My hero.

This is great!

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20120716/ARTICLES/120719707/1109/sports?Title=Video-shows-patron-shooting-robbers-at-Palms-Internet-Cafe

 

Kind of a drag...

Got low blood pressure and about 3 minutes. This will fix you right up.

Toucan, near Purascal, Costa Rica

Source: Uploaded by user via Cliff on Pinterest

One thing I’ve learned from playing piano—if you miss a note…just stay with it and see where it takes you.  Sometimes it ain’t pretty, but it’s usually interesting.

Now voting is a little different.  Yes it sure can get interesting if you get it wrong, but interesting can turn to poverty, fear and even despair after four years of incompetence. And that always isn’t pretty. (See the chart if you don’t believe me.)

If we even hope to turn this country around we need a complete Republican / Tea Party takeover in every state and federal branch of government.

The Dimocrats had total veto and filibuster-proof control of the government for two years and screwed  the country up big time. 

Republicans have never had that much power, which up to now may have been a good thing—they haven’t always been reliable. (Though they are almost always better than Dimocrats!)

This fall please vote for Mitt Romney and every other Republican you can find on the ballot.  None of them are perfect candidates, but the alternative is just too horrible to contemplate.

 

The Manhatten Declaration

The Manhattan Declaration was drafted and released in 2009.  It is a declaration of Christian faith and responsibility and talks extensively about life, marriage and religious liberty. 

 

Here is the actual pledge:

 

We are Christians who have joined together across historic lines of ecclesial differences to affirm our right—and, more importantly, to embrace our obligation—to speak and act in defense of these truths. We pledge to each other, and to our fellow believers, that no power on earth, be it cultural or political, will intimidate us into silence or acquiescence. It is our duty to proclaim the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in its fullness, both in season and out of season. May God help us not to fail in that duty.

 

This is not a line in the sand.  It is a line etched in the granite of Mount Sinai.  I signed it two years ago, but have neglected to do my part in spreading the word.  Tonight I will try to rectify that.

 

Please read and prayerfully sign the pledge at http://www.manhattandeclaration.org/the-declaration/read.aspx .  Then please pass it along to your Christian friends.

 

Cliff Raymond

 

 

“If there were no God, there would be no atheists.” 
― G.K. Chesterton

 

“It is absurd for the Evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make

everything out of nothing, and then pretend that it is more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into everything.” 
― G.K. Chesterton

 

Chancey got a job!

In fact, Chancey got his dream job!!!  He’s going to be a game designer for Wizards of the Coast!  They flew him to Seattle on May 28 for an interview, along with three other prospects.  Tonight they called him and offered him the job.

I still can’t believe he’ll be getting paid to do stuff like that.  When he was 10 or so he would spend every weekend in a place called Heroes, full of kids playing card games like Magic, or Dungeons and Dragons.  He even designed several dozen cards of his own, making up new rules and other stuff I don’t pretend to understand.  (He took a portfolio of those cards to the interview.)

Now he’s going to work for the company that makes those games. 

It’s also a great company to work for, apparently.  It’s a division of Hasbro, which Money magazine ranks in the top 100 best places to work in the country.

My only regret is that it’s on the left coast—a long way off, both geographically and politically.

Please keep him in your prayers.  He will have to face challenges even a Wizard of the Coast can’t imagine!

RAYMOND ENDORSES CRUZ!!!

RAYMOND ENDORSES CRUZ!!!

Yes!  And so did Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Rand Paul, Rick Santorum, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Jim DeMint, and James Dobson.  Not to mention the PACs: Freedom Works, Concerned Women, Club for Growth, Family Research Council, Tea Party Express, Gun Owners of America, and more!

But I’m confident it’s my endorsement that impresses you the most!

I strongly support Ted Cruz as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison.  In spite of the barrage of stupid lies put out by his well-funded opponent, Ted Cruz is the candidate that we need to bring integrity back to Washington.  If Dewhurst wins the primary I'll probably have to hold my nose and vote for him in the general election (there's just no way I could ever vote for a Dimocrat), but I hope it doesn't come to that.  I'm getting awfully tired of holding my nose.
This one will be close.  Dewhurst has poured a lot of money into this campaign, and has called in an awful lot of political favors.  If he doesn’t get the nomination, then he will remain as Lieutenant Governor—which is a very powerful position in Texas government.  Many of our state representatives are afraid to come out against him because they know what that will mean to any bills they introduce.

We can’t keep doing things like this.  There has to be a better way.

Please vote for Ted Cruz in the Republican primary this Tuesday, May 29, and let’s send an honest man to Washington.

Thanks,

Cliff Raymond

--
Posted By Cliff Raymond to Touch of the Madman at 5/27/2012 09:43:00 PM

Don't Worry (About GDP), Be Happy - The Wall Street Journal.

Trying to think of a good acronym for this.

How about FHIX...as in "The FHIX is in."

Don't Worry (About GDP), Be Happy

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304811304577369890095195160.html

RIP Charles Colson

Please watch this.

Chuck Colson was a captain  of Marines from 1953 to 1955—in between wars, but somebody had to do it.  He later went to work for President Richard Nixon and, after the Watergate scandal broke, he became famous and went to jail. 

Then he was reborn as a Christian and founded Prison Fellowship Ministries. 

One day, shortly before leaving prison, Colson was going about his business in the prison dorm while some inmates played cards.
Suddenly, one of the players, a six-foot-tall prisoner named Archie, bellowed, "Hey, Colson. You'll be out of here soon. What are you going to do for us?
Suddenly, the whole room fell silent. All ears were straining to hear the answer. "I'll help in some way," replied Colson. "I'll never forget you guys or this stinking place."
"Bull!" roared Archie, slamming down the pack of cards on the table. "You all say that. I've seen big shots like you come and go. They all say the same things while they're inside. Then they get out and forget us fast. There ain't nobody cares about us. Nobody!"
But today, 35 years later, thousands upon thousands of Christian volunteers and churches do care. They care enough to visit prison, mentor prisoners, help their families, and share the Good News of Christ with them.
That's because in 1976, Colson founded Prison Fellowship, which, together with churches of all confessions and denominations, has become the world's largest outreach to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families, with ministry taking place in 113 countries around the globe.

I read his book "How Now Shall We Live?" and it had a profound influence on me.  I once tried to teach it in a Sunday school class for eight weeks and learned that I'm not a teacher. Colson's book is a teacher, though. 

I will miss Chuch Colson. 

So will the world.

RIP

Kim Il Sung

Pyongyang, North Korea (CNN) -- Defying warnings from the international community, North Korea launched a long-range rocket on Friday, but it broke apart before escaping the earth's atmosphere and fell into the sea, officials said.  "It flew about a minute, and it flew into the ocean," said Noriyuki Shikata, a spokesman for Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. He added that Japanese authorities "have not identified any negative impacts, so far," though he said the international ramifications could be significant. "This is something that we think is a regrettable development," he said.

Joseph Cirincione, president of the global security foundation The Ploughshares Fund, told CNN that the launch's apparent failure "shows the weakness of the North Korea missile program" and suggests that the threat from North Korea has been "exaggerated."

"It's a humiliation," he told CNN. "I wouldn't want to be a North Korean rocket scientist today."

 

That is exactly what I said today when I heard that the rocket failed (for the third time).  The North Koreans kill or imprison anyone who fails, so it’s no wonder they keep failing.  It never occurs to them that you don’t learn from success.  You learn from mistakes. 

Democrats seem to have the same problem.

“It is absurd for the Evolutionist to complain that it is unthinkable for an admittedly unthinkable God to make everything out of nothing, and then pretend that it is more thinkable that nothing should turn itself into everything.” 
― G.K. Chesterton

OH NO....JUSTIFIABLE HOMICIDES!!!!!

I thought this damning statistic, from the Wall Street Journal, was remarkable.

 

At a time when the overall U.S. homicide rate is declining, more civilians are killing each other and claiming self-defense—a trend that is most pronounced in states with new "stand your ground" laws.

These laws, which grant people more leeway to attack and even kill someone who is threatening them, are attracting close scrutiny following February's controversial killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida by a neighborhood watchman.

So-called justifiable homicides nearly doubled from 2000 to 2010, the most recent data available, when 326 were reported, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of crime statistics from all 50 states.

 

Good God, 326 “so-called” justifiable homicides in 2010!  In just 50 states!  How will the nation survive such an onslaught?????

 

Excuse me while I Google something……………………………(yes I’m really googling now)………………………………….Okay—here it is:

 

According to the FBI there were “12,996 murder victims in 2010 for which supplemental data were received”.   I suspect that means there were probably a lot more than that, but why quibble.  Okay, 326/12996 is 0.25%.  Since justifiable homicide “nearly doubled” in 10 years, then it must have increased by 0.12%.  (The word “doubled” really does have an impact, doesn’t it?  And it’s true!)

 

This is a test of your intelligence:

1.       Is the ”nearly doubled” statistic of justified homicide more significant than the opposite (and unstated, not to mention obvious) statistic that unjustified homicide must have declined from 99.75% to 99.63% over that same period?  If so, wouldn’t that be a good thing (albeit rather small)?

2.       Is it possible that an increase in “justified homicide” is logically the same as a decrease in unjustified homicide?

3.       Do you ever really think about the crap the news media feeds you?

 

Thanks for listening.

 

 

Chevy Volt - Building a Better Tomorrow from Ben Howe on Vimeo.

Good Friday surrender suggestion for Santorum

I have a suggestion for Rick Santorum that I believe could get the Tea Party, the Silent Majority, Reagan Democrats, Libertarians, and even a few Republicans excited about the campaign.   I think it would not only guarantee Santorum the GOP nomination, but the election as well. 

Sometime before Super Tuesday on March 6 Rick should announce that at noon Eastern time on Good Friday (April 2) he will surrender himself to federal authorities on the steps of the Supreme Court.  As part of the announcement he will encourage his GOP opponents and all Americans to similarly appear on Good Friday at the nearest federal courthouse and surrender themselves at the same time. (It’s a holiday and lots of people will be off work.)  Rick—and everyone who surrenders—will then provide a written confession that he has conspired to incite the general public to civil disobedience, i.e., by vowing to disobey federal law by refusing to participate with any government mandate that violates their religious and/or Constitutional freedoms. 

Santorum’s staff should be able to come up with a suitably pointed confession and vow.  Distributing it in advance proves that it really is a conspiracy, right?

The publicity in the weeks running up to Good Friday would be pervasive with all the pundits wondering how many people will show up and what the Feds and Obama will do.  Will he arrest everyone who promises to ignore the law?  Probably not, but if anyone does get arrested I suppose we could then petition Pontius Obama to pardon them.  Wouldn’t that be a hoot?

I suspect the turnout would be overwhelming, nationwide, and astonishingly peaceful! Even the mainstream media wouldn’t be able to ignore it. Rick Santorum will get a hero’s welcome everywhere he goes for weeks, before and after!

You’ve said yourself that the candidates need to do more to educate the public to the real issues facing us.  I think this would do so dramatically. 

Santorum better hurry, though.  If Newt Gingrich gets wind of this he’ll steal the idea!

--Cliff

GO RICK!!!

Mitt Romney would probably be a good president.

 

Rick Santorum will be a GREAT PRESIDENT!!!

 

Open letter to Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry

“Mitt Romney appears to be gaining steam in a new national poll, especially among conservatives.”

                --Investor’s Business Daily, 01/13/2012

In other words, conservative are not stupid.  When you attack free market capitalism you’re not just attacking the great economic insight of conservatism—you’re aiding the Enemy by giving demagogic ammunition to Dimocrats. Thanks to government education most American are ignorant enough about basic economics without your asinine campaign ads causing even more damage.

One more time…THIS ELECTION IS NOT ABOUT YOU! 

It’s about AMERICA!!!

And it’s time for you guys to go home.

I was a supporter of Rick Perry when he first entered the race, until he self-destructed in the debates.  Newt Gingrich was a much better debater so I switched my support to him.  Now both of them are attacking capitalism in an attempt to bring Romney down—which is despicable. They have completely lost my support.  One thing that ALL of these candidates need to remember: This election is NOT ABOUT YOU!!! It’s not about Gingrich, or Perry, or Ron Paul, or Rick Santorum, or Mitt Romney being elected president.  IT’S ABOUT GETTING RID OF OBAMA!  The candidates should say nothing that helps the Dimocrats or hurts the Conservative movement.  My top two choices now are Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney. They at least seem to understand that this election is even bigger than their egos.

 

Great speech by Santorum!

Rick Santorum for president

For what it’s worth, I hope Rick Santorum wins the Iowa caucus.  He is far and away the most principled conservative running and I really want him to be around when Texans finally get to vote.

 

Lie of the year

Politifact and others have awarded their “Lie of the Year” prize for 2011, and the competition is brutal.  Here’s my winner:

 

--Obama got Osama.

Of course we all know that Seal Team 6 got Osama bin Laden.  All Obama did was get out of the way and let the Seals do their job.

Come to think of it, if Obama would follow that policy in most other policy areas he might actually go down as a great president!

 

Thanksgiving

I frequently sat down to my meat with thankfulness, and admired the hand of God's providence, which had thus spread my table in the wilderness. I learned to look more upon the bright side of my condition, and less upon the dark side; and to consider what I enjoyed rather than what I wanted; and this gave me sometimes such secret comforts that I cannot express them; and which I take notice of here, to put those discontented people in mind of it who cannot enjoy comfortably what God has given them, because they see and covet something that he has not given them. All our discontents about what we want appeared to me to spring from the want of thankfulness for what we have.

from Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe (pub.1719)

Most prolonged recession since WW2

Almost four years into the current recession this graphic really tells the story--a true testament to the leadership of the Democrats. (Click to enlarge)

Three and a half days...

GOP debate

The Republican debate tonight clarified a few things for me.  In reverse order of how well I think they did:

1. Rick Perry is toast.  Most of the answers he gave were petty and repetetive.  If he accomplished anything it was making Romney look strong. He’s a horrible debater and I sure don’t look forward to  him going up against Obama.
2. Michelle Bachman had some good moments, but not nearly enough. Her last response was directed at the “women of America”.  Sorry… I’ve had enough divisiveness from our current president.
3. Rick Santorum is trying way too hard.  I know he’s sincere, and I love the guy, but he’s just not ready for prime time.
4. Ron Paul I would mostly love except for his foreign policy stances—some of which I even agree with!  Why do we need so many troops in Germany and Korea?  But Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and his blame America for 9/11 just eliminate him from consideration.
5. Mitt Romney, as I said, was helped immensely by Perry.  His biggest weakness—RomneyCare—would be difficult for the Dems to attack, but that does him no credit. He was strong on the counterattack against Perry and is a solid candidate.
6. Herman Cain, cheerful and colorful (no pun intended), would make a very satisfying contrast to Obama.  His 9-9-9 plan is suspect but not a bad starting point for tax reform. He really needs to put more emphasis on his resume, and not just the pizza part!
7. John Huntsman didn’t show up for the debate because Nevada, Florida, and New Hampshire are forcing the primaries so early that my already useless Texas primary is even more useless.  Good for him.  Thanks, John. (Probably won’t help much, though.)
8. Newt Gingrich.  Three months ago, when he dissed the Ryan plan, Newt was on my spit list. Right now, though, I LOVE the way he refrains from directly attacking the other candidates.  His eye is on the real problem—Obama.  I know he’s a flawed candidate and he gives the Dims a lot of easy ammunition, but if Texas had a primary that mattered, right now (and this really surprises me) Newt would get my vote.  Watching Newt debate Obama would be a treat.

Like Romney said in the first debate—Any ONE of these people would be better than Obama. 

Even Ron Paul.

Johnny's Mother looked out the window and noticed him "playing church" with their cat.

He had the cat sitting quietly and he was preaching to it. She smiled and went about her work. A while later she heard loud meowing and hissing and ran back To the open window to see Johnny baptizing the cat in a tub of water.

She called out, " Johnny, stop that! The cat is afraid of water!"

Johnny looked up at her and said, "He should have thought about that before he joined my church."

Obama's shovel-ready record

I believe in whirrled peas

Marco Rubio is good!  This video is 14 minutes long, and in the last half he responds powerfully to two questions from John Kerry.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_68GjR6V6zI&feature=player_embedded

 

Debt Ceiling Quotes from Obama

During the debate to raise the debt ceiling in 2006, then-senator Barack Obama had this to say:  “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure... America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership . Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America's debt limit.”
He subsequently voted against raising the ceiling. As president, however, Obama has called opposing a rise in the debt ceiling as dangerous.

A 'present' from Barack

If the "Tea Party causus" can't bring themselves to vote for any increase in the debt limit, then they should just rip a page out of Obama's book.  Can you imagine if EVERY Republican voted "present" on increasing the limit?  The Dimcocrats would own the whole thing, and nothing would make it clearer why we need to put the GOP in charge of government.

Stormy Monday

This is my brother Paul singing Stormy Monday. He and Georgia were on their honeymoon cruise on the Carnival Destiny, May 15, 1999.

American Pie

This is almost 10 minutes long but the mass choreography is impressive. The people of Grand Rapids worked hard to put this together.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPjjZCO67WI&feature=player_embedded

 

The music is good, too.

God Bless America

"The trouble with quotes over the Internet is that you never know if they are genuine."
--Abraham Lincoln

NOBAMACARE at AARP

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – The AARP, the focus of an investigation by a House subcommittee in part for the role it played in passing and benefiting from President Obama’s landmark health care law, has reportedly received a waiver — making it exempt from the law.   The waiver was revealed by Let Freedom Ring, which has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Health and Human Services Department.

The AARP was one of 200 organizations that reportedly received waivers in the latest round and conservative critics of the law say that the Obama administration allies are essentially receiving political payoffs for helping push through the new law.

[more]

Nevada (yes, Harry Reid’s state) also got a waiver. 

Newest terror plot.

TEACHER ARRESTED IN NEW YORK - A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a compass, a slide-rule and a calculator.

At a morning press conference, Attorney General Eric Holder said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.  

'Al-Gebra is a problem for us', the Attorney General said. 'They derive solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values.'  They use secret code names like 'X' and 'Y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined that they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle'.  

When asked to comment on the arrest, President Obama said, 'If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes.'  White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the President - It is believed that another Nobel Prize will follow.

Ain't it the truth?

'Historic' deal to avoid government shutdown

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent David Espo, Ap Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON – Perilously close to a government shutdown, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders reached a historic agreement late Friday night to cut about $38 billion in federal spending and avert the first federal closure in 15 years.  Obama hailed the deal as "the biggest annual spending cut in history." House Speaker John Boehner said that over the next decade it would cut government spending by $500 billion, and won an ovation from his rank and file tea party adherents among them. "This is historic, what we've done," agreed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., the third man involved in negotiations that ratified a new era of divided government.

Golly, reading this you’d almost think the spending cuts were the Democrats' idea!

March Madness: U.S. Gov't Spent More Than Eight Times Its Monthly Revenue

You don't believe Conservatives when they warn about the fiscal disaster the country's heading toward? Maybe you'll believe Bill Clinton's former Chief of Staff.

Planned Parenthood 'Unplanned'

Rubicon: A River In Wisconsin

By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER 

Posted 02/24/2011 06:05 PM ET

 View Enlarged Image

The magnificent turmoil now gripping statehouses in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and soon others marks an epic political moment. The nation faces a fiscal crisis of historic proportions and, remarkably, our muddled, gridlocked, allegedly broken politics have yielded singular clarity.

At the federal level, President Obama's budget makes clear that Democrats are determined to do nothing about the debt crisis, while House Republicans have announced that beyond their proposed cuts in discretionary spending, their April budget will actually propose real entitlement reform.

Simultaneously, in Wisconsin and other states, Republican governors are taking on unsustainable, fiscally ruinous pension and health care obligations, while Democrats are full-throated in support of the public-employee unions crying, "Hell no."

A choice, not an echo: Democrats desperately defending the status quo; Republicans charging the barricades.   [more]

Dog day afternoon...

This is Jeff Hammer, brother to my son-in-law Rick.

What's wrong with this video?

Why is it funny?
It makes me want to laugh. And cry.

Adversity is the trial of principle. Without it, a man hardly knows whether he is honest or not.
- Henry Fielding

Shallow men believe in luck, believe in circumstances -- it was somebody's name, or he happened to be there at the time, or it was so then, and another day would have been otherwise. Strong men believe in cause and effect.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Glenn Beck takes over!

Just for the halibut

I just watched the 2nd episode of Sarah Palin’s Alaska series. Okay, I’m impressed. That’s not too surprising, since I’ve always been a fan of hers. But I have been listening to the critiques that say she’s not qualified to be President of the United States, regardless of whether she can see Russia from her back yard or not.
So what does the series tell me about her that I didn’t already know? Other than she can shoot, fish and cook better than me?
Not much, I guess. Does a President actually need to know anything about catching, cleaning, and cooking halibut? Does he (she) really need to know about how a fishing boat makes a living? Or is an understanding of how to organize protests against ostensibly unfair working conditions a better qualification?
Gosh, that’s a tough one!

Fantasy: Nancy's first (and last) commercial airline flight

 

A bored Democrat congressperson from San Francisco was seated next to a little girl on a commercial flight so she turned to her and said, "Do you want to talk?  Flights go quicker with intelligent conversation."
 
The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the somewhat familiar stranger, "What do you want to talk about?"
 
"Oh, I don't know," said the politician.  "How about global warming, universal health care, or the stimulus package?”
 
"OK," the little girl 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 former Speaker of the House, visibly surprised by the question, thinks about it and says, "Wow, I have no idea."
 
To which the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss global warming, universal health care, or the economy, when you don't know shit?"
 
And then she went back to reading her book about the Boston Tea Party.

 

And Nancy went quietly back to California and was never heard from again. 

(I wish…)

 

(CNSNews.com) - When Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave her inaugural address as speaker of the House in 2007, she vowed there would be “no new deficit spending.” Since that day, the national debt has increased by $5 trillion, according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

At the close of business on Jan. 4, 2007, Pelosi’s first day as speaker, the national debt was $8,670,596,242,973.04 (8.67 trillion), according to the Bureau of the Public Debt, a division of the U.S. Treasury Department.  At the close of business on Oct. 22, it stood at $13,667,983,325,978.31 (13.67 trillion), an increase of 4,997,387,083,005.27 (or approximately $5 trillion).

Pelosi, the 60th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has added more to the national debt than the first 57 House speakers combined.

 

NPR fires Juan Williams!

I guess it's my cynical side that makes me laugh at this. As often as Juan Williams has pissed me off with his (I consider) off-the-wall opinions, I've always respected him. In fact, sometimes I wonder if Fox pays him to say those things so they can be "fair and balanced". I like him too much to think he could actually believe that stuff.

But now I can't help myself...this is the best thing that could have happened two weeks before a critical election. With a likely GOP takeover of Congress, NPR (and PBS) will come under increased pressure to reform their left-leaning editorial content--and hopefully even lose public funding! Even better, this sorry episode exposes liberals and Democrats as the politically-correct hypocrites that I've always known them to be--at least since Jimmy Carter educated me. (Alright, one more time, I'm sorry I voted for him. Okay?) Just one more rock for all the Dimocrat candidates to carry into the election.
Please pardon my grin.

"A declaration not of war, but of ambivalence"

Regardless if you agree with the war in Afghanistan, this column by Charles Krauthammer is a devastating indictment of Obama.

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/248433/why-he-sending-them-charles-krauthammer

You might be a redneck!

You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'
You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the Ten Commandments posted in public places.
You might be a redneck if: You still say 'Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'
You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.
You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.

You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.
You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.
You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.
You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.

If you’re just dying to get rid of Obama, here’s a suggestion.

The Forgotten Man

National Review comment here.

Oorah!!!

News Alert

from The Wall Street Journal

 

 

U.S. Marines early Thursday boarded and seized control of a German-owned commercial vessel that had been commandeered by pirates, in what appeared to be the first American-led military boarding of its kind amid a recent surge of attacks in the Gulf of Aden and along the east coast of Africa.

 

A raiding party of 24 Marines boarded the ship about 85 miles southeast of Mukallah, Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden, according to the U.S. Navy.

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704644404575481252054001786.html?mod=djemalertNEWS

 

Pee Power

“Urine-powered fuel cells to offer pee power to people”  [Link]

Low on fuel?  Stop at the next 7-11, buy and drink a case of Coors, then wait for nature to call.

Now if they’d just figure out how to capture and use the methane produced by bean dip we can literally drive those eeviilll oil companies out of business!

The Gipper speaks!

Time magazine cover

I like National Review’s comment on the Time magazine cover:

Time Suddenly Finds a Cover Story You Can't Ignore 

Managing editor Rick Stengel explains: "Our cover image this week is powerful, shocking and disturbing. It is a portrait of Aisha, a shy 18-year-old Afghan woman who was sentenced by a Taliban commander to have her nose and ears cut off for fleeing her abusive in-laws. Aisha posed for the picture and says she wants the world to see the effect a Taliban resurgence would have on the women of Afghanistan, many of whom have flourished in the past few years. Her picture is accompanied by a powerful story by our own Aryn Baker on how Afghan women have embraced the freedoms that have come from the defeat of the Taliban -- and how they fear a Taliban revival."

I see that image and think, "Tell me we've killed a lot of these guys. Tell me we're going to kill a lot of Taliban today, and a lot of Taliban tomorrow, and a lot more before we leave, even if we don't leave this country in the state we originally desired." I realize that the problem in Afghanistan is not a lack of firepower or enemy casualties and that the difficulties there are complicated by a mess of local corruption, shifting tribal alliances, consistent suspicions of Pakistani assistance, and some of the toughest terrain on this earth. But clearly the foundation for a better tomorrow for all of our children is built upon a high stack of Taliban corpses. I don't know if God will look into the eyes of a man who disfigures a woman like that and forgive him; I just know that we ought to help arrange that meeting as quickly as possible.

I’m not a big fan of Time magazine, but their cover story this week is right on target.

Check the cover out:  http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20100809,00.html .

 

 

 

Regarding the Gulf oil spill ABC News reports, “…the federal government have amassed an army to clean the oil up, but there's one problem -- they're having trouble finding it. At its peak last month, the oil slick was the size of Kansas, but it has been rapidly shrinking, now down to the size of New Hampshire.”

Or, as I heard one commentator on Houston’s KNTH radio describe it, “The oil slick at one point was the size of President Obama’s ego.  Now it’s the size of his credibility.”

 

www.usdebtclock.org

This you just got to see!

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

 

You just can't describe a liberal better than this!

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.  [Link]

 

This has raised a few eyebrows but I think it’s a great idea.  If we build a mosque on the moon maybe Obama could finally shut down Guantanamo!  Shoot, we won’t even need any barbed wire!

 

How much do you think we could get for Washington DC?

Greece starts putting island land up for sale to save economy.

 

House, Senate leaders finalize details of sweeping financial overhaul

"This is about as important as it gets, because it deals with every single aspect of our lives." –Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.)

 

"No one will know until this is actually in place how it works.”—Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.)

 

"My guess is there are three unintended consequences on every page of this bill," Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R., Texas) said of the nearly 2,000-page bill.

 

Maybe now I can sleep better!

Joe Barton was right about the ‘shakedown’, but he shouldn’t have apologized to BP.  He should have apologized to the nation.

This just makes me proud to be an American...

Residents get 6 votes each in suburban NY election

By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jun 15, 4:08 pm ET

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. – Arthur Furano voted early — five days before Election Day. And he voted often, flipping the lever six times for his favorite candidate. Furano cast multiple votes on the instructions of a federal judge and the U.S. Department of Justice as part of a new election system crafted to help boost Hispanic representation.  [Link]

 

An itsy bitsy problem

Freedom of religion is the very first guarantee in the Bill of Rights:  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

How, then, can we possibly deny the right of Muslims to worship as they wish?  This question has been bothering me for quite a while.

Here’s an interesting observation by Andy McCarthy (in his book, The Grand Jihad) that I hadn’t thought about:

… though Islam aspires to be much more than a religion (it is an all-encompassing legal, political and social system from which the spiritual elements are indivisible), it is given the label of “religion.” [link]

This raises an interesting—and not entirely hypothetical—question:   Do the American people have the right to divest themselves of their first amendment rights?

You might want to ask the Canadian people, who enjoy these Fundamental freedoms in Part I, Section 2 of their Constitution:

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;

(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication

Now talk to author Mark Steyn, who is currently being prosecuted—in Canada—for statements critical of Islam in his book, America Alone.

I got to thinking about this today when commandos from the Israeli Defense Force—the IDF—tried to stop some “peace activists” from delivering “relief supplies” to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.  The Israelis were attacked with pipes and knives, and ended up killing nine of their attackers.  (You may not have heard that this all happened after the ship refused an Israeli offer to escort the ship to port, inspect its cargo, and then allow it to proceed. They do this to prevent arms from being delivered into a highly volatile region.) I suppose it’s just a matter of time before the UN condemns the Israelis for having the nerve to defend themselves.  And since Obama is the first citizen of the world he’ll have no choice but to, sadly, go along. (Dare I say, a fellow traveler?)

Anyway, back to the subject I never really left…

If Muslims themselves consider Islam to be more than a religion then it would seem apparent that we have the right (obligation!) to just say no!  Isn’t it just a bit odd that Baptist pastors are threatened by the IRS if they endorse specific candidates, while Muslim Imams are free to preach a form of Sharia  law that would condemn homosexuals and force women back into the 18^th century?  It’s painful for me to imagine an America where that itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini would have to covered by either a burqa or a barrage of stones. 

Cliff

 

Bad, bad America

Christie for President?

New Jersey Gov. Christie ain’t pretty, but he's quickly moving up my list of Republican presidential prospects!

Gov Christie calls S-L columnist thin-skinned for inquiring about his 'confrontational tone'

From Politico: 
During his time in the Senate and while running for president, Obama received a total of $77,051 from the oil giant (BP) and is the top recipient of BP PAC and individual money over the past 20 years, according to financial disclosure records.  
An Obama spokesman rejected the notion that the president took big oil money.  [Link]

I thought this pair of headlines on Drudge today made for a revealing contrast:

 

Obama To Wall Street:

"I Do Think At A Certain Point You've Made Enough Money"  [source]

 

Want to get rich? Work for feds  [source]

As of 2008, the average federal salary was $119,982, compared with $59,909 for the average private sector employee. In other words, the average federal bureaucrat makes twice as much as the average working taxpayer.

Yes, these are the same people who are running the economy!

 

1st Annual Everybody Draw Mohammad Day

Here’s a great idea! The “Citizens Against Citizens Against Humor” (CACAH) has designated May 20, 2010, as the First Annual Everybody Draw Mohammad Day. 

Ever since the crazy jihadists decided that any depiction of The Prophet is blasphemy punishable by death, all of the “courageous” media—most recently Comedy Central—have been working overtime to avoid offending the most cowardly fighters in the history of the planet. (What else would you call killers who then run and hide behind their own women and children?)

Anyway, the jihadist threat seems a little extreme given the fact that no one has a clue what Mohammed looked like.  I suppose it’s like the little girl who decided to draw a picture of God.  When told that no one knows what he looks like she said, “They will when I finish!”.

In that same spirit I heartily endorse the idea and have already started work on my drawing.

'Mercury Falls'

I have a book recommendation that I’m a little hesitant about because it’s so irreverent.  In fact for a while I was worried it was going to be sacrilegious but I don’t think it ever went quite that far (I was laughing so hard I may have missed it).  It’s about the Apocalypse and it’s called “Mercury Falls”, by Robert Kroese.  Mercury is a (sort of) fallen angel, and (sort of) a Mitch Rapp or Jack Bauer with wings. (He doesn’t really have wings, but that doesn’t really matter, either.) There’s also a fat slob named Karl who wins a contest to become the Antichrist.  Plus lots of other seraphim and cherubim to keep things rolling along.

Up to now the funniest book I ever read was Don Quixote, but this one is right up there.  I pedaled my stationary bicycle for 67 minutes tonight, laughing all the way, just to finish it. You can download it to your Kindle for $2.99.  Or you can pony up $12 on Amazon for the paperback.