Eclectic News Circus

Why Honor Organized Labor?

2009-09-07T18:05:00.006-04:00

Published on Monday, September 7, 2009 by CommonDreams.org
by Jim Goodman

Labor Day, to most people, is little more than the end of summer. Labor Day commemorates the labor union movement, the demand for an eight hour work day, better working conditions, fair wages and an end to child labor.

In 1894 Labor Day became a federal holiday celebrated as a “workingman's holiday” on the first Monday of September honoring the contributions of working men and women to America.

While labor unions were organizing in the 1870's, small farmers, through the Grange Movement were trying to break the power of the railroads, the meat packers and the grain milling interests. Mary Elizabeth Lease urged the farmers to “raise less corn and more hell”, but farmers could never unite as the labor unions had.

In the mid-1960's, farm worker organizers Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta formed the United Farm Workers (UFW). When the UFW's table grape boycott brought the plight of the farm workers onto the national stage, Dolores Huerta connected the feminist movement and gender rights with the farm worker movement. And why not? Women worked the fields along side the men.

The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP) organized in 1925 became the first African-American union to join the American Federation of Labor. Many of those involved in BSCP became leaders in the civil rights movement.

Gender equality, racial equality, fair farm prices and farm worker rights were separate issues but all related to the struggle of the unions for a fair wage and decent working conditions. Labor unions may have initially been all white and all male but, that changed.

Unions were never about the individual, they were about everyone. If one is oppressed, all are oppressed. Labor unions recognized the need to bring everyone into the struggle regardless of color or gender, because the struggle was about everyone.

Now, generations after the early struggles of labor unions, corporations have done their best to de-unionize America. Exporting jobs, closing union factories and union busting have taken their toll on jobs, wages and the economy in general.

Whether it was exploitation from the “Robber Barron's” of the nineteenth century, the segregationists of the Jim Crow South, the growers who exploit migrant farm laborers, the agribusiness interests that squeeze and impoverish small farmers or the corporate mentality that suppresses women with a glass ceiling, the parallels are pointedly exact.

Labor unions, suffragists, feminists, civil rights advocates, small farmers and farm workers all struggle against the rich, the powerful and the corporate interests who intend to control the economy and maintain their notion of social class. The labor movement was, and still is, a reflection of society. They challenged the idea, that power and money are the trump card.

Everyone, owes a debt to the laborers. Those who often put their lives on the line, for safe work places, an eight hour work day, a five day work week, insurance, disability benefits, a fair wage, dignity and respect for manual labor.

Labor Day is a day to celebrate the power of the worker, but no less the social movements that evolved with and from the unions. It is also a day to reflect on how we can do better, for everyone.

Jim Goodman is a dairy farmer and activist from Wonewoc, WI and a WK Kellogg Food and Society Policy Fellow.

A Public Service Announcement

2009-07-10T11:25:00.004-04:00

(Yeah, I'm a littler biased)

I've been in the "Industry" for over 23 years. I also own a guitar. I also own golf clubs and childrens' car seats. Can you imagine getting to Orlando for your family vacation and your big ol' Samsonite makes it in one piece but your golf clubs are bent in half and Lil' Timmy's car seat was run over by something that looks like a Semi or may an AIRPLANE? I can't.

So much for the Friendly Skies!

God Bless America

2009-07-04T09:42:00.003-04:00

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

What rhymes with Twitter?

2009-05-25T14:53:00.005-04:00

Let's Keep It Clean, Folks...

I'm a workaholic. I'm lucky, though. I have a job I enjoy and it provides my family and me a lifestyle that is comfortable and enjoyable. But my job, my career, is something very special to me and so are the the people that I have had the privilege of meeting and working with side by side for the past 23 years. I have worked this job six/seven days a week for so many years, I can't imagine doing anything else. So, when an opportunity, device, or invention, comes around that allows me to be in greater contact with my wife and wonderful children while out I'm out in the world earning a living and providing for their needs, I will take a look at it and see if this wondrous new thing could bring me and my loved ones closer while I am away from home.

My wife and I text each other throughout the day. She keeps me abreast of what little things that happen with our children and I tell her what is going on with me at work. It's our little way of staying connected while we are apart. My wife also has a blog about our children and she posts pictures and stories there about them and from time to time there will be some snapshots of an outing that I will miss while I am away.

We both have Palm Centros which allow us to snap pictures and send them to each other. We can also take videos with our phones. So many ways now to stay in contact now, though it doesn't really compare to the real thing.

A few months ago, I read about Twitter. Nice idea I thought. Share what's going on with people who are interested, in 140 characters or less. I mentioned it my wife to see if she would have any interest in it. At first, she shrugged it off, so typical of any idea that would come from me, can't be that good, right?

So, my wife has been "Twittering" or "Tweeting" for close to two months or so. She finally gets me to get a twitter account. I oblige her for the same reason she got me to open a blogger account - to stop the harassment. But, I do have an ulterior motive; being a HUGE football fan, I found all these NFL twitter thingys that would send me "tweets" right to my phone about my favorite teams!!! Also, news updates! Even a pastor from a neighborhood church tweets! Shoot! I can even mini blog with Twitter!

AWESOME!!!

It doesn't work.

From the moment I started my Twitter account, there's been problems. I should have seen this coming. After reading that article, I knew that the start up company had fewer employees than the ice cream shop in our neighborhood. Tech support? You submit an request and you wait, and wait, and wait, for someone to be assigned to you problem.

My problem, for example, was I could not get my phone verified with Twitter. Now, I have the same exact phone model as my wife, same cell phone provider as her. I live in the same house, we both have the same laptop from the same computer company. We use the same Internet browser (FireFox, why use anything else). But I'm the one with issues.

A nice guy by the name of Matt finally emails me after 14 days of not being able to receive or send "Tweets" via my cell phone. He politely apologizes for my difficulties and then informs me there is a bug in the system and they are working on fixing the bug. OK. I haven't yet committed to Twitter as a conduit of communication, so I will wait and see what the Hoopla is all about.

In the meantime, you can follow along via the web and get updates through their website. Keep in mind though, it's only 140 characters, including spaces. The length of the previous sentence is 153 characters!

Here are some examples of "Tweets";

BarryHurford @Agent_M Re: "#3wordsaftersex So much blood!" - May I be as bold as to suggest plastic bed sheets and linoleum flooring? half a minute ago from web

The New York Times Where the Conversation Begins. Front page stories from NYTimes.com, the web site of The New York Times.

Artomeria RT @JerrieHurd Forget Susan Boyle! A friend and Maryland beatboxer took Lithuania by storm. Che... http://bit.ly/13qUEs less than 10 seconds ago from web

emoltzen Mad Lib: ___________ is the Susan Boyle of _______________. Any suggestions?

espn_nfcnblogReturning in the slow lane - http://tinyurl.com/q95xfd

soulman9Check out brand new audio post. Tell me what you think. That?! - http://shar.es/mrwH

Girly923My husband, @proudfrog is making me get out of bed to get him water & I don't think it is very nice of him. I don't even have my robe w/ me

Not much can really be said in 140 characters. ( By the way, Girly923, is my wife. Soulman9 is the pastor from a great neighborhood church.) One thing I did find odd, why would I jump to a url while I'm texting. Isn't that what the internet is for?

During a BRIEF period, I was able to send updates and receive "Tweets." It was kind of nice to find out that Jay Cutler did report to the Bears' OTA and that I could let everyone know it was nice outside. Again, you gotta be brief and specific with 140 characters.

But, it stopped working again.

There are these little options that you have with Twitter. For example, if you text "get" followed by a user name to Twitter, you will get their last post via a text to your phone. Text "follow" and the username - you will follow that "Twitterer." Type "off" and no more updates. "On" - updates are back on. From the web page, you can turn on and off device updates, block people from following you. Somehow, you can even make yourself private and approve those who may follow you or even contact you. You can even set what time to turn off updates!!!

WOW!!!

Except for me.

None of these things work from my phone.

What's the point of a fish having a bicycle? Exactly!!!

I just received a "Tweet" from my wife about a friend of hers that gave birth to a baby boy and all is well. That's wonderful! My wife was able to tell all who follow her this blessed news. Now that's cool. One simple message to all who care about anything that my wife might have to say in 140 characters, or less. And this little bit of great news can be viewed from her Twitter page and any responses to this "Tweet" can be viewed on that page and if you follow my wife, you would also receive these responses via a text message.

Except I can't respond through Twitter.

If want to follow me at Twitter:
www.twitter.com/proudfrog

I know, I know. It's been awhile

2009-05-05T18:20:00.004-04:00

And It may be awhile longer. Hopefully this will keep you entertained in the meantime...

It has been a busy 2009 for me and I do miss posting on mu blog. I do mean to return. Big Time. Until then, don't you wish you had a Trunk Monkey?

A Public Sevice Announcement...

2009-02-28T17:34:00.002-05:00

Looks who's back, back again...

For those of you who have had to live through these enduring times without being entertained by my musings, please don't despair, as rumors to my demise are unfounded and my return will be, well, ECLECTIC...

TAKE COVER!!!

You Might Be A ...

2009-01-13T16:53:00.004-05:00

MotherJones.com / News / Outfront

You Might Be a Liberal If...
10 findings on the party in your mind.

"Kiera Butler"
January 07" , 2009"

You may be a liberal if...you were the Tracy Flick of your nursery school. Confident, dominating preschoolers grow into liberals, while fearful and easily victimized tots turn conservative.

You may be a conservative if...you alphabetize your underwear drawer. Conservatives are more likely to have neat and tidy rooms, and liberals messy ones.

You may be a liberal if...you're up all night. 28% of liberals have insomnia, compared with 16% of conservatives.

You may be a conservative if...you're a woman who craves chocolate chip cookies. Liberal ladies prefer theirs fruit filled.

You may be a liberal if...you're in the mood for Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie-Dough Cheesecake. Liberals' chain eateries of choice are the Cheesecake Factory, Panera Bread, and Starbucks, while conservatives dine at Hardee's and Fuddruckers.

You may be a conservative if...you're happy with tap water. Domino's Pizza claims Republican customers are less likely to order beverages.

You may be a liberal if...you're too lazy to walk to the pizza place. The Domino's survey found that Democrats rely on delivery more than Republicans.

You may be a conservative if...you have a son. Parents of boys are more likely to be conservative than parents of girls.

You may be a liberal if...you possess Obama-like calm. When shown a picture of a spider on a human face, most conservatives jump in fright; liberals react roughly the same as when they're shown a picture of a bunny.

You may be a conservative if...your dreams are chaste. Nearly half of liberals report having erotic dreams; only 38% of conservatives admit to it. (This was before Sarah Palin.)

Kiera Butler is an associate editor at Mother Jones.

Jimmy Carter’s bike stolen from Carter Center

2009-01-13T16:15:00.004-05:00

Thieves also make off with wife Rosalynn’s bicycle; both were gifts from local shop owner.

Wow, how bad is it going to get around here? They broke into the Carter Center and stole two bikes. His and Hers bikes. What are they gonna do, take them to Crawford, Texas and try to find buyers there next week?
So sad, so sad...

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, January 12, 2009

If you see our nation’s 39th president hoofing around the center that bears his name, feel sorry for the guy. Someone snatched his bike.

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

Just Another Example of The MAN Keeping Us DOWN!!!

2009-01-12T22:08:00.003-05:00

The Price Of Oil

The historic swings in oil prices last year were the result of financial speculation from Wall Street and not supply and demand. Steve Kroft investigates.

About the only economic break most Americans have gotten in the last six months has been the drastic drop in the price of oil, which has fallen even more precipitously than it rose. In a year's time, a commodity that was theoretically priced according to supply and demand doubled from $69 a barrel to nearly $150, and then, in a period of just three months, crashed along with the stock market.

Click Here for the rest of the CBS 60 Minutes Story

This Day in History

2009-01-09T11:23:00.026-05:00

I am dedicating this post to a great friend of mine and avid reader of my blog, Mr. "Buckeye."

On this day in history;

1958
Japanese cars arrive in California

The Toyota and Datsun (later Nissan) brand names made their first appearances in the United States at the Imported Motor Car Show in Los Angeles, California. Previously, these auto makers had sold in the U.S. only under American-brand names, as part of joint ventures with Ford and GM.

January 9, 1776
Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
On this day in 1776, writer Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet "Common Sense," setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. Although little used today, pamphlets were an important medium for the spread of ideas in the 16th through 19th centuries.

Originally published anonymously, "Common Sense" advocated independence for the American colonies from Britain and is considered one of the most influential pamphlets in American history. Credited with uniting average citizens and political leaders behind the idea of independence, "Common Sense" played a remarkable role in transforming a colonial squabble into the American Revolution.

At the time Paine wrote "Common Sense," most colonists considered themselves to be aggrieved Britons. Paine fundamentally changed the tenor of colonists' argument with the crown when he wrote the following: "Europe, and not England, is the parent country of America. This new world hath been the asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty from every part of Europe. Hither they have fled, not from the tender embraces of the mother, but from the cruelty of the monster; and it is so far true of England, that the same tyranny which drove the first emigrants from home, pursues their descendants still."

Paine was born in England in 1737 and worked as a corset maker in his teens and, later, as a sailor and schoolteacher before becoming a prominent pamphleteer. In 1774, Paine arrived in Philadelphia and soon came to support American independence. Two years later, his 47-page pamphlet sold some 500,000 copies, powerfully influencing American opinion. Paine went on to serve in the U.S. Army and to work for the Committee of Foreign Affairs before returning to Europe in 1787. Back in England, he continued writing pamphlets in support of revolution. He released "The Rights of Man," supporting the French Revolution in 1791-92, in answer to Edmund Burke's famous "Reflections on the Revolution in France" (1790). His sentiments were highly unpopular with the still-monarchal British government, so he fled to France, where he was later arrested for his political opinions. He returned to the United States in 1802 and died in New York in 1809
January 9, 1913
Richard M. Nixon is born
Richard Milhous Nixon, 37th president of the United States, is born on this day in California.

The son of Quaker parents, Nixon grew up in the southern California city of Yorba Linda. Early on he proved himself to be a stellar student, attending Whittier College and graduating from Duke University Law School with honors. Nixon then joined the Navy and served during World War II as a lieutenant commander in the Pacific theater. After the war, he gravitated toward Republican politics, joining the post-war anti-communist crusade.

In 1950, Nixon ran against Democrat Helen Gahagan Douglas for a seat in the House of Representatives for California, earning the less-than-complimentary nickname “Tricky Dick” during the campaign for his ruthless red-baiting of his opponent, including alleging that Douglas was “pink down to her panties.” He won and gained national attention when, as a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Nixon relentlessly grilled Alger Hiss, a Roosevelt “New Deal” liberal and former secretary general of the United Nations, at a hearing regarding allegations that Hiss facilitated communist infiltration of the U.S. government. Hiss, legally immune from espionage charges, was later convicted of perjury. The conviction, despite Hiss’ denial of any wrongdoing, equaled an admission of guilt in the eyes of hard-line anti-communists. Largely due to his record of relentlessness in combating communism, Nixon earned the vice-presidential spot on the Republican ticket with Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952.

Early on in his career, Nixon was shadowed by allegations of accepting inappropriate campaign funding from big business and the Mafia. During his 1952 vice-presidential campaign, Nixon tried to dispel those accusations in what became known as the “Checkers speech.” The name was derived from a dog, named “Checkers,” that was given to his daughter by a corporate supporter. Playing on sentiment for his little girl, Nixon adamantly vowed to keep the dog. Americans charmed by Nixon’s heart-warming, seemingly old-fashioned values helped vote the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket into the White House.

On the whole, though, Nixon did not owe his success in politics to personality or charm; in fact, some staunch supporters described him as cold, aloof, crude, arrogant and paranoid. Even Eisenhower claimed that his vice president would never win the presidency because “the people don’t like him.” In 1968, Nixon proved his former boss wrong, but left the office in disgrace in 1974.

As president, Nixon engaged a group of men whose sole mission involved plotting ways to discredit his political opponents. In 1972, this group, known as “The Plumbers,” was caught burglarizing the Democratic National Committee Headquarters located in the Watergate Hotel. Whether Nixon authorized the burglary is not known, but he did attempt to cover up the crime, using the CIA to derail the FBI’s investigation of the burglary and other illegal activities committed by his aides and political cronies. The press gradually uncovered details behind the burglary, including the existence of a secret slush fund used to finance the operation, collected and managed by campaign officials and Nixon’s attorney general.

In 1973, the Senate established the Select Presidential Committee to investigate what had become known as the “Watergate affair.” During the investigation, an aide revealed the existence of recordings of Nixon’s Oval Office conversations. Armed with damning testimony including Nixon’s own statements on tape, Congress began the official impeachment process; in 1974, before it was completed, Nixon resigned. His successor, Gerald R. Ford, took the controversial step of pardoning Nixon.

The Watergate scandal has understandably overshadowed Nixon’s achievements while in office. His legacy includes affirmative action, welfare reform and desperately needed pollution-control measures. During Nixon’s ecologically friendly presidency, Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act, which created the Environmental Protection Agency, and amended the Clean Air Act. Congress also passed the Clean Water Act in 1972 and followed with the Endangered Species Act in 1973. On the foreign-affairs front, Nixon took bold steps toward resuming diplomatic relations with China and the Soviet Union, becoming the first president to visit either country since the beginning of the Cold War. In his later years, subsequent presidents consulted Nixon for his expertise in international affairs.

January 9, 1493
Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids

On this day in 1493, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, sailing near the Dominican Republic, sees three "mermaids"--in reality manatees--and describes them as "not half as beautiful as they are painted." Six months earlier, Columbus (1451-1506) set off from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean with the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, hoping to find a western trade route to Asia. Instead, his voyage, the first of four he would make, led him to the Americas, or "New World."

Mermaids, mythical half-female, half-fish creatures, have existed in seafaring cultures at least since the time of the ancient Greeks. Typically depicted as having a woman's head and torso, a fishtail instead of legs and holding a mirror and comb, mermaids live in the ocean and, according to some legends, can take on a human shape and marry mortal men. Mermaids are closely linked to sirens, another folkloric figure, part-woman, part-bird, who live on islands and sing seductive songs to lure sailors to their deaths.

Mermaid sightings by sailors, when they weren't made up, were most likely manatees, dugongs or Steller's sea cows (which became extinct by the 1760s due to over-hunting). Manatees are slow-moving aquatic mammals with human-like eyes, bulbous faces and paddle-like tails. It is likely that manatees evolved from an ancestor they share with the elephant. The three species of manatee (West Indian, West African and Amazonian) and one species of dugong belong to the Sirenia order. As adults, they're typically 10 to 12 feet long and weigh 800 to 1,200 pounds. They're plant-eaters, have a slow metabolism and can only survive in warm water.

Manatees live an average of 50 to 60 years in the wild and have no natural predators. However, they are an endangered species. In the U.S., the majority of manatees are found in Florida, where scores of them die or are injured each year due to collisions with boats.

January 9, 1955
"Whitey" is born

Happy Birthday, Mr. Buckeye.

Happy New Year!!!

2008-12-31T23:21:00.002-05:00

I would like to thank each of you (or it's more like both of you) who come to my site and read my postings. It's been an interesting past year and the future year holds much promise and intrigue...

I don't normally write about other blog sites, at least not directly. But one of my favorite sites is Kingdom of God Media. WWW.kogmedia.com If you like to read a different perspective about our media, I highly recommend checking this one out. For example, go HERE for a sample.

Thanks again for entertaining me with your interests in my thoughts and musings.

Have a Happy New Year.

The LORD bless you
and keep you;

the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace.

SANTA TRACKER 2008: Military center tracking Santa's sleigh ride

2008-12-24T22:05:00.003-05:00

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Who says Santa Claus doesn't exist?

The military personnel charged with being the eyes in the sky are certainly acting like he does - and they've been joined on the Internet by millions of believers.

Even doubters have reason to pause when they hear the North American Aerospace Defense Command - or NORAD, which monitors air and space threats against the U.S. and Canada - is in charge of the annual Christmas mission to keep children informed of Santa's worldwide journey to their homes.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY...

Someone out there reads all the letters to Santa

2008-12-24T22:01:00.003-05:00

Requests range from extravagant to poignant, such as the boy whose family can't afford Christmas.

Each year, letters to Santa -- scribbled and sealed tight (children really seem to like glue) -- arrive at local post offices.

For more than 25 years in Fresno, postal workers have volunteered to open the wistful missives, sending a colorful form letter back from "your friend Santa." Sometimes they're moved by the lives of children who write.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY...

Alexander Hamilton's Advice To The Obama Administration

2008-12-18T00:12:00.004-05:00

by Thom Hartmann
Published on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 by CommonDreams.org

Alexander Hamilton, in 1791, proposed to the United States our first true industrial policy. We adopted it over the next few years, Abraham Lincoln reaffirmed it fourscore years later, and it was again affirmed by every President of the United States until Reagan began his now-28-year "Reagan Revolution" which has disassembled America's industrial base and impoverished our nation. For over 200 years, Hamilton's policy made America the most powerful industrial nation in the world; now – after just 28 years of Reagonomics and Clinton/Rubinomics – we are the largest importer of other people's industry, and the most indebted nation in the world.

The entirety of Hamilton's paper is easily found on the web. The first third of it deals with Jefferson's objections to it (which Jefferson withdrew later in his life), as Jefferson favored America being an agricultural rather than an industrial power in 1791. Once you cut past that, though, Hamilton gets right to the rationale for, and the details of, his 11-point plan to turn America into an industrial power and build a strong manufacturing-based middle class. Ironically, his policies are exactly – EXACTLY – what Japan, South Korea, and China are doing today. And what we have ceased to do.

Hamilton had it right. We must reject Reagon/Bush/Clinton/Bush-onomics and return to what the Founders knew worked. Here are selected excerpts from Hamilton's 1791 Report on Manufactures to Congress:

First, Hamilton points out that real wealth doesn't exist until somebody makes something. A "service economy" is an oxymoron – if I wash your car in exchange for your mowing my lawn, money is moving around, it's a service economy, but no real and lasting wealth is created. Only through manufacturing, when $5 worth of iron ore is converted into a $2000 car door, or $1 worth of raw wool is converted into a $1000 Calvin Klein suit, is real wealth created. He also notes that people being paid for creating wealth (manufacturing) creates wages, which are the principal engine of demand, which drives an economy. And both come from a foreign trade policy.

"The expediency of encouraging manufactures in the United States," Hamilton started out, "which was not long since deemed very questionable, appears at this time to be pretty generally admitted."

Explaining why manufacturing was importing to America, he continued: "It merits particular observation, that the multiplication of manufactories not only furnishes a Market for those articles, which have been accustomed to be produced in abundance, in a country; but it likewise creates a demand for such as were either unknown or produced in inconsiderable quantities."

In addition, Hamilton noted, an industrial policy should be interwoven with foreign policy, for to have a foreign policy that doesn't consider its own impact on manufacturing enterprises is useless. "'Tis for the United States to consider by what means they can render themselves least dependent," of other nation's manufactures, Hamilton wrote, "on the combinations, right or wrong of foreign policy."

But there were many voices – the loudest from Thomas Jefferson – who objected to Hamilton's 11-point plan. They saw the widespread poverty in the United Kingdom and all the corruption attendant to a wealthy nation, and argued that instead of becoming an industrial power we should remain an agricultural nation. Hamilton said that both were possible, and there would even be a desirable synergy between the two.

"The remaining objections to a particular encouragement of manufactures in the United States now require to be examined," he wrote, and then first took on the Adam Smith school of thought, that industry shouldn't be encouraged because a "free market" will eventually work itself out.

"One of these turns on the proposition, that Industry, if left to itself, will naturally find its way to the most useful and profitable employment: whence it is inferred, that manufactures without the aid of government will grow up as soon and as fast, as the natural state of things and the interest of the community may require.

"Against the solidity of this hypothesis, in the full latitude of the terms, very cogent reasons may be offered. These have relation to the strong influence of habit and the spirit of imitation -- the fear of want of success in untried enterprises -- the intrinsic difficulties incident to first essays towards a competition with those who have previously attained to perfection in the business to be attempted -- the bounties premiums and other artificial encouragements, with which foreign nations second the exertions of their own Citizens in the branches, in which they are to be rivaled.

"To produce the desirable changes, as early as may be expedient, may therefore require the incitement and patronage of government."

Government, Hamilton held, shouldn't just be the igniter of an industrial state. Indeed, it would be impossible to truy and successfully build an industrial nation without the help of government.

"To be enabled to contend with success, it is evident, that the interference and aid of their own government are indispensable."

The reasons were pretty straightforward, Hamilton wrote: it would take government's power to set up a playing field for the game of business where investors who would otherwise be able to make more money overseas would keep their money in the United States.

"There are weighty inducements to prefer the employment of capital at home even at less profit, to an investment of it abroad, though with greater gain," he wrote. "These impressions will prove a rich mine of prosperity to the Country, if they are confirmed and strengthened by the progress of our affairs. And to secure this advantage, little more is now necessary, than to foster industry..." He added, "[I]t is the interest of a community with a view to eventual and permanent economy, to encourage the growth of manufactures. There seems to be a moral certainty, that the trade of a country which is both manufacturing and Agricultural will be more lucrative and prosperous, than that of a Country, which is, merely Agricultural. The Nation which can bring to Market, but few articles is likely to be more quickly and sensibly affected by such stagnations, than one, which is always possessed of a great variety of commodities."

And this was absolutely the basis of the true wealth of a nation, Hamilton believed.

"There is ground to believe, that a difference of situation, in this particular, has immensely different effects upon the wealth and prosperity of Nations.

"From these circumstances collectively, two important inferences are to be drawn, one, that there is always a higher probability of a favorable balance of Trade, in regard to countries in which manufactures founded on the basis of a thriving Agriculture flourish, than in regard to those, which are confined wholly or almost wholly to Agriculture; the other (which is also a consequence of the first) that countries of the former description are likely to possess more pecuniary wealth, or money, than those of the latter."

Having provided this overview, Hamilton got right to the meat of the matter – his 11-step plan, based on Henry VII's Tudor Plan, which would later be used by Japan, Germany, South Korea, and China, to build industry. After a paragraph of introduction, the first on his list was protecting duties, known today as tariffs. An easy way of explaining tariffs is to say, "If there's a dollar's worth of labor in a pair of shoes manufactured in the United States, and you can make the same pair of shoes with twenty cents worth of labor in China, then we're going to charge you an eighty cent tariff when those shoes are imported into the United States. If you can make them with fifty cents of labor in Mexico, then our import tariff is fifty cents. Whatever and wereever, import duties are used to equalize manufacturing costs and protect domestic industries.

After Hamilton's plan was adopted, tariffs became so important that 100 percent of the revenue of the US Government from the late 1700s until the Civil War came from tariffs. Two-thirds of our revenue from the Civil War to WWI came from tariffs. And even when government had grown exponentially as we led up to World War II, fully a third of all federal revenues came from Tariffs.

Here's how Hamilton wrote it:

A full view having now been taken of the inducements to the promotion of manufactures in the United States, accompanied with an examination of the principal objections which are commonly urged in opposition, it is proper, in the next place, to consider the means by which it may be effected. In order to a better judgment of the means proper to be resorted to by the United States, it will be of use to advert to those which have been employed with success in other countries. The principal of these are:

1. Protecting duties -- or duties on those foreign articles which are the rivals of the domestic ones intended to be encouraged.
Duties of this nature evidently amount to a virtual bounty on the domestic fabrics; since, by enhancing the charges on foreign articles, they enable the, national manufacturers to undersell ;all their foreign competitors. It has the additional recommendation of being a resource of revenue. Indeed, all tile duties imposed on imported articles, though with an exclusive view to revenue, have the effect, in contemplation, and, except where they fill on raw materials, wear a beneficent aspect towards the manufacturers of the country.

2. Prohibitions of rival articles, or duties equivalent to prohibitions.
This is another and an efficacious mean of encouraging national manufactures; Of duties equivalent to prohibitions, there are examples in the laws of the United States, but they are not numerous. It might almost be said, by the principles of distributive justice; certainly, by the duty of endeavoring to secure to their own citizens a reciprocity of advantages.

3. Prohibitions of the exportation of the Materials of Manufactures.
The desire of securing a cheap and plentiful supply for the national workmen, and where the article is either peculiar to tile country, or of peculiar quality there, the jealousy of enabling foreign workmen to rival those of the nation with its own materials, are the leading motives to this species of regulation. It is seen at once, that its immediate operation is to abridge the demand, and keep down the price of the produce of some other branch of industry -generally speaking, of agriculture-to the prejudice of those who carry it on; and though, if it be really essential to the prosperity of any very important national manufacture, it may happen that those who are injured, in the first instance, may, be, eventually, indemnified by the superior steadiness of an extensive domestic market, depending on that prosperity; yet, in a matter in which there is so much room for nice and difficult combinations, in which, such opposite considerations combat each other, prudence seems to dictate that the expedient in question ought to be indulged with a sparing hand.

4. Pecuniary bounties.
This has been found one of the most efficacious means of encouraging manufactures, and is, in some views, the best. Though it has not yet been practised upon by the Government of the United States (unless the allowance on the expiration of dried and pickled fish and salted meat could be considered as a bounty), and though it is less favored by public opinion than some other modes, its advantages are these:
A. It is a species of encouragement more positive and direct than any other, and, for that very reason, has a more immediate tendency to stimulate and uphold new enterprises, increasing the chances of profit, and diminishing the risks of loss, in the first attempts.

B. It avoids the inconvenience of a temporary augmentation of price, which is incident to some other modes; or it produces it to, a less degree, either by making no addition to the charges on the rival foreign article, as in the case of protecting duties, or by making a smaller addition. The first happens when the fund for the bounty is derived from a different object (which may or may not increase the price of some other article, according to the nature of that object), the second, when the fund is derived from the same, or a similar object, of foreign manufacture. One per cent. duty on the foreign article, converted into a bounty on the domestic, will have an equal effect with a duty of two per cent., exclusive of such bounty; and the price of the foreign commodity is liable to be raised, in the one case, in the proportion of one per cent.; in the other in that of two per cent. Indeed the bounty, when drawn from another source, is calculated to promote a reduction of price; because, without laying any new charge on the foreign article, it serves to introduce a competition with it, and to increase the total quantity of the article in the market.
C. Bounties have not, like high protecting duties, a tendency to produce scarcity.

D. Bounties are, sometimes, not only the best, but the only proper expedient for uniting the encouragement of a new object.
The true way to conciliate these two interests is to lay a duty on foreign manufactures of the material, the growth of which is desired to be encouraged, and to apply the produce of that duty, by way of bounty, either upon the production of the material itself, or upon its manufacture at home, or upon both.

Pecuniary bounties are, in most cases, indispensable to the introduction of a new branch. Bounties are especially essential in regard to articles upon which those foreigners, who have been accustomed to supply a country, are in the practice of granting them.

The continuance of bounties on manufactures long established, must almost always be of questionable policy: because a presumption would arise, in every such case, that there were natural and inherent impediments to success. But, in new undertakings, they are as justifiable as they are oftentimes necessary.

5. Premiums
These are of a nature allied to bounties, though distinguishable from them in some important features. Bounties are applicable to the whole quantity of an article produced, or manufactured, or exported, and involve a correspondent expense. Premiums serve to reward some particular excellence or superiority, some extraordinary exertion or skill, and are dispensed only in a small number of cases. But their effect is to stimulate general effort;

6. The exemption of the materials of manufactures from duty.
The policy of that exemption, as a general rule, particularly in reference to new establishments, is obvious. Of a nature, hearing some affinity to that policy, is the regulation which exempts from duty the tools and implements, as well as the books, clothes, and household furniture, of foreign artists, who come to reside in the United States-an advantage already secured to them by the laws of the Union, and which it is, in every view, proper to continue.

7. Drawbacks of the duties which are imposed on the materials of manufactures.
Such drawbacks are familiar in countries which systematically pursue the business of manufactures; which furnishes an argument for the observance of a similar policy in the United States; and the idea has been adopted by the laws of the Union, in the instances of salt and molasses. It is believed that it will be found advantageous to extend it to some other articles.

8. The encouragement of new intentions and discoveries at home, and of the introduction into the United States of such as may have been made in other countries; particularly, those which relate to machinery.
This is among the most useful and unexceptionable of the aids which can be given to manufactures. The usual means of that encouragement are pecuniary rewards, and, for a time, exclusive privileges. The first must be employed, according to the occasion, and the utility of the invention or discovery. For the last, so far w respects " authors and inventors," provision has been made by law. It is customary with manufacturing nations to prohibit, under severe penalties, the exportation of implements and machines, which they have either invented or improved. As far as prohibitions tend to prevent foreign competitors from deriving the benefit of the improvements made at home, they tend to increase the advantages of those by whom they may have been introduced, and operate as an encouragement to exertion.

9. Judicious regulations for the inspection of manufactured commodities.
This is not among the least important of the means by which the prosperity of manufactures may be promoted. It is, indeed, {255} in many cases, one of the most essential. Contributing to prevent frauds upon consumers at home, and exporters to foreign countries; to improve the quality, and preserve the character of the national manufactures…

10. The facilitating of pecuniary remittances from place to place --
A general circulation of bank paper, which is to be expected from the institution lately established, will be a most valuable mean to this end.

11. The facilitating of the transportation of commodities.
There is, perhaps, scarcely any thin" which has been better calculated to assist the manufacturers of Great Britain, than the melioration of the public roads of that kingdom, {256} and the great progress which has been of late made in opening canals. Of the former, the United States stand much in need;

These examples, it is to be hoped, will stimulate the exertions of the Government and citizens of every State. There can certainly be no object more worthy of the cares of the local administrations; and it were to be wished that there was no doubt of the power of the National Government to lend its direct aid on a comprehensive plan. This is one of those improvements which could be prosecuted with more efficacy by the whole, than by any part or parts of the Union. "Good roads, canals, and navigable rivers, by diminishing the expense of carriage, put the remote parts of a country more nearly upon a level with those in the neighborhood of the town. They are, upon that account, the greatest of all improvement."
It may confidently be affirmed, that there is scarcely any thing which has been devised, better calculated to excite a general spirit of improvement, than the institutions of this nature. The are truly invaluable.

In countries where there is great private wealth, much may be effected by the voluntary contributions of patriotic individuals; but in a community situated like that of the United States, the public purse must supply the deficiency of private resource. In what can it be so useful, as in prompting and improving the efforts of industry?

All which is humbly submitted.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON,
Secretary of the Treasury.

And to further demonstrate the prescience of Alexander Hamilton, consider this argument he embedded into point 4 in his 11 point plan, rebutting today's "conservatives" who say that everything from trade policy to Social Security are "unconstitutional" because they're not spelled out in the Constitution:

A question has been made concerning the constitutional right of the Government of the United States to apply this species of encouragement; but there is certainty no good foundation for such a question. The National Legislature has express authority "to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts, and provide for the common defense and general welfare," with no other qualifications than that "all duties, imposts and excises, shall be uniform throughout the United States; and that no capitation or other direct tax shall be laid, unless in proportion to numbers, ascertained by a census or enumeration, taken on the principles prescribed in the constitution," and that "no tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from any State."

These three qualifications excepted, the power to raise money is plenary and indefinite, and the objects to which it may be appropriated, are no less comprehensive thin the payment of the public debts, and the providing for the common defense and general welfare. The terms "general welfare" were doubtless intended to signify more than was expressed or imported in those which preceded; otherwise, numerous exigencies incident to the affairs of a nation would have been left without a provision. The phrase is as comprehensive as any that could have been used; because it was not fit that the constitutional authority of the Union to appropriate its revenues should have been restricted within narrower limits than the "general welfare;" and because this necessarily embraces a vast variety of particulars, which are susceptible neither of specification nor of definition.

It is, therefore, of necessity, left to the discretion of the National Legislature to pronounce upon the objects which concern the general welfare, and for which, under that description, an appropriation of money is requisite and proper. And there seems to be no room for a doubt, that whatever concerns the general interests of learning, of agriculture, of manufactures, and of commerce, are within the sphere of the national councils, as far as regards an application of money.

We need to begin paying attention to the wisdom of the Founders and Framers if our country is to survive…

Click HERE to check out www.commondreams.org

IRAQI JOURNALIST HURLS SHOES AT BUSH

2008-12-14T15:35:00.002-05:00

Man Shouted: "This Is A Goodbye Kiss, You Dog"... Dragged Away By Security... Bush Uninjured, Jokes 'It Was A Size 10'

An Iraqi television journalist hurled two shoes at President Bush on Sunday during a joint news conference Bush was holding with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki to mark the signing of a U.S.-Iraq security agreement.

Bush had just finished his prepared remarks in which he said the security agreement was made possible by the U.S. surge of troops earlier this year, whhen the journalist, Muthathar al Zaidi pulled his shoes off and hurled them at the president. "This is a goodbye kiss, you dog," Zaidi shouted.

Bush dodged the shoes and was not struck. Bodyguards quickly wrestled Zaidi to the floor and hauled him, kicking and screaming, from the room. Two other Iraqi journalists were briefly detained after one of them called Zaidi's actions "courageous."

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY AT HUFFINGTONPOST.COM

GPS, Hidden Cameras Watch Over Baby Jesus

2008-12-10T20:35:00.003-05:00

When Baby Jesus disappeared last year from a Nativity scene on the lawn of the Wellington, Fla., community center, village officials didn't follow a star to locate him.

A GPS device mounted inside the life-size ceramic figurine led sheriff's deputies to a nearby apartment, where it was found face down on the carpet. An 18-year-old woman was arrested in the theft....

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY...

3 Charred Monkeys Found In Luggage At Dulles Airport

2008-12-08T17:59:00.003-05:00

(UGH! That's so GROSS)

Customs officials searching the bags of an African man who flew into Dulles International Airport on Friday discovered three charred monkeys in his luggage, as well as pounds of deer meat and dried beef, U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials said today.

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY

Obama should prosecute Bush officials who designed torture policy

2008-12-06T18:51:00.004-05:00

By Michael Ratner, December 3, 2008

One of Barack Obama’s first acts as president should be to instruct his attorney general to appoint an independent prosecutor to initiate a criminal investigation of former Bush Administration officials who gave the green light to torture.

At Obama’s press conference on Dec. 1, he spoke of upholding America’s highest values as he introduced Eric Holder as his choice for attorney general. Holder insisted there was no tension between protecting the people of the United States and adhering to our Constitution.

A few months ago, Holder was even more explicit. “Our government authorized the use of torture, approved of secret electronic surveillance against American citizens, secretly detained American citizens without due process of law, denied the writ of habeas corpus to hundreds of accused enemy combatants and authorized the use of procedures that violate both international law and the United States Constitution,” he said. “We owe the American people a reckoning.”

The day of reckoning is fast upon us.

If Obama and Holder want to adhere to our Constitution and uphold our highest values, they must pursue those in the Bush Administration who violated that Constitution, broke our laws, and tarnished our values.

Read the words of Lt. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba, who investigated the Abu Ghraib scandal for the Pentagon. “There is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes,” he concluded. “The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account.”

Despite Taguba’s words and reams of documentation supporting his statement, there has been little discussion about holding officials accountable for their design and implementation of the torture program.

We need to make it clear, just as we do in cases with the most minor offenses, that actions have consequences. To simply let those officials walk off the stage sends a message of impunity that will only encourage future law breaking. The message that we need to send is that they will be held accountable.

A popular refrain in Washington these days is that criminal prosecutions would be an unnecessary look backward. Some argue that in order for the new administration to move forward, presidential pardons should be granted and a Truth Commission assembled to investigate the circumstances that gave rise to the brutal interrogations and deaths of prisoners in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay and CIA black sites around the world.

But pardons would be the final refuge for an administration whose egregious violations of human rights have, for all too long, gone unpunished. And a Truth Commission is not applicable.

This is not Latin America; this is not South Africa. We are not trying to end a civil war, heal a wounded country and reconcile warring factions. We are a democracy trying to hold accountable officials that led our country down the road to torture. And in a democracy, it is the job of a prosecutor and not the pundits to determine whether crimes were committed.

Criminal prosecutions are not about looking to the past; they are about creating a future world without torture. They will be the mark of the new dawn of America’s leadership and our new era of accountability.

Prosecuting these officials would help the United States regain its moral standing in the world and to prove our commitment to upholding international human rights standards.

In his first nationally televised interview, President-elect Barack Obama made this promise: “I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture. And I'm going to make sure that we don't torture.”

The best way to do that is to prosecute those who designed the torture policies.

Michael Ratner is president of the Center for Constitutional Rights and author of “The Trial of Donald Rumsfeld: A Prosecution by Book.” He can be reached at pmproj@progressive.org.

This article originally appeared at progressive.org

$1 Gas Becoming A Possibility

2008-12-06T18:35:00.003-05:00

Oil prices hit four-year lows Friday as employers cut the highest number of jobs in 34 years. The continuing decline in prices is so dramatic and so sudden that it is raising the prospect that gas prices could soon fall below $1 a gallon.

The worst jobs data in 34 years on Friday just added more fuel to the deepening global recession as U.S. employers slashed a far worse-than-expected 533,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate rose to a 15-year high of 6.7 percent.

A gallon of gasoline can be had for 50 cents less than it cost just last month, and people are starting to talk about $1 gas.

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

Dog frozen to sidewalk; fat helped it survive

2008-12-06T18:27:00.004-05:00

By Gary C. Klein, The Sheboygan Press

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (AP) — A dog weighing more than 120 pounds survived being frozen to a sidewalk overnight, probably because he was insulated by layers of fat, authorities said.

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

"If you're in the luckiest 1 per cent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 per cent."

2008-12-04T15:29:00.018-05:00

(Hathaway Mills, New Bedford, Mass.)

“There’s class warfare, all right,” Mr. Buffett said, “but it’s my class, the rich class, that’s making war, and we’re winning.”

I am sure that many of you have heard of Warren Buffett, one of the wealthiest men in the world, also one of the most quoted. A couple of years ago, Buffett compiled a data sheet of men and women who worked in his office. Many, not all, were secretaries or clerks. He had each of them make a fraction; the numerator (top number) was the total amount of federal taxes, including social security and medicare, and the denominator (bottom number) was their taxable income.

What Mr. Buffett found out was he paid far less as a percentage of his income in taxes than anyone else in his office. Mr. Buffett paid 17.7% taxes on income of $46 million for 2006, while his secretary paid over 30% taxes on income of $60,000. Buffett does not use any tax planning strategy, he just pays as the IRS Code requires.

In 2007, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein acknowledged in an interview that there were justified concerns about the huge profits generated by private equity firms and that he was worried that income inequality was "poisoning democracy." Blankfein earned $54 million in 2006.

Mr. Buffett calls himself a Democrat because he feels Republicans are more likely to think:" I'm making $80 million a year - God must have intended for me to have a lower tax rate." Buffett said that a Republican proposal to eliminate elements of inheritance tax, which raises about $30 billion from the assets of roughly 12,000 rich families, would broaden the disparity between the rich and poor. He suggested taking $30 billion and giving $1,000 to 30 million poor families rather than favoring 12,000 rich families and making 30 million families pay the extra $1,000.

Another quote atrributed to Buffett:
"I don't have a problem with guilt about money. The way I see it is that my money represents an enormous number of claim checks on society. It's like I have these little pieces of paper that I can turn into consumption. If I wanted to, I could hire 10,000 people to do nothing but paint my picture every day for the rest of my life. And the GNP would go up. But the utility of the product would be zilch, and I would be keeping those 10,000 people from doing AIDS research, or teaching, or nursing. I don't do that though. I don't use very many of those claim checks. There's nothing material I want very much. And I'm going to give virtually all of those claim checks to charity when my wife and I die."

Now, I'm not a Warren Buffett "Homer," but there is something to his messages. The reality; trickle down economics has failed. The top of the organization has failed the bottom of the organization. Over 700 billion tax dollars are handed out as a form of corporate welfare. Yes, corporate welfare. Nobody is talking about how to create jobs. Now, the Big Three automakers (Beg 3) are holding out their hands because nobody is buying cars. No one can get a loan. Financial Institutions want more money so they can relax the lending infrastructure so people can borrow money to buy things? Yet, how are they going to pay for it? With what job?

I believe the core industry of our economy is indeed the auto industry. So much revolves around it. Manufacturing, transportation, research, development, banking, etc... The list goes on and on. And, if, there is an industry that needs government assistance, it should be this industry. Communities are built around automotive factories. These communities include small businesses and small business owners. The barber, the landscaper, even the paper boy. When factories were moved South to Mexico, so were the jobs. And the income that came with those jobs. And the purchasing power that came with that income. No pay. No money. Maybe it's time to bring back tariffs to protect our industries.

There's all this talk about re-distribution vs. creation of wealth. Really? So much concern that the new administration is going to implement policy that will do nothing more than "take from the rich and give to the poor." When an automotive company is moved from, let's say, Minneapolis, Minnesota, to a small town in Mexico and then that same auto is returned to Minneapolis and sold for the same price as the vehicle that was once built in that town. The reduced cost of labor is more profit for the parent company. That's it. Isn't that a re-distribution of wealth? But the trickle down loss is the income of the autoworker who supports his family, pays a mortgage, buys groceries, buys gasoline, pays the paper boy. It is the middle class, the "American Dream," that is the sustaining force of our economy. From Hoover through Roosevelt to Eisenhower, our country grew on the backs of the middle class and their prosperity. As the middle class goes, so does our country.

As far as the argument for foreign manufacturing being cheaper than American made, well we can all look in the mirror for whom to blame. (Remember, "BUY AMERICAN?") Rather than maintaining tariffs to protect our industries and the jobs in those industries, consumer greed drove the machine that demanded a free trade system. This driving force is what many believe drove so many of our factories overseas and across the border, even though, many other countries place tariffs on imported American made products. But what is killing our economy is that lower manufacturing costs did not drive down consumer costs. Lower costs to bring items to market increased corporate profits, increased dividends and skyrocketing stock prices. No trickle down. Corporate America held the working class hostage by threatening to move the factories overseas or across the border unless they received concessions. Even some of these companies, after receiving concessions, chose to move their operations out of the U.S. just to increase their profit margin.

Now, we have a new class in America; the working poor. Fortunate to have jobs. Dreaming about the "American Dream." But unable to afford it.

By the way, remember Blankfein? How about Goldman Sachs? Warren Buffett invested $5 billion dollars into Goldman Sachs after the Wall Street market meltdown that crippled many large investment banks. But don't feel sad for Mr. Buffett, his company will earn $500 million annually in dividends from this deal (10% return). Just keep an eye out and an ear open for this guy. Everybody on Wall Street does...

"When a management with a reputation for brilliance tackles a business with a reputation for bad economics, it is usually the reputation of the business that remains intact."

Why No One Should Buy Presents This Year

2008-12-02T17:02:00.003-05:00

by Kira Craft

(It's Not Worth Dying or Killing For!))

Last week, Black Friday heralded the unofficial kickoff of the 2008 winter holiday shopping frenzy. Despite the economic chill in the air and the Ghost of Christmas Future in our peripheral vision, determined consumers gathered to snag special deals from anxious retailers who opened stores as early as 12:01 a.m. for these stoic souls. While it appears that sales have gotten off to a robust start, analysts warn holiday buying enthusiasm may fade once doorbuster deals peter out. Hallelujah!

Call me Scrooge if you want, but I think that no one should buy holiday presents this year. Materialism has been on a rampage for too long in this country- it deserves a time-out and we deserve an extended vacation from it. There's something really wrong with how the holiday season has been transformed from communal celebration into gift competition. Is there anything more valuable in life than our time and what we choose to do with it? The last thing I feel like using mine up on is running around searching for presents that are supposed to prove my love.

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

Dressing alike everyday habit for this couple

2008-12-02T16:38:00.002-05:00

(I Love my wife, madly, but there's no way I'm wearing anything pink)

My wife is, truly, one of the greatest people on this earth. She is quite a blessing to me and our four sons. I recently realized how much she is my best friend. Two summers ago, she wanted to take up golf so we can spend more of our leisure time together and have a common hobby. This past fall she joined my fantasy football league just so she can try to learn more about something I have a deep passion for (football). I know I owe her for so much of what is my life, and I thank God every day for her. But I am NOT going to dress like her.

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

Doctor Eats Only Organic For Three Years...Does It Work?

2008-12-02T16:07:00.005-05:00

Fruits, vegetables and animals can be 100 percent organic. What about people?

In a fascinating experiment — on himself — Dr. Alan Greene, a pediatrician and author in Danville, Calif., decided to find out. For the last three years, Dr. Greene has eaten nothing but organic foods, whether he’s cooking at home, dining out or snacking on the road.

He chose three years as a goal because that was the amount of time it took to have a breeding animal certified organic by the Department of Agriculture. While food growers comply with organic regulations every day, Dr. Greene wondered whether a person could meet the same standards.

It hasn’t been easy.

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

China Buys Naming Rights to U.S.

2008-12-02T15:46:00.003-05:00

In a landmark deal that could provide much-needed cash to America's anemic economy, China agreed today to acquire the naming rights to the U.S. for a reported $1.4 trillion

The deal, which is expected to be signed by President George W. Bush and Chinese president Hu Jintao sometime before Inauguration Day on January 20, was hailed today by Mr. Bush as a "win-win" for both countries.

"We get 1.4 trillion dollars, and all we have to do is change our name to 'Panda Garden,'" Mr. Bush told reporters at the White House.

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

Renewable Energy: The 10 Big Energy Myths

2008-12-02T15:00:00.005-05:00

(Give A Hoot, Don't Pollute)

There has never been a more important time to invest in green technologies, yet many of us believe these efforts are doomed to failure. What nonsense, writes Chris Goodall...

Myth 1: solar power is too expensive to be of much use...
Click HERE for the rest of the story

What to Do When Your Party Sucks

2008-11-25T19:05:00.002-05:00

by David Michael Green

Published on Monday, November 24, 2008 by www.CommonDreams.org

Progressives are gonna have a lot of fun and satisfaction over the next two, four and eight years – although with each passing day and appointment, it doesn't appear as though much of it is going to come from Barack Obama.

More on that last bit another time. Meanwhile, the good stuff will be coming from the other team, for once. Now harmlessly out of power, their antics will have little impact in the real world. But, if schadenfreude is your game, you're gonna enjoy this.

The Republican Party had the absolute shit kicked out of it. And that was back in 2006. Then it was drowned, set on fire, hung, drawn and quartered, and hit by a freight train in 2008. These were not elections they won, or even barely lost. In 2006 they gave up control of both houses of Congress. The 1994 episode notwithstanding, that is not something that generally happens even once in a generation. George W. Bush, in perhaps the one truthful statement of his entire presidency, described it as "a thumpin'." He somehow neglected to also mention the cause for that thumpin', despite that it being someone with whom he is quite familiar. In 2008 they got stomped by similar proportions again, only this time they also lost the presidency too. And possibly (two Senate races are still unresolved) even the potential to filibuster as well. What's more, getting trounced twice in a row is an order of magnitude worse than simply getting trounced twice. That's another thing that rarely ever happens to an American political party.

Click HERE for the rest of the story

Why Are Christians Having Better Sex Than the Rest of Us? ( Or You!)

2008-11-25T17:43:00.004-05:00

by Tucker Carlson

A Texas pastor has come up with one of the best public policy proposals of the decade: have more sex.

Let’s concede right up front that you hate evangelicals. Most affluent, educated people do. Where I live, they're the most unpopular group there is. How do I know this? Because of the reaction to a story that ran in yesterday’s New York Times.

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

P.S.
Honey, if you're reading this, I'll be home right after work!!!

United States presidential line of succession

2008-11-22T17:24:00.013-05:00

Or, "How To Get There From Here."
My wife read an e-mail to me she received from, I don't know,McCain, maybe, about how to get back at Obama, or something like that. The context of the email was about getting back at Obama or those who voted for him. The premise detailed the succession process, i.e., what if "W" resigned and then Cheney was sworn in and then Cheney could nominate Rice as vice-president.
The objective would be for Cheney to resign and therefore making Rice, president, the first black-women president.

It's makes for an interesting, plausible, situation. But, far more difficult in reality. Until the 25th amendment was passed, the Constitution lacked provisions to replace a vice-president in the event he resigned, succeeded to presidency, removed from office, or in Cheney's case, died (wishful thinking).

The 25th Amendment deals with the succession to the Presidency, establishes the procdeures for filling in the vacancy of the vice-president and to responding to circumstances as to when the president is incapacitated or unable to discharge the presidential powers.

Originally, the Constitution lacked specific guidelines about the vice-president succession upon the president's incapacity. Also, it lacked provisions for the replacement of the vice-president in the event he died, resigned or succeeded to the presidency. The Constitution also did not state as to who had the power to declare a president incapacitated (This should have been addressed in the past eight years, seeing that "W" has been out of it for some time).

Currently, Presidential Succession Act Of 1947 specifies the current line of succession but not until the 25th Amendment did the Constitution provide for vice-presidential vacancies. Often, the vice-presidency has been left vacant, several times for years, due to death, resignation, or succession to the presidency.

Section 2 of the 25th Amendment states, "Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the vice-president, the president shall nominate a vice-president who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress."

When Spiro Agnew resigned as vice-president, President Nixon nominated Gerald Ford on 12 October, 1973. The Senate confirmed Ford on 27 November, 1973 and the House of Representatives confirmed Ford 06 December, 1973. Almost two months from the day Nixon made him the nominee.

But Ford nominated Nelson Rockfeller on 20 August, 1974 and Rockfeller did not get confirmed by both Houses until 19 December, 1974, after a long Congressional investigation. Four months after he was nominated by President Ford.

So, Virginia, as you can see, it is plausible for the Conspiracy Theorists to believe there is a manner in which Conoleeza Rice could be president, but history has shown that, due to the time necessary for Congress to confirm a nominee, it is not possible for it to happen between now and Inauguration Day...

Too Bad! (Not!)

What Could've Been...

2008-11-21T00:07:00.003-05:00

Alaska Governor To Pardon A Turkey ( And No It's Not "W")

This is awesome, just awesome. I gotta warn ya. This video is a little graphic. The gentleman is in the background slaughtering turkeys while Palin just babbles on and on. I can't believe they interviewed her with this going on right behind her!

Unbelievable? You betcha!!!

Just awesome

Why Americans Can't Get Their Hands on Great Small Cars

2008-11-19T11:50:00.003-05:00

(2009 Ford Ka)

BMW’s Mini builds the Mini Cooper D, one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the world. It has a 1.6-liter, 110-horsepower (with 240 lbs feet of torque) diesel engine that is capable of getting well over 60 miles per gallon (about 80 mpg has been recorded with the manual transmission). In any guise, the Mini Cooper is one of the best handling vehicles you can buy. The Mini Cooper Diesel still has amazing handling like other Minis and is available in several configurations (convertible and larger Clubman), but it is not available in the United States.

Ford has been building the Ka for over 12 years. It is an extremely efficient design and gets remarkable mileage while still being entertaining to drive...

Click HERE for the rest of the story...

Are the Dems Plotting to Hush Rush?

2008-11-16T16:00:00.003-05:00

Will the Obama administration force Rush Limbaugh off the air?

Some conservative activists are claiming such a tragedy is nearly at hand, and they've been trying to whip up a frenzy. Limbaugh and his brethren believe Democrats are plotting a revival of the Fairness Doctrine, a controversial policy once enforced by the Federal Communications Commission to ensure broadcasters presented balanced views in their coverage of controversial subjects. While perhaps well intended, the Truman-era rule ultimately encouraged broadcasters to avoid touchy topics altogether, rather than seek out contrasting viewpoints. Many broadcast journalists saw the rule as a major violation of their free-speech rights. The FCC voted to abolish it in 1987. Democrats attempted to revive the rule, but President George H.W. Bush threatened to veto the legislation (as Ronald Reagan had in 1987), and those efforts failed. Since then, the Fairness Doctrine has largely been relegated to textbooks on media law—that is, until it was resurrected as the latest conservative bugaboo.

For the rest of the article, click here...

Neil Young: How To Save A Major Automobile Company

2008-11-16T15:23:00.002-05:00

(Yeah, That Neil Young)

This is an interesting story (click here) because it provides an opinion from someone I would not have expected to have such a unique perspective. Make sure to click on the link at the end of the article, as it will take you to the New York Times article about the car, which is also quite fascinating.

Thank You Huffington Post for the Neil Young Blog and to the New York Times for the article on the LincVolt...

I think Drew Sharp is a Punk!

2008-11-16T10:00:00.009-05:00

But this article carries a lot of weight...

Drew Sharp is a sports columnist for the Detroit Free Press. In my humble opinion, he is what's wrong with sports journalism today. When I was a kid, reading about sports and athletes is what motivated me to be such a huge sports fan today. This guy, who I like to call Mr. Negative, always, ALWAYS, finds something negative to write about. He career exists only because the Lions suck. I hoped that after the firing of Millen that Sharp's days in Detroit would be numbered. "Wait til next season" takes a whole new meaning for me when it comes to this guy. After the Lions turn it around, I hope this yahoo gets transferred to Cincinnati. This worthless journalist spreads nothing but hate and negativity. Nothing constructive comes from his pen, only criticism. LOSER...

Anyways, I have to give credit where credit is due. Here's and interesting article Mr. "N" wrote for this weekend edition of the Detroit Free Fish Wrap. Check it out... (CLICK HERE)

Hannah's Choice: Saying No to a New Heart

2008-11-15T22:29:00.010-05:00

Hannah Jones, 13, has turned down a lifesaving heart transplant to die at home with her family

I decided to post this story from "TIME" magazine on my blog because, as a father of four sons ages 4 to 12, it really touched my heart. I hope many get to read this story and for those of you who are blessed, like I am, thank the Lord for the gift of children.

The story of a 13-year-old British girl who is refusing a heart transplant because she's already been through enough pain reminds me that when you're looking for the right answer, humility may be as essential as wisdom.Hannah Jones' leukemia was diagnosed when she was 4; she later developed heart disease, and has endured chemotherapy and nearly a dozen operations. This past summer, when doctors told her that without a heart transplant she'd be dead in six months, she refused to go through with it. "I've been in hospital too much — I've had too much trauma," she told the Guardian. She was not asserting a right to die; she was suggesting that she had a right to live on her own terms, and to decide whether the benefit was worth the cost. No one was promising a cure. Without a transplant, her heart was sure to give out, but the operation could kill her, as could the complications that might follow. Anti-rejection drugs could reignite the leukemia; another transplant might be necessary in just a few years. Hannah's mother Kirsty was once an intensive-care nurse and had seen the ordeal up close. So she and her husband Andrew decided that they needed to respect their daughter's wishes. "It was very emotional trying to reach the sort of decision you would never wish on your worst enemy," Andrew told reporters. "We were as low as it's possible to get, but I just didn't feel able to influence her. My wife and I agreed that whatever Hannah wanted, we would support her." She wanted to be at home, to play with her three younger siblings while she could. "It's hard, at 13, to know I'm going to die," Hannah said, "but I also know what's best for me." She made her case to her doctors; they too knew the odds and were persuaded that she was making a rational and considered decision. But one doctor, concerned that Hannah might be driven by fear or confusion, notified children's protective services of the case — which is how the Joneses found themselves fighting to retain custody of their child. "They phoned us on a Friday evening and said that if we didn't take her in, they'd come and take her," recalled her mother. Authorities threatened to proceed with the operation over Hannah's protests, in the name of protecting her interests. This was the moment when abstract principles and necessary safeguards collided with the sad, strong will of a dying girl. Under British law, a child Hannah's age is allowed to refuse lifesaving treatment, provided all the options have been fully explained and the child has the support of his or her parents. A social worker arrived at the Jones' house, and Hannah laid out her reasons. "I just decided there were too many risks, and even if I took it, there might be a bad outcome," Hannah said. "There is a chance that I may be O.K. and there's a chance that I may not be as well as I could be, but I'm willing to take that chance." It wasn't like she hadn't thought it through; she knows there's a waiting list for hearts and is glad to think she may be saving someone else's life by refusing one. The social worker was convinced, and this week the lawyers were as well; the court lifted the order and Hannah may continue to refuse the treatment. Are there lessons in any of this? It is excruciating to imagine the pain not only of this child but of her parents, trying to do the right thing. They are told one night that an ambulance would come and take her away because they were not doing their job to protect her. And yet you understand why doctors will err on the side of treatment. And why the doctor who called in the authorities was concerned about the ability of anyone, but especially a 13-year-old, to walk away from something that represented hope, however feeble. But you have to be grateful that the ultimate judges kept an open mind, let Hannah make her case and found it reasonable for her circumstances. This is ultimately what respect for life looks like; it means respecting an individual's right to decide how she wants to live, even if that involves knowing she will die. Mercy, detached from Justice, grows unmerciful, C.S. Lewis said. But surely justice detached from mercy grows unjust.

Thank you for "TIME" and Huffington Post for this heart touching story

Article V For Dummies

2008-11-11T11:09:00.013-05:00

(How To Amend The U.S. Constitution)

Last week, one of my employees came into my office and saw my personal laptop open to Wikipedia and he asked me what I was researching. I explained to him I was reading about how Article V of the U.S. Constitution describes the process to alter the Constitution. He found this topic interesting enough and we discussed it for a brief time and then he suggested that I should post it on my blog, seeing that many people have a misunderstanding of the process.

I found his comment interesting, so I decided to indeed blog about it. So, first off I want to provide the specific text of the Article:

The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.

So, essentially there are two ways to amend the Constitution. The first method requires a quorum in both houses of Congress to exist at the time the vote is cast. The bill must pass by a two-thirds majority of those members present - not necessarily a 2/3 vote off the entire Legislative Membership. For example; In the Senate, where the elected membership is 100, a quorum would be 51 (a simple majority) and 2/3 of that would be 34. In the House where there are 435 Representatives, the quorum would be 218 and the required votes would be 146.

The second method allows the amendment to be proposed by the states. The state legislatures can request for a Constitutional Convention. If 2/3 of the legislature of the states so request, Congress is required to call a convention for the purpose of proposing one or more amendments. This method has never taken place but the states used this method in the past to put pressure on Congress into proposing amendments, for example, the seventeenth amendment, which allowed for the direct election of U.S. Senators.

Regardless of which method above is used, the amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38). Based on the text of the amendment, the amendment may be passed by state legislatures or by a state convention. Of the twenty seven amendments, only one, the twenty-first amendment (ended Prohibition), specified a convention. In any case, passage by convention or Legislature only requires a simple majority.

The Constitution does not expressly provide for a deadline on the state legislatures' or ratifying conventions' consideration of the proposed amendment(s). Congress imposed deadlines in the text of many amendments after 1917. Such "clauses" can be found in 18th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd Amendments. But in the 23rd, 24th, 25, and 26th Amendments, Congress placed the ratification deadline in the preamble rather than in the actual text. And in the 19th amendment and the still pending Child Labor Amendment (proposed in 1924), Congress chose specifically not to establish any deadline at all.

So, then, there are four paths for a Constitutional Amendment:

Proposal by convention of states, ratified by state conventions (never used)
Proposal by convention of states, ratified by state legislatures (never used)
Proposal by Congress, ratified by state conventions (used once)
Proposal by Congress, ratified by state legislatures (used primarily)

Now, you might be wondering what role does the President have in the ratification process. NONE. NADA. He can not veto an amendment proposal nor a ratification. He can express his opinion, jump up and down, hold his breath until he is blue in the face, but that is it. In the case of Hollingsworth v. Virginia (1798), the Supreme Court ruled that its not necessary to place the constitutional amendments before the president for signature. He is also powerless to veto a proposed constitutional amendment. Remember, it's already been passed by 2/3 of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Is there anything else about changing the Constitution? Why, yes, Virginia. "Informal Amendment" is a change in the way we see the Constitution and its meaning and interpretation. Now how can the interpretation of the Constitution change? Well, circumstances change. An example is the right to vote. During the first Constitutional Convention (1787) the right to vote was granted only to land holders. But over time, the right changed to more and more people until finally it was extended to all males, then everyone 21 and over. Finally, the 26th Amendment secured the right to vote for any U.S. citizen older than 18 years.

Another way the meaning and interpretation of the Constitution changes is the Judicial Branch. This makes the Supreme Court the final arbitrator of the Constitution. Just as Supreme Court Justices change over time, so can interpretations of the Constitution may change, therefore the nation's outlook on these issues may change too.

Now, why was I even bothering checking this out. Well, for example, many 2nd Amendment devotees are concerned about this particular amendment being "amended" or completely repealed. The truth of the matter is that the power still lies with the people, or rather directly to those who the people elect to the Legislative Branch, both in the Federal and State. The founding fathers believed that the Constitution should, should, change as our nation changes. But they also believed that change should not be easy so as to prevent ill conceived and just bad ideas. But they also didn't want to create too rigid of a system that would block the vast majority of the population. That is why they created a dual process. So as you can see,it would take far more of a whim from special interest group to change our Constitution, and that is a good thing. 38 out of 50 states is a pretty significant requirement.

When I explained this to a friend of mine, a life time member of the NRA, he stopped and took it all in for awhile, and then said," Well, the liberals will just raise the taxes on our ammo and then we won't be able to buy any and there goes our 2nd Amendment rights."

That's just a whole different conversation...

Nothing To See Here

2008-11-07T18:36:00.011-05:00

Chalk up the signing of Culpepper as part of the Roy Williams trade to the Dallas Cowboys. Before you call me names...

... You gotta hear me out.

With the Lions dumping Crybaby Williams, they received in return a 1st, 3rd, and a 6th round pick from the Cowboys and they sent Dallas Williams and a 7th pick. With Williams departure, not only did the Lions get draft picks to help the team in the future, they also got salary cap relief.

Jon Kitna's chronic bulging disc and his public display of disdain for the lions change in offensive philosophy landed him on the Injure Reserve list and the dog house. Kitna's career is all but over in Detroit, which leaves the Lions with only two quarterbacks on the roster from the preseason, Dan Orlovsky and Drew Stanton, and perpetual practice squader, Drew Henson. Though Orlovsky has played well enough as not to be the problem, he hasn't played well enough to be the solution.

Orlovsky is in the final year of his contract with Detroit and all indications from the Lions' coaching staff is Stanton is nowhere near ready to come in and challenge for the starting job. In steps Dante Culpepper. Folks, there's a plus side here, there really is. The Lions signed Culpepper for a song. His pro-rated contract plus signing bonus is less than $500,000.00 for the next eight games. Both his agent and the Lions front office admit that the incentive clause of one million dollars is unlikely to be reached.

Culpepper brings experience and a cannon of an arm to an offense that is struggling to find its groove. Now, I know this guy may not be the Culpepper from the Culpepper/Moss duo, but the experience he gained in that relationship could pay off with Calvin Johnson. Part of going vertical is the threat of throwing deep, way deep. Dante may have lost a step in his mobility, though word out of the Motor City is he is moving very well, and scouts throughout the league say he still has the arm.

Before Orlovsky injured his right thumb, it seemed the signing of Culpepper would bring needed veteran experience and depth to the position since Kitna is off the reservation. But now that Orlovsky's injury has all but ended his season, and quite possibly his career in Detroit, Culpepper's addition may be a blessing in disguise. It wouldn't be surprising to see Stanton start the first half of the game against Jacksonville and if he falters or "embarrases" himself (Offensive Coordinator Coletto biggest fear!), in steps in Culpepper for the rest of the season.

So what's the big deal? It's quite conceivable that Marinelli, Mayhew, and Lewand may hold the exact positions with this team one more year, to be given the opportunity to right this ship. It's obvious the Lions are missing the correct talent for Marinelli to execute his defensive scheme. It's not the scheme, its the personnel. This defense is used with great success throughout the league. And as far as the offense goes, let me put it like this - Harrington, Rogers, (Mike) Williams, Roy Williams, Kevin Jones. All first rounders, all offense, all Millen, all gone...

A Wasted Vote

2008-11-04T11:56:00.006-05:00

By Chuck Baldwin (10 October,2008)

When asked why they will not vote for a third party candidate, many people will respond by saying something like, "He cannot win." Or, "I don't want to waste my vote." It is true: America has not elected a third party candidate since 1860. Does that automatically mean, however, that every vote cast for one of the two major party candidates is not a wasted vote? I don't think so.

In the first place, a wasted vote is a vote for someone you know does not represent your own beliefs and principles. A wasted vote is a vote for someone you know will not lead the country in the way it should go. A wasted vote is a vote for the "lesser of two evils." Or, in the case of John McCain and Barack Obama, what we have is a choice between the "evil of two lessers."

Albert Einstein is credited with saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result. For years now, Republicans and Democrats have been leading the country in the same basic direction: toward bigger and bigger government; more and more socialism, globalism, corporatism, and foreign interventionism; and the dismantling of constitutional liberties. Yet, voters continue to think that they are voting for "change" when they vote for a Republican or Democrat. This is truly insane!

Take a look at the recent $700 billion Wall Street bailout: both John McCain and Barack Obama endorsed and lobbied for it. Both McCain and Obama will continue to bail out these international banksters on the backs of the American taxpayers. Both McCain and Obama support giving illegal aliens amnesty and a path to citizenship. In the debate this past Tuesday night, both McCain and Obama expressed support for sending U.S. forces around the world for "peacekeeping" purposes. They also expressed support for sending combat forces against foreign countries even if those countries do not pose a threat to the United States. Neither Obama nor McCain will do anything to stem the tide of a burgeoning police state or a mushrooming New World Order. Both Obama and McCain support NAFTA and similar "free trade" deals. Neither candidate will do anything to rid America of the Federal Reserve, or work to eliminate the personal income tax, or disband the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Both Obama and McCain support the United Nations. So, pray tell, how is a vote for either McCain or Obama not a wasted vote?

But, back to the "he cannot win" argument: to vote for John McCain is to vote for a man who cannot win. Yes, I am saying it here and now: John McCain cannot win this election. The handwriting is on the wall. The Fat Lady is singing. It is all over. Finished. John McCain cannot win.

With only three weeks before the election, Barack Obama is pulling away. McCain has already pulled his campaign out of Michigan. In other key battleground states, McCain is slipping fast. He was ahead in Missouri; now it is a toss-up or leaning to Obama. A couple of weeks ago, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida were all leaning towards McCain, or at least toss-up states. Now, they are all leaning to Obama. Even the longtime GOP bellwether state of Indiana is moving toward Obama. In addition, new voter registrations are at an all-time high, and few of them are registering as Republicans. In fact, the Republican Party now claims only around 25% of the electorate, and Independents are increasingly leaning toward Obama.

Ladies and gentlemen, Barack Obama is headed for an electoral landslide victory over John McCain. John McCain can no more beat Barack Obama than Bob Dole could beat Bill Clinton.

I ask, therefore, Are not conservatives and Christians who vote for John McCain guilty of the same thing that they accuse people who vote for third party candidates of doing? Are they not voting for someone who cannot win? Indeed, they are. In fact, conservatives and Christians who vote for John McCain are not only voting for a man who cannot win, they are voting for a man who does not share their own beliefs and principles. If this is not insanity, nothing is!

So, why not (for once in your life, perhaps) cast a vote purely for principle! Vote for someone who is truly pro-life. Someone who would quickly secure our nation's borders, and end the invasion of our country by illegal aliens. Someone who would, on his first day in office, release Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean and fire U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton. Someone who would immediately, upon assuming office, begin leading the charge to dismantle the Federal Reserve, overturn the 16th Amendment, expunge the IRS, and return America to sound money principles. Someone who would get the US out of the UN. Someone who would stop spending billions and trillions of dollars for foreign aid. Someone who would prosecute the Wall Street bankers who defrauded the American people out of billions of dollars. Someone who would work to repeal NAFTA, CAFTA, GATT, the WTO, and stop the NAFTA superhighway. Someone who would say a resounding "No" to the New World Order. Someone who would stop using our brave men and women in uniform as global cops for the United Nations. Someone who would stop America's global adventurism and interventionism. Someone who would steadfastly support and defend the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

"Who is this person?" you ask. Go here to find out:

http://www.baldwin08.com/

As John Quincy Adams said, "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."

*If you appreciate this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, donations may now be made by credit card, check, or Money Order. Use this link:

http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php

*Disclaimer: I am currently a candidate for President of the United States on the Constitution Party ticket. My official campaign web site is located at:
http://www.baldwin08.com/

Don't Fire Marinelli...

2008-10-07T16:25:00.009-04:00

... Wait Until The Season Is Over.

Now that Matt Millen is gone, we are left with the hangover from a seven year stupor. The head of the snake has been cut off and everyone expects the body to thrive. The damage by Millen to this year’s team was done before the first snap of the regular season.

Here are two examples of Millen "fumbling the ball;"

Jonathon Vilma, Middle Linebacker. The Saints acquired Vilma last February from the Jets for a “conditional draft pick.” Vilma no longer fit the Jets defensive scheme, which switched to a 3-4 system and he had surgery on his knee and there were questions about his durability. Yet he is starting.

Takeo Spikes, Strong Side Linebacker . We lost out to the 49er’s on this free agent, all because of money. The Lions’ salary cap dilemma may have been a problem in being able to offer Spikes enough cash to lure him to Detroit, but Spikes was a player that Marinelli openly wanted to get for his defense.

Either of the linebackers would have greatly improved the Lions’ defense. Vilma would have given the Lions a starting middle linebacker, they could have followed through on their draft strategy of drafting a middle linebacker, and Paris Lenon could then move to starting strong side line backer. With the signing of Takeo Spikes, Spikes immediately starts on the strong side, Lenon starts in the middle, Lions draft a middle linebacker, and therefore, immediate depth and improvement. Both Linebackers? Well, Millen might have kept his job. Instead of getting veteran help for a thin linebacker corps, Millen drafts an undersized rookie and signs a back up, Ryan Neece.

As the Ring Leader to this Circus, Millen fulfiills nearly all his obligations before the regular season begins. Drafting blindly, signing aged players and convincing the Ford family that all is well and this is the season everything comes together. After the final rosters cuts are made, and we still see the SAME players in position to make the SAME mistakes (Backus, Kitna, Foster, etc.), good Ol’ Matt gets to watch the season unravel as if it was not posiible for this team to fail, and us fans ache for something more. When the season is over, his primary responsiblites begin again – to look himself in the mirror and say, “ I can do this, We can win!” And the circle of insanity continues…

So, why keep Marinelli for the rest of the season? The answer is simple. He’s the Head Coach. Replacing him now would only bring a sense of abandoning what is left of season to the players and establishes a new rebuilding, while the players are expected it to give it their all. With the current roster, coaching staff, and football philosophy, Coach Rod is the person best qualified to lead this team, this season. This season. That is why preseason and training camp is so important. It takes time to get everyone on the same page. Not weeks, it takes months, years. There are still twelve games left of the season and everyone has an opportunity to put it on “tape.” That includes the coaching staff.

Now this doesn’t necessarily mean the Ford Family should not look past this season. That is exactly what they should be doing right now. Tom Lewand and Martin Mayhew are running the front office and the coaching staff is still intact. It is a great idea to have a President of Football Operations in place. A great idea gone bad in Detroit. But that doesn’t mean it should be tossed out. Find the right person this time, don’t be in a hurry, and then let him have full control.

Here’s what I would do:

Hire a consultant. Not a General Manager, not a President, a consultant. Hire someone for the next 13 weeks or so to evaluate your organization from the top down. From the vacuum created from Millen’s firing to the conditioning coach all the way down to the towel boy. This is a common and popular strategy in the business world and professional football is a business, right? There are a lot of former GM’s and presidents who I’m sure would be willing to take on a part time job and tell you what they think about your organization and what you can do to make it better. Someone with a proven, successful track record. There are names being thrown around right now for the top job; Floyd Reese, Charlie Casserly, even Bill Cowher. I would not hire them, at least not right now. I’d paid them for their opinion, but if they are so good, why are they still available? Don’t hire a sunshine pump. Get somebody who will tell you things you didn’t know and things you don’t want to hear. And make sure they know that’s why you hired them.

Hire a Headhunter. This is where the rubber meets the road. A head hunter can assess other presidents and general managers, come to a conclusion of the necessary qualities and characteristics that are needed for the positon and then provide a list of viable candidates. Mr. Ford, you need to know when to say when and realize you are not qualified to hire a football coach, not to mention someone to run your football team. Find someone to help you do that.

As far as the rest of the season, everyone wearing Honolulu Blue and Silver has to realize they are trying out for next year’s team. Tryouts are thirteen weeks long and Coach Rod may have to put the team’s future ahead of his own and see what talent he has sitting on the bench. I believe it’s too early for that to happen, there still is time to turn this thing around. One play at a time. “Pound the rock.” But if the losing ways continue, unfortunately, it’s too late for “Coach” to decide who should get off the bus, but he can say where everyone gets to sit. Mr. Millen had too much say as to who gets on the bus and who gets off the bus. For now, Coach Marinelli is the bus driver and should be allowed to take the bus down the road for the rest of the season and see where they end up.

Prior to coaching the Patriots to three Super Bowl Victories in four years, Bill Belichick was head coach of the Cleveland Browns, before Modell moved the team to Baltimore. The same uncommunicative, dictatorial, and arrogant coach, who was in Cleveland and had a 36-44 record over five years, only having one winning season. Luck. Timing. Talent. Modell finally got his Super Bowl ring, but the Patriots’ organization continues to attract free agent talent and they are perennial favorites. No one knows the GM’s name, but everyone knows the coach. And some remember the owner. And to Mr. Kraft, a job well done.

Seminoles Football!!

2008-09-19T17:25:00.013-04:00

THEY'RE BAAACK!!!

Well, maybe not all the way. I probably should have called this post," Can't win for losing."

The past two years Wake Forest has beaten FSU by a combined score of 54-21, including a 30 - 0 blood bath in 2006, Bowden's only shutout at home. From 1992-2005, the Seminoles won 14 consecutive games against the Demon Deacons, with an average score of 43-12.

The past four years, the 'Noles have a conference record of 18-14. How badly do they need to beat Wake Forest? After Wake, the 'Noles, play Colorado, at Miami, at North Carolina State, and then back home for a quick turn to a Thursday night game against Virgina Tech. The Wolf Pack game, October 16th, is the last game before the first official BCS poll comes out, on October 19th. A 7-0 or 6-1 record would definitely launch FSU up the poll rankings, and poll voters will eagerly be watching the results of the last 4 games, Clemson, Boston College, at Maryland, and the annual meeting against the Gators. Currently, Wake Forest is ranked 18th while Florida State is ranked as high as 24th. Beating Wake Forest would solidify their poll rankings, but their schedule really just begins. 7 starters will serve their final week of suspension for this game, returning in time for the heart of the schedule.

In a year where the ACC looks to be down, the conference is wide open. FSU can regain some of their past glory by beating the "Deacons" and ending the season with a conference title. It all begins this week, but it could quickly end their too. Clemson and North Carolina State have beaten FSU in consecutive seasons, the Tigers taking 3 in a row, from '05 -'07, and the Wolf Pack snatching victories in '01, '02 and '05, '06. Add that to the last two Wake forest losses and that totals to 9 of their past 14 conferences losses. Don't even ask me about the Hurricanes...

It's not uncommon for teams with a weak schedule to still be recognized for success. During the BCS era, pollsters have always looked to reward schools for success and punish them for failures. FSU's absence from the polls in the previous year is indicative of this habit, and rightly so. But in college, where upsets are "King" and nobody wants to lose to an Appalachian State, every game counts. Another motivating factor is the see-saw career victory record between Bowden and Penn State's Joe Paterno. With Bobby's successor, Jimbo Fisher, already on staff and showing his influence on the team by choosing Christian Ponder as starting quarterback, Bobby Bo would love to end up on top, total victories, conference title, and a National Title. This year may not give him the trifecta, but he could, should, take a large lead in career victories over Joe Pa and have a good shot at winning the ACC and getting to a BCS bowl game...

Who's Running For President?...

2008-09-19T17:25:00.006-04:00

... Is it McCain-Palin or Palin-McCain?

Are things getting so bad for McCain that they are now using the tactic of bait and switch? During some recent rallies, the crowds have been leaving shortly after Palin speaks, leaving few around to listen to McCain. Palin has even referred to McCain as her running mate. Is this a misspeak or a Freudian type slip? In less than two week, October 2nd to be exact, Palin faces Biden in the first of a series of debates. This may lead into the "October Surprise."

Are YOU better off than you were eight years ago?

Palin camp clarifies extent of Iraq trip...

2008-09-13T18:35:00.009-04:00

...Says she never ventured beyond Kuwait border

By Bryan Bender
Globe Staff / September 13, 2008

WASHINGTON - Sarah Palin's visit to Iraq in 2007 consisted of a brief stop at a border crossing between Iraq and Kuwait, the vice presidential candidate's campaign said yesterday, in the second official revision of her only trip outside North America.

Following her selection last month as John McCain's running mate, aides said Palin had traveled to Ireland, Germany, Kuwait, and Iraq to meet with members of the Alaska National Guard. During that trip she was said to have visited a "military outpost" inside Iraq. The campaign has since repeated that Palin's foreign travel included an excursion into the Iraq battle zone.

But in response to queries about the details of her trip, campaign aides and National Guard officials in Alaska said by telephone yesterday that she did not venture beyond the Kuwait-Iraq border when she visited Khabari Alawazem Crossing, also known as "K-Crossing," on July 25, 2007.

Asked to clarify where she traveled in Iraq, Palin's spokeswoman, Maria Comella, confirmed that "She visited a military outpost on the other side of the Kuwait-Iraq border."

It was the second such clarification in as many weeks of the itinerary of what Palin has called "the trip of a lifetime." Earlier, the campaign acknowledged that Palin made only a refueling stop in Ireland.

In her interview with ABC News Thursday night, Palin did not mention Iraq in describing the visit, saying only that she went to Kuwait and Germany to meet with US forces.

According to an itinerary obtained from the Alaska National Guard, the Republican governor visited troops and airmen at a series of bases in Kuwait, including Camp Buehring, Camp Virginia, and Ali Al Salem Air Base.

Her visit to Iraq itself was during a short stop at Khabari Alawazem Crossing on the second day of her two-day trip to the region.

Palin arrived at Camp Buehring in Kuwait, where she held a town meeting with soldiers and reviewed various training programs designed to prepare troops to deploy into Iraq, said Lieutenant Colonel Dave Osborn, commander of the 3d Battalion, 207th Infantry of the Alaska National Guard, who was in charge of the 570 local troops serving in Kuwait and Iraq.

"The whole intent was to check on the Alaskans," Osborn said in a telephone interview yesterday.

On the second day of the trip, he said, Palin was flown to the border crossing, about 100 miles north of Camp Buehring, where she spent the morning meeting with troops and presiding over a ceremony in which an Alaska National Guard soldier extended his enlistment.

But she did not venture into Iraq, Osborn said. "You have to have permission to go into a lot of areas, and [the crossing] is where her permissions were," he said.

Palin did not stay the night in Iraq, and spent the rest of the second day at Camp Virginia and Ali Al Salem Air Base, Osborn said.

Palin also told ABC that she had traveled to Mexico and Canada. Her campaign had previously mentioned a Canada visit, but not a trip to Mexico. Comella said yesterday that Palin had visited Mexico on vacation, and Canada once last year.

"We did not have 100 percent confirmation about the Mexico trip in the initial days we were being asked. It was a personal trip," Comella said.

Palin's campaign did not respond to requests for details about when she traveled to Mexico and where she went, nor did it provide details of her 2007 Canada trip or indicate whether it was for business or pleasure.

Here's the link to the actual article

A Public Service Announcement

2008-09-13T17:21:00.014-04:00

(Gotta give a little to get a little)

I figure this will give everyone a reason to visit on Sundays...

Here's my Lions Prediction.

Lions 31
Packers 21

A healthy Ron Woodson would have a tough afternoon lining up opposite Johnson and Williams. Having a sore toe is going to be a HUGE advantage for the Lions Dynamic Duo. The Lions running game will continue to improve each week as Rudi Johnson becomes more familiar and comfortable with the Lions running scheme. Playing at Ford Field should give Detroit a big boost from the fans, but they can not get into a hole early on otherwise that will negate the advantage.

Defensively, the Lions front seven MUST play the run better than they did against Atlanta. Ryan Grant may not be 100 percent at game time, but the Lions run defense has to be. When the leading tackler plays in the secondary, that means too much penetration through you defensive line and past your linebackers. Not Good.

Again, the key player will have to be Jon Kitna. Kitna will need to use every bit of his experience to stabilize the passing game and provide consistency and leadership. Offensive coordinator Coletto has given Kitna more authority to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. If this game stays close throughout or if the Lions are trailing in the fourth, Kitna is going to have to make sure he does not throw the game away with poor decisions.

Aaron Rodgers will need more than one good game to establish himself as a premier play caller. Another good start and beating Detroit would continue him down that path. But I believe the Lions defense wants to prove that they are much better than the team that laid down in Atlanta and would like nothing more but to knock Rodgers down a notch or two.

FLIP - FLOP. FLIP - FLOP...

2008-09-12T11:47:00.003-04:00

...or, if the shoe fits on the pig, then wear it.

I found this video post at Huffingtonpost.com. It's a great commentary about McCain and his inability to truly define his positions on many subjects, including what qualifications a Vice - President should have. This should concern any half witted American that this man really believes he is prepared to be the President of The United States. As we get closer to the election, we will start to see more examples from McCain either contradicting himself or out right lying . It is going to be very difficult for him to withstand media scrutiny as he will only continue stick his foot in his mouth. He refers to himself as a Maverick because he "stands" up to his party. Yet he was willing to bury his presidential primary opponents by exposing their lack of national security experience. And then chose as a running mate, a governor with less than two years experience. A governor who is being investigated by her own state.

Experience over judgment or judgment over experience? Which one is it? Pick a horse and ride it will ya? Or maybe a pig...

Birds Of A Feather...

2008-09-10T21:44:00.029-04:00

...Or Is It," Talk Like a Duck, Walk Like a Duck?"

I'm sure you have heard the old saying," If you say something enough times, will it be true? Or, will people be bored of arguing with you?" How many times will we hear Paylin say,"I told the Congress 'thanks, but no thanks,' on that Bridge to Nowhere."
Here's some information from the website www.politifact.com

She killed it, but it was nearly dead

In a speech to the Republican National Convention on Sept. 3, 2008, Gov. Sarah Palin portrayed herself as a reformer who had cut waste in government. "I told Congress, 'Thanks, but no thanks,' on that Bridge to Nowhere," Palin said, echoing comments she made five days earlier when she was named John McCain's running mate.

She was talking about a nearly $400-million Alaska bridge project that became the subject of national ridicule and a symbol of federal pork-barrel spending.

The bridge was to connect the city of Ketchikan (population 8,200) to Gravina, an island with just 50 residents but also an airport, and only accessible by a five-minute ferry ride.

The project came into national prominence when a government watchdog group tagged it as an extreme example of wasteful pork-barrel spending. Its national notoriety was cemented with a Parade magazine cover story that ran Nov. 6, 2005, under the headline, “Are Your Tax Dollars Being Wasted?”

The project also raised bitter debate in Congress, and several attempts were made to yank funding for the project. In the fall of 2005, Congress removed the language specifically directing the money to the bridge, but it kept the money in place and left it up to Alaska to decide which transportation projects the state would like to spend it on.

By the time Palin pulled the plug on the Gravina bridge project in September 2007, much of the federal funding for the bridge had already been diverted to other transportation projects. The bridge would cost $398-million, Palin said then, and Alaska was $329-million short.

“Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398-million bridge is not the answer,” Palin said. “Despite the work of our congressional delegation, we are about $329-million short of full funding for the bridge project, and it’s clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island.”

Lois Epstein, director of the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project, which opposed funding for the Gravina bridge, said while it’s true that Palin formally put an end to the project, “It wasn’t really a bold move when she did it.”

Although the project had local support in Ketchikan, Epstein said, it was not a popular project around the state. And had Palin decided to continue forward with the bridge project, she said, it would have required either a lot more federal funding - which there clearly was no support for - or for the state to pick up the bulk of the tab at the expense of other more urgent road projects.

Keith Ashdown, a spokesman for Taxpayers for Common Sense, the government watchdog that first drew attention to the project, believes Palin has “hyperinflated her role” in killing the project.

“She put the final stake in the project,” Ashdown said. “But there was already tremendous momentum for the project to be scrapped. She gets credit for saying that they were not to go forward with the bridge, but it was at death’s door.”

(We'll also note that Palin wasn't always a foe of the Bridge to Nowhere. In our Flip-O-Meter ruling, we conclude that her decision to kill the bridge was a Full Flop from the position she had taken while running for governor.)

Today, when Palin says “I told Congress, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’ on that Bridge to Nowhere,” it implies Congress said, “Here’s a check for that bridge” and she responded, “No thanks, that’s wasteful spending; here’s your money back.”

That's not what happened. Fact is, Alaska took the bridge money, and then just spent it on other projects. Palin did make the final call to kill plans for the bridge, but by the time she did it was no longer a politically viable project. We rule Palin's claim is Half True.

Ok, here’s a quiz for ya:
1. What Arizona Senator voted with the President 97% of the time in 2007?
2. What Republican Presidential candidate voted right down the party lines over 90% for the past seven years?
3. What double talking Bush suck – up, in October 2007, described Hillary Clinton’s health care plan as “lipstick on a Pig?”
4. What Republican Vice – Presidential nominee said “what is the difference between a hockey-mom and a pitbull? Lipstick.

Bonus question – two points. What Republican Vice – Presidential nominee describes herself as a hockey mom?

Look, I know these questions are one sided, but why is so much attention being spent on these types of things? Simple. Diversion tactics. It seems the Republicans are trying to avoid talking about real issues and are using the Media to divert attention from the fact the GOP ticket can not get in front of the public and specifically explain how they are going to be different from the current administration. Last Sunday, Obama was on t.v., McCain was on t.v., and Biden was on t.v. Where was Palin? My guess is she was being coached as to what to say on Good Morning America this Thursday and Friday. Good Morning America? COME ON!!! Throw her a soft ball pitch and make her go on Fox’s Bill O’Reilly. But GMA? Good Grief, it might as well as been Sesame Street. Can you imagine the negotiations to get her on the show? The promise of not being “too hard” on her for first national interview. To make sure they get her good side. Canned questions…

There has been speculation that every major media outlet sent out investigators to Alaska to get the low down on this unknown. I’d bet a nickel worth of neckbones the GOP were frantic over the idea of a legitimate news person getting a hold of her first and asking the “real” questions Americans want answers to, not morning fluff about kids, carpools, and the Alaskan climate.
I was so interested in what Biden had to say on “Meet The Press” that I watched it online from the website that evening. Meet The Press, Face The Nation, This Week With George Stephanopoulos. These are the shows the other nominees were willing to appear on and face journalists that will ask the real questions. Since Palin couldn’t pull a spot on Oprah’s couch, I guess she would feel safer talking to Charlie Gibson over a cup of coffee between reports of Hurricane Ike.

2008 Football Predictions

2008-09-07T13:45:00.020-04:00

It's not easy being me...

This is my favorite time of year, the beginning of the NFL season. With me being a die hard Detroit Lions fan, I need to separate my heartaches from my headaches before I ponder the future. So, here are my predictions for the NFL season:

AFC EAST

Patriots - Defense is a littler older and so are Brady and Moss. This division is WEAK.
Jets - Favre and Jones are an instant upgrade. Can you say wild card?
Bills - A young team getting better. Maybe next year
Dolphins - How does Ricky Williams beat out Ronnie Brown? Both running behind rookie tackle Jake Long may make for an exciting ground game. Pennington brings experience and leadership to a very young and inexperienced passing attack. Too many questions though...

AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh - Roethlisberger and Company may prove to be the most potent balanced offense in the NFL - You heard it here first!!!
Cleveland - Until Anderson can prove he isn't a fluke and Lewis shows he can carry the load for another season, the Browns defense may have to compensate for their offense, and that's a tall order for Shaun Rogers & Company.
Baltimore - No quarterback = No Offense.
Cincinnati - If they played in a Penal League, maybe they could pick up Vick and move him to the slot position. Too many distractions + not enough discipline = Unemployed coach.

AFC SOUTH

Indianapolis Colts - With a healthy trio of receivers and running backs, Manning is under less pressure than ever before in his career. Now, if he can just beat the Jags twice in the regular season and again in the playoffs...
Jacksonville - It's hard to make a case for for yourself for being a top tier team when you are not the top team in your division. The Jags are good all over but they play in the same division as the Colts and second place here doesn't mean anything when you look at third and fourth.
Houston - They only reason I put Houston ahead of Tennessee is Andre Johnson - and you'll see why this season...
Tennessee - This team reached its Apex a few years back. Adding Crumpler gives Young another passing target and their running game will be better but they do have to play the Colts, Jags, and Texans twice plus the NFC North. Too much competition within their own division.

AFC WEST

San Diego - Even with Merriman on one leg, their defense is good enough to keep the game close. Tomlinson takes the game out of reach.
Denver - Someday, this team will pay for not having a stable running game. With Javon Walker going to the Raiders, this year Shanahan can come over to my house and watch the playoffs, if he wants.
Oakland - What if Jamarcus Russell gets hurt? If there is going to be a dark horse team, I bet it's the Raiders. Veteran receivers, versatile backs, and a defense with something to prove, they can wreak havoc in their own division. Russell doesn't have to win the games, he just has to be sure he isn't the reason he loses them.
Kansas City - Larry Johnson is not the Larry Johnson of old. Dwayne Bowe may be the real deal, but Brodie Croyle may have the least overall offensive talent in this division and the AFC West defenses will be gunning for him.

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys - Tony Romo went first pick in my league. I wonder if that team owner is on to something...
New York Giants - The "Other" Manning may finally feel he now has nothing to prove and can just focus on playing football.
Washington - It may take a year or two for the Redskins to make the adjustments necessary to compete for a playoff spot. In the meantime, Snyder & Company will continue to build this team around Jason Campbell.
Philadelphia - Doesn't McNabb have a good season during even numbered years? It's not that I think the Eagles are a bad team, I think this division has improved faster than the Eagles have in the past two seasons and the gap between second and third place may only be 2 -3 games and first to worst may only be an additional game.

NFC NORTH

Detroit - What??? Who did you think I was going to pick? With Martz gone and a commitment to run the ball, proven with the drafting of offensive lineman Cherilus and running Kevin Smith, it should, should take the pressure off Kitna. If the Lions can be successful with the run, this will chew time off the clock and keep the Lions defense off the field. The defense was improved in the off season with free agent additions, the running game is going to have to do its part.
Green Bay - No Favre = No problems. This is not your father's Packers. These millenials want a chance to prove themselves and to a man, they have confidence in Rogers. Anything short of a playoff victory and fans will wonder everytime Rogers starts," What if Favre had played one more year here?"
Minnesota - Adrian Peterson will get a season ending injury , very early in the season. Then what? Yup, you read that here, too.
Chicago - I saw a commercial and one of the tag lines was, "Do you know why they call Chicago the windy city? Because it BLOWS." How do you go FROM playing in the Superbowl and to losing TWICE in one season to the LIONS? Forte may be the answer to their running game, but their defense will not be able to withstand the changes most offenses have undertaken in the past two seasons, particularly in the NFC North. SLOW SLOW SLOW...

NFC SOUTH

Tampa - How many years since winning the Superbowl, with Tony Dungy's team, has Gruden had to mold this team into his style of football? He's the only guy I know who can't get a Cadillac to run. His defense will be the strength here and Garcia may be enough to win the division. but that's it...
New Orleans - Brees, Bush, McCallister, Henderson, Colston and Shockey. Could be a great offense. Can they play defense? That's why I have them number two.
Carolina - Everything hangs on Delhomme, including his right arm. There's a lot of offensive firepower on this team, and depth, except behind Delhomme. Defense is solid. The success here relies on Jake staying healthy and in this division, a two game swing knocks you out of the top spot. There may be only one team from the South in the playoffs and it's not going to be the Panthers.
Atlanta - Give it a year or two and the Falcons will make a push in this division. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.

NFC WEST

Seattle - Holmgren's last season. It's now or never. Either Favre won the Superbowl for Green Bay or he didn't. Either way, after this season, Mora Jr. will go after Vick - Yeah, you heard that here too.
Arizona - I only put them number two because I could not figure out how to make a three way tie for last. Seriously, though, if Warner and James stay healthy, and don't forget about Fitzgerald and Boldin, they have a chance for a ten win season, that includes beating Seattle twice, and bingo!!! Division champs. Not Gonna Happen!!!
San Francisco - Did you know Bryant Johnson used to be the Cardinals number one receiver? Neither did he. Now he gets to play with Isaac Bruce. Yeah, that Isaac Bruce. Plus Vernon Davis and Frank Gore. Did I mention J.T. O'sullivan? Who? Exactly. Oh, by the way, Mike Martz is the offensvie coordinator. Next year, this will be an exciting team to watch when Martz is the head coach. Why would Mike Nolan hire his own replacement?
St. Louis - If the Raiders are the dark horse of the AFC, then I'll pick the Rams from the NFC. This might be an emotional pick because I cheered for the Rams in my childhood. Coach Linehan has spent the past two seasons instilling his philosophy and it is time for production. A healthy Bulger will help. Steven Jackson has a new contract and the scheme suits his strengths. This division could be had with only ten wins, nine if you can sweep the division games. Possible. Not probable

So here it is. After week 9, I'll post my playoff predictions. All you pundits, post your best shots!!!

GO LIONS!!!

Life Of Reilly - Please, no signs allowed that might make the coach feel sad.

2008-09-06T10:44:00.007-04:00

I'm a big fan of sportswriter Rick Reilly. He writes an article for Sports Illustrated that is usually one of the last in the magazine, in the very back... Here's one, though, I found from the ESPN website....

Do you miss Beijing? Are you pining for some good ol' fashioned totalitarianism? Enjoy seeing any small voice squashed like a ladybug under a Hummer?

Then come to the University of Virginia!

At Virginia a new rule bans signs of any kind at all sporting events, including football and basketball.

Not advertising signs, of course. Not "Beer: $8" signs. Not "Give to the Virginia Scholarship Endowment" signs. No, only signs about Virginia teams, such as the one then third-year bio-medical engineering student David Becker held up at last year's Duke football game, which read, "Fire Groh!" That's Al Groh, the Virginia football coach who always manages to beat the Davids, but rarely the Goliaths.

"No signs," the gendarme told Becker in taking away the sign. Becker asked why. Nobody knew. So he made another sign, this time smaller, thinking maybe it violated some kind of size-limit rule. They took that one, too. Becker asked why again. "Word from the athletic department," the guard said. So he wrote "Fire Groh!" on a sheet of notebook paper. The guard took that, too, saying signs of a negative nature weren't allowed and that if Becker wanted to go for one more, he'd gladly pitch him out under an "exit" sign.
Now—no signs at all, pro or con. At Virginia! The nation's first secular university! Founded by Thomas Jefferson himself in 1819! Framer of the constitution! Champion of "certain inalienable rights," like free speech! The man who once wrote: "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing"!

Who, exactly, is Virginia protecting here? Groh? The man can handle himself. After all, he was once the head coach of the New York Jets.

"Seems odd," says former Virginia star and current Bucs cornerback Ronde Barber. "You'd think if there was one university that would stand up for free speech, it'd be Virginia. When I was there, the signs were really clever."

I'll go farther than that. I've covered plenty of games where the only clever part of the game was the signs. College football without signs is like pretzels without salt. Who can forget these signs from last season?

"WE WANT A NEW CARR WITH LES MILES!"—Michigan fan

"KANSAS FOOTBALL: A TRADITION SINCE SEPTEMBER!"—Jayhawk fan

"IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU ARE NOT A CORNHUSKER"—Colorado fan vs. Nebraska

Or, my favorite sign of all time in any sport, from a Bruins game in the '70s: "JESUS SAVES AND ESPOSITO SCORES ON THE REBOUND!"

Virginia's athletic department says it instituted the policy to promote a "positive game-day environment." Ugh. Sounds like some $150/hour therapist wrote that one. Someone with tissues in all their pockets and a "Ban Dodge Ball" bumper sticker on their car. Whoever wrote it doesn't get this: 99% of sports signs are positive.

Can you imagine what Jefferson himself would've thought of this new jack-booted policy? True, he grew to rue freedom of expression a little toward the end of his life, since the press was hammering him on his long-time affair with one of his slaves, Sally Hemings. (This might be why, to this day, Virginia still doesn't have a journalism school.) But I ask you: What's the point of founding a free university if that university is going to tell its students what they can say?

For instance, how are Virginia students supposed to express themselves about the Cavs' 52-7 home opener loss to USC last Saturday? White T-shirts and Sharpies? Sign language? Hats worn at an angry angle?

"That's the thing," says Robert O'Neil, director of the Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, also in Charlottesville. "We don't quite know what constitutes a sign. Paint on someone's chest? A T-shirt? It's not quite clear."

One thing is clear. This is un-American. This isn't Havana. What's next? No yelling? No grumbling? No heavy sighing? How are students supposed to effect change at their school? Morse-code flashlights? And if they can censor students at the stadium, what's to keep them from doing it on The Lawn?

And if we're worried about a "positive game-day environment," shouldn't Groh be held to it, too? Remind me: What's so "positive" about 52-7?

This Saturday, the Cavs play Richmond and they'll be wearing special throwback jerseys. Seems superfluous. Virginia's already a throwback. To 1775.

Here's what Virginia students should do for every home game from now on: Bring signs that say nothing. Bring signs that say, "This Is Not a Sign." Or bring 60,00 signs and let the athletic department goons try to sort them out.

Because sometimes rebellion isn't just a good thing. It's the only thing.

Love the column, hate the column, got a better idea? Go here. http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/mailbagESPN?event_id=20928

Want more Life of Reilly? Then check out the archive.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/archive?name=reilly_rick

Here's the link to the article.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3566872

(Thanks, Rick and ESPN)

The Last Real Republican?

2008-09-01T22:28:00.057-04:00

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush, and Lil' Bush. These four gentleman collectively will hold the office of President twenty-eight of the past forty-eight years since Ike left office. What happened to the "Grand Old Party" since Eisenhower left office?
Here is a Republican who won his second term with 457 out of a possible 531 electoral votes and over 57% percent of the popular vote.
During his presidency, he:

Continued FDR's New deal programs

Authorized the Interstate highway System

Oversaw the Korean War Cease Fire

Enlarged the Social Security Program, extending benefits to an additional 10 million citizens

Supported the Supreme Court decision, Brown vs. Board of Education. The day after the decision, Ike asked D.C. officials to make Washington a model for the rest of the country in integrating the school systems.

No, Ike wasn't perfect. He let Joe McCarthy run a little too loose and the CIA a little too secret. His legacy took a shot due to a contrast to his succcessor, John F. Kennedy. Activists of the time felt Eisenhower did not do enough for integration, and though he initiated the Space Race, many held him responsible for our space program falling behind the Russians' space program. Eisenhower laid a foundation of sound, moderate conservatism for his to party to follow and expand on, but the GOP took one in the head with Nixon and the country took one in the wallet with Reagan. Watergate and the Iran-Contra affair both became defining legacies for both Nixon and Reagan, while Eisenhower may have slipped with the 1960 U-2 incident, he kept up the pressure during the Cold War and made Nuclear Weapons a high defense priority.

In his farewell address he said:
"Another factor in maintaining balance involves the element of time. As we peer into society's future, we -- you and I, and our government -- must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow."

"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion. "
Dwight D. Eisenhower

(Thanks, again, Wikipedia, for all the great resources.)

A Heartbeat Away

2008-08-31T22:54:00.013-04:00

"The Vice President of the United States is the first person in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president, serving out the balance of that presidential term no matter how much or little time remains in it...

Every presidential term ends on January 20 of the year immediately after a presidential election. As designated by the Constitution of the United States, the vice president also serves as the President of the Senate, and may break tie votes in that chamber. He or she may be assigned additional duties by the president but, as the Constitution assigns no executive powers to the vice president, in performing such duties he or she acts only as an agent of the president. "

Now, for the record, I copied and pasted the above paragraphs from Wikipedia. I did not para-phrase, it is exactly as it is posted.

Here's another one for you, an exact cut and paste from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12969.html:
Larry Kudlow of CNBC’s “Kudlow & Co.” asked her about the possibility of becoming McCain's ticket mate Palin replied: “As for that VP talk all the time, I’ll tell you, I still can’t answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day? I’m used to being very productive and working real hard in an administration. We want to make sure that that VP slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that we’re trying to accomplish up here for the rest of the United States before I can even start addressing that question.”

So, let me get this straight, about a month before she was offered the job, she didn't comprehend the job of the VP? The Governor of Alaska, did not understand the job of the Vice President of the United States of America? Now, she may have been trying to balance her duty of Governor with the possibility of being a candidate, but I know a diss when I hear one, and she did diss the VP spot. Now here's a person with less time as governor than Obama has for running for President, not willing to go on the record about the VEEP spot but willing to say she doesn't understand what exactly the VP does every day. A governor of a state with a population less than Rhode Island (look it up) and before that, she was mayor of a town with a population less than Paducah, Kentucky (look that up, too)! At least Dan Quayle served as a U.S. Senator. Well, maybe she can spell potato. But seriously folks, there are two main jobs that the vice president performs and the first one may be the most significant, first person in succession of the President.

All but four of our previous vice presidents have served either as a Congressmen, Senator, or Governor. One was a State Senator(New Jersey), Another Secretary of Commerce, yet another a lawyer, and a fourth served as an ambassador to Great Britain and a delegate to the first AND second Continental Congress, not to forget to mention he was also our first vice-president.

Now, about the lawyer, Chester A. Arthur. James A. Garfield chose Arthur as a running mate hoping to gain the votes of a faction of his party that without their support, he would likely lose the election. After winning the presidential election by a count of popular votes of less than ten thousand, the "Stalwarts," led by political boss Roscoe Conkling, started to make demands of Garfield for political appointments and Arthur, who was a friend of Conkling, supported Conkling versus the President.

A Funny Thing On The Way To The White House.
(As Long As You're Not James A. Garfield)

James A. Garfield was shot in the back by Charles Guiteau, who was shouting, "I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts... Arthur is President now!!!" Six months, fifteen days. Second shortest presidency...

To Arthur’s credit, he understood the scrutiny his administration would receive and throughout his presidency, he strived to work with both parties. Publisher Alexander McClure said, ”No man ever entered the Presidency so profoundly and widely distrusted, and no one ever retired more generally respected.” Unfortunately, Palin’s positions on many subjects, and her brief history in the political arena, does not suggest much of bi-partisanship nor the necessary experience for the second highest position in government.

Is history repeating itself here? Is Governor Palin an attempt to galvanize the Republican Party? Is McCain trying to pull a ”Reagan” by trying to woo disenfranchised Democrats, namely the Hillary Clinton supporters? Choosing an unknown like Palin seems to be more than a reach, it is an incredible political nightmare for both the old school Republicans and the Neo Cons. Someone, sometime and someday, will have to answer the question, “What was wrong with picking Pawlenty? Romney? Or even Lieberman?” Two governors with far more experience and a senator, albeit one who ran under a Democratic presidential ticket, but a senator who may represent a greater cross section, much more moderate in terms of his political views than his Democratic party platform and willing to call himself an independent to reinforce that view.

Now, you can look up for yourself all about Arthur's presidency, make sure you check out about the Standard Oil Trust that was ruled unconstitutional some 40 years later, long after Rockefeller became the wealthiest man in the world. And, make sure you check out Palin's opinions and positions, namely, oil and the environment (ANWR drilling).

You might even start to think about what the job of the vice-president is, even if you are or are not a governor, congressman, senator, lawyer, beauty queen, hockey mom, gun rights advocate, pro-lifer, pro-choicer, tree hugger, or an independent. Maybe, because you are an American, a concerned American...

A heart beat away.

(Thank you Wikipedia for all the resources and references for this article)

NEO "CONS"?

2008-08-26T08:33:00.008-04:00

Update: FBI Probing Possible Obama Assassination Plot...
Are these the new faces of the "Republican Party?"

Get my joke, Neo Cons(new convicts)? Sometimes I make myself laugh so hard I forget what I'm supposed to be doing. Normally, I don't get into the game of political name-calling. But, can you imagine if Wilbur and Jethro here start blabbing about how McCain is "The Answer" to "The One?" Imagine all the jokes you're going to hear if these yahoos had a McCain bumper sticker on their car, assuming they have a car. It is too early to tell if the threat is legitimate, the local police and the FBI are investigating.
Here's a link to the story at www.huffingtonpost.com;
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/08/25/obama-assassination-plot_n_121293.html

On a side note, if you like to read the news via the internet, this a great site, very straight forward.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com

The Tenth Amendment

2008-08-21T22:39:00.007-04:00

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Thomas Jefferson once wrote that “The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite.”

What is the function of government? Do we really stop and think about this? How often, when we talk to our friends about politics do we consider our decisions, our support for a politician, as a person who fulfills the function of government? This is not about Democrat vs. Republican, Liberal vs. Conservative, Left vs, Right.

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson each had an idea of government. Jefferson said,“A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor and bread it has earned — this is the sum of good government.” While Hamilton felt “Constitutions should consist only of general provisions; the reason is that they must necessarily be permanent, and that they cannot calculate for the possible change of things.”

Another great quote from Jefferson, "Government should be judged by how well it meets its legitimate objectives. Good government is that which most effectively secures the rights of the people and the fruits of their labor, promotes their happiness, and does their will."

Apathy - is a state of indifference, where an individual has an absence of interest or concern to certain aspects of emotional, social, or physical life.

Political apathy - is public and/or individual indifference towards political events and movements.

In who's best interest is it that voter apathy exists? If we, as citizens, don't not take for ourselves what is truly ours, well, we will leave it to those who will not hold it as dear. Our Government, Of the People, By the People, For The People. It's not for special interests, Lobbyists, Multinational Corporations. It's not for the Banker nor the Industrialists, but every man and every woman.

How do we overcome voter apathy? How many times have you heard that your votes doesn't really matter? I remember going to bed after watching Peter Jennings project Al Gore the winner of Florida. Only to wake up the next day and learn about "hanging chads?" We need to remember every elected representative is accountable to the citizens. All citizens. If we do not take care for our government and its leaders it will not return the favor. I believe if we were to go to a "One Man, One Vote " system, thereby ending the electoral college, more people will feel that their opinion matters. The Electoral College affords smaller areas a larger voice but I believe in a Federal election, a direct popular vote would increase voter turnout and interest. Also, why not make a National Election Holiday? One day a year, the first Tuesday of November. if our government is truly for us, why don't we MAKE the time and go out and vote.

May God Bless America!

That liberty [is pure] which is to go to all, and not to the few or the rich alone." --Thomas Jefferson to Horatio Gates, 1798.

"Don't withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it." Proverbs3:27

Jokers! Jokers! Jokers!

2008-08-21T22:01:00.006-04:00

This past week, my wife and I went out on a date. First we played golf with some friends of ours from our church small group.

After golf, the four of us went out to dinner to continue our evening together. Times like these are very precious to my wife and me. We love our children very much and enjoy all the time we get to spend with them but we try to set time for ourselves so we can come to appreciate each other as friends. You see, my wife is my best friend and whenever I can hang out with my best friend it is always a great time.

After our dinner date with our friends, I convinced my wife to see the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight." I think the last movie we got out to see was "The Bourne Ultimatum" - her pick - I was cool with it. Our surrogate daughter, Kristan had already seen The Dark Knight twice, so my wife was kind of interested.

To put it briefly, Ledger is a freak. If you haven't seen the movie - go. I like Christian Bale as Batman, far more than the previous portrayer. But Ledger - WOW! I'm not a big fan of paying the big bucks for a movie, but I am really glad I did. I don't want to go into details about the film so as not to ruin it for anyone, so that's all I'm going to say about it for now.

As far as my date with my wife - it was GREAT! Our eighth anniversary is next month and I have never been happier.

I Love you K, more every day ;)

Bigfoot Finding is a Hoax

2008-08-20T21:40:00.009-04:00

My wife told me if I'm going to have a blog page, I need to post more consistently

I really wish I took the time to collect my thoughts and put them in writing. You see, I think about a lot of things throughout the day. Sports, politics, religion, sports, economics, sports, religion, sports, food, sports, and sports. I am a routine kind of person. I get up at the same time everyday, do the same things in the same order - every day. I'm so systematic that I find myself filled with thought of things other than what I'm currently doing. Since we don't get the newspaper and we do not have cable t.v. or satellite t.v. ( yeah, we are the other family without t.v.)I rely on the internet to keep with my interests. I enjoy having a cup of coffee and reading the news, sports, and of course lame trivial news bits. Even when it comes to the internet, I'm a creature of habit, ESPN, a weather site, USA Today, and a local news website.

The only television I watch is at work. Due to the nature of my occupation, it is necessary for my company that I am up date to anything that may affect our operation. While watching one of the cable channels, there was breaking news about two hikers in Northern Georgia who "stumbled" across the remains of an ape-like man/creature.

Are you kidding me? Breaking news? Bigfoot? Come on! Isn't there enough stupid shit being reported every fricken hour that mainstream media would go to a live news conference and allow a spectacle like this to be aired? Yeah, I watched it. Like I watch The Simpsons. Laughing the whole time because I know how the Simpsons are a cartoon to parody real life. Now the man who held the conference is out 50 grand he paid the two hucksters who sold him a rubber suit.

The real news should have been how this guy had that kind of money to give to people. Do you ever have those moments where you feel stupid for the time you spend on something only realizing you can never get that time back? Yup, that was one of them.

I try to be an informed citizen. I try not to voice an opinion without understanding or at least trying to understand both sides of an argument. I'm the guy who believes that government and taxes are neither good or bad, just necessary. The argument for each is how much is necessary. What most news channel try to pass of as news today is almost comical. How do you segue from the economy, to the presidential race, the Olympics, to Sasquatch? In the same fifteen minutes.
And call it "Breaking News."

Mainstream news sucks.

Would You Draft Favre?

2008-08-17T23:18:00.005-04:00

I am the comissioner for my fantasy football league, Ramp Rats Fantasy Football...

The Mac Bros. Fantasy Football Forecast website list Favre as the 9th overall quarterback and 44th overall pick. That puts him ahead of Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger, and Jay Cutler in the QB list and in our twelve team league, he would be projected to be a fourth round, eighth pick. Why is this interesting? Well, the secret value here may not be Favre but the wide receivers, Laveranues Coles and Jericho Cotchery, who are ranked 21 and 22 respectively as wide receivers and 68th and 71st overall. Our draft is 18 rounds long, requiring each owner to draft 3 Qb's, 4 Rb's and 5 Wr's and 2 Te's, K's and Dt's. Since everyone has to start from scratch and we plan on being a keeper league, the first few rounds will be heavy on the skill players, namely running backs and wide receivers. Chad Pennington was not known for having a deep ball, yet his accuracy gave the Jets a decent passing game. With Favre, the improvement in the deep throw, his agility, his experience,and his gunslinger mentality will give Coles and Cotchery the opportunity to climb into the elite receiver duo status.

The off season addition of Thomas Jones to the back field alongside Leon Washington gives Favre two running backs to utilize in the offense also as receivers. Jones has rushed for more than one thousand yards in each of the past three seasons and Washington has shown his versatility by returning 3 kickoffs for TD's in 2007.

Our draft will "snake" from round to round. I draft 12th in the first round and first in the second round, which means I will be drafting back to back, but I will not have another pick until the 36th overall followed by the 37th. This is my quandry:
If I use picks 12 and 13 for RB's, when do I go for a stud receiver? Since my picks are back to back, I have to consider drafting a QB and WR in 3rd and 4th rounds. I have had great success in the past with loading up on RB's with my first three picks, followed by the best two available receivers, another running back, another receiver, and then QB's. But again, that was a keeper league too and I already had a QB, RB, and WR. The number of teams going to a two back system, ala New Orleans and the Giants ( not to name the Raiders, who seem to own the market on running backs) seems to increase every year. Look at Denver. Yes, they do produce thousand yard backs, but can you name them? And will they be the feature back this year? They cut Bell, drafted Torain, (who's injured)and then there's Young, who averaged 5.2 yds/carry, who seems to be the man. For Now. There's even a rumor of Denver bringing Mike Bell back. Why?

As I try to forecast my draft this year, I run across several scenarios where Moss, Romo, and Owens are available. Also available are Marion Barber and Maurice Jones-Drew. In this scenario, the first eleven picks are NINE running backs and 2 quarterbacks. I'm surprised to see Frank Gore in the group because I do not see how Gore will be able to put up big fantasy points in Martz's offensive scheme. Another back in question is Steven Jackson, who might turn his hold out into a 17 week hiatus. Brady and Manning are well deserved picks, as is Tomlinson. But I believe Adrian Peterson and Bryant Westbrook have some doubts as to durability and Larry Johnson is not the Larry Johnson of old.

So, is Favre a steal with the 60th pick? CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Guide has TE Tony Gonzalez ranked 60th overall, Hasselbeck 61st and Eli Manning 67th, not to forget to mention Jay Cutler 63rd. By the 60th pick, I would have drafted four times already and will be picking my 5th and 6th player and this could be the breaking point; I could pull one or two Qb's and my 84th and 85th I could take down another receiver or Qb. It is very likely that the Jets Trio will be around after the fifth round. So why not?

Still Under Construction

2008-08-17T14:24:00.002-04:00

I am new to this blogging and I have been working on

setting up the page so it is user friendly and also have some cool widget features. One of the things I'm working on is a "peekaboo" style page posting. Please be patient while I work out the bugs....
In the meantime, check out some of my widgets and my disclaimer( I actually borrowed it, with permission from another blogger so feel free to use it yourself and give credit to where it's due)and give me feedback or suggestions on what you like and what you would like to see added.

Thanks

I Love Football

2008-08-11T21:55:00.013-04:00

I love Football. I mean I really love football. Living in the Midwest for the past 23 years, football gives me something to get through the crazy winters here in Michigan. You see, I grew up in Southern California and winter meant gray days filled with rain and 50 degree temperatures (that's when it wasn't sunny and in the 60's). My early childhood memories are filled with playing touch football in the street or in a yard with all the kids in my neighborhood and waking up Sunday mornings and watching NFL pre-game shows. Living on the West Coast meant the start time for the first game on Sunday is 10 a.m. By the time the second game was over, it was only 4:30 in the afternoon, still plenty of time to get out and play a game of touch football...

The irony of my passion, though, that as a child, I rooted for perennial under achievers, the L. A. Rams, and as an adult, my passion has led me to root for the Detroit Lions. You see, my childhood memories are filled with players like Pat Haden, Joe Namath (yes, broadway Joe did play one year for the Rams), Vince Farragamo, Wendel Tyler, the Youngbloods, Eric(The Great) Dickerson, Henry Ellard, Willie (Flipper) Anderson. I even remember watching the Rams play the Steelers in the Superbowl, right there in SoCAL in the Rose Bowl. Gosh, good times, good times...

Back in 1985, my family moved to Michigan shortly after I graduated from high school. My transition from Rams fan to Lions fan was brought about due to the fact 1) The Lions were the "Only Team in town" and 2) There was no such thing as Directv and NFL Sunday Ticket.

You see, emotionally, it was easy to become a Lions fan. Gary Danielson, Eric Hipple, Billy Sims, Jerry Ball, Eddie Murray, Chuck Long. Two thousand miles and still, my home team is a better soap opera than the Guiding Light.

Still.

Twenty three years as a Lions fan. Season ticket holder for 4 years. Armchair quarterback. Living room coach. You name it, I've been it. I liked Wayne Fontes! I couldn't stand Gary Moeller( that's a different post, more in the line about why I can't stand U of M). I think Morningwheg got the shaft and Joey Harrington was a good draft pick and Jeff Backus is overrated, overpaid and more the problem than the solution(another example of Wolverine waste).

I do miss Bary Sanders, Herman Moore, Johnny Morton, Chris Spielman, Lomas Brown, David Sloan, Bennie Blades, and sometimes Scott Mitchell. With a new season, comes new players and new hope. Last year, we were sucked in with the 6-2 start only to watch them fall back to their long standing reputation of "losers." But don't forget how close we were to having a winning season. One fumble recovery against Dallas, one catch against the Giants, and getting caught off guard by the Cardinals. Win two of those three, 9-7. Baby steps, baby steps.

Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Ernie Sims, Mike Furrey, Daniel Bullocks, Gerald Alexander, Jon Kitna, Shaun McDonald, Kevin Smith, Gosder Cherilus, Drew Stanton, Chuck Darby, Leigh Bodden. The list just goes on and on. This is so much better than the Guiding Light

Man, do I love football...

Jeffersonian democracy

2008-08-10T19:24:00.005-04:00

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Jeffersonian democracy is the set of political goals that were named after Thomas Jefferson. It dominated American politics in the years 1800-1820s. It is contrasted with Jacksonian democracy, which dominated the next political era. The most prominent spokesmen included Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Albert Gallatin, John Randolph of Roanoke, and Nathaniel Bacon.

In its core ideals it is characterized by the following elements, which the Jeffersonians expressed in their speeches and legislation:

The core political value of America is representative democracy; citizens have a civic duty to aid the state and resist corruption, especially monarchism and aristocracy....

The yeoman farmer best exemplifies virtue and independence from corrupting city influences; government policy should be for his benefit. Financiers, bankers and industrialists make cities the cesspools of corruption, and should be avoided.

Americans had a duty to spread what Jefferson called the "Empire of Liberty" to the world, but should avoid "entangling alliances."

The national government is a dangerous necessity to be instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security of the people, nation or community; it should be watched closely and circumscribed in its powers. Most Anti-Federalists from 1787-88 joined the Jeffersonians.

Republicanism, also known as representative democracy, is the best form of government and representative democracy is needed to prevent the tyranny by the majority, as Madison explained in Federalist No. 10

The wall of separation between church and state is the best method to keep religion free from intervention by the federal government, government free of religious disputes, and religion free from corruption by government.

The federal government must not violate the rights of individuals. The Bill of Rights is a central theme.

The federal government must not violate the rights of the states. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 (written secretly by Jefferson and Madison) proclaim these principles.

Freedom of speech and the press is the best method to prevent the tyranny of the people by their own government. The Federalists' violation of this idea through the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 became a major issue.

A standing army and navy are dangerous to liberty and should be avoided; much better was to use economic coercion such as the embargo.

The United States Constitution was written in order to ensure the freedom of the people. A strict view of how the constitution was written is kept.

President John F. Kennedy on being a liberal...

2008-08-10T18:35:00.015-04:00

"I believe in human dignity as the source of national purpose, in human liberty as the source of national action, in the human heart as the source of national compassion, and in the human mind as the source of our invention and our ideas. It is, I believe, the faith in our fellow citizens as individuals and as people that lies at the heart of the liberal faith. For liberalism is not so much a party creed or set of fixed platform promises as it is an attitude of mind and heart, a faith in man's ability through the experiences of his reason and judgment to increase for himself and his fellow men the amount of justice and freedom and brotherhood which all human life deserves...

I believe also in the United States of America, in the promise that it contains and has contained throughout our history of producing a society so abundant and creative and so free and responsible that it cannot only fulfill the aspirations of its citizens, but serve equally well as a beacon for all mankind. I do not believe in a superstate. I see no magic in tax dollars which are sent to Washington and then returned. I abhor the waste and incompetence of large-scale federal bureaucracies in this administration as well as in others. I do not favor state compulsion when voluntary individual effort can do the job and do it well. But I believe in a government which acts, which exercises its full powers and full responsibilities. Government is an art and a precious obligation; and when it has a job to do, I believe it should do it. And this requires not only great ends but that we propose concrete means of achieving them.

Our responsibility is not discharged by announcement of virtuous ends. Our responsibility is to achieve these objectives with social invention, with political skill, and executive vigor. I believe for these reasons that liberalism is our best and only hope in the world today. For the liberal society is a free society, and it is at the same time and for that reason a strong society. Its strength is drawn from the will of free people committed to great ends and peacefully striving to meet them. Only liberalism, in short, can repair our national power, restore our national purpose, and liberate our national energies.

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

President John Fitzgerald Kennedy

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

2008-08-10T10:27:00.000-04:00

Thank you for visiting The Eclectic News Circus. I hope to have this up and running very soon. Please visit often