Happy Halloween goes Orange and Blue!

Tim Tebow just broke Herschel Walker's record for rushing touchdowns in the SEC.




Go Gators!



And heres' a last-minute costume vid for you procrastinators!

Why is it so “cool” to hate the American flag?

Over at Piece of Work in Progress is this post about the American flag...or rather Dahlhalla wonders what in the name of ALL that is good makes supposedly 'tolerant' Americans hate the sight of Our Flag so much. How can such a symbol be so offensive?

Good question.

It's easy to hate something - or everything - when you spend your life afraid.

Panic in Perspective

From a link at Grandpa John's, I found a terrific post at American Thinker.

Remember - they're from the Government, and they're here to HELP:

Additionally, and even more disturbing, many cases are assumed to be H1N1 without testing. Yes, the CDC advised the states to stop testing for and tracking cases of H1N1. Their rationale? There is no need to waste resources when the government has already confirmed there is an epidemic. In other words, just trust us. The debate is over. I had no idea Al Gore and the IPCC were working for the CDC. As I originally contended, the number of cases of H1N1 has been overestimated, and even CBS News reported this.

I have had twenty-two patients call me or come in to the office claiming to have had contact with patients who were diagnosed with the "Swine Flu." In each and every case I took the time to investigate the contact case to determine whether the patient had actually been tested. In every case so far, the contact case either was not tested or tested negative but was given the diagnosis just the same.
...

Evidence is mounting that, as I opined previously, "Swine Flu" is less of a threat medically and epidemiologically than was feared, but is a great mechanism for the promotion of political pork. Our founding fathers taught that it is healthy to regard government intentions with skepticism. We have failed to heed their wise advice, and we are now learning that the military tactic of deception is alive and well in the Obama Administration. While we are being threatened by H1N1, they are using the distraction to infect us with a much more deadly disease that will affect not only us, but our children and grandchildren: the disease of subjugation.

It seems the H1N1 virus is epidemic and you MUST do something NOW...and you MUST give your Government saviors MORE so they can DO MORE TO SAVE MORE...but for the troops in Afghanistan there's no big hurry.

BarryO and His Weasels prove every day to be more...weaselly. *sigh*

BarryO Voting 'Present' on Illegal Immigration Shouldn't Surprise Anyone

Victor Davis Hanson's column points to something OTHER THAN BarryOCare. BarryO and His Band Of Merry CongressWeasels have more than one trick up their sleeves, and this is almost a breath of fresh air...or at least different-smelling air.

Apparently a hesitant Obama hopes that the crisis over illegal immigration will just go away on its own -- despite his now forgotten April vow to enact "comprehensive immigration reform."

The economic slowdown, together with beefed-up security and the border wall, have cut down the number of illegal entries to the lowest number in recent years. Privately, Obama must be happy that the pool of illegal aliens is shrinking, allowing the formable forces of American assimilation to work on smaller, more integrated populations, without politically charged talk about amnesty and deportation. Publicly, he can lament to his Hispanic base that Bush, not he, was responsible for the wall and increased security.

If you look up "political expediency" in the dictionary, do you see BarryO's picture?

Joke. Yes, it's clean.

Rude, maybe, but clean!

***********************

Q: What does Barack Obama call lunch with a convicted felon?

A: A fund raiser.

“$250 here, $250 billion there -- eventually you destroy an already teetering entitlement system.”

Feeling a bit tapped out today, and part of it is worry I may have taken on too much, come tomorrow...but we'll see how that works out when the time comes. I'm REALLY looking forward to Saturday, because I need a few hours to just do the fiddling around that HAS to be done SOON. Nothing major, life-changing, or difficult - there are simply some things I want to do that are tedious and mind-consuming... that is, TIME consuming...that I seem to require alone-time for. I lose my place easily, and when working on the computer, that can be frustrating as all get out, so...well, enough. You get the idea, you're not idiots.

That being said, I read an article by Ed Feulner you might find interesting - A Tale of Two $250's. Great analysis and information!
Two exerpts:

The recession has driven prices down across the board, and the cost of living has actually declined by almost 5 percent. Because of that, and because Medicare premiums won’t increase next year, spending analyst Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute estimates that the average Social Security recipient will have about $725 more in purchasing power next year. So, reasonably, Social Security plans to skip the COLA.

But not if the Obama administration can help it.
...
More than a decade ago, lawmakers passed a law that was supposed to solve that problem by capping payments to doctors. According to the law, fees paid to doctors under Medicare will be slashed by 21.5 percent this year, and by 40 percent over the next five years. Of course, no lawmaker wants to be accused of cutting payments to doctors. So every year lawmakers in both parties vote overwhelmingly to override their own law.

Tricky bastards, our Elected CongressWeasels. It didn't start with this batch, but now that we KNOW, we really outta t'row da bums out.

Can you see the snake?

BarryO does not make his decisions about those who populate his administration from lack of knowledge about what they are and what they believe. He knows full well who they are and what they will do when given all the power of the federal government. I have thought this for a long time, and also thought that those who think he'll 'wake up' are the ones who are delusional. Much as I hate saying that about some people whose writing and opinions I usually admire, it's still my belief that they still don't see the snake.

Thomas Sowell sees the snake.


"Just one year ago, would you have believed that an unelected government official, not even a Cabinet member confirmed by the Senate but simply one of the many "czars" appointed by the President, could arbitrarily cut the pay of executives in private businesses by 50 percent or 90 percent?

Did you think that another "czar" would be talking about restricting talk radio? That there would be plans afloat to subsidize newspapers — that is, to create a situation where some newspapers' survival would depend on the government liking what they publish?

Did you imagine that anyone would even be talking about having a panel of so-called "experts" deciding who could and could not get life-saving medical treatments?

Scary as that is from a medical standpoint, it is also chilling from the standpoint of freedom. If you have a mother who needs a heart operation or a child with some dire medical condition, how free would you feel to speak out against an administration that has the power to make life and death decisions about your loved ones?

...

Barack Obama has not only said that he is out to "change the United States of America," the people he has been associated with for years have expressed in words and deeds their hostility to the values, the principles and the people of this country.
...

Among the people appointed as czars by President Obama have been people who have praised enemy dictators like Mao, who have seen the public schools as places to promote sexual practices contrary to the values of most Americans, to a captive audience of children.
...

Those who say that the Obama administration should have investigated those people more thoroughly before appointing them are missing the point completely. Why should we assume that Barack Obama didn't know what such people were like, when he has been associating with precisely these kinds of people for decades before he reached the White House?"

It's past time to think about how to stop BarryO and Bill Ayers and Friends from taking over the administration. NOW we have to work on keeping them from taking over the rest of America.

Do you know the snake for what it is, not for what it says?

We are NOT alone...

Another day when I have little or no energy for political strife and the bullshirt that is the Present Administration. The Current Occupant and His Merry Band of Weasels disgust me almost to the point of paralysis.

It's a beautiful Monday to spend with my BEEootiful Pixie, not let that bunch of hooligans make my head hurt. It's ALWAYS good to spend time with the Pixie. Grandpa now has Mondays off, and he's spending this morning making the Pixie's Halloween costume. She's going to dress as a BEE, of course! Last year she was Tinkerbell. The pattern for this year's costume was a LOT more expensive than patterns I remember my mum buying when I was a kid, and it was ordered off the internet. Grandpa & I are doing a bit more finish to it than the directions call for (I was taught well, even if I'm only now using that part of my education), but I just tried it on her and it's adorable...which really isn't any surprise. She's the kind of girlie that could make a gunny sack or a brown paper bag look cute!

THEN, as a reminder that I'm not the only one who believes in this Great Nation the way I do, I found this article at JewishWorldReview.com. According to George Will's column, Michelle Bachman sounds like my kind of politician, a woman to be trusted with running my government with as little interference in the private sector as possible. ALMOST makes me wish I could move to Minnesota again...but that's not happening unless the Pixie's parents go!

Pompous Liars...at BEST, pompous liars.

If you haven't seen this already, it's going to make you cry, or maybe just make your heart hurt. From a post at Piece of Work in Progress, this excerpt from Powerline:

In short [. . .] the Obama administration falsely claimed that the Bush administration had done no planning or analysis regarding the worsening situation in Afghanistan, even though it (1) knew this was false, (2) had asked the Bush administration not to disclose its work, and (3) relied in part on the same work it claimed the Bush administration had not performed. Paul [Mirengoff] judged that what Cheney described went beyond lack of class to demonstrate bad character on the part of the Obama administration.

Now comes the Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes to examine the issues of fact raised by Cheney’s account. In “Obama’s minions are ingrates,” Hayes documents the formal review conducted by the Bush administration that was turned over to the Obama team and inquires whether (as Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs has charged) the Bush team sat on a request for increased troops. Hayes confirms Cheney’s assertions as a matter of fact.

This bunch of crap comes from an administration so many Americans had so much 'hope' for. Transparency. Tolerance. Democracy. Efficiency. Fairness. Equality. Pride.

My shattered ass.

BarryO babbles that Communism, Socialism, Buddhism and Islam are blessings to the world, religions and political dogma to be imitated and implemented here, while doing his level best to leave Israel defenseless against those sworn to destroy her, and ensure that Christians and Jews worldwide are silenced as troublemakers.

George W and Cheney did their best to keep this country from being attacked AGAIN. BarryO has no such wish, in my opinion. He and his mentors and followers have the best of all possible worlds and will never experience the heartache and loss that Working America is going to see. He and his family will celebrate our hunger and poverty with kobe beef for supper. BarryO and his weasels lied before, and they will lie again. To get what they want, to accomplish their mission.

I couldn't make myself read the quoted NYTimes article

Jenn Q. Public has some interesting remarks about an article in the New York Times. Yes, that New York Times. I'm not even going to link 'em - you can find 'em through the other link if you really need to read such poor excuses for "news reporting."

I participated in a couple knock-down drag-out fights in a domestic battle that ended many years ago. I won't go into details. There was not, however, any inkling at any point that I'd been stabbed. We fought like crazy, but we fought with only our hands as weapons. It's been several decades since the last contact, a fact I'm sure neither of us is sorry for.

It's still not funny. If I'd ever read the Times on a regular basis, this would be my best, most recent reason for stopping.

Chicken-little governance comes with a steep price tag

David Harsani at Townhall.com:

If TARP recipients are under the thumb of a pay czar, what about other corporations consenting to Washington aid or accepting contracts -- a group that grows with each misguided stab at stimulating the economy? And why stop there? Why not make all compensation fair?

"I don't think that's healthy, and I don't like it," Camden Fine, president of the Independent Community Bankers of America, said of the pay czar's cuts. "These are decisions for boards of directors to make, not the government. I think this is a very slippery slope."

Applebee's ROCKS!

I may not be crazy about the food - well, they do have Triple Chocolate Meltdown - but I cannot criticise their heart. This link was in my email this morning from my brother, the Old Retired Petty Officer.

Veteran's eat FREE at Applebee's on Veteran's Day.

If you know of any other establishments doing this, please let me know and I'll post 'em.

Why I read Lileks

James' post today at the Bleat is far from one of his best - and I'm not going looking right now to put up that link, you can find many FABulous writings in his archives - but this line hit me right between the eyes...so to speak:

What we see as a breathing space or a sign the worst is over is probably just the gap between swings of the two-by-four.

I better shower so I'm more awake when it comes around.

In the year 1909

I got this in my email a few weeks back. I haven't fact-checked it, so it's probably as accurate as ANYTHING you hear on CBS...but you can always do that yourself with these wonderful computer thingies, can't you!

THE YEAR 1909

This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1909.
One hundred years ago.
What a difference a century makes!

Here are some statistics for the Year 1909:
************ ********* *********
The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION. Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned by the press AND the government as 'substandard.'

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.

Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death were:
1.. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada was only 30.

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then most pharmacists said, "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health."

Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.

I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself. From there, it will be sent to others all over the WORLD - all in a matter of seconds.

Try to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
*************************************************
Well, what it might be like if we get our cojones back as a Nation, that is...

AND IN FAMILY NEWS: The cancer that didn't kill my brother (TYG) is about to become blog fodder. Check out the Old Retired Petty Officer for what could be some very sickening photographs and excellent running commentary.

Nobel Prize for Economics goes to woman whose work proves GOVERNMENT is more often the problem than the solution!

John Stossel is a libertarian, and I guess I am one, too. Many times this suggests things that are too wacky for words, but hey...Dimmbocrats claim part of that title, and so do many Republicrats. I prefer things sensible, proven by unbiased methods, which treat grown-up citizens like grown-up citizens, and which are Constitutional. Makes me sorta unusual, I know, but I sleep ok at night, believe me.

Stossel's column today is required reading if you believe "Government-imposed regulation" is completely different than the rules of behavior needed for managing some resources (among other things) by those involved.

She writes in her 1990 book, "Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action," that there is no shortage of real-world examples of "a self-governed common-property arrangement in which the rules have been devised and modified by the participants themselves and also are monitored and enforced by them."

In other words, free people work things out on their own.

Not only is government help often not needed, Ostrom says it usually screws things up because bureaucrats operate in an ivory tower ignorant of the local customs and the specific resource.

Political theorists assume away the problems of political control, but the problems are real. There is no reason to believe that bureaucrats and politicians, no matter how well meaning, are better at solving problems than the people on the spot, who have the strongest incentive to get the solution right. Unlike bureaucrats, they bear the costs of their mistakes. Moreover, as the prize committee pointed out, "Rules that are imposed from the outside or unilaterally dictated by powerful insiders have less legitimacy and are more likely to be violated."

...

We libertarians aren't against rules — we are against top-down rules imposed by out-of-touch bureaucrats.

UPDATE: I have just one question. Is this the Nobel committee made up of the same bozos that chose BarryO for the Peace Prize? If so, does the rest of the country know they've got Multiple Personality Syndrome?

Quotable Democrats

Quotes from...well, you'll see...

Great Orators of the Democrat Party...

'One man with courage makes a majority.' - Andrew Jackson
'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' - Franklin D. Roosevelt
'The buck stops here.' - Harry S. Truman
'Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.' - John F. Kennedy

And from today's Democrats...

"It depends what your definition of 'is' is?" - Bill Clinton
"Those rumors are false .... I believe in the sanctity of marriage." - John Edwards
"I invented the Internet." - Al Gore
"The next Person that tells me I'm not religious, I'm going to shove my rosary beads up their ASS." - Joe Biden
"America is--is no longer, uh, what it--it, uh, could be, uh, what it was once was...uh, and I say to 'uh, I don't want that future, uh, uh for my children." - Barack Obama
"I have campaigned in all 57 states." - Barack Obama (Quoted 2008)
"You don't need God anymore, you have us Democrats." - Nancy Pelosi (Quoted 2006)
"Paying taxes is voluntary." - Sen. Harry Reid
"Bill is the greatest husband and father I know. No one is more faithful, true, and honest than he." - Hillary Clinton (Quoted 1998)

And here's one of my favorite quotes, though not a politician, just a Real Man.
"Life's tough. It's even tougher if you're stupid." -- John Wayne

(Thanks, Fred!)

UPDATE: I've been reminded that gaffs are not party-exclusive. ALL politicians have things come out of their mouths that are wrong, mistaken, lies, or examples of oral dyslexia - just like the rest of us. WE, however, don't spend a lot of time with cameras and tape recorders following us around to preserve our flubs for posterity...thank goodness! This particular little collection just happened to be all in one place all at one time, so here it is.

I am as racist as Rush...

...and since I really LIVE by the words spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr so many years ago, I decided to post this article from CNSNews.com:

This man is probably the single greatest spokesman for the NFL other than someone that’s in the NFL, and he’s disqualified because he’s conservative? I find it quite offensive.

I am not a member of any religion. I don't belong to a church or a synagogue. Don't see that changing any time in the near future. What I do have is a set of personal standards, most based on Old Testament Biblical teachings.

One of the reasons I don't have a religion is that too many who do belong to a church seem to have rather flexible 'standards.' I have certain standards - maybe fewer than churchgoers, which simplifies things for my little brain. Too many rules mean I forget too many things. I work at sticking by my personal standards. Never say Never. People are more important than Things. Racism is wrong. When you work to earn something, its value increases a thousandfold over having it handed to you for free.

Standing up, when necessary, for a man who's been lied about repeatedly - whether I agree with him or not - is one of my standards. My own personal integrity demands it.

The NFL owners and commissioner are obviously the hypocrites many "big business rich folks" have the reputation for being. This makes me sad. Having been to only one NFL game and only because Lovely Daughter was there to perform with her cheer squad at half time, I can't exactly do what Mr. Muller has done.

But I would.

Tuesday with Thomas

Our retreat was everything it was created to be, and as usual I am STILL a bit...out of sync. It isn't as far off my routine as it is off Duffy's, but evidently it doesn't take much to throw me out of whack these days. I may post a picture or 2 later, depends on how much time I have and whether I can make my brain take orders.

Tuesdays are the days I read, post, and comment on Thomas Sowell's most recent column, and today is no exception. With one exception. My brain isn't taking orders just yet, and I have no comment on this column - I merely ask that you read it, to get the reasoning behind this Wisdom:

"The courts should not be the only line of defense. Common decency should be the first line of defense..."

For now, I'm getting some coffee and a bite to eat. Thanks for stopping by!

Retreat

In order to keep my sanity and sense, I help lead a personal growth Retreat every six months. This is then. Will return Sunday afternoon, but have no idea when I'll be posting again, as My Chief has Mondays off. Might jump back here then, but might still be dealing with Retreat Headache...just have to wait and see. Hope your weekend is productive and restful.

See you next week!

Toxic Hawaiian Volcano Poses Health Risks to Residents, Crops - FOXNews.com

Toxic Hawaiian Volcano Poses Health Risks to Residents, Crops - FOXNews.com

Legend has it that people were thrown into the volcano to appease the gods. How 'bout we try throwing Akaka and Inouye into the volcano...you know, just to see if it works.

We have here another case of not being able to control Mother Nature. Like the folks who build their home on a barrier island, then want a replacement of house and all contents when it's wiped out by a hurricane, these are obviously cases of ignoring Nature's past...and then expecting payment when Nature comes 'round again...as she does.

From the article:

Those affected note the trade winds are blowing the vog towards Oahu, where the state legislature presides. Their hope is that lawmakers will be able to see and smell the problem a little bit more clearly.

Oh, you can bet the 'lawmakers' will smell a problem - a problem "government money" can solve!

Residents remember that, afterall, there wouldn't be a Hawaiian Islands Chain without volcanic activity — it's what formed and shaped the tropical islands.

Kilauea does what Kilauea has always done. And politicians do what politicians have always done.

I'd put my money on the volcano in this one...if the government doesn't take it and redistribute it to someone else...

Posted using ShareThis

You call this 'classy?'

I call it the ugliest damn doll I have EVER seen.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you The Michelle Doll -

just in time for Christmas!

The icing on the cake of this story has to be that the seller is - ready? - JAILBREAK TOYS! Yes, that's real, and no, I'm not providing a link, you can google it like I did.

Hasn't this made your whole day now? Don't you feel SPECIAL!?!

ADDITION: I can't help but think that Jackie O would have been horrified at any depiction of herself that was this...inaccurate. Of course, she was too classy to have EVER said anything.

Tuesday means Thomas Sowell

Mr. Sowell's column today has nothing at all to do with his opinion - or mine - of the Nobel committee. Aren't you thrilled about that? I DID find a column about that - by Rich Lowry - that you might want to take the time to read. Let's just say that it isn't complimentary to any of the participants.

Mr. Sowell speaks about economics in a way that even I understand, and he uses examples I can understand. Every politician who wears the label 'Elected Official' should be required take lessons from him...but of course, real Servants of the Republic would already know that, wouldn't they. The doublespeak and gobbledygook we get from them is DESIGNED to keep us ignorant of what they're really up to, because serving the cause of the People of the United States is not on their personal agenda. Making money and being reelected is their agenda. Sad, but so true. Some bits from the column that reminds us that THEY DON'T REPRESENT US:

Back in the days of the Soviet Union, two Russian economists who had never lived in a country with a free market economy understood something about market economies that many others who have lived in such economies all their lives have never understood. Nikolai Shmelev and Vladimir Popov said: "Everything is interconnected in the world of prices, so that the smallest change in one element is passed along the chain to millions of others."
...

While this may be easy enough to understand, its implications are completely lost on many people in politics and in the media. If everything is connected to everything else in a market economy, then it makes no sense to have laws and policies that declare some given goal to be a "good thing," without regard to the repercussions, which spread out in all directions, like waves that spread across a pond when you drop a rock in the water.
...

We are now living with those repercussions, which include the worst unemployment in decades. That is the price we are paying for increasing home ownership from 64 percent to 69 percent.
...

Mortgage lending standards were lowered, in order to raise the magic number of home ownership. But, with lower lending standards, there were — surprise! — more mortgage payment delinquencies, defaults and foreclosures.
...

The other big lie is that this was a failure of economists and others to foresee that the housing boom would turn to bust and set off financial repercussions across the economy.

In reality, everybody and his brother saw it coming and said so — including yours truly in the Wall Street Journal of May 26, 2005. As far away as London, The Economist magazine warned about the danger. So did many American publications and individuals. The problem was that politicians refused to listen.

UPDATE: If you can, please forgive any spelling or grammatical errors in post or headline. MOST times, I know how to write according to the way I was taught by mum, grandmother, and a few assorted teachers...but that doesn't mean that what my brain knows necessarily translates to my fingertips!

20 Questions - that's 20 MORE

John Hawkins at Townhall.com has a few more questions he'd like SOMEONE, ANYONE to ask BarryO, at the earliest opportunity. A small sample:

13) So far, you have signed a number of bills that no one in Congress has read before they were signed. Do you think a member of Congress is being irresponsible if he signs onto a bill without reading it or at minimum, having a member of his staff read it?

14) Would you be willing to publicly ask your supporters to stop accusing people who disagree with your policies of being racist?

Now remember, finding a 'reporter' in this world of Journalists For Barry Fan Club who would actually ASK the questions is gonna be difficult. Getting the Whiner-In-Chief (changed that - thanks to No Sheeples Here) to ANSWER such questions - given the staging and planting of Q&A sessions we've already seen - may be asking just a bit much of American Media.

One can only 'hope.'

Onion staff sit on Nobel committee?

Robert Tracinski at JewishWorldReview.com writes:

The Nobel Committee says that prize is "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Which Obama has accomplished by—what exactly? Giving a speech at the UN?

I know, I know, columns and articles and probably talking head news stories (I don't watch television news, so I don't know for sure) on this are all over the place, and after a full weekend, we're probably a bit overloaded on the whole damn topic. But dammit, Tracinski is FUNNY and I never turn down a good bit of snark!

Then there's the part that isn't JUST snark, it's deadly serious:

This is an attempt by the Nobel committee to play on Obama's vanity in order to influence his decisions on Iran and Afghanistan. The message is: how could you possibly let Israel attack Iran's nuclear facilities, or how could you send an additional 40,000 troops to "escalate" the war in Afghanistan—after we've just given you the Nobel Peace Prize?

In appealing to Obama's moral vanity, they know their man well—and it will probably work.

The Nobel Committee may have inadvertantly caused the deaths of American Soldiers, but that isn't what's preeminent in their minds...their utopian idea of 'peace' is uppermost in their minds, and they seem to be of the mind that this will help that plan along.

It would be a very amusing joke...if it weren't for the bloodshed they're going to cause.

Go Navy!

Navy Midshipmen 63 - Rice Owls 14
	Oct 10 1 2 3 4 T Navy 14 21 14 14 63 « Rice 0 7 0 7 14 Next game: @ Southern Methodist Mustangs, Oct 17 8:00pm ET

I didn't see one play of this game...looks like it was a walk in the park for these young men. Other than being glad of the 4-2 record, I really can't think of anything to say.

GO NAVY!

Tinnitus --- WHAT???

Being the doctor-averse lil broad that I am, I have diagnosed my own affliction. Now I need to figure out what to do about it. My particular 'ringing' seems to be a bit like the computer being on all the time, but with a slightly different pitch. *sigh*

Dr. Gott's column has been mentioning Lypo-Flavonoid for quite some time, but I didn't pay much attention after I told My Chief about it...because HIS tinnitus has been diagnosed for several years. Mine was intermittent and didn't interfere with anything, so I ignored it. Now it interferes with my hearing more often than not. So I'll be checking the price of this stuff, and having a visit with my doc in the near future. Not in the next WEEK, as I'm covered up prepping to lead a Retreat...but NEAR future, anyway.

Think I'll go find something to eat, y'all have a FINE day, and thanks for stopping by! Stay warm - ya lucky dogs...

All Foam...No Beer

I honestly didn't believe I could be more disgusted by BarryO and the Merry Men than I was. I didn't think I could be as nauseated over a "Peace" Prize recipient as I was when the announcement was made that Arafat and Carter had won.

After all, Carter and his Confederates had allowed the country to suffer through the insanity of the hostage-taking in Iran, not to mention helping to drive the country into a deep recession.

Arafat preached and worked toward the destruction of the State of Israel and the death of the Jews, with Jimmuh his willing companion.

I was WRONG.

It seems BarryO has 'won' the "Peace" Prize by his mere existence. Wow. The Nobel committee has handed this jackass the award after less than a full year on the job. Since nothing has changed except the escalation of war in various places around the world, not to mention the world economy - and the AMERICAN economy - going into the sewer, I have to conclude once more that those 'esteemed' geniuses who make up the committee are, in fact, bent on destroying the Free World.

Paco used the term "A World Turned Upside Down." Indeed. You can find the transcript of the official press release at Camp of the Saints.

An exerpt from Meredith Jessup at Townhall.com:

Obama beat out "Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, a Colombian senator and a Chinese dissident, along with an Afghan woman's rights activist."

I know we're at war right now and that war is bad, but I would just like to point out this bit of irony: if it hadn't been for "the evil one," President George W. Bush, and the U.S. military's efforts in ridding Afghanistan of the Taliban's tyrannic rule, I'd imagine there would be no "Afghan woman's rights activist" around today to even be considered for this award.
...
So correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't this essentially mean Obama received this award for making some good speeches? Sure nothing he says has actually been accomplished, but it all sounds good!

All mouth, no ass. All booster, no payload. Yep, that's our BarryO.

Doesn't this make ya PROUD, America?

I love Thomas Sowell

Anyone who reads this blog for more than a week knows I think Thomas Sowell is the cat's meow. He writes a "Random Thoughts on the passing scene" column every so often, and I think they may be my favorites. Here are some of his thoughts for today, which I found at JewishWorldReview.com, but are also found at Townhall.com:

When politicians propose some hugely expensive new program and are asked how the government is going to pay for it, a standard ploy over the years has been to claim that they will pay for it by eliminating "waste, fraud and abuse." At a recent town hall meeting, a citizen raised the obvious question: If you can do that, why haven't you done it already?

What is called "universal health care" can turn out to be universal "don't care" medical treatment, when Washington bureaucrats can over-rule what you and your doctor want to do.

After political crusades for "affordable housing" ended up ruining the housing market and much of the economy with it, many of the same politicians are now carrying on a crusade for "affordable health care."

Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Muammar Qaddafi and Vladimir Putin have all praised Barack Obama. When enemies of freedom and democracy praise your president, what are you to think?

Happy Birthday, Pixie!

Two years ago today, Lovely Daughter and Handsome Son-in-law presented me with the best gift ever...well, since Lovely Daughter was born, anyway.

Arrival of this little blond Pixie Bug has changed my life. As we get older, I think we forget how much fun Life can be, how simple we can keep it if we wish, and how fascinating things are when looked at through the eyes of a toddler.

I am truly grateful to have the opportunity to learn, again, what Life is all about.

Happy Birthday, Kaylee!!!

Wish I'd written this column

I've enjoyed George Will's writing on baseball for many years now, even when I don't quite 'get' it. I'm not a detail-minded guru of the game, I'm a lowly little late-comer of a fan. His political commentary, on the other hand, sometimes brings on the computer-age verson of the glassy-eyed stare - click!

This column, however, has so much for me to love about it. In reviewing the pleas from BarryO and his Bride to the IOC, Will says:

Both Obamas gave heartfelt speeches about . . . themselves. Although the working of the committee's mind is murky, it could reasonably have rejected Chicago's bid for the 2016 Games on aesthetic grounds — unless narcissism has suddenly become an Olympic sport.

In the 41 sentences of her remarks, Michelle Obama used some form of the personal pronouns "I" or "me" 44 times. Her husband was, comparatively, a shrinking violet, using those pronouns only 26 times in 48 sentences. Still, 70 times in 89 sentences conveyed the message that somehow their fascinating selves were what made, or should have made, Chicago's case compelling.

I like every paragraph of this column, but in the interest of interest (yours), I'll add just a bit more that says SO much -- about BarryO, about Bride of BarryO, and about those who elected this pompous, arrogant windbag.

Nine days before speaking in Copenhagen, the president, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, intoned: "No one nation can or should try to dominate another nation." What was the speechwriter thinking when he or she assembled that sentence? The "should" was empty moralizing; the "can" was nonsense redundantly refuted by history. Does our Cicero even glance at his speeches before reading them in public?

Becoming solemn in Copenhagen, Obama said: "No one expects the Games to solve all our collective problems." That's right, no one does. So why say that? Then, shifting into the foggy sentimentalism of standard Olympics blather, he said "peaceful competition between nations represents what's best about our humanity" and "it brings us together" and "it helps us to understand one another."

Actually, sometimes the Olympic Games are a net subtraction from international comity. But Obama quickly returned to speaking about . . . himself:

NOTE: I have something on a more personal level coming up, so link and comments about Thomas Sowell's column will be posted at a later time. Thanks for your consideration!

Roar! 37-17

For ten years now, the Tennessee Titans have been more hated by Jaguars fans than maybe even Osama bin Laden. The Titans beat the Jaguars 3 times in 1999, in what many thought was a sure run to the Superbowl. In 2004, there was another humiliating loss to the rivals from Nashville. Tennessee once claimed that Jacksonville was their other 'home field.' The Jaguars may not go to the Superbowl this year, may not even make the playoffs...but the Titans took a beating at the hands of the Big Cats today, and there is some comfort in that. This is a bit like the Army-Navy game...it's almost ok if that's the only win Navy gets ALL YEAR LONG.

The win today puts my hometown team back to a 2-2 record, which is nothing to be ashamed of in this world...unless you're a Football Dynasty (we'll know about the 'boys later today), and the Jaguars haven't achieved that. They DID hand the Titans a record of 0-4 -- that's ZERO and FOUR. No one deserves that record more.

Go Jaguars!

UPDATE: "America's Team" (I lived there when they were God, separately and as a group - it was disgusting...I wore a Steelers shirt for YEARS in response - and because I had a crush on Rocky Bleier) has a spectacular record of 2-2 after getting whupped by the Broncos today. Last time the 'boys beat Denver was 1995. HA!

I am a child of the Cold War.

Grouchy Conservative Pundits has a great bunch of folks who think well and write well what they think. Take this post, f'rinstance - Threats, Then and Now:

I am a child of the Cold War. I grew up with the ever-present threat of nuclear annihilation.

School was frequently interrupted by "duck and cover" drills.

Many popular movies were based on nuclear testing, nuclear war or it's aftermath - Them!, Fail Safe, On the Beach.

Read it all, and the comments. It won't be a waste of your time.

Go Navy!!! (from yesterday, been busy, sorry)

Navy Midshipmen Football (3-2)
	Navy Midshipmen 16 - Air Force Falcons 13 Next game: @ Rice Owls, Oct 10 3:30pm ET

Top 10 Reasons Chicago Didn't Get the Olympics

Top 10 Reasons Chicago Didn't Get the Olympics - Rich Lowry at The Corner on NRO

10. Dead people can't vote at IOC meetings.

9. Obama distracted by 25 min meeting with General McChrystal.

8. Who cares if Obama couldn't talk the IOC into Chicago? He'll be able to talk Iran out of nukes.

7. The impediment is Israel still building settlements.

6. Obviously no president would have been able to acomplish it.

5. We've been quite clear and said all along that we didn't want the Olympics.

4. This isn't about the number of Olympics "lost", it's about the number of Olympics "saved" or "created."

3. Clearly not enough wise Latina judges on the committee

2. Because the IOC is racist.

1. It's George Bush's fault.

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Go Irish!

Washington Huskies 30 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish 37
	Oct 3 1 2 3 4 OT T Washington 7 10 7 6 0 30 Notre Dame 3 13 3 11 7 37 « Next game: vs. USC Trojans, Oct 17 3:30pm ET

Jonah Goldberg likes controversy!

Jonah's column at JewishWorldReview.com has this about Polanski and the rallying cry to Free Roman that resounds from apologists and elitists and intelligentsia - you know, Our Betters:

The arguments in Polanski's defense range from lawyerly red herrings to intellectual piffle to horrendous affronts to human decency.

Roman Polanski is a pig - with apologies to the 4-footed animal. He LIKES teenagers. Let me rephrase that - he likes to have sex with teenagers, and he doesn't seem to care if they disagree with that idea.

It all boils down to the fact that Polanski is famous and talented and an Olympian artist, living above the world of mortals. Indeed, if he didn't rape that girl -- and he did -- Polanski would still be considered a pig in most normal communities. This is the man who, after all, started dating Nastassja Kinski when she was only 15 and he was in his 40s. His taste for teenage girls is an established fact.

I remember some things about being a teenager. I was just a bit older than Nastassja Kinski when she started "dating" Polanski. I thought it was pathetic, that she must have some sort of real problem if she could find someone my father's age sexy and interesting enough to "date." (I dated - and I DATED him, not "dated" him - a man who was 9 years older than me, when I was 17, but he wasn't old enough to be my father, fercryinoutloud. After a few weeks I realized he was still FAR too 'old' for me, and I broke up with him - in a typically rude teenager way.) My attitude about that huge age difference, then and now - ick. And my boyfriend never broke the law.

His defenders don't care. They are above and beyond bourgeois notions of morality, even legality.

And that's the main reason I am grateful for this controversy. It is a dye marker, "lighting up" a whole archipelago of morally wretched people. With their time, their money and their craft, these very people routinely lecture America about what is right and wrong. It's good to know that at the most fundamental level, they have no idea what they're talking about.

Mustn't muddy the water with those pesky little "Facts!"

I don't watch the news. I don't read a daily newspaper. Any news I DO hear is posted on someone's blog (and I generally read conservative and libertarian blogs), or comes from the news-on-the-half-hour on the sports-talk or talk radio stations I listen to. I also check my home-state online newspapers free content. And a couple of good friends or relatives email me with links to things they think I oughta read...and I don't mean chain mail. Military funerals, Weather or giant pythons appearing somewhere other than a zoo might get me a link to a story.

It's enough to get me by. Knowing how many thugs were shot by the police or each other, what stupid-ass thing my Representative said as she feathers her nest, and how "hard" the city council is "working" aren't priorities in my life.

As a matter of fact, I don't even need to know what the official unemployment numbers are. Numbers can lie when they're spun the right direction...and then can be spun right back the other way for a WHOLE new perspective.

I know some people out of work. I know a couple people who got work...but left the city of their choice to do so. When it's move or collect welfare, my generation tends to hit the road, I think. Then again, maybe it's not my generation. The ones I'm thinking of ARE my generation, but they're also not "city folk." They're the product of small town and rural upbringing. Are we more self-reliant at this age if we grew up without government intervention in every aspect of our lives? If so, what does that say about government intervention in every aspect of our lives?

John Stossel is one of my libertarian/ Constitutionalist heroes. From his column at JewishWorldReview.com:

OK, economic forecasters make mistakes. Fair enough. But neither the administration experts nor President Obama will acknowledge that their models and strategy are flawed. Instead, they spin the numbers and proclaim success, insisting that the plan is working even though unemployment is higher than they said it would be.

For example, Christina Romer, chief of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, preferred to emphasize that the 216,000 jobs lost in August were about half a million less than six months before. Never mind that the economic strategy hasn't restored any of those 700,000 jobs previously lost. They'd rather distract us by focusing on the slowing rate of loss rather than the losses themselves.

Lord knows these brilliant folks can't be WRONG in their predictions. Of course, I don't give them as much credit as Stossel does. I think they knew what would happen all along and lied. And since "journalism" no longer requires investigating and reporting FACTS, no one catches the lies.

UPDATE: Track-A-'Crat has written about the Road to Hell...of course, he doesn't call it that, and neither do our helpful socialist friends in government bureaurcacy, but it is what it is. Thanks, Track!

Tuesday is time for Thomas Sowell - "Do we want to become the world's largest banana republic?"

Thomas Sowell's column this morning is spot on about the dangers of brilliant people running things. I don't know about you, but I was under the impression that everyday workin' folk know more about living Life, solving Problems, and overcoming Troubles than any book- and classroom-educated Ph.D. Of course, Intelligent, Educated People with the right letters after their names, having been 'educated' far beyond their own intelligence at The Finest Centers of Learning, don't believe that for a second. Doesn't change the facts, does it?

There is usually only a limited amount of damage that can be done by dull or stupid people. For creating a truly monumental disaster, you need people with high IQs.

Such people have been told all their lives how brilliant they are, until finally they feel forced to admit it, with all due modesty. But they not only tend to over-estimate their own brilliance, more fundamentally they tend to over-estimate how important brilliance itself is when dealing with real world problems.

Many crucial things in life are learned from experience, rather than from clever thoughts or clever words. Indeed, a gift for the clever phrasing so much admired by the media can be a fatal talent, especially for someone chosen to lead a government.

Make no mistake about it - most people, most Americans, for that matter, are not dull or stupid. Eventually, by relying on our God-given instincts and following the principles of the Constitution of the United States, we come around, even when we've been lied to by omission or commission, even when we've been somewhat willfully blind and deaf to Reality.

Lead Balloon

Lovely Daughter asked me last week if I'd like to go to a Jaguars game for my birthday. They're playing Kansas City (kc!) and Matt Cassel is quarterback...such a nice name for such a nice boy ( /cheek-pinching old lady ). But I don't think I really do want to go, at least not enough to overcome the ambivalence I feel. While I certainly appreciate the offer, please let me explain why I hesitate.

First, we're all kinda short on cash. Expensive hobbies are not on my "gotta spend this money" list. My dryer just crapped out, repair of which is a necessary expense. Second, my birthday is just another day for me - I didn't DO anything that evening so many years ago, it's MY mother who should get the gifts and accolades, in my opinion. Third, I injured my back a few years ago...well, more than once and the first time was much more than "a few" years ago. Sitting in the stadium for several hours seems to cause spasms when I just THINK about it. And finally, I don't drink anymore, and I don't like being around drunk drunks. I don't do well in crowds in the best of conditions, and drunk, obnoxious crowds are surely going to be worse than I remember from when I DID drink. Much as I'd love to spend the day with Lovely Daughter and Handsome Son-in-law, I just don't think I'd have much fun...

I see from Mitch Albom's column at JewishWorldReview.com (updated BEFORE Yom Kippur began) that I'm not the only one avoiding such things for such reasons...

So, Lovely Daughter...can we just go eat like gluttons at Sticky Fingers instead? And if you go to the game that day, we can wait till the next week to go eat...I can wait!

You might be from Florida if...

Number 4 is my favorite, followed closely by #16 and #19.

1. You smirk when a game show's "Grand Prize" is a trip to Florida
2. You think a mountain is any hill 100 feet above sea level.
3. You think everyone from a bigger city has a northern accent.
4. You know the four seasons really are: almost summer, summer, not summer but really hot, and February.
5. You don't know what soda, cola, or pop is, "What kinda coke you want?"... regardless of brand or flavor
6. Anything under 95 is just warm.
7. You've hosted hurricane parties.
8. You understand the futility of exterminating cockroaches.
9. You can pronounce Okeechobee, Kissimmee , Ichnatucknee and Withlacoochee
10. You understand why it's better to have a friend with a boat, than have a boat yourself.
11. You get angry when people say " Florida isn't really part of the SOUTH."
12. You wear shorts and use the A/C on Christmas.
13. You recognize Miami-Dade as " Northern Cuba."
14. It's a perfect 72 degrees outside, but you run the A/C just to keep mildew from growing on your shoes.
15. You actually see someone from last nights episode of America's Most Wanted
16. Deer are smaller than your labrador
17. You're more scared of the freaks who live down the street than gators
18. You know someone who's been struck by lightning
19. You consider plywood a window treatment.
20. The term "huge fan" has nothing to do with sports.

UPDATE: In reference to yesterday's college football game, there's a player named Tyrod Taylor on one of the teams I was listening to. We were wondering...does he have a sister named Wheel Bearing?

New Addition on My Blogroll

My brother has a post at Parrothead Jeff - Las Vegas Latitude, Parrothead Attitude.

In case you don't know, Glenn was recently discovered to have a 'mass' on one of his kidneys. Throws the whole world into a bit of a spin, and I had funds standing by in case they wanted me to fly up there. Thankfully for all of us, my presence was not required (or wanted), as surgery was a resounding success and recovery is proceeding at a brisk pace. I suppose I could've gone just to get in the way and feel important, but I'm glad it worked out so well. For all of us. Glenn's Lovely Bride and Beautiful Daughter kept me in the loop, and I'm so grateful to them for that. (I am, however, disappointed I didn't get a trip West...dammit)

Now, go read Glenn's 'new' perspective - when the going gets tough, Navy Wives get tougher. Thanks, Sharon!

Michael Yon - The Kopp-Etchells Effect

My Chief sent me this link a few days back. I've just now taken the time to read and look at it.

*sigh*

"truly flabbergasting fatuities"

The headline for this post is from a column by a writer I seldom read anymore...but I cannot in good conscience ignore such FABulous snark!

Mona Charen at JewishWorldReview.com - I love this paragraph as she 'disects' The Speech By The President Of The World:

Obama is, we are told, the smartest man to sit in the Oval in many a year. And yet he is capable of truly flabbergasting fatuities like this: "In this hall, we come from many places, but we share a common future." You don't say? That's right up there with Warren Harding's declaration that "the future lies before us."

Bulls-eye.

When a tax is NOT a tax...

Here's a column - Jeff Jacoby at JewishWorldReview.com - for those of us who believe words mean things. They are a specific description meant to explain specific concepts or items. Today's word is 'tax.' George Stephanopolis looked it up! Tax: "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes."

BarryO has a different idea, it seems: "George," chided Obama, "the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary . . . indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now."

BarryO, when does the meaning given in Merriam-Webster become stretching??? That IS the meaning of the damn word "TAX," in proper use, clearly stated and understandable even to those of us with high school and technical school educations.

Do you need more proof of this administration's opinion of the electorate?

Then there's this: It is a myth that those who don't buy health insurance are basically free riders who unload their medical costs onto the backs of more responsible Americans. In truth, most of the uninsured are young, fit, and unlikely to need medical care. Why should they be forced to pay for expensive health insurance they don't need?

I have a theory - and since it's 'theory' I needn't use scientific principles to PROVE it - that lifelong politicians, those who wear the name Public Servant as a Badge of Righteousness, believe the Average American doesn't know what's good for him, that we're not really smart enough to pour piss out of a boot when the directions are on the heel (as my dad used to say). They live such sheltered little lives that they can't imagine anyone could survive without their help. Sad, isn't it? And sadder still is that our Declaration of Independence and the Constitution should tell them this was the attitude we got from the King - and it lit the fire under the Revolution in the first place...

AND ANOTHER THING:
This has been percolating in my mind for a few days and is only now coming clear. So forgive my disjointed rambling if you can, thank you.

Glenn Beck is not The Devil Himself. Glenn Beck is a God-believing, Family-loving, Constitution-trusting American Patriot. He MUST be doing something wonderful, because the leftists take his name in vain and and spit and belittle every damn thing about him. Well, in a bit of a continuance on my previous posting (above), Patrick Henry was a bit of a hell-raisin' rabble-rouser, too - if I remember my US History at all (which I can doublecheck easily these days).

Don't know about you, but I kind of admire that in a Man.

Some good columns

I'm not feeling particularly perky today, so I'm posting links to a couple columns I found interesting.

First up is Thomas Sowell at JewishWorldReview.com, on underdogs.

Next is Jonah Goldberg's tribute to Irving Kristol.

I also found a movie review by Walter Williams...of a movie he hasn't seen...which isn't really about the movie at all, come to find out. What it is is a short lesson on history and capitalism.

Last but certainly not least is my salute to "going green" in a money-saving and time-tested manner. I grew up in a working-poor family, and being frugal is something I understand. I'm not fanatical about it, but safety, simplicity and saving money are things I believe in. So here's a column on some of the ways I use vinegar in my home. One thing I do with white vinegar that's not mentioned in this column is I put it in the little cup meant for fabric softener in the washer. Clean, fresh clothes and soft towels with no soapy buildup on the fabrics OR in my washer. UPDATE: I forgot to add that in this climate, with extreeeeme humidity and heat, fabric softener tends to make clothes stink, in my opinion. I don't know if it degrades after a little time, or what, but those scented sheets are used very seldom in this house, for things that may have a problem with static cling...so the only time I really find a need for them is in the winter!

Now I think I'll find something to eat. Y'all have a fine day, and thanks for stopping by!

Tuesday - Thomas Sowell!

When I saw the title for this column, I almost went against Pixie Place Tradition and skipped Sowell's column for today, replacing it with the always-enjoyable Mark Steyn or a video about Yom Kippur. Then I read the first couple paragraphs, and I have to post it. Despite the subject being FAR from anything in my personal life today, Sowell's writing and point of view have value.

This, for instance:

Among the things you need to know about a particular college is whether it has a real curriculum or just a smorgasbord of courses, so that it is possible to graduate knowing nothing about history, economics or science, for example. Some of the most prestigious colleges in the country are places where you can graduate completely ignorant of such fundamental subjects.

In discussing "Choosing the Right College," Sowell points to some things that aren't discussed about most institutions of learning, things it seems many people find out The Hard Way. I may yet look into finding it, just to set my mind at ease over my...umm...sneering, snarky (but hopefully well-hidden) attitude, shall we say...toward some people I know...

Second example:

"Choosing the Right College" also presents information on such things as black separatist organizations at Lafayette College, for example. Whether you are for or against such things, you need to know about them, in order to choose what you think is right for you.

I've had an attitude about "the Best" schools for a long time now, believing that giving money to a place to NOT learn anything was an exercise in foolishness and ego. To use the name of a university as a resume-booster may seem important to some...but at what cost.

More:

It also tells you whether the intellectual atmosphere is free or is hidebound with political correctness, and plagued by professors who think their job is to use the classroom as a place to sound off about their political ideology to a captive audience, even when the course is about chemistry or accounting.

Good stuff for a Tuesday morning, isn't it? Thanks for stopping by!

The Old Guy does it AGAIN!

Have I mentioned previously that I love Mark Martin? If not, here's notice - I love Mark Martin. Crusty Old Fart of NASCAR. Just love it. Him. Them.

The man is SO good at what he does, with a terrific team behind him. His FIRST win at New Hampshire puts him in the lead for the Cup...whoa! Told My Chief he needs to buy me a new twenty dollar hat...cuz I am a BIG fan.

Enough for now, back to puttering around the house.