Awkward Situation Room 1 from RightChange on Vimeo.
Clearly, he's an empty suit.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Rooms For Rent
Trailer for sale or rent. Rooms to let, 50 cents. It's just a song, right?
From the things that "irritate the hell out of you" department comes this little tidbit. It is an op-ed from Britain's Guardian newspaper and it starts off like this:
At this point, we have to know where this one is leading.
And it does.
Here, we have a leftist op-ed journalist who is well-known for his radical stances on Global Warming, making a suggestion that is not unlike others who view the rich as evil, greedy, and worthy of having their wealth redistributed. George Monbiot has written some pretty hard left stuff in the past, but this teeters on the edge of insanity for many reasons.
Monbiot (maybe this is where the term moonbat came from) is suggesting that owners of houses with spare bedrooms not being used, be forced to rent out those rooms to people they may or may not know, because Britain is having a housing crisis. One reason this is so ridiculous is because it does not take into account why there is a crisis to begin with.
Muslims are procreating ten times greater than non-Muslims, which is doing much to create a higher demand for housing. One question we must ask in this scenario, who decides who gets to rent?
Let's say a law is passed and an empty nested owner of a house with two extra bedrooms is forced to rent them out. Will he be subject to anti-discrimination laws that will prevent him from renting to someone who does not share his overall belief system? What if a radical Muslim and his hijab wearing wife wants to rent one of his rooms to live in? If the owner balks, will he be subject to a lawsuit?
If he does decide to rent to them, will he be subjected to respecting the Muslims' belief systems so that they are not offended? Can he cook pork in his own house, or must he refrain? What if the call to prayer is during his favorite TV show? Must he refrain from watching so as not to offend the Muslims?
What about his religious symbols in his own house? Will he be forced to hide Bibles, crosses, or anything else associated with his own beliefs?
I am sure this sounds good to a select few people, who basically have no concept of what it means to think things out before they offer up stupid solutions like this. But when you start to play it out with some critical thinking, it becomes a whole new ballpark. More than anything else, it becomes an issue of whether or not government has a right to dictate to its citizenry how they must manage their own property.
From the things that "irritate the hell out of you" department comes this little tidbit. It is an op-ed from Britain's Guardian newspaper and it starts off like this:
There are two housing crises in Britain. One of them is obvious and familiar: the walloping shortfall in supply. Households are forming at roughly twice the rate at which new homes are being built. In England alone, 650,000 homes are classed as overcrowded. Many other people are desperate to move into their own places, but find themselves stuck. Yet the new homes the government says we need – 5.8m by 2033 – threaten to mash our landscapes and overload the environment.
The other crisis is scarcely mentioned. I stumbled across it while researching last week's column, buried on page 33 of a government document about another issue. It's growing even faster than the first crisis – at a rate that's hard to comprehend. Yet you'll seldom hear a squeak about it in the press, in parliament, in government departments or even in the voluntary sector. Given its political sensitivity, perhaps that's not surprising.
The issue is surplus housing – the remarkable growth of space that people don't need. Between 2003 and 2008 (the latest available figures), there was a 45% increase in the number of under-occupied homes in England. The definition of under-occupied varies, but it usually means that households have at least two bedrooms more than they require. This category now accounts for over half the homes in which single people live, and almost a quarter of those used by larger households. Nearly 8m homes – 37% of the total housing stock – are officially under-occupied.
At this point, we have to know where this one is leading.
And it does.
Here, we have a leftist op-ed journalist who is well-known for his radical stances on Global Warming, making a suggestion that is not unlike others who view the rich as evil, greedy, and worthy of having their wealth redistributed. George Monbiot has written some pretty hard left stuff in the past, but this teeters on the edge of insanity for many reasons.
Monbiot (maybe this is where the term moonbat came from) is suggesting that owners of houses with spare bedrooms not being used, be forced to rent out those rooms to people they may or may not know, because Britain is having a housing crisis. One reason this is so ridiculous is because it does not take into account why there is a crisis to begin with.
Muslims are procreating ten times greater than non-Muslims, which is doing much to create a higher demand for housing. One question we must ask in this scenario, who decides who gets to rent?
Let's say a law is passed and an empty nested owner of a house with two extra bedrooms is forced to rent them out. Will he be subject to anti-discrimination laws that will prevent him from renting to someone who does not share his overall belief system? What if a radical Muslim and his hijab wearing wife wants to rent one of his rooms to live in? If the owner balks, will he be subject to a lawsuit?
If he does decide to rent to them, will he be subjected to respecting the Muslims' belief systems so that they are not offended? Can he cook pork in his own house, or must he refrain? What if the call to prayer is during his favorite TV show? Must he refrain from watching so as not to offend the Muslims?
What about his religious symbols in his own house? Will he be forced to hide Bibles, crosses, or anything else associated with his own beliefs?
I am sure this sounds good to a select few people, who basically have no concept of what it means to think things out before they offer up stupid solutions like this. But when you start to play it out with some critical thinking, it becomes a whole new ballpark. More than anything else, it becomes an issue of whether or not government has a right to dictate to its citizenry how they must manage their own property.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Fresh Faces: Herman Cain
For those of you who do not know him, there is a good article on Herman Cain. It's a well-written synopsis of someone who has worked very hard throughout his life, someone who has made his mark as being an innovative solution man. He has the brilliance to come up with great ideas and the courage to implement them.
For those of you who do not know him, you may get to know him better over the course of the next year, especially if you live in Iowa. He has an exploratory committee already formed and we may know very soon what his intentions are
Once the decision had been made to proceed, there is a good chance that he may find himself to be the front runner in the GOP nomination process. Staying there may prove difficult, but then again once people get to know him I think many will like him.
Certainly lots of people will be enamored with his sincerity. They may also be impressed by his business acumen and his overall mindset. And that includes preserving a nation. He may actually be the man who can truly fix what is wrong with Washington, not just campaign on it.
If it turns out he is not be the best choice, we'll all know when we know.
But I would bet that if he's not, he will be able to work for the right person who may garner more support than him---if that person has a lick of sense. I think he is more than able to serve in some capacity in another person's Administration, if called upon by the right person.
For those of you who do not know him, you may get to know him better over the course of the next year, especially if you live in Iowa. He has an exploratory committee already formed and we may know very soon what his intentions are
Once the decision had been made to proceed, there is a good chance that he may find himself to be the front runner in the GOP nomination process. Staying there may prove difficult, but then again once people get to know him I think many will like him.
Certainly lots of people will be enamored with his sincerity. They may also be impressed by his business acumen and his overall mindset. And that includes preserving a nation. He may actually be the man who can truly fix what is wrong with Washington, not just campaign on it.
If it turns out he is not be the best choice, we'll all know when we know.
But I would bet that if he's not, he will be able to work for the right person who may garner more support than him---if that person has a lick of sense. I think he is more than able to serve in some capacity in another person's Administration, if called upon by the right person.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
NFL Divisional Playoffs Preview
Baltimore at Pittsburgh--Sat. 4:30P
Back in the days of the Steeler dynasty, when they won 4 out of 6 Super Bowls, they were almost unstoppable. 1975 was the first year they won it and after many years of being lousy, we were happy for them. But after the second title, they ceased to be an underdog feel good story. Since those days, I have never really been a Steeler fan.
And....I don't much like Baltimore either. But there is one thing this game will definitely be, a hard hitting old-style physical football game. Both teams are mirror images of each other.
They both like to run & pound the ball at you offensively, with smart and well-selected passing off of the run. Defensively, they like to intimidate opponents and hit receivers very hard. Both, stop the run well and both, can make big plays on either side of the ball.
Green Bay at Atlanta--Sat. 8:00P
This will be the most interesting game of the day and is also a bit of a question mark.
Can Aaron Rodger back up his performance last weekend?
Can Atlanta stand the spotlight of the big stage?
When Green Bay plays well, they are tough to beat. Ask the Pats, they were having more trouble with the Packers than almost any other team, without actually losing. To shake the Philip Rivers syndrome (based on success, rather than attitude: in the latter case, Rivers wins it hands down), he must have another "game of his life". He must direct and engineer a win against a worthy opponent.
One of two truly consistent and balanced teams in the NFL, Atlanta has been able to slip in under the radar. The media hasn't covered them with any real enthusiasm. It's been all AFC, with much of it because of the Jets and their mouths.
If they play like they have played all year, they stand the better chance of winning this ball game. If they get nervous under the lights, in the big tent, they could find themselves exiting. I think this is Matt Ryan and Company's chance to assert themselves as the heir to the Patriots of this past decade. They have to mix the run with the pass evenly and stop the Packers offense from getting into the end zone.
They have to win this one. Anything less than a win this weekend would remind us of the Braves.
Seattle at Chicago--Sun. 1:00P
Everyone loves a Cinderella story. It makes people happy.
Seattle is this season's installment of the rag tag little lady, who has no business dancing with society's upper crust. People are happy, especially the sports media who are not assigned to cover the Jets and whatever asinine statements one of them may make, over the course of the week's hype.
But a team with a losing record going into Soldier Field in January, cannot really expect to have much success against the Bears. Can they?
Carroll is a great coach on paper, he knows his Xs and Os. If you think the Seahawk players can play with the same intensity and can execute like they did against the Saints, you are damned right they can win this game.
The question is, do they have the talent? Can they go on the road in a cold cold stadium and implement what promises to be the better game plan.... against a Chicago team that has some vulnerable spots?
If they studied the Patriots game on film, they will know what to do. If they do what Carroll and his staff have drawn up, I think they can win it.
New York Jets at New England--Sun. 4:30P
The Patriots are the most complete team in the AFC and will need to be knocked off in the friendly confines of Foxboro, in January. Not many teams can claim that distinction. And I doubt that the mouthy Jets can do it.
The media will hype this into this big showdown between two elite teams. But I think the overrated Jets are going to see more of what they got last time they played.
NY barely beat the banged up Colts' and their second and third stringers. How can anyone really think they can challenge a well oiled machine?
The only chance the Jesters have is if Tom Brady falls on ice before the game or aliens abduct him. In this case, they would have a small chance of eking out a close victory.....maybe. All categories favor the Pats and I expect them to be ready to send these blowhards packing, all the way back to the Big Apple with their pride hurt and their tails between their legs.
I am tired of hearing about swagger and confidence. Any team that has to mentally motivate themselves by making unprofessional statements to the media is not that good of a team. In this league, legends are not made in the minds of the coaches or the players. They are made on the field, where the media cannot spin it.
New England has been this past decade's dynasty and a worthy rivalry of the Colts, over the course of this time. This puts them in the category of the 49ers of the 80s, the Steelers of the 70s, and the Packers of the 60s. I expect to see at least one more good run for a title this year.
Back in the days of the Steeler dynasty, when they won 4 out of 6 Super Bowls, they were almost unstoppable. 1975 was the first year they won it and after many years of being lousy, we were happy for them. But after the second title, they ceased to be an underdog feel good story. Since those days, I have never really been a Steeler fan.
And....I don't much like Baltimore either. But there is one thing this game will definitely be, a hard hitting old-style physical football game. Both teams are mirror images of each other.
They both like to run & pound the ball at you offensively, with smart and well-selected passing off of the run. Defensively, they like to intimidate opponents and hit receivers very hard. Both, stop the run well and both, can make big plays on either side of the ball.
Pick: Can't
Green Bay at Atlanta--Sat. 8:00P
This will be the most interesting game of the day and is also a bit of a question mark.
Can Aaron Rodger back up his performance last weekend?
Can Atlanta stand the spotlight of the big stage?
When Green Bay plays well, they are tough to beat. Ask the Pats, they were having more trouble with the Packers than almost any other team, without actually losing. To shake the Philip Rivers syndrome (based on success, rather than attitude: in the latter case, Rivers wins it hands down), he must have another "game of his life". He must direct and engineer a win against a worthy opponent.
One of two truly consistent and balanced teams in the NFL, Atlanta has been able to slip in under the radar. The media hasn't covered them with any real enthusiasm. It's been all AFC, with much of it because of the Jets and their mouths.
If they play like they have played all year, they stand the better chance of winning this ball game. If they get nervous under the lights, in the big tent, they could find themselves exiting. I think this is Matt Ryan and Company's chance to assert themselves as the heir to the Patriots of this past decade. They have to mix the run with the pass evenly and stop the Packers offense from getting into the end zone.
They have to win this one. Anything less than a win this weekend would remind us of the Braves.
Pick: I am going out on a limb here, and picking Atlanta.
Seattle at Chicago--Sun. 1:00P
Everyone loves a Cinderella story. It makes people happy.
Seattle is this season's installment of the rag tag little lady, who has no business dancing with society's upper crust. People are happy, especially the sports media who are not assigned to cover the Jets and whatever asinine statements one of them may make, over the course of the week's hype.
But a team with a losing record going into Soldier Field in January, cannot really expect to have much success against the Bears. Can they?
Carroll is a great coach on paper, he knows his Xs and Os. If you think the Seahawk players can play with the same intensity and can execute like they did against the Saints, you are damned right they can win this game.
The question is, do they have the talent? Can they go on the road in a cold cold stadium and implement what promises to be the better game plan.... against a Chicago team that has some vulnerable spots?
If they studied the Patriots game on film, they will know what to do. If they do what Carroll and his staff have drawn up, I think they can win it.
Pick: Way out on a limb here--- Seattle.
New York Jets at New England--Sun. 4:30P
The Patriots are the most complete team in the AFC and will need to be knocked off in the friendly confines of Foxboro, in January. Not many teams can claim that distinction. And I doubt that the mouthy Jets can do it.
The media will hype this into this big showdown between two elite teams. But I think the overrated Jets are going to see more of what they got last time they played.
NY barely beat the banged up Colts' and their second and third stringers. How can anyone really think they can challenge a well oiled machine?
The only chance the Jesters have is if Tom Brady falls on ice before the game or aliens abduct him. In this case, they would have a small chance of eking out a close victory.....maybe. All categories favor the Pats and I expect them to be ready to send these blowhards packing, all the way back to the Big Apple with their pride hurt and their tails between their legs.
I am tired of hearing about swagger and confidence. Any team that has to mentally motivate themselves by making unprofessional statements to the media is not that good of a team. In this league, legends are not made in the minds of the coaches or the players. They are made on the field, where the media cannot spin it.
New England has been this past decade's dynasty and a worthy rivalry of the Colts, over the course of this time. This puts them in the category of the 49ers of the 80s, the Steelers of the 70s, and the Packers of the 60s. I expect to see at least one more good run for a title this year.
Pick: New England
Another Blast From the Past
For those sad moments that really make no sense:
Is there something written somewhere that says that it HAS to be this way?
Is there something written somewhere that says that it HAS to be this way?
Friday, January 14, 2011
Irony And Contempt
I have forgone the usual Friday Funnies format for this week, due to the nature of the tragedy that the Progressives have used for their own political advantage.
The only funny thing bout this is that this strategy is backfiring, just as playing the race card did in the days leading up to the 2010 election. Irony often breeds irony, and contempt breeds more contempt. Please note that they are doing it to themselves. In all of this, they had a golden opportunity to show some element of unity and serious compassion....and they didn't.
One such incident that can be seen as a trace bit amusing in the aftermath was an interview by one of the Left's most rabid dog of all, Ed Schultz. Knowing his tendency to fly off the handle at his staff, one can only imagine how he must have handled this interview afterward....when, he was using this very show as a platform for gun control and found out that one of the heroes of this tragedy was a person who firmly believes in packing a pistol:
(HT: ITHM)
Ouch. That had to hurt.
It couldn't have been the least bit easy to back out of that one, especially after calling the guy a hero.
Another humorous scene was this one, where Neal Boortz who was on talk radio long before this arrogant CNN hack was born:
(HT: FORE LEFT)
Imagine, here is a man who thinks he is a well-rounded TV news journalist, who is up to speed on the world around him.... and he doesn't even know the past words used by a man he was 95% likely to have voted for in 2008.
No, folks, there has been nothing humorous about this senseless act at all. It's not something I feel should be joked about, in any way. And certainly, we all bear some responsibility in keeping the debate centered on policy and out of the directions of the persons we disagree with.
But you have to hand it to the Left, they are not the brightest bulbs in the socket. If they really wanted to marginalize figures like Sarah Palin, they could just ignore her.
But they don't. This is why it their seething hatred is so overt and out of control.
And by tying her to this shooting in some warped way, they have only made her part of the story....when they could have been singing Kumbaya with those they disagree with for valuable photo ops, to be used at a future date and time (Nov 2012). But they chose the same old divisive path, which leads to lower approval ratings and less people in their camp.
This is just another example of the textbook definition of idiocy.
The only funny thing bout this is that this strategy is backfiring, just as playing the race card did in the days leading up to the 2010 election. Irony often breeds irony, and contempt breeds more contempt. Please note that they are doing it to themselves. In all of this, they had a golden opportunity to show some element of unity and serious compassion....and they didn't.
One such incident that can be seen as a trace bit amusing in the aftermath was an interview by one of the Left's most rabid dog of all, Ed Schultz. Knowing his tendency to fly off the handle at his staff, one can only imagine how he must have handled this interview afterward....when, he was using this very show as a platform for gun control and found out that one of the heroes of this tragedy was a person who firmly believes in packing a pistol:
(HT: ITHM)
Ouch. That had to hurt.
It couldn't have been the least bit easy to back out of that one, especially after calling the guy a hero.
Another humorous scene was this one, where Neal Boortz who was on talk radio long before this arrogant CNN hack was born:
(HT: FORE LEFT)
Imagine, here is a man who thinks he is a well-rounded TV news journalist, who is up to speed on the world around him.... and he doesn't even know the past words used by a man he was 95% likely to have voted for in 2008.
No, folks, there has been nothing humorous about this senseless act at all. It's not something I feel should be joked about, in any way. And certainly, we all bear some responsibility in keeping the debate centered on policy and out of the directions of the persons we disagree with.
But you have to hand it to the Left, they are not the brightest bulbs in the socket. If they really wanted to marginalize figures like Sarah Palin, they could just ignore her.
But they don't. This is why it their seething hatred is so overt and out of control.
And by tying her to this shooting in some warped way, they have only made her part of the story....when they could have been singing Kumbaya with those they disagree with for valuable photo ops, to be used at a future date and time (Nov 2012). But they chose the same old divisive path, which leads to lower approval ratings and less people in their camp.
This is just another example of the textbook definition of idiocy.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
What Did Sheriff Clarence Dupnik Know? And When Did He Know It?
After listening to the MSM most every day since Saturday, it would come to no surprise that the NBC Nightly News would still be devoting half of their evening newscast to the fallout from the Tucson shooting. If I were naive, it might give me cause to wonder. But I am not and it doesn't.
Likewise, in the same amount of time, we are still hearing CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Left Wing Blogs, and other bullhorns for liberal bias, toot the same tired old rhetoric, even in the face of contradictory evidence. Despite the fact we now know the shooter is a very mentally disturbed man, they are keeping this story in the cycle for the specific purpose of demonizing a movement. They are working overtime to discredit those whose only sin is they do not agree with the Progressive agenda.
We have seen a Sheriff who very likely came out on a full frontal assault against those who disagree with that very agenda for purposes that we do not yet understand, but may be beginning to interpret. First news conference was hectic and we cut him some slack. But now he has maintained his offensive, so we must look a little deeper.
Before he had the facts, he was pointing the finger away from himself. Which now makes me wonder why, his department is refusing to give the media information about the shooter -- information that could be used to discredit his theory.
We do know that Loughner's mom works for the county.
We know that county government is an entity where favors are often procured for future favors. It could very well be that Sheriff Dupnik owed a few to Amy Loughner, so he cut the kid some breaks along the way with his brushes against the law.
We also know that Dupnik hasn't always been the liberal hero, some would have us all believe.
We are also learning that the "noble" lawman's daughter was busted on drug charges. The article poses the important question, did he get her the help SHE needed, or did he just cover it up under the rug?
Now that we are learning more about this situation, we may now be seeing why the Sheriff drove the first tank over the line in what is now a blitzkrieg. We may be just beginning to understand that he has something to hide and wanted to throw up a smoke screen to protect his own ass, form his severe lack of efficiency in this matter
So after all of this new information is now coming to light, it still comes as no surprise that not one minute of half an NBC newscast was focused on the Sheriff, and much of it was devoted to vitriolic rhetoric, gun control, and the President's visit. This is just one more reason why the network news is becoming less and less relevant, as days go by.
And maybe, just maybe, it's one more reason why the pathetic progressives will lose even more power, in the next election. People are tired of it. Yes, the discourse does need to become more civil and strictly confined to policy debates. But it cannot be to one side or another, or that simply becomes silencing the opposition.
Likewise, in the same amount of time, we are still hearing CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Left Wing Blogs, and other bullhorns for liberal bias, toot the same tired old rhetoric, even in the face of contradictory evidence. Despite the fact we now know the shooter is a very mentally disturbed man, they are keeping this story in the cycle for the specific purpose of demonizing a movement. They are working overtime to discredit those whose only sin is they do not agree with the Progressive agenda.
We have seen a Sheriff who very likely came out on a full frontal assault against those who disagree with that very agenda for purposes that we do not yet understand, but may be beginning to interpret. First news conference was hectic and we cut him some slack. But now he has maintained his offensive, so we must look a little deeper.
Before he had the facts, he was pointing the finger away from himself. Which now makes me wonder why, his department is refusing to give the media information about the shooter -- information that could be used to discredit his theory.
We do know that Loughner's mom works for the county.
Amy Loughner got a job with the county just before Jared was born, and since at least 2002 has been the supervisor for Roy P. Drachman Agua Caliente Park on the outskirts of the city. She earns $25.70 an hour, according to Gwyn Hatcher, Pima County's human resources director.
We know that county government is an entity where favors are often procured for future favors. It could very well be that Sheriff Dupnik owed a few to Amy Loughner, so he cut the kid some breaks along the way with his brushes against the law.
We also know that Dupnik hasn't always been the liberal hero, some would have us all believe.
In 1981, Dupnik sent a message to all residents: Arm yourselves. Police couldn't adequately protect the populace, he said, because they didn't have sufficient manpower: "Not only are things not good, they are going to get worse. For those who are so inclined, it's time to start protecting yourselves."
We are also learning that the "noble" lawman's daughter was busted on drug charges. The article poses the important question, did he get her the help SHE needed, or did he just cover it up under the rug?
Now that we are learning more about this situation, we may now be seeing why the Sheriff drove the first tank over the line in what is now a blitzkrieg. We may be just beginning to understand that he has something to hide and wanted to throw up a smoke screen to protect his own ass, form his severe lack of efficiency in this matter
So after all of this new information is now coming to light, it still comes as no surprise that not one minute of half an NBC newscast was focused on the Sheriff, and much of it was devoted to vitriolic rhetoric, gun control, and the President's visit. This is just one more reason why the network news is becoming less and less relevant, as days go by.
And maybe, just maybe, it's one more reason why the pathetic progressives will lose even more power, in the next election. People are tired of it. Yes, the discourse does need to become more civil and strictly confined to policy debates. But it cannot be to one side or another, or that simply becomes silencing the opposition.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Obama's Lack Of Diplomacy
'We don’t have a stronger friend and stronger ally than Nicolas Sarkozy, and the French people.' --Barack Obama
Source
This guy doesn't have an ounce of diplomacy in his entire being. I'll agree that the relationship with France is far better than when Chirac was trying to implement France's model for a European empire. But by saying that we have no bigger ally tells Britain, Japan, Australia, Germany, and other nations we have worked with in the past, that they aren't measuring up to his imagined standard.
Besides, didn't Obama snub Sarkozy awhile back?
What the hell could have changed so much that he now has to elevate France above the other nations we share common goals and interests with?
Look, France is our ally. A few years ago, there were strong arguments that they were undermining the U.S., over the war in Iraq. But now, the underminers are gone. And we are in a much better relationship, much to the credit of Pres. Sarkozy. But let's not get carried away and state things that can hurt the rapport we have with other nations in the process.
Remember, in the wake of this recent tragedy in Tucson, we are being told that words do matter. If this is true in THAT particular case, I think they matter here too.
We need all of our allies. We need the French, but we need all of them in different ways.
It's like how you love your family. You love your spouse differently than your parents, your siblings, cousins, and your children. But you love them all and you do not love any one of them more than the other, just differently. And you certainly do not tell one of them that you love him/her more, in front of the entire family at a cookout.
Source
This guy doesn't have an ounce of diplomacy in his entire being. I'll agree that the relationship with France is far better than when Chirac was trying to implement France's model for a European empire. But by saying that we have no bigger ally tells Britain, Japan, Australia, Germany, and other nations we have worked with in the past, that they aren't measuring up to his imagined standard.
Besides, didn't Obama snub Sarkozy awhile back?
What the hell could have changed so much that he now has to elevate France above the other nations we share common goals and interests with?
Look, France is our ally. A few years ago, there were strong arguments that they were undermining the U.S., over the war in Iraq. But now, the underminers are gone. And we are in a much better relationship, much to the credit of Pres. Sarkozy. But let's not get carried away and state things that can hurt the rapport we have with other nations in the process.
Remember, in the wake of this recent tragedy in Tucson, we are being told that words do matter. If this is true in THAT particular case, I think they matter here too.
We need all of our allies. We need the French, but we need all of them in different ways.
It's like how you love your family. You love your spouse differently than your parents, your siblings, cousins, and your children. But you love them all and you do not love any one of them more than the other, just differently. And you certainly do not tell one of them that you love him/her more, in front of the entire family at a cookout.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Progressive Conversations
Ever converse with a progressive?
Many people have tried. But as you can see from this video, it is almost entirely useless because their belief system so warped and flawed. It is full of hypocrisy
Give the lady here some credit, she made it through the conversation without any outward signs of nausea.
Many people have tried. But as you can see from this video, it is almost entirely useless because their belief system so warped and flawed. It is full of hypocrisy
Give the lady here some credit, she made it through the conversation without any outward signs of nausea.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
In The Aftermath Of The Giffords Shootings: An Entreaty And Explanation
Part I: The Entreaty
After an entire Sunday news cycle has been driving (and dictating the pace of) this post-shooting discussion, we have a little more information to work with and have had some time to sort through what we do have and analyze it, more judiciously.
It comes as no surprise that the Left Wing establishment has made every effort to demonize those who do NOT stand for their positions on important issues, or their worldview in general. Almost immediately, we heard about Sarah Palin's target map of Blue Dog Democrats who conservatives wanted to unseat in the November election, and we heard almost incessant rhetoric about the TEA Party movement in general. Naturally, the fingers were pointed at them.
If commentators were not directly pointing fingers, they were subtlety leading in that direction through the way they phrased their questions in general. Their goal seemed to be creating sound bites to be used over and over, in order to plant suspicion that the killer was probably a Right Wing nut job, affiliated with the TEA Party organizations.
And why not?
Over the course of the last two years we have seen the desperate attempts to discredit the movement with hateful rhetoric, accusations of racism, going so far as to plant union thugs at rallies who claim to be white supremacists. We have even witnessed members of the CBC (while putting up a brazen display of arrogance and power drunkenness) claiming that they heard someone use the "N" word and accused another of spitting, on one of them. None of that has ever been proven even with a $100,000 reward at stake, but that has not stopped their desperate accusations.
Still, none of that worked, as was made evident by the last election.
Bluntly put, that kind of fiery inflammatory rhetoric made no difference in the outcome. And it has driven the Left crazy to no end.
So what do they do now?
They, being the crass and desperate opportunists they are, use a tragic and senseless situation/event to take the opportunity to stoke the fire even more. The goal is the same, the methods are just a little different.
No one of any political influence has failed to be in utter shock and disbelief, anymore than the officials who have benefited from this last election. They are hurt every bit as much as those who did not.
This is not who we are as a nation or a movement. Decent people do not seek this kind of thing, nor do we revel in it. But, this is exactly what the despicable extremes of both sides want and they will surely get it, if cooler heads do not prevail on BOTH sides.
It is not enough for the conservatives in power to condemn this kind of thing, we must have help from the people who we merely disagree with us on policy issues. And where are these people? Where is Harry Reid? Where is Nancy Pelsoi? Nowhere.
I personally do not want anyone who I vehemently disagree with on politics, to suffer anything like this.... in any way, shape, or form. I want them VOTED out of power, into the private sector. But I do NOT wish them to become dead at the hands of anyone else, because of their politics. NONE, not one. I respect life way too much.
Believe it, for it is true. And in the meantime, know without a doubt I personally know of no one else who believes in this kind of thing either. And I kniow many who are far more conservative than me.
So if the reader of this post is still with me, please understand something clearly. There are some things that are not being made known by the Media hacks who are advancing this inflammatory discussion Many of them are directing this story toward decent citizens. who merely want to slow the government down from spending our children's and grandchildren's future away. NOTHING MORE.
What we know is still relatively limited. More may be known than has been released, but for some reason the information hasn't been made public. Bits and pieces about the event itself and the possible motives behind it, are slowly coming out. But some things have been refuted along the way, as well.
The 24-hour news cycle has been a double-edged sword at times, since its development. Thus, it is always important for intelligent people to realize that what we think we may know at a given moment, may or may not be true. The 24/7 news networks do this for ratings.
"This just in, but we cannot verify it yet"...."we have word from some source"....all of that kind of thing has to be dealt with much patience and prudence. It is utterly imperative to be circumspect in the formation of our conclusions.
Part II: The Explanation
From what we have been able to establish so far, we can say with much certainty that this gunman was a bit deranged. Derangement comes from a variety of sources, one of those is mental illness.
In the case with physical illness, the sources are different in nature and must be looked at differently. But we also know that some organ systems can affect others, causing other complications along the way. Such is the case with mental illness. And I have worked with mentally ill patients some years ago and can say from a professional perspective that not all disorders are exactly the same.
My intention in this portion of the post is not to teach a class on mental illness per se, but to help lay people to understand a little something about what we term, thought disorders. One of those disorders is Schizophrenia.
There are several types. But for the purposes this discussion is not important to know much about them or their differences. It takes years of experience to have the ability to diagnose more specifically.
What is important is that you know that a huge component of a thought disorder is based on the kinds of delusional material they think about. They may be have grandiose thoughts, thoughts of persecution, or may exhibit paranoia. Whatever the nature of those thoughts, most of the time, they are not right thoughts.... but just know the person affected establishes them as fact, in their own mind.
There are primarily three topics that these people can ruminate and fixate on: Sex, religion, and politics. They can have one, all, or any combination of the three. It makes no difference the number or which ones.
As we we believe we now know, this gunman put up some videos along with a My Space page, and possibly a Facebook page. (I have seen the videos and I will not link to them. If you wish to see them, others have done so and you can see them if you wish.) The important thing to note here is he was fixated on both religion and politics.
We know that he has a history of erratic and disruptive behaviors. How many times have we seen this before now? How many times have we heard the people say, there were red flags everywhere, yet nobody did anything at all?
A guy gets fired for erratic behaviors or just being creepy in some way and later he shoots the place up. Many times we find the man was paranoid and could have been helped, if someone would have made an effort to intervene properly.
But let's refocus here.
Remember, the thoughts of the person with a thought disorder are not accurate.
It is the person's perception that is deluded. Many times there are impulsive acts, sometimes they are more deliberate after long periods of fixation. We still do not know for a surety what angle this guy came from, in the political component of his delusions.
We do know that he wanted some kind of new currency, but what that was and why was not made particularly clear. We have evidence that has been spiraling into this inaccurate world of his, for awhile now.
The argument now becomes the motive.
Was it political in a real sense... or was it as a result of a series of delusional thoughts?
From the evidence we have, it strongly points to the delusions.
Was it driven by Left Wing or Right Wing politics?
From what we have gathered so far, we cannot tell right now. The real issue here is whether the guy was able to make a true conscious decision based on some real cause, or something he merely believed to be a cause.
I do not believe that Timothy McVeigh was mentally ill. He had a cause and a belief system and was fully capable of planning and implementing a heinous act that will forever be in our minds, whenever these kinds of things occur. The mentally ill person with a thought disorder is typically not capable, because they are disorganized and erratic as his videos have shown.
So Hillary Clinton can travel the world and tell others that an extremist shot Rep. Giffords if she wants. But she clearly does not have her facts correct to make such a statement. Neither do the MSM hacks or the Left Wing web sites like the Daily Kos.
So in forming your own judgments, be careful that you do not buy into just one aspect or component of this event, without considering all things together. And more than anything, let your conscience me your guide and leave the hacks to make utter and complete fools of themselves.
The fact remains that there are six people dead and others wounded, and a Congresswoman fighting for her life. Let's pray for them and their loved ones that they can find the strength to endure a very difficult situation, they did not ask to be put in.
After an entire Sunday news cycle has been driving (and dictating the pace of) this post-shooting discussion, we have a little more information to work with and have had some time to sort through what we do have and analyze it, more judiciously.
It comes as no surprise that the Left Wing establishment has made every effort to demonize those who do NOT stand for their positions on important issues, or their worldview in general. Almost immediately, we heard about Sarah Palin's target map of Blue Dog Democrats who conservatives wanted to unseat in the November election, and we heard almost incessant rhetoric about the TEA Party movement in general. Naturally, the fingers were pointed at them.
If commentators were not directly pointing fingers, they were subtlety leading in that direction through the way they phrased their questions in general. Their goal seemed to be creating sound bites to be used over and over, in order to plant suspicion that the killer was probably a Right Wing nut job, affiliated with the TEA Party organizations.
And why not?
Over the course of the last two years we have seen the desperate attempts to discredit the movement with hateful rhetoric, accusations of racism, going so far as to plant union thugs at rallies who claim to be white supremacists. We have even witnessed members of the CBC (while putting up a brazen display of arrogance and power drunkenness) claiming that they heard someone use the "N" word and accused another of spitting, on one of them. None of that has ever been proven even with a $100,000 reward at stake, but that has not stopped their desperate accusations.
Still, none of that worked, as was made evident by the last election.
Bluntly put, that kind of fiery inflammatory rhetoric made no difference in the outcome. And it has driven the Left crazy to no end.
So what do they do now?
They, being the crass and desperate opportunists they are, use a tragic and senseless situation/event to take the opportunity to stoke the fire even more. The goal is the same, the methods are just a little different.
No one of any political influence has failed to be in utter shock and disbelief, anymore than the officials who have benefited from this last election. They are hurt every bit as much as those who did not.
This is not who we are as a nation or a movement. Decent people do not seek this kind of thing, nor do we revel in it. But, this is exactly what the despicable extremes of both sides want and they will surely get it, if cooler heads do not prevail on BOTH sides.
It is not enough for the conservatives in power to condemn this kind of thing, we must have help from the people who we merely disagree with us on policy issues. And where are these people? Where is Harry Reid? Where is Nancy Pelsoi? Nowhere.
I personally do not want anyone who I vehemently disagree with on politics, to suffer anything like this.... in any way, shape, or form. I want them VOTED out of power, into the private sector. But I do NOT wish them to become dead at the hands of anyone else, because of their politics. NONE, not one. I respect life way too much.
Believe it, for it is true. And in the meantime, know without a doubt I personally know of no one else who believes in this kind of thing either. And I kniow many who are far more conservative than me.
So if the reader of this post is still with me, please understand something clearly. There are some things that are not being made known by the Media hacks who are advancing this inflammatory discussion Many of them are directing this story toward decent citizens. who merely want to slow the government down from spending our children's and grandchildren's future away. NOTHING MORE.
What we know is still relatively limited. More may be known than has been released, but for some reason the information hasn't been made public. Bits and pieces about the event itself and the possible motives behind it, are slowly coming out. But some things have been refuted along the way, as well.
The 24-hour news cycle has been a double-edged sword at times, since its development. Thus, it is always important for intelligent people to realize that what we think we may know at a given moment, may or may not be true. The 24/7 news networks do this for ratings.
"This just in, but we cannot verify it yet"...."we have word from some source"....all of that kind of thing has to be dealt with much patience and prudence. It is utterly imperative to be circumspect in the formation of our conclusions.
Part II: The Explanation
From what we have been able to establish so far, we can say with much certainty that this gunman was a bit deranged. Derangement comes from a variety of sources, one of those is mental illness.
In the case with physical illness, the sources are different in nature and must be looked at differently. But we also know that some organ systems can affect others, causing other complications along the way. Such is the case with mental illness. And I have worked with mentally ill patients some years ago and can say from a professional perspective that not all disorders are exactly the same.
My intention in this portion of the post is not to teach a class on mental illness per se, but to help lay people to understand a little something about what we term, thought disorders. One of those disorders is Schizophrenia.
There are several types. But for the purposes this discussion is not important to know much about them or their differences. It takes years of experience to have the ability to diagnose more specifically.
What is important is that you know that a huge component of a thought disorder is based on the kinds of delusional material they think about. They may be have grandiose thoughts, thoughts of persecution, or may exhibit paranoia. Whatever the nature of those thoughts, most of the time, they are not right thoughts.... but just know the person affected establishes them as fact, in their own mind.
There are primarily three topics that these people can ruminate and fixate on: Sex, religion, and politics. They can have one, all, or any combination of the three. It makes no difference the number or which ones.
As we we believe we now know, this gunman put up some videos along with a My Space page, and possibly a Facebook page. (I have seen the videos and I will not link to them. If you wish to see them, others have done so and you can see them if you wish.) The important thing to note here is he was fixated on both religion and politics.
We know that he has a history of erratic and disruptive behaviors. How many times have we seen this before now? How many times have we heard the people say, there were red flags everywhere, yet nobody did anything at all?
A guy gets fired for erratic behaviors or just being creepy in some way and later he shoots the place up. Many times we find the man was paranoid and could have been helped, if someone would have made an effort to intervene properly.
But let's refocus here.
Remember, the thoughts of the person with a thought disorder are not accurate.
It is the person's perception that is deluded. Many times there are impulsive acts, sometimes they are more deliberate after long periods of fixation. We still do not know for a surety what angle this guy came from, in the political component of his delusions.
We do know that he wanted some kind of new currency, but what that was and why was not made particularly clear. We have evidence that has been spiraling into this inaccurate world of his, for awhile now.
The argument now becomes the motive.
Was it political in a real sense... or was it as a result of a series of delusional thoughts?
From the evidence we have, it strongly points to the delusions.
Was it driven by Left Wing or Right Wing politics?
From what we have gathered so far, we cannot tell right now. The real issue here is whether the guy was able to make a true conscious decision based on some real cause, or something he merely believed to be a cause.
I do not believe that Timothy McVeigh was mentally ill. He had a cause and a belief system and was fully capable of planning and implementing a heinous act that will forever be in our minds, whenever these kinds of things occur. The mentally ill person with a thought disorder is typically not capable, because they are disorganized and erratic as his videos have shown.
So Hillary Clinton can travel the world and tell others that an extremist shot Rep. Giffords if she wants. But she clearly does not have her facts correct to make such a statement. Neither do the MSM hacks or the Left Wing web sites like the Daily Kos.
So in forming your own judgments, be careful that you do not buy into just one aspect or component of this event, without considering all things together. And more than anything, let your conscience me your guide and leave the hacks to make utter and complete fools of themselves.
The fact remains that there are six people dead and others wounded, and a Congresswoman fighting for her life. Let's pray for them and their loved ones that they can find the strength to endure a very difficult situation, they did not ask to be put in.
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