Danger Democrat

My friends, if you've never had the opportunity to visit the Northern New York blog "Danger Democrat", may I suggest that today would be the perfect day to do so:

http://www.jeffersondemocrat.org/

If the name of the blog didn't give it away, I suppose the web address might give you a hint or two as to Mr. Ford's political bent, but don't let that dissuade you from venturing over. Regardless of what label we hang on someone, they're still human beings first, and they're Americans second - that should be sufficient.

I will admit that we're still looking for more issues we can agree upon, but even if we never looked at another issue with a similar perspective, I respect and admire his writing and his sense of fair play.

I also get a kick out of his bullshit too.

Thus, this abbreviated blog to direct you to Danger Democrat and his entry "You Gotta Understand BS", then just click on his link for one of the funniest pieces of political satire you'll ever see or hear.

And I'm guessing that Ted and I have just found another facet of political life in America that we wholeheartedly agree upon.

Since it is Halloween, let me leave you with my selection from the Google search "Hillary as a witch":

Where the hell is NORAD when you need them? Apologies to the creator of this fine piece of caricature for not noting you, but after following a couple of links I still couldn't find out who you are, but you do nice work.

Ahnold in Callyfornya

It's difficult to do an accent using the written word, so in case you're having difficulty with my Viennese accent, the title should read "Arnold in California". I was never a fan of his during his bodybuilding days because I've never had any interest in body building, other than what could be accomplished with a six pack and a grill. As far as his movies are concerned, he was a great bodybuilder.

When it comes to being Governor of California, I am very impressed - most of all by the fact that he doesn't act like a politician. His handling of Claire Shipman, the ABC reporter, the other day was absolutely masterful. Anytime you can take a question posed to create controversy where their was none, and turn things around on the smarmy little twit that was asking the question, you've done a wonderful job. That was nothing he could have prepared for ahead of time, he just reacted instinctively.

The obvious comparison here is with Governor Kathleen Blanco, the State of Louisiana, and Hurricane Katrina. Suffice it to say that Ms. Blanco's decision not to run for Governor again was probably a wise one, as you could have counted the votes she would have gotten on two hands and a foot. Her handling of Hurricane Katrina was dismal at best, and in no way should be construed as anything other than someone verifying the Peter Principle. She just happened to be a Democrat, and she just happened to be totally inept. Although there are times when the words Democrat and inept are synonyms, that is not always the case. I think Mayor Ray Nagin went well beyond inept to downright ignorant. When you have a lot of solid sewage mixed with water, viola = Chocolate City.

When you look at the way the people of California have reacted to the wild fires, you might wonder if California and Louisiana are part of the same country. The racists will automatically presume that skin color made all the difference, politicians just point at each other, and the news media is busy looking for sensational sob stories - so what is the real reason for the great difference in reaction to disaster?

Leadership and self-reliance. In California you had leadership, in Louisiana you had none. In California you had people familiar with the dangers of wild fires and they were prepared to act. In Louisiana you had people familiar with the dangers of a hurricane, and they were prepared to sit on their asses until the government told them what to do. Therein lies the danger of socialism - it is addictive in nature and promotes reliance on the state, not on one's self. Maybe it's just me, but if there's a major hurricane coming and I don't have a car, I think I could figure out a way to get out of Dodge.

Think of it this way: You're a parent, your 17 year old daughter has the car and has a flat tire. She calls, she's crying; doesn't know what to do and needs you to come and change the tire for her - that's Louisiana. On the other hand, you never get the phone call because you've taught your daughter ahead of time how to handle the situation and she changed the tire herself - that's Callyfornya.

I have never had a lot of good things to say about California, especially in light of Sodom on the Sea (San Francisco), but in this case, the people of California should be very proud of themselves, their Governor, and all of the first-responders who have done such a great job.

Way to go Callyfornya!

I Don't Speak Mandarin, But I Like Oranges

Around the house I'm commonly referred to as "Hop Sing". Prior to calling me a racist, in addition to a redneck, let us recall the glory days of TV, and a show called "Bonanza".



The premise: Ben Cartwright had 3 sons, they were "brothas from different mothas" - sound interesting? It gets better - the mothers are all dead. For lack of the National Enquirer back then, Ben was able to stick to the natural causes story.

Anyway, these three young, virile men all live together at their big old ranch house called "The Ponderosa". (You didn't think the steak house just came up with that name did you?) Alone that is, but for their loyal manservant, Hop Sing.

Now I don't know what Hop-a-long did other than cooking and laundry, but I can assure you that I have earned that moniker solely for my ability to shrink wool sweaters without batting an eye. I have gotten better at not doing that anymore, but if I forget to bring my reading glasses with me, accidents do happen.

While driving back from Syracuse today, I thought that perhaps someday I would write a book called "Things I Learned While Doing The Laundry". Sounds pretty idiotic at first glance, but give it a minute.

I started doing the laundry a few years ago because my job allows me to have my office in my home. Since my wife worked as an RN, and we were raising three children, it seemed like the right thing to do. When my mother passed away in 1998, it became more than just a chore around the house, because it made me think of her.

Imagine yourself in 1959, you have four kids born in '51, '53, '54, '55 (the three in succession were all born in April - nothing like having a schedule and sticking to it). You're not wealthy and the washing machine has a wringer attached to the back of it. The actual electric washer and dryer were still a few years away. In addition to everything else you have to do raising these four hellions, you have to do all of their laundry. As I look back on it now, and as I look at pictures of how she dressed my brother and I alike, and my sisters alike, suddenly I'm not feeling all that much sympathy for the laundry she had to do.

I guess if I ever do write that book, or just an essay about it, the first thing I'll note is that I learned is this: I owe a lot to my mother. She would have been 78 this past Sunday, and though the years have slipped away, her influence on me lives on, and will continue to do so through future generations.

How Did Americanization Become Wrong?

About five years ago I was asked by my boss to be the first person from out department to attend a "Multi-Cultural Sensitivity Training" session being offered by some firm out of Washington D.C. The very first thing they did in this class was put up a list on the board and ask which word was appropriate. For example, should you call someone black or colored, Asian or oriental, white or Caucasian - you get the idea. So I raised my hand and asked what was wrong with just calling them "Americans"? For the next eight hours, I'm sure I irritated the hell out of them by contradicting everyone of their idiotic, touchy-feely ideas, to the point that the class was never offered again anywhere in the company. I'd love to take credit for it, but it was just such a lame-brained idea to begin with it probably expired from natural causes.

I received an email from a dear friend the other day, sporting a picture of Teddy Roosevelt and attributing a quote to him regarding immigration and Americanization. I found the words interesting enough to want to do some research to verify their accuracy, and I'm glad a did. The email has been circulating since 2005, and the factual error regards the date of the statement, not the context. I also located quotes from Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat not exactly in tune with Roosevelt's politics, and William Brandeis, a Supreme Court justice, in a related article by Dr. John Fonte, a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute.

Here are the quotes from Roosevelt, Wilson and Brandeis respectively:

ROOSEVELT: "It is not only necessary to Americanize the immigrants of foreign birth who settle among us, but it is even more necessary for those among us who are by birth and descent already Americans not to throw away our birthright, and with incredible and contemptible folly, wander back to bow down before the alien gods whom our forefathers forsook.

'In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile.....We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one soul (sic) loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.''' (ellipses in the original).

WILSON: "I certainly would not be one even to suggest that a man cease to love the home of his birth and the nation of his origin--these things are very sacred and ought not to be put out of our hearts--but it is one thing to love the place where you were born and it is another to dedicate yourself to the place to which you go. You cannot dedicate yourself to America unless you become in every respect and with every purpose of your will thoroughly Americans. You cannot become thoroughly Americans if you think of yourselves in groups. A man who thinks of himself as belonging to a particular national group in America has not yet become an American, and the man who goes among you to trade upon your nationality is no worthy son to live under the Stars and Stripes."

BRANDEIS: "What is Americanization? It manifests itself, in a superficial way, when the immigrant adopts the clothes, the manners, and the customs generally prevailing here. Far more important is the manifestation presented when he substitutes for his mother tongue the English language as the common medium of speech. But the adoption of our language, manners, and customs is only a small part of the process. To become Americanized the change wrought must be fundamental. However great his outward conformity, the immigrant is not Americanized unless his interests and affections have become deeply rooted here. And we properly demand of the immigrant even more than this,--he must be brought into complete harmony with our ideals and aspirations and cooperate with us for their attainment. Only when this has been done will he possess the national consciousness of an American."

So when did the "Melting Pot" become contaminated with Mad PC-Cow disease? Why do I have press 1 for English?

If you watched "Islam vs. Islamists" on Fox News last night as I did, you know full well what is happening, not only in our country, but in Europe and other parts of the world as well. Those few Muslims who wish to assimilate and become part of the culture they live in are scared to death to raise their voices. They have been beaten, threatened, and their families live in constant fear. I point this out not in an effort to create fear, only to illustrate one of the many results of embracing the faux-union of multiculturalism.

If you were born here, why are you Italian-American, Irish-American, African-American, etc. -

YOU'RE AN AMERICAN

Call me old-fashioned, but the sooner we start promoting the concept of Americanization again, the better off we'll be. If you'd like to be multi-cultural, go to Europe and see how Muslim efforts to create a Sharia-ruled caliphate within the structure of the European Union are coming.

If the pot that we've been stirring the best brew the world has ever known in should crack and spring a leak, I don't see any Teddy Roosevelt's on the horizon, with either a new pot or the means to fixed the old one. All I see are separate interest groups, unions, a biased media, and a rudderless ship of state incapable of building even the simplest of fences.

Do They Never Learn?

There are times when all the stars align just perfectly, and the vagaries of life come together to give just desserts to those without a Twinkie. This week we have been provided with two examples, one that warmed my heart, and another that chilled it.

A Rush To Judgement

Up to this point I have refrained, other than a brief mention in passing, from referring to the letter that Dirty Harry Reid and the rest of the senatorial lemmings sent to Clear Channels, accusing Rush Limbaugh of denigrating "phony soldiers". As I write this on Friday morning, the bid for the letter on Ebay is now over $2 million - and Rush has pledged to match whatever amount is raised. The monies will go to fund the education of children who's parents have died in the line of duty, both military and police.

The reason I find this heartwarming: Rush took the thrown lemons, made lemonade, he's selling the lemonade, giving the proceeds to fund children's education, and the the lemon-throwers are left with a puckered look on their faces. I guess you could call the letter signers a bunch of dumb puckers.

Rush has challenged the puckered Democratic demogogues to match him, but don't expect any of them to step up to the plate. Their efforts to distance themselves from the "General Betrayus" ad were so pitiful, I almost felt sorry for them - almost. At least in this instance, I could understand the reason behind the action, even if it was pitifully transparent.

The "Randi Rhodes Right Wing Conspiracy"

This little item serves to further illustrate why Air Amerika is the most dismal radio endeavor ever attempted. Randi Rhodes, on air "talent" for Air Amerika, tripped and fell in NYC - perhaps she's as spastic physically as she is mentally, who knows. Before any of the facts were in, before anyone bothered to check to see exactly what happened, the Tweedle-Dum to her Tweedle-Dee, Jon Elliott, announced on air that she had been attacked be right-wing thugs.

Although he did apologize on air yesterday for jumping to conclusions, the damage was already done. If you'd like to see what I mean by damage, just Google the story and go to the "Village Voice" website. The reason I suggest you go there is not the story itself, but the postings that accompany the story. The "damage" is there to see for anyone who can read. The anger, hatred and vitriol are so disconcerting that I found I could only read a sampling before reaching my limit.

Once again we're being treated to the lunacy that partisanship generates. Having been an all too willing participant, and finding it almost impossible not backslide every now and then, I have no idea how we're going to get this country back together, but I can assure you that jumping to conclusions is not the way to do it.

When I see Putin and Ahmadinejad buddying up to each other, or when I see Benizir Bhutto almost assassinated in Pakistan by AQ/Taliban terrorists, I have all I need to fuel my paranoia - I don't need any help from the partisan wingnuts on either side of the aisle.

PS - I DON'T LOVE YOU

I'm adding this because I just saw a billboard on "Fox on Friends" that really warmed my heart. It seems a gentleman in Alabama, who just happens to own a billboard, feels much the same way as I do about Hugo Chavez, aka Bentio Jr. - he doesn't love him. His billboard has a picture of Hugo holding up a Citgo sign, and the caption reads: DON'T BUY GAS FROM THIS ASS!

I LOVE IT!

Gingerich vs. Pelosi

For those of you who are not students of WWII history, there was an incident that has become known as the Katyn Forest Massacre. Here's a website where you can read some detail about the actions of the Soviet Union:


http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=The_Katyn_Forest_Massacre_Remembered

I must admit to not being a student of the history of the Armenian massacre, so I did some surfing and found this website that provides similar information to the one above:

http://www.armenian-genocide.org/genocide.html

The only real difference between the two is year (years in the case of the Armenians) in which the atrocities were committed.

Now let's forward to the year 1995, when Newt became Speaker of the House. In July of 1995, a debate ensued regarding the Katyn Forest Massacre, and excerpts of the debate were published in the Baltic Times:

http://www.latvia.no/index.php?articleid=199&expand=

Now Newt was new, Nancy is new, but you know who I like best between the two. (Sorry, I couldn't help myself with the idiotic rhyme.)

Don't get me wrong, condemning the actions of the Ottoman Empire would be entirely relevant - if only it still existed today. The modern day Turks, our allies if you disregard Iraqi Freedom, did not pull any triggers, but neither have they sufficiently beaten their brows or even acknowledged it happened to the satisfaction of the rest of the world.

It is entirely noble of Squeaker of the House Pelosi to want to condemn the actions that took place about 100 years ago, but as with many things in life, timing is everything.

If I were a Democrat, I would be desperately hoping that Ms. Pelosi's learning curve would soon start excellerating at a rate significantly faster then her poll numbers regarding her performance are dropping.

Newt had the timing right, because of the collapse of the Soviet Union. If we were to have a similar discussion regarding Katyn now, with the awakening of Soviet nationalism under Putin, it would be the same thing as condemning the Turks for slaughtering Armenians. It would be a measure that everyone could feel good and sanctimonious about, but it would accomplish nothing positive.

Therein lies Squeaker Pelosi's problem - lack of accomplishment, before and after assuming her position. I have come to expect nothing less from San Francisco then the oddest mankind has to offer, so Nancy fits right in.

With all of the potential threats from Russia, Iran, Venezuela, and Lord help us if we forget the Chinese, I certainly hope, even as a Republican, that Speaker Pelosi can grow into her job.

I do not, however, plan to bet the farm on it.

Odds & Ends

LET THE ATHEIST BE HEARD

Air Amerika, the rented mule of modern radio, has announced the launching this weekend of "Freethought Radio", a one hour talk show dedicated to atheists and agnostics. The personality that's helping to launch this undertaking is none other than Ron Reagan, son of our former President. He apparently has been an atheist from an early age and would argue with his parents regarding the existence of God. It would likely be painful to analyze the psychology of the relationship between father and son here, but it certainly gives one pause.

The obvious hope is that he will attract some listeners in the 25 cities where Air Amerika is carried. I picked it up in Syracuse one day while scanning the dial, and had a hard time staying on the road because I was laughing so hard. It wasn't that they were funny, just banal. Listen for more than 2 minutes and you'll know why they have had no success - they're just not entertaining. If you can't find it on your radio dial, just think of Harry Reid suggesting that Rush Limbaugh doesn't support the troops, and you've got Air Amerika.

TOLERANCE

Regardless of your choice of religion, or lack there of, tolerance is the key.

If you'd like to see an example of intolerance, and downright sacrilege if you're Catholic, please go to this site:

http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/index.html

Click on Watch Talking Points and watch the video "An Unholy Insult In San Francisco". I know there are liberals who would rather wash Dick Cheney's car than watch anything on Fox, so if you're one of "them", live a little - expand your horizons - let a little light shine in and watch it if only to see how the militant, atheist homosexuals dressed-up when they made a mockery of the sacrament of communion. They normally parade around San Frangizco dressed up as nuns, and they certainly had unusual garb on for this little stunt.

From refusing to allow a great battleship from WW II to dock in their port as a museum, to refusing to let the Marines film a commercial on their city streets, to performing illegal homatrimony, the powers-that-be in this Sodom-on-the-Sea have shown us time and time again what the future of America will look like once the secular progressives take over.

Their idea of tolerance is seeing things their way and shutting up. I'm willing to be tolerant, as long as you don't piss on my shoes and tell me it's rain.

THE YANKEES

I don't know what will happen to Joe Torre, but the man will always be a winner in my book. The Yankee bats feel silent, their pitching woes evident, and there was a VAST LEFT-WING CONSPIRACY TO DEFEAT THE YANKEES AND I HAVE PROOF!


I want a full investigation of Senators Kerry & Kennedy, and I want to know how they got those hats on the bugs!

Dammit Gumby, I am not paranoid!






THANK YOU
... for coming back and checking out my blog again. I know I've been absent for a while, and I've received kind words, thoughts and prayers from many of you. This old curmudgeon thanks you sincerely and wishes the blessings of God, the one I believe in, to all of you. Word has it that He thinks rather highly of you as well.

I Had A Friend

I first met Bobby during football practice in the summer of 1965. I was a skinny little freshman trying football for the first time in my life, and Bobby was a junior, trying out for quarterback on the JV team. Though I didn't know it then, this was only the first time I was to watch Bobby let one of his grand ideas quickly fall by the wayside when something else caught his fancy. He didn't last the week at football practice.

My next introduction to Bobb was when I was invited to join a trio of young "gentlemen" from Castorland in a band. I had been playing guitar for a couple of years by that time and was invited to try out as a bass player. I made the band, and did my first couple of jobs playing bass on a six string guitar with the bass tone turned all the way up. When I think about that, I still shudder.

One thing that never made me shudder though was Bobby's voice. He had the purest, cleanest tenor you ever laid ears on. When he sang "Cara Mia", a song by Jay and the Americans, it was a delight to listen to. Harmonies came easy to him; everything about his voice just seemed effortless, and for the rest of his life, if you needed someone to hit those high notes - Bobb was your man. His guitar work never progressed much beyond what he knew by 1975, but his showmanship did.

I knew Bobb's father because I used to spend an inordinate amount of time in Castorland at his parents house. His mother was, and still is, a wonderful woman, and the only one who gave Bobby the love that he wanted from both parents. A dour, almost speechless man, I have no idea how he grew into the emotionless man I saw, but I always felt so lucky knowing I had my Dad.

On a lovely Sunday afternoon this past September, I played with Bobby for the last time at a party up at Brantingham Lake. We had even gotten together the Friday prior to go over a few songs and select stuff from "The Book", that we would play on Sunday. As I prepared to leave that Sunday, I was asked to play longer, but having lost all desire to ever play again, I said no, but Bobby offered to stay. He was heading for Florida towards the end of September and said he could use the gas money. I let him use some of my equipment, which he dropped off on my front porch when I wasn't home later that week.

Driving home from Albany yesterday, I suddenly thought about Bobby and wondered if he'd found a laptop or PC to log onto yet. He had setup his new email address as "flbobb" and told me to try it after he'd been down there a couple of weeks.

On business in Malone today, I got a call just before noon and learned that Bobby had died yesterday, October 3, 2007. I have no details, nor do they matter one whit.

Another voice, a beautiful voice of my youth, is silent. A friend of 42 years, the only older brother I ever knew, has left.

I have recordings of us together, and I intend to listen to them - I just don't know when yet.

I love you Bobby.