We should take this time to remember those who have fallen to preserve our liberty and sovereignty, and the best way to honor them is to continue to be vigilant and protect our freedoms and rights from those who would take them from us both from within as well as from outside of our borders.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." -- Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
"But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It behooves you, therefore, to be watchful in your States as well as in the Federal Government." -- Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address, March 4, 1837
The patriot volunteer, fighting for country and his rights, makes the most reliable soldier on earth.- Thomas J. Jackson
We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. - Edward R. Murrow
More great quotes are here.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Some Thoughts For Memorial Day
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Parody Music For Saturday - More Al Gore Global Warming
That's another ditty from Paul Shanklin...here is the original and more uplifting version, "What A Wonderful World" done by Satchmo - Louis Armstrong (I just love that song)
Friday, May 23, 2008
Maxine Waters - Self Proclaimed Congressional Socialist
"This Liberal will be all about Socializing..... Government running all of your companies" - Maxine Waters (D) California
Congressional Socialists/Liberals have done everything to prevent the cultivation of new sources of oil and energy for this country - Why? So they can usher in government control of business in the name of "helping the American people". Their inaction and absurd policies have hurt all of us - and you can bet that pretty soon we will be seeing $5 or more a gallon of gas.
In my estimation the Republicans have been no better, because they have failed to honestly promote and pass legislation that would work to aggressively help develop alternative energy sources.
Are oil companies reaping loads of profits.. yes .. but they also have to contend with massive regulations and restrictions too.
Should they be able to reap such huge profits? perhaps yes - that is the essence of capitalism. But by the same token a true market economy would keep that in check. Real competition would mean that people would be able to buy from whoever offers the cheaper price.
The fact of the matter is that we need more sources of energy to be developed because scarcity will definitely drive up prices and if other emerging and developing countries are now demanding more oil and gas then we have more competition for those resources.
I don't agree with "using less" as being the only way out of this energy morass. Using less means restricting our activities and slowing productivity. Environmentalism and wise use of resources is a good thing - but "extreme environmentalism" is stifling and counterproductive to our economy. We need a balance and we need a palette of energy choices. Between solar, wind, geo-thermal, nuclear, hydropower, biofuels, natural gas, fossil fuels and hydrogen energy we have the potential to create a huge portfolio of methods and sources to be used by everyone to create as much energy as we need and want and when we want it. What we need is to get government out of the way so that innovation and business can get it done.
The time for alternate energy sources to be developed is now - the time for open markets and more competition is now. The answer is NOT a socialized or nationalized economy or government takeover of business...because that gives us already proven failed economic programs and models.
Interestingly enough, even the esteemed Ted Kennedy wouldn't allow wind power to be generated near his home. So much for the Liberals who would like us to believe they hunger for alternate forms of energy production.
Who Died And Made You King?
Honestly - The United States is supposed to be a Democracy, or technically a Constitutional Republic, so where does Ted Kennedy come off telling people he wants his wife to take his Senate seat? The notion of dynastic rule was what this country was formed to escape from. Our founders had it with Kings and rulers who ruled by birthright.
That shows how little respect Kennedy has for the voting process that he feels he can "bequeath" what he says is "his seat" to someone of his own choosing. And gee whiz, people are already commenting that in this "handing over of power" he is bypassing his late brother Robert Kennedy's eldest son, Joe, a former congressman. But the point is, this seat is not "his" to give away!
Ok, so the guys got brain cancer, but this doesn't give him the automatic right to say who takes his seat when it is vacated. That should entirely be left up to the voters of Massachusetts, who it seems have not had the will or desire to depose the Kennedy clan of this seat over the years. That in and of itself is kind of unsettling. Kennedy won the seat in 1962; his brother John held it from 1953 to 1960.
The news article says: Under current Massachusetts law, his successor for the rest of his term, which ends in 2012, would be picked by special election. State rules that allowed the governor to pick a temporary replacement were changed in 2004 when John Kerry was the presidential nominee and the Democratic state legislature feared then-GOP Gov. Mitt Romney would appoint a fellow Republican if Kerry won.
If the Republicans can get a decent candidate to run against Miss Vicki (no, not the one of Tiny Tim fame) or any other Democrat for that matter - and run entirely on the issues instead of allowing Miss Vicki some bizarre rights of succession, then they ought to do so.
Political pros, however, say a dying Kennedy's endorsement of Vicki would likely carry enormous weight with state voters.
I find these notions of dynastic succession repugnant, and that includes the Bush-Clinton flavor of dynastic entitlement.
America ought to stop voting like some sort of perverse loyal serfdom or they will continue to be treated like serfdom.
Just as a review - (from Wiki)
Forms of Government:
- Anarchism
- Aristocracy
- Authoritarianism
- Autocracy
- Band society
- Chiefdom
- Colony
- Communist state
- Corporatocracy
- Democracy
Thursday, May 22, 2008
This Just In: Polygamists' Rights Were Violated
Court: Texas had no right to take polygamists' kidsSAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) -- A state appellate court has ruled that child welfare officials had no right to seize more than 400 children living at a polygamist sect's ranch.
For whatever you might think of the lifestyle of these people (and I absolutely do not condone what is believed to be some of their practices) we still do have some due process laws in this country which cannot and should not be ignored, and apparently many of these families' rights have been violated.
The Third Court of Appeals in Austin ruled that the grounds for removing the children were "legally and factually insufficient" under Texas law. They did not immediately order the return of the children.
Child welfare officials removed the children on the grounds that the sect pushed underage girls into marriage and sex and trained boys to become future perpetrators.
The appellate court ruled the chaotic hearing held last month did not demonstrate the children were in any immediate danger, the only measure of taking children from their homes without court proceedings.
The wholesale round-up of hundreds of people from this compound is just astonishing, especially as it came about from a mysterious phone call by a person that has yet to be identified.
The fact of the matter is that this raid was accomplished in a very bizarre manner. I guess it's a good thing the place wasn't torched like WACO, so maybe government agents are slowly learning. In any case this court's ruling is very interesting, and what is also interesting is that they did not mandate the return of the kids to their families.
I also found this article from the Salt Lake Tribune to be very interesting:Children living in crowded quarters that led to upper respiratory illnesses. Youngsters plagued with diarrhea from unhealthy foods they usually did not eat. Distressed mothers enduring widespread rudeness - such as flashlights shined in their faces as they tried to sleep.
Suffice it to say that parents have said they were lied to by DCF workers, and that Foster care has not been an optimal solution for many of these kids who have been raised completely differently from what most American kids experience. The whole thing is very sad and I feel badly for these kids most of all. They are scared, confused, and being subjected to totally foreign culture and food and this has got to be an incredible trauma for them overall, maybe even more so then the alleged abuse they were rescued from. We'll never know... but one thing is for certain the lawsuits will probably go on for a long long time.
Mental health professionals who helped care for FLDS women and children in the weeks after an April raid on the YFZ Ranch describe conditions and treatment they perceived as harsh and unnecessary.
"Never in all my life, and I am one of the older ladies, have I been so ashamed of being a Texan and seeing what and how our government agencies treat people," wrote one employee of Hill Country Community Mental Health and Mental...
"The floor was literally slick with tears..."
I find it interesting to see the legal and moral conflicts between religious freedom, child safety, personal rights, government intervention, constitutional rights, law enforcement and parental rights in this matter.
The Democrat Convention - The Lunatic Left RFP
Oh my goodness - green lunacy at its best. The Eco-fanatics are at it again in planning for the The Democrat National Nominating Convention on Aug. 25-28 which will bring about 50,000 people to Denver.
This article in the Denver Post just cracked me up: Fried foods are forbidden at the committee's 22 or so events, as is liquid served in individual plastic containers. Plates must be reusable, like china, recyclable or compostable. The food should be local, organic or both.
For the Democrats, who are of course the "party of the people" (i.e. the poor and down-trodden) it looks like this is going to cost a bundle to pull off. Everyone knows that using organic and local products hikes the costs. I wonder how many people taking advantage of the Left's expansive social programs will actually be able to afford to go to the convention. Perhaps they'll be looking for government grants for their travel expenses. But I digress...
And caterers must provide foods in "at least three of the following five colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple, and white,"
...
Caterers praise the committee and the city for their green ambitions, but some say they're baffled by parts of the RFP.
"I think it's a great idea for our community and our environment. The question is, how practical is it?" asks Nick Agro, the owner of Whirled Peas Catering in Commerce City. "We all want to source locally, but we're in Colorado. The growing season is short. It's dry here. And I question the feasibility of that."
They say that this strict green agenda is likely to live on after the last piece of confetti is dropped (oh... perhaps they won't be doing that... and aren't helium balloons destructive to the environment as well?) because they are creating a brochure that "the city will distribute widely to help guide local businesses interested in improving their green practices".
But is the DNC really being green?Joanne Katz, owner of Three Tomatoes Catering in Denver, cheers the committee's environmental aspirations and is eager to get involved with the convention, but she wonders if some of the choices the committee is making are really green.
Decisions, decisions.
Compostable products, such as forks and knives made from corn starch, are often imported from Asia, delivered to the U.S. in fuel-consuming ships. But some U.S. products are made from recyclable pressed paper. Which decision is more environmentally sound?
Oh and the footprint - don't forget the carbon footprint....The committee is working with other groups to develop a carbon-footprint "calculator" that will measure the environmental impact of each event and suggest an "offset" — a fee — that will go toward a fund helping to match carbon losses with carbon gains.
One commenter on the Denver Post article said this:
"That's a fun one," Burnap says. "If these event planners will calculate and offset, it will start to get the money flowing into the Colorado Carbon Fund, a fund that will reinvest in renewable energy here in Colorado." "Al Gore, having just landed in a private jet after hopping the world making millions lecturing the common man on how to live, was lounging by his heated swimming pool in his 20,000 SF house and could not be reached for comment.
LOL - It certainly would be much more down to Earth if they just planned something simple and low cost. What they are spending and what they are spending it on should give the American people pause to see that how they plan this convention is most likely how they will run this country.
Rumor has it he was eating blue food."
Better yet - they might as well call off the whole convention - we all know who the nominee will be .. Time magazine already told us all last week. Do they really need a huge costly eco-friendly extravaganza to reiterate what the media has already told us?
Just how many eco-conscious liberals will be flying in and out of Denver burning millions of gallons of fuel to get there to participate in the Obama Clinton slug fest? As for their recycling efforts...they will certainly have enough recycled party hacks on hand.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
CT - David Aron Begins Campaign For State House Seat
I couldn't be more excited and proud.
The Hamden Daily News (online) reported this today:David Aron doesn’t let the stats get in his way. Such as he’s one of about 4,000 registered Republicans in Hamden versus about 14,000 Democrats. Such as he just moved to town about 18 months ago and is not very well known. Such as he’s just 24 and has never run for local or any office, before.
I hope that you'll join me in supporting David's campaign. He'd be a tremendous asset to the CT legislature and will do a wonderful job representing Hamden.
No, Aron, a home-schooled Jewish boy from West Hartford, said he intends to steal the 91st House District seat from eight-term Democratic state Rep. Peter Villano this November, regardless. Villano could not be reached for comment but is expected to run again this year.
“This is a campaign about ideas and what is the best representation for Hamden,” said Aron, a traffic analyst for Wilbur Smith Associates in downtown New Haven. “It’s not about Republican or Democrat. It’s about who has the best ideas.” He was elected to the Hamden Republican Town Committee in January.
Aron’s ideas
Reforming public-education funding is at the top of the hopeful’s to-do-in-Hartford list. He talked about finding alternative funding sources and creating more state charter schools, which are less costly to run than their mainstream counterparts.
The spiciest piece of Aron’s education funding reform plan is allowing high-achieving students to graduate a year early.
“That could save the town millions. What I would propose is giving them [early grads] a $5,000 scholarship to attend a Connecticut college,” he said. The town and state would split the bill.
The millions in savings for Hamden (and the other 168) are realized, he said, by graduating the top 15 percent of the class after their junior year. It costs roughly $11,000 a year to teach a Hamden student.
Like a good Republican, Aron said he’d also campaign on lowering taxes.
“One thing I’m going to do is go through the state budget and look at programs that can be funded with user fees,” said the candidate, who filed his registration papers with the State Election Enforcement Commission yesterday. “Or if [programs are] not working we can eliminate or merge them. It’s one thing to say lower taxes. We need to look at what we can cut.”
About Aron
He described an intellectually stimulating childhood with “opinionated” Republican parents always on the pulse of things.
“My family was always talking about what was going on,” said Aron. “We’re very opinionated. I’d almost say we’re Republican Libertarians. We believe in individual freedom and that government should be small. I have mixed feelings about Bush.”
His parents pulled him out of public school after seventh grade and brought him home to learn, straight through 12th grade. Aron said public school wasn't academically challenging and his parents couldn’t afford private school.
“There was a lot of time wasted in the class on discipline,” he said.
Actually, Aron said he taught himself. His parents gave him books and he read. When he reached high-school age, he said he took classes at the University of Hartford and Trinity College. During this time, he got his first real taste of politics as a legislative aide to former Republican state Rep. Bob Farr of West Hartford.
Aron went to Boston University where he scored a degree in political science. Fresh out of college, he was hired as a traffic analyst in Cape Cod. On Sundays, he moonlighted as a Hebrew school teacher at Cape Cod Synagogue.
About a year and a half ago, Aron moved into the Madison Manor on Hamden’s Dixwell Avenue. He’s single. He’s young. And he’s hungry.
“This election is going to be won on the ground, door to door and hand to hand,” he said. “I have a lot of energy. I have a lot of drive. I’m committed to this.”
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs Potentially Hazardous When Broken
Can going green be hazardous to your health?
Energy efficient compact flourescent lightbulbs (CFL's) have mercury in them. The Environmental Protection Agency has put out specific procedures to be used when handling bulbs that have broken:
Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:
Open a window and leave the room (restrict access) for at least 15 minutes.
Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner.
Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available (do not use your bare hands).
Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard.
Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe.
Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it.
- If your state permits you to put used or broken fluorescent light bulbs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash (if no other disposal or recycling options are available).
- Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.
- If your state permits you to put used or broken fluorescent light bulbs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash (if no other disposal or recycling options are available).
- The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.
There are also concerns about them showing up in landfills... so one might be careful when disposing of them as well and here are the EPA guidelines for disposing of mercury containing lightbulbs.
NPR had a good piece about CFL's and their hazards. Aside from CFL's showing up in landfills, the article says that there are concerns that sanitation workers may be exposed to mercury if trash contains broken CFL bulbs.
the companies and federal government haven't come up with effective ways to get Americans to recycle them.In this recent article on MSNBC News - they state:
"The problem with the bulbs is that they'll break before they get to the landfill. They'll break in containers, or they'll break in a dumpster or they'll break in the trucks. Workers may be exposed to very high levels of mercury when that happens,"
The amount [of mercury in a CFL bulb] is tiny — about 5 milligrams, or barely enough to cover the tip of a pen — but that is enough to contaminate up to 6,000 gallons of water beyond safe drinking levels, extrapolated from Stanford University research on mercury. Even the latest lamps promoted as “low-mercury” can contaminate more than 1,000 gallons of water beyond safe levels.It will be interesting to see if mercury contamination of soil and water or in landfills rises in about 5-7 years when these CFL's start showing up in higher numbers in the trash and in our environment.
Sometimes technology gives us new problems as it attempts to solve current problems.
As for me, I'm sticking to incandescents and just being frugal with the light switch in general. I very rarely have to replace light bulbs in my house as it is.
Monday, May 19, 2008
A Public Service - Find The Least Expensive Gasoline Near You
Because your time is valuable, I'd like to help you in your quest to economize. Here's a nifty little web page. Just enter your zip code on this site, and it tells you which gas stations have the cheapest prices (and the highest) on gas in your zip code area. It's updated every evening. You will see a map of your area and then scroll down and you will get a listing of gas prices in your area with addresses and brands starting with the cheapest and going up.
Here is also an interesting website - Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
AAA also has average prices by state
And here is a list of Cheapest gas prices in CT of course if you live near the Massachusetts border you can pay about 15-20 cents less and avoid the higher CT gas tax.
Dipping Into The Onion - Are Politicians Failing Lobbyists?
"If you make a deal you make a deal!" LOL
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Obama Visits 57 States
Gosh these folks need a vacation already.
Sort of the presidential nominee version of "If It's Tuesday It Must be Belgium" - that was a good movie.
Looks like he's already visited the state of confusion.
Unless it was some sort of Freudian slip:
Did you know - There are 57 Islamic states - that is, 57 member states in the OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference)
"The primary goals of the OIC are, according to its Status, "to promote solidarity among all Islamic member states." The flag of the OIC is green with upward-facing red crescent enveloped in a white disc. On the disc the words "Allahu Akbar" are written in modern Arabic."
Nah - that can't be it.
The guy is just badly in need of time off.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Parody Music For Saturday - Be Our Guestworker
Oh that John McCain....
Paul Shanklin brought us that parody of the Disney song from Beauty and the Beast, "Be Our Guest"
Here is the original.
