Dead Man Hawking

Overheard at the Kennedy funeral today: a couple of his little grandsons with special intercessions for nationalized health care, in order that grandpa's dreams could become reality.

Sickening. Absolutely sickening.

One thing is for certain, when is comes to exploitation, misrepresentation, smear and outright lies, you just can't beat at liberal fighting for a cause.

If you can't even stop politicizing at a funeral, well then I guess that's a positive sign for the good guys. The desperation has reached it's lowest point. Maybe.

Mercy, Mercy

Unbelievable!

Apparently, the authorities in Iraq have taken an important cue from the boundless charity demonstrated by the Scots last week when they released the Lockerbie bomber. Because today, they granted early release to the infamous shoe thrower!

But before you fly into a rage about this, realize that this was only done because the thrower is actually suffering from terminal athlete's foot! It was the humane thing to do.

California Dreamin'

I'm reading about some hopping-mad libs today and so naturally I want to write about it. Especially because this involves the most vitriolic libs, those of California, and their UAW pals.

Toyota has announced that it will be closing it's Fremont, CA assembly plant, putting 4,500 UAW members out of work, and eliminating a huge chuck of tax revenue from the state that can least afford it right now. But as most of the state-run media is reporting on the evil actions of the Japanese car-maker, and talking to a bunch of libs and union mouthpieces, why don't we look at a couple of things from another prospective:

Toyota actually brought this plant back to life in 1984, by entering into a joint venture with the old General Motors. GM had actually closed it in 1982, because the UAW would not negotiate to reduce labor cost. The JV between the two companies, called NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing) was able to negotiate some concessions with the UAW because it required a new contract to be set up. This led to 25 years of very stable employment for the UAW, because of Toyota.

After the old GM was taken over by Barack Hussein, the new Government Motors was led into quick bankruptcy where it was decided that it needed to pull out of the Fremont NUMMI relationship.

So where should the blame go? GM pulled out of the deal, and Toyota was left holding the bag, and so they decided to abandon it.

This morning, the ever-delusional Sen. Diane Feinstein and UAW boss Ron Gettelfinger are teaming up to blast Toyota. Predictably off-base. Way off-base.

First, dip Diane should call her president and find out why the location was no longer good business for Government Motors. He can fill her in. After all, no one understands the car biz better than Barry. Did she not support every single move he made when he was nationalizing the U.S. auto industry? Sure she did. And why does she expect Toyota to hang in alone? Toyota is no Barry, but I would say they know a couple of things about building cars competitively.

Then there's Gettlefinger. Of course, none of this problem has anything to do with the UAW according to him. Except that they blew up GM back in 1982 at this plant to start with. Except that they stood by to collect their wages year after year of GM/Toyota losing money at this facility, with no willingness to help share the pain. Except that they, along with their elected messiah are now the largest shareholders by far of the company that pulled out first. No, it's all Toyota's fault. Right. Some things never change.

Finally, Ms. Feinstein had the gall to chastise Toyota about making the announcement right at the end of the "Cash for Clunkers" program, because it turns out that they have made more money off it than any other car-maker! Einstein, er, I mean Feinstein, apparently needs a reminder about who's idea the cash for clunkers was? Another inconvenient truth for the libs.

Inclusion = Contraction (Again)

The link below takes you to an interesting article. It's about a community of Episcopal nuns and their loss of faith in the liberal "reformation" of their Church. It is significant and sad. Another rare piece of Anglican tradition that is about to get rarer, thanks to TEC.

http://www.catholicreview.org/subpages/storyworldnew-new.aspx?action=6750

I found the quote from Mother Christina to be especially telling: “People who did not know us looked at us as if we were in agreement with what had been going on (in the Episcopal Church),” she said. “By staying put and not doing anything, we were sending a message which was not correct.”

That certainly speaks to me, and I continue to pray to find out what God wants for me in my own relationship with this Church, but if seven years of prayer and a devotion far beyond mine have led these sisters to this conclusion, perhaps they have an important message for many orthodox Episcopalians.

R.I.P. Ted Kennedy

What is one to say (or write) about the death of a foe? Or not even that - let's say, not an adversary, but one whom you can draw little respect from and no real fondness?

Well, ultimately there's the human side to which we must all have compassion. And let's face it, half the country perceived him politically as one of theirs. Actually they thought much more than that. A hero for the liberal cause. A politician for the common man, even though he lived the most uncommon life and could have no real clue about life in upper-middle America, or below. (Actually, this applies to probably 80% of Congress!)

His death is already being politicized by those libs and the state-owned media that see this as an opportunity. Sort of akin to the "don't waste a crisis" attitude by the current ruling party who's wish for a socialist state could start with Kennedy's health care initiative. Sickening. Yet these are Kennedy's people.

As a conservative, I could find virtually no common ground with his political viewpoints. The legacy he leaves behind, with a 50-year trail to his father and brothers, is nothing but big and bigger government, and less and less liberty for Americans. A career politician of the worst kind, something the media always likes to play up. You know, the "service to his country" bit. As if "laboring" under a quarter-million dollar salary with the finest perks and benefits, and a staff of dozens to do your bidding.....as if 40 years of doing that deserves any more credit than doing 40 years at any other job.

And let's not forget that he was a man guilty of negligent homicide who never paid his due. No small thing is that.

So what to say? A man who will be missed by those that loved him. Gee, that's easy.

A man of importance? Yes.

A friend to America? No.

A sinner? Yup. (About the only thing he and I had in common.)

Bottom line though, a human being. R.I.P. Ted Kennedy.

Justice Denied

I am beside myself this morning. I just read the headline about the release of the Lockerbie bomber, and my head spins trying to comprehend that kind of thinking.

The man blows an airliner out of the sky killing 270 people, and now some Scottish judge wants to show him mercy because he is terminally ill. It's beyond reason.

What is happening to the UK, and for that matter, the whole of Europe, that is turning brains into jelly? I swear that every day, I am reading about decisions akin to this one. Decisions where backbone, pride and justice have utterly vanished over there. Where more and more liberal thought is overcoming any sense of who and what it was that created some of the greatest thinkers and powers on the earth. Now it's being pissed away. I'm sorry; that's the word that comes to my mind. It's just so sad to watch it happen. We must never let that kind of culture destroy the U.S.A..

The judge uses the word compassion. Where does he think this guy earned that, and what gives a judge, any judge, the right to hand out that most precious gift in the face of the horrendous brutality of killing 270 innocents? If Almighty God wants to show this guy compassion, then it will be shown to him upon his death. But as civilized people, there must be penalties in society, severe ones, for acts against humanity like this.

I do not support the penalty of death, not even in a case like this. That is simply not my belief. But the just penalty for this man, at the very least, was to spend the rest of his life in solitary confinement, a minimum of food and water and a cold, slat bed to lie down on. No contact with any other human being, ever. And he would live that way until the day of his natural death.

He likely lived a bit better than this. And he's served only 8 years!

Now he's very sick, with terminal something. So now it's time for a higher power to deal with him, with no interference on our part. We will be rid of it.

I see things everyday that I can take issue with, and yet almost always, there is one little corner of my brain where I can usually find a grain of empathy for the other opinion. In this case, there is absolutely none. Nothing.

It just so happens that I was in London when the bombing occurred. For me, it certainly put a damper on a Christmas celebration. What a pitiful little bit of discomfort it gave to me, as compared to those victims and their families. I won't ever forget it. This "judge" in Scotland apparently already has.

Charlie Gibson's War

Nutcase peacenik Cindy Sheehan is on her way to Martha's Vineyard, stalking Barack Hussein and family, with the intent to disrupt their vacation with more anti-Iraq/Afghanistan demonstrations.

There is nothing new about her strategy. Her annoyance could be heard throughout the Bush administration's period, where she would turn up everywhere form Crawford, Texas to D.C. and beyond, and ALWAYS with the mainstream media in tow.

Of course, now she can only turn to the new commander, who now owns the Afghan war, and continue her lunacy. Funny thing is, you don't really hear or see her anymore.

This morning, one of our local radio talk guys, who's somewhat conservative, had a chance to ask Charlie Gibson from ABC (the All Barack Channel) why we don't see much of Cindy anymore? A nicely loaded question for ole' Charlie.

His response was so lib-predictable: "Well, of course, Cindy's story is a sad one. She lost a son in Iraq, and she's committed to the cause of ending all conflict over there. But I think we've all seen enough of her, haven't we? We need to move on."

Charlie; what a piece of work!

Bottom line: When it was Bush's war, the media wanted this. Now they won't give her the time of day. I wish I could recall who I heard this from, but it was something to the effect of "There is no war without Bush!" Great quote, and such an accurate condemnation of our media.

Missed Opportunity

Police officers in Long Branch, New Jersey were called to a scene where an older, disheveled man was acting mysteriously; walking down a street looking into old houses. A 24-year old officer stopped the man at the scene to find out who he was and what business he had in the neighborhood.

Apparently, all went well from there. The man produced his I.D., explained that he was taking a break from work and was simply checking out the old neighborhood. The matter was settled and everyone went their separate ways.

And now the rest of the story:

The man was no other than Bob Dylan! He has been on tour, and was set to play in Lakewood, N.J. that evening. The fact that the responding officer was so young, failed him in recognizing the aging music man, even after he saw his name.

If you ask me, Dylan wasted an outstanding opportunity.

All he had to do was "get big" with that young cop. You know, resist a little. Remind the pushy cop about who he was! Call him some names. Maybe protest that he was being pushed around simply because he was older. Wasn't he a big part of that early counter-culture movement that tried to fight "the man", the "pigs", the "fuzz", anyway?

Dylan's career hasn't exactly been on fire lately. He could have used some publicity.

Maybe best of all, some high-profile person would have accused that cop of acting stupidly. And then maybe invited Dylan and the bigoted cop over to share a beer together.

I think this could have been a teachable moment. Some elitist using this event as a stage to demonstrate that old and young can sit down together over a beer and learn to respect one another. That rap and folk-rock can indeed coexist.

There's only one man who could have pulled it off. Only one man with the vision and the gift to bring people of so vastly different backgrounds together in a simple act of enjoying a beer together.

Yeah. I think you blew it Bob.

Debbie Does Dumb

Debbie Stabenow is an idiot. There's no other explanation:

"Climate change is very real," she confessed as she embraced cap and trade's massive tax increase on Michigan industry - at the same time claiming, against all the evidence, that it would not lead to an increase in manufacturing costs or energy prices. "Global warming creates volatility. I feel it when I'm flying. The storms are more volatile. We are paying the price in more hurricanes and tornadoes."

I would suggest she start taking a bus and stay out of those "volatile" skies. Had she done that earlier, she might not have missed the coldest July on record that we just completed down here at ground level.

One of Obama's Angels.

What's in a Sticker?

Still at the northern compound this morning, and I took one of my most favorite bike rides up the lake shore to the little 'burg of Lake Leelanau. Just a perfect morning for it too. Temp around 70, little wind and not a cloud in the sky.

Once there, I made my way around the village. I got off the seat for awhile to take a rest at the "Narrows", where the north and south lake meet. Nice spot. My "cheeks" really appreciate it!

Continuing on, I made my way past the small coffee shop on the main drag. Several cars were lined up in front. There were some interesting bumper stickers there this morning. I tend to notice those.

I actually laughed out loud at one car. It had several stickers on the back, but two right next to each other were what I found delightfully humorous and 'apropos. The first one said, "Obama/Biden 2008". The one next to it said, "Caution - Blonde Thinking". Well, doesn't that say it all!!

Two cars down, I saw the "Coexist" sticker. Have you seen this one? They are not uncommon up here in Traverse City. Typically applied to Beetles, Civics, Hybrids and other little "gen-Y" type vehicles, I've yet to see one on a pickup truck. Go ahead and apply whatever implications that might make. More about that in a minute.

One of the really nice things I enjoy on a long bike ride, is that it gives my brain some thought-time. Understanding that you do need to be alert, I still find that my mind works very well as I pedal. This doesn't seem to work in the middle of the winter when I'm on my stationary bike in the basement, so sun, wind, insects and birds do have a very positive effect on the thought process.

So on the ride back, that "Coexist" sticker pops back into my mind, and now my thoughts on it:

If you haven't seen one, the word coexist on the sticker takes each letter of the word and makes it into a religious or political symbol. The "c" becomes a Muslim crescent, the "t" a crucifix, and so on. See the picture here.

What would the owner of this sticker want us to think? First, it would seem that he or she would like us to think of them as being very enlightened. Full of brotherly love. The message being, "can't we all just get along", "live and let live", etc.. It certainly suggests to me an elitist type liberal and/or an "inclusionist" if that's a word. Everyone just doing there own thing. Nobody's "right". There is no absolute truth.

It could be that the owner belongs to one of these symbols, and just wants to be left alone.

Be careful of literal translations here. Lions and hyenas have coexisted for eons, but there's no love there, and that's really my thought on this sticker. It means to say "everyone just do their own thing" and leave each other in peace. But is that caring, or not caring? Think about it.

I can only speak to the letter to which I belong. The "t". And that symbol belongs to Christ. He didn't teach us to coexist. Far from it. He taught us the truth, and then gave us the mission to spread that truth and pray for the conversion of others. The owner of the sticker doesn't belong to the "t", at least. Not really. I don't mean to be judgemental. They may very well be one of the nicest people you'd ever meet, and very easy to coexist with. But that is not enough.

Wow! All of that thought can't possibly be done safely when your pedaling along down a highway. In fact, I was sort of drifting over when an SUV passed me with a sticker that said.......

Aw, never mind. Bicycles and cars do not coexist very well.

The Specter of Defeat

Arlen Specter is a piece of work. The turncoat lib was given a real "welcome" in his recent town hall meeting to discuss health care reform. I'm sure he'd seen he fellow libs in the House being roasted at their meetings, but maybe he thought that a senator would be treated differently. Wrong.

And now, just to make things worse for himself and the cause, he makes a statement that the "mob"protesting at these things "don't represent America". Nice.

Maybe he should review the recent polling data. Or maybe he should just conduct some more town hall meetings and invite "America" in. And I don't mean an Obama-style meeting where the vetted participants receive an invitation.

Every one of these "dummycrats" are starting to understand that they can try and vote Obama's plan in and at the same time, guarantee that they are voting themselves out. Once that fully sinks in, we will be spared this giant leap at socialism.

I think Specter's done either way.

Might as well go for it Arlen. At re-election time you're going to find out who represents America, and that you don't.

More Transparency

Isn't it strange how Barack Hussein didn't get to enjoy the same type of "town hall" health care meeting that all the other libs have been having? It was downright peaceful. Nothing but "high fives" all the way around today.

Of course, he went all the way up to New Hampshire to have it. Might as well have been another fundraiser for him! New Hampshire is maybe just a little less socialist than Sweden, but not by much. Maybe next time he should try South Carolina or Oklahoma.

Then there was that sweet little girl, Julia Hall, who stood up bravely and ask the president why so many people were upset and was she to believe all of those angry signs? Why doesn't she just ask her Mom, Kathleen Hall? This is her with Obama last year:

.....right after she handed him a check. Hmm? Maybe that's how little Julia was picked "at random" to ask such a hard-hitting question of the chosen one.

Nice try Barry.

Voter's Remorse No. 32,456,877

I present the interesting link below as a follow up to my July 23rd post "Requiem to the F-22".

What is bothersome though, is that the good General that wrote the article was a national co-chair of Obama for President! So for all of the good opinion he presents on the F-22, it must be tempered with the total lack of respect I have for his backing of this so-called "commander" in-chief.

Nice going General. Way to screw it up! Like you had no idea what this guy would attempt to do with our military? Voter's remorse is a terrible thing, but in your case it's inexcusable.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204908604574332870284931470.html

Temper, Temper

"They bring a knife....we bring a gun!"

"Get in their faces."

"I don't want to quell anger. People have a right to be angry. I'm angry!"

"Hit back twice as hard!"

All recent quotes from our president, acting soooo presidential. Actually, all of these were taken from various speeches he's given over the last week, counseling his union buddies, fund-raisers and other assorted community-activist minions, about how to deal with the "mobsters" currently in conflict with his socialist programs.

Sounds angry doesn't he?

He says he never listened to any of Jeremiah Wright's rantings, but something must have rubbed off anyway, because he's sounding more like him every day.

He uses far worse language on middle-class Americans who dare to disagree with him than he would on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Kim Jong Il.

The end of this honeymoon is starting to get real ugly. Too bad we have to wait until 2012 for the divorce to be final!

The Hypocrisy is Deafening

Even I was surprised at the hypocrisy of the dems in the senate this time.

A resolution to allow the vehicles turned in for the "Cash for Clunkers" program to go to charities, was rejected. The vote was almost entirely down the party lines with almost all dems voting "nay".

Several people had already pointed out how the Clunker program was going to negatively hurt those charities that typically move a lot of these old cars to the poor through individual donations. So one would think that this resolution today would have really helped to preserve that process. But the dems say no. Why? Isn't this the party of the underprivileged? Isn't this the party that urges us to recycle everything from plastic forks to kitty litter, but now want to simply scrap these cars?

Well, I haven't read any analysis yet, but I have a couple of ideas:

1. Their good friends at the U.A.W. simply wouldn't allow it, because by scrapping more cars you do force more new vehicle sales somewhere in the food chain.
2. They like the idea of seeing that personal tax deduction go away.

Any other thoughts? I'm sure we'll hear some, but better yet, why don't one or two of those esteemed journalists in the mainstream media ask one of these hypocrites to explain their vote? Let's hear it directly from some of these libs who, unlike those evil, wealthy Republicans, really care about the less fortunate.

"Recess" With the Queen

From Politico:

"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi moves in a rarefied world of high society and high-level politics — and nothing underscores that fact quite like her plans for the August recess.
Pelosi will spend next weekend quietly tending to top party donors and political allies at a series of private events in Northern California.
The two-day “issues conference” starts next Friday night with a dinner for roughly 170 guests on the back lawn of Pelosi’s multimillion-dollar home in the fashionable Pacific Heights neighborhood in San Francisco.
The following day, Pelosi will shepherd her guests to a Napa Valley winery with buildings designed by world-famous architect Frank Gehry; the speaker and her husband, investor Paul Pelosi, own a nearby vineyard worth between $5 million and $25 million, according to her annual financial disclosure report."

.....and maybe that's one reason why she has trouble empathizing with the "little people" and their everyday issues.

Perhaps a town-hall meeting could help her "reconnect"?

Who Said This?

"I'm sick and tired of people who say that if you debate and disagree with this administration, somehow you're not patriotic. We need to stand up and say we're Americans, and we have the right to debate and disagree with any administration."

Interesting quote. It could have come from any number of current bloggers, talk-radio guys and other "right-wing" conspirators. Or it could have been someone in one of these "mobs", as liberals are currently calling the folks speaking out against Barack Hussein's socialist programs in lib town hall meetings.

Nope.

It was our friend Hillary Clinton. Could she have been correct? What say you.....Barry, Nancy, Harry?

A Strange Turn of Events

Very good news indeed for those two American journalists that were being held by Korean whack-job Kim Jong Il. After 140 days they were "granted amnesty" through the efforts of ex-President Clinton and the Obama administration.

It's difficult to say what possessed the dictator to this level of cooperation. It is totally out of character when one views his past actions, especially in recent months. So I worry about what may have been promised to him, especially with this administration.

What was in it for him, when it seems that he has always been unfazed by any other "carrots" dangled in front of him; when any attempts at civilized discourse are totally rejected? Now, suddenly, he decides to act diplomatically and humanely? Doesn't add up.

Let's hope that it didn't cost us anything more than a tank of gas for Clinton's airplane, and that this is just a rare side of the always unpredictable mental case that runs that unfortunate country.

From Cuba, With Love

OK Michigan:

You elected the guy by a landslide. Mostly on the basis of how he was going to save the American auto industry and bring those jobs back. No wait. That's not quite true. You really didn't need any promises. After all, this is Michigan we're talking about, and you would have elected Kim Jong Il as long as he was the democrat on the ballot.

But anyway, I understand that whole auto thing is not quite working out as he promised, and that is shocking, but....

In a new development today on the Gitmo detainees, the White House has announced that Michigan will likely be the lucky recipient of those innocent "civilians" that have been held illegally down there in Cuba.

You're OK with that right? Your president has assured you that they aren't dangerous, and although it's probably not going to add any jobs, it will save those that were going to be lost due to a prison closing.

Now keep in mind that they won't be locked down all of the time. They will be coming and going from the prison to attend their trials which is their right under your president.

So see, Barack Hussein has not forgotten you Michigan. You've been in his mind all along. He was just looking for the right opportunity for you, and I guess a bunch of solid citizens from the Middle East is just what he wants to give you.

You played such a big role in the "mandate" he was given in the election.

You earned it and you deserve it; and I mean that sincerely. Emphasis on "deserve". Congratulations!

You Didn't Hear?

Hmmmm. Let's see; the Episcopal Church in the U.S. could count as many as 2.0 million members, but that's probably stretching it. And in their recent convention, when the liberal leadership approved two resolutions allowing both gay ordination and the blessing of same-sex relationships, the headlines throughout the mainstream media were HUGE.

Yet now, the 8.0 million member United Methodist Church's General Conference rejects similar legislation in a win for the conservatives within that denomination, and......

Exactly. The silence is deafening.

I didn't read about it either, and likely wouldn't have, had I not seen today's post at www.getreligion.org titled "And in non-Episcopal News..."

Check it out, and do not doubt how tight the liberal factions are in this country, no matter where they live, work or even worship.