Joey Chestnut retain the Mustard belt.
Take that World.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Put your life at risk!
OK kids, put your life on the line! Risk being arrested and tried for treason and being executed! Step up! Sign the Declaration of Independence!
Now, a quick history refresher:
What does the 4th of July commemorate here in America? (Insert Final Jeopardy interlude music here). It commemorates the PASSING of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, not its signing.
Anyhow, here is what the final product looks like:
Your signature appears at the bottom of the far left column.
So, there I am, Amendment X, risking the calling down of the furies for high treason against the Crown.
So be it. Bring it on!
By the way, here is the story of the Declaration of Independence and what happened to the signers.
Brave men indeed as there was no prohibition against "cruel or unusual" punishment. And high treason was punishable by drawing and quartering.
Now, a quick history refresher:
What does the 4th of July commemorate here in America? (Insert Final Jeopardy interlude music here). It commemorates the PASSING of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress, not its signing.
Anyhow, here is what the final product looks like:
Your signature appears at the bottom of the far left column.
So, there I am, Amendment X, risking the calling down of the furies for high treason against the Crown.
So be it. Bring it on!
By the way, here is the story of the Declaration of Independence and what happened to the signers.
Brave men indeed as there was no prohibition against "cruel or unusual" punishment. And high treason was punishable by drawing and quartering.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
His name is Don
He was a B-17 ball turret gunner. What he did was called "flying the ball". It, along with the tail gunner position were considered to be the most dangerous positions for the B-17 air crew.
His completed tour was supposed to be 25 missions that were upped to 30. But, he was shot down and served as a POW (prisoner of war). When being transported , the train he was on was strafed and jumped the tracks. Trains were considered "targets of opportunity" for fighters and it was not uncommon for American fighters to strafe POW trains as they were usually unmarked. He and a few other POW's, on seeing that they weren't being guarded after the derailing, took off and walked for five days, without food, and crossed the border into Switzerland where he was interred for the rest of the war.
He flew B-29's in the Pacific after being liberated in Europe, then flew B-52's.
I met Don at the Wednesday lunches for the 8th Air Force Historical Society, a group of many WWII vets including, but not limited to air and ground crew from the 8th, 15th, 9th, 12th, 7th and 20th Air Forces. We also have Navy and Marine ground and air personnel from the PTO. We also have vets from Korea, Vietnam, first Gulf War and now the second. And we have hanger-ons like me.
A couple of years ago Don was too ill to drive, so he asked me if I would pick him up for the lunches. Of course. I can't refuse a vet. How could I?
Well, I heard a bit of a different story about Don's career as a POW as we drove to Bloomington. He told me that he and a few others were fairly dissatisfied with their treatment in the Stalag. And he commented that the cuisine left much to be desired next to Mom's meatloaf. So, he said "We decided to leave. They weren't treating as nicely as we thought they should, and we heard the food was better in Switzerland. So, that's where we went." It was only later that I heard about his being on a POW train that was strafed.
And of course there was another story that took the entire twenty minutes on our second drive.
After Don was liberated, he got orders to report to California. He flew to, I believe, San Francisco. His next orders were to report to Hickam Field near Pearl Harbor. His next orders were to report to, again I believe, the Philippines. In all these orders he was never told the end point.
On that the far Pacific airbase he was told which officer to report to. The officer told him to suit up, which he did. Don, being an enlisted man, learned early on never to question orders or officers (who usually gave orders). Don suited up, was driven out to the flight line and was told to board one of these bad boys:
It's a Northrup P-61 Black Widow. And off to combat they flew. In combat, the pilot's screaming at Don "There's a Zero. Shoot the bastard!!!!" "Sergeant, what the hell's wrong with you? They're Japs all over the place and you haven't shot a single round!!! What the (very strong expletive here staring with 'F') are you doing?!?!?" Don's reply "I've never been trained as a P-61 gunner. Only a B-17 gunner!" Oops. Seems that some REMF (Rear Echelon Mother [Same expletive as before] military slang for someone behind the lines) had seen that Don went to gunnery school, was a combat experienced air crew gunner, and off he was ordered to the Pacific. To be the gunner on a P-61. Ain't the military bureaucracy grand?
Don flew B-29's afterwards,where his experience was much more relevant. And he was much happier. And the B-29 pilot didn't scream at him with nearly as much vigor (or as much colorful language) as did the P-61 driver. I failed to ask if the Air Force food was better than Swiss victuals. An oversight on my part, but a question for which Don would have had a wry answer.
Don had been in failing health over the past few years. He had gone from being old to being frail as are more and more of my WWII friends. He was on oxygen.
About two weeks ago Don fell and broke his hip. Rushed to the hospital Don was successfully operated on. All pinned up and on the mend Don was cracking wise with the hospital staff. But there was clot from the surgery. It broke loose,went to his heart and killed him.
His funeral service was Tuesday.
One of the members of his POW group led the prayer. He talked about our liberating God. How He liberated Moses and the enslaved Israelites. How He liberated Daniel from the lions' den. Liberated the three Israelites from the fiery furnace, the Israelites from Babylon and Paul and Peter from prison. Liberated Jesus from the grave. Liberated me from the consequences of my sins and my self-purchased first class one-way ticket for an eternal trip to hell.
Seems that the only acceptable currency for the purchase of liberty is blood. For us and our sins, it's the Blood of Jesus. For the luxury and liberty of being able to write, in English, and read this small memorial to Don, in the greatest nation on earth, the currency was and is the blood of soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen.
The blood of Don's brothers-in-arms.
And I feel the emptiness in my chest from missing him already.
So, go out and honor Don and others by fighting for liberty. Don and all those brothers-in-arms of his who risked all their tomorrows so we could have today.
Celebrate what he and millions of others fought and many died for.
Happy 4th of July.
By the way, here is a picture of Don and his air crew. Don is in the back row, third from the right.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Is Google Anti-American?
This may be the last blog entry for a while.
Seems there are questions regarding Google, its ownership of Blogger and the suspension of some Blogger sites that don't speak highly of the Obamamessiah.
Newsbusters has an article about the questionable suspension of these sites.
il Duce' at The Anti-Strib also has two articles .
Google, to be able to run its engine in China, agreed to censor results from searches run on its search engine.
Yahoo, Dogpile , Search and Ask (the old Ask Jeeves) are just a few alternatives. Maybe even consider MSN search. Just ignore the results from Google.
Seems there are questions regarding Google, its ownership of Blogger and the suspension of some Blogger sites that don't speak highly of the Obamamessiah.
Newsbusters has an article about the questionable suspension of these sites.
il Duce' at The Anti-Strib also has two articles .
Google, to be able to run its engine in China, agreed to censor results from searches run on its search engine.
Yahoo, Dogpile , Search and Ask (the old Ask Jeeves) are just a few alternatives. Maybe even consider MSN search. Just ignore the results from Google.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Thoughts on Heller
I had been anticipating the D.C. v Heller decision for some time. My friend Dr. Joseph Olson was one of the members of Heller's legal team in the oral arguments phase before SCOTUS.
You know some of my background when it comes to the 2nd Amendment (leadership team member for MNCCRN/GOCRA , AACFI Instructor , permit carrier under the former and present statute. I've been instructed by and shot with an Army Ranger, Air Force Intelligence officer, SWAT Sniper, member Delta Force, BCA certified Range Officer [the one responsible for teaching firearm techniques and range certifying police officers ] to name a few).
I'm not going to review the Heller decision. There are many sites that will do that for you (Second Amendment Foundation, the NRA and you can read Justice Scalia's majority opinion).
I am pleased at the Heller decision. I am also concerned. For the first time there is a SCOTUS decision that the 2nd Amendment means what it has always meant. This a significant victory. I won't discount that.The concern: it was a 5-4 decision on a case that absolutely should have been 9-0.
Now, in the late 1780's, as we were still waiting for Marconi to invent radio and Al Gore to get that internet thing up and running, the only available mechanism to broadcast the proposed Constitution was the printing press. To be sure that the citizens understood what the document meant, it was written in plain, common everyday language for the late 18th century. The federalists wrote a series of articles that collected were called the Federalist Papers that explained in detail what the framers meant. The Anti-Federalists were very concerned about this federal government, having just finished fighting the most powerful central government in the world, the British monarchy and Parliament. The Anti-Federalists were responsible for the Bill of Rights to ensure redundancy in the preservation of liberty. The Bill of Rights was also written in the common , everyday 18th Century vernacular so as to absolutely clear about intent and meaning. And with all that, there were four Supreme justices who found a new and completely contrary meaning in those 27 simple and direct words. Justice Breyer wrote :”In my view, there simply is no untouchable constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment to keep loaded handguns in the house in crime-ridden urban areas.” Justice Stevens wrote that there was a "settled" precedent regarding the regulation of firearms for militia use. He then wrote:"The Court's announcement of a new constitutional right to own and use firearms for private purposes (emphasis mine) upsets that settled understanding." A "new" constitutional right. Unlike the old right of habeas corpus for foreign enemy combatants that these four plus Justice Kennedy magically "found" and "announced" this session, that somehow my copy of Constitution doesn't contain.
Justice Scalia wrote about the interest in keeping firearms out the hands of the mentally unstable and felons. And therein lies the fight: how is "mentally unstable" defined? How are they "prevented" from owning or having firearms? How well has gun control kept firearms out of the hands of criminals? The left will never, ever give up. Always remember,evil only compromises to establish the new negotiating point. Evil always wants it all.
As I told a friend of mine last night this a very important decision. But, it is only a single victory for a single battle, albeit an important battle ,as was Gettysburg, in the never ending war the left wages on America, liberty,freedom and good. How the significance of this decision plays out will show itself over the coming decades with state judges and legislatures, the federal judiciary including SCOTUS and Congress.
It bears repeating and certainly remembering: Heller was a 5-4 decision. It hung on a single Justice , Kennedy, who was also the swing vote for the child rape law and the enemy combatant/habeas majority opinions . Plessy v Ferguson established that "separate but equal" as being constitutional was overturned 58 years later by Brown v Board of Education.
Heller can also be overturned.
Some additional thoughts I posted at Hot Air.
You know some of my background when it comes to the 2nd Amendment (leadership team member for MNCCRN/GOCRA , AACFI Instructor , permit carrier under the former and present statute. I've been instructed by and shot with an Army Ranger, Air Force Intelligence officer, SWAT Sniper, member Delta Force, BCA certified Range Officer [the one responsible for teaching firearm techniques and range certifying police officers ] to name a few).
I'm not going to review the Heller decision. There are many sites that will do that for you (Second Amendment Foundation, the NRA and you can read Justice Scalia's majority opinion).
I am pleased at the Heller decision. I am also concerned. For the first time there is a SCOTUS decision that the 2nd Amendment means what it has always meant. This a significant victory. I won't discount that.The concern: it was a 5-4 decision on a case that absolutely should have been 9-0.
Now, in the late 1780's, as we were still waiting for Marconi to invent radio and Al Gore to get that internet thing up and running, the only available mechanism to broadcast the proposed Constitution was the printing press. To be sure that the citizens understood what the document meant, it was written in plain, common everyday language for the late 18th century. The federalists wrote a series of articles that collected were called the Federalist Papers that explained in detail what the framers meant. The Anti-Federalists were very concerned about this federal government, having just finished fighting the most powerful central government in the world, the British monarchy and Parliament. The Anti-Federalists were responsible for the Bill of Rights to ensure redundancy in the preservation of liberty. The Bill of Rights was also written in the common , everyday 18th Century vernacular so as to absolutely clear about intent and meaning. And with all that, there were four Supreme justices who found a new and completely contrary meaning in those 27 simple and direct words. Justice Breyer wrote :”In my view, there simply is no untouchable constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment to keep loaded handguns in the house in crime-ridden urban areas.” Justice Stevens wrote that there was a "settled" precedent regarding the regulation of firearms for militia use. He then wrote:"The Court's announcement of a new constitutional right to own and use firearms for private purposes (emphasis mine) upsets that settled understanding." A "new" constitutional right. Unlike the old right of habeas corpus for foreign enemy combatants that these four plus Justice Kennedy magically "found" and "announced" this session, that somehow my copy of Constitution doesn't contain.
Justice Scalia wrote about the interest in keeping firearms out the hands of the mentally unstable and felons. And therein lies the fight: how is "mentally unstable" defined? How are they "prevented" from owning or having firearms? How well has gun control kept firearms out of the hands of criminals? The left will never, ever give up. Always remember,evil only compromises to establish the new negotiating point. Evil always wants it all.
As I told a friend of mine last night this a very important decision. But, it is only a single victory for a single battle, albeit an important battle ,as was Gettysburg, in the never ending war the left wages on America, liberty,freedom and good. How the significance of this decision plays out will show itself over the coming decades with state judges and legislatures, the federal judiciary including SCOTUS and Congress.
It bears repeating and certainly remembering: Heller was a 5-4 decision. It hung on a single Justice , Kennedy, who was also the swing vote for the child rape law and the enemy combatant/habeas majority opinions . Plessy v Ferguson established that "separate but equal" as being constitutional was overturned 58 years later by Brown v Board of Education.
Heller can also be overturned.
Some additional thoughts I posted at Hot Air.
Friday, June 20, 2008
A musical tribute to honor my worthy opponents
To honor Barack Hussein Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters and Maurice Hinchey and all left wingers ideas for energy policy, I humbly present the following more than appropriate musical tribute:
And ya know the irony of it all? The modern state of Russia is gloming onto, drilling for, mining and scraping every bit of oil/gas/uranium/coal that they can find. The Russians are better capitalists than the majority of Americans in Congress!
Go figure.
And ya know the irony of it all? The modern state of Russia is gloming onto, drilling for, mining and scraping every bit of oil/gas/uranium/coal that they can find. The Russians are better capitalists than the majority of Americans in Congress!
Go figure.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
The USS Yorktown, the 35W bridge and oil
I'm a WWII history buff. Have been for years. In 1942, the USS Yorktown was heavily damaged in the Battle of the Coral Sea. She set sail for Pearl Harbor for extensive repairs. When she arrived, it was estimated that she would require at least three months of repair. As she was needed for the Battle of Midway, she was alloted 72 hours in port for repairs. She set sail three days later and fought at Midway where she was sunk. But, instead of being in dry dock, she helped mortally wound the Japanese Navy.
Last August, the 35W bridge across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. It's a bridge I had been across thousands of times. A socialist friend of mine kept repeating that the reason the bridge collapsed was because Gov. Pawlenty vetoed a gas tax increase. He went on to say that it would take at least five years to build a new bridge. I said, "No. We could do it in a year if the government gets out of the way!" The bridge is controlled by a number of jurisdictions: the city of Minneapolis, the federal government, Hennepin County, the State of Minnesota, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard (the Mississippi is a navigable waterway) to name a few. Then throw in the EPA, OSHA, MN Dept. of Natural Resources and a few others just for giggles.
Well, as the 35W bridge was/is critical to business all across the state. So, it was agreed to "fast track" the bridge and suspend a bunch of the regulations and just get on with it. And the new 35W bridge is set to be completed in under a year from the time the bids were let. And it will come in under budget. Not 5 years and $300,000,000 +. Newt Gingrich forcast that fast build possibility just days after the collapse.
So now, I keep hearing that it will take 5-10 years to bring new oil fields online. Nah. Well, yes it will with all the crap BS regulations from a myriad of alphabet soup agencies. However, get the Congress out of the way, kill all but absolutely essential regulations (and there precious few of those) and I'd bet the farm that we could bring oil fields online in under two years. Do something like telling oil drillers/oil companies that they get a 100% tax write-off for all their expenses. And only a 10% tax on oil revenue. Then, suspend all those crap EPA/OSHA regulations and tell the Exxon/Mobil/Chevron/Shell/ etc that they get the same deal to build 20-30 new oil refineries. 100% tax write off for all expenses. Nah, better yet, make that a 100% tax credit instead. Yah. That's the way to go. And a 10% tax on all oil revenue. And if they keep all that oil in America, the tax drops to 5% or less. just an incentive to keep the energy here.
Same type of deal for oil shale, natural gas, coal, nuclear. Cheap energy and the country hums and purrs along.
Last August, the 35W bridge across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. It's a bridge I had been across thousands of times. A socialist friend of mine kept repeating that the reason the bridge collapsed was because Gov. Pawlenty vetoed a gas tax increase. He went on to say that it would take at least five years to build a new bridge. I said, "No. We could do it in a year if the government gets out of the way!" The bridge is controlled by a number of jurisdictions: the city of Minneapolis, the federal government, Hennepin County, the State of Minnesota, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard (the Mississippi is a navigable waterway) to name a few. Then throw in the EPA, OSHA, MN Dept. of Natural Resources and a few others just for giggles.
Well, as the 35W bridge was/is critical to business all across the state. So, it was agreed to "fast track" the bridge and suspend a bunch of the regulations and just get on with it. And the new 35W bridge is set to be completed in under a year from the time the bids were let. And it will come in under budget. Not 5 years and $300,000,000 +. Newt Gingrich forcast that fast build possibility just days after the collapse.
So now, I keep hearing that it will take 5-10 years to bring new oil fields online. Nah. Well, yes it will with all the crap BS regulations from a myriad of alphabet soup agencies. However, get the Congress out of the way, kill all but absolutely essential regulations (and there precious few of those) and I'd bet the farm that we could bring oil fields online in under two years. Do something like telling oil drillers/oil companies that they get a 100% tax write-off for all their expenses. And only a 10% tax on oil revenue. Then, suspend all those crap EPA/OSHA regulations and tell the Exxon/Mobil/Chevron/Shell/ etc that they get the same deal to build 20-30 new oil refineries. 100% tax write off for all expenses. Nah, better yet, make that a 100% tax credit instead. Yah. That's the way to go. And a 10% tax on all oil revenue. And if they keep all that oil in America, the tax drops to 5% or less. just an incentive to keep the energy here.
Same type of deal for oil shale, natural gas, coal, nuclear. Cheap energy and the country hums and purrs along.
Friday, June 13, 2008
NBC's Tim Russert
I was shocked to read about Tim Russert's passing today.
While I don't believe we agree politically, he was a very gracious man.
I had the privilege of spending some time with him on the media level at the Republican National Convention in New York.
He took the time to talk to anyone who would stop him and even waited to take a picture with myself and Ella (the little elephant).
Losing him days before Father's day is a reminder to enjoy each moment you have with your family.
My Prayers are with his family this weekend.
While I don't believe we agree politically, he was a very gracious man.
I had the privilege of spending some time with him on the media level at the Republican National Convention in New York.
He took the time to talk to anyone who would stop him and even waited to take a picture with myself and Ella (the little elephant).
Losing him days before Father's day is a reminder to enjoy each moment you have with your family.
My Prayers are with his family this weekend.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
It's Coca Cola's fault! Or the bakers.
OK kids. Today Uncle Amendment X is going to do a lame imitation of a Dr. Walter E. Williams type economic lesson.
Now, we all know that the average price for a gallon of gas is $4.05 nationally. And the Dumbcrats want you to believe many reasons are behind this price rise. All their reasons are wrong. Dead wrong. They want you to believe that:
Now, whenever there is an increase in gas prices, as surely as the sun rises in the east, Congress hauls oil company executives into a hearing room, screams at them then commissions yet another study about collusion and price fixing within the industry. Well, review the following graph (compliments of Powerline):
Now, click on the above image. Go to the titles on the x axis and read across. Let's see, we have NIOC (the national oil company of Iran), Aramco (the Saudi Arabia national oil company) and Kuwait, Iraq, PEMEX (controlled by Mexico). Notice number 14- Exxon/Mobil. To finally come across a publicly traded (meaning private citizens own the company) you have to go to the company that is 14th on the list of how much oil/gas they control. As the chart says, 94% of all the oil and gas in the world is controlled by national oil companies. Exxon/Mobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Chevron, Conoco/Phillips are all owned by schlubs like you, me, Grandma and Grandpa, pension funds. Not tyrants like Hugo Chavez or a thousand princes from the House of Saud or the Royal Family of Kuwait.
Exxon/Mobil, Chevron and the others are more correctly called oil refiners, or gasoline/diesel refiners. These companies buy the oil they refine from the Aramcos/PEMEXs of the world. They are caught in a squeeze because their cost of materials has increased. So, when the trolls in Congress haul the execs from Chevron, et al before them and scream about gas prices, well, this makes as much sense as screaming at Coca Cola for high Coke prices when the price of corn goes up (high fructose corn syrup is the most expensice ingredient in Coke. And Pepsi, etc.). Or screaming at bakers for the high price of bread when there is a wheat bust and the price of wheat goes through the roof. Go here to read what I wrote about Congress and oil/gasoline two years ago. And yesterday, they, the Dumbcrats, refused to allow drilling 50 miles off shore on the continental shelf.
Save us from Congress!
Now, we all know that the average price for a gallon of gas is $4.05 nationally. And the Dumbcrats want you to believe many reasons are behind this price rise. All their reasons are wrong. Dead wrong. They want you to believe that:
- Very evil oil company executives are drooling at the thought that Grandma has to select between Alpo or Purina Dry dog food as those nasty executives are going through her retirement check with higher oil prices and therefore higher prices on everything. Well, they reckon that Granny can set fire to her table to keep warm this winter. And besides, when Grandma dies, well, less worry about that Social Security/Medicare thing you know.
- "Speculators" are driving up the cost of oil because they are greedy bastards and were also spawned from the same malevolent, vile, recalcitrant, sinful seed that produces oil company executives.
- Republicans- well, just because.
- OPEC- well worth a lawsuit, they say!
Global warming. Sorry. Climate Change! (Hard to keep up with the changing terms you know). Brought on by all the above.- YOU! You vile consuming prigs! Hurting Gaia while little children someplace are starving. And polar bears are drowning. How dare you think you have freedom to drive, eat, keep warm! WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH FOR YOU?!?!?
Now, whenever there is an increase in gas prices, as surely as the sun rises in the east, Congress hauls oil company executives into a hearing room, screams at them then commissions yet another study about collusion and price fixing within the industry. Well, review the following graph (compliments of Powerline):
Now, click on the above image. Go to the titles on the x axis and read across. Let's see, we have NIOC (the national oil company of Iran), Aramco (the Saudi Arabia national oil company) and Kuwait, Iraq, PEMEX (controlled by Mexico). Notice number 14- Exxon/Mobil. To finally come across a publicly traded (meaning private citizens own the company) you have to go to the company that is 14th on the list of how much oil/gas they control. As the chart says, 94% of all the oil and gas in the world is controlled by national oil companies. Exxon/Mobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Chevron, Conoco/Phillips are all owned by schlubs like you, me, Grandma and Grandpa, pension funds. Not tyrants like Hugo Chavez or a thousand princes from the House of Saud or the Royal Family of Kuwait.
Exxon/Mobil, Chevron and the others are more correctly called oil refiners, or gasoline/diesel refiners. These companies buy the oil they refine from the Aramcos/PEMEXs of the world. They are caught in a squeeze because their cost of materials has increased. So, when the trolls in Congress haul the execs from Chevron, et al before them and scream about gas prices, well, this makes as much sense as screaming at Coca Cola for high Coke prices when the price of corn goes up (high fructose corn syrup is the most expensice ingredient in Coke. And Pepsi, etc.). Or screaming at bakers for the high price of bread when there is a wheat bust and the price of wheat goes through the roof. Go here to read what I wrote about Congress and oil/gasoline two years ago. And yesterday, they, the Dumbcrats, refused to allow drilling 50 miles off shore on the continental shelf.
Save us from Congress!
Who's Responsible for $4.00+ Gas?- I Am.
And now, introducing the Official Amendment X/Savage Republican Congressional "You Don't Need Cheap Gas, We Know Best, No Drilling, Not Now, Not Ever, Death to The Evil Oil Companies, Tax Them Into Oblivion, We're Going To Appoint Maxine Waters To Run Your Miserable Oil Companies, Ignore the Fact that We In Congress Have Brought You To This Place, But Vote For All of Us This November Because We Really Do Have a Plan for Cheap Gas, Just Like Nancy Pelosi Promised Two Years Ago But Evil Dick Cheney And Puppy and Kitten Killing Satanic Halliburton Have Prevented Us From Implementing It" theme song!
George Will was interviewed on the Colbert Report. His money maker line about exactly what the government should do-"Deliver the mail, protect the shores, get out of the way." I like it. In his recent column Will is direct about who brought this crisis upon us: we did. You and me. He refers to Sen. Chuck Schumer (who excellently represents the arrogance and hubris of all Congress) and his stand on oil, gas and Saudi Arabia:" Saudi Arabia, he said, "holds the key to reducing gasoline prices at home in the short term." Therefore arms sales to that kingdom should be blocked unless it "increases its oil production by one million barrels per day," which would cause the price of gasoline to fall "50 cents a gallon almost immediately."" Will is correct in that Schumer states the obvious and is therefore aware of the connection between supply/demand and price. He and 96 other Senators voted to stop putting oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve thereby putting a pittance of oil into the market. Will goes on to indict Schumer with his own words:" So Schumer, according to Schumer, is complicit in taking $10 away from every American who buys 20 gallons of gasoline." Therefore, will goes on to state that those who put Schumer, (Schumer also has voted against drilling in ANWR), in office have no reason to complain about high gas prices. These people are now experiencing the consequences of their vote.
Will also states-" Also disqualified from complaining are all voters who sent to Washington senators and representatives who have voted to keep ANWR's oil in the ground and who voted to put 85 percent of America's offshore territory off-limits to drilling."
In other words, I have no reason to complain. I voted for Norm Coleman even though in 2002, at the Scott County Republican Convention , he was very clear that he was against drilling in ANWR because he was in favor of bio-diesel. He voted for Warner/Leiberman Cap and Trade. And on and on.
So, kids, we are the ones responsible for high gas prices. We voted for these people who, over 35 years (from the first oil embargo in 1973) have voted consistently to stop American oil companies from drilling and using our own resources. Even though a vast majority of Americans NOW want drilling, Congress still is voting from arrogance.
I will be calling Sen. Norm Coleman's office. I will tell the receptionist that if the Senator doesn't vote to drill anywhere, everywhere there is oil, now and doesn't get out the way, I will vote for anyone else but him this fall. If he votes again for a "Windfall Profits Tax" on oil companies, I will not vote for Uncle Al, but I will also not vote for Norm Coleman.
My next post will talk about real world common sense solutions to the crisis that we have brought upon ourselves.
BTW- I just called Sen. Coleman's office and left a messgae, with my name and bona fides, that if he votes again for a Windfall Profits Tax, Lieberman/Warner, no ANWR, that I will not be voting for the Senator this fall. I said I would not be voting for Franken either. I told the receptionist I read the Senators web page on energy and saw nowhere where oil production was increased. The receptionist said that the Senator does support drilling off the coasts. I said good but the majority of his energy policy was in supporting alternative fuels and strategies that have been a three decade failure. She said she would give him my message.
George Will was interviewed on the Colbert Report. His money maker line about exactly what the government should do-"Deliver the mail, protect the shores, get out of the way." I like it. In his recent column Will is direct about who brought this crisis upon us: we did. You and me. He refers to Sen. Chuck Schumer (who excellently represents the arrogance and hubris of all Congress) and his stand on oil, gas and Saudi Arabia:" Saudi Arabia, he said, "holds the key to reducing gasoline prices at home in the short term." Therefore arms sales to that kingdom should be blocked unless it "increases its oil production by one million barrels per day," which would cause the price of gasoline to fall "50 cents a gallon almost immediately."" Will is correct in that Schumer states the obvious and is therefore aware of the connection between supply/demand and price. He and 96 other Senators voted to stop putting oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve thereby putting a pittance of oil into the market. Will goes on to indict Schumer with his own words:" So Schumer, according to Schumer, is complicit in taking $10 away from every American who buys 20 gallons of gasoline." Therefore, will goes on to state that those who put Schumer, (Schumer also has voted against drilling in ANWR), in office have no reason to complain about high gas prices. These people are now experiencing the consequences of their vote.
Will also states-" Also disqualified from complaining are all voters who sent to Washington senators and representatives who have voted to keep ANWR's oil in the ground and who voted to put 85 percent of America's offshore territory off-limits to drilling."
In other words, I have no reason to complain. I voted for Norm Coleman even though in 2002, at the Scott County Republican Convention , he was very clear that he was against drilling in ANWR because he was in favor of bio-diesel. He voted for Warner/Leiberman Cap and Trade. And on and on.
So, kids, we are the ones responsible for high gas prices. We voted for these people who, over 35 years (from the first oil embargo in 1973) have voted consistently to stop American oil companies from drilling and using our own resources. Even though a vast majority of Americans NOW want drilling, Congress still is voting from arrogance.
I will be calling Sen. Norm Coleman's office. I will tell the receptionist that if the Senator doesn't vote to drill anywhere, everywhere there is oil, now and doesn't get out the way, I will vote for anyone else but him this fall. If he votes again for a "Windfall Profits Tax" on oil companies, I will not vote for Uncle Al, but I will also not vote for Norm Coleman.
My next post will talk about real world common sense solutions to the crisis that we have brought upon ourselves.
BTW- I just called Sen. Coleman's office and left a messgae, with my name and bona fides, that if he votes again for a Windfall Profits Tax, Lieberman/Warner, no ANWR, that I will not be voting for the Senator this fall. I said I would not be voting for Franken either. I told the receptionist I read the Senators web page on energy and saw nowhere where oil production was increased. The receptionist said that the Senator does support drilling off the coasts. I said good but the majority of his energy policy was in supporting alternative fuels and strategies that have been a three decade failure. She said she would give him my message.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
There is hope when we have kids like this
Sometimes it not how you win or lose, but how you play the game.
In this era of steroids, me first and gotcha politics - sometime it takes a game of ball to reminds us of the good that is America.
Better to fight the good fight with honor, then to win not on your merit but by taking advantage of your opponents weakness.
In this era of steroids, me first and gotcha politics - sometime it takes a game of ball to reminds us of the good that is America.
Better to fight the good fight with honor, then to win not on your merit but by taking advantage of your opponents weakness.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
This just in: Hugo Chavez's Lost Sister Found in America!
And she just keeps getting re-elected.
Do you think ratings for Congress can possibly get any lower? You bet they can.
Just watch.
Remember, what Congress has done for gas and food prices they'll do for health care.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
I'm an American Kid
Needed to update.
Don't feel like being serious, so a fun song from one of my favorite groups.
If you have kids - you should have these guy's CDs.
Don't feel like being serious, so a fun song from one of my favorite groups.
If you have kids - you should have these guy's CDs.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Why is this woman crying?
Her name is Marie. She is 32. She is the mother of three boys. She is a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. She has not seen her children after they were taken by CPS (Child Protective Services) in Texas. The mothers and children were taken from the church's estate, by force, under the pretext of "protecting the children". The "probable cause" was a single phone call, from an as yet undiscovered female caller that said she was sixteen and had been abused. Again, the caller has never been identified nor has she come forward nor has she been located.
Now, let me be clear: I do not support polygamy. I do not support or adhere to LDS. That being said, this situation reeks of Waco, 1993.
CPS spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner said of the operation"It's a difficult process". Yah, for the children and mothers! What was difficult for you?
The mothers are clear that the CPS lied to them:"Brenda and others were critical of CPS, saying the agency misled them as to what was to happen Monday, weren't told why the children were removed from the compound and given inaccurate messages about opportunities to meet attorneys."We got to where we said, 'We cannot believe a word you say. We cannot trust you,'" she said." Wow. Can't trust the government! Who da thunk?
The Lew Rockwell site has an excellent analysis of the constitutional issues that this huge government intrusion exposes.
There is a quote from the article that links well with one from Prairie Pravda:"Hundreds of women from the sect voluntarily followed the children…" You mean the mothers didn’t have to be compelled to follow their own children into the tender jaws of the Beast?" And from PP:" Meisner said the situation was explained and, while there were tears, the operation went smoothly." Went smoothly. Anyone wonder why the women followed their children and Miesner thought the operation "went smoothly"? How about the clue in this picture:
Now, I may be way off base here, but I bet the operation "went smoothly" and that the women followed their children because, oh, maybe there were big men with bullet proof vests and with guns on their hips herding them into buses? I don't know, but maybe.
And this screamer from Meisner on why the children were separated from their mothers:"the separation was made Monday after they( the omnipresent "experts" who provided the "advice" that "justified" this abuse of power) decided that children are more truthful in interviews about possible abuse if their parents are not around." Right. Of course. Anyone remember the horrendous McMartin Day Care Center case(in the link pay particular attention to the Country Walk , Florida case that was prosecuted by one Janet Reno. Yes, the same Janet Reno who also supervised the Branch Davidians fiasco where over eighty men, women and children were burned to death. Interestingly enough, there were also charges of child abuse within the Branch Davidians that have never been proven or even corroborated)?
Again, another case where the state knows best, the Constitution be damned. And as the government does it "for the children" they always end up "doing it to the children" and others. Always.
Update: The Daily Mail has an article where the mothers speak out
Thursday, April 10, 2008
As tax day approaches
For your perusal, the original tax rates from 1913 and as compared to 2005 dollars
And these are tax rates that people today would fight and die for.
We're not quite where the Founding Fathers wanted us to be.
My idea: eliminate tax withholding. Move Tax Day from April 15th to the first Monday in November. Hey, wait a minute. That would mean that within twenty-four hours of having to write a large check people would vote in the General Election.
Hhhhmmm...do you think writing that check might impact the vote?
Happy Tax Day.
And these are tax rates that people today would fight and die for.
Figure 1:1913 Personal Income Tax System
Figure 2:1913 Personal Income Tax System in 2005 Dollars
Figure 1:
Tax Rate- Income Level
1%- up to $20,000
2%- $20,000 - $50,000
3%- $50,000 - $75,000
4%- $75,000 - $100,000
5%- $100,000 - $250,000
6%- $250,000 - $500,000
7%- over $500,000
Figure 2:
1913 Tax Rates Adjust
Tax Rate - Income Level
1%- up to $382,189
2%- $382,198 - $955,495
3%- $955,495 - $1,433,242
4%- $1,433,242 - $1,910,990
5%- $1,910,990 - $4,299,727
6%- $4,299,727 - $9,554,950
7%- over $9,554,950
(Figure 1:A $3,000 exemption for single filers
and $4,000 for a marri
(Figure 2:A $44,776 exemption for single filers
and $59,701 for a marri
We're not quite where the Founding Fathers wanted us to be.
My idea: eliminate tax withholding. Move Tax Day from April 15th to the first Monday in November. Hey, wait a minute. That would mean that within twenty-four hours of having to write a large check people would vote in the General Election.
Hhhhmmm...do you think writing that check might impact the vote?
Happy Tax Day.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
This just in!
For years I've tried to understand how left wingers came up with policies that have always failed. There was no reason, logic, sound economic or any Constitutional underpinnings that I could ever find in their judgments and resolutions. I have now discovered how all decisions are made by the left:
I should have known.
I should have known.
Monday, April 07, 2008
How civil are we here at Savage Republican
Reading Mitch Berg over at Shot in the Dark, he had a Cuss-O-Meter. The Cuss-O-Meter scans your blog and reports on, well, how "civil" your website is.
I took the plunge.
Here is the result for SavageRepublican.com:
Created by OnePlusYou
"Around 0.1% of the pages on your website contain cussing.This is 99% LESS than other websites who took this test."
Civility as we "Crush Liberals Left and Right".
I took the plunge.
Here is the result for SavageRepublican.com:
Created by OnePlusYou
"Around 0.1% of the pages on your website contain cussing.This is 99% LESS than other websites who took this test."
Civility as we "Crush Liberals Left and Right".
Mr. Heston
We all read about the passing Charlton Heston this weekend. In October 2002 I had the opportunity to meet and talk to Mr. Heston. MN Conceal Carry Reform Now (MNCCRN/GOCRA) , the organization that got the MN Personal Protection Act passed (erroneously referred to as the conceal /carry act) put together a rally with the NRA for Duluth. We had the top of the Republican ticket there. We thought we'd have maybe 500 attendees there. We had at least 1,500. Wayne LaPierre was there and gave a stock speech that lasted twenty minutes, fifteen minutes too long. He completely forgot who his audience was: Duluth. Union guys. Reagan Democrats. Bowling and beer. LaPierre went on for twenty minutes about Chuck Schumer (silence), Charlie Wrangle (crickets), Barbara Boxer (snore), Hillary Clinton (roar and boos). Fifteen minutes too long. They had come to hear Charlton Heston defend their Second Amendment rights. Not to listen to Wayne LaPierre go on for twenty minutes about politicians they never heard of.
Mr. Heston took the stage to thunderous applause. It was apparent that he was in failing health. The body was frail. But his spirit was incredibly strong. He was committed.Just after his talk, I met and talked with him. Mr. Heston was the very definition of "gentleman": gracious, attentive, soft spoken.
I remember his comments about the upcoming election. He used a story from Ben Hur. He said that he really wanted to do a great chariot race. He knew that it would be the action highlight of the film. So, he was out working with the four horse team, eight hours a day. And a few, well, mishaps occured. Finally , the director took him to one side and said "Uh, Chuck. We appreciate your desire for authenticity in the chariot race. But, look- you're going to win the race. You really are. All you have to do is: stay in the chariot!" In the 2002 election, he told us that we were going to win. All we needed to do was stay in the chariot.
Seems that way too many Republicans have fallen out of the chariot.
Charlton Heston:Another giant from my youth who will be missed.
Mr. Heston took the stage to thunderous applause. It was apparent that he was in failing health. The body was frail. But his spirit was incredibly strong. He was committed.Just after his talk, I met and talked with him. Mr. Heston was the very definition of "gentleman": gracious, attentive, soft spoken.
I remember his comments about the upcoming election. He used a story from Ben Hur. He said that he really wanted to do a great chariot race. He knew that it would be the action highlight of the film. So, he was out working with the four horse team, eight hours a day. And a few, well, mishaps occured. Finally , the director took him to one side and said "Uh, Chuck. We appreciate your desire for authenticity in the chariot race. But, look- you're going to win the race. You really are. All you have to do is: stay in the chariot!" In the 2002 election, he told us that we were going to win. All we needed to do was stay in the chariot.
Seems that way too many Republicans have fallen out of the chariot.
Charlton Heston:Another giant from my youth who will be missed.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Make a difference!
Twila Brase at the Citizens Council on Health Care is doing yeoman's work in dealing with significant health care issues at the MN legislature. Right now, there is an issue that directly asks the question "Who owns you?" The state of MN has kept a blood and DNA sample on every child that has been born in Minnesota since July 1997. No law exists that gives the Minnesota Department of Health the authority to have done that. They just decided to do it! Why? Because they could. Or they thought they could. Or, probably more closer to the truth-"Why not? We're the state!" Not only that, but since 1986, the MDH has been providing DNA to genetic research with out the consent of the owners. In other words, the state of Minnesota believes it owns you and therefore doesn't need your permission to do research on your genetic material. Any questions slaves? The DFL seems to think not. And best you not ask any questions of your true owners.
The legislature is now deciding on an opt in clause that would give parents the power over who has their children's genetic material. Another vote would destroy all samples that were collected illegally without consent.
Go here and fill out the online petition that lets the governor know that privacy is important to you. That the state doesn't own you. That you own you.
The legislature is now deciding on an opt in clause that would give parents the power over who has their children's genetic material. Another vote would destroy all samples that were collected illegally without consent.
Go here and fill out the online petition that lets the governor know that privacy is important to you. That the state doesn't own you. That you own you.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Not a penny
As I'm wrapping up a business deal this morning, I opened Prairie Pravda to see this headline:"Senate committee authorizes Vikings stadium study". Seems the lefty controlled Senate has given 2,000,000 of your dollars to fund a study as to how much more of your money ($100,000,000's ) is going to be given to make another billionaire richer. Seems they don't have access to the polls that showed a vast majority of taxpayers did NOT want to fund the Twins stadium and make multi-billionaire Carl Pohlad richer. Anybody want to bet that those same people, and now even more people feel the same way about a Vikings stadium? Yah, the Democrats are for the common man. Right.
Hey, here's a real American capitalist idea: let the Vikings spend more of their money to study how they're going to raise their own money to make themselves richer.
Hey, here's a real American capitalist idea: let the Vikings spend more of their money to study how they're going to raise their own money to make themselves richer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)