instead of deteriorating. But that would eliminate the need for liberal politicians, wouldn't it, Mr. Obama? The country would not need you if the country was convinced that problem solving was best left with individuals instead of the government. You and all your liberal comrades have got a vested interested in creating a dependent class in our country. It is the very business of liberals to create an ever expanding dependence on government. What's remarkable is that you, who have never produced a job in your life, are going to tax me to take more of my money and give it to people who wouldn't need my money if they would get off their entitlement mentality asses and apply themselves at work, demand more from themselves, and quit looking to liberal politicians to raise their station in life.
You see, I know because I've had them work for me before. Hundreds of them over these 25 years. People who simply will not show up to work on time. People who just will not work 5 days in a week, much less, 6 days. People always looking for a way to put less effort out. People who actually tell me that they would do more if I just would first pay them more. People who take off work to sit in government offices to apply to get free government handouts (gee, I wonder how things would have turned out for them if they had spent that time earning money and pleasing their employer?). You see, all of this comes from your entitlement mentality culture.
Oh, I know you will say I am uncompassionate. Sorry, Mr. Obama, wrong again. You see, I've seen what the average percentage of your income has been given to charities over the years of 2000 to 2004 (ignoring the years you started running for office - can you pronounce "politically motivated"), you averaged of less than 1% annually. And your running mate, Joe Biden, averaged less than ¼% of his annual income in charitable contributions over the last 10 years. Like so many liberals, the two of you want to give to the needy, just as long as it is someone else's money you are giving to them. I won't say what I have given to charities over the last 25 years, but the percentage is several times more than you or Joe Biden (don't you just hate Google?). Tell me again how you feel my pain.
In short, Mr. Obama, your political philosophies represent everything that is wrong with our country. You represent the culture of government dependence instead of self reliance; Entitlement mentality instead of personal achievement; Penalization of the successful to reward the unmotivated; Political correctness instead of open mindedness and open debate. If you are successful, you may preside over the final transformation of America from being the greatest and most self-reliant culture on earth, to just another country of whiners and wimps, who sit around looking to the government to solve their problems. Like all of western Europe. All countries on the decline. All countries that, because of liberal socialistic mentalities, have a little less to offer mankind every year.
God help us...
Cory Miller
Just a ordinary, extraordinary American, the way a lot of Americans used to be.
P.S. Yes, Mr. Obama, I am a real American... www.cmillerdrilling.com
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Obama Unmasked
Do Americans really want socialism? Call it what you will; but having your neighbor pay for things you should be paying for is wrong. There is a danger in asking government to help because somewhere the money has to come from one of your neighbors; socialism permits us to forget that fact.
“When you are skinning your customers, you should leave some skin on to heal, so that you can skin them again.” Nikita Krushchev
“This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many.” Barack Obama
“I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change” Barack Obama
“When you are skinning your customers, you should leave some skin on to heal, so that you can skin them again.” Nikita Krushchev
“This is the moment when we must build on the wealth that open markets have created, and share its benefits more equitably. Trade has been a cornerstone of our growth and global development. But we will not be able to sustain this growth if it favors the few, and not the many.” Barack Obama
“I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change” Barack Obama
I’ve included a short talk by former Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson, also former President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Listen to the last part of this talk, pay attention to the warning by Ezra Taft Benson as he explains how America will be taken down a piece at a time by the snares of socialism.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Obama’s Wealthspread
I have to give credit where it is deserved, this came from The Peoples Cube in an article posted by Red Square. I stumbled upon it via yet another blogger, David Zincavage, one of my regular reads at Never Yet Melted. David’s blog is what the New York Times wishes it were, thoughtful and informative journalism.
“It’s not that I want to punish your success,” Obama responded. “I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance for success too ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”
“It’s not that I want to punish your success,” Obama responded. “I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance for success too ... I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.”
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Random Thoughts October 28th 2008
My grandson has a birthday this week, seven years old on the 29th. I have a picture of him in his first Halloween costume that I’ll share.
Talking with a friend over the telephone the other day yielded an interesting conversation, something about “raising the dead”; except what he’d actually said was, he was building raised planter boxes. We had a good laugh regarding my bad hearing. I’ve heard it said that some pain pills may be responsible for a loss of hearing, “What’s that you say?”
I was reminded this past week about how unstable my back is as a group of muscles started giving me grief. The first time my back ever gave me a problem happened while we were living in our first house on Curtin Street. The phone rang and, as I turned to answer it from where I lay in bed, twisting and reaching over to the night stand, every muscle in my back rejected my choice of movement. When I tried to get out of bed to collect myself, instead of standing upright, I found myself on the floor looking at the ceiling.
Lucy came in wondering what was going on and our dog, a huge Black Lab was curious as well, lying on the tile floor of the bathroom directly across from where I was. The best I could do was pull my knees up to take some of the pain away, still trying to get upright.
I should explain one of the rules regarding Oscar, our Black Lab; “rough housing” was only permitted if I instigated it due to his size. Lucy wasn’t a “dog person” and tearing up the house, wrestling and cavorting in general was on the wrong side of her list of things to do inside the house; outside was marginally acceptable, inside was unacceptable.
While on the floor and struggling to get up I figured out how to get to my knees, only a little more effort and I’d be standing up. Oscar had been watching the whole time and when I got to my knees, grunts and groans from the pain in my back must have been interpreted as, “Now I get it, he wants to play!” Oscar’s confused look changed into a “dog smile”, an exuberating willingness to participate; the short distance from the bathroom to where I crouched over being only a split second.
Oscar’s head pushed in under my chest and as he continued the head on tackle, flipped me over onto my back. I’m not sure how long it took, half a second or so; but the pain was intense, Oscar licking my face for having scored a direct hit was ready for another round.
Lucy came running and got the dog by the collar; poor Oscar had no idea why he was being hauled off to the back yard. “Hey, he wanted to play and all I did was jump in.”
That’s when the x-ray’s found I had a sixth Lumbar vertebrae; you’re only supposed to have five. The nerves going in between get pinched easier and so every now and again the back muscles get a reminder. “Take two of these and try not to operate any heavy machinery.”
Speaking of getting pinched, has anyone been able to figure out the price of gasoline? Yesterday I paid $2.14 a gallon for regular at the local Murphy’s station where I fill up. Not too long ago I was paying $4.14 for that same gallon of gas.
The fellow on the news said there was a 4-5% drop off in gasoline use since a year ago this same time. I never was that good at math; but how does 4-5% figure in with a 50% change in price? My guess would be along the line of, “Sucker”! They will bleed us again later; for now they want us to forget while we go to the voting stalls. “There is no energy issue, there is no energy issue, there is no energy issue…” The price of gasoline is an annoyance; not near as important as national security as long as we keep having to buy our energy from the Middle East; drill here, drill now and get on with it!
Next week we get to find out who the next president, the next batch of crooks in the Senate and Congress, the next local robbers and thieves; is my attitude adjustment knob set on “sour”? I’m not so sure any of these folks would pass the security screening it takes to become a police officer; and here we are turning the whole country over to them.
I read an Obama interview from several years ago, Obama explaining how the Constitution was a flawed document, how the judiciary never has addressed the need for redistribution of wealth; this is the fellow who, if elected president, will place his hand on the Bible (Koran) and swear to uphold that very same Constitution; go figure.
I wonder if there’s a pain pill we can buy at the local pharmacy, one that will make the next four years bearable regardless of who gets to sit in the Oval Office, regardless of which crooks occupy the Senate, the Congress or which thieves float to the surface locally. Remember, Hillary is still out there; Happy Halloween!
Talking with a friend over the telephone the other day yielded an interesting conversation, something about “raising the dead”; except what he’d actually said was, he was building raised planter boxes. We had a good laugh regarding my bad hearing. I’ve heard it said that some pain pills may be responsible for a loss of hearing, “What’s that you say?”
I was reminded this past week about how unstable my back is as a group of muscles started giving me grief. The first time my back ever gave me a problem happened while we were living in our first house on Curtin Street. The phone rang and, as I turned to answer it from where I lay in bed, twisting and reaching over to the night stand, every muscle in my back rejected my choice of movement. When I tried to get out of bed to collect myself, instead of standing upright, I found myself on the floor looking at the ceiling.
Lucy came in wondering what was going on and our dog, a huge Black Lab was curious as well, lying on the tile floor of the bathroom directly across from where I was. The best I could do was pull my knees up to take some of the pain away, still trying to get upright.
I should explain one of the rules regarding Oscar, our Black Lab; “rough housing” was only permitted if I instigated it due to his size. Lucy wasn’t a “dog person” and tearing up the house, wrestling and cavorting in general was on the wrong side of her list of things to do inside the house; outside was marginally acceptable, inside was unacceptable.
While on the floor and struggling to get up I figured out how to get to my knees, only a little more effort and I’d be standing up. Oscar had been watching the whole time and when I got to my knees, grunts and groans from the pain in my back must have been interpreted as, “Now I get it, he wants to play!” Oscar’s confused look changed into a “dog smile”, an exuberating willingness to participate; the short distance from the bathroom to where I crouched over being only a split second.
Oscar’s head pushed in under my chest and as he continued the head on tackle, flipped me over onto my back. I’m not sure how long it took, half a second or so; but the pain was intense, Oscar licking my face for having scored a direct hit was ready for another round.
Lucy came running and got the dog by the collar; poor Oscar had no idea why he was being hauled off to the back yard. “Hey, he wanted to play and all I did was jump in.”
That’s when the x-ray’s found I had a sixth Lumbar vertebrae; you’re only supposed to have five. The nerves going in between get pinched easier and so every now and again the back muscles get a reminder. “Take two of these and try not to operate any heavy machinery.”
Speaking of getting pinched, has anyone been able to figure out the price of gasoline? Yesterday I paid $2.14 a gallon for regular at the local Murphy’s station where I fill up. Not too long ago I was paying $4.14 for that same gallon of gas.
The fellow on the news said there was a 4-5% drop off in gasoline use since a year ago this same time. I never was that good at math; but how does 4-5% figure in with a 50% change in price? My guess would be along the line of, “Sucker”! They will bleed us again later; for now they want us to forget while we go to the voting stalls. “There is no energy issue, there is no energy issue, there is no energy issue…” The price of gasoline is an annoyance; not near as important as national security as long as we keep having to buy our energy from the Middle East; drill here, drill now and get on with it!
Next week we get to find out who the next president, the next batch of crooks in the Senate and Congress, the next local robbers and thieves; is my attitude adjustment knob set on “sour”? I’m not so sure any of these folks would pass the security screening it takes to become a police officer; and here we are turning the whole country over to them.
I read an Obama interview from several years ago, Obama explaining how the Constitution was a flawed document, how the judiciary never has addressed the need for redistribution of wealth; this is the fellow who, if elected president, will place his hand on the Bible (Koran) and swear to uphold that very same Constitution; go figure.
I wonder if there’s a pain pill we can buy at the local pharmacy, one that will make the next four years bearable regardless of who gets to sit in the Oval Office, regardless of which crooks occupy the Senate, the Congress or which thieves float to the surface locally. Remember, Hillary is still out there; Happy Halloween!
Friday, October 24, 2008
Twelve Minutes
It boils down to this, either you want to live in an America which holds to the principles our Founding Fathers outlined for us or you want to change it into something else, something alien to American principles. Thanks to Stop the ACLU for posting this video.
What Obama Reads
I have to wonder, is Fareed Zakaria just another “neighbor”, a casual acquaintance of Barack Hussein Obama. The Post American World, by Fareed Zakaria, is a book of wishful thinking by the Muslim world. Yea, I really want this guy leading America; and if you believe that I have some ocean front property in West Texas up for sale.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Republican Vs Democrat
This one makes its way around the “forwards” in my email about this time every election year; still worth taking a few moments to take it in.
A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth. She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self- professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.
He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying. Her father listened and then asked, “How is your friend Audrey doing?”
She replied, “Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over.”
Her wise father asked his daughter, “Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.”
The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, “That's a crazy idea, and how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!”
The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, “Welcome to the Republican party.”If anyone has a better explanation of the difference between Republican and Democrat I'm all ears.
A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be a very liberal Democrat, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth. She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch Republican, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his. One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs. The self- professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father.
He responded by asking how she was doing in school. Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn't even have time for a boyfriend, and didn't really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying. Her father listened and then asked, “How is your friend Audrey doing?”
She replied, “Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies, and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She's always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn't even show up for classes because she's too hung over.”
Her wise father asked his daughter, “Why don't you go to the Dean's office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.”
The daughter, visibly shocked by her father's suggestion, angrily fired back, “That's a crazy idea, and how would that be fair! I've worked really hard for my grades! I've invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!”
The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, “Welcome to the Republican party.”If anyone has a better explanation of the difference between Republican and Democrat I'm all ears.
Letter from Ireland
This is an e-mail from Ireland, found it in the stack of stuff to read from a friend, to all of our Irish brethren living in the States. A point to ponder despite your political affiliation.
Over here in Ireland we can't figure out why you people are fretting about who to elect for your president there in the United States.
For a while you had a pants wearing female lawyer who was married to another lawyer who can't keep his pants on, but she lost a long, heated and very expensive primary against a lawyer who is married to yet another lawyer who doesn't like the country she thinks her husband ought to run and who goes to anti-American church and hates your military.
Now on the other side you have a war hero whose last name starts with 'Mc' and who is married to a good looking, rich younger woman who owns a beer distributorship.
What in God's name is the matter we' ye lads over there in the colonies?
Over here in Ireland we can't figure out why you people are fretting about who to elect for your president there in the United States.
For a while you had a pants wearing female lawyer who was married to another lawyer who can't keep his pants on, but she lost a long, heated and very expensive primary against a lawyer who is married to yet another lawyer who doesn't like the country she thinks her husband ought to run and who goes to anti-American church and hates your military.
Now on the other side you have a war hero whose last name starts with 'Mc' and who is married to a good looking, rich younger woman who owns a beer distributorship.
What in God's name is the matter we' ye lads over there in the colonies?
Monday, October 20, 2008
This Election is About Race
I listened to a Black woman being interviewed as she stood in line for early voting. Her voice cracked with emotion as she explained how momentous the occasion was, a chance to vote a Black man into the highest office, how her grandmother never saw the day, God rest her soul; but that her grandchildren would have this election to talk about how the first Black man was elected President of the United States. Praise Jesus, we finally have a Black man who can win. I find it sad in so many ways that this election will turn on one issue and one issue only; the color of a person’s skin.
I don’t care how you slice it, the election is about race with the Democrats holding a trump card knowing, or expecting as if duty bound, that most Black people will vote for Obama regardless of any of the important issues which have been swept under the rug. I feel sorry for the whole damn country if this is how the next President is determined; but it would seem to be true.
I never thought of myself as a racist; but putting someone with Obama’s qualifications into the White House, just because he’s Black; folks you’ve shown that ignorance is bliss and that a well trained Parrot could become President if there are enough birds voting. “Polly wants to share all those crackers you earned with those who are less fortunate”
I don’t care how you slice it, the election is about race with the Democrats holding a trump card knowing, or expecting as if duty bound, that most Black people will vote for Obama regardless of any of the important issues which have been swept under the rug. I feel sorry for the whole damn country if this is how the next President is determined; but it would seem to be true.
I never thought of myself as a racist; but putting someone with Obama’s qualifications into the White House, just because he’s Black; folks you’ve shown that ignorance is bliss and that a well trained Parrot could become President if there are enough birds voting. “Polly wants to share all those crackers you earned with those who are less fortunate”
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Hay There
What is it about hay fields that draw me to them like a magnet? Here in the Houston metropolitan area there are still a few hay fields around, small family owned pastures where concrete and steel have yet to trample nature.
There’s a hay field on my way to church that sits within ear shot of Interstate 45. The field is on the east side of Hafer Road just before it changes its name to Moonglow, where the subdivision starts; my church is on the west side of the road on the other side. Several of the photographs I’ve taken catch a glimpse of a freeway light standard in the background ( top left corner just above the tree line); often unrecognizable mixed in with other elements.
This morning I’d hoped to catch ground fog in the low grasses in the meadows at a different location, the tops of the natural uncut grass are the stuff purple mountains majesty are made of, unobtrusive and yet breath taking when observed. It wasn’t meant to be; the sun light’s angle wasn’t right and I’d picked the wrong meadow as it had recently been mowed around the edges so it looked more like a front yard than a meadow.
When working night shift I would appreciate the fall change each morning on my way home. Most folks were hustling off to work while I simple wanted to catch a few hours sleep as we passed on the roadway. The undeveloped land parcels offered vistas of natural growth; tall grasses, brambles and low bushes where birds found refuge. The autumn mornings made these meadows come alive with soft colors and helped me enjoy the short distance home.
I wonder if the fellow who did all the work, preparing the meadow and then gathering the hay into the huge balls that will later be lifted onto a trailer; I wonder if he appreciates the natural beauty of his efforts as much as I do. I bet he does.
There’s a hay field on my way to church that sits within ear shot of Interstate 45. The field is on the east side of Hafer Road just before it changes its name to Moonglow, where the subdivision starts; my church is on the west side of the road on the other side. Several of the photographs I’ve taken catch a glimpse of a freeway light standard in the background ( top left corner just above the tree line); often unrecognizable mixed in with other elements.
This morning I’d hoped to catch ground fog in the low grasses in the meadows at a different location, the tops of the natural uncut grass are the stuff purple mountains majesty are made of, unobtrusive and yet breath taking when observed. It wasn’t meant to be; the sun light’s angle wasn’t right and I’d picked the wrong meadow as it had recently been mowed around the edges so it looked more like a front yard than a meadow.
When working night shift I would appreciate the fall change each morning on my way home. Most folks were hustling off to work while I simple wanted to catch a few hours sleep as we passed on the roadway. The undeveloped land parcels offered vistas of natural growth; tall grasses, brambles and low bushes where birds found refuge. The autumn mornings made these meadows come alive with soft colors and helped me enjoy the short distance home.
I wonder if the fellow who did all the work, preparing the meadow and then gathering the hay into the huge balls that will later be lifted onto a trailer; I wonder if he appreciates the natural beauty of his efforts as much as I do. I bet he does.
Friday, October 17, 2008
October Rush
This past week I got to watch the movie, August Rush, something I’d been told was worth the effort; they were right. Having DVR made it possible to record it so it’s there for as long as wanted or until we get around to buying it on DVD.
There was one scene in particular which got to me, not that the whole movie wasn’t well done; but the place in the movie where the young boy first sat behind the great organ and let loose with his talents caused shivers to run down my spine. I remember hearing Zig Ziglar speak; it might have been a different motivational speaker, but I think it was Zig, as he told of a young Johann Sebastian Bach walking into a cathedral and sitting in the master organist’s chair.
The sheer impudence of the young man to sit there and play at that honored position; but when the master organist heard the music which sprang from the keyboards he fell silent, having recognized the genius which was present. What if he’d stepped in without first hearing Bach’s music; that’s the magic which August Rush brought to me in that moment while watching the other night.
Lucy had a Ham radio meeting tonight so I broke out a favorite of mine, Ton Koopman playing, “J. S. Bach: Orgelwerke”. When I say I broke out, that should read, cranked up in full surround sound. The first cut is the Toccata und Fuge d-moll, familiar to most folks with a classical background; but the next two cuts show off the heart and soul of the human race as the organ soars with each passing moment; the word “glorious” was put in the dictionary after this music was played for the first time.
Lucy’s on the other side of town wondering why the windows of her building are shaking; my fault, the music made me do it. Maybe there’s a reason I need to wear hearing aids; perhaps it had something to do with cranking up the volume all these years. No time to cry about spilt milk, Bach should be played very loud; can’t be enjoyed unless the flooring nails pop up or the wall panels don’t bend.
There was one scene in particular which got to me, not that the whole movie wasn’t well done; but the place in the movie where the young boy first sat behind the great organ and let loose with his talents caused shivers to run down my spine. I remember hearing Zig Ziglar speak; it might have been a different motivational speaker, but I think it was Zig, as he told of a young Johann Sebastian Bach walking into a cathedral and sitting in the master organist’s chair.
The sheer impudence of the young man to sit there and play at that honored position; but when the master organist heard the music which sprang from the keyboards he fell silent, having recognized the genius which was present. What if he’d stepped in without first hearing Bach’s music; that’s the magic which August Rush brought to me in that moment while watching the other night.
Lucy had a Ham radio meeting tonight so I broke out a favorite of mine, Ton Koopman playing, “J. S. Bach: Orgelwerke”. When I say I broke out, that should read, cranked up in full surround sound. The first cut is the Toccata und Fuge d-moll, familiar to most folks with a classical background; but the next two cuts show off the heart and soul of the human race as the organ soars with each passing moment; the word “glorious” was put in the dictionary after this music was played for the first time.
Lucy’s on the other side of town wondering why the windows of her building are shaking; my fault, the music made me do it. Maybe there’s a reason I need to wear hearing aids; perhaps it had something to do with cranking up the volume all these years. No time to cry about spilt milk, Bach should be played very loud; can’t be enjoyed unless the flooring nails pop up or the wall panels don’t bend.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tracy Coat of Arms
Last night JJ needed help with his homework, “It’s too hard Pepaw.” I took a few minutes to read the assignment which had been stapled to another sheet where he was to originate a family coat of arms.
There was a banner where he was to put his last name and below that a shield with four separate areas to fill in with important information. He was to draw or paste a picture of his family, show where his family came from, put two words describing his family and something the family does for fun.
JJ and I looked through the digital images on my computer and found a group picture taken after Thanksgiving from a year ago. I showed him how to import that to a blank
Word document and size it down so it would fit within the borders on the coat of arms.
JJ was worried about how to show where all his family came from until I explained all he needed was a big map of the US and another of Mexico. The internet took us to several maps which we then shrunk down to size and printed so he could paste them in yet a different block. The smile returned to JJ’s face as the light at the end of the tunnel of success appeared.
What does your family do for fun? “We play video games on the Wii.” JJ was off to the races with his marking pen making the best letters he knew how. The temptation was to print out the information on the computer and let him paste it like he’d done with the other information; but that wouldn’t have helped JJ practice making beautiful easy to read letters. Being a grandparent has its responsibilities; a tough life but somebody has to do it.
There was a banner where he was to put his last name and below that a shield with four separate areas to fill in with important information. He was to draw or paste a picture of his family, show where his family came from, put two words describing his family and something the family does for fun.
JJ and I looked through the digital images on my computer and found a group picture taken after Thanksgiving from a year ago. I showed him how to import that to a blank
Word document and size it down so it would fit within the borders on the coat of arms.
JJ was worried about how to show where all his family came from until I explained all he needed was a big map of the US and another of Mexico. The internet took us to several maps which we then shrunk down to size and printed so he could paste them in yet a different block. The smile returned to JJ’s face as the light at the end of the tunnel of success appeared.
What does your family do for fun? “We play video games on the Wii.” JJ was off to the races with his marking pen making the best letters he knew how. The temptation was to print out the information on the computer and let him paste it like he’d done with the other information; but that wouldn’t have helped JJ practice making beautiful easy to read letters. Being a grandparent has its responsibilities; a tough life but somebody has to do it.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Communist Goals in America – A Done Deal
Cleon Skousen, author of The Naked Communist, listed and enumerated many of the goals of the Communist agenda; take a moment to look them up and see how far along they have come. I’ll only take one for my article today, the use of school books to indoctrinate the next generation, or as Skousen put it when he listed the 17th goal:
“Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.”
This morning John Ray, Stop the ACLU, had a piece which falls into the category of pure propaganda for the Communist movement, all about an 8th grade English text book up in Racine Wisconsin which has 15 pages dedicated to the Great One, Obama. No, I’m not making this up, 15 pages complete with a full color photograph of Obama standing in front of a jubilant convention crowd.
There are so many issues, red flags (pardon the bad pun); I hardly know where to begin. My first thought was to wonder, “did this book include Washington’s First Inaugural Address, Washington’s Farewell Address, Patrick Henry’s Liberty or Death ( complete rather than shortened version ) ; my bet would be, no this book would only push a certain socialist agenda.” I left that as a comment to John’s article. I keep forgetting; this was an English text book intended to teach proper composition, not political or social engineering.
Let’s, for the moment, suppose that George Washington’s or Patrick Henry’s great speeches were included somewhere in the book; not having a copy of the book for closer examination makes it speculative at best. Who would have the audacity to include Obama’s work at this time; a transparent propaganda stunt at best, a more sinister agenda for those paying attention.
Gumption, or as the Yiddish would more accurately describe, chutzpah! Maybe that should have been in capital letters with bold typeface, CHUTZPAH! These folks at McDougal Littell Literature, where the 8th grade English book was published have taken a virtual empty suit, Obama, and gone far beyond recognition of a first term U. S. Senator and presidential candidate; something which would more appropriately have appeared in a text book for government, civics or social engineering and elevated his value far beyond anything he has actually accomplished.
While I’m thinking about it, there’s some hint that someone other than the Great One actually wrote the books credited to Obama. I read where some credit the unrepentant terrorist Ayers as Obama’s ghost writer after a careful comparison to writing style and syntax. If this is in deed true it would make perfect sense; William Ayers being associated closely with the radical transformation of structured teaching environments, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge connection and the make up of its board of directors all fit the possibility of such a collaborative effort.
Dick Morris wrote on the Obama-Ayers connection:
“After Walter Annenberg’s foundation offered several hundred million dollars to American public schools in the mid-’90s, William Ayers applied for $50 million for Chicago. The purpose of his application was to secure funds to “raise political consciousness” in Chicago’s public schools. After he won the grant, Ayers’s group chose Barack Obama to distribute the money. Between 1995 and 1999, Obama distributed the $50 million and raised another $60 million from other civic groups to augment it. In doing so, he was following Ayers’s admonition to grant the funds to “external” organizations, like American Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) to pair with schools and conduct programs to radicalize the students and politicize them.”
What’s the old saying about trees, “An apple doesn't fall far from the tree”, an indicator of similarities between the student and the teacher; which Obama managed to alter, “An Acorn Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree.” You have to wonder was there some kind of subliminal slip of the tongue on that one.
I suppose we need to discount all the teachers in Obama’s life, the associations Obama has made and which he feels comfortable with. There’s his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, who has gone so far as to damn America, William Ayers, a Weatherman Underground terrorist who has stated publicly that not enough was done as he had his picture taken stomping on the American Flag, convicted felon Tony Rezko who sold Obama a piece of prime land far below market value. None of these associations matter unless you believe that, “the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree”.
“Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.”
This morning John Ray, Stop the ACLU, had a piece which falls into the category of pure propaganda for the Communist movement, all about an 8th grade English text book up in Racine Wisconsin which has 15 pages dedicated to the Great One, Obama. No, I’m not making this up, 15 pages complete with a full color photograph of Obama standing in front of a jubilant convention crowd.
There are so many issues, red flags (pardon the bad pun); I hardly know where to begin. My first thought was to wonder, “did this book include Washington’s First Inaugural Address, Washington’s Farewell Address, Patrick Henry’s Liberty or Death ( complete rather than shortened version ) ; my bet would be, no this book would only push a certain socialist agenda.” I left that as a comment to John’s article. I keep forgetting; this was an English text book intended to teach proper composition, not political or social engineering.
Let’s, for the moment, suppose that George Washington’s or Patrick Henry’s great speeches were included somewhere in the book; not having a copy of the book for closer examination makes it speculative at best. Who would have the audacity to include Obama’s work at this time; a transparent propaganda stunt at best, a more sinister agenda for those paying attention.
Gumption, or as the Yiddish would more accurately describe, chutzpah! Maybe that should have been in capital letters with bold typeface, CHUTZPAH! These folks at McDougal Littell Literature, where the 8th grade English book was published have taken a virtual empty suit, Obama, and gone far beyond recognition of a first term U. S. Senator and presidential candidate; something which would more appropriately have appeared in a text book for government, civics or social engineering and elevated his value far beyond anything he has actually accomplished.
While I’m thinking about it, there’s some hint that someone other than the Great One actually wrote the books credited to Obama. I read where some credit the unrepentant terrorist Ayers as Obama’s ghost writer after a careful comparison to writing style and syntax. If this is in deed true it would make perfect sense; William Ayers being associated closely with the radical transformation of structured teaching environments, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge connection and the make up of its board of directors all fit the possibility of such a collaborative effort.
Dick Morris wrote on the Obama-Ayers connection:
“After Walter Annenberg’s foundation offered several hundred million dollars to American public schools in the mid-’90s, William Ayers applied for $50 million for Chicago. The purpose of his application was to secure funds to “raise political consciousness” in Chicago’s public schools. After he won the grant, Ayers’s group chose Barack Obama to distribute the money. Between 1995 and 1999, Obama distributed the $50 million and raised another $60 million from other civic groups to augment it. In doing so, he was following Ayers’s admonition to grant the funds to “external” organizations, like American Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) to pair with schools and conduct programs to radicalize the students and politicize them.”
What’s the old saying about trees, “An apple doesn't fall far from the tree”, an indicator of similarities between the student and the teacher; which Obama managed to alter, “An Acorn Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree.” You have to wonder was there some kind of subliminal slip of the tongue on that one.
I suppose we need to discount all the teachers in Obama’s life, the associations Obama has made and which he feels comfortable with. There’s his pastor, Jeremiah Wright, who has gone so far as to damn America, William Ayers, a Weatherman Underground terrorist who has stated publicly that not enough was done as he had his picture taken stomping on the American Flag, convicted felon Tony Rezko who sold Obama a piece of prime land far below market value. None of these associations matter unless you believe that, “the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree”.
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