May 29, 2005

Memorial Day

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They shall not grow old,
As we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them . .
Nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them!
-- Lawrence Binyon

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SWEET WARRIOR

Come to me, sweet warrior.
Take me by the hand.
Follow me to quiet places
in a quiet land.
Sleep in fields of emerald
beside the quiet sea.
Feel the sun upon your face
and stay awhile with me.

I followed you to battle, son,
and helped to calm your fears,
and laughed with you in happy times
and brushed away your tears.
I shielded you with tender wings
when you were very small,
staying close across the miles
after duty's call.

Come to me, sweet warrior.
Take me by the hand.
Follow me to quiet places
in a quiet land.
Walk with those who came before
beside the quiet sea.
Feel the mists upon your face
and stay awhile with me.

Gone's the time of duty now,
your battle has been won,
and brothers wait to welcome you
beneath a rising sun.
Take my hand, we'll go to them
it's where you need to be,
a land of gentle warriors
each one, USMC.

Come to me, sweet warrior.
Take me by the hand.
Follow me to quiet places
in a quiet land.
Walk amongst your brothers here
beside the quiet sea.
Feel the warmth of heaven's grace
and stay awhile with me.

-Lila Meyer, Dec 9, 2004

In Memoriam of Lance Corporal Kyle Renehan, Died Dec. 09, 2004 of wounds sustained in Iraq, in the service of his country

To all those Past, Present, and Future that have served their country in times of need, and in times of peace, most especially those that gave their final measure.

Addend: Here is a tribute that says it all. Just a letter to one little girl that will never know her father, except what others may tell her. Another fallen Hero. Never Forget.

Here is another, showing the true courage of a Marine, Sergeant Rafael Peralta. I feel a special bond with Sgt. Peralta, as he was an emigre like me. We may have come from different countries, but we were both Americans. NEVER FORGET.







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May 28, 2005

What if the tables were turned...

My friend Catfish sent this along...and like it said; if you agree, pass it along, and so I am. To you.


I thought I should pass this along, it gives everyone a perspective on what a reality check is all about.

Try driving around as a Gringo in Mexico with no liability insurance and have an accident.

Enter Mexico illegally...Never mind immigration quotas, visas, international law or any of that nonsense.

Once there, demand that the local government provide free medical care for you and your entire family.

Demand bilingual nurses and doctors.

Demand free bilingual local government forms, bulletins, etc.

Procreate abundantly.

Deflect any criticism of this allegedly irresponsible reproductive behavior with, "It is a cultural United States thing... You wouldn't understand, pal."

Keep your American identity strong. Fly Old Glory from your rooftop or proudly display it in your front window or on your car bumper.

Speak only English at home and in public, then insist that your children do likewise.

Demand classes on American culture in the Mexican school system.

Demand to be eligible for Mexican retirement funds into which you never contributed.

Demand a local Mexican driver license. This will afford other legal rights and will go far to legitimize your unauthorized, illegal presence in Mexico.

Insist that local Mexican law enforcement teach English to all its officers.

Good luck! Because it will never happen. It will not happen in Mexico or any other country in the world..except right here in the United States...Land of the naive! If you agree, pass it on. If you don't, move to Mexico...or Iraq...or France.

Oh... And one more thing... don't drink the water.








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May 22, 2005

To Filibuster or Not.....

LindaSOG has an enlightening post on Judicial Activism. I'm proud to say that, apparently, I meet ALL the criteria to be a right wing radical.







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May 21, 2005

Another new addition

Welcome The Warrior Poet to the blog-family. Mamamontezz has struck again.

To all you readers that don't blog themselves, should you want to get your feet wet, send me an e-mail, or leave yours in the comments, with what your idea for the perfect blog for you would be, and I'm sure that Mama will set you up in your own little domecile where you can express yourself, rant and rave, or just plain gossip.

She will set you up in Blog-City.com, which is a free hosting provider, and she loves making banners to fit your personality/site thrust. Should you wish to express your gratitude for the effort, she would accept a contribution to her tip jar, but thats by no means compulsorary.






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Shillery Watch

Hillary Clinton is supposed to be "the smartest woman in politics"....
She keeps insisting that her focus is to get re-elected to her New York Senate seat....So WHY is she inviting a group of Iowans to a fund raiser in D.C.?

Conventional wisdom is that she will be the one to beat in the Democratic Primaries in 2008. Everyone is taking it as a given that she WILL be running for President, her protestations of "only being interested in retaining her Senate seat" to the contrary.

Seems that schemers and liars just can't ever be open in their actions, it's contrary to their nature; but to believe that the electorate will buy that she is inviting IOWANS to help raise funds for a NEW YORK Senate seat demonsterates her true contempt of the "little people".

The trouble is that the majority of the Left will drink that Kool-aid with gusto, even knowing it's nothing but a classic, albeit clumsy, misdirection.

As a personal observation; this may be one reason that the Left is so ready to accuse their political counterparts as being cheats and liars, when they accept and even to some extant promote such qualities in their own standard bearers.

Personally, I believe that ALL politicians are liars, it's a necessary talent to have in a successful political career, but it's essential that the politician not be perceived as lying; clumsy misdirections such as espoused by the Clinton political machine just demonstrate that Hillary is just not good candidate material for any non-idiologically driven, thinking, person.








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Hitch does Galloway

Christopher Hitchens weighs in with his usual razor sharp knife on the Galloway performance in front of Congress.

Too bad the Progressives won't accept any facts put in evidence against their new "hero of the proletariat".... Especially by people that really know the feet of clay person, rather than the iconic representation of Leftist complaint.

My dad always told me that if it waddled like a duck and quacked like a duck, it most likely WASN'T a cat. Yeah, the Old Man doesn't have a way with words...but he is right, nonetheless.







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May 20, 2005

Remember

Every hour of every day there is a dedicated group of men and women that form themselves into a "thin blue line". The are the glue that keeps a thin veneer of civility in place. They are all heroes, although they are not saints.
They struggle with the same question we all have about life, and our society and where it's headed. But they must put their personal questions aside and try to keep the status quo running smoothly while ensuring the status quo doesn't become a smothering weight that slowly chokes the life out of us.

These are the men and women of Law Enforcement. I am very proud to have once counted myself among their members. They should never be regarded as above the rest of us, they are all too human, with all that entails; BUT they should merit respect for their constant struggle against the evils in our society that threaten to overcome all that is good in life.

Here is a tribute written by one of their own. It touched me deeply. I've been there when they finally managed to cut the last piece of wreckage blocking access to an accident victom, only to find it was too late to help them. I was there on the front porch when a mother found out that her son would never come home again. I had known the son for four years. I was grieving with her, but could not presume to show it, as it would have been unprofessional, and only add to her pain. Deputy Lindsey has composed a fitting tribute, I am humbled to be able to pass it along.


You Don't Remember Me, Do You...
by Tim Lindsey, Lamar County Sheriff's Dept.

You don't remember me, do you...

I was the one who unlocked your car after you accidentally locked the keys and your baby up at the mall.

I was the one who gave you a ride to the gas station when you ran out of gas on that backroad.

I was the one who changed your tire because you couldn't figure out how to work the stupid scissor jack.

I was the one who directed you safely through that busy intersection when the traffic signals weren't working.

I was the one who gave you a jump-start after you left your lights on.

You don't remember me, do you...

I was the one who found the item that identified the guy who raped your daughter.

I was the one who spent my days off in court to testify and help convict the man who beat your son so badly.

I was the one who located your grandmother in the woods that night when it was 22 degrees and she had wandered away from the nursing home.

I was the one who loaned you the raincoat the night we stood and watched your house burn.

I was the one who talked with you for two hours about your son running away from home.

You don't remember me, do you...

I was the one who held your hand, wiped the blood out of you eyes, and calmed you down while the Fire Department cut you out of what was left of your car.

I was the one who called you at 2 a.m. to come pick up your 16 year old daughterbecause she had been drinking too much.

I was the one who knocked on your door at 4 a.m. to let you know your 16 year old daughter would never be coming home again.

I was the one who did CPR on your 3 year old after you found him in the pool.

I was the one who helped deliver your new baby when you didn't quite make it to the ER.

You don't remember me, do you...

I was the one who got that snake out of your bathroom around midnight.

I was the one who got my knees and elbows scraped up fighting with the shoplifter with your carton of cigarettes.

I was the one who took your son for a "ride-along" so he could see what it was really like.

I was the one who gave you the right directions so you wouldn't miss that business meeting.

I was the one who stopped you to let you know your right rear tire was going flat.

You don't remember me, do you...

I was the one who escorted your son's funeral procession from the church to the cemeteryand cried behind my sunglasses because he was my friend, too.

I was the one watched over your place while you were on vacation.

I was the one who worked for you on Christmas Day so you could be off with your family.

I was the one who joked around with you after your truck got hit by a trainand you walked away without a scratch.

I was the one was able to talk your husband into going into counseling with you.

You don't remember me, do you...

I was the one who got shot when I pulled over a car for a traffic violation and the driver turned out to be an escaped convict who had sworn he would never go back to prison.

Oh, by the way, my memorial service is at 2 p.m.

Will you remember me now?








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Quote of the Day

"Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the
social group without being willing to pay--and claims a halo for his
dishonesty."

-Robert A. Heinlein








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May 18, 2005

STOP the Idiocy NOW!

Many people are, RIGHTFULLY, complaining about the current state of the National Budget. It is a monster out of all control. If a private person or corporation were to conduct their financial life in the manner the Federal government has over the last century or so, they would be charged in a court of law for gross malfeasence and sentenced to a lengthy jail term upon conviction.

The fact is, MOST of the expenditures undertaken by Congress aren't even Constitutional!
Don't believe me? check out Article One,Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution, where the general powers given to Congress are enumerated. (for those that can't seem to use Google, due to their government school education, I've posted said Article/Section in the extended entry) Remember, under the 10th Amendment, Congress is FORBIDDEN to excersize any power not specifically authorised by the Constitution...so how is it that Congress routinely does just that?

By the power of an activist Judiciary...a Judiciary that has set as precedent that Congress has that authority to enact any number of (unconstitutional) programs under the auspices of the Interstate Commerce Clause. (thats clause number three of Article 1,Section 8 of the constitution btw) which states: (Congress has the power)To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;; and the General Welfare Clause (Article 1 Section 8, clause 1), which states:The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

How has this situation come to pass you ask? The original purpose of the Commerce Clause was primarily a means to eliminate trade barriers among the states. During the (Revolutionary) war, the 13 colonies formed a union under the Articles of Confederation (177 whereby "Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled." The Treaty of Paris (1783) that ended the war between the colonies and Great Britain recognized 13 sovereign nations.

A key failing of the Articles of Confederation was the propensity of states to erect protectionist trade barriers. When the Framers met in Philadelphia in 1787 and wrote the constitution that governs us today, they addressed that failure through the commerce and the privileges and immunities clauses that created a national free-trade zone.

The trouble is that in the last 60 to 80 years, the federal Judiciary has made almost everything fall under the purview of the IC & GW clauses, giving Congress power far in excess of that envisioned by the founding fathers.

The Genii is out of the bottle, and no one today can seriously even imagine a return to a government such as we were governed under for the first hundred + years of our country's existance....but we had better try to curtail some of the more egregious examples of Federal unconstitutional overreaching of power if we wish to survive as a free nation.

Article 1-- Section 8 lays out the power granted to the Congress in 18 easily understood clauses, but by imputing "penumbras" and "emmanations" to these two clauses, allowing that they grant more power than they actually do, the judiciary has turned our government into something unrecognizable by any of the writers of that same Constitution.

What does all this have to do with the federal budget? Just this; IF we curtailed the government to those powers actually granted it under the Constitution, over half to three quarters of the current budget allocation expenditures would disappear. Use that money to pay off the current debt, repeal the Income tax law, and go to a National Sales tax (Fair Tax!!) and you would see a blossoming of prosperity and freedom not seen since the Revolution it'self.

To paraphrase an Icon of the Left; "you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one; I hope someday you'll join us, and all our country will live as one, in freedom".

"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite."

James Madison, the "Father of our Constitution"

Walter Williams and Thomas Sowell both have excellant articles on the (extraConstitutional) abrogation of power by the Congress. I suggest you read them as a starter education in exactly how the Constitution has been, and is continuing to be circumvented.








more...

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"I'm OK; I'm waiting for my attorney"

This article written by Burt Springer is geared toward a LEO involved in a shooting incident, but it offers good advice that should be followed by ANYONE who has been put in the unenviable position of having had to utilize deadly force in self protection.

While Mr. Springer is correct in stating that:
"Remember, society does not like police shootings and you must expect to go through the steps society and your department dictates if you shoot someone."

As true as that is, society likes civilian shootings even less, and the common citizen doesn't have the support system that a LEO has after a shooting incident.

If you are involved in a shooting incident, the best thing you can do is KEEP your big trap SHUT. Retain counsel as soon as you possibly can, BEFORE answering any questions. When you are being questioned (with your legal counel present), keep your answers to the point, and don't elaborate. Do NOT offer any opinions and don't offer any information not specifically asked for in the questions put to you. Remember always that these people are not your friends.

Most investigators are fair and just trying to dispassionatly ascertain the the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident, but you can never be sure if you might have been unlucky enough to draw one of the "civilians have no right to protect themselves" GFW types, always assume that you have.

Tell the truth, and tell it like it was as simply as possible.

LISTEN to your attorney and follow his advice, that's what your paying him for.







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May 17, 2005

Dog Blogging

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Go ahead....MAKE MY DAY!







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May 16, 2005

Apologies

Apologies for the paucity of posting here recently. It just seemed as if everything I tried to write was a self-serving pity party, and that is one of the things I most despise.

I think that I may have had an interreaction between my "usual" meds and a couple of drugs I have been taking for a bout of Bronchitis; that coupled with the extreme stress we've been experiencing lately....is it any wonder that I'm a semi-basket case?

But that's not of value for the edification of you, the reader, on the weighty issues of the day, for which, I'm sure you come here to get MY take on. (/sarcasm off)

I apologise. I will endeavor to try to regain my interest in the world outside my personal sphere as soon as I can and once again gird myself for battle against the forces of Idiotarianism that seem to be so rampant today.

Just as soon as these meds wear off, and some of the problems are resolved.

I really appreciate all the thoughts and prayers you've sent my way, they really do give me hope of a better day dawning. Thank you all for that.






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May 09, 2005

Gun conrol debate

Abigail A. Kohn, an anthropologist trained at the University of California at San Francisco, bravely waded into the gun control battle with Shooters: Myths and Realities of AmericaÂ’s Gun Cultures (Oxford University Press). She has some pretty good insights into the gun control issue. I don't agree with all of her conclusions, but she has made a fair and honest assessment and provides a good starting point for discussion between the two sides.

I do feel that she doesn't adequately realize the utter intransegience of the GFW's ultimate goal of total confiscation of firearms, but maybe thats just my personal biases showing. I do agree that gun owners must show more public support for programs that have shown to be capable of reducing violent crime, and we as responsible gun owners have to do a better job in letting the public know that most gun owners do support more education/training in the shooting arts.

Most of us are NOT wild eyed radicals that believe that just because ownership is a right guarenteed to us by our Constitution, that that absolves us of providing/participating in the needed training to carry a weapon safely and in a socially responsible manner.


The problem is that the GFW's have used every opportunity to use any such program as a furtherance of their ultimate goal of the total banning and consfiscation of personal firearms. EVERY "compremise" made by responsible owners has led to furthur restrictions on their ability to own/carry a firearm, so is it any wonder that we look at any new compremises in rights vs restrictions with a suspicious eye? "Burned once, it's your fault, burned twice, and I have to take the blame" is the attitude, and it's a well founded fear, given past experience.

The programs, such as the Boston experiment mentioned, focused on the illegal side of the gun isssue, and thats where the focus SHOULD be.

The GFW's seem to want to focus much more on restricting the law abiding, knowing that they will only be successful in restricting the honest citizen, not the criminal. Unless and until they can honestly admit that fact, we can never have an honest and open debate.







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May 07, 2005

Suspended for a phone call

This is a tough story to call. It's obvious that Kevin Francois broke the terms of the written policy of the school, and that the school officials stayed within the guidelines of that policy.

The question that should be asked is if the policy itself is flexable enough to meet the needs of both school discipline and student privacy rights. This is sort of an unusual case. I think that the punishment didn't fit the crime, but Mr. Francois did escalate the situation needlessly; that is what teenagers are wont to do, after all.

The policy should have been flexable enough to show Mr. Francois that he was in the wrong in some measure, but not where the school officials only had the two choices of arrest or suspension for the rest of the year to prove that point.







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May 06, 2005

R.I.P. Col. Hackworth

Col. David Hackworth has died at the age of 74. I may not always have agreed with his views, but he was always forthright and willing to debate like a real man. His "let the chips fall where they may" style will be sorely missed in the public forum.

Rest In Peace Soldier Your Course is run, and Duty done, Pray that we see more of your type again.

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May 05, 2005

Democratic Hyprocrisy

Mike at Sworn Enemy has a good resource post for those that wish to point out the hyprocrisy of Democratic Senators on the subject of judicial nominations. Partisianship is alive and thriving in the Beltway.








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May 03, 2005

What Weapon are YOU?








Desert Eagle
You preferred a weapon with 43% power over speed and 72% range over melee.
You use a Desert Eagle.

One of the most powerful handguns in production, the Desert Eagle is a heavy punch in a small package. Its reliability and speed are remarkable for a gun with such high caliber. Your enemies won't stand a chance as you fell them bullet by bullet.






My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:













free online dating free online dating
You scored higher than 44% on power





free online dating free online dating
You scored higher than 88% on range
Link: The What's Your Signature Weapon Test written by inurashii on Ok Cupid

Nice! I can think of a lot of waepons I'd rather NOT be, but the Desert Eagle sure isn't one of them!







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Science as the new Religion.

In the argument over religion vs secular humanism I've been following for a the last few days, I took note when one person stated that "science should be the bulwark on which we place our faith; and run our political affairs".

To that person, I would point him towards this little fable over at The Bastard Sword.

As Victorio says in the tale: "... but when it comes to problems that depend on the battles between the tiniest of nature's whims your predictions grow quite uncertain."

Anyone that has observed human nature in action knows only one thing; it is the most whimsical of all nature's variables. Science has never, and WILL never be able to account for it's will-o-the-wisp nature in any consistant manner. It's true that the average response may be forecast, but when dealing in matters of life and death, it only takes one unforseen divergence from that average to negate the whole forecasted results.








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May 01, 2005

another one of those darned Quizzes..








Your Birthdate: April 25

Your birth on the 25th day of the month (7 energy) modifies your life path by giving you some special interest in technical, scientific, or other complex and often hard to understand subjects.

You may become something of a perfectionist and a stickler for details.

Your thinking is logical and intuitive, rational and responsible.

Your feelings may run deep, but you are not very likely to let them show.

This birthday makes you a more private person, more introspective and perhaps more inflexible.

In friendships you are very cautious and reserved.

You are probably inventive, and given to unique approaches and solutions.

Mmmm....actually this does pretty much fit me....except that I really don't hide my feelings that much, at least the surface ones. I'm somewhat quick to anger by stupidity, and I never hide that reaction.







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