Thursday, March 29, 2007

A Fine Italian Hand

I was reading Captain's Quarters, and found some interesting gossip.
Past Democratic Party leaders tell The Hill that John McCain negotiated for two months with them to abandon the Republican Party at around the same time that Jim Jeffords crossed the aisle. Tom Daschle and Tom Downey told Bob Cusack that unlike their efforts with Jeffords and Lincoln Chafee, McCain's top aide came to them
Like me, the Captain is highly suspicious of a certain lady.

People who exercise particularly Machiavellian political skullduggery are sometimes referred to as having a "fine Italian hand". That phrase fits, to a T, the work of Hillary Clinton and her chubby hubby, Bill.

The scenario is:

  1. Behind the scenes, build McCain up. Make him believe that he has a prayer of winning, and that you relish the chance to run the Presidential race against him.
  2. Get your well-heeled cronies to funnel money to him (haven't checked this out, but I'd bet the month's mortgage on that one).
  3. Direct your media cronies to put out good publicity on him. Kill questionable stories.
  4. Distance him from the Republican base. If the McCain-Feingold bill couldn't do that, have him lead the charge for the anti-war crowd. Leak stories that he was considering jumping the Republican ship.
  5. When he's rejected by the base, flatter him into running as an independent. Help him get the cash (not hard for the people who took money from questionable sources, like the well-heeled Buddhist monks & nuns). Later, in the election, hammer down on his questionable integrity.
  6. Election Day - vote split, Republicans in disarray, Democratic machine marches in the voters - and some who weren't EXACTLY voters, but who REALLY, REALLY wanted to be - and, voila, the Mrs. is in. With her sleazy husband, now free to concentrate on the quail.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Busy - But Not Too Busy

I've been on the run for the last few days. Saturday, my husband & I attended a Physics meeting - good geekiness, all day. It was late when we finally reached home.

The next day, after church (and a nap), we finally tackled cleanup of the carport and the yard. I was able to set up a center for gardening tools and materials.

Monday - chiropracter. Not for overdoing on Sunday, but a previous problem. At my husband's insistence, we both had a massage. Oh, ecstasy!

The usual Guard the Borders blogburst has been delayed. Haven't heard about future 'bursts, so check back by Monday (of course you're welcome to come back earlier - I also have posts).

Friday, March 23, 2007

Double-Plus Ungood

The Thought Police are back in action!

From David Limbaugh, word about a PC infraction: General Pace has uttered the unthinkable - that he has an opinion, based on his personal sense of morality, that contradicts "officially" allowed revealed truth:
Pace's hanging offense is having passed moral judgment on homosexual behavior and those engaging in it. Certain opinions are strictly forbidden in our society, whether you utter them in uniform or civvies, in public or in private.

If Pace's unpardonable sin is being judgmental, aren't many of his accusers guilty of the very same thing? Are they not passing moral judgment on and demeaning him for passing moral judgment on homosexual behavior?

Many homosexual activists and others, while demanding "tolerance," want to silence and demonize those who disapprove of homosexual behavior. For them, it's not just "don't ask, don't tell." It's "don't tell, and don't even think these thoughts."
Hey, guys - face it - you can't impose correct thoughts like the re-education professionals of 1984. Like it or not, in America, we have the right to have, and express opinions, that differ from other people. We have the right to have unpopular opinions. Even if we have a governmental job, we don't lose that right. Even if we state those opinions in a public forum.

That right is the 1st Amendment. It states:
Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
You know, years ago, in high school, we had to read some of the classic literature on regimentation of the mind - 1984, Brave New World, and Animal Farm. I enjoyed it, although I thought they went WAY over the top.

Surprisingly (at least to me, as I bought the liberal line hook, line, and sinker, at the time), the right-wing forces weren't able to suppress speech when they held power. Despite the Reagan Revolution, and the Bushtapo forces that followed, free speech reigned, for most of us. It took some time for me to realize an awful truth - the anti-free-speech contingent was nipping away at the constitutional right, from the LEFT. Just as Orwell predicted.

Little by little, rabidly incensed groups (women, minorities, gays) chipped away at speaking freely. By making an issue of every instance of loose speech, gradually we all began to fall into line, reluctant to face the firestorm. We began to self-censor. We followed the Orwellian practice of, at first, not allowing the speech to exit our mouths. We started cautioning others about their speech. The previously-chastised, in turn, became ferocious about others' infractions.

Eventually, we blocked even our thoughts. We learned to love Big Brother.

At least, some of us did.

For me, the line-in-the-sand moment was when the administrator was vilified for using the unspeakable word:
On January 15, 1999, David Howard, a white aide to Anthony A. Williams, the black mayor of Washington, D.C., United States, used the word in reference to a budget. This apparently upset one of his black colleagues (identified by Howard as Marshall Brown), who incorrectly interpreted it as a racial slur and lodged a complaint. As a result, on January 25 Howard tendered his resignation, and Williams accepted it.[1]

However, after pressure from the gay community (of which Howard was a member) and black leaders, an internal review into the matter was brought about, and the mayor offered Howard the chance to return to his position as Office of the Public Advocate on February 4. Howard refused but accepted another position with the mayor instead, insisting that he did not feel victimized by the incident. On the contrary, Howard felt that he had learned from the situation. "I used to think it would be great if we could all be colorblind. That's naive, especially for a white person, because a white person can't afford to be colorblind. They don't have to think about race every day. An African American does." [1]
Shortly thereafter,
Shortly after the Washington incident, another controversy erupted over the use of the word at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. At a February meeting of the Faculty Senate, Amelia Rideau, a junior English major and vice chairwoman of the Black Student Union, told the group how a professor teaching Chaucer had used the word niggardly. Rideau later said she was unaware of the related Washington, D.C., controversy which came to light just the week before. She said the professor continued to use the word even after she told him that she was offended. "I was in tears, shaking," she told the faculty. "It's not up to the rest of the class to decide whether my feelings are valid."[6]


Even though the effect of the Wisconsin incident was to diminish fervor for speech codes, some disgusting dictionary-users continued to offend
In late January or early February 2002, a white fourth-grade teacher in Wilmington, North Carolina was formally reprimanded for teaching the word[7] and told to attend sensitivity training.[8]
Who really needed the sensitivity training - as well as an updated dictionary? The person who used their minority status to embarrass and harass a person who had done no wrong.

We used to laugh at the Victorians - how they referred to "white meat" and "dark meat", rather than use the terms "breast" and "leg". How silly, we thought, to go to such exaggerated lengths to avoid offense.

Are we becoming NEO-Victorians?

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Michael Yon - From the Front

I love the Internet, and particularly the blogs. Where else could you find writers like Michael Yon, who is a blogger covering the war.
During the silence the soldiers redistribute ammunition and check each other for holes. Sometimes the wounded do not know they are the wounded until someone tells them.
This is the kind of detail that is seldom reported in the MSM. Then again, it's hard to actually find out about these kind of things from a cushy hotel in Bagdad, which is where most correspondents are found.

I still can't fathom why the media air terrorist propaganda
Terrorists started this war with killing, and now are suing for peace with more killing, lashing out at schoolyards, marketplaces, and soccer matches, blowing up kids, women, and men on their way to work or worship. All to win the battle for headlines, which they are certain to get; the greater the savagery, the bigger the font.

Our soldiers, meaning the soldiers from countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, yes France, and the United States, are better in all aspects but one: The terrorists somehow manage to beat us all in our respective medias. We may own the air, but terrorists own the airwaves.
What does it take for the MSM to understand that what the terrorists are shoveling is not news, but something else that has a four-letter name?

Let's not even mention the MANY incidences of altering photos for propaganda purposes, or relying on foreign correspondents with an agenda.

But, before we flay the MSM for their many lapses, let's focus on ourselves. Let's re-dedicate ourselves to the idea that we need to follow the same guidelines that we would hold the MSM to.

In other words, if we're writing about our opinion, or have a dog in the hunt, say so.

No apologies. Just put the truth out there, and let an informed readership make their own decisions.

Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid!

I've been following the propaganda war coverage on MSM news lately. According to the OFFICIAL pundits, the was is, despite the increased killing/capture of the "insurgents", going very badly.

Naturally, this is because the troops, despite being MORE highly educated than the average American, are poor sad-sacks who were guiled into joining up. With such easily-led lackeys, the US military leaders (hereafter referred to - under your breath, of course, no telling what those crazed killers will do - as the uber-Hitler-Bushtapo) have no problem forcing them to support the mission. Which, of course, is not to bring freedom to the Iraqi people, but to grab the cheap oil for the US.

Where the h##$ is mine? My little Hyundai is costing twice what it did before the war to run.

I've been amusing myself with the change that will be coming soon. Eventually, the war will be over. The troops will return. And they will do what returning soldiers have always done.

Look around at the civilian society they left, and decide to run for office.

The returning veterans of WWII made a major impact on this country's governance. They were younger than the congressmen they replaced. Many were in office for 25 years or more.

Personally, I'm looking forward to it.

I'm also hoping some of the veterans decide to get into the media business, and shake up of few of those self-satisfied, arrogant little piss-pots. I'm tired of people pontificating on matters that they know nothing about, and sneering about the ignorance of the average viewer.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Pork - Good on Your Plate, Lousy in Your Legislation

I think all voters with a sense of responsibility need to contact their legislators, and let them know that we are against Pork (loading a bill with extraneous "goodies" for a particular constituency, in order to cajole a vote from a fellow lawmaker who is greedy pathetically and desperately in need of support at home courageously fighting for his people at home), EVEN if it dooms a bill to oblivion. Better a lost vote than piling the debt on our great-grandchildren.

This can be a hard sell. Many politicians risk losing their seat to a shyster who will promise all sorts of prizes to the voters. And, it IS a risk. Some legislators have taken the high road, and been defeated, by a promise-them-anything charlatan.

We have to commit to tightening our belts, even if it affects US. We have to write the checks for politicians willing to take a stand. Read about efforts by bloggers to notify their legislators that they won't tolerate business-as-usual.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The Lull Before the Storm

I've been out of touch with the web for a few days, due to my husband's medical issues. While out of town, I checked the news for coverage of the Gathering of Eagles meeting in Washington.

Nada.

Zilch.

I saw coverage of the "brave" protesters "telling truth to power". The amazing courage of the anti-war left me breathless - imagine daring to speak out, when the Bushtapo stormtroopers lay all around, just waiting for a mis-step to put them all in the BushGulag.

Yeah. Like that's gonna happen.

For all the average network viewer could verify, the anti-war was the only game in town. It looked like a massive protest, with a straggly few anti-protesters quickly shown - nothing to see here, go back to the valiant MASS movement of anti-war activists.

Check out the photo essay of the antiwar protest. Note the tight camera shots - they don't allow you to see the vast empty spaces in a pathetically sparse crowd.

A reporter provides a different slant on the protests.

I get the feeling that the liberal forces are stepping down their activities, preparing for a run at the presidency. For that, they have to persuade the rest of us that they're not batsh&& crazy, as the saying goes. So, they are letting the passionately committed to temporarily take the lead. Don't be fooled - it's just temporary.

The lull before the firestorm.

I'll blog more later - right now, I'm hungry, and dinner is ready.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Back at Last

I've been out of town for the last 4 days - my husband needed further work on his eyes. His Lasix surgery was basically working, but he developed a "wrinkle" in one cornea. As a result, he had to have another cut and re-stitch, followed by a next-day check-up. The doctor came in just for him at 8 am, in the middle of a major cold front. Everything is healing nicely, and he was even able to drive about 1/2 the way.

His eyes are still very sensitive to light, so he's wearing tinted glasses indoors, and heavy sunglasses outdoors. We found a CHEAP source of both reading glasses ($0.88 apiece) and sunglasses (about $2.00). So we loaded up - bought 6 pairs of reading glasses, and four pairs of sunglasses. Mine are large and wrap-around - think Jackie O. I may never choose any other type - they're really comfortable. They block almost all unfiltered light, which is a LOT easier on my eyes. Since I'm now living in a region of the country that receives stronger doses of light, and for a longer time, the dark glasses may provide some protection against development of cataracts.

My back is sore, and don't even ask about the status of my behind - I've been sitting on it WAY too much, as we drove the 750 miles both ways, as well as drove around Cleveland running errands (banking, loading up on supplies, visiting family, etc.). Going to work tomorrow will take a major act of will.

My husband and I are planning to book an appointment with the chiropractor and possibly a massage.

Oh, yeah.

Monday, March 12, 2007

He may be little, but he's got the most guts of the bunch

I dunno.

I know that Dennis Kucinich drives many (OK, almost all) conservatives crazy for his near-complete pacifism, bleeding-heart views, and naivete about the real world. And, to a great extent, I agree.

But, he was my councilman and mayor for a time. I got to know him on a personal level, and, I gotta say, I genuinely LIKE the guy. I have absolutely no doubt that everything he says is on the level, and straight from his fuzzy little heart. He is who he is, and that alone is refreshing in American politics.

Michelle Malkin has a post about him today. He's the sole Democrat who is, as she says, calling out the cowards who won't debate on Fox News. As usual, Dennis tells it without mincing words:
“If you want to be the President of the United States, you can’t be afraid to deal with people with whom you disagree politically,” Kucinich said. “No one is further removed from Fox’s political philosophy than I am, but fear should not dictate decisions that affect hundreds of millions of Americans and billions of others around the world who are starving for real leadership.”
You go, boy!

Guard the Borders Blogburst

Hacked!

That's the situation facing Heidi at Euphoric Reality. In a way, it's probably a compliment to the excellent work she does in raising awareness of the illegal alien problem. If she wasn't making some headway, they wouldn't bother.

But the average American citizen is becoming more aware of the issue; I can tell by the emails I'm receiving from friends and family, who, last year, hadn't even thought of the issue.

In lieu of the Guard the Borders Blogburst this week, I'm sending visitors to a poignant slide show, that shows the problems currently facing the citizens of border states, that will eventually filter to the rest of us.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Sitting here with ice on my foot

Why, you might ask, are you sitting with ice on your foot?

Because I dropped a computer on it.

Not that bad - it was, after all, a laptop. But not an ULTRALIGHT laptop. So, it definitely hurts.

It hit right on that spot just over the ball of the foot, where there's a tendon connecting the big toe. FYI, it hurts unbelievably. Mind, I'm a real sissy about relatively small injuries - if I stub my toe, I'm likely to take to my deathbed for a few days.

Big stuff, I'm pretty stoic about. 3 kids, natural childbirth (OK, I swore a lot), major surgery, broken bones - relatively OK.

But the little stuff - boy, I'm a real baby. Whine, whine.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Guard the Borders

[Editor's Note: This article is reprinted with permission from American Freedom Riders.]

A Pattern of Malicious Prosecution by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton


by American Freedom Riders

Written by his own hand, former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Gary Brugman tells how, in the performance of his duty, he was falsely charged and convicted of violating the civil rights of an alien caught entering the U.S. illegally at the Mexican border. This case, along with the cases of Ramos and Compean, Hernandez, Sipe, and who knows how many more, serves as proof of the agenda of malicious prosecution by Johnny Sutton against law enforcement officers who dare to uphold our immigration laws. (Sutton bio - Note the joined-at-the-hip relationship with George W. Bush)

Once again, as in the Ramos and Compean case, Sutton worked in concert with the Mexican Consulate to locate a deported Mexican national and payed his way back to the United States many months later to testify against a Border Patrol agent on false assault charges. A Mexican national who had registered no previous complaint against Agent Brugman. What incentive was he given? Who knows. It is known that a member of his family subsequently received chemotherapy treatment in the U.S. In a post trial interview, Johnny Sutton went so far as to thank the Mexican Consulate for cooperation in locating the deported alien. (DOJ Press Release)

A scandalous, but creative twist to this prosecution was that the Sutton gang also brought a convicted and incarcerated drug smuggler from his prison cell to testify against Agent Brugman. A drug smuggler who Agent Burgman himself had captured six weeks after the incident for which he was being prosecuted. Once again, there had been no previous accusation of any civil rights violation. Now however, the convicted drug smuggler conveniently offered supporting testimony to the prosecution's false accusation that Gary Brugman was a rogue agent and a criminal. The false and vengeful testimony of this convicted drug smuggler should never have been allowed by the judge.

No one would listen to Gary Brugman several years ago and he spent two years in the general population at federal prisons wearing newspapers and magazines taped to his body as hopeful protection against inmate attacks. In view of what has recently been disclosed about Johnny Sutton's malicious tactics, his story will be viewed with great interest now. Gary lost everything and his life was ruined but he survived his sentence and is now a free man again. Gary Brugman remains a patriotic American and tells his story now only in an effort to help Ignacio Ramos, Jose Compean, and Gilmer Hernandez prove their innocence against the power, influence, and treachery of the U.S. Attorney and George Bush water boy, Johnny Sutton.

Note: Gary has been a Harley rider for twenty years and on February 18, 2007 he rode with the American Freedom Riders and joined the families of Ramos, Compean, and Hernandez in El Paso, Texas to protest the conviction of the "Texas Three". He is an honorable man and we are proud to call him our brother.

Read "My Story", by Gary Brugman 2-20-07, now...




This has been a production of the Guard the Borders syndicate. It was started by Euphoric Reality to educate the public about the vulnerabilities of our open borders during an age of global terrorism and the resultant threat to our national security and sovereignty. If you are concerned about the lapses in our national security and the socio-economic burden of unchecked illegal immigration, join our blog syndicate. Send an email with your blog name and url to admin at guardtheborders dot com.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

The Failure of Prolonged Attempts to Protect Self-Esteem

In American education, there is a prevalent theory that children will be irretrievably damaged by letting them know that their efforts were inadequate to the task. Therefore, teachers jump through hoops to avoid saying, "that answer is wrong", instead focuing on the nearness of the answer to almost-not quite-kinda-sorta right.

For this reason, the standards movement arose. Parents, employers, and colleges needed some way to differentiate between the B averages and straight As they were seeing on transcripts, and sort out those who, however beloved by friends, family, and God, just weren't up to the task.

Then, miraculously, American Idol arrived. And the arch-villain Simon Cowell become meritocracy's new hero.



Simon isn't as cruel as many would characterize him. He simply states the truth.
Cowell's fame (or infamy) grew, fed by his deliberately insincere signature phrase, "I don't mean to be rude, but …", inevitably followed by an unsparing denigration of the contestant's talents, personality, or even physical appearance.
Such breath-taking honesty in a world full of meandering hurt-avoidance cringing is - wonderful.

Now, in homes, schools, and other places that the unworthy are found, it would be a good idea to be as gentle as possible in saying "your work isn't up to standard" or "that dress really doesn't flatter you" or "yes, your diet could use some improvement, and, BTW, let's get you moving more". That's called tact, and it's a useful way of navigating the valley between telling some much-needed truths and managing to not alienate someone you need to maintain a connection to.

However, the Severely Self-Esteeming (SSE) have, in many cases, been so isolated from criticism that they will only respond and change with a brutally honest kick in the head.

And sometimes not even then. Note the response of this contestant:
The final audition of Seattle comes in, a robust, ginger haired man named Steven Thoen, though he goes by "Red."

The cameras portray him as a bit of a psycho before revealing his "Idol" free life until now. "I'll admit I'm not a big fan of the show," he tells the cameras to tremendous laughter from the AI crew.

He takes on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody."

The verdict is of course a no, but that doesn't stop him from continuing his quest to get to Hollywood. "I was getting all A's in concert choir," he tells the Judges before attacking Simon directly.

"You think you're so ***ing hot? Step up and coach me," he demands.

Simon's retort? "It would be like coaching the one legged man to win the 100 meters."


As Simon himself says:
“If you don’t want to hear that, don’t show up.”

Lies of the Left

This COULD be a lengthy post. But, I'll try to winnow it down to a reasonable length. The CA Parent Bribery 'Scandal' - the 1...