Bits & Pieces

TIME FOR SCHOOL PHOTOS

With Labor Day Weekend almost upon us, parents everywhere are readying their children for school. Soon after they return to school, they will have the opportunity to have their pictures taken for posterity and future embarrassment. Parents will be shocked to learn that this year they will also have the option of having their childs portrait painted at the same discounted price that federal employees qualify for. Apparently specially designed frames are also available for federal employees, because Congressman Charlie Rangle is having his portrait painted, including a designer frame, at taxpayer expense, for the sum of $64,000. Now there is very little that I admire about Mr. Rangle's politics, but he is a Korean War veteran and an elected official, and since he has yet to qualify for a mug shot, he should be able to have his likeness hung in the hallowed halls of Congress. But when you're going to pay more for a "portrait" than the average Lewis County resident makes in a year, I think it's time to dig out the old Kodak for crying out loud.

THANKS - BUT NO THANKS

I could not help but laugh when I noticed that Fidel Castro has made it known that the ticket of Hillary for President and Obama for Veep would be a winning combination. Is this one of those times you might say - with friends like that, who needs enemies? I can't wait to see who Hugo Chavez is backing, but if Robert Kennedy Jr. decides he would like to replace Hillary as our next Senator, I'm sure that Benito Jr. will offer his support along with all that cheap oil he can spread around thanks to our continued use of CITGO stations.

I'M GUISEPPE FREAKIN' FRANCO

His commercial for that hair growing product is hilarious. He charges his customers in Beverly Hills $450 for this treatment - you only use it once a month - and you can buy it on TV for $20, plus shipping & handling (shipping and handling really stands for "profit and more profit - thank you very much). After the voice over, you see this spike-haired Italian who looks like the spaced out brother of Al Pacino. In another version of this work of art, the voice over refers to his "celebrity clients", and you see a quick shot of him hugging Gary "I should have worn my cycle helmet" Busey. Two space cadets locked in a loving embrace - Brokeback Mountain meets Italian Sci-Fi. Guiseppe then goes on to tell us: " Duhhhhhh - I don't own the company. Duhhhhhhhhhhhhh - I don't know anything about it!" This is a tough one to calculate: are people in Beverly Hills so pretentious that they really pay this jerk $450 for a hair cut, or did the PR firm find this guy at a late night showing of Rocky IV?

AND THY SHEEP SHALL WEAR UNDERWEAR

You just can't make this crap up. I've talked about Michael Yon before and his reporting from Iraq. It seems that some of the local tribal chiefs decided to turn on AQ not only because they were indiscriminately killing civilians, but they were demanding that the genitalia of sheep by covered. Shepherds were beaten when AQ found that the sheep were not wearing underwear that covered their genitals. http://michaelyon-online.com/wp/the-ghosts-of-anbar-part-ii-of-iv.htm This will take you to "The Ghosts of Anbar" Part II. After you scroll down the page, you'll find an area highlighted that says something to the effect "I heard this all over Iraq". You'll be directed to You Tube where you can see the Iraq's talking, and hear the voices of Michael and his interpreter.

...AND THERE SHALL BE NO END ...

After Labor Day weekend, the assualt you thought was all out will start to kick into high gear. The "wannabes" will be incessant from now until the elections next year. We'll get a brief break, very brief, around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but that's about it. During an election year, valium should be made available free of charge to every American who is stupid enough to follow politics. Maybe with the valium they'll just go to sleep and wake up November 1, 2008. That's more than enough time to catch up on everthing they've missed.

Have a great Labor Day weekend and remember to thank the government for taking your hard earned money.

The New "We Suck" Power Vacuum from Iran & Liberal America

"I can tell you there will be a power vacuum in the region. We are ready with other regional countries, such as Saudi Arabia, and the people of Iraq to fill this vacuum."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

It will be difficult to listen to the cut and run crowd after Labor Day, especially in light of the success of the change in strategy in Iraq, as well as today's telegraphic statement from Iran's head nutcase. In complete defiance of the stated and unstated objectives of Iran, the so called Progressive (aka Liberal) wing of the Democrat Party will again ask for a commitment to act as crazy as Ahmadinejad by trying to set a timeline for withdrawal.

When Herr Hitler was writing Mein Kampf after the abortive Beer Hall Putsch, he clearly outlined his strategy for lebensraum, or "living room". All Joe Stalin had to do was read the book and he would have known that Adolf was coming sooner or later. I wonder if Neville Chamberlain ever read the book? If he did not, he was remiss in not doing so. If he did read the book, and then went on to sign the Munich Agreement anyway, he was criminally inept.

Appeasement did not stop the Nazi's; it will not stop the terrorists; it will not stop Iran. You may choose to believe that Iran wants a nuclear capacity for peaceful purposes only. You may believe that we need to abandon the people of Iraq as soon as possible. If so, you have opted to stand along side other good men who chose to do nothing in the past. In the long run, it only means that more people will die as a result of the lack of action. The error of omission is only viewable in the rear view mirror. The supposed error of commission, our standing up for the freedom of others, is easy to assail in the here and now. The difficult task is sustaining the effort despite the inescapable desire for peace. How easy it is to fall under the sway of a false hope for peace through acquiescence.

I learned how to type in the summer of 1967 as a somewhat ambitious/bored-in-the-country sixteen year old. One of the sentences that I used to help hone my digital dexterity was the following:

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.

I would amend that phrase today to read:

Now is the time for all good men to stand by their country -

not their party!

Patience Is A Virtue

. . . but who's got the time?

The birthdays of August are slowing giving way to a new school year and the coming of autumn. Of late, I have found little of value between my ears, thus the lack of posts. Introspection, at times useful, can be down right depressing as well.

For lack of insight, I'll just go with plain old "sight" and share a few pictures with you:

If we could only get the cows in Lewis County to do this -

what a tourist attraction across from Lloyd's!

I don't know

about you, but

this picture pretty

much tells you how

I look at Mondays.

In Memory of Bethany Teresa Blair

August 21, 1979 - December 5, 2006

You live in our hearts

Each tear bears our love

Oh Jessie - Where for art thou?

New Orleans is an interesting city. Known as the home of Bourbon Street Blues & Dixieland music, after Hurricane Katrina it has become known for much more, and very little of it distinguishes New Orleans as anything other than a mess. My company is holding our annual convention in New Orleans in November, and I must say that I am not looking forward to it for a couple of reasons:

1. ) Flying: If I'm stuck on the tarmac for 5 hours or more, I'm liable to have numerous federal charges placed against me. I am a capitalist, but I'm also a human being. I don't care how much it screws up your schedule for the rest of the day, or how much money you're going to lose - if you've had my sorry ass in the plane and on the ground for more than 90 minutes, I want the option to get out without having to kidnap a stewardess or whatever they're calling them these days.

2.) Chocolate: Normally I can't get enough of it, especially dark chocolate, but if the chocolate has anything to do with Mayor Ray Nagin, I'll just pass on dessert.

3.) Corruption & Racism: In case you missed the story, Orleans Parish District Attorney Eddie Jordan's conviction for violating the civil rights of his employees was upheld, so the $3.5 million dollar fine, along with accrued interest, will now have to be paid by the taxpayers of New Orleans.

What is it that Mr. Jordan did? Well, when he was elected, he came in and fired dozens of longtime employees and replaced them with his cronies. All the people fired were white - all the people hired were black.

The Rev's Jackson & Sharpton have yet to make any announcement as to when they'll stage marches and demonstrations in support of all those poor white folks.

It makes me chuckle every time I hear some nitwit start bashing President Bush again as if Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath were all his fault. The federal government, and the buck does stop on his desk, could have performed better to be sure, but look at the aftermath. How many people do you hear crying the blues in Mississippi - especially Gulf Port? No, the wailing and gnashing of teeth is coming from that below sea level cesspool that many prior residents have chosen not to return to.

The link below will take you to a site where you can see ABC's Brian Williams trying to conduct an interview with DA Jordan. When asked about comments by U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez (I don't know that he should be pointing fingers at anyone), DA Jordan and his assistant decided it was time to end the interview.

blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/08/new_orleans_dis.html - 107k -

If you have the stomach for it, do some web surfing and find out how Democrats have practiced politics in Louisiana for the past 100+ years. The corruption continues unabated, and the racism and discrimination are not limited to only one race. If you're a Republican, don't slap a grin on your face and point fingers, because there are plenty of examples to be drudged up of Republican hypocrisy as well.

The object lessons are quite simple:

Absolute power does corrupt, and when you throw in a little Deep South humidity, you can smell the stench from a long ways off.

You don't have to be a white, Anglo-Saxon to be a corrupt politician or a racist.

The Doldrums

The wind has little to say and the heat prevails
Don't know when the sails will fill again, but they will
They always have
The hour to mark draws near
Without her - without the wind
My compass is awry, but He navigates
So the journey continues, the color of the sky unimportant
Just another twinkle in the galaxy
Some images seen now only with eyes closed

Of "Kos" Not

The transformation of the Democrat Party is no where near complete. The chrysalis has formed, and inside that hard shell is a new party - ready to burst forth upon the scene. Attuned to the blogosphere, ready to manage the rest of the 21st Century and beyond, the process takes an inevitable step at the Kos Convention this week. Interested in learning more, here's their website:

http://www.yearlykosconvention.org/about

Along the right hand side you'll see the icons for Move On.org, unions and other supporters of the liberal side of the house. As they put it, they're "building a netroots nation". You've got to give them credit - once they saw that even a lightweight like Howard Dean could raise money via the Internet, they've have seized upon the opportunity and taken greater advantage of it than the conservative side of the house.

They are organized - they have money - and I'm not losing any sleep over it.

That's not to say I won't watch closely, but when I think about liberals, I'm taken back in time to a television show that most of us "boomers" grew up with - The Andy Griffith Show. Inside that chrysalis, the new albino (white - the color of surrender) butterfly will spring forth with the body of Ted Kennedy and the face of Don Knotts.

For you youngsters out there who don't remember the late Mr. Knotts, he played the hapless, lovable Deputy Barney Fife (geez - I almost typed Barney Frank - now wouldn't he have been an interesting character on that show in the late 50's, early 60's?) in the fictional town of Mayberry, NC. Now Barney meant well, but he had a propensity to mistakenly analyze any given situation, and then proceed to react in a hilarious Chicken Little fashion.

Barney was armed, but he only had one bullet, which he had to keep in his shirt pocket, not in his gun, and therein lies the heart of my analogy. Democrat politicians have allowed the far left of their party to dictate the direction of the party, to the point that it is almost unrecognizable as the party of Harry Truman or John Kennedy. Electing anyone who openly embraces the kind of socialist fare you'll find on the Daily Kos would be akin to having Barney Fife as the Secretary of Defense - or Barney Frank for that matter.

So make sure you watch the news this week and listen to the caterwauling of the "Kossacks" from the Kos Convention. You should be aware of what they're doing, and I'm sure you'll find plenty that's entertaining in a Dali-esque sort of way, but you don't need to lose any sleep, because there are still plenty of Andy Taylor's looking out for you.

Sean & Benito, sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g . . .

My first mistake was turning on the laptop. My second mistake was going to "The Drudge Report". That's when I saw the picture - a picture that could launch a thousand stomachs. There was the epitome of Hollywood banality, Mr. Sean Penn his self, sharing an obviously deep thought with my Latin American hero, Benito Chavez Jr.

Those were my initial thoughts, but then all of a sudden it hit me - I don't know how I could have been so wrong about Benito Jr.. Now that Cindy Sheehan, Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, and now Mr. Sean Penn have gone and met with him, I believe I can begin to see the error of my ways. When people such as these four graduates of the College of Real Politik stamp their imprimaturs on Benito Jr., I guess it's time for me to reevaluate my position.

I see now that closing down the sole remaining independent television station was for the benefit of the people. Forging economic and military alliances with Iran and Russia is obviously for the benefit of the people. Warning foreigners that they will be expelled from the country if they say naughty things about Benito Jr. is for the benefit of the people. It is quite obvious that everything Benito Jr. does is for the benefit of the people and he is indeed a great humanitarian.

I am going to start buying my gas only at Citgo stations - just as soon as I get that lobotomy.

God Bless The Child

"Children are the world's most valuable resource and it's best hope for the future."

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

"Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven"

Henry Ward Beecher

It has become so ordinary, so commonplace, that without photos or graphic descriptions, sexual assault on a child seems to just meld in with all the rest of the day's news. Why is there even any discussion as to whether or not a website dedicated to pedophiles and ways to attract young children is protected by free speech? How can a judge let a child rapist go just because she can't find a translator, when the perpetrator speaks English? How can a Vermont judge let the rapist of a young boy off with no jail time?

The "how" is quite simple - liberals/secularists/progressives - choose your own label - apply the same skewed logic to all situations. Since no one is responsible for their actions any longer, due to the corrosive effect of the military-industrial complex that controls us all, in conjunction with the effects of global warming, there is no evil in the world, only good folks who've had a bad break.

When you hear something facetious like that last statement, remember that there is always a grain of truth to be found - the grain that prompted the jibe in the first place.

http://http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,280413,00.html

The link directly above will take you to a story about how Texas is considering the death penalty for a child rapist. Based on past postings, you know that I'm not a supporter of the death penalty - for any reason. My son and I were discussing the issue, and he asked if I wouldn't want the death penalty for someone who had raped and murdered one of his sisters. I assured him that I would feel the desire for that ultimate revenge, but in forgiveness there is peace and the soul can still rejoice. Unless defending yourself or one's country, the taking of another human life should be left to God's serendipity.

For those of you now thinking I have gone soft in the head, let me tell what I would do. If I were able to propose a state or federal law, it would very simple. The fewer words you use, the fewer things lawyers can misconstrue.

1st Offense - Child Molestation and all related crimes - you have two options:

1.) Castration / Chemical Regimen to control desires / Chance of parole in 10 years

2.) Life in prison

That's it. No excuses; no tolerance; two choices - Period!

Freedom of speech - not if you're promoting anything that can endanger a child. Your freedom of speech ends when you espouse anything that can harm a child. And just so we're clear on what a child is from a temporal perspective, the age would be 15 or younger.

I suppose that when a nation can blithely run on while 800,000 children are aborted every year, it's going to take a miracle to enact anything like the law I've proposed. The ACLU gets the splashy headlines when they demand that the Ten Commandments be removed from the lobby of a State Court House. Would anyone care to place a wager on which side of the pedophiles website issue they'd be on?

There are some questions that are innate to all of us:

Why am I here? What is my purpose in life?

On January 28, 1970, at a little after 6 in the morning, I received my answer - an answer which has been reaffirmed over the years. It was at that time that I looked into the eyes of my very first child - a beautiful little girl that took my heart away. That same feeling was present for my other three children as well, and it pops up unabashedly every time I hold a grandchild.

They are the reason I'm here - they are my purpose.

We tend to think we're so superior to the human beings of thousands of years ago - our technology makes that easy to do - but in some cases, we've forgotten the important things. How long do you think a child molester would have lasted with them?

I plan on copying and pasting this blog into emails to both Senators Clinton & Schumer. I expect nothing other than the standard email reply, and I don't expect either of them to actual read it, but if you don't plant a sunflower seed, sunflowers will never grow.

Feel free to plant in your children's garden.