Healthy Dose of Change... I Hope

Good Reader, you may have noticed some changes around the old blog lately, namely, a striking absence of me. This reflects some of the changes in my personal life, with more to come. I do plan to get back to the blog in a more consistent way, but then, Napoleon planned to win at Waterloo.

My purpose today is to reprint the first three paragraphs of an AP story penned by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar:

WASHINGTON – When Democrats passed President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, they used Medicare cuts to pay much of the cost of providing insurance to millions of uninsured.

Now, lawmakers scrambling to stave off a scheduled 25 percent cut in doctors' Medicare pay on Jan. 1 plan to reverse the flow. They're tapping financing for the health care overhaul to keep Medicare from breaking down.

The $19 billion will help pay doctors at current rates for another year. It will come mostly from tightening the rules on tax credits in the health care law that make premiums more affordable, according to an agreement reached Tuesday by Senate leaders of both parties.

Sooooooo... let me just see if I have this right. In order for Barack Obama to get his Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed, he had to cut Medicare. But hey, more Americans would have affordable health insurance as a result, right? Problem solved. But now doctors aren't going to get paid by Medicare, which will mean there won't be enough doctors left (funny how nobody likes to work for free). No problem, we'll pay them with the money we were going to shave off of insurance premiums to make them more affordable. Problem solved!

I could go on, but I predicted all of this back in March.

A Burning Sensation

The first thing they teach you in journalism school is to keep your pen as light as a feather when covering touchy subjects such as freedom of religion. There is nothing in the world, they tell students, that will fill an editor's inbox faster than the suggestion that religion is passé or one is better than another. And if you are writing about Islam, get ready to lose a cartoonist or two before the death threats and bombings subside.

Fortunately, I majored in management with a ridiculously strong emphasis on military history, so screw the terrorist Muslim scum. I'll speak my mind, thank you very much.

Now, I want to be perfectly clear on this: I believe in and fully support the principal in this country that the government should never interfere with a people's desire to gather for religious ceremony. I also believe those religious orders have no business trying to strong-arm the government and trample on individual rights. And I also believe that Islam is not a religion, but rather a blood-thirsty evil Cult of Death, Fear, and Hatred. Is that clear enough?

You may have read this week about a Reverend Terry Jones down in Florida who was planning to burn several hundred copies of the Qur'an on Saturday to mark the 9th anniversary of Islam's Attack on the World Economy (failure) and Sensibility (success). This has caused no small number of significant public figures to bemoan his right to do so while imploring him to show true Patriotic spirit by cowing down to those who have murdered, are murdering, and will continue to murder Americans in the name of Islam.

I'm not here to defend Terry Jones: I know nothing about him. For all I know he is a Jew-hating psychopathic religionist who embezzles money from gullible non-thinkers through the false guarantee of divine deliverance. And I have no intention of defending his right to burn a book, because I just can't really get behind book burnings myself - unless it's really cold out and the book is really pointless, like the Qur'an. No, I'm here to talk about the outpouring of support for those that would have us all dead.

Let's start with General David Betrayus. He has claimed that the act of burning these Qur'ans would put American soldiers in harm's way. I don't want to speak for any soldiers but I don't see that not burning Qur'ans has kept them out of harm's way, General. Do you honestly think that bowing down to our enemies all over the world and allowing them to build victory mosques on battlefields is a way to strengthen our soldiers' defense? I'll tell you what puts soldiers in harm's way, Dave: putting an automatic weapon into the hands of a 19-year old Ohio farm boy, sending him to a violence-plagued cesspool that has never had a sustainable central government - not even under the iron fist of the Soviet Union, putting in place restrictive policies, and demanding that he be an ambassador of the United States to the very people trying to kill him! Quit expecting him to do your worthless Secretary of State's job! His is hard enough:

"Johnny! Remember what we did when the wild hogs were threatening the crops? Do the same thing to the Muslims, boy, then get back home!"

Do you remember when a political soldier was someone like Omar N. Bradley (The G.I.'s General, our last 5-Star General, and by God one helluva fine American who knew what it was all about - taking care of his boys)?

"George, you know we need to kick their asses and I know we need to kick their asses... but you can't say to Congress, 'We're going to kick their asses.' You've got to be delicate when talking to Washington. Now, let's go kick their asses!"

That was it. That was as far as politics got into a real soldier. But with Colin Powell all the rules changed. They started wanting to be political advisers. Started thinking they should be handling policy. Generals who wanted to shape international diplomacy. No! Go kill, break, and suppress. Protect your soldiers through aggressive maneuvering and attacks. When your forces sit still - literally or figuratively - the danger they are exposed to increases exponentially!

[Please don't write in and defend McCrystal, either. By his own admission he voted for Barack Obama, a Muslim. That would be like Ike voting for Joe Kennedy. And if that weren't bad enough, his favorite beer is Bud Lime. Dude... Bud Lime? Tough, soldierboy. Real tough.]

And speaking of our Supreme Muslim Leader, Barack Obama has decided to weigh in on the issue with... look, is there even any point in covering what you all knew would happen? Hope & change, hope & change.

The last one I want to cover is the response from Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the guy pushing for the mosque to be built near Ground Zero. Terry Jones has postponed the Dove World Outreach Center's Qur'an Burning and Covered Dish Supper pending the relocation of the proposed mosque to be called Cordoba. Again, I don't want to speak for anyone, so I will let the Imam speak for himself via this article from ABC News:

"My life has been dedicated to peacemaking... If I knew this would happen, that this would cause this kind of pain, I wouldn't have done it."

But, he explains, he must build the mosque at the original site in order to defend us against "danger from the radicals in the Muslim world to our national security."

"We have freedom of speech, but with freedom comes responsibility. ... This is dangerous for our national security, but also it is the un-Christian thing to do."

"I am glad that Pastor Jones has decided not to burn any Korans... However, I have not spoken with Pastor Jones or Imam Musri [a Florida imam purported to have acted as a go-between]. I am surprised by their announcement. We are not going to toy with our religion or any other. Nor are we here to barter. We are here to extend our hand to build peace and harmony."

"I'm less concerned about the radicals in America (anyone against the building of the mosque) than the radicals in the Muslim world."

"Our national security now hinges on how we negotiate this."

Who negotiates what? Is this Muslim really telling us what would be Christian? Peacemaking? Does this remind anyone else of that Mel Brooks song?

I don't want war! All I want is peace... peace... peace!

A little piece of Poland,

A little piece of France,

A little piece of Austria

And Hungary, perchance!

A littel slice of Turkey

And all that that entails,

And then a bit of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales!

Are there any questions about what this mosque represents? About what Islam's opinion of America is? About how we should proceed? Still not sure whether or not we are in a religious war against Islam? Are you sitting on the fence? Are you a Muslim?

If you are a Muslim, the last thing in the world I'd want to do is convert you into my belief system. You'd probably just screw it up and give it a bad name anyway. But I will ask you to go through the same process I put myself through: look closely at and study objectively all of the beliefs put into your head by others. Ask yourself: Does my religion truly represent who I am as a person?

In my case I had to throw some supposed tenats of my religion out. Some were just things that many who claimed to be like me felt. Others were dead wrong. And still others are tightly held beliefs of the church, but I just can't buy into them. Don't worry - God and I have discussed these issues in depth and we're okay with it. At least, I am. He has the perogative to disagree with me in the end. But for now, I have to live with myself.

As a Muslim you don't have to ask yourself things like:

• Is drinking an alcoholic beverage in moderation really evil?
• Do I need to stay pissed at the Jews forever?
• Do the Romans share any blame for the death of my Savior?
• Does prophecy render all of those feelings moot anyway?

But you might want to ask yourself things like:

• Do I really believe burning people alive is a God-ly activity? [WARNING: That link is VERY graphic - I made myself watch it and several others on the site, but they absolutely made me physically ill. If it doesn't make you ill, you might be a Muslim - scumbag. And if it doesn't make you angry, you are not human.]
• Should women really be beaten on a regular basis?
• If my children go through a rebellious stage does murdering them make me a better parent?

Again, I'm not telling you how to live your pathetic, evil life... I'm just suggesting an alternative to death and hatred.

In the meantime, The Western World needs to stop Muslims from building victory monuments and financial centers in this country or any other, eliminate their training grounds, and beat them into submission... or extinction - whichever is required for survival.

I know this has been an uncharacteristically heavy posting for me, but it's hard to take this subject matter lightly. Still, I am a professional who is committed to his audience. So, in deference to Jeff Foxworthy, I give you the following:

How to tell if your religion is really a blood-thirsty cult:

If when you proclaim "God is great" people react with fear, you may be part of a blood-thirsty cult.

If your spiritual leader beats women and married children, you may be part of a blood-thirsty cult.

If the only guaranteed passage to paradise is by murdering someone in the name of your god, you just might be part of a blood-thirsty cult.

If you've ever flown an airplane full of innocent people into a building full of innocent people to demonstrate your faith in God, you perhaps should consider the possibility that you just might be part of a blood-thirsty cult.

If you've ever cheered at news that a small boy has blown himself and 30 or 40 market goers to pieces, and yet are outraged when someone 8500 miles away threatens to burn a book printed, sold, and purchased 8500 miles away, I'm pretty sure you are part of a blood-thirsty cult.

If you hate South Park... you're just kind of stupid and take yourself way too seriously.

And finally, if you are a Muslim, you are part of a blood-thirsty cult. May you be buried face down under a dog, and may Hitler and Jeffery Dahmer play marbles with your... well, I wouldn't want to offend anyone.

GOD BLESS THE SOLDIER - THANK YOU!

-FOR ALL THAT YOU ARE, AND ALL THAT YOU DO-

EGOLOGY UPDATE

I apologize to my adoring fans for not checking in for so long. I have been working on a larger writing project and taking care of some personal issues which, if I were a 28-year old girl writing a blog, you would already know about. My current interregnum has been stymied by my ego (I love a thesaurus!)... and the following YAHOO! "news" article: Mighty oil-eating microbes help clean up the Gulf.

I don't know how long that article will remain readable in the webworld, so I will provide appropriate clips, acknowledging that I did not write it and giving all such credit to YAHOO! for its money and environmental writer John Carey (not to be confused with Bill Carey of Ogden Edsl fame, or John Kerry of The Addams Family fame) for his typing. I'm not taking a shot at Carey; please don't think that. I believe he has made a brilliant analysis of the situation. After all, he came to the same conclusions as I did 9 weeks ago. For this study of my considerable talents and ego, I must also direct your attention to my piece from May 28th of this year, I'll Have Seconds on the Buffet, specifically, the section entitled The Oily Worm Gets The Bird.

Now that the emotional fervor is starting to subside, let's take another look at what I had to say about the Deepwater Horizon spill and compare it to what is hitting the media today:

Me Then: Gee, do you think maybe the earth can handle what effectively is a small bruise?

Them Now: Where is all the oil?

Me Then: ...the oil leak will be plugged - we humans are pretty good at fixing things...

Them Now: Nearly two weeks after BP finally capped the biggest oil spill in U.S. history...

Me Then: ...the gulf will become clean again, through the money of BP and the American taxpayer, the efforts of conservationists, a few photo ops of hippies wiping a seagull with Dawn...

Them Now: And the small cleanup army in the Gulf has only managed to skim up a tiny fraction of the millions of gallons of oil spilled in the 100 days since the Deepwater Horizon rig went up in flames... the oil slicks that once spread across thousands of miles of the Gulf of Mexico have largely disappeared. Nor has much oil washed up on the sandy beaches and marshes along the Louisiana coast... So where did the oil go?

Me Then: ...but mostly the natural cycles of the planet (ain't crude oil a naturally occurring substance?...)

Them Now: "Some of the oil evaporates..." High winds from two recent storms may have speeded the evaporation process. (I thought hurricanes were the global warming equivalent of The Death Star?) ...the oil has been devoured by microbes... Although there were more than 4,000 boats involved in the skimming operations, those cleanup crews may have only picked up a small percentage of the oil so far. That’s not unusual; in previous oil spills, crews could only scoop up a small amount of oil. "It’s very unusual to get more than 1 or 2 percent..."

Wow! Do you mean to tell me that we have spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to clean up 1 or 2 percent of the spill??!! Let's see:

Only 49 of 253 beach portions in Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida have been affected by the spill, which gave Texas a miss altogether

11 men were killed when the Deepwater Horizon rig blew (but let's still not talk about them)

We've decimated the Gulf Coast region by putting a moratorium on drilling, the very move most economists and residents of the region say is the wrong thing to do

We demand that BP fire their CEO AFTER getting the well capped because he didn't say sensitive enough things about the devastation of our Gulf - Hello! Pansy Corner; meanwhile, our president goes on The View (remember what I said about that? "Barack Obama will take credit for cleaning up his 'Katrina' and blame BP for all that was done wrong")

And in the end it turns out that nature has done almost all of the clean up work... for free.

It all kinda tugs at your purse heart strings, don't it?

That's Not My Problem

I hope that everyone was able to spend some time between throwing the ribs on the barbie and passing out in a drunken stupor to give thanks for the brave men and women who have given up a part of their possessions, their freedoms, their innocence, and their lives so that we all can enjoy ours. I want to thank each member - past, present, and future - of our military forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. While Memorial Day is set aside specifically for those soldiers who are no longer with us, we recognize there is much more to lose than your life, and we all thank you.

I have to admit, though, that I had a difficult time with my personal remembrances and meditations yesterday. I was distracted by the Israeli raid on the blockade-busting supply vessel that left 9 Hamas - uh, Palestinian supporters dead. The news called it a failed raid. I don't see how... unless they were trying to kill more than 9 activists. I want to explain, though, that it wasn't the raid itself that had me distracted, but rather my anger at what will most certainly be sanctimonious drivel coming out of the Obama Administration. So far the administration has cautiously stated it wants a little more background on the situation before making a statement. Okay, here's some background:

The Allies created Israel after World War II. The Palestinians had stolen the land from the Jews during Holy Wars several hundred years (histories vary on time line) before that, but there was plenty of Muslim land in the Middle East for them to settle on after WWII. The problem was that NO Muslim country wanted the Palestinians. Egypt is open about this fact,and the rest of the Muslim world only sides with Hamas to hurt Israel. While Jews and Palestinians are seemingly only wanting a homeland, the Palestinians use terrorists in an attempt to get their way. While the United States feels it has a right to defend itself from Muslim terrorists all over the world, it seemingly has problems with consistently recognizing Israel's right to do the same. And by "consistently" I mean any time the damn Democrats are in charge.

Enough of that. Hooray, Israel! I apologize for the way this country is treating you. It is our White House that takes this position. Please, in the future, make sure your brethren over here quit voting for the damn Democrats! Florida and New York are ridiculous with it. And at the rate illegals are streaming over our southern border and being registered to vote by Democrat groups, you'd better hope Hamas never learns to speak Spanish.

Speaking of dirty, worthless, moronic, amoral, unethical scumbags, the Gores are getting divorced. Having gone through a divorce myself, I wouldn't wish the experience on any other human. That leaves out my ex-wife and AlGore. This putrid pile of political pestilence has been married to AlGore for 40 years. Or was that supposed to be 'married to Tipper Gore?' It doesn't matter... they are interchangeable. She fed for years on parents' fears that their children would grow up to be violent devil worshipers if they were allowed to listen to music albums that did not contain a warning label, and he has fed upon the fear he instilled in Americans about the world turning into a microwave oven because of hairspray and air conditioners. I wonder if they will split all of the tax dollars they stole from us down the middle, or if he will get more because of his Nobel Prize? Oh, and Academy Award? And upcoming Papalship.

Finally, yesterday I was watching Pawn Stars on the History Channel. There was a marathon, much time was wasted. To the point, a college kid bedecked with a torn camouflage baseball cap and sporting a Cajun-esque dialect came in with a miniature suit of armor. It was pretty cool, amazing detail. Paulie told him that it had been used as home decor back in the Victorian Age. (I don't know the name of the guy on Pawn Stars, so I just call him Paulie. A 'Paulie' is the dirtball son of any guy who would be lost to you in the annals of obscurity but for getting a stint on a reality show on TLC, History, Discovery, etc. - which is called "Teutuling".) He explains that it would have cost about $100, which is, adjusting for inflation, roughly $1900 today. The kid asks, "Is that how much you're going to give me?"

"*chuckle* No."

"Why not?"

"Because the suit of armor hasn't kept up with inflation."

"But that's not my problem."

I hate this kid with every pore of my soul. He should be pithed. His parents should have been sterilized. His grandparents dug up and thrown into jail. I can safely say that had I been the pawn shop owner I would have reached out and hit him in the head with the first tape deck I could grab. "But that's not my problem." Yes, it is specifically your problem! You are the one with what is essentially the Franklin Mint Collector Plate of the Victorian Age. You are the one wanting money for it. You are the one who walked into the Pawn Shop seeking said funds. And you are the one wasting - presumably - your time and money on the college education you claim the money will go toward.

I hate to sound so hateful but these are exactly the mentally lazy fleshballs who are plunging our country into the debt of socialism. "That's not my problem." The Mantra of the Me Generation. (As well as my generation, the Baby Boomers, and everyone else.) These people need to be identified and exported... immediately. Before it's too late. There is great responsibility that goes along with living in a free society, and this guy clearly hasn't even tried to step up to the plate and educate himself in the school of responsibility and self-reliance. And what was almost as sick, Paulie let him pawn it for $1100 to help him out. I'd have only offered him the business card of a local doctor who might be able to help him remove the suit of armor after I'd-

All right, this is going down hill. I'm going to end this with a little advice to my young college-faring friend on Pawn Stars:

Remember, there are no stupid questions, only stupid people. Try not to open your mouth too much in class, idiot.

Boy, I'm in a mood today.

I'll Have Seconds on the Buffet

Well, here I am again: I'm like a fat man who diets by fasting then going to the Golden Skillet for a 6 hour eat-a-thon. So, I'm going to do a little of this and that today, sort of a buffet of recent events.

Coming Soon: Lost & Found, staring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan
I suppose the most important event to have occurred since my last check-in was the airing of the last episode of Lost. This marks another series that came and went without my having watched a single episode. If you missed it, Lost centered around a group of travelers who get stranded on a deserted Pacific island, with no way to get home. We learn more about each character and about his life in the outside world through single-episode themes. Other characters come and go, but for some reason our heroes can't escape. On second thought, I have seen this... but it was called Gilligan's Island.

Thou Shalt Have No Other Idle Before Me
Of course, the end of Lost wasn't the only social shake-up of the season: Simon Cowell ended his American Idol run with the season finale. Now, I personally know a number of people who religiously tune into to AI, so I do not exclaim what a senseless waste of time that activity is. Out of fear of offending anyone near and dear to me I'm not going to point out that it's nothing but televised karaoke. It would be wrong of me to bring to light the fact that the contestants, rather than being Joe Anybody's filling us with hope of reaching our own goals, are professional musicians who have been working clubs and bars for years, and this is another step up the ladder like a Disney audition. It would be callous of me to say the people on this show (including Ryan Seacrest) would never make it during an era where talent, and not image, was the determining factor for success. And I refuse to point out that it is pitiful to watch others aspiring to reach their dreams of becoming famous on television while sitting on one's fanny staring at the boob tube.

On a totally separate note my wife and I were excited that CMT decided to run two reruns of My Big Redneck Wedding during the Idol finale. "We love you, Tamzen and Kevin!"

The Oily Worm Gets The Bird
Who could possibly be less popular than BP right now? Barack Obama, that's who. He has taken quite a beating in the popularity polls for not fixing the oil leak in the gulf, what was described by one local "conservative" talk show host as the "worst environmental catastrophe in history." (What about all the fallout from Nagasaki and Hiroshima? Oops! Those were cities and human lives... they don't count. Same with the Holocaust and The Great Purge.) In response, JaBaracky has taken full responsibility for this spill: his administration will now take over the whole mess - conveniently timed five weeks after the experts have devised ways to stop the spill. Here's what will happen: the oil leak will be plugged - we humans are pretty good at fixing things; the gulf will become clean again, through the money of BP and the American taxpayer, the efforts of conservationists, a few photo ops of hippies wiping a seagull with Dawn, but mostly the natural cycles of the planet (ain't crude oil a naturally occurring substance? Gee, do you think maybe the earth can handle what effectively is a small bruise?); Barack Obama will take credit for cleaning up his "Katrina" and blame BP for all that was done wrong; and the media will attribute any poor poll showings as the result of BP's action/inaction, NOT to the Obama administration turning this socialized country into a more socialist country.

Oh, and 11 men will still be dead. Remember them? Don't worry - neither does anyone else it seems.

The only good news to come out of all of this is that the Stooges short Oily to Bed, Oily to Rise* can be watched right here. I love this one.

*Curly episode

Empathetic? More Like Impathetic
A recent study at some university of liberalization has resulted in the claim that today's college students are less empathetic than college students 30 years ago. This is based upon a review of 72 studies involving 14,000 students between 1979 and 2009. The main blame is placed on the media and video games and was presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Psychological Science in Boston, the dumbest city in the nation. Other studies refute these findings, but disagreeing with a psychologist is like telling a magician that magic is not real. "It is, too... I do it all the time!" To see how you compare to college students today you can take the test here.*

It seems to me, based upon these questions and claims, that what they are actually looking for is sympathy, not empathy. You see, empathy involves the capacity to understand another, to "feel" his situation. Sympathy is the act of taking that feeling into oneself, of sharing it, of feeling bad, too. Yes, bad - negative. No one ever feels sympathetic toward a winner. Here's an easy way to remember the difference:

Empathy - feeling for someone.
Add an 's' to it and you get:
Sympathy - feeling sorry for someone.

Sympathy injects a victim or excuse mentality. I can feel for the homeless man: it must be scary not to have a home or a job or knowledge of the source of your next meal. But I don't have to feel sorry that he reacted to hardships in his life by giving up. Because of my empathy I will be wary of the fact that his behavior could be very erratic. Because I do not participate in sympathy, I will not get stabbed and robbed trying to take him a sandwich under the highway overpass.

My point here is that I don't think this study found what the researchers were looking for, but if its results are accurate, there may be hope for this country yet.

*My score was 31.

A Bunch of Bull

I've been away for quite some time, but now I am back for you, dear reader. Plus, I've been digging a hole and want to take a moment to cool off before I go to the store to buy a post. I'm going to try to cover some of the things I almost care about briefly.

By now you have read all about the attempted bombing in New York. A few highlights:

A terrorist scumbag and all around moron set up an SUV in Times Square outside a showing of the Lion King stage production
Said SUV was filled with gasoline containers, propane tanks, alarm clocks, fireworks, and non-volatile fertilizer
Smoke but no boom
Owner tracked down through one of many hidden VIN's on the vehicle
Said he sold SUV to brown guy with accent
Said brown guy put on no fly list
Same brown guy got a ticket for Pakistan and boarded the plane several hours later
Brown guy arrested before plane took off

There is now talk of a dry-run several days before this incident, suggestions that he was disappointed in life here, made disparaging remarks about George Bush to his realtor, blah, blah, blah. You will hear a lot of this between now and when Britney Spears comes out of the closet to try to save her career. Here are some points of interest I find... well, interesting.

1. Wanna-be mad bomber Faisal Shahzad will go down in history as being the most inept terrorist of all time. Fire crackers, gasoline, and cow manure: an 8 year-old with an iPhone could build a better bomb through an internet search. He claims to have attended bomb-making classes in Pakistan. Is the Taliban resorting to ITT remote classes? It's good to see that this economy is affecting terrorist organizations. You just can't find good help anywhere.

2. Attorney General and Number One Racist Eric Holder stated that this individual had not been on any terror watch lists; however, I read an article (which I can't seem to find anywhere now) that stated investigators identified him through the previous owner who was able to pick his picture out of a line-up. With no previous record, how did they have a photo? Granted, it may have been in among the stuff in the vehicle, like his keys, but I don't remember reading about a wallet being left behind. Could it be that this individual - this moron - had been on a watch list... and we lost him?

3. This SUV was parked on Times Square, in a busy area, and near the Lion King performance. This also places it very close to the Viacom building. Viacom, and its subsidiary Comedy Central, recently censored the show South Park (again) for its portrayal of former thief and known pedophile Muhammad. Way to go, Comedy Central. Bowing down to terrorists always works. Didn't Bill Clinton prove that? You made it to The Pansy Corner.

4. Abu Talhah al-Amrikee of Revolution Muslim, "a radical Islamic group based in Queens," posted the threat that caused Viacom to fold. His real name? Zachary Adam Chesser. Let all of that sink in. A radical Islamic group in Queens? Really? Zachary is a Muslim terrorist? Boy, Mr. and Mrs. Chesser have got to be proud. Folks, turns out there's something worse your son can become than a Democrat... barely worse.

5. Faisal Shahzad was a U.S. citizen. Yep, naturalized because he learned a tech skill and passed a citizenship test. People talk about how hard that test is: Who was the 8th U.S. President? Name the three branches of government. Which arm can raise taxes? Coke or Pepsi? People say most adults that were born here couldn't pass that test, and I bet that's true. Which shows how wrong and ineffective it is. When our test to get into this country would deny natural American but allow would-be terrorists, we've got a problem. Joe Public doesn't know that Martin Van Buren wasn't on American Idol last season, but he isn't going to raise a stink about it. Here in America he is free to be ignorant, drink beer, and watch American Gladiators every night. It's a sweet deal. You can't do that in other countries: you don't know who Kim Jong-il is in North Korea, a cop can shoot you in the street. Joe doesn't even have to know who his mayor is, and he likes it that way. Let's get rid of the ones who know too much. During a time of war the test should read:
1. Are you brown?
2. Do you talk funny?
DENIED
I know that sounds horrible, but desperate times call for prejudiced measures!

6. "This incident is another sobering reminder of the times in which we live. At home and around the world there are those who would attack our citizens and would slaughter innocent men, women and children in pursuit of their murderous agenda." - Barack Obama
Muderous agenda, Mr. President? I believe they like to refer to it as Islam. Don't think your membership card keeps you safe. Just ask Viacom.

EXTREME MAKEOVER!

You may have read about issues surrounding EXTREME MAKEOVER: Health Edition during the past few months... uh, I mean, Home Edition. It seems there has been an epidemic of foreclosures involving the innocent families that ABC has disrupted by forcing them to abandon their homes and move into larger, better lifestyle-suited structures at the same location. While ABC generally begins every episode with some bogus sob story about a veteran who has lost several limbs, or an elderly couple who adopt fifteen unwanted crack babies, the AP has been following those who truly deserve our sympathy, such as contest winner Dr. Brian Wofford, who may now lose his Encinitas, California home.

"A lot of people think when you get the house you get the mortgage. Well, you don't," complained Wofford. You see, when the mortgage crisis that hit all of us also affected him, he failed to get a loan modification after "providing documents, and providing documents again and again and again," according to his attorney, Mike Curran.

Then there was the case of Milton and Patricia Harper of Atlanta. They used their home as collateral for a $450,000 loan to start a construction business. When the business failed they couldn't afford to pay the mortgage because of the money they owed to "credit card companies, pawn shops and a cell phone company, and outstanding garbage bills with the city." They were saved by filing for bankruptcy.

There were others, like Sadie Holmes, a former drug addict turned social worker who nearly lost her home after racking up $30,000 in fines due to code violations. Damn ABC! And the list goes on and on and on.

You see, when ABC comes in and rebuilds or remodels one of these homes, they don't step up to the plate and do the right thing by paying off the original mortgage. Imagine you were making payments on a Chevy Malibu you picked out and purchased and Howard Stern came up and had professionals convert it into a Rolls Royce, but then made you go ahead and keep paying for it like it was the Malibu you initially bought. That's bad enough, but what if he also didn't pay for the extra gas that the Rolls used? You'd go out of your now Grey Poupon-eating mind! Well, that's what ABC has done.

Does ABC not know that gifts are seldom regarded as sacredly as that which is earned? Shouldn't they have considered that people who are in financial trouble will likely get into more financial trouble when provided the vehicle to do so? Didn't they realize that financial and housing market fluctuations affect everyone, no matter how they acquired their housing? Couldn't they have at least been responsible enough to tell their contest winners these things?

Well, fear not: this won't happen again in the near future. ABC is scaling back. The options lists on the Extreme Makeover homes won't include swimming pools, saunas, and tennis courts in the future. No, the extra amenities will be more along the lines of Chinese wallboard, indoor plumbing, and walls. Back to the basics to keep the winners safe from themselves.

Although references abound to families facing foreclosure, I can find reference to only one that has supposedly gone through foreclosure. That's less than 1% of the Extreme Makeover homes. Who pays the price for those mistakes? Future "winners." I hate to see anyone lose their home, but now thanks to the less than 1% of free extreme makeover recipients who can not handle their own finances, any future winners will see much less extreme in their coming makeovers.

That's a formula to think about the next time you find yourself waiting in an Obamacare Emergency Room.

"IS IT FRIDAY ALREADY?"

It's been quite an interesting week in our world. Not really, but I am going to try to make it seem so. Not really... I'm not going to try that hard.

Earlier this week someone working with R-word.org or just angry with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel leaked a partial transcript from a closed-door meeting that occurred six month sago. During this meeting Emanuel reportedly referred to some liberal activists as "f**king retarded." Almost immediately a firestorm erupted with folks objecting to his language calling for his immediate dismissal.

"We find Mr. Emanuel's language extremely offensive. We have worked hard at eliminating this word from the English language," said Carol Schumacher of the Invitro Fertilization Association. "It shows just how insensitive this administration is to-"

I'm kidding, of course. The firestorm came from one Sarah Palin, the upcoming Fox News show host, who wrote in a Facebook post entitled "Are You Capable of Decency, Rahm Emanuel?":

Just as we’d be appalled if any public figure of Rahm’s stature ever used the “N-word” or other such inappropriate language, Rahm’s slur on all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities – and the people who love them – is unacceptable, and it’s heartbreaking.

I'm going to have to draw the line here. Now, I can't stand Rahm Emanuel or anyone else in the White House. But this is ridiculous. The man wasn't attacking children with "cognitive and developmental disabilities." He was using a phrase every single one of us used as a kid to describe a friend's behavior we thought was stupid. "Quit acting retarded, Jimmy. Right field ain't that bad."

Now, I'll admit that I have phased that word out of my repertoire over the years because it is a rather juvenile usage, but what do you expect from an administration that thinks the best way to deal with one's enemies is to bow to them? Did you really expect more mature behavior from Rahm Emanuel, Mrs. Palin? THAT would be retarded. Let's give him a break. It's not like he compared his bowling performance to the Special Olympics.

Since Nobel Peace Prize Winner Barack Obama has ended all wars around the globe people have begun looking closely at his economic strategy. The Savior described a recent unexpected drop in the unemployment rate as "cause for hope but not celebration." It would seem, Mr. President, that would be the way most of your former supporters would describe November 2008.

To take attention off the economy the Obama administration has Declared War on Toyota. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has taken credit for prodding the automaker - known for its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction - into action concerning sticky accelerator pedals and sluggish brakes through phone calls. It's good that the Obama Administration is looking out for our well-being and protecting us from those evil Japs who took over a week to profusely apologize for failing the auto consumer and providing a full recall.

Meanwhile, Ford was thinking about accepting some responsibility for the Pintos, Lincoln Town Cars, F-150s, Rangers, and other models that have randomly burst into flames over the years... then decided not to. GM: Part 2 breathed a sigh of relief knowing they don't even carry liability for vehicles produced prior to the bailout. Chrysler continued to Dodge the subject.

To wrap this up, I think Toyota should leave the brakes on the Prius alone... for Sarah Palin's sake. If people using words in empty, unthinking ways hurts others, what better vehicle for eliminating those people? Who drives Priuses? (Priusi?) College professors and the Hollywood "elite." Talk about emptiness. If an actor wants to look down his nose and admonish me, bragging about the fact that he drives a Prius - all the while ignoring the Hummer and Porsche in his garage, which is attached to a 6,000 SF home that stays heated and cooled year round, and the fact that he acts in movies, which, between lighting, computer usage, support crews, distribution, projection, and promotion, use more fossil fuel-based electricity each than the entire state of Arkansas produces - I say f**k his brakes... he's retarded!

THE JOE WILSON SHOW

It's time for another episode of The Joe Wilson Show tonight, and you've got a sneak preview exclusively here on edwardgroberts.blogspot.com, so tell all of your friends. You can catch the live broadcast tonight at 9:00 PM EST on the channel that would otherwise be broadcasting something worth a squat. Without further ado, here it is:

BILL LIVINGOOD: Madam Speaker… the President of the United States.

(applause)

BARACK OBAMA: Madame Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, and the First Lady of the United States:

One year ago we started down a new pa- oh, and my fellow Amuslicans. One year ago we started down a new path: one of hope and of change. We have come a long way, the light is at the end of the tunnel, yes we can, we will win.

(short applause from Pelosi and Biden)

Thank you. Thank you. Today some are suggesting that our efforts are not working, but I want to be perfectly clear – they are.

Unemployment may be up, but hope is high. This administration’s approval ratings may be low right now, but so are copper prices. What does all this mean? It means our economy has never looked better. And with me in the White House the hope is going to change all of this into a more stable and viable national agenda capitalizing on helping Americans and immigrants create a better tomorrow for the future of children...

(confused silence)

We are going to fix all of this over the next year and here is how I am going to do it:

(applause)

I’m putting a freeze on all domestic spending for the next three years. The deficit is at an all time high due to an unprecedented and reckless amount of spending, and we must put a stop to it. For too long Washington has been throwing money around as if it were just that *snap* easy to print, and those who are responsible must be held accountable. My staff and I will be going over George Bush’s economic record right down to his personal checkbook to find out where all this money has gone.

If Americans are going to be on top again we must fix the education system. To that end I am calling for a 6% increase in Education spending domestically. This will create much needed jobs at both the teaching and administration levels, and represent a huge increase in government education contracts. I am also introducing a brand new idea that I came up with… well, me and the Democratic members of congress that are up for re-election this year – they helped me on it, so remember that. Anyway, we’re going to start Charter Schools all over the country. This will introduce competition in education, just like in business.

And speaking of business, some CEOs seem to be under the impression that I am against big business. I want to be perfectly clear on this: nothing could be further from the truth.

JOE WILSON: You lie!

(loud murmur and applause from all but Pelosi and Biden)

BARACK OBAMA: The caps on CEO wages that I am endorsing are for your own good. With that your compensation is tied to stock market value through stock bonuses and buy-backs, rather than the long term value of the company and its product. This way the economy turns around faster on paper and you get a bigger piece of the pie through Wall Street manipulation. Good for you. Good for stockholders. Good for my administration. Good for everybody.

During this time of economic hardship it seems that prices on commodities are rising without any logical reason. Oil fluctuates daily though the supply and refining capacities remain either constant or on the rise. This is due to the health care situation in this country. I want congress to buckle down and get something passed before Novemb- uh, before we lose the momentum needed to bring about what all of the Americans who can’t afford it want.

As you all know, recently the Supreme Court ruled that corporations and other far right interest groups will be able to make movies that send messages to the voters. This decision could very well be used to try to discredit the health care reform that we are working so hard on, or our initiatives to reign in out of control business in America. That is why I am taking steps to dampen the effect of this ruling against the American voice. I am appointing Michael Moore as the Czar of Media Messaging.

Finally, some in the media have suggested that I did not respond adequately to the attempted bombing of a Detroit-bound commercial airliner in December. I want to be clear on this: nothing could be further from the truth. And I really don’t think these hate-mongers represent the best of America. To show just how wrong they are I am announcing a new initiative to battle terrorism.

Thanks to some family ties on my father’s side, we will be taking over all administrative duties of Al-Qaeda starting immediately. This will be a three-pronged approach. First, we have determined that Al-Qaeda Afghanistan, where we have made great strides militarily, is just too big to fail. So, starting now we will be funneling monies from the pirates in Somalia and terrorist cells in other parts of the Middle East and redistributing it to those in the hills of Afghanistan. We call this the Terrorist Activity Realignment Plan. This will keep a concentration of terrorists in Afghanistan, thus giving the US military a more manageable area of operations where they can continue to keep their performance numbers up.

Second, we are going to offer all terrorists employment through their local governments. These jobs will include everything from repairing road surfaces damaged through wars and years of neglect, to damaging road surfaces to ensure continued employment. These will be stable, government jobs. It is time to get them off the battlefield and onto the public payroll.

And finally, in order to win the terrorists loyalty and divert their attention away from the fact that we are trying to destroy their way of life and turn their nations into the picture we have in our minds, we are going to offer them universal healthcare. We will be able to raise the money for this by taxing their income – from those government jobs we are setting up – at a 50 to 60 % rate. Actually, I really don’t know how much it will be – we’ll figure that out after the fact. But no matter what it will buy their loyalty and bankrupt their operations.

PELOSI: Uh, Mr. President… doesn’t that seem a bit far-fetched? I mean, they’ll never go for it.

BARACK OBAMA: You’d be surprised, Nancy. You'd be surprised.

(room fills with maniacal laughter)

WEAK END REVIEW

I haven't posted in a while and I'm doing this over my lunch break, so it's liable to be rather weak.  I apologize to all of my adoring fans.  Not much time to insert videos and what not, so please follow the links herein.  It's been quite busy here, lately.  Thank you all for your prayers for the quick recovery of my wife after her surgery.  We really thank you and she is doing fine.  Please now pray for my truck which is not doing quite as well, but then, it's got a lot more miles on it than... uh, I better stop right there.

ELECTION RESULTS!

A full 20% of the populace came out to tell the world just what they think about how things are going. City Councilman and future indictee William Bell has been elected the new Mayor of Birmingham after beating attorney Patrick "I Didn't Approve That Video" Cooper by more than 3,000 votes in a run-off from an election in which Bell lost to Cooper by 15% of the vote.  That's Birmingham Mathematics, folks.  Although I am not allowed to vote in the election, I would have gone for the lawyer due to financial reasons: it'd be cheaper in the long run to have a mayor that could defend himself.

A KENNEDY DOES SOMETHING POSITIVE

Who'd have thunk Ted Kennedy would turn out to be the shining star in the family?  A great big EDWARD THANK YOU goes out to the great big fat scum for dying when he did. His brother John's death brought about LBJ and the worst economic pipe bomb to hit this country since TARP (or is that the other way around?).  His brother Robert's death paved the way for Hillary Clinton to become a Senator (for the purposes of this article it did!).  And John John's death/suicide flight/double murder eclipsed the passing of John Edward Long, an Alabamian with more than 7 years flying time - a world record likely to never be broken.

But thanks to Ted "Can I Give You A Lift" Kennedy, healthcare reform, as Obama knows it, may be dead thanks to Scott Brown's win in Massachusetts.  (By the way, Mississippi is a much better state than Massachusetts... because it's easier to remember how to spell. "M-A-S-S, A-C-H... aww!)  Brown will presumably go right along party lines and vote against healthcare reform, denying the Democrats the 60 votes they need to railroad the American taxpayer.  Pundits are projectile vomiting theories as to why he won. Here're the only two reasons you need to know:

1. The American voter rarely allows one party to control the White House, House, and Senate for very long

2. Americans don't like it when politicians tell them, "We don't care what you think, we're doing it anyway."

Nancy Pelosi has already started making excuses stating that she doesn't think the House has the votes to pass legislation.  I guess this election was transparent enough for her.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RESULTS OF THE YEAR!

Jay Leno will be taking back over The Tonight Show. *yawn*  What that means is that Conan O'Brien is now out of a job. There have been a lot of suggestions on just what he could do for a living after he's spent all of the $45 million severance package on hair gel.  I have the best solution, one that will make everyone happy: he should campaign with Sarah Palin... as her vice-president (after all, his ratings are pretty low). It's perfect.  He's already got the sympathy of the American people.  He's a redhead and Irish, so he's got the whole minority thing going for him.  He's practically poor (compared to other late night talk show hosts).  He's unemployed.  And who knows better than he how cruel and inhumane Corporate America can be?  I think he's got a real chance.  Plus, how cool would a State of the Union Address written by Conan O'Brien be?

AIRless AMERICA

It's funny... I make a disparaging remark about Al Franken and his talk show last week, Air America - the radio network created specifically so liberals could get on the air - dies this week.  "MSNBC... CNN..... NPR... American Idol... Barbara Streisand." Again, many liberal excuses are being made for it's failure:

"the very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business. This past year has seen a `perfect storm' in the media industry generally" - NBC can afford to pay a guy $45 million not to be on the air

"painstaking search for new investors... ultimately fell short." - I guess you were too successful at motivating voters to Vote for Change in '08

SO OLD SHE'LL MAKE YER HEAD SPIN

For my buddy Jesse, Linda Blair is 137 years old today.  I don't think this is a current photo, but again, it's for my buddy Jesse.










AND ONE FOR THE LADIES

Strike another success for Equal Rights: The country's first legal gigolo starts work in  Nevada this weekend.  He's taking appointments, ladies.  "Markus," the self-proclaimed Rosa Parks of prostitution, is a college dropout, likes working out, enjoys casual heterosexual rendezvous, and long walks on the beach... as long as he's getting paid for them.  Looks like Obama has those employment figures on the rise! (Uh, no pun intended, Markus.)

Ku Klux Klan to Back Health Care Reform!

Representatives of the KKK have come forward today to announce the organization will be supporting the Democrat-backed Health Care Reform initiatives. This surprising announcement comes just hours after the Census Bureau released figures revealing that, given current U.S. infant mortality rates, white children will be a minority by 2023, with the overall Hispanic population ballooning to 28% within two decades.

"This is despert times," drawled Oral 'Mud' Slippins, Dragon of KKK Local 23. "Dey calls for despert maysures. If'n the guv'mint starts ta payin' fer abortions, maybe it'll cut down on all of dem Mesican babies being' borned."

This begs the question: Could there be stranger bed fellows than David Duke and Barack Obama?

TOO GOOD TO MISS

You may recall that back in the bailout days Congress purchased, with our tax dollars, a stake in CitiGroup for about $45 billion (with another $300 billion guarantee) on the grounds that it was "too big to fail."  In actuality, it was just the right size to fail.  CitiGroup is an institution that has extended credit card lines to everyone from little old widows on Social Security to family pets.  This practice created not only a huge dependence upon credit by your average Joe (more credit card use just to be able to make the minimum payment on the credit card used to buy that 2nd four-wheeler), it also resulted in an unacceptable percentage of defaults.  It's true.  You can look it up.

Many other companies also engaged in this practice.  The overall effect was devastating, but blame was shifted to the housing market to cover up the irresponsibility of these leeching credit companies.  The fear generated (and the drying up of other credit lines, such as those for small business - the true motor of this country) has resulted in a very real housing and construction crisis, as prophesied by the administration and Fed last year.  Because of this, most of the banks that received any kind of bailout funding are sitting on the money because they are worried about loan defaults - the very issue that got them in trouble in the first place. The President has asked them to start freeing up some of this money, but there just aren't that many small businesses left to issue loans to - and those that are managing to hang on are no longer safe bets.

There is good news, though!  CitiGroup is repaying their $20 billion obligation to the government.  The other $25 billion was given in stock.  Congress will now sell that stock, which - for those keeping count - is worth 20% more now than when Congress purchased it a year ago.  This will bring in about a $15 billion return on stock that has fallen in value 40% this year.  Pretty sneaky profit they made with our tax dollars.  I'll be waiting for my dividend check...

Maybe it will be enough to cover the extra income tax burden we'll get hit with due to Obama's "Making Work Pay" Program from last year!

A Very Personal 'Thank You' to Uncle Barack

Cash flow.  Most small business failures are due to cash flow problems: income isn't properly accounted for, expenses aren't properly tracked, the company over-extends, market demands shift, or the entire economy goes into the toilet. Larger corporations are more insulated from cash flow problems, but do face longer-term complications. The common ground is that in both cases these problems are no one's responsibility other than those involved in the individual business. The difference is the government likes to get involved to help out the "too-big-to-fails." Case in point: "Cash for Caulkers."

This is a program the President is bandying about to raise his popularity polls and fill his campaign coffers with money from... oops, where was I going with that?  I mean, he's looking out for people, little people like you and me, by calling for a program that will give rebates to those wanting to make their homes more energy efficient.  "I’m calling on Congress to consider a new program to provide incentives for consumers who retrofit their homes to become more energy-efficient, which we know creates jobs, saves money for families and reduces the pollution that threatens our environment."  Hey, that's green, too! Spreading the love and saving the planet, one Nobel Peace Prize at a time.

Surprisingly (or not) Dow Chemical is on board with this program.  Of course, as a manufacturer of insulation products, why wouldn't they be on board?  I wonder if the government realizes that Dow's hydrocarbon- and fiberglass-based insulation products aren't exactly the 'green-greeniest" stuff around... but then, why nitpick?  I wonder if Dow Chemical remembers that the government was involved in destroying Dow Corning over silicone implants that were never shown to actually cause harm... but then, why nitpick?

Lowe's and The Home Depot have jumped on board with their support, and why not?  They sell these products.  And just look at how successful the Cash for Clunkers Program was, they point out. But wait!  This was supposed to be a thank you note.  So, here it is:

Dear Uncle Barack,

Thank you for the Cash for Caulkers Program.  I know it's not a done deal, yet... and heck, it may not even happen.  But thank you for mentioning it.  I can't even imagine how many homeowners are sitting around right now going, "Honey, I'm so satisfied sitting here with the heating running, stomping our carbon foot all over the planet. Of course, if there was a government stimulus package that somehow made tax payers cover a rebate for us to get better insulation - I might not feel that way."  They'll be coming around next year!  But I wanted to thank you for what happened today!

This is a slow time for us in the construction industry.  The economy is in the tank, building is off, it's been raining, and it's the holidays, so people don't even want us in their houses.  We install insulation.  It's been so slow that I've watched our competitors go out of business.  In fact, it's so slow that I, here in accounts receivable/payable, haven't even had to bother with bills - there's just no money to pay them.  I haven't had to worry about payroll - there just isn't any money to pay it.  And it was looking to be a slow, peaceful, quiet Christmas season until one of our customers called up  wanting insulation installed before the holidays!  But thanks to you, we're off the hook.

Seems that hours before we were to start that customer heard you might give him money in the future to upgrade his insulation, so he's going to wait it out until next year.  Thanks, Uncle Barack.  Now I don't have to busy myself with processing that income.  We'll get to it next year... if we're still here.

Sincerely,

Edward G. Roberts

It's All Up In The Air

As President Obama prepares for a mass bowing in Capenhagen, the Environmental Protection Agency is announcing today its opinion that heat-trapping greenhouse gases are endangering people's health.  This is in response to the Supreme Court's previous ruling that an endangerment declaration must exist before the EPA can begin regulating factories under the Clean Air Act.  Yes, you read that correctly: before the EPA can regulate business, it must only claim that business is hurting people.

This move will certainly help Barack Obama in his effort to become the next Secretary-General of the United Nations by showing the world that America can control its dogs. For anyone thinking this is about climate change (man-made or not), take a look back at the old Kyoto Protocol, which we were prudent enough not to ratify.  (This will not, I fear, be the case this go around.):

unfccc.int/resource/docs/convkp/kpeng.html

Check especially Article 11(3) and Article 22(2).

The former reveals monies will flow from "developed" countries to "developing" countries. That second group includes many of the same countries accused by the U.N. of gross human rights abuses. Hmmm.

Article 22, with its "vice versa" tag, means that groups like the E.U. will vote for ALL of Europe, and it will do so with that many votes. (Sorry if any member state disagrees with the E.U.) It also means that ANY regional economic group (let's say, African Union?) would get more votes than an economy the size of the U.S. (1 vote). From where does the money flow, and where does it go?

Or, to be less U.S.-centric, there are 27 members of the E.U. There are 53 countries in Africa. What if there was an African Union? Do you think, with that disparity of voting power, any money would flow FROM Africa TO Europe?


So, the next time you hear how terribly the United States is destroying the world and how critical it is for us to join international "pollution" treaties, ask yourself what it all means as you look at pictures like these:

 

 

"Back from 'who ate us'?" "No, hiatus."

OBAMA'S WAR

President Barack Obama's long anticipated "Afghaniplan" is scheduled to be announced this very evening, with a troop increase of 30-35,000 expected, which is a tad less than the 140,000 his commanding General recommended for success. Our little candidate is growing up. It seems like just yesterday he was saying things like, "I don't oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war."  Of course, that quote was directed toward the War in Iraq. 

After eight years there, Afghanistan is clearly a different story... just ask the Russians. But fear not: Obama is not growing weary, even if his party is. He plans for U.S. troops to be there for at least three more years, beating the Soviets by a year and a half. He states that we will not leave before the job is done. By the way: does anyone know what the job is?

Due to its mountainous terrain (among other factors) there has never been an effective, centralized government in Afghanistan, with the possible exception of the East India Company. The area is nothing more than a barren pile of minerals, a line of demarcation between warring ethnic factions. If Obama really thinks Bin Laden is still hiding in the hills there, don't send more U.S. soldiers into harm's way to look for him; send mining companies. Within a few years of strip mining, there won't be anywhere left for the b*stard to hide.

SEALing THEIR FATE

Four U.S. SEALs have been accused of the mistreatment of another poor Islamic prisoner, one Ahmed Hashim Abed. This fella claims he was punched in the mouth during his detainment by the members of SEAL Team 10. One of the soldiers, Matthew McCabe, has been charged with assault. You probably have never heard of McCabe, but you might remember Abed from a 2004 incident during which four U.S. contractors were murdered, burned, dragged, and hung from a bridge over the Euphrates River under his orders. The SEALs have given our mamby-pamby, Obama-era military the finger and demanded Courts-Martial (facing criminal charges and possible jail time) rather than administrative discipline.  And get this: they are to be arraigned on DECEMBER 7th! Good for them for standing up! If these SEALs don't win their case against the Obama Administration's witness - fellow Muslim Ahmed Hashim Abed, we all need to march to Washington and defend the men at home who are defending us abroad!  And I mean march armed to the teeth.  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

This despicable treatment of our soldiers comes from the post-Abu Ghraib, we're so sorry for being Americans attitude that has only intensified under the current administration. ('W'-ers out there rest assured that the previous administration was guilty of this, too - just to a lesser extent.) Don't humiliate the enemy, they tell us. You will just make them angrier. Don't humiliate them? You mean like this?

This administration tells us we no longer can waterboard because it is cruel and inhumane.  Besides, they tell us, it is not an effective way to get information and could suggest to people we are not compassionate.  You mean like this?

I'm going to address waterboarding for just a moment. I saw Mancow do a little bit on it. He apparently (I don't listen to his show) was a big fan of it until he tried it himself in-studio:

So Mancow admits that waterboarding is torture.  Well, he forgot to ask these 4 questions:

1. Yeah?
2. And?
3. So?
4. What?*

Why in the Hell would I care? Is waterboarding torture? Possibly. I don't really know the definition. I can tell you this: Waterboarding by no means looks like a pleasant experience. In fact, it is so bad that it is probably among the top 5 reasons that I'm not a scumbag, Hell-bound, militant, Islamic terrorist today. I say the only way you do waterboarding wrong is if the piece of garbage terrorist gets up afterward. It is my understanding that we actually only waterboarded one individual (a bunch of times, grant you) and it worked... remarkably well. It worked so well that we only had to threaten one other individual with it before he started singing about terrorist cells and info. If waterboarding some Muslim dink saves just one person from a fate like this...

...bring me an ironing board and a pitcher of water! I have compassion. It makes me passionate. And maybe it makes a SEAL passionate from time to time.

To all other SEALs out there: In the future, you take the future "Objective Ambers" out there, cut off their toes or noses or whatever to get information - or not - then put a bullet in their head... followed by another. We need you protecting us, not wasting your time in disciplinary hearings or Courts-Martial. Oh, and "Thank You" to all of you from all of us.

*And thanks to Bill Hicks for not objecting to me stealing from his joke.


HIGHER A-SPIRE-ATIONS

Remember the Chicago Spire? This massive, 2000-feet high skyscraper was to be the third tallest building in the world, and tallest residential structure ever. The project's financing collapsed with the current economic downturn, with little hope of it ever becoming a reality. Until now...

The AFL-CIO is now looking at raising more than $100 million to get the project going. Why? Because some of their union members are facing 30% unemployment rates. This project would provide over one million man-hours of labor at a time when it is greatly needed. The work, that is, if not the building.

At a time when people are losing their homes because they are overextended, is it wise to build a luxury residential high-rise, a monument to fiscal irresponsibility?  A Cortlandt Homes Project for the 2000's?  I think not, so I have a better suggestion. Why not build a wall like we have been talking about in this country for the last ten years?

This will be something practical, something useful, something with purpose.  It will get these union guys working again... they will like that. It will protect the citizens of this country from a horrible enemy. And it will help insure the economic integrity of the U.S. for generations to come.

I'm not talking about a wall to keep gardeners and meat packers south of the boarder.  And I'm not talking about a wall to keep emergency room visitors and weekend gamblers to the north.  I'm talking about a massive wall, some 50 feet high, made of concrete, steal, and whatever else that can be scrounged, impervious to human efforts to blast through, cross over, or tunnel under, email and phone signal-proof, sealed, and left forever. Something that will make the Great Wall of China look like a Christo and Jeanne-Claude installation.  I'm talking about building a wall around Washington, D.C.

Now, that's construction that would help this country.