Weekend Wish List

Despite the fact that it's Sunday, I still think about stuff during busy weekends that I'd like to share with my Weekend Wish List.

Is it just me, or does it seem like there is a complete lack of leadership within the Republican Party? As a Republican, I don't equate leadership with going on Sunday news shows and disparaging various elements of conservatism. Although I realize that there will never be another Ronald Reagan, is there absolutely no one that can champion conservative values besides radio talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin? Don't get me wrong, I love all three, but damnit, they are not running for office!

Why does the National Republican Senatorial Committee think that it's okay to endorse a Republican candidate BEFORE the Republican primary? Isn't it up to the Republican Party voters to decide for themselves who is the best candidate? Republicans don't need a nanny-state-supporting group of Senators to tell us how to vote. Throw the bums out if they can't get the message!

Obama goes to Hollywood. Big Whoop! When will the idiots from Hollywood realize that he's coming after THEIR income ("You ain't seen nothin' yet"). Just you wait, it'll happen. Unless, of course, Obama decides that Left Coast is worth saving via government bail-outs. I can't wait to see how the movie does that's sponsored by the US Government. Can you say, No-See-Um? (Those are bugs that bite that you can't see. Oh, nevermind!)

When is someone going to invent a device that deters flies from entering your house? I've about had it with sprays, sticky strips and smelly candles. I do have one thing I like, however. It looks like a tennis racket and it packs a charge when you hit 'em! The problem is, the teenagers like to use it in a dare to see if they can withstand the ZAP! The dang batteries are always dead if I leave it out where I (and they) can grab it.

I don't know about you, but I'm pumped for summer! And I'm also pumped for the July 4th Tea Parties. Let's hope they make the statement that the mainstream media can't ignore!

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Disturbian Nightmare

For what it's worth, I love living in suburbia. I live in a quiet little town about 30 minutes from where I work. There are plenty of restaurants, grocery stores, hardware stores and gas stations, but there's a paucity of leadership that recognizes individual rights.

My lovely little suburban enclave just passed an ordinance banning smoking practically everywhere outside of your own residence. I thought I lived here for the freedom to enjoy my life, associate with whom I please and enjoy watching a game or two at the local sports bar without worrying about "offending" anyone by smoking. After all, my favorite sports bar is only about 1.5 miles from my house and I have been going there for over 10 years. Neither I nor any of the other patrons every complained about the presence of "smokers". If you didn't like it, you could always go somewhere else down the street.

Most of the restaurants in town had already established "Non-Smoking" sections within the confines of the restaurant and there were restrictions put on the bar area to make sure that smokers did not intrude on the non-smoking sections of the establishment. I guess that wasn't good enough, however.

The Town Council thought it was a good idea to remove smoking from EVERY business establishment. Forget about who caters to who or why anyone may frequent a given place. Forget about the property rights of business owners. The Town Council decided it needed to impose a restriction on every business property owner to maintain the appearance of being "progressive".

What's really sad is that only about 2,000 people out of a town of 55,000+ voted these idiots into office. And this is endemic throughout the United States. A very small cabal of people force their liberal views on the "non-voting" majority because, well, they can.

It makes no difference that this non-smoking ordinance was scheduled for discussion and voted on within a period of less than a week. It makes no difference that the majority of residents at the meeting were overwhelmingly against the ordinance. It makes no difference that the Town Council didn't schedule public comments until almost 10pm. What mattered is that a select few individuals decided that they would force their will on a population of people and no one would care.

This same scenario is played out every day at every imaginable level of government. It happens locally, it happens on a state-wide level and it happens on a national level. It's not just about smoking. Hell, I'll go to the sports bar in next little town over that allows smoking. No, this is about a nightmare of disturbing proportions that continues to be played out behind the scenes in every corner of our country. How long before this disturbian nightmare begins to affect people in ways that they are totally unprepared for and were never a willing party to?

I think it's already begun. We've seen and are seeing it on a national level within every branch of government. And that example has not been lost on local and state governments, because we see the same thing happening there.

When does the sleeping populace awaken to take back that which it is unwittingly giving up? More importantly, will it ever?

Luckenbach, TX

I promise. This is the last one!



If you've never been to Luckenbach, it's worth the trip. It ain't much more that a single building comprising a post office, bar and souvenir shop. There's a dance hall next door, but I could never stay long enough for it to kick in. The ambiance is everything... and there's always someone there doing a rendition of Waylon's song.

My Heros Have Alway Been Cowboys...

I was thinking about doing a parody on Wille's song, and was thinking of naming it "My Heroes Have Always Been Rinos". But after looking at this video, I couldn't do it.

Here's to all the "cowboys" in this world that toil at their jobs for a pittance of pay. No complaints come from them, because they are committed to the cowboy way.

Where have all the rinos gone? Colin Powell, are you listening?

Very Powerful Video

It's only around 3 1/2 minutes, but very powerful. I can only take credit for finding it.

Obama: "We're Out of Money"

My response is "No Shit Sherlock"!

This is the prelude to Obama raises taxes on everything under the sun. He will NEVER reduce spending, he will only increase taxes to compensate for all the increased spending.

Consider the fact that the current administration is considering increasing taxes on: soda pop, cigars, beer, salt, sugar...

This is all being done under the radar.

Be vigilant! Any time that Obama says they are "Out of Money", that only means he's going to raise taxes!

Weekend Wish List

Wow, Memorial Day weekend. There's a lot to wish for. Here's my take:

First and foremost, I hope that everyone remembers those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. Let's not take for granted the rewards of that sacrifice which so many of us continue to enjoy. They are ALL heroes. My father served in WWII. His father served in WWI. They never spoke to me about their service. They were some of the lucky ones who made it home and their sacrifice was nothing compared to those who did not. To them, Memorial Day was the day to commemorate their fallen comrades, not those who survived.

The 93rd Running of the Indianapolis 500 is on Sunday. Having grown up in Indiana, it was always on the radio and my parents and neighbors often gathered to listen to the race. We always had a drivers pool and someone charted the race while listening (closely) to the radio. I remember it cost a buck to buy a driver in a blind draw. All the kids participated and it kept us interested in the race. I've attended the race several times and have lots of memories about the event. I decided to re-institute the tradition of a race-day party after moving to Texas. Sunday will be the my 9th Annual Indy 500 party. And yes, there is a drivers pool, but it costs 10 bucks a driver.

Here's hoping that Danica Patrick breaks through in her quest to win at Indy! (Update: she came in third!)

You know what? Now that I think about it, there really isn't a whole lot more to mention. Oh sure, I could say something snide about Nancy Pelosi's press conference, or the dueling speeches of Cheney and Obama (Cheney's was a home-run, Obama's a strike-out), but no, not this time.

This weekend is the kick-off of summer. There is no better way to plunge into the best time of the year than to have it start with Memorial Day, when we honor those who sacrificed their lives to give us the freedom to enjoy this and all the weekends of summer. After all, backyard cookouts, weekends at the lake, swimming in the backyard pool, summer vacation, and countless other joys are all enjoyed by virtue of someone paying a very heavy price.

Never forget!

Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt

I don't normally stumble upon something this ridiculous that makes me laugh so much it brings tears to my eyes. This is one of those silly things that develops a life of its own for no good reason, but is undeniably funny.

If you really want a laugh, check out the Customer Reviews for this T-Shirt. And if the first one doesn't make you chuckle, keep reading.

There's plenty more.

:-)

What Schemes May Come

I don't know why, but I was recently thinking about a book I read around 13 years ago, "What Dreams May Come". It was also released as a movie a short time later and featured Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Annabella Sciorra. The story was about a man who dies and experiences the afterlife after going to Heaven. To the man's dismay, his wife commits suicide in anguish over his passing and is condemned to something very near Hell. The man sets out from Heaven to find his wife and save her from an eternity of despair. I was touched by the book and found the movie to be a very good adaptation of it.

With that in mind, I can't help but think about the latest scheme to come out of Washington regarding Obama's plans to mandate better gas mileage. These plans involve ratcheting up the use of ethanol in our fuel supply and will require auto-makers to make more fuel-efficient (read "lighter") cars. This scheme is wrapped in the bigger scheme called "Global Warming", which is wrapped in the yet-bigger scheme called "Environmentalism". All these schemes have the same end-result: human pain and suffering. It makes no difference if it is physical or "merely" economic.

So, you may ask, what's next? Well, that seems to be a fairly easy guess. It's called "Healthcare Reform". Do you know what the end result of that scheme will be? Once again, it will result in human pain and suffering and, ultimately, human death. After all, what do we already know about all the other socialized healthcare schemes? They all end up rationing heathcare, which, by the way, can often result in death.

Think about the results of these two schemes and you can't help but come back to the same conclusion. These plans all result in an increase in human death. The mandate for better gas mileage will force people to buy lighter, more fuel efficient cars. You know, the ones that end up with the short end of the stick in an accident.

What other positions of this administration results in death? Hmmm, let me see. I seem to remember a flap over Obama's appearance at Notre Dame's recent Commencement exercises. What was that about?

What the heck is it about Obama that his plans (read "schemes") all result in death? Or maybe it's just that he puts a much higher value on everything besides humanity. I wonder what he sees when he looks in the mirror? Whatever it is, it sure as hell can't be human.

The Hero of Notre Dame

He came to wish the graduates a bon voyage as they commence their life after formal education. He left them with a message that bastardizes everything the Catholic Church stands for. In the process, he attempted to paint the pro-life and pro-choice positions as moral equivalents and a mere "political" disagreement.

The mainstream media picked up the ball and ran with it:

"Obama calls for understanding in Notre Dame speech" The Associated Press

"Most Catholics support Obama's speech at Notre Dame" USA Today

"Obama's Notre Dame speech is right on target" Kansas City Star

"President calls for 'open hearts, open minds'..." The Washington Post

"Obama Calls for a Dialogue on Abortion" New York Times

No where in any of these articles does the subject come up to really underscore the issue: President Barack Obama fully supports the killing of unborn human beings.

Make no bones about it, he has supported it, he has championed it, he encourages the funding of it. He is the very first President of the United States to actively support abortion. He is the only President of the United States to support partial-birth abortion.

I keep coming back to something in the Constitution. Call me trivial, but here's the Preamble:

"We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility [emphasis mine], provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Does trying to equate pro-life and pro-choice as moral equivalents "...insure domestic tranquility..."? Does supporting abortion "...promote the general welfare.."? Does the support of partial-birth abortion "secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity?"

President Barack Obama has indicated his willingness to "renege" on his oath of office by his actions and words. The University of Notre Dame has indicated its support of his actions by having him speak at their 2009 Commencement proceedings. I guess Notre Dame has found its hero.

I know I will never, ever support ANYTHING that Notre Dame does again. I am a Christian, born and raised as a Catholic, and still believe what I was taught, oh, so many years ago. To Hell with political correctness!

UPDATE:
Much has been made of the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, and it's apparent dismissal of U.S. Catholic bishops' disapproval of Notre Dame’s award of an honorary doctorate of law to President Obama. There is an interesting piece at National Review Online that suggests that the Vatican newspaper should NOT be taken as stating the official position of the Vatican. Read it here.

The Problem with News Feeds...

I have tried to capture certain topic-related news feeds as a source for regular "tweets" on Twitter, my social network of choice. Usually those topics come across in a meaningful way to underscore my interests. Unfortunately, I don't have time to review them before they are automatically posted. And that has tended to enable some unwanted posts to slip under the radar.

Consider, for example, the topic "free-market capitalism". Normally, I would welcome reading any article that discusses free-market capitalism as a means to better-understand the conversation employing it. There is one drawback, however. Critics of free-market capitalism also use the phrase, but do so to disparage the concept, not reinforce it. Therein lies my dilemma: How do I eliminate the wacko-left articles that invoke the phrase "free-market capitalism" to trash it?

I've tried adding additional key words to my Google alerts, but I keep coming back to the same result: whatever key words I use the Left in turns will use while writing a piece to criticize the concept I am trying to support. If I try to limit the articles I grab by adding multiple key words or phrases, I find that I miss some really GOOD articles about the topic.

Here is the good news, however. The bad feeds that have come across do not seem to command a very big reaction from my Twitter followers. I've gotten some comments along the lines of "tell me you don't really believe this", and I use those comments to review and (usually) delete the tweet. On other occasions I will get a positive "Retweet" on a news posting from someone that I do not follow or that sounds suspicious, in which case I will also review the article. Again, those reviews often result in my deleting the "tweet" because they do not support MY beliefs.

All in all, I have had some very good reaction to a lot of my news feeds, which encourages me to keep them going. I just want to throw out a disclaimer to say that I won't always get a base hit and will sometimes strike out. Just don't hold those strike-outs against me. They only mean that my next up-to-bat may result in a home-run!

Notre Dame Outrage

Military Tribute. "When you Come Back to Me Again"

Awesome, awesome video.






A must see.

Economic Dimentia

I love the blogs of Stacy McCain. He is often irreverent, always insightful and definitely fun. I really like this piece on Demand-Side Dimentia... It is worth the read! There is so much to learn by studying economics. Unfortunately, it has become so politicized, I think that most people consider it a topic not worth their time or effort to understand. When Arthur Laffer sketched the theory behind supply-side economics on a napkin and that fact was publicized, I devoured the concept. It has been born out every time it has been deployed, first by Reagan and then by George W. Bush.

Here is a good article written by Arthur Laffer himself that talks about the concept.

Keep the faith, free-market capitalism works!

Weekend Wish List

As we approach the weekend, I am at a loss to figure out what to wish for. I've been working my ass off at my regular job and have not had the time to really dig into the news. I pick up tidbits here and there, however, and I hope it will suffice.

Why is the Obama-media obsessed with his "rock-star" status? Isn't being the leader of the free world enough? Why not just accept the fact that he is the President of the United States and commands the respect of the rest of the world as a result of his election? Do we have to debase the Office of the President with ridiculous platitudes about "stardom"? Come on, let's be adults here. It's not like he won American Idol!

Nancy Pelosi is in the process of imploding. How many lies will she tell to get herself off the hook about "knowing" that "Enhanced Interrogation Techniques" were BEING USED!

No matter what anyone says, I think that former Vice President Dick Cheney is a true patriot. He is extremely straight-shooting (no pun intended) and honestly fears for the future of our country. God bless him!

There is talk that Martin Scorsese is going to make a film about Frank Sinatra. The rumor is that they are considering Johnny Depp for the role of Sinatra. Excuse me! There is only one person living today who deserves to be cast as Frank Sinatra. His name is Harry Connick, Jr. He brings Sinatra's oldies to life and has already established his acting credentials on numerous occasions.

It's a sad day in my Trek life. I've been looking forward to seeing the new Star Trek movie, but my 16-year-old son is lukewarm to the prospect. Moreover, my good friend Will told me that he wasn't too interested in teaming up with his son and accompanying us to the movie. He admitted he's not a big Star Trek fan. Am I that old? I always thought Star Trek was cutting-edge! I'll go see it alone if I have to.

A friend told me recently, when I inquired about what to do about teenage daughters (my wife's daughter is also 16), "not to worry. All will be fine", he said, speaking from experience. "Things will improve immensely the minute she moves out and goes to college". Sheesh, I was hoping for advice right now! I love her to death, but man, are 16-year-old girls really human?

My wife is vacuuming the living room carpet right now. Our dog, an American Eskimo named Chloe, is "attacking" the vacuum cleaner like it is the biggest, baddest intruder to ever set foot in our house. Try as I might, I can't break her of the habit. Unfortunately, she's 16 in doggy years and I don't think she'll be moving out in 2 years to go to college. I also don't think my teenage daughter is inclined to take Chloe to college with her, nor do I really think that would be a good idea.

Sigh.........................................

Prelude to the Weekend Wish List

So far, a week hasn't gone by without a lot of things to wish for! Unfortunately, I can't wait until the weekend to post my thoughts.
____________________________________________________

Time for Perez Hilton to slide into the ash bin of history. His personal assault on the tradition of marriage should only command a brief obit: "Perez Hilton died today, championed overturning the institution of marriage. He was laughed into obscurity".

Carrie Prejean authors a book on traditional values. It stays on the top of New York Times' best sellers list while the paper is shut down due to lack of circulation.

Obama's attempts to provide government money to bail out failed newspapers crashes and burns on the floor of the House. Too many House members have already sold their holdings in liberal newspapers to give a shit.

The Hubble Telescope is repaired and put into perfect working condition. Unfortunately, it re-orients itself to point toward Earth and can't be adjusted. NASA blames the curtailment of the shuttle program on not being able to fix the error. James Hansen is fired after suggesting that the Obama administration purposely re-oriented the Hubble to spy on July 4th Tea Parties.

A freak May storm in the Gulf of Mexico washes up thousands of sand dollars in Naples, FL. The press calls it a predicable devaluation of the sand dollar by the effects of man-made global warming. Rush dubs it "The Sand Cent Scandal".

Weekend Wish List

I can't help but believe that the Republican Party is in such disarray, they are in a perfect position to be captured by the "Tea Party" movement. Throw the moderates and rinos out! Michael Steele can go too!

Specter got his just rewards...and lost his seniority switching parties! This is the ONLY time I've been in synch with Harry Reid, so-called majority leader. What's up with that and why do I sense a conspiracy?

Let's pray that Senator Jeff Sessions has the moxie to lay it on the line for any of Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominees!

I'd like to see Carrie Prejean and Danica Patrick in a commercial together, sans bathing suits.

Jeb Bush has completely lost my support. Does he really think that I appreciate him bashing on Reagan, however nuanced?

Thanks to the mainstream media, Sarah Palin stays in the news, no matter that it's due to her daughter. Could she be playing the media in advance of a 2012 run? She just needs to take Rush 101: Any publicity can be turned into GOOD publicity!

Why do I get the feeling that Pakistan will turn out to be Barack's "Jimmy Carter debacle"?

And why do I get the feeling that Israel is about to go "rogue"?

Does anyone else look forward to the Indy 500 and Memorial Day? I've been tuned into the Indy 500 since I was a kid in Indiana. And Memorial Day should be one of our most-cherished holidays. Will Obama actually lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? Are you ready for the mainstream media to praise it if he does, or doesn't? Either way, it'll be a disgusting attempt to pander for votes!

So what's the best bet for a Memorial Day cookout, brats or burgers?

I just have a lot on my mind!

Reclaim, Reform and Restore!

I heard an interesting exchange on the Laura Ingraham Show a few nights ago. A caller suggested that the "mantra" for Republicans should be "Restore". We should restore the government to what was intended by the US Constitution. Laura took it a step further and suggested the mantra should be "Reclaim [Congress], Reform [Government] and [then] Restore.

Although I think those ideas are appropriate, there is really only one thing that everyone needs to focus on and that is "RECLAIM". If that doesn't happen, then the rest of the three are moot!

The argument is all about how Republicans are going to reclaim the majority in Congress. I have to say, I agree with Rush when he says "TEACH"! Instead of listening tours and worrying about what the liberals are saying should happen, we need to engage people in the conversation regarding constitutionalism.

Unfortunately, the only way we will be able to "reclaim" anything is through an existing political party. In other words, we have to first "reclaim" the Republican Party! I disagree with this so-called committee that wants to define a "New America". What the hell is wrong with the old one? The one that I grew up with before all the libs took over Washington and turned it into a cesspool of "special interests"?

Let's take things one step at a time. We need to reclaim the Republican Party and remake it as the party of (1) Pro-Federalism, (2) Pro-Capitalism and (3) Pro-Individualism. Those three foundational elements will help establish everything else that's worth fighting for: a strong defense, a respect for life and a respect for the rule of law.

Your thoughts?

Color me gone!

I picked up an interesting @reply on Twitter that I thought I would share:

_lemongrass_"Why would a Rush-listening hater like @ehvogel follow me? I feel dirty now. ick"

I was going to add her picture but decided it wasn't worth the trouble.

Here's my response:

@_lemongrass_ "Sorry! I must have caught you with an auto-follow. Color me gone!"

Now, in my mind, I thought I was very civil in my response. I certainly have never singled her or anyone else out for Twitter abuse. Her direct attack on me, however, seems kind of personal, doesn't it? Don't get me wrong, I could care less what she think's about me. But why do liberals feel like they're the standard-bearers of civil discourse, when just the opposite is true?

Weekend Wish List

I've spent the week watching the world collapse in concern over Swine Flu. Now the "experts" are saying it's a mild case. My two kid's school district will be closed next week. The kid's only concern was "Why didn't it happen for TACS exams"? Very good question!

Arlen Specter defects from the Republican Party. My response is "So What"! He can no longer lead the minority position on the Senate Judiciary Committee. I think that's a good thing, given that David Souter has announced his retirement. Why do I sense a conspiracy, however? The timing of the two announcements seemed too close to be a coincidence. Time will tell.

Obama finally disparaged the Tea Parties. It was really just a matter of time. His ego would not allow him to completely ignore it. His response speaks volumes about his attitude toward "Main Street" Americans. Expect him to do more in the coming weeks to really piss off "Main Street" and drive up the numbers for the July 4th Tea Party events.

Nancy Pelosi is, well, Nancy Pelosi. She participates in briefings about terrorist interrogations back in 2002 (when we still feared more attacks). Now she conveniently "LIES" about what she was told. I'm glad our security is placed in such capable hands....NOT! She's really due for a fall!

Joe Biden makes a major gaff about the Swine flu. If it's Friday, there must have been another Biden gaff! Boy, he doesn't disappoint! Sheesh! Can't wait 'til next week!

Spring has sprung and so have my weeds. My Juniper bushes have grown into monsters since I last cut them back. I hope they die when I trim them this year!

The Indy 500 is just a few weeks away. Will this race see Danica Patrick contend? I kinda doubt it, but man, would that be cool or what!