Arguing With A Younger Me

I remember quite vividly the passionate apologetics of a younger me arguing against many a viewpoint that I believe so strongly in today.  I remember the talking points, the slogans, the chants, that I felt so sure of to my very core.  I remember being so perturbed at those so like the me of today that seemed so obstinate and obtuse.  I wonder what that younger me would do upon encountering the equally passionate me of today.  Would he try to persuade him of his ignorance and closed-mindedness, or would he simply flip him off and walk away in utter certainty of the superiority of his knowledge and wisdom.  I am certain that that younger me would think it.  Indeed, if those two were to meet today I expect each would find little compelling about the other, and even less to agree upon.

Embracing My Inner-Bigot

Well its 2:26 AM and as I flail about tossing and turning angrily  I have come to the realization that there will be no more sleep tonight until I put these burning thoughts to paper: which probably means I will again watch the sun rise…

I just watched the Movie American History X, (again) with Edward Norton and though I am not generally inclined to midnight movie reviews this movie and its theme are important and common enough to rate some ink, some insomnia, and a few antacids.

Yes I did build that

(Has anyone seen my goat?)

So anyone that knows me knows I am no fan of Barack Obama. Given any political viewpoint and virtually any speech and statement he has made I can be counted on pretty much to disagree upon virtually every word including “and,” and “the.” No, Barack Obama and I just see the world differently: probably always have, and most likely always will. So it will surely come as no surprise that I disagree wholeheartedly with his latest blather on who is responsible for the success of business’s and people in America. So our disagreement is axiomatic on this issue but to say that I vehemently disagree on this latest stupidity would be a profound understatement. The very fact that such absurdity would even require a rebuttal is disheartening enough. The fact that there are people who would bob their empty heads in vacuous sycophantic union is maddening.

The Great Thing Donald Sterling Did for America

So virtually everyone is outraged about the Donald Sterling Situation: everyone but me that is. I am absolutely thrilled… tickled. Let me explain.

Clearly Donald Sterling is a closet racist and majestic hypocrite, enriching himself off of a mostly black team and having a half-black girlfriend while secretly despising the race. And had the girlfriend not set him up we would not have any idea of the depth of his bigotry. So a secret bigot has been outed, and he cannot act in bigoted ways secretly anymore. So that is a good thing. But the great thing that has me delirious with “I-told-you-so-esque” glee is the absolutely united outrage at the bigotry.

In Defense of Stupidity

It is truly frightening, the thought that my freedom to be a bigot is being eroded.

"Your right to what?" you ask.

You heard me right: I am lamenting the slow death of my right to bigotry.

I did not, and do not mean that I wish to be a bigot, but rather that if I want to think and express stupid ideas, I want and believe that our constitution and our great experiment of personal freedom once protected my right to do so.

The Beauty of a Desecrated Flag

For many burning or otherwise desecrating the American flag is hugely offensive, even an abomination worthy of substantial criminal penalties. I believe the opposite: that desecration of the American flag without civil or criminal penalties is the highest homage that can be paid to that majestic flag. While I too find the act in what it represents incredibly offensive to the good and the freedoms it represents and the sacrifices of so many to defend those freedoms on the one hand, the freedom to do so also demonstrates those principles even more acutely.

The Soul of a Nation

What Just Happened? - Examining the 2012 Election Results

Just when you thought we could all let out one collective sigh of relief that it is finally over the realization now is setting in that it really isn’t. Now, for the next few months comes the barrage of gloating, recriminations, and an endless stream of opinions as to what went wrong or right, and what it means for the country. In that spirit I thought I should try to get in my two cents before y’all turn off the TVs and radios, and cancel your newspaper subscriptions altogether…

I noticed a timely announcement in the news this morning, right next to the reports of the plunging stock market. Evidently Anheuser Busch is planning to release a stronger Budweiser beer. Could there be a timelier announcement, as half the country wants to celebrate and the other half to just get really drunk…?

Just Doing Their Jobs

 

I want to start by being absolutely clear that Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta is an extraordinary hero. In the same circumstance that he found himself in that prompted his being granted the Medal Of Honor I may very well have simply huddled in a corner blubbering and wetting my pants.

With that said I wish to examine the dynamics of what creates this and our other decorated heroes.  Staff Sgt. Giunta has gone to great lengths to downplay his actions with the old “Aw shucks, I was just doing my job ma’am” mantra. I expect that the humility is real, and that he really feels that way.  Now again, I do not wish to downplay Staff Sgt Giunta’s extraordinary heroism at all, but rather to emphasize all of the heroes that we will never know of. We will never know of them or recognize their equal heroism to Staff Sgt Giunta’s because the bullet was  two feet to the left or right, or because they were first in line instead of third.

A Misunderstood Misunderstanding

"Pitbulls are not dangerous: they are just a misunderstood breed."

I have rarely heard a more absurd statement then that. Pitbulls are dogs: they are animals. All animals and all dogs bite for many reasons. They bite because they are afraid, or hurt, or annoyed, or defending their space or property. Just as a toddler will smack her/his brother or sister defending their current possession of a favored toy, dogs will defend against perceived threat of taking of their bone. Dogs do not have opposable thumbs to hang onto their stuff, and they have no hands or fists to punch or slap a perceived aggressor or thief. Their natural instinct when being hurt is to defend themselves by biting back. Statistics show that there are approximately 4 million dog bites every year in America with about 1 million of those (1/4) requiring a doctor or emergency room visit. That is a whole lot of dog bites, and it would be ridiculous to think that Pitbulls would not be among that number.

A Simple Math Question

 A certain unnamed ObamaCare sycophant told me recently that ObamaCare would cause the very rich to pay more into the insurance pool, therefore helping the poor who cannot afford the extravagant care afforded the very rich. My question is in regard to how that works mathematically?

Jedi Mind-Trick

So I just listened to Obama's budget Spiel. I had two thoughts on it. The first was "My ears are bleeding!" The second was "Damn he's good." The fascinating question I always ponder when listening to his speeches and watching him is "Does he really believe the words that are coming out of his mouth?" I mean really, does he actually believe what he's saying or is he so committed ideologically or politically to his position that facts really just don't matter? As the late great Tony Snow would oft muse: "He's living in a fact free universe!" It really is amazing; He will state his position or intentions repeatedly on camera, and then he will unequivocally reverse his position, again on camera. When Fox News puts the two videotapes side by side to highlight the competing Obama's he simply goes on TV again and does his amazing Jedi mind trick. He stares directly in the camera without flinching and say's most emphatically In that Obi Wan Kenobi voice: "I did not say what you just heard me say. So I sit in front of the screen, probably like millions of others across the land staring blankly at the screen. The words come dully from my lips: "You did not say what I just heard you say." I get up and shuffle blankly to the fridge to pour myself a glass of milk while muttering the words Hope... Change... I sit here pondering the half empty glass of milk, my breathing becoming tight an wheezy as I remember that I am allergic to milk. There's something I was supposed to remember. Something important, but I can't remember what it was. All is well... hope...change...

Constitution For Dummies - Part 1

 

So here begins my series I will call Constitution for Dummies – Part 1.  This issue has been percolating for years really, but Bloomberg and his anti-constitution buddies really have my undies in a wad.  It really is maddening to watch politicians raise their hand and swear to defend and uphold the constitution and then in the next breath as soon as their hand drops to diligently attack and erode those parts that their left-wing sensibilities despise.  It is just as maddening to see these

idiots out there who support such duplicity as long as these duplicitous traitors only go after the parts of the constitution they also disagree with.  They are really just like the guy who buys hot goodies from the local thief, but then are outraged when their home is burglarized.  So let’s talk about those enemies – foreign and domestic, especially those domestic, who I also raised my hand and swore to defend the constitution from. And unlike Mayor Bloomberg and his ilk, I meant what I said.

Just The Facts Ma'am

Unless one has lived their entire life in a cave there is very little chance they have not heard that pithy phrase. And of course most know that it is attributed to Sgt. Joe Friday, played by Jack Webb on the 1960’s police drama, “Dragnet.” I still have that clip of Sgt. Friday, and his equally dispassionate partner, Bill Gannon, played by Harry Morgan of later MASH fame as Colonel Henry Potter locked in my head from seeing it so many times all those decades ago. And as I went researching that for this blog post I found it fortuitously even more germane than I imagined to the current subject, As Sgt. Joe Friday never said that. And isn’t that ironic, that I and probably many many more can both see and hear that video clip of Sgt. Friday dispassionately saying “Just the Facts Ma’am” in our heads when The facts are that he never said it: Nor did Harry Morgan. (You can find what Sgt. Friday actually said at: http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/dragnet.asp)

Majestic Sophistry

 

So several have asked when I intend to blog about the Zimmerman - Martin issue(s). Rest assured I have blathered and ranted on about it ad infinitum and ad nauseam but the case, the trial and the issues have been far too multi-faceted and dynamic to put to ink before some other fascinating and/or maddening aspect came to light. I have however blasted off several email and twitter screeds to those particular commentators or "experts" who really got my goat. So here is a freshly minted response to Dr. Marc Lamont Hill. Dr. Hill is an extremely talented, erudite, and eloquent spokesman for the perpetual and eloquent intractably wrong. This is in response to Dr. Hills exceptional article "Travon Martin Was Put on Trial,"  found on the blog website: Black Enterprise.com (http://www.blackenterprise.com/blogs/zimmerman-not-guilty-verdict-marc-lamont-hill/)

And my response:

A Well-Boiled Frog

 

So this is an exchange with an aquaintance and myself that really got my goat. I had wtitten about an article discussing how a growing number of police agencies are carrying devices that can extract all of your private information from your cellphone during a routine traffic stop, including all texts, emails, geotags, photos, videos, etc., virtually anything on your phone including deleted items. Though such legislations and capabilities have been challenged profusely in court, several courts have deemed these warrantless search and seizures of ones property completely constitutional and legal. To my objections of such my acquaintance submitted the following: (My response follows)

Old Habits Die Hard

 

So now Obama is claiming to be a Skeet shooter and that he shoots all the time at Camp David. (Yeah right.) Well there are no pictures, strangely since there are pictures of Obama doing everything but brushing his teeth, but here's the transcript of the audio from one of his skeet shooting outings:

Assigning Blame

 

There's really nothing like Progressive talk radio to get the old juices flowing. So I am listening to some obscure left wing talkee named Ed Schultz on my local Progressive talk radio station. I hear some leftee going on about how he wants to throw a brick through the TV every time he watches Fox News. I have a similar response when listening to Left Wing radio, but what I have a desperate urge to do is ask them questions. Also, unlike the leftee's I see nothing to be gained by destroying my own property. But then, I bought it myself, rather that relying on other people’s money to procure it for me.

So Ed is listening to a "99er," which is a person who has been unemployed for 99 weeks. She is going on anecdotally   about being out of work for an extensive period, and how she is about to get kicked out on the street with her three children. She raves on about not being able to get so much as an interview after her phone service technician job got outsourced to India. Ed finds the woman compelling and promises to get her on his show. Someone please get me some tissue. I am sobbing all over my keyboard...  Please.

Taking Responsibility

Harry Truman: 

THE BUCK STOPS HERE

Barack Obama:

Let me be clear,

Where the buck stops is a very interesting and unavoidable question, and I would do a disservice to the very idea of where the buck stops were I to just respond with a thoughtless sound-bite in response to a question of such import. Indeed were one to just blurt out some clever slogan for political gain to deflect from the momentous import of such inquiry, the injustice done to the deeper truths of the actions taken, and to the intent of so many who have given so much to this country in their years of service; American heroes all, would be in contradiction to the very ideals we all hold so dear as the bedrock of our American principles.

I Blackmailed General Petraeus

 

 

Well now that I have your full attention...  I didn't actually blackmail either Petraeus or his mistress, Paula Broadwell or anyone who may have been covering for him, but you'll just never know for sure...

You see that is the point. The military, and US governmental agencies issuing security clearances take adultery very seriously because it provides a very great danger to blackmail, and the most common way that foreign spies compromise holders of security clearances with access to Secret and Top-secret information. This truly is the oldest trick in the book. Once a person with access to secret information is compromised through elicit affairs or other acts they would wish to keep secret they are vulnerable to blackmail to pass on secrets, ignore or destroy pertinent intelligence, or to act in other ways detrimental to the security of the people they are entrusted to protect. For this simple reason adultery, and other compromising activities are actually criminal offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and also in civilian statutes regarding US Security personnel. The issue is not so much when such are discovered but the time that they are compromised before discovery.

Plausible Deniability

 

 

It was very cute, when Sargent Shultz would happen upon the latest schemes of Hogan's merry band of willing prisoner's of war and saboteurs extraordinaire. Of course that was television, and Colonel Hogan and his crew were the good guys. When it is the real world and our own national security at risk such cynical "Insulation-by-Obliviousness" of the current administration is not nearly as endearing: not really acceptable at all, except evidently, by the administration: and their sycophantic press. So as the various scandals are unfolding in increasing numbers and rapidity Jay Carney, Barack Obama, Leon Panetta, Hillary Clinton, and Eric Holder evidently find the constant refrain of "we didn't know: we weren't told" to be an entirely acceptable answer to challenges and questions of the people.

A Fundamental Question

So I left the "compound" for a little while this afternoon in the pickup: went down to the big city. On the way I thought I'd treat myself to a Little "Progressive Talk radio." As soon as I returned I jogged up the stairs to the computer to do a little ranting before my head exploded. So okay, I am going to keep this as concise as possible. I have a question, and it is sincere. I have asked it many times over the past few years and received no answer at all. Please if you are a liberal, progressive or any other kind of collectivist explain to me this one core question that divides us:

Simple Math

 

So the mantra goes: “Why does a CEO make 700 times what his average worker makes?” The ostensible killer punch line then goes: “Does he work 700 times as hard? This reasoning, far from a profound expose on the unfairness of the capitalist system really just shows abysmal lack of understanding of the relationship of value to compensation. Now when Worker Joe hears this is he is generally quite indignant. He believes that value is weighed as human worth.  In business, and economics it is not. He rightly believes that connecting “part A” to “Widget B” on an assembly line is as important to a company as “The Suits” doing zillion dollar deals at corporate luncheons. They are equally important, but they do not both bring equal value to the company.

The Right Kind of Oppression

So Obama it seems has made it his mission to leave a legacy of “freedom” throughout the Middle East. So he is advocating, nudging, or shoving all of the dictators from their perches, supporting anyone purporting a “freedom” ideology, banner, or bumper-sticker. So throughout the Middle East dictators are being toppled like dominoes as we provide money, and clandestine troops and assistance and randomly lob missiles hither and thither.  And it all seems to be going splendidly as “freedom-luvin” groups throughout Middle Eastern countries are suddenly inspired to get theirs.

Health Care Compliance Police - Part Duh

That's "Part Two" for those of you who missed the hysterical Charlie Sheen Rambo - Part Two spoof.

So I have an update to the merry-go round post.  It is another fascinating angle to the whole Health-care issue.  I was watching O'Reilly and Beck doing a segment on this very topic and Beck raised a very good point.  If we have to fund your Health-care we should be able to have a say in how you live your life so as to not squander our money.  So I think we, or our government agents should be able to control what you eat, whether you smoke, and enforce that you get a proper amount of exercise, etc.  Further, I think we should be able to control any dangerous activities that you might participate in that could put you at risk, and therefore raise the costs to all. Skiing and snowboarding would definitely be out.  Likewise rock-climbing and skydiving. Oh, and those skyrocketing STD costs? Well we'll need to track and control your sexual liaisons to keep health-care costs in check.

Being Civilized - or not....

Anti-death-penalty apologists will often tout Norway’s abolishment of the death penalty in comparison to the United States’ “barbaric” death penalty adherence. Apparently to these, killing a person for murdering another is uncivilized.  Well today’s ruling out of Norway could not be a more fitting demonstration of what a “civilized” country is, or is not.

Re-inventing Robin Hood

I try to keep things simple here in Bens-blog land. I try to keep to the core of the conservative-progressive divide as much as possible and not chase after every news story du jour. To that end I'd like to address the ostensible heart of progressiveism; the idea of saving the world by helping the "little guy."

Now I think helping the little guy is a great thing. It is at the core of the social requirements of most religions and world views. Virtually every society holds up those that forego their own safety, welfare, or economic well being to help or protect the downtrodden as heroes; as well they should. If you are a charitable person, either with your vast wealth or even with a pittance that is all that you can realistically afford, you are a hero. If you have no money to give, but instead give of your time you likewise are a hero. There can be no argument that in this respect you are a person whose morals and soul are intact. You are truly a person worthy of admiration.

Arrogance

 

 

Not Even God Himself Can Sink The Titanic!   I can't help but wonder how many times later in his life the man that coined that phrase thought about that boast and cringed.  We have learned many things from that supposedly impossible disaster and ships have become much harder to sink.  The only thing that doesn't seem to be much improved in the time since is that one unknown quantity - Man.  Somehow we still manage to pile shipwrecks up on the rocks, or into the nearest bridge or just manage to inexplicably send them to the bottom with a resounding "Oops."  And somehow we still manage to be astonished when the inevitable happens.

The Perfect Straw Man

Don't y'all miss the good old days - before the government and the country was overtaken by a bunch of niggers, kikes, dykes, Mics, Spics, Wops, faggots, zipperheads, 'Ricans, Mexicans, women, liberals, progressives, and commies? (Did I miss anyone?). Well, at least if we can't keep em out of the country and out of the government, we can at least take some comfort that they will all eventually spend eternity burning in hell...

Well, now that I have your full attention...

Embracing Diversity - or not...

"Diversity makes us all richer..."

Every time I hear that I cringe.  Every time I hear that statement I want to ask one question: Why?  I want to ask that person if they have a basis for that statement or if they are just a mindless parrot squawking a line that they think makes them seem more cosmopolitan and enlightened. Really, is diversity for the sake of diversity a good thing?  Is every culture worthy of our respect?

Tolerance

So I am at this dinner party at a relatives house. She had a very Liberal / Progressive friend over as well as family. This friend of hers and I had had several passionate discussions of various political issues at past gatherings. He was as passionate and assured of the correctness of his world view as was I.  It was evident in everything about him that he was very bugged not only by my world view, but evidently by my ignorance, and general lack of intelligence. It had been clear for some time that he was just itching to set me straight on all of my misguided views.  So I'm trying to avoid those hot potato subjects that might lead to a heated debate. "Better to keep this a peaceful family gathering," I'm thinking. So this lawyer is going on about all of his stuff that he owns including his new Beemer, and basically just being a pompous ass. So I, trying to avoid ideological landmines think "OK let's just fawn over his beemer if that's what will make him happy." "Can't go wrong there," thinks I.

Inevitability

I still recall hearing the news of Steve Irwin’s death. You remember Steve Erwin - He was the Australian wildlife guy famous for putting his head between the jaws of crocodiles, petting highly venomous snakes or whatever other thing he could do to taunt death, and deadly animals for ratings. So when I came upon the news story of Irwin’s death I was struck by an incredible lack of surprise. I tried to Google the antonym of surprise but could not find a word that could adequately convey my utter lack of astonishment that Steve Irwin was killed by an annoyed stingray sticking a huge venomous barb through his heart, which is stingray for “I’d really like for you to leave me alone now!”

Taking Sides

Theistic Evolution is a great alternative for those too cowardly to take a side. There' is only one problem with it. It is a self-refuting term. It is an oxymoron. This Pseudo-religious blather has gained some popularity of late for those who fancy themselves more "open-minded" and "Enlightened" but in reality are simply ignorant of the core religious teaching of the Christian scripture that wish to have one foot in each camp for their peace of mind. Those that profess this view show an amazing misunderstanding of the most basic of biblical principals and do not misunderstand or disagree with only various interpretations of part of the origin of man story of the bible but rather, refute the entirety of the whole story of the relationship of God and man. This is not another apologetic of the superiority of either the Evolutionary or Creationist world view but rather a clarification of the incompatibility of the two.

The Voting Dead

Protecting Your Right to Vote While Dead

In wake of the justice department’s civil rights division blocking Texas’s new law requiring voters to present photo identification at the polls, Texas has now passed another law requiring proof that voters at the polls are actually alive. Stating that voting is a sacred right of living citizens, Texas once again has attempted to do its duty of protecting the integrity of that right.

The new law would require poll workers to examine those arriving at the polls who appeared to be dead to assess signs of life. Such persons would be asked to breath onto a mirror to determine if they were actually breathing.

The Primordial Conservative

So as I was sitting here pondering what really has my goat I am drawing a blank generally. After spending a great weekend with by beautiful, sweet wife I am having a difficult time getting really bugged about anything. So browsing through FoxNews.com I see "The entire Jon Stewart Interview" So I watch that, and... Yeah, that did it...

Redefining Rape

So the pro-abortion crowd is all a-tizzy over the crazy idea that rape should actually have a specific meaning.  It seems that the term “Rape” has thus far existed in a morass of wonderful ambiguity.  Until now those beacons of feminine equality have enjoyed unfettered discretion in regard to what they wanted the word to mean on any given day.  You see the word rape at one time in antiquity meant a man forcing himself upon a woman or girl.  Well that you see, was really just too restrictive.  It was really just too un-ambiguous. So, over time the word has conveniently and wonderfully become quite pliable and useful for most any agenda.

Put Up Or Shut Up

 

I have a proposal. To all of you “Save the earth-ers;” To all of you global warming, Tree hugging, Spotted Owl and Caribou saving, windmill lovin enviro-nuts. I have a very simple proposal: Put up or Shut up.  Just that – show me a VIABLE magic fairy dust alternative to our abundant and inexpensive natural resources of oil and natural gas. You have treated us for decades now to your constant and incessant nonsensical blather about everything not-oil, and yet what have you produced that can VIABLY replace it?  You have squeezed out bajillions of state and federal dollars for your myriad schemes and virtually all of them have proved to be majestically expensive failures. Many of these happy thoughts powered “alternative energy schemes have ultimately proved more environmentally devastating than the evil oil that they were supposed to be saving us from.

Magic Fairy Dust

So I am having the old Alternative Energy debate with my favorite Greenee. She is getting bugged and unleashes the usual ad-hominem attack: "You only look at information from one side. If you would have a more open mind and really look into both sides with an open mind you would have a different opinion."  Well my response to that is that I have an expert on the subject a phone call away that I have known for more than 40 years. This expert on the subject goes to every Magic Fairy Dust Alternative Energy Symposium available. She can probably quote me every windmill, solar, and kitchen grease diesel talking point there is. Yep I have learned everything necessary about alternative energy from my Greenee friend. My primary question is whether any of these "New Technologies" are economically viable.  She has argued vehemently over many years that several of these are indeed so.

When YES means NO.

Person A and Person B get drunk and have sex. Both are quite drunk. There is a claim made that A was “Too drunk to form proper consent” thus was raped by B. B also claims to have been “Too drunk to form proper consent” and was thus raped by A. Who, if any was raped?

So what does “Too Drunk to Form Proper Consent” mean? Well I will cut and paste the exact words from a complaint about legislators’ attempts to actually define the word: “…under the influence of alcohol.” Yep, if she had anything to drink, he is a rapist. How cool is that?  So, yeah, you know me… can’t leave well enough alone – I have a couple of teensy weensy questions.

Killing George

So George was fulfilling his church duties peacefully one Sunday morning as an usher in the church, greeting all warmly, helping them to their seats: a beacon of Christian love and warmth. In his day job George was a renowned physician, aiding women in great need from all over the country, and beyond. George had even baptized many babies himself. To many it seems almost inconsequential: the fact that George first killed all of these babies before baptizing them.We'll never know if George was thinking of the thousands of babies he had killed as the peaceful Sunday morning church service was suddenly interrupted by Scott Roeder who calmly walked up and shot George Tiller in the eye, removing all such musings from his mind forever, at least in this world.

Liking Barack

I for one am getting just a little sick of hearing that although Barack Obama’s performance polls are in the tank, his personal likeability numbers are still quite high. Frankly I don’t really think Barack Obama is a very nice guy at all. But that’s probably just because I am a racist: after all, I am white and the only reason to dislike Barack Obama personally is because one is racist, right? Uh… no.
And as the Obama Camp and his sycophants (mainstream media) seem to be hanging their hopes of him continuing to reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the next four and ½ years on him being a nice, good, and likeable guy I think it appropriate to examine that.

You Go Alan!

So the Gop is outraged at Alan Graysons 3rd grade-esque school-yard taunts and fiery un-statesmanlike rants?   I say let him speak.   As a matter of fact if it were up to me I would assign a film crew to do nothing but follow him around and have a microphone in his face every possible moment.  My only question is who can we get to play Beevis? I would make him famous - The face of the Democratic party.  For there was rarely anything more aptly said than that: There is nothing worse you can do to a fool than to let him speak.  You Go Alan!

Trusting Tim

Hey I was worried for quite some time about the absurd amounts of money that we have been borrowing from China. They seemed to be increasingly nervous about extending us more credit. And Moody's, those guys that actually establish the worlds credit ratings; They have directly warned in no uncertain terms that our credit rating is at risk if we continue as we are. Many countries that have lent us money in the past have stopped doing so. Economists everywhere within our country and around the world are feverishly sounding alarm bells to anyone that will listen. Pundits and politicians from the far left, to the far right are wringing their hands and predicting dire consequences of continuing to race obliviously toward the cliff.  It's all enough to give one anxiety attacks. I was becoming extremely worried until recently reassured by our peerless Tim Geithner.

A Special Place In Hell.

So John Murtha has finally come up against the only real Congressional Term Limit... Finally.  Rumor has it that he left a note saying that:

"in case anything went wrong it was not an accident but a conspiracy by a bunch of marines that sneaked into my room and killed me while I slept, peacefully dreaming of how to get reelected by my ignorant, racist, red-neck constituents."

 By the way - gutsy move Jack; calling the military a bunch of cold blooded killers before going under anesthesia in a miltary hospital! And if you think I am evil for speaking ill of the dead before he is even cold I have a few things I'd like to share:

La Hypocresia

So there's Obama and Calderon up there doing their version of "Dueling Banjo's," each trying to out platitude the other.  I noticed a few things that were, as usual, evidently lost on the media.
Calderon mentioned in his speech that they have done, and will continue to do all in their power to stem the tide of guns, drugs and money across the border. Do you notice anything distinctly absent from that sentence?

It Isnt Easy Being Green

So I am checking out potential hot new stock picks, and I come upon Solyndra, Inc.  Well, with all of the "Green" job fervor I am thinking that I may be on to something here.  Looking closer I am seeing some fascinating and promising details about the company.  Their website sure looks amazing. And hey, these guys are everywhere in the forefront of Green news. It seems everyone who is someone is endorsing, visiting, or doing photo-ops with them.  They have just built two huge new state-of-the-art solar-power factories. They have stated that they expect a 250% boost in capacity in the next year!
Wow! - but wait...theres more!

Deregulation For Dummies

Too Big To Fail - Squawk
Too Big To Fail - Squawk
Deregulation Bad - Squawk
Deregulation Bad - Squawk.
Polly want a cracker....

Listen you morons, do you want to commit the perfect murder, without leaving any trace? Just parrot the "deregulation is bad" nonsense in my presence one more time and I will probably drop over dead of an embolism on the spot. There is no such thing as "Deregulation." Deregulation is a slogan created to portray political enemies as allowing large companies to pour nuclear and toxic waste into rivers and kiddie pools, and greedy corporate fat cats to commit fraud on gargantuan scales, and throw the "little guys" from the parapets of their ivory towers over lunch just for fun.<!--more-->

Census Adventures

So there I am just minding my own business... and then... and then... Well I have long said for many years now, that Chief Joseph and I - "will fight no more forever." I have really been such a good compliant citizen for so any years now. Just as Billy Joel opined in his song; "I once believed in causes too. I had my pointless point of view. I found that just surviving... was a noble fight, da da deh..." So Chief Joseph, Billy, and I were henceforth determined to just "Let it be." And did our dear Federal government hold similar sentiments? Well as it turns out - Not so much.

Benisms:

Those who lack the courage to attempt the impossible may forever deny themeselves the knowledge of just how majestically they can fail...  (B. Owen 2011)

Who is braver? The optimist that believes he will eventually win through perseverence, and a little luck, or the man who marches stoically on to certain doom?

Optimism: Pathological ignorance of imminent doom. (B. Owen 2011)

We Can do this!"  - The phrase most often used to lead an army of well-meaning idiots to their deaths. (B. Owen 2011)

"There is nothing to fear but fear Itself!" - The phrase most often used to lure a bunch of half-wits that do not consider the factuality (or idiocy) of that statement to their doom.

"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead." Credited to Admiral David Farragut during the civil war but actually coined by two others before him... who could not take credit because they were blown up.

So Bill O'Reilly was going on about the Superbowl Taco Bell commercial being disrespectful of the elderly. I have enclosed my reponse:

Bill,
Old idiots deserve no more respect than young idiots. They have just been stupid longer. I reserve my respect for the good and the wise: not for those who have been stupid longer than I have been alive.

All in this together

So I get this email that has been forwarded about a zillion times; Huge panic. Obama is going to give Social Security benefits to illegal aliens. And hey, why are they suddenly no longer "Undocumented Workers?" But I digress. So suddenly everyone is freaked out. Let's all play "sign the petition." yada yada... After all, Obama will certainly give in to public pressure. [tongue firmly in cheek.]
Soooo anyway, It's all a big hoax. There's no petition, No Social Security for illegal's, and according to the left, there aren't even any Illegal Aliens.

Irregardless of this [Yes I know that that is a double negative and not a real word but I like the way it sounds; kind of "extra-regardless.] so [r]egardless of these facts the frantic plea got the old juices flowing, and here was, and is, my response:

Anyone Lose A Bomb ?

So there's Eric Holder at the obligatory news conference telling us all about the car-bomb in Times Square. You've really gotta appreciate his ability to talk on and on without taking a position on anything. I am in constant awe of the seeming pinnacle of the evolution of the Yellow-bellied Ass-Covering Bureaucrat. [Beuaracratus-Slickious]  So Eric is going on about not being too hasty and jumping to any conclusions about the possibility of this being a terrorist event. Huh?<!--more--> What in the hell would a car-bomb left in probably the busiest public square on the planet be other than a terrorist plot? Does he think that someone accidentally misplaced their bomb?

Race Baiting

So the first black person I really knew was Tony. He was a total cliche. He was quite a bit taller than any of our classmates, and taller still with his large Afro. He was untouchable at basketball, and most sports for that matter. I didn't think much about his race, except that he was a rarity as the only black person in our school. We didn't call them African American's yet. I think we were just switching over from "Colored," to "Black" We still heard a few "nigger" jokes, but these were already mostly out of vogue and mostly spoken only in hushed tones. I was unaware of any great racial divide and I don't know if Tony had any special animus against whites.