My old ears can't keep up...lyrics are here.
Apologies for the width - this was their narrowest option.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
How the Mighty have fallen
It's a pretty pathetic state of affairs when the French are scoffing at us for being yellow. I was going to excerpt this story, but just couldn't find a place where I was willing to stop...
Sarkozy's Contempt for Obama
By Jack Kelly
The contempt with which the president of France regards the president of the United States was displayed in public last week.
Nicolas Sarkozy was furious with Barack Obama for his adolescent warbling about a world without nuclear weapons at a meeting Mr. Obama chaired of the United Nations Security Council last Thursday (9/24).
"We must never stop until we see the day when nuclear arms have been banished from the face of the earth," President Obama said.
What infuriated President Sarkozy was that at the time Mr. Obama said those words, Mr. Obama knew the mullahs in Iran had a secret nuclear weapons development site, and he didn't call them on it.
‘President Obama dreams of a world without weapons...but right in front of us two countries are doing the exact opposite," Mr. Sarkozy said.
"Iran since 2005 has flouted five Security Council resolutions," Mr. Sarkozy said. "North Korea has been defying Council resolutions since 1993."
"What good has proposals for dialogue brought the international community?" he asked rhetorically. "More uranium enrichment and declarations by the leaders of Iran to wipe out a UN member state off the map."
If the Security Council had imposed serious sanctions on the regimes which are flouting UN resolutions, the resolution Mr. Obama proposed about working toward nuclear disarmament wouldn't have been so meaningless, Mr. Sarkozy implied.
"If we have courage to impose sanctions together it will lend viability to our commitment to reduce or own weapons and to making a world without nuke weapons," he said.
The extent of President Obama's naivete - or duplicity - was on display Friday at the G20 summit when the president, flanked by Mr. Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, revealed to the American public that Iran had a second nuclear weapons site on a military base near the holy city of Qom.
News reports indicated Mr. Obama had been briefed on the site before his inauguration. But he's been conducting his foreign policy as if the mullahs could be trusted.
"Iran has been put on notice," President Obama said in Pittsburgh.
Iran responded to being "put on notice" by testing Monday two ballistic missiles that could carry a nuclear warhead 1,200 miles.
It was to protect Europe from such missiles that the ABM system President Obama abruptly cancelled earlier this month was designed.
Obama administration officials said the ABM cancellation - regarded as a betrayal by Poland and the Czech Republic, where the missiles and radars were to be located - actually improved U.S. security, because it has made Russia more amenable to sanctions against Iran.
The UN Security Council has never passed strong sanctions against Iran because Russia and China have vetoed them. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he still doesn't like economic sanctions, but will support them if diplomacy fails. China remains opposed.
President Obama shouldn't count on Russian support, said Soviet expert David Satter.
"Words are cheap for the Kremlin and the Iranians are aware of this," he said. "The Russians, having endorsed sanctions, will now find hundreds of reasons why any specific sanctions package is unfair...The reason is that support for Iran is Russia's most important trump card in foreign relations and there is little likelihood they will give it up."
Iran has been put on notice before. At the G8 meeting in Italy in July, Mr. Obama and other leaders set a "firm deadline" of Sep. 10 for the Iranians to make a serious offer to negotiate about their nuclear program. When the mullahs blew him off, Mr. Obama quietly extended the deadline until December.
December could be too late. "Tehran soon could have humankind's most frightening weapon if substantial diplomatic progress is not made in the coming days," Rep. Howard Berman (D-Cal), the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Saturday (9/26).
If severe economic sanctions are not imposed immediately, in months if not in weeks, only a military strike will b e able to prevent an Iranian bomb.
But after sternly lecturing Iran on its international obligations Friday, President Obama didn't call for sanctions. He called for more negotiations. And then, as the Iranians were spitting in his eye with the missile test, he jetted off to Copenhagen to lobby to have the 2016 Olympics held in Chicago.
No wonder Nicolas Sarkozy holds him in contempt.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg
Wesley Pruden, editor emeritus of the Washington Times, takes a sobering look at Dear Leader.
The upside-down foreign policy practiced by the Kumbaya King is about to come crashing down on all our heads. In every instance, this administration has taken the wrong side. The tasteless gifts and obvious snubs to Britain, the bow to the Saudi king, the letter to the wrong president of France were just the beginning. Obama and his idiots have placed us squarely on the wrong side of every conflict - Iran, Honduras, Israel/Palestine - as he seeks to lift and legitimize every despot and dictator at the expense of our allies. If he has the opportunity to do real harm, as in Poland and the Czech Republic, he embraces it. If not, insults, even Arabic insults (showing the soles of his shoes during a conversation with Netanyahu), suffice for the time being. Obama and his party have glorified and strengthened the Castros, Chavez, Putin, Ahmadi-Nejad and Zelaya while denouncing, humiliating or dismissing almost every ally we have.
What's more, President Hopenchange is stalling on Afghanistan for purely political reasons. So intent is he on his socialist takeover of our healthcare industry, he will not spend what little remaining political capital he has with his own party on doing the right thing for the men and women who are risking their lives in what he used to claim was the important war. Not only is he not properly managing American involvement, he is working hard to offend most of the allies who have, for eight years now, endured the slings and arrows of their own constituents to stand by us in the battle. Why would Poland continue to risk lives in Afghanistan? Soon enough they can expect to need their forces at home, though they have little hope of resisting the onslaught that will surely come from Russia.
It does not take a foreign policy expert to know that alliances between Russia, Iran and Venezuela are not in the best interest of these United States. With a little help from China, and the continuing economic foolishness of Washington, they will destroy us without firing a shot. They have the power to destroy our currency and, with it, what remains of our tattered economy.
Millions of ordinary American citizens are standing up against this onslaught of ignorance that is clearly annihilating our nation - and being called fringe groups and domestic terrorists for sounding the alarm. In the span of slightly more than eight months, a handful of fools are systematically dismantling what millions have spent two centuries building and we're supposed to sit quietly by, holding our tongues as all we hold dear is shredded. No responsible citizen, however pacifist, can be expected to deny their own self-interest and their children's futures for even a good cause, much less the suidical course we find ourselves following. Is it any wonder they're afraid of the threat from within?
Reality bites Obama's 'West Wing'There's a good deal more at the link, and, while it's well worth the read, it doesn't come close to enumerating all the troubles about to befall the White House.
The White House is a risky place for on-the-job training, as Barack Obama and the rest of us are learning. But the president doesn't deserve all the blame for the installation of a handsome but unprepared matinee idol in the toughest job in the world. The adoring cult, the 53 percent of the giddily oblivious electorate that took a flyer on Election Day, deserves most of it.
Matinee idols only do what matinee idols do, look pretty and inveigle softly with practiced seductiveness. Trouble arrives when the matinee idol and his public confuse role with reality. Reality arrives with the surprise and impact of a lemon-cream pie in the face.
Nasty surprises abound across the real world. Iran completes a third round of testing of Shahab-3 and Sajjil medium-range missiles capable of hitting not only Israel, Eastern Europe and several Middle Eastern countries but, if all that were not sobering enough, several U.S military bases as well. Venezuela boasts that it's working with Russia and Iran in finding sources of uranium, the key ingredient of nuclear weapons technology. China says it will display new "upgraded missiles" in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of Red China. India announces that it can now make nuclear weapons up to a strength of 200 kilotons, four times over the line that the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty pledges signing nations not to cross.
This is the fine mess Barack Obama told us would never happen if Americans would elect him to soothe the fears of the frightened and bank the ambitions of evildoers of the world. Suddenly, the president has to deal with headaches, a thousand town halls, with hundreds of thousands of angry bigots, racists and Nazis of hysterical liberal imagination jeering his scheme to take over the health care of the nation, never prepared him for. He's got headaches no speechwriter can cure.
The upside-down foreign policy practiced by the Kumbaya King is about to come crashing down on all our heads. In every instance, this administration has taken the wrong side. The tasteless gifts and obvious snubs to Britain, the bow to the Saudi king, the letter to the wrong president of France were just the beginning. Obama and his idiots have placed us squarely on the wrong side of every conflict - Iran, Honduras, Israel/Palestine - as he seeks to lift and legitimize every despot and dictator at the expense of our allies. If he has the opportunity to do real harm, as in Poland and the Czech Republic, he embraces it. If not, insults, even Arabic insults (showing the soles of his shoes during a conversation with Netanyahu), suffice for the time being. Obama and his party have glorified and strengthened the Castros, Chavez, Putin, Ahmadi-Nejad and Zelaya while denouncing, humiliating or dismissing almost every ally we have.
What's more, President Hopenchange is stalling on Afghanistan for purely political reasons. So intent is he on his socialist takeover of our healthcare industry, he will not spend what little remaining political capital he has with his own party on doing the right thing for the men and women who are risking their lives in what he used to claim was the important war. Not only is he not properly managing American involvement, he is working hard to offend most of the allies who have, for eight years now, endured the slings and arrows of their own constituents to stand by us in the battle. Why would Poland continue to risk lives in Afghanistan? Soon enough they can expect to need their forces at home, though they have little hope of resisting the onslaught that will surely come from Russia.
It does not take a foreign policy expert to know that alliances between Russia, Iran and Venezuela are not in the best interest of these United States. With a little help from China, and the continuing economic foolishness of Washington, they will destroy us without firing a shot. They have the power to destroy our currency and, with it, what remains of our tattered economy.
Millions of ordinary American citizens are standing up against this onslaught of ignorance that is clearly annihilating our nation - and being called fringe groups and domestic terrorists for sounding the alarm. In the span of slightly more than eight months, a handful of fools are systematically dismantling what millions have spent two centuries building and we're supposed to sit quietly by, holding our tongues as all we hold dear is shredded. No responsible citizen, however pacifist, can be expected to deny their own self-interest and their children's futures for even a good cause, much less the suidical course we find ourselves following. Is it any wonder they're afraid of the threat from within?
Friday, September 25, 2009
Questions for Obama and Congress
What do you see as the end game?
Seriously. What do you think is going to happen here?
In response to your ever increasing intrusions into every aspect of our lives and your constant bullying and belittling of our values and convictions, we continue to step up our response. With each new unconstitutional measure that you attempt to stuff down our throats, despite majority opposition, our ranks grow and we become more determined.
So where do you expect this to end?
Do you honestly believe that by becoming more and more overbearing and by unleashing your union and community organizing buddies to try to intimidate us that you can make us all go away? Do you think we're that shallow?
Do you suppose that you can use your pawns in the fringe media to marginalize us? Do you really think that our friends and neighbors will accept the description of the New York Times over their own knowledge of our principles and values?
Do you honestly believe that you will win?
Let me give you my answer to these questions, then you can have some time to think about your own.
We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated. We will not be cowed by lies about our motives or our character. We are not posturing or performing for the cameras - we are fighting for the survival of all that we hold dear. For us, losing is not an option.
Unlike our forefathers, the brilliant patriots who founded this country and crafted the finest Constitution ever known, we have nowhere else to go. There is no frontier left to conquer, no speck of unclaimed land upon which we may begin again, however difficult it may be. There is no country which even remotely compares to this, no system of government which we find palatable except for our own. We built this country with our brains and brawn, we are this country. We have been bred in freedom for too many generations to give it up while we still draw breath. If we lose our liberty, our children's futures, we lose our very reason for existence. Fiercely independent and personally responsible, we would rather perish than condemn ourselves and those we love to lives of oppression.
You seem to think that you can wear us down, that there is some magic number of affronts to our liberty that will force us to throw in the towel. Rest assured there is not. We will resist tyranny forever. There is no amount of fascism or socialism that we consider acceptable - the more you try to force upon us, the more determined we become to throw off that which has been previously accepted.
You say that we are a tiny minority, that our views do not represent the mainstream. What do you know of the mainstream? As you sit in your ivory towers, surrounded by greedy minions who affirm your every pronouncement in hopes of being tossed a crumb, what do you know of real America? As you play your games with our tax dollars, attempting always to amass more power to feed your insatiable egos, what do you know of the travails of the average man?
The outcome of a contest can often be predicted in advance if the goals and motives of the combatants are understood. We are fighting for our very lives - you cannot trump that cause.
We will work tirelessly to see those of you who have forgotten that you are public servants removed from office. For us, there is no option. You, on the other hand, have a choice to make. Will you fulfill your oaths to protect and defend the Constitution which we hold dear, or will you continue to advance your agenda of unsustainable government control and expansion? Will you honestly attempt to serve the best interests of the majority of the people, or will you persist in your attempts to suffocate the very life and spirit from the productive masses? Will you place principle ahead of party, or promote corruption and cronyism? Your answer will determine your fate. Choose wisely.
You see, we cannot accept your chosen course. We cannot succumb to your vision for a transformed nation. We seek only to live our lives in peace and freedom, never to incite violence. But like the founders, we will risk it all to preserve our vision of freedom. Like Patrick Henry, the choice for us is clear. If we can have no liberty, we would prefer death.
Seriously. What do you think is going to happen here?
In response to your ever increasing intrusions into every aspect of our lives and your constant bullying and belittling of our values and convictions, we continue to step up our response. With each new unconstitutional measure that you attempt to stuff down our throats, despite majority opposition, our ranks grow and we become more determined.
So where do you expect this to end?
Do you honestly believe that by becoming more and more overbearing and by unleashing your union and community organizing buddies to try to intimidate us that you can make us all go away? Do you think we're that shallow?
Do you suppose that you can use your pawns in the fringe media to marginalize us? Do you really think that our friends and neighbors will accept the description of the New York Times over their own knowledge of our principles and values?
Do you honestly believe that you will win?
Let me give you my answer to these questions, then you can have some time to think about your own.
We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated. We will not be cowed by lies about our motives or our character. We are not posturing or performing for the cameras - we are fighting for the survival of all that we hold dear. For us, losing is not an option.
Unlike our forefathers, the brilliant patriots who founded this country and crafted the finest Constitution ever known, we have nowhere else to go. There is no frontier left to conquer, no speck of unclaimed land upon which we may begin again, however difficult it may be. There is no country which even remotely compares to this, no system of government which we find palatable except for our own. We built this country with our brains and brawn, we are this country. We have been bred in freedom for too many generations to give it up while we still draw breath. If we lose our liberty, our children's futures, we lose our very reason for existence. Fiercely independent and personally responsible, we would rather perish than condemn ourselves and those we love to lives of oppression.
You seem to think that you can wear us down, that there is some magic number of affronts to our liberty that will force us to throw in the towel. Rest assured there is not. We will resist tyranny forever. There is no amount of fascism or socialism that we consider acceptable - the more you try to force upon us, the more determined we become to throw off that which has been previously accepted.
You say that we are a tiny minority, that our views do not represent the mainstream. What do you know of the mainstream? As you sit in your ivory towers, surrounded by greedy minions who affirm your every pronouncement in hopes of being tossed a crumb, what do you know of real America? As you play your games with our tax dollars, attempting always to amass more power to feed your insatiable egos, what do you know of the travails of the average man?
The outcome of a contest can often be predicted in advance if the goals and motives of the combatants are understood. We are fighting for our very lives - you cannot trump that cause.
We will work tirelessly to see those of you who have forgotten that you are public servants removed from office. For us, there is no option. You, on the other hand, have a choice to make. Will you fulfill your oaths to protect and defend the Constitution which we hold dear, or will you continue to advance your agenda of unsustainable government control and expansion? Will you honestly attempt to serve the best interests of the majority of the people, or will you persist in your attempts to suffocate the very life and spirit from the productive masses? Will you place principle ahead of party, or promote corruption and cronyism? Your answer will determine your fate. Choose wisely.
You see, we cannot accept your chosen course. We cannot succumb to your vision for a transformed nation. We seek only to live our lives in peace and freedom, never to incite violence. But like the founders, we will risk it all to preserve our vision of freedom. Like Patrick Henry, the choice for us is clear. If we can have no liberty, we would prefer death.
Ah, Melanie...I do adore you
Melanie Phillips, author of some of my favorite pre-election editorials, takes Dear Leader to task for his appalling foreign policy record to date. I quote her in entirety here...some things are just too good not to steal.
Who does he think he's kidding?Positively poetic, madam.
On Wednesday, Barack Obama addressed the UN. If this was supposed to be a triumphant projection of the wonders of his foreign policy, his timing was singularly unfortunate. It was as if he had unveiled his shiny new bus after the wheels had come off and the engine had fallen out.
His speech set out the approach that we all know by now: soft power, apologising for America, hand of friendship extended to enemies of America, upholding human rights for enemy combatants, desire to channel foreign policy through the club of terror UN, ‘engaging with the world’ and ‘leading by example’ -- particularly by apologising for America. This approach was to be the antidote to the supposed gung-ho militarism of George W Bush. Swords would be beaten into ploughshares, genocidal lunatics would swap recipes and holiday snaps with their erstwhile victims and there would be peace on earth and the brotherhood of man. But we can see that everywhere Obama has applied this policy approach it has failed, humiliating America by revealing it to be weak, incompetent and naive to the point of imbecility and thus strenghtening the enemies of America and the free world.
In the Middle East, his policy has collapsed. Obama’s giant grovel to the Muslim world in Cairo failed to shift any belligerents or impress the rest.
His extended hand of friendship to Iran’s murderous regime had the effect of abandoning those Iranians who are fighting and dying for freedom from tyranny, while failing to stop, delay or in any way deter Iran from developing a nuclear bomb.
He made America less safe by abandoning the central European missile defence shield against Iran, showing contempt for Poland and the Czech Republic along the way.
He has rewarded North Korea for its continued belligerency by agreeing to its demand for bilateral talks.
His engagement with Syria has failed to end its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.
As far as Israel and the Palestinians are concerned, Obama marched his troops to the top of the hill only to have to march them down again with their tail between their legs. In response to his bullying over the settlements, Israel faced him down by agreeing to a Palestine state; but stipulating that for this to happen the Palestinians must accept the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. With the Palestinians loudly refusing to do so, thus demonstrating that it is they who refuse to accept a two-state solution, Obama has nevertheless forced ‘peace process’ negotiations to restart between Israel and a Palestinian leadership which refuses to accept the existence of Israel and says there is nothing to discuss. While he grovels to America’s enemies, Obama continues to treat its ally, Israel, as an enemy. As former UN ambassador John Bolton observed:The most significant point of the speech was how the president put Israel on the chopping block in a variety of references, from calling Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegitimate to talking about ending ‘the occupation that began in 1967.’On TV Bolton also said:As I say, I think it’s the most anti-Israel speech I can remember by an American president, and the important thing is, when you have the Palestinians in as a weak of a position as they are now, and to have Barack Obama be their lawyer in effect, puts them in a very strong bargaining place.Meanwhile, Obama is now dithering disastrously over his own policy in Afghanistan which he is trying to ditch. Having previously announced a ‘surge’ there of more troops he is now refusing to provide them, thus causing a major rift with the American commander in Afghanistan. As the Times reports:He has now ordered a major review of that very strategy and refused to heed the demand by General Stanley McChrystal, the US ground commander in Afghanistan, for an urgent increase in the number of troops. General McChrystal said that without more forces immediately the war could be lost within 12 months.The Washington Times cuttingly explains why Obama has produced the ‘worst foreign policy ever’:Actions in Mr. Obama's world are consequence-free. The only country the Obama team has tried to strong-arm is Honduras, which is desperately trying to stave off a socialist takeover by an anti-American autocrat whom the State Department has concluded is worthy of full U.S. support. This has delighted Cuban dictators Raul and Fidel Castro and Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez, who are very willing to let the United States carry their water. Venezuela, meanwhile, has signed a major arms deal with Russia, continues to build the anti-Gringo ‘Bolivarian’ bloc, bullies U.S. ally Colombia and plans to launch its own nuclear program.It would be hilarious if it weren’t so frightening that the leader of the western world, in the face of a war to destroy that world, should be so utterly incompetent and out of his depth. The biggest and most immediate danger, of course, concerns Iran. The US hand of friendship has been spurned. Iran is poised to get the bomb. The question, though, is whether underneath all the boilerplate leftism, the gross naivety and astounding incompetence Obama is -- when push comes to shove -- a pragmatist. His adviser, the appalling bigot Zbigniew Brzezinski, has said the US should shoot down Israeli warplanes should they attack Iran. But as I have remarked before, despite his own manifest distaste for Israel Obama might yet be sweating on Israel doing precisely that. His people say they are acutely aware of the danger that he may be judged by history as the US President who allowed Iran to go nuclear on his watch, with the unconscionable consequences that would follow. As his foreign policy goes belly-up, Obama will have to choose whether to continue with his suicidally idiotic approach or dramatically switch course.
Then there is the catalogue of Mr. Obama's embarrassing moments on the world stage, a list which includes: giving England's Queen Elizabeth II an iPod with his speeches on it; giving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a collection of DVDs that were not formatted to the European standard (by contrast, Mr. Brown gave Mr. Obama an ornamental desk-pen holder made from the oak timbers of Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, among other historically significant gifts); calling ‘Austrian’ a language; bowing to the Saudi king; releasing a photo of a conference call with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which the president was showing the soles of his shoes to the camera (an Arab insult); saying ‘let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel’s’; saying the United States was ‘one of the largest Muslim countries in the world’; suggesting Arabic translators be shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan where Arabic is not a native language; sending a letter to French President Jacques Chirac when Nicolas Sarkozy was the president of France; holding a town-hall meeting in France and not calling on a single French citizen; and referring to ‘Cinco de Cuatro’ in front of the Mexican ambassador when he meant Cinco de Mayo. Also of note was Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton giving Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a ‘reset’ button with the Russian word for ‘overcharge.’
We will soon know whether pragmatist Obama will win over ideologue Obama. Meanwhile, however, America’s 44th President is fast turning into a lethal joke. Iran, North Korea and Russia are laughing. Those who fear for the future of the free world are shuddering, aghast.
IBD Agrees
That Pelosi is dangerously hypocritical. And they say it a bit more artfully than I did (no pun intended).
Thugs, Tea Parties And Treacle
Politics: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi berated town hall and tea party protesters this month, tearfully warning they'd incite violence. Well, there's been violence all right, at Pittsburgh's G-20. But it wasn't the tea partiers.
It takes gall to characterize ordinary Americans, freely exercising their rights of speech and assembly in civic forums, as "mobs" while ignoring a pack of leftist thugs now smashing a U.S. city. But that's what Pelosi did, directing her righteous tocsin to the Norman Rockwell-like gatherings of Americans who opposed her expansion of government this past summer.
"I have concerns about some of the language that is being used because I saw ... I saw this myself in the late '70s in San Francisco," Pelosi said, choking up, her eyes brimming with tears.
"This kind of rhetoric is just, is really frightening and it created a climate in which we, violence took place and ... I wish that we would all, again, curb our enthusiasm in some of the statements that are made," she told a congressional forum Sept. 17 in a bid to silence peaceful protesters.
Scroll ahead one week to the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh: Some 1,000 hooded rioters descend on the city waving signs such as "Smash the G-20" and "Eat the Rich." Many take "direct action" to "challenge capitalism" in what organizers brazenly call an "unpermitted protest."
Unlike the town hall citizens, they didn't "hurl" statements — just tire irons, bricks and rocks, in an effort to damage private businesses.
"Sometimes you just got to say f--- it and get down," read a Web statement by the organizers "Pittsburgh G-20 Resistance Project," making no secret of their intent to wreak mayhem.
"Despite the use of rubber bullets, chemical weapons, and LRAD (noise) attacks, demonstrators remained on the streets for hours and actions continue across the city," the group's press release read.
By that they meant attacks on 13 pre-picked Starbucks stores, a Whole Foods, an American Apparel, a Trader Joe's, U.S. military recruiting stations, check-cashing outlets, 13 PNC bank outlets and other institutions, all conveniently listed as possibilities on a Google map. Many of these places saw smashed windows and graffiti attacks after they turned up on the blacklist.
This kind of violence is nothing new. It was found in Seattle in 1999, where former Obama administration green czar Van Jones got himself arrested. It was repeated at other summits in Turin, Italy; Washington, D.C.; and London. These leftists detest capitalism, abhor private property — and have ties to the Democratic Party.
The unwillingness of the Democratic establishment to defend free markets emboldens the rioters. In destroying private property and impeding trade, these anarchists prove their aims aren't democratic. They resemble the mobs of Castro's Cuba who engage in violence against citizens to enforce conformity.
The outrage of it all raises questions about Pelosi's real agenda in her one-sided criticism of tea partiers. By criticizing only tea partiers and ignoring rampant thugs, she seeks to repress peaceful dissent. With that setup, it's no surprise that there's a mudslide of violence now rolling down on us from an energized radical left.
What racism?
With all the claims of racist being tossed around, some are saying that President Obama may be setting race relations backward in the U.S.
I think the opposite may be true.
After last November's election, pollsters said the "black community" voted 95% for Obama. Many accused the "black community" of being concerned only with skin pigment, and said that fact alone hurt race relations.
May I opine?
In the first place, what exactly is the "black community"? Do you remember the Harper Lee book, To Kill A Mockingbird? As I recall, at one point in the book, one of the characters said words to the effect that if a person has one drop of Negro blood in their veins, that makes them a Negro. Is that how we identify the "black community? today?
Even if you believe in the pollsters who surely drew blood and searched for that one drop, I don't think the strong African-American support for Barack Obama means much more than the bleacher-bound football fan screaming enthusiastically "We won!" But, if the 95% number is correct, what about the other 5%?
Yeah, what about them? Thanks to the Obama generated controversy many white Americans are hearing about (and from) them, and listening to them, for the first time. The large number (even if a small 5%) have spoken out in a way that has made many white people fully understand the depth of intelligence, awareness, logic, - help me fill in more laudatory adjectives - of many African-Americans.
I am a little reluctant to start naming names, because I know I can't remember them all. Still, I must mention Thomas Sowell, Larry Elder, Walter Williams, Ken Blackwell... and the women... Star Parker, Deneen Borelli, and all the others.
And, you know something? I question if any of these great and wise Americans have any ties to Africa, so why do we make a point of calling them African-Americans? You look at their photographs and sometimes you can't tell if they even have that one drop.
These men and women are demonstrating the wonderful truth that being an American has nothing to do with ethnicity, race, ancestral origin, or anything other than spirit and character. And I believe they are improving race relations beyond anything the social engineers have ever accomplished.
As athletes and musicians have proven for decades, when you truly admire someone, none of that race, religion or color baloney means a damn thing. Thanks, Barack, for arousing these admirable Americans and motivating them to speak out against your flawed policies.
With all the claims of racist being tossed around, some are saying that President Obama may be setting race relations backward in the U.S.
I think the opposite may be true.
After last November's election, pollsters said the "black community" voted 95% for Obama. Many accused the "black community" of being concerned only with skin pigment, and said that fact alone hurt race relations.
May I opine?
In the first place, what exactly is the "black community"? Do you remember the Harper Lee book, To Kill A Mockingbird? As I recall, at one point in the book, one of the characters said words to the effect that if a person has one drop of Negro blood in their veins, that makes them a Negro. Is that how we identify the "black community? today?
Even if you believe in the pollsters who surely drew blood and searched for that one drop, I don't think the strong African-American support for Barack Obama means much more than the bleacher-bound football fan screaming enthusiastically "We won!" But, if the 95% number is correct, what about the other 5%?
Yeah, what about them? Thanks to the Obama generated controversy many white Americans are hearing about (and from) them, and listening to them, for the first time. The large number (even if a small 5%) have spoken out in a way that has made many white people fully understand the depth of intelligence, awareness, logic, - help me fill in more laudatory adjectives - of many African-Americans.
I am a little reluctant to start naming names, because I know I can't remember them all. Still, I must mention Thomas Sowell, Larry Elder, Walter Williams, Ken Blackwell... and the women... Star Parker, Deneen Borelli, and all the others.
And, you know something? I question if any of these great and wise Americans have any ties to Africa, so why do we make a point of calling them African-Americans? You look at their photographs and sometimes you can't tell if they even have that one drop.
These men and women are demonstrating the wonderful truth that being an American has nothing to do with ethnicity, race, ancestral origin, or anything other than spirit and character. And I believe they are improving race relations beyond anything the social engineers have ever accomplished.
As athletes and musicians have proven for decades, when you truly admire someone, none of that race, religion or color baloney means a damn thing. Thanks, Barack, for arousing these admirable Americans and motivating them to speak out against your flawed policies.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ledeen: Iranian leaders "dead men walking"
Michael Ledeen has a number of recent posts on his blog, Faster, Please!, indicating that the fall of the Islamic Republic of Iran is imminent. There's far too much to post here, but click over and give it a read...best news I've seen in days.
A Hat Tip to...Barney Frank?
Good ol' Barney, the primary facilitator of the subprime mortagage debacle which is largely to blame for our current economic crisis. One of the biggest problems in Congress today. Bet you never thought you'd hear me praise him, huh?
Well, perhaps pigs are flying. Or hell has frozen over. But, at least on the surface, it appears that Barney is on the right, er, correct side of an important issue...ACORN. John Fund explains.
Great start. Now how about some sanity in the health and energy arenas?
Well, perhaps pigs are flying. Or hell has frozen over. But, at least on the surface, it appears that Barney is on the right, er, correct side of an important issue...ACORN. John Fund explains.
Ex-Friends of Acorn
Acorn twisting in the wind.
It was a bad news day yesterday for the community organizers at Acorn, now caught up in Day 15 of a burgeoning scandal that has seen the group condemned by Congress and its financial records subpoenaed by Louisiana's Democratic attorney general.
Last night, the Internal Revenue Service severed its ties with Acorn, which had been an IRS partner in providing low-income workers with tax preparation assistance.
But the real body blow came when Rep. Barney Frank abruptly threw Acorn under the bus, telling Fox News: "I think they have forfeited their right to get [federal] funds."
Mr. Frank said he had been incorrectly quoted previously as saying he would have voted against a motion last week cutting off the group's access to the federal gravy train. He couldn't resist a partisan jab, however, noting that Acorn had received $14.2 million in federal housing funds during the Bush administration -- a fair point.
Mr. Frank also appeared unsympathetic to Acorn's latest attempt to change the subject, a lawsuit filed yesterday against two filmmakers who had videotaped Acorn employees in several cities offering tax evasion advice to a supposed prostitution ring. The suit alleges the filmmakers and news site Breitbart.com violated a local law banning unauthorized taping of individuals. Legal analysts largely panned the case, noting that Acorn had filed the lawsuit jointly with two former Maryland Acorn employees who had previously been fired for the behavior caught on the videotape
Mr. Frank had no comment on the merits of the suit, but did offer this pithy summary: "People have said, 'Well, the sting [against Acorn] is terrible.' I will tell people there is a great defense against being stung. Don't do the kind of things that put you on television."
Great start. Now how about some sanity in the health and energy arenas?
Mr. Gaffney, you are much too kind
Frank Gaffney in the Washington Times:
The rest can be found here, and it is well worth the click.The Obama doctrine
Capitulation sugarcoated with smart words
Undermine our allies. Embolden our enemies. Diminish our country.
Those nine words define the Obama doctrine with respect to American security policy. All three elements were much in evidence in the president's benighted decision last week to cancel the "third site" for intercontinental-range missile defenses in Eastern Europe. They will be on display as well during this week's several conclaves with foreign leaders.
The cumulative effect is predictable: A world in which the United States has fewer friends, more enemies and fewer options for assuring its security.[snip]
Make no mistake: With such steps, Mr. Obama is systematically diminishing the United States, effecting its transformation from what was once called "the world's only superpower" to a nation subordinated to the demands of international consensus, organizations, "peer competitors" and even rogue states.
[snip]
Saul Alinsky would be proud.
And they dare call US an "Angry Mob?"
Give me a break.
On September 12th, over one million Americans assembled on the west lawn of the United States Capitol, spilling over into the streets and down the sides of the Mall, which was reserved for another function, stretching all the way to the Washington Monument. We were there for hours, en masse, peacefully attempting to voice our concerns to our government. When we left, we left the area cleaner than when we arrived, conscientiously cleaning up not only our own trash, but that which was there before us.
We were dismissed as "wrong." In the recent past, we have been called an "angry mob," "racists," "rude," "potential terrorists," and possibly even Nazis.
Yet this will bring no condemnation from anyone in government, just watch and see.
The hypocrisy is stupefying.
On September 12th, over one million Americans assembled on the west lawn of the United States Capitol, spilling over into the streets and down the sides of the Mall, which was reserved for another function, stretching all the way to the Washington Monument. We were there for hours, en masse, peacefully attempting to voice our concerns to our government. When we left, we left the area cleaner than when we arrived, conscientiously cleaning up not only our own trash, but that which was there before us.
We were dismissed as "wrong." In the recent past, we have been called an "angry mob," "racists," "rude," "potential terrorists," and possibly even Nazis.
Yet this will bring no condemnation from anyone in government, just watch and see.
G-20 opponents, police clash on Pittsburgh streetsWhere is the outrage, Nancy Pelosi? Why aren't these protestors "wrong," David Axelrod? Who among the Democratic leadership of this nation will label this group an "angry mob?"
PITTSBURGH – Police fired canisters of pepper spray and smoke at marchers protesting the Group of 20 summit Thursday after anarchists responded to calls to disperse by rolling trash bins and throwing rocks.
The march turned chaotic at just about the time that President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrived for a meeting with leaders of the world's major economies.
The clashes began after hundreds of protesters, many advocating against capitalism, tried to march from an outlying neighborhood toward the convention center where the summit is being held.
The protesters banged on drums and chanted "Ain't no power like the power of the people, 'cause the power of the people don't stop."
The marchers included small groups of self-described anarchists, some wearing dark clothes and bandanas and carrying black flags. Others wore helmets and safety goggles.
One banner read, "No borders, no thanks," another, "No hope in capitalism." A few minutes into the march, protesters unfurled a large banner reading "NO BAILOUT NO CAPITALISM" with an encircled "A," a recognized sign of anarchists.
The marchers did not have a permit and, after a few blocks, police declared it an unlawful assembly. They played an announcement over a loudspeaker telling people to leave or face arrest and then police in riot gear moved in to break it up.
Protesters split into smaller groups. Some rolled large metal trash bins toward police, and a man in a black hooded sweat shirt threw rocks at a police car, breaking the front windshield. Protesters broke windows in a few businesses, including a bank branch and a Boston Market restaurant.
Officers fired pepper spray and smoke at the protesters. Some of those exposed to the pepper spray coughed and complained that their eyes were watering and stinging.
Police were planning a news conference to discuss their response. Officers were seen taking away a handful of protesters in cuffs.
About an hour after the clashes started, the police and protesters were at a standoff. Police sealed off main thoroughfares to downtown.
Twenty-one-year-old Stephon Boatwright, of Syracuse, N.Y., wore a mask of English anarchist Guy Fawkes and yelled at a line of riot police. He then sat cross-legged near the officers, telling them to let the protesters through and to join their cause.
"You're actively suppressing us. I know you want to move," Boatwright yelled, to applause from the protesters gathered around him.
Protesters complained that the march had been peaceful and that police were trampling on their right to assemble.
"We were barely even protesting," said T.J. Amick, 22, of Pittsburgh. "Then all of a sudden, they come up and tell us we're gathered illegally and start using force, start banging their shields, start telling us we're going to be arrested and tear gassed. ... We haven't broken any laws."
Bret Hatch, 26, of Green Bay, Wis., was carrying an American flag and a "Don't Tread on Me" flag.
"This is ridiculous. We have constitutional rights to free speech," he said.
The National Lawyer's Guild, a liberal legal-aid group, said one of its observers, a second year law student, was among those arrested. Its representatives were stationed among the protesters, wearing green hats.
"I think he was totally acting according to the law. I don't think he was provoking anyone at all," said Joel Kupferman, a member of the guild. "It's really upsetting because he's here to serve, to make sure everyone else can be protected. ... It's a sign that they are out of control."
The march had begun at a city park, where an activist from New York City, dressed in a white suit with a preacher's collar, started it off with a speech through a bullhorn.
"They are not operating on Earth time. ... They are accommodating the devil," he said. "To love democracy and to love the earth is to be a radical now."
The activist, Billy Talen, travels the country preaching against consumerism. He initially identified himself as "the Rev. Billy from the Church of Life After Shopping."
The G-20 summit was beginning Thursday evening with a welcome ceremony at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden and ends late Friday afternoon after a day of meetings at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Dignitaries were arriving in waves and were heading to a city under heavy security. Police and National Guard troops guarded many downtown intersections, and a maze of tall metal fences and concrete barriers shunted cars and pedestrians.
Hundreds of police in riot gear were seen massing at Phipps, but only a handful of demonstrators were there.
The hypocrisy is stupefying.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Just Doodlin'
On the sunny moring of September 10, 2009, April and I set off for what we felt would be an historic event. We were bound for Washington DC. We were going to participate in an event unlike any other since... I don't know when. We were going to march in the 9/12 Rally. For my part, it was a protest of the way the Obama administration is ruining our country. He said he would transform our country and he's doing it. Obama is a traitor. He is selling or rather giving our country away to the idiots of the world who gather on a regular basis in the UN building in New York City, USA. Today, 9/23/09, he made a speech in that building and did what he is wont to do in speeches. He apologized for all we are and all we have accomplished over the years since 1776. He hates this country and will, I'm afraid, take it beyond the point of no return before his term expires.
I wanted to tell you how wonderful it was to be with our 1.2 or 1.5 million close friends sharing the overcast day on the Capitol Mall. Not a complaint could be heard except about the state of the nation. No one got out of line at all. Everyone was of a like mind, we wanted our country back. Back from the traitor who is leading us over the presipice to a third world economy. He can fly to New York to see a play and have it cost the taxpayers, you and I, hundreds of thousands of dollars. Michelle Obama can fly to France on a shopping spree and have that cost passed on to those of us who pay taxes.
I could rant about the rediculously high cost of energy if the cap and trade bill passes the Senate. I could rant about the rediculous health care bill, or the lack of attention to our borders, or the lack of Constitutionallity of the Czars in the White House, but those reading this know about those illegal things already.
I seriously believe, after having attended a candidate forum for the third district of Kansas last night, that April would be a far better candidate than any of the 3 that put in appearences. The best of the bunch wasn't even a candidate. She was a representative of the Libertarian Party. April knew more about the questions asked by the moderator than did any of the candidates. It is a shame that a mind like April's can't represent us in the hallowed halls of the Capitol building in DC. We toured those halls and one could feel the presence of the founding fathers and those that came after, walking those halls. For us to allow one man who I am sure is twisted and sick to ruin what it has taken over 233 years to build would be a crime at least as bad as he will inflict upon us.
I was listening to talk radio this morning about his (Obama's) speech at the UN and got tears in my eyes. I can't stand what he is doing to our great nation and I can't understand why congress is allowing it to go on. Despite the fact that there is an overwhelming majority of Democrats in both houses, I can't believe they are so blinded by party ties that they would allow this wonderful country to be betrayed into third world status. I just can't make myself believe it. I guess I'll get to see it if I'm around long enough.
Speaking of enough, I'm more than certain that anyone reading this will think it's enough already, so I'll stop. But, rest assured, when I can't hold it in anymore, I'll be back. JC
I wanted to tell you how wonderful it was to be with our 1.2 or 1.5 million close friends sharing the overcast day on the Capitol Mall. Not a complaint could be heard except about the state of the nation. No one got out of line at all. Everyone was of a like mind, we wanted our country back. Back from the traitor who is leading us over the presipice to a third world economy. He can fly to New York to see a play and have it cost the taxpayers, you and I, hundreds of thousands of dollars. Michelle Obama can fly to France on a shopping spree and have that cost passed on to those of us who pay taxes.
I could rant about the rediculously high cost of energy if the cap and trade bill passes the Senate. I could rant about the rediculous health care bill, or the lack of attention to our borders, or the lack of Constitutionallity of the Czars in the White House, but those reading this know about those illegal things already.
I seriously believe, after having attended a candidate forum for the third district of Kansas last night, that April would be a far better candidate than any of the 3 that put in appearences. The best of the bunch wasn't even a candidate. She was a representative of the Libertarian Party. April knew more about the questions asked by the moderator than did any of the candidates. It is a shame that a mind like April's can't represent us in the hallowed halls of the Capitol building in DC. We toured those halls and one could feel the presence of the founding fathers and those that came after, walking those halls. For us to allow one man who I am sure is twisted and sick to ruin what it has taken over 233 years to build would be a crime at least as bad as he will inflict upon us.
I was listening to talk radio this morning about his (Obama's) speech at the UN and got tears in my eyes. I can't stand what he is doing to our great nation and I can't understand why congress is allowing it to go on. Despite the fact that there is an overwhelming majority of Democrats in both houses, I can't believe they are so blinded by party ties that they would allow this wonderful country to be betrayed into third world status. I just can't make myself believe it. I guess I'll get to see it if I'm around long enough.
Speaking of enough, I'm more than certain that anyone reading this will think it's enough already, so I'll stop. But, rest assured, when I can't hold it in anymore, I'll be back. JC
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Yet Another Perspective on the March
This is a really different perspective, and includes a link to a wonderful photo album.
A Former Radical Goes Back to the Future at the 9/12 MarchRead the whole thing here. And be sure to check out the pictures. The comments are pretty special, too.
In 1967, I was the radical Alinsky wrote the rules for. On the political cutting edge, I’d been arguing with fellow students and coworkers for years about Vietnam, and my growing disgust with my country led me down many winding roads of anti-American thought. I was counterculture before there was a name for it, skipping my prom and graduation as “bourgeois,” going barefoot, braless, and unshaven, and collecting tattoos at the only place in town those days — a crummy hole-in-the-wall next to downtown D.C.’s Greyhound station.
Everything about me was about making a statement. And while it was pretty exciting for me as a young woman to create a new identity based on rejection of the status quo, for years I’d felt like I was alone.
Then suddenly I discovered I wasn’t.
On October 21, a crisp, clear D.C. day, I arrived with my boyfriend at my first anti-war protest and felt a thrill of belonging and hope. The Pentagon grounds were churning with 50,000 or so people like us — a curious conglomeration of serious anti-American academic types (like me) and sha-la-la-la-la-live-for-today potheads (like him). But the differences didn’t matter to us that day, which celebrated everything from putting flowers in National Guard rifles to taunting police until we were tear-gassed. The counterculture had a big umbrella, and we were all hippies at heart — eager to create a new world, whatever that might turn out to be. This day gave us a sense of unity, strength, and purpose.
[snip]
Flash forward forty years to find this mother of 12 (nine by birth, three by adoption) once again a political activist — but now for the conservative cause.
What happened? Life happened. A 1972 permanent pilgrimage to San Francisco, another baby (Jasmine Moondance), divorce, promiscuity/experimentation, abortion, drug addiction, welfare — all in accord with my proud leftist political banner. A 1980 move to Marin County, Alcoholics Anonymous, a second marriage, New Age spirituality, birth control failures, building a business, owning a home.
A 1987 born-again experience, homeschooling, a son with Down syndrome, a writing career, three adoptions, and finally in 2002 a cross country move with 24 native Californians (my husband, children, sons-in-law and grandchildren) to come back to the traditional values I’d rejected before.
Not much about my current life looks like anything like the me I used to be — other than a lingering weakness for retro hippie fashion. Oh, and the skin art now lumping me with tattoo-come-lately Baby Boomers rather than communicating my colorful past.
But the hopeful giddiness I felt last Saturday at the 9/12 Freedom March took me back 40 years. And what I observed — no matter how ignored or spun by the increasingly irrelevant dinosaur media — tells me that this spontaneous and improbable gathering of conservatives is just the beginning of a movement that in the end will be as culturally revolutionary as the Woodstock generation.
What I Saw at the Revolution
I didn't write this, but I certainly lived it. Many thanks to Kathy Garriott for her beautiful account of a beautiful day. I cried like a baby reading it...if you think it sounds corny, you weren't there.
"Do you think there'll be porta-potties?" Was the anxious question my husband asked. He's in his fifties, after all. He asked about restroom facilities several days before we left for DC, and enjoined me to "find out on the internet" because he thinks I can find out anything on the internet. It was from the various conservative blogs and forums that I haunt on the net that had inspired me to put together this trip to DC in the first place. Like most tea-partiers, I am only loosely affiliated with any of the organizers. I was anxious about restrooms, too, and anxious about the notorious summer heat and humidity of our nation's capitol. I'm in my fifties, after all. I knew the organizers of this event were not professionals (and I mean that in the nicest way) and things like adequate porta-potties might not have crossed their radar.Read the rest here.
So we set off to DC with our supplies of poster-making materials and some folding camp chairs, umbrellas, trail mix, and basic first-aid. If there were no restrooms, well, we'd just deal with that when we got there.
We'd booked a hotel in the downtown area, and when we arrived a family with three small children was also checking in with some Tea Party paraphrenalia. If they can face bringing three children under five to a political rally with the uncertain knowledge of available restrooms, I'd better stop whining.
The only preparation we had for this Tea Party were the downloaded instructions: "We meet at Freedom Plaza between 9 and 11, then we march down Pennsylvania to our rally on Capitol Hill." Getting up late, we were on the street at 10 for the twenty-minute walk to Freedom Plaza, marked on our city map. We started seeing other tea-partiers with their signs and flags, camp chairs slung over their shoulders and Uncle Sam fashions, and we walked together and spoke together without introduction like old alums from the same school.
"Heading to Freedom Plaza?" asked the Rebels in Fanny Packs. "Yep!" We were headed west on F street, roughly parallel to Pennsylvania Avenue. Maps were consulted, we all had several, maps with earnest orange and pink highlighting. We were at 11th Street when we glanced two blocks south toward Pennsylvania Avenue and stopped in shock.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
GO!
Grab a small piece of paper and write two names on it:
Hannah Giles
James O'Keefe
Then take one of those little magnets and stick that paper on the front of your refrigerator, right at eye level, so it will be seen by everyone who opens the refrigerator door. Keep it there until those names are burned into your memory.
In case you've been on a trip to the moon, or have gotten all your news from ABC, Associated Press, CBS, CNN, The L.A. Times, MSNBC, NBC, The NY Times, or any of the hundreds of other U.S. Daily newspapers which have never mentioned those two names, Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe are the two young people who did something great for America. Something the aforementioned news organizations or any agency of any local, state or the federal government have been unable to do... they provided the evidence to take down ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. (For details, take a look at www.biggovernment.com, Andrew Breitbart's powerful new website.)
ACORN has been guilty of widespread election fraud across the country. No government has chosen to act decisively. Important news organizations have chosen to ignore them. ACORN is a corrupt, perhaps criminal organization which President Obama has promised "a seat at the table" in his administration.
But, just when it seemed that billions of taxpayer dollars were destined to fund this despicable group, along came Giles and O'Keefe, two young Americans with no money and no power, but with a fierce determination to defend the country they loved. They found a way when the rich and powerful could not.
Already ACORN has been removed from any participation in the 2010 census. Already the U.S. Senate has voted to de-fund ACORN! Thank you, Giles and O'Keefe.
When you are certain you will never forget the names of these two young Americans, turn that piece of paper over and write two letters:
GO
... and stick it back on your refrigerator!
Yes, they are Giles' and O'Keefe's initials... but they also spell a word, a word to be remembered as a rallying cry whenever you feel weak and powerless; whenever you hear someone say "I have no money, no power. What can I do?"; whenever you see the news organizations and the government ignoring an injustice! In the spirit of Giles and O'Keeke, think... be innovative... and GO! Perhaps there is a way, Perhaps you will be the one to find it!
Grab a small piece of paper and write two names on it:
Hannah Giles
James O'Keefe
Then take one of those little magnets and stick that paper on the front of your refrigerator, right at eye level, so it will be seen by everyone who opens the refrigerator door. Keep it there until those names are burned into your memory.
In case you've been on a trip to the moon, or have gotten all your news from ABC, Associated Press, CBS, CNN, The L.A. Times, MSNBC, NBC, The NY Times, or any of the hundreds of other U.S. Daily newspapers which have never mentioned those two names, Hannah Giles and James O'Keefe are the two young people who did something great for America. Something the aforementioned news organizations or any agency of any local, state or the federal government have been unable to do... they provided the evidence to take down ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. (For details, take a look at www.biggovernment.com, Andrew Breitbart's powerful new website.)
ACORN has been guilty of widespread election fraud across the country. No government has chosen to act decisively. Important news organizations have chosen to ignore them. ACORN is a corrupt, perhaps criminal organization which President Obama has promised "a seat at the table" in his administration.
But, just when it seemed that billions of taxpayer dollars were destined to fund this despicable group, along came Giles and O'Keefe, two young Americans with no money and no power, but with a fierce determination to defend the country they loved. They found a way when the rich and powerful could not.
Already ACORN has been removed from any participation in the 2010 census. Already the U.S. Senate has voted to de-fund ACORN! Thank you, Giles and O'Keefe.
When you are certain you will never forget the names of these two young Americans, turn that piece of paper over and write two letters:
GO
... and stick it back on your refrigerator!
Yes, they are Giles' and O'Keefe's initials... but they also spell a word, a word to be remembered as a rallying cry whenever you feel weak and powerless; whenever you hear someone say "I have no money, no power. What can I do?"; whenever you see the news organizations and the government ignoring an injustice! In the spirit of Giles and O'Keeke, think... be innovative... and GO! Perhaps there is a way, Perhaps you will be the one to find it!
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Compare and Contrast
Courtesy of Gateway Pundit, we can compare the aftermath of a "liberal" function, Obama's Inauguration, with a "conservative" function, the 9/12 March. First the inauguration.
To be fair, it was January, so the grass wasn't quite the same...but, hey...
This is after the 9/12 rally. John and I went to the Mall the next morning, early, and it looked pretty spotless to us, too.
The trash cans (both of them!) were overflowing, but the trash that wouldn't fit was stacked near the cans. There were more than two, but not many more. It's just a difference in RESPECT. 9/12ers consider this to be hallowed ground and wouldn't dream of leaving it trashed. Wish we could say the same for the Obama supporters.
To be fair, it was January, so the grass wasn't quite the same...but, hey...
This is after the 9/12 rally. John and I went to the Mall the next morning, early, and it looked pretty spotless to us, too.
The trash cans (both of them!) were overflowing, but the trash that wouldn't fit was stacked near the cans. There were more than two, but not many more. It's just a difference in RESPECT. 9/12ers consider this to be hallowed ground and wouldn't dream of leaving it trashed. Wish we could say the same for the Obama supporters.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Thoughts
I've had two days now to absorb the events of September 12th. It's not enough. I don't know if any amount of time will ever be enough.
Since April 15th, I have gone to almost every Tea Party held anywhere in my area. Even before that, I was looking for a march on D.C. - wanting so very much to be part of what is, to me at least, a historical moment in American history. I heard several dates discussed - July 4th, September 12th, others - but wasn't sure it was really going to happen. I waited and watched, and finally, when it seemed certain that there would be a march on 9/12, with at least 15,000 people in attendance, we made reservations.
For weeks I have worried that we would look like a tiny blot of people on the Capitol lawn, made foolish by our tiny size before the immense Capitol building. How silly that seems in retrospect.
I wish I could find the words to explain to those of you who have not yet attended one of our events just what an amazing experience it is. You see it all depicted through the filter of the media - mostly left-leaning (or worse!) and virtually all clueless. They have not stood among the protesters, listening to the conversations. They, and you, if you haven't been there, simply don't understand.
The people who attend these protests are angry, no doubt. But they are so much more.
I would, literally, trust these people with my life. I have met thousands of people, talked with them, shared stories - they are all my brothers and sisters. They all love their country, enough to die for it if necessary. They are all good, hard-working, respectful individuals who want only to be free. They are friendly, kind and helpful. They don't even litter the sites where the rallies are held - the venues are, literally, cleaner when the rallies are over than when they began.
These are people who love God, their families and their fellow man. Most would willingly give you the shirt off their back if you were in need, but would fight mightily to keep you from stealing it. Most of all, they believe, with every fiber of their beings, in the sanctity of the United States Constitution as the supreme and unbreakable law of the land. The spirit of the Founding Fathers lives on in each and every one of these wonderful people.
On Friday night, John went out to the car to bring in our signs. On the way through the lobby, he met several fellow protestors, at least some of them from Missouri. They were fast friends, talking about the signs, the problems with government, etc. John was all smiles and so excited to share the story when he came back to the room.
On Saturday, as we walked to the Metro station, we met a few fellow protesters and immediately struck up a conversation. There was no tension - it was like old home week. There were so many of us from out of town, unfamiliar with the ticket purchasing process, that the lines were long. Rather than growing impatient, however, those waiting their turn tried to help others who were having problems. Waiting for the train, which was delayed by construction, our number grew, and we had a number of conversations with different groups of people - all smiling and as excited as we were. When the train finally came, we hurried on board, quickly filling all the seats. Those standing in the aisles were chatting with others seated near them - conversations grew as more and more chimed in. After just a few minutes and another train stop, the train was full to the point of overflowing and we began to notice that it was growing very warm in the car. There was no air conditioning on, and with all the bodies, it was only a matter of minutes before the windows of the trains were completely fogged over, with condensation dripping down them. The ride took almost 40 minutes, with another person or two somehow managing to board at each stop. It began to feel like we were out of oxygen - it was so hot and humid in the car that it was difficult to breathe. But I did not hear one complaint. There were a few jokes - Obama ordered the AC turned off to make it harder on us, for example. But no complaints...not a single one. Just laughter and excitement that grew more intense with each passing stop.
When we finally arrived at Federal Triangle, I wiped off the window enough to peek out. The platform was jammed with people - it looked so full that I could not imagine that we would all be able to get off the train. But the crowd that was already there crushed a little more tightly together, making room for us. There was no pushing or shoving, no one worried about who got in front of whom - indeed, the younger people were stopping and gesturing for older people to go in front of them. One person fell at the top of the stairs and four others immediately bent down to help him up, making sure he was ok. There were raucous chants of USA! USA! and even a chorus of God Bless America. We made our way to the street.
When I walked into the sunshine and got my first look at Pennsylvania Avenue, my eyes filled with tears. It was the most massive crowd I had ever seen, anywhere, in my life. In every direction, as far as the eye could see, were seas of people, waving flags, carrying signs, chanting, talking, laughing. The march was not supposed to start for over an hour - we were supposed to be gathering a block to the east - but the crowd had long since overflowed the space allocated. It was an unstoppable force of nature - a melding of kindred souls into one enormous, cohesive mass of humanity. Never, at any point during the day, not one single time, did I personally see or hear anyone express anger or frustration with any of their fellow marchers. Whoever happened to be next to you at any moment was your newest best friend. Every eye you caught smiled.
As we moved en masse toward the Capitol, we talked with dozens of people, comparing notes on where we were from, how long it had taken to get there, why it was so important to us. Every person knew, with complete accuracy, the stories about the stimulus, TARP, ACORN, Obama's czars - they were well-informed on all the offenses of government since well before the beginning of Obama's term. And they were determined to get the message across to Congress and the world - NO MORE!
There were babies and children, teens and seniors. Every size, shape and color of person imaginable. People with walkers and in wheelchairs, even a few on crutches. There were people who could not walk far enough to go to the Capitol, but had travelled to get there, to sit on a bench on the sidewalk to cheer the rest of us on. It felt like the biggest, most wonderful family in history.
Throughout the rally, even during the unpleasant times, like waiting 30 minutes in line to use one of the porta potties (Freedom Works expected, at most, 100,000 people, and ordered accordingly), not one cross word. There were so many people that it was impossible not to bump into each other, but each bump was followed by, "Oh, excuse me! I'm so sorry!" "No problem!"
The tears came often on Saturday - tears of pride, tears of happiness, tears of overwhelming emotion as I absorbed the fact that I was with a million or more people who shared my love of country and were as determined as I not to let her go astray. Then I thought of all of those at home, who had been cheering me on and saying how much they wished they could go - there must have been at least 20 people that I was representing. The thought that most of those in attendance probably had similar support groups was almost more than I could absorb - there are tens of millions of us in this country! The realization brought a peace I have not felt for a very long time - with that many good people to defend her, America cannot fail. My country, our country, will come through this, and will emerge stronger than she has been in my lifetime. And that is a very good feeling indeed.
Thank you to all of my fellow marchers, those who could come to D.C. and those who could not. You have given me hope.
Since April 15th, I have gone to almost every Tea Party held anywhere in my area. Even before that, I was looking for a march on D.C. - wanting so very much to be part of what is, to me at least, a historical moment in American history. I heard several dates discussed - July 4th, September 12th, others - but wasn't sure it was really going to happen. I waited and watched, and finally, when it seemed certain that there would be a march on 9/12, with at least 15,000 people in attendance, we made reservations.
For weeks I have worried that we would look like a tiny blot of people on the Capitol lawn, made foolish by our tiny size before the immense Capitol building. How silly that seems in retrospect.
I wish I could find the words to explain to those of you who have not yet attended one of our events just what an amazing experience it is. You see it all depicted through the filter of the media - mostly left-leaning (or worse!) and virtually all clueless. They have not stood among the protesters, listening to the conversations. They, and you, if you haven't been there, simply don't understand.
The people who attend these protests are angry, no doubt. But they are so much more.
I would, literally, trust these people with my life. I have met thousands of people, talked with them, shared stories - they are all my brothers and sisters. They all love their country, enough to die for it if necessary. They are all good, hard-working, respectful individuals who want only to be free. They are friendly, kind and helpful. They don't even litter the sites where the rallies are held - the venues are, literally, cleaner when the rallies are over than when they began.
These are people who love God, their families and their fellow man. Most would willingly give you the shirt off their back if you were in need, but would fight mightily to keep you from stealing it. Most of all, they believe, with every fiber of their beings, in the sanctity of the United States Constitution as the supreme and unbreakable law of the land. The spirit of the Founding Fathers lives on in each and every one of these wonderful people.
On Friday night, John went out to the car to bring in our signs. On the way through the lobby, he met several fellow protestors, at least some of them from Missouri. They were fast friends, talking about the signs, the problems with government, etc. John was all smiles and so excited to share the story when he came back to the room.
On Saturday, as we walked to the Metro station, we met a few fellow protesters and immediately struck up a conversation. There was no tension - it was like old home week. There were so many of us from out of town, unfamiliar with the ticket purchasing process, that the lines were long. Rather than growing impatient, however, those waiting their turn tried to help others who were having problems. Waiting for the train, which was delayed by construction, our number grew, and we had a number of conversations with different groups of people - all smiling and as excited as we were. When the train finally came, we hurried on board, quickly filling all the seats. Those standing in the aisles were chatting with others seated near them - conversations grew as more and more chimed in. After just a few minutes and another train stop, the train was full to the point of overflowing and we began to notice that it was growing very warm in the car. There was no air conditioning on, and with all the bodies, it was only a matter of minutes before the windows of the trains were completely fogged over, with condensation dripping down them. The ride took almost 40 minutes, with another person or two somehow managing to board at each stop. It began to feel like we were out of oxygen - it was so hot and humid in the car that it was difficult to breathe. But I did not hear one complaint. There were a few jokes - Obama ordered the AC turned off to make it harder on us, for example. But no complaints...not a single one. Just laughter and excitement that grew more intense with each passing stop.
When we finally arrived at Federal Triangle, I wiped off the window enough to peek out. The platform was jammed with people - it looked so full that I could not imagine that we would all be able to get off the train. But the crowd that was already there crushed a little more tightly together, making room for us. There was no pushing or shoving, no one worried about who got in front of whom - indeed, the younger people were stopping and gesturing for older people to go in front of them. One person fell at the top of the stairs and four others immediately bent down to help him up, making sure he was ok. There were raucous chants of USA! USA! and even a chorus of God Bless America. We made our way to the street.
When I walked into the sunshine and got my first look at Pennsylvania Avenue, my eyes filled with tears. It was the most massive crowd I had ever seen, anywhere, in my life. In every direction, as far as the eye could see, were seas of people, waving flags, carrying signs, chanting, talking, laughing. The march was not supposed to start for over an hour - we were supposed to be gathering a block to the east - but the crowd had long since overflowed the space allocated. It was an unstoppable force of nature - a melding of kindred souls into one enormous, cohesive mass of humanity. Never, at any point during the day, not one single time, did I personally see or hear anyone express anger or frustration with any of their fellow marchers. Whoever happened to be next to you at any moment was your newest best friend. Every eye you caught smiled.
As we moved en masse toward the Capitol, we talked with dozens of people, comparing notes on where we were from, how long it had taken to get there, why it was so important to us. Every person knew, with complete accuracy, the stories about the stimulus, TARP, ACORN, Obama's czars - they were well-informed on all the offenses of government since well before the beginning of Obama's term. And they were determined to get the message across to Congress and the world - NO MORE!
There were babies and children, teens and seniors. Every size, shape and color of person imaginable. People with walkers and in wheelchairs, even a few on crutches. There were people who could not walk far enough to go to the Capitol, but had travelled to get there, to sit on a bench on the sidewalk to cheer the rest of us on. It felt like the biggest, most wonderful family in history.
Throughout the rally, even during the unpleasant times, like waiting 30 minutes in line to use one of the porta potties (Freedom Works expected, at most, 100,000 people, and ordered accordingly), not one cross word. There were so many people that it was impossible not to bump into each other, but each bump was followed by, "Oh, excuse me! I'm so sorry!" "No problem!"
The tears came often on Saturday - tears of pride, tears of happiness, tears of overwhelming emotion as I absorbed the fact that I was with a million or more people who shared my love of country and were as determined as I not to let her go astray. Then I thought of all of those at home, who had been cheering me on and saying how much they wished they could go - there must have been at least 20 people that I was representing. The thought that most of those in attendance probably had similar support groups was almost more than I could absorb - there are tens of millions of us in this country! The realization brought a peace I have not felt for a very long time - with that many good people to defend her, America cannot fail. My country, our country, will come through this, and will emerge stronger than she has been in my lifetime. And that is a very good feeling indeed.
Thank you to all of my fellow marchers, those who could come to D.C. and those who could not. You have given me hope.
More on the March
Beck's got a bunch of great pictures, here, and this video. Awesome stuff! Check out the pix...they are really nice.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Right? Or just plain wrong?
I keep hearing it... "Every American has a right to quality health care."
Oh, really?
What does that mean? What is "a right"? The Declaration of Independence speaks of certain unalienable rights and mentions life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Bill of Rights specifies that the enumeration of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. (My emphasis)
Ayn Rand said you have the right to do anything not specifically prohibited by law (and that the government has no right to do anything unless specifically permitted by law). In that regard, the Bill of Rights also says Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
The one I like, also from Ayn Rand, is that you have the right to do anything that does not infringe upon the rights of others.
Being alive, being free and pursuing my particular concept of happiness does not infringe upon any other person's right to do the same. Nor does my choice to worship or not worship, to freely speak my mind, or to gather with others to petition the government. But, what about health care?
Health care requires highly trained professionals. Persons with training that takes much time, labor and treasure. Health care requires the use of equipment that required the time, labor and treasure of numerous people to develop it, manufacture it, bring it to market and to operate and maintain it. Health care requires facilities, hospitals and clinics, that entire communities have paid taxes to build and operate - sacrificing, perhaps, other worthy community projects. And, health care requires free labor... many persons generously giving of their time and talent to empty bed pans, clean toilets, scrub floors and do all the other hard jobs volunteers do.
Humans are largely a compassionate species. My entire life I have been taught the need to care for widows and children... the helpless. There is probably not a medical professional in existence who does not care for some persons with full knowledge that they will never be repaid. All very commendable, so long as they do so from the goodness of their hearts. But, when someone has the "right" to those services, it ceases to be an act of compassion and becomes an act of forced labor.
Every American should have access to health care on a fair and equitable basis. But if I want others to provide health care to me, I must be willing to provide them with something they want in exchange.
To say I have a "right" to that care - without regard to the rights of those who may provide it, is no different from any other form of slavery, where one person is forced to labor for another person's benefit without just compensation.
And that truth cannot be buried under heaps of bureaucracy and red tape. You cannot take pennies in sales tax from the working widow and use it in payment of health care for someone who chooses not to work... or, to work and spend their earned pennies on frivolous luxuries.
No one has the "right" to the services of others. Health care is no exception.
I keep hearing it... "Every American has a right to quality health care."
Oh, really?
What does that mean? What is "a right"? The Declaration of Independence speaks of certain unalienable rights and mentions life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The Bill of Rights specifies that the enumeration of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. (My emphasis)
Ayn Rand said you have the right to do anything not specifically prohibited by law (and that the government has no right to do anything unless specifically permitted by law). In that regard, the Bill of Rights also says Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, the right to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
The one I like, also from Ayn Rand, is that you have the right to do anything that does not infringe upon the rights of others.
Being alive, being free and pursuing my particular concept of happiness does not infringe upon any other person's right to do the same. Nor does my choice to worship or not worship, to freely speak my mind, or to gather with others to petition the government. But, what about health care?
Health care requires highly trained professionals. Persons with training that takes much time, labor and treasure. Health care requires the use of equipment that required the time, labor and treasure of numerous people to develop it, manufacture it, bring it to market and to operate and maintain it. Health care requires facilities, hospitals and clinics, that entire communities have paid taxes to build and operate - sacrificing, perhaps, other worthy community projects. And, health care requires free labor... many persons generously giving of their time and talent to empty bed pans, clean toilets, scrub floors and do all the other hard jobs volunteers do.
Humans are largely a compassionate species. My entire life I have been taught the need to care for widows and children... the helpless. There is probably not a medical professional in existence who does not care for some persons with full knowledge that they will never be repaid. All very commendable, so long as they do so from the goodness of their hearts. But, when someone has the "right" to those services, it ceases to be an act of compassion and becomes an act of forced labor.
Every American should have access to health care on a fair and equitable basis. But if I want others to provide health care to me, I must be willing to provide them with something they want in exchange.
To say I have a "right" to that care - without regard to the rights of those who may provide it, is no different from any other form of slavery, where one person is forced to labor for another person's benefit without just compensation.
And that truth cannot be buried under heaps of bureaucracy and red tape. You cannot take pennies in sales tax from the working widow and use it in payment of health care for someone who chooses not to work... or, to work and spend their earned pennies on frivolous luxuries.
No one has the "right" to the services of others. Health care is no exception.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
This is NOT all about Obama!
Drudge Report tonight has a headline: "Largest protest against President Obama since he took office..."
Yes and no.
Yes, it was a monstrous rally. Of historic proportions, though we'll play hell getting the media to admit that. And it was a wonderful rally. As always at Tea Parties, the attendees are mad as hell, yes...but they are nice people. If you haven't been to one of these rallies, you may think that's silly, that all people are nice. If you have been to a rally, you know that there is something really different - warm, open, friendly...hometown-ish - about Tea Partiers. We are, in some ways, throwbacks to a different time. And we are really nice. Huge rally...check.
But, no, it was not a protest "against Obama." Sure, he's the Supreme Leader of the Corrupt People, and is accordingly a prominent target of our ire. But this was a protest against a process, not a person.
If we were protesting Obama, why weren't we outside the White House?
We are protesting a government grown wildly irresponsible and recklessly wasteful and domineering. We are going to put the Federal Government back in its box.
If we can find room in there for The One, he's welcome to join them.
Yes and no.
Yes, it was a monstrous rally. Of historic proportions, though we'll play hell getting the media to admit that. And it was a wonderful rally. As always at Tea Parties, the attendees are mad as hell, yes...but they are nice people. If you haven't been to one of these rallies, you may think that's silly, that all people are nice. If you have been to a rally, you know that there is something really different - warm, open, friendly...hometown-ish - about Tea Partiers. We are, in some ways, throwbacks to a different time. And we are really nice. Huge rally...check.
But, no, it was not a protest "against Obama." Sure, he's the Supreme Leader of the Corrupt People, and is accordingly a prominent target of our ire. But this was a protest against a process, not a person.
If we were protesting Obama, why weren't we outside the White House?
We are protesting a government grown wildly irresponsible and recklessly wasteful and domineering. We are going to put the Federal Government back in its box.
If we can find room in there for The One, he's welcome to join them.
9/12 March - Part One
Or, Having fun on the Subway!
I will be posting more videos. Having problems with editing software and a painfully slow internet connection. Patience appreciated!
Just briefly...never in my life have I been more proud of my country than I am today. More than one million of my fellow citizens took time out of their lives to come to the nation's Capitol to remind Congress who really runs this country! Despite enormous crowds and the problems we all faced in getting there, it was like being with a group of a million or so of your closest friends. America...thank you!
I will be posting more videos. Having problems with editing software and a painfully slow internet connection. Patience appreciated!
Just briefly...never in my life have I been more proud of my country than I am today. More than one million of my fellow citizens took time out of their lives to come to the nation's Capitol to remind Congress who really runs this country! Despite enormous crowds and the problems we all faced in getting there, it was like being with a group of a million or so of your closest friends. America...thank you!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Newest Cable News Ratings
Thanks to Drudge.
CABLE NEWS RACE
THURSDAY NITE, SEPT 10
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,609,000
FOXNEWS BECK 3,340,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,986,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,522,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,362,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 2,040,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,573,000
MSNBC MADDOW 1,164,000
CNN KING 965,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 882,000
MSNBC SCHULTZ 734,000
CNN COOPER 691,000
Emphasis added.
CABLE NEWS RACE
THURSDAY NITE, SEPT 10
FOXNEWS O'REILLY 3,609,000
FOXNEWS BECK 3,340,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,986,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 2,522,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 2,362,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 2,040,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,573,000
MSNBC MADDOW 1,164,000
CNN KING 965,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 882,000
MSNBC SCHULTZ 734,000
CNN COOPER 691,000
Emphasis added.
Signs of the Times
Here are our signs for the rally tomorrow.
First, old faithful, that has gone to every rally with us since the beginning.
And the two news ones I made especially for the occasion.
Sooo excited!
First, old faithful, that has gone to every rally with us since the beginning.
And the two news ones I made especially for the occasion.
Sooo excited!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Electronics be damned!
Drove 614 uneventful, bun-numbing miles today. On a road trip, uneventful is good.
We are safely in a hotel outside of Dayton for the night, with internet service (provided you're not in a hurry!). Sadly, however, my electronic devices all seem to be possessed.
I sent a couple of status updates to Facebook today, to let family know we were ok. They showed up on an account I created for my DOG, who is not "friends" with hardly anyone. Big help.
I am supposed to be working some during this vacation, so tried to log in to the plant tonight to check email. Oops! Seems Norton 360 version 2.5.0.5 does not qualify as Norton 360 2.x, at least according to the security freaks I work with (understandably freakish, if you know what I do for a living), so I am unable to log in to the plant. No idea what to do about that one.
And now my GPS has apparently relocated Washington, D.C. without Congressional authorization. We should have just about 500 miles to go, but it's telling me I have a 724 mile journey ahead of me tomorrow.
All things considered, I think it's time for bed.
We are safely in a hotel outside of Dayton for the night, with internet service (provided you're not in a hurry!). Sadly, however, my electronic devices all seem to be possessed.
I sent a couple of status updates to Facebook today, to let family know we were ok. They showed up on an account I created for my DOG, who is not "friends" with hardly anyone. Big help.
I am supposed to be working some during this vacation, so tried to log in to the plant tonight to check email. Oops! Seems Norton 360 version 2.5.0.5 does not qualify as Norton 360 2.x, at least according to the security freaks I work with (understandably freakish, if you know what I do for a living), so I am unable to log in to the plant. No idea what to do about that one.
And now my GPS has apparently relocated Washington, D.C. without Congressional authorization. We should have just about 500 miles to go, but it's telling me I have a 724 mile journey ahead of me tomorrow.
All things considered, I think it's time for bed.
Still think ACORN is HELPING the poor?
Just breaking, thanks to Andrew Breitbart and Glenn Beck.
This organization MUST be investigated, disbanded, and, in many cases, jailed.
This organization MUST be investigated, disbanded, and, in many cases, jailed.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Finally found something he can do
Al Franken is possibly the most pitiful excuse for a Senator this country has ever seen. Is this little known talent what got him elected?
Pretty impressive. Doesn't pay much though.
Pretty impressive. Doesn't pay much though.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Test Driving the new Camera
We took Oliver to Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead today...partly for fun and partly as an excuse to use the new camera. I'm very pleased with the new toy...and the boy! Quality suffers when you upload to YouTube, but the original is certainly everything I need.
Just Doodlin'
Hello to all on this beautiful sunny Labor Day, 09... It is a beautiful day and one just right for taking grandchildren to Farmstead. Farmstead is a Johnson county wonderland just right for children of all ages. I used to thrill at watching Mackenzie enjoy the animals and the nature trails, etc. and I was again thrilled to watch the expressions on Oliver's cherubic face as he experienced feeding the ducks and the goats. Such a pleasure watching him experience a sliding board for the first time as something he could do on his own. Catching the light come on when a little one learns how to is absolutely thrilling. Catching a grandmother using her new camcorder for the first time is also a wonderful experience. It just doesn't get much better than it was today. Perfect weather, wonderful family, and, wonderful recordings for posterity. It's all good... Love you all, jc
Startling Memories!!!
I just listened to Barack Obama's Labor Day speech to the AFL-CIO in Cincinnati.
The memories that swept over me were unmistakable! They were shaking! It was about 1939. I was edging toward my 11th birthday. The family was gathered around the big round speaker on our old Atwater-Kent radio. From the speaker shrieked a voice. Loud, shrill, punctuated by the screaming cheers of a crowd that seemed to border on hysteria.
The major difference was that today's audio was pretty clear. In 1939, it was distorted by that strange echo effect that resulted from the trans-Atlantic cable which carried the signal.
And of course, in 1939, the speaker screamed, not in English, but in German. The speaker was Adolph Hitler.
It sounded pretty scary to me back then (as it did today). I certainly didn't fully understand what was happening in 1939. But my father did. Just over two decades earlier he and his brother had been in Europe as soldiers in the United States Army. Dad came home, his brother was killed. In 1939, his face reflected the concern he felt.
Listening to Barack Obama today, I realized that, again, we had a leader addressing a concerned people - filling them with hope and change which history proves he cannot deliver. But the crowds in attendance, then and now, were not interested in history. They were not thinking logic or truth. They were interested only in the frenzy resulting when someone in power screams the message in which they have been indoctrinated.
I remembered my father's worried look. I wondered what history would write this time around.
Then I tried hard to stop the process of remembering.
I just listened to Barack Obama's Labor Day speech to the AFL-CIO in Cincinnati.
The memories that swept over me were unmistakable! They were shaking! It was about 1939. I was edging toward my 11th birthday. The family was gathered around the big round speaker on our old Atwater-Kent radio. From the speaker shrieked a voice. Loud, shrill, punctuated by the screaming cheers of a crowd that seemed to border on hysteria.
The major difference was that today's audio was pretty clear. In 1939, it was distorted by that strange echo effect that resulted from the trans-Atlantic cable which carried the signal.
And of course, in 1939, the speaker screamed, not in English, but in German. The speaker was Adolph Hitler.
It sounded pretty scary to me back then (as it did today). I certainly didn't fully understand what was happening in 1939. But my father did. Just over two decades earlier he and his brother had been in Europe as soldiers in the United States Army. Dad came home, his brother was killed. In 1939, his face reflected the concern he felt.
Listening to Barack Obama today, I realized that, again, we had a leader addressing a concerned people - filling them with hope and change which history proves he cannot deliver. But the crowds in attendance, then and now, were not interested in history. They were not thinking logic or truth. They were interested only in the frenzy resulting when someone in power screams the message in which they have been indoctrinated.
I remembered my father's worried look. I wondered what history would write this time around.
Then I tried hard to stop the process of remembering.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Personal Battles
A couple of weeks ago I posted a little less than three minutes of video shot at a Recess Rally outside Congressman Dennis Moore's Overland Park, KS office. It was pretty bad video, but it was the best of what I had. My Mini-DV camera, my newest video camera, was on the blink, again. The first time it failed me was on a trip to Cancun. Most of the video from that trip was trash - pixellated beyond belief. We had the camera repaired, and were told that vibration on the airplane likely caused the problem. It had been used little since the repair, had been handled with extreme care, and had never flown again. Still, it chewed up my video attempt and made it completely unusable.
After that experience, I dug out the old 8 mm camera the mini-DV had replaced. I discharged and recharged the batteries and shot a few minutes of test video to make sure it was still working properly. It was replaced not because it was broken, but because it was big and clumsy to carry, so I thought all would be well. I took it on its first road test yesterday, when my family and I attended the United We Stand Rally in Kansas City. It was a four hour rally. The battery I took with me shot craps after 30 minutes of video. I had not brought the backup because I didn't anticipate wanting to shoot more than the hour or so that one battery was supposed to last, so was unable to record any of Apostle Claver, the keynote speaker's, exceptional speech. I was disappointed, but thought I would still be able to get a few minutes of interesting video out of the half hour I had. No such luck. The outdated transfer hardware that camera uses failed miserably. I spent over four hours last night trying to upload the video to my computer, finally giving up in frustration.
Today I bought a new Sony Handycam with a 60GB internal hard drive. Enough! I am going to Washington, D.C. in four days to participate in what I hope and believe will be an important part of American history - I will not allow hardware to prevent me from preserving the experience. I look forward to bringing you a wide sampling of my personal experiences at the event.
All of those problems, combined with a husband and daughter who have been sick, possibly with H1N1, a project at work which is nearing completion after two years under development and trying to make other preparations for our trip have kept me conspicuously absent from the blog. For that I apologize. Sadly, I don't expect much improvement until we return from D.C. on the 18th, though I will make every effort to get some of the video uploaded from the Capitol.
The rally was terrific...wish I could share it with you! If you've never heard of Apostle Claver, check out his web site, ragingelephants.org. He is a wonderful man, deeply patriotic and inspiring, with some outstanding ideas on reaching out to people of color and bringing them into the conservative fold.
After that experience, I dug out the old 8 mm camera the mini-DV had replaced. I discharged and recharged the batteries and shot a few minutes of test video to make sure it was still working properly. It was replaced not because it was broken, but because it was big and clumsy to carry, so I thought all would be well. I took it on its first road test yesterday, when my family and I attended the United We Stand Rally in Kansas City. It was a four hour rally. The battery I took with me shot craps after 30 minutes of video. I had not brought the backup because I didn't anticipate wanting to shoot more than the hour or so that one battery was supposed to last, so was unable to record any of Apostle Claver, the keynote speaker's, exceptional speech. I was disappointed, but thought I would still be able to get a few minutes of interesting video out of the half hour I had. No such luck. The outdated transfer hardware that camera uses failed miserably. I spent over four hours last night trying to upload the video to my computer, finally giving up in frustration.
Today I bought a new Sony Handycam with a 60GB internal hard drive. Enough! I am going to Washington, D.C. in four days to participate in what I hope and believe will be an important part of American history - I will not allow hardware to prevent me from preserving the experience. I look forward to bringing you a wide sampling of my personal experiences at the event.
All of those problems, combined with a husband and daughter who have been sick, possibly with H1N1, a project at work which is nearing completion after two years under development and trying to make other preparations for our trip have kept me conspicuously absent from the blog. For that I apologize. Sadly, I don't expect much improvement until we return from D.C. on the 18th, though I will make every effort to get some of the video uploaded from the Capitol.
The rally was terrific...wish I could share it with you! If you've never heard of Apostle Claver, check out his web site, ragingelephants.org. He is a wonderful man, deeply patriotic and inspiring, with some outstanding ideas on reaching out to people of color and bringing them into the conservative fold.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The National Tea Party Express Bus Tour!
The tour stopped in Las Cruces last night... the ninth stop in their cross country tour and they said the crowd here was the largest to greet them so far! The buses were scheduled to arrive at about 6:00 p.m., so Joanna and I went to the park at about 5:30. To our surprise and delight, the parking lot, which can easily hold several hundred cars, was already full. Happily there was a lot across the street, but it soon filled also. We were later told that more cars were arriving, but finding no place to park were leaving. Such are the perils of living in a small city.
The rally was held at Young Park, a pleasant grassy spot in this desert community. People brought their own chairs, or like us, blankets to spread on the ground. Some said the crowd could have been as large as 2,000, but not wanting to inflate our estimate, we guessed it at about 1,400. Nice folks, all, well behaved and friendly. It was entirely non-partisan and well attended by representatives from all segments of our varied population - including this gentleman with the goatee, whose hat says "España"
Excitement peaked when the first bus arrived and many ran to greet them. There were three buses in all - two painted like this first one. Also, there was a vehicle with a satellite dish for originating the Fox News Channel report, and a vehicle from the NBC television station in El Paso, Texas (our nearest TV city).
At one point, people with signs were asked to line up at the front of the crowd for all to see. There were hundreds! Here is just a sampling:
Not surprisingly, there were a lot of Fox News Channel fans among the crowd, like this Viet Nam vet.
Naturally, when Griff Jenkins showed up, he was surrounded by fans wanting to meet him and have their picture taken beside him. Like this guy, who obviously is not a supporter of the President's policies.
Early on it was hot, but as the sun lowered in the sky, the crowd spilled over from the shade, into the sunny areas.
It was already dark when Griff set up to do light and sound tests, so Fox viewers never got to see our crowd. Joanna snapped Griff enjoying a moment with the crowd.
It was great fun, but this old man got tired before it ended and we left a little after 8:00 p.m. The tour is in El Paso, today, just over 40 miles south. Then they head on a long (600 miles?) ride to San Antonio.
They asked all of us to join them in Washington, but assured us that if we could not go, we would be with them in spirit because they surely would represent us on September 12. Godspeed, Patriots! You mission is sacred to us!
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