Army Strong

Well, we got him started on being strong, then he made himself still stronger, but now they're going to make Christian Army Strong.

He's excited, we're proud and conflicted, and the Army is lucky to have him.

Congrats, Christian!
(Don't forget to chest him.)

Single-Issue Extremist

Yep, the guys and gals down at Homeland Security must be watching me, because I'm one of those single-issue extremists that seem to be worrying them. I'm focused on the single issue of the Constitution.
Of course, if you consider the Bill of Rights as a separate entity (I do not, as that set of amendments were adopted as part of a deal to get the Constitution itself adopted), then I guess I'd be a two-issue extremist.

To quote:

The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues.

Of course, the report then goes on to ape the most paranoid fantasies of the Keith Olbermann set. After all, isn't it obvious that if the Left Fringe are violent, anti-social freaks, then the Right Fringe must be as well? Clearly all the things the Left Fringe (or Statists) have done / considered / fantasized must be the same things the Right Fringe are planning to do right now, right?

Just because Penn State thinks that returning veterans are out to harm professors doesn't make it so. Frankly if this weren't so dangerous, it would be laughable.

No doubt it's ludicrous, but it's also dangerous, given the resources of the folks who are lost in their fantasy of evil Americans desperate for revenge for their losses in November. Frankly, that was hardly even the straw that broke the camel's back, if you ask me. We've been trading freedom for a feeding frenzy at the public trough for decades now - with only a little pause under Reagan - all the while slouching toward Gomorrah.

I suppose that once one moves far enough to the Left, any normal person looks to be a Far Right radical kook. Of course, I may just be being too kind by looking for a rational explanation.

Don't tread on me, but don't think I'm out to get you - that would just be paranoid.

grr.

How 'bout them Seals?

As my boy gets set to start his Army hitch, it's nice to see some positive press for our men in uniform. The Seals did the Navy and the nation proud - shooting from one boat to another in the dark is no mean feat, and they pulled it off as if it were.

I will even give the president some praise for recognizing that he had to give the order to rescue our Merchant Marine Captain - or risk every US flag-flying craft in the vicinity of Somalia.

Now if we could just get enough common sense passed out to allow these crews to be armed, the pirates might have to find another occupation.

To the pirates I say it serves you right - he who lives by the sword shall die by the sword; especially when you take a swipe at American sailors.
If only the UN were able to learn, there might be a chance to end piracy in the Indian Ocean. Sadly, they're too busy trying to make sure we all freeze to death in the next couple decades to pay attention to what's going on in the world.

grr.

Great Depression?

Interesting news coming down the wires today. The U.S. unemployment rate soared from 8.1% to 8.5%.

The stunning thing is, this is the highest it's been since 1983, at the height of the Great Depression!

Oh - wait - that's not during the Great Depression, that was back in the 1930s, not the 1980s. I guess they're hoping no one notices that we're still not as bad off as we were about thirty years ago, when the unemployment rate was higher, interest rates were all in the double digits, and inflation was a real thing - not something to be held off by risking deflation.

This reminds me of the Global Warming dopes who moan that it's now the warmest it's been since the 14th Century (back in the heyday of unjustifiably huge SUVs, right?). Nice headline to scare the sheeple, as long as they don't think about what they've been told ... and sheeple don't think, they follow - to the slaughter.

grr.

His Royal Highness

All hail King Barack the first of the People's Republic of Amerika!

Showing no respect for persons or property, our fearless leader has fired the CEO of a private corporation, has encouraged ex post facto bills of attainder, has handed over unborn children to the ministrations of modern-day Mengeles, all in the name of Hope and Change.

With the fall of the Constitution, the last vestiges of limited government have finally been shaken off the titanic shoulders of our anointed leader. There is no longer anything to limit our progress toward effective government.

I tremble at the thought of what comes next. After all, if there is nothing in the Constitution itself that can stop the federal government from running rough-shod over the people, why should any of the Amendments - especially the Bill of Rights - matter to them either?

• Out of control legislators in Connecticut attempt to run the Catholic church
• The White House - with the benefit of several weeks of "study" - seeing itself as vastly more qualified to run an automotive firm than the folks who've been there restructuring them to meet the confluence of circumstance and misregulation pouring into the heartland from DC
• Hypocritical politicians (please pardon the redundancy) posturing their outrage at the bonuses they specifically authorized
• The list - disturbingly - seems only to grow with each passing day.

OK, I've calmed down a little. Here's a quote from the president's statement regarding GM and Chrysler:

"We cannot, and must not, and we will not let our auto industry simply vanish," Obama said at the White House. "This industry is like no other, it's an emblem of the American spirit ... And we cannot continue to excuse poor decisions. And we cannot make the survival of our auto industry dependent on an unending flow of taxpayer dollars. These companies -- and this industry -- must ultimately stand on their own, not as wards of the state."

Therefore, the federal government will now make all decisions for these companies?
A few observations:
"We" don't have an auto industry. There is an auto industry, part of which is based in these United States, but it's owned by the shareholders of the various companies - NOT by the people. Sill, it's hard to disagree with the president's assertion that we cannot continue to excuse poor decisions - and one hopes that each and every self-serving ersatz statesman in public "service" who's up for reelection will be bounced out on his or her ear at the earliest possible opportunity.

According the the Washington Post (not one of my usual news sources, in case you were wondering), one of the key points of contention between the companies and the Obama administration is just how large the U.S. auto market will be in the future. General Motors has offered a more optimistic scenario and shaped its business plan accordingly. So, the president is upset that GM is planning not to shrink enough for his taste - all while bloviating about the necessity of "our" maintaining "our" auto industry. Well done.

Of course, in the meanwhile, Treasury's printing presses are being prepped for a workout, the proportions of which haven't been seen since the days of the Weimar Republic. "We'll inflate our way out of debt; yeah, that's the ticket." Can't wait for the wallpapering parties to come: "Anyone have an extra $5? I've got a little space left here on the wall, and I'm out."

grr

I'm Back!

OK, I still haven't decided quite how depressed to be (there's certainly more cause for it emerging daily), but I did find a quote from the late Dr. Adrian Rogers that seems awfully appropriate these days:

“Friend, you cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. And what one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving it. The government can’t give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody.

“And when half of the people get the idea they don’t have to work because the other half’s going to take care of them, and when the other half get the idea it does no good to work because somebody’s going to get what I work for. That, dear friend, is about the end of any nation."

How true, and how sad that it even needs to be said,
grr.

Merry Christmas

We were shopping at JD Penney's at Lakeside Mall last weekend and heard one of the greatest versions ever of the Twelve Days of Christmas. A solo female singer in general (there might have been harmony vocals too - I can't remember), but the melody was altered so that most of the time it would follow the descending pattern of "four calling birds" but with the initial note also descending with each step of the countdown.

Anyone know who that is? Where I can find the recording? I'd really like to know - it's driving us crazy!

UPDATE:
I found it - it's The Bird and The Bee doing it, and it's just as good as we thought it was.
It was offered as a free download at their website, so check it out- spectacular!