.........at a McCain rally in Ohio on Friday.
At 4:45 in this video Arnold points out that McCain served his country longer in a POW camp than Obama has served int he Senate. Jen & I laughed out loud. You know Jen, while she intends to vote for my Bad Boyfriend doesn't like him. But even she had to agree it was a hell of a line.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Political Compass
I got this in an email from a coworker's son. I did it a few years ago and my score was pretty consistent from what I remember.
Maggie's political compass
Economic Left/Right: 0.88Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.31
Economic Left/Right: 0.88Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -0.31
The Day Got.....BETTER!
Ok, the tremor settled down.
There was some crying and some flushing, but everyone is used to it now and no one comments.
But even better, I came into the office beefing about the dryer..........and both Pat and Nicole got all excited. They each have a spare electric dryer. Imagine that! So now I have my pick. Nicole is talking to her husband about when they can get it to me......if it will be a while, I will go with Pat's. Nic's a little newer, so it's first choice.
I guess somebody up there heard me say I couldn't take anymore, lol.
Here's my vid
There was some crying and some flushing, but everyone is used to it now and no one comments.
But even better, I came into the office beefing about the dryer..........and both Pat and Nicole got all excited. They each have a spare electric dryer. Imagine that! So now I have my pick. Nicole is talking to her husband about when they can get it to me......if it will be a while, I will go with Pat's. Nic's a little newer, so it's first choice.
I guess somebody up there heard me say I couldn't take anymore, lol.
Pat and Nic had errands to run outside the office which meant after I explained I was broke and would have PB&J at my desk for lunch.....I ended up with a burger, fries, a Coke and an ice cream. Pat & Nic had a good laugh about having the same idea.
Then Rachael decorated my back window for McCain. You know if I wasn't such a procrastinator..........I would have had tons of stuff. After all, during the primary Massachusetts was hotly contested Romney territory. I'm thinking they would have paid *me* to put up lawn signs and bumper stickers. But no.....I didn't. Now I am in backburner city. Well, we all know Princess Crabby doesn't have $35 to pay for one.....so Rachael to the rescue.
Here's my vid
Some Reminders
With all the problems and concerns facing America at this time, it's understandable that we lose sight of the big picture.
On November 4, 2008 you are going to go to the polls and elect, above and beyond any other concern, a Commander in Chief.
It's a simple choice.
It's not a trick question.
But here's an assist anyway.
On November 4, 2008 you are going to go to the polls and elect, above and beyond any other concern, a Commander in Chief.
It's a simple choice.
It's not a trick question.
But here's an assist anyway.
McCain Tells You To Listen to Obama's Words
And that is really good advice.....and not just come it came from my Bad Boyfriend.
I am so sick and tired of people telling me how eloquent Obama is.
SO WHAT!!!!!!!
I care about substance over style. And Colin Powell can tell me he sees both, but I don't.
I am sure this quote was very eloquently delivered -
".......just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can't constrain the exercise of that right..."
Barack Obama, 2008 Philadelphia primary debate
He is talking specifically to the 2nd Amendment, but does that matter? It's the attitude that matters.
There is apparently video of it. But I am not in the mood.
I am so sick and tired of people telling me how eloquent Obama is.
SO WHAT!!!!!!!
I care about substance over style. And Colin Powell can tell me he sees both, but I don't.
I am sure this quote was very eloquently delivered -
".......just because you have an individual right does not mean that the state or local government can't constrain the exercise of that right..."
Barack Obama, 2008 Philadelphia primary debate
He is talking specifically to the 2nd Amendment, but does that matter? It's the attitude that matters.
There is apparently video of it. But I am not in the mood.
Ok, I'm Done
*****UPDATE*****The day got better!****
The worst part is always the day I take the Dex and the Revlimid, but this is not hysteria.
It's resignation.
The car overheated in my commute home. Yeah, all three miles of it. A water pump? I don't know. I only know if it costs more than a buck eighty-nine, I can't afford it.
Then I came in the house and went directly to the dryer to move the laundry along. Dryer isn't working. It has it's own power source in the electrical box. I go and it looks ok, but I shut it off and on again anyway. No go. I would be surprised if it was one of my neighbors, lol. It was wicked loud. Totally on it's last legs.
It's not warm in the house, I have a broken casement window leading to the crawl space. I keep forgetting to tell Frankie to block with something until I can afford to have it fixed. So the floor is cold.
The tremor is so bad, typing this is torture.
It's 0224 and I am wide awake.....yes kids, I effed up on taking the Trazodone, again.
I am physically and emotionally fatigued. I am sinking like a fucking stone.
The worst part is always the day I take the Dex and the Revlimid, but this is not hysteria.
It's resignation.
The car overheated in my commute home. Yeah, all three miles of it. A water pump? I don't know. I only know if it costs more than a buck eighty-nine, I can't afford it.
Then I came in the house and went directly to the dryer to move the laundry along. Dryer isn't working. It has it's own power source in the electrical box. I go and it looks ok, but I shut it off and on again anyway. No go. I would be surprised if it was one of my neighbors, lol. It was wicked loud. Totally on it's last legs.
It's not warm in the house, I have a broken casement window leading to the crawl space. I keep forgetting to tell Frankie to block with something until I can afford to have it fixed. So the floor is cold.
The tremor is so bad, typing this is torture.
It's 0224 and I am wide awake.....yes kids, I effed up on taking the Trazodone, again.
I am physically and emotionally fatigued. I am sinking like a fucking stone.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
DDG 1001 USS Michael Monsoor
How fitting. How utterly perfect. Many of us in the Navy blogosphere have been waiting. After all nothing is certain until it's in writing.
Today we have it. Although, true to my contrary nature, I wish they had announced on September 29th. But no matter. It's here now.
SECNAV Names New Zumwalt-Class Destroyer USS Michael Monsoor
Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter announced last night at a Navy SEAL Warrior Fund Benefit Gala at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, the name of the newest Zumwalt-class Destroyer will be USS Michael Monsoor. Designated as DDG- 1001, the name honors Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept. 29, 2006.
Winter discussed the qualities, values, and dedication to duty that Navy SEAL’s exemplify, including the extraordinary acts of Michael Monsoor.
“Tonight I would like to single out one of those heroes from the community of Navy SEAL’s,” Winter said. “Those who served with Michael Monsoor will remember him always as a consummate professional who faced terrorist enemies with aplomb and stoicism.”
“The full extent of Michael’s courage, gallantry, and self-less heroism were revealed on the 29th of September, in Ramadi. When his team was surprised by an enemy grenade, Michael could have escaped and saved himself,” Winter said. “But he chose a different path, a path of honor that embodies the way of a Navy SEAL. For having chosen that path, Petty Officer Michael Monsoor joined the ranks of those who have earned our nation’s highest distinction, the Medal of Honor.”
Winter concluded that Michael Monsoor’s heroism and self sacrifice for his teammates and his nation epitomize the Navy’s core values, and will forever provide prideful admiration for our sailors.
“Michael Monsoor’s name will now be linked with one of our nation’s most visible examples of military power, a U.S. Navy warship,” Winter said. “His legacy will inspire the hearts of future Sailors who serve on the ship that bears his name.”
The USS Michael Monsoor will be a multi-mission surface combatant tailored for advanced land attack and littoral dominance. The ship's mission is to provide credible, independent forward presence and deterrence and to operate as an integral part of naval, joint or combined maritime forces.
The USS Michael Monsoor will be the 2nd Zumwalt-class destroyer. She will be 600 feet in length, have a beam of 80.7 feet, and displace approximately 15,000 tons. Michael Monsoor will have a crew size of 148 officers and sailors, he will make speed in excess of 30 knots.
DDG 1001 named for MoH recipient Monsoor
On Sept. 29, the day he died, Monsoor was stationed with his machine gun on a rooftop between two SEAL snipers providing cover for an Army unit working in a rail yard. The two men were lying prone, aiming their rifles through holes blasted in the wall, when a grenade sailed onto the rooftop and bounced off Monsoor’s chest.
According to the official Navy biography, there was no way either of the teammates could have escaped.
“He had a clear chance to escape, but in his mind, it was not a choice at all,” President Bush said in April when presenting the medal to Monsoor’s family.
Monsoor dove on the grenade and smothered its explosion, saving the lives of the two SEALs.
There are other posts about this very fitting tribute for Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael Monsoor, who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bush on April 8, 2008.
The best I have read so far is Galrahn at Information Dissemination.
"This Is How To Name a Warship", yes, yes it is.
drillanwr at Pat Dollard also does a very good post.
How Monsoor's casket comes to look like this is demonstrated at 8:45 in this truly moving YouTube video tribute.
Today we have it. Although, true to my contrary nature, I wish they had announced on September 29th. But no matter. It's here now.
SECNAV Names New Zumwalt-Class Destroyer USS Michael Monsoor
Secretary of the Navy, Donald C. Winter announced last night at a Navy SEAL Warrior Fund Benefit Gala at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, the name of the newest Zumwalt-class Destroyer will be USS Michael Monsoor. Designated as DDG- 1001, the name honors Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, a Navy SEAL who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions in Ramadi, Iraq, on Sept. 29, 2006.
Winter discussed the qualities, values, and dedication to duty that Navy SEAL’s exemplify, including the extraordinary acts of Michael Monsoor.
“Tonight I would like to single out one of those heroes from the community of Navy SEAL’s,” Winter said. “Those who served with Michael Monsoor will remember him always as a consummate professional who faced terrorist enemies with aplomb and stoicism.”
“The full extent of Michael’s courage, gallantry, and self-less heroism were revealed on the 29th of September, in Ramadi. When his team was surprised by an enemy grenade, Michael could have escaped and saved himself,” Winter said. “But he chose a different path, a path of honor that embodies the way of a Navy SEAL. For having chosen that path, Petty Officer Michael Monsoor joined the ranks of those who have earned our nation’s highest distinction, the Medal of Honor.”
Winter concluded that Michael Monsoor’s heroism and self sacrifice for his teammates and his nation epitomize the Navy’s core values, and will forever provide prideful admiration for our sailors.
“Michael Monsoor’s name will now be linked with one of our nation’s most visible examples of military power, a U.S. Navy warship,” Winter said. “His legacy will inspire the hearts of future Sailors who serve on the ship that bears his name.”
The USS Michael Monsoor will be a multi-mission surface combatant tailored for advanced land attack and littoral dominance. The ship's mission is to provide credible, independent forward presence and deterrence and to operate as an integral part of naval, joint or combined maritime forces.
The USS Michael Monsoor will be the 2nd Zumwalt-class destroyer. She will be 600 feet in length, have a beam of 80.7 feet, and displace approximately 15,000 tons. Michael Monsoor will have a crew size of 148 officers and sailors, he will make speed in excess of 30 knots.
DDG 1001 named for MoH recipient Monsoor
On Sept. 29, the day he died, Monsoor was stationed with his machine gun on a rooftop between two SEAL snipers providing cover for an Army unit working in a rail yard. The two men were lying prone, aiming their rifles through holes blasted in the wall, when a grenade sailed onto the rooftop and bounced off Monsoor’s chest.
According to the official Navy biography, there was no way either of the teammates could have escaped.
“He had a clear chance to escape, but in his mind, it was not a choice at all,” President Bush said in April when presenting the medal to Monsoor’s family.
Monsoor dove on the grenade and smothered its explosion, saving the lives of the two SEALs.
There are other posts about this very fitting tribute for Master-at-Arms 2nd Class (SEAL) Michael Monsoor, who was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bush on April 8, 2008.
The best I have read so far is Galrahn at Information Dissemination.
"This Is How To Name a Warship", yes, yes it is.
drillanwr at Pat Dollard also does a very good post.
How Monsoor's casket comes to look like this is demonstrated at 8:45 in this truly moving YouTube video tribute.
BZ SECNAV Winter, CJCS Mullen, CNO Roughead and everyone who made this possible.
From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remember'd; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
Yes, remember MA2 Mike Monsoor, USN, "from this day to the ending of the world".
OK, It's Steroid Day....
....and I am running on empty. I tried to listen to a lecture through WGBH and the Cambridge Forum. It was given by Frances Moore Lappe: Getting a Grip on Democracy but I couldn't concentrate. (drugs.brain.eating.) I'll get to it. I miss going to lectures. But I don't have the energy to haul my steroid puffed ass there. Plus if I did, how embarrassing would it be to fall asleep??
I have a lot of stuff to blog.
I want to explain more about why you should vote with me for -
John McCain for Commander in Chief.....and that's really the important part.
Jeff Beatty for the US Senate from Massachusetts
Ed O'Connell for Plymouth County Treasurer (Massachusetts)
Bill Russell for Congress for Pennsylvania's 12th District (Boot Murtha!!!)
Joel Dykstra for Senator from South Dakota (I already have one post up about him)
Tom McClintock for Congress from California's 4th district (this post is actually almost done, lol, thank Heaven!)
Steve Stivers for Congress from Ohio's 15th district.
Marion Thorpe for Congress from Florida's 23rd district.
And the Massachusetts ballot questions - Argghhh!!!!! Yes on Question 1. Don't fall for the game. Don't be diverted by the red herrings. Don't let the opponents win with the race card. That's right, I said it. They are trying. I am not a mean white person trying to take things away from poor black people.....and I won't let asshats like Jimmy Myers tell you that's what's going on like he did last Sunday on his radio show.
And a post about what part of the budget goes to defense in this country because when it comes to figures and percentages, wires get crossed.
I haven't even finished writing about my great adventure at the Constitution Museum.
I haven't written anything of significance about the DoD teleconference with CAPT Frank Ponds. But I did show Pat, my co-worker his pic and she says he is handsome.
And the fact that I am crazy and the Revlimid people are taking good care of me. I was wrong here and need to correct it. I need to update and link all the posts so someone casually surfing the web for info on Revlimid doesn't come here to this crazy place and think that Celgene messed up. They didn't.
But instead, I am slow and tired and using the O2 and sucking down Tylenol and experiencing random crying jags (which is fine for now, no one can see me and crying doesn't actually hurt).
I should have gone alone to the doctor yesterday and asked if I could delay going back on Revlimid for one week.....until after the election. But Jennifer was there and I would have been bagged.
Anyway, the next post I am going to write is going to be about DDG 1001. A TinCan for a hero. It's the most important thing on my to-do list. It tops my Bad Boyfriend, but I know in my heart he would understand. I have a bunch of links and some thoughts. I could be lazy and just send you to Galrahn for this too,(you're right, this *is* how to name a warship!) but it is too close to me. After all, I am a Navy girl.
If I have made any linking or grammar errors here.........effff off! LOL, my chemo cocktail is eating away at my brain. Have I mentioned mood swings?
I have a lot of stuff to blog.
I want to explain more about why you should vote with me for -
John McCain for Commander in Chief.....and that's really the important part.
Jeff Beatty for the US Senate from Massachusetts
Ed O'Connell for Plymouth County Treasurer (Massachusetts)
Bill Russell for Congress for Pennsylvania's 12th District (Boot Murtha!!!)
Joel Dykstra for Senator from South Dakota (I already have one post up about him)
Tom McClintock for Congress from California's 4th district (this post is actually almost done, lol, thank Heaven!)
Steve Stivers for Congress from Ohio's 15th district.
Marion Thorpe for Congress from Florida's 23rd district.
And the Massachusetts ballot questions - Argghhh!!!!! Yes on Question 1. Don't fall for the game. Don't be diverted by the red herrings. Don't let the opponents win with the race card. That's right, I said it. They are trying. I am not a mean white person trying to take things away from poor black people.....and I won't let asshats like Jimmy Myers tell you that's what's going on like he did last Sunday on his radio show.
And a post about what part of the budget goes to defense in this country because when it comes to figures and percentages, wires get crossed.
I haven't even finished writing about my great adventure at the Constitution Museum.
I haven't written anything of significance about the DoD teleconference with CAPT Frank Ponds. But I did show Pat, my co-worker his pic and she says he is handsome.
And the fact that I am crazy and the Revlimid people are taking good care of me. I was wrong here and need to correct it. I need to update and link all the posts so someone casually surfing the web for info on Revlimid doesn't come here to this crazy place and think that Celgene messed up. They didn't.
But instead, I am slow and tired and using the O2 and sucking down Tylenol and experiencing random crying jags (which is fine for now, no one can see me and crying doesn't actually hurt).
I should have gone alone to the doctor yesterday and asked if I could delay going back on Revlimid for one week.....until after the election. But Jennifer was there and I would have been bagged.
Anyway, the next post I am going to write is going to be about DDG 1001. A TinCan for a hero. It's the most important thing on my to-do list. It tops my Bad Boyfriend, but I know in my heart he would understand. I have a bunch of links and some thoughts. I could be lazy and just send you to Galrahn for this too,(you're right, this *is* how to name a warship!) but it is too close to me. After all, I am a Navy girl.
If I have made any linking or grammar errors here.........effff off! LOL, my chemo cocktail is eating away at my brain. Have I mentioned mood swings?
Shamelessly Stolen From The AO Shack
The guys at the AO Shack let me peek.....they know I understand the "IYOAOYAS"
It's all about the Ice Cream
The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade in 2000. The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election for a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.
To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class Members. We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students Should have.
We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.
The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support.. I had never seen Olivia's mother.
The day arrived when they were to make their speeches, Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by promising to do his very best. Everyone applauded.
He sat down and Olivia came to the podium. Her speech was concise.
She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream." She sat down.
The class went wild.. "Yes! Yes! We want ice cream."
She surely would say more.
She did not have to.
A discussion followed.
How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn't sure.
Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it? She didn't know.
The class really didn't care. All they were thinking about was ice cream.
Jamie was forgotten. Olivia won by a land slide.
Every time Barack Obama opens his mouth he offers ice cream, and fifty percent of America reacts like nine-year-olds. They want ice cream. The other fifty percent know they're going to have to feed the cow.
It's all about the Ice Cream
The most eye-opening civics lesson I ever had was while teaching third grade in 2000. The presidential election was heating up and some of the children showed an interest. I decided we would have an election for a class president. We would choose our nominees. They would make a campaign speech and the class would vote.
To simplify the process, candidates were nominated by other class Members. We discussed what kinds of characteristics these students Should have.
We got many nominations and from those, Jamie and Olivia were picked to run for the top spot.
The class had done a great job in their selections. Both candidates were good kids. I thought Jamie might have an advantage because he got lots of parental support.. I had never seen Olivia's mother.
The day arrived when they were to make their speeches, Jamie went first. He had specific ideas about how to make our class a better place. He ended by promising to do his very best. Everyone applauded.
He sat down and Olivia came to the podium. Her speech was concise.
She said, "If you will vote for me, I will give you ice cream." She sat down.
The class went wild.. "Yes! Yes! We want ice cream."
She surely would say more.
She did not have to.
A discussion followed.
How did she plan to pay for the ice cream? She wasn't sure.
Would her parents buy it or would the class pay for it? She didn't know.
The class really didn't care. All they were thinking about was ice cream.
Jamie was forgotten. Olivia won by a land slide.
Every time Barack Obama opens his mouth he offers ice cream, and fifty percent of America reacts like nine-year-olds. They want ice cream. The other fifty percent know they're going to have to feed the cow.
Bing West Rocks!
So does Galrahn of Information Dissemination.
You need to read this - The Bias, Balance, and Independence of Journalism you should be reading Galrahn every day anyway.
But for this post - he sucks you in with the first paragraph.
While some are focused on the bias in media regarding the political campaign, Bing West opens a can of whoop-ass on Nir Rosen and the Rolling Stones.
You need to read this - The Bias, Balance, and Independence of Journalism you should be reading Galrahn every day anyway.
But for this post - he sucks you in with the first paragraph.
While some are focused on the bias in media regarding the political campaign, Bing West opens a can of whoop-ass on Nir Rosen and the Rolling Stones.
Ed O'Connell - Plymouth County Treasurer
**UPDATE - In the comments, Summer caught me being a bad girl. She thought I didn't know the name of the other guy. I do. He's not a bad guy and I know him fairly well. I just want to goose you into voting for Ed. I have lots of reasons. I believe he is the better candidate. I will post more in the future.*********
Plymouth County Massachusetts will have this entry on their ballot
County Treasurer
Plymouth County
Vote for one
Some Guy
Some Address...........................................Democrat
Edward J. O'Connell
148 Webster Street
Marshfield, MA.........................................Republican
Vote O'Connell please.
If you live in one of the towns or villages listed below you are in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Abington
Bridgewater
Bridgewater South Village (a village of Bridgewater)
Bridgewater Center Green (a village of Bridgewater)
Titicut Camp Village Green (a village of Bridgewater)
Brockton
Carver
Duxbury
Cedar Crest (a village of Duxbury)
South Duxbury (a village of Duxbury)
East Bridgewater
Halifax
Hanover
Hanson
Monponsett (a village of Hanson)
Hingham
Accord (a village of Hingham)
Hull
Kingston
Lakeville
North Lakeville (a village of Lakeville)
Marion
Marion Center (a village of Marion)
Marshfield
Brant Rock (a village of Marshfield)
Green Harbor (a village of Marshfield)
Marshfield Hills (a village of Marshfield)
Ocean Bluff (a village of Marshfield)
Mattapoisett
Mattapoisett Center (a village of Mattapoisett)
Middleborough
Middleborough Center (a village of Middleborough)
Nemasket Village (a village of Middleborough)
Rock Village (a village of Middleborough)
South Middleborough (a village of Middleborough)
Norwell
Pembroke
North Pembroke (a village of Pembroke)
Bryantville (a village of Pembroke)
Plymouth
North Plymouth (a village of Plymouth)
Manomet (a village of Plymouth)
Cedarville (a village of Plymouth)
Chiltonville (a village of Plymouth)
West Plymouth (a village of Plymouth)
South Plymouth (a village of Plymouth)
Ellisville (a village of Plymouth)
Saquish Neck (a village of Plymouth)
White Island Shores (a village of Plymouth)
Plymouth Center (a village of Plymouth)
Plympton
Rochester
Rockland
Scituate
Greenbush (a village of Scituate)
North Scituate (a village of Scituate)
Wareham
Onset (a village of Wareham)
Wareham Center (a village of Wareham)
West Wareham (a village of Wareham)
Weweantic (a village of Wareham)
West Bridgewater
Whitman
Plymouth County Massachusetts will have this entry on their ballot
County Treasurer
Plymouth County
Vote for one
Some Guy
Some Address...........................................Democrat
Edward J. O'Connell
148 Webster Street
Marshfield, MA.........................................Republican
Vote O'Connell please.
If you live in one of the towns or villages listed below you are in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Abington
Bridgewater
Bridgewater South Village (a village of Bridgewater)
Bridgewater Center Green (a village of Bridgewater)
Titicut Camp Village Green (a village of Bridgewater)
Brockton
Carver
Duxbury
Cedar Crest (a village of Duxbury)
South Duxbury (a village of Duxbury)
East Bridgewater
Halifax
Hanover
Hanson
Monponsett (a village of Hanson)
Hingham
Accord (a village of Hingham)
Hull
Kingston
Lakeville
North Lakeville (a village of Lakeville)
Marion
Marion Center (a village of Marion)
Marshfield
Brant Rock (a village of Marshfield)
Green Harbor (a village of Marshfield)
Marshfield Hills (a village of Marshfield)
Ocean Bluff (a village of Marshfield)
Mattapoisett
Mattapoisett Center (a village of Mattapoisett)
Middleborough
Middleborough Center (a village of Middleborough)
Nemasket Village (a village of Middleborough)
Rock Village (a village of Middleborough)
South Middleborough (a village of Middleborough)
Norwell
Pembroke
North Pembroke (a village of Pembroke)
Bryantville (a village of Pembroke)
Plymouth
North Plymouth (a village of Plymouth)
Manomet (a village of Plymouth)
Cedarville (a village of Plymouth)
Chiltonville (a village of Plymouth)
West Plymouth (a village of Plymouth)
South Plymouth (a village of Plymouth)
Ellisville (a village of Plymouth)
Saquish Neck (a village of Plymouth)
White Island Shores (a village of Plymouth)
Plymouth Center (a village of Plymouth)
Plympton
Rochester
Rockland
Scituate
Greenbush (a village of Scituate)
North Scituate (a village of Scituate)
Wareham
Onset (a village of Wareham)
Wareham Center (a village of Wareham)
West Wareham (a village of Wareham)
Weweantic (a village of Wareham)
West Bridgewater
Whitman
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
1st Pic From The Fishmugger
*****UPDATE******The Fishmugger wants to remind everyone that getting the perfect rainbow picture often involved standing patiently in the rain. That was the case here. Please note the extra effort*******
The Fishmugger went on the most awesome trip a Castle Denizen could wish for.
He has scads of pics for the Redleg.
And stories.
And Calvados.
That's fine........but for the record.......I got the first pic with a note "For you...so cheer up. This was shot off Omaho Beach from a bluff overlooking about the center."
The Fishmugger went on the most awesome trip a Castle Denizen could wish for.
He has scads of pics for the Redleg.
And stories.
And Calvados.
That's fine........but for the record.......I got the first pic with a note "For you...so cheer up. This was shot off Omaho Beach from a bluff overlooking about the center."
After all, I am the Goddess of the Navy Blogging Strike Group.
*snicker* Is it to early to say Go Navy! Beat Army!
Look At This Picture
I took it with my cell phone on October 1st as a lark. Just under the word "administration" you can barely see the writing on the bottle. It says "Revlimid ??mg"I thought then and for the next 21 days that it said "Revlimid 10mg".
Now CuraScripts is telling me it said "Revlimid 25mg"
Ok, I know this is super blurry......because I am completely hysterical. The pill I have now clearly says "25mg".
In order to believe that I made a mistake on October 1st. In order to believe that I misread the label........you must believe that for 21 days, I put a pill in my mouth that said "25mg" and never noticed it, even though I thought I was on "10mg".
I am flightly and careless and unobservant. But I am also smart and I was paying attention and I don't believe them.
Why am I hysterical?
Because this last round completely SUCKED. If it was that awful on 10mg. It will now be two and half times worse.
Ok, Stella Is Going To Have Fits
But this gave me a little giggle.
Pamela from Atlas Shrugged has a post linking to all of the posts she has written on Obama's massive campaign fraud.
A commenter to the post says among other things -
"Little children sing about Obama. Little children sing about Barney..they don't know any better."
The commenter is referencing the creepy video where the children sing for "The One".
*snicker*
Come on buddy! Remember -
Pamela from Atlas Shrugged has a post linking to all of the posts she has written on Obama's massive campaign fraud.
A commenter to the post says among other things -
"Little children sing about Obama. Little children sing about Barney..they don't know any better."
The commenter is referencing the creepy video where the children sing for "The One".
*snicker*
Come on buddy! Remember -
The Only Thing Better......
...than John Kerry making an ass out of himself, is when he gets all indignant and tries to blame others.
Kerry told a stupid joke the other day about McCain. The joke was moderately funny the first time it was told by Bob Dole. The only reason it was even that, was because Dole told it about *himself* in his usual self-depracating manner. Of course Kerry would never understand that such an approach keeps people from appearing pompous or arrogant. That's because Senator Kerry is pompous and arrogant.
So, once again Kerry has fumbled and looks bad. That would be what we call in Charlestown.....a wicked shocka! Kerry has ridiculed a man who is his superior in every way. What makes it even more ridiculous is that he made fun of McCain's age when Kerry is only seven years McCain's junior.
Anyway, over at HubPolitics they have a post about Kerry trying to get the right spin on this.
Sen. John F. Kerry defended his controversial joke suggesting the GOP’s John McCain wears “Depends” adult diapers, saying today it’s the type of ribald humor you hear at the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day roast or on late-night TV.
Kerry, appearing before the Boston Herald editorial board, bristled at the suggestion his jab was not senatorial.
He even started to repeat another joke lobbed at McCain on “Leno or Letterman,” but he stopped and asked that a video camera be turned off.
The camera was not shut off, so Kerry told the Herald today people can go “look it up” for themselves.
Kerry said the “Depends” line has long been political fodder. When first posed the question, the Bay State’s junior senator said: “Ah, actually, Bob Dole used to joke about it himself.
“It was used at St. Patrick’s Day. Did you guys complain then?” he said. “It was lamenting the kinds of questions that get asked in presidential races and why the media is fixated by certain things like boxers or briefs.
“Barack Obama was asked, and I said ... ’It depends.’ That’s the joke,” he told the Herald today. “As a double-entendre, actually, it is pretty funny. It’s a decent joke. ... It’s not half as bad as the stuff you hear on Leno or Letterman every night.
“The other night I heard someone asking why John McCain was so (pause). This is not on the record thing (pause), because I don’t want to make another joke. You can make the decision. Go look at the jokes they use,” he added.
“That’s a legitimate (inaudible),” he ended.
Kerry floated his “Depends” line Monday at a business summit in Cambridge. Herald readers condemned the jab, saying it wasn’t senatorial, especially coming from a fellow Vietnam War veteran.
The senator did not apologize today. Kerry was forced to apologize in 2006 when he “botched” a joke that bad students end up “stuck in Iraq.”
What?????? "......but he stopped and asked that a video camera be turned off.
The camera was not shut off"????? LOL What an asshat! I can hear Howie Carr mocking him now - "Lovey! The boys at the Herald won't play nice with me!"
Oh, and by the way, Senator, if this post doesn't seem fair, kiss my royal Irish ass. Until you fool enough Americans into believing the Fairness Doctrine is fair......this is my blog and my opinion.
Kerry told a stupid joke the other day about McCain. The joke was moderately funny the first time it was told by Bob Dole. The only reason it was even that, was because Dole told it about *himself* in his usual self-depracating manner. Of course Kerry would never understand that such an approach keeps people from appearing pompous or arrogant. That's because Senator Kerry is pompous and arrogant.
So, once again Kerry has fumbled and looks bad. That would be what we call in Charlestown.....a wicked shocka! Kerry has ridiculed a man who is his superior in every way. What makes it even more ridiculous is that he made fun of McCain's age when Kerry is only seven years McCain's junior.
Anyway, over at HubPolitics they have a post about Kerry trying to get the right spin on this.
Sen. John F. Kerry defended his controversial joke suggesting the GOP’s John McCain wears “Depends” adult diapers, saying today it’s the type of ribald humor you hear at the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day roast or on late-night TV.
Kerry, appearing before the Boston Herald editorial board, bristled at the suggestion his jab was not senatorial.
He even started to repeat another joke lobbed at McCain on “Leno or Letterman,” but he stopped and asked that a video camera be turned off.
The camera was not shut off, so Kerry told the Herald today people can go “look it up” for themselves.
Kerry said the “Depends” line has long been political fodder. When first posed the question, the Bay State’s junior senator said: “Ah, actually, Bob Dole used to joke about it himself.
“It was used at St. Patrick’s Day. Did you guys complain then?” he said. “It was lamenting the kinds of questions that get asked in presidential races and why the media is fixated by certain things like boxers or briefs.
“Barack Obama was asked, and I said ... ’It depends.’ That’s the joke,” he told the Herald today. “As a double-entendre, actually, it is pretty funny. It’s a decent joke. ... It’s not half as bad as the stuff you hear on Leno or Letterman every night.
“The other night I heard someone asking why John McCain was so (pause). This is not on the record thing (pause), because I don’t want to make another joke. You can make the decision. Go look at the jokes they use,” he added.
“That’s a legitimate (inaudible),” he ended.
Kerry floated his “Depends” line Monday at a business summit in Cambridge. Herald readers condemned the jab, saying it wasn’t senatorial, especially coming from a fellow Vietnam War veteran.
The senator did not apologize today. Kerry was forced to apologize in 2006 when he “botched” a joke that bad students end up “stuck in Iraq.”
What?????? "......but he stopped and asked that a video camera be turned off.
The camera was not shut off"????? LOL What an asshat! I can hear Howie Carr mocking him now - "Lovey! The boys at the Herald won't play nice with me!"
Oh, and by the way, Senator, if this post doesn't seem fair, kiss my royal Irish ass. Until you fool enough Americans into believing the Fairness Doctrine is fair......this is my blog and my opinion.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
I Watched Saving Private Ryan Again
I remember the day it was released in local theaters. It was a Friday. I went to the schools and signed Frankie and Tommy out of class so we could make the first show of the day.
I've never watched a movie where I cried less than five minutes into it. The boys were slightly alarmed. But soon they were so caught up in the movie, my tears were quickly forgotten.
Do you know there is a "Saving Private Ryan" online encyclopedia? SPROE
What strikes me now is how much more I *get*. Weapons, tactics, terms and the like. I had a lot to learn. After all, it was an Army movie and I am a Navy girl, lol.
I suppose some credit must go to the reading I have done in the intervening years.
But I think the biggest chunk of credit would go to Jennifer's BFF, SB and this guy.
SB, of course, is the premeire SWO of the United States Navy......but he is so extrordinary........and the Navy pushes all this "jointness"....so he just knows stuff. He explained "defilade" when we were reading stuff for the Vietnam elective (the one he cheated on....he was *in* Vietnam.....clearly an unfair advantage). I've heard it three times in the movie.
And the Armorer is the Master of the Castle of Argghhh!!!
I've never watched a movie where I cried less than five minutes into it. The boys were slightly alarmed. But soon they were so caught up in the movie, my tears were quickly forgotten.
Do you know there is a "Saving Private Ryan" online encyclopedia? SPROE
What strikes me now is how much more I *get*. Weapons, tactics, terms and the like. I had a lot to learn. After all, it was an Army movie and I am a Navy girl, lol.
I suppose some credit must go to the reading I have done in the intervening years.
But I think the biggest chunk of credit would go to Jennifer's BFF, SB and this guy.
SB, of course, is the premeire SWO of the United States Navy......but he is so extrordinary........and the Navy pushes all this "jointness"....so he just knows stuff. He explained "defilade" when we were reading stuff for the Vietnam elective (the one he cheated on....he was *in* Vietnam.....clearly an unfair advantage). I've heard it three times in the movie.
And the Armorer is the Master of the Castle of Argghhh!!!
The Will Of a Marine
This is an email that Pia was kind enough to forward to me. Thanks, Pia.
***************************************************************
The Will Of A Marine
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Yesterday I ran in the 33rd Marine Corps Marathon with the Injured Marine Team (Team Semper Fi) along with our supporters. The goal of our team is to raise awareness for the “Injured Marine Fund” by competing in athletic events across the country. The money that is donated to the “Injured Marine Fund” goes to financially assist and support injured Marines who are recovering from wounds sustained in combat. It’s a great organization and if you click on the link below, you can make a difference today for an injured Marine that is undergoing a painful recovery.
The Will Of A Marine
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Yesterday I ran in the 33rd Marine Corps Marathon with the Injured Marine Team (Team Semper Fi) along with our supporters. The goal of our team is to raise awareness for the “Injured Marine Fund” by competing in athletic events across the country. The money that is donated to the “Injured Marine Fund” goes to financially assist and support injured Marines who are recovering from wounds sustained in combat. It’s a great organization and if you click on the link below, you can make a difference today for an injured Marine that is undergoing a painful recovery.
Myself at Brooke Army Medical Hospital after being injured.
Wounded Marine; Eric Santellana and myself, prior to the start of the 33rd Marine Corps Marathon.
It’s an honor to be part of the Marine Corps brotherhood and to be a member of “Team Semper Fi”! After I was wounded in Iraq in December 2006, one of my care givers was informed by a doctor of mine that I would be physically handicapped for the rest of my life. Two years later, my accomplishments have been four marathons and one triathlon. It seems that the doctors once again under estimated the will of a Marine.
I hope my story motivates any military service member currently undergoing care at one of our Veterans Hospitals. My message that I would like to convey to them is simple. They need challenge themselves and set their goals high. If I can be burned on nearly 50% of my body with 3rd degree burns and later run 26 miles in “Boots and Utes” (Boot and Trousers) then anything is possible.
.JPG)
After running 26.2 miles in boots, near the finish line with marathon medalMake a donation today at:
Sgt. TJ Edwards
*********************************************
Thank you Sgt. Edwards
Thank you Sgt. Edwards
SN Selby Tours the National Museum of the Marine Corps
I met SN Selby for a minute in Vegas. I told him I knew who he was and I liked his stuff. Then he pointed a camera at me and I ran away, lol.
In this episode of DODvClips -
In this edition, MCSN William Selby talks with Marine combat veterans who work as guides at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.
BZ, kiddo.
In this episode of DODvClips -
In this edition, MCSN William Selby talks with Marine combat veterans who work as guides at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia.
BZ, kiddo.
Reactions to My Panic Attack
Bigg Bill in response to my email on the Obama birth certificate controversy which we have been discussing..... "Pretty good for a mental cripple."
Rachael went out for the lunch errand for the office and came back with a Panera carmel chocolate brownie. She warmed it, put it on a real plate, wrapped the fork in a napkin.......fine dining, my friends.
Pat finally stopped trying to get me to answer questions off of the top of my head. She realizes that today, there is nothing there.
Jennifer is going to handle tonight's dinner and entertainment.
And of course the very kind comments in the post below.
Rachael went out for the lunch errand for the office and came back with a Panera carmel chocolate brownie. She warmed it, put it on a real plate, wrapped the fork in a napkin.......fine dining, my friends.
Pat finally stopped trying to get me to answer questions off of the top of my head. She realizes that today, there is nothing there.Jennifer is going to handle tonight's dinner and entertainment.
And of course the very kind comments in the post below.
Panic Attacks
I should be writing about politics and fun stuff and the Navy.
I have a bunch of half done posts that I want to get up.
I participated in a DOD teleconference this morning with Commodore Frank Ponds of USS Kearsarge......who I addressed as Commander.....I'm a jackass.
Instead I am eating M&Ms and having a panic attack.
Tomorrow I start back up on Revlimid. My week off ends today. I have felt great and told anyone who would listen. People ask how I am and I say "Great! It's my drug free week!" Which is only partly true. I am still taking Trazodone and Dex, and I still have side effects, but I do feel so great. It's all about perspective. August, completely drug free and sitting in the sun in Las Vegas or Grace's place in New Hampshire or the beach down the street from my house, was fabulous. The first three weeks in October were horrid with three drugs and their side effects. Just awful. But this last week with two drugs and half as many side effects has been wonderful.
But now my furlough is ending. Back to Revlimid prison. I woke up tense.
Then I called CuraScripts because the Revlimid wasn't here yet. I was going to ask for a tracking number. Dr. H's office told me they sent the order in Friday. CuraScripts said there was a problem with my 25mg Revlimid pills.
25mg?????
What?
My mind went blank and I started stuttering. I was on 10 mg. Was he changing it? Was he upping it? If 10mg did this to me, what would 25mg do?
I told them I was going to call the doctor and see. While I was on hold I opened the Yahoo Notepad page where I am keeping a daily journal of this adventure. I list meds, and vitamins, and sleep patterns and what I eat and what side effects I experience and what doctor visits and blood tests I have.
Everything said 10mg. I wrote if before I took the first pill. Before the drugs started eating away at my brain.
I found the paperwork from the October 1st shipment and it said 25mg. The doctor's office told me over the phone it was 25mg.
I straightened out the problem and the meds are on their way.
But still..........
How did I get that so wrong?
Worse, what if I am right? What if they accidently sent me 10mg and now I will get 25mg? What if I can't take it?
I was so sure. It is really bothering me. I have taken this so seriously. I have been so careful and thorough with this journal.
I have a bunch of half done posts that I want to get up.
I participated in a DOD teleconference this morning with Commodore Frank Ponds of USS Kearsarge......who I addressed as Commander.....I'm a jackass.
Instead I am eating M&Ms and having a panic attack.
Tomorrow I start back up on Revlimid. My week off ends today. I have felt great and told anyone who would listen. People ask how I am and I say "Great! It's my drug free week!" Which is only partly true. I am still taking Trazodone and Dex, and I still have side effects, but I do feel so great. It's all about perspective. August, completely drug free and sitting in the sun in Las Vegas or Grace's place in New Hampshire or the beach down the street from my house, was fabulous. The first three weeks in October were horrid with three drugs and their side effects. Just awful. But this last week with two drugs and half as many side effects has been wonderful.
But now my furlough is ending. Back to Revlimid prison. I woke up tense.
Then I called CuraScripts because the Revlimid wasn't here yet. I was going to ask for a tracking number. Dr. H's office told me they sent the order in Friday. CuraScripts said there was a problem with my 25mg Revlimid pills.
25mg?????
What?
My mind went blank and I started stuttering. I was on 10 mg. Was he changing it? Was he upping it? If 10mg did this to me, what would 25mg do?
I told them I was going to call the doctor and see. While I was on hold I opened the Yahoo Notepad page where I am keeping a daily journal of this adventure. I list meds, and vitamins, and sleep patterns and what I eat and what side effects I experience and what doctor visits and blood tests I have.
Everything said 10mg. I wrote if before I took the first pill. Before the drugs started eating away at my brain.
I found the paperwork from the October 1st shipment and it said 25mg. The doctor's office told me over the phone it was 25mg.
I straightened out the problem and the meds are on their way.
But still..........
How did I get that so wrong?
Worse, what if I am right? What if they accidently sent me 10mg and now I will get 25mg? What if I can't take it?
I was so sure. It is really bothering me. I have taken this so seriously. I have been so careful and thorough with this journal.
Officer Jeremiah J. Hurley Jr
Seventeen years ago today, Officer Jeremiah Hurley gave his life in his service as a Boston police officer.
From his Officer Down Memorial Page
Officer Jeremiah Hurley was killed while investigating a call regarding a suspicious package in a residential neighborhood. During the investigation the package exploded, killing him and wounding the other officer on the scene. The bomb had been attached to the bottom of a car and fell off in the driveway.
The bomb builder was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, but that conviction was overturned and he was re-sentenced in 2007 to serve 37 years.
Officer Hurley had served with the agency for 23 years. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, two stepsons, and two grandchildren.
Monday, October 27, 2008
"...It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution"
Obama, in 2001 Interview, Lamented Failure of Civil Rights Movement to Redistribute Wealth
"The Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of basic issues of political and economic justice in this society, and to that extent as radical as people try to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical," Obama said in the interview, a recording of which surfaced on the Internet over the weekend.
"It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, at least as it has been interpreted.
"And the Warren court interpreted it generally in the same way -- that the Constitution is a document of negative liberties, says what the states can't do to you, says what the federal government can't do to you, but it doesn't say what the federal government or state government must do on your behalf, and that hasn't shifted.
"And I think one of the tragedies of the civil rights movement was that the civil rights movement became so court-focused, I think there was a tendency to lose track of the political and organizing activities on the ground that are able to bring about the coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change, and in some ways we still suffer from that," Obama said.
Great Chump Line Caller!
Every weekday at 5 pm Howie plays the Chump Line. This is a "best of" from callers who leave messages.
Today's top call was addressing the topic of this post.
"Hey, Joey-plugs! Wanna know who wrote those Orlando questions? Roberk Bork, that's who! Payback's a bleep!"
LOL! I had a great laugh with that one.
Today's top call was addressing the topic of this post.
"Hey, Joey-plugs! Wanna know who wrote those Orlando questions? Roberk Bork, that's who! Payback's a bleep!"
LOL! I had a great laugh with that one.
Beatty vs. Kerry on WTKK
Right now, 1300 hours.
Kerry says he will release the Bob Schrum letter. That's no problem. LOL How about if you throw in your military records????
Surprise! Kerry "completely supports the Fairness Doctrine".
Kerry says he will release the Bob Schrum letter. That's no problem. LOL How about if you throw in your military records????
Surprise! Kerry "completely supports the Fairness Doctrine".
Biden Angered By Tough Questions
Biden Angered By Tough Questions
The Obama campaign whined about WFTV being "unprofessional" when it dared to dish out some tough questions to Vice President hopeful, Joe Biden.
The Obama spokesperson issued this statement about the interview:"There's nothing wrong with tough questions, but reporters have the very important job of sharing the truth with the public -- not misleading the American people with false information. Senator Biden handled the interview well; however, the anchor was completely unprofessional. Senator Biden's wife is not running for elected office, and there are many other stations in the Orlando television market that would gladly conduct a respectful and factual interview with her."
"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election."
*****************
My sides hurt from laughing! Are you effin' kididng me???? Did anyone watch Brokaw grilling McCain yesterday on Meet The Press? Man! I thought Brokaw came off like a total Obama operative.
Biden thought that was tough?
What
A
Wimp
From the Castle
Willkommen zum Krieg, Herr Verteidigungsminister
„Ich verneige mich in Dankbarkeit und Anerkennung vor den Toten, die für unser Land im Einsatz für den Frieden gefallen sind",
Roughly translated: "I bow in gratitude and respect for the dead who have fallen for our country while serving the cause of peace."
Could the Germans be "getting it"? That would be fabulous.
„Ich verneige mich in Dankbarkeit und Anerkennung vor den Toten, die für unser Land im Einsatz für den Frieden gefallen sind",
Roughly translated: "I bow in gratitude and respect for the dead who have fallen for our country while serving the cause of peace."
Could the Germans be "getting it"? That would be fabulous.
VFW-PAC Endorsed Murtha? What the Efffff?
What were they thinking!
Fortunately Vets For Freedom are on top of this. They are out there calling attention to this travesty and trying to get it rescinded.
Open Letter from Vets for Freedom PAC to VFW-PAC:
“Rescind Endorsements of John Murtha and Patrick Murphy”
Go read this. If you are as horrified as I am and you know someone in the VFW, call them, write them. Do something!!!!
Pete Hegeseth also has an opinion piece up on the website that you should read.
Someone tell VFW-PAC what VFW stands for
Sometimes I see how things could happen. You follow the events, you consider the circumstances and you say ..........."Well ........maybe they were thinking.........." this or that.
But after what John Murtha has done and said regarding the Haditha Marines........I don't understand at all!
Vote Russell for Congress '08
Fortunately Vets For Freedom are on top of this. They are out there calling attention to this travesty and trying to get it rescinded.
Open Letter from Vets for Freedom PAC to VFW-PAC:
“Rescind Endorsements of John Murtha and Patrick Murphy”
Go read this. If you are as horrified as I am and you know someone in the VFW, call them, write them. Do something!!!!
Pete Hegeseth also has an opinion piece up on the website that you should read.
Someone tell VFW-PAC what VFW stands for
Sometimes I see how things could happen. You follow the events, you consider the circumstances and you say ..........."Well ........maybe they were thinking.........." this or that.
But after what John Murtha has done and said regarding the Haditha Marines........I don't understand at all!
Vote Russell for Congress '08
I thought This Was Going To Be About My Friend Rick
Whenever I see something about the Marne, I think about the 3rd ID. While it turned out to be something else entirely......I'm glad it caught my eye.
From today's NYT
October 27, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
Remember the Marne
By WILLIAM KRISTOL
“My center is giving way. My right is in retreat. Situation excellent. I attack!”
That’s the message supposedly sent by General Ferdinand Foch of France to his commanding general, Joseph Joffre, during the crucial First Battle of the Marne in September 1914. The French and British counterattacks succeeded. The German Army, after advancing for a month, was forced back.
Here in the U.S., after more than a month of Democratic advances, it’s the Republican center that’s giving way, and some on the political right who are in retreat. The Obama campaign is marching toward the biggest nonincumbent Democratic presidential victory since 1932, and the Democratic Party is fighting its way toward its best overall presidential and Congressional year since 1964.
Situation not-so-excellent. Time for McCain to attack — or, rather, finally to make his case.
The heart of that case has to be this: reminding voters that when they elect a president, they’re not just electing a super-Treasury secretary or a higher-level head of Health and Human Services. They’re electing a commander in chief in time of war.
The McCain campaign intends, I gather, to return to the commander in chief theme with an event in Florida Wednesday showcasing former secretaries of state and retired senior military officers. But why not showcase young Iraq vets instead? These young soldiers and marines can testify eloquently to the success of the surge that John McCain championed, and to the disaster and dishonor that would have followed Barack Obama’s preferred path of withdrawal.
As for the future in Iraq, the respected foreign policy analyst Michael O’Hanlon, a Democrat, endorsed Obama this past weekend. But O’Hanlon also wrote on Politico that Obama’s Iraq position is “extremely risky,” and that “getting all American combat forces out of Iraq by April 2010, a position he has held while we were losing the war, during the comeback phase, and now while we are winning, is very imprudent and I continue to hope and pray that he rethinks it.”
McCain could point out that hope is nice and prayer is good. But, he could ask: With respect to our national security, do we really want to elect a president on a hope and a prayer?
That has to be the substantive core of his closing argument. But style and tone matter, too. Last week’s New York Times/CBS News poll showed 64 percent of voters saying McCain is spending more time attacking the other candidate than explaining what he would do as president. Just 22 percent say the same of Obama.
When you’re in a hole, stop digging. McCain could order his campaign to pull all negative ads, mailers and robocalls.
For that matter, he might as well muzzle the campaign. McCain campaign senior staff members now seem to be spending more time criticizing one another than Obama, and more time defending their own reputations than pursuing a McCain-Palin victory. McCain should simply say that for the last week of the campaign, no staff member is authorized to speak to the media about anything beyond logistical and scheduling matters.
Then McCain and Palin can spend the final week speaking for themselves. They should throw themselves open full time to the media. Could the press coverage get worse? Next Sunday, McCain and Palin could divide up the talk shows. Sarah Palin live! Lots of people would tune in.
There could be one other big moment this week. Obama has bought a half-hour of television in prime time Wednesday. McCain and Palin could buy time Thursday night — giving voters some incentive to keep an open mind at least until McCain and Palin get to make their case.
Palin could speak first, reprising her fine recent speeches on women’s issues and special needs kids — speeches that got almost no press coverage. She could then introduce her running mate, reminding people of his heroism, and pointing out, as she does on the stump, that he is the only candidate “who has truly fought for America.”
As for McCain, he needs to speak about America’s greatness and its future; about how the ingenuity and toughness of the American people will turn around this financial crisis just as the ingenuity of General Petraeus and the toughness of his fighting men and women turned around Iraq; about how America’s spirit was not undone by a terrorist attack, and will not be undone by a financial mess; about how the naysayers will once again be proved wrong; about how America will emerge from its troubles stronger than ever and will win its battles at home and abroad.
McCain has a chance to close this election in a big and positive way. He has a chance to get voters to rise above the distractions and to set aside the petty aspects of the campaign. He has a chance to remind them why they have admired him, and perhaps to persuade them to vote for him on Nov. 4.
Would this turn things around? Unlikely. But why not take a shot?
****************************
I like Bill, I enjoy watching him on FoxNews Sunday. But I fundementally disagree with his plan for McCain to pull back on the so-called negative ads. To me a negative ad is something that smears by distorting or manipulating the truth. I don't feel that is what is happening when we talk about Ayers, Dohrn, Wright, Rezco, etc.
If the people who discuss these people are telling the truth or expressing a legitmate concern, then it's not negative.
I am sincerely concerned with the people Obama associated with in his past. I am genuinely questioning what influence they have had or are having on the man who wishes to become President of the United States.
That's not negative. That's my right.
That said, I have highlighted the part I agree with most and I wholeheartedly agree with Bill that McCain should be surrounding himself with young Iraq veterans.....especially this guy and the guys from VFF.
From today's NYT
October 27, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
Remember the Marne
By WILLIAM KRISTOL
“My center is giving way. My right is in retreat. Situation excellent. I attack!”
That’s the message supposedly sent by General Ferdinand Foch of France to his commanding general, Joseph Joffre, during the crucial First Battle of the Marne in September 1914. The French and British counterattacks succeeded. The German Army, after advancing for a month, was forced back.
Here in the U.S., after more than a month of Democratic advances, it’s the Republican center that’s giving way, and some on the political right who are in retreat. The Obama campaign is marching toward the biggest nonincumbent Democratic presidential victory since 1932, and the Democratic Party is fighting its way toward its best overall presidential and Congressional year since 1964.
Situation not-so-excellent. Time for McCain to attack — or, rather, finally to make his case.
The heart of that case has to be this: reminding voters that when they elect a president, they’re not just electing a super-Treasury secretary or a higher-level head of Health and Human Services. They’re electing a commander in chief in time of war.
The McCain campaign intends, I gather, to return to the commander in chief theme with an event in Florida Wednesday showcasing former secretaries of state and retired senior military officers. But why not showcase young Iraq vets instead? These young soldiers and marines can testify eloquently to the success of the surge that John McCain championed, and to the disaster and dishonor that would have followed Barack Obama’s preferred path of withdrawal.
As for the future in Iraq, the respected foreign policy analyst Michael O’Hanlon, a Democrat, endorsed Obama this past weekend. But O’Hanlon also wrote on Politico that Obama’s Iraq position is “extremely risky,” and that “getting all American combat forces out of Iraq by April 2010, a position he has held while we were losing the war, during the comeback phase, and now while we are winning, is very imprudent and I continue to hope and pray that he rethinks it.”
McCain could point out that hope is nice and prayer is good. But, he could ask: With respect to our national security, do we really want to elect a president on a hope and a prayer?
That has to be the substantive core of his closing argument. But style and tone matter, too. Last week’s New York Times/CBS News poll showed 64 percent of voters saying McCain is spending more time attacking the other candidate than explaining what he would do as president. Just 22 percent say the same of Obama.
When you’re in a hole, stop digging. McCain could order his campaign to pull all negative ads, mailers and robocalls.
For that matter, he might as well muzzle the campaign. McCain campaign senior staff members now seem to be spending more time criticizing one another than Obama, and more time defending their own reputations than pursuing a McCain-Palin victory. McCain should simply say that for the last week of the campaign, no staff member is authorized to speak to the media about anything beyond logistical and scheduling matters.
Then McCain and Palin can spend the final week speaking for themselves. They should throw themselves open full time to the media. Could the press coverage get worse? Next Sunday, McCain and Palin could divide up the talk shows. Sarah Palin live! Lots of people would tune in.
There could be one other big moment this week. Obama has bought a half-hour of television in prime time Wednesday. McCain and Palin could buy time Thursday night — giving voters some incentive to keep an open mind at least until McCain and Palin get to make their case.
Palin could speak first, reprising her fine recent speeches on women’s issues and special needs kids — speeches that got almost no press coverage. She could then introduce her running mate, reminding people of his heroism, and pointing out, as she does on the stump, that he is the only candidate “who has truly fought for America.”
As for McCain, he needs to speak about America’s greatness and its future; about how the ingenuity and toughness of the American people will turn around this financial crisis just as the ingenuity of General Petraeus and the toughness of his fighting men and women turned around Iraq; about how America’s spirit was not undone by a terrorist attack, and will not be undone by a financial mess; about how the naysayers will once again be proved wrong; about how America will emerge from its troubles stronger than ever and will win its battles at home and abroad.
McCain has a chance to close this election in a big and positive way. He has a chance to get voters to rise above the distractions and to set aside the petty aspects of the campaign. He has a chance to remind them why they have admired him, and perhaps to persuade them to vote for him on Nov. 4.
Would this turn things around? Unlikely. But why not take a shot?
****************************
I like Bill, I enjoy watching him on FoxNews Sunday. But I fundementally disagree with his plan for McCain to pull back on the so-called negative ads. To me a negative ad is something that smears by distorting or manipulating the truth. I don't feel that is what is happening when we talk about Ayers, Dohrn, Wright, Rezco, etc.
If the people who discuss these people are telling the truth or expressing a legitmate concern, then it's not negative.
I am sincerely concerned with the people Obama associated with in his past. I am genuinely questioning what influence they have had or are having on the man who wishes to become President of the United States.
That's not negative. That's my right.
That said, I have highlighted the part I agree with most and I wholeheartedly agree with Bill that McCain should be surrounding himself with young Iraq veterans.....especially this guy and the guys from VFF.
Comparisons
I always try to see things from all angles. I might dismiss the other views at some point, but I try to look at them.
So try to look at this from both sides.
I was thinking about this date in history in 1659
October 27, 1659, William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson, two Quakers who left England in 1656 to escape religious persecution, were executed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for their outlawed religious beliefs.
For years I have heard the comparison between Republicans and the Puritans or the Pilgrims. In that all three groups held conservative views, that is a valid comparison.
But the rigid views and the intolerance of dissenting views of the Pilgrims and Puritans correspond with the attitudes and actions of the DNC in my opinion.
Now this is not to say that the RNC is some warm fuzzy hub of tolerence. This is not to say the democrats (small "d") are intolerent.
I am saying that the DNC as an organization, and their operatives, active in America today are more guilty of supressing other view points than anyone I know.
This whole "Fairness Doctrine" should chill you.
The actions of the Obama campaign in Mississippi should chill you.
I have said things in this blog that commenters and emailers have disagreed with...that's fine.
But I have also had this blog locked up for over 48 hours by people who simply wanted to violate my right to express my opinion.
Most Republicans I know......small and capital "R" share my attitude. If Huffpo talks nonsense or is offensive, I note it and move on. If it is really offensive or nonsensical, I ignore it. They have the absolute right to spout nonsense in expressing their opinion, that right is inviolate. I would support that right with everything I have. While of course explaining why they are wrong or stupid or disgusting, lol.
I have seen the Democrats try to prevent speech they do not like.
Prevent? Prevent the free exchange of ideas? Prevent Americans from expressing their opinions? Heaven help us.
And my favorite irony about this is that the very people who will talk about the Fairness Doctrine, are the same people who will get choked up about enemy combatants in GITMO being forced to listen to Britney Spears.
Marmaduke Stephenson and William Robinson paid with their lives for not conforming. Don't take your freedoms for granted, be vigilant.
So try to look at this from both sides.
I was thinking about this date in history in 1659
October 27, 1659, William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson, two Quakers who left England in 1656 to escape religious persecution, were executed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for their outlawed religious beliefs.
For years I have heard the comparison between Republicans and the Puritans or the Pilgrims. In that all three groups held conservative views, that is a valid comparison.
But the rigid views and the intolerance of dissenting views of the Pilgrims and Puritans correspond with the attitudes and actions of the DNC in my opinion.
Now this is not to say that the RNC is some warm fuzzy hub of tolerence. This is not to say the democrats (small "d") are intolerent.
I am saying that the DNC as an organization, and their operatives, active in America today are more guilty of supressing other view points than anyone I know.
This whole "Fairness Doctrine" should chill you.
The actions of the Obama campaign in Mississippi should chill you.
I have said things in this blog that commenters and emailers have disagreed with...that's fine.
But I have also had this blog locked up for over 48 hours by people who simply wanted to violate my right to express my opinion.
Most Republicans I know......small and capital "R" share my attitude. If Huffpo talks nonsense or is offensive, I note it and move on. If it is really offensive or nonsensical, I ignore it. They have the absolute right to spout nonsense in expressing their opinion, that right is inviolate. I would support that right with everything I have. While of course explaining why they are wrong or stupid or disgusting, lol.
I have seen the Democrats try to prevent speech they do not like.
Prevent? Prevent the free exchange of ideas? Prevent Americans from expressing their opinions? Heaven help us.
And my favorite irony about this is that the very people who will talk about the Fairness Doctrine, are the same people who will get choked up about enemy combatants in GITMO being forced to listen to Britney Spears.
Marmaduke Stephenson and William Robinson paid with their lives for not conforming. Don't take your freedoms for granted, be vigilant.
To Counter Problems of Food Aid, Try Spuds
From Sunday's NYT -
To Counter Problems of Food Aid, Try Spuds
When you plant a potato it gives you food security,” Dr. Anderson said. “It strengthens the local economy, instead of just sending in food.”
You know what I say, doncha? "Up the Irish!"
To Counter Problems of Food Aid, Try Spuds
When you plant a potato it gives you food security,” Dr. Anderson said. “It strengthens the local economy, instead of just sending in food.”
You know what I say, doncha? "Up the Irish!"
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Joel Dykstra For US Senate - South Dakota
Joel Dykstra is running as a Republican for a Senate seat in South Dakota and that alone would garner him my support barring something bad. You see, I believe that to have good government, you need a mix of opinions. You need balance in places like the Senate. No 
supermajorities. So, in the current political climate, having more Republicans in the Senate is good on it's face.
supermajorities. So, in the current political climate, having more Republicans in the Senate is good on it's face.However, there is a better reason to back Mr. Dykstra's candidacy. He has experience with one of the great issues facing our country today. Energy.
Joel spent his early career in the oil and gas industry, gaining important insight into global energy. He spent 10 years as a Petroleum Landman for the U.S. subsidiaries of British oil companies based in Tulsa, OK. He accepted a promotion to the head office of LASMO, plc, in London, England, where he served as the International Business Coordinator for five years. He was then appointed CEO of LASMO’s Italian subsidiary in Rome, Italy – a position he held for four years before returning to his home state of South Dakota. Through his domestic and international business experience, he brings innovative ideas to the ongoing national debate on alternative fuel sources. (from his campaign bio found here.)
Energy is an issue that is interwoven with our most basic issue - national security. There are people who look at the price at the pump and think "Gee, I'll have to cut back somewhere....maybe eating out. Maybe pass up those new shoes I saw at the store." and there are others who see that and think, "Someone in another country, who does not have America's interest at heart is controlling that price." Some people get that the energy we consume can be a weapon against us because of how we obtain it and how we finance it. Energy is an important issue with no *one* solution. It needs to be a multilateral approach; conservation, alternative energy development, nuclear, and ...........exploration and development of our resources.
To get the best possible result on that last part, you need people with experience. You need someone who understands the difference between what we produce and what we *can* produce. We need more people in decision making positions who possess the background to make the right decisions in these matters.
I remember reading once about a Congressman from Florida who was against natural gas exploration off the coast of Florida for fear of a "spill". I thought - "What? What did he just say?" But you know, even though I recognized the problem with that bit of ignorance, there is a whole lot I don't know.
Joel Dykstra would be a great choice for one of those Senate committees where such proposals would be discussed. When people who come to testify before his committee, Joel would not have to wait for an aide to Google the answer and slip him a piece of paper. He would understand what was being said. That would make his questions more intelligent, which would help his fellow Senators.
Joel's thoughts on America's future energy policy can be found here.
Joel is also in a position to be a good advocate for South Dakota. Again in this regard, he brings something unique to the table. He was raised in South Dakota, but lived in other places. That's good for your perspective. His loyalty to his home state was evidenced by his move back home with his family. Not a carpetbagger - not sheltered, he's balanced.
He and I are sympatico on borders and GWOT - it's always good to be in line with Princess Crabby, lol.
His campaign website is here.
A recent campaign ad is here.
Rep. Frank Proposed 25% Reduction in Military Spending
Frank envisions post-election stimulus from Democrats
By Steve Urbon
Standard-Times senior correspondent
October 24, 2008 6:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — After the November election, Democrats will push for a second economic stimulus package that includes money for the states' stalled infrastructure projects, along with help paying for healthcare expenses, food stamps and extended unemployment benefits, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said Thursday.
In a meeting with the editorial board of The Standard-Times, Rep. Frank, D-Mass., also called for a 25 percent cut in military spending, saying the Pentagon has to start choosing from its many weapons programs, and that upper-income taxpayers are going to see an increase in what they are asked to pay.
*************************
Does anyone else appreciate the irony? Why is always the people who would fare worst under sharia law that are putting us at risk for it?
By Steve Urbon
Standard-Times senior correspondent
October 24, 2008 6:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — After the November election, Democrats will push for a second economic stimulus package that includes money for the states' stalled infrastructure projects, along with help paying for healthcare expenses, food stamps and extended unemployment benefits, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank said Thursday.
In a meeting with the editorial board of The Standard-Times, Rep. Frank, D-Mass., also called for a 25 percent cut in military spending, saying the Pentagon has to start choosing from its many weapons programs, and that upper-income taxpayers are going to see an increase in what they are asked to pay.
*************************
Does anyone else appreciate the irony? Why is always the people who would fare worst under sharia law that are putting us at risk for it?
Levin Articulates My Fears, My Questions
Saturday, October 25, 2008
The Obama Temptation [Mark R. Levin]
I've been thinking this for a while so I might as well air it here. I honestly never thought we'd see such a thing in our country - not yet anyway - but I sense what's occurring in this election is a recklessness and abandonment of rationality that has preceded the voluntary surrender of liberty and security in other places. I can't help but observe that even some conservatives are caught in the moment as their attempts at explaining their support for Barack Obama are unpersuasive and even illogical. And the pull appears to be rather strong. Ken Adelman, Doug Kmiec, and others, reach for the usual platitudes in explaining themselves but are utterly incoherent. Even non-conservatives with significant public policy and real world experiences, such as Colin Powell and Charles Fried, find Obama alluring but can't explain themselves in an intelligent way.
There is a cult-like atmosphere around Barack Obama, which his campaign has carefully and successfully fabricated, which concerns me. The messiah complex. Fainting audience members at rallies. Special Obama flags and an Obama presidential seal. A graphic with the portrayal of the globe and Obama's name on it, which adorns everything from Obama's plane to his street literature. Young school children singing songs praising Obama. Teenagers wearing camouflage outfits and marching in military order chanting Obama's name and the professions he is going to open to them. An Obama world tour, culminating in a speech in Berlin where Obama proclaims we are all citizens of the world. I dare say, this is ominous stuff.
Even the media are drawn to the allure that is Obama. Yes, the media are liberal. Even so, it is obvious that this election is different. The media are open and brazen in their attempts to influence the outcome of this election. I've never seen anything like it. Virtually all evidence of Obama's past influences and radicalism — from Jeremiah Wright to William Ayers — have been raised by non-traditional news sources. The media's role has been to ignore it as long as possible, then mention it if they must, and finally dismiss it and those who raise it in the first place. It's as if the media use the Obama campaign's talking points — its preposterous assertions that Obama didn't hear Wright from the pulpit railing about black liberation, whites, Jews, etc., that Obama had no idea Ayers was a domestic terrorist despite their close political, social, and working relationship, etc. — to protect Obama from legitimate and routine scrutiny. And because journalists have also become commentators, it is hard to miss their almost uniform admiration for Obama and excitement about an Obama presidency. So in the tank are the media for Obama that for months we've read news stories and opinion pieces insisting that if Obama is not elected president it will be due to white racism. And, of course, while experience is crucial in assessing Sarah Palin's qualifications for vice president, no such standard is applied to Obama's qualifications for president. (No longer is it acceptable to minimize the work of a community organizer.) Charles Gibson and Katie Couric sought to humiliate Palin. They would never and have never tried such an approach with Obama.
But beyond the elites and the media, my greatest concern is whether this election will show a majority of the voters susceptible to the appeal of a charismatic demagogue. This may seem a harsh term to some, and no doubt will to Obama supporters, but it is a perfectly appropriate characterization. Obama's entire campaign is built on class warfare and human envy. The "change" he peddles is not new. We've seen it before. It is change that diminishes individual liberty for the soft authoritarianism of socialism. It is a populist appeal that disguises government mandated wealth redistribution as tax cuts for the middle class, falsely blames capitalism for the social policies and government corruption (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) that led to the current turmoil in our financial markets, fuels contempt for commerce and trade by stigmatizing those who run successful small and large businesses, and exploits human imperfection as a justification for a massive expansion of centralized government. Obama's appeal to the middle class is an appeal to the "the proletariat," as an infamous philosopher once described it, about which a mythology has been created. Rather than pursue the American Dream, he insists that the American Dream has arbitrary limits, limits Obama would set for the rest of us — today it's $250,000 for businesses and even less for individuals. If the individual dares to succeed beyond the limits set by Obama, he is punished for he's now officially "rich." The value of his physical and intellectual labor must be confiscated in greater amounts for the good of the proletariat (the middle class). And so it is that the middle class, the birth-child of capitalism, is both celebrated and enslaved — for its own good and the greater good. The "hope" Obama represents, therefore, is not hope at all. It is the misery of his utopianism imposed on the individual.
Unlike past Democrat presidential candidates, Obama is a hardened ideologue. He's not interested in playing around the edges. He seeks "fundamental change," i.e., to remake society. And if the Democrats control Congress with super-majorities led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, he will get much of what he demands.
The question is whether enough Americans understand what's at stake in this election and, if they do, whether they care. Is the allure of a charismatic demagogue so strong that the usually sober American people are willing to risk an Obama presidency? After all, it ensnared Adelman, Kmiec, Powell, Fried, and numerous others. And while America will certainly survive, it will do so, in many respects, as a different place.
******************************
I have highlighted certain passages in red.
The Obama Temptation [Mark R. Levin]
I've been thinking this for a while so I might as well air it here. I honestly never thought we'd see such a thing in our country - not yet anyway - but I sense what's occurring in this election is a recklessness and abandonment of rationality that has preceded the voluntary surrender of liberty and security in other places. I can't help but observe that even some conservatives are caught in the moment as their attempts at explaining their support for Barack Obama are unpersuasive and even illogical. And the pull appears to be rather strong. Ken Adelman, Doug Kmiec, and others, reach for the usual platitudes in explaining themselves but are utterly incoherent. Even non-conservatives with significant public policy and real world experiences, such as Colin Powell and Charles Fried, find Obama alluring but can't explain themselves in an intelligent way.
There is a cult-like atmosphere around Barack Obama, which his campaign has carefully and successfully fabricated, which concerns me. The messiah complex. Fainting audience members at rallies. Special Obama flags and an Obama presidential seal. A graphic with the portrayal of the globe and Obama's name on it, which adorns everything from Obama's plane to his street literature. Young school children singing songs praising Obama. Teenagers wearing camouflage outfits and marching in military order chanting Obama's name and the professions he is going to open to them. An Obama world tour, culminating in a speech in Berlin where Obama proclaims we are all citizens of the world. I dare say, this is ominous stuff.
Even the media are drawn to the allure that is Obama. Yes, the media are liberal. Even so, it is obvious that this election is different. The media are open and brazen in their attempts to influence the outcome of this election. I've never seen anything like it. Virtually all evidence of Obama's past influences and radicalism — from Jeremiah Wright to William Ayers — have been raised by non-traditional news sources. The media's role has been to ignore it as long as possible, then mention it if they must, and finally dismiss it and those who raise it in the first place. It's as if the media use the Obama campaign's talking points — its preposterous assertions that Obama didn't hear Wright from the pulpit railing about black liberation, whites, Jews, etc., that Obama had no idea Ayers was a domestic terrorist despite their close political, social, and working relationship, etc. — to protect Obama from legitimate and routine scrutiny. And because journalists have also become commentators, it is hard to miss their almost uniform admiration for Obama and excitement about an Obama presidency. So in the tank are the media for Obama that for months we've read news stories and opinion pieces insisting that if Obama is not elected president it will be due to white racism. And, of course, while experience is crucial in assessing Sarah Palin's qualifications for vice president, no such standard is applied to Obama's qualifications for president. (No longer is it acceptable to minimize the work of a community organizer.) Charles Gibson and Katie Couric sought to humiliate Palin. They would never and have never tried such an approach with Obama.
But beyond the elites and the media, my greatest concern is whether this election will show a majority of the voters susceptible to the appeal of a charismatic demagogue. This may seem a harsh term to some, and no doubt will to Obama supporters, but it is a perfectly appropriate characterization. Obama's entire campaign is built on class warfare and human envy. The "change" he peddles is not new. We've seen it before. It is change that diminishes individual liberty for the soft authoritarianism of socialism. It is a populist appeal that disguises government mandated wealth redistribution as tax cuts for the middle class, falsely blames capitalism for the social policies and government corruption (Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) that led to the current turmoil in our financial markets, fuels contempt for commerce and trade by stigmatizing those who run successful small and large businesses, and exploits human imperfection as a justification for a massive expansion of centralized government. Obama's appeal to the middle class is an appeal to the "the proletariat," as an infamous philosopher once described it, about which a mythology has been created. Rather than pursue the American Dream, he insists that the American Dream has arbitrary limits, limits Obama would set for the rest of us — today it's $250,000 for businesses and even less for individuals. If the individual dares to succeed beyond the limits set by Obama, he is punished for he's now officially "rich." The value of his physical and intellectual labor must be confiscated in greater amounts for the good of the proletariat (the middle class). And so it is that the middle class, the birth-child of capitalism, is both celebrated and enslaved — for its own good and the greater good. The "hope" Obama represents, therefore, is not hope at all. It is the misery of his utopianism imposed on the individual.
Unlike past Democrat presidential candidates, Obama is a hardened ideologue. He's not interested in playing around the edges. He seeks "fundamental change," i.e., to remake society. And if the Democrats control Congress with super-majorities led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, he will get much of what he demands.
The question is whether enough Americans understand what's at stake in this election and, if they do, whether they care. Is the allure of a charismatic demagogue so strong that the usually sober American people are willing to risk an Obama presidency? After all, it ensnared Adelman, Kmiec, Powell, Fried, and numerous others. And while America will certainly survive, it will do so, in many respects, as a different place.
******************************
I have highlighted certain passages in red.
Who Is Vera Baker?
I caught this video a few days ago.
I figured it was a "gotcha" because of McCain's infidelity during his first marriage. The answer he gives is the answer I'd give - he refuses to comment. Then tasteless Katie Couric gives that sunny grin and uses a gossipy tone and presses, so McCain follows with "Judge not". He and I are in the same spot here. we're not hypocrites. We made these mistakes and we are not going to rail against others who do the same.
But I remember wondering about how stuck Obama seems on it. I considered that he was simply trying to not come off as "high and mighty" about it. Sometimes you can turn people off by seeming too perfect (LOL! You know I think that's "The One"'s biggest problem - not!)
Now it seems there might have been another reason for the Obamassiah to stutter.
I figured it was a "gotcha" because of McCain's infidelity during his first marriage. The answer he gives is the answer I'd give - he refuses to comment. Then tasteless Katie Couric gives that sunny grin and uses a gossipy tone and presses, so McCain follows with "Judge not". He and I are in the same spot here. we're not hypocrites. We made these mistakes and we are not going to rail against others who do the same.
But I remember wondering about how stuck Obama seems on it. I considered that he was simply trying to not come off as "high and mighty" about it. Sometimes you can turn people off by seeming too perfect (LOL! You know I think that's "The One"'s biggest problem - not!)
Now it seems there might have been another reason for the Obamassiah to stutter.
Thank You, Trazodone!
Here's a tough choice................
Do I want to sleep?
or do I want to avoid..........
Psychomotor retardation
Psychomotor retardation comprises a slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movements in a person.
Some examples of "psychomotor retardation" may include the following:
Unaccountable difficulty with carrying out what are usually considered "automatic" or "mundane" tasks for healthy people (i.e., without depressive illness), such as taking a shower, putting on clothes, self-grooming, preparing food, brushing teeth
Real physical difficulty performing activities that normally would require little thought or effort, such as walking up a flight of stairs, simply getting out of bed, clearing dishes from the table, straightening a room, vacuuming, taking out or throwing out trash, doing laundry
Tasks requiring mobility suddenly or gradually inexplicably seem to be "impossible," such as shopping, getting groceries, taking one's children to school or other activities, helping one's children with homework, feeding or dressing one's children, going to one's employment. The person experiencing these symptoms knows that something is "wrong," and can become alarmed, or confused over their inability to perform these tasks, and even fearful about discussing them with anyone, feeling as if they are "going crazy"
Tasks usually requiring little mental effort become difficult and confusing, such as balancing one's checkbook, making a shopping list, decision-making over mundane tasks, (such as deciding what errands need to be done); memory can be affected, such as forgetting appointments, not remembering where one put something, etc. What makes these symptoms DIFFERENT from the normal glitches everyone experiences is that they become severe enough to interfere with normal functioning - such as maintaining relationships, keeping one's job, etc.
This is supposedly one of the "temporary" side effects of trazodone. It damn well better be, lol!
I was telling someone a story Thursday night and couldn't keep the Red Sox and the Yankees straight.
I was in a negotiation for the new copier/printer/scanner on Friday and suddenly none of the words on the paper I was reading made sense. I fought back the panic, but it was close.
In Mass this morning I had to listen as I recited the Profession of Faith for fear of losing my place.
I thought it was the steroids eating my brain, but maybe not. No, the Dex is just responsible for the changes in my vision (Increased intraocular pressure) that is causing me to remove my glasses for close vision. Or maybe it is the steroids.......maybe it's the whole cocktail. But I am sure I was told all of these things were reversible.
I am normally what would be described as "quick-witted" by those who like me.......otherwise known as a "smartass". No one is using either of those words now.
What's the point of beating cancer if I end up an Obama zombie?
Do I want to sleep?
or do I want to avoid..........
Psychomotor retardation
Psychomotor retardation comprises a slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movements in a person.
Some examples of "psychomotor retardation" may include the following:
Unaccountable difficulty with carrying out what are usually considered "automatic" or "mundane" tasks for healthy people (i.e., without depressive illness), such as taking a shower, putting on clothes, self-grooming, preparing food, brushing teeth
Real physical difficulty performing activities that normally would require little thought or effort, such as walking up a flight of stairs, simply getting out of bed, clearing dishes from the table, straightening a room, vacuuming, taking out or throwing out trash, doing laundry
Tasks requiring mobility suddenly or gradually inexplicably seem to be "impossible," such as shopping, getting groceries, taking one's children to school or other activities, helping one's children with homework, feeding or dressing one's children, going to one's employment. The person experiencing these symptoms knows that something is "wrong," and can become alarmed, or confused over their inability to perform these tasks, and even fearful about discussing them with anyone, feeling as if they are "going crazy"
Tasks usually requiring little mental effort become difficult and confusing, such as balancing one's checkbook, making a shopping list, decision-making over mundane tasks, (such as deciding what errands need to be done); memory can be affected, such as forgetting appointments, not remembering where one put something, etc. What makes these symptoms DIFFERENT from the normal glitches everyone experiences is that they become severe enough to interfere with normal functioning - such as maintaining relationships, keeping one's job, etc.
This is supposedly one of the "temporary" side effects of trazodone. It damn well better be, lol!
I was telling someone a story Thursday night and couldn't keep the Red Sox and the Yankees straight.
I was in a negotiation for the new copier/printer/scanner on Friday and suddenly none of the words on the paper I was reading made sense. I fought back the panic, but it was close.
In Mass this morning I had to listen as I recited the Profession of Faith for fear of losing my place.
I thought it was the steroids eating my brain, but maybe not. No, the Dex is just responsible for the changes in my vision (Increased intraocular pressure) that is causing me to remove my glasses for close vision. Or maybe it is the steroids.......maybe it's the whole cocktail. But I am sure I was told all of these things were reversible.
I am normally what would be described as "quick-witted" by those who like me.......otherwise known as a "smartass". No one is using either of those words now.
What's the point of beating cancer if I end up an Obama zombie?
October 26, 1967
Forty one years ago this evening, John McCain became a guest of the North Vietnamese.
Just for the record Senator Biden, I believe this would be one of those "tests" you alluded to. A "test" that Senator McCain has endured......and passed. You can predict what you like about how Senator Obama will fare.....but we already know what Senator McCain has in his spine.
Staying Alive!
Another Use For 'Stayin' Alive': Staying Alive
Weekend Edition Saturday, October 25, 2008 · Researchers have found that the beat of the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive" is perfect for performing CPR.
Listen here.
Weekend Edition Saturday, October 25, 2008 · Researchers have found that the beat of the Bee Gee's "Stayin' Alive" is perfect for performing CPR.
Listen here.
Something I Liked
Leyte Operation, October 1944 - The Australian heavy cruisers Shropshire (left) and Australia (right), with a U.S. heavy cruiser, photographed through a ring gun sight on board USS Phoenix (CL-46), off Leyte on 21 October 1944.Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives #80-G-291377.
This pic is something I came across when I wanted something to use in a comment on the Armorer's post on St. Crispin's Day.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
St. Crispin's Day
October 25th is the feast day of St. Crispin. It has become famous for three battles fought on anniversary of the feast day.
There are battles and then there are Navy battles, lol. So Princess Crabby will of course begin with -
The Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944, which is part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was actually a series of battles in the Pacific during WWII fought over several days.
"This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."....LCDR Robert Copeland of the USS Samuel B. Roberts.
See CDR Salamander's FBF, last year's Op-For and Chaotic Synaptic Activity
Next up......The Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Everyone has a favorite.....mine is Kenneth Brannagh's version of Henry V.
Finally this day is also the anniversary of the Charge of The Light Brigade. Gotta admit, I'm not so strong on the Crimean War. I'd flunk this quiz.
Go check out the Armorer's post.
There are battles and then there are Navy battles, lol. So Princess Crabby will of course begin with -
The Battle off Samar, 25 October 1944, which is part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Battle of Leyte Gulf was actually a series of battles in the Pacific during WWII fought over several days.
"This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can."....LCDR Robert Copeland of the USS Samuel B. Roberts.
See CDR Salamander's FBF, last year's Op-For and Chaotic Synaptic Activity
Next up......The Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Everyone has a favorite.....mine is Kenneth Brannagh's version of Henry V.
Finally this day is also the anniversary of the Charge of The Light Brigade. Gotta admit, I'm not so strong on the Crimean War. I'd flunk this quiz.
Go check out the Armorer's post.
DOJ vs. Bill Galvin
If you listen to talk radio in Boston, you know something about this story. It's crazy.
From the Boston Herald
Feds reach agreement with Mass. on overseas voting
Sec Galvin, you needed the Feds to make you do the right thing here?
Department of Justice statement
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Massachusetts Secretary of State for Noncompliance with Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Massachusetts Secretary of State William Francis Galvin, to remedy violations of the Uniformed Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). UOCAVA is designed to ensure that uniformed military members and overseas citizens can effectively participate in federal elections. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through its Secretary of State, is responsible for collecting and reporting the number of military voters and overseas citizens who are sent ballots, who return ballots, and who have the ballots successfully cast in each federal general election. Massachusetts has failed to fulfill this important legal obligation since UOCAVA was enacted in 2002.
"Accurate and complete information about whether our uniformed service members and overseas citizens are being given an effective opportunity to have their votes counted is essential to our democratic system of government," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "Without it, Congress and the public cannot determine whether states are fulfilling their obligations to let uniformed service members and overseas citizens fully participate in our elections. We are pleased with Secretary of State Galvin’s cooperation and with Massachusetts’s recognition of the importance of these reporting requirements."
The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) report is published every two years and provides data for every state and jurisdiction in the country about how many absentee ballots were transmitted to UOCAVA voters, how many were returned, and how many were cast in federal general elections.
The settlement agreement requires the Secretary of State to implement procedures to facilitate the collection and reporting of data regarding absentee ballots transmitted, returned and cast by overseas citizens, including members of the armed forces casting absentee ballots.
UOCAVA specifically mandates that States and local governments report to the EAC the combined number of absentee ballots that are transmitted to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters for the election and the combined number of such ballots which were returned by such voters and cast in the election. The State (or Commonwealth) must do so no later than 90 days after the date of each regularly scheduled general election for federal office. The States must also make such a report available to the general public. The Justice Department has the authority to bring an action to enforce compliance by the States.
The Civil Rights Division enforces UOCAVA and the Voting Rights Act. To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including those related to UOCAVA, voters may call the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931. More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws is available on the Department of Justice Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/index.htm.
Links -
Market Watch story
Michael Graham's first post - "ACORN Yes! American Soldiers, No!"
Michael Graham's second post - "Bill Galvin Gets An Early Start On The Fairness Doctrine"
From the Boston Herald
Feds reach agreement with Mass. on overseas voting
Sec Galvin, you needed the Feds to make you do the right thing here?
Department of Justice statement
Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Massachusetts Secretary of State for Noncompliance with Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with Massachusetts Secretary of State William Francis Galvin, to remedy violations of the Uniformed Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). UOCAVA is designed to ensure that uniformed military members and overseas citizens can effectively participate in federal elections. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through its Secretary of State, is responsible for collecting and reporting the number of military voters and overseas citizens who are sent ballots, who return ballots, and who have the ballots successfully cast in each federal general election. Massachusetts has failed to fulfill this important legal obligation since UOCAVA was enacted in 2002.
"Accurate and complete information about whether our uniformed service members and overseas citizens are being given an effective opportunity to have their votes counted is essential to our democratic system of government," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "Without it, Congress and the public cannot determine whether states are fulfilling their obligations to let uniformed service members and overseas citizens fully participate in our elections. We are pleased with Secretary of State Galvin’s cooperation and with Massachusetts’s recognition of the importance of these reporting requirements."
The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) report is published every two years and provides data for every state and jurisdiction in the country about how many absentee ballots were transmitted to UOCAVA voters, how many were returned, and how many were cast in federal general elections.
The settlement agreement requires the Secretary of State to implement procedures to facilitate the collection and reporting of data regarding absentee ballots transmitted, returned and cast by overseas citizens, including members of the armed forces casting absentee ballots.
UOCAVA specifically mandates that States and local governments report to the EAC the combined number of absentee ballots that are transmitted to absent uniformed services voters and overseas voters for the election and the combined number of such ballots which were returned by such voters and cast in the election. The State (or Commonwealth) must do so no later than 90 days after the date of each regularly scheduled general election for federal office. The States must also make such a report available to the general public. The Justice Department has the authority to bring an action to enforce compliance by the States.
The Civil Rights Division enforces UOCAVA and the Voting Rights Act. To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including those related to UOCAVA, voters may call the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931. More information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws is available on the Department of Justice Web site at http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/index.htm.
Links -
Market Watch story
Michael Graham's first post - "ACORN Yes! American Soldiers, No!"
Michael Graham's second post - "Bill Galvin Gets An Early Start On The Fairness Doctrine"
The Fort Dix Dance
From Five Feet of Fury.
One of the greatest ironies of this election and it's connections, endorsements and associations....is Gen. Powell endorsing Obama.....a man who is connected to Bill Ayers.....Ayers....a man who would have killed Colin Powell without batting an eye. Powell appears to have no qualms about Ayers. Well buddy, you are a better person than me (ok, that's not hard) if you can dismiss the deeply troubling Ayers connection.
The bombing at Fort Dix didn't happen. But it wasn't for lack of trying.
Watch this. Be horrified at the scope of the carnage Ayers hoped to cause. But then step back and look at the big picture.
It's not Ayers in and of himself.
It's not just Ayers and Dohrn (don't forget that bloodsucking monster.).
It's not just Ayers, Dohrn, and Rev Wright.
It's not just Ayers, Dohrn, Wright and ACORN.
It's not just Ayers, Dohrn, Wright, Acorn and Rezco.......
OK, I could keep going here, but you get it, right?
It's the pattern.
Obama associates with people who would directly harm Americans.
Or would undermine our democracy.
Or are just plain criminals.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Kerry's Such An Asshat
Whenever John Kerry tries to be smart.....it doesn't go well. He tried to make Jeff Beatty out to be a carpertbagger and a Yankees fan. Jeff responds here.
Vote for Jeff Beatty on November 4, 2008.
Vote for Jeff Beatty on November 4, 2008.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
October 23, 1983
Twenty five years ago today - (links at the bottom)
241 American servicemen
58 French servicemen
6 civilians
Peacekeepers - Gone in an evil act for which, several Shia militant groups gleefully tried to claim responsibility, including the Free Islamic Revolutionary Movement.
In the attack on the American barracks 241 American servicemen were killed, 220 Marines, 18 Navy personnel and three Army soldiers. Sixty Americans were injured.
In the attack on the French barracks, 58 paratroopers were killed and 15 injured, in the single worst military loss for France since the end of the Algerian War.
In addition, the elderly Lebanese custodian of the Marines' building was killed in the first blast. The wife and four children of a Lebanese janitor at the French building were also killed.
The US government, after years of investigation has come to believe that Hezbollah, backed by Iran and Syria was responsible. Hezbollah, Iran and Syria have denied any involvement.
The man that a US grand jury secretly indicted, Imad Mughniyah, as the mastermind was never apprehended and was killed by a car bomb planted by unknown assailants in Syria on February 12, 2008. AMF!
We must never forget days such as this. It is a global war on terrorism, even if people want to soft soap it for you. Give it any name or none at all - it is what it is.
Go here and sign the petition for the Beirut Stamp Initiative. The bill currently languishes in committee. Incredibly, on that website you will read a quote from the United States Postal Service's Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee as a reason (among others) to deny this initiative.
"Beirut did not mean that much to American History and not enough people were killed."
I've never read anything so idiotic.
************
Some links
The Armorer at The Castle of Argghhh!!!
One Marine's View
Gazing at the Flag
A Soldier's Perspective
Marine Corps Community for Marine Veterans
The USMC have a video tribute at their site.
Wikipedia
241.SavetheSoldiers.com
Arlington National Cemetery
My post in 2006
My post in 2007
Navy Times has "25 Years After Beirut"
*************************
Never forget.
241 American servicemen
58 French servicemen
6 civilians
Peacekeepers - Gone in an evil act for which, several Shia militant groups gleefully tried to claim responsibility, including the Free Islamic Revolutionary Movement.
In the attack on the American barracks 241 American servicemen were killed, 220 Marines, 18 Navy personnel and three Army soldiers. Sixty Americans were injured.
In the attack on the French barracks, 58 paratroopers were killed and 15 injured, in the single worst military loss for France since the end of the Algerian War.
In addition, the elderly Lebanese custodian of the Marines' building was killed in the first blast. The wife and four children of a Lebanese janitor at the French building were also killed.
The US government, after years of investigation has come to believe that Hezbollah, backed by Iran and Syria was responsible. Hezbollah, Iran and Syria have denied any involvement.
The man that a US grand jury secretly indicted, Imad Mughniyah, as the mastermind was never apprehended and was killed by a car bomb planted by unknown assailants in Syria on February 12, 2008. AMF!
We must never forget days such as this. It is a global war on terrorism, even if people want to soft soap it for you. Give it any name or none at all - it is what it is.
Go here and sign the petition for the Beirut Stamp Initiative. The bill currently languishes in committee. Incredibly, on that website you will read a quote from the United States Postal Service's Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee as a reason (among others) to deny this initiative.
"Beirut did not mean that much to American History and not enough people were killed."
I've never read anything so idiotic.
************
Some links
The Armorer at The Castle of Argghhh!!!
One Marine's View
Gazing at the Flag
A Soldier's Perspective
Marine Corps Community for Marine Veterans
The USMC have a video tribute at their site.
Wikipedia
241.SavetheSoldiers.com
Arlington National Cemetery
My post in 2006
My post in 2007
Navy Times has "25 Years After Beirut"
*************************
Never forget.
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