Di liberatus!

The classless left

2012-01-27T11:58:00.001-06:00

The Left in Wisconsin has become unhinged and classless. I didn't used to think they swam in hate, but lately, I'm starting to wonder. Saw this at The Blaze and just shook my head. I don't know you. I don't think I want to anymore. Then, there's the actions of the lefties in Madison, not only at the State of the State address, but at the debate in the Assembly last nite. Then, there's the left's antics in Madison this summer, the way they've been following gov Walker every where. The recall and everything else. I am disgusted at these despicable acts. You know, the 1st Amendment isn't a complete pass at boorish and destructive behavior. Then, there's the huge difference between the TEA party and OWS. The TEA Party is lied about by the lapdog media and lefty pols, and OWS's violence is covered up or sugar coated. America is doomed by the hate coming primarily from the left. I've written in the past that the danger of tyranny comes primarily from the left, as they get very angry when people won't bend to their wishes. History is replete with examples of the result of angry leftists. They eliminate those who won't bend and scrape to them once the get total power. Some on the left may say that's over the top. Really? Look at history. That's what you're leaders will wind up repeating if the left's current course is not altered.

Quick note to Republicans

2012-01-25T05:56:00.002-06:00

We have a President who has made unConstitutional recess appointments, completely inappropriate executive orders, and a Senate that hasn't passed a budget in 1000 days. Are you so afraid of the President, and lies from the lapdog Media, that you will sit back like mongrel curs and do and say nothing? Gutless eunuchs.

Newt, huh?

2012-01-25T05:51:00.000-06:00

Jack Abramoff is not someone I usually link to. Yet, his column at WND is a good read with damning points against Gingrich. Say what you want about Abramoff, but he's not running for President. He writes:

One of the remaining Republican presidential candidates co-sponsored the Fairness Doctrine, the bane of conservative talk radio. This same candidate voted to create a National Police Corps. He voted to send $1.6 billion in foreign aid to Russia.

He supported the GATT treaty surrendering American sovereignty to the United Nations. In 1996, he voted for the then-largest increase in federal education funding in history. He voted to spend federal tax dollars to fund abortion.

He supported mandatory carbon caps. He proclaimed he would have voted for the $700 billion TARP bailout. He has endorsed man-made global warming as an existential threat. He defended Romneycare. He lobbied for ethanol subsidies.

He suggested that flex-fuel vehicles become mandatory for American citizens. He posited that NAFTA worked because it created jobs … in Mexico.

Who is this candidate? Mitt Romney?

No, he is a candidate offering himself as the latest incarnation of Ronald Reagan, the self-anointed savior of the conservative cause. Of course, he’s also the same man who was not long ago evicted from the House speakership because he betrayed that cause. He also endorsed Nelson Rockefeller. Chose Charlie Crist over Marco Rubio. Backed liberal Republican Dierdre Scozzafava over conservative Doug Hoffman in the New York Congressional special election in 2009. Still need more hints?

He called Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan “right-wing social engineering.” He wrote a book endorsing an individual health-care mandate. Before he was running for president, he was gallivanting across the nation with the Rev. Al Sharpton promoting Obama’s education policies.

Give up? Well, if you are a Republican who is hoping to defeat President Obama in the fall, and your party nominates this guy, giving up is something you best become used to, because our mystery liberal is none other than Newt Gingrich. Conqueror of South Carolina. Self-proclaimed victor of the primary season. Imperious ruler of all things Republican.

I'm no fan of these offerings, but I believe one thing. The current occupant, noxious as he and his Administration are, as poisonous to the Constitution as he and his Administration is, will crush Gingrich in the general election. I'm amazed that the republican electorate can't see this. Many have been so blinded by their want to get this clown out of office, that damn near anyone is considered better. With Gingrich, I have to disagree. He's not reliable in any way. He is also likely to self destruct, especially under the Niagra Falls of slime the current occupant and his lackey's will unleash. Make no mistake, the current occupant will use any means, legal or otherwise to win. He's more like Nixon in that respect. Don't be fooled republicans. America can't stand under 4 more years of the @sshat currently in office, nor could it under Gingrich. Read the whole thing. Abramoff makes more good points.

Denninger hits another!

2012-01-23T07:26:00.000-06:00

He nails Apple, which I won't use, but, there are others doing the same thing:

Apple executives say that going overseas, at this point, is their only option. One former executive described how the company relied upon a Chinese factory to revamp iPhone manufacturing just weeks before the device was due on shelves. Apple had redesigned the iPhone’s screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. New screens began arriving at the plant near midnight.
A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day.
“The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” the executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.”

It's easy to be "speedy" and "flexible" when you effectively own your "employees" as slaves!

Read the whole article. It's pretty good and makes much sense.

Hey Holder! Nothing to see here...

2012-01-23T06:30:00.001-06:00

It's only racist when the perps are white, right? After all, only white people hate and are racist.

The girl reportedly was riding the bus for the first time. Someone threw a shoe at her, and she threw it back, hitting a student. That's when the beating began. At least seven students surrounded the girl, punched her, held her head to the floor by her hair, and kicked her. The bus driver pulled the bus over, stopped the beating, and then continued driving. But the beating started again, so the driver diverted to a nearby school and called officials, and the girl was taken to the hospital.

Aside from the brutality, there was another troubling fact about this crime -- a fact that predictably did not make it into the news: the attackers were black, and the victim was white. Yet, for the first few days after the attack, not a single news outlet reported on the race of the victim. Since the attack occurred, only one news item has even indirectly mentioned the victim's race. This can't be because the information was hard to come by. The Ocala Sheriff's Office responded to my inquiry about the victim's race within hours.

A little further down:

Race matters in stories like this because liberals have made race matter everywhere, in every facet of life. Every institution, from schools to fire departments, is fixated on "achievement gaps," or "disparities," or "underrepresentation," not to mention every form of racially driven categorization imaginable. Yet, when white people are on the wrong side of a disparity, like a seven-on-one beating, we're supposed to ignore the racial element of that. Or we're racist for making a point of it.

If the girl beaten on that bus were black, and her attackers were white, there would have been a discussion of "hate crimes." Civil rights leaders would begin the chorus of national soul-searching. If the races were reversed, this would not be treated as an isolated incident. Criminal prosecution of those responsible would be only the beginning. "Society" would be made to answer for its lingering racist sinfulness if the victim were black. Well, which part of "society" will be made to answer for the beating of the thirteen-year-old Ocala girl?

The news reports don't begin to capture the horror of what must have occurred on that school bus. If you wonder what such an attack might look like, it probably resembled the recent vicious beating of a fourteen-year-old white girl by at least three black females on a public train in Oregon. The video of that attack has sound, and the shrieking, cheering, and frenzy of onlookers must be heard to be believed. The behavior captured in that video is astonishing in its subhuman indifference. No one on the train helped the girl. Instead of using their cell phones to call the police, young people used their cell phones torecord the beating as they jeered. The thirteen-year-old victim in Ocala was probably caught in a similar nightmare.

Milwaukee received a small taste of this behavior at the State Fair this year past. The late blooming outrage died out rather quickly, though. This is the result of the cult of victimhood. The result of teaching that it's always someone else's fault that your life is hard. That you're justified in what ever you do because you're a minority. After all, only whitey can be racist, right?

It MUST end..

2012-01-22T11:33:00.001-06:00

Thoughtful piece at Life News on Abortion;

Can you imagine if a child in the womb could write a poem about how one day he too would be called an American?

Can you imagine if babies that were not going to be killed by abortion could hide others that were scheduled for death?

Can you imagine if when the abortionist tried to kill a young little girl she was able to sit down in the womb with resolve and say, “I will not be killed”?

Can you imagine the speech a young child would give proclaiming the day all innocent pre-born children are counted as human?

While we know these things are impossible for the children in the womb to accomplish, they are not impossible for us. We do have a voice; we now need to find the courage, determination, resolve and passion to fight against the oppression of innocent children.

Some may say, “How dare you compare abortion with the holocaust or oppression of African Americans!” I say how dare we not. How dare we look back at some of the most brutal, inhumane and dehumanizing acts in history and not also include the killing of innocent babies?

Read it all. Very powerful.

Observations

2012-01-22T10:23:00.000-06:00

It's amazing how much more effort you have to expend to do even simple things without the full use of 1 ankle. I'm talking twice the effort. I've also found that it's easier to go down a set of stairs backwards. That way, I can do them like normal, rather than 1 step, both feet, then repeat. Still, simple movement is harder, and by the end of the day, my right side is sore from compensating, and I'm wiped. Yet, I only sleep 6 hours. Even after I take a Vicodin. Of course, they gave me the candy dose. Man, I miss work!

That's another thing! Why do I miss work?! Damn it! I want to be a full on slacker, at least, I think I do. Still, I've only been off a week and I'm starting to think about climbing the walls. That's a bad thing because I doubt my landlord would find it as amusing as I would. Then again, my sense of humor is decidedly NOT Politically Correct. I enjoy ethnic jokes as much as any other. Laughing at one's self is always enjoyable. Laughing at our human foolishness is therapeutic. Of course, when it snows, I don't want to work so much. Hmmm...

One wonders why Democrats think minorities are dumb. They must, after all, they don't trust them to figure how to get an ID.

Remember, when making chili, chop any peppers you use, especially Habenero's or super chili's, very fine. If, like me, you use the whole pepper, seeds and all, you don't want a friend who was brave enough to try it bite down on a large chunk. Just saying..

I have to get an eye exam in February. I'm leaning towards rimless. I like the look. Ever notice that the women that work at optometrist offices know what looks good on you and what sucks pond water? Interesting.

True quote. "Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to die." Forgive. Then jettison it. Do not hold a grudge. You only hurt yourself. We can, all of us, forgive anything. Forgetting is another matter. Still, forgiveness is the first step to moving on.

Eight O'Clock coffee is pretty darn good. Just a pinch of salt, mind. Smooth!

Almost forgot! Should you ever find you have to have an ankle immobilized by a boot, pray it's in the spring, summer or fall. In the winter, it's like strapping a mini snowboard to 1 foot. Then again, it makes for an interesting walk into the grocery store.

Why don't lefties get it? Contrary to what the current occupant, and Timmy G. think, money doesn't grow on trees. You either cut now, or crash later. There are no two ways about this. Talk about living in fantasy land.

Utopianists are all the same. Maybe that's why they always end up killing anyone who refuses to drink their kool aid. That really pisses them off.

Kathleen Falk?! Seriously?!

Let us not forget about the pro kill the babies crowd. They interrupted a pro-life youth rally. They shouted “pro-life, that’s a lie, you don’t care if women die!” I'm curious why they didn't go with that old time favorite, "Hey hey! Ho ho! We're idiots but you already know!" Maybe they could do the robot repeat that OWS is creepily famous for.

My picks today, The Patriot and the 49 er's!

Thought provoking Rubin...

2012-01-21T14:51:00.000-06:00

Barry Rubin writing at Pajamas Media;

I ran into an older, retired Israeli colleague who is a fine scholar in his field. We hadn’t met for 25 years and agreed to have coffee in a nearby Tel Aviv cafe. In the ensuing conversation I learned some key things about why current intellectual and political discussion is such a wreck.

The retired professor has read nothing I’ve written. He is on the left-wing politically, in the historic non-Communist sense, but his work has always been first-rate and untouched by any political slant. In addition, he has worked amicably with people of different views.

And that’s why I was dismayed by his first question: “Are you left-wing or right-wing?”

I sighed, partly because I hate this starting point of dividing people into two categories. A more appropriate question would have been: “what do you think of … ?” To classify someone is to decide in advance to agree or disagree with whatever they say. To ask someone their view makes it possible to listen and think about the quality of their ideas.

A scholar or analyst, whatever his personal views, should do work that is beyond politics.

Many years ago I wrote a scholarly article on American radical professors of the 1930s and 1940s. I was almost unable to find a single case in which anyone had even been accused of politicizing their academic work or classroom teaching. They viewed such behavior as inappropriate, and perhaps some were worried about how being outspoken might hurt their careers. At any rate, even during the McCarthy era people were pursued for their organizational memberships and not their classroom behavior.

Today, all those old issues of professional ethics have vanished. Professors may spend most of their time being propagandists: throw away scholarly standards and energetically persecute dissenters.

Back to my cafe meeting: if one puts people into a box, all that follows will either be banal agreement or total argument. If this encounter had been in an American context, the next hour or so might have been spent on endless consensus on how great or terrible Obama is. Alternatively, the discussion would have been characterized by a heated argument in which each person would not concede that the other had a single valid point to make. Either way, nobody probably would have learned anything new or need to exercise their brain

For myself, I have to say "Mea Culpa". Many of us do, I think. Yet, I see our once two party system as one party with two heads. Democrats, as well as some Republicans, go after Romney for his time at Bain, while they take contributions from the same company! It's called hypocrisy. If you don't know what it means, ask Newt, he can explain it. Later he writes;

I think these are the two points that people don’t understand, and they are destroying any productive discussion of intellectual or political issues at present. So let me repeat them:

Analysis should be separate from policy. If people conflate the idea that the Iranian regime is extremely radical, intransigent, and dangerous and thus no deal can be made — the perception of reality — with what should be done about it, people will reject the correct analysis because they don’t agree with the proposed response. Example: We must lie about Palestinian politics or we will damage the cause of peace; we must lie about revolutionary Islamism or we will provoke a war. Of course, lying is most likely to hurt peace or to lead to creating a crisis that will end in war.
When moving from analysis to policy, one should think creatively and not just give a knee-jerk response. There are many alternatives to going to war with Iran. But an accurate assessment of the threat’s existence must be the starting point. Examine each issue and the needed policy response on an individual basis rather than impose an ideological template on it.

He then gives a couple of examples, but this one, I think, is the most telling;

Here’s an example closer to home:

There are those who say that the U.S. government has a huge deficit that’s only growing. Entitlements are unsustainable. Tax increases won’t even begin to cover it. But I don’t want to admit that is true (especially because conservatives are saying it and I hate those people!). So I will instead insist that everything is fine, we don’t really have to make any major changes, and all we have to do is raise taxes on the rich.

And that’s what’s killed historic moderate liberalism — which would have tried to come up with some solution to a real problem — and empowered radicalism, which ignores reality and just calls the other side nasty names. If you deny the problem exists at all because you don’t like your rivals’ proposed solution, then you are doomed, baby.

My central point: We should agree on what is real using proper and honest methods of analysis.

Then we can discuss what to do about it in a rational fashion. But disagreeing with someone else’s analysis because you don’t like their proposed policy amounts merely to lying deliberately, or to making a fool of yourself by denying what is obviously true and being totally unprepared to deal with the resulting crisis.

Many of us fall into this game. I honestly believe that it's what the Politicians want. With the populace so divided, there's no one to watch them. No one to keep them honest. So, we've almost lost the Republic. Will it continue, or are we doomed because the hate runs too deep? Wisconsin, it appears, is almost lost. Many other states are divided as well. Was it Lincoln who said "America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." We are destroying ourselves.

By your FRUIT, they shall know you...

2012-01-20T15:56:00.000-06:00

This pisses me off on so many levels. You may disagree with the decision, Lord knows it's a bad decision based on a lie, but leave the poor girl alone:

In the wake of that decision, Ahlquist, a self-proclaimed atheist, has faced rampant cyberbullying from peers and strangers alike. The abuse is so bad, Ahlquist says, that she might have to transfer to another school.

Apparently the teen had underestimated upsetting and offending those not only affiliated with the school and its history with the banner, but also people of faith who feel their First Amendment right to freedom of religious expression is being disregarded more and more across the U.S.

Members of the Cranston School Committee are considering filing an appeal to the ruling to keep the prayer banner, originally submitted by a student, in the school. Committee members themselves have reportedly also been threatened by angry parents – to either challenge the court ruling or get voted out.

So, you didn't like the decision, so you threaten a girl?! Where does Christ command this? Get thine ass behind me Satan. I knew you not! Jerks like you give the haters of God ammunition. These haters will give Islam a pass for beheadings and honor killings and suicide bombers, but they will NOT give you a pass for this foolishness. Neither should those who claim the name of Jesus. Pray for her, but do not threaten. Christ never commanded his followers to force people to convert. Leave that to the pederast of Mecca.

For those who cheer the courts " decision said to uphold the Establishment Clause's prohibition of state-sponsored prayer." This is a lie and complete distortion of the 1st Amendment. It says Congress shall make no Law respecting an ESTABLISHMENT of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Congress has passed no law making any religion the religion of the US, which was the Founders intent. They went through that with the Church of England. Sorry Annie, but there is no freedom FROM religion in the Constitution. This lie from the pit of hell has been forced on the American people by illegitimate courts who've exceeded their Constitutional authority. It's been allowed by congressional sheep, and by an ignorant populace. Rail against the twisting of the courts, fight for your rights, but leave the girl alone.

Interesting...

2012-01-20T08:51:00.002-06:00

I'm not a Newt supporter. In fact, I'm not sure who I'll vote for. I am positive that the MSM IS extremely biased against Republicans.

On the two key inflammatory statements made against Newt, ABC News presented the statements without challenging his accuser based on readily available public information casting doubt on her version of events.

We can debate the propriety of running an interview with a bitter ex-spouse at a critical juncture in a campaign.

What is not open to debate is that ABC News used Marianne Gingrich for its own purpose of trying to damage one of the top contenders for the Republican nomination.

Ross and ABC should be ashamed to claim any Journalistic Integrity. The left should be embarrassed. They won't be, because it's all about power and control. Can you say evil?

h/t Legal Insurrection

Doc Sowell hits another one out...

2012-01-20T06:09:00.000-06:00

There are many I would like to have had for a teacher, Dr. Thomas Sowell one of them. From his column;

Today, in America, many denounce the black-white gap in economic and other achievements, which they attribute to the same kinds of causes as those to which the lags of Eastern Europeans have been attributed. Moreover, the persistence of these gaps, years after the civil-rights laws were expected to close them, is regarded as something strange and even sinister.

Yet the economic disparities between Eastern Europeans and Western Europeans remain to this day greater than the economic disparities between blacks and whites in America — and the gap in Europe has lasted for centuries.

Focusing attention and attacks on people who have greater wealth-generating capacity — whether races, classes, or whatever — has had counterproductive consequences, including tragedies written in the blood of millions. Whole totalitarian governments have risen to dictatorial power on the wings of envy and resentment ideologies.

Intellectuals have all too often promoted these envy and resentment ideologies. There are both psychic and material rewards for the intelligentsia in doing so, even when the supposed beneficiaries of these ideologies end up worse off. When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.

Read the entire column. It's not too long. His point is well made. Engaging in class warfare is as old as time. It's not about lifting people up out of poverty. No, it's not that altruistic. Class warfare is about one thing. Power. If you can convince the ignorant that it's someone else's fault for their situation, you can harness tremendous energy. The problem, is that it's negative energy that is used for evil purposes. Look at the French Revolution. If you don't want to go back that far, look at the Arabs. They've always blamed the Jews for their problems. They even sided with the Nazi's so they could kill Jews. They keep their people illiterate and ignorant for the early portion of their lives, so by the time they're older, most are beyond redemption from the brainwashing.

The same happens here in the US. The far left, for the most part, has control of the public schools. From earliest childhood, kids are programmed. The media, mostly propagandists for the left, feed this. Most parents are too busy, or don't care that their kids are being indoctrinated instead of educated. It's amazing what kids aren't being taught. They are, however, being taught who is to 'blame' for all the ills of the world. Class warfare leads to some very nasty outcomes. It won't stop, however, because of the lust for power. Because 'We the people' allow it.

So I'm sittin' here havin' a beer...

2012-01-19T21:16:00.000-06:00

Reading the tweets about the debate and surfing the web to classical on 36.4. I come across this story at CNS News regarding some... irregularities.. in South Carolina voter registrations. Non-picture ID registration. From the article;

At the end of December the state received notification that the Justice Department was rejecting South Carolina’s law requiring voters to show photo ID before casting their ballots.

The department claims the law makes it harder for minorities to vote.

Republican Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina disagrees, she says she will fight the Obama administration on their decision. She maintains photo ID will help prevent voter fraud in her state.

According to South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, the State Election Commission reported 239,000 people were registered to vote without photo ID. Through an audit by the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles it was discovered 37,000 on the list were deceased and 96,000 had moved to other states.

Despite that news, Democrats have been critical of the South Carolina voter ID law as well as voter ID efforts in other states.

Now, as we all know, Democrats would NEVER engage in vote fraud! Democrats are all about elections with integrity. Shame upon anyone for even insinuating that. It's just that the Democrats know that minorities are too dumb to figure out where to get photot ID, even if it's free. It's too much of a burden.

Kind of like here in Wisconsin, where I had to produce photo ID to register to vote. Yet, I don't think that's required for same day registration. If I'm wrong, I'll correct. I had to produce photo ID along with another form of ID to get a Library card. I have to show photo ID to do a lot of things. But Noooooo. Not for voting. That's raaaaacist. Gobble my crank you corrupt aholes.

I try not to hate...

2012-01-18T10:09:00.000-06:00

I really do try not to hate. Sometimes, I fail. Here is another reason I hate, viscerally, unions. Specifically public, but it bleeds over to private as well. This story is from Michigan. Here's a bit;

Buikema has been trying to leave the union since last spring, when he realized that GEA leaders were uninterested in helping the district control costs, even in the face of a multi-million dollar deficit.

By refusing to make wage and benefit concessions, the union contributed to conditions that led to 27 teachers – including Buikema – receiving layoff notices. The district was also forced into making cuts to student academic and extracurricular programs.

Buikema’s job was saved at the last minute, but he was disgusted by the union’s selfishness.

The union’s intransigence convinced Buikema that “the union doesn’t care about kids.”

“They keep asking for more and more, even though the school district can’t afford it,” he told EAG. “They’re concerned about taking care of the adults and have no consideration for the kids. I don’t want to be part of an organization that says one thing and does another,” he said.

Buikema said he was “raked over the coals” by his local union leaders when he suggested the GEA could help alleviate the district’s financial woes – and possibly help save some teaching jobs – by switching from union-owned and operated MESSA health insurance to a less expensive carrier.

Buikema estimated that the district could save between $530,000 and $980,000 annually.

Not only did local union leaders not like Buikema’s idea, but they verbally attacked him for even suggesting it.

“The amount of flak I got, particularly from veteran teachers, was ridiculous to the point of being unprofessional,” he said.

Buikema was also put off by the NEA’s new $10 levy on members to help re-elect President Obama.

Read it all. The recall effort here in Wisconsin also adds fuel to my deep disgust with unions. They don't have the 'right' to collectively bargain. It was a privilege granted by the legislature. They didn't completely lose the privilege. It was curtailed. They have shown their lack of regard for the financial future of this state by their actions. I have a hard time drumming up sympathy for their members the longer this goes on. I hate saying that, and it troubles my conscience, as I count as friends some who are public employees. My question is simply this. Where does it stop? How much is enough? Seems to me, to the left and the public unions, it's never enough. Then, there's the fact of a biased media. They actively support the recall, and don't even try to come across as unbiased. To state the obvious, this recall is about raw power. Walker did nothing wrong or illegal. Other than being conservative. To some on the left, to simply be breathing. Well, they've managed to divide this state to the point I doubt reconciliation is out of the question. Forgiveness is always possible. Trust and working together, not so much.

Tyrant potential..

2012-01-17T11:20:00.001-06:00

Personally, I feel the current occupant has already crossed the line as far as the road to tyranny goes. He's set many bad precedents that, if not challenged and reigned in by Congress, will continue our government's decent into evil and totalitarianism. Will our Congress reign him in? I doubt it. They are gutless people with no testicular fortitude. Anyway, I read this column at American Thinker, and it made many points;

The proclivity was always there, along with the arrogance and narcissism. When you are better than everyone else, it is a small step to wish to reign over them as well. Yet, few expected a University of Chicago lecturer on constitutional law to decide the Constitution did not apply to him, only to mere mortals like us. After all, when speaking of George Bush in 2007, he said, "I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president I actually respect the Constitution.

"I refuse to take 'no' for an answer," said Barack Obama in defense of his usurpation of our Constitution, which established three coequal branches of government, sharing power, designed to impede the machinations of a transformational tyrant refusing to take "no" for an answer, or a power-drunk Congress, or an out of control judiciary.

The checks and balances codified in our Constitution are the foundation of the balance of power intrinsic to our system of government. It is an exercise in divided authority -- adversarial, confrontational and restricted.

The Constitution is meant to curtail the extremes of unbridled authority. It protects liberty by throttling the wet dreams of would be tyrants.

A constitutional law professor should know this, but Barack Obama was a Senior Lecturer, not a professor on the track to tenure. Apparently, he had no desire for the rigorous imperative of publish or perish. He had bigger plans. Why write about the Constitution, when as a tyrant, he could rewrite the Constitution?

Read the whole thing. Then, for any lefty that wanders in here, imagine your response were the subject a Republican. This affects everyone. If you're one of the ends justify the means types, begone, for you are evil. If, on the other hand, you put America and the Constitution above party, I urge you to read this with an open mind. Is this the type of leader you really want?

Vox on 'equality'..

2012-01-16T15:33:00.000-06:00

Vox's writing usually gives one something to think about. Feminists would love this boat. From his post;

This was not so much predictable as predicted. Women have methodically attacked the concept of male duty and honor through every possible means for the past ninety years, and now they are whining that they don't get special treatment simply because a ship happens to be sinking. Why, exactly, should any man "prioritise women, expectant mothers and children"? On what grounds can they be reasonably expected to do so, those outdated traditional grounds that the schools teach is hateful, sexist, and bigoted?

For myself, I would give up my spot to a woman. Even a wild eyed feminazi. Why? Because it's what I believe to be the right thing to do.

MLK and other things..

2012-01-16T07:34:00.000-06:00

Ah, Martin Luther King day. The day when black liberals will claim that King was as socialist as they are, and would be behind lord Obama's dictates. That King would be a Democrat. I think he'd have strong words for both parties. The day some will use King to claim that racism still prevails in the US un-abated. They'll continue to preach the hate and divisiveness of Wright and Carmichael. After all, racism has become a cottage industry for blacks like Sharpton, Jackson, et al. The destruction of the black family is manifest. Sex without consequences due to easy abortion. Who do you think that would please more? King, or Sanger? Would King have blamed the demise of the black family on race, or on those who've enslaved blacks all over again with welfare, no accountability for anything, and a Palestinian like habit of blaming everyone but themselves for their plight. Would King be surprised at who has profited from the re-enslavement of blacks? All questions that likely won't be addressed by the majority of those who support the re-enslavement.

If you haven't already, read the tale of the swine over at American Thinker. Lefties will likely hate it, or miss the message entirely. Still, I enjoyed it. Just an old story retold. Then, there's this column by Mike Adams, whose writings I've always enjoyed. Here's a piece;

Marxism was once the dominant philosophy in higher education – at least within the social sciences and humanities. But one would be hard pressed to make the case that Marxism remains the dominant philosophy on college campuses today. That title now belongs to postmodernism - although the two philosophies cannot be divorced from one another. Marxism is an economic and political philosophy. Postmodernism is a broader worldview. But postmodernism could not have achieved its rapid ascent without Marxism.

The Marxist emphasis on class struggle has fueled the postmodern assault on objective truth. It has led to the idea that truth is simply a byproduct of power struggles between warring factions. That idea has dangerous moral ramifications.

Postmodernism poses a threat to college students and to the very existence higher learning itself. For many students, postmodern education lights a well-paved path that leads directly to moral relativism. The two are not the same thing. But postmodernism eventually compels moral relativism. If there is no objective truth then moral positions cannot be objectively true. When morals become private or subjective, they tend to be built around personal conduct – simply to accommodate personal conduct. That is why many college students find themselves trapped in a downward moral spiral in the wake of abandoning the idea of objective truth. I am speaking from personal experience as well as years of observation.

Read the entire column. He tells a story that changed his outlook. I know, lefties will say "It can't happen here!" Well, a while back, one might have thought that lefties believed in the entire first Amendment. According to this story, not so much. What was it Solomon said in Ecclesiates 1 9-10NKJ?

"9 That which has been is what will be, That which is done is what will be done, And there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which it may be said, “See, this is new”? It has already been in ancient times before us."

Take this to heart..

2012-01-14T19:12:00.000-06:00

From the Christian Research Institute 2008;

Biblical Guidelines. Below are ten biblical guidelines to assist Christians to engage in the upcoming presidential election without “losing their souls.”

1. Don’t equate the biblical kingdom of God with any human political party or nation. We must maintain the distinctiveness between God’s kingdom and the kingdoms of this world. We must never fuse the two (John 18:36; Matt. 6:33).

2. Don’t elevate a politician to messianic status. People often falsely think a politician can single-handedly produce supernatural social results. We have one Lord, and we must resist any attempt to exalt politicians to unrealistic heights (Matt. 7:15; 1 Pet. 3:15).

3. Don’t just vote, but pray for the leaders of all political parties. Christians can be tempted to bless the politician of their choice, and curse his or her opponent, but remember, we must pray even for our enemies (1 Tim. 2:1–2; Matt. 5:44).

4. Don’t forget that your ultimate security is in the unshakeable kingdom of God. Many Christians often elevate the outcome of presidential elections to an apocalyptic status. If a particular presidential candidate does not win, we begin to think or act as if the world will end. In so doing, however, we express an unbelief in the active sovereignty of God over human affairs (Heb. 12:26–29).

5. Don’t bring the polarization of partisan politics into the family of God. Every Christian has freedom of conscience before God, and we must guard against allowing political perspectives to divide the church (Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 1:11–12).

6. Don’t demonize anyone. Every person has been created in the image of God, and Christians must not demonize or dehumanize other people, whether we agree with them politically or not (Col. 3:8; James 4:12).

7. Don’t engage in angry, hostile confrontation. Present your political convictions through civil debate and rational dialogue instead. Confrontational arguments demonstrate an ugly pride that demeans Jesus Christ (James 1:19–20; 2 Tim. 2:14).

8. Don’t become so intertwined with one political party that you forfeit your independence. When you do, you lose your right to be heard and to speak and clarify biblical truth to all politicians and political parties (1 Tim. 3:15; Rom. 3:4).

9. Don’t allow yourself to support attempts to divide races, male and female, rich and poor, or young and old. Partisan politics often divides society into voting blocks, and separates society instead of uniting it. Christians should function as peacemakers and reconcilers in the public square and should resist every temptation to join the game of dividing people for political gain (Matt. 5:9; 2 Cor. 5:18–19).

10. Don’t simply curse the darkness, but constructively engage it. The cultural and missional mandate of kingdom Christians is not to curse the darkness in our world, but to act as illuminating light and preserving salt. We must share the light of God’s truth and work to maintain the common welfare of our nation by overcoming evil through doing good (Matt. 5:13–16).

I am aware that the outcome of the upcoming presidential election could have significant, and even negative, consequences for people’s lives, but we don’t need to worry. In the larger scheme of history, no matter who becomes our next president, God is still King, and He is still in control!

— Andrew Jackson

All Christians should strive for this. Yet, we are all of us cursed with a fallen nature. We are all guilty of slipping. However, that doesn't mean we quit striving for a higher standard, a better part of ourselves.

Observations from the week that was..

2012-01-14T05:16:00.000-06:00

Another week in the books. Freight is picking up a bit, though, not because of higher sales. The spring wear is starting to come in, and they are changing the way new items are delivered to the stores. Instead of piecemeal, debut items will come all at once. Not sure that's a good idea but then, they don't pay me the big bucks. Also started delivering outdoor stuff like gazebo's. Why would you buy that type of thing from Penny's? Why not Lowe's or Home Depot? Just sayin', go with those who know..

I hit the snow in the Dells on my way to Duluth very early Thursday morning. Snow and high wind plus light load make for 'fun' drive in a 75 foot semi. I saw 1 car in a valley between east/west bound sides up by Osseo. All the counties up that way did a passing fair job on the roads. I made pretty decent time, all things considered. I still wonder, though, why we can't make a wiper blade for semi's that doesn't start smearing right where you look out the windshield. No matter what height you set the seat at, your view area is where it will smear first.
It's been that way for the 22+ years I've been out here.

They now have, in some of our trucks, the Bendix Wingman system. It works via radar that conveys to the truck's computer how close the vehicle or object in front of you is, and how fast it's travelling. If closer than set parameters, it applies up to 40% braking power until you have better following distance. Thank God that I DON'T have that in my truck. I know it sounds like a good idea, but consider. People check their brains when they get into a car. Hell, some truckers do as well. Point is, if you're on snowy roads, and some jackwagon pulls in front of you too soon, like so many do, do you want your brakes to suddenly come on at 40%? I don't! Can you say slip and slide? No thankyou!

Anyway, I don't have to worry about it, at least for the next 4-6 weeks. The results of my MRI came in. I have a partial tear in my left Achilles tendon. I get a "boot" on Monday to immobilize the foot and ankle, which they found arthritis in. Fun times for me. Well, no. Actually, it sucks. I am one of those who likes to work.

un-Pretty Future

2012-01-12T15:16:00.002-06:00

It's Dad29's fault that I started reading Denninger, who writes:

Reality is that the promises made to people can't be kept -- they're mathematically impossible. We continue to believe in that which cannot happen, and we also refuse to hold our politicians' feet to the fire and demand that our government's self-destructive behavior be stopped.

But we won't, will we, because doing so would require that we admit to ourselves that we've been living a lie -- we cannot have unlimited health care, we cannot have cost-shifting and scams where price disparities of 200,000% (that is not a misprint) exist between people who simply pay differently for the same drug, we cannot have a system where anyone can come into this country and suck up $1 million or more of medical care when they're not even a citizen of the nation and we cannot have a nation where anyone can do anything they want to their own person for 20, 30, 40 or 50 years and then send society an unlimited bill for the consequence that comes due to the actions of their own hand.

At the same time we lied to people in this regard and refused to force them to take responsibility for their own actions we also refuse to lock up people who lie, cheat, defraud and scam. We won't demand prosecution of banksters who rip off over a half-million people with sewer bills that are 400% what they were a few years prior when they rigged a deal including the use of outright bribery, even when the bribery is proved and some local officials go to prison. We also won't demandthat the banksters who profited from that crooked deal eat the 400% increase in local sewer bills instead of the taxpaying public being saddled with the costs of that criminal behavior.

Read the whole column. Not pretty what's coming. For any of us.

Makes ya think...

2012-01-10T09:02:00.001-06:00

Starting in Matthew chapter 5 vs 21, Jesus lays it out. You have heard it said... Read them. After you do, you may come to the conclusion "I can't do that! It's not possible!" And you'd be right. For us, it's not possible. That's why Jesus had to die for us. I know I can't do it. Not get VERY angry at people? Not lust after a woman I'm not married to? With my fallen nature?! NOT! What this shows us is that alone, we can do nothing. There is no way, alone, for us to be more than filthy rags in the sight of God. Yet, through Jesus, the Christ, our sins are washed away. We are saved by his grace. That is the New Covenant. That is the Good News that Jesus called on us to spread. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. It's YOUR choice. We can argue Free Will vs. Predestination later. Isn't it worth thinking about? Isn't eternity worth looking into? For me, it's worth the peace which surpasses all understanding.

Quick Hit

2012-01-10T05:56:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I went to City Hall, to the Clerk of Courts, to register to vote. Nice people. I had to show a picture ID to register. Then, I went to the Library to get a card. I had to show TWO forms of ID, one with a picture to get a card. So, to those who LIE about voter ID being racist, they must also feel that way about getting a library card, or drano at a store. Is it also racist that one must show ID at most places to buy cigarettes if you don't look old enough? Or booze? No, it's not racism you're afraid of. You're afraid you won't be able to pad the vote. You know, it's very cowardly to hide behind the charge of racism for everything. But then, many these days are cowards.

What Never Betrays...

2012-01-09T18:05:00.001-06:00

We are betrayed many times throughout our lives. Friends, family, co-workers, the boss, acquaintances, our own government. Sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. A good example of intentional betrayal, would be the would-be tyrant in the White House and his betrayal of the Constitution, as well as his oath to uphold it. He has shown his evil in this betrayal. This betrayal can cause irreparable harm to the whole Nation. A good example of unintended betrayal, is the friend or family member who blurts something out in conversation that was to be between you and them, not for others. This can cause, usually temporary, embarrassment. The former is never healed, the latter, can and usually will heal with time.

Yet there is one who never betrays. Jesus never betrays. He is always there for you, ready to listen, and to bear you up. To carry you on when it seems you can't go any further. He didn't promise you riches, nor an easy time of it, as some charlatans would have you believe. No, he promised you would suffer for his name sake. He promised that the road would be hard and narrow, but that our reward was in the life to come. The price? Trust in Him and repent. Some mouth the words of trust, but there is no repentance in their lives. Since I gave my heart and life over to him, it has not been easy. Yet, still he is there. He is my strength, my perseverance. I know that as long as I trust in him, I will not give up. Oh, I backslide, and have to start all over, but he knows my heart. I ask his forgiveness in earnest, and am thankful that he has saved me. He never betrays. When all else fails, HE, is there, and never fails to buoy me up.

I am far from perfect. Far from a good man. Yet, he called to me, as he calls to all. You have but to answer that call. To trust. There are those who don't believe that Jesus was Emmanuel, God with us. They deny his God-ship. They say he was a "good man" or a "great teacher". This is wrong. You see, Jesus left no middle ground. He is either who he said he is, God among us, or he was a madman. I believe the former. What about you?

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.
C. S. Lewis "Mere Christianity"

Reflections

2011-12-27T06:24:00.001-06:00

I've spent the last 11 days reflecting. It's a good thing, and would do many good to do so for themselves. My previous post about hate, and the memories that provoked that post, have weighed on me, on my heart. I've taken time to look at my life, and what I've allowed to take up residence in my heart. Years ago, 13 to be accurate, I gave my heart to Christ, and was born again. I am a much better person today because of Him. That said, For some time, I grew complacent. This allowed the hate to grow in me again. I spent less time in prayer and scripture, and more in 'the world'. Can you say back-slide? I knew that you could. I smiled at this reflection, in a melancholy way. You see, I became as the Israelites of the Old Testament. I saw God in front of me, was saved by His grace, yet, in my arrogance, I STILL thought I could run my life better. At times. Later, I would come back and ask forgiveness, and then, after a while, become complacent, and slip again.

This theme is seen throughout the OT. We see it today in our own Nation. We started out a Christian Nation, despite the lies that secular progressives tell, and the founders knew that only by being a moral and virtuous people, could this Nation, and its Constitution, survive. Look around, look at the filth and perversion that is being passed off as normal, and tell me that you see morals and virtue. Yes, there are still areas where it survives. Yet, they come, more and more, under assault in today's Kulturkampf. The really amazing thing, to me anyway, is that supposedly, what, 75-80% of Americans say they are christian. Really? Truly, I wonder what definition they used for that question. Do we show this? Do we Christians stand up for the truth? Are we embarrassed to speak the name of Christ, who we purport to follow, or do we think it should be kept to ourselves, a private matter. After all, look what our society does to someone like Tebow, who is unashamed at the name of Christ. Remember, If you will not speak his name before men, will he speak yours before the Father? Something to reflect on I should think. We will be known by the fruit we bear.

The Great Commission, is for Christs followers to spread the good news in love. We do not ram it down anyone's throat, nor to we punish any who refuse to hear. They make their choice, and live, eternally, with the consequences. When you accept God's gift of Christ in your heart, do you suddenly become a cowering creature? No! You are filled with his spirit, his love, his forgiveness. His joy. So, if you claim Christ, how can you not want others to have the salvation gifted to you? How can you allow yourself to be cowed by others to hide your faith? You are afraid of such as these? You're afraid of being called names? You thought giving your life to Him meant easy street? Did you read the same Bible I read? He warned that his followers would be persecuted for his name sake. Here in America, it's just beginning. In the middle east, it's in full bloom. The dark age of Islam is only starting to cast it's poisoned shadow, aided and abetted by those who think man, and man alone should rule. Of course, they don't know what they're playing with, but they'll find out. Currently the enemy, Islam, of your enemy, Christianity, is you friend. However, your friend is treacherous, and will betray you when he feels his full strength. Remember Solomon's admonition. There is nothing new under the sun.

Anyway, I resolve to read my Bible and pray more. To live in Him, rather than the world. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Saviour. Emmanuel, God with us. So, look not here for someone to blow smoke up your backside. This, I will not do. All glory to Him who offers salvation.

Hate

2011-12-16T20:41:00.000-06:00

I know about hate. I was a companion of hate for a very long time. An intimate companion. I truly hated the man who molested me. Hated with a passion. Hated so much that I even hated myself. I hated myself for the guilt I felt, and still feel sometimes. I hated myself for never saying anything, for still not saying anything. I hated and hid the hate, for the most part. I tried, and failed, to keep it from spreading to other areas. It took more than 20 years to begin to let it go, and it's still not all gone. Maybe it never will be. I seek help from the Lord frequently, as I am weak.

So, what has it wrought in me? A recognition of the kind of hate that unbalanced me. I see it in many of the recall folks, as well as the occupy folks. They don't hide it. They wear it on their sleeve. You can't let that kind of hate grow. It changes you, and not for the better. It can chase away those you care about. It can kill friendships. It can burn you out from the inside. No one is immune. I know, because I hated, still hate. Sometimes. Hate is a sterile thing, an ugliness that we nurture. Starve the beast. It will keep you alive for a while, but almost always kills you in the end. Save yourself. Let it go. Chase it out. Live free.

Thursday Randomness

2011-12-15T12:22:00.000-06:00

I was listening to Wagner on TMJ yesterday. He was talking about how the GAB was going to let stand signatures of say, Mickey Mouse or Adolf Hitler, provided the address was a Wisconsin address and it was signed in the correct period. The GAB was also not going to search for multiple signings by one person. If this is true, I wonder how many are ok with this. Said person, in my opinion, would be a person of no morals, nor character. If this is what people have become, then it's past time for America to end. I don't want to know people who are ok with this. Does integrity mean nothing? Is power your god to the point that anything is permissible? I pity people with such a cold soul.

On a lighter note, this Tebow stuff is amusing. I like the guy, and admire his holding to his faith. From a fan of the NFL's standpoint, people are making a bit too much about the wins. First, remember that Detroit kicked the crap out of them. If Chicago had had Cutler, they would not have lost. Finally, the outcomes of other games might have been different if the losers had not used the 'prevent' defense. That has to be the worst defense around, as it rarely prevents anything but the team using it from winning.

Nice change in temps last nite. I left Madison at midnite with 44 deg temps. By the time I got to 'Tosa, it was 52. Then, by Eau Claire it was 38. From Rice Lake on up, 20's and I was driving on patchy ice. Fun. Now, I'm in Superior and it's 22 with occasional flurries. I parked here at the Holiday fuel stop and grabbed 1 breakfast burrito with chorizo sausage. They also added sauce, as in hot. They weren't kidding. Maybe it was a mistake.

In case you were curious, the current occupant accepts no blame for the current state of the Nation. No surprise, considering...

Beauty after the storm

2011-12-05T15:49:00.001-06:00

I like after, as the roads have been cleared. During is less enjoyable. I've been through many storms in over 22 years. Times like this are priceless. These visions, and others, occupy the vault, and screen, of my memory. They sometimes crowd out others that will not leave. These give peace.

Randomness

2011-12-03T07:09:00.001-06:00

What a week. The company I drive for is self insured. Of course, they have to have it administrated by someone else as no place would take 'joe blow' insurance. So, we have Cigna. Of course, ultimately, the decision is made by my company. This week, they denied me an MRI. They don't feel it's necessary. Maybe it's not. Maybe a ct scan will do the trick. I'll have to talk with my doc to find out. In the mean time, this adds time to the start of treatment. I hope they know who I'll go after should the problem come to a head and cause me to lose work because of this delay. And companies wonder why employees feel no loyalty towards them. Sheesh.

Once again, the media elites are trying to pick the candidate. Only Mitt or Newt can save us they say. Any other is a pipe dream. Piss off you wankers! I'm not some robot who follows marching orders. Mitt or Newt are merely more of the same with an (r) instead of a (d). Not much will change with either. And no one should think for a second that the current occupant can't win. People are stupid. There are those who will vote for him no matter what. Lemmings like that exist in both parties. He also has much of the populace who live on the public teat. Of course, I'm willing to bet he has the majority of the black vote. They've been consistent slaves to the democrats for so long, I doubt they can see that their situation hasn't improved by enslaving themselves again. So don't count him out. He's very good at playing the race and class cards, and he has a ton of money. Add that to the vast majority of the 'media' being little more than un-inquisitive lapdogs, and you'll see it will be a hard road.

Have you ever wondered why our tastes change as we age? I now like tomato's in my mexican food, but still not on burgers or sandwiches. I recently discovered that I now like mashed sweet potatoes. Weird.

A pal at work asked me why I don't have a Walker bumper sticker on my car since I support him. Simple. I don't want it vandalized. There are so many of these recall idiots who are violent. They are also little tyrants in waiting. If you disagree with them, they're likely to call you stupid, egg your car, or shout you down when you try to explain why you are for Walker. Classy, that. Yet, it's we conservatives who are hateful and tyrannical. Kind of like how the TEA Party was called dangerous, racist and extreme. Funny, no violence happened at a TEA event, nor were there any arrests, rapes or thefts. No mess was left behind to cleaned up by others, and all had legal permits. Oh, and no anti-semitism was present either. In fact, when some moron showed up with racist signs and stuff, they were usually surrounded by real TEA partiers and told to leave. Many were agitators trying to give the TEA people a bad name. Yet, it was the TEA partiers who were dangerous. Up is down, left is right, back is forward. Of course, there won't be any fraud in the collection of the signatures. Riiight. Also, don't look for help from the so-called Government 'accountability' board. Just yes men for the democrats.

I really like my Keurig coffee machine. Man, talk about sweet! Save up and get yourself one. For me, I thank my sis. She put it on her Kohls card, and I paid her back. Thanks sis! Yes, I love my coffee. The variety is fantastic! Coffee, teas and other drinks. Can't beat it.

Paganism and Mammon

2011-11-28T15:38:00.000-06:00

Over at The Blaze, there's an AP article asking how Black Friday devolved into the mayhem we see these days. Personally, I think it's Paganism, the worshiping the created rather than the creator, and being a slave to mammon, in this case, materialism. Gotta get that deal before anyone else, ya know. How paganism? Well, you're chasing after the next idol. Our culture has made an idol out of the newest gadget. Your addiction to mammon, materialism, has made you a pagan, a worshiper of the created.

Our culture is sinking. There are so many signs. Look at the lack of manners, the foul language spoken freely in public, not just by uncouth men, but by women and kids! There is no shame any longer. Everybody has a 'right' to do what ever they want, and they expect no consequences. A culture can't survive this. Ours is rapidly breaking down. These days, you'll get in more trouble talking about faith than you will talking foully about pornography. Yet, many don't see a problem with this. There was a news story about some fool 18 year old student who sent a tweet saying she personally told the Governor of Kansas that he sucked at a school sponsored event. Problem is, she lied. The school told her to apologize, but of course, she refused. Now, to many on the left, she's some sort of bullsh*t hero. Reminds me of Former congressfool Kagen who lied about being rude to President Bush and his wife. He was some kind of hero. Yea, real classy. Lie about claiming you were rude and uncouth, and you're proud of it. This, more than most, is what's destroying society.

Thankful

2011-11-24T22:05:00.001-06:00

God, family and friends. Life, and the chance to face another day. A chance to make progress towards the man God wants me to be. Another chance to get up when knocked down. Another chance to give someone that smile that brightens their day. Another day to feel the sun, wind, rain and snow on my face, to feel the pulse of this magnificent world. To see an eagle fly, a deer run across the field, to hear the purr of a cat. The feel of a hand in mine, of hugging my mom, or eating my sisters cooking. Of admitting that I need God to get out of bed every day and face my pain. Of another chance to face life, no matter the circumstances. These simple things, and many others, are what I'm thankful for.

Light and Dark..

2011-11-19T21:12:00.001-06:00

These are the two states of our lives, our conscious. The force vs. the Dark Side, if you will. As a Christian, I know we are fallen and prone to evil acts. I've often said that being an asshole is the easiest thing in the world. It's doing the right thing that's hard. Don't believe me? Try it. See how easy it is to be a jerk, how natural. Look around you today. Are there more jerks or nice people? We also hide it. Walk into a public restroom. Do you think the people who write on the walls with their own feces wear their assholia in 'respectable' company? It's been said that character is what you do when no one is watching. That is so true. Washington D.C. is proof of that.

This whole Penn State debacle makes me sick. Having been on the receiving end, it all came back. Now I hear that some are planning to sue. For what?! Some twisted attempt at 'closure'? What a load of bullshit that is. Closure. My ass. It's just a way to make some money for some false bullshit reasoning that it will some how ease your pain. It won't. Having that type of unwanted attention is, in some ways, a life sentence. You will never truly be rid of the effects. You'll go on for a while feeling as though you're finally over it, then, BAM! Something triggers a memory, and you're right back where you began. All you'll be is an asshole with more money. You'll spend the money, but never the memories. I despise that kind of shit, I really do. Do you get the feeling that I have strong feelings about this? I knew that you would.

There is evil in this world. Until God comes along to do the final cleansing, we have to live with, and deal with it. Money doesn't ease the pain, or dim the memories. Prayer, and faith DO ease the pain. To quote Josey Wales, "You know there ain't no forgettin'." God will give you the strength to live with it. When that doesn't work, he'll hold you up. All money will do is make you feel like a whore. After all, you got paid for sex. Harsh? Yes. So is what happened. You can move on as best you can, or let it crush you. What I'm saying is that I can't be bought. Find a way to forgive, then move the hell on with your life. It may take you decades to forgive, but don't sell yourself. God will bring light into your life so you can banish the darkness. Give it a try.

Addition;

We are all subject to black moods. I have them at times when I'm driving. It's what I do for a living. What I see out there, the complete disregard for others, can darken my spirit immensely. The sheer stupidity of the way people drive, the inherent danger in the things they do, tells me that God must love fools, since so many of us are. Yet, he is the one who can turn my blackness back to the light.

We are born fallen. Our fallen-ness comes to us quite easy. We have to learn how to love, how to serve others. Self serving comes easy, selfless serving does not. That type of service is taught by God, I believe, through Jesus. He teaches how to serve with love for the other, rather than love of self. To suborn your wants and needs for those of others. Willingly. Not being a doormat, but loving them as God showed his love for us through Jesus. That doesn't come easily, as it runs counter to our fallen nature. He is the light that will lighten, and enliven your soul. As Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."

Divided, falling and gasping..

2011-11-17T13:27:00.001-06:00

We are a Nation divided, a Nation falling. At the state level, and nationally. State-wise, I think the divide is insurmountable. For myself, the lefts hatred of Walker, and their refusal to end the recalls has pretty much cemented my contempt for them. The fact that they supported the senators who fled the state like cowards was bad enough, but this breaks all ties. The state will go broke if they regain control. The same holds true Nationally. We can't sustain the spending by DC, and that includes both parties. I have my doubts as to whether the populace gets that.

Then we come to SCOTUS hearing the Obamacare suit. If they don't find it unConstitutional, then you may as well burn the document. The Constitution is gasping right now. If OC is allowed to stand, there's nothing the Federal Government won't be able to mandate. We will cease to be a free nation, and will become slaves to our masters in DC, and deservedly so. I know many on the left think that's a good thing, but check your history. Tyranny is the result of that kind of power. Is that really what you want? I for one don't. I don't want that kind of power in either parties hands.

Gloom, Despair, and Agony on me...

2011-11-14T14:59:00.001-06:00

A week or two ago, I read a column asking if America deserved Obama. I thought on that, and decided, yes, we deserve Obama. People voted for him because of soaring rhetoric, a nice presentation, or because he was black. Few actually looked any deeper, so we wound up with this arrogant, narcissistic, divisive jackwagon as a president. We deserve the government we've gotten for decades now. We refuse to demand term limits, or that these @sshats are subject to the same laws you and I are. Oh, and by the way, if you voted for him BECAUSE he is black, you're just as racist as those who voted against him because he was black. The race card will always be played because there are no end to those who profit from it, and no shortage of those who will use it as a wedge or a gag. Those who do these things are despicable pieces of waste.

Anyway, back to Armageddon. The signs of the apocalypse are manifest, and almost complete. Today, as I made my way out of Walgreeen's, I noticed two signs! There they were, displayed like brazen hussies plying their wares upon the unwary innocents that frequented this particular location. Yet I, your humble blogger and intrepid warrior, put my life on the line to bring you this warning. Be on the look out. What for? Well, gulp there is the Justin Bieber singing toothbrush, and the Jersey Shore Christmas Ornaments. Now, I know that at this time, my pal Steve in the bay is hanging his head and thinking "Only Billiam could tie these three things together!" You're right! Only I could! It's a gift you know.. Just remember the words chiseled in the stone. "My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings: Look upon my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

The final sign would be jackwagon's re-election.

Reminiscing

2011-11-01T19:20:00.002-05:00

As I listen to the hue and cry from some of the Occupy Wall Street critters, and their leftist supporters, I think back to my youth. It was a youth that prepared me, for the most part, to handle adversity. It taught me work ethic and, to some extent, the value of the simple things. Growing up, no one worried about my self esteem. If I did poorly in class, I wasn't told that it wasn't my fault. I was told, instead, to work harder. When I didn't get in the game because I wasn't good enough, I didn't whine about it, I fought to get better. When all the other kids had Levi's and leather sneakers, I had Sears Toughskins and canvas Chuck Taylor's. When I questioned mom, she said it was what we could afford, and they'd last as long. The pants did. In fact, I outgrew them. I was hell on sneakers. Things like these taught me value.

I first started learning about the concept of Stoicism from Robert E. Howard's Conan. Conan didn't whine about what he didn't have. He made do with what he received or could take. Fortunately, I learned to accept what I received, and paid the price early for taking that which wasn't mine. Nothing like being cuffed in front of the whole block and getting a free tour of the police station. I also learned respect for my mom at an early age, so her disappointed look when she came to pick me up had it's desired effect. I adjusted my thinking to make do with what I had and to work to get what I wanted. That meant mowing lawns in summer, raking leaves in fall, and shoveling snow in winter. Yes, eventually, I even cleaned toilets. In other words, what happened in my life was mostly up to me. Control what you can, left God take care of the rest.

So, when I failed, it wasn't someone else's fault. It was mine. My student loans were my responsibility, not someone else's. Finding and holding a job were up to me. I wasn't entitled to a job. I wasn't entitled to an apartment, or food in the cupboards. I had to work for all that. In fact, early on, I worked 2 part time jobs and 1 full time. Even now, were I to lose my current job, and could no longer work in my industry, I'd make it. Why? Because I was raised to understand that NO job is beneath me. If that means I clean toilets, so be it. There is honor in every job. Even in this economy, I would get by.

It wasn't an easy childhood, but it wasn't horrible either. I learned to grow up and be a man. I learned that this country owes me nothing more than an opportunity. The rest is up to me. Succeed or fail, it was on me. As an adult, this has all been re-affirmed. I have also learned to distrust Government. I have also learned to have an equal mix of pity and contempt for those who blame everyone but themselves for their place in life. I'm not proud of the contempt part, as it's not Christian of me. I am, however, honest. So many waste so much effort whining and blaming everyone else for their screw ups. Owe too much in student loans? Tough. You signed the contract for them. Sack up and deal with it. That's the American way. These Occupy people? They don't represent me. I know them not.

Do you know what it's like?

2011-10-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

Watching a loved one fade. Do you know what it's like? Mental faster than physical. Memory fades, questions repeated, though the answer was given an hour ago. The personality change, confusing and blasting the norms and expectations you grew up with. Nothing to be done, except to accept. To suppress your dismay, your pain at the loss, the slow death of one so dearly loved and relied upon. To suborn nearly all your empathy and sympathy, so you may do what must be done. Do you know?

The physical has had malady upon malady piled on, wearing down an already old body, a weakened will. Deformity and leakage, sapping the will to live. The look of confusion and weariness at war in those eyes is heart rending. Yet, it MUST be borne by those loved ones who refuse to give in to the despair hammering at the door, demanding entry to the heart. It must not be! Do you know?

The weakened emotions of another family member, just out of major surgery, and in the process of a long recovery, a painful recovery. The inability to concentrate on their own healing due to the deep well of concern for the other. That caring, weakened by pain meds, comes through poorly, causing yet another rift among many. Unintended, but rifts non the less. You are in the middle. Do you know?

Where is God in all this? You are helpless. You, who've handled everything life has thrown at you through the years. You, who through Gods grace, who have come through battered, but alive, and more determined than ever to carry on. Yet, it's different when it's you. Now, it's them. You hurt because you're helpless. You cry out to the Lord. "Where are you?!" Silence. No answer. Then, late at night, as you slowly slide into sleep, that still, small voice whispers "I am here. I am at your side. Always." You smile slightly, and fade off to sleep. Knowing, that tomorrow will be harder. You carry on. Because He does. Do you know?

Sunday Quickies...

2011-10-09T06:01:00.001-05:00

The mobs in these Wall Street protests have some blind spots. They protest Wall Street, but give a pass to the body that made it possible. The U.S. Government. Many of the things they espouse are socialistic in nature. I guess their teachers never taught them the outcome of that particular brand of socialism. That outcome is simply this. Eventually, people like me are killed because we won't submit. History is replete with proof of this. Yet, history is ignored. Just look at all the fools who walk around wearing Che t-shirts. Useful idiots indeed.

Scott Walker has some problems. Mainly, he has the wrong people in charge of hiring and is apparently either too loyal to get rid of them and bring in better people, or not paying attention. A friend of mine pointed this out, and I agree with him. Walker doesn't need this. There are already large numbers of unhinged lefties who, were Walker to die, would complain that he hurt some Union concern in the way he did it. These are people for whom any type of conservatism is unacceptable and evil. They won't see the need for change and restraint even while the system collapses around them. So, Governor Walker, don't give these people for whom your mere breathing is an affront any more help. Pull your head out of your ass and get some decent, objective people in there. The level headed voters will respond to this.

Lastly, a few pics to make you smile..

Will we ever be "One Nation" again?

2011-10-06T16:03:00.000-05:00

I wonder. These days, the Main Stream Media no longer even tries to hide their bias. FOX is even moving a little more left. They allow lie upon lie by the current occupant and his administration to go unchallenged, un-investigated and, in many cases, unreported. In fact, they seem to be, in some cases, purposely ignored. The current occupant won't even enforce the Law, ie DOMA as he is bound to by the Constitution.

Conservatives are routinely called racist, terrorists, evil and otherwise not worthy of being heard. The TEA Party movement, which wasn't violent or racist, and produced few, if any arrests, is mocked and derided. These Wall St. 'protests' are put up as a good thing, despite the over 700 arrests, and the disjointed and many times false reasons for the protest. The left controls education, so only left approved history is taught. The climate is so toxic, we almost can't talk anymore. We can't survive this.

Of course, that's what some want. To completely destroy this Nation. A week ago, I wrote a post called A House Divided. I toyed with the idea of dividing the country in two, with Liberals on one side, and Conservatives on the other. Each living by their beliefs. Conservatives, the Constitution as the Founders intended, the Liberals as their beliefs lead them. I said it couldn't happen without an upheaval of violence. I now wonder, is that what's coming? The violence, I mean. The useful idiots protesting Wall st. are being whipped up for a reason, and now the Unions are joining them. Unions have a history of violence in this country. Will it happen again?

Get The Gone!!

2011-10-05T01:30:00.000-05:00

People who need to go away.

Chris Christie and his worshipers. These days, when a news report comes on about him, or his adoring masses, I damn near want to hurl. Some republicans are acting like the democrats do for the current occupant. Little mind numbed idiots. Christie is not some savior, and the constant begging you clowns do for this false messiah to run and save the U.S. is embarrassing and cowardly. This is what you've become? Simpering fools reverently kneeling at his feet? Woe for the U.S. that the people have lost their spine.

Eric Holder. You are a liar. 'Nuff said.

Current Occupant of the White House. See above comment, and add corrupt to it. If this country re-elects you, we are even more deserving of the disaster on the horizon that you've only made more inevitable. Of course, you'll just blame everyone else for your failure.

Sarah Palin. If you're going to get in, get in. No more of this cutsie crap. Most are fed up with people like you who pull this garbage. Makes you look as narcissistic and seeking of worship as Christie and the current occupant. Bad form. Fish or cut bait.

Losing the saltiness...

2011-10-01T08:08:00.002-05:00

In Matthew 5:13 Christ says "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt loses it's flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men." Later, in vs. 20 he says "For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven." Finally, in vs. 31-32 "Furthermore it has been said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery."

I chose these areas, because they point to an issue that is prevalent in these times. That point? Those who profess Christ, yet live as the world does. This has been shown in studies that the instances of pre-marital sex and divorce are at almost the same level in the so called 'Christian' community as in the rest of America. Christians are called to be "the salt and light to the world", yet we live the same as those who reject Christ. So, why should any accept Christ, and him crucified for our sins, if there's no difference? Christ's forgiveness, his death on the cross, and Resurrection, free us from sin. The DO NOT give us license to continue in it!

Now, you may ask why I bring this up. A week ago, Pat Robertson made the wrongheaded statement that it's ok to divorce a spouse with Alzheimer's, because they are, in many ways already dead. When I read this, I was appalled. Sickness is not adultery. Maybe Robertson forgot Matthew 19 4-6 "Haven't you read the Scriptures?" Jesus replied. "They record that from the beginning 'God made them male and female.' And he said, 'This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together."

Now, another may say that Robertson doesn't matter in the scheme of things. I beg to differ. The majority of the media is of this world. Like this world, it is against God, as God places requirements and responsibilities on us. He requires us to live for something greater than ourselves. While we all fail in this every day, we do not stop trying to live as Christ commanded us. Since the world is against us, then every little thing comes under scrutiny. So when someone says something so patently wrong, rather than look it up and see what the Bible says, it's trotted out as another reason to quash Christian thought or opinion. It's like when some nattering chicken says that Christian 'terrorists' are no different from muslim terrorists. We know she's lying, that there is nothing Christ said to back the claim up, while the same can't be said about Islam. That doesn't matter to the world, though. It's just another excuse to shut Christians out.

The message is also perverted when non-Christians see Christians living as they do. We are called to be different, to 'not be of this world.' We know that we can't possibly obey every 'jot and tittle' of the Law, which is why we need Christ. Christ's message was for repentance. By repenting, we struggle to stay away from sin. We don't continue in it saying "Well, I'm forgiven so I can do anything I want." No, a thousand times no! Professing Christ as your savior does not give you license to continue in adultery, homosexuality, fornication or any other sin. You think Christ a fool?! He knows your heart. You are only fooling yourself.

As to exceeding the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, They were more concerned with being seen as pious then with actually being so. They lorded the Law over the heads of the everyday Jew while they took liberties. If you read Leviticus and Deuteronomy, you will come to the conclusion that there is no way you could live under those Laws without breaking them. That was why they needed blood atonement. Also, in the Sermon on the Mount, Christ shows that God also reads our intent. Our thoughts are just as damning as our actions. This is not to make us feel hopeless, but to magnify our need for Christ. It shows why we need Christ, because there is no way we could follow all the Laws. To understand this is to be filled with love and gratefulness at the sacrifice he made for our sins. It frees us. It does not shackle us.

All these, and many others show that Christianity in America is losing it's saltiness. Biblical illiteracy grows, and the world sees something other than the true faith. They see a mega church with fancy bands and visual effects, but a message tailored so as not to offend or challenge anyone. A message to keep butts in the seats, and the $$ coming in. Many churches are returning to Scripture. They are less concerned with butts in the seats than they are with the Gospel of Christ. You are seeing this not only from the Protestant side, but from the Catholic church. Benedict has been speaking out boldly, as have many in the church hierarchy. While Protestants may disagree with Catholics on sola scriptura vs. scripture plus tradition, we can agree on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as the need to make no compromises in that message.

Why is this important? Because once the salt loses its saltiness, it is cast out. If you haven't tumbled to it, if you profess to believe, but really don't, do you think you will not be cast out? Something to think about..

A House Divided...

2011-09-30T10:10:00.000-05:00

These days the biggest question on my mind, is can we survive? "Survive what?" you ask. To which I respond, "ourselves." We are rapidly approaching the Rubicon as far as our societal civility and tolerance in my opinion. We have much of the media that is really a propaganda wing for one party. Disagree with them, and you're all kinds of evil. Here are some examples;

If you're white, even a bogus claim of racism is almost impossible to defend against. It's the favorite of charlatans and media hounds, and a persistent media theme since Obama first announced for president. Everybody who's anybody - the Tea Party, Fox, the GOP and more - are all racists for daring to oppose Obama.

Donald Trump's request to see Obama's grades? "That's just code for saying he got into law school because he was black," explained CBS's Bob Schieffer. MSNBC's lefty religious expert Frank Schaeffer tells viewers about "a racist white bloc in the Republican Party that has come dressed as the Tea Party."

Even black GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain gets abused as "racist." TV nutball pundits from foul-mouthed comedian Bill Maher to massively inked, one-time comedienne Janeane Garofalo have criticized his candidacy - supposedly designed to deflect "the racism that is inherent in the Republican Party, the conservative movement, the tea party certainly." Garofalo actually claimed Cain was being paid to fend off charges of racism against the GOP. Of course, you can't fend off such disgusting charges. Even a lunatic like Garofalo knows that.

Because such charges get repeated dozens, hundreds or thousands of times. The examples above are just scratching the surface. We could fill newspapers with these outlandish claims, if any bothered to print such truth. Crazy, stupid, evil and racist. The four horsemen of the liberal media apocalypse this election. And every one of them has already been set loose.

You are not worthy of a voice. This also holds in the majority of our so-called schools of 'higher' learning. There is little diversity of thought allowed. This also carries across racial lines. Dare to leave the black plantation and you're an Uncle Tom, an Aunt Jemima, or a house nigger. You will be called these epithets by whites and blacks alike. The ones who scream loudest for tolerance, often offer none in return. It's the same if you're against gay 'marriage' and indoctrination. They demand tolerance, but offer none.

I once thought it would be an interesting idea to give half the country to the Liberals, and the other half to Conservatives. Robert Ringer has an interesting take on it. He writes;

...But the philosophies of the two sides are now so irreconcilable that a more peaceful solution might be for them just to split the country in half and agree to part ways.

Those who believe in big government could take one half of the country and regulate, tax and redistribute wealth to their heart's content. Within a few short years, of course, it would become a U.S. version of North Korea, devoid of civil liberties and mired in poverty, but, hey, we all get the government we deserve.

After giving the left first choice, conservatives and libertarians could then take the other half of the country – any half would be just fine – and implement a free-market economy that would be as close to laissez-faire capitalism as possible. In a short period of time, it would become a U.S. version of South Korea (or the U.S. itself in the days of yore), with explosive wealth creation and maximum freedom for its citizens.

One side can have the big government, 'Living' constitution, fully unionized nanny state you all long for. A country where man sets the morals and Biblical Christianity is verboten. Freedom of speech is what you say it is. End of story. History will be taught in a politically correct fashion, regardless of what really happened. Everybody will pay what Government classifies as their 'fair' share, and everybody, regardless of ability or motivation, will be equal. Except those in charge, of course. You will be allowed to keep a certain amount of the income Government grants you, but not too much. You must not think too highly of yourself, as you might offend someone else. That's illegal.

The other half of the Country can live by the Constitution as the Founders intended it. What they intended can be seen in their writings. History will be taught as it really was, and looked at from the times as they were, not as we are now. The triumphs, as well as the mistakes will be taught.The free market will be allowed to flourish. It would be interesting.

Will it happen? No. A country this size can't split like that without a great upheaval of violence. Yet, that seems to be what the far left is trying to do. Incite violence. Take the current 'Days of Rage' that has started on Wall st. They blame the bankers, and ONLY the bankers, for the collapse of the housing market and the state of the economy. They ignore the politicians who forced the banks to make those bad loans. They ignore the responsibility of people who had no business getting a home loan, yet did it anyway, knowing they couldn't afford it. Many are responsible for the crash, not just the bankers. From Bush, to Frank and Dodd, to others from both parties, right to the current occupant. Let us also not forget the over 25,000 pages of regulations from the myriad of agencies and departments that inhibit growth.

Look where the violence is coming from. Not the TEA party, Nancy! No, it's coming from the unions and from lefty agitators like Soros, Jones and Moore. Did you know that Michael Moore and Nancy Pelosi don't use union labor if they can avoid it? Pathetic. Then, there are the rino's. McCain comes to mind, as do others. All of you, Republican and Democrat, took an oath to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." From the current occupant on down, you've all violated that oath. Sadly, many Americans aren't even aware, or worse, don't care. That ignorance, or apathy, only serves those who seek to fundamentally change this Nation. Yes, we are a house divided. How long?

Another Week Gone By...

2011-09-30T01:55:00.000-05:00

I spent the better part of today in Cedar Rapids, Ia at our maintenance facility. It was time for my tractor's first B-Service. That is the full boat; Oil change, lube, and any write ups and recalls, as well as what my company calls "campaigns", another word for software re-programming. Then, they had to run it down to the International dealer for a front end alignment. There was a recall of about 250 tractors for this. They also found my stickers. What stickers, you say? These;

Now if I can last another seven and a half years to get 2 million. Anyway, they have me scheduled to deliver at Eden Prairie, Mn Monday, with a possible (read definite) back haul. I asked them to try and get Clyde's Donuts in Addison, Il for me. We'll see. Also, US 151 is now 4 lanes from Dubuque to Cedar Rapids! YEA! You can make fairly decent time now. Of course, it is easier when the wind isn't blowing 30 with gusts to 50!

In some ways, I'm actually sad to see the warm weather go. That means that snow will soon come, and winter driving will once again heap extra stress upon my tired bones. I was glad when school started back up, and a large number of very bad drivers left the roads. Parents, stop driving like jackwagons! Your children are watching! They pick up your bad habits, and magnify them with their inexperience. Use your brains!

Finally, something to leave you with a smile;

He thinks he's Caesar..

2011-09-24T20:17:00.000-05:00

I've said before that I believe the far left to be the biggest danger to Liberty. Well, here is the latest from the 'dear leader'. Of course, not a peep from the robot left or the rank and file democrats. they seem perfectly ok with herr current occupant's latest move.

“I’ve urged Congress for a while now, let’s get a bipartisan effort, let’s fix this,” Obama said. “Congress hasn’t been able to do it. So I will. Our kids only get one shot at a decent education. They cannot afford to wait any longer. So, given that Congress cannot act, I am acting.”
The president announced that his administration would provide waivers to states from the current law to allow them to be more innovative at the local level--flanked by educators, students, Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, Rhode Island Independent Gov. Lincoln Chafee and Education Secretary Arne Duncan at a White House event.

The assertion that he would not wait for Congress comes amid a trend of the administration ignoring Congress. The Justice Department called for all deportation cases of illegal aliens be viewed on a case-by-case basis, which critics have called “backdoor amnesty.”

The Justice Department also declined to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court. Further, members of Congress from both parties criticized Obama for sending military forces for regime change in Libya, charging he violated the War Powers Act by not seeking the approval of Congress. (of course, the only complained. They DID nothing.)

When is Congress going to remember their Constitutional duty? How long will this jackwagon be allowed to ignore his? This is a prime example of why I am so pessimistic about America's future. When this guy can trample and ignore the Constitution, with no push back from the rest of government, or those in his party, it's over. Cowards rule in DC.

This is a true Leader...

2011-09-23T18:58:00.001-05:00

See the full speech at Ynet News. It's worth the time.

I heard his speech as I was heading home today. A true leader, Netanyahu. Quiet dignity. The U.N. shows the despite and enmity it has for Israel frequently. The so-called 'palestinians' show their hate. They have never wanted peace. They have only ever sought the destruction of Israel and the death of her citizens. This has been show time and time again, yet, it matters not to the likes of Hamas, Hezbollah, or Jimmy Carter.

Political Ponderings

2011-09-22T18:13:00.000-05:00

The current occupant is so full of crap. Have I said that before? If so, report me to the little bundists web site attack watch so they can put my name on their list. I am all a quiver with fright. Anyway, he knows damn well that Buffet is lying. He pays capital gains taxes, while his secretary is paying income tax. There is a difference. Then again, the current occupant is pretty good at obfuscation. Likely that is why he convinces so many of his sincerity. His current preaching/lecturing tour is nauseating. Pass it now, he says. Yea, you did that with the Health Care abomination. Pelosi said we had to pass it so we can see what is in it. Not this time, skippy. The Republicans seem to have found at least one gonad, so they won't bow to your exalted big brained-ness. I find it unseemly that you continually come out and call for 'bi-partisanship', then turn around and lecture and denigrate those you expect to work with. It is either overweening arrogance or abject stupidity that causes you to do this over and over. I lean towards the former.

The FOX debate is tonight. I don't think Perry or Bachman should attack Romney on 'Romneycare' for this reason. The TEA party claims Constitutional ground. Well, what Romney did is allowed by the 10th Amendment. If a State wishes to do that, it may. The Federal Government has no Constitutional standing for it, however. So Romney did not do anything wrong from that standpoint. If the people of a State want that, and elect those who will implement it, that is following the Constitution. I do not trust Romney for other reasons. Anyway, my soup is done. Late!

Never Again... Really?

2011-09-20T12:41:00.000-05:00

The previous post is humorous. At the same time, I cannot help but wonder at something. After WWII, after the Holocaust, we said "Never again." We, as a world body said it. At that time, I believe that most meant it. Not the Arabs, of course. For the most part, they have held a grudge and their hatred of infidels in general, and Jews in particular, since the 7th century. Many supported Hitler. To this day, they speak of wiping the Jews off the face of the earth. The so-called Arab Spring in Egypt saw a re-emergence of the nazi party, Egyptian style.

Never again. Think about that. Never again would the world stand by while a people were systematically murdered. The Allied powers knew, or suspected, as early as '41 that this was going on. That Jews were being rounded up. Hell, America turned them away! So, after 6 million were murdered, destroyed and discarded like so much trash, in our guilt we said "Never again."

What about today? Would the world stand by again? We may find out sooner than you think. Antisemitism is on the rise across Europe, and to a lesser degree, here in the States. The rhetoric and threats coming from the Arabs and Persians is ramping up. It also is increasing from the Jordanian Arabs mistakenly called Palestinians. Actually, they are a mish mash of Arabs. Arafat was an Egyptian. Our own President can't be trusted to help Israel. In fact, it was his big mouth that put the current wave in motion. He was the one who said he wanted to see a 'Palestinian State' in a year. Now, the 'Palestinians' are going to put him to the test. Will he be found wanting yet again? Israel is under threat all across the spectrum. Will the world allow it again? Will God? I trust God. I do not trust our government, nor the U.N. The hate directed towards that tiny country that only wants to be left alone may soon boil over. What we, and the world does, will determine whether we are worthy of the light, or are deserving of only darkness.

Poking fun at attackwatch.com

2011-09-20T12:22:00.001-05:00

True meanings...

2011-09-18T06:35:00.000-05:00

This article at American Thinker by Andrew Schwartz really got me thinking. Many, least of all me, have said that words mean things. That one needs to listen, as these days, what one says, does not necessarily mean what the listener thinks. This article expounds on this better than I ever could. Here is some of it;

In the eighteenth century, language was everything. One misused word could bring the speaker -- or the writer -- under intense scrutiny, subject him to public rebuke, and even bring him to face charges of slander or libel. Whether it be a testament to our elevated morality or our effete education -- which I leave to the reader to determine -- we are much more forgiving of verbarian misuse today than the Americans and Britons were during the Revolution. Samuel Adams frequently excoriated bureaucrats, loyalists, and even more than one governor for their words, which he believed were fundamentally indicative of their political philosophy. (Adams was himself the subject of lexical scourges, as well.)

He mentions Bush's propensity towards misspeaking, then continues to the current occupant.

President Obama's speech to Congress about the American Jobs Act, and his subsequent remarks to various private individuals in the populace, while meant largely to sound moderate, are laden with implications of government control, unconstitutionality, and unrestrained bureaucracy.

The president opened his speech in the Rose Garden by issuing demands to a separate branch of government. "I'm sending this bill to Congress today," he said, "and they ought to pass it immediately." If we accept that our president, unlike the kings and royal governors of colonial America, is or should be completely separate in his duties from the legislative branch, such language must become abhorrent to the constitutional ear. The word "ought" has no business being issued toward the legislature from the executive. Legally, it implies obligation; it implies superiority; it implies repercussions if its following infinitive (in this case, "to pass") is ignored or disobeyed. It is an executive Mandamus upon a separated branch; it implies that the issuer is the trunk and root, while the intended recipients are merely the disposable limbs of government and leaves of society. The word is intimately related to the word "owe," and it seems the president would consider Congress his debtors.

No, Congress ought not do anything upon the executive's command. The congressmen are not his legislative minions, expected only to assent to his proposals; nor are they his Star Chamber, an ostensibly legitimized extension of his executive authority. The Congress is a co-operative branch, with each member representing the property and principles of his or her constituents.

Much was said about President Obama's lack of leadership in the debt ceiling debates, but if we continually demand that the president draft legislation, we give him a de facto vote, and the power to unduly influence the national course. A Tyrant, which Locke describes as he who usurps power that is not rightly his own, need not take his power by force or manipulation; he often simply seizes the advantage of an unsuspecting and complacent populace, who mistakenly see gradual usurpation -- like the slow growth of a tree -- as normal (or even beneficial), until all power is vested in a single overshadowing force, the philosophical roots of which extend as deep and wide as its political appendages.

Now, as is obvious in many posts on this blog, I am biased against this 'president'. I do not respect him, and consider him to be the most dangerous foe to Liberty these United States has seen in some time. Yet, he did not come to power in a vacuum. Enough people voted for this inexperienced 'community organizer' to put him where he is. That says more about "We the people" than anything else. Those who elected him, and others like him, on both sides of the aisle, are the final arbiters of our Government. WE put them there, and in some cases, like Robert Byrd, we leave them there. Then, we have the audacity to complain. This speaks more to our lack of curiosity about the candidates than to the perfidy of same.

He continues;

But our executive branch has increasingly become involved in the legislative process -- and not only recently -- allowing the executive to exact, extort, and exploit the represented property of the people, while the Constitution relegates him only to executing. The Constitution is unforgiving in this. It states that the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." But not only has His Presidency only demanded Congress's consideration of his measures; he has demanded their assent to his legislation.

Modernly, we learn in our political science and civics classes that the "Eight Presidential Roles" are Commander in Chief, Chief Executive, Chief of State, Chief Administrator, Chief Diplomat, Chief Citizen, Chief of Party, and Chief Legislator. "Chief Administrator," "Chief Diplomat," and "Party Chief" are aconstitutional roles, but those of "Chief Citizen" (which requires a different discussion) and "Chief Legislator" are completely unconstitutional. The idea that an executive may also be legislator-in-chief is -- like social Darwinism, fascism, compelled philanthropy, and supervised equality -- a product of historical materialism and Rankean historiography. The former requires someone to supervise existence; the latter allows one generation to reject the precedents of their fathers. It has no more business being allowed in a serious discussion of American constitutional politics than does the idea of Communism, absolute monarchy, or any other institutional policy that allows an individual to subvert the Supreme Law of the Land.

There is a bit more, and the entire column is a good read. It is also worthy of deep thought. This type of behavior should not be acceptable from any party.

Thoughts from Hibbing

2011-09-15T18:09:00.000-05:00

Well, I am hanging out in Hibbing tonight. The Duluth store unloaded me early, but this store cannot until morning. What a week it has been. The weather has been quite nice. Cool evenings, and all that. Today I ordered a new phone. I am going to the Casio G'zOne Commando. It is a Droid phone that is ruggedized to military specs. I also changed my phone number. I wanted a 414 area code number, but could not get one. Weird. I could, however, get a 262. Go figure.

Well, this is Driver Appreciation week. I have been wished a good week by my company, a sign at one shipper, and my cousin Trish. This week has lost much meaning over the years. It used to be a big deal, especially in Truck Stops. However, Truck Stops have become Travel Centers, and America, for the most part, does not want us around. I guess they think everything they buy appears magically when someone sprinkles foo foo dust on the shelves. Ah well. I did not get into this profession to be appreciated. I started because I am infected with a certain amount of wanderlust. I also take some small amount of pride in the fact that my job is necessary and vital.

I was listening to Steve Summers this week. He's the son of the Trukin' Bozo, who used to have a truckers show on 700 WLW in Cincinnati. He was interviewing one of the candidates running against Hoffa for president of the Teamsters. He is not much different from Hoffa. If anything, he seems more militant. Those who know me know that I despise unions for the most part. I am completely against public unions, as they bought a political party, and there usually is not anyone to watch out for the rest of us. As to private unions, well, I have not liked them since childhood. My 22 years of experience in dealing with union docks has not improved my thoughts either. They protect the lazy more than anything else. The number of decent unions has been shrinking for years. Now, we are stuck with the dregs.

The current occupant has proposed another stimulus package that he wants passed right away. Do not read it, just pass it. Well, c.o., go copulate vigorously with yourself. You are the worst president in my lifetime. Worse than Carter and more corrupt than Nixon. Unfortunately, Congress is, for the most part, a bunch of eunuchs who are too cowardly to reign you in. They are also too cowardly to reign in the courts. The Senate is filled with hypocrites who whine about the republican congress but refuse to pass a budget or bring up republican legislation for a vote. You call for civility, then act uncivilly. You lecture and blame everyone but yourself. Now, you start a website, with Soros and Media Matters to fight lies? You use a propagandist and morally bankrupt man, along with a web site know as liars and propagandists, and expect people to believe you are different? Piss off.

Ah, enough of that. I will not listen to these clowns anymore. I will turn them off. The old joke is true. How do you know when a politician is lying? His lips are moving.

Lastly, I will leave you with a smile.

9-11 Victim remembered

2011-09-10T22:00:00.000-05:00

This is to remember a 9-11 victim. Lest we forget.

this is a memorial site for Jacqueline.

Her name was Jacquelin P. Sanchez of New York. She was 23. She will never again look at the clouds, and guess what they look like. She'll never again bring a smile to the faces of friends and family. She'll never brighten the lives of co-workers. With her loss, the world is dimmer, as with the loss of all those who died on 9-11. Will we, in our partisanship, forget what happened that day, what it means? Will we, in our pettiness, forget the loss, because of party, and petty, ideology? Looks that way. My problems are a pittance, my pain nothing, compared to what these victims families have gone through. Let us not forget, for, if we do, we don't deserve the blessings we have.

Want to remember a Victim? Go here.

Thoughts of 9/11 10 years later...

2011-09-10T10:09:00.000-05:00

It has been 10 years since the attacks. So, what does it mean to me? Let us see. The Government, with the willing help of the media lapdogs, keeps saying that Islam is a religion of peace. Of course, you would have to ignore this report I saw at Front Page. Much of America has either forgotten or has gone into denial in order to avoid being called intolerant. Also, the abomination known as the Patriot Act is still in force, along with other assaults on Liberty, like the TSA. No, I no longer fly. I will not submit to the scan, for various reasons, and I would as likely deck any pervert who tried to 'pat' me down. The Constitution and Bill of Rights still have meaning for me. What it means is that we will see a Nation that has largely kowtowed to the powers that be, be it Washington or New York. After the attack, many returned to God for solace. Then, they drifted away, along with the brief unity. Now, God is not welcome at the remembrance. It took 18 months to build the Empire State building. It's 10 YEARS later, and no towers. We hare a shell of who we were. So scared, that we allow our Liberties to be taken. Remember the warning of the past. "Those who trade Liberty for security, shall have neither." I would add, that they no longer deserve either. So wave your flag. Enjoy your secularist revision of what happened. Ignore reality. Maybe it will go away. Just like our Freedoms.

Stay classy, Unions...

2011-09-08T18:52:00.000-05:00

Those warm and fuzzy Unions doing what any good union thug should do. Here's a piece;

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — Hundreds of Longshoremen stormed the Port of Longview early Thursday, overpowered and held security guards, damaged railroad cars, and dumped grain that is the center of a labor dispute, said Longview Police Chief Jim Duscha.

Six guards were held hostage for a couple of hours after 500 or more Longshoremen broke down gates about 4:30 a.m. and smashed windows in the guard shack, he said.

No one was hurt, and nobody has been arrested. Most of the protesters returned to their union hall after cutting brake lines and spilling grain from car at the EGT terminal, Duscha said.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union believes it has the right to work at the facility, but the company has hired a contractor that's staffing a workforce of other union laborers.

No one arrested? Someone damn well better be! Just another reason I despise unions.

Pass it. Right away! Now!

2011-09-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

Well, he started out with the usual class warfare bullsh*t. Now he's going on about how the planet will be saved, there will be a prize in every box of cereal, and you will never have to eat your peas. But, you have to pass it NOW. NOW. NOW. RIGHT NOW. DO NOT DELAY. (do not read it until it is passed)

Of course, none of the rich or corporations are paying their fair share. Now he's going on about Buffet. Buffet has his pay structured so he pays the least taxes. He is a corrupt and lying a-hole. I know that only the Democrats will believe the snake oil salesman in chief. I also know that the Democrats in the Senate are liars. They claim the Republican congress has done nothing. That is a demonstrable lie. The republican congress has passed a number of bills that the Senate shoved into a black hole. Hell, the Democrat senate hasn't passed a budget in almost 3 years. Another news flash, jobs will not come back as long as Government has so many regulations that make the cost of business too expensive. Or, like the bondholders of the auto companies that were screwed in the bailout, in violation of bankruptcy law, they can't trust this Administration. And no, I don't trust the liar in chief. So, he can continue to sell the lemmings that follow him this crap. I'm not buying.

What are you afraid of?

2011-09-08T13:05:00.000-05:00

I ask that question sometimes. What are many on the left afraid of? They vehemently deny being socialist or marxist. Yet, they support the nanny state, redistribution of wealth, destroying the Constitution and spending more than we take in. That is pretty much the socialist/marxist way. Why not embrace what you are? You are hypocrites of the first order. You blame the TEA party and Conservatives for violence and so-called violent rhetoric, and ignore your own rhetoric and the actual violence perpetrated by Union members. You claim to be for free speech, but will go to almost any lengths to shut down FOX News and to try and shut down talk radio. You call those like me who are anti-union, skeptics of evolution and global warming, conservative Christians, believers in the Constitution and smaller government racists, anti-science, barbarian sons-a-bitches who can go to hell. How classy. You do what you accuse others of.

Now, before you get your panties all bunged up, it is a trait of ALL humanity, as in, we are all fallen. Kind of like racism. It infects everyone, black, white, green. No one is immune. All I am saying is that you will be much happier if you come out of the closet and admit it. You want to discard the Constitution. You want to build your Utopian vision, where people like me have no place. You will be much happier for having done so. Of course, then who will you blame?

May I give you something to think about?..

2011-09-06T06:39:00.003-05:00

I love that line. It's from Dark Rivers of the Heart by Dean Koontz. Anyway, I saw this column at Lew Rockwell's web site. It made me think, and, come to agree with the writers sentiment. Here's a piece:

The “Pledge of Allegiance” (which was written by a socialist to help sell flags and magazine subscriptions to public schools) – is creepy. I do not pledge myself to a piece of fabric. I will gladly swear allegiance to my daughters, my wife, my family, my God, people truly important to me… but to a government? No. Governments are forever changing and catering to the interests of something or someone else. To pledge myself to a government is to pledge my loyalty to the whims and corruption of others, and to the tyrannical monopolizer of force that continually finds new ways to aggress against me and my loved ones (to the tune of hundreds of thousands of laws).

Dear statists: not following state customs is not an affront to society or an insult to you or any other individual, even a “hero” who may have “paid the greatest sacrifice for my freedoms.” The state and its symbols are not synonymous with society. Nor are they representative of you or any other individual in particular. When your identity is intermixed with your government and your patriotism becomes sacerdotal reverence, you become a mindless minion of the state to be manipulated into agreeing to whatever loss of liberty best suits your god government.

Be a good neighbor to your fellow man, not a doting subject to the state.

I, for one, will follow the words of Albert Camus:

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”

The older I get, the more I study our Founding documents and the writings of those great men, the more I come to agree with this writer. Now, one can pledge ones self to an Idea, such as Freedom, or to socialism, nazi-ism, or any other ism you can come up with. Why I tend to agree with this writer is simple. The Founders set America up to be a Nation of Laws, not of men. Over the last 100 years, we've become more a Nation of men, subject to the evil whims of fallen, selfish, greedy people who care nothing for the Constitution, nor for the Founders intent. This is why America will fail, is failing. Truly, something to think about.

Something to think about...

2011-09-05T05:45:00.000-05:00

I saw this post over at Robin of Berkeley's and immediately wanted to pass it on. Here's a piece;

But when I stopped at a red light, I saw an unusual sight: a black man on the corner, bellowing something at the top of his lungs. Actually, this isn’t all that strange a sighting since the crazed and drug-addled will often start yelling, both in Oakland and Berkeley.

But this man was well-dressed, and he also had something rarely seen around here: a light in his eyes. Curious, I took the risk to lower my windows and listen to what he was saying.

Standing amidst the druggies and the passersby averting their eyes, he yelled, “I am different than you. I have God in me. I am a changed person, and you can be too. You can have all your sins washed away right now, just like that.”

Excited, I looked at him and smiled. Though there were hordes of people and cars around, we locked eyes. Although we were strangers, I recognized him, and he recognized me.

Speaking even more forcefully he shouted, “Don’t you want to be forgiven? Don’t you want the love and the hope that can only come from God? Come to God right now. Let Him deliver you.”

Read the whole thing. It will make you think, as well as open your eyes to some other things as well.

Thoughts while kickin' back...

2011-09-04T19:47:00.000-05:00

I've been hanging out with mom for most of the weekend. We've had a nice time, and tomorrow, we'll go to breakfast. I don't return to work until Tuesday night, and the rest is sweet. This morning, I read the column in the Journal by mr. Kane. Some 60 year old white Liberal apparently wrote mr. Kane and fears he's becoming racist. He moved to Riverwest for the 'diversity'. Now, I haven't lived down here long, but even I've heard it wasn't the best neighborhood before I moved down here. The way Kane tells it amuses the hell out of me. And pisses me off. Read the article at jsonline.com. Anyway, I know some few lefties. Other than their obvious defect, none of the ones I know are THAT stupid as to move someplace because of some bs diversity. So this guy must be an uber-lefty. According to Kane, the guy also claims to be a pastor. I'll leave that be, though, I chuckled. Anyway, from the impression I got from the article, this clown, as well as Kane, don't seem to understand something. Everyone has the seeds of racism in them, no matter what your skin pigmentation, or your upbringing. It's not a monolithically white thing. I'm so sick of that crap. Some blacks in this country are just like the Arabs. Blame everything on someone else. For the Arabs, it's the Jews. For some blacks, it's whitey. And the Jews. For some whites, it's the immigrants. And the Jews. For some, it's anybody different. So, to quote Sgt. Hulka, "Lighten up, Francis!"

So, now I'm kicking back at home, having a Busch light. Why? Because I left the Mike's Hard Blackcherry Lemonade with mom. I hope she saves me some. I have the cave mostly set up. I decorated in early neanderthal bachelor. You know, mis-matched colors and such. I have a red queen anne chair, and a blue papa-san chair. I have a kitchen table I bought at Shopko, must be 12 years ago or so. I also have a used computer desk. My book shelves don't match either. I think, if a woman other than family ever walked in, she'd likely run away screaming at the fashion crimes committed in my living room alone! LOL

I also received some good news from my boss last week. My trucks first service will be done at our shop in Cedar Rapids, Ia instead of the Chicago shop. That means 4 hours instead of 3 days! I also found out that my Million Mile Driver hood stickers are in Cedar Rapids as well. Cool, eh? I'm about 4000 miles away, so they'll likely do it next week or early the week after.

Well, the current occupant will give another speech this week. Yawn. Sorry, but I trust this clown less than I trusted Clinton, which wasn't much. I've come to believe our Government is evil. I'm talking the whole thing, not one party or the other. The whole thing. Of course, "We the People" are the ones who let it get that way. So, ultimately, America's fall is our fault. Too many takers, not enough producers. Also, too many who've been convinced they're entitled to the fruits of the labor of others. We've also allowed politics to become a full time occupation, to the point where we now have a 'political class', if you will. We've dug our own grave, soon, we'll get to see it from the bad side. Too negative? Maybe. However, I think it's true. I see no great awakening of people who want to return to the document that allowed this nation to prosper because it was followed. It's called irrelevant now, because it gets in the way of taking more power, and granting more entitlements. Yes, the Constitution, for many, has outlived it's usefulness. Pity us. Pity the rest of the world as well. In the meantime, I'll continue to pray for a miracle, and take joy in my family and friends.

Interesting...

2011-08-27T22:20:00.000-05:00

I've lived here for about a month now. A month without the tele. You know, I don't miss it all that much. I can listen to the Packers on WTMJ, so that base is covered. I get news from the same station, as well as the internet, and I read a lot of books. I also have a plethora of movies to watch. My sis records Hell's Kitchen for me, but her DVR doesn't always like to play it back. Life with extremely limited tv watching. Quite nice...

America's Last Gasp?

2011-08-20T04:53:00.001-05:00

The 11th circuit has upheld the ruling that the personal mandate in Current Occupant Care is unconstitutional. So, it heads to the Supreme Court. This case will decide if the Constitution is still alive. If the Supreme Court allows the personal mandate to stand, that will be the death knell. It will signal that we have allowed ourselves to become slaves. Over the top you say? No. Think on it. If this is allowed to stand, there is NOTHING the Federal Government won't be able to tell you to do. We've become, for the most part, a nation of sheep. A nation losing any worthiness of what the Founders, and those who fought for our freedom from England, sacrificed and set up. Franklin, when asked what kind of government they'd set up said, "A Republic. If you can keep it." Well, We've be changed incrementally from a Nation of Laws with rights from God, to a nation of men, with 'rights' taken or arbitrarily granted by men for political advantage. Yes, there's a reason for one nation being capitalized, and one not. A nation of men is a small place with small people, where freedom and liberty die.

A Late addition to the post. I have no faith that the current crop of Republican Presidential candidates will be able to change anything. The only one who has consistently lived up to his oath "to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States", is Ron Paul. He's also the one that both parties denigrate and dismiss as crazy. That's another reason I am not a Republican. They are just as quick as the Democrats to dismiss those who believe in The Constitution. I'm also still unsure of Bachman. For those who think Ryan should run, here's a post from Richard Viguerie about Ryan that you should read. Also, For the worshipers at the alter of Chris Christie, the guy ain't exactly friendly to the 2nd Amendment. We don't need another Imperial President. We've had too many and they've been very destructive. The ONLY things that will save the Republic, and our Liberty, are a return to the Constitutional principles and reverence for God that this Nation was founded under in the first place. Nothing else will save us.

One man's story

2011-08-18T09:48:00.002-05:00

As I was heading up US 53 this morning, I was in a melancholy, but reflective mood. I was thinking of someone I'm VERY close to. I know him well. He wasn't always a Christian. Then again, who is? He always believed in God, but didn't think God did much in the world. He spent most of his younger years messing around, trying things he shouldn't have, and generally looking for a good time. Again, typical. His youth was American typical as well. Broken home, molested as a child, never much money. Plenty smart, but not well motivated. Still, he managed to stay out of serious trouble.

Then one day, someone gives him a Bible. He hadn't read one in years. So, he starts reading again. This awakens his curiosity. He studies some more, thinks on it, and even starts praying. Later on, he accepts Christ as his Lord and Saviour. He thanks God for his many blessings, and for watching over him all those lost years.

Things get harder. He's getting older. He's been through many fires in his life, and much dross has been burned off. He hasn't lost his faith, even though many of his prayers don't seem to be answered. If they have been, he just hasn't realized it. Yet, his decision has been made, and he'll never recant, no matter the circumstances. Yet, he lives every day in a lot of pain and loneliness. It's hard, but he still finds joy in each new day. Some days are harder than others. He's asked God many times to take him home. He's too tired, lonely and in pain, and wants it to end. Other days, he sees something that lightens his soul, and thanks God for not saying yes to that particular request. He also thanks God for every blessing, including being born in America. Then, he feels guilty for all of it.

He thanks God for saving him. He knows that were it not been for the saving grace of Christ, and his belief in God, he'd likely have offed himself already. After all, God and Christ showed him a life with meaning. Showed him that life has value and worth. It's not the sterile emptiness of and evolutionary, atheistic template. That's the short story of this mans life. Hope. Faith. God's love. Isn't it amazing what it will get you through?

Driving tips and other thoughts..

2011-08-16T06:11:00.000-05:00

For those of you who were never taught, or forgot, here's a merging tip. When getting on the highway, don't wait until the last second to look. It leaves you no time to make adjustments safely. Look as you're coming down the acceleration lane. Yes, it's an ACCELERATION lane. That means you want to be at or close to highway spped by the end of the ramp if possible. You do NOT wait until you're on the highway to accelerate. Also, if you pull onto the shoulder for some reason, here's the proper way to get back on the highway. Speed up on the shoulder, if possible, to highway speed, then merge into traffic. If you just pull out from a dead stop, like so many idiots do, you just increased your odds of becoming a statistic, and eligible for a Darwin award. Problem is, you just might take someone else with your dumb *ss. And for gods sake, use your turn signal!

So, let me see. According to the media lapdogs, the republican choices are gov. Gardosil, Gov Mitt-for-brains, and congresswoman tag line. Oh joy. Add to that, certain 'elites', don't think the media lapdogs should give equal time to things "no one" takes seriously. They mean the TEA party. Yea, I guess so many have been dumbed down enough to think that The Constitution isn't taken seriously. DC has shown that they don't. I guess a lot of amerikans want to be vassals or slaves rather than free men. They want to be subject to the government rather than the other way around. Sheep.

Want to back in here?

The good father lays it out...

2011-08-14T05:31:00.000-05:00

The good father and I have had several interesting discussions. While I still retain my 'no longer Catholic' status, I learn much from the padre'. Here's a piece:

Though we may not immediately recognize this question, it is the question being asked by those who argue that marriage may not be redefined by legislative, judicial, or executive fiat. Congress, the Supreme Court, the President may no more change what marriage is than they can repeal the law of gravity or make 2 + 2 equal 5. Underlying marriage is a divine reality, an eternal truth that is not subject to the social engineering impulses of the human heart. Gravity can be tragically inconvenient even deadly but it is a force of nature, a feature of reality that cannot be wished, prayed, or voted away. Despite my best efforts as a student, algebra stubbornly held to its fundamental reality, resisting tantrums, pleadings, arguments, and threats of bodily harm. To this day, the quadratic formula haunts my memories as a terrible witness to the harsh, unyielding reality of numbers. For those who would alter reality with words alone, marriage stands as a testament to their inability to command the forces of the Natural Law and unmake that which God Himself has made.

Read his post. Then peruse his blog. The man has knowledge and wisdom.

Thanks, Roz. I needed the laugh...

2011-08-13T21:04:00.003-05:00

Little girl on a plane

An atheist was seated next to a little girl on an airplane and he
turned to her and said, "Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if
you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the
total stranger, "What would you want to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the atheist. "How about why there is no God,
or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death?" as he smiled smugly.

"OK," she said. "Those could be interesting topics but let me ask you
a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff -
grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a
flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?"

The atheist, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence,
thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea."

To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to
discuss why there is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after
death, when you don't know sh*t?"

And then she went back to reading her book.

my first 17 days in West Allis...

2011-08-13T20:15:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been 17 days since I moved down here. Some observations;

Lord, please don't let me drive like these people. I've seen more people blatantly run red lights around here in 2 weeks than in 7 years in the Bay. Amazing the lack of concern and total disregard for the lives of others.

The nice thing is being about 15 minutes away from my Mom and Sis, as well as my buddy Vic. Vic and I had dinner at Senor Luna's yesterday evening. The steak enchiladas were abso-*******lutely yummy, as was the 1/2 quesadilla appetizer. They also have Spotted Cow Ale, which is a favorite. Next time though, I'll likely have Modelo. Also, I'm going to try Mo's Irish Pub. Need to find out if they serve their Guinness properly. Slightly chilled. The Chancery does, so I'd expect the same out of Mo's.

Was over at Moms this morning after getting the oil changed at Wilde. Kind of cool hanging out with them.

Stopped at Sendicks on the way home. Man! What a Deli. I now understand why sis advised I not go in there when tired. I would have no will power. And that bakery! I'll have to make a trip to Grasch Foods as well. I hear they have good meats.

I'm liking this underground parking thing, as well as the no need to separate recycling.

I am also discovering that a ceiling fan is a neat thing to have. Gets the air moving quite nicely.

I do, however, miss my pals back in the Bay. As well as my church. Moving has it's benefits, but sometimes it can suck at the same time.

Thursday thoughts...

2011-08-11T16:42:00.000-05:00

Advice to republicans. On the National level; Too often, you get into office promising small government, and you grow it instead. Your complaints about the current occupants energy policy rings hollow as you had the majority in both houses and the White House, and didn't do dick about energy independence. You passed tax cuts, which history shows increases revenue. Then you spent the $$ and more. So, America handed you your walking papers and the current occupant has only sped up the destruction of America. Any promises you make must be taken with a grain of salt, as you've lied too often. The debt ceiling deal only proves you still are liars. Cuts? No. If you take in 2 trillion, and planned on spending 3, but lower that and only spend 750 billion over what you took in, that's NOT a cut. You're still spending more than you take in. Of course, there are plenty of idiots who'll believe you.

On the State level: Keep up the good work, and don't get cocky or arrogant. Do what's right and Wisconsin will prosper. Keep taxes and spending down. Don't over regulate, and this State will shine.

Democrats National. I used to think most of you were just misguided. This administration seems to be deliberately trying to destroy America. The current occupants energy policy is a recipe for disaster, as is the expansion of the Federal government and the welfare state. Also, you're constant class warfare is a 'Clear and Present danger' to the survival of this Nation. Have you not been paying attention to the UK? IMO, you're traitors to the Constitution.

State: Be careful not to over reach with the recalls. You've opened a pandora's box. If you abuse it, the consequences will hurt the state. Were I you, I'd not try to recall Walker. Find yourself a candidate for the next election and build your message. Hopefully you'll drop the class warfare bs. The republicans could have started a recall against the corruption of the Doyle administration, but they didn't. Just like they never left the state like cowardly babies when they didn't get their way. BTW, public employee unions are not a right. They ability to unionize was given by politicians, by Kennedy's executive order, and I think it was something similar in this state. My reason for being against public employee unions is manifest. You bought one party, and that is corrupt.

Romney made a good point in Iowa. It's the 47% of the population that pay no federal income taxes, yet get a federal tax return, that are screaming to take more money from someone else. That's the result of a welfare state. The notion that the top 5% of wage earners who pay well over 50% of all federal taxes aren't paying their "fair' share is laughable.

On the lighter side.

I think if they made parking spaces twice as wide, people would still park crooked.

Red means stop!

Dark roast coffee with Dolce' cinnamon syrup is yummy.

Why do people race at 15 or 20 mph over the speed limit to pass you before a construction zone, then drive 5 to 10 mph UNDER the speed limit?

In the immortal words of Mick Foley, "Have a nice day!!"

Why won't shoe tongues stay straight?

2011-08-07T06:20:00.000-05:00

A Pox on all their houses. Republican, the wimp party, and Democrats, the party of coming tyranny. Time will tell if Amerika will wake up. For me, time for a different tack. So, I have questions;

Why won't shoe tongues stay straight? I mean, unless you have sneakers with that little loop on the tongue to run the lace through, it's going to move to the side. No matter how tight you tie the shoe, it's gonna move! Doesn't matter if you're wearing sneakers or boots. Now, if you're wearing waterproof boots, it doesn't matter so much as the inside is like a bootie, so no separate tongue. Since many shoes are NOT waterproof, a conspiracy to be handled later, we return to the question. Why won't shoes tongues stay straight? Is it a design flaw? If so, why hasn't it been fixed? After all, it's not like shoes just showed up on the scene. They've been around a while. So why hasn't this been addressed? Surely someone other than myself has noted the problem. Seriously, am I the only person in the country who finds it uncomfortable when the tongue of my sneaker or work boot slides to one side? What is holding people back from questioning this? Are goon squads now roving about looking for complainers of shoe tongues, and whooping their asses for having the audacity to complain?

That, I could see. After all, we should be happy with just having shoes. After all, we could be forced to wear... gulp... sandals all year. Look what that has caused! After all, had the Romans had insulated boots, they may never have felt compelled to conquer most of the area around the Med, looking for warmer climes and nude beaches. Also, think on this. Were it not for sandals, maybe the 350lb euro-beast would never have thought to wear a speedo. Then how much better would the world be? I mean, come on! All this because the Romans had cold feet! You never saw the Zulu's range beyond their home in Africa. They didn't wear sandals, so they knew their feet would get cold if they went where it snowed. If only the Romans had know this. and had insulated boots with tongues that didn't slide to the side. What a different world this would be.

Why?

2011-07-31T06:55:00.000-05:00

Why does it seem that those who demand tolerance the loudest are the most intolerant among us?

Eric Holder once said that we were a Nation of cowards when it comes to speaking about race. Seems to me that any time a white person disagrees with something a non-white liberal says, they are called racist. It gets old after a while, so we stop talking. Of course, if you believe in divide and conquer, then this is what you want.

Funny how the very people that haven't passed a budget, and haven't, until recently written a bill for the debt fiasco, and always call for civility, are the very ones accusing the other side of "holding hostage" everyone else. It was so amusing to see all the sheep come out and use the word hostage in their little mouthings. What clones. This also goes for Repubs, who think to do this. What it REALLY shows is your contempt for the intelligence of the people. Of course, more often than not, you're proven correct. People listen to candidates and vote on feelings, rather than checking the candidate out and voting on facts. This has gotten us many bad Presidents from both parties.

Thanks to my sis, I have a couple options when going to see her and mom. I can be there usually in 14-18 minutes, no matter the time of day. Cool!

We need to invent some tech like the Jetsons had. You know, push a button and everything packs up into a nice little block. Then, when you get where you're going, press again and everything unpacks. I know, they only had the vehicle that did that, but hey, we could apply it elsewhere.. Just sayin'.

Lastly, when the current occupant arrogantly 'summoned' the leaders of Congress to the White House, I would have loved to seen one of them, don't care which party, grab their crotch and say "Summon this! You're not Caesar, a-hole!" Disrespectful, I know. The thought does make me smile, though.

The Current Occupants Choice

2011-07-30T20:43:00.000-05:00

I read this opinion piece over at Newsmax.com by Richard Rahn. He makes some good points.

Assume that August 3 arrives and Congress has not increased the debt limit. If you were president, what would you do?

You are legally bound to pay the Social Security (SSI) checks because there are more than two trillion special purpose government bonds in the SSI trust fund that you can sell to get the cash to pay Social Security recipients (but which would require you to reduce other expenditures).

You could stop paying federal salaries, including those of members of Congress, and expenses for government departments. Or you could start selling assets.

The federal government has about $400 billion in gold, which the president has the legal authority to sell. The president also could sell many of the hundreds of billions of dollars of mortgages, housing bonds, and other special-purpose bonds the government owns.

He also could sell government equity holdings in companies like General Motors. The government also owns hundreds of billions of dollars of unnecessary buildings and military bases, as well as stockpiles of metals and other unneeded goods. Combined, this stuff is estimated to be worth more than $2 trillion.

In addition, the federal government owns about one-third of all U.S. land. Even after excluding national parks, national monuments, and environmentally sensitive areas, the government still owns at least a quarter of the country. If this were sold in an orderly fashion over a period of years, it would likely bring in trillions of dollars in revenue.

Plus, the privately owned land would be better managed and the owners would have to pay property taxes. (If you doubt that the private sector would manage the land better, take a walk through the forest lands owned and managed by responsible companies like Weyerhaeuser, and then walk through the lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The difference will be obvious.)

The Obama administration, rather than holding up the sales of onshore and offshore oil and mineral leases, could reverse course and start aggressively selling them.

The extreme environmentalists will, of course, go nuts about proposals to sell any federal land, but if the alternative is shutting down popular government programs, it ought to be politically doable.

The basic fact is that the president has many options even if the debt ceiling is not increased. The hyperbole about default and the disabled people not getting their checks is nothing more than irresponsible scaremongering.

A combination of both reducing spending on cost-ineffective and unneeded programs, coupled with a general trimming of all government activities, including many inflated government salaries and asset sales, could lead to a smaller, more effective, and more efficient government. A win-win-win.

The debt-limit fiasco should be viewed as an opportunity to get things right rather than as a crisis.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Default on US Debt Is Obama’s Choice

Of course, it won't happen. The current occupant, as well as the party that hasn't passed a budget in more than 800 days will never give up any kind of power. They are all about Big Government Statism. It's a logical way out, though. And it would increase revenues. Just in the oil industry alone, were we to tap our resources, would fill the Federal coffers with tax revenues. Of course, it would also make us energy independent, and the Democrats, as well as some Republicans, don't want that. That would make you less of a slave.

Jonah Goldberg & I don't want to drive like a Milwaukean...

2011-07-29T20:54:00.000-05:00

Jonah Goldberg has a column up at National Review online and pretty much nails it. Here's a bit, including the part I hope Republicans are watching for:

In his prime-time debt-ceiling address, he quoted Reagan’s support for a debt-reduction deal in 1982 that included tax increases. Afterwards, Obama chided, “Those words were spoken by Ronald Reagan. But today, many Republicans in the House refuse to consider this kind of balanced approach.”

Translation: See, I’m a mainstream guy who agrees with Reagan. Meanwhile, these knuckle-dragging tea partiers are to the right of the most conservative president in our lifetimes. Come back, independents! Love me, moderates!

While Obama’s invocation of Reagan worked on a lot of liberal pundits, it was a clunker with conservatives. Of course, it’s doubtful Obama thought it would actually persuade the GOP. After all, the 1982 deal that raised taxes was one of Reagan’s greatest regrets. The Democrats promised to cut $3 in spending for every $1 in tax increases. They lied, a fact Reagan resented until he died.

The Democrats also did Bush the elder the same way. If you don't get cuts UP FRONT, the Democrats will never come through as promised. In this area, they will lie every time and not lose a moments sleep, nor will they feel shame at lying. In fact, never give them ANY revenue increase until the cuts are made, or you'll never see them. They'll make a mockery of the numbers and show you a cut that doesn't exist.

I don't want to drive like these people...

I've said in the past that I have a theory about large cities. Everyone lives so close together that the pressure squeezes their brains. That would explain the way people in large cities drive. Green Bay was bad but Milwaukee is GB on steroids. These people are nuts with little regard for anyone else. Age and gender don't seem to matter. Now, of course this is a generalization. There are good drivers in this area. I've seen all 2 of them. Folks, don't tailgate, or wait till the last second to hit the brakes. These 2 things leave you no room for error. It is but for the grace of God that there aren't more traffic fatalities. Trust me on this, I do it for a living. Pay attention. Does life mean so little to you? Sometimes, I wonder.

Hello West Allis...

2011-07-29T07:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it's now a done deal. I am a resident of West Allis, in Milwaukee county. Moving sucks. I've decided that I will start a moving fund so that next time, someone else can lug this stuff up and down stairs! I like my apartment, but have discovered an ant problem that I'll have to take up with the land lord. Kind of a bummer, that. Now that everything is in here, I get the joy of unpacking. I finished the Kitchen this morning, so the place is less cluttered. I was in my last place for 7 years. Needless to say, I had much I didn't need. Emphasis on the word HAD. Now, everything is here in this apartment, so I've pared down quite a bit. Do yourself a favor. Go through your stuff, and simplify your life. Decide what you don't really have a use for and get rid of it. Should you ever move, you'll be glad you did. George Carlin had it spot on in his routine called "A place for your stuff". When you run out of room for the stuff you have, you need to move to a bigger place so you have more room for your stuff. Of course, since you have more room, you need more..... stuff! For myself, I've decided to go closer to the spartan side of life. Get back to basics. Anyway, Hello, south east Wisconsin!

Beck on Israel

2011-07-21T15:57:00.000-05:00

Amazing that a country so small is hated by so many. America must stand with Israel, or she has no future. The World has show it's fickleness when it comes to Israel. We must not.

Thoughts on the Recalls..

2011-07-19T12:09:00.000-05:00

I haven't blogged much, if any, on this. As far as the re-calls of the Democrat senators that left the State, I agree with them. Their job was to be fighting for what they believe. The Republicans didn't like the way Doyle and the Democrats did things, but they didn't run away like pussies. They stayed and fought, knowing they'd lose. I guess you can't expect that from Democrat pols these days. Kind of like on the National scene where the Democrat controlled Senate hasn't passed a budget in over 2 years. Yet Reid et al come out and blame the Republicans for damn near everything. The media, with their lips firmly on the Democrat 'members', public opinion is easily turned. Kind of like the CBS poll people tout as "proof" that 'he who shall remain nameless on this blog' is seen as reasonable. Of course, they don't mention that of those polled, only 25% were Republicans. Kind of skewed, but then, they're Democrats. What it boils down to is this. If true spending cuts Nationally are not realized, we're done. TRUE spending cuts, not the screw job Democrats did Reagan and Bush the elder with that never materialized. As far as Wisconsin goes, if the people of this State decide to go back to the unchecked spending of the Doyle/Democrat years, to hell with them. This State won't be fit for those who think they should keep most of the fruits of their labor. To quote a character from one of my favorite movies, "That's all I have to say about that."

Kind of Hard

2011-07-16T13:48:00.000-05:00

It's kind of hard not to be angry at the situation this Country finds itself in. We have a National Debt that can't be repaid. We have a president who lies, distorts and uses scare tactics like he was born to it. We have Democrats who will never be satisfied until they run every facet of our lives and tax everyone to the poor house. We have a Republican party that is, for the most part, gutless, not willing to fight for what they know to be right. You're going to be painted as the bad guys no matter what. The media have their collective lips around the current occupants member, and will defend him at all costs. Are you surprised that certain black race pimps are already saying you're racist for resisting their messiah? What have you got to lose? Your self respect? If you had any, it's been gone for a while. So yes, I'm pissed. We're watching the destruction of America being capped off by the current administrations policies. And people are more interested in American Idol.

Saturday Randomness...

2011-07-09T22:10:00.002-05:00

"During the course of administration, and in order to disturb it, the artillery of the press has been levelled against us, charged with whatsoever its licentiousness could devise or dare. These abuses of an institution so important to freedom and science are deeply to be regretted, inasmuch as they tend to lessen its usefulness and to sap its safety." --Thomas Jefferson, Second Inaugural Address, 1805

Think on this statement. It's appropriate today, as the main stream media pretty much sides with the Democrat party, often skewing it's reporting, or not reporting all the facts. Now, are they monolithic in their support of the D party? Not totally. Once a Democrat poll is beyond saving, they'll usually go after them and then plead objectivity. It's a lie, of course. Kind of like the democrat clones who suck at the teat of Media Matters and go around droning FOX lies. For myself, I care not anymore if a President is from either party. They should receive the same scrutiny from the press. Of course, as we've seen, especially with the current occupant, that is not the case. It bodes evil for this Nation, when the press picks sides so brazenly. The media is not worthy of the term 'The Fourth Estate', nor should they, like politicians, be trusted.

Good analysys by Nick Gillespie at Reason Magazine on the so-called debt ceiling. Here's a piece;

The debt-limit debate has to be properly understood in its larger context of a country whose spending has effectively run amok for at least the past 10 years, during which time federal spending has increased by over 60 percent in inflation-adjusted dollars. On top of that, we're in a situation where last year, for the first time since new budgeting procedures were put in place in 1974, the government failed to actually pass a budget—despite the president's party holding both houses of Congress. And there's every indication that there won't be a budget for fiscal 2012. Indeed, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), the same guy who failed to move last year, is at it again now. Given that the two budgets currently in serious play—Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) and Barack Obama's—envision a government spending $1 trillion and $2 trillion more in 2021, respectively, than we are currently spending, budgetary gridlock may not be the worst thing that can happen. But it reveals not simply some sort of ideological stand-off but absolute incompetence, of the kind that even the most anti-government libertarian doesn't want to believe.

The news today is awash with stories about how the Dems are offering long-range budget plans that offer two-to-one, three-to-one, even four-to-one cuts in spending versus tax increases. As Reuters' James Pethokoukis has argued, if past performance is any indication of future screwings, there's no reason to believe any of that kind of talk. At the same time, GOP types need to face the fact that we can't keep spending $700 billion or more on defense while keeping Medicare going full steam ahead and never touching Social Security, which represents a sacred bond by which relatively wealthy old people fleece relatively poor young people. Something has got to give, because we're out of money.

For myself, I think the Republicans need to realize something. If they cave, and allow tax increases, not only will they lose support from many Conservatives and TEA party members, but, the Democrats and their sycophantic media lap dogs will blame them for the tax increases come election time. The truth won't matter, as it hasn't in the past. Just listen to the current occupants speeches and you'll understand. Also, see above comment from Jefferson. We have an immoral media feeding an immoral and mentally lazy people a constant stream of lies and half truths that most won't check out. What do you think the out come will be?

Now we come to 2 columns by Dr. Walter Williams. The first, on Slavery;

Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., referring to his race and the Constitution on John Stossel's recent show "The State Against Blacks," said, "I wasn't even considered three-fifths of a guy." The Rev. Al Sharpton, debating on Sean Hannity's show, said, "Any black, at any age at any stage, was three-fifths of a human." Even eminent historian John Hope Franklin charged the founders with "degrading the human spirit by equating five black men with three white men." Statements such as those either represent ignorance or are part of the leftist agenda to demean the founding principles of our nation by portraying the nation's founders as racists. Let's look at the origin of the three-fifths clause.

Northern delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention and those opposed to slavery wished to count only free people of each state for the purpose of representation in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. Southerners wanted to count slaves just as any other person. By counting slaves, who didn't have a right to vote, slave states would have had greater representation in the House and the Electoral College. If slaveholding states could not have counted slaves, the Constitution would not have been ratified and there would not be a union. The compromise was for slaves to be counted as three-fifths of a person in deciding representation in the House and Electoral College. The compromise reduced the power of slave states relative to the South's original proposal but increased it over the North's original proposal.

My questions for those who condemn the three-fifths compromise are: Would blacks have been better off if slaves had been counted as a whole person? Should the North not have compromised at all and a union not have come into being? Would Rangel and Sharpton have agreed with Southerners at the Constitutional Convention, who argued slaves should "stand on an equality with whites" in determining congressional representation and Electoral College votes? Abolitionist Frederick Douglass understood the compromise, saying that the three-fifths clause was "a downright disability laid upon the slaveholding states" that deprived them of "two-fifths of their natural basis of representation."

One of the Founders also said regarding Slavery, "When I remember that our God is a Just God, I tremble for my Country." Of course, that doesn't play into the mantra of 'Only Democrats can save you from those evil racist Republicans/Conservatives/white people', now does it.

Now, on Black Racists;

Last year, four black Skidmore College students yelled racial slurs while they beat up a white man because he was dining with a black man. Skidmore College's first response was to offer counseling to one of the black students charged with the crime. In 2009, a black Columbia University professor assaulted a white woman during a heated argument about race relations. According to interviews and court records obtained and reported by Denver's ABC affiliate (Dec. 4, 2009), black gangs roamed downtown Denver verbally venting their hatred for white victims before assaulting and robbing them during a four-month crime wave. Earlier this year, two black girls beat a white girl at a McDonald's, and the victim suffered a seizure. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel ordered an emergency shutdown of the beaches in Chicago because mobs of blacks were terrorizing families. According to the NBC affiliate there (June 8, 2011), a gang of black teens stormed a city bus, attacked white victims and ran off with their belongings.

Racist black attacks are not only against whites but also against Asians. In San Francisco, five blacks beat an 83-year-old Chinese man to death. They threw a 57-year-old woman off a train platform. Two black Oakland teenagers assaulted a 59-year-old Chinese man; the punching knocked him to the ground, killing him. At Philly's South Philadelphia High School, Asian students report that black students routinely pelt them with food and beat, punch and kick them in school hallways and bathrooms as they hurl racial epithets such as "Hey, Chinese!" and "Yo, Dragon Ball!" The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund charged the school district of Philadelphia with "deliberate indifference" toward black victimization of Asian students.

Read both columns, they're quite good. Now, many on the left, especially blacks, dismiss and pillory those like Williams, or Clarence Thomas, or Thomas Sowell who dared leave the Democrat Plantation and dare to be Conservative. Racism is color-blind, I like to say. After all, we are all fallen HUMAN beings, subject to the same character flaws, no matter what you look like.

West Allis bound..

2011-07-03T14:32:00.000-05:00

I hate moving. I've been here in the Bay for 7 years now. Ah, well. Responsibilities and all that. I looked at places last weekend, and settled on a place in West Allis. Nice, though, more expensive than I'm used to. I'll have shelter for my bike, however. One MUST have priorities! On the down side, I'll be living in... gulp... Milwaukee County. I'll have to research and find out who my Reps are. Anyway, plenty of places around, and a larger selection of food in the grocery stores. Hell, there are more grocery stores to choose from! What was that ones the Democrats wanted to boycott? Oh, yes! Sendicks, wasn't it? I know where a few of those are. I'm also looking forward to Brennan's! potato salad! Also looking forward to possibly meeting a few of the conservative bloggers that reside in the area as well. Also, it'll be good to see Capper and Tim as well. That's one of the nice things about the web. You meet some decent people that more than make up for the trolls. Closer to family also. Now, I'll have to check a few churches in the area out. I'll spend the next month moving, however. That truly sucks. Did I say that already?

Mordor on the Potomac...

2011-06-27T18:35:00.000-05:00

Washington D.C., Regans 'shining city on a hill', now more resembles an archetype of Mordor. A leader who thinks he's an emperor, and a Congress without the spine to confront him on Constitutional grounds over Libya. Republican or Democrat, they ought to hang their heads in shame at their lack of sack. Not only that, they've ceded their Constitutional power to this Statist usurper and allowed him to go around them without so much as a whimper. They've forgotten that they should be Americans first. That this Nation became great BECAUSE of the Constitution, and what Washington called Divine Providence, not in spite of it.

No help from the media either. They've abdicated their responsibility to be the watchdog, the Fourth Estate if you will, and have chosen a side. So, they'll only report what THEY feel is fit to print, or, when hard up, will get the best ratings. They will negatively report on one side more than the other. They are little more than lap dogs with delusions of superiority. Washington is a cesspool, a festering boil. Of course, many won't realize this, or do but deny it. It's easier to close your eyes than to see what we have allowed it to become.

As long as we keep allowing representatives who pass things like the Patriot Act, or the TSA, and spend money like the bill will never come due to remain in Washington, we will merit the bondage we'll be delivered into. Eventually, the system will collapse. We can't tax our way out of it. We can only stop spending, and stop allowing Government to be our master. As has been said, and proven, you could take every penny that the rich, and that corporations earn for a year, every penny, and it wouldn't make much of a dent to our debt. I know there are some who are envious, and think that the rich deserve it. There will always be the jealous types. Yet, the fact remains, it will be very painful, but America can dig her way out, and become the Nation that people look to for light and liberty. The question which remains to be answered is this; Are we still that type of a people? I think we'll find out quite soon.

It Starts with the People...

2011-06-19T08:49:00.000-05:00

Where do America's problems begin? With corrupt politicians? Nope. With a Federal Government slowly sloughing towards tyranny? Also, nope. It begins with 'We the People..". We are at fault for the state of American. "How can that be?" you say. "They're corrupt a-holes who refuse to listen to us!" Umm... We elect them. If 'we' didn't send them back, if 'we' insisted on honor, honesty and integrity, do you think we'd be in the trouble we're in now? If Christians hadn't fallen for the lie that one must separate politics from Christianity, or the Bible, do you really think, that with the peoples vigilance, the Federal Government would have the power it has? That a President, such as the current occupant, could so brazenly usurp power reserved for Congress? No, I say.

My first example is Sheila Jackson Lee (D) of the 18th District in Texas. That's the Houston area. Before we get to her most recent show of sheer ineptness and idiocy, let's look at some from her past. When she was at NASA, she asked if they had cameras that still showed the American flag on... wait for it... Mars. She also said that there were 2 Viet Nam's, working together side by side. Now, the latest. She is a member of the committee that Congressman King (R) of New York chairs on Muslim radicalism. So, what does she do? She compares 'radical' Islam to so-called christian radicals. She said they wanted to subvert a woman's 'Constitutional?' right to abortion, among other supposed crimes. Umm, I have news for her, and those idiotic enough to 'think' like her. So-called christian radicals didn't murder 3000 people. They don't behead those who disagree with. They don't blow up children on school buses, nor fire rockets, nor slaughter families, and then celebrate. They also don't call for the wholesale slaughter of another country. In fact, I put it to you, that it is American Muslims that would be considered heretics, or even infidels by a majority of the Middle Eastern Muslims, as well as those in Indonesia. Killing the unbeliever is in the Qur'an. It is not in the New Testament.

Now, could Sheila Jackson Lee do this on her own? No. Her district sends her back. I think these examples speak volumes about the people of her district. It also says much about the rest of us. In general terms, Americans have become takers. They feel they are owed something from the rest of us. There are also plenty who think it's their right to take from those of us who produce, and give to those who don't. Do some who don't produce need the help? Yes, and many don't begrudge them the help. Yet, there are plenty of leeches on the dole. yet, some cry foul when we call for reform.

It speaks to the character of the American people, when a President, like the current occupant, ignores Congress with regards to the Libyan adventure, and Congress meekly sits back and does nothing, and few people dare to call it wrong. Or, the current occupant continues the policies of the Patriot Act, that Bush wrongly put in place with a willing Congress. There are examples of republicans as well. The point is, corrupt politicians reflect the character, or lack, of the populace. In other words, we are reaping what we've sown. Until WE demand good moral character and integrity from ourselves, how can we demand it from our Masters? Make no mistake, the road we're on will lead to Masters instead of Representatives.

My solution? Christians need to get involved. We need to be involved in politics, to not be embarrassed of our Faith. We need to hold our leaders, and ourselves, accountable. That's all leaders, from the Federal level down to Church leadership. If Christians were standing on sound Biblical doctrine, do you think that practicing gays would be ordained? Do you think that a pastor or priest would be allowed to molest boys for years? Do you think these wolves among us would have followers for their heresies like 'name it, claim it' or the 'prosperity' gospel? No! The same holds true for those in business. If you are of low morals and character, you won't be in business long. The same should be doubly true for those we elect to lead. Until the standards are raised, we will continue our decline. It begins with us. Seeking Gods guidance, his Providence, as many of the Founders said, with all our hearts. To remember that God created all, thus we are stewards of all. That means politics and government, not just preaching the Gospel. I didn't always think this way. I woke up. Will you?

You can't hide Christ..

2011-06-09T15:10:00.000-05:00

One of the Founders, I don't remember which, said that the Constitution was designed for a moral and virtuous people. It will suffice for no other. As one can see from our culture, we are no longer either moral or virtuous. I speak in general terms, of course, as we all know people that are. We strive for that ourselves. As a whole though, we are not. Who is to blame? Many would say the politicians. To a point, they would be correct. That said, it would be completely correct to say that WE are at fault, as it is we who have come to accept corruption, and to re-elect it. Particularly we who claim Christ as our Savior. We have fallen for the progressive lie that faith, that our Christianity, is a private thing, not to be uttered in the public square.

It is we, collectively, who abandoned our responsibility to live Christ. His Great Commission to "spread the Good News!" People thought that, since we're in the world, not of the world, that it was ok to remove ourselves from anything that might taint our 'holiness'. We fell for a social gospel that is a lie from the pit of Hell. We didn't fight for the Truth of the Gospel, and now it's being perverted before our eyes. We fell for the lie that politicians should keep their faith separate from their job. That is a lie! If you take Christ as your Lord, how could you possibly separate Him from any part of your life. If you think you can, maybe you should re-examine your 'belief'.

1st Corinthians tells us "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." Do we not receive the Holy Spirit? Should we not be guided by the Holy Spirit in all we do? How should we live in the world? In the spirit of God, or the spirit of Antichrist? From Myths, Lies & Half Truths by Gary Demar;

"We are so used to thinking of spirituality as withdrawal from the world and human affairs that it is hard to think of it as political. Spirituality is personal and private, we assume, while politics is public. But such a dichotomy drastically diminishes spirituality, construing it as a relationship to God without implications for one's relationship to the surrounding world. Of course, this is what Humanists hope Christians continue to believe as they pursue the realm of politics with a vengeance. The notion that we can be related to God and not to the world- that we can practice a spirituality that is not political- is in conflict with the Christian understanding of God. God created the realm of politics in the same way that he created the family and the Church."

Diet Eman, who lived in Nazi Germany says "..when you are a Christian and profess that God is almighty, there is no single area of life from which you can eliminate God." I have said myself, there is no way I can separate my belief in Christ from any area of my flawed and sinful life. His is the standard. I can no more separate Him than I could my lungs and still live. He is my life. Make no mistake, I AM a sinner. I am humiliated daily by my inability to get through even a single hour without a sin. Yet, I am made righteous by His blood, made acceptable before God by His sacrifice. So tell me, seriously, how does one separate that kind of faith? You can't.

Unfortunately, many so-called believers have done just that. They've allowed themselves to be cowed by a politically correct and heretical society. They're afraid of being called homophobes, or intolerant by the hypocrites. Are you embarrassed by Christ, or the truth of Gods word? If you won't stand up for Him, what makes you think He'll stand up for you? We all will be called to an accounting. Because Christians became silent and fearful, our entire society is in danger of falling into a dark age. We need to re-discover the boldness of Christ. To not be afraid to speak the truth, in Love, no matter the consequences. Otherwise, the culture, even America itself, will be lost. Pray, Trust, and SPEAK OUT! Remember, any day could be your last day. You could be the person God uses to change someones life. it's not to late until life ends, so, speak up.

Shots from the drivers seat..

2011-06-08T11:47:00.001-05:00

The top shot is from US 53 coming down Miller Hill in Duluth looking at the twin ports. Pretty in winter, eh?

Next is one of the reasons I still love this job. That's a Peterbuilt 379 extended hood. It's customized for truck shows, but is a working truck. Love them Pete's!

Third shot is of the Edward Ryerson, a Great Lakes ship. It's been in dry dock in Superior since last fall. They only use it during the busiest times as it's not a self-unloader. thus, it take 3 to 4 times as long to off load.

The forth shot is the top of the bridge heading into Duluth from Superior. Hello Minnesota!

Next, the flying garbage can looking for some food. I tossed him some bologna.

Next, a little couple eying the truck for a possible nest.

Lastly, southbound US 53 in Northern Wisconsin. Beautiful country.

Just so you know, no vehicles were next to, or behind me when I shot these, and I used the auto-focus on my camera.

Where do you go?

2011-05-21T21:25:00.000-05:00

That's the question for many conservatives. We see the Democrat Party controlled by the far left. Their actions, including those of the current occupant, are anathema to continued freedom. Yet, the Republican Party offers little comfort. The current crop, for the most part, seem gutless and unwilling to take on the current occupant for fear of the liars and Dem sycophants in the media calling them racist. So, where does one go? Seriously. I mean, come on, Romney? Pawlenty? Palin? Ugh. Is it any wonder many people don't have good feelings about the future of America?

Evil

2011-05-19T13:35:00.000-05:00

Many people are uncomfortable with the concept of Evil. By Evil, I mean Satan, Lucifer, enemy of God type Evil, as a point of understanding. These same people are also uncomfortable with ascribing Evil to actions by people, groups or Nations. As a follower, however poorly, of the Christ, I know Evil is real. There is much evidence of it today. I also think that calling it what it is, and resisting it, along with prayer is the only way to defeat it. I didn't always think this way.

So, what do I see as Evil? Let's start with the target of Satan's hatred. The Jews, and Israel. Dennis Prager writes about the Jews "chosen-ness" at World Net Daily. I think, in,many ways, he's spot on. He writes;

Perhaps the greatest evidence for the Jews' chosen-ness has been provided in modern times, during which time evil has consistently targeted the Jews:

Nazi Germany was more concerned with exterminating the Jews than with winning World War II.
Throughout its 70-year history, the Soviet Union persecuted its Jews and tried to extinguish Judaism. Hatred of Jews was one thing communists and Nazis shared.
The United Nations has spent more time discussing and condemning the Jewish state than any other country in the world. Yet, this state is smaller than every Central American country, including El Salvador, Panama and even Belize. Imagine if the amount of attention paid to Israel were paid to Belize – who would not think there was something extraordinary about that country?
Much of the contemporary Muslim world – and nearly all the Arab world – is obsessed with annihilating the one Jewish state.

Earlier in the column, he writes that without the Jews, there would be no Christianity. He is correct, as Jesus was a Jew. The Messiah of the world came to us through God's chosen ones, the Jews. He also writes that Islam would not have happened without the Jews. Consider. Ishmael, the son of Abraham and Hagar, is held in highest regard, and considered the father of the Arabs, and, supposedly, an ancestor of Mohamed. Genesis 16:12 says "... he will have enmity towards his brothers.." Mainly Isaac, first born of Abraham and Sarah. Also, if you look at Islam, you see a mix of Judaism and Christianity in it. That is, until Mo was rejected by Jews and Christians, then, no more mister nice guy. The point is, the world hates the Jews and Israel. This has been shown time and again. The Arabs and Muslims always will. The continued attempt by Arab and Islamic Nations to destroy Israel, now, with the seeming help of the UN and the US State dept, along with the current occupants administration, is Evil.

Now, the current occupant speaks of Israel returning to the 1967 borders! That is a betrayal! That would give Jerusalem to the muslims. They have already destroyed much of the temple mount artifacts in an effort to wipe out proof of the Jewish Temple. They are doing this in much the same way they wish to wipe out the Jews. The c.o. knows this. Yet he would tell Israel to give up so much? That would be signing their death warrant. Tiny Israel, obama'd again. Yes. To me, his name is now an epithet. I can only utter his name as a curse. To expect that the Arabs will negotiate in good faith, or acknowledge Israel's rite to exist, the cursed one is either a fool, or doesn't care due to his arrogance.

He talks of a free press. What a hypocrite. A Boston paper runs an op-ed by Romney, and the cursed one denies them access. His war against FOX News, the only news org that won't bow down and felate him also shows his hypocrisy. No, I'm not surprised that the left continues to support him. These days, many on the left are synonymous with censoring the opposition. Instead of brown shirts, they wear purple. His end runs around Congress also prove his hypocrisy. He couldn't get a lot of his crap through, so he writes executive orders, or has his lackey's issue 'regulations' ie; the EPA. There's you hope-less change. He's destroying this Nation one piece at a time. Despicable.

Thoughts from Duluth...

2011-05-05T17:59:00.001-05:00

The current occupant invited Bush the younger to the WTC site. Bush declined. He said it was because he wanted to stay out of the spot light.(Jimmy? Taking notes?) Classy, but then, that's to be expected. I wonder if he considered the classless, to be expected, way the c.o. did Paul Ryan. Invite him over, then flat out lie about his plan. Of course, that's typical for the current occupant. He speaks from both sides of his mouths. In fact, he lies as smoothly and naturally as Nixon did.

Caramel Apple Spice. Think on that. Starbucks has something I like besides their dark roast. It tastes like liquid apple pie.

I delivered a load of flour to Clyde's Donuts in Addison, Il on Tuesday. I had a moral crisis before hand. You see, the current occupant's wife is on a campaign against obesity. Here was I, bringing in flour to make... gulp... DONUTS! Oh! The Humanity! I am filth! Waste! Worthlessness! I am contributing to the fattening of the childrens! Then, I slapped myself. After all, it's ONLY Chicagoland!

Lastly, a praise report. Thanks to God, I hit (pardon the word) my 1 million safe miles with my company. I even got a congrats from the VP of Safety. Cool, eh?

Re-enslavement

2011-04-26T09:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am being Politically Incorrect. Again. I read this column by Mychal Massie and thought that it needed to be read by others. Here's some;

Where's Sharpton, where's Jackson, and for that matter, where's Obama and Holder? What am I talking about? I'm talking about the vicious beating a young white transgendered "woman" suffered at the hands of two black girls, one of whom was only 14 years old. Pursuant to Obama-Holder, will they treat this as they have the case involving the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case, i.e., if you ain't black it don't matter?

I should here state in the strongest possible terms my condemnation of homosexuality, transgenderism, etc. But just as my objection to sexual perversion is based upon biblical precedent, so too is my condemnation of this hateful act.

Obama was quick to inject himself into the Cambridge, Mass., Police Department doing its job when they properly questioned professor Henry Louis Gates to make sure he was alone and not being forced to say so by an unseen villain hiding inside his house. Why hasn't he been as quick to condemn this act? I'm not surprised by Holder's silence, considering his staunch refusal to seat a panel to investigate the NBPP case in Philadelphia.

Why did it take nearly a week for this attack to come to light? And if it had not been for the ego of the McDonald's employee who videotaped the beating with his cell phone, would it have been made public at all? Which question begs the answer of how many instances like this happen every day that go unreported to the public. How quickly would it have been reported had the beaters been white and the victim black?

Massie goes on to list incidents where there was a rush to judgement by the race hustlers, current occupant included, that later proved to be wrong. Appolgies from the hustlers? Forget it. The media? NOT! Where does one go to get their reputation back? He also takes to task the likes of Hannity, and, I would add, O'Reilly, who kiss the butts of these hustlers like Sharpton. It's really quite disgusting. Now, we come to the column by Dennis Prager with regards to the Welfare State. He writes;

In the contemporary world, where left-wing attitudes are regarded as normative, it is a given that capitalism, with its free market and profit motive, emanates from and creates selfishness, while socialism, the welfare state and the "social compact," as it is increasingly referred to, emanate from and produce selflessness.

The opposite is the truth.

Whatever its intentions, the entitlement state produces far more selfish people – and, therefore, a far more selfish society – than a free-market economy. And once this widespread selfishness catches on, we have little evidence that it can be undone.

Here's an illustration: Last year, President Obama addressed a large audience of college students on the subject of health care. At one point in his speech, he announced that the students will now be able to remain on their parents' health insurance plan until age 26. I do not ever recall hearing a louder, more thunderous and sustained applause than I did then. I do not believe that if the president had announced that a cure for cancer had been discovered the applause would have been louder or longer.

It is depressing to listen to that applause. To be told that one can be dependent on one's parents until age 26 should strike a young person who wants to grow up as demeaning, not as something to celebrate.

Throughout American history, the natural – or at least hoped for – inclination of a young person was to become a mature adult, independent of Mom and Dad, and to become a grownup. But in the welfare state, this is no longer the case.

Read both columns through. When I was approaching the age of 18, I couldn't wait to get out on my own. It was the holy grail, turning 18. I was a legal adult, I could make my own decisions. I was free! It was a great adventure. Did I make mistakes? You're damn right I did. I learned quickly that I didn't know everything like most of us do at that age. There wasn't a safety net to catch me either, nor rich parents. I had to grow up. Today? Not so much. The sense of entitlement is truly amazing to me. Americans today are diminished. The 'Great Society' has only served to re-enslave blacks, destroy families, and obliterate morals. Such a society declines quickly, as we are seeing today. One of the harshest punishments you can give someone is to let them suffer the consequences of their actions. America is guarenteed to suffer that. It's too late to turn back.

So, what can those of us who still believe in the Founders vision do? We can do what they did. Resist the collapse, even if it's tilting at windmills. We can shout the truth from the roof tops while we are still free to do so. We can refuse to be cowed into silence by the thug tactics of the left. We can hold those we elect to the fire, to keep them from becoming squishy, as they so often do. Mostly, we can pray. That is something that must be first and foremost. We must never give in to what we know to be wrong. No compromise on what's right, good and true. We owe that much to those who fought and gave all that this land might become a Nation. We owe that much to our God, who blessed us with our birth into this once land of the free. Look around. You see a country that has begun to turn away from God. Look at the results. It's not pretty, but, it was predictable. No God, no peace. Know God, know peace. A corny saying, but a true one. Trust no government, no politician. Trust God alone. He is worthy.

Hell, Evil, and His call...

2011-04-25T10:34:00.000-05:00

Vox pretty much hits it with his column on hell and his follow up on Evil. From last week;

Bell tells Time that he wonders if "there is a massive shift coming in what it means to be a Christian," that "something new is in the air." But there is nothing new about yet another wolf in sheep's clothing attempting to strip Jesus Christ from Christianity. There will be no change in what it actually means to be a Christian. There will merely be more people like the members of Bell's Mars Hill Bible Church and the secular cult formerly known as the Episcopalian Church who call themselves Christians without demonstrating any respect for the teachings or the sacrifice of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

What passes for Bell's theology is particularly pernicious as it strikes at the very heart of the Christian faith. Whereas tertiary issues such as the endorsement of homosexual marriage, female pastors and secular political issues testify to the spiritual decline of a church, they are consequential in nature and reflect the decline rather than causing it. But Bell's teachings eviscerate Christianity itself, as they not only remove the very purpose for the Word becoming flesh, but render both the Crucifixion and the Resurrection entirely irrelevant.

About Evil;

For centuries, philosophers have wrestled with the so-called problem of evil. They have attempted to define the nature and the character of evil and to provide explanations for the persistence of its existence. Many of them have been Christians and, indeed, the problem of evil is a major stumbling block to belief in the existence of God for many individuals. It is not uncommon for those struck by tragedy to question their faith, or even to lose it, since they are unable to balance the notion of personal suffering with the existence of a God who claims to love them.

The problem with this reasoning is that it is fundamentally at odds with the very heart of Christianity. Christianity does not postulate that the world is a good place. Jesus repeatedly declared that the world hated him and it would hate those who loved him. Christianity does not claim that God is presently in control of events; when Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus rejected the offer but did not claim that it was spurious. And, indeed, Jesus twice spoke of "the prince of this world" as a being who was coming to kill him but would ultimately be driven out by Jesus' death.

Christianity does not have a problem of evil because it requires evil for the great historical event celebrated yesterday to have any meaning at all. Just as I wrote last week that the Crucifixion and Resurrection make no sense if man is not at risk of hell, they make no sense in a world that is not given over to evil. But if Christianity has no problem of evil, Christians most certainly have a problem with evil.

Read them both.

This goes along with those who claim Jesus was a "good man" or a "Good Teacher". It's a lie. Either He was who He said He was, or he was a mad man. He leaves NO middle ground. Christ warned us to beware of wolves in sheeps clothing. They are gateways to death. They are also easy to spot if you remain centered in God and Christ. Measure what these false christ's say by what Christ actually said. The truth will win out in the end, but many will fall by the wayside. Remember the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13.

God calls to all through Christ. Not all will respond. They will hear and discount, disbelieve, or be hostile to His truth. Thus, the final judgement is perfectly just. God holds us accountable. None of humanity, not even the Pope, would be able to stand righteous before God were it not for the Sacrifice of Jesus. HE is our Righteousness. His blood washed away our sins, and opened the way to God. Do you think it unfair that if you reject Him, you will stand condemned? NO! That is perfect justice! You had the message before you. You CHOSE to reject it, to live your life apart from Him. He gives you exactly what you wanted in the end. That end is for all eternity. You would dare to accuse God? Search yourself, if you have the guts. Look deep within yourself, as I did. I didn't like what I saw. He can cleanse you. He can heal your hurts. He calls. Will you answer?

Just Sayin'...

2011-04-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

I was sitting at the Miller Hill Mall Tuesday afternoon. I was parked in the dock on break as I didn't unload until Wednesday morning.There are many examples I could use, but this one suffices. I saw this woman walking into the mall wearing shorts so short that her butt cheeks were hanging out a bit, and her top was quite tight. She was an attractive woman and all that, but a thought came to mind. Many women complain at men ogling them. They say it's not right and it makes them feel uncomfortable. Just a thought, but, if you're going to put it out there for everyone to see, what do you expect? Most men will look. Some will stare, for lack of manners. Most of these will do nothing more. There are, however, those twisted ones who will take it as an invitation. There are those who don't even need that type of dress. They just feel entitled to take what they want. So my question is this. Why would you, forgive the term, expose yourself so blatantly. Actions have consequences. Sometimes, unpleasantly so. Just sayin'

From Elvis Nixon:

The hilarious premise of the monster movie? A sect of Christians and their "homophobia" are defeated by noble "gays" and the ATF.

The Times reported "gasps" from the audience as the films "Minister" preached a hate filled rant against homosexual sodomy. How "brave" of Smith to attack Christianity... in Hollywood of all places!

We eagerly await his Islam bashing film that shows the "humor" of gays being beheaded in Iran or Saudi Arabia.

When is the Times going to praise those who dare to speak out against THAT group?

I think the point is that the Times uses an incredibly hypocritical double standard.

Evangelicals do NOT behead homosexuals.

Christians, Orthodox Jews, Conservative Jews and all Muslims condemn homosexuality as a sin.

Why is it OK to make a film where Christians are "monsters"?

Would it be OK with you if Jews or Muslims were presented as monsters and the villains in a horror film?
This film is a HATE CRIME. Smith gets away with his HATE because he targets Christians and Christianity.

IF Kevin Smith made a film with precisely the SAME storyline but depicted the "monsters" as Jews ALL the civilized world would see him for the narrow minded bigot that he is.

Following the Josef Goebbells model the leftist characterizes Christians as "rats" and presents them as "mentally ill" and less than human.
The fans of Kevin Smith and films such as"Red State" lead directly to Auschwitz and the Gulags.

Show me in the New Testament where Christ commands his followers to kill non-believers. You can't. It's not in there. Does he call on sinners to repent? Yes. Here's what the haters of Christianity fail to tell you. By Christs' standard, God's standard, we are ALL OF US sinners. Not just gays. Sadly, throughout history, MEN have perverted the message of the Gospel, turned the Good News into a curse. Here in America, people are not taught to think things through. They've been indoctrinated by one side, and raised on sound bites. Read the New Testament, and tell me I'm wrong. Just sayin'.

One side in this country constantly uses racism and class ism as weapons in their quest for power. From WND:

Several school districts in Minnesota are being criticized for sending teachers – in the midst of budget shortfalls that have prompted the layoffs of some educators – to a Minneapolis conference that is giving them instruction in "white privilege" and how it should be defeated.

Later:

He said that, "Christianity has also played a key role in developing and justifying systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, colonialism and genocide. … Racism also had its beginning in Christianity as the distinction between Christians and non-Christians took on a biological difference during the Inquisitions, when it was decided that Jews and Muslims who converted were false converts because they did not have clean blood… This was the beginning of modern or biological racism."

Got news for you, tribes of people have been making slaves of those they conquered for thousands of years, not just whites. Also, there is NO justification in the New Testament for the Inquisition. It was done by evil men, not true followers of Christ. Of course, when you're trying to capture the culture, and seize power, the truth is often the first casualty.

Here's one more section of the column:

Columnist Warner Todd Huston took a decidedly critical tone over the events.

"Alright you evil, rotten, racist, white oppressors, it's time once again for the 'White Privilege Conference,' this year to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota… Come on out you white teachers so we can get your rotten minds right about how racist you are and so that you can go back to your students and let them know how racist they are," he wrote.

He described the "problem" as multiculturalism.

"We are all the same, you see, Indians, Hispanics, Blacks, all at harmony and all equal … well, unless you are a whitey, of course. If you are a whitey, well you have some splanin' to do! … It's about time you admitted your malevolence, dang it!"

The "cure" offered by the conference is "a weekend of indoctrination on white's crimes all for the ultimate education of our children back home in our schools. You see, the kids are all right … as long as they ain't white," he wrote.

Divide and conquer, convince your controlled proles that anyone who disagrees is evil. This is how Freedom devolves to tyranny. The Founders warned us this could happen, as it has throughout History. Most realize too late, that they were lied to. Those who forget history, and all that. Just sayin'.

Looks Like All In...

2011-04-11T10:52:00.000-05:00

Well, if you're a Conservative who believes in smaller Government and less spending as the means to this Nations very survival, you are now an extremist. If you're a TEA Party member, or, I can only assume, sympathetic to them, you are a flea, according to some in Government. So, I guess I'm an extremist flea. Ah, you have to love those paragons of toleration in this country. Well, since I'm already an extremist flea not worthy of rights, let's go all in. I'm also a Bible believing follower of Christ. There, according to some lefties, I'm worse than the muslim terrorists.

Here's something to think on. Likely, this would offend many these days.

"You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot establish security on borrowed money. You cannot build character and courage by taking away men's initiative and independence. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves." --Presbyterian clergyman William Boetcker (1873-1962)

Vox is spot on...

2011-03-30T09:38:00.000-05:00

The important thing to understand about libertarianism is that it is not ideals that drive it, but rather a cynical view of human nature. It is the anti-progressive ideology, because it is predicated on the idea that humanity cannot be improved and that government will always eventually turn on the people over whom it governs. While some libertarians wax lyrical about liberty and the free market, libertarianism is ultimately about preventing the government from killing its citizens by refusing to permit it the means or the justification to do so.

As for the similarity of liberal and libertarian rhetoric, that is easily dealt with. Modern "liberals" are liars. Even their stolen name is dishonest, as there is nothing liberal about the average "liberal"; it would be much more accurate to label them statists as their preference is almost uniformly in support of more state interference in the economy and the lives of the citizenry rather than less. Since they are intrinsically dishonest and deceptive, there is no reason to take their rhetoric seriously.

I would add that Republicans are little better. The TEA Party is finding that out. Also from Vox;

The problem is that it isn't just the Democratic opposition that isn't honest. It is the majority of the Republicans who were endorsed by the Tea Party as well. Even worse, the same accusation of dishonesty - or at least logical incoherence - can be directed at the greater part of the Tea Party itself, since most Tea Partiers support the expensive military occupations and kinetic actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and now Libya. It is impossible to simultaneously argue that the nation is near bankruptcy and that it can afford to continue its foreign military adventures and foreign aid grants. As long as the Tea Party attempts to do so, we will know it does not merit being taken seriously.

I recently read the opinion that the only way to straighten out this Country, or this State, is to elect honest people. To which I reply, in today's climate, what honest person would honestly want to put up with it?

ht Vox

Where's the Outrage?!

2011-03-30T09:17:00.000-05:00

In Israel, a family gets slaughtered and the Palestinians (Arabs of primarily Jordanian decent) celebrate and hand out treats. Then, rockets are launched from Gaza into Israel. Bibi responds, and Israel is the bad guy. What a twisted world. I also think the current occupant would not come to Israel's aid should the Arab States attack her. He seems to like the Arabs more than our ally. After WWII, Jews, and many of the Allies said "Never again!". Seeing the way the UN treats Israel, as well as the current occupant, I wouldn't be so sure.

Dear Dad,

2011-03-20T17:05:00.000-05:00

6 years ago, we had our final conversation. I was a the Citgo truck stop in Menomonie, waiting for my break to end. We talked about your job, and mine. We talked about what we were going to do when I came down in a couple of weeks. I looked forward to the beer and just hanging out with you. You were getting ready to take a nap before you went into work on your day off because the state inspectors were at the casino and your boss wanted you to take them around. We said our good byes, and, for the last time, you told me you loved me and were proud of me.

It's a mixed bag every year around this time. I remember that talk with warmth. Then, I remember the call I got the next day, 6 years ago tomorrow. My dad was gone. I remember the shock when Jenny called to tell me. I remember falling on my face after Jenny hung up and asking God for the strength to get through it and to be strong for Jenny. I remember the mental fog and shock that I brutally forced to the back of my thoughts so I could function. I don't remember the drive to Big Flats. I do remember that my new cell phone didn't work down there, and that I got a Motorola that did when I got back to the Bay. Funny how that works, isn't it?

In the last 6 years, I've tried to live so that, should I see you in Heaven, I can hear you say that I made you proud. It always warmed my heart and made my chest puff out when you said that. Silly, I know. You were my hero, Dad. You didn't mince words whenever we talked, not even about you and mom. You never made excuses. And you always loved me. Have you been watching? Have I done good? I've tried to be honest, even when it wasn't to my advantage. I've striven to do the right thing, and follow Christ, even when it was hard. I've always gotten back up after life, or my own sins have knocked me down. I've been a faithful and loving friend, and have done my best to keep my word. Have I made you proud?

I turn to the Father a lot more, now that you're gone. I know we missed so much before we met, and I'm sorry for the hard times I put you through when we were getting to know each other. I was only 15, and angry. I didn't know any better. Thank you, dad, for not giving up on me. You saw something in me that I didn't know was there. You also showed me how important a dad really is. It was late, but you showed me how to be a man. You told me not to rush into marriage, as it can have unintended consequences. I listened, dad. Many times, I wanted to get married, but I examined my motives. Maybe someday. You showed me many things that I will be forever grateful for. I only wish that, just for a moment, I could feel that bear hug we always gave each other. That you could give me your version of the vulcan neck pinch, tell me you love me, and that you're proud of me. That you could kiss me once more. Just once.

It was my deepest honor, and pleasure to know you dad. You made me a better man. You showed me a path, and I've tried to follow it. You are a part of me. I was, and am, proud to claim you as my dad. You are missed, sir, and sorely so. Yet, you are also a big part of my smile, my determination. I hope you're proud. I love you, dad. Still.

Pity the Westboro Baptists, and 1 other thought..

2011-03-19T06:04:00.000-05:00

By now, pretty much everyone knows about the so-called Westboro Baptists. They won their battle in the Supreme Court on their despicable protests at the funerals of fallen soldiers. Their mantra is "god hates fags" and their premise is that we are being punished for our Nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Now, first off, I do not like the mainstreaming of homosexuality. It has been put on a pedestal by the 'tolerant' class, and is being pushed on our kids in public schools as normal. It is not normal or natural. That aside, here is where the Westboro people are wrong. As any Christian knows, God hates sin. All sin. Not one more than another, but all sin equally. In Gods eyes, homosexuality is a sin the same as fornication or adultery or theft or taking His name in vain. Also, Christ approached most sinners with love and compassion. Yet, he still called on them to repent. He didn't say to continue in your sin. In order to repent of something, you need to stop doing it. So, why do I pity these misguided people? Think on it. They've been misled. The Gospel has been perverted and they have been enslaved by the patriarch of their family. This is happening throughout Christendom.

You have the word of faith preachers, who convince people that if they are not healed of their sickness, then it's because of their lack of faith. You have the name it, claim it preachers, who preach that you speak things into existence in your life, ie; money, health, etc. You also have the god wants you to be rich crowd, who preach that Christ was rich, and wants you to be as well. Then, you have the lefty 'christian' preachers who preach, as our current occupant believes, collective salvation. They also preach big government, etc. I don't know how they can twist the Gospel so much, nor can I understand how anyone with a modicum of sense and intelligence, can get the same message by reading the Gospel. Christ warned of wolves in sheeps clothing, and there are plenty out there. That's why I say to pity the Westboro crowd. They've been brainwashed and misled. Since they remain, and refuse to question, they will answer to God on Judgment Day. We all will. Just because one is saved doesn't mean you won't stand before Him to give account.

One other thought, with regards to the left and some supposedly 'christian' churches. I don't know if you've heard, but most of a family, including a 3 month old baby, were slaughtered in a West Bank settlement in Israel. They were slaughtered in their sleep. I've seen the pictures. Those who killed them were evil and inhuman. Also, those poor palestinians in Gaza celebrated the vile murders. CELEBRATED!!! Not a peep of condemnation fro the current occupant, his administration, or the UN. But of course, the State Department did criticize Israel, calling those settlements illegitimate. Nice. It's clear to me, by the way the current occupant has treated Israel, that Israel would do well not to rely on him for help, should the rest of the Arab and Muslim world rise up and attack. Sad to say, so-called 'christians' on the left also seem to hate Israel, and think she is the problem. Here is a fact. If Israel were disarmed today, she would be destroyed tomorrow. If the Arabs were disarmed today, there would be peace tomorrow. Has Israel made mistakes? Yes. What country hasn't? Is she the evil nation the left and much of the world makes her out to be? No. But then, the Arabs have always needed someone to blame for their shortcomings. And the world, for the most part, has always hated Jews.

I Wonder...

2011-03-17T16:48:00.000-05:00

Judging by the way some Union THUGS are acting throughout the state, with little or no outcry from their 'brothers', and the way some cops are refusing to enforce the law or protect those with differing opinions, I have to ask a question. It may seem a bit over the top, but hey, as we've seen, there is no way but their way. Anything goes with these people it seems. Death threats, damage to personal property, etc.

In a possible future, would lefties support physical attacks on anyone who opposes them? As history has shown, countries in the shape of ours tend to fall into tyranny. Usually from the left, as they are the ones with the collectivist/socialist bent. If they started rounding up those who wouldn't bend their knee to you, would you speak out, or would you support it, willingly or with your silence. Judging by the way THUGS are acting, I can't be optimistic about the answer.

The petition rally was originally scheduled at a local Merrill restaurant but was relocated after the proprietors received many phone calls and felt they needed to back out. The committee then set up in front of the Lincoln County Courthouse to offer citizens an opportunity to sign their names to the petition. Over 1,000 calls had been sent out the previous day notifying area residents of the petition rally.

Upon arrival, members of the recall committee were encircled by union protesters carrying signs and a leader with a mega phone who began chanting and ranting loudly. They packed in tightly around the petition collection table so as to prevent those attempting to sign from doing so. At one point, a pro union protester, pretending to be interested in signing the petition, wrote profanity across a partially collected petition form, than began ripping up the completed petitions that were in close proximity.

The policemen who were there, and who were standing in close proximity to these events as they unfolded, did nothing to assist those collecting the petitions as they were being destroyed, [emphasis added] despite such an action being a Felony under Wisconsin law. Police also did nothing to clear the walk way for citizens that wanted to sign the petitions. Recall Committee members received many phone calls the following day from Merill area citizens who stated that they showed up to sign the petition, but were too afraid to get out of their vehicles and approach the recall table.

Do you condone this? Can you justify this? Is "By ANY means" your motto? If so, I pity you. I also resist you, as it goes against everything our Founders stood for and put their lives on the line for.

My Dislike and distrust of Unions...

2011-03-12T10:01:00.000-06:00

As anyone who knows me is aware, I am virulently anti union. Public or private. I don't like them, nor trust them. At one time, they served a purpose. Now, they have become a blight on society. My despite of unions has it's origin in my childhood. The State workers at a center for the developmentally disabled went on strike, and left those kids to fend for themselves. When others in town voluntarily went out to help make sure they were taken care of, my mom among them, they were called scabs, etc. That did not endear me to unions. Later, in my adult life, my profession took me to union docks frequently. Ran across some decent people, at least they were, until you violated a union rule. Like the time at Dominic's in Northlake, Il. The dock foreman, Steve, and I got along quite well. I liked him quite a bit. However, that changed one day. There was a driver, in his 70's, unloading his trailer. He looked in rough shape. I went in to help him and Steve came over and told me to get out of the trailer. I told him I was helping the guy, for free, and that he looked in rough shape. I was told that it's against union rules, and if I didn't get out, I'd be forced to leave the dock, truck and all. I lost a lot of respect for him, and my despite for unions only increased. I also got banned from Roundy's back when they were in Wauwatosa for insulting a union guy. No great loss there.

Point is, public unions should never have been allowed. They've done what was feared by those who argued against allowing public workers to unionize. They bought the Democrat party. Talk about corruption. By buying a political party, they get a better deal for themselves and the tax payers get the shaft. Also, there is NO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT to unionize. As to Wisconsin, it was granted, and now, has been legally curtailed. Also, it's not about 'civil rights'. That is a flat out lie. However, since unions control what is taught, it's no wonder many students are ignorant of this, as well as what is a Constitutional right. Also, public or private, no one should have to join a union in order to get a job. That is anti-freedom. That is just a form of tyranny. No surprise that some are cool with that. After all, the ends justify the means, right? As to the recent crap by unions in Madison, and their calling for boycotts of businesses that supported Walker, go ahead, I 'll shop there and smile as I walk by your pickets.

What's your life worth?

2011-03-08T14:09:00.000-06:00

WARNING! BLACK HUMOR!

Have you ever wondered what your life is worth to the company you work for? I've learned that mine isn't worth about $4000.00. That's roughly what it would cost to put new drive tires on my rig. Lugs, not these worn out fuel efficient tires, that have little traction left. Lugs have 4 rows of knobby tread, great for traction. What I have on the truck, for the last 321,000 miles, have two rows of cross tread, not knobby. They are in the center. On either side of the cross tread, there's a rain tread for channeling water, not much good in snow. Then, just smooth rubber, about 2 inches, on either edge, also NOT good for traction. I so look forward to driving through the winter storm that's hitting my area tomorrow. I think I may make an early day of it. Since I'm worth so much. (sarcasm)

Renewal on the way to Hibbing

2011-03-04T19:04:00.000-06:00

As I was heading up US 53 towards Hibbing, Mn from Duluth, I experienced a renewal of sorts. There had been freezing fog overnight. It had left an ever so thin layer of ice coating some of the trees.This gave them an ethereal quality, as if, only for a moment, you could see them by the light of another realm, a realm where they were real beyond imagination. A realm with light of such purity, beauty, and brightness, that, if we poor creatures of this dim world were allowed to see it, we would weep with joy at the grandeur it portended, then with sorrow at it's absence from this sad place.

It renewed in my heart a spirit of joy, some of which had been absent lately. I had walled it off behind a wall of anger, as well as other sins. Suddenly, every brick of that wall I had so carefully constructed was blown into oblivion. Every fiber of my being was suffused with joy and the love of God. At that very moment, a song popped into my head, by Casting Crowns. What popped in was this;

"Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name, would care to feel my hurt?
Who am I, that the bright and morning star, would choose to light the way, for my ever wandering heart?
Not because of who I am, but because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done, but because of who You are."

I was filled to overflowing with the love and presence of God. My heart felt like it was in my throat, my eyes welled up. There was a time I would have been embarrassed to admit that. No more. Christ died on the cross. For me. He shed his blood , that I might be washed clean of my sins. He was resurrected to open the way to the Father. In Him, I am complete. I am His. He said it on the Cross: "It IS finished!" Once again, God put me through His refining fire, and, by His grace, I have emerged a better person. God withdraws from us sometimes. Though it may not feel like it, He's still there. When He's close again, WOW!

I let my anger have almost free reign for too long. I let other sin into my life. No more. None of that matters. The foolishness in Madison and DC doesn't matter. Getting right with God matters. His love matters. Redemption through Christ matters. The Good News matters. There are dark times coming our way. His light is the beacon to get through them. In Him there is a future. Not in money. Not in material things. In Him only. He is calling. Are you listening? Will you answer?

Interesting

2011-03-03T18:43:00.000-06:00

I've visited a few blogs, mostly my usual haunts. A few had the you tube of Sen. Grothman being accosted by the mob in Madison. What struck me, is the way lefty's were DEFENDING the mob! I guess if the mob gets violent, and hurts or kills someone, they'll blame the Republicans. I have to tell you, for me at least, the Democrat party in this state has earned my eternal despite. I wonder if the organizers of this protest know what a mob is capable of. How quickly a mob can turn violent if they're already whipped up with anger and hatred. The mob mentality becomes an unstable thing. You think you have things under control, then it explodes. People get hurt or killed, property gets damaged. Oh, wait! Property already has. Thanks, mob! We appreciate the $7 million in damages at the Capitol. Really.

I called Sen Hansen's office, talked with his assistant the other day. I told him I'd voted for Hansen the last 2 elections as the guys running against him stunk. I also told him I'd not make that mistake again. Look, you may not like what the Repubs are doing, but stay and fight. Instead, these cowardly sissies left the state. How despicable. I also told Hansen's man that he knew as well as I that political winds change. The Dems will be in charge again, and will likely be able to change things back. Yet, still, they stay gone. No, I'm not surprised that the left supports their move. They no longer surprise me in what they'll do to get their way. Anything to win. It used to make me sad, now, nothing. It's just another sign of the coming fall of a once great Nation. I also think it's too late to pull out of the crash. Depressing, isn't it. Maybe that's why I have few readers, and even fewer comments. Ah, well. I write what I will.

p.s. I am not a Republican. I trust the repub party only a little. The Dems, not at all.

Which is it?

2011-02-26T21:39:00.000-06:00

Psalm 8 says that .."what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor." Is man a little lower than the angels, or a little higher than the beasts? I guess it depends if you believe in God and the dignity of man. If you don't believe in God, are we merely a slightly smarter animal? I wonder this with regards to abortion. There are many in America today who have no problem with the levels that abortion has reached. They would, in fact, rather it was higher. For me, that does not compute. They say, people are going to have sex. There's no sense trying to get them to change their ways. So, there will be more un-planned pregnancies, so abortions will be needed so someones life isn't ruined. ????? I guess the BABY's life doesn't count.

Look, I've been on the receiving end of some of the evil that man is capable of, and I've seen worse. Sometimes, it haunts me. I have also experienced the heights that man, through God, is capable of reaching. It's easy to be an asshole. It's a harder road to travel, that path of right and righteousness. We will trip and fall. We will, in this life, never reach perfection. Yet, God is there to help us up, and to help us stay on the right path. It's up to us to make the choice to travel that path, hard as it is. It requires us to hold ourselves to a higher standard, even after numerous failures. If we keep in mind that "In Christ, I am complete.", it makes it a little easier. It is, in my opinion, a better path than the one that says we're just animals, so do what feels good. That way lies madness! Don't believe me? Look at the world around you.

Greetings from Detroit

2011-02-21T19:50:00.000-06:00

I haven't blogged much lately, not that I have many reader(s). Ah well. That's not why I blog anyway. So, I'm here in Detroit to finish my Mine Safety Training. The company I drive for signed a 6 year deal to haul for a mine in the northern UP. So, I have to go through this training as I was asked to be a fill in driver. There are 11 of us in the class. The least amount of experience is 10 years. The total amount of experience in that room is in the neighborhood of 250 years. Needless to say, the instructor has commented numerous times that we're the only class who are back in our seats and ready to go 2 minutes before breaks and lunch are over. He's amazed by that while it's the usual for us. Interesting. Anyway, I'm at the Spring Hill suites by Marriott. Man, this is a NICE place. Very comfortable king size bed, 46in flat screen tv, microwave, coffee pot, and a refrigerator. Also interesting, separate rooms for the toilet and shower. There's also a desk and couch in it's own area. I know, I'm a peasant, so this is cool to me. The continental breakfast is decent, and the coffee they serve is strong.

Onward. I am not surprised at the Democrat hypocrisy going on. Some of the things that the unions are saying about Walker are pretty disgusting. Then again, Democrats blamed the Giffords shooting on Conservatives and talk radio before they even had the facts, so, no surprise. That's the lefty playbook. They did the same when Kennedy was assassinated. Then, they called the Tea Party racist and haters, which was a LIE. They are showing their true nature in Madison. As to Unions, I've never liked them, but now it's becoming serious despite. As to the 'teachers' who are not teaching, I'd fire every one of them if they are not on vacation. If they call in sick, and are not, they are liars, and have no business teaching kids. As to the Democrat Senators who left the state, they are spineless cowards and worthy of contempt. If you support their actions, well, again, for the most part, I'm not surprised. I guess they can dish it out when they have power, but they can't take it when they don't. What a bunch of little bitches. As to the Republicans, if you lose your spines and cave, you're no better. Not that my opinion of you is much better. At least you never left like spoiled children.

I also am not surprised that the current occupant stuck his nose in where he had no business. It's a state matter. Of course his, and his party's actions, only strengthen my belief that if/when America falls to tyranny, it will more than likely be because the nannies of the Democrat left took us there. Then again, Republicans/Democrats, not much difference. I no longer trust our Government. That is sad. Also, Soros is attacking FOX News, likening them to Nazi Germany. Someone should ask the little collaborator if he's lost his meds. Then again, he was being interviewed by sock puppet Zakaria, and wasn't challenged. Wait! He's a lefty. No surprise then. It's part of the playbook.

Back to good stuff. For lunch, they brought in 3 platters of Subway subs! Yes, we feasted! Tomorrow is likely to be pizza from Happy's! We had that last Tuesday, and they were excellent. After tomorrows class, the other 2 guys and I will come back here and relax. Then, Wednesday morning, we'll make the trip back. Here's hoping that they have the roads cleared. Anyway, I'm out. Be well. Trust God. Man will let you down. God will not.

Sunday Randomness

2011-02-13T10:28:00.000-06:00

Well, I should be working right now. I should be leaving Wauwatosa on my way to Burnsville, Mn. Instead, I'm still at home. Making pop-overs. Actually, they're in the oven and have about 20 minutes till done. I am SO looking forward to having one with honey. Anyway, why am I still at home? Well, travel back in time with me to Wednesday just past. My boss called to tell me that the company had just acquired an account with a mine in Marquette, Mi. He wanted to know if I was interested in being a back up driver. They were asking drivers with lots of experience if they'd be interested. They needed to know because the training is expensive. I told him I'd need more info before I could give him an informed decision. You know, stuff like, what kind of mine? What would my responsibilities be? Would I have to re-acquire my Hazmat Endorsement? Where would our area of operation be? What was the pay? Common sense stuff like that. He called me back Friday. All he could tell me was that I'd be backing blind into the mine. Nothing more as he didn't know. Well, the 1st day of training is Tuesday in Detroit, so I guess I'll find out then what all this entails. The rest of the training is the following week. Where, I have no idea.

I'm always amused by those who excoriated Bush for any expression of his faith, yet are silent on the current occupant. The hypocrisy is delicious. The current occupant only seems to express his 'faith' when it is advantageous, however, causing, at least myself, to be somewhat skeptical.

I listened to a dramatic reading of The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis this past week. I've read the book, as well as listened to a straight reading of it. This dramatic reading really captured the essence of what Lewis intended. It's the tale of a couple of demons trying to turn their 'patient' to their father below. Lewis' writing is brilliant, and thought provoking. Read it, even if you are not a Christian.

So much angst by the public sector unions over what Walker plans. Too bad. Walker has to try and clean up the mess left by many different legislatures, and it ain't going to be easy or pretty. It does, however, need to be done. What many on the left, and some milquetoasts on the right don't seem to understand, both Nationally and State wide is this. No society that tried to be everything to everyone, to have the Government be the so-called 'father and mother', has ever lasted, or for that matter, prospered. They have all collapsed under the weight of the entitlements. Many devolved into tyranny. Are we any different? No. Under the current occupant, the tyranny meter is edging upwards. The collective 'We' like to think we're smarter than those who came before us. That type of arrogance will only make the collapse faster and harder. The old truism still holds. "Those who refuse to learn from History are bound to repeat it."

A special note to Israel. Don't expect the current occupant to back you up, should the fecal material collide with the rotating oscillator. He may surprise everyone, but it's the last thing I would count on. If it's not 'expedient', it's unlikely that he would. Were I you, I'd turn to God, and be ready, as I know you are. For other Christians, pray for Gods blessing on Israel. They need all the prayer they can get right now.

I ate at Qdoba the other week. It was my first time and it was delicious! Man, a 2 handed burrito! Oops! Gotta go! Popovers are done!

So, how stupid are we?

2011-02-09T20:39:00.000-06:00

Sec. Geithner recently said there was no way the U.S. would default on our debt. He has also stated that the world will not dump the dollar as it's reserve currency. Really? How many are stupid enough to believe that? There have already been talks by other countries, minus the U.S. about that very thing. Look, the Government could take every dollar earned by everyone in the U.S., and it wouldn't pay off what we owe. Since our currency became a fiat currency, it's value has dropped. Since QEII, it's value has dropped by some 11-15%. The Feds will tell you there's almost no inflation. Of course not, since they don't count the cost of food or energy of gas in their equation. Therefore, their numbers are a lie. Kind of like the un-employment numbers. They figure it differently now to put a better spin on it. The actual number is between 13-18%. People always say "It can't happen here.", right up until it does. It's happening here. There's no stopping it either. The old adage of you reap what you sow is true.

We here in America are going to pay the price for our short-sightedness and failure to listen to the warnings of the great men who founded this Nation. We will pay dearly for our foolishness and our trust in Government. A Government which has become an enemy of Liberty, and a people who have made a god out of things. We've lived the high life for a long time, myself included. I changed my priorities some years back, and now live within my means, for the most part. I also no longer fixate on having things. I've been mainly concentrating on necessities, needs rather than wants. I have also learned, thanks to God, to be thankful for what I have, but, more importantly, to appreciate the simple things that God provides. You know, life, a job, family and friends. The little things. I also know that my reliance on God will get me through any crisis. Can you say the same? Just something to think about.

The Growing Firestorm

2011-02-04T09:28:00.000-06:00

As events unfold in the Middle East, I wonder if the Israeli's think they can rely on the current occupant to help when, not if, they are attacked. I sincerely doubt it. The current occupant hasn't shown the inclination to stand up for Israel, and I doubt he has the stones. Israel shall be on her own. I hope and pray for her. I also know God will protect her. I would suggest to the current occupant, who claims Christ, to remember what God said. "I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you." The world, and many in it, I dare say a majority, hate Israel and her people. Tiny little Israel is the reason that every Muslim is suffering. The fact the Americans buy into this used to surprise me. No more.

Why? Americans have been indoctrinated for some time to stand by as their freedom and liberty are taken away and a once free and God blessed nation slides towards tyranny. We as a people ignore the lessons of history, and we will suffer greatly for it. We've turned, as a nation, away from God, away from morals, and away from common sense. The landing from this fall will shake the world.

As the world slips into the coming dark times, I implore those whose minds are still open to turn to Christ. He doesn't promise you an easy time in this life, in fact, quite the opposite. He promises to be with you, and He promises eternal salvation. A little suffering in this world is, by my reckoning, a small price to pay. Also, with that assurance, comes an inner peace. THAT, is priceless. I have never regretted giving my life to Him. My life has been enriched beyond measure. No, it hasn't been easier, but I have peace and joy. I look forward to each new day for what God will show me of His greatness and wonder.

Pray for Israel, pray for the current occupant, and pray for the people of the Middle East, that God may grant them wisdom and turn them from the dark path. Prayer is an amazing thing. When millions pray, God hears, and sometimes acts. Pray.

Atta Boy, Salt Shakers!

2011-02-03T19:05:00.000-06:00

I have to give kudos to the guys who plow the roads. They've done, overall, a hell of a job. Because of them, I can do my job. Thanks guys!

Hard times ahead..

2011-01-28T16:20:00.000-06:00

I enjoy studying prophesy, or, eschatology if you will. I've been interested since God re-awakened a yearning to learn more of Him since my re-birth in Christ. I've read much and have more to read and learn, but some of the current events are amazing. Read Ezekiel 38 & 39. What's going on in the middle east is scary, and at the same time, fascinating. You see, many scholars have identified Magog as Russia. The Bible also mentions Persia, now Iran, as one of those allied with Magog when it attacks Israel. It gets more interesting, and more than a little scary, when you realize that Russia has been going throughout the mid-east making nice with all those Islamic nations that hate Israel. These same Nations also hate us. It was Russia, our supposed friend, who W. misjudged so abysmally, that was telling Saddam where they were and the make up of our troops and aircraft right up to the invasion. It's Russia that has been assisting Iran with her nuclear ambitions, both power and weapons. Also, keep in mind that Russia has wanted to take out Israel for some time now. When Israel went into Lebanon in the 80's, they found huge caches of Soviet weaponry, too sophisticated for Hezbollah or the Lebanese to use. There was enough to outfit a couple divisions. Of course, you didn't hear much in the news as there were other things going on.

Now, we see rioting in Egypt. Jordan is concerned of it spreading there, as are the Saudis. We should be VERY concerned. As you may have heard by now, there is concern that the Muslim Brotherhood could possibly gain control. Think the Iranian Mullahs on steroids. Nasty. Worse when you remember that they hate our guts. Not only because we're infidels, but we've supported Mubarak, and the House of Saud, AND many other Dictators for decades. Presidents from BOTH parties have. Now, remember that little thing called the Suez Canal? Imagine it shut down, or, used to extort huge amounts of money from ships trying to get through. Interested yet? You can pooh pooh Bible Prophecy all you want. People have been mocking God for ages. Eventually, their eyes were opened to reality.

There are extremely hard times coming. Oil is going to sky rocket due to the unrest in Egypt. If this spreads to say, Saudi Arabia, we're talking international catastrophe. Our economy has the possibility of melting down completely this year if the entire middle east catches fire. Our unwise energy policies for the last few decades will bite us in the ass BIG TIME. Our populace has been so conditioned to rely on Government rather than ourselves and each other, that many will be completely lost, and others will figure they can just take.

Me? OI trust in God, so I'm not overly concerned. My fate is His to decide. You can't know the inner peace that gives me. You can know that peace as well. He doesn't promise you wealth or an easy life. In fact, quite the opposite. Christ promised trouble. Yet, he also gives you peace inside, a quiet strength that can carry you through any trial. He calls. He waits. He waits for you.