Saturdays with Yoshiko

Partly Cloudy - Hi 77 Lo 57 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 80 Lo for 46 Qandahar, Afghanistan
Cloudy - Hi 46 Lo 28 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Trouble Me, 10,000 Maniacs

Whenever I am a little blue, Natalie Merchant's soothing voice always brings me comfort.

Ramble:

The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself. - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

For the past couple of months, I have spent my Saturday afternoons with my mom. Initially, I thought it was going to be a nightmare… you see she purchased her very first computer… my role was to teach her how to use it. Try explaining how to use a mouse to a person who has never used a mouse… "Why do you right click sometimes and left click other times?" "I dunno… you just do…" How do you teach home keys? "Why are the letters not in order?" "I dunno…that’s just the way it is…" I found some great online tutorials and my mom has been steadfast in her eagerness and determination to master this contraption. I have to be honest… I was dreading this… my mom is stubborn and impatient and does not listen… but I must tell you, it has been surprisingly quite wonderful. We have spent more time together these past couple of months than we have in the past ten years. She has had a chance to get to know me… I have gotten to know her. The best part… we actually enjoy each other’s company. I have shared in this forum in the past my mom’s trials and tribulations. She is a woman that is inspiring… just in her being. She is self taught, self disciplined, self determined, self made. She had nothing as a child, she had nothing when she came to this country…She had even less when my father was around. She put my brother and me ahead of everything… she has endured more pain and suffering and yet sacrificed more than anyone I have ever known in my life. She is a savvy businesswoman and has been quite successful. She lives modestly, however, she can afford much more than what she has. Her story is the American Dream personified and one that should be held up for others to see and be inspired.

The election upset my mother. Having her beloved adopted country much less her home Ohio --- Hamilton County--- Cincinnati go Democrat was more than she could take. She has never depended on anyone but herself to make things happen. She never depended on government or the welfare system to provide for her. My father was absent and never paid child support. She did it on her own… I can tell you that she is pissed… She is hurt… the people in the country she loves so much have become so dependent and so willing to hold out their collective hands to take something never earned is just beyond her comprehension. Her heart is broken, but not her spirit and definitely not her intestinal fortitude.

I share my mother’s sentiments.

Barack Obama is to be congratulated on running an excellent campaign. His election is historical and should be noted and commended. He will join a small fraternity of Americans -43 soon to be 44. President-elect Obama has my respect – he will be the President of the United States and I will always have respect for the office.

I must confess--- I was so depressed Tuesday night. Although President-elect Obama ran a centrist campaign, all roads for him lead to a very left leaning, dare I say it, Socialist mindset. All one has to do is listen to the NPR interview, look at those he associates with and see what his philosophy is. He is all about bigger government… he wants government to be the answer to all our woes.

Wednesday I woke up still depressed. I heard John McCain’s concession speech… I turned off the radio and listened to my iPod the rest of the day. As Wednesday rolled along, I became angry. I realized that had Senator McCain won, I would have been extremely disheartened and disgusted by his presidency. Senator McCain is a gentleman. He is exactly what he has always been. His life story is one we should all revere. It can be argued, he has sacrificed and put himself on the line for our country more than anyone in modern American history. There is no doubt Senator McCain as president would have been strong on the war against terror. However, he would have reached across party lines and compromised on things I as a conservative would never stand for. I still am not clear on how he was going to secure our borders... or not. He would have presented good candidates for the Supreme Court. However, Senator McCain as president would not have been about smaller government. I was not keen on voting for him until he brought Sarah on board. As a conservative, I was left without a candidate. Voting for Barr was not an option and as far as I was concerned a wasted vote. I voted for McCain, but more so and more importantly… I voted for Sarah Palin.

The latest trashing of Sarah has me infuriated. The fact that Senator McCain even after his campaign chose not to come to her defense adds to my reasons for why he is not our next president. McCain's staff trashing this woman makes me believe even more that he would have been left of center on many many issues. The election was not a landslide… we are very much a divided country. It is a cultural battle. Senator McCain was not the conservative we on the right crave and believe is needed for this great land. We wanted to believe... we needed to believe. We want smaller government. We want to live our lives and stay out of the way. We want the government to defend our borders. We want the opportunity to strive towards our American Dream-- whatever it might be. That’s it.

My grandmother, a staunch conservative, active politically throughout her adult life, a member of the greatest generation asked the rhetorical question… How did we get here? I guess it started just a little bit at a time… no one notices that way… little things… it starts in the schools… subtle changes to how kids are taught... what they are taught… kids playing sports… everyone gets trophies… there are no losers…everyone wins… we are politically correct... we have changed the culture by changing how we speak... smoking is bad for you… became the big tobacco devil… now the 2 smokers left in the country are lepers and considered subhuman…traffic cameras to catch speeders under the guise of keeping us safe but we know it is more about the ability for our local communities to collect extra money... motorcycle helmet and seat belt and child seat laws... of course all good ideas... but mandated by the government? Law abiding gun owners are required to register their guns. Certain guns are banned. Guns kill... Trans fats are now banned… There are mandates on fast food in some cities. Before too long the obese person or maybe the slightly overweight person in line at MacDonald's will be sent off to be with the smoking lepers. Fat people are too ignorant to make a decision on what to put in their body. Kids are not being taught American history--- . Celebrity worship...panems and circuses... We in this country have lost our moral compass and have muddied the waters on what is right and what is wrong. It is more important for men and women to be equal, subsequently, we have a bunch of girl like men while women call each other dude... and we are more promiscuous all because once upon a time we had to figure out what the definition of the word "is" is... Along the way we forgot that we are very different creatures. Women now instead of raising and nurturing children are substituting dogs to obtain that love. With Obama as president no one (except those making over $250,000--- $200,000--- $150,000) will have the burden of paying for everything… I guess I should be happy—Michael and I can sit back and let someone else pay our mortgage… pay for our gas… no more worries. I must ask though, what else is on that slippery slope? The slope has become much more steep... What is next? I suppose it is just a matter of time before we are required to purchase carbon offsets, experience rolling black outs on a regular basis, in some areas of our country water rationing, and taxation on the amount of garbage we generate.

We have entered the age of self entitlement and subsequently developed an insatiable dependency on the government tit to think for us and provide for us.

Senator Mitch McConnell will receive lots and lots of notes from me—more now than ever before. He isn’t the conservative I would like him to be… however, I’m watching him. I will make sure he knows what I think… He is the Republican Minority Leader in the Senate and has a lot of work ahead of him. Those of us in Kentucky, those of us across the country need to pay attention and make him understand.

So, I look to the horizon. I think of Ronald Reagan and his shining city on the hill and the beacon we are supposed to be… I think of morning in America… I will pray for President-elect Obama, as I have prayed for President Bush. I INTEND TO BE THE LOYAL OPPOSITION. Meaning, I will be loyal to the country, I will be loyal to the office of the President. However, I am here… I am watching… I will not be nice for the sake of being nice. I love this country and that will not change. I will stand by my conservative values and will do everything I can to keep her the land of the free and home of the brave.

The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself. - Daniel Patrick Moynihan

God Bless America

Have a great week everyone!

Update 11/10/2008 7:30 PM: It's a rare day when my Scootertrash Hubby writes a blog post-- Despite the date of 11/5--- he finished it today so go check it out. It's worth the read--- Go check him out here.

Hey Buddy, Can You Spare Me the Change?

Sunny - Hi 95 Lo 75 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 94 Lo 59 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Mostly Sunny - Hi 79 Lo 55 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Time To Change, The Brady Kids

I discovered during Michelle Obama's speech at the Democrat National Convention that she and I have something in common. It is an embarrassing malady that I don't like to discuss much, but like Michelle, I can pretty much recite nearly every episode of the Brady Bunch by heart. Knowing this reminded me of the episode in which the Peter's voice was changing...

Ramble:

How long has the election campaign been going? Two years? Well, thankfully we are down to one more month of this...

I thought I would compile a list of Presidential Campaign Slogans.

1976 Jimmy Carter: A Leader, For Change
1980 Jimmy Carter: ??
1984 Walter Mondale: America Needs a Change
1988 Michael Dukakis: Competence Not Ideology
1992: Bill Clinton: It's Time to Change America, he also used For People, for a Change
1996 Bill Clinton: Building a bridge to the 21st Century
2000 Al Gore: Prosperity and Progress or Prosperity for America's families
2004 John Kerry: Change Starts Here or Let America be America again
2008 Barack Obama: Change We Can Believe In

Let me contrast those with Republican Presidential Campaign Slogans:

1976 Gerald Ford: He's Making Us Proud Again
1980 Ronald Reagan: Morning In America
1984: Ronald Reagan: It's Morning Again in America
1988 George Bush: Kinder Gentler Nation
1996 Bob Dole: A Better Man for a Better America
2000: George W. Bush: Compassionate Conservatism
2004: George W. Bush: Yes, America Can!
2008 John McCain: Country First

One point of observation is the contrast in attitude-- There is an optimism, a can do attitude in the Republican slogans whereas the Democrat slogans are.... not.

Back in 1964 Ronald Reagan understood intrinsically the importance of this country and the importance of her people and what we must do as a nation. "You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done."

And in his second inaugural address, Ronald Reagan explained quite nicely, "We are creating a nation once again vibrant, robust, and alive. There are many mountains yet to climb. We will not rest until every American enjoys the fullness of freedom, dignity, and opportunity as our birthright. It is our birthright as citizens of this great republic."

Ronald Reagan never spoke of handouts and redistribution of wealth cloaked in the word change. Instead he described a place where we worked to enjoy the freedoms and the countless opportunities this country has to offer. In the work, we find the satisfaction and appreciation for all that we have and in the work we realize what other opportunities are out there.

So... Just a suggestion to any and all Democrat Presidential Nominee Wannabees of the Future... Please, I beg you... try super duper hard to refrain from using the word, "CHANGE". Y'all have been trying to change for a real long long time. Quite frankly, change for the sake of change doesn't mean anything. Really. It doesn't.

Have a great week everyone!

If One Picture is Worth One Thousand Words...

Sunny - Hi 92 Lo 75 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 100 Lo 62 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Mostly Sunny - Hi 79 Lo 56 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: The Pretender, Foo Fighters

Ramble:

The Pretender

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend
Keep you in the dark
And so it all began

Send in your skeletons
Sing as their bones come marching in... again
They need you buried deep
The secrets that you keep are at the ready
Are you ready?
I'm finished making sense
Done pleading ignorance
That whole... defense

Spinning infinity, boy
The wheel is spinning me
It's never-ending, never-ending
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

In time our soul untold
I'm just another soul for sale... oh, well
The page is out of print
We are not permanent
We're temporary, temporary
Same old story

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

I'm the voice inside your head
You refuse to hear
I'm the face that you have to face
Mirrored in your stare
I'm what's left, I'm what's right
I'm the enemy
I'm the hand that will take you down
Bring you to your knees

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Keep you in the dark
You know they all pretend

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say that I'll never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

What if I say I'm not like the others?
(Keep you in the dark)
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
(You know they all... pretend)
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?

So who are you?
Yeah, who are you?
Yeah, who are you?

Have a great week everyone!

My 2 Cents

Sunny - Hi 104 Lo 83 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 101 Lo 68 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Rainy - Hi 88 Lo 62 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Sitting, Waiting, Wishing, Jack Johnson

Ramble:

I hit a lot of different blogs this past week. Mostly, it was reading tributes for those souls lost on September 11, 2001. But I also ran a bunch of searches on Sarah Palin, John McCain... you know to get a gauge on where everyone is. I particularly hit some of the Mommy Blogs---

It's a real mixed bag out there... What I don't get is the cattiness and vulgarity of the women that hate and I mean HATE Sarah Palin...

For the record I am voting for the McCain/Palin ticket because their ideology is more in sync with mine-- Smaller government, strong defense and all the other conservative bullets- Pro-Life, Second Amendment, tax cuts for everyone...

When a government takes over a people’s economic life it becomes absolute, and when it has become absolute it destroys the arts, the minds, the liberties and the meaning of the people it governs. - Maxwell Anderson

I disagree emphatically with Barack Obama. I am opposed to all the handouts he wants to offer. That money has to come from somewhere and at some point it will come out of my pocket. I am absolutely against handouts... A hand up is quite different from a handout... A moment during the Democrat National Convention that caught my attention was during Michelle Obama's speech-- she eloquently spoke about her father and mother:

"He and my mom poured everything they had into me and Craig. It was the greatest gift a child could receive: never doubting for a single minute that you're loved, and cherished, and have a place in this world. And thanks to their faith and their hard work, we both were able to go on to college. So I know firsthand from their lives -- and mine -- that the American Dream endures."

The fascinating part of this speech is that Michelle does not see the poetry of her words. Her parents worked so that she and her brother could go to college. Michelle and her brother appreciated and understood how hard her parents worked so that they could go to college... This is the American Dream personified. And yes, the American Dream does endure, but it will not if our government takes away the satisfaction of earning that dream... I speak for myself as I was taught by my Mother--- a naturalized citizen of this great nation-- work hard- save for the things you want- don't live beyond your means- depend on no one except yourself- don't covet what others have- you can accomplish anything you choose to do once you set your mind to it.

Everything that Scooter Trash Hubby and I have is ours--- we have worked for every bit of it. We live comfortably, but not beyond our means. We have a plan for unexpected issues that may come up.. like the fridge deciding to go kaput or the car behaving badly... We didn't buy a house beyond our means and we don't expect anyone to bail us out if we get into trouble. We both have talked off and on about taking second jobs to try and get ahead so we can pay off our mortgage a little bit faster.

When a hand out is given--- it doesn't solve the problem. Ever. If there are hand outs and free giveaways--- you will never run out of customers.... just go to a trade show where choxkie is handed out--- free pens, stress balls, paper tablets, etc. or to a grocery store where they are cooking up samples for you to try... always... always customers for the freebie... It's human nature... But when you work for something... when you have used your mind or your hands to build something... the satisfaction is incredible. The sense of accomplishment endures.

Our nation is suffering through more hurricanes. Gustav had the Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines evacuated. Folks were even evacuated to Louisville-- free of charge--- in fact they have been getting all kinds of freebies while here... So, how is the city of Louisville paid back? The last count was 22 arrested... and these evacuees were upset because they could not go back home when they wanted... The best part? Local tax payers won't be covering the bill... FEMA is picking up the tab for all the expenditures for about 1500 people... I'm sorry... where does FEMA get it's money? ...ahem... uhhh.... that would be me...that would be you.

They've been here nearly a week, and during that time they've enjoyed the sights of Louisville, including a trip to Zoo and a Bats game. The library has provided books to read, and Korrect Optical even provided eye exams and a free pair of glasses for those who left theirs behind in the rush to evacuate.

While they are waiting to get back on their feet, the city continues to spend money to make their stay comfortable.

"We have around-the-clock police presence there at KFEC to make sure everyone stays safe," said Kerri Richardson, a spokeswoman for the Mayor's office. "We've had fire departments out to help set up cots and prepare the medical wing. We've had the Department of Health out there."

And the arrests?

Lt. Col. Phil Turner said that on Wednesday night, 16 of the evacuees were taken to jail on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct and other alcohol-related charges. They were mainly arrested on Preston Street after drinking and causing a disturbance at a gas station and liquor store near the exposition center, Turner said.

On Tuesday, there were six arrests, Turner said. Five of those were on alcohol and disorderly conduct charges.

The other was on a felony sexual abuse charge after a man attempted to grab a teenage boy at the center, Turner said. The teen was not injured, he said. That was the most serious of the charges and the only one that occurred inside the facility, he said.

Sadly, Ike is wreaking havoc on Houston and Galveston. The complaint as it came up with Katrina is that poor people can not afford to evacuate. Bullshit. All one had to do was watch the news or the radio and a free ride out of town could be had... Mike McConnell made the comment on his radio program--- if it were a fire and not a flood... people would have figured out a way to get out... He's right.

If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen. -Samuel Adams

Resources:
Wave 3, Louisville, KY news
22 Arrested
Harriet's Daughter - You have to read this post... According to this account, the police were harassing the evacuees...

I came across a couple of great blogs.

Mommy Notes - Read her post about Sarah Palin--- more so, the debate in the comments.
Dr. Caligari's Cabinet - This is a quirky "Today in History" blog. Be sure to watch the Craig Ferguson YouTube clip.
McCain Blogette - This is Meghan McCain's blog... picture above courtesy of her.

Have a great week everyone!

Regarding the 2008 Republican Ticket

The one thing I have noticed is that many of my favorite bloggers have been energized and some have even come out of "blogger retirement" to comment on current events--- specifically the McCain Palin ticket.

Here are some links to some of my favortite folks... check out the comments too... a recurring theme is joy...

Daisy Cutter - at one time had created a very popular Bloggers against McCain blogroll-- of which I was a member.

Scooter - Peace Moonbeam has been helping Scooter during this important election for the Democrats... besides... go visit for a little comic relief... including the great pic to the left.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto - Kimosabe is giddy... I tell you simply giddy.

Laura - This lady was just as disgusted as me at the prospect of having to vote for Senator McCain.

Dakota Ranger - Ya think Chuck Norris is tough? Chuck ain't got a thang compared to DR's girl, Sarah Palin.

Jane - Explains the finger pointing by Sarah.

Sarah Palin is MY GIRL

I don't know about you.... but I can't wipe this grin off my face...

Ann Coulter writes over at Townhall:

Then they attacked her daughter, who actually is pregnant now, for being unmarried. When liberals start acting like they're opposed to pre-marital sex and mothers having careers, you know McCain's vice presidential choice has knocked them back on their heels.

Read the rest here.

Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman were terrific Tuesday night-- One could hear a pin drop in that hall as Mr. Thompson spoke of what Senator McCain had to endure while in a prison camp. Senator Lieberman spoke directly to the Democrats inviting them to vote for this man. Tuesday night was about Senator McCain's character... his courage... his convictions...

Then last night... oh last night... Michael Steele, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee threw their support behind Senator McCain. Governor Romney was ok. He was not up to par last night, although he did say this:

Liberals would replace opportunity with dependency on government largesse. They grow government and raise taxes to put more people on Medicaid, to take work requirements out of welfare, and to grow the ranks of those who pay no taxes at all. Dependency is death to initiative, risk-taking and opportunity.
It is time to stop the spread of government dependency to fight it like the poison it is!
It's time for the party of big ideas, not the party of Big Brother!

and Governor Mike Huckabee, never someone I was crazy about said this:

Centralized governments may care for you from cradle to grave, but they also control you. Most Americans don't want MORE government -- they want a lot less.
Abraham Lincoln reminded us that a government that can do everything FOR
us can also take everything FROM us.

and then came the former Mayor of New York City--- so many memorable comments.. but this... this captured his moment:

On the other hand, you have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics. Then he ran for the state legislature - where nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no. He simply voted "present."

As Mayor of New York City, I never got a chance to vote "present." And you know, when you're President of the United States, you can't just vote "present." You must make decisions.

A few years later, he ran for the U.S. Senate. He won and has spent most of his time as a "celebrity senator." No leadership or major legislation to speak of. His rise is remarkable in its own right - it's the kind of thing that could happen only in America. But he's never run a city, never run a state, never run a business.

He's never had to lead people in crisis.

This is not a personal attack ... .it's a statement of fact - Barack Obama has never led anything.

Nothing. Nada.

The choice in this election comes down to substance over style. John has been tested. Barack Obama has not.

and then... OUR GIRL--- Governor Sarah Palin took the stage... Rudy was a tough act to follow.. but she did it... from beginning to end... she captured my heart. Scooter Trash hubby and I were cheering and applauding and high fiving during her speech as if we were watching some sporting event where our hometown team is winning (being that we are in Cincinnati-- you know THAT rarely happens). She was wonderful... she IS the American dream personified. She IS OUR GIRL.

When the cameras focused on her family as she spoke--- her youngest daughter Piper (I believe) holding Sarah and Todd's infant son Trig... licking her hand and smoothing the baby's hair... Freaking priceless..

I would imagine at worst Alaska tourism will be on the rise... at best we will have John McCain as President and Sarah Palin as our FIRST woman Vice President.

So, let me pile on-- I would like to sincerely thank the LIBERAL media--- in particular MSNBC, NBC, and CBS for uniting our BIG WIDE DIVERSE PARTY. Thank you for being the hypocrites... Thanks for reading Daily Kos and doing all that fact finding "proper journalists" are supposed to do...You folks are so entrenched and so desperately want your fella to win--- you have no idea what unbiased reporting is. Sure... you throw us a couple of bones... Joe Scarborough on MSNBC... Bill Bennett on CNN... yeah... 5 to 1 seems like a fair fight.. (in Bill's case- it is) SO--- Thank you LIBERAL MEDIA! WE have found our candidate because of you-- and Conservatives, Libertarians, and Republicans have found the winning ticket.

What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull? Lipstick.

Perfect.

Another Reason I Will Not Vote for the Democrat Ticket

Linda @ Something and Half of Something wrote an open letter to Senator Biden regarding his appearance on Meet the Press back in 2006.

Senator Biden, you made rash and harsh accusations against good and honorable men without evidence, without fact. You spoke of the Haditha incident as if the accused Marines were guilty and you did so without reviewing any evidence, without any facts, without any due process. You did so based on rumor and innuendo, based on enemy propaganda, and you pronounced them guilty without a trial.

Read the rest of this well thought letter here.

Well done Linda. And Happy 4 Years of Blogging!

Joe Biden

-Good Freaking Grief! I can't think of a more perfect running mate for Mr. Obama. Good Job!

Jim Geraghty at National Review Online has put this list of quotes together:

On McCain:
Biden, on a post-debate appearance on MSNBC, October 30, 2007: “The only guy on the other side who’s qualified is John McCain.”

Biden appearing on The Daily Show, August 2, 2005: “John McCain is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off, be well off no matter who...”

On Meet the Press, November 27, 2005: “I’ve been calling for more troops for over two years, along with John McCain and others subsequent to my saying that.”

On Obama:
Reacting to an Obama speech on counterterrorism, August 1, 2007: “‘Look, the truth is the four major things he called for, well, hell that’s what I called for,’ Biden said today on MSNBC’s Hardball, echoing comments he made earlier in the day at an event promoting his book at the National Press Club. Biden added, ‘I’m glad he’s talking about these things.’”

Also that day, the Biden campaign issued a release that began, “The Biden for President Campaign today congratulated Sen. Barack Obama for arriving at a number of Sen. Biden’s long-held views on combating al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” That release mocked Obama for asking about the “stunning level of mercury in fish” and asked about a proposal for the U.S. adopt a ban on mercury sales abroad at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Assessing Obama’s Iraq plan on September 13, 2007: “My impression is [Obama] thinks that if we leave, somehow the Iraqis are going to have an epiphany” of peaceful
coexistence among warring sects. “I’ve seen zero evidence of that.”

Speaking to the New York Observer: Biden was equally skeptical — albeit in a slightly more backhanded way — about Mr. Obama. “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” he said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

Also from that Observer interview: “But — and the ‘but’ was clearly inevitable — he doubts whether American voters are going to elect ‘a one-term, a guy who has served for four years in the Senate,’ and added: ‘I don’t recall hearing a word from Barack
about a plan or a tactic.’”

Around that time, Biden in an interview with the Huffington Post, he assessed Obama and Hillary Clinton: “The more people learn about them (Obama and Hillary) and how they handle the pressure, the more their support will evaporate.”

December 11, 2007: “If Iowans believe campaign funds and celebrity will fix the debacle in Iraq, put the economy on track, and provide health care and education for America’s children, they should support another candidate,” said Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro. “But I’m confident that Iowans know what I know: our problems will require experience and leadership from Day One. Empty slogans will be no match for proven action on caucus night.”

Also that night, Biden said in a campaign ad, “When this campaign is over, political slogans like ‘experience’ and ‘change’ will mean absolutely nothing. The next president has to act.”

September 26, 2007: Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro said, “Sen. Obama said he would do everything possible to end the war in Iraq and emphasized the need for a political solution yet he failed to show up to vote for Sen. Biden’s critical amendment to provide a political solution in Iraq.

December 26, 2006: “Frankly, I think I’m more qualified than other candidates, and the issues facing the American public are all in my wheelbarrow.”

Read the rest here.

Photo courtesy of Moti's Motis

Sunday Song, An American in Paris

Sunny - Hi 79 Lo 54 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 86 Lo 49 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Mostly Cloudy - Hi 46 Lo 30 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: An American in Paris, George Gershwin

One of my all time favorite movies has got to be An American in Paris. The clip above is from the 15 minute ballet sequence at the end of the movie. Beyond my love and adoration of Gene Kelly, this ending sequence personifies every reason I love musicals. The music of Gershwin takes you from beginning to end in this wonderful MGM musical. Vincente Minnelli captures a mood and directs this film flawlessly. Gene Kelly understood how the camera would see the dancing and knew how to set cameras for the most impact for me, the viewer... each perfectly choreographed scene took you to the precise place and moment and set you on an emotional ride... If you have never seen this movie... see it...

I can't remember when I first saw this musical.. I was little... 8 or 9... I just remember forever having a crush on Gene Kelly... my gosh he was probably 40 at the time of this movie... add him to the list of other older men... Yul Brynner... Cary Grant... Jimmy Stewart... I digress... However, I do remember having an epiphany when I was about 13 or 14 and realized that the final scene- ballet sequence was French Impressionist paintings that had come to life... wow... absolutely incredible... Gene Kelly played an aspiring artist... American ex-Pat, who stayed in Paris after WWII... so it makes sense that Impressionist works of art would be used as settings and back drops... The clip above is by far one of the sexiest, most intimate routines I have ever seen (The Gotta Dance ballet in Singin' in the Rain with Cyd Charisse comes pretty close... but that was seduction... a different kind of mating ritual). Look at the colors... the vibrant look is definitely influenced by Van Gogh... the orange the red... the blue... masterpiece...

Other Thoughts:

What is hate? Hearing the clip below, knowing the words were spoken in a church... it makes it crystal clear this man is an anti-semite... a Jew hater.... a hate America first kind of guy.... words can not describe how unsettling this is....




Have a great week everyone!

Surrender is Imminent.........

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democrats brushed off a White House veto threat and pleas for patience from the top U.S. commander in Iraq Wednesday and pushed toward a vote demanding that troops begin coming home this fall.

Late Wednesday, the House was expected to pass a $124.2 billion war-funding bill that would require troop withdrawals to begin Oct. 1 with the goal of completing the pullout six months later. The complete article can be found here.

I believe myself that the secretary of state, secretary of defense and — you have to make your own decisions as to what the president knows — that this war is lost and the surge is not accomplishing anything as indicated by the extreme violence in Iraq,” Mr. Reid said. The complete article can be found at the New York Times.

If this is such a lost cause, why are you willing to fund one second more of this war??????

• Come on... we Americans can all just hang a white bed sheet from our porches instead of Old Glory...
• Come on... we can tell our brave fighting men and women keeping watch over us that despite the good work they are doing in Iraq to come home --- all is lost.
• Come on... despite General Petraeus telling us that the strategy in place needs more time to work --- all is lost.
• Come on... Harry says the war is lost...

Come home young men... wave the white flag with us... we as Americans can not beat terrorism... it is better to run and hide... it is better that the terrorists come here... it is better that we surrender...

And for those of you too young to remember or for those of you who refuse to remember...

This is what surrender looks like to those we leave behind...



This is what it looks like once we have left...




You pieces of fecal matter--- THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LEAVE... WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY... WE ARE TRYING TO LIBERATE AND SPREAD FREEDOM!!!

4/29/07 UPDATE: Linda has a great piece up from the Neil Boortz radio show... go and listen... now!

Rewind and Replay... Not Quite...

Sunny - Hi 73 Lo 52 for Baghdad, Iraq
Rain - Hi 50 Lo 33 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Angry American, Toby Keith

I started out on You Tube looking for a tribute with the backdrop of Toby's song, which I have used a couple of times as my Song of the Week, however, none suited my feelings...none suited where we are today. All of the videos I found had flags waving, visions of the towers falling, the American people united, and soldiers fighting. I wish we were united against this evil, but we are not. I am uncontrollably angry. I am livid.

Ramble:

On August 7, 2005 I wrote about my anger AND hope after Lima Company took a huge blow in a post titled, Anger and Hope. Not much has changed... except I'm not so hopeful these days. I have grown weary. Below is an excerpt from the original post, if you want the links listed in the post please go to my original post here.

I am angry.
Those Marines were battling men that hide behind masks, that do cruel things that are too vile to discuss in a polite society. Torture? Please, go ahead and drive me crazy about talk of Abu Ghraib (Yes, I have seen all the photos, including the ones they don't show on the news...) and Guantanamo... No heads were viciously cut off in front of cameras...DO you remember hearing the blood curdling screams of those poor souls? Yes, there are a few idiots in our midst... I am ashamed that they are Americans--Lynndie England and Charles Graner (the most photographed) and the others, but we find them, remove them, and punish them accordingly. I'm disgusted by Janis Karpinski AND with the military that did not send her to be court-martialed... She allowed Abu Ghraib to happen on her watch... I'm sure she wasn't court-martialed because the military has blame in this too. She was placed in a job that she had no business in. I bet she was promoted through the ranks because she is a woman. (How many of us know people at work that have been promoted that should have been fired? Show of hands?) She is incompetent... You know it, I know it... and I can write it because I'm of the same gender...(you know what I mean... that whole politically correct thing... another topic for another time) Now I hear she is on the speaker circuit, trying to make a buck. I guess she is professing how hard it is to be a Brigadier General (was demoted to Colonel) in the Army in Iraq... boo hoo hoo...

Look... We don't torture and murder innocent civilians like Leon Klinghoffer, or Italian hero Fabrizio Quatrocchi, or the crew and passengers of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland, or Daniel Pearl ****LINK NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN AND SOME ADULTS****. We don't kill our athletes when they don't perform. We don't treat women like cattle... worse than cattle... We don't rape women and young girls and then murder them because they are no longer pure... We don't send a car filled with explosives into Embassies (Tehran, Beirut, Kuwait) to maim and kill civilians... We don't boobeytrap our own CHILDREN with explosives to kill soldiers!! We don't fill a back pack with explosives, board trains and buses and blow people to bits... Oh, and we don't fly jetliners into skyscrapers and kill thousands either!!!

We are fighting evil and it is real. It is tangible...You can touch the face of a terrorist- he isn't the bogeyman... You know as well as I do who the bad guys are....I must remind those that will listen to the Michael Moores and Al Frankens and all the politicians that would prefer to sell our collective souls to the devil that we need to to remember who the enemy is.... The Jawa Report **** NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN AND SOME ADULTS*** does an excellent job of reminding everyone in his blog entry, Avenging Cpl. Jeffrey A. Boskovich. Every time we start to forget the reason why we are fighting these extremest cowards... we should reflect on those awful images and sounds of horror as a reminder....

After this part of the post, I had provided reasons as to why I was hopeful. Today I wonder to myself whether or not I'm being sucked into a vacuum... Where is our sense of priority? Where is our personal sense of duty? Where is our accountability and responsibility? Anna Nicole... why is she still news? She is dead... and I don't think she is going to wake up... if she does then it would be Night of the Living Dead and I WOULD want to know about that. Britney Spears? Why do we care about this sad unfortunate bit of white trash? Jet Blue? I was flipping through the cable channels early yesterday morning and the banter went something like this:

Talking head with boobs # 1: "So, this was really traumatic for the folks on board, probably one of the most traumatic events anyone flying could endure. This is probably the worst case scenario when we are flying. What will Jet Blue do to prevent this from happening ever again?"

Talking head with boobs # 2: "Well, Jan the CEO has taken all the right steps. Time will tell whether it is enough."

Folks--- let's get one thing clear. If sitting on an *expletive * expletive* jet for hours is the most traumatic event that occurs in one's life...then I'd say... SHUT UP!!!

OH... and the most traumatic event that can occur on a jet? Hmmmmmm.... let's see... How about being on board with a bunch of terrorists that decide... "Yeah... this jet... it will make a great bomb...so, let's slash the throats of the crew with box cutters and take over this jet and go blow up some buildings..." Me personally, I think THAT would be the most traumatic event on a plane- but that's just me.

Good Grief!! There are soldiers and Marines that are fighting and DYING for us... They are wondering whether or not they have our support. We have asked these young men and women to do things that we can not begin to imagine. They do it- they do it for the sake of us- unappreciative, lazy, complaining whiners. They are keeping the fight OVER THERE!!!

Oh and check this out... as I'm perusing blogs as I like to do... I found this post....

Cut'n'run...............sounds like a plan

"If the U.S. leaves before the job is done, the enemy could follow us here." Quoted from a speech the president gave recently.

F*** You, Mr. President................................let them follow us.........

They've kicked our ass to a stalemate on their turf long enough. They control most of the battlefield. They pick away at our young service members with relative impunity. They die martyrs..........deluded, but happy to do so. We die for our "cause". A far less fulfilling fate.

So...................f*** you Dubya. Bring 'em home. Let's defend the Homeland from home. Let them be the strangers in a strange land.

Ankh

OH - MY - GOD!!! This guy thinks it's a great idea to fight 'em here... Fighting on our streets? Where our children play? Where our loved ones and homes can be blown up? With the exceptions of the so called occasional "Hate Crimes" or Teenage Angst Issues gone awry.... have we not prevented attacks on our soil? Why does this guy think it's a great idea to bring the battle here? To fill our streets with terrorists? Why? Am I missing something? Please help me out! Again... Am I living in some sort of vacuum??? What is this???

We have a bunch of whiney *expletive* politicians maneuvering and saying what they will to get our vote.... I am so sick and freaking tired of them!!! Which candidate is going to have the *expletive* to stand up and say,

"NO MORE! SHUT UP NANCY PELOSI! SHUT UP HARRY REID! TED KENNEDY SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP- HOW DARE YOU TELL ME ABOUT MORALITY! SHUT UP YOU BLEEDING HEART HOLLYWOOD DIMWITS! SHUT UP YOU COMMUNISTS! YOU SOCIALISTS! CODE PINK AND CINDY SHEEHAN! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH- I LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DESTROY IT. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE TERRORISTS! WE WILL DESTROY THOSE THAT WOULD DESTROY US"

I don't see anyone on the horizon that looks like that, do you? Where is our next hero? It certainly isn't in the pack of Republicans I see... I want someone rabid- I want someone angry - someone that realizes what is at stake. I send off weekly notes to my representatives. Am I doing any good? Am I the only one?

So, I don't know what to do with my anger. I thank God everyday for our Marines and soldiers. I pray for them. I pray for our Commander in Chief. I support them and their mission, but I must ask,

What else am I to do? Am I all alone?

UPDATE 8:AM: Thanks Major Pain for posting this. Thanks for reminding me that there are good men in Washington fighting the good fight. Go watch Congressman Johnson speak.

Scootertrash Conservative on Dennis Kucinich

My Scootertrash hubby has posted a great piece on Dennis Kucinich and his desire to resurrect the Fairness Doctrine.

Go visit him!


Really, go now!

photo of my hubby courtesy of Killboy.com

New U.S. Government Seal

You may have already seen this in an e-mail.... if not...


New US Government Seal


Speaker of the House Elect Nancy Pelosi today announced that the Democrats will change the country emblem from an Eagle to a CONDOM because it more accurately reflects the new government's political stance. A condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you're actually being screwed.