Post #331 Personal Responsibility

Isn't it time that we, as a society, hold people responsible for their own actions or inactions? Let's judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.

A girl applied to the University of Texas at Austin and was rejected. Naturally, she's suing -- citing the tired ol' bogeyman of racism, saying that she was discriminated against because of her race. The United States Supreme Court will hear the case.

The University of Texas accepts the top %10 of each high school's graduating class. The plaintiff did not make it. Her application then went into a pool with the other 'losers' to be judged on what they did in high school -- the content of their character. You know, extra-circular activities: clubs, student government, sports, jobs, charity work. And she wrote an essay extolling her virtues to be a Longhorn. Again, she did not make it.

And now she's whining. She's going to court -- claiming that, because she is not a member of the 'privileged race,' she has been discriminated against. She wants government protection -- can you say "nanny-state socialism?" -- for her race.

Good Lord. Nobody from the 'privileged race' made her not work hard to improve her grades; nobody from the 'privileged race' made her not join clubs; nobody from the 'privileged race' made her write an unconvincing essay.

It's called personal responsibility, pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps, doing the best you can and accepting your shortcomings.

Hopefully, the Supreme Court will do the correct thing and laugh this case out of court.
It's time we stopped blaming racism for every slight..

Post #330 Happy Days Are Here... Again!, Pt. V

Happy Days Are Here... Again! Stocks rise, heading for best February in 14 years - http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/29/1893589/stocks-rise-heading-for-best-february.html

Oh, no, can't the Republicans do something to slow this? We need more stories about $5-a-gallon gas. :p

Happy Days Are Here... Again! Chrysler leads strong February auto sales http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=d407fa0a-5b74-45fe-a1eb-82352a12663d#scptit

Let's get on the OBAMATRAIN, the hippest trip in America!

Post #329 I Love Pat Buchanan; I Love Al Sharpton

Pat Buchanan reminds me of my father, slightly stooped over and always reminiscing about the good ol' days under Richard Nixon -- days which become more rosy with each passing day. Dad and Pat both resist change.

Al Sharpton reminds me of my recently-deceased great-uncle with his gravely voice and my deceased grandfather with his habit of making screwed-up comical faces -- like when Mitch McConnell says that we must protect job creators, Al will look like somebody really stunk it up!

They are both entertaining bigots. I would not expect a 'fair and balanced' opinion from either one, but I do not watch TV for 'fair and balanced' opinions -- that is what e-mail is for! ;O

The reason I am bringing them up now is that Pat was recently fired by MSNBC from his job as 'political analyst' because of his recent racist book; Al has his own show on MSNBC. A white commentator on a message board decried the unequal treatment of bigots -- the white bigot was fired; the black bigot kept his own show.

Another white who does not get it. [rolleyes] When Al walks the halls of the White House serving two Administrations -- like Pat who served Nixon and Ronald Reagan, then we can talk 'unequal.'

In case Billy Bubba Jim Bob does not get it, America is a WHITE society, most of the power and wealth are in white hands. Whites' wealth pulls far ahead of minorities - http://t.co/8PoFZfX The redistribution of wealth IS happening... in whites' favor. HAPPY TO BE WHITE! :p

I have the economic, political, social power in this society. If I use a racial slur, it is offensive -- I have the power to threaten a black's life, liberty and pursuit of happiness; a racial slur against me means nothing -- a black has no power to threaten my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

And that is why a white bigot gets fired; a black bigot keeps his job. Blacks do not have the power to enforce their prejudices in America.

Post #328 A Day That Will Live In Infamy, Pt. II

Amendment One to the North Carolina Constitution, to be voted on May 8, 2012, reads: "marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State." The first part -- marriage between one man and one woman -- is pro-marriage; the second part -- the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State -- is anti-gay. Do not be fooled by those who
claim 'pro-marriage' only without telling the whole tale of this discriminatory policy.

Are "all men created equal" -- that is, does everybody have equal standing before the law? The answer is -- or should be, yes. How does Amendment One secure the unalienable rights of all men? The answer is, it doesn't -- securing unalienable rights only for some. That should be reason enough for any conservative to oppose this.

"But why do people muddy the water and drag the Bible into this debate?"

Proponents of Amendment One realize they can't win a Constitutional argument without amending the Constitution. So, they hijack the Bible using selective quotes to support their own bigoted views. Faith or questions of religious faith -- as referenced by the Bible -- touches the lives of everybody. Even atheists have a faith in themselves.

"But the Bible is a book of myths, fables and legends."

That may be true. But the Bible is entertaining, a fascinating mystery story of good vs. evil. The kicker is that the ending is not resolved -- you read the whole book, turn the last page, and you still do not know which side won, good or evil. The ending is written in your heart.

The best way to counter the religious argument is to tackle it head-on. There is nothing in the Bible to support voting for this Amendment. Now, the Bible says "homosexuality is a sin," but it doesn't say what YOU should about that sin -- other than "do not lie with [another] man" (Leviticus 18:22).

In fact, the Bible opposes this Amendment. There are plenty of instructions in the Bible on how YOU should treat your fellow man: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31)., "Judge not lest you be judged" (Matthew 7:1)., "Let the one without sin among you cast the first stone" (John 8:7).

Aaahhh, the arrogance of man, trying to do the work of God -- His justice will be delivered by His way in His time.

Post #327 Obama Disrespects America... Again! *

That dirty stinkin' no-good Muslim from Kenya we have as President did not attend the Super Bowl. What is more American than a game in which overstuffed men beat the stuffing out of each other and the women prance on the sidelines wearing skimpy outfits!?! Yet Barack Obama spent the day in the White House, causing excessive wear and tear on one of our oldest monuments, the ungrateful son of a gun.

You know, the Secret Service flies Air Force One every day. What would have been wrong with flying the Prez to Indy and making him stay in a Holiday Inn?

* This is satire. If you do not "get it," it is probably aimed at YOU.

Post #326 The Reliability Of E-Mail?

I got another e-mail recently -- actually, it was the second tine I had gotten the same e-mail -- that showed some pictures of angry Muslims at a peace rally in London and including the text warning that they are coming and bringing their ways. Well, the pictures were actually from a protest in London that time there was a cartoon of Mohammad published in Europe -- not a peace rally, and I would expect anger at that type of protest.

What really caught my eye was a response from one of the members of the same mailing list addressed to the whole list. She said, to paraphrase, yea, they ARE coming and they ARE bringing their ways and traditions. I just had to respond:

First, I pointed out the real nature of the pictures and then went on --

"Well, who? Who are you so worried about that will bring their ways and traditions?

"Like the Swedes who would not give up Christmas trees?
"Like the Jews who have their own Sabbath and their own food?
"Like the Italians who brought us pizza?

"Who and what are they bringing that's got you so upset?"

I did not expect a reply, but I got one -- addressed to only me, by thr way.

I replied, "I appreciate your passion and Thank You for your reply." No need to be nasty. :)

She started by acknowledging the true nature of the pictures and then decrying the war on Christianity -- without offering examples of this war. I guess she just assumed everybody knew what she was talking about. I said, "The reason I am not excited about this is because there is no war on Christianity here, where I live, North Carolina." She's from Michigan. Who knows? Maybe there is a war on Christianity in Michigan.

Then she identified who is coming -- Muslims -- and what they are bringing -- Sharia law. She cited an example of 1000 Muslims in Minnesota marching and demanding Sharia law. I said, "We [in North Carolina] would not pay any attention to 1000 Muslims demanding Sharia law -- not sure why them exercising their Constitutional right to assembly upsets you so. If you think 1000 protesters can change laws -- especially after you organize 1000 anti-Sharia protesters, you really do not understand our government and the way laws are written."

I'm confused. What is Sharia law? How does it differ from what have now? And how will the Muslims get it enacted?

She closed with one local example of the Muslims being catered to: A local college in Michigan had installed a fountain to let Muslims wash their feet. "Don't you care about terrorism and 9/11?"

"Of course," I replied, "I am concerned about terrorism. But I fail to see any connection between 9/11 and foot washing. Did you know that there were two mosques inside the World Trade Center on 9/11?"

I ended with "I'd like to know more about what you see outside your window that indicates a culture war -- as opposed to crap you get in e-mail. :)"

I did not get another reply....

Post #325 The Donald Endorses An Anchor Baby

What in-the-name of Sarah Palin is going on!?! Mitt Romney's father is from Mexico. :p

New jobs -- is that one of the 'bad things' The Donald warned us about? Unemployment rate hits 8.3 pct. after hiring burst - http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/02/03/1827286/economy-likely-started-2012-with.html

Post #324 The Predatory Capitalist Strikes Back:

Romney credits change in tactics for Florida surge - http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/30/1817165/romney-not-taking-any-chances.candidate Mitt Romney.

"There's a reason we have low rates on capital gains and that's because it spurs new investment in our economy and allows capital to move more quickly," House Speaker John Boehner said. Well, maybe capital moving too quickly is what is wrong with this country.

Post #322 Fair!?!

Fair? Romney's tax returns show extent, complexity of wealth | http://ajc.com - http://shar.es/fWiux

Yes, look, Mitt Romney paid all his taxes and gave a lot to charity -- unlike, say, Donald Trump. My question is, will Romney now advocate everyone who can afford it to pay income tax at an equal rate?

We should all be treated equally under the law. How is taking from some -- the middle -- but not from others -- the rich -- to pay for something everyone receives equal? The only fair way to collect taxes is to make everyone who can afford it pay an equal rate.

Note that I am not including the poor because I am a decent human being with compassion for those less fortunate than I am. You?

The shame of America is not that we are letting 47% of Americans get away with not paying federal income tax; the shame of America is that we have 47% of Americans who cannot afford to pay federal income tax.

Post #322 The Strange And Bizarre World Of Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin has kind of, sort of endorsed Newt Gingrich.

Newt Gingrich -- the worst insult I can think of -- is a career politician who went to D.C. in 1979 and never left, even after resigning as the first Speaker having been found guilty of an ethic violation. He has used his political connections to enrich himself to the tune of some $32 million.

He will bend to benefit himself -- how much did he get for his consulting with the Right's #1 whipping boy of BIG government, Freddie Mac? Would not you like to know what that work entailed?

Gingrich's political skills are suspect -- he led the politically unpopular government shutdown and Impeachment while banging wife #3 but still married to wife #2 (who was the product of an affair, too). And he tries to hide behind Ronald Reagan's divorce, ignoring the fact that Reagan did not even meet wife #2 until after his divorce.

Gingrich is unmotivated -- how else do you explain his failure to qualify for the Virginia ballot? -- except to himself. Now, as the Virginia failure shows, he's more interested in running a book tour than a campaign -- as his campaign staff who resigned in June said. And then he compares the Virginia failure to Pearl Harbor. WHAT!?! He is NOT the United States of America, and the Virginia law has been in effect for some 40 years!

I would not vote this guy to be dogcatcher. Newt Gingrich IS part of the problem.

But Sarah Palin would -- which actually says A LOT about her. But Palin does not really endorse Gingrich: Her motive is to keep the process going -- which that kind of double-talk actually says even more about her.

Palin said, "Because we know the mistake made in this country four years ago was having a candidate that was not vetted to the degree he should have been."

No, ma'am. The only candidate who was not properly vetted four years ago was YOU. Only Tea Party fanatics believe that Obama was not properly vetted because he did not show his birth certificate from Kenya.

Only in the strange and bizarre world of Sarah Palin is she relevant -- and Paul Revere is a traitor who warned the British. :p I am only writing about her because it feels good to kick a bag when she is down. ;O

----- End Forwarded Message -----

Post #321 Happy Days Are Here Again!, Pt. IV

Two things I want you, gentle reader, to take from the previous Post:
1) The company Freightliner received incentives -- bribes -- from the county to maintain a 'skeleton crew' until the economy picked back up and they could re-hire., Isn't that a positive example of BIG government at work?
2) The company expanded -- new jobs to increase supply -- in response to the economy picking up -- demand. Yes, supply & demand. What is missing from that equation? Tax cuts -- tax cuts have nothing to do with job creation; tax cuts are how the right redistributes wealth. It's social engineering brought to you by your favorite (R).

Post #320 Happy Days Are Here Again!, Pt. III

NC Freightliner factory to add 1,100 jobs - http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/12/1772308/nc-freightliner-factory-to-add.html

Who is this job creator? Didn't he get the GOP memo about waiting until after the election?

Post #319 The Three Men Who Brought Down Wall Street (E-Mail Hoax)

I have an e-pal who consistently sends out-of-date political smears -- the funniest I've gotten was clearly aimed at President Bill Clinton over 10 years ago (complete with a reference to Obama and his wife Hillary).

And I got another one the other day -- The Three Men Who Brought Down Wall Street -- intended to smear President Barack Obama's re-election bid. The original went around in September of 2008 intended to smear Obama's election bid, and now it is popping up again to smear Obama's re-election bid.

The three men who brought down Wall Street -- really? These three men -- Franklin Raines, Tim Howard, Jim Johnson -- did indeed work for Fannie Mae and left office under a cloud for having done some hijinks and shady stuff and received 'golden parachutes' to go. Um, they were forced out in 2004, 2004 and 1998. The e-mail did not make clear how they were responsible for the meltdown in 2008.

Um, 2004 -- was not George W. Bush President then?

The kicker was that these three men were identified as being economic advisors to the Obama campaign, but that is not true. Raines did receive a phone call from the campaign, and Johnson was appointed to the Vice-Presidential search committee but resigned one week later before doing any work. And now these three are again being identified as Obama's financial advisors. * sigh *

An UPDATE: Raines is paying the biggest fine in history levied by Obama's Department Of Justice in 2010.

Post #318 And The Winner Is...

... Mitt Romney.

No, I do not have some kind of crystal ball here to know what is going to happen in Iowa. but the winner should be Romney -- if the Republicans want to have a chance to win the White House.

To win the Presidential election of 2012, Republicans must oppress the 'Obama vote' of 2008 -- not by legal maneuvers, as they are already doing. * sigh * But by offering a reasonable alternative to Obama. 'Birthers' need not apply -- 'birthers' stir up the 'Obama vote' and scare away moderates. That leaves Romney.

Now, the other half of the equation is, to win the Presidential election of 2012, Republicans must increase the 'McCain vote' of 2008. The real question of 2012 is, can Republicans rally around Romney or will the 'birthers' lead to another defeat?

All politics is local, and all political questions are personal -- so:

I have diabetes. As you may or may not know, diabetes is an expensive disease to have and is -- Thank Goodness -- covered by Medicare. A couple of years ago, I developed a heart rhythm problem and was prescribed some drugs under George W. Bush's infamous Plan D complete with a 'doughnut hole.'

Obamacare closed the 'doughnut hole' -- thusly, saving my life.

So, yes, I am asking what my country can do for me -- how can my country secure my unalienable right to Life? Of the Republican Presidential candidates still standing, I most trust Romney to keep the 'doughnut hole' closed. I will be looking for him to address that issue in the next 10 months.

Post #317 Happy Days Are Here Again!, Pt. II

No, obviously, President Barack Obama does not deserve credit for every bit of good news -- I was just sticking it to those who do not give Obama any credit. The truth is somewhere in between.

Two things I want you, gentle reader, to take from the previous Post:
1) Grand Ol' Pissers :p -- an appropriate name, I thought, for the 'Just Say No' crowd, todays GOP;
2) The 'loyal opposition' needs to offer a better view of the future and how to achieve that future. 'Restore America To A 19th-Century Country' does not cut it -- we live in the 21st-century. [rolleves]

Post #316 Happy Days Are Here Again!

Santa Clause has been good to the Obamas, and President Barack and First Lady Michelle are dancin' a jig in the East Room.

Osama Bin Laden is dead.

The guy who was to replace Bin Laden is dead.

Muammar el Qaddafi is dead.

Kim Jong-II is dead, and the New York Times dutifully reported that the CIA "missed" Kim's illness.

Iran's top nuclear scientist is dead, and another has been wounded in a assassination attempt, and the Iranians blame Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

And we are finally letting the Iraqis fight it out themselves.

Hosni Mubarak is out-of-power.

Bashar Assad is nervous, and Ahmadinejad can't sleep.

On the home front, consumer confidence -- whatever that is -- is up, and consumer spending is at a higher level now than when George W. Bush tanked the economy. The stock market is healthy again. Unemployment is down. The trade deficit is down. And America is on the verge of becoming an oil-exporter nation again -- for the first time in nearly a decade, we will export more oil than we import.

The point is, despite the efforts of the GOP -- the Grand Ol' Pissers, the economy is coming back, and the GOP will pay a political price in 2012 -- in 2012, the voters will say no to the 'Just Say No' crowd. They never should have bet against America.

Of course, anything could happen -- Martians could attack. But things look good for those in the White House now. l'd hate to be betting my political future on the fear that something could happen. Can't the 'loyal opposition' offer a better view of the future?

Post #315 How Washington Works... Or Does NOT Work!

lnteresting crap here: Boehner says House opposes Senate payroll tax bill: http://on.msnbc.com/uMnK9Q

* * *

Three contractors are bidding to fix a broken fence at the White House.

One is from Chicago, the second is from Tennessee and the third is from Minnesota. All three go with a White House official to examine the fence.

The Minnesota contractor takes out a tape measure and does some measuring, then works some figures with a pencil. "Well," he says, "I figure the job will run about $900: $400 for materials, $400 for my crew and $100 profit for me."

The Tennessee contractor also does some measuring and figuring, then says, "I can do this job for $700: $300 for materials, $300 for my crew and $100 profit for me."

The Chicago contractor doesn't measure or figure, but leans over to the White House official and whispers, "$2,700." The official, incredulous, says, "You didn't even measure like the other guys! How did you come up with such a high figure?" The Chicago contractor whispers back, "$1000 for me, $1000 for you, and we hire the guy from Tennessee to fix the fence." "Done!" replies the government official.

And then the Republicans give a tax cut to the guy from Chicago because he is a job creator!

And that my friends, is how Washington works!!!

Post #314 War Is Over!, Pt. II

Good afternoon,

After nearly nine years, our war in Iraq is ending.

In recent days, many of our troops have come home and been reunited with
their families for the holidays. Over the next few days, a small group of
American soldiers will begin the final march out of Iraq.

This moment of success is because of their sacrifice. More than 1.5
million Americans have served in Iraq. More than 30,000 of these brave
men and women were wounded. Nearly 4,500 gave their lives.
America's military families have borne a heavy burden.

As we mark the end of this war, we need to show our veterans and their
families that they have the thanks of a grateful nation.

Take a minute to look back at the moments that brought us to this point,
then share a personal message of gratitude with those who have served.

Send your message of thanks

Part of ending a war responsibly is standing by those who have fought it.
It's not enough to honor our heroes with words; we must do so with deeds.

That's why we've worked to send 600,000 veterans and family members back
to school on the Post-9/11 GI Bill. That's why one of Michelle's top
priorities as First Lady has been to support military families and why
she's worked with the private sector to get commitments to create 100,000
jobs for those who've served and their spouses. That's why we worked with
Congress to pass a tax credit so that companies have an incentive to hire
vets and have taken steps to help veterans translate military experience
to the private sector job market.

In America, our commitment to those who fight for our freedom and our
ideals doesn't end when our troops take off the uniform.

You can be a part of this effort to honor our heroes.

Help mark this moment. Write a quick note that troops and veterans all
over the world will be able to see:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/iraq

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Post #313 Who Is The Real Joke, Donald?

Look in the mirror, pal. Trump: Huntsman and Paul are 'joke candidates': http://on.today.com/rLvMcdP

The real 'joke:' Trump: The Least Charitable Billionaire | The Smoking Gun http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/celebrity/trump-least-charitable-billionaire-109247

You, Mr. Trump, are part of the problem!

Post #312 Thrilled To Have Heard From John McCain

But disappointed to have received a form letter that did not address my concerns or questions. As you know -- my Post #281, I e-mailed Senator John McCain with my concern over what I see as a waste of taxpayer money -- his Social Security payment.

I received a reply... almost 5 months later. I do not know yet if I'll bother to reply, but, if I do, it will be something like this:

* * *

Senator John McCain,

Thanks for the reply -- tho I am pretty sure some flunkie wrote that advertising brochure for you. A decent human being -- giving you the benefit-of-the-doubt -- would have offered condolences for my Grandma's death. But that was some flunkie, right?

I would have expected you -- assuming you really wrote that -- to address my question as to why you made over 4 times from Social Security than my Grandma. I'm guessing that you would have said something like: "I paid into the Social Security system; therefore, I am entitled to all the benefits under the rules."

Is that right, Mr. McCain? I'd love to hear a different explanation from you.

Well, I say that sense of entitlement is what is ruining this country -- first and foremost, the sense of entitlement by people like you who have 'won' in life sticking their snout in the trough of big government. You could support 4 Grandmas with your Social Security snort. Why not give it back? It's called leadership -- setting an example for others who have 'won.'

Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.

So, I laid out my contention that you ought to return your Social Security payments under the theory that you'd be providing leadership by setting an example for others who have 'won' in life to my Dad -- a Reagan Democrat who is a good no-nonsense sounding board for my political ideas. My Dad said "it'd be nice if McCain returned his Social Security payments, buy the rules are that he gets what he gets."

And then it dawned on me: You, Senator McCain, are in a position to change the rules. The problem with this country is too many deadbeats looking for a handout -- and it starts at the top. Make those deadbeats who have already 'won' get their snout out of the trough of big government.

What do you say?

P.S.: My Mom -- bless 'er heart! -- gasped "John McCain, war hero?" -- meaning, of course, 'how dare I ask a war hero for sacrifice?' I answered, "Who better than a patriot would understand the need for sacrifice from EVERYBODY?"