If you think that politicians are not looking out for our interests now, that has always been the case. Johnny Carson had a great bit that was true then and is every bit as true now. God, I miss Johnny!
Hat Tip: Joy Hagens
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Unspeakable Horror in Israel
Although random acts of violence are common in any society, it is hard to believe that such horrors taking place in Israel are "random". Instead of condemning such acts, the Palestinians celebrate their occurrence.
For more coverage, go to Atlas Shrugs.
UPDATE: Benjamin Netanyahu responds:
UPDATE: The US condemns the attack on the Fogel family
For more coverage, go to Atlas Shrugs.
UPDATE: Benjamin Netanyahu responds:
UPDATE: The US condemns the attack on the Fogel family
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Need for Frugality
The devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami have already taken a terrible toll on Japan. Furthermore, the unfolding drama surrounding the potential melt-down of Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant underscores the fact that the dangers have not passed.
Initial death toll estimates are feared to be extremely understated as the effects of the disaster continue to be assessed. Initial estimates of clean-up expenses exceed $15 billion dollars and are presumed to increase as the days pass.
As the Japanese people deal with the devastation and loss of life, our own government dithers in its efforts to control its spending. As if the effects of Katrina have long been forgotten, our government continues to spend as if the next national disaster is a mere after-thought to the need to fund NPR (see here and here), Planned Parenthood (see here and here), and Cowboy Poetry.
It seems that we are incapable of establishing priorities in spending taxpayer dollars. How can we, as a nation, continue to fund every special interest as if it's the most important priority for government? When gas prices rise dramatically, although troublesome, we are forced to re-prioritize its use, not run to release oil from our Strategic Oil Reserves. After all, what would happen if we were to experience an unforeseen and dramatic reduction in our own energy supplies, as is occurring in Japan this very minute? From my viewpoint, the Strategic Oil Reserve is there in the event of a national emergency, not a momentary upswing in prices. However painful those increases in price may be, they can't compare to a situation where oil is not available at all. Have we forgotten about the 1973 oil embargo and the effects it had on our economy?
As major investors begin to dump their holdings in Treasury bonds for fear of a devaluation in their value, shouldn't we be concerned about our government exhibiting a little frugality in their spending habits? Where have our priorities gone?
Initial death toll estimates are feared to be extremely understated as the effects of the disaster continue to be assessed. Initial estimates of clean-up expenses exceed $15 billion dollars and are presumed to increase as the days pass.
As the Japanese people deal with the devastation and loss of life, our own government dithers in its efforts to control its spending. As if the effects of Katrina have long been forgotten, our government continues to spend as if the next national disaster is a mere after-thought to the need to fund NPR (see here and here), Planned Parenthood (see here and here), and Cowboy Poetry.
It seems that we are incapable of establishing priorities in spending taxpayer dollars. How can we, as a nation, continue to fund every special interest as if it's the most important priority for government? When gas prices rise dramatically, although troublesome, we are forced to re-prioritize its use, not run to release oil from our Strategic Oil Reserves. After all, what would happen if we were to experience an unforeseen and dramatic reduction in our own energy supplies, as is occurring in Japan this very minute? From my viewpoint, the Strategic Oil Reserve is there in the event of a national emergency, not a momentary upswing in prices. However painful those increases in price may be, they can't compare to a situation where oil is not available at all. Have we forgotten about the 1973 oil embargo and the effects it had on our economy?
As major investors begin to dump their holdings in Treasury bonds for fear of a devaluation in their value, shouldn't we be concerned about our government exhibiting a little frugality in their spending habits? Where have our priorities gone?
Friday, March 11, 2011
Bobby Unser: Convicted Criminal?
This story captured my interest because I grew up in Indiana during Bobby's tremendous run of Indy 500 victories (3). He was an icon of Indy-car racing and a true hero to many of us, not to mention an upstanding role model.
From The Heritage Foundation:
This is an excellent example of why we need to reign in government regulation. There's no doubt that sooner or later, we could ALL be convicted criminals.
UPDATE: I just saw this article, which further underscores where we're heading.
From The Heritage Foundation:
This is an excellent example of why we need to reign in government regulation. There's no doubt that sooner or later, we could ALL be convicted criminals.
UPDATE: I just saw this article, which further underscores where we're heading.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wisconsin State Assembly Passes Anti-Union Measure
Per Fox News:
In a decisive blow to union power, Wisconsin lawmakers voted Thursday to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from the state's public workers.Wow, death threats and all.
The state's Assembly passed Republican Gov. Scott Walker's explosive proposal 53-42 Thursday. The state's Senate approved it the night before after using a procedural move to bypass its AWOL Democrats.
Walker says he'll sign the legislation as quickly as possible.
Wisconsin State Senators Face Death Threats
In a brazen and despicable attempt to intimidate Wisconsin State Senators into submission on the collective bargaining vote held last night, an email was delivered to certain Senator's inboxes after the historic vote:
I am reminded of Barack Obama's suggestion to bring a gun to a knife fight when arguing about his healthcare bill (not that it was really his, but he signed it). It looks like someone is willing to take Obama up on his suggestion.
Now Wisconsin's Republican Senators know how Sarah Palin felt following the Gabrielle Gifford shooting:
From: XXXXHat tip to Newsradio 620, WTMJ in Wisconsin
Sent: Wed 3/9/2011 9:18 PM
To: Sen.Kapanke; Sen.Darling; Sen.Cowles; Sen.Ellis; Sen.Fitzgerald; Sen.Galloway; Sen.Grothman; Sen.Harsdorf; Sen.Hopper; Sen.Kedzie; Sen.Lasee; Sen.Lazich; Sen.Leibham; Sen.Moulton; Sen.Olsen
Subject: Atten: Death threat!!!! Bomb!!!!
Please put your things in order because you will be killed and your familes
will also be killed due to your actions in the last 8 weeks. Please explain
to them that this is because if we get rid of you and your families then it
will save the rights of 300,000 people and also be able to close the deficit
that you have created. I hope you have a good time in hell. Read below for
more information on possible scenarios in which you will die.
WE want to make this perfectly clear. Because of your actions today and in
the past couple of weeks I and the group of people that are working with me
have decided that we’ve had enough. We feel that you and the people that
support the dictator have to die. We have tried many other ways of dealing
with your corruption but you have taken things too far and we will not stand
for it any longer. So, this is how it’s going to happen: I as well as many
others know where you and your family live, it’s a matter of public records.
We have all planned to assult you by arriving at your house and putting a
nice little bullet in your head. However, we decided that we wouldn’t leave
it there. We also have decided that this may not be enough to send the
message to you since you are so “high” on Koch and have decided that you are
now going to single handedly make this a dictatorship instead of a
demorcratic process. So we have also built several bombs that we have placed
in various locations around the areas in which we know that you frequent.
This includes, your house, your car, the state capitol, and well I won’t
tell you all of them because that’s just no fun. Since we know that you are
not smart enough to figure out why this is happening to you we have decided
to make it perfectly clear to you. If you and your goonies feel that it’s
necessary to strip the rights of 300,000 people and ruin their lives, making
them unable to feed, clothe, and provide the necessities to their families
and themselves then We Will “get rid of” (in which I mean kill) you. Please
understand that this does not include the heroic Rep. Senator that risked
everything to go aganist what you and your goonies wanted him to do. We feel
that it’s worth our lives to do this, because we would be saving the lives
of 300,000 people. Please make your peace with God as soon as possible and
say goodbye to your loved ones we will not wait any longer. YOU WILL DIE!!!!
I am reminded of Barack Obama's suggestion to bring a gun to a knife fight when arguing about his healthcare bill (not that it was really his, but he signed it). It looks like someone is willing to take Obama up on his suggestion.
Now Wisconsin's Republican Senators know how Sarah Palin felt following the Gabrielle Gifford shooting:
Twitter Users Wish Death on Sarah Palin from JoeKenha on Vimeo.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
WI Republicans "man up"
In a move that will surely enrage Democrats, Wisconsin's Republican Senate leadership stripped the controversial measure to deny collective bargaining rights from the 2011 budget bill. After doing so, the Senate then voted to end collective bargaining in a separate bill, which passed 18-1 after moving from committee. This tactic is permitted under Wisconsin law since the new measure does not entail voting on appropriations, which requires a quorum for passage in the Senate. The measure now moves to the Wisconsin Assembly for a vote tomorrow.
Per Fox News:
Per Fox News:
Bypassing Democrats hiding out in Illinois, Wisconsin Senate Republicans voted Wednesday night to strip state workers of their collective bargaining rights.No word yet on what Mark Miller is talking about.
Republicans voted 18-1 to pass the stripped-down budget bill in a hastily arranged meeting. None of the Senate Democrats were present.
The state Assembly votes on the bill Thursday.
All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker's so-called "budget repair bill" -- a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million budget shortfall..
The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday split from the legislation the proposal to curtail union rights, and a special conference committee of state lawmakers approved that bill a short time later.
The lone Democrat present on the conference committee, Rep. Tony Barca, shouted that the surprise meeting was a violation of the state's open meetings law but Republicans voted over his objections. The Senate then convened within minutes and passed it without discussion or debate.
Spectators in the gallery screamed "You are cowards."
Before the sudden votes, Democratic Sens. Bob Jauch said if Republicans "chose to ram this bill through in this fashion, it will be to their political peril. They're changing the rules. They will inflame a very frustrated public."
Walker praised the legislative action.
"The Senate Democrats have had three weeks to debate this bill and were offered repeated opportunities to come home, which they refused," he said in a statement.
"In order to move the state forward, I applaud the Legislature's action today to stand up to the status quo and take a step in the right direction to balance the budget and reform the government," he said. "The action today will help ensure Wisconsin has a business climate that allows the private sector to create 250,000 new jobs."
State Senate Democratic Minority Leader Mark Miller issued a statement saying, "Tomorrow we will join the people of Wisconsin in taking back their government."
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Ten Must-Have Apps for Sarah Palin Followers
I keep reading about this must-have app and that must-have app, so I decided to create a list for some creative entrepreneur that understands apps (my preference being Android). Here are my suggestions for 10 must-have apps for Sarah Palin followers:
1. Real time notices of Sarah Palin Facebook or Twitter postings. Sarah Palin followers just have to be the first to know about a new post.
2. Upcoming Sarah Palin media appearances. Whether it be Fox News or a simple radio appearance, real-time updates of coming appearances would be most helpful.
3. A register of new online polls regarding Sarah Palin. We like to vote for positive things regarding Sarah and need to know where to go to support her in any online poll.
4. Red Alerts for countering media bias regarding Sarah Palin and her family. We like to voice our opinions regarding Sarah to help counter any negative "hit piece" that is published about Sarah or her family. Links to comment pages would be a welcome thing.
5. Video archives of Sarah Palin appearances. We would like a depository of Sarah Palin videos that we could link to on our smart-phones to help counter real-time Sarah critics that we come across in our daily lives.
6. Sarah Palin's favorite wild-game recipes. After all, you can only make Moose stew once in a while.
7. Sarah Palin quotes. She has coined or re-invented such fabulous terms as "death panels", "going rogue", "mama grizzlies", "blood libel", "a servant's heart", "lamestream media", "refudiate" and others. We want to use these terms and would like instant access to new and existing ones, for whatever purpose. It would also be helpful to have links to the source where where she first used them.
8. Shoes. Okay, I throw this one out for all those wonderful ladies that notice another woman's shoes. I suspect they might like to know what latest fashion Sarah is wearing on her feet, whether they be pumps or sloggers.
9. Sarah Palin media smack-downs. Okay, I know this could be included in #4 above, but it deserves its own app because we like Sarah's feistiness and want to be the first to applaud it.
10. Smiles. Sarah Palin has one of the most magnificent smiles that has ever existed in a politician. We want to see every single one that comes across whatever media source runs it for a collective glimpse into her heart.
I could probably go on, but you get the idea. App-makers?
1. Real time notices of Sarah Palin Facebook or Twitter postings. Sarah Palin followers just have to be the first to know about a new post.
2. Upcoming Sarah Palin media appearances. Whether it be Fox News or a simple radio appearance, real-time updates of coming appearances would be most helpful.
3. A register of new online polls regarding Sarah Palin. We like to vote for positive things regarding Sarah and need to know where to go to support her in any online poll.
4. Red Alerts for countering media bias regarding Sarah Palin and her family. We like to voice our opinions regarding Sarah to help counter any negative "hit piece" that is published about Sarah or her family. Links to comment pages would be a welcome thing.
5. Video archives of Sarah Palin appearances. We would like a depository of Sarah Palin videos that we could link to on our smart-phones to help counter real-time Sarah critics that we come across in our daily lives.
6. Sarah Palin's favorite wild-game recipes. After all, you can only make Moose stew once in a while.
7. Sarah Palin quotes. She has coined or re-invented such fabulous terms as "death panels", "going rogue", "mama grizzlies", "blood libel", "a servant's heart", "lamestream media", "refudiate" and others. We want to use these terms and would like instant access to new and existing ones, for whatever purpose. It would also be helpful to have links to the source where where she first used them.
8. Shoes. Okay, I throw this one out for all those wonderful ladies that notice another woman's shoes. I suspect they might like to know what latest fashion Sarah is wearing on her feet, whether they be pumps or sloggers.
9. Sarah Palin media smack-downs. Okay, I know this could be included in #4 above, but it deserves its own app because we like Sarah's feistiness and want to be the first to applaud it.
10. Smiles. Sarah Palin has one of the most magnificent smiles that has ever existed in a politician. We want to see every single one that comes across whatever media source runs it for a collective glimpse into her heart.
I could probably go on, but you get the idea. App-makers?
Friday, March 4, 2011
Is Sarah running?
So much ink, bits and bytes have been spent on the question of whether or not Sarah Palin will run for President. We won't know until she says so, but what will she say if the answer is no?
We all search for those who will show us the way or those who will walk alongside as we forge the way. Whether it be family, friends, colleagues or others, we look for guidance and counsel along the way to help us attain our goals.
Sarah is doing things, speaking out and going places while following a path that is hers alone. I trust that she has family, friends, colleagues and others that she relies on for counsel and guidance, as it should be. Only she and her confidants know what her goal is, but I firmly believe she has a goal in mind.
Why would anyone put up with the derision and loathing that is thrown at her as she follows her path? Who amongst us would be more than willing to cut and run after amassing a small fortune through book sales and a successful television series? What could possibly motivate us to continue to go places and speak out in spite of our financial success and the knowledge that we have secured our future and, most likely, our children's futures?
Could it be that Sarah Palin has a higher goal in mind than that which she has already accomplished for herself and her family? I suspect so. I just don't know what it is. All I know is that I'm sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what it will be. I can only hope that she pursues the path of leadership that I believe she is destined for. I say this because I welcome her success in leadership as an inspiration for attaining my own goals, however different than hers.
Real leadership should inspire us to believe that we, too, can aspire to greatness, on whatever scale we choose. It encourages us to move ever closer toward our goals, as it should. Whatever Sarah Palin chooses to do, she has already inspired us and I believe that she will continue to inspire us for years to come, in whatever capacity.
We all search for those who will show us the way or those who will walk alongside as we forge the way. Whether it be family, friends, colleagues or others, we look for guidance and counsel along the way to help us attain our goals.
Sarah is doing things, speaking out and going places while following a path that is hers alone. I trust that she has family, friends, colleagues and others that she relies on for counsel and guidance, as it should be. Only she and her confidants know what her goal is, but I firmly believe she has a goal in mind.
Why would anyone put up with the derision and loathing that is thrown at her as she follows her path? Who amongst us would be more than willing to cut and run after amassing a small fortune through book sales and a successful television series? What could possibly motivate us to continue to go places and speak out in spite of our financial success and the knowledge that we have secured our future and, most likely, our children's futures?
Could it be that Sarah Palin has a higher goal in mind than that which she has already accomplished for herself and her family? I suspect so. I just don't know what it is. All I know is that I'm sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what it will be. I can only hope that she pursues the path of leadership that I believe she is destined for. I say this because I welcome her success in leadership as an inspiration for attaining my own goals, however different than hers.
Real leadership should inspire us to believe that we, too, can aspire to greatness, on whatever scale we choose. It encourages us to move ever closer toward our goals, as it should. Whatever Sarah Palin chooses to do, she has already inspired us and I believe that she will continue to inspire us for years to come, in whatever capacity.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
I smell a purge coming...
I'm a member of the Tea Party Nation, but that membership may be short-lived. In an absolutely ridiculous piece today, Judson Phillips tries to position Sarah Palin along side Harry Reid by misquoting her Twitter message.
Her message read (emphasis mine, ignored by Phillips):
You would expect such BS from Politico or the Washington Post, but Tea Party Nation?
UPDATE: I posted two comments to Judson Phillip's piece at Tea Party Nation pointing out his misquote of Sarah Palin's tweet. Both comments were deleted.
Her message read (emphasis mine, ignored by Phillips):
Common sense & decency absent as wacko “church” allowed hate msgs spewed@ soldiers’ funerals but we can’t invoke God’s name in public squarePhillips positioned his piece to suggest that Sarah Palin and Harry Reid are on the same page regarding political speech.
You would expect such BS from Politico or the Washington Post, but Tea Party Nation?
UPDATE: I posted two comments to Judson Phillip's piece at Tea Party Nation pointing out his misquote of Sarah Palin's tweet. Both comments were deleted.
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