ChucksChants

Demise of the Dollar

2010-12-02T19:54:00.000-05:00

Ultra-liberal columnist Stephen Dick exposes his complete lack of understanding an issue yet again. He recently wrote in defense of the Federal Reserve’s announcement to buy another $600 billion of debt. Mr. Dick blasts anyone who dare suggests that this is a bad idea (in his land of left-believe world, the only opposition comes from the GOP).

On an emotional level, Mr. Dick’s and Mr. Bernanke’s sentiment is admirable: spur economic recovery and get businesses hiring. The sad truth is that in order for this to actually work, all normal economic sense must be suspended.

Independent analysts at Weiss Market Research indicate that the Fed’s move is not without its cost. Indeed, Larry Edelson calls the Fed’s action a “big fat lie:”

******
Here’s why:

First, because the whole concept of “buying Treasuries” is a smokescreen. What Bernanke is really doing is running the money printing presses, and it’s no secret. Even the emperor himself knows he has no clothes.

Second, because Bernanke also knows — all too well — that he’s not truly pumping money INTO the U.S. economy. In reality, the U.S. economy is leaking like a sieve. So for all practical purposes, he’s pumping the money OUT OF the U.S. economy — to countries overseas.

Third and most important, the “big number” — $600 billion — is meaningless. The Fed says quite bluntly that they will … “regularly review and adjust the program as needed to best foster maximum employment and price stability.” In other words, they’ll blow right past the $600 billion mark whenever and however they darn please.
******

The biggest bottom line is that the Fed’s action intentionally devalues the dollar. Saving for the future? Have parents or grandparents living off of their fixed income? Those precious U.S. dollars will be worth less as commodity prices rise.

Now liberals like Mr. Dick stampede to ridicule talk of inflation as nothing but made-up mythological apocalyptic crazy-talk from those dastardly Republicans:

******
The congressman from my district, Mike Pence, wants to see Congress strip the Fed’s mandate on unemployment and concentrate on inflation. There are a lot of problems with this, but start with the fact inflation is almost nonexistent.
******

Then in typical liberal fashion, he immediately contradicts himself as he writes:

******
(I know, anyone who goes to the grocery or to get gas or to a movie might argue with this.)
******

There is a reason we “might” argue with this: inflation is real. Although not reflected through the magic of the official government numbers – yet – commodity futures prices have already accelerated upward. Four commodity futures indexes tracked by Bloomberg show that new highs have been reached in late October to early November. Even though they have backed off since then, the uptrend remains in place. Global demand and a devalued dollar will be a bitter pill for the average American to swallow. Martin Weiss offers this sobering conclusion:

******
Recession is actually the LESSER of the evils! Turning to the possible government responses to the problem, the CBO follows Dad’s logic almost to the letter, writing that

…Bankruptcy — defaulting on U.S. debt — would be a disaster, making it extremely difficult for America to borrow for many years to come.

Cheating and stealing (e.g., printing money) — which, as Mike Larson explained on Friday, now seems to be what Fed Chairman Bernanke favors — would also be a huge mistake, again making it much harder for the U.S. to borrow in the future.

In conclusion, the ONLY viable option, says the CBO, is … austerity. Yes, they admit, it would have negative consequences, driving the economy into a deeper recession. But, they say, a deeper recession would be the lesser of the evils.

This is the urgent dilemma America faces right now: Do we want to continue playing games with our money … or do we want to treat it with the respect it deserves?

If we do the wrong thing, we will doom future generations — and ourselves — to impoverishment. If we do the right thing, more economic pain is inevitable. But outside the fantasyland of Washington and Wall Street, it’s the only viable option.
******

Mr. Dick can believe what he wants, but economic reality will, without doubt, have the final say.

Veterans Day Salute

2010-11-11T09:25:00.000-05:00

No matter how many times I read this, I feel a swell of emotion and pride:

******
"Nineteen forty-five was the worst year in human history - more people killed, more buildings destroyed, more high explosives, more fires than ever before or since. In 1945, the sight of a group of teenage Germans or Japanese or Red Army troops, in uniform and armed, brought terror to civilians in France, Belgium, Holland, Korea, the Philippines, China, Germany, Poland, and elsewhere. It brought terror because those squads of teen-age soldiers meant rape, pillage, looting, wanton murder, and senseless destruction. There was an exception: a squad of teen-age soldiers of democracy, in uniform and armed - because that squad meant candy, C-rations, cigarettes, and freedom. That was true in France, Belgium, Italy, the Philippines, China, even Germany, and, after August 1945, Japan. We had sent the best of our young men halfway around the world, in both directions, not to conquer, not to destroy, not to rule, but to liberate." (Stephen E. Ambrose, "The Lasting Legacy of World War II," One of Freedom's Finest Hours, Hillsdale College Press: Hillsdale, Michigan, 2002, p. 6)
******

Have another great day in the land of liberty!

Dishonoring the Greatest Generation

2010-11-10T09:01:00.000-05:00

If you happen to love America and if you happen to honor the role of American military men and women in securing and protecting freedom around the world, then you’ll want to sit down, relax, and take a few deep breaths before continuing. If you use it, make sure that you have taken your blood pressure medicine. Why preface my article with all this? Simple. This will raise your blood pressure and leave you boiling mad.

In July 2010, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) sponsored a workshop entitled “History and Commemoration: The Legacies of the Pacific War.” College professors from across the nation were chosen to attend the seminars held at the University of Hawaii. Expecting an opportunity to visit impressive sites commemorating the American victory over tyranny, as well as meeting with other scholars who shared her interest in this facet of World War II history, Professor Penelope Blake experienced quite a different event.

In her own words, Professor Blake states:

******
In my thirty years as a professor in upper education, I have never witnessed nor participated in a more extremist, agenda-driven, revisionist conference, nearly devoid of rhetorical balance and historical context for the arguments presented.
******

In a letter written to her Congressman specifically requesting that taxpayer funding be withdrawn from the NEH, Professor Blake delineated several points demonstrating the intent of the presenters at this NEH sponsored workshop to disparage and dishonor the spirit and integrity of United States military personnel in general and the “Greatest Generation” in particular:

******
1. The U.S. military and its veterans constitute an imperialistic, oppressive force which has created and perpetuated its own mythology of liberation and heroism, insisting on a "pristine collective memory" of the war.

2. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor should be seen from the perspective of Japan being a victim of western oppression.

3. War memorials, such as the Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery (where many WWII dead are buried, including those executed by the Japanese on Wake Island and the beloved American journalist Ernie Pyle), are symbols of military aggression and brutality "that pacify death, sanitize war and enable future wars to be fought."

4. The U.S. military has repeatedly committed rapes and other violent crimes throughout its past through the present day.

5. Those misguided members of the WWII generation on islands like Guam and Saipan who feel gratitude to the Americans for saving them from the Japanese are blinded by propaganda supporting "the image of a compassionate America" or by their own advanced age.

6. It was "the practice" of the U.S. military in WWII to desecrate and disrespect the bodies of dead Japanese.

7. Conservatives and veterans in the U.S. have had an undue and corrupt influence on how WWII is remembered.

8. Conservatives are reactionary nationalists (no distinction was made between nationalism and patriotism), pro-military "tea baggers" who are incapable of "critical thinking."

9. Relating to the above, even members of the NEH review board are not immune to "reactionary" pro-military views.

10. Veterans' memories of their own experiences in the war are suspect and influenced by media and their own self-delusion.

11. War memorials like the Arizona Memorial should be recast as "peace memorials," sensitive to all viewers from all countries, especially the many visitors from Japan.
******

Professor Blake did a magnificent job rebutting each of the points she includes in her letter.

Shortly before discovering this report about the NEH workshop, I finished reading “Citizen Soldiers” by historian Stephen E. Ambrose. Early in the book, within the first one hundred pages or so, Ambrose included accounts of some atrocities committed by American soldiers. Most of the incidents centered around the shooting of surrendering enemy and unarmed prisoners. Ambrose points out throughout his book that these types of atrocities were isolated and were not systemic to the general command structure of American forces. By the end of the book, as the Allies are making their way across Germany, Ambrose relates that some of the most valiant fighting by German soldiers occurred as they sacrificed themselves to slow the Russian juggernaut so that more of their fellow citizens and soldiers alike could have a chance to surrender to the American forces. They knew that the Americans came to liberate, not dominate.

Even though the European and Pacific Theaters of Operation presented their respective and unique challenges to young American boys thrust into a brutal global conflict, and even though cruelties by “our boys” have been documented, the final truth is that American combatants liberated island after island from Japanese cruelty and, in the end, liberated Japan itself from the totalitarian grip of brutal Imperialists.

It is a particularly despicable act on the part of these so-called academics who set about to dishonor and desecrate the sacrifice of thousands of young Americans who gave so much in order to not only preserve freedom in America, but to liberate countless others subjected to the tyranny of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. It is even more despicable that they are allowed to perpetuate their revisionist messages with the aid of taxpayer funding. It should certainly be clear by now to even the most casual observer that those living in the land of left-believe are ultimately bent on crippling America.

In both protest to this kind of nonsense and in honor of those who have served the cause of liberty and freedom, make a special effort to thank a Veteran and/or active servicemember this Veteran’s Day.

Liberty Over Slavery

2010-10-28T18:11:00.001-04:00

"Today's Quote" in my local newspaper: "I prefer liberty with danger than peace with slavery" (Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Swiss-born French philosopher, 1712-1778)

I consider this a timely reminder for our day. Too many Americans are being seduced by the power-brokers who invite us to sacrifice a little liberty - and then just a little more - in order to attain security and peace. A glaring sample of this is the health care legislation that has been sold as America's "solution" for universal access to health care. In addition to mounting financial costs, there are also mounting costs to liberty as government herds us into their prescribed forms of health care choices.

I have written before that lasting liberty demands that we bear the consequences for our behavior. Those who are able to shift the consequences for personal behavior onto other individuals and groups have low, or no, motivation to change and improve. Consequently, liberty is eroded for everyone.

Everyone I know likes peace and security. I like peace and security. But peace and security without the truthful recognition of the high price of vigilance leads to enslavement. Those who have gone before us - those to whom we owe a debt we cannot pay - knew this full well:

The time is now near at hand which must probably determine whether Americans are to be freemen or slaves; whether they are to have any property they can call their own; whether their houses and farms are to be pillaged and destroyed, and themselves consigned to a state of wretchedness from which no human efforts will deliver them.

The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage of this army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance, or the most abject submission. We have, therefore to resolve to conquer or die. - General George Washington, order issued July 2, 1776

As 21st century Americans, we are blessed to have elections through which we can choose liberty or slavery. As with any tool, it is useful only to the extent that we actually use it. So use it.

Choose liberty over slavery.

Legislating Death

2010-10-19T09:18:00.000-04:00

Remember when Sarah Palin’s remarks about Obamacare death panels spurred the left on to an overtime apoplectic fit? Her studied remarks were labeled “disgusting” and “outrageous.”

Leave it to a liberal, though, to actually confirm the accuracy of conservatives’ analysis of social issues. In one recent editorial, “veteran Canadian journailst” Bogdan Kipling writes,

******
Had the Democrats merely listened to the wise counsel of such progressives as Reps. Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Texas maverick Jim Hightower and pressed for single-payer while they had a staggering majority they likely could have avoided all of this.

From a Canadian perspective, they might be far happier if they had. Yes, the Canadian system has some major flaws, but most of the country's 34-million inhabitants seem relatively happy with it. It provides all the necessities, but few of the expensive frills of the American system.

Then again most Canadians are hardy enough souls that they have no desire to cling to a life that is not really living. What could be more horrendous than to be kept alive for a few more months by excruciatingly painful operations that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars? What could be more undignified at the end of the life than to have a nursing-care attendant wake you up to wipe dribble from your chin? And what could be more heartrending than have your family and loved ones see you in such a pathetic condition?

When it comes to prolonging life beyond its normal range, Americans might do well to remember Shakespeare's immortal lines in Julius Caesar: "Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once."

Suck it up America! By the time the ObamaCare disaster craps out; you're going to have to.
******

Yes, leave it to the left to determine that they are the best arbiters of what the “normal range” of life is. Being the elitist liberal that he is, of course Kipling perceives that Canadian citizens are “relatively happy” with their national rationed health care. That is the system that has been foisted onto them – for their own good, of course. With no choice, what else are they going to do but to “seem relatively happy” with it and “suck it up?”

But then, some Canadians take advantage of the ability to supplement their rationed “no frills” health care with American treatment by making the trip across the border to receive services in a more timely manner. Perhaps those who the Canadian system has determined are exceeding the “normal range” of life seek a second opinion.

Sure, at some point a person or family might have to decide when further care and treatment is fruitless. The dangerous arrogance lodged in Obamacare and all the other socialist style, government-run health care systems is that a government has the capability and the imperative to make that life-and-death decision in place of the patient and family.

Even though the left continually want to make Palin and other conservatives out to be backwater know-nothings, whose analysis of today’s issues always ultimately ring true?

The Party of Fat-Cats

2010-10-15T09:38:00.000-04:00

It has been announced that the new National Security Adviser appointed by President Barack H. Obama is Tom Donilon. It comes as no surprise to me that a president would appoint his cronies to administration positions, and Mr. Donilon does have national security experience in multiple administrations. So an appointment like this comes as no surprise to me. In all honesty, I have no personal objection to it; as I indicated, Washington politics are all about favoritism.

But let’s clear up one BIG MYTH, shall we? The myth is that the Democrat party rejects the influence of Big Business – the party that stands for and with the “regular American.” As a Senator and presidential candidate, Mr. Obama railed against the lobbyist culture that controlled politics and promised to end “business as usual” in Washington politics. With this in mind, let’s take a quick look at Mr. Donilon’s involvement in the Democrat’s new Washington.

In 2006, Mr. Donilon oversaw the office from which Fannie Mae lobbyists used their ties to politicians in an effort to prevent increased federal oversight of the mortgage giant. In 2009, it was reported that Mr. Donilon “earned $3.9 million [in 2008] as a partner at the law firm of O'Melveny & Myers LLP, where his clients include Citigroup, Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co., and Obama fundraiser and heiress Penny Pritzker.”

The Democrat party, with its ties to Big Business, Big Media, and Big Entertainment, bears very little resemblance to the mainstream Americans it claims to protect.

Let’s bust the myth that the Democrat party has no ties with Wall Street. The Democrat party includes plenty of Fat-Cats.

New Venture Addendum

2010-10-01T22:27:00.001-04:00

I forgot to add that my posts on the Liberty Tree are under the name TheOldSalt.

New Venture

2010-09-30T08:14:00.000-04:00

At the invitation of Peter Heck, I began a new venture a few weeks ago. Actually, it's an old venture in a new skin. I was one among some others he invited to participate in Liberty Tree, the "official blog of the Peter Heck Radio Show."

Peter is working to create a current events style site that attracts a variety of regular readers. Those currently writing at the site are invited to submit articles frequently on current, breaking, and out of the ordinary news items. For the time being, it is free-wheeling; we'll see if Peter "reigns" us in along the way.

So my invite to you is to give Liberty Tree a go. Go to the site regularly to see what the recent happenings are. Leave some comments if you wish, but don't feel under any obligation. The goal is to achieve frequent viewer volume through quality posts.

I do not plan to take down ChucksChants, but as you can already tell, this new venture, along with older ones, may slow down my volume here. I'll see what happens.

Thanks!

Just a Bit ironic

2010-09-10T07:23:00.000-04:00

I caught a part of some ESPN radio while driving yesterday. They reported on further developments in the case against Roger Clemens, who is accused of lying to Congress while under oath.

Oh, the horrors of it all! Lying to Congress! You mean, we mere mortals can get into trouble for lying to Congress? Of course we can.

So, when does Congress get into trouble for lying to us? They do it every session. They all take an oath when sworn into office that they will protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. They break that oath most every session. They feed the American all lines of nonsense in the hopes that it will garner them votes.

Roger Clemens in trouble if he is convicted of lying to Congress. Ironic, isn't it?

Upset

2010-09-10T07:09:00.000-04:00

A few days ago (9/7/10), FOX News printed a report detailing United Nation concerns about Iran’s nuclear program…

******

The U.N. atomic agency expressed alarm Monday about Iran's decision to bar some of its inspectors, suggesting that its efforts to monitor the country's nuclear program were suffering as a result.

The unusually blunt International Atomic Energy Agency warning was voiced in a restricted report on Iran made available to The Associated Press that otherwise contained few surprises. It followed Iran's recent decision to strip two experienced inspectors of the right to monitor its nuclear activities after the two reported what they said were undeclared nuclear experiments.

"The IAEA's reports of obstruction and Iran's failure to cooperate are troubling to all who care about non-proliferation and global security," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said. (“U.N. Nuclear Agency Sounds Alarm Over Iran,” FOXNews, 9/7/10)

******

With world peace hanging in the balance, what is top priority with Big Media? Why some heretofore obscure pastor in Florida who plans to burn some Korans on Saturday, 9/11. Oh, the horror of it all!

Left, right, centrist (if there is really such an animal)… everyone is up in arms over some pastor declaring that Korans will be burned on Saturday. Imagine… if he was inviting the world to burn the American flag or religious texts of the Judeo-Christian faith, he would be hailed a hero and receiving offers from all across the fruited plane to assist him in his endeavor to perpetuate freedom of speech. But Korans? Again, oh, the horror of it all!

Let’s see… who to focus media attention on? A belligerent, Islamic terrorist-sponsoring nation that is on record declaring that it wants to vaporize the Jewish nation and its “great Satan” ally or an obscure pastor in America who wants to burn a few Korans. Yeah, certainly a no-brainer there… a private expression of dislike toward the ideological underpinnings of a group that attacked America and carry that protest out in a free nation. Let’s get the world agitated over that. There’s the ticket!

Must Have Forgotten

2010-09-06T18:57:00.000-04:00

A Laborious Day announcement from our Fearless Leader:

Obama lays out $50 billion infrastructure proposal (MarketWatch, 9/6/2010)

He must have forgotten about the other billions already earmarked for infrastructure repairs. Maybe his money czars will help him find that account.

Liberals Are Dangerous

2010-09-06T11:16:00.002-04:00

"It would be good... if he could be a dictator for a few years because he could do a lot of good things quickly." -- Woody Allen on President Barack Obama. Allen expressed frustration with Republicans who have tried to block the president's agenda.

"Traveling for tourism today is a right." -- European-Union commissioner Antonio Tajani on an EU plan to subsidize vacations for people who cannot afford them.

"It may be necessary to put democracy on hold for a while." -- Prominent scientist James Lovelock, arguing that governments must fight global warming over public opposition. (The Guardian, 3/29/10)

"It may sound like a hollow defense, but in Hollywood I am not sure a 13-year-old is really a 13-year-old." -- Washington Post television critic Tom Shales on the arrest of director Roman Polanski in Switzerland for the 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl.

When you let them speak for themselves, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why liberals are dangerous.

Economic Reality Lining Up with Predictions

2010-08-25T09:10:00.000-04:00

I have been referring to the Weiss analysts for some time now. I know that it is best to not rely upon only one voice/opinion when it comes to market predicitions, even when the predictions are based on solid evidence. There is always the risk of personal bias when interpreting/applying the data and evidence.

However, when more sources begin making similar observations, then perhaps it is time to sit up and take notice. Other sources, notabley MarketWatch and Bloomberg, have run articles with the following headlines: Lack of Jobs, Foreclosures May Keep U.S. Housing Depressed & Why today's declines are just the beginning. For weeks and months, the nature of their articles has been to deny, or at least question, the validity of "double-dip" recession talk. They may be beginning to change their tune. The folks at Weiss Research, meanwhile, have been anticipating these types of market moves for some time. At the same time, they have not ignored the positive market direction since March 2009. They do not believe in sitting on the fence when a visible trend is in place. They just want to keep from being enamored by wishful thinking.

Anyway, to get back on track, economic reality is beginning to settle in. Euphoria based on false hope can last only so long. Running bigger and bigger deficits can last only so long. If the feds still had plenty of resources and leeway in their fiscal and monetary policy bags, I would be writing a different slant. But they don't. They may pretend they do, but they don't. The Fed's interest rates are close enough to zero to call them zero. They can't go any lower to make a difference. Meanwhile, folks who have saved and made reasonable decisions for interest income suffer from these paltry rates. The Fed has no room to keep issuing debt. They will likely keep spending too much, but there is no room to make a difference here. They will keep printing dollars, which also hurts responsible Americans who have planned reasonably for their financial future. But creditors are not going to buy American debt when they know that the interest they receive is going to be essentially worthless when inflation resumes.

I wish we were entering just an economic quagmire. At least we could work in a stalemate environment. But it is not even a quagmire. The Feds are losing the economic war, and they are losing it in a hurry.

Nevertheless, there are those who do believe that there are actions to take to preserve, and even grow, wealth in this environment. The folks at Weiss Research are some who believe that. They still believe in the resolve of the American people. They are not the only ones, but they do have some easily actionable suggestions and resources. Keep giving them a look at Money and Markets.

"Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16)

Why We Need LESS Government

2010-08-18T13:44:00.000-04:00

It is no secret what lies at the heart of American patriotism and conservatism: limited government formed by the people to serve the people. Without limited government, there is no corner of our lives that government will not attempt to control. There is no element of life too petty for government to seek to coerce.

In Utah, the legislature passed a bill in March to legalize the personal collection of rainwater. For the first time, private citizens are allowed to "harvest" rainwater. But wait - as the infomercial ads declare - there's more! It is legal to "harvest" rainwater with a state permit and using state-approved containers.

Is this how we want to live? Do we want our almost every movement dictated by government? This is the antithesis of our American Founders' ideals. I do not suggest that they were perfect and free from a few control issues. But on the whole, they tried their hardest to institutionalize freedom, not tyranny. They sought to do this through the ideology of limited government. It still makes sense today.

Bankrupt?

2010-08-15T17:56:00.005-04:00

My previous post about the president swimming in the Gulf coast was whimsical, satirical, and cynical.

Now, however, I turn to something in all seriousness: the continuing economic downturn. I refer to the Weiss analysis team frequently, I know. But they are far from the only folks seeing reality. And the reality of our economy - driven by the political policies of expediancy for way too long - is that it is running out of gas. Government has attempted to fuel it on taxpayer dollars - a lot of them - and there is little to nothing to keep it going. The private sector, which should be revitalizing the economy, has had the stuffing knocked out of it... and the hits keep on coming.

******

Herb Stein, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under U.S. President Richard Nixon, coined an oft-repeated phrase: “Something that can’t go on, will stop.” True enough. Uncle Sam’s Ponzi scheme will stop. But it will stop too late. And it will stop in a very nasty manner. The first possibility is massive benefit cuts visited on the baby boomers in retirement. The second is astronomical tax increases that leave the young with little incentive to work and save. And the third is the government simply printing vast quantities of money to cover its bills. Most likely we will see a combination of all three responses with dramatic increases in poverty, tax, interest rates and consumer prices. This is an awful, downhill road to follow, but it’s the one we are on. And bond traders will kick us miles down our road once they wake up and realize the U.S. is in worse fiscal shape than Greece. (Laurence Kotlikoff, "U.S. Is Bankrupt and We Don't Even Know It," Bloomberg.com, 8/10/10)

******

On the basis of the current economic data, we are in for tougher times. But we are not left without tools to respond. Tools like inverse ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) which are built to go up as their underlying issues go down. Tools like precious metals - gold, silver, etc. - which can offer a hedge against inflation. Tools like options which can give some leverage and portfolio hedge protection. Tools like historic dividend-paying stocks that can give an income boost to a portfolio even during downturns.

Used in resonable proportion, each of these can protect and boost a portfolio during a dowturn. At the very least, going to largely cash positions can protect hard-earned wealth.

It's going to be a scrap. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you.

God bless!

In Midst of Ecological Disaster, Gulf's Beaches Still Useable

2010-08-15T17:22:00.004-04:00

In the wake of America's "worst environmental disaster," the president is encouraging Americans to vacation along the Gulf coast, stating that the “beaches all along the Gulf Coast are clean, safe, and open for business.” (Julianna Goldman, "Obama Swims in Gulf Waters," Bloomberg.com, 8/15/10) We are also assured that "he pledged to make sure the region’s seafood was safe to eat and he promised to expedite the claims process." While the spill was in progress, Obama apologists countered critics by asking how the president could personally stop the leak. Now, however, Americans can be certain that he will personally ensure that the seafood is safe to eat. Unless, of course, the seafood cannot be made safe to eat, in which case we will be left to understand that the president cannot personally make the seafood safe to eat.

One significant fact left out of all the credit-grabbing gobbled up and spit out with no reflection on the part of the lap-dog Big Media is that conservative commentators were accurate from the beginning: the environment itself will take care of the largest part of this disaster. In spite of this administration's best efforts to thwart the efforts of local and state agencies to contain the spill, libs are stymied that the oil is being gobbled up by natural enzymes and stuff in the Gulf. Yes, the spill has been and is serious, but the reaction among the left that this disaster legitimizes more government enlargement is bogus... just like all their claims. Indeed, Big Media - appropriately dubbed "drive-by media" by Rush Limbaugh - has already moved on to other more relevent and newsworthy crises. The only thing left to report is the harm done to oil workers by the drilling moratorium. That would reflect badly upon the source of the moratorium, which cannot be allowed.

So be sure to stop by the Gulf coast and search for the "worst environmental disaster in American history." While you're there, keep your eyes open for the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, too.

Economy Still Heading South

2010-08-13T08:13:00.004-04:00

Mike Larson's latest Money & Markets article tells us plainly that government options for continuing to stimlate the economy & keep it going are hitting the proverbial brick wall. There is no more room to maneuver, and the economy has still failed to get restarted by their previous efforts.

******

What nobody in D.C. will tell you … but I will … is that a big economic slowdown is already baked in. There is nothing the Fed can do … nothing Congress can do … nothing the Obama administration can do … to prevent it.
The massive, reckless credit bubble that built up over the past couple of decades needs to be unwound. If you prefer the jargon term, it’s “deleveraging” — and it’s something we’re just going to have to get used to. (Mike Larson, Fed Policymakers Screw It Up Again, 8/13/2010)

******

Fortunately, there are real and reasonable steps that can be taken to protect portfolio value even in the face of another severe economic and market downturn. Even though timingthe markets perfectly is highly unlikely, it looks more and more like the reality of lousy economic data is poised to take its toll.

Speculators Like This Government

2010-07-16T20:54:00.002-04:00

Speculators like this Congress and administration. Unlike big media portrayal, successful speculators are not anything like wild gamblers. Instead, they watch for the signs that indicate which way a market is likely to trend and wait for confirmation of that trend. Major speculators like George Soros take relatively small positions ahead of the confirmation for a couple of reasons: (1) with the amount of money they trade, they cannot wait until the last minute to make their big moves and (2) they try to capture even larger profits. But they are not fools; they work hard to limit their risk.

So why do speculators like this government? Because this government is making it easy for them to reasonably predict the outcomes. History repeatedly reveals that a lot of national debt, increasingly large deficit spending, and an increasing money supply lead to higher taxes, a shrinking economy, and more inflation. Only politicians seem to believe that they can achieve different results by making the same poor decisions. Knowing this, speculators are already positioning themselves to take advantage of the results of today’s ill-advised federal economic policies. They will not cause these economic catastrophes, even though they will be blamed for them. They will merely take advantage of the setup given them.

So what about normal folks like you and me? Well, unless we take advantage of the same economic information and simple tools that are available to enable us to ride the coattails of the bigger guys, we’re going to see our hard fought gains evaporate yet again. If you work with a financial planner, I suggest that you meet with him/her to discuss action to take in the event of another major market downturn. If you do not work with a financial planner, or want to do a little personal research, I recommend taking a look at the resources provided by Martin Weiss and the Weiss Research Team. The basic information resources are provided at no charge. Read some of them, draw your own conclusions, and make your own decisions.

http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/

Main Street Economy

2010-07-16T08:03:00.003-04:00

Weiss Research team member Mike Larson offers more great insights about the disconnect between government and main street economics. Washington has shot their load and emptied their barrels, and main street is left with an anemic recovery teetering on the brink of another downturn and continuing unemployment. Meanwhile, the Fed ponders its next move. Mike asks, "Who cares?" ("Pushing on a String... Again")

The truth is that the policies of both current and past administrations and Congresses have pushed us toward the brink of inevitable financial disaster. The willing complicity of many citizens to ignore Biblical principles for living have resulted in overindulgence, overspending, and over extension. These missteps will have to be brought back into line before things return to normal. We will have those in political power who try to grab even more power, but nothing will be fixed until Americans once again say, "Enough!"

During a recent trip, I saw a billboard sponsored by a local TEA Party chapter. It read, simply and profoundly, "America... Bless God." A good summation, indeed.

Immigration Hypocrisy

2010-07-14T19:54:00.001-04:00

Here's the article...

"Cuban migrant found in styrofoam boat still with Coast Guard"

OK, here's the deal. Every day we have hundreds of folks spilling across the America-Mexico border. This administration is so ticked off about stopping this nonsense that they have the urge to sue Arizona for trying to protect their citizens from dangerous ILLEGAL immigrants.

But here is an immigrant (they call Cuban escapees "migrants" I guess) trying to get out of a truly oppressive regime, and the official American policy is to send him back.

Where's the Obama administration on this one? Where's the polished speech for immigration reform? We ought to get this poor guy to American shores and give him some of the best we can offer. Surely he deserves at least as much as the felons, drug lords, and armed "re-conquistadors" coming across our southern borders!

So if we don't send Cuban refugees back, Castro is going to be ticked at America? Oh, the horror of it all.

This country - no, let me correct that right now. Political leadership in this nation gets more screwed up with each passing day. I think that somewhere along the way, America has gone through the looking glass, 'cause everything's getting backwards.

(Photo: This is the boat he rode in on)

Rate the President

2010-07-14T07:56:00.004-04:00

If you want, follow the link below to the CBS poll to "rate" the President. CBS emphasizes that this is not one of their "scientific" polls [yawn]. Nevertheless, the results are encouraging for those who would rather live in AMERICA instead of a twisted liberal version addicted to big government.

******
Subject: CBS is letting you Rate the President

This is an older poll. But it's good to get opinions out there. Click the link and answer the questions!

CBS is letting you Rate the President

Here is your chance. Everyone should get a shot at this. Takes all of fifteen seconds and that is if you take a look at the results. First, I can't believe CBS is actually doing this.Second, that they're brave and honest enough to actually show the ongoing polling results.Take the poll yourself and when you submit your grading of how he is handling the top issues, a second page will come up showing you the current results of how America is voting. Remember, this ain't Fox doing this. This is mostly people who watch CBS. DO THIS! and pass it on.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2010/01/19/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry6116297.shtml?tag=

******

Will This Ever Stop?

2010-07-06T17:03:00.003-04:00

I'll get right to it...

******
"No one will know until this is actually in place how it works." Senate banking committee chair Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., on the financial regulatory bill he helped craft. He added, "This is about as important as it gets, because it deals with every aspect of our lives." (cited in World, 7/17/2010, p. 16)
******

Maybe someone else can provide some commentary, because I am speechless at such obvious empty-headedness.

(I know that the poster photo is not Sen. Dodd, but we keep getting closer to tyranny with idiotic legislation like this.)

Glorious Fourth

2010-07-04T13:23:00.002-04:00

"Men must necessarily be controlled, either by a power within them, or by a power without them; either by the Word of God, or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible, or by the bayonet." -- Robert C. Winthrop (1809-1894), speaekr of the thirtieth Congress, addressing the Annual Meeting of the Massachusetts Bible Society, May 28, 1849.

Have a Glorious Fourth!

Why America Wins

2010-07-02T12:42:00.002-04:00

Leaving the political insanity behind for a moment to return to American exceptionalism and the reason why America wins...

******
"The only difference is if a dog bites my ankle, it ain't going to hurt me." -- Army Sgt. Patrick Marziale, who lost a leg during service in Iraq, on how his life will be different with a prosthetic limb. (World, May 2009, p. 19)
******

This is why America always wins: militarily, economically, and compassionately.

Now if we can only clear some moronic thinking out of the federal government and a few state governments, Americans can get back to work making this Great Nation, and subsequently the world, greater.

Have a Glorious Fourth!

Why We are in BIG Trouble

2010-07-01T23:41:00.001-04:00

So another article about ludicrous politicians hits my desk today. They just never stop coming these days. Here she is, the House queen bee...

******
Unemployment benefits are creating jobs faster than practically any other program, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday. Talking to reporters, the House speaker was defending a jobless benefits extension against those who say it gives recipients little incentive to work. By her reasoning, those checks are helping give somebody a job. "It injects demand into the economy," Pelosi said, arguing that when families have money to spend it keeps the economy churning. "It creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name." ("Pelosi: Unemployment Checks Fastest Way to Create Jobs," FOXNews, 7/1/2010)
******

Yep, we create jobs by snagging money from those who have jobs to pay for those who do not have jobs. There's a real big job-creator - ya betcha.

But Speaker Pelosi's absence of logical reasoning is not why this nation is in BIG economic trouble... or just BIG trouble. Speaker Pelosi has demonstrated over and over that she, like our president, has no clue about the reality of economics and the deleterious impact their pet liberal agendas have on the real American economy.

We are in BIG trouble because other Americans have voted her into office and retain her there. This means that many other Americans are as clueless about the workings of a real, live economy as she is, and they have bought into this insanity. We are in BIG trouble because many of our neighbors are actually voting for big government centralized economic policies. We are in BIG trouble because Americans are freely voting their way toward totalitarianism.

Troubling, isn't it?

Taxpayers Forced to Buy Junk

2010-07-01T08:31:00.006-04:00

I just received and read this article and want to make many more citizens aware of it. I am angered beyond description. Amazingly, this points to an issue over which Democrats and Republicans are siding together in their concern and criticism.

******
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and then-New York Fed President Timothy Geithner told senators on April 3, 2008, that the tens of billions of dollars in “assets” the government agreed to purchase in the rescue of Bear Stearns Cos. were “investment-grade.” They didn’t share everything the Fed knew about the money... “Either the Fed did not understand the distressed state of some of the assets that it was purchasing from banks and is only now discovering their true value, or it understood that it was buying weak assets and attempted to obscure that fact,” Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat and member of the Senate Banking Committee, said in an e-mail when informed about the credit quality of holdings in the Maiden Lane LLC portfolio. The committee held the April 3 hearing.... Billions of dollars in Fed loans -- some possibly involving subsidies for the biggest banks and corporations -- remain secret, and Congress is demanding more accountability from the Fed than at any time in its history. ("Fed Made Taxpayers Unwitting Junk-Bond Buyers," Bloomberg, 7/1/2010)

******

I know that it's not easy reading through even these simple descriptions of the financial products involved (mortgages, derivatives, etc.). I get confused myself trying to follow it all. But the bottom line here is that even though Bernanke, Geithner, and others testified that the Fed was acquiring investment-grade debt during this bailout period, they failed to include details that the Fed, and consequently American taxpayers, is exposing itself to billions of dollars in below-investment-grade assets (ie, "junk").

The American people need to know this! Since I doubt that this is going to show up on the front page of the NY Times anytime soon, it is up to everyday folks like you and me to get this word out. So please pass this along (or at least the link to the article) to others on your lists.

Additionally, it would be beneficial to contact your Senators and Representative with information about this article and request that they demand an accounting of the Fed's actions.

While there can never be certainty about predicting the future, I think this contributes significantly to the reasons why America will not get through this economic storm unscathed, why we are headed into a "double dip" recession or worse, and why honest, hard-working, thrifty Americans are going to be severely punished for doing the right things all these years. I detest sounding so negative, but the odds keep stacking up in favor of some kind of catastrophic event. I'm not pretending to to know the magnitude, but it does not look as if it will be "business as normal" in America for awhile as long as these types of deceptions are going on.

Unlawful and Disorderly

2010-06-26T20:35:00.002-04:00

Guess what organization is not in Toronto protesting the economic summit? That's right, the TEA party.

"Thousands protest summit in Canada; vandals smash windows, torch police cars" FOX News, 6/26/10

Yet all that liberals, democrats, and their Big Media minions can blather about is how "dangerous" all those TEA party participants are. Funny, I don't recall any TEA party gatherings breaking out into unlawful and disorderly conduct like vanadlizing property and torching police cars.

Alas, this has been the liberal, socialist, marxist, fascist way of doing things for quite some time. Alas, people still buy into their distorted and perverted worldview systems. Sad.

Sad But True

2010-06-26T18:09:00.003-04:00

Oh no! Garfield's a democrat!

Sad but true.

Elitism at Work

2010-06-25T07:37:00.003-04:00

It's a tough job forging mutual policy with international leaders like Russian President Medveded, so President Obama decided that a break from the routine was in order.

******
Traveling by motorcade, the two presidents ventured to Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, Va., a popular hamburger joint just outside the nation's capital. Obama ate there last year with Vice President Joe Biden. ("The Great Obama-Medveded Escape: Burgers," Yahoo News, 6/24/10)
******

This would be fine if it did not present a perfect example of elitism at work. A significantly vocal and active segment of the constituency that President Obama and his party court seek to enact policy and law that limit or eliminate meat choices from American's diet...

"Why Not Change the Laws?"
"For Rep. Jared Polis, vegetarian meals would be healthy alternative to fatty school lunches"
"VeggieLawyers"

On top of this, Michelle Obama, with her husband's endorsement, is on a 10 billion dollar spending campaign to combat childhood obesity and diabetes...

"Let's Move Initiative Battles Childhood Obesity"
"Let's Move: Helping Parents Make Healthy Choices"

So let's see elitism at work:

President Obama campaigns among and solicits support from groups and organizations that want to restrict or eliminate meat from our diets.

Michelle Obama, with support from her husband, is spending our (taxpayer) money to encourage and teach American families to engage in healthier lifestyles which includes warning about the health risks associated with "fast food" diets.

President Obama decides that he wants to eat something other than what is prepared in the White House kitchen (we presume it is "healthy"), heads for a burger joint in Arlington, disregards the organizations from which he solicits support as well as his wife's initiatives, and chows down on a cheeseburger and fries.

Long after the rest of us are herded into eating tofu and rice cakes and drinking water, President Obama and those like him will be dining on steaks, burgers, and lobsters when they darn well please. Nice.

Facing the Music

2010-06-22T22:46:00.003-04:00

The quarters from which America's beloved President Obama is receiving criticism are surprising. Criticism is coming from supporters...

Juan Williams of National Public Radio: "The problem here is this is an administration that, as Hillary Clinton famously pointed out [during the primary campaign], you may not want to answer the 3 a.m. call. These are guys who have tremendous vision about legislative achievements and specific things like healthcare, going forward on immigration, those difficult issues... But when it comes to the crisis, when it comes to the Gulf oil spill, the wars, the recession, they feel as if it's being imposed on them, rather than taking the helm. That's what Americans are sensing right now... Are you able to handle a crisis in a convincing way that inspires confidence? And so far, the president hasn't done that."

No disagreement there.

Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times: "Let's hope I'm wrong, but I fear that myopic policies by the Obama administration and its allies may lay the groundwork for a catastrophe in the Sudan."

Catastrophe in the Sudan? Nick, try catastrophe in America. But we do see your point.

Frank Rich, also The New York Times: "Unlike his unflappable temperament, his lingering failings should and could be corrected. And they must be if his presidency is not just to rise above the 24/7 Spill-cam but to credibly seize the narrative that Americans have craved ever since he was elected during the most punishing economic downturn of our lifetime. We still want to believe that Obama is on our side, willing to fight those bad corporate actors who cut corners and gambled recklessly while regulators slept, Congress raked in contributions, and we got stuck with the wreckage and the bills. But his leadership style keeps sowing confusion about his loyalties, puncturing holes in the powerful tale he could tell."

Not even the liberal lingo and slant can buoy the president up.

And how about this from no less than Maureen Dowd? "Now that some in the press have turned against him, Obama is proving very thin skinned... It hurts Obama to be a crybaby about it, and to blame the press and the 'old Washington game' for his own communication failures... Obama was always aloof and distrustful of the press despite the fact that most adored him during the campaign."

So members of the liberal media are awakening to the reality of BHO that have been disclosed by conservative observers all along. Wonders never cease!

As much as I might have chafed at the liberal drivel from a Hillary Clinton administration, I honestly believe that she would never, ever be trying to sell out and destroy America like this president is doing.

Senator Chris Dodd

2010-06-22T22:39:00.004-04:00

This is one of the reasons why Americans are facing unparalleled peril...

******

Democrats Vote Down 5 Percent Rule

In a bid to stem taxpayer losses for bad loans guaranteed by federal housing agencies Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac, Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn) proposed that borrowers be required to make a 5% down payment in order to qualify. His proposal was rejected 57-42 on a party-line vote because, as Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn) explained, "passage of such a requirement would restrict home ownership to only those who can afford it."

******

I can't add anything to this.

Market Updates

2010-06-21T13:38:00.003-04:00

It has been awhile since I sent any market or financial updates. Plenty has been going on. My hope is that if you are concerned about any financial portfolio you have and are actively monitoring / managing it, you have at least signed up for the no-cost services provided by the Weiss Research team. If so, then anything I post in this message is redundant.

I was going to put together a list of recent links to the latest Weiss Research articles, but was unable to complete it. Lo and behold, procrastination paid off. This morning (Monday, 6/21/10), Martin Weiss did it for me. Imbedded in this morning's issue, 4 Urgent Warnings From The Most Unlikely Source, are links to every article I was going to compile. I love it when a plan comes together!

Just to demonstrate that the Weiss team is not the only source for sovereign debt concern, here is an article from John Mauldin's "Outside the Box" e-mail: "Print Baby, Print." Mauldin's sources tend to be a bit more on the academic side, but if you forge through it, you will see many similarities between the various sources.

These are times in which a lot of financial and market shifts are taking place. Neither our nation nor the world has faced the magnitude of dynamics (such as national debt) we are seeing today. Indications are that the more successful portfolios will need to adapt to these changing times in order to preserve capital and hopefully profit. The good news is that the products available to potentially accomplish this have been on the market a long time. They are not exotic financial instruments that are beyond all comprehension. They are market instruments that make it easier for the normal person to be able to participate in markets that were once available only to dedicated traders. For instance, natural resource markets used to be available exclusively to futures traders. Now, however, they are available to everyday investors and portfolios through Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) and Exchange Traded Notes (ETN). They are similar to mutual funds, only they are traded on exchanges like stock. Over the past few years, many ETFs and ETNs have come to market. So if you want to invest in oil or natural gas commodities, you can choose ETFs like USO or UNG. Same with gold & silver (GLD & SLV). You buy funds and notes that track major indices: Dow Jones Industiral average (DIA), S&P 500 (SPY), and NASDAQ 100 (QQQQ). You can even buy ETF shares that are designed to profit when markets fall; again, Dow Jones Industrial average (DOG), S&P 500 (SH), and NASDAQ 100 (PSQ). The good news is that these allow IRA accounts to profit from bear (down) markets, too.

Anyway, the key goal is to know what investments and trades make the best sense in the prevailing economic and market conditions. Regardless of who you choose to follow, make it a point to check your portfolio regularly to keep a sense of how it is doing and to try to keep from being completely blindsided. If nothing else, if the major markets take another 2008 major nosedive, even a move to the sidelines into cash can go a long way to preserve wealth and provide capital for new investments / trades in better conditions.

Well, I've gone on longer than I intended to. Hope this helps. Stay alert.

Our Lawyer-Politician

2010-06-16T22:52:00.002-04:00

President Obama’s complete lack of leadership capability is on full display as the Gulf oil spill debacle continues unabated. The president is demonstrating that we have a lawyer-politician instead of a leader in the White House. The most he has been able to muster has been to follow the old playbook of the lawyer-politician: attempt to deflect criticism, demonize, and threaten. In a Bloomberg article from June 15 (“BP may lose oil leases”), there are indications that President Obama is considering taking steps to prevent BP from doing business in America. I do not see how this is helpful at all.

While this is not a call to absolve any of BP’s accountability in this disaster, the president of the United States of America needs to stop calling down threats and start working with all parties, BP included, to bring real solutions to the table. This entire incident highlights everything that is wrong with replacing American enterprise and exceptionalism with the liberal’s brand of big government. Instead of allowing the talent, ingenuity, and capabilities of Americans across the nation to provide solutions, everything must be funneled through the big government bureaucracy that is Washington, D.C. We are witnessing the expected consequence… worse than nothing is getting done. Yet, this is the same big government that wants to get bigger through healthcare, energy, and environmental policies. They are going to fix everything that is wrong with America, we are told. Yep, good luck with that.

Bringing Home the Bacon

2010-06-02T07:36:00.002-04:00

This one's for those lovable folks at peta.

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman

2010-05-31T12:01:00.003-04:00

An e-mail about Ed "Too Tall" Freeman has been circulating for years. Literally. While I agree with the intent of the forward, which is to highlight Americans' general disregard for true heroism in favor of shallow pop culture, the e-mail use has not been completely accurate.

I ran across the factual details and think it will make an appropriate "forward" this Memorial Day (5/31/10). The accurate portion of the circulating e-mail goes like this:

******

'Ed Freeman... A True Hero'

You're an 18 or 19 year old kid. You're critically wounded, and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley, 11-14-1965. LZ Xray , Vietnam . Your infantry unit is out numbered 8 - 1, and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is 1/2 way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come. He's coming anyway. And he drops it in, and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 2 or 3 of you on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire, to the Doctors and Nurses.

And, he kept coming back...... 13 more times..... and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.
******

For his bravery under fire, Ed Freeman received the Medal Honor in a ceremony on July 16, 2001:

******
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good morning, and welcome to the White House...

By all rights, another president from Texas should have had the honor of conferring this medal. It was in the second year of Lynden Johnson's presidency that Army Captain Ed Freeman did something that the men of the 7th Calvary have never forgotten. Years passed, even decades, but the memory of what happened on November 14, 1965 has always stayed with them.

For his actions that day, Captain Freeman was awarded the distinguished Flying Cross, but the men who were there, including the commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Crandall, felt a still higher honor was called for. Through the unremitting efforts of Lieutenant Colonel Crandall and many others and the persuasive weight from Senator John McCain, the story now comes to its rightful conclusion.

That story began with a battalion surrounded by the enemy in one of Vietnam's fiercest battles. The survivors remember the desperate fear of almost certain death. They remember gunfire that one witness described as the most intense he had ever seen, and they remember the sight of an unarmed helicopter coming to their aid. The man with the controls flew through the gunfire not once, not 10 times, but at least 21 times. That single helicopter brought the water, ammunition and supplies that saved many lives on the ground, and the same pilot flew more than 70 wounded soldiers to safety...

As a boy of 13, Ed Freeman saw thousands of men on maneuvers pass by his home in Mississippi. He decided then and there that he would be a soldier. A lifetime later the Congress has now decided that he's even more than a soldier because he did more than his duty. He served his country and his comrades to the fullest, rising above and beyond anything the Army or the nation could have ever asked...

Commander Seevers, I'll now ask you to read this citation of the newest member of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and it'll be my honor to give him his first salute.

COMMANDER GEORGE SEEVERS: ...The president of the United States of America, authorized by act of Congress, March 3, 1863 has awarded in the name of the Congress the medal of honor to Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

Captain Ed W. Freeman, United States Army, distinguished himself by numerous acts of conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary intrepidity on 14 November, 1965, while serving with Company A, 229th, Assault Helicopter Battalion, First Cavalry Division Air Mobil (ph). As a flight leader and second in command of a 16-helicopter lift unit, he supported a heavily engaged American infantry battalion at landing zone X-ray in the Idrang Valley, Republic of Vietnam. The infantry unit was almost out of ammunition, after taking some of the heaviest casualties of the war, fighting off a relentless attack from a highly motivated, heavily armed enemy force. When the infantry commander closed the helicopter landing zone, due to intense direct enemy fire, Captain Freeman risked his own life by flying his unarmed helicopter through a gauntlet of enemy fire, time after time, delivering critically needed ammunition, water and medical supplies to the Paceeds (ph) battalion.

His flights had a direct impact on the battle's outcome by providing the engaged units with timely supplies of ammunition critical to their survival without which they would almost surely have experienced a much greater loss of life. After medical evacuation helicopters refused to fly into the area, due to intense enemy fire, Captain Freeman flew 14 separate rescue missions, providing life- saving evacuation of an estimates 30 seriously wounded soldiers, some of whom would not have survived, had he not acted.All flights were made into a small emergency landing zone within 100 to 200 meters of the defensive perimeter where heavily committed units were perilously holding off the attacking elements.

Captain Freeman's selfless acts of great valor, extraordinary perseverance and intrepidity were far above and beyond the call of duty or mission and set a superb example of leadership and courage for all of his peers. Captain Freeman's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the United States Army. (CNN Transcripts)

******

Captain Ed "Too Tall" Freeman, American hero and Medal of Honor recipient, passed away in August 2008.

May God bless all of our Armed Forces personnel this Memorial Day.

Credit Crisis Warning

2010-05-29T18:45:00.003-04:00

A quick update on new warnings sent by the Weiss Research team...

******

Heads up people. Something very big is happening in the global credit markets — something you darn well better pay attention to.
The very same “Credit Crisis” indicators that were flashing red before the stock market meltdown of 2007-2008 — the ones Martin and I used to get our subscribers out of almost all stocks, and “short” the market via inverse ETFs — are flashing red again.
Pay attention and you might save your portfolio. Ignore them and you could get slaughtered. (Mike Larson, "Credit Crisis Indicators Going Bonkers Again! Batten Down the Hatches!" 05-28-10)

******

Additionally, the Fitch's credit rating for Spain was downgraded this weekend, so the European sovereign debt issue continues to spread. Meanwhile, American political and government financial leadership continue to tell us that the economic recovery is still doing well. Who do you want to put your money on?

Weiss Ratings

2010-05-27T07:43:00.005-04:00

I want to keep in front of everyone the market info coming from the Weiss Research team. Among the latest is their re-acquisition of their proprietary rating service. With that, Dr. Weiss comes out with guns blazing...

******

Later this morning, Weiss Ratings is issuing a landmark press release, warning that 20 giant U.S. banks are still vulnerable to serious financial difficulties — and even failure. (I’ll name them in a moment.) ("Weiss Ratings: 20 Giant Banks Still Vulnerable," 05-24-10)

******

Prior to that, Martin Weiss issued this interesting challenge to the other high profile rating services...

******

Dear S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch,
You are the world’s three dominant rating agencies, largely controlling the ratings of bonds and debts issued by thousands of corporations, municipalities, and sovereign governments. I am the chairman of Weiss Ratings, an independent rating agency. And today, I challenge you to promptly take the bold action that you have so far avoided — to downgrade the long-term credit rating of the U.S. government in order to help protect investors and prod Washington to fix its finances. ("Weiss Ratings’ challenge to S&P, Moody’s, and Fitch: Downgrade the Long-Term Debt of the United States Before It’s Too Late," 05-10-10)

******

Plenty more to be found at Money & Markets.

Socialism Fails

2010-05-26T06:48:00.004-04:00

Advocates of socialism have for years pointed to European nations as proof to their arguments that centralized economies work. Several Euro-zone nations have implemented varying degrees of government subsidies and social services without introducing the cruelties of communism or some other form of totalitarianism. Consequently, some of our own citizens have wondered why America cannot climb onto the European socialist bandwagon. Indeed, several guests on talk shows over the past few months have treated those who warn of socialism’s dangers as if they are merely conjuring up a false “bogeyman.” According to them, there is nothing to fear from socialism.

Those honestly seeking truth have understood all along the dangers of socialist economies. Whether implemented with or without totalitarianism, socialism always fails. It cannot support its own weight. As a saying goes, “socialism works great until it runs out of other people’s money.” Look at those same European nations that have been held up as socialism’s models. They are in chaos. Their economies are collapsing. In fact, they would have collapsed already if not propped up by external infusions of capital. How did they achieve these dire straits? After running out of their own money to support their redistribution of wealth scams from the productive to the unproductive, they commenced massive borrowing. For awhile, accumulating sovereign debt works; therefore, socialism continues to appear to work. Citizens and politicians remain duped and willfully ignorant of the truth. Eventually, though, the bills come due, and creditors stop accepting more debt as payment of debt. In other words, they can no longer pay their credit card bills with credit cards. So entire nations wake up to the reality that they are bankrupt. What happens to government social services then? Ask the citizens of Greece; they are experiencing it firsthand.

What does this have to do with Americans? We are on the verge of finding out, friends. If it were just that we will be losing the European portion of global economic recovery, that would be bad enough. Unfortunately, it’s worse. Compare America’s spending, debt, and deficits to those of failing European nations, and we sadly discover that our numbers are no better. In fact, they are worse than some of those nations already facing austerity measures. In all likelihood, we are seeing the proverbial chickens come home to roost as a result of our lifetime of unnecessarily reckless runaway spending. It will not be a pretty picture. But that’s socialism for you.

Remarkable Event

2010-05-10T21:10:00.004-04:00

A remarkable event took place on May 6th. Across this nation, citizens gathered to pray for America. At the service I attended, we prayed for God’s blessings upon America’s leaders, business men and women, educators, military personnel, and many more. What are God’s blessings? They are described throughout the Bible, such as Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Sadly, some organizations think there should be laws against such things. The freedom from religion foundation (ffrf) has gone to court to declare the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional. Not only do they not want God’s blessings for themselves, they do not want God’s blessings for anyone else. Every representative to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 expressed the belief that the citizens of America could not create and sustain the kind of government necessary to secure liberty unless they practiced “Christian forbearance” toward each other. During its contentious beginning, Benjamin Franklin moved that each Assembly be opened with “prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations… and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.” After such prayers were instituted, Dr. Franklin declared, “May we… continue, under the influence of republican virtue, to partake of all the blessings of cultivated and Christian society.” The actions of organizations like the ffrf are completely foreign to our Founders who wrote our Constitution and its first ten amendments. History has taught us well that, whether benevolent or malicious, any government that attempts to replace the blessings of God with the virtues of man is necessarily and inevitably totalitarian.

National Day of Prayer

2010-05-03T11:55:00.001-04:00

As unbelievable as it may be, a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional. According to the Associated Press article filed on April 16th, "U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb wrote that the government can no more enact laws supporting a day of prayer than it can encourage citizens to fast during Ramadan, attend a synagogue or practice magic. 'In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence an individual's decision whether and when to pray,' Crabb wrote." (Todd Richmond, "Federal judge rules Day of Prayer unconstitutional," A.P., 4/16/2010)

National Day of Prayer services will be held on May 6, 2010. If you have never attended one of these services before, I submit that it is more vital than ever that you attend. I have attended the service at the Miami County, Indiana, courthouse for several years and have never witnessed a very large turnout. I realize that there are legitimate conflicts that prevent attendance. I even attended the service held in Howard County for several years before realizing that one was held at the Miami County courthouse. At the same time, I am also aware that many more Christian brothers and sisters could support and attend this service than otherwise do. Regardless of where and when you attend, I believe that the challenge has been issued to Christians in America to stand up against the foes of our dear Savior and to clearly demonstrate that we do not intend to stand idly by and watch the rich, vital Christian heritage of our nation be dismantled through deception.

While I will strive to take no action that violates the instructions of Christ, I do not intend to give in quietly to the outright lies of these organizations seeking to remove the witness of the Christian faith from the public forum in America. I personally believe that being present at this year’s National Day of Prayer services is one way to demonstrate that we have no intention to accept such a frivolous and damaging ruling. Let as many of your Christian brothers and sisters as you can know of this challenge so that we may call upon the name of the Lord to continue to bless us with His presence.

I Am Conservative

2010-05-01T16:45:00.002-04:00

A forwarded e-mail:

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one.

If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat.

If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.

A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels.

Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church.

A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.

A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh.

A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".

Well I forwarded it to you so where does that put me?

Sovereign Debt Update

2010-04-28T09:24:00.003-04:00

Real world continues to confirm warnings issued by Weiss, et. al.

******
Global markets

Asian stocks plummeted Wednesday in reaction to the sovereign debt downgrades of Greece and Portugal, and Europe stocks extended losses, with Portuguese stocks especially volatile. Yields on two-year Greek debt surged to the 30% range. (Marketwatch e-Newsletter, 4/28/10)
******

In spite of efforts by European Union to stick their finger in the dam, Greek sovereign debt problems continue to spill over into world markets. Now begin adding the same problems of Portugal, Spain, Italy, & Ireland. Unabated debt always has been and always will be bad news. Sorry about that, socialists.

Probably going to see some rough going as 2010 rolls on. Watch your backside.

National Debt Risk

2010-04-27T22:03:00.004-04:00

I know that I am sounding like a "broken record" with this (for those too young to understand this comparison, let me know; I'll explain it to you), but I think that there is a need for continuing awareness about the issue of national debt. Even though more leading business men and women are saying that America is in an economic recovery and not facing another dip into recession, the consequences of increasing sovereign debt are becoming reality. I suppose not many Americans are concerned at all about the Greek sovereign debt crisis, but it already has an impact on world markets. Some of our most volatile days of late can be traced to global issues concerning the impending collapse of the Greek economy due to its debt obligations. Right now, the Greek government is staving off greater disaster by making arrangements for assistance from the Euro nations and the International Monetary Fund. However, also tottering on shaky financial ground are Ireland, Italy, Spain, & Portugal. And apparently striving to catch up with their debt problems is the United States.

The question being asked is, "Who can bail out the US?" The answer seems to be, "No one." Here is more discussion on this issue...

"14 Risks With Supposedly Safest Securities"

"Dollar Doomsday 2010"

I do not know what the Weiss Group is proposing with their upcoming announcement. I have observed that it typically announces a new service. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of info to be gained from the no-cost issues they provide. And I have noticed that not all advisors within the Weiss family of advisors and newsletters are quite as alarmist as Martin Weiss and Mike Larson are sounding here. So, use your own sense and experience with anything they suggest. That said, I have found in my own research and experience with them that they have made and still make sound suggestions.

I'll keep sharing what I learn, but you can go directly to the source, too.

Quotes From the Comedians

2010-04-27T13:01:00.000-04:00

I didn't think that the late night hosts had it in them!

******
Liberals are asking us to give Obama time. We agree and think 25 to life would be appropriate. America needs Obama-care like Nancy Pelosi needs a Halloween mask. -Leno

Q: Have you heard about McDonald's' new Obama Value Meal?
A: Order anything you like and the guy behind you has to pay for it. -O'Brien

Q: What does Barack Obama call lunch with a convicted felon?
A: A fund raiser. -Leno

Q: What's the difference between Obama's cabinet and a penitentiary?
A: One is filled with tax evaders, blackmailers and threats to society. The other is for housing prisoners. -Letterman

Q: If Nancy Pelosi and Obama were on a boat in the middle of the ocean and it started to sink, who would be saved?
A: America ! -Fallon

Q: What's the difference between Obama and his dog, Bo?
A: Bo has papers. -Kimmel

Q: What was the most positive result of the "Cash for clunkers" program?
A: It took 95% of the Obama bumper stickers off the road. -Letterman

Return of Americans

2010-03-30T07:14:00.007-04:00

The last four letters in American.........I Can

The last four letters in Republican.......I Can

The last four letters in Democrats........Rats

End of Lesson! MUST MEAN SOMETHING

Had enough yet? Don't back down! Do something as the primary and general elections approach. Conscientiously choose your candidates and actively support them. Don't allow yourself to be tread upon. Let's keep Americans free!

Shooting the Messenger

2010-03-17T09:35:00.004-04:00

One of the places I have been spending some time is with the Weiss Market Research site "Money & Markets." For those interested in keeping up with economic trends, I recommend signing up for the no-cost daily e-mail reports. I have been following them for several months now and think that they have high quality insights and recommendations.

The 3/12/2010 issue, "Politicians: Don't Like the Message? Shoot the Messenger!" by Mike Larson provides a good example.

Based upon research coming from Weiss Research and other analysts, I think that there is a good chance that U.S. and world economies will be facing some more significant recessionary/deflationary (ie, recession/depression) pressures in the not-too-distant future. I would like to be wrong, and I think that they would like to be wrong. However, international recoveries to date have been largely driven by fiscal (ie, government) stimulus. For high debt countries like the U.S. and Euro-zone, that's going to have to come to an end at some point. The looming danger is that the fundamental economics that drove us into global recession in 2007-2009 have not been eliminated. They have only been shelved until they have the chance to rear their ugly heads: foreclosures, commercial property downturns, toxic debt still on the books of major institutions, no robust job market, cautious consumer spending, still way too much debt (the average U.S. household debt-to-income ratio has come down, but is still at an alarming 120%).

Investors & savers stand to get crushed again if some thought is not applied to portfolios now. Not advocating drastic, silly moves; just be aware of and prepared for future possibilities. Giving the Weiss Market Research resources a look-over is one potential starting place.

Disclaimer: I want you to know that I receive no remuneration from anyone I have mentioned above. I refer to them only for informational purposes. They offer both no-cost and cost resources. Further investigation on your part is your choice. If interested, for a start, you might read The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide by Martin Weiss (see if you can borrow it from a library or something). The title sounds like they are all a bunch of "doom & gloomers," I know, but they are not. Neither am I. They merely outline ways to "protect your savings and boost your income... even in the worst of times."

(Photo: Mike Larson)

The Battle

2010-02-27T09:39:00.003-05:00

Headlines like this from The Washington Post abound:

Obama: Compromise on health if GOP is serious

They all annoy me because they indicate that the health care "debate" is a matter of politics between the Democrat & Republican parties with the actual citizens of this nation, from whom this government is derived, helpless spectators & pawns.

One of the benefits of the TEA party and similar movements is that the message is being made clear that this is not a matter of two political parties reaching "common ground." This is an issue of the American people rising up in opposition to encroaching totalitarianism.

We are taking back our government, and the power broker, Saul Alinsky types do not like it.

Health Care Crisis Solution

2010-02-25T21:58:00.004-05:00

This is my letter to my Congressmen. Feel free to use any or all of it as you see fit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear (Senator/Representative) (Insert name of Congressperson here):

Once again, citizens of this great land get to witness historic events. Today, President Obama held a lecture session with select members of Congress in a so-called bipartisan effort to impose massive, expensive, and liberty-limiting legislation and policy upon the American people under the guise of health care legislation.

In response to this day’s “bipartisan” session, I wish to politely remind you that our elected Senators and Representatives in Congress do not work for the President of the United States of America. You work for, and on behalf of, the citizens living in the districts you represent. In this regard, I remind you that Americans as a whole reject the type of socialized, bureaucratic style of health care legislation being proposed. If you feel that it is absolutely necessary to “fix” America’s health care system, then I request that all proposals be restarted from scratch. In fact, if you would be so kind, please deliver my recommendation to President Obama:

Mr. President, since you are so concerned about and disagree with the way that American health insurance companies conduct their business, I advocate that you vacate your office as President of the United States of America, gather the wealth of talented men and women around you who are wonderful community organizers, enter the private sector, and start the exact type of health insurance company that you want to mandate from your high office. I have no doubt that your company will not lack for clients and will become a model for all health care insurance companies to adopt. Best of all, the American health care “crisis” will be solved without squandering one taxpayer dollar. Indeed, citizens who invest in your business will actually prosper, as will you. To top it off, you can even take your earnings as founder, president, and CEO and contribute to numerous wonderful private organizations who provide health care for those who cannot afford it!

Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my concerns.
　
Your Concerned Constituent,

Moral Ineptitude

2010-02-19T06:54:00.003-05:00

I sometimes catch the "news magazine" Inside Edition because it follows the local news cast I watch. I find sadly amusing the reports of the bizarre plights of many of those in the entertainment industry who stylize themselves as experts in matters ranging from international politics to personal relationships.

IE and other rags are certainly getting the mileage out of the Tiger Woods' infidelity situation, which is a classic case of moral ineptitude. First, why is this even news in this culture's popular view of moral relevancy? Everything done in this whole grotesque comedy was between "consenting adults." That is all that is required for behavior to be labeled acceptable. "What is sin to you may not be sin to someone else." No one was hurt.

Second, and more to the point, I find it almost unexplainable that Tiger's many liaisons express anger and grief over being "cheated on" by Tiger. Huh? Yes, Tiger's mistresses who have agreed to interviews have all expressed being deeply hurt that Tiger cheated on them. The known fact that Tiger was cheating on his wife to have an affair with any one of them did not trigger moral concern. They are upset at discovering that they, themselves, became the "other woman" in Tiger's voluminous black book. According to them, it is grievous that Tiger lied, cheated, and deceived them. He was already lying, cheating, and deceiving his wife, for crying out loud. What other kind of moral behavor did they expect from him? Duh!

Moral ineptitude.

"For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." - Jude 4 (NIV)

Snowmageddon

2010-02-09T19:17:00.002-05:00

All the talk of “snowmageddon” (President Obama, 2/6/10) leaves some of us wondering about the claims of global warmageddon alarmism. Although now conveniently disguised under the name “climate change,” the theory of global warming is that man’s impact is creating climate havoc that will lead to higher mean temperatures globally and alter every known climate pattern, So the claims go. Climate change (formerly global warming) alarmists attempt to deceive the general public into believing that skeptics who question their theories are “anti-science.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. Climate change (formerly global warming) theories are questioned because of science.

Rather than being able to provide specific, empirical evidence for their claims, climate change (formerly global warming) advocates have been attempting to hide the evidence that appears to weaken or destroy their presumed models. That is an action that is clearly not compatible with the scientific process. As far as we know, collected data fails to fit the models created for climate change (formerly global warming) theories. This is one reason why Professor Al Gore is always telling us that he believes that he must exaggerate the climate change (formerly global warming) claims in order to get our attention. It is also the reason why legitimate scientists who support climate change (formerly global warming) are always having to correct Mr. Gore’s outlandish claims. They value their credibility.

What about scientists who believe that climate change (formerly global warming) theories are correct? I am certainly not accusing all of them of deception. Some no doubt genuinely believe that their conclusions are correct. I merely suggest that we place such conclusions in the light of historical fact before affording them infallibility. In spite of all the sincerity in the world, scientists can still be mistaken; they have been in the past. Consider that in 1972, Dr. Reid Bryson and Dr. John Ross, Director and Associate Director of the University of Wisconsin Institute for Environmental Studies, wrote an article for the World Book Science Annual entitled “Is Man Changing His Climate?” Reflecting the scientific conclusions being drawn then, the authors wrote, “The increase of field dust in the air, much of it the result of our mechanization, could change the climate enough to affect the world’s capacity to produce enough food… A lower mean annual temperature, including summer frosts, could result if dust levels continue to rise.” Nearly forty years later, such a notion would be scoffed at by the current science community, yet this was a part of the conclusions being drawn then. It makes me wonder a little what scientists forty years from now will be saying about the conclusions being formed from today’s climate change (formerly global warming) theories.

The First Year

2010-02-08T17:21:00.004-05:00

Here is my synopsis of the BHO first year in office...

"Here's what I want from the President: Take care of the military, hide the Easter eggs on the front lawn, and light the tree at Christmastime. The rest of it I want him to stay out of." -- Dennis Miller, 12/2009

Global Meltdown Continues

2009-12-22T06:36:00.004-05:00

******

Dec. 22 (Bloomberg) -- U.K. travel was severely disrupted as snow and ice led to gridlocked roads, delayed flights and reduced train services. -- Bloomberg News, 12/22/09

******

I take it that this must be the residue from Mr. Al Gore's melting polar ice caps being redistibuted around the world in accord with climate change (formerly global warming) mock science.

The Con Is Still On

2009-12-04T07:26:00.001-05:00

I am often amazed at how many times people are taken in by the same con game over after over. Even after they are thoroughly exposed and debunked, people still let themselves fall prey to “Nigerian” e-mails, Ponzi schemes, and pyramid scams.

I should not be surprised, then, to find people still being taken in by the worldwide con game known as “global warming.” But I am surprised. Early on, Mr. Al Gore was forced to admit that he “exaggerated” global warming data and consequences in order to get people to take it seriously. As global warming predictions failed to pan out, the lingo was changed to “climate change” so that we might forget about the “warming” part. Now, e-mails from climate change (formerly global warming) scientists reveal that raw data has been changed or ignored, that predictions based on their science are not occurring, and that scientists who express skepticism are being silenced. In spite of all this, Big Media outlets that have bothered to report any of this at all continue to raise the alarm about climate change (formerly global warming). And, in spite of the many times this con game has been exposed, world “leaders” are gathering in Copenhagen to discuss how they can use climate change (formerly global warming) alarmism to further run and ruin our lives.

Think about the known failures of climate change (formerly global warming) alarmist predictions: polar bear populations face extinction (their numbers are increasing); hurricane seasons are becoming longer, more active, and more destructive (this is one of the mildest tropical storm/hurricane seasons ever); sea levels are increasing in foot increments (where?). Yet, climate change (formerly global warming) alarmists still manage to convince folks that we must sacrifice and ruin our standards of living in order to cut energy consumption. Do you really want your government mandating where to set your thermostat, what vehicle you must drive, where and when to take vacations, and how much TV you can watch in a week? If climate change (formerly global warming) alarmists are really serious about what they preach, then let the world tyrants demonstrate their personal sacrifice by reducing the amount of energy they consume and the amount of greenhouse gasses they pour into the environment. Think that’ll ever happen? Probably not even when a certain “bad place” freezes over.

Nevertheless, I would really like to hear from those who insist that climate change (formerly global warming) must be taken seriously. For a small fee, I have a couple of free winning sweepstakes tickets I would like to send you.
　

The Remarkable Sources of the Pilgrims' Successful Survival

2009-11-26T06:50:00.011-05:00

In spite of the historical dilution added over the years, every American raised in our school system no doubt believes he/she knows the story of the Pilgrims’ struggle and success in the New World. Images of that first Thanksgiving, similar to the picture here, flood our minds when we bother to think of it at all. In reality, most Americans probably know very little about this band of colonists who risked all for their freedom to simply obediently worship God.

The primary source of their successful survival was their reliance upon God. Regardless of their circumstance, the Pilgrims gave thanks to God. In his journal, William Bradford writes, "What could now sustain them but the spirit of God and His grace? May not and ought not the children of these fathers rightly say: Our fathers were Englishmen which came over this great ocean, and were ready to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and he heard their voice and looked on their adversity, etc. Let them therefore praise the Lord, because he is good and his mercies endure forever. Yea, let them which have been redeemed of the Lord show how he hath delivered them from the hand of the oppressor. When they wandered in the desert wilderness out of the way, and found no city to dwell in, both hungry and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them. Let them confess before the Lord his loving kindness, and his wonderful works before the sons of men." (The Heritage of America, Henry S. Commager & Allan Nevins, editors, p. 34)

The second source of their successful survival was the colony leaders’ change of course from a communal economy to a market economy of private ownership. Destitute and on the brink of starvation even after receiving assistance from the natives, colony leaders identified the source of their problem as a particularly vile form of what Bradford called “communism.” Michael Franc, vice president of Government Relations at The Heritage Foundation, writes about the fruitful results of the Pilgrim’s shift in 1623 from a failed, socialist agricultural system to a free-market system of private ownership of property. This is the story of the Pilgrims that, for whatever reason, fails to make it into our curriculum. Had they not shed the system of “taking away property and bringing [it] into a commonwealth” (Bradford), we would not have a legacy of the Pilgrims to tell. Concerning the market economy that the Pilgrims implemented, Bradford reported, “This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious... much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.” The famine of 1623 gave way to abundance.

America has been blessed with much abundance over the years. This is truly a reality worthy of our most humble thanks-giving.

(Photo: Depiction of Thanksgiving)

Neverending Defamation

2009-11-21T14:14:00.005-05:00

Ahh... the fairness, the wisdom, the intellect of the left. How can Americans - indeed, the world - fail to fall under their hypnotic spell and allow them to pursue their quest for control? They are, after all, so much smarter than we mere mortals. They prove it all the time in their assessments of anyone daring to question their motives -- like Sarah Palin. Take the misinformation circulating about her formal education. This is from Parade, 11/1/09:

******

Q: In pushing her new book, Going Rogue, Sarah Palin has been claiming she has a college degree. I read that she only went to college for a few semesters. Is she telling the truth? -- Michael Hughes, Taylorsville, Utah

A: You betcha. Palin graduated from the University of Idaho in 1987 with a degree in journalism after a very well-traveled academic career: one semester at Hawaii Pacific University, two at North Idaho College, two at the University of Idaho, one at Alaska's Matanuska-Susitna College, and then back to the U. of Idaho for her final three semesters. Hey - the credits count wherever you get them.

******

Now how could such misinformation get started? We wonder.

Addendum

2009-11-20T13:26:00.002-05:00

Forgot to mention below that one of the places I am spinning some plates is at the Peter Heck / Kokomo Perspective forum. Cruise by and see what you think. Be fun to have some of your comments.

Thanks

2009-11-20T07:21:00.003-05:00

Just a quick word of thanks for those who have asked about me. I just go through periods of working on some things and neglecting others. For those who can recall the Ed Sullivan shows, I have for a long time imagined my life (and the lives of many others) to be similar to the guy who would keep a large number of plates spinning on a stick. He has to always run from plate to plate to plate to give it a new spin. Meanwhile, the ones he neglects slow down until they are in danger of falling and crashing. So, over he runs to give it a new spin.

As I think about it, I don't know how entertaining such an act would be now, but it must have made an impression since I remember it.

Sorry I don't make updates here as often as I would like... Ooops! Excuse me, I need to run over and give one of my other plates a spin!

Yet Another Sign of Global Warmageddon

2009-11-12T08:57:00.002-05:00

In yet another startling example of global warming, Bloomberg reports...

******
Nov. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Beijing’s airport canceled more than 60 flights and delayed more than 120 others today as the heaviest snowfall in the Chinese capital in at least 54 years blanketed the city for the third day this month.
******

These global warming temperature increases are just taking my breath away. I was looking forward to affording my health care and cap & trade taxes from the savings I was expecting by not buying heavy cold weather gear and from the revenue I expected to raise from scrapping the copper in my heating system. I don't know what to do now.

Ah, all is well, President Barack Hussein Obama will soon let me know. All hail to the Barack Obama.

Won't Murder Again

2009-11-11T20:33:00.000-05:00

"D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad executed in Virginia" FOXNews Headline, 11/10/09.

We can be certain that Mr. Muhammad will not be murdering anyone again.
Case closed.

SALUTE!

2009-11-11T09:04:00.004-05:00

Still Dawdling

2009-11-05T07:37:00.004-05:00

As of this date, our Dawdler-In-Chief has still not issued his decision about the prosecution of the war in Afghanistan. He is making a big deal about how "careful" and "thorough" he is trying to be so that he only commits American lives into harms way when only absolutely necessary. As noted before, what does this say about the American lives currently in harm's way?

In his typical flamboyantly political style, I expect President Barack Hussein Obama to announce his grand plan on November 11th - Veteran's Day. What better way to demonstrate his "support" for the courage and sacrifice of American military personnel than to make a decision about the prosecution of the war in Afghanistan? What better way to take credit for doing nothing? What better way to coax the flags and flag pins out of even Big Media for a day?

In sad truth, all this political posturing and maneuvering about how to proceed in Afghanistan has already done tremendous harm to American efforts there. This Dawdler-In-Chief cares very little for the lives of those who serve America so tremendously well.

Stupid Government Tricks

2009-11-05T07:23:00.004-05:00

One of the government do-gooder reasons for the "cash-for-clunkers" program was to replace the old gas gizzlers with new fuel efficient, tree huggin' vehicles. How well did that work out? "The single most common swap - which occurred more than 8,200 times - involved Ford F150 pickup owners who took advantage of a government rebate to trade their old trucks for new Ford F150s... The fuel economy for the new trucks ranged from 15 mpg to 17 mpg based on engine size and other factors, an improvement of just 1 mpg to 3 mpg over the clunkers." (Assoc. Press, 11/5/09) The article cites similar loyalty swaps among owners of Chevrolet and Dodge trucks and SUVs.

In effect, our government spent our money to encourage people to purchase new vehicles that the government wants to legislate through global warming mandates out of existence. Clearly a case of our government at work! Who keeps electing these folks into office?

She Probably Doesn't Know What It Is

2009-11-04T20:27:00.002-05:00

I couldn't get the embed feature to work on this video, so you'll have to follow the link. The video is less than 30 seconds, but it reveals a lot about the SPEAKER OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!

I think that these people believe that the Constitution is a dastardly figment of the vast [evil] right wing conspiracy.

Prescription for America

2009-10-28T08:48:00.003-04:00

As they say, "one picture is worth a thousand words."

(Click on picture to enlarge. Thanks to my sister, Diana, for sending this one.)

Dawdler-In-Chief

2009-10-26T18:40:00.004-04:00

Our vaunted Commander-In-Chief says that he will not "rush" to a decision about Afghanistan. Yes, yes, one of the worst things a Democrat liberal can do is to rush to war. Oh, wait... we're already at war. Then by all means, don't rush to win the war.

******

President Obama pledged on Monday not to "rush the solemn decision" to send more troops to battle in Afghanistan as he weighs military options on what to do next in the troubled war.
"I won't risk your lives unless it is absolutely necessary," Obama told service men and women at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. [Comment: here's a clue... they are already risking their lives] ..."Republicans want very much to support the president's decision," Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., told "Fox News Sunday." But he cited Gen. Stanley McChrystal's own warning that U.S. and NATO forces may only have about one year before the insurgency's momentum becomes irreversible. "It's been more than two months since the recommendation went to the president. And Gen. McChrystal is talking about a 12-month time frame," Kyl said. "So clearly time is of the essence here." Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., also called for an end to the delay. "The sooner the decision is made, the sooner we get people over there and are able to implement the strategy that will succeed," he told CBS' "Face the Nation." "Every day we delay will be a delay in this strategy succeeding." ("Obama says he will not 'rush' decision," FOX News, 10/26/09)

******

Let's see how his scorecard stacks up...

-Unconstitutionally shuffle taxpayer money to selected private corporations - rush.

-Unconstitutionally dictate salary caps to executives in private business - rush.

-Unconstitutionally take over the banking, investment, and auto industries - rush.

-Unconstitutionally seek a government takeover of the health care industry - rush.

-Unconstitutionally impose cap and trade energy taxes - rush.

-Constitutionally make national security decisions as the nation's Commander-In-Chief - don't rush.

President Barack Hussein Obama, America's Dawdler-In-Chief, doing all he can to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

No Says Snowe

2009-10-23T06:45:00.004-04:00

The current RINO darling of the Democrat party may not remain in their favorable spotlight for much longer as she dares to buck - a tiny bit - their demands for the "public option." (How they get away with such butchery of the language is beyond me. There is nothing "optional" about the "public option" provision.)

******

Oct. 23 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Olympia Snowe rejected the idea of backing the immediate creation of any government-run insurance program even as top Democrats are leaning toward including such a plan in U.S. health-care legislation.

******

Nevertheless, note that she is opposed to an "immediate" inclusion of this government intrusion. How comforting.

From the Frontline

2009-10-22T08:13:00.003-04:00

The Congressional war on America continues. In the Senate, one of the generals, Sen. Harry Reid (D – Nevada), declares that he will reconcile the Senate and House versions of the bill in order to circumvent normal procedure and debate in the Senate and among the public (“Health Care Reform Bill that Isn’t a Bill and Isn’t Going to be a Bill” & “The Baucus Betrayal”). Sen. Reid loves giving the American people the shaft, and he is really working to stick it to us this time. In spite of concerns about the provisions of health care reform bills (“Little Gems from the Health Care Bill” & “Manufacturers Have Concerns on Latest Health Care Bill”), Sen. Reid and other key Democrats declare that President Obama will have a health care reform bill to sign into law no matter what the American people say (“Reid Threatens to Use ‘Nuclear Option’”).

On top of all of this, Sen. Reid’s shaft of all shafts to America are his amendments that insulate his constituents in Nevada from the costs of this “no-cost” reform. Yes, that’s right. In order to continue to buy votes, Sen. Reid plans to shuffle the cost burdens off onto other taxpayers (“Reid Leads Democrats in Carving Out Favors for States on Health” & “Reid Maneuvers for Sweeter Deal”) outside of Nevada.

My suggestion? Write or call your Senators and ask them to request the same favoritism for your state! If it’s good for Nevada, it should be good for the other 49, right?

Further AIDS Vaccine Research

2009-10-20T08:28:00.005-04:00

Speaking of suppressed news, here is a report that may not see much daylight:

******

The experimental AIDS vaccine that showed promise for the first time in a study released last month may have worked best in the first year. Those who benefited from the shots appear to have done so in the first 12 months and they tended to be heterosexual patients at lower risk of contracting HIV, according to details of the trial published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and released at a Paris conference... Scientists are still mystified as to how two unproven vaccines, when combined and given to more than 16,000 volunteers in Thailand, appeared to cut HIV infections after three years. The study’s credibility was called into question after the journal Science said a second set of data showed the result may have been a fluke. (Simeon Bennett and Michelle Fay Cortez, "AIDS Vaccine’s Benefit May Wane After First Year," Bloomberg.com, 10/20/09)

******

The initial announcements of vaccine results were, of course, trumpeted in sensationalist fashion throughout news outlets. After all, this gave hope to the community that is the primary source of the spread of HIV. I am all for the prevention and elimination of deadly viruses, and if such a vaccine discovery can be made, then kudos to them. (Imagine the squawk over the cost that such a vaccine will have; however, consider the enormous cost of the research already invested in it). I doubt that news questioning the results of those studies will receive as much front page headline.

It still appears to me that the fastest, most effective, and least expensive course of prevention is to stop engaging in immoral sexual behavior.

Suppression

2009-10-20T07:15:00.004-04:00

******
The White House is calling on other news organizations to isolate and alienate Fox News as it sends out top advisers to rail against the cable channel as a Republican Party mouthpiece... several top White House officials have taken aim at Fox News since communications director Anita Dunn branded Fox "opinion journalism masquerading as news" in an interview last Sunday.
White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told CNN on Sunday that President Obama does not want "the CNNs and the others in the world [to] basically be led in following Fox." Obama senior adviser David Axelrod went further by calling on media outlets to join the administration in declaring that Fox is "not a news organization." ...The White House stopped providing guests to "Fox News Sunday" after host Chris Wallace fact-checked controversial assertions made by Tammy Duckworth, assistant secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, in August. Dunn said fact-checking an administration official was "something I've never seen a Sunday show do." "She criticized 'Fox News Sunday' last week for fact-checking -- fact-checking -- an administration official," Wallace said Sunday. "They didn't say that our fact-checking was wrong. They just said that we had dared to fact-check." ("White House Urges Other Networks to Disregard FOX News," FOX News, 10/19/09)
******

******
A SLUGGISH economy, inflation, strikes and rampant crime: much of the recent news in Venezuela has been bad for the socialist government of President Hugo Chávez. Its response has been to intensify its harassment of the media. On August 1st, 34 radio stations were taken off the air for allegedly failing to submit the proper paperwork to the broadcasting regulator... Days earlier the attorney-general, Luisa Ortega, unveiled a draft law against “media crimes” which proposes jail terms of up to four years for vaguely worded offences such as “prejudicing state security” or the “mental health” of the public... The government’s concerted crackdown on critical media comes as Mr Chávez is pressing ahead with other measures that seem designed to make his “socialist revolution” irreversible. ("Switched Off," The Economist, 8/6/09)
******

Notice any similarities?

A sad footnote: While looking up accounts of the Chavez suppression of media in Venezuela, I was startled by the number of left-wing commentaries rationalizing and justifying the move by that government!

Humor For Day

2009-10-19T13:11:00.002-04:00

Today's "tweet" from Nilus Mattive offers us a rich laugh for the day: "Ben Bernanke tells Santa Barbara Fed conference that U.S. needs to 'substantially reduce' its budget deficits. Pot meet kettle. LOL."

T.E.A. Party Meeting

2009-10-19T06:55:00.002-04:00

I finally had an opportunity to attend a formal TEA Party meeting in Miami County. I am going to post my observations in order to help remove some of the suspicion and concern that some folks seem to have developed toward the movement.

It is not a secret society. The meeting was held at a public library and anyone could enter the meeting area. There were no ID checks or anything of the sort. Just come in, mingle, and even participate.

After the meeting was brought to order, we sang the National Anthem, recited the Pledge of Allegiance, and had an invocation prayer. The item of business was the distribution of the very simple By-Laws which were discussed and then voted for approval. The chapter's Treasurer then delivered prepared remarks about American exceptionalism. That was followed by a guest from a neighboring chapter who addressed the known content and status of the proposed health care legislation. Specifically, she referred to HR 3200 (she had a copy present) and the Senate Baucus Bill (no copy because it does not formally exist). Based upon the known contents of the bill, she expressed concern what it will mean to the care that may or may not be provided for her special needs young adult daughter. Following a few brief introductions and announcements, the meeting was adjourned. Individual interaction occurred as the room furnishings were replaced to their before-meeting arrangement.

This is the "extreme right-wing terrorism" of which certain members of our culture and Big Media are afraid. Well, I can understand their concern when normal neighbors gather and expose to the light the darkness of corruption, dishonesty, and decadence that some seek to impose upon us all.

Healthcare Reform - Honestly

2009-10-16T07:54:00.001-04:00

In September 2007, Robert Reich - an Obama adviser, former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration, and ultra-liberal economist - told an audience at the University of California what an honest presidential candidate would say about healthcare reform.

Here is a real live intellectual ultra-liberal's assessment of government-run healthcare: (1) everyone, especially younger citizens, are going to have to pay more for healthcare; (2) older citizens are not going to have access to expensive medicines and technology to extend their lives another "couple of months;" (3) the cost of drugs and healthcare delivery will be government controlled at the expense of innovation and discovery of new drugs; and (4) everyone will probably not have lifespans much, if any, longer than their parents.

I am stunned by Reich's "speech." I honestly do not know what to think. Except, let's help the liberals get their message out for everyone to hear. He does, after all, call for an informed citizenship.

Bipartisanship - Democrat Style

2009-10-16T06:55:00.003-04:00

In the Senate, one Republican Senator voted with Democrats to send the healthcare reform bill (in phantom form) out of committee. Another Republican Senator, also from Maine, has indicated that she might vote in support of a Senate healthcare reform bill.

Yet, even with these sterling indications of overwhelming bipartisanship on healthcare reform, some Democrats appear that they have not gotten the president's "we're going to work together" memo...

******
Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Jay Rockefeller said Democrats shouldn’t tailor a health-care overhaul to the wishes of Republican Senator Olympia Snowe and need to push for legislation that includes a government-run insurance program. “We can’t sort of hedge and say ‘what’s Olympia going to do,’” Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, said in an interview on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt,” airing this weekend. “We’ve got to decide what we want.” (Catherine Dodge, "Rockefeller Says Democrats Can’t Tailor Health Care to Snowe," Bloomberg.com, 10/16/09)
******

"Goodness gracious," Democrats seem to be telling us, "wouldn't it be a wonderful world if these pesky citizen constituents would drop this Constitution thing, just go away, and let us run their lives like we want? Why can't they understand what bipartisanship means?"

Washington & Wall Street

2009-10-14T08:42:00.004-04:00

Remember those heady days of the Presidential campaign in which the new knight in shining armor arrived on the scene to save us all from the marauding dragons? Particularly those dragons on Wall Street that sought to bleed every American dry? Those dastardly dragons that sought only to take the hard earnings of middle and lower income Americans to keep lining their already rich pockets? Remember the promises to "change Washington" by keeping lobbyists for special interests at a distance and by making decisions in the open? Check out, for example, these you-tube links reminding everyone of BHO's dedication to reduce and limit the influence of "money in politics:" "Barack Obama on Lobbyists and His Campaign" & "Barack Obama on special interest groups and PAC funds." Just last month (September 2009) while speaking to financial executives, President Obama said: “We will not go back to the days of reckless behavior and unchecked excess that was at the heart of this crisis, where too many were motivated only by the appetite for quick kills and bloated bonuses.” (Robert Schmidt, "Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds," Bloomberg.com, 10/14/09)

Yet, as the same Bloomberg article goes on to point out, "Some of Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner’s closest aides, none of whom faced Senate confirmation, earned millions of dollars a year working for Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and other Wall Street firms, according to financial disclosure forms. The advisers include Gene Sperling, who last year took in $887,727 from Goldman Sachs and $158,000 for speeches mostly to financial companies, including the firm run by accused Ponzi scheme mastermind R. Allen Stanford. Another top aide, Lee Sachs, reported more than $3 million in salary and partnership income from Mariner Investment Group, a New York hedge fund." (Robert Schmidt, "Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds," Bloomberg.com, 10/14/09)

Keep in mind that President Obama, Democrats, and many citizens sharing their populist rhetoric have lashed out and expressed anger at bank executives, hedge funds, speculators, and "Wall Street" in general for every economic woe imaginable. Oh yes, let me not leave out those elected politicians with the "R" attachment who are also to blame for runaway greed and selfishness.

Yet, aides to the Secretary of the Treasury, who works for the Obama administration, receive extremely fat fees and salaries reaching into the millions of dollars from firms like the Mariner Investment Group (a NY hedge fund) and global banking and securities giant Goldman Sachs. Any big surprise now how these firms which just suffered massive losses in the "worst recession since the Great Depression" are now reporting earnings that are "crushing" analysts' expectations?

Says Lynn Turner, a former chief accountant at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, “Where is the transparency this administration promised? You just wonder, who is representing middle Americans?” (Robert Schmidt, "Geithner Aides Reaped Millions Working for Banks, Hedge Funds," Bloomberg.com, 10/14/09)

I can't say it any better myself.

Another Bizarre Czar

2009-10-14T07:08:00.003-04:00

President Obama insists on telling us how important his Christian faith and his allegiance to America are, yet he continues to surround himself with the most radical group of people this nation has experienced. This time it is "czar" Cass Sunstein...

******

TEL AVIV – President Obama's newly confirmed regulatory czar defended the possibility of removing organs from terminally ill patients without their permission.
Cass Sunstein also has strongly pushed for the removal of organs from deceased individuals who did not explicitly consent to becoming organ donors. (Aaron Klein, "Take organs from 'helpless patients,'" World Net Daily, 10/12/09)

******

Anyone wanting to see how the proposed policies of President Obama's bizarre "czars" are going to play out for the American people can refer to any number of science fiction stories and movies as they insist on creating a land of the enslaved. Better yet, refer to the Bible for descriptions of cultures given over to evil.

Economic Liberty

2009-10-12T10:02:00.003-04:00

The Hillsdale College publication Imprimis has a reprint of a recent speech given by Dr. Walter E. Williams. "Future Prospects for Economic Liberty" is a must-read piece for anyone seeking to learn of and express the dire consequences of an ever increasing federal government. Says Dr. Williams...

******

Every tax confiscates private property that could otherwise be freely spent or freely invested... With this in mind, consider that the average American now works from January 1 until May 5 to pay the federal, state, and local taxes required for current government spending levels. Thus the fruits of more than one third of our labor are used in ways decided upon by others. The Founders favored the free market because it maximizes the freedom of all citizens and teaches respect for the rights of others. Expansive government, by contrast, contracts individual freedom and teaches disrespect for the rights of others. Thus clearly we are on what Friedrich Hayek called the road to serfdom, or what I prefer to call the road to tyranny.

******

I encourage you to read his entire essay. Stay informed and speak the truth!

Silver Lining

2009-10-11T17:25:00.003-04:00

The conservative positive attitude of hope knows no boundaries. Even the surprising announcement of President Obama as recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize has led to the proverbial silver lining... just imagine how upset the Clintons must be!

America's Pitch Man

2009-10-08T21:30:00.004-04:00

Along with its con man, Al Gore, America has its pitch man... President Barack Hussein Obama. We expect, of course, that he would pitch himself during the presidential campaign, but he has not stopped pitching since his successful bid for the office. Pitch for hope & change (which has morphed into bait & switch); pitch for bailouts; pitch for Olympics; pitch for cap and tax energy policies; pitch for government run healthcare; pitch for anything smacking of bigger and more expensive government.

Gee, the only thing that he is not pitching is to win the war in Afghanistan, as he has decided to pitch for the Taliban. Maybe what America needs is for someone to pitch for a new Commander-in-Chief.

Busting Open Our Piggy Banks

2009-10-08T06:59:00.004-04:00

We must stop electing politicians who buy our votes. Yes, it is tempting to support those who promise us some type of government entitlement, but keep this vital reality in mind: not one of those politicians is going to bust open his/her piggy bank to keep their promises. They will, however, bust open your piggy banks plus those of your parents, children, and neighbors.

In fact, our elected officials are busting open our piggy banks big time right now. Based upon America’s accumulated debt; obligations to Social Security, Medicare, and pension payments; and Federal Reserve liabilities, each American household is indirectly responsible for over a million dollars debt burden per household! If every American family saved five percent of their earnings and put every penny into a debt repayment pot, it would take 429 years to pay off today’s national debts and obligations! (Source: Weiss Market Research) And that’s if the U.S. government stopped incurring more debt right now.

The truth is that there is no plan in place to slow spending, much less stop overspending. Even though the exact amounts are open for debate, there is wide consensus that cap and trade will increase our energy costs and government health care will increase our taxes and health insurance costs. Both will increase our government debt and, in turn, increase our household debt burden. This is just the national level, friends. Consider the impact at the state and local levels as these governments cope with higher costs and lower revenues caused by the federal spending policies.

Without some serious reality checks, we are not headed for “happy days are here again.” It may already be too late. So if you believe that you deserve entitlements from our federal government, why don’t you just skip the bureaucracy and ask your parents, children, and neighbors to contribute to your cause? Those are the piggy banks our politicians are coming after.

Capitalist

2009-10-07T07:03:00.004-04:00

This hypocrisy is too good to pass up...

********

Michael Moore says he is sick and tired of special tax breaks for corporations. Unless of course they happen to benefit him personally. Then he likes them. A lot.According to Peter Schweizer in Tuesday's Investor's Business Daily: Moore has found a tax break for corporations he actually likes. And his arguments in favor of it sound more like they're coming from a supply-sider than the populist he professes to be. Michigan, where Moore lives, offers the most generous tax breaks and subsidies for film producers in the country. For every dollar you spend making a movie in Michigan, taxpayers will give you back 42 cents. Moore actually relocated his postproduction team from New York City to Michigan just to take advantage of these tax credits.But Moore is not just a recipient of these tax credits. His hypocrisy goes deeper. As a member of the Michigan Film Office Advisory Council he has been a cheerleader for them. Appointed to the post by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in September 2008, Moore sees himself as an ambassador who will help bring the film business into the state.And how does he profess to bring the film business to Michigan? By offering it tax breaks. (Dr. Mark J. Perry, "Michael Moore, Closet Tax-Cutting Supply-Sider," 10/6/09)

********

Capitalist pig.

Health Insurance, Democrats, & Illegal Immigrants

2009-09-29T13:09:00.003-04:00

Addressing a joint session of Congress on September 9, 2009, President Obama said, "There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally." And, in fact, the House version of the proposed bill states in Section 246, "Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States." (Uh, what does that mean, exactly?)

Maybe President Obama is not lying on this point (for an interesting analysis on the President's accuracy on this and other issues, see "Obama's Health Care Speech" at FactCheck.org.), but Congressional members of his party (ie, Democrat Party) have signed a letter to Speaker Pelosi and other Democrat leadership saying that illegal immigrants should be allowed to buy into a government health insurance program. Greta Van Susteren went "On the Record" with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D - Tex) concerning health insurance for illegals.

So even if we are to believe President Obama's promise that his reform will not apply to those who are here illegally, what are we supposed to make of the push by key members of his part (ie, Democrat Party) to include coverage for illegal immigrants?

(And what are "affordability credits," anyway?)

Preemptive Bailout

2009-09-26T16:16:00.007-04:00

Must be the day for big government news. Congratulations, everybody! You get to provide a loan to yet another automaker...

"Former Vice President Al Gore's campaign to save the planet from global warming has netted him a Nobel Peace Prize, an Academy Award and now $529 million in taxpayer money.
The federal government has loaned $529 million to Fisker Automotive Inc., a small car company backed by Gore to help build a hybrid sports car in Finland that will sell for about $89,000, the Wall Street Journal reported." (FOXNews, 9/26/09)

Our tax dollars at work. Must be nice to be America's con man.

(photo: Fisker Karma)

More From the Command Healthcare Front

2009-09-26T14:46:00.005-04:00

"But the legislation includes an individual mandate penalty that could go as high as $1,900. Thomas Barthold, chief of staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, told senators that the IRS could take legal action against those who fail to pay the mandate penalty. In a handwritten note to Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., Barthold said violators could be charged with a misdemeanor and could face up to a year in jail or a $25,000 penalty." (FOX News, 9/26/09)

If nothing else, Americans might want to be concerned that the IRS is going to have parts to play in the command healthcare system. Wow, makes we want to sign up!

(photo: see Death By a 1,000 Papercuts for even more info)

A Tale of Two Protests

2009-09-25T07:19:00.010-04:00

There has been a fuss over determining the attendance at the Washington DC TEA Party protest. Our good friends living in the land of left-believe want to ensure that low estimates are reported so that they can take solace in their belief that this is not a meaningful movement. With all the hoopla over the size of the crowd at the DC TEA party, though, I want to point out that the preparation for the protests did not include much of a beefed up security. It's not too hard to figure out why... the demographic of the participants - mainly conservatives I'm guessing - indicated that there would be virtually no trouble. And there wasn't.

Fast forward now to Pittsburgh & the G20 conference. Last night, I watched the report on how many thousands of law enforcement & National Guard troops have been activated for crowd control. And they're not there to control the everyday citizens. They are there to control the protestors. There have already been acts of vandalism. Where are all the calls from those living in the land of left-believe for civilized behavior and debate? This graphic from a radical activism website will give a clue that there will be no civilized behavior (warning: vulgar language content). Night & day difference between the two types of protests, yet who do the Democrats fear the most? This is speaking volumes, folks.

photos: TEA party protest, Washington DC, 9/12/09 (left) & G20 protest, Pittsburgh, PA, 9/24/09 (right)

Great Championship

2009-09-18T11:52:00.007-04:00

This year's U.S. Tennis Open was great. Unexpected winners in both the men's & women's singles. Juan Martin del Potro upset Roger Federer - never an easy task. Plus, he defeated Rafael Nadal to advance to the final in the first place. Returning to the women's side following time off to have a daughter and begin motherhood, Kim Clijsters took the championship as an unranked participant. Tremendous tennis!

I have two complaints,though. One is recurring. I'll catch a few minutes to watch some and find out that, even though there are games being played, we are stuck with commentators in the studio for fifteen minutes or more. No matter which station is broadcasting, they all act as if the tennis tournaments are for the announcers to demonstrate their self-congratulatory knowldge instead of for the players and fans.

My second complaint emerged with the confrontation between Serena Williams and a ine judge in the semi-final match with Clijsters. Called for the relatively rare foot fault, Williams went off on the line judge to the extent that the tournament officials were called out. Having been given a warning for an infraction earlier, Williams was given another warning which incurred a point awarded to Clijsters. This was particularly significant, since it was match point. Of course, this became a focal point for our beloved announcers from that point to the present. Surprisingly to me, because of the comentator's infatuation with the William's sisters, the calls are for a stiffer penalty to be levied against Serena. They just ave gone on and on about how this incident "ruined" the championship. Well, it didn't even come close to ruining the championship except in their narrow minds. So, they can put the lid on it anytime. Serena has been given the maximum fine allowable under current rules. Unfortunately, this will be revisited over and over and over and over. After all, the tennis tournaments exist to showcase the commentators.

Slow Posting

2009-09-07T22:01:00.004-04:00

I'm a bit slow in my postings... it's U.S. Open Tennis time! And I'm watching way too much tennis. At least I did this weekend. It has just been too easy to get hooked on the matches. There have been some great ones with some surprising results. Among the amazing matches has been American 17 year old Melanie Oudin. She has defeated three seeded players (all Russians so far) to advance to the quarterfinal! Anyhow, that's my reason for being a bit quieter. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Giving Up Freedom

2009-09-07T21:34:00.004-04:00

In a discussion over at Peter Heck's website (go to the article "Jesus the Socialist?"), participants are reflecting on the purpose of the proposed healthcare changes. It has occurred to me that if the goal of all these proposals are truly matters of compassion, then why do so many seem so willing to fall prey to one of the greatest sources of uncompassionate behavior known to mankind: consolidated power? History is littered with the sad refuse of humanity who have been trodden beneath the feet of uncontrolled power. In every instance that I know of, the source of unbridled, immoral power emanates from a government's control. Does anyone really need me to provide the specific examples? Now, the most free people in the history of mankind are seriously debating whether or not to voluntarily surrender significant liberties for more government control. There is something seriously wrong with this picture. Have we really become this insane?

Bye Bye Flyover

2009-09-02T12:42:00.002-04:00

No flyover at the "God and Country" rally in Idaho because... according to the Pentagon, it was too Christian. But this was the first time in 42 years that the request for a flyover was denied. As asked in the report, what has changed?

National Geographic Takes on 9/11 Conspiracies

2009-09-01T08:25:00.003-04:00

A National Geographic documentary tackles the 9/11 conspiracy theories. An overview of the program, along with airing times, is found at this link.

If there really are questions remaining from what is known of the attacks in New York and Washington, DC, then one should consider the implausible questions raised when imposing any of the conspiracy "theories" upon the event.

The Government Can

2009-08-27T21:43:00.003-04:00

Hey, Tim says it all in song! Enjoy!

We Need Change

2009-08-18T08:10:00.003-04:00

Talk about a 180 degree turn of events. Canada's doctors declare that change is needed in healthcare, only it's government healthcare that needs the change. "In other words, Ouellet believes there could be a role for private health-care delivery within the public system." Imagine that... medical professionals in a government healthcare system calling for change. Makes a person sort of wonder, doesn't it?

******

Overhauling health-care system tops agenda at annual meeting of Canada's doctors
By Jennifer Graham (CP) –

SASKATOON — The incoming president of the Canadian Medical Association says this country's health-care system is sick and doctors need to develop a plan to cure it.

Dr. Anne Doig says patients are getting less than optimal care and she adds that physicians from across the country - who will gather in Saskatoon on Sunday for their annual meeting - recognize that changes must be made. "We all agree that the system is imploding, we all agree that things are more precarious than perhaps Canadians realize," Doing said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "We know that there must be change," she said. "We're all running flat out, we're all just trying to stay ahead of the immediate day-to-day demands."

The pitch for change at the conference is to start with a presentation from Dr. Robert Ouellet, the current president of the CMA, who has said there's a critical need to make Canada's health-care system patient-centred. He will present details from his fact-finding trip to Europe in January, where he met with health groups in England, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands and France.
His thoughts on the issue are already clear. Ouellet has been saying since his return that "a health-care revolution has passed us by," that it's possible to make wait lists disappear while maintaining universal coverage and "that competition should be welcomed, not feared." In other words, Ouellet believes there could be a role for private health-care delivery within the public system. (entire article at The Canadian Press)

******

For even more info concerning the Canadian system, surf over to the Frugal Cafe Blog Zone. I note that some comments to the post are favorable to the Canadian system. I am sure that it is helpful to some, just as our system provides the healthcare needs of many. When the medical profession begins having second thoughts on the system, maybe we should pay a little attention to them. Just as we should listen to our own medical professionals in America concerning ideas for improvement.

Sunday Funnies

2009-08-16T20:18:00.003-04:00

Well, today's (8/16/09) Sunday comics picked on libs. Conservatives, too, a little, but the heaviest humor was directed toward libs.

"Pearls Before Swine," far from one of my favorites, was a parody of a professor who could not be arrested because he was tenured. Reminiscent of a recent event with a professor?

"Get Fuzzy" had a great line: "If a tree falls in the woods, how many liberals would it take to fund the therapy for all the trees around it?"

Then the coup de grace... "Doonesbury." I guess Garry Trudeau finally realized how dull and boring he was becoming. A car dealer receives a request from a valued customer to add a GPS to the sale price. The dealer makes a series of phone calls, the final one being, "Mr. President! Sorry to bother you, but... Yes, I tried your task force." To which the customer is shown walking away, saying, "Never mind."

Poor libs get parodied. Heh-heh.

Learned a New Trick

2009-08-15T19:15:00.002-04:00

Given all the serious stuff going on, I thought I'd try something a bit on the lite side. Besides, I have always been about sharing new insights I've been privileged to pick up along the way, and this is one of them.

No doubt like many of you, I have been using aluminum foil, saran wrap, and other products that come on a roll for decades. So there have been plenty of times when you're pulling on the stuff and the whole roll leaps out of the box. Just last night on Wheel of Fortune, I discovered how to prevent that from happening. This had to be Providential, since I do not watch the Wheel with regularity. In fact, I was actually waiting for another program and was just "channel surfing."

Anyway, here's the "secret:" On the ends of the boxes of rolls of foil and plastic wrap are perforated tabs that you can push on which bend inward. Once you do that, the roll is kept in place by that tab. I never knew that until Pat Sajak revealed it last night, and I learned a new trick.

So, go ahead and laugh at me if you want for not already knowing this, but if you did know it, why didn't you tell me? Think of all the frustration & aggravation I could have saved myself all these years!

What Would Reagan Say?

2009-08-14T20:28:00.002-04:00

What would Reagan say? Well, let's find out. The more things change, the more they remain the same...

Still an American hero with excellent insight.

Here Is What the Left Calls Honesty

2009-08-13T22:09:00.003-04:00

As usual, those living in the land of left-believe learn that their ideologies fail in honest, open debate on the issues. This is why they must resort to deception. Their consciences must be closed to any type of ethical principle.

Thanks, Skyepuppy, for having this posted at your place!

Reality Then & Now

2009-08-12T18:42:00.004-04:00

According to our many Democrat friends, those opposing the government health care plan (aka Obamacare) are: Nazis, racists & bigots, members of the KKK, "Washington insiders," and/or "well-financed special interests." This is the respectful consideration being paid by the left to their fellow American citizens. This is the "unity" being brought about by "hope and change."

Of course, there is the land of left-believe... and then there is reality.

History lesson time! I learned this as I grudgingly watched a documentary that my lovely wife wanted to watch. Little did I know the gem I would discover in the History Channel presentation of Jim Jones and the People's Temple. Thank you, sweetheart!

Guess which political party would call upon Jim Jones for support in political rallies, elections, and media coverage? Aww, c'mon someone... take a wild guess! I know that it's an out-in-left-field shot, but let's take a wild swing at... the Democrat party.

Yep, I know it's a big surprise to everyone, but Democrats in San Francisco were enamored by the instant support they could get just by ringin' up good ol' Jimmy Jones. Have a political rally to fill up? Call Jim Jones. Have a protest march? Call Jim Jones. Need some extra votes? Call Jim Jones. Like a miracle (I don't know what term Democrats use since they are enamored with atheists, too), the streets and polls would be filled with willing souls from the Peoples Temple.

******
After the tragedy at Jonestown, Temple members revealed to the New York Times that the Temple arranged for "busloads" of members to be bussed from Redwood Valley to San Francisco to vote in the election.[41] A former Temple member stated that many of those members were not registered to vote in San Francisco, while another former member said "Jones swayed elections."[41] Another former Temple member stated of Jones that "he told us how to vote." [41] She stated that Temple members were required to produce booth stubs to prove that they voted, and members that could not produce such stubs were "pushed around, shoved and physically abused."[41] When asked how Jones could know for whom they voted, the member responded "You don't understand, we wanted to do what he told us to."[41] ("Peoples Temple in San Francisco" -- much more content to read there)
******

Jim Jones' political fans included Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter, Willie Brown, George Moscone, Harvey Milk, Walter Mondale, Jerry Brown, and others. Intriguingly, Jones also had relationships of varying degrees with the Symbionese Liberation Army, the Nation of Islam, Angela Davis, and the American Indiana Movement - all extremely radical 1960's groups & movements.

As we all know from history, Jones was completely psychotic or something. He was extremely good at luring folks into his cult, and he was extremely good at putting on a good front to gullible civic figures. His manipulation skills were remarkable. But that is not the major point.

The significant reality is that while Democrats at the local, state, and national levels could impress the press (another historical gem here) and boast of large numbers of supporters, what they really had were brainwashed "zombies" who were simply following the orders of their beloved leader to be wherever and to chant whatever. They had no vested interest in the issues in which it appeared they supported.

Now, today, the Democrat party has the gall to accuse Americans opposing this Orwellian health care of numbly and blindly following the "drum beating" of "talk show hosts," "well-financed special interests," or big pharmacy companies. Give me a break! These Democrat folks are calling in organized labor units, ACORN (or whatever they are now), and other "community organizers" to "keep the peace."

If Jim Jones was still around, guess who would be giving him a call, too?

Now We're KKK

2009-08-12T18:22:00.002-04:00

Absolutely amazing! The only situations Rep. Dingell can recall where orchestrated protestors "created trouble" are civil rights debates with the KKK present. Wow! What a steel-trap memory this guy has.

On the Road

2009-08-07T17:30:00.002-04:00

Time to take in ballparks my son & I have not visited, so will be a little slow with new posts. Especially when the room I am in right now charges for access in the room, but not in the lobby. So... cheapskate that I am, I lug my machine into the lobby. Oh well.

Gangster Government

2009-08-05T11:43:00.002-04:00

Al Capone would be proud!

Organizing

2009-08-05T11:17:00.004-04:00

Here is an idea of what the left - and Obama supporters in particular - think of national debate and dialogue over major issues...

******

Last fall, when swiftboaters and special interests attacked President Obama, folks like you came to his defense. We knocked on doors, talked to neighbors, and made our voices heard.Now, we need to do it again.

This time, he's under attack by Washington insiders, insurance companies, and well-financed special interests who don't go a day without spreading lies and stirring up fear. We need to show that we're sick and tired of the fear mongering.If you can join us at tomorrow's gathering, you'll find refreshments, the company of other local folks who are proud to stand up for President Obama and, most importantly, a chance to publicly show your support for the big changes the President is fighting for and this country needs.

http://in.barackobama.com/ElkhartRSVP

I hope you'll join us.Thanks,Nick

Nick Buis

Indiana State Director

Organizing for America

******

The community organizer keeps at it. He just has a little larger community to organize. What comes to mind is Mafioso-style organizing complete with slanders, threats, and extortion. I can hardly wait for the broken knee-cap phase, which will boost Obamacare proposals, of course. After all, who's going to turn it down when they need to get their busted knee caps fixed?

One big fallacy with the slanderous accusations issued above: whereas the great one has failed to read HR 3200, I have. (OK, OK, I've skimmed through it, meaning that I begin reading it and then, upon getting glassy-eyed, move through quite a bit faster). The TRUTH is that the so-called fear-mongers are telling the truth.

Of course, the bill does not outright state that there will be no private coverage; in fact, it says that there will be private coverage. Then it proceeds to impose such draconian regulations on private insurers that the bottom line will be... no private insurer can afford the regulations.

Of course, the bill does not outright state that healthcare rationing will take place; in fact, it states that healthcare will be available for all. Then it proceeds to outline affordable healthcare and how it will be allocated. Bottom line, well... you tell me. If you haven't figured it out yet, let me tell you straight up: liberal ideology means the end of American liberty and selective death.

That's organizing.