Multicultural Failure

I think PM Cameron is finally starting to get it.

"We have failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want to belong. We have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving in ways that run counter to our values."

And it's not just him. Angela Merkel is coming around too.

Speaking to a meeting of young members of her Christian Democratic Union party, Merkel said the idea of people from different cultural backgrounds living happily "side by side" did not work.

She said the onus was on immigrants to do more to integrate into German society.

"This [multicultural] approach has failed, utterly failed," Merkel told the meeting in Potsdam, west of Berlin, yesterday.

The theory of a melting pot is only a myth in this day and age. Europe is not a melting pot, neither is America.

If anything, we are a mosaic, separate tiles formed together by force. No common connections, no blending of minds and/or spirits. No blending of colors like in an oil painting. No blending, period.

The two strongest nations that comprise Europe are finally getting the hint here. It's nothing to jump up and down about. But it is a start.

At least they are not afraid to talk about it.

Mon AM QB

Packer 31 - Steelers 25

This is the last one of the year. But in all honesty I must confess that I went to bed after the halftime show nauseated me. If my Facebook news feed was any indication, I wasn't the only one.

As for the game, I didn't have much a dog in the fight. That and the fact I have been dealing with a medium-level family crisis the past 3 days, I just didn't have much interest this year.

It sounds like it was a good game down the stretch. Aaron Rodgers was the MVP, as he has finally blossomed into the elite QB status (where the media has had him since he took over for Favre). My congrats go out to Green Bay and their fans.

Now, it's your turn to tell me what I missed in the second half and any other thoughts you have on the past season, here in the season's last edition of Mon AM QB.

Until September.....when we can once again see Greg say that Eli Manning is the most overrated QB in the league and Rocket tell us just how much he hates the Dallas Cowboys.

Desperate Measures In A Surreal Existence

Since late last year, there was a concerted effort to cast Obama as channeling Reagan as part of his miraculous recovery, from liberal tax and spend policies to just plain spend. Someone who says he's Howard Fineman is thus quoted:

"The irony here is that the president is sort of channeling Ronald Reagan in an effort not to become Jimmy Carter ... but the point is, the president is validating the idea of tax cuts as the centerpiece of economic policy."

That was HuffyPo.

In Time magazine, it's still being discussed.

...it became clear to several in the room that Obama seemed less interested in talking about Lincoln's team of rivals or Kennedy's Camelot than the accomplishments of an amiable conservative named Ronald Reagan, who had sparked a revolution three decades earlier when he arrived in the Oval Office.

Okay, let's really channel Reagan right now and see what he would say. Wait....it's coming....hold on......

Thus saith Ronald Wilson Reagan to Barack Obama:

Cut taxes, cut spending, and get government off of the backs of the people. Let the market decide.

Reagan was far from perfect, as even the staunchest of conservatives may not want to admit. He was forced to compromise with a Democratic Congress too often, which always ends up bad. But he picked and chose his battles wisely. And if avoiding being painted like Carter is Obama's goal, it's way too late for that.

As we watch the events in the Middle East unfold and learn more details about the sad economic numbers, it only stands to reason that what we are doing isn't working. If Obama really wants to surrender his heart and soul to what is right and true, this is what he needs to be able to say this publicly... and often.

But somehow we all know this isn't going to happen.

He isn't giving up his core beliefs that includes government being the answer to all problems. He is trying to cozy up for the moment, to see what he can do in order to get the priority things on his agenda through. So far, he's agreed to let people keep the tax cut they already had. Nothing changed.

I really think he and his handlers are trying to BS the people into thinking that he cut taxes, when he really didn't. Simply put, Obama and his wayward Congress didn't allow the Bush tax cuts to expire. Nothing went up or down. He'll have to do way better than that to claim some inner channeling of the Gipper.

Reagan made the country stronger in mind and spirit, and generally uplifted people by restoring their pride in their country. Obama has embarrassed this nation, time and time again by bowing to despots and kissing a monarch's ring. Reagan went to Iceland and walked away from a crappy deal offered to him by Gorbachev, who thought the U.S. President was as weak as the one who preceded him. Obama gave the Russians everything they asked for with no bargaining, whatsoever.

In the desperate moments of what will likely become a failed presidency, it will be hard to note which act or inaction caused the most damage. Equally, it will be difficult to determine how long the damage caused will last. If nothing else, this bunch is setting the thing up for further failure in the next administration, should they not win re-election.

So, we must hope and pray that someone along the way can get some detailed plans together and put them to the test. Getting something solidly together in the the way of spending cuts all around the board, makes a good first gesture. If Mr. Obama is serious, he'll have no problem giving up a goodwill gesture and offer to cut spending in every government department. No exceptions.

Despite these things I noted in this story, I still have to shake my head in disbelief at what we have now seen ourselves become in the last four years, with the last two being the clincher.

We are watching the Middle east explode, we have not seen any real gainful improvement in the jobs numbers, food and oil prices are going up, and we have a press that wants to assist the White House by creating a myth for an image. We are watching nation after nation lose confidence in both, our integrity, resolve, and our financial solvency.

And despite these massive red flags, very few people are the least bit concerned. The biggest dilemma in this life for them is, they cannot decide whether or not they like the new American Idol without Simon.

If this is a dream, please wake me now. If not, pour me a stiff drink.

Another Blast From the Past

Many of the modern artists, who are part of today's rock scene, clearly got their creative influences from others who laid the ground work before them. Music tends to be a bit cyclical that way.

If you close your eyes and just listen to this tune, you might start to think you are listening to Roy Orbison:



This next one isn't quite as obvious unless you can dig deep and go way back in your minds.

The singer, Scott Weiland, does not sound a bit like Allan Clarke or Graham Nash. But the musical composition and the melodic harmonies are what make me think of the Hollies when I listen to it.

See what you think:



Enjoy.

Friday Flashback

For all of you history buffs who like to remember and/or study how the America culture has evolved over time, here is something sent to me via e-mail:


High School Class of 1958 vs. 2010

Scenario 1:

Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1958 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2010 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Scenario 2:

Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1958 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2010 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:

Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disturbs other students.

1958 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2010 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.

Scenario 4:

Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.

1958 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2010 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:

Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school..

1958 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock

2010 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:

Pedro fails high school English.

1958 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2010 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:

Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1958 - Ants die.

2010 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:

Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.

1958 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.

2010 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.


Note--I would have called this post the Friday Funnies. But when I think about it, this stuff really isn't funny anymore.

An Unimportant Quote

Supposedly, this is the latest press release from Al Gore.

Last week on his show Bill O’Reilly asked, “Why has southern New York turned into the tundra?” and then said he had a call into me. I appreciate the question.

As it turns out, the scientific community has been addressing this particular question for some time now and they say that increased heavy snowfalls are completely consistent with what they have been predicting as a consequence of man-made global warming:

“In fact, scientists have been warning for at least two decades that global warming could make snowstorms more severe. Snow has two simple ingredients: cold and moisture. Warmer air collects moisture like a sponge until it hits a patch of cold air. When temperatures dip below freezing, a lot of moisture creates a lot of snow.”

“A rise in global temperature can create all sorts of havoc, ranging from hotter dry spells to colder winters, along with increasingly violent storms, flooding, forest fires and loss of endangered species.”

You see, this is why Saturday Night Live is not that good anymore. In the old days, they would have been all over this. There is no way this goes without a skit.

In just a day or two, the system that is slamming me with ice right now will be in NYC and surely the producers will find this quote very amusing. 

But if that's not the case, maybe this flashback will help stir up the creative comedic storms (pun intended):



On second thought, maybe the skit has already been written.

PYY Storytime

Yesterday had no football game of any real worth to rant and rave on, so for all of the good little boys and girls who read this blog, I have a special treat to start your week off.

Here a more modern version of The Little Red Hen, as told by Ronald Wilson Reagan:



How long ago was this read on the radio?

How plain was it, back then?

Why are we still revisiting the same concepts today?

Will we ever see logic and reason replace fallacies and lies?

Read the story about the experiment conducted in New Harmony, Indiana. Had Lenin, Mao, Castro, or any other Communist leader in the 20th century ever had the sense to spend a few hours studying that microcosm of socialism in action, they would have seen the folly of implementing such a flawed system on larger masses of people.

But then again....maybe not.

Jihadist Smuggling At The Mexican Border Revisited

I am not much on linking back to previous posts to prove I was right about something. But this is one exception worth making--one that is imperative that we revisit, as we head deeper into this present legislative (and eventually election) cycle.

Way back when, I wrote some things about immigration that I thought was worth considering and well within the appropriate scope of the debate. One of the posts was what I think, very short and to the point. It dealt with this story, which was reported back in 2007.

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.

An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. Joint Terrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.

Most of you, especially who come here regularly, can probably guess what I said back then and I still maintain that same stance now. But it gets worse.

In the present news cycle, we see this one from the Mail Online.

Let's excerpt the following from the article:

U.S. border guards got a surprise when they searched a Mexican BMW and found a hardline Muslim cleric - banned from France and Canada - curled up in the boot.

Said Jaziri, who called for the death of a Danish cartoonist that drew pictures of the prophet Mohammed, was being smuggled into California when he was arrested, along with his driver Kenneth Robert Lawler.

Before we go any further, the title of the article indicates this guy is a "controversial" cleric. I don't know how they come up with this stuff, but he's been kicked out of France and Canada (that ought to tell you something right there). I'd say he was a bit MORE than just controversial.

But I digress....and here is what we do know:

Four years ago in the federal legislature, the Democratic party was the party in power. Congress spent 75% or more of its energies crying racism, xenophobia, and paranoia.... and they were loudest whenever we heard of things like this. They knew it all. You couldn't tell them anything. They knew what was best for us, and that (at the time) was the pressing need to end war in Iraq, and close Gitmo.

I know fully good and well, this blog was only one of many sites that warned of impending consequences of turning a blind eye to a porous and uncontrolled border, because I read countless blog posts that carried this warning. So I am not being an egotist here, just a concerned citizen.

It's even more important to note that in this the midst of all of this massive world turmoil, it is not inconsequential or unrealistic to believe this still needs to be addressed. And it needs to be done sooner, rather than later. There is no doubt in my mind that many will use the civil unrest in both Tunisia and Egypt as cover, to export some people who want to harm this country in some way.

My biggest fear is that if we do not get more people to wake up to this grave error of philosophy, this will be an issue that may cost us dearly someday (and not too far into the future). Even though, we have made some good finds along the way... some have only failed because the plan failed.

Some were caught through hard work and attention...I am certain of this. But we got lucky on a few of them... with some damned close calls along the way. And even with all of this going on, there are still plots and subplots going on 24/7/52.

It only takes one instance of success to kill innocent people. It's not a pleasant reflection to look back on with any sense of integrity and be forced to come to the conclusion that it was preventable. This is why we need to be ready to confront the same arguments that the Democrats will most certainly once again make.... once anyone with an ounce of sense begins to call attention to stories like this.

They will say this is but one time. They will undoubtedly claim that this was the exception, not the rule. And... they will surely tout the fact that this man was caught.

So there, the system worked. Shut up and listen!!!

But when they do, please understand something here: For everyone we catch, ten or more may come in undetected. It may end up being someone who has been trained in Pakistan or Yemen, somebody who has a goal of becoming a martyr for jihad purposes, and someone who may get past everything that one point in time....well after we have exhausted our hard work and unearned luck.

One time...that's all it takes to have funerals and memorial services we hadn't planned on having. One time....that's all it takes to ruin innocent lives for a lifetime, all for an evil cause. But now that we who are concerned are supposed to have some voices in Washington, we need to remind those voices of our concerns through phone calls, letters, and e-mails.

We turned over Washington once, we can do it again. And we'd prefer to not be compelled to do it after an attack has taken place. But it's not just about an election. See if you can find one country in the world that does not make every attempt to protect the integrity of its own border. Name one that is content to allow any and everyone access to its landed territory, and its services without any documentation or reasonable purpose for being there.

Another Blast From the Past

While I do hear a certain unique sound in this tune, I also think it carries a bit of a Dylanesque quality. I don't think Ed Vedder sounds much like Mr. Zimmerman when he sings, but the structural components of this music/melody portrays the imagery that someone of his magnitude could capture.

Let me say that I am not necessarily a Pearl Jam aficionado but I think this is very good song, one that helped define an era of rock music.



As pensive and confusing the first piece may sound, this one is a little lighter. It's only lighter because the message supersedes the form. But even at that, I still think the form was pretty good. It's really hard to know why this guy didn't make it bigger than he did.



Enjoy.

Friday Funnies

This week we revisit 20th century history, in the days of which I was but a lad. This video has the voice of the man who was leader of the free world at that delicate point in time.....and suffice it to say, he had the nuclear suitcase with him.

First of all, we have to tip the hat to Greg for finding this historical relic. I had tried to locate it a long time ago, forgot out it, and then lost interest.

But now, just sit back and listen to the man who brought us the (cough, cough)"Great Society":

Put This On: LBJ Buys Pants from Put This On on Vimeo.

Micro-managers and their clothes..... you have to love them.