Tough Week

I've been sidelined with a nasty cold. I'm working to finish my online class, keep up at work (we're heading into the week before the Awful High-Stakes Test), and, hopefully, clear out the mess that our living quarters has become.

But, first, the important things. Like politics.

• The Health Care bill(s) - there are more than 1 version, you know.  It makes it easier to say "oh, that's not in the bill" and not have your tongue fall off due to blatant lying.  However, it's a shell game, and one that responsible lawmakers ought not to play.
• Obama's Far East trip - meh.  Not historic (despite the Obamite press superlatives), not worthy of mention.  The bow?  I think it's an attempt to deflect attention from the Saudi King bow.   "Oh, THAT bow?  Nothing to talk about.  I do that all the time (except to the Queen of England, who I disrespected big-time)."
• Twilight?  Another soppy, Wuthering Heights-type gothic romance for silly girls and their even sillier mothers.  Rather disturbing that Bella takes so lightly the loss of her soul, but probably to be expected in a secular-worshipping world.
• The trials of terrorists?  Shameful that precedent (and good sense) are to be ignored.  I predict nothing but waste of money, bad legal precedents, and ridiculous amounts of publicity for the terrorist organizations.
  
• Thanksgiving?  I am truly thankful for my (relative) good health.  My baby sister is facing surgery this Tuesday, outcome a total mystery.  But, with all the prayers being offered for her, I am hopeful.
• My dear SIL is facing probable lay-off; he and my daughter are making their Christmas plans with that in mind.  It was probably inevitable that unemployment would hit a family member; many are facing a bleak Christmas.  Let's not forget, however, that the gifts and spending are the smallest part of the holidays.
  

And, after all, we have much to be thankful for.  We can face the uncertain future with the expectation that we will act as Americans - rising to the occasion.

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Serving the World's Poor - John Derbyshire - The Corner on National Review Online

Serving the World's Poor - John Derbyshire - The Corner on National Review Online

I like the last suggestion - ship the illegals home with a kidney machine - it's humane, and cheaper than treating them here forever.

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Still Tweaking the Blog Setup

I've actually got some time this morning, so I'm fooling around with the setup of my Right As Usual page. I've added a quick button to enable readers to share posts (hope some of you try it out - and, please, give me feedback about it).

I'm thinking about changing the template - I've gotten a little bored with it.

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Facebook Share Button

I've decided to add a Facebook Share button, so readers can quickly select a post to share with their Facebook Friends. To try it, click below.

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Top Slogans for Cheney 2012

I found these on IMAO:

SLOGANS FOR DICK CHENEY IN 2012

“I know what the hell I’m doing.”

“You’d rather me on your side than against you.”

“Experience, leadership, normal-sized ears.”

“I shoot my friends in the face with a shotgun. What do you think I’ll do to America’s enemies?”

“I’m what the Mayans predicted.”

“Heart attacks don’t even slow me down.”

There's more at the link.

Payback for "Teabag" Term

I've decided that those who are being smeared, ridiculed, and besmirched by references to their movement of dissatisfied, over-taxed citizens, need to start responding in kind.

Therefore, I propose to start referring to leftists of that sort as Left Hand Jobbers - of course, simply because the Left is Handing out Jobs.

Of course, that's the ONLY reason for that term. There couldn't be any subliminal reason for the term, could there?

LHJs, for short. I think LHJs are great; everyone should know some LHJers; I, personally, think Anderson Cooper is a hard-core (snicker) active LHJer, don't you?

My New Motto

If you look at the motto under the Title, you may notice the new Right As Usual motto:

Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity

It's being given as a Heinlein quote (although I am not sure). Several references credited him; it does sound like his rather sardonic humor.

How does this all fit into the news of the day?

Well, it fits into the brouhaha about Obama's bow to the Emperor of Japan. No, he really shouldn't have done it, anymore than he did when he bowed to the mideast ruler (yes, he did - any lame excuses about how he didn't are just that - lame).

On the other hand, who does it harm?

Well, it harms the image of America. We call ourselves sovereign; but Obama's actions say that we are subservient. That's bad in international relations. Image is nearly everything - a low image emboldens other countries to attack, on the theory that we won't have the *&^%$# to do anything about it. It's happened before; it could happen again.

Myself, I think that Obama is embarrassed about his reflexive bow to the Saudi king; this bow is deliberate, and intended to minimize the meaning of the previous bow. If that's true, the only question is: will future bows be the norm?

Fighting Voter Fraud

I found this link at The NextRight, David Kralik's Blog. It demonstrates 4 easy ways to fight an all-too-common problem in American elections - voter fraud.

Republican candidates who get screwed in elections by Democrat / Leftist / ACORN voter fraud is so common that its deserving of its own Wylie Coyote routine.

This year, its time we stand up and fight.

We can send Jon Corzine packing this year if we prevent him & the New Jersey political machine from stealing yet another election.

The same goes for a myriad of other races today.

So, today we fight back.

And we fight back with Web 2.0.

Wow!

The last words ask the important question:

What side of history do you want to be on?

Quote of the Year

The Difference Between Government Benefits and Charity

I found this post today, in a reference from Big Hollywood. It's pertinent to the debate about national health care, and very good (don't know about the accuracy).

What I'm Watching

I don't know what you're doing today, but I'm watching the debate on "Health Care" - the bill will affect 1/6 of our economy, if passed.

What Fort Hood Tragedy Means

Individually, many Muslims are just what their defenders say - peaceful, normal people, with families that are very like our own.

However, thanks to the aggressive proselytizing of some violent, antisemitic, medieval-minded adherents, the world is seeing outbreaks of violence, and the "peaceful" types are not acting to stop their influence.

They are sitting in mosques where hate is spewed, and not leaving.

They are listening to Arabic cable that is virulently hateful to Jews, and not turning off the channel.

They are allowing family and friends to froth against the country they live in, and not saying "enough!"

Passively standing by and letting fanatics take over is not a good strategy. Ask any German who lived through the Nazi era.

We have to use this moment to draw the line in the sand. We have to say, "no more" to hate disguised as religion.

If you can't live in this country peacefully, leave now.

If you can't allow the traditions of free speech, freedom of religion, and a free press to touch your existence, leave now.

We won't stop you, I promise.

But, if you stay, and continue your assault on America, I will work to stop you.

What Obama Said about Fort Hood

From the Washington Examiner, the full text of Obama's statement to the nation:

I’d like to speak with you for a few minutes today about the tragedy that took place at Ft. Hood. This past Thursday, on a clear Texas afternoon, an Army psychiatrist walked into the Soldier Readiness Processing Center, and began shooting his fellow soldiers.

It is an act of violence that would have been heartbreaking had it occurred anyplace in America. It is a crime that would have horrified us had its victims been Americans of any background. But it’s all the more heartbreaking and all the more despicable because of the place where it occurred and the patriots who were its victims.

The SRP is where our men and women in uniform go before getting deployed. It’s where they get their teeth checked and their medical records updated and make sure everything is in order before getting shipped out. It was in this place, on a base where our soldiers ought to feel most safe, where those brave Americans who are preparing to risk their lives in defense of our nation, lost their lives in a crime against our nation.

Soldiers stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world called and emailed loved ones at Ft. Hood, all expressing the same stunned reaction: I’m supposed to be the one in harm’s way, not you.

Thursday’s shooting was one of the most devastating ever committed on an American military base. And yet, even as we saw the worst of human nature on full display, we also saw the best of America. We saw soldiers and civilians alike rushing to aid fallen comrades; tearing off bullet-riddled clothes to treat the injured; using blouses as tourniquets; taking down the shooter even as they bore wounds themselves.

We saw soldiers bringing to bear on our own soil the skills they had been trained to use abroad; skills that been honed through years of determined effort for one purpose and one purpose only: to protect and defend the United States of America.

We saw the valor, selflessness, and unity of purpose that make our servicemen and women the finest fighting force on Earth; that make the United States military the best the world has ever known; and that make all of us proud to be Americans.

On Friday, I met with FBI Director Mueller, Defense Secretary Gates, and representatives of the relevant agencies to discuss their ongoing investigation into what led to this terrible crime. And I’ll continue to be in close contact with them as new information comes in.

We cannot fully know what leads a man to do such a thing. But what we do know is that our thoughts are with every single one of the men and women who were injured at Ft. Hood. Our thoughts are with all the families who’ve lost a loved one in this national tragedy. And our thoughts are with all the Americans who wear – or who’ve worn – the proud uniform of the United States of America; our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and coast guardsmen, and the military families who love and support them.

In tribute to those who fell at Ft. Hood, I’ve ordered flags flying over the White House, and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-staff from now until Veterans Day next Wednesday. Veterans Day is our chance to honor those Americans who’ve served on battlefields from Lexington to Antietam, Normandy to Manila, Inchon to Khe Sanh, Ramadi to Kandahar.

They are Americans of every race, faith, and station. They are Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus and nonbelievers. They are descendents of immigrants and immigrants themselves. They reflect the diversity that makes this America. But what they share is a patriotism like no other. What they share is a commitment to country that has been tested and proved worthy. What they share is the same unflinching courage, unblinking compassion, and uncommon camaraderie that the soldiers and civilians of Ft. Hood showed America and showed the world.

These are the men and women we honor today. These are the men and women we’ll honor on Veterans Day. And these are the men and women we shall honor every day, in times of war and times of peace, so long as our nation endures.

What don'cha hear in the radio address?

Allahu Akbar?

Buzz Word of the Year

Honestly, I don't know what burr has gotten into the Mainstream Media's pants. ANY suggestion that The One's proposed legislation isn't the Best Thing, Evah, leads them to start spouting the R Word - no, not Republican, but RACIST.

It's a real conversation closer. Witness the Olbermann meltdown.

Tea and Sympathy - Mark Steyn - The Corner on National Review Online

Tea and Sympathy - Mark Steyn - The Corner on National Review Online The above link gave me a laugh - not really funny, sort of Hoh, Boy!

Was the Ft. Hood Attacker a "Moderate Muslim"?

No.

Falls Church, VA, where his family is from, is where a since-convicted iman preached a very radical version of Islam.

After deliberating for seven days, the jury convicted the cleric, Ali al-Timimi of Fairfax, Va., on all six counts in the indictment, including counseling others to wage war against the United States and use firearms and explosives in furtherance of violent crimes. Timimi, who will remain under house arrest until sentencing on July 13, faces a mandatory life sentence under federal guidelines.

Timimi, 41, was described by federal prosecutors as a rock star among radical Islamists and the spiritual leader for a group of young men who trained to fight abroad for Muslim causes, including defending the Taliban against U.S.-led forces.

What did the mosque hear from him?

A scholar of Salafist thought, which advocates a strict adherence to traditional Islamic values, he lectured at Dar Al Arqam Mosque in Falls Church, Va., and disseminated many of his speeches on the Internet.

Many of those lectures dealt with lifestyle issues, like marriage between Muslims and non-Muslims. But in one message to followers that was introduced at trial by the prosecution, Timimi described the crash of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003 as a "good omen" for Muslims in an apocalyptic conflict with the West.

So, that, on top of reports that the radical doctor shouted "Allahu akbar" as he fired into the crowd, leads me to believe that this wasn't just an isolated loner, but a part of a larger pattern.

How many incidents like this do we need to act? Who else has to die?

Ft. Hood Shootings

I heard the news around 4:00, when my husband stopped by my room to tell me.

My first instinct was to call all my kids.

I said to my husband, "Let me guess - crazed Presbyterians, right?"

Science Confirms Bible

It turns out that the heritage of the sons of Aaron may be confirmed by the DNA evidence.

The Health Care Debate - Explained

I've been reading Thomas Sowell, an economist, for some time. He's clear in his writing, doesn't dwell on the technical aspects of economics, and has a clear sense of how average people think - and act.

Oh, did I mention he's a Black man? Not that common in economics, but especially when the economist is a Conservative.

Here's his take on the Health Care issue - it's worth reading.

Can You Hear Me Now?

I found a wickedly funny post on Israpundit:

From Grandpa

My granddaughter, Ashley is a recent college grad. She drives a flashy hybrid car, wears all the latest fashions, and loves to go out to nightclubs and restaurants. Ashley campaigned hard for Barack Obama. After the election she made sure I (and all other Republican family members) received a big I told-you-so earful on how the world is going to be a much better place now that her party is taking over.

Having lost both roommates, Ashley recently ran short of cash and cannot pay the rent (again) on her 3 bedroom townhouse. Like she has done many times in the past, she e-mailed me asking for some financial help. Here is my reply:

Sweetheart,

I received your request for assistance.

Ashley, you know I love you dearly and I’m sympathetic to your financial plight. Unfortunately, times have changed. With the election of President Obama, your grandmother and I have had to set forth a bold new economic plan of our own…”The Ashley Economic Empowerment Plan.” Let me explain.

Your grandmother and I are life-long, wage-earning tax payers. We have lived a comfortable life, as you know, but we have never had the fancier things like European vacations, luxury cars, etc. We have worked hard and were looking forward to retiring soon. But the plan has changed. Your president is raising our personal and business taxes significantly. He says it is so he can give our hard earned money to other people. Do you know what this means, Ashley? It means less for us, and we must cut back on many business and personal expenses.

Follow this link for the rest.

I Ain't a Baby Anymore!

Look, I realize that my generation got their immature nickname even before most of us were born. It was appropriate at first, but, given the grey hair (if any is left), the fact that the oldest of us are on Social Security, and the children and grandchildren we've brought into this world, can you cut us a break and drop that disparaging name?

I'm referring, of course, to the phrase, Baby Boomer.

While you're at it, stop thinking of us as monolithic in our thinking. Sure, some of us are ex-hippies and current liberal Obama-backers, but many of us are not. Some are still spending their money as though Mumsy and Daddums will bail them out of a jam, but some of us were more provident - we even saved for a rainy day.

And, boy, is it raining now! The Washington Spendthrifts (what a great name that would make for a professional sports team) are doing their best to make sure that those who are economic illiterates (and who blew through every one of their own dimes like they were in Vegas) don't suffer the natural consequences of their colossal stupidity. They are pledging every American's future on people too stupid to realize that you can't live like a millionaire on a less-than middle-class paycheck. And too dim to see the handwriting on the wall - that is, when job after job with "good pay" is in jeopardy, it's no time to take on another debt.

I've seen these rubes for years. They've had a job for years, lived to the hilt on every paycheck, and never bothered to plan ahead for that day when the money faucet might dry up. Even when others at their company are being laid off, the concept of making a Plan B (sending out resumes, taking classes so, if the ax falls on them, they might have be more valuable to another employer, or simply cutting every expense to the bone) is incomprehensible. It's like talking Greek - they simply haven't a clue what you mean.

What do I mean about cutting expenses to the bone? Stop ANY expense that isn't absolutely necessary - the necessary are: shelter, electricity/gas/water, and transport. If you have any of those that are high-end, trade down. Sell the house (or at least work to set up a separate room to rent - you'd be amazed at how that helps), let the lease run out, and buy a clunker, and cut utilities expenses (insulate, turn off lights, install water savers, etc.). I'm willing to be flexible about ONE phone/cell, but cut that plan to the bone. Talk to your internet provider - they are hurting for money, too, so see if you can't make a deal for a reduction in cost (we just did, thanks to my DH). Get rid of cable, lawn care, entertainment expenses, eating out - they are all luxuries. If your kid is in private school, make a deal for them to work after school for part of the tuition - it's a great character builder.

Above all else, build up that savings plan, that is, AFTER you start slashing the credit bills. If you have to, visit a credit-counseling agency. Read about debt-reduction on the Internet, or at the library. You'll last a lot longer if you have no bills other than the necessities listed above.

So, what does that say about our government spending? They need to do the same. Yeah, the arts are important, but not when the government is about to go under for the third time. NEA - dump it. Cut out the government ad council crap. Public service ads, too. Every congressman and senator should be given 10% less for office expenses. The franking privilege (that's what pays for the mailings to constituents) - gone. Government cars - gone. Travel expenses - who needs to travel that much? They should have to justify not using teleconferencing.

Every agency should have their budget cut 20% - EXCEPT for defense. However, there should be a reduction to the armed services "staff" in Washington. Let the paper pushers get back into the field, and earn their money.

Let us notorious penny-pinchers get in there and do our thing with the budget.

And, most importantly, make them actually READ every new piece of legislation. If they can't understand it, and be able to explain it to the American people, don't vote on it. There is a vote you can add your name to, easy to do, right here, that asks Congress to do just that.