Proud To Be An American!

Have seen some things this week that have really made me proud to live in the good Ol’ USA.  Mean that literally and sarcastically all at the same time.  Got stories from both sides of the aisle, too, and the best story is last.  You may notice there’s no soundtrack.  You’ll see why later.  Anyway, here’s what I’m talking about:

• President Obama gave a 17 minute reply to a woman who said we are being overtaxed.  He outlined seven, count ‘em, SEVEN points to the woman. No one is sure he if even answered her comment.  There’s two things that tell me he probably did not give her a truthful answer.  First, he’s a politician.  Politicians and telling the whole truth are two things which do not belong in the same paragraph, much less the same sentence.  Second, (and, if you’re a female, about to let you in on a secret you may have figured out anyway) the more a man talks when answering a question, the more likely it is that he’s lying, or at least stretching the truth.  Probably cuz he’s trying to convince himself at the same time.  Anyway, twice said his answer was going on too long so he realized what he was doing but still couldn’t stop.  Appears even he knows the definition of “the rich” will expand before it’s all said and done.  Must have left his teleprompter at home that day, too;
• Phil Hare, the Democratic Congressman who represents the 17th District in Illinois, recently said “I don’t worry about the Constitution” on camera when asked if the healthcare bill was Constitutional. (You can hear it for yourself)  He went on to say the Constitution “says people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”  When asked if he read the bill, he claimed to have read it 3 times.  People have jumped on this as an example of how out of touch politicians are these days.  In his defense, the cameraman said, “Jackpot, Brother” after the first remark, which leads me to believe they goaded him into saying something(s) stupid.  Rep. Hare later released a statement saying he meant he’s not worried about whether it will pass the Constitutionality test.  Willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on his intent.  The Constitution does give government the right to promote the general welfare of the people.  However, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is in the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution.  Again, in trying to give him the benefit of the doubt, maybe an easy mistake to make in that situation.  However, have to throw the BS flag on reading the 8,100 page bill 3 times before voting on it.  Let’s say it took 2 minutes per page just for argument’s sake.  That would be 16,200 minutes, or 270 hours, which breaks down into 11.25 days just to read it once.  So it would have taken him about a month to read it 3 times if he read 24 hours a day with no breaks.  You can break it down even further if you want.  Even if he really did read it, is it possible he comprehended all of it since he would have essentially been speed-reading?  The American public may not be all that smart, but we ain’t that stupid, either…are we?;
• Just so y’all won’t think I picking on the Dems, it came out this week that the Republican party approved an expense report with a tab close to $2,000 from a bondage-themed strip bar around Hollywood.  Was supposedly for meals.  Seems the fiscal conservatives don’t mind stimulating the economy (insert your own joke here) in some settings, anyway.  Along those same lines, the Pubs also sent out a fundraising letter this week with the phone number to a telephone sex operation on it instead of the party’s.  (Why does it seem phone number mistakes are always to sex lines?)  Talk about a typo.  Pretty sad when you don’t even know your own phone number.  There’s nothing I can say in defense of either one of these blunders.  Guess they’re taking the ‘P’ in GOP seriously these days;  
• All right, now onto something that does make me forevermore proud to be an American.  Heard of the Patriot Guard Riders but had never seen this.  No comments can do it justice other than “THANK YOU!!! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!”  You just have to watch the clip to see why.  This was put together by the family of United States Army Specialist Bobby Russell West, who gave his life serving our country in Iraq.  Be sure to turn your sound on and watch it all the way through.  WARNING – Watching this may cause tears, choking sensations, and a sudden urge to give a standing ovation and salute.

 

Our veterans are truly a different breed.  May God bless you always!

Hope you had a happy Easter!  Thanks as always for reading. 

My Takes

Both of you who read this blog are probably wondering why I haven’t had any comments on the news lately.  Well, as you may have seen, been on vacation part of the time.  And, it’s been kind of slow in the news department so just haven’t been motivated to write…What’s that you say?  There has been some news?  Are you serious?  Just kidding.  Just needed to blog on the funner stuff first.

So, in case you’re curious about my thoughts, here we go: 

• So, healthcare reform finally passed.  Not real sure what I think about it to be honest.  Am happy there’s no “public option”…yet, anyway.  Have to imagine that will be debated again in the years to come.  From what I’ve read and heard about the current version, am willing to see what will happen.  Although my instincts are not real happy about it, my rational side hasn’t seen anything that really upsets me.  Am certainly not like the nut mentioned in U S Common Sense or any of the other people out there threatening Congressmen with physical harm.  Reactions like that just cause more people to turn agin ya rather than fer ya.  If you really want to hurt a politician, vote against him and/or donate to his opponent;
• Have been hearing all the hullaballoo about VP Biden dropping the mother of all curse words before some press conference on healthcare.  Nobody ever said he was the brightest bulb in the bunch, but think this is being way overblown.  I’m of the same opinion expressed by Seth Frederikson in his blog.  You should definitely think before saying something like that in front of microphones and cameras.  As a disclaimer, while I agree with Mr. F’s take on this situation, I did not vote, will not vote, and certainly did not work to elect nor will work to re-elect the current administration.  But, just cuz we don’t see eye-to-eye politically, don’t mean we can’t get along and just agree to disagree on some things.  Anyway, learned all I needed to about Ol’ Joe when he plagiarized a speech way back when he ran for the Oval Office.   Bottom line, if you’re going to be dropping f-bombs, only load them in the bomb bay doors when you are far from the never blinking eyes and ears of the media;
• Have read a little about the lesbian in Mississippi causing the prom to be cancelled.  Now, if she wants to wear a tux and bring a girl with her to the dance, that’s her business as far as I’m concerned.  My issue is why did she ask for permission in the first place?  The conspiracy theorist in me thinks she got the answer she was hoping for so she could draw attention to herself and/or her cause.  Could be wrong, but…Otherwise, why not just show up with who she wants to be with wearing whatever she wants?  And, of course, the media has played along just like the lapdogs they are.  But, reckon if idiots like me didn’t click on the links to read the stories, they wouldn’t follow these stories…;
• The Indian military has made a weapon out of the bhut jolokia, a.k.a. – the world’s hottest pepper.  It’s a bomb which guess can be called the nuclear bomb of all the tear gasses.  To give you an idea of just how hot these peppers are, a jalapeno rates up to 8,000 units on the scale used to judge the heat in peppers.  This one rates at over 1,000,000.  Pretty dang hot.  The plan is to use it as a non-lethal weapon in their war against terrorism.  Reckon they figure to smoke more information out of them by turning up the heat.  The article also said they are looking to develop it for civilian self-defense.  Talk about too hot to handle;
• Have you heard of Corey Poitier?  He’s a Republican running for Congress in Florida.  The other day he made a comparison to Buckwheat in one of his campaign speeches.  People have interpreted it to say he was talking about his Dem opponent (who is black) or President Obama.  So, you’re thinking just another white, male Pub without a clue, right?  As one sports dude would say, not so fast, my Friend.  Mr. Poitier is actually black.  For the record, he says he was referring to the healthcare bill and not to anyone in specific. (Guess I would, too)   He also said he and his brother have used that term for years and it essentially means “dummy” to them.  To me, just goes to show there’s people on both sides of the aisle who need to think before they open their pie hole;
• Been an exciting year for the NCAA tournament this year.  Lots o’ good upsets.  This is what sports should be all about.  Everyone has a chance and folks love to root for the underdogs.  People say the basketball tournament proves that a football playoff would work.  Not so sure about that cuz, in college football, people like for the powerhouses to win the championship.  Anywho, as of tonight, the SEC still has two teams left so I’m still really interested.  If and when they go out, will only remain interested enough so my sports-minded friends will still think I’m cool.  OK, sort of cool.  Well, not as big of a geek…hopefully;
• Was looking at my friend suggestions on Facebook the other day.  Some of them I understood cuz we have mutual friends.  Some of the others made no sense at all cuz, not only do we not have any mutual friends, got no idea who they are in the first place.  Just wonder what criteria they use to make those suggestions;
• Still thinking about the Twitter thing.  Have almost made the decision to try it out although I’m not really sure why.  Might be a little too long-winded for the 140 character limit.  Will have to see;
• A friend of mine said he went through a drive-thru the other day and they asked him if it was for here or to go.  Guess someone was having a long day.

Well, that’s all for now.  As always, thanks for making it to the end with me.  March 27 marks the one year anniversary of my very first blog.  Where does the time go?  Want to thank every one of y’all who let me clear out the voices in me noggin.  Well, quiet ‘em down, anyway.

Y’all have a great weekend now! Ya hear?

More Stuff

Hope everyone’s had a great week.  Mine’s been pretty good.  Even though the week started with more snow in the Deep South, gonna be an awesome weekend weather-wise here.  Sunny and 60’s.   Can’t wait.

Gotta few things to comment on and wanted to throw them out there while they’re still fresh in me noggin.  So, if you’re willing to proceed, here we go:

• A North Carolina congressmen has submitted a proposal to replace Ulysses S Grant on the $50 bill with Ronald Reagan.  Now, I’m about as big a Reagan fan as you will find, however, not so sure about this one.  In the grand scheme of things, Grant did more for our country by winning the Civil War as a soldier than Reagan did during his presidency.  Think all the current folks on our money should stay put.  If they want to honor Reagan with his mug on some money, they should probably come up with another coin like a $0.20 piece.  That would help cover those $0.99 plus tax things you always have to find extra change for.  Just a thought;
• Saw where Scott Matheson was nominated by President Obama to be a federal judge.  So what, you may be asking.  Well, turns out he’s the brother of Jim Matheson, a Dem congressman from Utah, who also happens to be undecided on his healthcare reform vote.  Imagine that.  Now, Obama claims that has nothing to do with his selection, and from what I’ve read, Scott seems qualified for the position.  But, it still looks a little fishy no matter how you slice it.  Just goes to show the more things change, the more they stay the same;
• President Obama had a press conference the other day with a bunch of doctors standing behind him wearing white coats.  Why do doctors have to wear these things when they are out in public?  You see them all the time making public appearances wearing their white coats or surgical scrubs like they just left a waiting room full of patients or someone on the operating table.  Guess they think it lends an air of credibility or something.  Think it makes them look like they are trying to distract you from the dribble coming out of their mouths myself;
• Joined a blog promotion website called SeededBuzz.com.  The concept is you read other blogs and then provide a link to their blog on yours when you use theirs as inspiration on yours.  Sounds more complicated than it really is.  So, if you’re a blogger, suggest you check it out to see if it might be for you.  Ain’t a charge to be a basic member, but, naturally, you can upgrade for a small fee if you like.  They encourage you to remain a free member, though.  Say all this to let you know I will provide comments on other blogs from time to time now.  Will also provide a link to the blog so you can read it for yourself if you like;
• Read about a law being introduced out in California to outlaw cursing for a week on An Authors Journey (link here).  The politician who proposed it says cursing leads to all kind of social mayhem so it should be illegal for a week.  Should be noted there is no penalty if you break the law if and when it is passed.  This brings several thoughts to mind.  One, why worry about this $@^# when California has an economic crisis worse than the US?  Someone else agrees with this question in limerick form here  Two, at what point in language history did these words become bad to say?  If you think about it, why is “manure” or “anus” any better to say than their more colorful alternatives?  Even some innocuous words such as "hole" can be seen as offensive, I guess.  Have watched shows before where the speaker has said “ass” and the second half of the word is bleeped out.  To me, would think they would bleep the former rather than the latter.  Anyway, just seems like a politician wanting to tell his constituents he’s getting legislation passed when it comes time for re-election.  Better hope no one asks him what it is;
• US Common Sense (link here) has a commentary about Starbucks refusing to kowtow to the anti-handgun movement.  Seems California (and 42 other states) has a law which states you can openly carry handguns anywhere you want.  The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence went to several businesses asking them to prevent people from coming into their places if they were openly packing heat.  Several capitulated but Starbucks refused saying they always follow the local laws and regulations.   I say good for Starbucks!  It irritates me when people want to push their beliefs by trying to hold corporations hostage.  Went out and bought a venti non-fat latte this morning just to show my support.  Now, will say I’m not a big fan of handguns myself; however, I will fight to the death your right to own one (legally) if you so choose.  But, that is a topic for a whole ‘nother blog;
• Gonna have an interesting trial coming up here shortly.  Anthony Galea, a sports medicine doctor in Canada, is being tried for attempting to have HGH smuggled from the US into Canada.  He’s treated some big-name stars including Alex Rodriguez and Tigger Woods.  Of course, they deny taking HGH and say they were taking part in some sort of blood-cleansing type therapy the doc is famous for.  Could get real interesting, though.  Not usually a conspiracy theorist, but have always thought it was a little odd that Tigger blew out his knee the year the PGA started testing for performance-enhancing drugs.  Not that I think it gave him an unfair advantage if he did take PED’s.  His mental toughness is what separates him from everyone else.  Probably didn't take them.  Still…;
• Did you see where McDonald’s has struck up a sponsorship deal with…brace yourself…Weight Watchers?  Yup.  Happened in New Zealand.  McD’s will be able to use the WW seal of approval for several of their meals including chicken nuggets and filet-o-fish sandwiches.  Needless to say, not all health advocates are crazy about it seeing as how McD’s is always the poster child for unhealthy eating.  Never would have thought it would happen myself, but more power to them if that’s what both parties want to do.  It’s their name and money 0n the line.  Will be interesting to see if it makes its way to this side of the pond;
• Could be an interesting weekend in Alabama.  The bingo parlors have opened back up.  The state authorities have said they’re gonna raid them.  The county authorities have said they gonna stop ‘em at the door.  And our politicians wonder why people, including our own citizens, make fun of Alabama;
• March is one of the best months of the year for sports fans.  The NCAA basketball tournament (a.k.a – March Madness) will be starting soon.  Baseball spring training has started.  Basketball and hockey are wrapping up their seasons to start the playoffs.  Will be lots of stuff for sports folks to yak about.  Should be a fun month.

That’s all the news that is the news…to me…for now, anyway.  Thanks as always for trudging through it.  Hope you enjoyed it or at least have a few more things to think about, if you need more.  Please be sure to check the links on the left, too.  Some good stuff over there.

Have a great weekend!

Short Attention Span

Have some more random thoughts tonight. Seems like I have an awful lot of them as I don't expound on just one subject most of the time. Just get easily distracted, I guess. Makes me think of Jeremy from The Rats of NIMH. He was easily distracted, usually by shiny objects, though. Read the other day Geminis generally lose interest pretty quickly a lot of times. What a bunch of hocus poc...ooh, flashing lights on TV. Wait, what was I talking about?

Anyway, here we go:

• All this healthcare reform talk is getting old. The only thing either side seems interested in is calling each other names. Truth be told, neither side seems able to tell it like it is. The Right Side of the Aisle calls the other side socialists. The Left Side of the Aisle calls the other side hate-mongers. As I've said before, if you have to resort to name calling, you probably don't have much else to stand on. Supporters also claim they can pay for all of this without increasing the national debt by "taxing the rich." They are already paying for the bailouts, the stimulus package and probably some other things, too. Even the rich only have so much money. If this passes somehow, think their definition of "the rich" will expand to "if you ain't on welfare, you're rich" before it's all said and done. Have a feeling a lot of them will be looking for lobbyist positions if this edition really passes. We shall see...
• Along those lines, see where the White House hired a third party to send out e-mails on this whole mess. Turned out they sent them to a lot of people who didn't ask for it, i.e. - spam mail. Read today our tax money paid for this. What a great way to spend our money...NOT!!!
• Last comment on this whole mess for now. Saw where the White House set up an e-mail address for people to send them anything that "seems fishy" from people against this healthcare stuff. Supposedly so they could correct any misinformation. My head chooses to believe that. Not sure my heart does, though. Had the potential to evolve into Nixon's enemy lists. Glad they finally decided to get rid of that.
• Saw the other day where people are getting fired over their blogs. Most had been trying to do them anonymously. Once their identity was released, they got fired from their jobs. Somehow, that just seems un-American to me. Now, there are several things I'm not sure of in this whole mess: 1. What exactly were they writing about?; 2. Were they writing bad things about their employers?; 3. Were they doing it when they were supposed to be working? If the answer to either of the last two is "yes," might could agree with the firings, emphasis on MIGHT for # 2. My biggest question is why shouldn't they be allowed to write anonymously? Some of the most influential writings in our country (The Federalist Papers) were written by unknown authors. Historians think they know who wrote them, but nobody knows 100% for sure. Anyway, IF they were not bad-mouthing their employers, and IF they were not writing on company time, they shouldn't have been fired from their jobs just because they were blogging anonymously. That's all I have to say about that...
• Read several articles about people openly carrying weapons outside of President Obama's town halls in New Hampshire and Colorado. Most tried to put a spin on it of white folks not liking a black president. What those articles failed to mention was the guy in Colorado was black. Some did post pictures of him, but the photo was cropped to where all you saw was him from behind with a close-up of the AK-47. Goes to show the state of mind of the writers and that their opinion may also be in the article rather than just "reporting the facts." Write all this to caution you to always be wary of the source and what they may be trying to prove. It's one thing if they are writing an op-ed piece. It's another when they claim to just be "reporting the facts."
• Give the Secret Service credit for not making more out of these situations than they did. Said there is no law against the people carrying the weapons openly so they weren't going to ask them to leave. Now, if they would have entered the buildings, that would have been something else. See where Congress is now considering passing a law against carrying weapons in the vicinity of the president. Am one of the biggest Second Amendment supporters you will ever meet, but can't say I necessarily disagree with a law like that. Just hope there are specific guidelines spelled out and things aren't left for interpretation.
• Irritates me that Britain released that Libyan bomber. You want to be compassionate to folks, but this guy was responsible for killing almost 200 innocent people. Think that should outweigh just about everything else. Then the Libyans greeted him as a hero. Wish Reagan was still around to rattle their cages again. Saw one of those turn of the century shows which touched on Reagan's decision to bomb Libya. Most of the show had a pretty liberal slant, but the narrator's comment on this, "For all the controversy that decision caused, you have to admit terrorist activity out of Libya dropped to nothing after the bombs fell."
• Read where the Taliban cut fingers off a couple of people who voted in the recent Afghanistan election. No reason other than because they chose to vote. The Taliban warned everyone there would be violence towards folks that voted. You have to admire the courage of those people who still voted even with this threat hanging out there. Should also make you grateful we don't have to worry about such things when we vote. (Thank you, Veterans!) Hope it also makes you think twice the next time you decide not to vote in an election.
• Anybody else watching Big Brother this year? Have had some interesting people in the house this season. They claim to give everyone a psych evaluation before accepting them as contestants. Based on this year's cast, Charles Manson might could pass that test. Speaking of Charlie, thought of him the other night while those ladies were crying over Jessie's eviction. Their devotion to him was just downright spooky.

Well, thanks for making it to the end. Guess had more to say than I realized. Apologize for not being more witty. Hope to get back to that next time.