The End of Cronyism in Detroit...

The Obama Administration, Democrats in general, and some Republicans have repeatedly and vociferously expressed their disgust at huge executive compensation packages.

Remember when President Obama dismissed Rick Waggoner from his position as CEO at General Motors?  That was shortly after the federal government and UAW takeover of the company.  They installed in his place Fritz Henderson.  Fritz had tons of experience, but was forced out only 8 months into his term of service.

Well, he's back. 

Is there no end to the gall of these people?  I have NOTHING AGAINST a person making $3,000 per hour!  It's the hypocrisy I can't stand.  How can the President, his Pay Czar, and his appointed patsy at GM let this happen?  Don't they remember that they're for the "little guy"?

Fritz Henderson is back at GM, for $3,000 an hour

Democrats Explain Senate Rules...

Democrats have recently threatened to pass Health Care Reform v. 2.0 with a 51-vote majority in the Senate.  This has been called the "nuclear option" because it prevents the "extended debate" that the senate is famous for. 

The Founders had in mind a sort of House of Commons (Representatives) that would give voice to the people.  The House of Lords (Senate) would balance the often impulsive vox populi with deliberate consideration of the issues.  The two Houses would then serve to check the power of the Executive. 

Anyway, watch this video where several Democrat leaders articulate the matter much better than I could.  Then remember that it is this same group of people advocating for and threatening to use the "nuclear option" against the current Republican minority and their less liberal Democrat party mates. 

The Fruits of The Obama "Open Hand" Doctrine...

Remember when Candidate Obama chided Candidate Clinton because she was too tough on our enemies?  He lectured everyone in his patent condescending way that if we extended an open hand and engaged in dialogue without conditions our enemies would see we meant them no harm and would abandon their intentions to destroy us and our allies. 

Here's a short story from Reuters that ought to illustrate exactly how naive Mr. Obama's statement and world view are.

Ahmadinejad not taking Clinton comments "seriously"


Tue Feb 16, 2010 8:29am EST

TEHRAN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed on Tuesday U.S. accusations that Iran was moving toward a military dictatorship, saying the U.S. military budget was 80 times larger than that of the Islamic Republic.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday that the United States believed Iran's Revolutionary Guards were driving the country towards military dictatorship and should be targeted in any new U.N. sanctions.

"We don't take her comments seriously," Ahmadinejad told a televised news conference, adding that the entire Iranian population of more than 70 million were protecting Iran's independence and its Islamic revolution.

He said the United States had some 300,000 troops stationed in the Middle East and was involved in wars in the region.

"These comments she (Clinton) is making are not wise," Ahmadinejad added.

(Reporting by Reza Derakhshi; writing by Fredrik Dahl; editing by David Stamp)

Dr. Jones Should Go To See The Principal...

Imagine being confronted by your professor and asked for the sources you used to write a research paper on the health benefits of drinking small doses of the industrial herbicide know as Agent Orange. 

Now imagine that you couldn't find the base data or your sources any more. 

Imagine further that you admit some of your data was fabricated by you in order to strengthen your case.

Imagine also that you admit that you ignored other data that did not support your case.

Now imagine what happens to your grade on that paper, your grade in the class, and your standing at the university you're attending.  Academic probation would be the best case scenario.  In all likelihood you'd be expelled from school.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250872/Climategate-U-turn-Astonishment-scientist-centre-global-warming-email-row-admits-data-organised.html

Now Dr. Jones Admits He Was Wrong...

Follow the link below to read about Dr. Phil Jones' admission that he and others misled the world about global warming.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1250813/MAIL-ON-SUNDAY-COMMENT-The-professors-amazing-climate-change-retreat.html

Backdoor Taxes To Hit Middle Class ...

Mon Feb 1, 4:09 PM
By Terri Cullen

NEW YORK (Reuters.com) --The Obama administration's plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.

In the 2010 budget tabled by President Barack Obama on Monday, the White House wants to let billions of dollars in tax breaks expire by the end of the year -- effectively a tax hike by stealth.

While the administration is focusing its proposal on eliminating tax breaks for individuals who earn $250,000 a year or more, middle-class families will face a slew of these backdoor increases.

The targeted tax provisions were enacted under the Bush administration's Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. Among other things, the law lowered individual tax rates, slashed taxes on capital gains and dividends, and steadily scaled back the estate tax to zero in 2010.

If the provisions are allowed to expire on December 31, the top-tier personal income tax rate will rise to 39.6 percent from 35 percent. But lower-income families will pay more as well: the 25 percent tax bracket will revert back to 28 percent; the 28 percent bracket will increase to 31 percent; and the 33 percent bracket will increase to 36 percent. The special 10 percent bracket is eliminated.

Investors will pay more on their earnings next year as well, with the tax on dividends jumping to 39.6 percent from 15 percent and the capital-gains tax increasing to 20 percent from 15 percent. The estate tax is eliminated this year, but it will return in 2011 -- though there has been talk about reinstating the death tax sooner.

Millions of middle-class households already may be facing higher taxes in 2010 because Congress has failed to extend tax breaks that expired on January 1, most notably a "patch" that limited the impact of the alternative minimum tax. The AMT, initially designed to prevent the very rich from avoiding income taxes, was never indexed for inflation. Now the tax is affecting millions of middle-income households, but lawmakers have been reluctant to repeal it because it has become a key source of revenue.

Without annual legislation to renew the patch this year, the AMT could affect an estimated 25 million taxpayers with incomes as low as $33,750 (or $45,000 for joint filers). Even if the patch is extended to last year's levels, the tax will hit American families that can hardly be considered wealthy -- the AMT exemption for 2009 was $46,700 for singles and $70,950 for married couples filing jointly.

Middle-class families also will find fewer tax breaks available to them in 2010 if other popular tax provisions are allowed to expire. Among them:

* Taxpayers who itemize will lose the option to deduct state sales-tax payments instead of state and local income taxes;

* The $250 teacher tax credit for classroom supplies;

* The tax deduction for up to $4,000 of college tuition and expenses;

* Individuals who don't itemize will no longer be able to increase their standard deduction by up to $1,000 for property taxes paid;

* The first $2,400 of unemployment benefits are taxable, in 2009 that amount was tax-free.

An Open Letter to John McCain...

I sent this letter to John McCain via his website earlier today.

Senator McCain:

I want to let you know that I was disappointed to hear your negative radio ad attacking JD Hayworth.

I'm not disappointed because it was a negative ad. I expect a certain balance in any campaign of ads exposing one's opponent's weaknesses and ads extoling one's own virtues and strengths.

The disappointment - even the anger - I feel is because, when the Country's future was literally on the line, you refused to say anything negative about your then-opponent, Barack H. Obama!

I am seriously troubled by the inconsistency. You were unwilling to even point out Candidate Obama's legitimate red flags and you censured those associated with you who did. Yet you are willing to make misleading assertions about JD Hayworth, a conservative who is intent on putting the country back on the right and constitutional course.

I have previously been an active voter who did not affiliate himself with any party. I want you to know that I have registered "Republican" so that I can participate in the primary election and work to get you off the ballot in November.

I appreciate the service you've given the country for years. And I offer you all the gratitude and honor that is appropriate.

I think it is time for you to step aside, now.

Respectfully,

John N. Ellis

Huh???

Remember when President Obama tried to distance himself earlier this week from the unsavory and wildly unpopular back-room politicking that went on to sweeten the Health Care Reform Bill enough to make it palatable to the US Senate?

He told us that he was not involved in the negotiations. 

Rahm Emmanuel, the President's Chief of Staff, says otherwise.

It makes one wonder who is really running the country.  Who IS the puppet master?

(Another interesting comment he made in that interview was that he has not changed the legislative process into what he would like it to be.  Is that absolutely TERRIFYING to anyone but me?  Listen close when you watch the video.)

Rahm Emmanuel Contradicts President Obama's Claim

Another Example of Leftist Racism....

How about this little bit of elitist, racist, bigotted, condecending, socially-backward gushing from an icon of the Left?

This is disgusting. 

When will black Americans (and other minorities) wake up to how the Left really feels about them?  They are viewed as less than human.  Simple tools to use in winning elections.  The policies of the Left are DESIGNED to keep human beings in subjection and they have been ESPECIALLY damaging to the black community. 

Chris Matthews' "Unfortunate Racially Insensitive Comments"

Remember: This Is About YOU, And NOT The President

This 2-minute video summary of President Obama's recent campaign speech (delivered 22 Jan 2010) in Ohio really lets you know where his focus is. 

In the President's defense, 3 of the 132 self-references are to remind us that this is not about him.

Breitbart.tv » 132: The Number of Times Obama Refers to Himself in One Speech

Global Climate Update From My Neighborhood...

I understand that in the world of climate science doublespeak "global warming" can mean many things.  I know that "global" can also mean "local" or "regional".  I know that "warming" can also mean cooling.  I know it can result in more rainfall or less rainfall.  I know that it can lead to desertification or expansion of jungles.  I know that it can contribute to mass extinction and the discovery of new species.  I know it can have an adverse or a positive effect on physical and mental health of human beings.  I know that it can even contribute to more severe or milder reactions to certain stimuli.

Having acknowledged that, let me tell you what global warming is doing to us today.  In the high desert we had 6" of snowfall followed up by at least 3" of rain.  Temperatures are below normal - about 12 degrees low, as a matter of fact.  And by morning we will have at least 6 more inches of snow with temperatures a full 20 degrees below normal. 

I feel like Sid the Sloth, from the movie "Ice Age" when he said, "You know what I could really go for?  Global warming!"

This Just In From Great Britain...

As we continue to uncover the world of fabricated climate science, I am reminded of how lies become truth.

A lie is told. A second person cites the lie as substantiation of their own research. A third person cites the second person's "research". From there anyone can pick up the tertiary research and see that it is substantiated by at least two other sources and one of them is the primary source.

The lie becomes "common knowledge".

World misled over Himalayan glacier meltdown - Times Online

Healthcare Reform Townhall Video...

I found this a little late, but I enjoyed the "shock reporting" on the townhall meetings associated with healthcare reform.

A good insight into the mindsets of both sides of the argument.

Here's The Deal...

Okay, I can't stand hearing people tell government workers, whether they be police officers, city council members, or Motor Vehicle clerks, that they "pay their salary". 

That's just crazy talk. 

Of course, we all pay taxes of some sort.  Of course, some sort of taxes pay these workers' wages.

But let's get past the idea that in some way we are the boss of them.

On the other hand, as they say, there is the idea that at one time government employees were actually called "public servants".  That's an interesting idea.  "Public" would indicate that their work is funded by the people of a community.  It would indicate that the purpose of their work is to benefit the people of a community.  It would indicate that there is SOME truth to the idea that "we pay their salary".  And "servant" would indicate that their orientation or focus should be on providing some level of courteous or submissive work for the members of a community.  It would indicate that the goal of the worker would be to please or to satisfy the community members individually and at large.

So, what's with the snippy, grouchy, disrespectful, annoyed, put-out, slow, inattentive, discourteous, angry, intimidating, secretive, power-tripping, snack-eating-in-your-face, union member, self-serving government worker of today?

If we want to examine the inefficiencies and ineffectiveness of government today, we need to look at the worker, as well as at the system.

I once had a customer of mine virtually grab me by the ear and show me an area in which my workers were not doing their jobs.  After explaining why this was unacceptable to him, he looked me in the eye and said, "John, you have a management problem," and walked away.

He was right.  Sure, maybe I had lazy or unskilled workers, but the bottom line was that I was not managing them as I should have.

For the White House (I love that ambiguous name for the President) to blame problems on equipment, rather than accept responsibility for "its" management problem is just chicken.

It illustrates the fact that President Obama has never been in charge of anything in his life, and he is uncomfortable with responsibility.  Although he is more than willing to accept the perks that come with the title of POTUS.

Do These People Even GET IT???

I PROMISE that the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of government has NOTHING to do with their computers - or any other tool they are using or not using.  It has EVERYTHING to do with the sense of entitlement and superiority that the culture of bureaucracy perpetuates. 

The problem is the worker - not the tool.

White House budget director blames old computers for ineffective government
By Ian Swanson - 01/14/10 02:56 PM ET

A big reason why the government is inefficient and ineffective is because Washington has outdated technology, with federal workers having better computers at home than in the office.


This startling admission came Thursday from Peter Orszag, who manages the federal bureaucracy for President Barack Obama.


The public is getting a bad return on its tax dollars because government workers are operating with outdated technologies, Orszag said in a statement that kicked off a summit between Obama and dozens of corporate CEOs.


“Twenty years ago, people who came to work in the federal government had better technology at work than at home,” said Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget. “Now that’s no longer the case.


“The American people deserve better service from their government, and better return for their tax dollars.”


The White House release that included Orszag’s comments said one “specific source” of ineffective and inefficient government is the huge technology gap between the public and private sectors that results in billions of dollars in waste, slow and inadequate customer service and a lack of transparency about how dollars are spent.


Obama is meeting with CEOs to solicit their views on how to improve the federal government with new information technology.


“Improving the technology our government uses isn’t about having the fanciest bells and whistles on our websites — it’s about how we use the American people’s hard-earned tax dollars to make government work better for them,” Obama said in a statement.


Obama had proposed the meeting in April. CEOs from Craigslist, Facebook, Microsoft, Adobe Technology and Monster.com are among those taking part.


“It’s time to bring government into the 21st century,” Orszag said. “Information technology has the power to transform how government works and revolutionize the ease, convenience and effectiveness by which it serves the American people."


Those attending the summit are to break into smaller groups to discuss streamlining government operations, improving customer service and maximizing return on IT investments.

Do You See The Problem?

Read the previous post , watch the 2-minute video embedded, and then watch the video from an interview with C-SPAN embedded in this post.

Do you see the problem?  The President is not willing to keep the promises that Candidate Obama made in 2008. 

He was LYING to the American voters then, and he CONTINUES to do so now.

Have You Seen The Transparency?

Have you seen the transparency that Candidate Obama promised in this video?  When I think of the health care reform debate, I can't remember anything close to what he talks about here.

Some Thoughts From Ben Stein...

WE FIGURED HIM OUT!
By Ben Stein

Why is President Barack Obama in such a hurry to get his socialized medicine bill passed?

Because he and his cunning circle realize some basic truths:

The American people in their unimaginable kindness and trust voted for a pig in a poke in 2008.

They wanted so much to believe Barack Obama was somehow better and different from other ultra-leftists that they simply took him on faith.

They ignored his anti-white writings in his books.

They ignored his quiet acceptance of hysterical anti-American diatribes by his minister, Jeremiah Wright.

They ignored his refusal to explain years at a time of his life as a student.

They ignored his ultra-left record as a "community organizer," Illinois state legislator, and Senator.

The American people ignored his total zero of an academic record as a student and teacher, his complete lack of scholarship when he was being touted as a scholar.

Now, the American people are starting to wake up to the truth. Barack Obama is a super likeable super leftist, not a fan of this country, way, way too cozy with the terrorist leaders in the Middle East , way beyond naïveté, all the way into active destruction of our interests and our allies and our future. The American people have already awakened to the truth that the stimulus bill -- a great idea in theory -- was really an immense bribe to Democrat interest groups, and in no way an effort to help all Americans.

Now, Americans are waking up to the truth that ObamaCare basically means that every time you are sick or injured, you will have a clerk from the Department of Motor Vehicles telling your doctor what he can and cannot do.

The American people already know that Mr. Obama's plan to lower health costs while expanding coverage and bureaucracy is a myth, a promise of something that never was and never will be -- a bureaucracy lowering costs in a free society. Either the costs go up or the free society goes away.

These are perilous times.. Mrs. Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, has given Iran the go-ahead to have nuclear weapons, an unqualified betrayal of the nation. Now, we face a devastating loss of freedom at home in health care. It will be joined by controls on our lives to "protect us" from global warming, itself largely a fraud if believed to be caused by man.

Mr. Obama knows Americans are getting wise and will stop him if he delays at all in taking away our freedoms. There is his urgency and our opportunity. Once freedom is lost, America is lost. Wake up, beloved America .

Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu . He writes "Ben Stein's Diary" for every issue of The American Spectator.

One Way Congress Could Be Useful...

Tina and I just finished playing one of our favorite games.  If you haven't tried "Ticket To Ride: Europe", you should.  We have a lot of fun and it's fairly easy to catch on to.  That's good if your mind works like mine.

As I was putting the game up in our front closet I had to confront the leaning tower of Pisa.  Every game's box is a different size!

And then it came to me!  If Congress were to consider and pass a bill creating standard dimensions for game boxes it would be great.  It's a law that would actually benefit everyone in America by reducing the cluttered look of game closets. 

It's a law that would not harm anyone.  In fact it could "create or save" (to use the blurry rhetoric of the most transparent administration in history) thousands of jobs as higher paid packaging designers are retrained to lower paying graphic arts work.  Kind of like the "Green Economy" where oil field workers are trained to assemble solar arrays and such. 

And it's a bill that would keep Congress busy so they couldn't screw up anything else in the country.

I'm calling my representative, Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), on Monday morning!

Join or Die...

Okay, I don't usually get all religious on you here.  And I don't think I'm going to do that today.  I just want to share some thoughts that are spurred by current events and my particular brand of religi-osity.

I see the radical environmental movement and the national-socialization of the US economy through banking, manufacturing, and health care as related.  In fact, they are part of the same scheme.  What is the desired end game of these activities?

The end of liberty in the United States of America.  The end of prosperity in the United States of America.  The increase of power for a few and the bondage of millions.

"Oh, come ON!" you say.  "Give me a break."

"But wait!" I say.  "It's all been done before."

If you'll take the time to read the books of Alma, Helaman, and Third Nephi in the Book of Mormon, you can see it plainly. 

The story tells of the ancient inhabitants of the American Continent.  These people lived much as we do today, but without cars or iPods.  They worked, they loved, they fought, they prayed.  Some were Christians, and some were not.  Some were honest and good.  Some were just plain evil.  Some wanted freedom and equality, while some wanted power and riches.

As things went along, certain people - mostly lawyers and judges - incited discontent in the people.  They invented problems and encouraged prejudices.  Eventually, a large portion of the people thought it would be a great idea to change their constitutional form of government in favor of a monarchy that would provide every needful thing.

This movement resulted in political arguments and even civil war.  The "kingmen", as they were called, accused the "freemen" of oppressing the people with their policies.  They claimed that the existing government was out of step with the needs of the country.  The insisted that legislating morality was not only wrong, but that it was impossible to legislate morality without infringing on the rights of the individual.

Outside enemies took advantage of the civil distractions and exploited the weakness that division brings.  War broke out across the land.  The people suffered terribly economically, socially, and militarily.  Ultimately their society disintigrated and they were split into tribes or factions looking out for their own welfare. 

In the end they found peace - or rather, they found the absence of war.  Thier society was a shadow of what it had been.  All confidence in commerce and security was gone.  Law was a thing of the past, and behavior was only regulated by the chief or leader of the tribe. 

Now, we face similar things in our country.  Lawyers and judges are inciting discontent in the people.  They are working to change the basis of law and constitutionality in the United States.  Others insist that the old way of doing things is not fit for our "new" times.  They seek to rewrite the basis of our government, teaching that individual rights flow from the state, rather than the state receiving any power it has by the consent of the people. 

Progressives accuse those who hold differing views of intolerance, closed-mindedness, and biggotry.  They say that we are out of step with the times.  As our enemies watch, we are weakened by soft-mindedness, immorality, decadence and strife.

An American revolutionary flag design sometimes credited to Benjamin Franklin declared "Join or Die!" 

Abraham Lincoln quoted Jesus when he said that "a house divided against itself cannot stand." 

They both were right.

The key, though, is that the people MUST unite around CORRECT principles and MUST be unified in GOODNESS.  The Book of Mormon hero Captain Moroni had an effective, if extreme, method of unifying people for a good cause.

Read about it.

Some Fun With CO2 and Math...

Okay, let’s do some math.

1% of the atmosphere is made up of greenhouse gasses. 3.6% of those greenhouse gasses are CO2. That means that 0.036% of the whole atmosphere is CO2. 3.4% of CO2 in the atmosphere is attributed to man. That means that 0.0012% of the whole atmosphere is CO2 from man’s activities.

23.02% of all manmade CO2 in the atmosphere comes from the US. That means that 0.00028% of the atmosphere is made up of CO2 from the United States.

The numbers are so small it is hard to wrap my mind around them. If I’m right (I struggle converting decimals of percents into fractions), that means that 28/10,000,000 of the atmosphere is the target we’re shooting at with any carbon tax or carbon cap in the US.

Further, the 17% reduction target (for the US) that President Obama plans to announce in Copenhagen this month comes to .000048% (or 48/100,000,000) of the atmosphere.

I don’t think that there is an instrument out there that can even measure that amount. We would have to rely on mathematical calculations to “verify” or predict the change.

And what would that yield? NOTHING!!!

Am I crazy, or is that irrelevant?

I’m not pro-pollution or anti-solar power. I’m not pro-excessive driving or anti-bicycle. I don’t hate birds or algae or polar bears.

We need to be sensitive to the needs of the earth and its creatures and act wisely. No question.

Chasing the red herring of CO2 is not wise.

So, what is the motive in forwarding false science and manipulating data as has been shown in the East Anglia/Penn State case? It seems that the motive in the “deniers’” case is that they are interested in determining the truth, assessing the severity of the problem, defining what man can do to abate the problem, and deciding if man’s actions can possibly counter the problem. If there is a possible solution, then we must assess the cost of the solution and, as rational beings, weigh it against any benefit and act reasonably.

Fight the urge to “do something” and stop to think it through. Once it’s thought through, let’s act prudently. That’s all I’m saying.

What would it cost? Trillions of dollars of productivity destroyed in the American economy. Witness Spain: unemployment around 20%; average wage for remaining employed workers down nearly 50%.

Just think this through.

How much more will a head of lettuce cost if American carbon is traded or taxed? How about a jar of peanut butter? The seed producer will have to pay for the carbon used in producing the seed. The farmer will pay for that as well as the carbon used in cultivation and harvest. The processor will add the cost of the carbon used in processing. The transporter will add his carbon costs. The grocer will add the carbon costs of handling, stocking and merchandising the food. And the consumer will pay them all. That $1.50 head of lettuce or the $3 jar of peanut butter will cost a LOT more. That means that people will have to devote a larger portion of their income to survival needs and will have less to use on consumer goods or to invest in growing their own businesses, lending to others, or anything else that might stimulate the economy.

How much will it cost to heat one’s home? Again, we have the cost of carbon associated with exploring for oil or natural gas added to the actual cost of the work. We add the cost of carbon for transporting the fuel to the point of use or conversion. We have the cost of carbon associated with transporting the processed fuel to the end user and the carbon cost for simply consuming the fuel or energy. So, how does that affect the quality of life for Americans.

AND… What if Chile, or China, or India decides NOT to levy a carbon tax or trading scheme on itself? Now it’s MUCH cheaper to import things like lettuce, peanut butter, and heating oil. So those jobs go away in our country and MORE “U.S. Americans” are out of work. And when they’re out of work they aren’t buying so much stuff. And when they stop buying so much stuff, even more of us lose our jobs. And the spiral continues.

But it’s okay, you may say, because you’re retired. You’re drawing down your 401k or 403b. Everything is looking good. Until the companies in your portfolio start to go under. Now when you sell 1,000 investment shares, instead of getting $120 a share you get $3. And you take your $3,000 and try to stretch it over the year.

But what about welfare? Sure, it’ll pay us not to work. But the money for the welfare check has to come from somewhere. With fewer people employed, fewer people will be paying taxes. So there’s not so much money to redistribute.

So, we call China and ask for another loan – I mean, “We float bonds on the international market.”

The market says, “Sure, we’ll loan you money, but because your debt ratio is so high, we want 25% interest; and because there’s a good chance you won’t be a viable entity in 5 years, we’ll only buy 3-year T-Bills.”

Or we just print more dollars. And the dollar loses its value because there is such a large supply out there. So, that loaf of bread (the American bread costs $25 a loaf, so we’re importing it from Mexico and paying $5) suddenly costs even more. Maybe the Mexican bread goes to $50 a loaf because the Fed increased the money supply by 10x. So, if I’m not on the government dole and can’t get a 1000% raise this year, I’m going to have to leave my job and get onto welfare that is adjusted annually for the cost of living.

This is a no-win. I can surrender my dignity and accept welfare and watch my family suffer, or I can retain my pride and watch my family suffer more.

At that point I might be tempted to curse a polar bear and a salt marsh mouse and wish that I had my life back.

We need to REALLY be sure we’re right before we destroy our way of life in pursuit of the unattainable. If it proves out that we CAN do something that will be effective and reasonable, I’ll be the first one in line to support it.

Islam: The Religion of Peace....

One Of These Days....

40 acres.
Spring and pond.
Woodlot.
Pasture.
Hay and grain.
Garden.
Tractor.
Pickup truck and Jeep.
Cows.
Chickens.
Cold winter and wet summer.
Barter.
Pigs.
Chainsaw and freedom.
Work.
Focus.
Wife and children.
Peace.

Can "Christianity" Cloud Your Judgement?

Mike Huckabee, former Republican presidential hopeful, displayed exceptionally bad judgement as the governor of Arkasnsas.  I'm referring specifically to his pardonning and commutation of sentencing for more than 1,000 convicted criminals in the state of Arkansas during his term as governor.  Many of them are violent criminals.  Two of them have killed 5 people since their release.

He is a Baptist Preacher.  Nothing wrong with that.  But when the head of state allows his personal views on mercy to interfere with his responsibility to safeguard the citizens of his state, there's a huge problem.  It shows a fundamental lack of consideration for the citizens of the state and a fundamental misunderstanding of Christian teachings.

Jesus taught many things.  Among them he said that we should forgive others who harm us if we would be forgiven by God.  It is essential for heads of state to understand that this injunction is delivered on a personal and individual level.  There is no mandate that society as a whole be forgiving.  In fact, with respect to the law, Jesus taught that we should render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's; and unto God that which is God's.  That is to say that when we are acting in a secular role, we must adhere to the secular "rules of the game". 

He also accused the leaders of Jewish society of continually ingnoring the rights of the widows and the fatherless in favor of the leaders' own personal agendas.  He condemned this in no uncertain terms, declaring that anyone who offended these "little ones", as he called them, would be better off having a mill stone hung around their necks and being drowned in the sea, than to face God's wrath at the judgement day.

Societal justice must be meted out without consideration of personal feelings.  Artistic portrayals of Justice personified consistently depict her blindfolded.  She hears only the facts and cannot look upon either party sympathetically.  Society must take the side of the innocent.

During the trial of Jesus, the leaders of the Jews requested that Barabas, a convicted murderer, receive clemency and that Jesus, who was innocent of any crimes, be crucified.  Mike Huckabee certainly followed the Jewish leaders' example in granting "mercy" to violent criminals and failing to respect the rights of the innocent. 

Mike Huckabee's pardons and clemencies were neither wise nor Christian.  They show him for what he is, a kind-hearted person with very bad judgement.  He is not qualified to be the head of any state, let alone the United States of America.

Mike Huckabee's Poor Judgement Continues To Terrorize Americans

Just As I Suspected...

This is an interesting piece of actual news! 

Evidently, the data base of the Climate Research Unit at East Anglica University was hacked and some documents and e-mails were stolen.

The thief then published them on the internet.

This article addresses some of the things revealed by the security breach.  I think the most interesting is how disingenuous the people are who purport to be saving the world.

I think this is an interesting modern spin on the "Robin Hood" story.  Here we have a criminal stealing from those who would be (and many already have been) made rich by the response to "Anthropogenic Global Warming".  He gives what he's stolen to those who would be (or already have been) impoverished by the same. 

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100017393/climategate-the-final-nail-in-the-coffin-of-anthropogenic-global-warming/