Friday, July 30, 2004The Other AmericaDear Senator Edwards: I have heard your speech about “Two Americas” and I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about my half of your two Americas. I must confess that I don’t live on either coast so you probably won’t think that my values are main stream. I live in the fly over space along with millions of other Americans who make up the middle class in this country and share the same middle class values. I don’t wear designer clothes, have a big house, or drive a fancy, foreign sports car. I live paycheck to paycheck and scrimp to save up money for something special I want. This probably sounds terrible to you. But let me assure you, I am doing just fine. When I sit in my little house, I see a castle. My castle. It’s the castle that I have earned by working hard everyday. That means a lot to me. I value a good work ethic and what you may see as my meager possessions are priceless jewels to me. They reflect my accomplishments, independence, and freedom of choice. When my ten-year old home needed some major improvements, I worked a second job to earn the money to pay for it. Now you might not think that I have accomplished very much and that the government should help me out to have a better life, after all I’m not the millionaire that you are. Please be informed, I find your attitude rather condescending. “Help is on the way.” Help should only be on the way when help is asked for. One great source of relief for me is that I like many hardworking Americans have never asked for or taken government assistance. When I was laid off from a dot com that went belly up, I was entitled to unemployment compensation. But when I decided to go to work for a new dot.com start up, I understood the risk. During my employment with them, I made sure I put away a nest egg in case it failed. When it failed, I relied on myself and the planning I had done to get me through the eight weeks until I started a new job. That’s what we call taking personal responsibility in the fly over area. We believe that you take assistance from others, including the government, when you need it not because it’s an entitlement that’s there for the taking. It’s natural for people who take pride in their working and providing for themselves to feel badly when they have to ask for assistance. So we work hard, plan, scrimp, and save so we don’t have to feel badly. We take pride in our self-reliance. At the time I was laid off, the government had COBRA in effect which allows you to take your medical insurance with you for a period of time. That’s all well and good except when a company goes belly up and doesn’t pay their share of the medical insurance premium there is no policy to COBRA. One of the first things I did when I got laid off and had no medical insurance was to buy a catastrophic medical insurance policy. I figured we would pay for anything we had to have until I was working again and non-essential healthcare would just have to wait. But in the event of an accident or a major hospitalization, we had to have some type of coverage to keep us from having to file bankruptcy. The catastrophic policy was priced so reasonably; I kept it for an additional three months after starting work until my probationary period was over before I cancelled it. My America works hard, takes pride in their accomplishments, and takes personal responsibility for their lives. In other words we are and we act like adults who are free to make our choices and are capable of taking care of ourselves. We value time with our families and friends over making gazillions of dollars. Most importantly, we live by a core set of principals and values that we can be proud of. In your America there are vast inequalities because the government has failed to step in and take care of those who haven’t been as successful as others. You call for income redistribution through taxation to correct this. You call for the government to raise our children both through locking them into the failing public school system and after school programs. You call for socialized medicine as a right to healthcare for every American. You call for the government to create jobs and wealth instead of businesses. You want to take care of me as if I am a child. Speaking out of the other side of your mouth you tell us of your childhood and your success in this great country. Did the government help you through or were you able to do it on your own? I got my two college degrees through scholarships and working. Isn’t that how you got yours? If you can grow up a mill workers son, work hard, put yourself through school and make it in this world, why do you think the rest of us can’t? Are you so much better than the rest of us? Mr. Edwards I am not a child, neither I nor millions of others like me asked you for your help. We believe that society should provide for those who are unable to help themselves. That is a very, very small percentage of our population. Please tell them that help has always been there and continues to be there for them and leave the rest of us the hell alone. The plan you have for this country sounds like one that has already been tried and failed in other countries. It’s called Communism. I prefer a Constitutional Republic and Capitalism, so thanks but I don't want your help to be on the way. posted @ 03:36 PM MST [link] [Karma: 3 (+/-)] Thursday, July 29, 2004The Grand FinaleI have a confession to make, given the choice between driving home and watching the grand finale of the most boring convention I have ever suffered through or meeting a friend for a drink that I haven’t seen since the Christmas Holiday, I chose happy hour with a friend. Driving home, I thought maybe I could catch John Kerry’s acceptance speech on the radio but heard that the fire marshal had closed down the Fleet Center and he hadn’t started the speech yet. I made it home to hear the “Band of Brothers” introduction of Lurch and suffered through his speech. What an insult to the 101st Airborne. I find it incredible that this man who trashed all Vietnam Veterans in Congressional Hearings and that aided and abetted the enemy has the balls to highlight his short tour of duty in Vietnam as his credentials to be the Commander in Chief and brush under the carpet his treasonous behavior that followed by saying it was a little over the top. I listened to his criticisms of the current Administration about the Iraq war and thought if I were in the military I would be absolutely demoralized hearing this man’s words and more importantly if I were their enemies I would be gleeful and encouraged. A Commander in Chief should never say anything, under any circumstances that endangers the troops or demoralized them. This is a man who has voted against the military, their weapons, their funding and now we are suppose to believe he will fully support them in the future. John Moore, who writes the wonderful blog Useful Fools has posted a list of Vietnam Vet websites as a comment to one of the articles I wrote that don’t support John Kerry. I encourage you to visit them and hear what they have to say. Here are the links: Vietnam Vets for Truth Wintersoldier.com Swift Vets If this despicable man’s military service from thirty years ago is still of importance, then so is his behavior that followed. Go to these sites and get both sides of the story. Perhaps his voting record for all the years he has been in the Senate is the most important barometer we have to predict the future and other than bringing home the bacon for special interest in Massachusetts, his track record is a frightening reality for a man with aspirations for the highest office in the land. I listened to his paragraph to explain his position on his economic policy, his security plan, his stimulations for the economy and health care. Hold onto your wallets and sell your stocks if he is elected, Jimmy Carter’s inflation and recession are about to be repeated. It’s over. Thank God. The most partisans of partisans attend these conventions and there were very few moments to pump up those that don’t need pumping up because they are so fueled by their hatred of the other side. But what really galls me is that my tax dollars fund these parties. Each party is eligible for $14-$17 million dollars to fund their conventions. I would like to see a piece of legislation that gets passed that eliminates our tax dollars funding any of it. All of these parties have enough contributors to fund it themselves. Tomorrow I want to address Mr. Edwards two Americas. Until then. posted @ 08:17 PM MST [link] [Karma: 12 (+/-)] Act Three Highlights Day Three of my sentence started with a grin when I heard Senator Kerry and his Vet buddies arrived in Boston Harbor via a water taxi. (This right after the bunnie suit photos.) Hey, couldn’t their Hollywood connections get them a Swift boat for him to command and ride in on? Michael Moore should have been able to handle that request or at least put out the story that that’s how it really went down and the vast right wing conspiracy only said that it was a water taxi. Yep, they rode into the harbor in a Swift boat, just like the good old days. Oh yeah, and did you know that John Kerry is Vietnam Vet, a decorated War Hero? Reverend Al started up the line up for me and I thought that he would be good for a laugh and produce some good sound bites but what a disappointment. I think I heard him start off his carefully rehearsed speech stating something along the lines of that 282 years ago the creation of this country occurred in Boston. Was he reading a typo or is he dyslexic? This country is only 228 years old. (A check of the transcript, favors the dyslexic theory.) He shouted a stump speech for so long that MSNBC broke away to the talking heads before he was even finished. One of the rhetorical questions he had was something like “How did we squander the goodwill the world felt for us after 9/11?” He said it was our unilateralism. But Al, we gathered everyone up who wasn’t involved in the Oil for Food Program Scandal into our coalition. Wouldn’t we have to payoff France, Germany, Russia, and the UN officials more than Saddam was to get them on our side? I think going to War will turn out to be cheaper than getting into bed with those extortionists/opportunists in the long run and certainly the more honorable thing to do. Cable news quit covering the speeches and went to the talking heads discussion until it was time for John Edwards daughter to come on to introduce her mother who would then be introducing her husband. Elizabeth talked about how good her husband looks and how he always fought for the underdog. Yawn. Here’s Johnnie. Okay, I’m ready for the two America stump speech now. Cue Mr. Edwards. Oops, wait he’s talking about values instead. Are morals just around the corner? No, he wants to tell us that John Kerry is a Vietnam Vet, a decorated War Hero. Okay if we are going down memory lane, here comes the Mill worker story. Did you know that John Edwards’ Daddy was a Mill Worker? Yeah, right on cue. And now the trifecta, he just did the two different Americas lead in. Yup, two Americas stump is rolling out. The new face the Democratic Party is putting on is the same old race and class war the democrats have been playing for years only with a smile instead of the grim look of sadness at the supposed inequalities they’ve been peddling for years. I’m sorry. I just can’t take it anymore. I have one more day to make it through. If I don’t change the channel now, I won’t make it. Where’s the remote? posted @ 04:55 AM MST [link] [Karma: 0 (+/-)] Wednesday, July 28, 2004Fodder For FunTeddy went fear mongering in his speech last night. It’s such an “old” Democrat thing to do. The “new, progressive” democrats support hate speech when it’s targeted at Republicans and diversity as long as you think, act, and do exactly as they do. Dr. Dean gave a speech that was a eulogy on his own Presidential campaign and platform, oh, and yeah, he supports John Kerry’s clear vision for America. Possibly suffering another near psychotic episode, Dr. Dean (maybe through voices in his head) is the only one who has heard John Kerry’s clear vision for America. The rest of us are still waiting. During a talking head break on MSNBC, they tried to explain Terezza’s current political affiliation. According to them, Mrs. Flip Flop, the former Republican is now turned Democrat because the Republicans were ruthless with Max Cleland. Ruthless is now defined as telling the truth. While certain very high placed members of the DNC were touting Cleland as a “War Hero” (something that Cleland has never claimed) someone challenged that claim with the fact that Cleland inadvertently blew himself up with a hand grenade on a non-combat mission and not a fire fight with the enemy. While not even a bitchkitty like me would deny the courage Cleland exhibited after his accident, he wasn’t a war hero “who left three limbs on the battlefield of Vietnam” as Terry McAuliffe is fond of saying. So please Terezza try another explanation. I would buy that you pledge political affiliation to whichever party your current husband Senator belongs to and that would be an honest, respectable answer. To which I’m sure she would reply “shove it.” Next up was Barak Obama, new fresh face from Illinois who should strike fear in the heart of Jessie Jackson. He gave a great speech about hope and unity with a Clintonesque cadence. He is the antithesis of Jessie’s hate, bigotry, and racism. Ron Reagan, Jr. stayed on the designated subject of his speech on embryonic stem cell research which is better than he did on the last speaking event I saw him at, his father’s funeral. From what I have read, embryonic stem cell research offers promise for a handful of diseases mostly that involve a single type of cell like Diabetes. For Alzheimer’s, which involves many types of cells, it holds little hope. Putting aside when life begins and the abortion issue, the fundamental question here is “Does the government need to fund stem cell research?” In a capitalist society, if the return on the investment is really going to be there, wouldn’t big, evil, business and private investors be beating down the door to get a piece of the action? They aren’t, Why? Grants are hard to come by and with a limited supply of test embryos only the crème de la crème will get their hands on them and any funds available. I think I heard RR, Jr. say that it’s not a destruction of life because it never gets that far or something along those lines and then goes on to criticize the President and a large number of Americans that do believe that for imposing their religious beliefs. What does he think he is doing? A blastocyst versus fetus is a medical textbook distinction not a philosophical one. Tell a woman who wants to be pregnant that the rabbit died but it’s just a blastocyst, and to her it’s a baby. Terezza’s film lead in puts Mother Teresa’s life to shame. Did Michael Moore produce it? Her speech sounded like an optimistic, educated, intelligent, and articulate woman. What the heck is she doing with Lurch? Then she started into the political hack crap. Lay down with dogs, get fleas I guess. Okay, I am overcome with nausea-time for Law and Order. Thank God for reruns. posted @ 04:21 AM MST [link] [Karma: 5 (+/-)] Tuesday, July 27, 2004Thundering DemocratsBig thunder boomers at midnight the last two nights have kept me from blogging and from reading the 9/11 Commission Report as I don't want my computer up and running when a power surge occurs. I have been awakened by the storms both nights and it usually takes a couple of hours to get back to sleep. So if I am babbling, chalk it up to sleep deprivation. I fully intended to watch the Democratic Convention last night but I found that I couldn't take it for that long, so I watched Law and Order reruns, switching back to the convention during commericals and when I had gotten a near toxic dose, back to Law and Order. I was unfortunate enough to switch back to it just as the former President Clinton was being introduced. Someone needs to tell Hillary that the microphone increases the volume of her words and therefore she doesn't need to shriek. Hillary giving a speech is like listening to a cat in heat or fingernails on a chalkboard. Back to Law and Order I went. I did catch Bill Clinton's speech on the middle of the night reruns and as usual, he gave an energetic, inspiring speech to his disciples. I can't fault his delivery of political rhetoric. Slick Willy is able to pile it on thick and does it oh so well. I was surprised when I had heard earlier in the day that the Kerry Campaign had put out the word that the message was to be positive and not Bush bashing. Apparently, that means don't use the name Bush as you bash. The Republicans or This Administration would do just fine and wasn't considered Bush bashing. I guess they took their cue from Terezzza the day previous; when she told a reported to "shove it" for correctly quoting her although she insisted she didn't say it. (I guess money can't buy class.) A quick rerun of the tape shows that she did say it. So Mrs. Kerry, what did you mean by Un-American? Answer the reporter's question, you said it, now explain it. And by the way, why haven't you released your tax returns yet? I am looking forward to tonight's convention because Teddy is scheduled to speak. Terezzza has called him a "perfect bastard" back when she was a Republican. I read that the Kennedy cronies said that all is well now, Terezzza and Teddy are friends and that was "water under the bridge." I don't think anyone associated with Teddy Kennedy should ever use his name, water, and bridge in the same sentence. I am only 135 pages into the 9/11 report. I think this is something everyone should read. Will keep trying to read it and finally comment when I have. Ta Ta for now! posted @ 04:03 PM MST [link] [Karma: 7 (+/-)] Saturday, July 24, 20049/11 Commission ReportI have read the first 60 pages out of 585 pages and it reads like a Tom Clancey novel. So far, I have to give it to the Commission; for all their political, partisian hackjobs during the investigation, they managed to put it aside for the written record and the writing is absolutely riveting. posted @ 05:10 AM MST [link] [Karma: 12 (+/-)] Friday, July 23, 2004Work Week Wrap Up9/11 Commission Report No, I haven’t read it yet; work keeps interfering with my leisure activities. I have skimmed the Executive Summary but will read the full report this weekend so I am reserving comment until I have read it. It’s available for download from Fox News, if you are wondering what to do this weekend. Aladdin about to change hands and stance. Ronstadt follow up. I heard yesterday that the Aladdin is about to undergo new management and that the new management is anxious to get Ms. Ronstadt back singing. Oh well, no need to go to Vegas and show support for the Aladdin now. Airline Security I heard last night on Joe Scarborough that the 19 Syrian musicians who were interviewed and released were all traveling on expired visas. The intelligence agencies that met the plane and conducted the interviews took copies of the visas but failed to notice they had expired. This is not good. posted @ 04:56 AM MST [link] [Karma: 4 (+/-)] Thursday, July 22, 2004No Honor Among ThievesThere is a particularly revolting article in the Wa Po today about vote selling and swapping votes and a website name that has been purchased for that reason. The idea here is that you get someone in a swing state to pledge that they will vote for your candidate and that you will cast your vote the way they want in hopes of changing the outcome of the election. It lists peoples names, ages, occupations, and the cities they live in who are planning to participate in this debacle. My mother once told me that the worst thing about being a liar is not that no one believes you, it’s that you can’t believe anything anyone else says. If you lack honor and integrity as the people listed in this article do, can you really trust that someone who lacks character as much as you do will fulfill their end of the bargain? Absolutely, pathetic and these people have the right to vote. posted @ 03:47 AM MST [link] [Karma: 8 (+/-)] Wednesday, July 21, 2004Dog Days of SummerMy web server was unavailable all day yesterday and during my usual time to make my nocturnal posts yesterday morning, so I was forced to balance the checkbook and pay bills. (Major depressive activity in the middle of the night to be avoided at all cost in the future.) I have had emails, making sure that I am okay after my bout with West Nile. If I don’t post, people are concerned. So I just want to let you know that I am okay, I’m just bored and listless with the temperature and humidity increase. My sister and nephew were in town last week and we had a lot of fun. The house seems so empty and quiet this week. Deb and I pulled one of our stay up and yak all night nights that are so precious between sisters and I am still recuperating from that. I’m whimping out though because she had to fly back home the next day, while I spent the day on the couch and in the pool. Sorry, sis! Perhaps the Democratic Convention will provide some fodder next week, but there is not much to inspire any writing so far this week. The National Security Advisor to President Clinton is under investigation for removing classified documents from a secure reading room at the National Archives. Yawn. After so many investigations of the Clinton Administration, the headline should be when one of them isn’t being investigated not when they are. Iran still hates us after all these years and the psychotic mullahs keep escalating their talk of nuclear proliferation under the guise of energy development. After taking Americans hostages for 444 days twenty years ago, did anyone think that this cesspool had cleared up? It’s been a festering boil all this time. The UN will prove ineffective and the US will work towards a toppling of the mullahs from the inside. Hopefully, the Israelis will blow up their reactor sites and end the problem as effectively as they did in Iraq. Stupid Celebrity Watch This week’s award goes to has-been Linda Ronstadt. Earlier in the week she had a concert where she dedicated “Desperado” to Michael Moore and was met with a rousing chorus of boos from the audience. Unable to learn from that incident she rolls into Las Vegas and performs at the Aladdin and pulls the same stunt with a few political statements against the current administration while calling America Hater Michael Moore, a great patriot. All hell broke loose. People left the show demanding their money back and the Aladdin pack up Linda’s belonging and checked her out of the hotel. Okay Zonies, it is a short trip to Vegas and the Aladdin could use some support for their actions. How about a weekend run to Vegas and a short stay at the Aladdin if you can swing it. Message to celebrities, we don’t value you for your political views just “Shut up and Sing.” Thanks to Laura Ingram for the great sound bite. Will post as the spirit moves me this week….the dog days of summer are just so uninspiring. Sigh. posted @ 03:53 AM MST [link] [Karma: 8 (+/-)] Friday, July 16, 2004Scary StuffNot much worth writing about today but Annie Jacobsen's article about a flight she was on is worth the read. Here's the link. posted @ 05:04 AM MST [link] [Karma: 9 (+/-)] Thursday, July 15, 2004New DietForget Atkins and South Beach, I'm back to Slim Fast in support of their termination of Whoopi Goldberg after her remarks at the Bush Hatefest in New York. Apparently, the celebs are still learning the hardway that actions have consequences and some of them are just slow learners. It's not an issue of free speech, which everyone including Slim Fast has, it's an issue of free market. posted @ 05:16 AM MST [link] [Karma: 7 (+/-)] Tuesday, July 13, 2004No Postponing ElectionsNewsweek Magazine is reporting that The Department of Homeland Security has asked the Justice Department to do a legal review in the event the November elections need to be postponed because of a terrorist attack. The Justice Department denies any such request has been made. One of the necessary evils of our government is that they evaluate a wide range of scenarios and draw up contingency plans to deal with them. We would all probably be amazed at the number of contingency plans that have been thought out and are on the shelf ready to be pulled out and implemented at a moments notice. The responsible thing to do is to have a plan in advance. I hope that’s what this is all about now. It seems rather amazing to me that three years after September 11th, this subject hasn’t already been considered. Why are we down to three or four months before an election and are just starting to consider this possibility? We saw what happened in Spain back in March. Was that not the handwriting on the wall for our elections that should have started some wheels in motion then? I am also hopeful, that the media has once again gotten the story wrong. I don’t want the government figuring out how to postpone the election. That deals a small win to the terrorists. At best, I want their focus to be how to extend the voting hours and locations to accommodate voting in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. We don’t need to deal terrorists any winning hands; odds are already in their favor that they can pull something off. Our job is to make sure that it doesn’t have the desired effect that they want. Spain’s elections set a very dangerous precedent for the rest of us as long as the terrorists believe they scored a victory. Once again, it will be the American people called upon to change that momentum. I don’t think that the hardworking Americans who go to the polls and vote in elections would have the same reaction as the Spanish did voting in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. I think the American people have more mettle than that. I think it will produce the opposite reaction and steel our resolve to crush these little roaches once and for all. posted @ 04:15 AM MST [link] [Karma: 6 (+/-)] Monday, July 12, 2004While I was out.The Hague The ICC has ruled that Israel’s wall is illegal because it includes extra land and because it is a hardship on Palestinians. A week ago, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the wall encroached on lands that did not belong to Israel and not surprisingly, didn’t consider whether or not the wall was a hardship on the Palestinians at all. The ICC should have taken their lead but it just doesn’t know when to stop. Plagued by the “Old Europe” mindset, The Hague continues to try and make itself relevant in a world where it has no power nor should it when its decisions are so twisted. The wall is a hardship for Palestinians. Yes it is. That’s what it is meant to do. Keep suicidal idiots on Palestinian lands not in Israel. And it has been amazingly effective at doing just that. But The Hague seems to think that despite the fact that the Palestinians want their own sovereign country, they should have unfettered access to another one as well. It just doesn’t work like that outside of la-la land. Two Johns Ah a hookers dream. John Kerry names his running mate last week to get Bill Clinton out of the limelight. I listened to the pundits dissect what John Edwards brings to the campaign and it was so simple they missed it. He brings a pulse. Something that John Kerry has been missing all along. I find it tremendously amusing whenever a billionaire or millionaire feels my pain. It’s nice to know they can relate to my simple guy problems and better yet, they know how to make it all better for me. The second John didn’t have the milk toast, rich guy upbringing of the first John. No Swiss boarding schools for him. His daddy was a mill worker and he is a self-made millionaire. He has made so much money off the health care system, he may be one of the biggest reasons no one can afford it anymore. Senate Intelligence Committee Report The Senate Intelligence Committee has released a 500+ page report that details our intelligence failures prior to Gulf War Part Deux. It blames the failures on the intelligence agencies. I can sleep better at night knowing this now. Can’t wait for the 9/11 Commission report. Our tax dollars hard at work. posted @ 02:50 AM MST [link] [Karma: -2 (+/-)] Sunday, July 11, 2004She’s Back….I apologize for my long silence and I wish I could tell you that I have been digging my toes into the sand of a beautiful beach somewhere and that I just forgot to mention a vacation but I haven’t been. I’ve been really sick for the last two weeks. What’s more bizarre is that I think I had West Nile Virus but I didn’t go get checked out to know for sure. After fixing a sprinkler leak in the backyard, in the cool, early morning hours of the day, I found I had a couple of mosquito bites a few weeks ago. No big deal. I did my usual salt treatment to stop them from itching. I was a little stiff and sore the next day from digging in the wonderful Arizona soil and all in all was surprised I didn’t hurt more. Gave myself a pat on the back for being in better shape than I thought. Woke up in the middle of the week barely able to move. Muscle and joint aches from head to toe. Thought this was really strange since I hadn’t done anything physical in 5-6 days. Two days later I broke out in a rash from head to toe that felt like my skin was full of cactus needles, which went on for another week. Spent the long Forth of July weekend on the couch trying not to move. This past Friday was the first day that I started to feel normal. Joint aches are gone, rash cleared up, energy returning. I was surprised to find out through a little Internet research that most people who have West Nile Virus are totally asymptomatic. The way the news reports it; you would think it was an automatic death sentence. A small number go on to develop aches, pain, and rashes and an even smaller number go on to encephalitis and meningitis where you start to see fatalities. Well I had all the fun I want to have for a while. Give me today, to get a few things around the house done and I’ll catch up on all the news and be back writing full time next week. So many targets, so little time. Oh, and in the meantime , you might want to think about some bug repellent when you are going to be outside. I wish I had. posted @ 03:27 AM MST [link] [Karma: 8 (+/-)] |
Here: Blog Archives About Me There: Old Site Archive Other Links Menopausal Screeds Links: Favorite Blogs:  Andrew Sullivan Blackfive Chief Wiggles Eject Eject Eject Electric Venom Instapundit Jennifer Martinez O'Hara Factor Rings of Benzene Useful Fools USS Clueless Vodkapundit Vox Zonitics Favorite Iraqi/Middle Eastern Blogs: Land of Pharaohs Hammorabi Iraq the Model Mesopotamian Favorite authors who actually make a living at it: Ann Coulter Ben Shapiro Charles Krauthammer Dave Barry George Will James Lileks Hugh Hewitt Jonah Goldberg Mark Steyn Michelle Malkan Oliver North Peggy Noonan Rich Galen Rich Lowry Susan Estrich Thomas Sowell |