Saturday, December 27, 2008

I'm From the Government and I'm Here to Help... Part III

It seems like every time there is an economic downturn, some people start clamoring for government support of the economy. Unfortunately, from a logical, historic perspective, more government interference does nothing to actually rebuild the economy.

See this video to learn more about the theory of "More Government Assistance will Help the Economy."



The reason this is important is because Obama is about to take office. The US economy is at it's weakest level in years. We have already had a spate of "bailouts" for private firms, with talk of more to come. Unfortunately, these government interventions do not truly fix the problem. Without some time to 'reset,' the economy will continue to falter and flail.

We need more common sense and less use of tax payer money to try and make politicians look good.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

CNN Disses Global Warming?

Well, finally the news media is turning against the myth of anthropogenic global warming. Check out this video.



One statement that rings true, based on all of my research, is the quote, " It is the sun that does it [global climate change], not man." Truer words were never spoken.

The First Amendment Means You Can Be Annoying

Well, the folks in Brighton, MI don't think so. Apparently, freedom of speech is only for acceptable speech. Huh?? The whole reason we have a First Amendment to the Constitution is to protect speech that others might find offensive or unacceptable.

The Ban takes effect January 2nd. How soon do you think it will take before someone challenges this and gets it taken into the courts? Once that happens, the ban will have to come down, as it is patently unconstitutional.

(Hat tip to Hot Air for the news link.)

Friday, December 19, 2008

Best Workout EVER!!

If you're thinking of having "Get in Shape" as one of your New Year's resolutions, my I humbly recommend CrossFit? No matter what shape you're in, this program will make you better... if you follow it. This program was used to get the guys in shape for "300." This is also an exercise program that can be done by kids and older seniors. It's all about scaling. (By the way, the guy doing the training in this video is 61! The woman he's training? She's 77.)

Scale workouts to fit your current fitness level. However, if you find the workouts are too easy, then you probably need to ratchet up the weight/intensity. This means make them challenging. Of course, most of the workouts are done as a race against the clock, so you can always try to go faster and harder. Don't take it easy on yourself and you'll be impressed with the results.

CrossFit is quite a bit different from other types of workouts. It's not a mind numbing routine. One thing it does emphasize is a definition of fitness that is broad, general and inclusive of many different types of sports and activities.

If you want to get in shape, and you don't want to be bored, give it a try.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Why Everyone Needs the Second Amendment

This young lady was attacked in her home, apparently without motive. She did what many believe is adequate to protect themselves; she called 911. Unfortunately for her, and her fiance, the police did not arrive for 48 minutes. Instead of the police being able to come speedily to her rescue, her body was found by her fiance when he returned to their apartment.

Occasions like this simply reinforce the fact that all individuals have a right to self defense, and should respond with deadly force to threats on our lives. It is our responsibility, not the State's, to defend ourselves. The State merely offers additional measures of security to help us defend ourselves.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Opposite Day in Global Economics

I never thought I'd see the day where China makes the right decision for fostering a better business environment and the United States makes the exact opposite (and wrong) decision. The article from the Straits Times details how China is reacting to the global economic slowdown. They're doing the intelligent thing by lowering the tax burden on businesses.

And what is the US response to the economic slowdown? How about trying to nationalize industries and creating public works projects (funded with tax payer money). And if you think FDR's plan worked out well for the US, you should think again. This doesn't sound very capitalistic. In fact, it's quite far from it.

Hey Barry!! Wake up and face reality. Taxes don't work, no matter how much you want to believe otherwise. Try relieving the tax burden of your businesses and lower the threshold for new companies to get started.

(Hat Tip to Hot Air)

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

This is Obama's Training Ground

Wow!

This political crime spree shows the sordid underbelly of Illinois politics. You know, Illinois? The launching point of Barack Obama's political career (from the home of that English teacher). I can't say I'm surprised.



Thanks Little Green Footballs for the video.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Another Goverment Bailout? Please, NO!!

I can't believe the Congress is thinking about another bailout, when the last one worked so well.



This might be one of the reasons why this congress has a lower approval rating than even the late President.

Look, capitalism is simple. Those businesses that aren't able to develop a winning business plan can declare bankruptcy. This isn't the end of the world; far from it. Instead, it is an opportunity to restructure and fix what's broken. If the Big Three get a bailout now, they're just postponing the inevitable time when they HAVE to restructure and fix the problems.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Motive for Mumbai

I think Mark Steyn hit the nail on the head in his editorial from the National Review Online. After 9/11, after the Madrid and London bombings, and now after the Mumbai attack, the "religion of Peace" has members who are stating they are afraid of retaliatory violence. Seriously, they think they might be in danger from unruly citizens. This, even though there has never been any real evidence of retaliation. Huh? Are they just intentionally trying to play a "victim" card? Please give me evidence of violence against Muslim civilians from Western civilians.

What we should hear from them, and what Mr. Steyn points out is missing from many of the communications from the "Moderate Muslism", is a quick denouncement of these acts committed against peaceful citizens. Instead, we get celebrations and parties.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Bad Grades Encourage Drop Outs, So Get Rid of Bad Grades???

Now, who in their right mind thinks this is the real way to fix things? If more kids are dropping out, then the thing to do is focus more effort on those kids to help them accomplish more, not start giving them a "pass."

Honestly, there is a real simple solution for the education system. Get more teachers into the classrooms and limit class size to 20 students, tops. This will allow teachers to focus more on teaching and less on crowd control. It will also help ensure the students get the attention they need from their teachers.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Will He Ever Answer a Question Directly?

CNN is finally starting to ask the President elect some tough questions (FINALLY, after practically signing on to his campaign staff before).

However, I notice that, instead of simply answering the question, Barry simply laughs it off, using a fallacious argument. Is the rest of his presidency going to be like this? Because you have to know that all of the promises he made during the campaign are total tripe. There is no way he can do everything he says he's going to do. He's already saddled with a status of force agreement with Iraq that keeps us there for some time. He also has said he would drop the tax on oil companies for their "windfall profits." He's even gone back on the campaign promise to avoid lobbyists and ex-lobbyists in his political team.

The press is going to be asking some tough questions, so Barry better put his notes together and start providing real answers.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The Filibuster is Safe... For Now

HotAir had running commentary of the Senate race in Georgia. Based on how it's been reported by the AP, Republican Chambliss will win. Why is this important? It's a big deal because, as the article explains, this ensures a filibuster can still work to help protect Americans (that's you and me) from extreme partisan laws that may be put forth by the House with assurances of being singed by a Democratic president.

Remember the post I wrote about how the filibuster saved us from some bad laws? This is what we need to protect. We need to help ensure no one party is in control of everything. Not the Democrats and not the Republicans. This will help ensure we have the "best" government we can expect.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

The "Face of Grace" in Iraq

What an incredible story this is. A soldier serving gets to see first hand the impact his service has on the inhabitants of Iraq. And, surprise of surprises, it's a positive one. This story is something to remember when we start talking about the war in Iraq.

Yes, it was a tough war. Yes, it is (and it's going to be) a long, tough occupation. However, the final outcome for the people of Iraq is freedom. Free elections, freedom to 'pursue happiness' as they see fit, and freedom to move forward on the international stage as another country in the Middle East not controlled by a dictator, king or despot.

All of these freedoms America enjoys are finally starting to emerge in Iraq.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

I Agree Mostly, But...

I agree with Geert Wilders on many of the things he talks about in his interview with the Wall Street Journal. I do think that Western culture, which includes Democracy, capitalism, the rule of law and respect for others, is superior to a religiously based government that gives preferential treatment to individuals who are of a particular sect or faith. This is one of the reasons we have so many Europeans in the Americas in the first place.

The evidence for the assertions that Western culture is superior can be seen in where people go when they immigrate from their home countries. If dictatorships, socialism or Islamic rule was so much better, people in the US would be fleeing South of the border, jumping on ships to travel to Russia or China, or hi-jacking planes and demanding to be taken to Tehran, Cairo or Baghdad. However, the opposite of this is true.

However, the sticking point in all of this is how to get people to assimilate to OUR culture. This is hard because one of the main reasons our culture is so successful is we assimilate a lot from other cultures. Our governmental organization is Greek, our Courts are English, our language uses a smattering of many other tongues, including Spanish and French, our scientists are German, Jewish, Indian, Chinese and many other nationalities. All of this has been worked together over 200 years to develop the nation we have now.

I think there is one common thing that all of these contributions to our culture have in common. They all WORK. Every single one of these contributions supports the others.

Now, how would all of this work if we start kow-towing to one particular point of view? The answer is simple; it will break. Geerts tells people, "You have to give up that book." I don't think we should go that far, but I do think you shouldn't push your book in my face in my country. If you don't like it, go home.

What's Wrong With This Picture?

Jim Hopkins has a blog. Nothing new in this. Jim wants to make money on his blog by charging for subscriptions and through ad revenues. Nothing wrong there. However, I think Jim's blog is struggling (according to reports) because of the industry, and more importantly the audience, he's trying to address.

Jim is using the internet to talk to people who seem to hold the internet, and blogging in particular, in ill regard (4th paragraph down). I am speaking of members of the main stream media, specifically print media. There is good reason for the troubles between print and blogs. Where as one is receding, the other is just coming into it's own. This gap will continue to widen.

So, Jim is trying to convince a hold out group of print writers that they should a) read his online blog and b) pay for it. Sounds like a tough sell.

If he rally wants to make money on his blog, he should look more at expanding his reach and doing a bit more marketing... like, say, giving an interview with a link back to his site.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Today I Give Thanks...

that I have a wonderful family, a good job and enough where-with-all to pay my bills and buy fun stuff.

I also know where my blessings come from. I believe in a Creator and know that he wants to bless us. Everything we have if from Him.

Please give thanks for your blessings today, even the breath in our lungs and the health of our bodies are blessings.

Monday, November 24, 2008

We Need More Good News Like This

Lest we forget Afghanistan because of our Iraqi involvement, things are still pretty hot in the erst-while land of the Taliban. This article points to our troops still fighting the good fight. Pretty freakin' awesome that 30 of our guys are worth at least 250 of theirs.

A couple of things to remember.

1) We're in Afghanistan because this is where AQ decided to camp out and train. We didn't want to be there. Our hand was forced by a government that supported those who made war on America and attacked us, unprovoked.

2) The Marines consistently demonstrate the importance of a highly trained, highly MOTIVATED force and what can be accomplished by such people. This is what America needs more of, motivated individuals who want to make the world safer for those who would attack innocent people in their homes and offices.

Never Forget, September 11th happened because Osama bin Laden thought America was a "paper tiger" that would never fight back. Now, with victory in Iraq, we can go back and finish the job in Afghanistan (if this President doesn't make the same mistake that led bin Laden to think America was a push over in the first place).

Friday, November 21, 2008

Protect My Rights... ALL OF THEM!!

Holy cow! Can you believe the audacity of the president elect's administration, including this question in their job application packet? As was correctly pointed out on another website, this is discriminating against people who chose to exercise one of their rights.

Now remember, this is the same gentleman who wouldn't change gun laws (bottom of the page) to ensure people defending themselves in their homes were not charged with a crime. He is supported by a Vice President who helped write the Assault Weapons Ban, some of the most illogical rules about gun restrictions based on the appearance of the weapon.

I hope the NRA keeps up their pressure on Obama, because if they don't we may see our legal, individual right to own a gun taken away from us.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Real, Sound Business Statements

Wow!



Romney hits the nail on the head. Bankruptcy is not the end of the world. Instead, it is a chance for businesses to restructure and be "competitive long term" against foreign auto makers. Without the chance to restructure, we're simply putting off the time when the automakers will HAVE to go bankrupt and restructure.

The alternative to bankruptcy is for these private companies to be given public funds. Now, we can see how well they are stewards of their own money. They feel it's appropriate in these hard times to continue using their money for transportation costs that, frankly, are not necessary. This is not fiscal responsibility.

I say make the big three be responsible for their decisions. Let it be now.

Hat tip to Hot Air for the video.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Accelerated College Entry? Not a Good Idea.

Okay, so according to Time Magazine, kids should be ready to go to college by 16 years old (thanks to the Last Psychiatrist for the link). My answer is, "Are you crazy or just not in touch with reality?"

Let me get this straight, a state that has special requirements on allowing teens under 18 to drive is considering putting them in charge of their lives at an earlier age? This doesn't make sense from a logic stand point. I mean, if you can't trust them on the road to make good decisions, how can you expect them to decide THE REST OF THEIR LIVES at age 16? And make no mistake, choosing to go to a college at age 16 will affect the rest of their life.

In the article, they keep talking about trying to emulate European and Asian countries. This would be fine, except for the fact that many Europeans and Asians want to come to our universities because we have the best universities in the world. Why weaken our universities with an unprepared populace, when instead we should be talking about how to address the concerns that cause students to "slide through high school."

We should be working to make high school challenging for everyone.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Where is their vaunted 'tolerance?'

Sad that a simple shirt can cause this kind of reaction. Of course, there are plenty of us who have seen similar reactions from these tolerant people. We could have warned her to be careful about standing out, especially when standing up to the Liberal Left. After all, these are the people who would want to overturn the vote of the majority, and are willing to use threatening tactics, even stooping to attacking an old woman, to get their message of "inclusion" across.

Maybe it's because Liberals just don't get Conservatives (10 paragraphs up from the bottom) that they have such a hard time treating Conservatives like normal people.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Anthropogenic Global Warming is a Fallacy-part 2 of many

Okay, this is taking a little longer than I thought. However, the research has been pretty enlightening.

Last time, we looked at some of the problems with the IPCC model, which Gore uses to predict the weather changes that will cause catastrophic events across the globe. Today, we will look at the second piece of evidence. The linchpin of his argument, the Vostok Ice Core charts. He shows a chart that covers the past 420,000 years and looks like this.

We can clearly see the rise and fall of temperature and CO2 for thousands of years. Looking at this chart, one would expect this rise and fall to continue, since that is what has happened in the past. It's like the rising and setting of the sun. There is some time variation, but it happens regularly. Those who argue that there is anthropogenic global warming, however, seem to think the sun will not rise tomorrow. They assume the cycle is broken because of CO2 levels.

There is a relation between temperature and CO2 levels. Notice the correlation between CO2 and temperature changes in the chart. As the temperature gets warmer, we see an increased level of CO2. As the temperature change goes down, we see a decrease in CO2. Gore and his climate scientists have chosen to state that CO2 has enough influence on our temperature to cause havoc over the next 50 to 100 years.

Well, unfortunately the above chart has too wide of a data spread to show whether CO2 really has that much of an effect on temperature. Instead, lets look at a smaller segment of the chart. Since modern times have provided more accurate information, lets look at information from just the last 18,000 years. This gives us enough time to see historic trends, yet still see more about the actual relationship.

Notice a couple of things from this chart. It fits with the initial chart data, showing a correlation between CO2 and temperature change. It also fits the trend displayed for modern times in the original chart. However, when we look closer, we see something interesting. Look specifically around 14,000, 11,000, 8,000, 7,500, 4,500 and our modern times. Notice anything?

What you're seeing are multiple places where temperature changes and CO2 changes do not react in direct correlation with each other. In 14,000, temperature rises before CO2. A similar phenomenon happens around 11,000, with temperature spiking and falling, followed by a much shallower rise and fall in CO2. Around 8,000, temperature changed rapidly with no movement of CO2. In 7,500 CO2 falls and rises with no change in temperature. In 4,500, we see another temperature spike that last a bit longer. Again, though, there was no change in CO2. Only a little later do we see CO2 levels rise.

The Modern data is another indicator that shows the weak relationship between CO2 and climate change. CO2 is rising at a faster rate, and to higher levels, than ever. This is a fact. However, where is the corresponding climate change? Remember, Gore stated that CO2 was causing the massive changes and rising temperatures of modern times. Based on the data, though, this doesn't seem to be true.

So, if the model isn't accurate, and Gore's hypothesis about CO2 is not correct, what can be causing global warming? More to come next time about relationships between the sun, our global temperatures and temperatures of other planets in our solar system.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Anthropogenic Global Warming is a Fallacy-part 1 of many

Bare with me, as this may be a long post. I think I'll actually break this into two parts to present all of the information.

Now, we have to define our terms and set the record straight. There is undeniable evidence that the Earth has been getting warmer. This is not in doubt. What is in doubt is man's role in global climate change. Currently, according to Al Gore and the group of 1200 UN scientists, global warming is caused by CO2. This means, in simple terms, a rise in CO2 will lead to a direct rise in temperature. This is Gore's whole premise. No other possibilities seem to be discussed, at least none that made it to any of the larger news sources.

Gore offers two major items as his evidence: the Vostok ice core data charts and the IPCC temperature models. Based on these two pieces of evidence, Gore suggests that there will be "catastrophic consequences" from global warming. So, to combat these consequences and slow or reverse global warming, we (humans) have to change our habits.

However, there are a few holes in Gore's hypothesis.

First is the weakness of the IPCC temperature model. Apparently, the models were not calibrated to our current conditions. This means the models were compromised. In addition, the weakness of the interpretation of the model information, specifically the 7th chapter dealing with "atmospheric processes and feedback" that affect global temperatures.

Interesting that the model has some weaknesses. It's almost like they wanted the model to predict bad tidings for some reason.

More to come later.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Exercise Your Rights Now, Before they're Taken Away

I do not think it is a coincidence that, with Obama recently elected, more people are out buying hand guns. This has been reported in multiple news sources over the past couple of weeks. Seriously, go read.

Link 1, Link 2, Link 3 and Link 4.

One obvious conclusion from this news is that people do not trust Obama when he says he will not try to take away people's guns. And why would they think this? Part of this is because he has provided very unclear and at times completely contradictory statements about the legality of guns and gun ownership. So, to look beyond the statements, let's look at his past voting record. What do we see? A man who does not trust the populace with handguns or certain types of amunition. Actions speak louder than words. This is a man who will move to restrict gun ownership and conceal and carry laws, if he can.

This means if you want to own an assault rifle, or high capacity magazine, or exercise your constitutional right to own a hand gun designed for personal protection, you should be on your way to the local gun shop in your area NOW, while it's still legal.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Best We Can Hope For...

Well, the American public has opted for change! They've decided to elect a man who probably couldn't get a top secret clearance because of his past associations.

There are two ways this can go for the American public, based on why Obama associated with the people he did.

1) Obama is a true believer and managed to hide this during the election. - Of course, this is the worst case for the American public. If Obama truly supports Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers, and believes in a similar manner, Obama will steer this country further to the left than we have ever been. He would put in place entitlements to "underprivelaged classes" that would move us closer to socialism.

This would be disastrous. It would lead to increased government and decreased personal choice.

2) In this option, Obama is a political animal and simply made the most of the connections he had to help him in his political career. He stayed in the Church for 20 years becuase it gave him political clout. He launched his career in the home of Bill Ayers becuase Bill happens to have connections to the local politicians. There is ample evidence for this political animal explanation, based on how Obama has shed himself of various people in his campaign in the past.

Let us pray that it is option 2, for the sake of America.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Go Vote!!

'Nuff said.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Thank you, Sir!

Wow! As I read this article, I kept finding myself saying, "Thank you for providing this succinct and well written piece. Thank you for providing a collection of evidence that, as you yourself state, "every single word of it be true."

The article in the American Spectator clearly delineates why voting for someone shouldn't be about whether you like their personality, or whether you think they're a good speaker. The question of who to vote for is about who has demonstrated the capabilities to lead this Great Nation.

Obama doesn't have the experience to lead. The article clearly states that "Obama is a radical with very few real achievements," and should thus not be a serious candidate for the presidency. Only John McCain "has a record of making the right calls, again and again, when it comes to securing the American national interest around the world."

Again, why would anyone even consider Obama?

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Every Day is the Most Important Day of Your Life

I've been on the road, which explains the lack of updates. I have, however, been trying to keep up with my reading.

I recently read this article and it made me think quite deeply about how we become who we are. It's interesting to note his take on the research. Each decision we make, everyday, affects who we are. So, your decision to do something (or not do something) will change your identity. And not just later in your life, but right away.

Read the article for yourself. This adds more emphasis to the statement, "Seize the day!"

Whoever you want to be tomorrow, start being that person today.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

McCain's Uphill Battle

A noted writer (and Democrat), posted an interesting article about the causes of the current financial crisis. The article provides some details, although nothing that hasn't noted before. However, his posting raises a bigger spectre, that of media bias and malfeasance.

This is not an isolated incident. Other bloggers have noticed quite a bit of media bias in favor of Obama, with a lot of animosity towards the Republicans. This means the Republicans and the McCain campaign have had to work twice as hard to get even decent coverage from the media.

Why is it so hard for the media to simply reporting the facts? If the Fourth Estate does not wish to be seen as irrelevant, they should work harder to actually inform the public about what is happening. As Card states, "You do what it takes to get the truth and you lay it before the public, because the public has a right to know."

We need more basic facts and the honest truth from our media.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Real Energy Independence

OPEC has decided they're not making enough money right now. So, to help bolster their bottom line and line their pockets with everyone's money, they've decided they need to cut production.

OPEC certainly understands the power of supply and demand. They know that if they limit supply, they can control the costs because of the rising demand. This will happen even as the economies of the world take a hit. the sad thing is raising oil prices will only serve to slow future economic growth because it will increase the costs of other goods and services. The OPEC nations don't care about these global repercussions one bit, though. They are simply interested in earning money for themselves.

The solution is simple, we need real energy independence. This means we need to focus on developing short term solutions for high energy prices (drill for more oil, open more refineries, more use of natural gas), as well as develop mid term (nuclear power, wind power, more bio-fuels) and long term (increased solar, tidal and geothermal power) energy solutions for our country.

This is the realistic solution that allows us to really move away from foreign oil and their major impact on our economy.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Wow! I couldn't have said it better myself

So I won't even try. Take a look at this very comprehensive listing at Hot Air about why Obama is a dangerous choice for America.

This is a very well researched piece. Notice the writers never try to put words in Obama's mouth. Instead, they simply show video of what Obama stated about specific issues. Where their comments are particularly useful is dissecting what Obama says and why it is important.

And remember, these are simply Obama's own words about how he really feels and what he really plans to do. The definition of gaffe comes to mind. "Gaffe - When a politician tells the truth. "

Let's have more truth.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Birds of a Feather...

Flock together, as the saying goes. And so who does Obama count in his flock?

How about a terrorist who recently stated he felt he didn't "do enough," a preacher who stated "God D@mn America!", and a political fundraiser convicted of fraud.

Now, why are all of these associations important? Why should we concern ourselves with the types of people Obama surrounds himself with? There are several reasons these associations are important.

1) These are the people who have been affecting his thinking and helping direct his budding political career. Typically, when people have tough decisions to make, they turn to their friends and chosen advisers to find out what they should do. What type of advice do you think this flock would give?

2) He has constantly tried to distance himself from these people. Instead of being truly honest and stating, "Yes, Bill Ayers helped start my political career," he's simply using political double speak to tell the media and the voting public what they want to hear to make themselves comfortable.

3) Finally, because he has no real political experience, Barack Obama sought to run a campaign that emphasized his superior judgment. However, how discerning can the man be when these chosen advisers and companions top his list?

Please America, if we need a change, a centrist republican like McCain is a much better choice than a FAR LEFT democrat.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Crisis of "Distorted Markets"

Now that we have problems in the market, there seems to be a hue and cry for more regulation and government support, more government involvement in the economy. The only problem with this is that government interference is what caused this problem in the first place.

In an effort to foster "fairness" in lending, the Federal government passed rules and encouraged bad lending practices. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were set up to help offer guarantees on some of these bad loans. Freddie and Fannie were interfering with the markets and it blew up in all of our faces.

Now, if government interference caused the problem, with more interference fix the problem? I don't think so. Distorted markets are what got it into this problem and further distorting them can only bring more trouble.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Who's Running This Place?

The United States is a country of immigrants. Ever since our country was founded, immigrants have come from far and wide to this "land of opportunity." The new immigrants wanted to become Americans and have their chance in this country at living the American Dream. They chose America because of the ability for someone to come to this country and succeed on their own merits. You didn't have to be a member of a specific religious or ethnic group to succeed.

Now we have a group of immigrants who want to change the playing field. They come to this country, not be become Americans, but to forward a different agenda. Read this article and find out for yourself what their stated plans are.

Now, from this article, it appears these new immigrants are not satisfied with allowing everyone to decide things for themselves. Instead, they want to use our countries freedoms to change our country and put them in control. They want to make our country more like the country they left. Why? Because they feel their religious laws should be the law of the land. Sure, because that's worked so well in their country.

If you think I'm making this up, please look into things a little more and then get back to me.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

I'm from the government and I'm here to help - again.

Wow!!

After reading this Wall Street Journal article, I'm more afraid than ever for my country. If the polls hold true, the Democrats will have even more control of the Federal Government. And, as history acknowledges, when the Democrats are in the majority, they push vast government expansions. Expansions that actually encroach on the rights of individuals and limit the freedom of businesses.

If you think I'm wrong, just review the side bar of items that passed the House and were blocked by a Republican filibuster in the Senate. The listed items are all examples of government controls on your life, including prescription drug price controls and "windfall profit" taxes on the oil industry. These examples demonstrate how the Liberal Left is attempting to implement more Socialist policies.

And honestly, does anyone think any of these policies are really good for our country? Price controls on the drug industry? How will this help the drug companies that invent most of the worlds drugs? And we all know taxes on the oil industry would simply lead to HIGHER gas prices for you and I. How does this really help anything?

Please, we need more intelligent individuals in the Legislature and as President to help ensure these types of Socialist laws are not passed.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Why is no one else saying this?

Why do we not hear more about what is good and right with America? Why do almost all of our politicians, Left and Right, want to harp on the negative aspects of our country. Everyone already knows about the negative aspects of our country. We can easily see that not everyone is rich. We know there are economic issues to address. We understand there is a concerted effort overseas to attack our core values of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

What we need is for our leaders to actually LEAD. We need them to stand up and remind us why people come from all across the globe to live in OUR country. Why people get in rickety boats and travel hundreds of miles or risk death crossing an arid landscape, just for a chance to live in our country. We need our politicians to remind us we are a great country that much of the world envies.

We need more of this!



Heck yeah! Palin/McCain '08!!!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

I'm from the Government and I'm here to help.

President Reagan said these are the 9 scariest words in the English language. I can definitely agree. When ever the government tries to stick it's hand in the markets and "make things better," the common man on the street, like you and I, tend to pay for it. History has shown that too much government meddling in the markets leads to economic trouble.

Recently, two economists completed a study looking at the Great Depression. In particular, the economists studies the effects of FDR's policies on the Depression. Their findings? Roosevelt's price and wage fixing policies PROLONGED the Great Depression BY 10 YEARS! I'm not making this up. See the research for yourselves.

Now, we find ourselves in another serious economic down turn. We're not in a recession yet (let alone a depression), but the economy has definitely started downward. Evidence shows that the troubles are tied to the collapse in the housing market, which can be tracked back to increased sub-prime lending. Now, why would banks and mortgage companies want to increase lending to risky, low-income borrowers? Because the CRA "encouraged" banks to make these sub-prime loans. Clinton signed legislation strengthening this push.

So, because of a push to "balance" lending to "low-income" groups, we now have the Federal Government spending my money to bail out the banking industry who took risks they were encouraged to take by... wait for it... the Federal Government. Wow!

Of course, the most obvious example of government interference leading to economic problems is the fall of the Soviet Union. This collapse was not because of military attacks on the country. Instead, through micro-managing the economy and removing real market forces, the Russian Socialist system managed to take a resource rich nation and drive the economy into the ground.

Looking at this, it should be obvious that I think free markets are better for our economy. The less interference the better. I think this is an occasion where both of our presidential candidates are not serving us well.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Overt Socialism? Sounds like it to me.

Check out this video and listen for yourself to hear Barry's comments on why people with more money are supposed to give more.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=abd_1223922155

Now, maybe it's just me, but I thought this was the land of the free, where success was rewarded... not punished. If you work hard and save your money, you can invest your money and earn the rewards. With Liberals, however, the money you earn should be invested to help others. It should be redistributed to others, as decided not by you, but by those who know better to give others a chance.

The funny thing Liberals always point out as a reason for "redistribution of wealth" is they want everyone to have a "chance" for success. The thing is, the way this country is currently set up, everyone has almost equal access to those things that lead to success.

You want an education? We'll give you access to public schools and teach you the basics. You want higher education? We'll give you access to subsidized loans and grants to fund your way through college. You want to be successful in the work place? We'll sponsor workforce incentives to give you access to work after you graduate. All of these are opportunities I personally have availed myself of.

The listed items above are just a short sampling of the assistance available. Now, with all of these resources (that we're already paying for), why does Obama feel the need to INCREASE taxes on successful families? And, furthermore, why did Obama feel the need to lie about it?

Questions you should ask before you vote.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

The 2nd Amendment - The Right that Guarantees All Other Rights

I think this is the post that's going to get me in trouble. We'll see, though.

To me, the idea of restricting access to guns to military personnel and police forces is a bit odd. It means you don't trust your fellow citizens to come to your rescue or support you in times of trouble. Heck, if you believe in gun control, you don't even trust your neighbor to walk down the street with you. Instead, you only want people "in authority" to have ready access to guns. This is the essence of gun control. This is also a recipe for outstanding abuse.

We have the right to bear arms because out Founding Fathers knew we needed top protect ourselves, and not rely on the government. Our Founding Fathers wanted us to have weapons not just to hunt, but to protect ourselves. And we have the right to protect ourselves from harm brought on by other individual citizens and "any oppressive government which might arise." According to legal scholars, we have the right to be "armed at a level equal to the government." This means no bans on the types of weapons individuals can own. In other words, no 'assault weapons' ban, no limited capacity magazines and no limit on 'semi-automatic handguns.'

And now we have Obama and Biden running for President and Veep. Looking at their records, where do you think they stand on gun control? Instead of simply looking at their campaign websites, lets look at how they actually voted in the past, since past actions (not current rhetoric) are a better determinant of future actions.

Evidence shows that Obama would support such measures as the DC's recently overturned handgun ban, which is patently unconstitutional. Barak Obama would in fact appoint Supreme Court justices who believe the same thing. Definitely not someone we can trust in office.

Biden, as the vice-president, wouldn't raise his voice in opposition to additional restrictions on gun control. In fact Biden would be in support of gun control, including banning "assault weapons," ostensibly to curb violence. He helped author the initial assault weapons ban and he would work to reinstate it, as he did in 2007.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Fact Checking CNN's Fact Check

The hard part of the campaign for McCain has been the obvious media bias for Obama. Whether a reporter has a thrill up his leg, or just doesn't report all of the facts in a story, McCain has to work twice as hard to get even decent coverage.

To illustrate, I reviewed the "Fact Check" section of the CNN website and what do you think I found? What I found was definite evidence of media bias for Obama. Of the 20 "fact check" posts I reviewed, 17 were pro Obama, with just 3 supporting McCain. The three that were for McCain included one with definite numbers that couldn't be disputed with a separate study and another could not be disputed because of factual statements already existing in the press records.

What is particular is that some of the pro-Obama decisions should have gone McCain's way. At other times when the numbers supported McCain, they reported McCain's statements as "misleading," something they almost never did for McCain.

Check out these items for yourself.


http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/category/fact-check/

You can tell they are trying to compete with a real non-partisan website, http://www.factcheck.org/.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

The 2nd Amendment is About Empowering Citizens

And apparently Obama wants to take away those rights our Founding Fathers gave us. He wants to replace it with the "right" to medical treatment. How asinine.

I love this video.



The reason why is it emphasizes how true evidence trumps rhetoric.

This video is damning for a few reasons.
  1. The evidence the NRA provided and that she reads on the air is damning. We see the same question answered in the same manner TWICE!! And once with the candidate's hand written notes on the questionnaire. To say that because Obama did not initial each individual page means he may or may not be represented by the questionnaire's answers is ridiculous. This is a questionnaire that his campaign responded to TWICE!! That means they had 2 times to cover the material. At least he didn't flip flop in his position.
  2. The Democratic spokesman seems to approach this interview as if it is somehow beneath him, as if Fox News was a second rate station, instead of a national leader in ratings. He castigates Fox for giving the NRA "free air time" to post their message, while not acknowledging that they have brought him on specifically to answer the acusations. Instead, he tries the old Left's tactic of vitriolic attack. He calls the ads "complete crap" because the ads interpret real data in a manner consistent with the data and not consistent with his rhetorical stance.
  3. Even Obama had just come out and stated his reasons why he's for gun control (which he obviously is), I think we would see very different ads from the NRA. Instead of putting Obama on the defensive, he could actually win some more support with the gun control crowd by owning up to his position. Of course, he pretty much has a lock on the Left anyways, so we know he won't do this. Stating his real position on gun control would lose him some of the independents he's trying to woo.

Watch this video again, then pass it along to any of your friends who think Obama would be a good choice to lead this nation and select new Supreme Court justices.

God help us.

Does Experience Really Matter? Depends on who you ask.

And who you're asking about. For the Democrats, Obama's (who is running for the HEAD OFFICE) dearth of experience is not important because he he has superior judgment to lead. However, Sarah Palin (the Veep on the ticket) does not have enough experience to run for the BACK UP POSITION.

Really? Let's ask Newt.

And these people can vote?

First things first. Listen to this short MP3 file.

http://www.bpmdeejays.com/upload/hs_sal_in_Harlem_100108.mp3

Now, listening to this, my first thought was, "They let these people vote?" I'm surprised not because the interview was Harlem. I'm surprised because the people they interviewed were so ill informed. These people didn't know where any of the candidates stood on the issues. They didn't even know who the VP candidate was, for heavens sake.

The power of democracy isn't the same as the power of the mob. Our Founding Father's wanted an informed electorate. They intended the republic to select leaders based on informed review of the different candidates positions. They didn't intend for demagoguery, sophistry and personality to be the deciding factors in an election.

For this election, things seem to be exactly backwards. Obama won the Democratic nomination because he represented himself as someone farther left than the other candidates. Suddenly, during the national campaign, Obama has reinvented himself as a more centrist candidate. All of this based on his rhetorical position.

At least with McCain, he won the nomination based on the positions he has espoused. His positions have been pretty consistent over this long campaign. In addition, he has an established history that shows he not only talks the talk, but walks the walk.

Actions we can trust. Words... not so much.

Hello World - A Presidential Debate First Thread

While watching the debate last night, something occurred to me. Obama talks a good game, but there is no proof to back up what he says. McCain punched home his experience when answering the various questions. He pointed out not only what he wanted to do, but examples where he has done something similar in the past. Obama? Not so much.

Why is this important? Because anyone can say anything they want, but the 'proof is in the pudding.' We need to see actions from a candidate, not just rhetorical devices. From McCain, we have a history of voting in the Senate, and a history of service to his nation even before that. We can look at bills and laws he's supported and compare that with our positions to determine whether we will vote for him.

With Obama, we do not have that same history. Obama has not even served an entire term in the Senate and has never held an executive office in government positions. Even the possibility of related history, such as educational background and past work positions, is unavailable. More importantly, there is a strategy by the Obama campaign to hide the work he did do. We've heard about McCain's grades. Where are Obama's? Where is a copy of the thesis he wrote? What about details on the work he did for the Chicago Annenburg Challenge? ALL of this is being withheld, by choice.

Now remember, evidence is the real mark of who someone is, not sophistry. We need to see it to believe it. So far from Obama, we haven't seen much.