Montana Conservative

Organized Labor Under Attack

2011-02-27T07:04:00.007-07:00

Protests in support of unions' rights to collectively bargain spread to nearly every capital in the Union. Spurred by Wisconsin governor Scott Walker's attempt to balance a budget drowning in unfunded public pension liability, many high profile governors are attacking the problem with malice aforethought. One protester supporting the public union's position decried Walker's attempts to reign in the liability accrued by a state government as a direct attack on union members' First Amendment rights. Quite a stretch to say the least. The specific issue in Wisconsin revolves around not only asking union members to contribute more to their own health care and retirement accounts but Walker is further angling to take away the public employee's union ability to collectively bargain for wages, hours, benefits, and so on. This is in modern times a touchy subject because in the last 70 years plus we've become attached to government intervention in the name of entitlements.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is a tea party favorite and budget hawk. He's choosing to attack the same problem Walker is but without a full frontal assault on the collective bargaining aspect associated with the public unions. Many states are choosing to require state and local workers that are represented by unions to contribute more to their own pensions and health care requirements. This is as it should be. Public service employees that organized by way of a union used to view public service as a calling rather than a way to bolster middle class incomes like private sector unions did. In many instances public workers making their living off of the taxpayer's dime accepted modest wages in trade for acceptable insurance and benefit packages. Now by conservative estimates, public employees earn by way of salary and full benefits nearly 30% more than their private sector counterparts. I have no issue with any American succeeding financially to provide for a family and a future but at some point the golden goose will quit laying the golden eggs. States were bullied by powerful lobbies like the NEA into unfavorable agreements. States without consultation with taxpayers agreed to lucrative wage and benefit packages with public sector unions. States signed contracts and wrote checks the taxpayers' collective bodies couldn't cash. Private sector employees have no such guarantees and rely on the ups and downs of a free market. The exorbitant excesses of public union manipulation of taxpayer coffers is thankfully coming to an end.

I've never been a fan of labor unions for a variety of reasons. I think by its very composition the idea of organized labor encourages mediocrity and a protected means to limit productivity and efficiency. Why excel at what you do when union contracts prevent an employer from removing an unproductive employee by virtue of a labor contract? You no longer have a stake in making your employer as profitable as possible. You're covered. You're protected. You don't have to answer to your employer for less than acceptable work performance. You've got the UNION backing you. It's right there in black and white and that is the end of the story. For years unionized workers have fared better than their private sector counterparts. When President Obama initiated the auto bailout/buyouts of GM and Chrysler the unions received $.55 while private investors received $.10 per dollar of investment. That is government collusion and corruption at its finest and perhaps most visceral. Unions guarantee another calamity without argument. Unions by virtue of their expensive labor agreements drive up the cost of goods sold and solidify the United States as a top candidate for ongoing and perpetual trade deficits. Liberal politicians decry evil capitalists for outsourcing and pursuing engagements free from corrupt union interaction while at the same time accepting hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions from perhaps the most powerful liberal lobby in the world.

Organized labor in the private sector isn't going anywhere. I wish it would but beating a dead horse is both unproductive and inefficient. Labor representation in the public sector is a horse of a different color however. There is no way public employees making a living on taxpayer revenue have a right to join a union which by definition intimates the ability to access and distribute taxpayer money without consent of the taxpayer. The government has a right to set the wages and benefits of its employees at what it believes to be an affordable and fair scale. It must occur within the confines of responsibility to the taxpayer first, not the union. The taxpayers deserve an efficient government that spends taxpayer money wisely not at the behest of a union. What if I was forced to join a union to obtain a position I desperately coveted but didn't want my union dues to be funneled to liberal politicians campaign funds? Is that fair? Is that deserved? What if I as a taxpayer am happy to see public service employees make a fair and decent living but in no way support public unions' political viewpoints? Is it fair that my taxes ultimately support liberal causes without my permission and consent? If you can muster a yes you're bordering delusion and a dangerous form of elitism.

The Importance of the Egyptian Revolution

2011-02-12T07:20:00.004-07:00

The world and most specifically the Middle East will not be the same. History unfolded before us over the past 18 days culminating in the resignation and departure of Egypt's longtime authoritarian dictator Hosni Mubarak. Egypt will move forward towards democracy. Maybe. We can only hope. While the populist uprising and unbridled power of the people taking to the streets and demanding basic freedoms is to be celebrated under any circumstances there is some concern to be had in regards to the power vacuum moving forward.

What began as a not too uncommon protest by a vocal few in Tahrir Square nearly three weeks ago became like a wind fueled inferno, its flames intent on turning to ash the legacy of Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak sat at the poker table with the United States for the past thirty years. When his own people threatened to physically overthrow his government, he realized he didn't have the cards to bid on a bluff. I doubt Mubarak really believed the United States and the Obama Administration would push him overboard with such decided and pointed efficiency. He was wrong. After all, Mubarak had been a U.S. ally in the region for nearly three decades. I think ally is a controversial term. I think the U.S. government did what it often does when faced with choosing the lesser of evils. I think of Mubarak as much less an ally and more of a racketeer. We bought him off with billions in military aid to do our bidding. We paid an evil man to support and defend our foreign policy initiatives. He becomes rich, his people are oppressed while we tolerate their pain, and our foreign policy goals are furthered. The military aid distributed to the Egyptian military does have its advantages. The Pentagon and Egypt's military council have a good working relationship and this point cannot be undervalued. Now that the military under the direction of Defense Minister Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, 75, controls the government in temporary fashion it is a plus for stability in the region and a plus for the United States. I must stress the temporary element of the situation.

The people of Egypt support their military. I think this is so because the military command eschews the fundamentalist ideologies of radical Islamists unlike the theocracies in Iran and a corrupted Syria do. Many in the military, including Tantawi, know that there is no way to win even if it wanted to battle Israel a fourth time in the killing sands of the Sinai. There is an inherent stability based on our relationship with Egypt's military command. Although very poor by a world standard, many in Egypt, especially those under the age of 30, believe in a secular governmental and military structure as opposed to one immersed beneath the smothering veil and tenets of radical Islam. More important moving forward in regards to the military control of government, free and fair elections must take place sooner as later. Let democracy take its foothold now by making emergency revisions to Egypt's constitution so that elections can take place in September as they should.

The U.S. response while somewhat cumbersome and untimely ultimately proved to be the right response in support of the overthrow of a dictator. We came out correctly in favor of democratic ideals. It is rare indeed that I support any of Barack Obama's initiatives, policies, or visions. I thought Obama's speech about the overthrow of the Egyptian dictatorship was maybe his most presidential moment since entering office. He and his administration had a chance to make a larger and more sweeping change for democratic good when the Iranian protests reached their boiling point in June 2009. He and Hillary Clinton dropped the ball then and it cost millions their freedom when that evil theocracy was tottering on the edge of collapse. Perhaps there was a lesson learned. Obama didn't really have a choice once the Mubarak's train came off the tracks but I'll give credit where credit is due. I doubt you'll see tons of flattering praise for Mr. Obama in future posts.

One point of caution moving forward in this exciting and positive revolution in Egypt. Groups like the Muslim Brotherhood lurk in the shadows and would like nothing more than to insert themselves into the political process moving forward. They are evil and known for such quotable nuggets such as "a Christian woman could never be President of Egypt." I hope the people in their deserved euphoria resist the temptation to fall prey to the silver tongued false prophecies of a radical Islamic group like the Muslim Brotherhood.

We are witness to history. We can hope and pray for a legitimate democracy in Egypt moving forward. And with future success and luck, maybe democracy will be in store for those suffering in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Bahrain, and scores of other corrupt theocracies that revel in choking their citizens into submission.

Our Top 4 Problems Moving Forward

2011-01-22T07:49:00.004-07:00

1. Big government. Whether it's the expansion of entitlements, Obamacare, runaway regulation, or the insolvency of FDR era government services like Social Security and Medicare, our standing on the world stage is in serious jeopardy. Perhaps the most troubling on its face is the aptly spun "health insurance reform" package. I'm not arguing about the health bill itself because I like the Congress that passed it have not read it. In general terms, do you believe a government that can't keep a postal service in the black can be trusted to keep one sixth of our economy in check? Did I mention we have a 14 trillion dollar debt ceiling and are in danger of losing our credit rating as a nation? We've lost economic authority due to trade deficits with China. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government's answer to forcing lenders to provide homes for all, caused the housing bubble and subsequent crash. While the government steps in to penalize free market lenders for dubious behavior the most quasi-criminal program of all controlled exclusively by the government gets less than a slap on the wrist. Tax payer dollars continue to prop it up and as is the case with most big government fiascoes, there is no accountability.

2. Education. We are losing ground fast and I fear that all the good America has given to the world through invention and entrepreneurial zeal is fading away. Regulation is part of the problem but at its root is an abysmal public education system. Kids and parents alike are held hostage by corrupt teacher's unions. Tenure allows bad teachers to foster bad ideas period. The unions are a powerful lobby that not only decide what your kids learn according to ideology but also who's going to teach them, no matter how dedicated or qualified. Touchy-feely good intentioned educational programs are getting us nowhere. In terms of post-secondary education, the U.S. ranked 1st as recently as 20 years ago and now we're ninth in a tie with Belgium. Belgium? Now there's a country I think of when I think of "contributions" to the world in the last 20 years. We spend more money per student ($50,000) than anyone else in the world yet our test scores slide, dropout rates increase, and innovative contributions from our economy begin to fade. Our government's answer? More money. More money. More money. This issue can't be laid at the feet of government exclusively. Parents need to create a culture of learning that starts in the home. Less video games and more constructive education and hard rules for homework. Instead of a trip to the mall, why can't kids actively engage their brains helping mom or dad build something for the house or spend more free time involved in math and science competitions? It's not about money. It's about priorities.

3. The Death of Federalism. States' rights are being consumed by this administration. Prior to the midterm elections in November 2010, I feared that we as a nation became so apathetic as to our surroundings we were destined to be driven as dumb cattle. Whether candidates newly elected based on an anti-big government platform revolutionize Washington or succumb to politics as usual is yet to be seen but at the very least a statement was made. 26 states and more to follow are challenging the health care law in federal court. Of course some of the motivation is ideological but more integral to the argument of federalism is that states don't want the federal government forcing the cost of Medicaid shortfalls on state governments without the consent of the state's taxpayers and the sheer inability of the state's taxpayers to afford such a crushing blow. Federal officials have since the Woodrow Wilson administration misapplied the commerce clause of the United States Constitution. The government has taken the common sense contractual meaning of commerce between the states and applied it to anything within a state as a means to maintain federal control over nearly every facet of life. Montana and Texas drafted a bill to cordially invite the federal government to stick it in regards to guns and ammunition manufactured exclusively and distributed exclusively within a state's boundaries. The federal courts (surprise, surprise) ruled against these rogues but I'd stay tuned to round two. The same applies to the core of the healthcare debate. Can the government force a citizen to buy health insurance or pay a penalty if they don't want it? The simple answer is no and if affirmed by a federal court there then would be nothing sacred the federal government couldn't touch and base on interstate commerce. Scary stuff.

4. National Security. Radical Islam and its proponents' ability to acquire modern weaponry changed the face of our lives forever. There'll be no peace between Judaeo-Christian nations and Muslim nations because there is not meant to be peace between these nations. Most of us would be happy enough staying out of the affairs of the Middle East on a cultural basis because they've been killing each other long before oil was discovered. They'll not rest because as long as you choose not to become a Muslim your life is fair game. Both Russia and China readily do business with radicals like Iran and North Korea because regardless of your position on organized religion these countries lack the foundational stability the history and practice of Judaeo-Christian religion provided our country and culture. The decommission of our military preparedness through ill-advised treaties with Russia that decompensate our ability to protect ourselves with a missile defense system in eastern Europe. The reason Reagan did so much to contribute to the end of the cold war is because he realized the liberal defense ideology simply didn't work. We can't "talk" nations into holding hands because they have a fundamentally different vision of what a stable relationship is. Liberal defense ideology fails because we're not dealing with nations constructed of the same social fabric and values we try to hold on to. Peace through strength has no shortcomings. It provides the means to destroy those that would destroy us while more importantly providing the deterrent that would prevent them from trying it in the first place. The federal government's priorities have been skewed for so long. National security is not only the most important spending issue it's the most important Constitutional issue. The federal government has no greater responsibility morally or legally than the protection of its citizens.

The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court, Scourge of the Country

2010-03-14T11:59:00.004-06:00

President Obama continues his unabashed and now entirely predictable march towards the global Marxist utopia as evidenced by his recent nomination of 39 year old Berkeley law professor and left-wing extremist Goodwin Liu to the U.S. 9th Circuit. Can it be any more fitting that a court that truly prides itself on contributing, empathizing, and embracing the lowest common denominators in modern society finds itself headquartered in America's most glamorous cesspool, San Francisco, CA?

Okay, Barack Bob Shiny Pants passes the okie-doke to Liu not only for Liu's participation in Obama's transition after election (sounds like the initial phases of sex reassignment) but more importantly because Liu is simpatico with Obama's own grand illusions of one great world order under Leninesque Socialist principles. To hell with our founding principles and I'm not even talking about the founders' take(s) on values. I'm talking about our entire legal system, its checks and balances, and what has made it the most envied, fair, and respected legal system in the world. No it is not perfect, but it is BETTER than anything on the market in any country today period. The New World Order supporters including our "current" executive and Liu want to systematically dismantle the democratic legal system now in place for a more useful one that divides power between an executive and that executive's appointed judges that as Liu says "are culturally situated to interpret social meaning." I thought Stalin was dead. He interpreted social meaning and ACTED on it too. He had all the power, the people no active representation, and now we're seeing a return to that philosophy now only slightly morphed as shared powers between the executive and judicial branches. Not only do these men abrogate any oath ever sworn to uphold the Constitution, they expanded redistribution beyond the bounds of economic equalization and included judicial redistribution under the umbrella as well.

The Constitution and all the blood spilled to defend its principles in the preservation of rights for the American people is DEAD in the eyes of these degenerates. Even the ABA chooses to snooze through its own rules of order to herald the nomination by means of a committee approval even though Liu hasn't been practicing law for 12 years since graduation nor does his resume' include "significant" trial experience. Liu actively dismisses and opposes free enterprise, free markets, and believes social welfare is a Constitutional right. I know he's a Berkeley guy but is he also a medicinal marijuana user as well, perhaps a medicinal opiate or hallucinogenic user? It's coming and California as is the case with most culturally offensive standards will be the breeding ground for it.

As expected, the 9th Circuit has more "judges" appointed by liberals making it by logical extension the most liberal court in America. 59% of the judgeships on this circuit can be confirmed as liberal. This court ruled on medicinal marijuana and the Newdow case among many others. Remember the court's take on this, no pledge of allegiance because "under God" was included? Their continued misinterpretation of the Establishment Clause is the source of the evil. Anything even historical with "God" mentioned is bad right? How ignorant. I know three year old children that have a better grasp of this than these federal judge buffoons. All the clause ever meant since its inception is that the government cannot actively require any one religion through endorsement, discriminate because of one's denial of that religion, or force anyone to be of one unique religion. That is it. Every big case headlining Establishment Clause issues by civil rights attorneys like the ACLU is predominantly bogus. Write it down.

The big quake in the bay can spare the innocents at any cost but it can swallow the headquarters of the 9th Circuit post haste.

Oppose Liu and Obama's visions that can do nothing but wreak havoc on our system of justice and values we all hold dear.

George Tiller, Murder Was as Murder Does

2009-06-12T08:47:00.006-06:00

Conservatives are being lambasted and blamed for the death of abortion doctor George Tiller several days ago. Tiller remained one of a handful of abortion practitioners that performed abortions in the third trimester of pregnancy. Bill O'Reilly of Fox News denounced Tiller for his practices as did several others with moral conscience. Listening to those vampires like Joan Walsh from Salon lament Tiller's death and the circumstances therein is disgusting and frankly somewhat socially obtuse. The left wing media pounced on the story as if this guy was the patron saint of something intangible. I certainly believe Tiller's death fits the profile of what it is, a homicide. There are thousands of homicides in the country and one is not less tragic or more wrong than the other. I hope his killer finds that the prosecution is competent and justice is served in a blind fashion as we all hope it would be.

To my chagrin people like Tiller that are gunned down, assassinated, or removed with extreme prejudice really get off quite unscathed. I would have much rather seen Tiller survive in a long life so that first he had an opportunity to see the error of his ways and stop the quasi-medical practice he found himself in. Second, a long and healthy life would at least have given him an opportunity to seek forgiveness for his deplorable and despicable acts against humanity. There is no place in a modern and humane society for those of Dr. George Tiller's ilk. The Humane Society works more diligently at saving the lives of wayward dogs than abortion doctors do in the vacuuming and skull-crushing practice of late term abortions.

Far left politicians, feminist groups, and liberal supporters of a secular and relativistic vision never learned to equate apples with apples. How can a politician or even a Supreme Court nominee like Judge Sotomayor oppose the death penalty on the one hand and openly endorse abortion in all its grisly forms on the other? The scientific debate about where life begins ended in Canada in 1977. Researchers of DNA concluded that scientifically there is no doubt that life begins at conception. Remember when that sperm fertilizes that egg the life form growing in the womb will absolutely not be delivered as a platypus, lamp, or mixing bowl. It is a baby. The answer lies not in the activist Roe v. Wade decision either. Nowhere in the United States Constitution or in the Bill of Rights stands an amendment or clause allowing, sanctioning, or endorsing an abortion in any form. The left-wing loons continually use loose medical jargon to sway support in the nation. Health of the mother exceptions, incest, and rape are all buzz words pro-choice groups use to lobby the continued exercises of irresponsibility and selfishness. Less than 1% of all pregnancies in which women seek abortions have anything at all to do with rape, incest, or supposed health of the mother issues.

I suppose we can lament the death of Dr. George Tiller as tragic and it is for the reasons mentioned above. He never had the chance to make right the wrongs he spent a lifetime committing. He never had the chance to get right with God so to speak. But to make his death any more tragic than any other is completely wrong minded. Many of the babies he murdered cried, blinked their eyes, and maybe even grasped his hand before he crushed their skulls. He was the first and last thing many of them saw in those horrific final moments. Keeping this in light makes me think a relatively quick death of his own got him off easy, way too easy.

Change We Can Believe In. Bullshit.

2009-06-10T20:13:00.005-06:00

Reality of the day drifts silently much like the fog eerily floating between stark headstones in a George Romero horror picture. I can't believe this is the America we live in today. We're simply dumber than a pound of wet lizard liver, Barack's slicker than a liquored up Beelzebub, and the Earth just keeps spinning I guess in spite of that darned old Global Warming (take that Al Gore you stupid dolt). What in the hell is going on and why isn't the national media berating Obama at every step during his not too subtle attempts at nationalizing the world we live in? Oh, because the media works for him. Sorry. Did anyone see NBC anchor Brian Williams' private interview with the President? Get a room for Christ's sake. Williams tried to slip him the tongue and the secret service had to draw their sidearms. Get this next bit from MSNBC's "Hardball" hosted by Chris Matthews. Evan Thomas from "Newsweek" said to Matthews that Barack Bob Shiny Pants is above the country and above the world, like he's God. Are you goddamn kidding me? I know NBC and parent company General Electric are whores for the radical left but my God it's as if we live in an era of state run media. TYRANNY

This car bailout is nothing short of extortion of the American taxpayer by Barack himself. What else can you expect from a President bore of the rotting and racketeering womb of Chicago politics? Change, transparency, and truth? Better start looking to the next President if there's any hope for that. We've been ripped off and didn't even get a kiss and we're still missing our pants. Taxpayers bail out the auto companies at Barack's direction and the only winner is Socialist organized labor. No more special interests in Washington huh? Oh, you meant all special interests EXCEPT the biggest and most corrupt special interest of all. Secured lenders get $0.29 on the dollar and organized labor roughly $0.50. Oh, you and I get about $0.10. I love transparency. TYRANNY

I don't care about Barack and Mr. Ed Michelle Obama going to dinner and a play in New York. Of course it's expensive but he's the President and he's entitled to a date or a ride with her. (Wilbur......come in the room.) But to fly Air Force One over New York City at desperately low altitudes a couple of weeks earlier without warning to the citizens of Manhattan displays a level of controlling ignorance not seen in recent times. Arrogance rather than compassion and decency ruled the day in spite of his many post 9/11 voters meandering the streets of New York City. TYRANNY

One of Barack's biggest campaign promises had to do with loving up the suspected terrorists held at Gitmo in Cuba and closing it down. Stupid voters thought that to be a touchy and cuddly enough issue with which to cry on Barack's shoulder. Now Barack Bob Shiny Pants says "Hell No" because individuals that DO KNOW and DO CARE in the defense department and CIA convinced the political hack in the Oval Office that yes in fact Mr. Pres some of these crazy bastards will fly a missile straight up your ass if released. Kudos Bush administration. Careful Barack, I smell the loony Move On commies starting to turn on you! Nancy Pelosi's caked on plastic surgery is starting to crumble under the weight of her treasonous attempts to distort intelligence truths and publish Gitmo photographs that surely will cost American casualties abroad. All this at the expense of personal politics. Harry Reid's been quiet though. I think he's been embalmed and his staffers failed to tell him. Barack lied to his voters about leaving Iraq and surging in Afghanistan parallel to the dreaded Bush wars. Funny thing though, no tough questions at Barack's press briefings. TYRANNY

Now let's nationalize health care with a disastrous single-payer system like the same systems in Canada and Great Britain, dump money into failing schools that will continue to fail, dump federal money into infrastructure projects to provide temporary jobs to the unemployed (but only if you're a card carrying labor union member), control the banks and their employees' salaries, ban weapons guaranteed to citizens under the Second Amendment, raise taxes, and destroy the concept of states' rights and individual rights as guaranteed in the Constitution. Not bad for the first three months. TYRANNY

To top it off nominate a Latina woman (S. Sotomayor) to the United States Supreme Court who is unabashedly racist claiming she is a better decision maker than other white men on the bench. She's not a big believer in blind justice but rather has empathy for one's social setting and skin color if you will. Thomas Jefferson is rolling over in his grave. She is racist for failing to stand beside firefighters that tested for a promotion and outscored the competition but failed to get those promotions because they were too white. TYRANNY

I wonder if we're heading up Barack Creek without a paddle. We're in trouble and the electorate refuses to see it. I wonder if it will be too late.

Walk the Plank

2009-04-11T08:17:00.005-06:00

Have you been following this Somali pirate action the last couple of days? Apparently these terrorists make quite a prosperous living hijacking ocean going cargo vessels and yachts and taking crew members hostage for healthy ransoms. Earlier in the week a French couple and their young child found themselves abducted by these mindless heathens and the man lost his life during a rescue orchestrated by the French government. True, the man and his wife ignored warnings about piracy in the area and chose to attempt a pleasure cruise through the area anyway. This French man and his wife apparently weren't the brightest bulbs in the knife drawer and they thought their home country's military could bail them out in a tight squeeze? That's a shock. The all powerful French military screwed up the negotiation and release of three countrymen, one of whom was an infant child. Sure glad they're NOT helping us fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. Why do we need their permission again to conduct operations against terrorists? I seriously doubt the French military could successfully orchestrate the covert removal of dog poop from the French president's lawn without screwing it up. So going up against pirates would certainly be out of reach for the French military or whatever they call it. It's funny the government of France didn't just pay up rather than bluff a fight. It's not like France not to pander and placate terrorism.

Second, an American captain of a Maersk cargo ship is being held captive by Somali pirates in the same body of water some distance away. According to my interpretation of international law, the United States Navy doesn't have the authority to engage the pirates in this particular body of water regardless of the crew's nationality. I imagine some ships fly under the flags of different countries for tax and trade purposes further complicating what I am sure is a legal nightmare in international or non-American waters. You have to give this American captain credit though. He jumped from the lifeboat the pirates held him on and was dog paddling towards a Navy destroyer sent to block reinforcements from reaching the pirates' lifeboat. The captain swam back to his captors after a hail of automatic weapons fire encircled him during his attempted break to freedom. What did he say when he got back to them after they fired at him? I was just kidding.

So a conundrum exists. The terrorist lifeboat is out of fuel. The Navy is or shortly will be blocking resupply of this boat by their terrorist buddies. The pirates are negotiating and demanding ransom even though they're afloat without gas. They said they'll kill Captain Phillips if the Navy engages them. No one at the State Department or Pentagon has called me as of this hour but if they read this blog I'll provide the solution to them free of charge as a service to my country and in hopes that Captain Phillips will be safely returned to his family in Vermont.

The U.S. Navy should surround the lifeboat and agree to facilitate whatever sum of sum of money the terrorists demand. Once confirmation of the transfer of funds to an account chosen by the terrorists is complete, safely stow Captain Phillips below deck in the American destroyer sent to surround the lifeboat he'd been on. Next it is time to turn the turrets on one or more of our destroyers towards this lifeboat and blow the ever loving shit out of it and its pirate crew. There shouldn't be a piece of boat or terrorist big enough to provide a gourmet meal for a minnow. Five or six of our destroyers then play bumper cars with any terrorist vessel in the area within a 10,000 square mile radius. We kill them all and keep killing them until they get the hint that terrorism on the high seas may be hazardous to your health. We could paint billboards on the side of our destroyers like the drinking and driving billboards you see along the highways in America. Then we summon one, only one, U.S. aircraft carrier to the region as well. The NSA and CIA have intelligence indicating where the terrorist strongholds are on the Somali coast and inland as well. Our fighter jets turn these safe houses into glass. Now regardless of the "international community's" concern about unilateral action we just get it done and it's over with. We seize the funds we handed over. If an international bank doesn't give our money back after we explain that this was a ransom paid to international terrorists we burn the bank down and take our money back anyway. When the United Nations wants to investigate our actions we withdraw from the U.N. This should have been done years ago anyway. The U.N. is an organization that promotes terrorism and even allows terror sponsoring nations to vote on how we deal with terrorists. Wow, that is logical and intelligent isn't it? Probably not. I wish they'd just call me more often. I wonder if Barack or Hillary could come up with a better plan. I doubt it. They're taking the U.N. path which blames America first and trumpets negotiating with those that wish us harm instead of ridding them for the scourge they are. I like my way better.

Sad Day in Tracy, CA

2009-04-07T10:33:00.007-06:00

What in the world is wrong with us? Sandra Cantu, this pretty 8 year old girl, was found stuffed in a suitcase in a dairy pond near her home in Tracy, CA. Her autopsy is scheduled for later today. The grief for her family must be unimaginable. How tragic to lose someone this young and crippling to let thoughts run rampant about her last hours and moments on Earth. As someone that interacted with sex offenders during my years of service in law enforcement I can tell you that this type of deviant is simply the worst among us. To be definitive, there is no cure for the type of animal that did this to an innocent child. Recidivism rates skyrocket and even the touchy-huggy rehabilitation types find no statistics to back their theory of returning "rehabilitated" offenders back into general society.

My view on the death penalty has softened over time. I used to be a member of the "kill them all" chorus. Well publicized mistakes and cases of innocent men and women being convicted and in some cases executed for crimes they didn't commit seems just as dastardly. However, why do we fight so hard to modify laws that would adjust to a sort of legal common sense? Why does it have to be a death penalty versus no death penalty argument exclusively? Can't we modify the death penalty debate to include specificity and absolute knowledge? In other words, if DNA links the suspect to this girl's savage murder, light him up Jack. If eyewitness testimony and circumstantial evidence convict the suspect beyond a reasonable doubt without DNA, then let it be life in prison. And for you child molesters entering the prison system, don't drop the soap if you get my drift.

It doesn't matter whether or not the death penalty reduces the number of vicious crimes in each respective category or not. The death penalty remains in my eyes as a specific punishment for a specific person for having committed a specific act. Case closed. I've interrogated sex offenders myself and winced with a knot in my stomach while eliciting a confession. They like it, they want to talk about it. You have to rationalize with them and it is as sickening as anything you'll ever sit through. One guy told me about a three year old girl he abused and that she "wanted it." I wanted to tear his throat out with my bare hands. Thankfully I didn't but as I get older I'm happy to say I might handle things with a pipe if given half a chance.

When examining your own thoughts regarding the death penalty's place in society, try not to make it an all or nothing argument. If DNA connects the suspect to a victim scientifically beyond any doubt, it's barbecue or killer cocktail time. If evidence convicts him without the positive link of DNA it's life in prison. The important thing is to keep innocent adults and children safe from roaming predators that serve no benefit to society now or in the future.

Socialism, Facism, or a Nice Combination of Both

2009-04-05T10:11:00.005-06:00

The drooling lap dogs got their wish. That's right. The American electorate got exactly what they thought they wanted. Everything ever mentioned about the American love affair with Obama comes to pass. And believe me, "something wicked this way comes." Our apathy and complete lack of focus and conviction now lives vicariously through President Barack Obama. Prepare to start paying the price and a steep one it will be indeed.

Help us and help me was the cry as the economy teetered, stocks wobbled, and unemployment numbers soared. While we sat back on dead asses and waited on promises from an inefficient government that cannot control itself within the walls of Congress, an entire way of life changes and the building blocks of our Constitution are being jackhammered by the Marxist liberals now controlling even more of what once had been a society based on personal freedoms and free markets. Blame Bush if you must for beginning the landslide. He abandoned the conservative creed of fiscal responsibility. The first automotive bailout and use of TARP funds clearly planted the first seeds of doom. Republicans crowded into bed with him did as well and now they're on the outside looking in. Just remember that the pinch-faced shrew Pelosi and cadaver Harry Reid have controlled both houses of Congress for more than two years. I guess the buck doesn't stop here. Please remember that the lisping and show tunes loving Barney Frank supported the very institutions that precipitated the mortgage meltdown that ushered in the current recession. He and other Socialists of his ilk like Maxine Waters and Al Franken are on the record supporting, indeed legislating the path for sub-prime mortgages. Why doesn't anyone ever mention the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 that the dunderhead Carter Administration enacted, Bill Clinton enhanced, and Barney Frank pushed until the sky fell last year? I'm just getting warmed up.

So do you want to start with the staggering deficits created by Obama's unprecedented budget of 3.1 trillion dollars? Do you know that these debts probably cannot be covered or paid back for generations? What about printing money to "monetize" the debt? Deflation of the dollar then pushes us towards an international currency as suggested by trustworthy nations like China. By the way, we've borrowed more money from the Communists than Pelosi has plaster for her puppet-like face. Did I mention Russia and China are buddies with ever increasing military might and increasing troop and weapons numbers? Does it matter to you that Harold Koh, a top attorney in Obama's state department, encourages us to shift to international law rather than our Constitution? Instead of relying on our own laws and judicial process we'll now base decisions in our country on what France or Spain thinks. That's comforting. You had better just grab a couple of drinks now.

The billions of dollars spent bailing out the auto industry and AIG was a smokescreen that allowed Obama the puppet and his radical handlers to begin pushing the government into a fascist state. Yeah, he used the news of AIG and the auto bailouts to pull the wool over the eyes of the voters. While we're cussing greedy corporate executives Barack is pushing stem cells, forcing doctors to perform abortions regardless of conscience, and pushing cap and trade carbon taxes that further cripple American industry. That's just the small stuff. Do you know that the construction jobs created in his stimulus bill only benefit those workers that are members of the unions? So much for special interests being driven out of Washington. Do you know why the automotive industry wasn't forced to pursue bankruptcy before now? Obama couldn't face the ire of the UAW. Truth is as action dictates. Am I the only one that remembers white tooth Obama promising no more earmarks during his campaign? Remember, earmarks are different than traditional pork barrel spending. Pork projects can be debated on the floor. Earmarks cannot be debated. They're slipped in there. Obama simply represents a more charming and eloquent version of the same toxic waste and slime. Shucks, trust me because I'm the government and I know what's best for you.

Are you nervous that the nationalization (Socialization) of banks and U.S. corporations came off without a hitch? The inept Congress cannot balance a budget, understand a profitable economic system, or agree on which color the new carpet in the congressional bathrooms should be. However, they are perfectly capable of running private industry and making decisions for the banks that have your money in them. Comforting isn't it. Now Obama can decide which employee makes too much money and who should be fired, hired, or hardwired. I don't think this was the founders' vision of a free America.

At least the liberal media types can focus on Michelle Obama (Mr. Ed look-alike) and how she touched the Queen of England's back or what shoes she wore when she met the French president's wife. You know, the important stuff. You and I fellow Americans had better pull our heads out and start attending some tea parties. Never under any circumstances though take to the streets with your guns. Oh wait, the ban on all weapons held by law-abiding citizens is on its way as well. Our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms is well on its way to repeal and is under attack as well. The very protection the founders gave us to prevent the implementation of a tyrannical government is under attack by our tyrannical government. That's not an oxymoron but a now sweeping truth.

Stay tuned.

George Bush, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Bad All the Way Around

2008-04-13T15:17:00.004-06:00

If this wasn't so disastrous it might be funny. Do you really think one is better than the other? You're crazy if you answer to the affirmative.

I as you know by now remain well entrenched in conservatism and find myself somewhere to the philosophical right of Attila the Hun. If I had any fame or journalistic recognition at all the pundits would call me a neocon's neocon. Belief in a value system and applying it to your political decisions is one thing and marching lockstep with one party or another for the sole purpose of maintaining party unity is foolish. I am not a George W. Bush fan nor am I a particular supporter of Dick Cheney and his Halliburton empire. I supported the invasion of Afghanistan and the attempted destruction of the Taliban and the Al-Qaida training camps housed within the poppy plant's homeland. I even supported the administration regarding the invasion of Iraq based on our intelligence estimates combined with those researched and supposedly validated by the British Empire. Bush's war detractors make an error not in opposing the war itself but in calling for an immediate or nearly immediate withdrawl. Even the Democrats if pressed on the issue admit that a Vietnam-style withdrawl would prove catastrophic to the entire Middle East and give Iran, Russia, and China added bravato if future tensions arise with them. We stay until it's stabilized or until the Islamic communities in the region prove to all of us once and for all that their value system is flawed and based on a guttural 5th century mentality. I am afraid the latter will always hold true. Anyone for turning the whole damn sand box back to glass? That would be a sigh of relief.

Bush's policy or perhaps Bush's luck in policy has prevented another 9/11 type of attack on our homeland. We have to give credit where credit is due. Beyond that, George has disappointed diehard conservatives like me beyond measure. Our current spending would give Tip O'Neill a massive erection and he's been dead for years. Democrats still gripe about the education system but no president has thrown more tax dollars at public education than Bush. Democrats don't want to tackle the real issues of personal responsibility rather than promoting moral relativism. Problems in the public school system start at home miles away from the classrooms. Bush is bankrupting us. Every industry in the country receives giant subsidies. You name it and it gets money. Big oil, corporate farming, poorly run airlines, and even mismanaged financial institutions like Bear Stearns get taxpayer bailouts. How do I sign up for one of those?

Those of us on the hard right view spending like this. Taxes are to be paid to provide for national security and an infrastructure that accomodates capitalism by ensuring the building blocks are in place to facilitate a free market economy. In other words we want a mighty military to protect us from foreign lunatics like those in Iran, China, Syria, and Russia. We believe in a proactive rather than reactive strategy when it comes to protecting our assets and well being in the world. Barack and Hillary, well, not so much. We believe that things like roads, airports, bridges, and other technologies that promote an efficiency in the course of doing business is what makes America's businesses and workers succeed. Take a majority of entitlements and pork barrel spending not directly related to the above and flush them with the kitty litter. Throw in some tax dollars for a modest federal law enforcement presence to uphold the Constitution and a revamped and less imposing list of federal statutes and voila we have a productive country with a surplus. In general economic terms George W. Bush doesn't speak for me. Give me the freedom promised in the Constitution and less government intrusion. If there is a problem at home let my state figure it out rather than imposing more federal regulations. Simple really is productive.

Now let's take on the views of dumb and dumber. I mean Hillary and Barack. BIG GOVERNMENT is better. The government knows what's best for you. Take Hillary's health care proposal. Your freedom is eroded before your very eyes. You have to have my health care. It is law that GOVERNMENT takes your money for a program you have no choice in. Scary. Choice equals freedom and any lack thereof sways us precipitously towards socialism. Barack's comments about us "rednecks" clinging to our guns and religion and belief in national border security make me wonder if he thinks personal freedoms and values are overrated. Maybe he believes his control and initiatives save us because after all we really can longer make decisions for ourselves. Can't you see it coming or does his toothy smile induce the cessation of neurons in your brain? Personal freedom MUST trump government intervention or we're all lost and lost for good. It is scary to know that liberals like Clinton and Obama have built giant constituencies because they've convinced people that personal responsibility and work ethic no longer apply. Trust me says Barack, I'll take care of you. No thanks Barack, I'll take care of myself and provide for my own like the framers intended it to be.

In summation, of the three boobs talked about here today one is no better than the other two. They simply have a different method and set of calculations to bilk us and dumb us down. Just remember, personal freedoms can only be maintained through our opposition to undue government influence and an adherence to our own responsibility for ourselves and our actions.

Barack and Hillary woo Montana Democratic Faithful in Butte, Missoula

2008-04-06T08:12:00.008-06:00

The Democratic Party hosted both of their candidates for the office of president in Butte yesterday to the cheers of thousands of supporters. Barack Obama included an earlier stop in Missoula Saturday morning. On the positive side the spectacle brought Montana national recognition and did create its own historical context because it included both candidates that currently engage in verbal fistfighting desperate to obtain the Democratic nomination. I think it's also kind of neat that as far as the Democratic primary process goes, Montana closes the primary season as it's the last one to close its polls on June 3rd.

From news reports I've obtained both candidates stayed on message. George Bush is bad and government will take control and heal your wounds if I'm elected. Fair enough; those have been the talking points in stump speeches since the Iowa caucuses. Barack continues a masterful charm offensive while enthusiastic crowds roar in approval even if his message contains little in concrete detail and relies heavily on glittering generalities. Hillary takes the stage like the mad little woman she is; she's still upset that no one but she and Bill understand that she's entitled as a Clinton to have the office of president delivered to her much like the monarchy in England. Hillary obviously stares at the nomination much like Sir Edmund Hillary (no she wasn't named after him, she misspoke) stared at Mount Everest while standing at its base. Even in Montana I feel the winds of change blowing. The state could vote in the Democratic category this fall and hasn't done so since swaying for Bill Clinton in 1992. Barack Obama will be the Democratic nominee even though Hillary will pull out all the stops before finally if ever conceding defeat. A vicious political machine like the Clintons maintain won't sink of its own accord. In good old Montana terms, Hillary is a raccoon in a creek being closely pursued by bloodhound Barack Obama. I've seen a coon push a hound's head under the water in an attempt to drown it. I am thankful that all the infighting will benefit John McCain this fall.

Montana voters maintain an independent streak and don't usually adhere to their parties in lock step fashion and thankfully that makes us unique. Most Montanans I know, Democrats included, generally maintain somewhat of a conservative outlook on social issues but may drift left on economic and other issues. We have a Democratic governor and two senators. Our single representative is true blue conservative through and through and his success or failure in reelection this fall will serve as an accurate indicator in gauging if the state in its entirety has moved decidedly left. Senator Jon Tester defeated long time incumbent Republican Conrad Burns in the last election based in no small part on a smear campaign alleging close ties between Burns and convicted lobbyist Conrad Burns. Whether it was time for Burns to go or not, Tester is lucky to be in office after being elected on false pretenses.

I would have loved to travel to Butte to see both Hillary and Barack speak to the thronging masses. However I'd already scheduled some time to shampoo my plants and I simply had to prioritize. When I found out it cost $40.00 to purchase a ticket for entry I decided that money could be better spent on driveway de-icer and some items from the dollar store. I still find myself chapped to know how many of the blue collar common folks fall in line with both Clinton and Obama. That whole representation of the common man is a train load of crap big enough to fertilize the Mojave. Bill and Hillary earned $109,000,000.00 in the last several years and they still won't divulge donor records from his presidential library because trust me, they don't want you to know who's on there. Hillary absolutely bashes corporate America in true Socialist fashion but how in the hell do we think Bill makes his big bucks? What do you think his money is made from? He's an "adviser" and "consultant" to corporate titans in Dubai. I wonder if there's any oil money associated with Dubai in the MIDDLE EAST. I'll let you decide. I hope it makes the supporters of Clinton happy to know that after making all that money off "corporate" interests (yes, Hillary's book publishers are corporate too) they still bilk the taxpayer for hundreds of thousands of dollars on secret service details and perks related to Bill's disservice in office.

Barack Obama's position relative to Hillary's is a little more tenuous when it comes to the general election against McCain. Barack's involvement with a racist religious organization, corrupt real estate mogul Tony Rezko, and a man once convicted for trying to blow up federal buildings may cause him some problems come November. Couple that with his relative inexperience in just about every category of leadership and I think it may develop into a perfect storm for him. His refusal to lay out black and white (there's been plenty of black versus white) details of his policy plans and more importantly how he plans to pay for them further adds to the intrigue. He's been labeled as the most liberal senator in the country. Even with his frenzied support now among his Democratic supporters, independents and Republicans may find themselves just as energized this fall to come out swinging and I mean swinging hard. He has mentioned nothing of substance to convince me he is little more than a populist demagogue that delivers eloquent speeches of questionable substance from within the confines of an empty suit. Even though the liberal mainstream media including the disasters of NBC, MSNBC, and CNN remain in the tank for him, the truth may in fact set him free. It may set him free from the constraints of winning the presidency.

One news report that troubled me came from the Missoula rally. As the reporter so poignantly set the mood, a supporter remained in the stands after Barack left the stage and wept. Yes, I said wept. I've cried before but not over an unproven politician that says nothing that hasn't been said at thousands of high school pep rallies across the country. It reminds of that scene from the hilarious airline spoof movie "Airplane." A woman finds out her flight is in trouble while strapped into her seat and starts panicking and wailing uncontrollably. She is driving everyone absolutely nuts and there is a line of people in the aisle wielding everything from pipes, baseball bats, and brass knuckles all too willing to quiet her unnecessary outbursts. If I'd been in Missoula after the rally, I may have been one of those people.

Have a great day.

The Pregnant Man Story: How Low Can It Go?

2008-04-05T08:29:00.003-06:00

I just happened to be asleep in my chair the other day and when I woke from my snoring slumber this is what I saw on the television screen a few feet away. I am neither a fan or drooling supporter of demagogue Oprah Winfrey in any way, shape, or form but I did watch the show if only for reasons of morbid fascination. It was through bad luck only the television found itself tuned to the CBS frequency. We must preface the high points of this article with an underlying theme that holds true under most scientific testing and analysis. Stupid is as stupid does. I'm pretty sure I learned that same theory in biology and church. Who knew? Okay, this image is just flat-ass creepy and that is only the beginning of this bizarre and appalling set of circumstances. Let's run through the facts before I begin chastising this person with inappropriate and politically insensitive sarcasm.

First we should clarify that this is not a pregnant man at all. This is a photograph of Thomas Beatie formerly known as Tracy when he was a girl growing up in Hawaii. Before she became a he there were beauty pageants and boyfriends. How would you like to be one of those guys? You're at home having a beer with your buddies and Oprah comes on. Hey Bill, I used to date him. After throwing up for hours I picture these guys playing Russian roulette with a .357 magnum and bottle of Chivas Regal. At the very least we're talking about hours of painful psychiatric therapy and strong prescription medications. Yes, he is pregnant because he is really a she. Beatie is a transgender male. Although born a female and living as a female for most of his/her life, he noted that when he woke in the mornings as a female he felt like a man. So I hypothesize that he ran to Home Depot, bought a circular saw, and playfully engaged in a double masectomy masking the pain with several vodka and testosterone cocktails. Then he/she visited one of those adult playthings stores and purchased an appropriate rubbery phallus and glued it to a generally appropriate area behind the zippered gates. Some needle and thread and voila that pretty much sews this case up. (I couldn't help it.) That is truly interesting. Now we're back to having the right to act on our feelings regardless of the consequences. I've wanted to get up many times and head over to my neighbor's house with a four foot section of cast iron pipe and beat him and his property senseless when a party kept me up most of the night. The point is I didn't act on that impulse. Why is this any different? I would have hurt my neighbor and this pregnancy will certainly damage the growing child for life.

Beatie was quoted as saying being pregnant as a male doesn't define who he is. It defines you're a freak. End of that story. During Beatie's "transition" he chose to keep his internal female reproductive organs because he thought he may want a child but apparently not in his natural form of a biological female. How selfish and morally inept was that decision? It travels the same path as the argument I have with homosexuals adopting and raising children. If all established norms find themselves eviscerated under theories of moral equivalence, where do we timidly and tentatively form any baseline of decency even if only infintismal? Beatie is married to a middle aged woman with two grown daughters of her own. Her voice is deeper and mannerisms seem quite masculine if you're keeping score at home. Homosexuals and this transgender couple claim that their lifestyle is somehow the result of some biologic progression. It is naturally buried within an individual's DNA or so say the promoters of gaydom. Homosexuals won't define their actions as a lifestyle choice because they claim biology is overriding social norms. If biology is at the root of homosexuality and transgender science, why don't homosexuals agree that they simply can't have children because it falls beyond the borders of the natural science fence they put themselves behind? It is not natural or biologically possible for same sex couples to have children. Remember when gays hung their hats on the study that noted scientists believed some male sheep were gay? I could always tell because they were the ones at the feed trough wearing pink leg warmers. What if biology and personal choice spiraled out of control? What if everyone and everything became inclined naturally or otherwise to pursue same sex relationships. All species of flora and fauna become extinct. My point is that their argument is as ridiculous as what I've just noted. Same sex relationships and the desire for children violate the most basic of natural principles yet most fighting in the political arena for gay rights claim it is a God-given right to have your cake and eat it too.

I'm wondering how long it takes a scientist or doctor living in any old American town to skip down the street to a retarded neighbor's home. Some medical study will pay for the use of this unwitting person to breed a chimpanzee or gorilla. I wonder how long before Oprah aired that episode. Do you see my point? Maybe you have a person you know that wants to marry a goat or have sexual relations in public with his 1983 Buick Skylark. How can we accept one form of supposed biologic relationship based on progression and not others? I don't see how the train won't just steamroll off the tracks. Oprah noted in her interview with Beatie and his/her wife that this is a "new definition of what diversity means for everybody." Not for me Oprah. I am not filled with the absolute hubris that Oprah is nor will I cast such generalized statements in that glib fashion. As far as I'm concerned, if Beatie wants to have a baby as a transgender male he can just play the "natural" game to the end. He must deliver the baby as a male would if a male could. Let's see how Thomas/Tracy Beatie handles a rectal delivery. I imagine it would be something like passing a bowling ball or coffee maker. Maybe after that being pregnant won't hold the same nonsensical allure it does now. Instead of making high pitched squealing appearances on Oprah he'll be the lifelong spokesperson for Preparation H. It's just that silly.

Apparently we're traveling into uncharted territory. The lines are so blurry I'm afraid that any act can now be achieved regardless of personal accountability or social acceptance. The religion of science now replaces the very foundations we've built civilization on. There are no more norms and traditional values based on Christian principles. I quite think George Washington or John Adams would shutter uncontrollably. Those in my non-progressive conservative camp are now the established minority and our persecution will follow. Mark my words.

U.S. Energy Policy Spirals Downward

2008-03-30T09:59:00.005-06:00

I write today to appease my father's desire to lambast U.S. energy and agricultural officials and chastise the global environmental alarmist movement. That seems like a heck of a lot of work for a Sunday but I'll give it the old college try. Unfortunately our energy policy will be tied to carbon dioxide emissions and the yet to be honestly debated global warming theory until the last dog dies. Did I mention that not only are the scholars and scientists that oppose the "consensus" theory given no voice in any debate format they are branded as hacks by media surrogates even though many of them have far more impressive credentials than Al Gore's all too agenda driven lap dogs. If many of the proposals burped up by the environmentally friendly politicians and presidential candidates come to pass, I for one believe the end of our free market economy as we know it is close at hand.

The problems associated with intertwining energy policy with the whole "earth turns to fire" prognostication are at the very least dangerous when viewed broadly. Even the EPA acknowledged when issuing a notice of proposed rule-making that rapid and poorly researched regluations for instant emissions controls on cars and trucks cripples everything from corporate America to mom and pop operations serving as the backbone of competitive enterprise in this country. First of all, heads are in the sand if anyone believes there will be an overnight shift from fossil fuels to alternative sources of energy. If every available acre suitable for the production of corn was seeded exclusively for the production of ethanol used in weaning us from gasoline consumption, it would constitute only 9% of the fuel utilized now. Even with aggressive conservation methods we are stuck trying to develop a source for the other 90% (and growing) need. That means no affordable corn feed for cattle and hog producers and food-based corn costs would skyrocket beyond exorbinant levels. What about the taxpayer and tax break dollars already flowing to corn producers and producers of biofuels? Where in this picture does the consumer get a break? Is it one of the tenets of the environmental movement to ensure the wealth and liquidity of large corn producers while you and I still pay inflated prices at the pump and grocery store for food now in short supply because of its fuel value? Most concerning to me is that we are contemplating a major investment in technologies that are still relatively new and unproven. The questions just keep on coming too. Changing corn to ethanol is extremely expensive and inefficient. It takes as much or more energy to produce a gallon of ethanol than the finished product itself gives us. Recently concerns about biofuel emissions and its effects on warming have come up. I'm hesitant to spend all this money on unproven technologies only to have the controlling environmentalists tell us we're still killing the planet. Maybe we should just scale down to loin cloths and clubs and forage for our food. I'm not really kidding, is this what they want?

As a rule of thumb we've been importing about 14 million barrels of oil a day at a cost of $340 billion dollars a year from countries and zealots that would happily enjoy our collapse and participate in a festive round of beheading. Little do you hear in the way of gigantic oil reserves our own government has outlawed us from recovering in the Atlantic Ocean. We've in quite cowardly fashion slithered away from refuge drilling by extremely environmentally and eco-friendly processes. China and India can of course pursue that which we've stupidly castrated ourselves from obtaining but they're entitled right? Oh, and they're modern industrialists that have a handle on pollution controls right? They're responsible for more direct particulate emission than we ever dreamed of. Have you seen the air in Beijing (cough, cough)? When is the last time you've heard about the vast supplies of oil in the Bakken field of North Dakota, Montana, and South Dakota? 175 to 500 billion barrels of recoverable oil are waiting to be horizontally drilled out of the Earth in an environmentally friendly way but apparently the American consumer isn't worth the effort or doesn't deserve the information. Do you ever hear about the vast reserves available on the Wyoming and Utah border, the new formations in the Gulf of Mexico, and a million others the environmental propagandists don't want you to hear about? I hate to sound like Mel Gibson in "Conspiracy Theory" but understand you and I have been deemed unworthy by our government and those that control it.

Does it bother you to know that states like Montana with vast reserves of coal get the thumbs down from environuts even if the technology is available to sequester carbon dioxide emissions? Has anyone told you the break consumers would get when clean coal to diesel technology was up and running and decreasing our reliance on foreign energy thus driving down energy costs for everyone participating in the economy? No you haven't heard because they don't want you to. I guess bozo politicians figure we've ran a dismal trade deficit for this long, why change a good thing? I'd start fashioning that loin cloth if I were you. Don't even mention clean nuclear power to envirocons. Regardless of its "clean" potential they just don't like it. Seems to me they're more about control than solutions. Nuclear power if allowed to benefit from a reduction in mind numbing regulatory barriers can be an effective form of energy production. Collecting berries on a windswept hillside can be a marvelous family outing or so I've heard. Although contrary to popular belief, most of the profits from big oil benefit American investor's 401K's and not a small group of corporate demons. Still, with the record profits I believe the time is now to cut oil subsidies as currently structured. If you want to use subsidies and tax breaks as an incentive, do it by requiring the major oil companies to invest in their infrastructure and the manufacture of refineries. Therein lies a great deal of costs associated with the farce theory of "supply and demand."

Perhaps the most dangerous element regarding upcoming energy policy changes revolve around the carbon tax and cap and trade issues. Let's scale this down for dummies like me. Every business, large or small, mom or pop, farm or ice cream shop will inherit a tax passed on to them by energy producers penalized through hidden taxes for the production of fossil fuel energy. Basically the government would allow energy producers to produce a set limit of energy. After that limit is exceeded by increased demand from consumers, the energy producer can purchase auctioned or allocated permits from other producers that haven't hit the imposed limit. Notice the permit terminology. It's a tax and it will be passed to you. By 2050 carbon taxes would in today's language equate to about $.50 per gallon. Don't fret though because you're going to pay it if you use natural gas, heating oil, or propane. It's an all-inclusive gotcha tax. Try to make money at your business and the government will happily take your profits on the backside through this carbon taxing process. I'll mention again that the whole carbon dioxide emissions tied to global warming alarmism is still an unproven theory. Isn't the government and the cerebrally challenged morons that run it a wonderful spectacle to bemuse?

At any rate I've just brushed the surface of these issues and each one could expand to pages and pages of dialogue and research. For now diesel hovers around $4.00 per gallon and biodiesel is the same. Sketchy science and production for the same price. If the trucking industry collapses due to high fuel prices and government inactivity the economy will follow long before we crown the next presidential dunce. I wonder if I should learn how to start speaking Chinese so I'm prepared for their takeover.

Illegal Immigration, Murder, and a Corrupt L.A. Mayor. The Southern California Cesspool Coming Soon to a City Near You.

2008-03-29T09:48:00.007-06:00

I felt truly saddened when this story broke on March 2nd. Jamiel Shaw Jr., a 17 year old high school football standout and ostensibly good kid was brutally and viciously gunned down near his home in Los Angeles by an illegal immigrant punk named Pedro Espinoza who apparently was eager to earn his killer wings at the ripe old age of 19. Was young Jamiel Shaw a gang member in the wrong place at the wrong time? No. Did Jamiel Shaw flash incorrect gang signs at the car load of 18th Street Gang Latino thugs that passed him by on the street? No sir. Shaw reportedly had no gang affiliation. Jamiel Shaw did absolutely nothing to contribute to his untimely and tragic end.

There is a lot more to this story and we're going to discuss it. Some have easily pigeon-holed the issue as a "Latin gang members kill blacks and black gang members in the Crips and Bloods kill Latinos" but the issue reaches into the darkest recesses of our national immigration policy and specifically into the corruption of Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The death of an innocent child in this way is senseless enough but to know that the United States government and specifically one corrupt politician did nothing to prevent the tragedy through the utilization of concrete policy steps bloodies the collective hands beyond measure. The mayor of L.A. should be hung from a yardarm in a public street to be spat upon. Wait until you learn about his current and past affiliations.

Where should we start? Let's start with the cowardly killer. Pedro Espinoza lived in our (not his) country illegally since the age of four. Now this mindless murderer spent little of his time slithering through back alleys in the City of Angels to avoid detection that might lead to his deportation. In fact he was well acquainted with our criminal justice system and proudly owned a rap sheet longer than the California coast. Did anyone bother to check his legal status in regards to his physical presence on U.S. soil or his ties to the violent 18th Street Gang? Apparently they missed that unimportant and minute detail. Immigration officials and law enforcement officers in L.A. County are too busy running around trying to do the impossible without offending anyone. To dig into the immigration issue in a sanctuary city or arrest someone that is not white will inevitably result in hours of press conferences and apologies that result in internal affairs investigations while crime runs rampant and unchecked. Yes the rumors are true. There are neighborhoods in east L.A. that cops do not enter unless accompanied by the equivalent of a military division. That should comfort God-fearing Angelinos.

The day before Espinoza murdered Jamiel Shaw, Jr. in cold blood he confidently strode out the doors of a detention facility in Los Angeles County just as pretty as you please. He just spent four luxurious and fun-filled months there on charges involving illegal weapons possession, assault, resisting arrest, and obstructing a peace officer. Classy huh? Now maybe it's just me but would it be beyond conception to think that in these modern times of lightning quick computer databases and electronic information transfer that somewhere along the line a "cross-check" or document verification system existed that would tell officials whether or not an inmate was a legal resident? Does it concern you to know an illegal immigrant, gang member, and defendant possessing a firearm with a violent record avoids detection while in CUSTODY? It frankly boggles my mind. I know, I know I just don't understand. That is way too much to ask for. After all California is and has been the Ellis Island for western illegal immigration since the dawn of man it seems. The city cowers in the shadow of illegal gang activities that leave the streets littered with rotting corpses both innocent and culpable. After the murder of young Shaw a U.S. Immigration and Customs officer explained away the agency's lackluster involvement by saying "the system isn't 100 percent." You got that right sister. I'd venture a guess and say our system isn't even 20 percent. At any rate, Espinoza finds some 18th Street Gang members to cruise the streets with doing nothing more than wasting oxygen fit for productive members of society. Maybe before the shooting they all cuddled and got some of those gay tattoos pictured above. While driving down the street they encounter young Jamiel Shaw walking on the sidewalk near his home. Espinoza slows the car and mutters in his best "hey dude" voice to Shaw, "Where you from?" Espinoza expects to hear an appropriate gang response but probably kills the young man regardless of an affirmation that did not come from Shaw's lips. Jamiel falls to the ground on the 2100 block of Fifth Avenue after being riddled with bullets as his father runs to cradle the dying child in his arms. Ironically, young Shaw dies near a tree he planted with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa three years ago. Let's move on to the second criminal in this case identified as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Villaraigosa became the city's mayor in a 2005 runoff election against Mayor Hahn. Villaraigosa is a long time philanderer of absent morality that has publicly admitted to infidelity twice. I believe his wife finally filed for divorce after living with this jerk for however many years. She must have been sleeping with Prince Valium or the like to let it go that long. Villaraigosa is believed to be a mover and shaker in the Democratic Party and many believe he has his sights set on higher office. At the least the mover and shaker part is right if you include headboards as part of the shaking process. No wonder he's a Clinton supporter. I don't know if he smokes cigars or not but he claims his personal matters have no impact on how he manages the city. Yeah, the state of the city pretty much debunks that argument Romeo.

Villaraigosa has long believed in free borders in regards to illegal Mexican immigration. A kind of "more is better" policy if you will. When asked he refused to address the issue of illegal immigrant healthcare and the closing of many hospitals in the area due to the free treatment of illegals and the resulting budgetary collapses of several hospitals. He apparently believes that new Mexican blood infused into the city somehow promises a brighter tomorrow. I see it like an infestation of cockroaches on a mostly eaten cherry danish. Eventually the best part of the pastry is gone and the cockroaches have to feed off each other to survive. If you're a race card player out there stand still a moment. I do not think Mexicans here legally or illegally are cockroaches. I am making a symbolic analogy and any comments to the contrary validate you are not intellectually competent to contribute to the discussion. We press onward.

While in college in southern California Villaraigosa participated in and retained proud membership in MEChA. I don't get the small "h" either but that's how it's listed. This is the nearly or soon to be militant wing of the illegal immigration support movement that not only wants to overrun the southwestern United States with an influx of illegal Mexicans but literally wants to reclaim this part of our country and place it under Mexican rule. They want to reclaim as they put it "Aztlan." Yeah folks, that's who the mayor of Los Angeles is and the pursuit of vanity is his indulgence. It's kind of like putting Michael Jackson in charge of a home for runaway boys. Yet the media considers him a darling and none of the Hollywood nitwits speak out against him. That's because those that control the money and media in Lalaland are rich and liberal elitists that feign compassion for those elements in society deemed as less fortunate as long as the resultant filth doesn't spill pass the gated entries to their palatial estates. Mayor Villaraigosa is a bad man that represents the denigration of any moral code however insignificant that provides stability and direction to a city, state, or country and the tax paying inhabitants. He should be banished to Cuba or the like.

How does it end? I don't think it does. At best we might be forced to struggle to stem the flow of this mutating plague. Do we have to amend the Constitution and take to the streets with our own military to wipe out gangs in the country with extreme prejudice? It's not that far fetched of a call to action. Do we rise up and physically remove corrupt politicians like L.A.'s mayor? Where is the line drawn between anarchy and the salvation of our city streets? People elected the mayor with their right to vote but do they have to die and be violated before a change can be made? What do we do? How do we stop it? The time to pray is now. Action rather than hollow words may be all that is left if the very idea of hope itself is to survive.

I'll write again tomorrow. Please forward the blog address to your friends and neighbors. I love to hear from you.

http://www.montanaconservative.blogspot.com/

Network and Cable News. Don't Look to Keith Olbermann for the Truth.

2008-03-23T12:40:00.015-06:00

Do you remember when you parked yourself on the sofa or in your lounge chair and clicked on the network news at the end of the work day to find out what was happening in your world? Boy, a lot has changed if I do say so myself. The major news networks fight for economic survival with stiff competition from cable news providers like Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC. Okay a quick sidebar to clarify some terminology. When you think about MSNBC and how it relates to the overall news landscape I doubt you relate the term stiff to stiff competition. When I think about MSNBC in relation to its anchors, programming, and the word stiff, I usually relate the "stiff" connotation to pronounced rigor mortis. News outlets all seem so desperate for viewership and advertising dollars that most of them have taken to inventing the news in the most bizarre and sensational terms. The truth in reporting standards are now arbitrary and editorial slant rules the day.

CNN is and has been a traditonally biased quasi-news organization. Remember back when Ted Turner and Hanoi Jane sold buffalo burgers from their Montana buffalo ranch? How quaint. It really stirs a person's gag reflex. I never really cared about CNN's transgressions because it was humorously obvious and I felt intellectually competent enough to pull the truth through the eyehole of bias. Besides, which network ever had the journalistic guts to promote a furry little anchorman with a twitching hyperactivity disorder, a monotone delivery, and a cable news ready name like Wolf? Brilliant shouts the gnome of similar stature and hair color. I hear people dig Anderson Cooper's prematurely white hair though.

No distinguished friends and neighbors, CNN pales in comparison to the gutter dwelling producers, editors, writers, and anchors at NBC News and perennial sister disappointment MSNBC. Yes sir and yes maam you can take it to the bank. NBC News reports that our sons and daughters in uniform that fight for something they believe is greater than themselves are murderers of innocent civilians. I could go on and on but I've chosen to expose maybe the worst of the lot in the whole NBC News organization and by God that's saying a mouthful.

The arrogant man characterized above is Keith Olbermann. Do you remember his days with ESPN? Keith is the opinionated and often factually deficient host of MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann." I will paint him in the best light possible because I believe in giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, regardless of how different their political pendulum swings from mine. So here goes. Keith Olbermann is at best a liar and a bumbling hack. He makes NBC's David Gregory look like Dan Rather. Please use this towel to cleanse yourself of that dripping sarcasm. Olbermann has the right to say what he wants when he wants to just like I do but the credits for his show intimate that factual news is included as part of the programming and that friends is simply and unequivocally false.

Keith Olbermann is a hateful smear merchant that marches lock step with his progressive handlers that now control most mainstream media. He remains not so cleverly hidden behind the secular and ideologically rabid liberals that contribute to a value system based on moral relativism. He bows before puppet masters like MoveOn.org and MediaMatters that support the Socialist agenda and infected theory of moral equivalence. He is a major contributor to the subjective moral cesspool that represents modern mainstream journalism today. Olbermann and his ill-received excuse of a program serve only as a laughable medium for the spewing of far left political propaganda that remains out of touch with mainstream America. But like failed left talk radio network Air America, liberals just don't know when they're defeated. Ramp it up, get knocked down. Ramp it up louder, get beaten down further. It's a vicious cycle that defies logic. Even a retarded dog knows to back away after it's been whipped.

I sometimes wonder with "shock and awe" (just for you Keith) why Olbermann insists on denigrating Bill O'Reilly and the O'Reilly Factor on Fox News. I guess jealousy really does breed absolute and pronounced ignorance and unhealthy doses of contempt. O'Reilly's viewership smothers Olbermann's seven or eight national viewers so Olbermann's answer is to routinely cast O'Reilly as the worst person on his "worst person" segment. Real clever if anyone was watching. It's like a minnow taking on a shark and at Sea World the shark wins every time. I wonder if it's because of a minnow's smaller cranium.

Olbermann was literally upset at all the invasive coverage of that evil little hate monger Eliot Spitzer, disgraced former governor of New York. Like most relativists, Olbermann doesn't believe character or honesty are important qualities to be possessed by our leaders. I think he stomped out of MSNBC once before because he didn't think Bill Clinton's moral compass had a pervasive tick in it either during the stained dress/tiny cigar incident either. It tells you about the desperation of the MSNBC network because the buffoons hired him back. Keith Olbermann compared the recent discovery of Barack Obama's passport application tampering to watergate. What? Are you kidding me? The contractors fired for the snooping in Barack Bob Shiny Pants' briefs (couldn't help that pun) were directly involved with Obama's organization! I bet Keith won't report that inconsequential news flash! I wouldn't expect him to because like others at his network (I'm looking at you Hardball Matthews) he is and has been totally in the tank for Obama. He covered the whole Pastor Disaster with Reverend Wright as if it were a story about a misunderstood sheperd comforting lost sheep. That's quite in keeping with tried and true journalistic standards isn't it Keith? I bet he slips into garters and hose every time an Obama segment airs and fondles his microphone.

Keith Olbermann is such a mouthpiece for truth, justice, and honesty. You know, if it's a liberal talking point it simply has to be truthful and just. And woe to you that says it ain't so. That is probably why he used his influence (what there is of it) to get his no-talent live-in girlfriend a gig as a "freelance" reporter on a local New York cable channel. Like I said, what an influence. That local cable channel probably gets more exposure than MSNBC. Olbermann's book attacks the very value system most Americans hold dear so Keith I'll take it as a compliment. Maybe the only way to get some viewers back to the program is to nominate yourself as the "worst person." Sometimes the truth has a way of garnering results. I sure watch ESPN a lot more than I used to. I'll keep watching FOX to get a decent perspective.

Where Is Our Democracy Heading?

2008-03-22T08:25:00.005-06:00

Some time ago I published an article that discussed the differences between a representative democracy and a direct democracy. The United States of America utilizes a representative democracy because you and I are represented by senators and congresspersons that vote on legislative agendas. They supposedly carry your will in the halls of Congress through proxy if you want to call it that but I still believe this type of democracy disappoints us more and more as time passes.

The last time I wrote on the subject I expressed my interest in a direct democracy but received no feedback probably because you crashed your forehead into the monitor after falling into a deep sleep triggered by my article. I readily admit that I am a sociologist and not a political science expert yet still I cannot understand some of the founding fathers support of a representative democracy rather than a direct one. So I hope I don't bore you to death but we're going to tackle the subject again. If any readers have political science majors or professors in the vicinity, please do not hesitate to force them to respond on this subject so that I too can hear the pros and cons of such a system. To keep you from falling asleep reading about what makes our country tick I'll try to throw a few of my trademark and sarcastically inappropriate zingers in the article to keep you reading.

The main issue and complaint I have with our current system revolves around the term representation. I think my half-baked brains are still coherent enough to understand the situation. In Montana the voters elected their senators and lone representative by a majority vote. Other states like California and New York do the same thing but get more representation because they have more people. Makes sense because each man and woman has the right to vote and be represented by that vote. Now let's use this overbearing and snipey presidential election to provide some context to my argument. Barack Bob Shiny Pants, Hillary Bill Clinton, and John "Flashback" McCain are currently spending millions of donated and not so donated funds obtained legally and probably illegally to convince you to vote for them so that they can lead our country after winning a majority of the vote. Whoops. First and foremost toss the popular vote out the window. When you cast your ballot the Constitution provided states the plenary power to have a certain apportioned number of electors (based on population) actually cast a vote for president. In other words 538 electors ultimately decide but pledge to cast their electoral vote for their district's popular ballot winner. Remember the 2000 election between Gore and Bush? Gore supposedly won the popular vote but lost in the electoral process. As an aside I argue Gore did not win the popular vote because his campaign successfully blocked the tally of votes from U.S. service persons overseas but I digress. Just focus on the issue of the popular vote.

Let us see about this whole majority thing. Let's say for argument Barack Obama wins the presidential election 51% to 49% based on electoral college results. That means like in 2000 the popular vote is within a razor thin margin of error. What if as Gore claimed in 2000 the loser won the popular vote but this time McCain really did without trying to cheat? Let's also say that after a recount and legal wrangling Obama officially defeats McCain on this infintismal margin, gets inaugurated, goes to Disneyland, and gets to do shaving cream commercials. (Yes Hillary would still be campaigning and only after Vietnamese shock treatment are Democrats able to pull her from the race, tell her she's lost, and institutionalize her in upstate New York.) What then does the term "majority" mean? Let's further assume the Democrats maintain control of both houses of Congress. I think you're starting to catch my drift. Now you have a President, a Speaker of the House, and Senate majority leader claiming a mandate to decide things for you because their party and associated ideology clearly possesses this now all important majority. In my hypothetical world what if Obama won the election popularly by a tally of 30,151, 360 to 30,151,359? Not only does the word majority become meaningless it simply doesn't apply at all anymore. It's like telling your stomach it would feel more full after consuming 10 pancakes rather than 9.999999 pancakes. The argument drifts into absurdity.

We'll now travel back to Congress assuming your senators and congresspersons won by the same thin margins in districts and claim a majority mandate even if by only a few popular votes. Now you have them on committees spending money on things you flat don't believe in because of this pain in the arse majority word. A majority is 80/20 or 90/10 not 49.9999/50.0001. At any rate the argument becomes a little redundant (in the dictionary under redundant it says "see redundant") but my demented philosophy still holds water; it is murky smelly water but water. One hundred senators and 435 congresspersons control the country and make decisions for you, spend your money, and promote the "mandated" ideology even if not representing the popular will of the people and certainly not by a fair representation of a majority. Legal? Yes. Fair? No. Basically in this current system 535 people plus a President control just about everything that affects you. Does it seem like someone piddled in your corn flakes when you see how Congress votes themselves pay raises with your money and receives some of the best health care and pension opportunities in the country? How does that equate to a free society? You can vote but when the whole system is based on a majority through actual control by a few is it tragically flawed? New York has a gazillion people stuffed on an island with a culture and mindset of its own. Because of the population on this small geographic plane they get tons more representation than small states like Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming combined. Look at how many diverse cultures lose in the representation race because of a lack of population. A culture encompassed in a few square miles trumps many cultures totaling millions of square miles. Folks, our current system is out of date and out of touch just like the rest of society is.

I really started thinking about this subject when the whole pork barrel spending and congressional earmarks issue raised its serpent-like head. Hillary Clinton can write an "earmark" into a piece of legislation that appropriates your tax dollars for a hippie museum in New York or a cigar factory in Bill's shed out back. You had no choice. An Alaskan senator can appropriate funds for a bridge to nowhere with your money. Guess what? You have no control over it. The President and Congress can agree to appropriate funds for state controlled programs making government bigger and more expensive with your money. You have no control over it. They base their moves on the right of a majority which we've thus debunked. The current electoral process makes your vote worth less if you live out west than it does back east. A small geographic area with the same cultural standards carries more weight than a much larger geographic area with more cultural idiosyncrasies. Remember what I said regardless of your ideas about what it is that makes a majority. In our country a FEW CONTROL ALL. Do I have a solution? Maybe.

In this modern era of instant communication through the internet and other telecommunications systems we could literally take back control of our government if we controlled everything with a direct vote. Take the United States and divide it into equal geographic grids. Tally every direct vote and help those (the elderly and infirm) to vote through secure firewalled systems and the popular vote and you, yes YOU now control the government again. No more earmarks or geographic subcultures controlling your world. Billions of dollars saved, bogus programs buried, and each vote means something now with your input instead of your honest desires being unfairly delegated to a representative that may or may not represent your philosophy and ideology.

In that case even enough moderates linked to a different political ideology other than yours may vote with you on a case by case basis. If you're like me I want more control of our money and the direction of the country. Tax dollars are meant for only a couple of things not so that government can become a monster that feeds off itself with your monetary support. A strong national defense, a sound infrastructure (roads, bridges, airports, etc.) that enhance trade in a free market and capitalist society, and federal law enforcement to uphold the laws of the constitution. Spare us the billions in waste that go to secure constituencies in individual locales that further corrupts our current political process. A small but effective government that encourages your freedoms rather than one that takes to secure the future of its evil self. Think about it and let me know.

Am I Homophobic? Probably.

2008-03-14T08:50:00.003-06:00

"It's fun to be at the YMCA, it's fun to be at the YMCA." Sorry but how can an image like this one not invoke memories of the Village People? There you sit laughing madly at the television screen during their very "open" performance. These nice nancing fellas found themselves captured on film at the Gay Pride Parade in New York City on June 24, 2007. I almost couldn't tell but the princess in the middle of this photograph pretty much gave it away. "Oh you stop it Scottie!" As a registered homophobic personality I rarely spend much time giving any creedence to gay rights issues because frankly I could care less. The gay and lesbian community pretty much forces you and I to know what their platform is whether you give a damn or not. Can you imagine the uproar of a heterosexual pride parade? Men and their wives or girlfriends dressed in casual attire marching through New York without having raided the wardrobe of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. The progressive secularists would descend like possessed raptors upon those traditional couples almost immediately railing against such a mean spirited attempt to force an agenda on those same sex hotties. Yes it's an example of a societal and journalistic double standard. The Gay Pride Parade in New York does little more than magnify the distance between homosexuals and those coined the "religious" right by the media.

Look close neighbor, those opposing homosexuality may not be as religiously right and crazy as the network and cable news anchors tell you. Most opponents are not religious at all but simply members of a mainstream majority. Yeah I know, since when did the majority in this country have any business in saying anything? Don't you know dummy, only subversive subcultures have their voices heard on the six o'clock news. Sorry Elton, even those that don't go to church on Sunday find homosexuality at the very least icky and most often flat out disgusting.

Now, do I stand out on a street corner with a sign extolling to gays in my area that the wages of sin is death? No I do not. If I did have gays I knew about in my neighborhood I certainly wouldn't waste my time trying to convert them to Christianity by ranting at them maniacally. Just because I'm a little obsessive compulsive I'd probably devise a thick metal butt pad to wear in the back of my pants that would just add that little extra bit of security that my wandering mind may require. I may have expressed my hope that the more vocally astute gays shut up and stay in the closet because no one would bring up the issue if it was kept private and held close to the vest. You know the old line. What you don't see can't hurt you. I have more class than that. I don't have to have TV cameras and news coverage to force my thoughts and beliefs on you.

I would venture a guess and say most people like me that don't support the fairy agenda pose little risk to the gay community because they never see us. I don't seek the spotlight that in essence forces them to hear what I have to say. They don't care anyway so why would I? Why can't the fag army do the same? Just continue believing not in Adam and Eve but Adam and Steve and we'll all live in harmony. Your hedonistic displays of guttural animalism during events like the parade do not make us respect your position but rather make us run to the toilet in a painful fit of giggle barfing. Yes it can happen at the same time.

The first gay couple I ever encountered did little more than possess me with morbid curiosity. They were a hand holding couple and happened to be African American men. The he-guy or male role player of the two was a big man dressed in a T-shirt and jeans like most other males in that area or demographic. His she-guy partner certainly took on the role of the loving wife-man or girlfriend-guy. Although the colors escape me after so many years I do remember a brightly colored woman's swim suit complete with leg warmers and white tennis shoes adorning this male-female hopeful. Even then my natural reaction was to take notes with my butt placed firmly up against the plate glass entrance of the establishment.

Listen to me please. I don't have any history of confrontation with anyone in the gay community. I am generally kind and receptive to everyone I meet as I would be to a gay person because if no one blurted out they were gay I wouldn't know the difference right? I'm heterosexual and keep to myself. Why can't you in gay land do the rest of us the same common courtesy? Staying in the closet has its advantages and benefits for everyone. We that feel homosexuality is an unnatural sin don't usually rail against what we can't see and hear, do you get it? Forcing your agenda on us by publicly displaying a skewed value system will only deepen the divide. If you want to have a philosophical argument continue gathering data to prove us wrong. Let's have a dialogue around a table in a civil and fact-finding way. When you convince me that an outie is an innie and that burying a bone in the backyard is natural even if reproduction from it is impossible, you will have really done something. I have heard the nature argument before but how come no one ever ventures into a cerebral argument? If someone is overweight they diet with willpower to change that destructive behavior. If someone is a kleptomaniac many times some limited therapy helps them in ceasing to rob the Ben Franklin blind. A dog wants to bark but a rolled up newspaper or bark collar changes the behavior. Someone needs to address this issue from a behavioral platform complete with testing analysis. Fair after all is fair. I'll catch you all later.

"YMCA, it's fun to be at the YMCA."

Clinton or Obama, Do They Really Represent Your Views?

2008-03-12T13:16:00.001-06:00

Take a damn good look at this picture. You pro-choice supporters and MoveOn.org fanatics did this. Please spare me the emotional shock and indignation. What in the hell did you think your "viewpoint" and "opinions" would result in if put to action? I served as a coroner for many years and bloodied my hands with just about every macabre deed humans inflicted upon themselves and others. A picture like this still twists me to the ground and to this day I cannot tell you if anger or sadness consumes me more. If any of you think that late term abortions ceased after the "Partial-birth abortion ban of 2003" you better do a little investigating to fully understand the differences in jargon between partial birth and late term abortions. Can abortions be performed to save a mother's life? Yes they can and the procedure is completely legal. Can an abortion be performed to minimize risks to a mother's health and her ability to have children in the future? If you think they can't you're really kidding yourself. There is an army of government officials (Senators and Representatives) that redirect your taxpayer monies to legalized murder clinics across the country. Your taxpayer dollars still fund physicians that perform these vicious acts with little more concern than if they were surgically removing a plantar's wart.

The point reaches far beyond the issue of whether late term or partial birth abortions should be performed and how many actually are performed as decided by a doctor "looking into circumstances regarding the health of the mother." Pro-abortion activists have swayed the public consciousness to believe in the absolute lunacy of their proposition. Where does life begin? We think life begins here because the cellular transfer of blah results in blah and blah doesn't happen until blah moves two inches to the left. Abortion supporters through the exquisite parsing of medical and legal terminology determined for you (not with your participation) that some galactic scientific controversy exists because no one really knows when the life of a baby begins. So much for intelligent and modern science. Even Darwin would regard this argument as delving into a world of at least mild political retardation. I'm sorry, I'll call the baby a fetus to be fair. So if you look at the photograph of the murdered infant above I think we can agree that the child looks viable and capable of sustained life. Obviously I don't know the exact circumstances of the child above but for the sake of a sane argument let's say that this child was vacuumed and crushed based on the mother's decision or "choice." What was the state of this baby, infant, little person, or fetus prior to what you see at the tragic and grisly end? At some point during or after the female egg's fertilization by male semen was there ever a chance that this innocent child could've possibly evolved into something else? Have any mothers ever went to a gynecologist or obstatrician after becoming impregnated only to hear the earth shattering news that what's inside them is not a child but a lizard, platypus, or baby hippo instead? "You know Mrs. Smith we in the medical community can never quite tell what's going to develop after what we term impregnation. Apparently something went very wrong during the zygote phase. Would you like to have a baby hippo or would you like to discuss termination? By the way we'll leave the father or husband out of this because the courts, abortion supporters, and general public believe him to be inconsequential. If you choose to have the hippo we'll be happy to contact the San Diego Zoo to discuss the possibility of adoption"

Where does "His Highness" Barack Obama and the "Shrillish" Mother Clinton stand on this issue? Probably where you thought they would. On March 12, 2003 Hillary Clinton voted NO on banning partial birth abortions except to protect the maternal life of the mother. This was Senate bill S.3, vote number 2003-51. She generally supports the death penalty for heinous crimes committed against innocent victims. Does anyone but me see the not too subtle juxtaposition here? His "Barackness" takes what liberal elitists coin the moral high ground. Obama though claiming to be a stalwart member of the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago is also an abortion supporter. In proving my theory that Obama is mostly eloquence and extremely short on substance, listen to this. Regarding abortion Obama minces, stumbles, and as is the case in most of his stump speeches says absolutely nothing. "This issue is very complicated for me. This issue rises above the moral dimensions surrounding it." Obama you're such a coward. Just come out and say that you unequivocally support abortion and for those of us with brains do us the common courtesy of taking church and Christ away from your affiliations. We prefer you don't cling to "token" religious symbolism. There is nothing about church, Christ, and abortion that fit together at all unless you're denouncing the practice. You too support the death penalty for those convicted of committing heinous crimes on innocent victims so you and Hillary both talk the talk but stumble on the walk.

Let's end this with some concrete observations. Life begins at conception. Any argument to the contrary is nothing more than smoke-filled coffee house crap.

What you see in the photograph at the top of the page is no different in substance than a like photograph of a gunshot wound to the head of an infant.

Abortions are performed after sustainability on a regular basis. Yes that means after fingers clutch and little feet kick. Rarely do ultrasounds indicate that the growing infant has an elephant's trunk instead of the usually recognizable human features.

If we buy the only argument that can be made in that little babies in mothers' wombs are human children, we have and continue to fail miserably. Isn't it sad to see the American justice system provided more representation and safeguards to O.J. Simpson than to innocent babies incapable of finding a voice of their own? Are abortion supporters really going to say children like those pictured above don't feel pain or the warmth and closeness of their mother?

Perhaps Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton will volunteer to attend a workshop in which I'll volunteer to teach them some of what I feel would be practical examples of some of the vicious procedures implemented. Don't fret, I'd only close the vice or squeeze the forceps hard enough to give them a sustainable headache in which they soon wouldn't forget. After all, are they going to claim they feel more pain than the child above? I don't "scientifically" see how they could.

Regardless what side of the debate you find yourself on let's at least make the dialogue honest and on even footing. The radical feminism movement wholly supports any and all forms of abortion because of their honest intention to destroy the traditional family which in the long run equates to genocide. Abortion concerns regarding a mother's health represents an infintismal percentage of the cases under discussion. The truth is, abortion in modern times is about an anything goes culture steeped in flawed moral relativism. Modern abortion is ultimately about selfish choices and the inability to assume responsibility for personal choices and a destructive lifestyle. Don't let the abortion supporters fool you. Choice for protection of the mother in factual analysis pales in comparison.

I'll talk to you later in the week.

There's Only One L.A.

2008-03-09T09:22:00.006-06:00

I remember growing up like a lot of other kids in the 70's and 80's enjoying peace and prosperity and thinking quite astutely that the world was my oyster. Growing up in a town of 1000 people isolated me from the reality of what was really out there in the big world and how exciting it could be. Yes, until adulthood I had no idea that everybody in America didn't go cow tipping! We had to travel by car over 250 miles just to get to an airport with scheduled passenger service. We couldn't really consider old Paul Winters and his Super Cub "scheduled" passenger service even though he could boast at least four successful forced landings after engine failures. He only tore off one wing and knocked down one power pole during those emergencies. I think that record stands yet today.

There wasn't a hell of a lot of hustle and bustle to deal with in my farming and ranch hometown in eastern Montana except for the occasional traffic jam caused by old man Johnson at the one yellow flashing light in town, you know the one at the Corner Bar and the abandoned hotel. He'd start out into the only "downtown" intersection in that yellow 72 Ford pickup and invariably stop in the middle because in the distance he saw a farm truck meandering it's way through the middle of town destined for the grain elevator. So he'd sit there until the truck passed his precarious position in the middle of the intersection a couple of minutes later making its way at a blistering 20 miles per hour. Morning traffic was such a headache! Our morning commute to school never exceeded about 8 minutes and that encompassed the entire walk and a quick stop at the old fountain drug store on the way.

One of the fondest memories of childhood consistently remains the old theater downtown. It closed for a period of years before reopening and even now the interior looks exactly the same as it did when my parents went to movies there in the 1960's. I still maintain that regardless of the many home entertainment systems available out there, the only way to see a movie is to see it on the big screen and allow yourself to be drawn into the fantasy for the next couple of hours. The house lights darken as the smell of buttered popcorn wafts through the seating area. Your pulse quickens in anticipation as the sound booms through and beyond the flickering previews on the screen. Don LaFontaine, the voice of Hollywood, captures your entire attention as that voice of his pulls you into the images of the theatrical trailers presented on the screen with that signature and commanding speaking style. Nothing felt quite like going to the movies in that old theater.

I'd always wanted to go to Los Angeles as a kid but never had the means or opportunity. I wondered how neat it must be to wander through Hollywood or the streets of Beverly Hills. I'd only seen pictures of the mansions and palatial estates but wouldn't it be something to go there and meet a movie star or see the magic of a movie set! I guess it makes a mark on you knowing that L.A. represents the entertainment capital of the world (you New Yorkers can argue your point for NYC) and most of what mesmerized you in that old hometown theater had its origins in this city on the west coast. At any rate, Los Angeles seemed to me as much about the concept of fantasy as it did the pavement, people, cars, and beaches.

I finally got my chance to descend on the L.A. basin in 1990. Although it wasn't in the way I would have preferred as in being discovered as the next Clooney, Pitt, or Cruise, I at least got to see the city for the first time. I was working for a guy that hauled pigs, yes oinking pigs into a processing plant in Vernon in east Los Angeles. We loaded them at different Hutterite colonies in Montana and switched off driving sleeper team in the semi-truck so that we would make L.A. in less than 32 hours from Great Falls. I know, the jokes are just waiting to spring from your lips but I'll continue anyway communicating this redneck adventure to you as best I can. I remember looking around in Victorville thinking wow this must be it and was shocked to know that even the suburbs of L.A. still waited some 20 miles in the distance.

We dropped down El Cajon and past the San Bernardino split and continued south on I-15. Shortly after passing the entrance to I-10 we travelled west on 60 or the Pomona freeway. About 45 miles later I got my first really good shot of the Los Angeles skyline, kind of like that early morning scene featuring Richard Gere in "Internal Affairs." I guess Los Angeles isn't known for having the most domineering skyline in comparison with other cities but for a small town kid like me it was still pretty cool. I remember arriving in that area at about 2:00 in the afternoon and the term concrete jungle finally took on a reality it never had before that day. The 60, I-5, I-10, the 101 all came together and twisted over and under like cornonary arteries feeding pulsating heart muscle. One wrong move and we would have been stuck as some of those neighborhoods down there didn't afford a lot of room or patience for truck movement and emergency manuevering.

You had to be in the proper lane to make the Soto Street exit and God forbid if you missed it. California interstate exits and on-ramps aren't necessarily designed for large vehicles to make a quick exit and turnaround on. The pace of traffic and precise handling required force you to be at the top of your driving game. Some of the corners are tight to make with that trailer coming around and car traffic views you with contempt and disgust. We make a left on Slauson or Vernon I don't remember which and enter the cramped parking lot, back up to an unloading chute, and offload our smelly squealing cargo that by now are quite grumpy after having ridden in a trailer for 1500 miles. Yes, after unloading I donned coveralls and shoveled over 1300 pounds of pig waste from the trailer so that we could load a legal load of cattle later in the week. I remember leaving the Farmer John's plant and traveling north on I-5 up past Dodger Stadium and seeing all the signs along the freeway indicating the exits for Burbank. Up over the grapevine and into the south end of the San Joaquin Valley and Los Angeles is a distant memory in the past. It was exciting to see and a little scary too. I felt ill-equipped to match the pace with which people seemed to live.

Since that first trip in 1990 I've made many like it over the past 18 years into the L.A. basin. I've hauled flatbed loads of decorative moss rock into Rolling Hills Estates near Lomita and plastic pipe from Ontario to Yakima, WA. I've delivered onions in Commerce at 3:00 am and I've hauled malt barley from Spiritwood, ND to the Miller Brewing Company in Irwindale. I've delivered barley to Anheuser Busch and lumber to a small yard in Van Nuys and loaded roofing granules in Corona destined for Owens-Corning in Portland, OR. It's still exciting to see the city and it still is a little stressful to navigate a large tractor-trailer unit there but I find myself more confident having developed somewhat of a truce with the city and her traffic.

I still marvel that I found myself in the city I wondered so much about as a young person after some dangerous and tragic times. I remember going into Vernon in 1992 shortly after the L.A. riots and seeing a cop literally on every corner. I remember the network of concrete overpasses that collapsed just north of the Santa Clarita exit several years ago. I passed under what had collapsed only days before that quake. I was in the city the day the Alaska Airlines flight plunged into the Pacific after unsuccessfully trying to navigate the damaged plane to LAX. It doesn't really mean anything to anyone else but I've developed my own bond with L.A. I've yet to be discovered, meet a star, stare at the ocean from the Santa Monica pier, or wander the streets of Beverly Hills but it really doesn't matter. To me there will always be only one L.A.

Planned Congressional Apology to American Indians

2008-03-04T12:42:00.002-07:00

Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas attached an apology to a bill subsidizing Native American tribes. In it America at large apologizes for wrongs committed against Native nations for misdeeds and depridations of all shapes and colors in years past. Most Indian leaders and activists say they appreciate the gesture but the tone to me indicates they wouldn't oppose a boat load of reparations either. Did the United States government commit harm and acts of ill will against tribes and their members? Absolutely. Were tribal women and children slaughtered during armed conflicts with armed United States soldiers? Indeed they were. Did the natural progression of humankind including western expansion in the United States and its territories have a negative effect on the nomadic and hunting culture of the American Indian? It no doubt did.

Okay, that is as much boo-hooing as I can muster. First and foremost, the Native nations that we support with taxpayer dollars did not spring from the ethos as activists and sympathizers would have you believe. They are not indigenous to the parcels of Earth they now reside on. They had to come here just like everybody else did. What you say? Oh, they were here FIRST? That's like saying I built my house on this block first so no else can build now because I'm indigenous to this piece of land. Hogsnickers.

What about the modern reservations themselves? They are a blight on the countryside and signs of the oppression of an earlier and far less advanced time. They are filthy and the elected leaders touting their tribal sovreignty fail in managing the economic and social issues of their Indian culture. The reservation system is a disaster. Why don't we cut off the taxpayer money and disband reservations altogether? Yeah we'd be breaking a treaty or two but for goodness sake the current system is unarguably broken. Why couldn't we focus from the beginning on assimilating Indian culture into modern America thus allowing Indians to reap the rewards of a free market capitalistic society? It worked with immigrants from Italy, Germany, and Ireland. You've heard "out of many one." If anything, subsidizing Indian life is proof positive that entitlement programs are destined to fail and promoting a culture of victimization and dependence further dooms the future for these people and generations of their children.

Okay, bad old America did bad things during conflicts especially during westard expansion in the mid to late 1800's. But were the atrocities any more harmful than innocent deaths in any conflict in any time period? How about the 3000 innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001. Was that loss of life in one day more or less tragic than what we're analyzing here? How many innocent victims were killed and labeled as collateral damage in World War One or World War Two? Just how mean and cruel was the American government when viewed objectively? Why don't you do a little research and see just how friendly and cordial the Sioux tribes were in dealing with other tribes in other geographic locations on this continent. How about the gentle persuasion of the Blackfeet when it came to interactions with other tribes? These tribes gained power, hunting territory, and assets (stolen horses for one) through absolute and vicious murder, theft, and enslavement. There wasn't much need for retail shops in this enterprise unless you sprung for a hatchet and arrow shop. They weren't being attacked but rather provoking attacks to propel themselves to absolute dominance within any area a chieftain saw fit. Do Native Americans now believe that the nomadic hunters in the 1800's possessed the divine right to slow the progression of humankind and its science, culture, and advancements from populating the world? Bad is bad but it swings both ways baby, remember that.

What about the notion that Native Americans are the true and most natural environmentalists of all time? Certainly a modern assessment of this claim is indisputably proven to be false. What about during nomadic times? There is plenty of stunning evidence to suggest that tribal encampments were moved only after polluting one area until it became uninhabitable and then moving to the next and continuing the pattern. You don't like what I'm saying? Take a drive sometime and make sure you pay enough attention to look out the window as you're passing through. The truth hurts but denying it will never fix anything.

In regards to this Congressional apology Steve Ortiz, tribal chairman of the Prairie Band Potowatomi Nation in northeast Kansas called the apology "a great gesture" but said he doesn't want the Congress to lose sight of the more practical needs of American Indians. "In the end, it's Congress' committment to helping the Native nations with healthcare, education, housing, and infrastructure. That's what counts," Ortiz said. Well Steve, how about helping yourselves? Why don't you promote the dismantling of entitlement driven reservation systems and focusing on promoting your people as capable components of American society rather than victims living with ghosts of hurts committed 150 years ago? In claiming Indian healthcare could be better there are those of us who have no healthcare at all and I certainly don't expect the government to pick up the tab. The only help you can hope for is helping yourself out of a hole created by being all too eager to suckle from the teat of America's coffers and failed entitlements. Invest in your children, stop the social chaos of unwed fatherless pregnancies on the reservations, and give your people the hope that the best way to flourish is to break self-imposed bonds and trek beyond the status quo.

Global Warming, Don't Buy That Ton of Sunscreen Just Yet.

2008-02-29T08:45:00.002-07:00

What is that creature up in the tree? Do you see it dear? Is that some kind of Arctic bear escaping the perils of the polar ice caps? No, no, no. It's just a dirty, smelly, and disoriented Woody Harrelson. Should we take him some food? No, I see he's getting by with a jug of lemonade up there. Those green groups could publish television advertisements featuring any one of a hundred wacko environmentalists like B-actor Harrelson and his elitist friends. Each commercial ends with, "Coming to a tree near you." That would explain the mess on my new lawn I guess.

There are a number of issues in which the positions of both 2008 Democratic presidential contenders should scare us to death. Suffice it to say Republican candidate John McCain doesn't lag far behind. I argue with those that claim some Democrats and far-left liberals (including Republican liberal McCain) disavow religion. This whole global warming phenomenon fits that bill for them quite nicely as Christianity does for a majority of others. For political leftists "An Inconvenient Truth" is the spoken word and that in and of itself ends the controversy. We cause the warming, we need to blame ourselves, and we will be held accountable. How does all that happen without destroying an economy, jobs, growth, and standard of living? You better read on because it doesn't.

I find it interesting that far left activists and politicians including Clinton, Obama and House Speaker Pelosi support punishing oil companies with 18 billion dollars worth of fines and carbon taxes which Nancy will then redirect to her green constituencies with marked agendas. Unless the excited utterances of "clean environment do-gooders" paralyzed a clear majority of American taxpayers and maybe it has, have we forgotten that for at least the next 15 years our economy will be petroleum based and right now it hovers at nearly $3.50 per crippling gallon? The American consumer that relies on oil for survival cannot afford much more "environmental" punishment than this current market painfully inflicts. That is why the cause/effect relationship between human carbon output and its effect on the environment and this possibly insignificant warming cycle deserves so much attention.

Al Gore's dedication to a cause like the environment may under more direct and honest circumstances be admirable and worthy of praise. Unfortunately for Gore and his minions, the premise of the movie and message is based on agenda driven science rather than a reliance on accepted data retrieval, interpretation, and thesis. In other words the science is molded to fit a given hypothesis. A supposedly unbiased mainstream press fuels the fire towards this end. Gore thrives on the contrived adulation while millions of Americans unwittingly soak it up during network and cable news broadcasts. "Hey, when does the movie start?" Al Gore is a demogogue supported by mainstream press agents including those producers and journalists putting out propaganda like "Scorched Earth" and "Planet in Peril" and other such mindless drivel. There has been no formal debate against Gore and his supposed consensus of climate experts and a cadre of scientists. Maybe there is a small sliver of hope in the coming days.

The Heartland Institute will host The 2008 International Conference on Climate Change at the Marriot New York Marquis Times Square Hotel in the city from March 2 through 4th 2008. Hundreds of scientists given no voice by Gore, those like him, and the liberally biased mainstream press will be allowed to give their viewpoints and dissenting opinions on climate change. That will be a nice break from what is force fed to you through the tube-media and tabloid publications like the New York Times. Before you pipe up and say they're a funded arm of an oil company or lobby keep in mind they've accepted no more than 5% of their budget from any oil company and no money from them in the last two years. Ask some of Gore's supporters how much money they've received from the radical MoveOn.org people and their Socialist/Fascist agenda to propagate a debate-less theory.

Al Gore and other liars involved in the fear mongering environmental consensus club have been asked to join in the debate but as usual most if not all of them declined to attend. They never asked organizations like the Heartland Institute for comments or debate during their moment in the sun and just as expected when politely asked to attend this conference there is no response. If these facts are so self-evident you'd think Gore would jump at the chance to put an end to the debate once and for all in a venue that would surely make him immortal. That in and of itself should make you interested in pursuing the issue further and keeping a healthy distance on reports from mainstream media outlets.

I hope the scientists at this conference cover the following topics or at least touch on them. You keep track too.

1. How do you explain warming during what has been coined the Medieval Period? There certainly was no carbon output from industrialization at this time.

2. What effect does ubanization (i.e., paving and construction at points of measurement) have on the consensus scientists readings and trends?

3. What proof do consensus scientists give showing for a fact that we are not in a recovery from the "Little Ice Age?"

4. Is there scientific data suggesting that warming played any part in the chain of events that led to dinosaur extinction?

5. Isn't a quasi-measurement involving carbon outputs always a lagging indicator? How would we know now what effect these outputs have if we have no scientific way to determine this?

Keep an eye on the debate and hit www.heartland.org to keep up with this all important debate and fleecing. And by the way, if Woody doesn't get out of your tree by next Tuesday I've heard he can be lured with the assistance of some mixed nuts and a pellet gun. I'll see you all on Arbor Day.

Hillary is sure to become one mean badger.

2008-02-23T06:43:00.006-07:00

As you can see I snapped this picture of an unhappy Hillary Clinton shortly after another one of her stunning primary collapses in Wisconsin, affectionately known as the "Badger State." (That is one hell of a metaphoric segway if I do say so myself.) Actually for you by the book science types out there the correct breed of vermin shown here is the "Marxist Badger." Whenever Hillary stands on a stage forcing herself to smile for the network cameras, smile at ugly mothers with ugly children, and smile with clueless wellwishers I can assure you my gag reflex simply responds uncontrollably. I've never seen a camera angle that actually captures her knee high jackboots. Come on now NBC, we know you love her but let's see the leather! Now that the nomination is slipping from her grasp not even the invocation of the superdelegate ploy saves her unless it is reported to me with great joy that the popular vote results have been thrown for another lustful Clinton power play. Take that Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson! The liberal fanatics would shred each other in riotous fashion which would play out sadly on our television screens. You have to admit it would be far more entertaining than an ultimate fighting or American Gladiator marathon. Hillary's corrupt and loose zippered husband's attempts to bolster his man-wife's campaign backfired because it simply reminded the American populace of the Clinton scandal machine and 25 years of misdeeds and power addiction. Luckily enough for the far-left faithful, frontrunner Barack Hussein Bin Laden Obama can arguably be seen as the most liberal candidate the Democratic Party can offer up on its pyre of deceptive lies and fascist ideology. Yes I said fascist because isn't it interesting that the Democratic candidates are the only ones that tout the state's control of most everything central to the operation of the country on a daily basis. The rank and file Democratic Stalinists are simply abuzz with excitement at the prospect of not just one but two wonderful candidates with visions for making the state or your adherence to its directives all encompassing. Hooray! Hooray! Government programs and redistributed income for everyone! If that fails, we'll just create another government program to fix that one and another one for that one until maybe with any luck the United States government will employ a majority of American people like well trained robots. We'll pay 50% income tax to feed the machine and for once we can all be equal! Laugh now but it's coming.

So Hillary loses and slithers back to her hole in New York, then what? Barack "I went to a radical Islamist school as a young man but have forgotten to bring it up" Obama easily captures the White House in November running against an angry old white guy that has no chance against vile and vicious media smears by liberal activist organizations like the New York Times and NBC News. Hordes of indoctrinated followers will camp on lawns in Washington D.C. and at the National Mall after Obama's inauguration. They follow him because he promised change in glowing terms with the deepest of emotional sincerity. He didn't promise much else on the substance end but he did promise change. Specifics on policy apparently serve no purpose to the modern voting bloc of apathetic and uninformed Americans now comparing Obama to JFK. I'm not sure what positives made JFK such a revered leader either other than he was a young man taken tragically by an assassin's bullet. I think Obama supporters must postulate the following: "Man, life is so hard I'm just glad that Barack came along to CHANGE circumstances for me. I just can't cope and he'll TAKE CARE OF ME and that makes him just the greatest. Have you heard him speak? I don't remember what he said but he said it so eloquently. He said the government is going to provide healthcare paid for by all of us at large. Can you pass the fries with that burger?"

We are in a mess and this Republican administration has left loyal conservatives like me behind. Couple this with a preoccupation of style over substance and I have no doubt in my swelling mind that Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States. I guess looking on the bright side, his four years in office will probably destroy liberalism as we know it if we're around to reap those rewards. Apparently Barack has a fondness for his old buddy in Iran. He wants to sit down and acquiese and capitulate to madmen in Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Terror will again gain a strong foothold due to our cowardice. All of America is wishing for an Obama presidency. Dear God be awfully careful what you wish for.

Hold on till we meet again. By the way, have you noticed that your morning coffee seems to have more flavor or maybe a "Barackness" to it since his stunning rise to the top? I was just wondering.

Barack Obama? Could Hillary be right? I shudder.

2008-02-17T13:43:00.002-07:00

I must not be completely rid of my recent bout with influenza yet. Apparently during a moment of viral haze I wandered into the garage and consumed either weed spray or really old paint chips. I actually agree with Hillary Clinton! The conservative voices alive and dead that so delicately formed my social and fiscal outlook must be spinning in the grave or at the very least choking on their Rainbow Stew. Hillary Clinton, the great socialist Satan and me the great right wing nut job in agreement? If I had the poison pill I'd probably swallow it.

As Hillary finds herself behind in the delegate count this week and more importantly further behind in the momentum count, the gloves are coming off her bony pointed fingers. Basically Hillary and I agree on one substantive point regarding Barack Bob Shiny Pants. Barack's message and leadership skills are based on what? Yeah that's a cricket chirping and a pin dropping. Oh no, the room goes silent. I've been saying it for some time because early in the primary process I didn't really believe Barack had a legitimate shot at the Democratic nomination. Barack is all snake oil and no substance. I think he enters a speech event full of doe-eyed elitists that want to feel so good about themselves for electing the first African American president that they forget to ask themselves if he's qualified. We'll get back to the race thing in a minute.

What exactly is it about old Shiny Pants? He's a nice looking guy and talented speaker or "communicator" but what is he communicating? I can guarantee you he is passing along nothing of substance. I want to change Washington, I want to change our place in the world, I want to change underwear. My God people you're electing the leader of the free world here not the next American Idol. Oh wait, he's a lawyer. That's good news. So is Hillary and her corrupt significant other the one and only old "Slick Willie Magic Zipper." Lawyers are at the root of all evil that is the modern House of Representatives and Senate in Washington D.C. What else qualifies Barack? He's such a great communicator in reaching out and touching our soul. Yeah? Lassie reached out and touched my soul when she found little Jimmy in the well but I didn't run out and paint "Lassie for President" signs either.

Has Barack sponsored one piece of legislation during his extensive 18 month iconic career of serving our country as a senator? The answer is no. If you want to elect a token "communicator" to make yourself feel good and warm as most liberals crave, why not elect Denzel Washington? I mean Denzel got an Oscar for his role in Training Day and if ever a token award was given that was it. What about this race thing anyway? Why is Barack for all intents and purposes to be the first African American nominee, he's half white isn't he? Couldn't I just as easily call him a white candidate as a black one? Why is the black now more important than the white?

If you're a Democrat and want to vote true conviction vote for Hillary. Even if she's wrong about nearly everything and would like to create a Politburo in Washington at least she's got real substance even if that substance is medieval and deadly. If you're bent on voting for Barack because he's mixed race and that would make you feel damn good about yourself you better think about what you're doing. I don't care if he's been voted the most liberal senator in America. What has he got to offer all of us in this time of war against radical Islamic fundamentalism? Sadly he has nothing and I'm afraid his supporters are too infatuated with his Hollywood traits rather than even the most meager substance and that friends will certainly cost us all in the end.

I'll see you all soon.

Miller Time

2008-02-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

I've waited far too long to pay tribute to a best friend and all around superb human being I've had the pleasure of knowing quite well for nearly 15 years now. As often as people move and shift in modern life while changing jobs and focus, it is really no surprise how we lose touch with those we call the closest of friends. Not in this case. Sheriff Thomas K. Miller and I have known each other since late 1993 and maintained a closeness (no, not in a manly way) ever since. We still to this day engage in that gross police humor and I always tease him about me dating his very dedicated and sweet wife. (What he doesn't know won't hurt him or better yet won't hurt me since I live miles away now!) I graduated from the law enforcement academy in Montana that year and began thumbing for a job in a rural area that fit my eastern Montana background and interests. I found my first law enforcement gig in north central Montana. Back then "big Tom" was a deputy and a very well respected one at that in the city and county we served. I was 22 years old then and when I first met T.K. I thought he was just a mountain of a man. Once you spoke to him you would find immediately that he is a gentle soul with an appreciation for humor (gallows or otherwise) and unwavering honesty.

No, this is not an obituary as he is very much alive and running things in his department efficiently and competently (Yes, I could probably do better but don't have the time to challenge him in making those thousands of lip impressions on the rears of local luminaries and so on,,,.....) as he always has since his ascenscion to the office. When men and women work in a profession such as law enforcement the personal bonds are enhanced because of the trust involved watching each other's backs in dicey situations. You see just about every ugly and heart wrenching facet of humanity and eventually every officer's emotions run the gamut from intense adrenalin rushes to panic and fear and to the depths of sadness. That's where a friend and fellow officer like Sheriff Miller became so important on a personal level to his officers.

If we were on the way to a hot call involving guns, knives, or violence it was always comforting to hear from dispatch that 11-1 was responding. (Although once he clipped that Sheriff's badge on his chest he came in to the office wearing polo shirts, a yuppie holster with that jamming Colt .45, and an apparent medical condition that precluded him from ever venturing out after dark.) You knew you could count on his physical strength but more importantly you knew you could count on his quiet resolve and disarming personality.

But more important than the dispatch calls and late night laughs while on patrol was the way he held the department together in times of great loss. I won't lament for too long but those of us on the old crew lost a great young friend just entering his prime as a man and new father. Tom handled it all with grace and poise and carried most of us that were close on his shoulders. That is only one of many instances in our past I could reflect on. His leadership pulled the officers in the department together and made them friends too. Tom faciliated the best of camaraderie in all of us. (Except for Weber and Novotny, very socially inept!)

So in closing I want to thank Tom for being a good friend and someone you could always look up to, literally and figuratively. You are a salt of the earth type of fellow and anyone that knows you will be better for it. Now before your head swells up too much (you know what I mean) I plan on leaving you with a few funny words or deeds from the old days with some of the boys.

Tom M.- I know what happened out at the dikes east of town. Pepto anyone?
Bryan W.- Just the most fast talking and quick thinking perv on the planet.
Scott M.- I died laughing after she blew too hard on that Intoxilyzer!
Greg S.- So tight a jackhammer wouldn't do. Steaks from Jim's freezer?
Shawn- My God a date with a chiropracter or driving school instructor.
Larry-I know you know every nook and cranny in the city. Scary, very scary.
Tim-George Jetson's jammy eyes? I thought you had him in Whitewater.
Dan R.-I never knew monkeys got nosebleeds.
Alan-I taught you everything you know; too bad it didn't stick.
Burt-I know why you take those long supper breaks you bad dog.
Bones-An old time croney like me. Someday the government will arrest us.
Mike G.-I had the slack pulled out of the trigger for you that night.
Travis L.-OK until a perp had intestinal problems.
Tye F.- I never knew executing a sick horse could be so damn funny!
Scott S.-You kept it rockin' from the Delta to the DMZ!

Well Tom, a little trip down memory lane I hope you'll share with the guys.
Take care and keep on fighting the good fight and remember from your old friend,

Burma Shave.

Pimping Chelsea Clinton? Ugh.

2008-02-09T07:34:00.000-07:00

David Shuster, an anchor at MSNBC, apparently ruffled the Clinton campaign's feathers the other day because he accused the campaign of "pimping out Chelsea Clinton" in an attempt to gain more recognition for her mother in Hollywood. During an interview with an analyst the discussion centered on Clinton's campaign and its dwindling coffers. Shuster then asked an obvious question about Chelsea's calls to celebrities in an attempt to garner high profile exposure and a few $50's and $100's for her mother's war chest. I said war chest.

The Clinton campaign reacted unfavorably to the unintended slight of the unhandsome and toothy former first daughter. The head of MSNBC and NBC News vehemently condemned Shuster and his ill fated metaphoric slight. I would imagine both of these failing news organizations panicked because the thought of losing Bill and Hillary Clinton's trust and favor signified the crumbling of their very own Holy Grail. NBC News in general maintains the modern journalistic standard in its propagation of left leaning and biased news coverage. At almost every chance both networks cast favorable light on liberal viewpoints and insist on slanting hard news stories as far to the left as editors of the networks deem acceptable. I am sure that at least one editor at MSNBC nearly swallowed his uppers when Shuster humorously accused Hillary Clinton of callously using her daughter to pander.

Let's sort this out and state a few facts. Of course the Clintons and both networks came down hard on Shuster for his remarks. You don't use the restroom where you eat if you catch my drift. Sorry for that old cliche' but I hesitate to use bad words here for fear of upsetting the Clintons or NBC News. They'll slant stories to the left or denigrate conservative values but they never ever cuss and that's a fact Jack. Point number two is also quite obvious. Of course Chelsea is being pimped out by Hillary and her handlers, not dog handlers but political handlers. Chelsea has dog handlers but rarely are they seen on camera. Hillary Clinton would probably sell her daughter to the highest bidder in a prostitution ring in Thailand or pit bull breeder in Des Moines if it benefited her rise to absolute power.

Isn't it funny that one of the most vicious political machines in the history of American politics suddenly tries to capitalize on the fruits of an unintended metaphor that was in fact darn funny even if accidental? I guarantee if Barack Obama or better yet any Republican of your choosing was tied down spread eagle in an interrogation room and Hillary entered with a filet knife in her hand someone would exit the room a falsetto for life. Hillary Clinton weaves her way through the political tapestry of this election season based on slant, half-truths, and a nearly devouring type of contempt for anyone standing in her way or opposing her misguided and all too controlling power agenda. She is as vile and mean spirited as they come so don't feel too sorry for the unintended words uttered by the now job hunting Shuster. A wolverine like Hillary Clinton will turn any positive comment or negative hurt committed against her or someone in her pack into a positive for her sociocommunist and domineering vision for your world.

By the way, just for the intestinal comfort of the information hungry readers and viewers, do not mention "pimping" and Chelsea Clinton in the same sentence. If you don't get it just ask a pool of male voters between the ages of 18 and 30.

Good night and good luck.

Mormon Sympathizer Bashes My Anti-Mormon Piece

2008-02-03T08:47:00.000-07:00

I thought I could put this whole "I don't like the Mormon cult" thing to bed but someone of flesh and bone or perhaps a cyber "only" being calling himself Brad tried to haze me on the right path regarding my visceral disdain for Mormonism. I hope Brad scrolls through my blog once in awhile so he can read my retaliation that he so graciously predicted I'd spring from the ethos with. After reading Brad's response to my Glenn Beck piece he thinks I am both bigoted and wrong about Mormons not being Christians. Brad, please forward my article to Jeff Lindsay because your response to me though well intended and marginally drafted remains rather pedestrian on an intellectual level and I'm going to tell you why.

First, don't read too much into what I wrote in the Glenn Beck piece. Please just pull the factual truths from the words. I appreciate your disagreement with my philosophical tenets but calling me an idiot isn't exactly the best way to facilitate a scholarly argument. I am not recommending we revisit the Crusade-like hatred against Mormons and their beliefs or to relive the persecutions in Missouri of 19th Century fare. I know lots of kind and gentle Mormons and completely agree that most live very productive and successful lives while striving for the model of ideal citizenship. Did I tell you that as I pen this rebuttle that I may be voting for Mitt Romney for President because of his conservative ideals and the fact he simply has the best hair of all the presidential candidates? All I said in the piece was that Mormonism begat Mormonism and have a bang up time believing in it if you want to but don't call it Christian. Keep reading Brad. I'll give you factual examples of why I can exclude it from Christianity while you lump the religion into orthodox Christian thought through a variety of petty rationalizations.

Let's use a political example to start. It is perfectly legitimate for a person within the privacy of their own heart and soul to question if he or she subjectively believes that Mitt Romney's Mormon beliefs may or may not influence or control his actions in such a way as to provide any concerns of merit about his governance and direct influence in our lives. Delving further into one's personal faith and belief in Christianity, it is also possible to define the basics of what makes you think your religion is "Christian" and what fundamentals of Mormonism make it not Christian. That is not bigotry. It is a sort of personal comparative analysis. Our government as a controlling body cannot impose any religious tests on its leaders but we can at the most private and intrapersonal level. If a radical Muslim ran for office on a platform of converting America to a rule of Sharia law and could run because of the protections provided in our Constitution against religious discrimination, would you vote for him? If you didn't vote for him would you be a bigot? You just fell into the first trap set by Mormon apologists. You pigeonholed or categorized me as a bigot for disagreeing about the fundamental construction of the Mormon and Christian relationship. This is the first example of why what I wrote and you disagreed with precludes me from being a bigot. I may be an idiot Brad but I disproved your bigot thesis. Now let's talk about the Christian versus Mormon argument in more detail,,,,,,,again.

First, being Christian-like doesn't make you a Christian. Whether you call Christianity a belief system or religion because it's the quickest way to differentiate your preference from other so-called mainstream religions like Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, and so on, simply calling yourself a Christian doesn't automatically adhere you to normative Christian ideology. Most of us that call ourselves mainstream Christians believe in some fundamental things that we believe cannot be manipulated by any other sect, Christian or otherwise. For one you made quite a production about my bad Christianity judging Mormons for having their own sacred texts while orthodox Christian religions have many versions of the same Bible. I think I just made my point there Brad. Normative Christian texts like the King James Bible may be variations of the exact same things while sacred Mormon texts are completely different works authored by "prophets" in modern times. Hmmm, doesn't ring a bell with any of the apostolic gospels to me Brad. I mean look at photograph at the top of this article. "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" has no place in orthodox Christian thought. There is only one testament in what we anti-Mormons call true Christianity and it is called the Holy Bible. Attack its variations if you will but understand we didn't take it upon ourselves to compose texts for a specific sect and have the audacity to call these "additions" Holy more than 1700 years after the deaths of Christ's apostles.

Brad, us dumb old orthodox Christians require just a couple of things to make salvation a reality. You can mostly jiggle it down to faith in Christ as your Lord and Savior and repentance. This is the extremely short version, I simply have too much to cover. Part of the requirement of making any religion accessible for a defense revolves around asking the question can you make the Holy texts fit into some type of historical apostolic context. In other words can we make the Bible fit the times and events of when it was written in context of the overall Christian philosophy. Score that argument as Christians 1, Mormons 0.

How can you call yourself Christian when your "religion" completely endorses modern day prophets or "apostles" and believe their words as Holy prophecy which by any interpretation stretches beyond the bounds of traditional Christian thought? Do we bigoted mainstream Christians reject the Holy Trinity or believe that the Holy Bible is corrupted through a loss of purity? Do we believe that the Holy Scriptual Canon was left open to interpretation of modern day prophets? I've checked my history Brad now you check yours. Ask a Mormon bishop if those outside of Mormonism are Christians. You will find that anyone claiming to be Christian outside the Mormon faith is considered by Mormons to be apostate and known in derogatory terms as Gentiles.

As far as history lessons go Brad you better dig into this issue a little deeper. Check into the validity of Joseph Smith's claims and literature because if Mormons are claiming those texts are Holy they better fit into some type of arguable historical context for the basic sake of validity. Did he copy nearly word for word in the Book of Mormon from previously published texts? Did Smith fraudulently make a boo-boo on the Egyptian funerary documents that were later hidden and translated as funeral rites and not the sacred texts of Abraham like Smith contended? I could go on and on but I'm tired of beating this Mormon argument to death. Is there anthropologic or archaelogic evidence to support the Mormon claim of their life in the "ancient" Americas? No, no, and no again. Mormonism is a choice, a religion, but not a Christian one. I'm not advocating harm or violence or even loud public degradations. Just don't belittle me for trying to convince you and Mormons in general that my views on normative Christianity will get us to heaven while the Mormon way won't. Believe me, they believe the same. You can't just lump your philosophy and force yourself to be included with others just because you accuse others of being bigoted if they refuse or disagree with your advances. Wise up and make sense man. Don't waste time with illogical justifications. It doesn't further the larger argument. I do appreciate the fact that you didn't ask me to go digging through Mormon doctrine for you. Whenever someone tries to discuss their opposition to Mormonism, the Mormons usually say something like "just read our doctrine." What difference does that make? It might make it true to you but serves as concrete proof to me that the whole foundation in that religion is an aberration. It's like saying black is blue and red is green because somebody wrote it on paper and said "accept this as fundamental reality." It doesn't hold water friend.

Hillary Clinton, January 31, 2008 Debate

2008-01-31T19:16:00.001-07:00

Liar. Cheat. Windbag. Viper. Abortion. Posterwoman. Vile. Communist. Socialist. Codependent. Sneak. Thief. Venomous. Divisive. Control. Redistribute. Big. Government. Tax. Spend. Immoral. Dove. Coward. Irresponsible. Relativism. Hollywood. Forced. Healthcare. Decreased. Liberty. Terrorism. Danger. Dialogue. Mistake. Carrot. Failure. William Jefferson. Disaster. My Money. Gone. My Freedom. Evaporated.

Thank You and please BEWARE.

In 2008 This Train Is Running Off the Tracks

2008-01-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

I like to claim I haven't been alive long enough to make the often heard claim "never in my entire life" because the entirety of my life length is not that spectacular. However, with much regret I am saying that never in my entire life in this country has an important election like this one been represented by the worst possible array of so-called top tier presidential candidates. I mean Good God friends and neighbors. Just pick your head up from your plate of spaghetti or your favorite evening sitcom and spend a couple of minutes analyzing the state of the world we live in. And just like Hillary Clinton I think you'll find, it ain't pretty. To condense our discussion within reasonable limits we'll discuss the two front runners on the Democratic side and the two front runners on the Republican side. Just calling any of these four putzes "front runners" leaves an acidic taste of bile in my mouth as if a dirty carp has been swimming in it. So goodbye to John Edwards the well groomed communist and Rudy Giuliani the old liberal who tried unsuccessfully to wear Ronald Reagan's skin like Bruce Wayne's bat suit. Hello to the remaining imitators of integrity.

As usual Hillary Clinton and her "bozo" bulbous nosed husband banter about like royalty at a swinger's convention. In their case he probably swings and she waits in the car. There is no doubt Hillary wants to revisit the disaster she attempted to inflict on us all through her expensive and chaotically doomed public health care program. State run health care in Socialist countries like Canada, Great Britain, and Norway function like a blind cab driver in New York. It is about government control and her control of the government. Do you get it? Tax the rich and redistribute that earned wealth to those that don't want to earn it. Seems pretty old school liberal to me. Penalize success and reward mediocrity because she's convinced mediocrity that she'll take care of them. And she will, with your tax dollars.

Barack Bob Shiny Pants Obama is hot on the cool coattails of Mr. Hillary Clinton. He is my favorite little Muslim in hiding. Notice that the liberal media doesn't allow any of us to discuss Barack's questionable ties to radical Islam during his formative years in Asia? What is Barack's message anyway? We need to talk with our enemies and bring our troops home regardless of the recent success our surge has had in curbing worldwide terrorism through the destruction of Al-Qaida in Iraq? What experience to you have there Shiny Pants? You're a slick talker in a well pressed suit but I maintain you lack any substance at all. Talk is cheap when your feet are to the fire. What have you done for us in the Senate? You don't deserve to be in this race.

The Republican Party apparently hasn't learned from its mistakes in its disastrous 2006 election. How much motivation do you need to right the ship after watching a pompous shrew like Nancy Pelosi and a cadaver like Harry Reid control the agenda for this country and getting absolutely nothing done in the meantime? And now the Republican choices for President are Mormon Mitt Romney and moderate to liberal to moderate John McCain? Barry Goldwater is spinning in his grave. Will the Republican Party abandon the very conservative underpinnings that differentiates it from the moderates on the other side? What happened to social and fiscal conservatism? What happened to our steadfastness in Christianity? The two Republican front runners seem to find themselves juxtaposed. McCain has in the past teamed up on legislation with the fat drunk liberal murderer Ted Kennedy. Did I use enough accurate adjectives? Did I tell you old Ted isn't my favorite? Mitt Romney is a flip-flopper of political convenience (as is McCain) and the antithesis of a Christian candidate. Where is McCain on immigration and the necessity of permanent tax cuts?

I never thought I'd say I may not vote for president when election day rolls around. And I know conservative pundits say I have to vote or else Hillary the Viper or Shiny Pants Obama will rule the Oval Office and how much fun would that be? Maybe that's what it will take to forcibly change course in the Republican Party. Politics has poisoned the pool so to speak and maybe suffering through a Democratic presidency that completely undermines the fabric of who we are and what this country stands for is the only choice. Maybe I'll take the "weather the storm" approach and move up into the mountains for a few years and live off the land away from television airwaves (or digital cables). Maybe when I slide down off the mountain top in four and one half years Hillary will have been impeached and a special election finds that old videos of Ronald Reagan have taken over to fill the remainder of her term. One can always hope!

Goofier Than a Peach Orchard Boar

2008-01-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

Yes indeed, I too watched in dismay as Tom Cruise spewed the most wretched and nonsensical hogwash in the "leaked" Scientology indoctrination video. "Paging E.T., a telephone call from Mr. Cruise." Only a Hollywood heavyweight like Cruise could accept any of the fundamental tenets of Scientology as believable. I think those of us with rational viewpoints understand Scientology for what it is, a kind of loony quasi-reality held in close quarters by a few of Lalaland's misguided and tragically simple elite. Scientologists hold as part of their dogma a spiteful disdain for the psychiatric and psychology disciplines. Gee, what a shock I couldn't tell. I'm sorry Tom but watching you in "real" life away from a make believe movie set is even more fantasy than when the cameras are rolling. Even if Scientology's founder the late L. Ron Hubbard could see Cruise, he may be calling for some Paxil to be prescribed for Tom's benefit.

It is down right scary to see how brainwashed Cruise is. Freedom of religion is one thing but I maintain the right to criticize craziness for what it is. "Tom, yoo hoo, you're crazier than a pet coon. Try to focus on what I'm saying and stop drooling." Scientology certainly isn't "religion" as defined by those of us living on Earth but it is rather a science fiction organization sort of like an all chimp Bible study on Planet of the Apes. I mean in one respect Hubbard is a genius because Scientology came about as the direct result of a bet that Hubbard made while sitting stewed in a bar in the early 1950's. Hubbard basically bet he could put a pen to paper and compose the most mindless drivel in which nothing means something and some wacko like Cruise needing something of substance in his life to latch on to would pick it up and run with it not understanding that it was all a big joke and completely meaningless matter. Great goof L. Ron!

Scientology maintains "religious" status for tax protection purposes only. They run it like a giant pyramid scam and its entire goal is to make money through sales of its study materials and other membership goodies in the goal of profit to power base. I do have to laugh at some of the more science fiction aspects of the quasi-religious cult. Thetans, SP's, KSW's, little martians with small hands and pointed teeth, and of course spaceships modeled after the late 1950's model DC-8 jet aircraft. I don't know what they are having for dinner at the Cruise residence tonight but please remember to take your little pointed tinfoil Hershey's Kiss hat off as you pass the microwave. And to think, we make Tom Cruise what he is by spending money to perpetuate his power, wealth, and craziness. Maybe Tom and old L. Ron aren't so crazy after all. "Doctor Cruise, beam me up with that little handheld bugger you used in Mission Impossible Three."

Montana Conservative for President

2008-01-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

The Democratic Party over the past 20 years embraces socialism and communism due to liberal influences, the popular swell of moral relativism, and extremist viewpoints. The Republican Party fades from its roots and embraces moderate viewpoints in both the social and fiscal arenas. I truly understand why some people call themselves independent. Rush Limbaugh once said it was intellectually dishonest to call oneself independent. I hope Limbaugh chokes on that cigar. In light of how both parties act and the grossly inept Congress that wastes our money and good faith every moment, there is really no other choice if one is to be clear-headed and free from the disappointing dogma of both the Republican and Democratic Parties. Rush, I'd rather be an independent than a droned dependent led astray because I'm content to accept the ramblings of a few in control of a political party. It just seems like we are destined to parallel the great fall of the Roman Empire.

I maintain a history as a registered Republican but consider myself an independent thinking fiscal and social conservative. That doesn't necessarily equate with the Republican Party anymore. I guess I'm one half Ron Paul Libertarian and one half Ronald Reagan hawk Republican. Notice they both have the name Ron? Scary isn't it. In modern times I think there is room for another party that fits my outlook. Let's see how to blend fiscal and social and conservative. I think I'll call it the Old Timey Party. That settles it.

In this most important 2008 election we are in deep trouble on both sides. On the Democratic side we have three possibilities. Hillary Clinton is a haggard and bogged down Washington insider that embodies corruption traded for power and where winning and maintaining a power base means everything. Barack Hussein Obama has absolutely no experience in doing anything but looking slick and using his looks and communication abilities to woo the sheep standing doe-eyed at his speaking engagements. He has no experience and as a Senator has sponsored no significant legislation on his own. His Muslim background concerns me. We haven't made it to this point in time based on the tenets of Islam. We've made it on Christian principles. Barack joined a Christian church because he had to. If that attitude is prejudicial, so be it. John Edwards is just to socially socialist for me. The government must be the controlling entity on Earth rather than individual freedom. The government controls the equality of all under its umbrella unless you're John Edwards. You then get to control the government and the citizens under its wings. Hello Uncle Stalin. Edwards is so disingenuous. I fight for the little guy from the lanai of my 40,000 square foot mansion that I obtained from suing corporations that provided millions of jobs for the people I claim I protect. Yeah right.

The Republicans suffer even more than the three disastrous individuals listed above. There simply is no one that embodies the ideals I hold sacred. Mitt Romney flip flopped on abortion, gay marriage, and gun control. Those are such deep and personal issues. To "change your mind" on those issues prior to running for President means one of two things. Your boat has been adrift for some time or you are a professional politician that is setting up to pander. Mormonism is an issue to me. More so than any other facet of who we are, our devoutness to our religion shapes who we are and what we believe in. No thanks Mitt. John McCain is more liberal than Joe Lieberman. John you're great on national security but horrible on everything else. You abandoned Christians in 2000 and the Mexican border in 2004. I think you'll find yourself abandoned in the end. Mike Huckabee has no foreign policy experience and questionable policies on taxes. I question his allegiance to strong American borders as well. He has a lot of baggage and some gaps in experience. Rudy is a New York liberal. I don't care if he was a successful mayor in America's biggest city. New York does not represent me or most of the rest of America. He is a liberal in a fiscal conservative hawk's clothing. Sorry Rudy I want the full package. Fred Thompson just can't get going. Maybe he doesn't want to. I'd hate to lose him from Law and Order anyway. Ron Paul is too Libertarian for me. A good conservative is one half Libertarian but with someone like Ron Paul the circle goes so far to the right it nearly touches the extended circle coming from the far left. And he's a gynecologist? Somehow a leader that is a gynecologist just opens us up for too many hind-end jokes worldwide.

Therefore ladies and gentlemen you must elect me. I am not a lawyer, doctor, or Washington insider. I have not been raised in Washington or grown up in a family where politics was a way of life. I've dug a ditch and built a fence and earned rough hands. (Al Gore, can you hear me you lifelong cheese puff?) What's wrong with electing common people that make this country to high office? Why do we fixate on electing people that break this country instead?

Let's Start 2008 Out on the Wrong Foot

2008-01-15T07:44:00.000-07:00

Same old bullcaca compressed into yet another dreary day. Our journey with Britney is just one of the surreal topics we'll cover. Helicopters and paparazzi and breaking news sound bytes flood the airwaves lamenting this retard and her offspring. Stupid people really shouldn't breed. As an old English teacher told me once in between cynical puffs on a Pall Mall, "she's a perfect example of why some species eat their young." I'm glad Dr. Phil made his way to Cedar Sinai to evaluate the strung out and convoluted Ms. Spears so that he too has a chance to capitalize monetarily on the insanity by perhaps booking her miraculous recovery on his own afternoon show of domineering drivel. If you find it necessary to stay glued to the boob tube watching each turn and twist of Britney's SUV, then good luck navigating in your parallel existence.

How about the Marine that killed his pregnant lover who by chance happened to be a Marine as well. Apparently this semper fi love connection went terribly wrong. The suspected killer apparently got her pregnant during maneuvers on the monkey bars or in the mud pit. At any rate once he was informed of the pregnancy the fun seemed to kind of fizzle and the balloon deflated if you catch my drift. This tough-guy Marine, not wanting his legal wife to find out about his extracurricular duties in the Corp decides that killing this woman and their unborn child, burning them, and burying them in his back yard should suffice and end any controversy expediently and efficiently. Talk about don't ask/don't tell in the military. She had reported this guy for rape to Marine Corp officials but true to military protocol these kinds of issues are either covered up or put on the back burner until the event ends in tragedy and becomes a true media circus making the commanders at this base and the military in general look like inept and uncaring buffoons.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are taking heated swipes at one another over race. Here's an idea for these two. Find an old cliff that was a buffalo jump for American Indians in years past. Since I'm a conservative it would be fair for me to be the referee. Line them up, blow the whistle, and the first one to run to the jump, leap, and hit the bottom wins. Settled. I am very disturbed that the mainstream media refuses to publicly discuss and critique Barack Bob Shiny Pants' past. He attended a Muslim school that is radically fundamentalist in Jakarta. His stepfather is a fundamentalist Muslim. His mother seems the most religiously stable and she was an atheist from Kansas. That won't make Toto too happy but not many atheists are strapping bombs to their flesh to make seagull food like the crazy fundamentalist Muslims do. We better watch Barack and make sure we're not attacked from the inside out.

Last but not least my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers were beaten during the wildcard round of the AFC playoffs a little over a week ago. My period of mourning is nearly over and the only answer is for me to be hired as the head of all football operations. I have a couple of great aunts that would be more than capable of adding improved blocking and pass protection for the quarterback than the current Steelers offensive line now delivers. Ben Roethlisberger is a great mobile quarterback that amazes when on the move outside the pocket but still holds the ball too long. Perhaps a little flash-bang device on the ball that detonates after 4 seconds would get the point across. Mr. Rooney, please draft at one point in my lifetime, just one time, a shut down cornerback over 5'6" in height. I'm not sure why the Steelers invested so little in the defensive backfield over the years but I am now quite sure that the last remaining Munchkin has been drafted and played out by the Steelers. Hire me, I'm serious.

More Middle Eastern Peace and Harmony

2007-12-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

How bad does it have to get if you're a minority supporter of the now deceased and recently embalmed Ms. Bhutto? I mean you spend all day herding goats through lifeless craters and a geographic nothingness that makes the surface of the moon seem tropical and cozy. You adhere to a culture driven by zealots and crazy fundamentalists and as faithful supporters, you and Youseffs like you only hop frantically in the streets in the vapors of a foul cultural aftermath, alive or dead desperately searching for something that might be real even if Ms. Bhutto really was not real. The whole Middle East is such a drowning cesspool of filth and disgust isolated from growth or belief in a future thanks to the adherence and belief in a false religion which best suits the 5th century.

And to top it off, she dies completely accidentally. Some crazy homicide bomber straps it on, fires a few shots, and blows himself to hell in several small chunks but doesn't kill his target. Instead she dies from a skull fracture inflicted by a sunroof lever, inflicted upon taking cover from this crazy killer. I'm all for trying to see celebrities but in the Middle East I might think twice. "No Ahmed, I'd like to see her but I think I'll just stay here in the room and enjoy my goat burger while watching Al-Jazeera." What a crazy place.

Children at Risk

2007-08-26T10:15:00.000-06:00

"And a little child shall lead them." Some of the horrible news bytes regarding the reprehensible treatment of children drifted across the nation's airwaves this past week. Don't get me wrong, they didn't receive as much airplay as did animal cruelty cases but they received an eighth the time so I guess that is progress. Is it just me or should some people simply be barred from reproducing because they are too selfish, irresponsible, or flat unable to care for a young child in a way that would promote stability and happiness and a productive future for this child? I fully understand that children are most at risk in our society and any civilized culture and democratic government must step in to help save "at risk" kids but can't we recoup from shabby parents the costs associated with their irresponsibility?

Too many times children come along as the result of an adults sexual greed and the cesspool of moral relativism promoting this accepted behavior in our society costs all of us dearly but usually no more than it costs the future of a child. If the taxpaying public must take over for the physical, emotional, and psychological development of the child the ignorant parent(s) should be required to pay us back the FDR way. I want to see them cleaning public toilets, removing weeds and debris from public canals with a shovel and rake, or perhaps spit-shining public sidewalks and roadways with a bucket and brush. These activities have to take place on their time and their dime and not ours.

How many times have you heard the story of a child being seriously injured or dying as the result of being left inside of a vehicle strapped tightly into their seat on a hot July afternoon? The news quote usually reads like this, "I forgot that he or she was in the car." You have to have the most selfish nature in the entire solar system to sputter this ignorant response to law enforcement and emergency response personnel as they remove the lifeless form of a child from an environment that you were responsible to provide them care in. That child strapped into that seat was your only REAL responsibility that day and you forgot? Drag these stupid deadbeats and parental impostors from the scene of the CRIME and lock them into a tanning bed with my aftermarket bacon-curing thermostat attached and see how you feel after about three hours. If you make it you might learn a lesson and if you don't you didn't deserve any better.

How about the guy giving the 10 month old girl a bath. She balked at having water poured over her head to finish the bathing process so he put her in a clothes dryer, shut the door, and turned it on. In cases this obvious the police, neighbors, or any passersby that could ascertain the facts this easily should be allowed by law to proceed with the following steps.

1. Take copious notes during the interview process with this animal. His responses will probably sound something like this, "Ah, yeah I wanted to wash the soap out of her hair but she cried and I couldn't get her hair dry so I thought the dryer must work."

2. Nod in agreement to affirm that you in fact understand his logic from that intellectual perspective and that he must have been at wit's end having been stumped and stymied by a 10 month old baby.

3. Tell him you'd like to move the interview process to a garage, storage shed, or barn as applicable to your particular situation and crush his skull with the largest shovel or blunt instrument at your disposal. Continue until he is no longer able to decide why he put a 10 month old baby in a clothes dryer. If you are unable to decide as to a proper disposal of a worthless carcass, transport it to Michael Vick's pit bull kennels as I'm sure those dogs haven't eaten in awhile.

The terrible predator (Couey) in Florida that terrorized, raped and buried Jessica Lunsford alive was sentenced to death in court this past week. He admitted to doing what he did but as is our process in this slow and skeptical criminal justice system in America, he may live out his natural life in a prison cell wasting our resources so that he can be fed, clothed, and sheltered while his state-appointed attorneys bilk the American taxpayer for more money in his defense during an appeals process. Quite a system, right? At any rate, when a lifelong predator and scumbag does not contest the state's allegations against him, save us some money and give the family some closure post haste. After the judge verbally advises Couey that he has been sentenced to death as Couey stares blankly with that stupid and lifeless expression, a well-oiled trap door opens beneath his chair. The drop occurs so fast the last image television cameras capture is his hair standing straight up as he plunges into the depths. Waiting for him at the bottom of his fall is a very soft, comfortable, and cushy air bag. Just when he thinks that he's survived this treacherous fall, two gates above him and to the side open and bury him with tons of earth excavated from the very yard where he buried Jessica alive. His well-deserved screams are muffled by the pungent dirt choking him into oblivion. "An eye for an eye." The older I get the more I enjoy rereading the Old Testament.

An Old Family Photograph

2007-08-13T09:49:00.000-06:00

This blog entry goes out to my Aunt Vonnie over in Circle with my sincerest apologies for not blogging in the recent past. For those of you interested in the identities besides Vonnie and me, her children are on my grandmother's knee and directly in front of her right knee while Aunt Judy's children are situated upon my grandfather's right knee and directly in front of it. The cute little blond guy on Grandpa's left knee is the author composing this piece. I am not sure why my gaze seems to be drifting somewhere out into space but I'm either developing my now current fear of crowds or more than likely I just committed a "doodle" in my snappy polyester leisure pants that my mother had so much fondness for. Dear God I was always dressed like Bobo the circus monkey as a child but mother always reminds me that it was "stylish" in those days. Combine my pants with that bowl haircut and I make the perfect poster boy for a tour guide of the upper Appalachians and its numerous banjo festivals. Do take note of the cowboy boots because THAT would make grandpa proud. He was as western and bronc tough as it gets so I think the boots gave me the pass to crawl aboard his knee. He would have preferred we wear western snap shirts though.

Check out my grandmother's menacing stare directed towards Melissa Marie in her infant state. Grandma had little patience for screaming grandchildren until they reached their teenage years. There is a photo of her holding each of her grand kids with this look and thank God for her that child protective services was in its infancy stages during those years. I think she commonly locked several of us under the age of 8 away in a basement at times because quite frankly it simply drove her nuts. It still shocks me that little Melissa is a grown up mother herself with two great kids of her own. It is a little sad that Melissa's kids are well-behaved because Melissa and brother Ross certainly weren't. In high school Ross was the smartest guy I knew and always the guy in control at parties and other gatherings of miscreant behavior. Ross never lost control or poise; he simply watched and laughed as others did. Their sister LeeAnn was always sweet and just enough older than me that I don't remember many of her mischievous deeds as a youngster.

Next to me on Grandpa's right knee is my cousin Jeff. He too appears to be intellectually enthralled with the moment and cannot wait to scamper away from the picture. Annette is the auburn-haired girl in front of Grandpa's right knee. She is the oldest of the grand kids and as I remember the best behaved and certainly the most poised and quiet. This photo must have been snapped only a month or two before the birth of Jeff and Annette's sister Jody. Jody and Melissa are in the same class and we must have just missed her for this picture. My sister Tara was a year from coming into the picture as well. It seemed like a kid producing competition for a couple of years. Can you imagine Grandma's mood if she had to hold two infants on her lap? I believe that's a photo that may have never happened. Ross would have to sit near me and a physical altercation surely would have commenced. We are in the same graduating class as well but take note of my far superior level of class and sophistication. Ross is wearing a diaper with no pants on! How embarrassing! Even more sad for Vonnie is the fact that Ross still moves through public like that to this day. If you ever gaze upon a lean cowboy astride a dusty sorrel in the Deer Lodge valley and note that the rider is well outfitted except for a pair of Wranglers gone amiss, that's my cousin Ross. Don't bother telling him he's not wearing pants because we think he likes it that way.

Later (in the 80's) Uncle Tom and LeRoy's kids came along. Tom had three boys and LeRoy a girl and boy respectively. If Grandma had to manage this bunch at one time I'll guarantee you you'd see a bevy of Keystone Light cans littering the floor as the edge was taken off. My Mom and Dad added a little chimp (Brittany) in 1983 and Aunt Judy added Trevor around 1989.

Grandpa passed in 1984 and Grandma in March 2007. It's interesting to look at this old photograph with nostalgia and even more interesting to look at the lives and history of those in the picture complete with each individuals progression through the years. We are a close family and I would dare to say closer than a lot of families I've observed over the years. As I grow older it becomes more important to me and I'm grateful for all of them. I just wish we could get Ross to put some pants on in public!

How Going "Green" Will Only Cost You Green

2007-07-18T08:23:00.000-06:00

Before we all start jumping around for joy because we're saving the planet and boosting economies with ethanol production, cool your jets for just a second and consider the following.

As corn prices rise many people don't understand that there is no surplus of corn; in fact on a global level there is a corn shortage until 2009 according to "experts." Second, to reduce our dependence on foreign oil through ethanol production and use, we'd basically have to plant every square acre of the United States to corn. I'm talking about corn planted on boulevards, window sills, rooftops, and perhaps the bald heads of those of us with male pattern baldness.

"Hey Bill, how do I get to the convenience store?"

"Just stay on the right side of the center row of corn on 16th Street and turn into row 3000 of corn on what used to be Maple Ave., it's in there somewhere."

Economic development would cease because it would infringe on corn acreage. There wouldn't be room to grow other crops or animals used for meat. You'd enter a restaurant and order the following:

"I would like a corn steak, medium gooey, some corn fry wedges, a side of corn, and to drink I'd like a corn slurpee."

It simply is unfeasible.

What about ranchers and feedlot operators that have relied on corn for eons (that's centuries to you and me) to feed their critters? Feed prices go up and then the price of beef goes up benefiting everyone from the rancher to the monopolized slaughter industry and the consumer gets the shaft. Hey, maybe those animal rights activists are really behind the ethanol movement. Sounds like a good mystery novel. Remember, your government heavily subsidizes corn producers but most of the consumers who have the least to spend on a fixed budget take the hit. Government entitlement programs or "ag welfare" programs as I call them never benefit you and your family at home unless you're the proprietor of a large corporate farming operation.

Ethanol production is wasteful. Most of the corn used in generating ethanol is WASTED. It is an extremely inefficient process. Grow more corn, jack prices up, and then waste most of it during an abysmal production process. Bio-fuels do not burn efficiently and react less cooperatively within the fuel systems of internal combustion engines. This I know for a fact. In cold operating temperatures fuel filters tend to suffer because the end product isn't as cleanly refined as petroleum products are. And to top it all off, you're going to pay as much or more at the pumps for ethanol as you are for petroleum.

Ethanol isn't the answer to our energy problems. A lot of the blame rests with our government. Fossil fuel combustion technologies were abandoned for years instead of the focused intent necessary to find cleaner ways to burn the fuels. Nobody wants to unhook us from the dependence on crazy Middle Eastern oil fanatics more than I do. Blame your own government for the mess when we abandoned domestic exploration in the late 70's. Blame fuel producers for failing to invest in their infrastructure. Do you know there has not been a domestic refinery built in nearly 20 years? There isn't near as much of a fuel shortage as they want you to believe because by failing to invest in new refineries oil companies can control the supply side of the supply/demand issue. It isn't as much a shortage issue as it is a supply issue.

Improve technologies, utilize ethanol as a supplement, and require your government to work in your best interest not in the interest of those building their power base behind closed doors in the Capitol in Washington. I'll bet they have little knowledge of the overall processes involved anyway.

Well I have to get, I have to water the garden and the corn is coming along nicely.

To Be or Not To Be a Worry Wart

2007-07-06T14:00:00.000-06:00

I've never really been a big fan of stabilizing my life with man's pharmaceutical inventions but lately I've been wondering if the things I think about a lot need a dose of Prozac or perhaps I just need a swift kick in the butt to put things in perspective. Yeah, I know. I need the latter.

1. Global Warming- It's supposed to be 103 degrees here today and that would set a new record for this date. I must apologize to Al Gore because I thought he was a fraud rather than the savior of mankind. But alas wait. Global warming as he describes it is still an alarmist make you crawl under the bed and hide hoax. The Earth was warmer during the Medieval Period long before the manufacturing industry began spewing sulfur and carbon dioxide skyward in a dastardly attempt to ruin the Earth by providing jobs and economic growth so that ordinary people could survive. The earth's temperatures have risen infintismally since the 1970's "mini Ice Age" but neither Gore or his cronies will debate if man's contributions to carbon dioxide emissions actually affects the less than 1 degree rise in temperatures. He doesn't want to answer the tough questions because the republic's whole purchase of his theory in lock, stock, and barrel fashion would seriously erode his power base and thirst for "Global Popularity." At any rate, to those of you hopelessly hanging on every word Al says, just get a kiddie pool and fill it with 2 to 3 inches of water. The crisis will pass I promise.

2. What Illegal Immigration Side Effects?- While the dismal failure of our elected leaders in Washington continues to cause a slight rash on my posterior, it is their failure specifically to address border security that causes the most severe cardiac palpitations. Get a taste of how stupid we really are. An illegal immigrant is arrested twice for felonies. The arresting agencies do not make contact with Customs or Immigration. It gets better. He is released. Oh yeah, then he goes and kills a deputy sheriff in Wisconsin. Yes, all illegal immigrants are direct descendants of Mother Theresa and only want to be part of our culture. At this rate we might as well give up and concede defeat. I think maybe we all should start learning how to speak Arabic or Chinese. As weak as we've become as a society it is only a matter of time before a focused power topples us like a moldy wedding cake.

3. George Bush, a boob- Yeah I said it. I'm a conservative but not a lap dog for the Republican Party and I do try to think for myself. Why doesn't everyone else in mainstream media circles try it just for fun? What you don't hear is that every other liberal presidential candidate seeking the White House in 2008 maintains a large "boob" factor too. We have Hillary Clinton the antichrist. She can't wear short skirts anymore because her handlers are afraid the fact she is more endowed than her crooked husband may be exposed during a press conference when she insists on attempting to crucify someone else's regional accent. Barack Obama is a cartoon with no idea on how to sell you on his lack of experience. "Barack Bob Shiny Pants" is fitting I think. Bush didn't have any real experience either except that his father did occupy the post rather quietly for four years. Mitt Romney is strange like that weird "petting" uncle you once had. Republican hopeful John McCain maintains a clenched grimace and a "Charlie's coming in from the jungle" flashback smile that may result in the gunning down of at least three NBC reporters before the primary season ends. David Gregory, I suggest you remain seated in the chair at the rear of the press gathering. The point is to think for yourself and believe nothing you hear on network news or read in the papers. Subscribe to the New York Times or the L.A. Times only if you can't find a reasonable sale on toilet paper elsewhere. Watch the news and read the papers for entertainment purposes only. Reporting the news in a fair and accurate fashion died in the early to mid sixties and it is gone for good. Form your own opinions and do your own research utilizing the melon atop your shoulders. Consider modern news in the same league with "Desperate Housewives."

4. Pet Abusers- I know that pets are animals and have their place of importance somewhere far below the human level but good Lord. Some guy named something like Pompeii Geraldo Rodriguez Lupi Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez dragged a puppy alongside his SUV until stopped by police. Let's call the guy Bill. So anyway Bill drags an innocent creature, just a pup no less, until it is nearly dead. When stopped he is asked if he is going to take the animal to be treated for its injuries and he says no. He is arrested and taken to a jail where at this hour he is probably watching HBO in the cell on the taxpayer dime. If Bill can do this to a harmless puppy, just think of what he could do to a human with interactive social and cognitive skills. He could really think of something abusive to do to it. I'm not in it because I care anything about the animal rights movement but beware of those that take great joy in being cruel to innocent animals. They tend to be even more violent to humans with functioning brains. When I was a cop he was the kind of guy I wanted to get the facts from, handcuff, and leash to the back of my SUV for a little session along a dirt road and maybe a safflower field. I think I lacked the compassion to be voted most "inspirational officer."

As If I Didn't Have Enough to Worry About

2007-07-01T09:55:00.000-06:00

The house above is used as a representation only. The crackheads that live next door to me do not live in this house although they may have at one time. WARNING: If you are a crackhead or smackhead, do not read the following article.

As if life wasn't stressful enough. We fight to make a living and make our own way coasting from paycheck to paycheck as the searing heat of summer casts the neighborhood into an oppressive haze. Paris Hilton may be emotionally damaged for life after her days spent in the cuckoo section of an L.A. jail's medical ward and I have no idea if she received my get well card. I haven't won the lottery and as a result have been unable to find any way to support myself at any type of beach home on the Hawaiian coast. I don't have any rich relatives willing to support me in a lifestyle to which I would like to become accustomed. My wife's cucumber and tomato plants suffer greatly at the hands of rebel bird and bug forces determined to storm the garden's borders. She worked hard on that garden and much to my chagrin I can testify to the old axiom which states that if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy, no matter how big or little the conundrum.

To top it off, Hispanic gangsters have moved in next door and created the "Crackhead Inn." They are loud, disrespectful, filthy, and involved in a criminal enterprise having more than a little to do with what I allege to be narcotics distribution. They all have "cool" tattoos and beautiful cars worth more than the shack they now inhabit. I guess shiny rims make the man. They must compete in contests to see who can achieve the most stupid haircut in the history of mankind. Some have a little hair and then a bald spot and then a pony tail. Many of them copied the beanie craze of the early nineties but wear them with thinner more summer friendly materials. They look even more ridiculous to see them in person. They have one or two illegitimate children shrieking through the yard at all hours but they do break from their drug activities long enough to run to the all night McDonald's to purchase the hopeless welp a "Happy Meal." I guess it's different city and same pointless subculture.

Let's see, they are dealing dope or have the greatest big screen TV in the history of our city. At least 20 different vehicles and 40 different individuals stop by to check it out and leave inside of ten minutes. Oh yeah, they all carry a duffel bag or sack inside and leave with it. I hardly ever take my duffel bag over to a friend's house to watch a game. Thank God the police have been called and responded over 20 times. The "gangstas" next door think their polite demeanor towards the men and women in blue passes for good citizenry and deflects any of the suspicions police may have when they arrive. Too bad the police know and we know that to develop any type of cause for a criminal case there must be surveillance, activity logs, and detailed reports compiled to develop probable cause. And too bad for them, there is. So the next time one of the Mexican Mafia shouts towards my bedroom window in a drunken Spanish stupor, I can only smile at the fact that it is only a matter of time before he'll be worrying about dropping the soap. One more tirade like the one at 4:00 this morning and I'll intentionally provoke them. I'll fly the Mexican flag at half-mast and upside down. I mean let's be honest, they already wear their pants at half mast and most of them would probably be surprised to know that there are a lot of military and police retirees within their proximity that really aren't scared of a good fight. Some of us old boys are actually trained to shoot back.

It should be a great summer.

Bad Decisions Lead to Chaos and Tragedy

2007-06-24T10:31:00.001-06:00

It seems two stories involving the murder of wives/lovers and children by fathers/lovers verify suspicions that our society finds itself infested by moral decay. Both men have been arrested and charged with the murders of their children and in one case a spouse and in the other a female mistress. They are innocent until proven guilty but let's proceed with the discussion from the standpoint of if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is probably a duck.

The body of Jesse Davis was found on Saturday in the remote woods of a park 25 miles from her home in Canton, OH. A married police officer, Bobby Cutts, Jr. is the father of the unborn child in the deceased woman's womb and thus he has been charged with two counts of murder. As I understand it he is also the father of a two year old that apparently watched the murder take place, allegedly at the hands of his own father. Media interviews have rightly captured the tormented family's grief and suffering at wondering to what end their loved one succumbed to. It is simply gruesome to visualize a father killing his lover and unborn child in front of his two year old and then leaving the child in the home. But why did she have not one but two children with a man that apparently was proud of popping out children and walking away from them as if they were unwanted pets? What in the hell was wrong with her? She chose to have children with a deadbeat and the results of her terrible decision making equals death and a lifetime of chaos for her living child. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson rant against bimbo Paris Hilton's special treatment but abandon their own and fail to call for responsibility in what has become a fatherless culture based on selfish moral relativism. The lack of accountability eats us from the inside out yet the media and politicians strive for legislating morals and principles out of daily discourse. I'm telling you, it's the fall of the Roman Empire all over again.

How about the white guy that pulls over on a frontage road and kills his wife and children, leaves the murder weapon at the scene, and flags down a motorist telling them his family just got killed. It wouldn't take a very seasoned investigator to smell a rat in the first 12 seconds of this investigation. They killed your family and left the gun but miracuously you escaped and preserved evidence for us. There shouldn't even be a trial in this case. The only way this idiot escapes justice is if a liberal appeals court throws out his conviction because the cops put his handcuffs on too tight or if the jailer provided him with only one blanket instead of two prior to sentencing. Before a public hanging of this horror of a man, I would recommend the public return of caning so he can feel his flesh burn just like his family felt the searing of the bullets in their bodies. Can you imagine the shock and horror in the children's eyes as they watched their father prepare to murder them? The all-American family with a nice home, income, and life uprooted by sociopathic rage. What do you bet there was another woman involved? I am sure that short of this man being a blood brother to Ted Bundy there was some selfish motive and irresponsible desire that he allowed to consume him.

Nothing that could happen to these two despicable (if found guilty of course and blah, blah, blah after much waste of taxpayer time and money) human beings equals what waits for them beyond their own graves. I hope they like the heat.

Love Those New Neighbors!!!

2007-06-20T08:38:00.000-06:00

What ever happened to the words respect and responsibility? I think that they have been removed from the dictionary in the last 40 years.

We have some new neighbors and boy are they testing the whole neighborhood. It only takes one household on the block to make life miserable for the whole neighborhood.

It is nice that the Neighborhood Watch program was developed in the past years in the bigger cities. It gives people a chance to know who and what kind of people are living in the area. It provides a sense of security knowing that others are watching out for any unwanted activity too.

When you work hard to keep your property looking nice and your new neighbors just let the yard go and let the trash built up it is sad. It just makes your property look run down too. You mow the lawn, water and try to keep your yard weed free and they don't..... There is a large plastic water bottle that has been lying at the curb for a week now and they are too lazy to put it in the garbage. They smoke and park in front of my property, therefore I get the privilage of sweeping up all their cigarette butts that they dump out on my front curb.

I have been without sleep since they bought the property. There is always more activity there after midnight than there is all day. They sit out all night and drink and the more they drink the louder they get. I am sure that isn't all that is taking place because there are way too many people coming and going all night long. The average person doesn't have that many people visit their home in a month let alone one day. So what does that tell you? Illegal Activity? I am sure there is.... I am just waiting for the right sign.

All the guys next door that come and go dress with the baggy pants that are about to fall off, skull caps and none are caucasion. I know that one of the people that comes there is of a Mexican gang that is well known in the city. They have been associated with shootings and a murder lately.

They all drive newer model vehicles that are in the higher price range. I bet only one that I have seen has dent in it. There are vehicles there that are licensed from three different states. Isn't it interesting that they all know one another?

Then there is the issue of the child. The little boy is awake and up with them most of the time. He is running around outside and playing until after midnight. Maybe I am a little old fashioned but I don't think that is a healthy environment for a child. I am watching....

Now is this the kind of neighbor you want?

This is only Week #1!!!!

It is going to be a long summer I can tell.......

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

http://www.nnwi.org/

Ghost Stories

2007-06-12T07:21:00.000-06:00

I am beginning the book on hauntings, some of it will be creative fiction and other stories within the compilation will be based on stories related to me by real people with real experiences. Exciting isn't it! I was shocked to learn how many people and families had old ghost stories that circulated over the years and became a legend.

What I would like from people reading the blog is if they'd take one minute and leave me a comment if they can recall any ghost stories and strange happenings within their family. Maybe you or someone you know had a strange encounter at a cemetery or recently purchased home. Just take a minute and leave a comment or an entire story I don't care. The book consists of several short stories so who knows, your story might find publication. I may add to it or "round" it out as they say but if the story is good enough, you'll have no doubt it's yours when you read it.

I can tell you from some of the stories already written down that real people have had bizarre and "haunted" encounters. Whether or not you remain a scientific skeptic is up to you but to the people I've spoken to, there is no doubt that what they related to me is very real. I'm hoping that when the book is done you'll have no idea which of the elements are related to me as true and which I've taken an artist's license with. I look forward to hearing from you and thanks in advance.

email: mtconservative@yahoo.com

Insurance or Extortion

2007-06-07T14:25:00.000-06:00

Insurance policies often read like the pompous legal jargon drafted by Supreme Court clerks. "Whereat thou art hither informed whereas lessor fore gos subsequent liability for actions unintended by insurer's payee. Hallelujah" You can certainly catch my drift. You can hire an expensive attorney to interpret the worthless ambiguities or simply accept the policy's terms as stated regardless of the hidden surprises contained within. The major insurance companies in this country exist for one reason and one reason only. They make billions ripping us off and our government protects them and encourages that behavior.

What happens when you buy a vehicle and are forced to insure it for the amount stated in the retail installment contract? Unless you buy an ADDITIONAL gap policy to cover any deficiencies, the insurance company pays you according to their interpretations of fair market value if you sustain a total loss. Your pickup may be a 2007 but the insurance company is basing their numbers on a comparable model produced in 1946. You may owe $20,000.00 on your vehicle but guess what Jack, you're getting a check for half that much.

On your home owner's policy you better damn well insure your contents above and beyond the basic parameters listed in the meat of your policy. An act of God can cost you thousands. Let's say a rogue swarm of locusts invades the interior of your home and soils all the contents in your home. Your policy won't cover it unless you pay more for a separate contents insurance policy. Even then the company probably won't pay for the damages unless they get through to God on the first ring.

Don't you love getting quotes from insurance agents? They quote you $120.00 per month over the phone and when your bill arrives it usually adds up to much more. They conveniently left out items like "other" charges, "other" premiums, and servicing fees. How about the roof on your house? You faithfully pay home owner's premiums for 20 years and two hail storms in the last 10 years forced you to replace your roof twice. Your premiums and deductibles are going through the roof mister man. Insurance companies believe YOU are responsible for not only the storm destroying your property but also your failure to design some sort of invisible shield around your home protecting it from harm. Insurance companies are there to help you as long as you pay your premiums on time, accept outrageous deductibles, and ask no pertinent questions. When it comes time for them to pay a claim and put their money where their mouth is, expect well written denials capable of interpretation from only Perry Mason or Chief Justice John Roberts. Most insurance companies will continue to deny legitimate claims because they know you do not possess the financial means to take them on. They simply wait you out until you limp away with tail tucked firmly between your legs.

I for one enjoy paying increased premiums so that people living in high risk hurricane areas and flood ravaged lowlands can get plenty of practice building their homes over and over and over again. Insurance companies keep insuring them because it's their ancestral land and they WANT to live there. They pay exorbinant premiums and you pay increased premiums because it's just so cool for them to live on the Gulf Coast. It seems quite a smart view of reality doesn't it?

Now the government wants to socialize healthcare even more than it is already. That's good news. Let Washington D.C. get involved in the cesspool of modern health coverages because Congress and government in general is such an efficient and wise old sage at spending taxpayer money. I can't wait to see those results.

Look at what trucking companies pay to be ripped off by insurance providers and government regulators. One tractor-trailer combination costs an operator around $650.00 per month and this is justified because "government" studies determine them to be a high risk venture. A few crappy studies based on junk science force these operators to pay criminal premiums so that highway and vehicle inspectors have a concrete rationalization for maintaining their smug arrogance in inspecting and fining the operators for even more greenbacks. Meanwhile, an 80 year old man in a 40 foot motorhome passes the weigh scale at 75 miles per hour pulling a boat and second trailer full of Geritol. Not only does he not possess a commercial driver's license but he gets insurance breaks because he'll be dead soon and insurance companies are happy to bilk him too until the bitter end. Are you really worried about "large vehicle" safety? Why don't you ask regulators in your state how many school busses are equipped with safety belts for the children riding on them? At last check the number was about 20%. Insurance is about money and so is a government's view on protecting you by harrassing and criminally regulating commercial operators that drive our economy. Meanwhile, a government venture like an unsafe school bus gets a free pass. The next time you see a safety inspector "protecting you" from unsafe equipment remember the government and insurance companies are happy to jump into bed together. Safety in America is spelled MONEY.

America: The Good and the Bad

2007-05-29T09:12:00.000-06:00

We are all so lucky to be able to call America home and enjoy the freedoms provided by our dominant military structure and our representative democracy. These heroic men and women fight and spill blood not only for quantified results like the protection of our soil but they also fight for the ideals of freedom and justice. Just remember the next time a soldier falls and a news anchor laments the reasons for a soldier's death and uses the news to make a shameful political point. These men and women are fighting for something they believe is far more important than a single life. Even on foreign soil thousands of miles from the comfort of the home hearth, those ideals make the sacrifice worth the risk in their eyes.

In America we are free to come and go as we please and cross state lines without fear of unwanted interference from rogue police units. We are free to worship in any way we see fit, follow any political persuasion we like, and are able to read or view any of the myriad of free press offerings available to us. In some states like mine the 2nd Amendment allows us to keep and bear arms for the protection of our families and possessions. We are free to engage in commerce and economic capitalism provides us with ample opportunities to earn for our families, acquire wealth, own a home, and live the American Dream. If we work hard and strive to remain educated, the sky is literally the limit.

Yes there is a downside and sadly it seems we are destined to initiate our great country's demise from within. Global Islamic terrorists bent on killing and exterminating Judaeo-Christian governments and societies is played to rank as the single most destructive threat we face. Would you believe me if I told you it ranks maybe a distant third or fourth? You see I think we as a nation are ignorantly attempting to parallel the fall of the Roman Empire. Freedom is no longer an ideal or virtue that each of us has a duty to defend. It's a cliche or a punchline and we ought to be ashamed of ourselves. Since the birth of moral relativism and a shift to secularizing traditions in our country, the very fabric and foundation that made our country and society strong now begins a systematic crumbling.

1. The Congress in the United States no longer maintains the ethical standing to achieve positive results for the betterment of the country and her taxpayers. Politics for the purpose of power destroys the very institution intended to provide the means for well being and security to citizens of the United States. Our entire political system is corrupt, corrupted by the men and women "serving" there intent on furthering objectives for personal gain.

2. Americans no longer feel the need to be personally responsible for decisions and actions in their own lives. We expect a corrupted government to care for us and provide for our needs and at all costs we now have a right to be entertained. We'll spend far more on video games and movies than on family counseling sessions or tithes to a church.

3. The American family's disintegration drives a new generation that views commitment in a relationship as optional and commitment to positive ideals in living a productive life of meaning as optional as well.

4. Political correctness poisons the pool of truth. Homosexuals have gay pride parades. If I legally protest this parade I'm a bigot. If I organize a heterosexual pride parade, I'm a bigot. We're chipping at 200 year old values here to protect the aberrant and the opposites of traditional standards. We've been forced by secularists at mainstream media outlets to accept the religious views of what we may feel are false religions at face value without opportunity for discussion or opposition. That makes us bigots. Allah and our Christian God are in the ring and modern society won't let us cheer for our God under penalty of bigotry but the Muslims can sure cheer for theirs. My money is on our Christian God with a knockout in the first round.

5. We're intent on socializing medicine, redistributing income, and pushing Christianity's founding principles as far from our lives as possible. Do you know that more than one Democratic presidential candidate mentioned getting a hold of "unfettered capitalism?" Let's say I work hard in school and in business and achieve phenomenal success in my work life. What happens? The government takes my money to give to those that are perfectly capable of doing the same thing but don't want to because they're too busy watching Rosie on the View.

6. We're allowing illegal criminals to cross our borders and use our taxpayer services and benefits spitting in the face of our forefathers who entered the country legally, worked for everything they ever got, and damn sure didn't wave a Mexican flag while demanding rights instead of earning them.

Everything regarded as wholesome, traditional, and responsible is under attack because it simply might take too much work to be dedicated to our own productivity in life. The silent majority is too tired to fight and that's a poor excuse. It's a shame and it will get worse. I hope we can change before it's too late.

Memorial Day - Remembering My Father

2007-05-26T09:17:00.000-06:00

Let's take a moment to remember those that were special to us in our lifetime. One of my most special memories is of my father. He and I had a unique relationship. He was old enough to be my grandfather..... Maybe that is why we got along so well. He was my best friend as a child and I spent a lot of time with him while he worked at an elevator in the small town that we lived in.

It was at the elevator that I played for hours and hours. I would climb around on all the box cars that lined the railroad tracks. Most were empty waiting to be loaded with grain from the elevator. My Dad would "cooper" the car. I don't know where that expression came from but I always remember him saying that we had to go and "cooper" the car before we load. He would place 4 X 8 foot heavy planks of wood against the doors so that grain that he loaded wouldn't spill out the doors when they were opened. This was exciting because you had to do it from the inside and then climb out. It was quite an adventure for a child under the age of six. I also would climb up and get myself a sugar beet from the loaded cars that were waiting to move on down the line to "somewhere" that they would be unloaded. That "somewhere" was a long ways away in my mind. I would eat the raw sugar beet and it was very sweet and tasty.

It was also at the grain elevator that I saw the world from way above. My Dad would pull us both up to the top of the elevator on a "man lift". He had to pull his weight plus mine all the way top. He was so strong! Then we would walk along the top of the big huge bins and check them to see how full they were. From there I could see the world! Or at least the little town from way above everyone else. What an adventure!

I would play in the grain trucks that came to unload in the late summer during harvest. As they dumped the box would get higher and higher and the wheat would slide out the back into the pit. One time I got stuck in the gate at the end of the box and my Dad had to hold me until more of the wheat had emptied out. It was very dangerous as I could have been suffocated but it was all in a day with my Dad. He never got excited about anything but always knew where I was and what I was doing.

I also had my own salt block! It was a salt block for cattle but it was my very own. In one of the storage rooms they had a pile of salt blocks ready to be sold but I made my Dad promise not to sell that one. That one was mine! I would go and lick on it every time I was there at the elevator. I hardly made a dent in it as a cow would..... but it was mine!

There are so many memories of my childhood that were with my Dad at the elevator. They will stay with me forever. It was quite an experience for a young girl under the age of six..... Those were the days of me being a "tomboy".

So on this Memorial Day weekend take a moment to remember someone that was special to you in your life as I have. This is my father's military picture that was taken when he was drafted into the war in 1942. He served in the Philippines during WWII and gave 39 months and 9 days of his life to our country for our freedom.

My father will always be close to me in my heart!

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

My Little Soccer Player....

2007-05-23T10:38:00.001-06:00

The little guy looks as though he should be playing soccer or some sport that requires helmets. He doesn't seem to mind wearing the helmet but I am sure as the weather gets warmer it won't be as comfortable. There are many choices for colors and designs but that isn't the main objective for this contraption.... Craniosynostosis is common in many children and some require surgery. Ohers are required to wear a helmet to reshape the bones in the head. If this is done the child won't experience problems in the future. It is sad to see but before long it will all be over and many problems will have been avoided in the future. The wonders of modern medicine.... Thank God....

Hugs and Kisses for my little grandson....

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

http://www.chw.org/display/router.asp?DocID=22502

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/craniosynostosis/craniosynostosis.htm

The 2008 Frontrunners, It's Either Fun or Tedious

2007-05-20T06:25:00.000-06:00

REPUBLICANS-

Rudolph Giuliani- Rudy leads the pack in the race to romance Republican voters after President Bush and the previous Congress destroyed the opportunity to hold its power base after the 2006 mid-term elections. According to the mainstream media, the Republicans failed to make significant gains against global terror in the great goat paradise known as the Middle East so a power shift ensued. Rudy will not easily sway the "far right" because of his pro-abortion, gay rights, and gun control stances. There is a school of thought that believes his social leanings may bring in some independents and moderate swing voters. The sale of souls to the Devil begins! If Rudy wins the multi-primary race and the nomination one of two things can happen. He will either split the Republican vote and someone like Hillary Clinton and her Socialist agenda take control or conservatives will grudgingly line up behind him and vote because after all he is better than the Antichrist. Rudy will have to grow some extra hair to cover that massive portion of frontal forehead he so prominently displays. On television I can watch the entire political debate on his head and that scares me.

John McCain- I like John McCain but he too read John Kerry's book on how to be a flip-flopper. He is twisting in the wind like a kite in the storm of public opinion and much like Hillary Clinton, doesn't think any of us notice. McCain has long in my estimation supported amnesty for illegal immigrants and that surely chaps a majority of conservative voters. On the other hand and the stronger hand, McCain understands the significance of the fight against warped and murdering fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists (enough adjectives?) and that puts him near the top as far as candidates touting strong national security goes. Sometimes I think he regresses back to the jungles of Vietnam where he so honorably served his country and sacrificed through his suffering as a POW. He is a true American hero but does that forced smile through clenched teeth alarm you like it does me? I can see him as President coming to a press briefing in the Rose Garden dressed in full battle fatigues and carrying an M-16 and a belt full of frag grenades. Couldn't you just see him lobbing a flash-bang in the direction of NBC's David Gregory during one of Gregory's biased and slanted interrogations of McCain at the podium? One word for you. Flashback.

Mitt Romney- Romney looks cast for the role of President straight out of a Hollywood talent agency. He is well spoken and apparently made some great strides as Governor of Massachusetts. A Republican governor in the belly of the liberal beast? He must have won the election on the afternoon of St. Patrick's Day or something. Romney carries two pieces of political baggage that will get heavier as he approaches the modern plethora of early primaries. He will be labeled by social conservatives as a Kerryesque "flip-flopper" on the issue of abortion. I supported it once but saw the light and now dislike it because it is unpopular with my party's base voters and so on and so forth. I think there is some genuine distaste among traditional Christians in that Romney adheres to Mormonism. As the campaign progresses I can bet his polygamy jokes in public will come to an end. Romney is still in the running.

Possibilities- Newt Gingrich (former House Speaker and brilliant man, a lot of trouble with a malfunctioning zipper though. Conservatives may not be able to support him if they practice what they preach).

Fred Thompson- Former Senator and current actor. It worked for Reagan didn't it? Thompson is a popular choice, is intelligent, and has experience. Besides if it got too bad under his rule, we could pretend it was just one of his movies.

DEMOCRATS-

Hillary Clinton- The very image of Hillary Clinton repulses me to the point of developing hives. In the interest of fairness and equality I will put those prejudices aside and report as accurately as I can. Hillary believes in a government so large it outnumbers the country's population. She once mentioned that capitalism cannot run "unfettered". Can anyone else say Karl Marx, Stalin, or Lenin? She wants to tax me more because she believes she can spend my money more wisely on issues she and her cronies deem more appropriate. The Democrats believe in sticking up for the little guy? I think she believes in sticking up the little guy for sure. Hillary like other hippie-era moral relativists believes in gay rights, gun control, and partial birth abortion or in more chic terms "womb vacuuming." I don't wish Hillary ill personally but do hope she develops a case of intestinal diarrhea so severe that she simply must leave the podium during debates to take care of the issue therefore relieving the public of being inundated by her smarmy tones.

Barack Hussein Obama- This is like voting for class president in high school. Barack is wealthy, handsome, and very well-spoken. Isn't it funny that rich nominees and candidates in this party always speak for the poor guy? Is he going to write all of us a check if elected or tax the people even more? Barack has no experience and a laundry list of supporters with questionable backgrounds. I think if Barack won the Presidency it would take him several months to find his way around basic government principles. He promotes dialogue and reactionary defense versus strength and pro action in this modern and very dangerous world. I hope he writes a book called, "My 18 Month Journey of Learning and Rise to the Top."

John Edwards- John looks too perfect to be President. John advocates taxes, cowardice abroad, and supports every abominable secular position on social issues just like the others in his party. John made his millions off the backs of those that make our economy tick and tells us there are two Americas. There is a rich America that he lives in and a poor America that I live in. He wants to help me by taking more of my taxes thus making me poorer and government richer. He will also decide who to forward my tax money to because he believes I am not capable of properly using the money I worked for. I doubt he will invite me to his palatial mansion to prove to me just how much he supports me. I don't think my old pickup with the dents in the side fits very well in the driveway at his home. I think his estate is so big you have to get a helicopter ride from the parking area to the front door. We saw his positions when he ran as Herman Munster's vice presidential candidate in 2004 and we know how that turned out. He is clearly a third place runner right now in George Soros' Democratic Party. Besides, I heard a news crew lost two cameras during an interview with Edwards when his dimples sucked two of the devices and their operators inside.

My Panic and Dismay, Paris Goes to Jail

2007-05-13T09:37:00.000-06:00

Will pictures like this become classics? I mean just look at her. Wholesome, shy, and seemingly innocuous. Can you imagine the parental shock and horror if this was your dining room table and your teenage son brought his girlfriend Paris over for Sunday dinner?

"Willard pass the ham and green beans. Willard I'm talking to you! Oh my! Paris what are you oh my! Junior, HELP!" The line between embarrassing and disgusting thins to an infinitesimal thread in situations such as these. If this steamy photograph originated in the Great Depression and she posed like this simply to provide food for her family maybe I'd feel some compassion. Such is not the case. Paris Hilton survives as a modern and extremely wealthy heir to the Hilton Hotel and real estate fortune. I guess she chose to bypass the responsible route. She and her apparently inattentive parents easily possessed the tools to educate her at elite universities and make her an integral part of at least one of their successful corporations. Instead they acquiesced to her desires for self-consuming and distasteful vanity.

I am so sick of seeing her on television. Photographers follow her like rabid dogs and we all need to get the "inside" story on her whereabouts, sex life, and career objectives. Why do we need the inside scoop on this bimbo? Hollywood mystifies me in how it transforms unattractive and untalented people into successful and wealthy stars. I know two girls within my block that are prettier and in complete command of their syntax and diction. One teaches children and the other takes care of sick folks at a hospital. Hilton can neither speak, write, sing, or babble coherently. She made $7,000,000.00 in 2006. Am I missing something here? Her greatest claim to fame seems to be an amateur sex tape that "found" its way onto the Internet and then the formal marketplace. She once said her graphic exploits and sex acts on the tape "humiliated" her but that was a passing emotion. She titled the tape and now profits from it. It's called "One Night in Paris." Classy isn't she? Maybe we can all watch it at Christmas time right after "Miracle on 34th Street."

Besides being overrated, she embarrasses humanity by constantly disavowing legal and even moderate moral standards. Paris was arrested and charged with DUI, she was driving two days later, violated her probation, and continued partying and acting like a complete moron in public. Her blatant irresponsibility and probation violations force the authorities to revoke said probation and sentence her to 45 days in jail. Now Paris Hilton fans everywhere (yes the idiot has fans) signed a petition destined for the California governor's desk imploring him to free poor Paris. That is a great message. The rich and powerful can simply buy their way out of personal criminality and responsibility. The rich and powerful are above the law.

But if you want to know who really holds the blame we cannot look much past our own noses. We are to blame. Why the American consumer subsidizes lunatics like Paris Hilton (and many others) is simply beyond my limited comprehension. We buy her tapes, records, and buy the tabloids. We are to blame. If it wasn't for us, Paris Hilton would be little more than an insignificant speck on the butt of society. It says a great deal about where we are as a country and culture. Personally I'd rather read a story about the life and deeds of a soldier in Iraq. I guess that is not quite sexy enough to serve our conceited needs.

Glenn Beck Takes a Huge Step Back

2007-05-11T08:38:00.000-06:00

I started listening to Glenn Beck a couple of years ago and have to admit I was quite drawn to his rapid-fire style of conservative commentary. His blend of humor and hard-hitting observations about the state of politics seemed refreshing in comparison to stale and slanted network news drivel. About a year ago Glenn became the host of a televised version of the Glenn Beck Show on CNN Headline News. Apparently the show is doing okay because the secularists running that network have not given him the boot yet. Not long ago I learned that Glenn practices Mormonism within the LDS religion. The hair stood at attention on my neck but I pushed that personal prejudice aside because after all President Reagan confided with the Mormons on his staff didn't he?

During last night's show, Glenn began his monologue in an overly melancholy state and seemed consumed with teary-eyed emotion when discussing Al Sharpton's appearance on the program. Beck informed the audience that Sharpton slighted Mormons everywhere by inferring that Mormons and maybe even Presidential candidate Mitt Romney practiced intolerance and bigotry towards African-Americans seeking to establish relevancy within Utah's favorite religion. Glenn Beck subsequently proceeded to cross the line of known historical truths. Glenn informed his television audience that he was a Christian and certainly not a bigot. Glenn, I believe you are not a bigot. Discussing bigotry with Al Sharpton is like fighting the war on drugs with Robert Downey, Jr. as the head of the DEA.

Neither Sharpton nor Jesse Jackson possess the character or intestinal fortitude to offer humble apologies to the Duke University rape suspects or condemn the moral inadequacy of their accuser. Those sanctioned racists absolutely crucified Don Imus but apparently the coin owns only one shiny side. More troubling than the obvious racial double standard surrounding Sharpton like a hail cloud is Glenn Beck's reference to Christianity and Mormonism. Glenn like many others in his "faith base" refuses to accept that the coupling of those terms defines impossibility. Christianity and Mormonism are mutually exclusive terms.

Here's the real story Glenn. You can practice whatever religion you wish as guaranteed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. You can practice that religion in peace and privacy or among a host of others as guaranteed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. What you cannot do is insult the intellectual integrity of Christians everywhere by implying that Mormonism and Christianity share the same philosophical tenets.

Mormons believe the Bible is flawed and subject to interpretation from modern day prophets. Christians believe the Bible is the sacred and final word and believe the attempt to intertwine modern texts like the Book of Mormon constitutes nothing short of blaspheme. Mormons believe in a multitude of celestial kingdoms and not only will Mormons sit at the right hand of God but become exalted Gods themselves after a lifetime of performing self-meriting works on Earth. Christians believe in salvation through a baptismal in faith and humbling oneself before the Lord on Earth and in Heaven as a servant and not an equal. Mormons believe Joseph Smith had the "book" divinely revealed to him in the hills in 1829. Christians believe Smith little more than a slick talking used car salesman with a penchant for the company of many women. The Mormons successfully changed their own doctrine more than 150 times since banning plural marriage in the late 1800's. The ban exists because of political pressures and not because of religious belief or the adherence to a Christian moral code.

I could go on and on but won't because if Glenn read this and is truly a practicing Mormon, the same taught response sets in. Deny, label the writer as anti-Mormon, and let the apologists for the religion begin a campaign of rebuttal and refutation. At all costs do not examine the critics and their contentions. For God's sake, don't read what Mormonism's opponents write even if the study of such opposition sheds factual light on the dogma being forced into you on those long Sundays.

Here are some topics of interest for those that follow these issues. The divine "secret" writings of Abraham supposedly possessed by Smith written on ancient Egyptian papyrus simply stands as fraudulent. An interpretation revealed nothing more than Egyptian funerary instructions on the "sacred" parchment. Smith found the papyrus when he bought an Egyptian mummy from a traveling sideshow or circus act. The Mormon texts fail to meet any Christian standards in relation to defining the text as authentic during the period of Apostolic authorship. It is believed by many Christians that the attempt to supersede the Bible with the works of Smith parallel what Catholics call heresy. The Bible is pretty clear about "turning away" from the teachings of Christ as revealed by the apostles in the New Testament. There is no doubt in my mind or the minds of many scholars that Smith's divine revelations as professed in Mormon texts were simply based on his own life and embellished much like a good novelist does. The religion simply bears no semblance to Christianity other than the bits and morsels included to spearhead the religion's recruiting drives.

Of all people, Glenn knows the damage caused by statements like "I'm a Christian." Glenn you are an admitted Mormon so accept it on its own merit and do not dishonor the Holy Bible by referencing Christianity and Mormonism in the same breath. You rail against partisan bickering on Capitol hill and the damage done by disguising truth and progress under a veil of political correctness. Silly Al Sharpton takes a poke at Mormonism and Mitt Romney and the apparent latent dose of political correctness hiding in you spills forth for all to see. Maybe that is a learned and endorsed response to attacks on Mormonism. You can profess to adhere to Mormonism all you want with or without the public emotion and chagrin. You may want to get used to hearing a few candid and plausible refutations from those in the broader Christian community that label the Mormon religion as false and intellectually debilitating. I patiently await the expected barrage from the rabid and misguided attack mongers.

www.glennbeck.com

One Very Important Whitetail Buck

2007-05-05T10:26:00.000-06:00

Do you remember those old clichéd phrases that never really meant anything to you until you found a specific cause to relate them to? You know, phrases like “making a mountain out of a mole hill” or “making something out of nothing”? Recently I found the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Montana plans on convening a grand jury to further substantiate criminal charges stemming from an alleged illegal shooting and subsequent interstate transfer of a whitetail buck from eastern Montana some time ago. To put any animal rights fears to bed, the buck refuses to testify mainly because he finds it difficult to back out of the wall he’s mounted in at some distant fish and game office. Keep in mind this excessive government intervention revolves around one deer, not a moving van full of Montana’s finest ruminant mammal Cervidae.

According to my sources, the following synopsis characterizes the government’s substantial case. A Montana resident with a legal and correct sex /species tag and an out of state acquaintance hike to and fro searching for that perfect specimen. Specimen is found, dispatched, and dressed in the field. (Note to non-hunters, dressed doesn’t mean the hunters outfitted the slain deer in a polo shirt, khakis, and loafers) Out of state acquaintance enters a “Game Check” station before crossing into North Dakota en-route to Minnesota. Wardens find that instead of the out of state acquaintance’s name on the tagged carcass, Montana resident’s name and tag are attached to the animal and the Montana resident is not riding on the trailer with both arms securely hugging the furry quadruped. The Earth then spirals into chaos, lightning flashes, sirens wail, Miranda advisories abound, and for the love of God the federal police wade into the fray. Ballistics tests and fingerprint analysis ensue to determine who fired which weapon when and which tuft of hair landed on which rock and whose orange vest is covered with more blood and so on and so forth. CSI comes to Mayberry and Barney wants some answers.

The purpose of this written diatribe serves not to bemoan the state’s fish and wildlife department or the federal fish and wildlife office either. Both agencies have their place and purposes to serve. The argument symbolizes exactly what most taxpayers unfortunately pay no attention to anymore. This case glorifies the subtle way that government wastes thousands of taxpayer dollars to rationalize their position of power over a taxpaying public. In other words, the government makes quite a show with your money to “show you who maintains the power.” It demonstrates that rather than using common sense and good judgment to handle a rather insignificant situation, the government comes out swinging letting you know in no uncertain terms just how right they are regardless of the cost.

Let me be clear. I’ve hunted since childhood in eastern Montana and for most of us the unique relationship with nature becomes a fundamental part of who we are. I find poaching and antler/head hunting as reprehensible endeavors and contrary to the whole joy and responsibility of the hunting experience. I’ve never poached an animal or associated myself with people that do. However, the presence of a tag implies that one has paid for the privilege of enjoying and relishing in a successful hunt. I’ve even taken the protectionist stance in viewing out of state hunters with distrust and a scathing frown. The only reason they get a pass from me is because they contribute much needed money to the eastern Montana economy and their presence helps keep runaway deer numbers in check.

Apparently much of the malaise in this case could’ve been avoided if the Montana resident scribbled on a cocktail napkin indicating that the out of state friend had his permission to take the deer back home to Minnesota. But because he didn’t, that somehow justifies criminal charges in federal court and a litany of attorneys, briefs, attorney’s briefs or boxers, grand juries, fees, expenses, and in summation a large barrel of paper (both green and white) waste. Hunting privilege cessation, weapons seizures, criminal records, and character assassinations replace what could have been a simple misdemeanor ticket or summons to appear before a local judge to handle the case (if legitimate) with an appropriate fine and hand whacking.

I hope my dad never moves to Minnesota and comes back for a fall hunting trip with me. We’re not very good with checklists and I cannot imagine my nausea and panic when approaching a game check station having to determine if I fired his new .30-06 at the deer or if he did or if the deer committed suicide. Now let me think, did I put dad’s tag on the deer he shot or did he tie my tag on the deer I shot and did I use some of his bullets in my gun and are my fingerprints on his thermos and bologna sandwich bag? You know those bags are perfect for obtaining latent fingerprints for analysis. Should I take my attorney hunting with me and does the retainer apply to each expedition? I thought ammunition made the day expensive, boy was I wrong. What if his doe is hanging in my Montana garage because I already have plenty of meat and my buck travels with him to Minnesota and I forgot to scribble his permission slip to transport the animal on the back of a matchbook? My 61 year old father with no prior criminal history suddenly finds himself detained and charged after being in possession of a buck with his son’s tag on it and a federal case commences? I dread the day I take my wailing mother to the jail only to find Dad in his decorative orange jumpsuit and flip-flops. He does little to console her when he tells her he and cellmate Bubba seem to be hitting it off just fine.

You simply have to be kidding! Why couldn’t the fish and game officials simply call me and fine me $50.00 instead of tearing into the flesh of insignificance with gnashing teeth? Why not just call me to see if Dad’s explanation holds water and leave it at that? The government just crossed the line for the sake of justifying their budgets, quotas, and power base. They just took something from him he can’t get back and for what, a successful conviction and the social lynching of a law abiding citizen sharing a memorable (and legal) day in the great outdoors? I guarantee we no longer can hunt together or even possess the weapons we purchased to hunt with. Do you really want to question how and with what fury the government wields its regulatory authority? You better not if you know what’s good for you. You now fall into a category of active interest and your statements may come back to haunt you. When did the government’s regulatory authority supersede an individual’s Constitutional protections as dictated in the Bill of Rights? Would a reasonable person believe that society is better served by destroying the rights of an individual in relation to the questionable circumstances of one whitetail buck’s interstate transportation?

Is the government really concerned with the death of the animal? I bet insurance analysts everywhere revel every time another deer dies so that their companies save on the rash of car versus deer incidents on the highways directly caused by increased herd numbers. If you don’t believe me, just travel across Montana at night and see for yourself if deer are in short supply. I find deer in places I’d never seen them migrate through before 1995. I’m surprised insurance companies haven’t acquired the services of mafia scoundrels like Nuncio Cappuccino to secretly pay gun enthusiasts to pick off the plethora of deer wading in road ditches just dying to raise heck with car fenders and insurance premiums everywhere.

I am familiar with the mindset involved in cases like this. I am a former POST certified deputy sheriff and coroner in Montana with several licenses and training certificates suitable for framing. I have worked cases with federal agents, state agents, and even insurance agents. What I find most alarming is the “go after them and get them” mentality that exists in these over hyped cases. Lost in the whirlwind of quotas and successful criminal procedure is the idea that investigatory legal success trumps the fundamental tenet of protecting the citizens’ rights. Common sense got on the first train to Baltimore and objective reason finds itself replaced with a subjective and sometimes ego maniacal need to further a career or departmental image. These agencies believe that prosecutions, micromanaged cases, and convictions equate to protection of the public at large but instead amount to something far more damaging, the measured destruction of an individual’s liberties.

I think we all need to step back and question situations that seem absurd rather than buy wholesale doctrine from government representatives assuring you that their actions are for your protection and safety. Are the costs justified in relation to the words, actions, and assurances of those in power? Do the ends truly justify the means? Yes, I am extremely conservative and probably lie somewhere just right of Attila the Hun but too much is too much. I like to think the government’s primary function is to protect the citizens rather than persecute them. How would you feel if you passed a game check station in your pickup and a state game warden sped up to your bumper, followed you onto your property with lights and sirens flashing, and demanded to know about your actions and failure to enter the game check area. I did not go hunting. I was bringing my pickup home from the shop. Is that kind of violation justified, rational, or appropriate? The corruption of power is deadly if allowed to propagate. Just take notice and keep your eyes peeled. Remember to signal and come to a complete stop, you’re only one misstep away from being the proud owner of a criminal history.

Shameless San Francisco

2007-05-01T08:51:00.000-06:00

This week I simply have to write about the crazy mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom. He talks about being a defender of human rights and the Constitution but he seems more like a spoiled little rich kid used to getting his way because the whole family couldn't believe how cute little Gavin was. "Here little Gavin, take some of daddy's money and go buy a house for you and your friends to play in. Careful honey, don't pull the ruby out of your diaper. Leave the big people alone so we can have martinis and decide how to save the owl and cut down on plastic bag use." Talk about a city and a subculture so far out of touch with decency and common sense.

Not only does the mayor in the gay bay defy the California Supreme Court by allowing and encouraging gay marriage, he openly defies federal immigration laws and states publicly to a news crew that San Francisco is a sanctuary city and does not recognize federal laws regarding illegal or criminal immigration. Oh yeah, he got caught playing touch football with his best friend's wife too. You know, "When I blow the whistle, yell HIKE and move down two chairs." Quite a guy to have in a position of leadership. He must have read the Bill Clinton handbook on how to be a scumbag. At any rate, we'll talk later about San Francisco and its tumultuous spin into an eddying moral cesspool. We can always hope that 8.5 shakes everything loose enough that it drifts out to sea.

In the meantime, lobby your congressman or congresswoman to cut off federal funding for the city until the mayor and leaders in the community can at the very least rise to the level of decency displayed in ancient Babylon? Why should American taxpayers sink money and resources into an area and specifically a city whose most outspoken and powerful mayor is little more than a corrupt example of a political process gone wrong? If San Francisco insists on being the beacon for all things vile and degenerate as lobbied for by those in charge of local government, let them develop a tax base and revenues from an economy of self invention and regeneration.

I mean the possibilities are endless. They could host an adult toy convention, perhaps a fashion show highlighting transvestite fashion trends, and develop a healthy bag manufacturing industry that neither utilizes plastic or paper. They'll be saving the environment and the spotted owl. Maybe San Francisco will become one of the first floating cities. It already seems adrift without direction because of its broken rudder. What a shame indeed.

Don LaFontaine: A Genuine Hollywood Legend

2007-04-28T10:16:00.000-06:00

You've certainly heard the voice and lately it seems you may have seen the legend as well. Forever known as the orator of that ominous introduction, "In a world....." or "In a time.....", Don LaFontaine's presence certainly ingrains itself within the world of Hollywood mystique. If ever you entered a theater or turned on the television, the odds are that Don LaFontaine has spoken to you with that booming baritone. To date I've seen Don's early morning appearances on The Early Show, Today, and Good Morning America doing humorous sketches that highlight his amazing vocal abilities. In 2007 he appeared twice on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and was an integral part of the Academy Awards. His talent on screen infuses itself with Don's unique and sonorous voice . Most famous for his 5000 voice spots on movie trailers like The Godfather, Cast Away, Daddy Day Care, and Terminator, he also provides spots for radio and television advertisements. Don LaFontaine is perhaps one of the individuals most responsible for revolutionizing the way Hollywood and the major studios promote themselves and their movies. In fact, Don may in no small way be responsible for the way we see the advertising world as a whole in modern times. Not bad for a boy from Duluth, Minnesota.

Don headed the film trailer company Kaleidoscope Films and later became the "voice" of Paramount in 1978. After succeeding with these endeavors people in the entertainment business encouraged him to more aggressively pursue a career utilizing his vocal skills. The rest is as they say, history. I admired Don's unique gift for years but never managed to get a glimpse of the man behind the voice. Recently the popular and well-received Geico Insurance commercials hit the airwaves and I saw the commercial featuring Don. My curiosity spurred me to search for information about Mr. LaFontaine on the web. I found Don's website, read about his life and accomplishments, and thought I should make an attempt to contact him. Usually when trying to contact a famous figure one is lucky to find any contact information at all. Not only did I contact Don through e-mail, he graciously returned my correspondence with a personal e-mail. That means a lot in this day in age when actors and entertainers in the spotlight find it all too convenient to disavow the fan bases that make the entertainment industry the multi-billion dollar powerhouse it is today.

Of course I've printed his emails and stretched the truth to family and friends letting them believe Don and I are old pals. I've literally pulled people and family members from the street and quiet slumber when a LaFontaine piece airs. I tell them with excited enthusiasm, "Hey, I know that guy, that's Don LaFontaine!" I maintain that having a Hollywood connection must be kept secret as I wouldn't want the information contained in my secret meetings with him to become public. If I keep up the ruse long enough perhaps I'll convince myself that I am a successful person in Hollywood just like him, at least until the power company shuts my lights off. And Don just so you know, I spend time practicing my own version of "In a world" but up to this point my rendition sounds more like a distressed gopher's yelps while being squeezed in the clutches of an industrial vise. I wouldn't consider me competition just yet! I would however appreciate a phone call sometime that I can record and play for friends at parties. Besides being a great thrill, it would further propagate my "I'm famous because I hang with Don LaFontaine theory" I am working on. But then I'd have to worry about his invoice for providing such a service and I am not quite ready to take out a second mortgage on the house. However, if Don ever finds reason to travel to Billings, MT I will be shocked and offended if he doesn't contact me!

In summation I penned this tribute to Mr. LaFontaine because he is a Hollywood legend. His contributions to the world of entertainment are too substantial and lofty to be properly detailed in this article. We go to the movies or watch particular programs to escape or to feel that nostalgic tie to our own unique set of dreams and fantasies. Don's voice carries us there. He is the conduit that transports us from our seats and into the screen and beyond. His words and mesmerizing tones make our hearts race and thoughts dance as we enter that world of Hollywood movie magic. Don, thank you for your contributions and I wish you and your lovely wife Nita Whitaker all the best.

www.donlafontaine.com
www.nitawhitaker.com

Drive At Your Own Risk: Southern California Freeways

2007-04-27T15:43:00.000-06:00

I have few positive things to say about traveling and specifically driving in southern California. Last Friday I found myself loading up on acid reflux medication as I crossed the deserted border south of Las Vegas and entered the foreboding wasteland near Death Valley on the stretch of I-15 that passes through Baker, CA. My destination of Irwindale, CA seemed a reachable mark by 10:00 local time if no difficulties thrust themselves upon me. Of course my memory recalls the distinct sound of someone knocking on a wooden structure and the malaise began just south of Victorville near the junction of I-15 and 395. Apparently an overturned truck south of the weigh station near the bottom of El Cajon Pass blocked all lanes of the southbound I-15 interstate. Tragically I believe at least two motorists lost their lives in the messy collision. I know nothing of the accident's circumstances but obviously one wrong move by a car or truck caused an immediate and catastrophic reaction that ended in grisly fashion. There seems absolutely no margin for error in the congested and overcrowded world of the L.A. and southern California freeway system.

I slowed to a stop as a frenzy of red brake lights hinted at the beginning of a frustrating and delayed commute. Three and sometimes four lanes of stalled traffic inched along at a snail's pace; frustrated faces peered out windows and into mirrors trying in vain to ascertain the cause of such a mind numbing and costly shutdown. The report from a traffic observer flying effortlessly overhead in a news helicopter confirmed my darkest fears. A fatality accident involving the overturned semi-truck lay silently wreaking havoc some 12 miles in front of me. Twelve miles in front of me! My appointment in the L.A. foothills now seemed quite distant and maybe unreachable during business hours. At my hastily calculated rate of movement, I determined my estimated time of arrival to be a much later 3:00 pm. The hapless drivers started their predictable movements of nonsense. Change lanes and change lanes again even though your spot stays the same regardless of which lane is chosen. Drivers begin speeding down the shoulder of the roadway in an attempt to circumvent the wall of tractor-trailer combinations eerily creeping along. The rain and fog began to set in like a reaper intent on reducing the visibility to zero and causing even more panic and disillusion.

What seemed like hours passed as I crept along in a maze of exhaust fumes, idling metal, and brake heat. Finally I passed the weigh station near the bottom of El Cajon and knew the accident site must be somewhere in the vicinity of the Kenwood Road exit. For some unfathomable reason the California Highway Patrol added to the danger and traffic flow difficulties by requiring trucks to weigh at the scales and emerge from the ramp in the hopeless attempt of completing a successful merge. Giant cranes managed to pull what was left of the spilled big rig onto the shoulder allowing at least three of the southbound lanes to be used for the now exasperated drivers. The precipitation continued and increased as I headed past the I-215 split and visibility fell to dangerously low levels as the throngs of traffic kicked up water spray over six lanes of traffic. I thought to myself, "These people are crazy!" The rain simply poured as I merged west onto the 210 and headed towards Pasadena. The slippery roads and limited sight distance seemed only to spur the southern California drivers on. I might as well have been handling a horse and buggy instead of a modern streamlined motor vehicle. Dodging, ducking, braking, and swerving the possessed drivers attempted to gain as much forward distance in the shortest possible time regardless of the danger to others.

Because I am generally regarded as one of the unluckiest members of the planet my departure from the area happened to coincide with the beginning of the afternoon rush hour. So now I get to fight the idiots on my way out of the valley as well. I daydreamed about trading for a relaxing drive across northern Canada in a January blizzard. The rain stopped and speeds increased even more. Merging drivers expect to merge without understanding or caring that they are lawfully required to yield. Cell phones, shavers, and other unmentionable acts take place as the wayward commuters rocket home only to face the prospect of beginning the whole maddening process over on Monday.

The next day two more drivers died in nearly the same spot as the previous day's accident. A few miles north of Barstow another fatality accident finds its remnants peered at by passing drivers. There are simply too many people in a confined geographic area. The infrastructure and highway repair budgets in California appear dismal at best. The problem compounds itself with each passing day as the city and valley chokes itself off in a fit of massive overcrowding. Until the state addresses the monumental safety concerns of traffic flow and congestion, people will die in great numbers as others fly by gawking at the twisted remains only hopeful or lucky their time is not yet at hand.

Alec Baldwin Personifies Hollywood Nuttiness

2007-04-26T08:18:00.000-06:00

Why discuss the particulars? Baldwin's unfettered and maniacal rage directed at his prepubertal daughter received national airplay at several outlets and became fodder for comedic sketches from here to Dover, Delaware. Do you remember when Baldwin nearly slid out of his skin when then House Judiciary Chairman Henry Hyde proceeded with the impeachment of Willy Clinton? Baldwin salivated over and worshipped Clinton much like the semi-retarded followers of David Koresh did at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX several years ago. Not only does the American public bow in thankful anticipation to one of Baldwin's secular and frenzied left-wing political rants, we quiver in shock to find that he adheres to loon status in his personal life as well. I bet the diner where Baldwin, Sean Penn, Rosie O'Donnell, and Barbra Streisand meet for coffee and analytical comparative conspiracy theory class is awash with good times and quiet conversation. Now if we can get Tom Cruise to join in with his tin foil alien suit complete with pointed Hershey's Kiss foil hat, we have a quorum of Hollywood's most powerful and influential players. Even the mild mannered and peace loving Richard Gere finds himself with a warrant for his arrest after kissing an Indian actress in conservative India. Too bad you disavow the American way and your heritage Richard. The protections you protest and take for granted here keep you free and safe. I doubt Buddha will waddle to your rescue.

The Baldwin family mimics the Kennedy family to me. Wealth, power, and celebrity taken for granted and misused to the extreme. Baldwin's movie success (or at least past movie success) and elitist lifestyle are a gracious gift and apparently he feels no need to act responsibly either within his family circle or in front of the American public whose hard earned dollars made him rich. He complains about his ex-wife Kim Basinger's lack of coherence as a person and parent. Too bad she cannot act more responsible and sane like you Alec. Even your actor brothers find themselves inundated in petty crimes and substance abuse. Instead of counting your blessings you somehow believe that the celebrity platform equates to some sort of social legitimacy. You make Sean Penn appear as mild as a Methodist Sunday school teacher. Maybe you'll call for Robert Downey, Jr. to spearhead the war on drugs. It really seems it should be your young daughter that calls you and explodes in a tirade. At least her age and level of emotional development justifies the diatribe. I think her conversation to Alec should appear as follows:

"Dad, I love you but you are a wack job just like everyone else in my family. I have been a witness and victim to your temper and crazy verbal explosions my whole life. I make mistakes but I am growing up and learning as I go. I haven't exactly had the best examples set before me either. I think you need to spend a couple weeks at Trembling Hills and receive intense pharmaceutical interventions that I hope will bring you down to the level of at least Dennis Hopper. Why can't we just live with the gifts we've been given and give back a little, even if giving back means saying thanks and acting decent in public. I am so embarrassed by you and your actions. Mom is probably crazy too so why doesn't everyone leave the Hollywood life behind and focus on what's important like me and my growth as an intelligent and responsible human being? I know I have your DNA and there is really nothing I can do about it. So if you don't quit acting crazy I might as well start drinking and using drugs now. Then maybe we all can get along and be as goofy as outhouse rats. Bye Dad."

Family from the "Old Country"

2007-04-25T09:30:00.000-06:00

I had the most wonderful surprise this morning when I opened my email. I had a message from a relative of mine that lives in Norway! How wonderful! When I first looked at it I almost deleted it because I didn't recognize from who it was and I just thought it was spam. Thank God I didn't!

My relative wanted to know if I would like to correspond with her and her daughter who must be close to my age. It brought tears to my eyes to think that they were interested in the same thing that I have been for so many years. I just have never been able to get in contact with the right person that wants to keep in touch also.

Those of you that know me have all teased me a time or two over being Norwegian. Yes I am full Norwegian though American born. My grandparents on both sides came to America in the early 1900's. They were tough people and lived hard lives here on the plains of the north central area of the United States.

When my grandparents left their homeland they left knowing that they may never get to see their families or their country ever again. It is sad to think what it was like for them having to experience life in that way. We in this day and age never really think about those things as we travel around the world.

I am very excited about getting to know my new found family and await the next correspondence that I receive from them. With all the new technology available in the world today it has made this a much easier, quicker way of keeping in touch, unlike awaiting a letter from the "old country" that often took months to receive......

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

The Mystery of Ruth: Part 2

2007-04-24T07:43:00.000-06:00

The temperature fluctuations seemed odd and proved to be anything but a figment of my imagination. The temperature analysis took place with open doors and access to regulated airflow. The recorded temperature registered 20 to 25 degrees cooler in that one room than in other rooms of the home. I compared the temperature differences between this old master bedroom and other rooms in the house within seconds of one another. Still, my psyche allowed me to feel comfortable and secure in this room. After all, my parents stayed in this room on several occassions and reported neither discomfort nor chill during any portion of their stay.

As time passed we began to notice what I considered to be an oddity with the home phone line in our house. At least every other day within 25 seconds of 9:30 pm the telephone rang, but only the phone in the kitchen. We experienced no difficulty with it at any other time. The phone line never manifested static, connectivity issues, or a lack of clearness during all the other times we used it. When the phone rang, it never put forth a full ring. It always stopped before the tone finished its resounding pulse. It seemed to me to be a quarter of one ring. Odd but probably not unheard of. These phantom rings remained in my thoughts though I found it impossible to pinpoint a scientific explanation for such an unusual occurrence. During the following days I began to follow the ticks of the clock as bedtime approached and the hands on the clock slowly wound their way towards 9:30. My heart raced and face flushed in anticipation of the nightly call made by anything but a human caller.

And then it happened. One day while I innocently sat watching a program in the TV room next to the old master bedroom, my movements were pulled through the doorway into that old bedroom. Although the room measured nearly 13 feet by 13 feet, it felt much larger with its high ceilings and large windows looking out from the room's west wall. The air in the room felt even colder than previous times and devoid of oxygen. The invisibility of the oxygen in the room suddenly seemed to take on a misty gray texture as I stood there. I felt trapped. I wanted to walk out of the room but my muscles refused to take direction from the terrorizing thoughts swimming in my head.

She stood near the window looking out as if waiting for a returning loved one or perhaps she watched a thunderstorm approach from the west. I saw her as she stood in that cold and dark envelope of shadow. Her hands were joined peaceably as her arms hung comfortably in front of her waist. Her long dress no doubt helped protect her from what was fast becoming an unbearable freeze within the confines of those four walls. Her hair sat piled high and tight on the back of her head as was common in 1911. She seemed to pay me no mind but refused to let me leave her presence either. I ingested every delicate facial feature and colors of the dress she was wearing but later recalled absolutely no detail at all. Slowly the room warmed and one small step became another and then another as I made a hasty exit from the room. I simply explained away why I felt no fear after this cold and dark encounter. I wondered why our German Sheperd always laid in that exact spot beneath the windows where I saw her.

I wonder which rooms in that old house Ruth stalks now. She lived there years ago and left earth's boundary without a final negotiation of her soul's intent. She no doubt looks down from the upper loft windows on a breezy night watching the tricker-treaters parade up and down the sidewalk during the onset of autumn. When you drive by that old house remember to look in the windows as you do. She may be returning your stare with a peaceable gaze of her own.

Craniosynostosis

2007-04-23T08:08:00.000-06:00

I just spent a few days with my little grand babies. Now I know why I had my two children when I was younger. Boy you sure find out how out of shape you are when you start packing a 23 pound, 7 month old baby around. A hot bath sounded pretty good after all that! But it was worth every minute. It was pretty special getting to spend time with them.

My grandson has been diagnosed with craniosynostosis. His case is considered severe and he needs to wear a type of headgear they call a helmet to correct this problem before he grows anymore. If this procedure works he will avoid surgery down the road. If it isn't corrected he will have problems in the future. This could lead to pressure in the brain with severe headaches, jaw problems and a drooping of one side of his face and eye. Craniosynostosis is premature fusing of 1 or more cranial sutures causing a misshapen head. So he has been measured and will be fitted with the head gear in the next week or so.

Thank God that modern medicine has found a fairly easy way to correct the problem. For now he will not have to have surgery and in a matter of months hopefully it will all be over.

He is such a happy little guy.... it is sad to think what may have happened if he wasn't diagnosed in the early stages.....

Hugs to my little grand baby....

http://http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic80.htm

http://http://www.chw.org/display/router.asp?DocID=22502

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

New Website

2007-04-21T08:16:00.000-06:00

Good Morning everyone..... I am in trouble again. My hubby is gone and he told me to write something. OK... so now if you were supposed to just sit down and right something what would you write? Not so easy is it........

First of all I hope everyone has had a chance to read "The Mystery of Ruth" which was published yesterday. Part 2 will be published in a few days. It is based on some things that happend to us while living in this house a few years ago. It can be both interesting and very eerie at the same time. I hope you enjoy reading it.

Also I want to bring to everyone's attention my husband's new website. I worked very hard on this and this is my first attempt at web design. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks!!! Ha! I am pretty proud of how it turned out. I hope all of you check it out. If you have any good ideas that might help out let us know.

http://www.kirkmaierbooks.com

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

The Mystery of Ruth: Part 1

2007-04-20T11:10:00.000-06:00

The house emanated traditional elegance. The 1911 structure had no doubt been constructed by one of the wealthier cattle ranchers from back east seeking their fortune near the front range of the Rocky Mountains. In those days eastern money stretched like tanned hide in the western frontier and riding the steam engines to the last wild place held much mystery and much promise.

When my wife and I purchased this home it looked from the outside as it must have through the eyes of the original architect. The interior had been remodeled to accomodate more of the modern conveniences we now take for granted but much of the old hardwood used around the doorways and as mop board remained intact from the day of its installation.

All in all the house was warm and cozy and simply exuded charm in every room. The heavy wooden front door at the entrance to the house opened into a long hallway with dark flowered carpet and 9 foot ceilings. Upon entry into the foyer the sliding doors to the parlor squeaked on their rollers. I could imagine the proper dress and serving trays with steaming tea and coffee as the rancher hosted a small dinner party, a senator, or maybe even Charlie Russell himself. A partial divide separated this living area from the dining room. The dining room housed a sitting bay window with leaded glass windows that simply remained pristine through the years and turbulent weather.

A narrow doorway connected the dining room to the modern kitchen. A short semicircle around the snack bar and cabinetry led to another doorway and short foyer that directed one to an extra bedroom at the northwest corner of the house and a bathroom straight ahead. The bathroom housed a claw foot cast iron bathtub that further contributed to the sultry ambience of the home. Next to the bathroom was a stairway that moved up and up and up to the loft that once had been used for little more than dusty storage. The previous owners remodeled the attic area and turned the whole length of it into a master suite complete with modern conveniences contained in the master bathroom. It survived as a private sanctuary for rest and relaxation with views into the expansive back yard and the tree lined street above the front entrance.

Back downstairs and through the hallway towards the front door sat what was once the master bedroom and a library or den directly to the south and abutting the front wall of the house. It was here that the old master turned into a guest room for our visitors and the library became a modern television room complete with big screen television and appropriate seating attire. It too became a place occupied on many occasions for rest, relaxation, and entertainment.

It was in this doorway between the modern den and the old master bedroom where the mystery begins and ends for reasons beyond my earthly comprehension. It is within the threshold of that doorway between the two rooms where the temperature dropped to an exasperating chill and the hair on my neck stood at attention regardless of the day or season. It was here that I first met her but never really met her at all. How can breath be felt in a room secure from any draft or breeze?

To be continued.............

Virginia Tech Massacre: Deaths of Sensitivity

2007-04-18T09:57:00.000-06:00

The campus of Virginia Tech shall forever be hallowed and haunted ground. On Monday, April 16, 2007, Virgina Tech English major Cho Seung-Hui slaughtered 32 college students and professors in cold blood. Hui came to this country with his parents in 1992 and possessed a green card making him a legal resident. Dorm mates, fellow students, and faculty members described the troubled young man of South Korean descent as aloof, depressed, and uninvolved in the world and activities around him. Hui did make his way into the police blotter on two occassions in 2005. One incident involved a stalking complaint made by a female student and another referral came from a roommate concerned with what can be best described as Hui's suicidal depression. The red flags waved over the campus but apparently the administration and other school officials failed or chose not to recognize the warning signs. One of the professors "informally" expressed concern over the English major's graphic and twisted writings of horrific murder and macabre violence. Two and two started to add up to four but I guess no one felt intervening in the situation matched the risk of violating Hui's civil liberties or interfering with his freedom of expression. I wonder if anybody ever thought about the potential violations and civil deprivations of the now slaughtered students and their families.

Hui left behind an 8 page note describing in detail the real culprits and sources of blame for his rampant homicide spree. Apparently the kids of wealthy heritage and Christ himself maintain culpability in Hui's eyes. One line in the eight page letter of intent stated, "You made me do this." Yes of course we did. Talk about an arrogant outlook on the fundamental social tenet of personal responsibility. I am the product of a lower middle class upbringing and if he knew me I am sure Hui just as easily would have learned to abhor my presence and thoughts as well. Let us call a spade a spade. The kid would make the cover of Psychotic Sociopath magazine each of the twelve months of publication. Freud lives or at least his theories do. Sometimes a bad seed is a bad seed regardless of cultural input. Cho Seung-Hui is like that deformed calf the rancher finds struggling to get to its feet in a snow storm. It's just too bad we can't deal with psychopaths like Hui the same way a rancher does with that calf once the deformity is clear. The importance of his maniacal existence pales in comparison to the innocents murdered by his bloody hands.

The news media still holds much fear and loathing for guns in general. BB guns may get a pass but you can believe those of us that responsibly enjoy firearms and our Second Amendment freedoms will find ourselves ducking for cover in short order. I know that Glock 19 handgun probably took on a life of its own once in Hui's hands. It simply pointed itself at those unsuspecting and innocent students and proceeded to automatically fire while Hui held on for dear life. The coverage will shift in coming days as public mourning subsides and the armies of Rosie amass for an assault on law-abiding handgun owners in America. Hui took on the personna of a cowardly murderer. The pistols used in the commission of his haneous crimes were mere tools and incidental inanimate objects. His personal writings indicated his penchant for hammers and chainsaws. Let's try not to ignorantly personify guns.

I think this tragic incident spotlights major problems in our society and criminal justice system specifically. No you cannot censor the freedom of expression. No you cannot overburden the Constitution's protections of privacy and equal protection. But therein lies the problem. I am a novelist and write about graphic murder from time to time in the context of a fictional story. But I haven't been contacted by the police twice this year for stalking. I have yet to be referred by a friend to a mental health facility out of concern for my suicidal depression. We throw blanket protections on each case failing to analyze the big picture. Each case must be analyzed while keeping all the information in perspective. You cannot jump up and say this killer cannot be investigated after all the warning signs manifested themselves prior to the murders. No, don't censor someone artistically expressing their views and even their violent views in writing. But you damn sure better violate this type of person's civil liberties if the big picture clearly shows that he or she travels a path leading to absolute death and mayhem. Will we ever bring commonsense back into our daily processes or will we continue to provide blanket coverage and protections regardless of the impending doom that hovers above us in plain view?

Duane "Dog" Chapman

2007-04-16T14:40:00.000-06:00

Duane "Dog" Chapman better known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter" still faces possible extradition and jail time in Mexico as a result of his capture of Max Factor heir and rapist extraordinaire Andrew Luster. Apparently the popular star of A&E's "Dog the Bounty Hunter" feels that the United States government abandons him in his hour of need and I think his perceptions hold validity. Let us tell it like it is.

The condensed version goes as follows. Chapman is a bounty hunter. Chapman gets wind that pervert Luster is hiding out in Mexico with his access to millions of dollars in old family money. Luster continues to videotape his degradations of Mexican women as he feeds them knockout drugs and rapes them on camera for his own demented and sick amusement. I mean what a stud this guy is. He raped 86 women in the United States in California and has to knock them all out to score a date and a sexual interlude. Talk about the poster boy for pyschotic and psychopathic behavior and a man obviously concerned with his apparently limited male endowment.

Chapman follows tips and leads and captures Luster in Mexico with the help of members of his bounty hunting team. Those members just happen to be his son Leland and brother Tim. Before Luster gets his jumpsuit properly fitted the Mexican police have the Chapman bounty hunters in cuffs and shackles and behind bars on a misdemeanor charge that alleges an illegal detention of a scumbag like Luster. Chapman bonds, bails, or whatever it takes to get out of jail in Mexico and returns to America to hunt fugitives in Hawaii and Colorado and embarks on a successful television show. One day not long ago federal marshals show up at his door, arrest him, his son, and his brother. A United States judge ruled that there is no reason Chapman cannot be extradited to Mexico to face the original detention charges and subsequent jail time if so determined by a Mexican court or tribunal.

What in the hell is the American government thinking? It simply astounds me that this case is still haunting the Chapman family. When the Mexican government makes a request at the American consulate or state department regarding the issue of Chapman's extradition, the only response should have been one of laughter and the subsequent buzz of a disconnected phone line. Let's get this straight. This is all about Mexico flexing its muscles in a lame attempt to show that the country has any legitimacy at all.

The Mexican government is corrupt from top to bottom. Parliamentary fat cats have prospered and profited from the illegal drug trade poisoning people around the world. Mexican police and military leadership cheat their citizens by promoting a culture of corruption through the propagation of illicit drug trade and the murder and destruction that follows. The disparity in Mexico is self-induced from generations of high level corruption. If the Mexican government had an ounce of self respect they'd name a city after Chapman because he stopped Luster from raping daughters of the Mexican society. Mexico is a dead and defeated nation and our problems at the border are a direct result of the Mexican government giving up on its citizens to protect the wealthy ruling class in the elitist levels of government. The only hope for Mexico realistically is that an agreement can be hammered out in which they agree to be annexed into the United States.

As for now, Mexico couldn't manage a 7-11 much less a country and her people's economy. The Chapman situation is just a small example of how failed that nation is. The fact that the American government doesn't rush to defend a hero like Chapman only reaffirms that our country is slowly but surely following Mexico's horrendous lead.

Don Imus Cues Up the Spotlight of the Double Standard

2007-04-14T13:57:00.000-06:00

Don Imus really stepped in it this time. It's a good thing his normal attire includes cowboy boots with a deep heel. The long time CBS radio personality whose syndicated show appeared by simulcast on MSNBC was fired as a result of racially charged comments directed at the Rutgers University women's basketball team. I think I saw him last night hovering in a corner booth at a local pub with Michael Richards. Advertisers began pulling ad space and dollars faster than you can say Rainbow Push Coalition. Al Sharpton nearly tripped over his own pompadour with the realization that his efforts bore fruit in the dismissal of Imus. To be sure, Don's remarks were both insensitive and ignorant given the standards of altruistic political correctness. Does Imus and his circle of friends usually carry on with such sardonic derision in private? You better believe it. Sharpton and Jesse Jackson successfully dine on the misery of others and acquire a well-publicized platform from which to pontificate their golden visions of who is right and who is wrong.

First of all, Don Imus should be punished for what he said and he was. Now I think Jackson, Sharpton, and apologists like Russell Simmons need to be held to the same lofty standards. Simmons and other Hollywood moguls like David Geffen (Interscope) promote through hip-hop and rap music (calling it music is a stretch) the same and often worse tenets adopted by the youth in the African-American community and white communities as well. Every rich repugnant rapper (note the alliteration) glorifies violence, promiscuity, misogynistic ideals, and filthy speech over the public airwaves. What Russell Simmons calls "artistic expression" is really little more than a rationalization for protecting his wealth earned at the expense of cultural degeneration. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton have no qualms being seen with these rappers and taking the opportunity to be seen and heard with monies from the industry and advertising mediabytes created by these foul record labels.

What Don Imus said is terrifically inappropriate but less vile than what Simmon's prodigies "rap" and "bang" about over the airwaves. Don Imus gets fired for an inappropriate tongue in cheek slur but the hatred and self-destructive rappers continue to receive glorification from the leaders in the black community. Just remember granny's old saying, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander." In our case, "What's good for the goose is good for the raven."

Do you want more proof of overblown sensitivities? CBS doesn't fire Dan Rather for his liberal bias and false reporting although he later resigns over public shame. What about that quack Rosie O'Donnell? Talk about being a sandwich short of a picnic. She is about as sharp as a pound of wet liver. ABC lets her conspiracy theories receive more than ample air time as she continues to accuse the President and the United States government of plotting and carrying out the 9/11 attacks. Her defense of terrorists by comparing conservative Christians to radical Islamic terrorists is not only wrong but treasonous. Rosie doesn't even get a slap on the hand. I know she's a big girl and may slap back but her venom is just as ridiculous as any other we've heard this past week. I am so sick of "feelings being hurt" and "in what context did you apply to a given word." Get over it people and toughen up. There are bigger disasters looming on the horizon than worrying about who called whom what "offensive" name. Good Lord, how did any of these people survive grade school? I don't remember a lot of counseling back in the day.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

http://www.cbsradio.com

Signed, the White Cracker.

In Memoriam: Grandma

2007-04-06T07:39:00.000-06:00

My grandmother passed away leaving her struggles behind on Thursday, March 29, 2007 while recovering from heart surgery in our hometown's nursing home. As a family we had been living with what became the year of medical intervention. My dad received a new liver and brand new life this past November and on the very day his transplant procedure took place his mother was hospitalized and remained under medical supervision until her death a few days ago. Do you remember the old Bible verse, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away?" As far as I was concerned, he had some explaining to do regarding the tenet of fundamental fairness. Although Grandma struggled to regain her strength and especially the ability to take full and normal breaths, by all accounts she was well on her way to mending and regaining at least an acceptable quality of life. I got the call about 12:25 am this past Friday morning from my mom and she told me a member of the nursing staff found that Grandma peacefully slipped away shortly before midnight.

Anger manifested itself as my principle response in the days leading up to her funeral. You cannot just "pass away" without permission and certainly not without saying goodbye to me in an acceptable fashion. There were at least five or six games of pinochle and rummy left to play and more laughs about the old days and the old memories before the sun finally slipped below the horizon. I wasn't 100% sure who to blame this tragedy on but by God someone must answer for the sadness inflicted upon the family. My wife, sister, and I packed up and headed back home and joined the rest of our family in preparation for the memorial service. With honor I accepted the opportunity to be a pallbearer at her service and also speak about some memories written down on notebook paper by her grandchildren and others in the family. My cousin Jacob and I took to the podium and read the fond memories in front of the many mourners gathered at the church. About halfway through our presentation it finally hit me.

Grandma never really had an easy time of it. She and her siblings were born and survived on little or less within a landscape of desperate nothingness in what was loosely coined the Sand Creek community. Her father seemed at best to be a roustabout Irishman with a penchant for bootlegging illegal shine. He passed away very early in her life as did an older brother who died while building the Fort Peck Dam during the Great Depression. Even after marrying Grandpa and raising five kids on that dusty hill's sheep ranch in Dawson County, life remained arduous. Snowstorms, sickness, packing water in pales, outhouses on minus 30 degree mornings, milking cows, feeding sheep, wringing laundry, rattlesnakes, drought and five kids does not make a good vacation brochure.

But that is the point. Her children and their children and their children in turn were her life. The strength she possessed and the resolve to carry on even in the worst of times made her life as valuable or more valuable than any oil tycoon, President, or Nobel Prize winner. She is a part of all of us and that twinkle in her eye is the same twinkle I see in my sister's new baby. Life in this world seems no picnic but her constitution and affinity for laughter and family is the core strength passed down for the future generations in our bloodline. The struggles and heartaches come and go but we'll all be together for Christmas this year. Grandma's wisdom came from conquering adversity. Her life was good because she loved and received love in return. She never had money or material possessions but none of that mattered to her in the least. She had her priorities straight and the life lessons learned from analyzing her worldly outlook and the fond memories serves as the basis for living. Laugh in the face of turmoil and pull those close to you even closer. Argue about what is right if you must but leave with a hug and a smile. The coffee will be on when you come back.

I confidently say there is really nothing to be mad about anymore. In her last hours and minutes of peaceful sleep I see a smile pursing her lips as she dreams about the memories of her life and legacy. She watches her twins crawling around in that old farmhouse. Dad and Judy ride Scout and Comanche bareback across the vast expanse of prairie. A young LeRoy chases that old dog down past the weathered granary towards the sheep wagon parked in the tall prairie grasses. I'll miss her greatly but more than anything I need to thank her for the gifts and life lessons imparted on me. I need to learn to pass the gift on as graciously as she did for me.

Until we meet again Grandma......

Iran: The Stone Age's Best Representative

2007-04-01T10:20:00.000-06:00

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims the British government and the bad Americans are arrogant for calling for a release of 15 British sailors illegally captured by Iranian forces nearly 10 days ago. Iran claims the Brits trespassed into Iranian waters but anyone with a shred of intelligence understands that in this modern era of sophisticated weaponry and finite GPS coordinates that no trespass took place.

The media really pushes or rather shoves the idea that mainstream Muslims in a country like Iran really like the American people and would like nothing more than to share a McDonalds franchise with us or perhaps engage in a festive game of cricket after attending a Billy Graham crusade. That line of liberal "hugthink" is totally off-base and if you believe it I have no doubt in my mind that we will be easily overrun by radical Muslims in the not too distant future. Iman Iwil Blowyoukar will knock on your door some cool spring morning while your finger is up your nose watching Matt Lauer tell you how much the Iranian populace embraces your way of life and Christian heritage. Have you been watching the protests taking place in Tehran at the British Embassy from the supposedly intellectual students from Tehran's university, the supposed mainstream future of the country? They are not standing there screaming and throwing rocks clamoring for the release of the British sailors. They are standing there chanting "Death to Britain" and "Death to America." On this Sunday morning, how many Americans do you see outside the embassies of Islamic states chanting "Death to Allah" and burning likenesses of Iranian leaders in effigy? What if one of the British SAS fired at one protester scaling the fence and killed him? Would Iran acknowledge the screaming ranter was actively involved in an act of criminal trespass against the British government? The answer is simple.

Now we face a conundrum. Iran has flown in the face of the IAEA and U.N. sanctions while it happily progresses in its enrichment of uranium to further seek global domination in what it hopes will be one Muslim world led by violent clerics proclaiming the virtues of a false religion and God. Of course showing disdain for the U.N. is like a two year old pulling the cat's hair after mother says stop. There is no teeth in the U.N. and members of the security council with veto power (China and Russia) have a far more vested interest in supporting Iran than in supporting the United States.

In our country the newly elected Democratic congress has shown with the passage of the "cut and run" bill that they have no interest in dismantling violent regimes in Middle East nor do they by implication desire stability in the region. So I guess the Iranian madman can kill the British sailors or do what he wishes because none of the world leaders have the intestinal fortitude or political leverage to do what needs doing. We are conceding defeat to the aspirations of radical Islam. If President Bush and Prime Minister Blair called me today, (I've been waiting and expect the call anytime now) here is what I would tell them.

Ahmadinejad and his fellow dirt eaters lived as wandering herders 150 years ago. Tribal and religious sect mentality ruled and disputes over things like who eats or sleeps with whose goat tonight were resolved by sawing the head of the other off while he slept. They have squandered every opportunity at stability and responsibility on a world stage because of their adherence to a guttural and medieval view of the human position on the planet. They've killed each other for years and chosen to abandon attempts by gracious countries that helped them make the first attempt at crawling out of the Stone Age. Interpretations of Islam even by those coined moderate show again that these positions of chaos are how they want their lives, governments, and futures to be.

If the Iranian President wants this distorted reality, then I say we give it to him. A return to the Stone Age is easily achieved with the push of a button. Starting over may be the only way to salvage a lost cause. World domination is the Islamic goal, peace cannot be obtained through commerce and diplomacy, and democratic governments around the world refuse to passively become crazy and misinformed fundamentalists. Let's turn it all back to glass and live peacefully without threat of intimidation and murder of the innocents by those desiring to destroy us and our heritage.

CNN's Biased Reporting Makes NBC Seem Rational

2007-03-31T08:37:00.000-06:00

I recently read an opinion piece penned by Lou Dobbs, host of CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight." Dobbs thanked viewers for their loyalty and innate intelligence in understanding that his program adheres to nonpartisan debates on issues of concern to citizens in this country. Too bad his network cannot say the same. Perhaps only the social secularists running the news department at NBC can challenge CNN for editorial slant and biased reporting. I am equally surprised the hats at CNN have yet to lure NBC's David Gregory into the fold to co-host a nightly news broadcast with Wolf Blitzer that empathizes the plight of fundamentalist Muslims that only want peace and understanding. Yeah, the Iranian President is simply misunderstood. It is the Bush Administration's fault the British sailors humiliate themselves on state run television and the tongue of a worker fighting for better wages was removed in layers by government henchmen with ties to the Revolutionary Guard. I guess I'll wait a while before discussing freedom of speech or religious issues within the context of the modern Stone Age Middle East.

As for Dobbs himself, I agree with some of his points. I think he is dead on in regards to securing our southern border and fighting amnesty tooth and nail. Dobbs even brings in ardent opponents that support amnesty or as it is called on Capitol Hill "comprehensive immigration reform." But Lou, you have to bring in folks from both sides on EVERY issue discussed, not just those of your choosing. I know many of your segments are opinion segments but they are sold as news stories with journalistic elements. Rarely if ever do you see two sides to the stories regarding the "outsourcing" of Unites States jobs in the context of the "war on the middle class." I am not sure if Lou has a son, daughter, or brother that holds a position of esteem within one of America's corrupt and mismanaged labor unions but he might as well have. Lou, if you want to be a lap dog for big labor and state run healthcare just say so but have the integrity to bring supporters of free trade to the program. As least discuss the talking points of the opposing viewpoint. Big business cannot be taxed into oblivion or be forced to pay excessive wages and benefits for marginal worker output and continue to function as a going economic concern. Continue to preach the mantra of increased wages, benefits, and taxation to the large corporations that feed our economy and create jobs in the first place and see what happens. Outsourcing a few jobs will seem like the tiniest participle within the larger equation of economic collapse.

Dobbs recently bemoaned the Attorney General's dastardly involvement in the firings of several United States attorneys. AG Gonzales finds himself in an unceremonious retreat and his career is all but doomed. The Democrats and mainstream media have succeeded in dooping an apathetic and disinterested public into believing the situation is a scandal of national importance. There was no crime committed. It is incredulous that the story is news at all. It is simply concrete proof that the media will use any crumb at its disposal to damage the Bush White House (yes, a marred and dumb White House) to the benefit of left-wing politics. It isn't even a news story significant enough for PBS, NPR, or the failed Air America radio network. The media and partisans in Washington have succeeded with what amounts to criminalizing noncriminal acts. The President can fire attorneys because they serve at his pleasure, case closed. Gonzales made the mistake of telling a white lie (you know, like I swear she only smoked the cigar) on an unimportant subject of no significance and in so doing failed to understand the bloodlust of the Bush opponents. Not once have any of the media reports spewing venom on Gonzales and the White House mentioned the corruption committed in the same context and on a larger scale within the Clinton Administration. Clinton wiped out all 93 U.S. Attorneys and of specific note the attorney involved with the corruption investigation of Democrat Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois. Not even a blurb is reported. The state of the modern media is absurd. Sandy Berger gets a slap on the wrist and a journalistic pass for the attempted cover-up of Clinton's lax foreign policy stand on world terror and Gonzales faces the fire for noncriminal behavior in a situation as unimportant as the legal excercise of executive authority? I officially classify most outlets within the media as an arm of the left leaning zealots of the Democratic Party.

If you'll excuse me I have to run. I've invited the Iranian President over for a ham and pork chop dinner. We always watch Pat Robertson together on Saturday nights after catching up with the news on CNN.

www.cnn.com

Harry Belafonte, Musical Icon and Cultural Traitor

2007-03-26T23:01:00.000-06:00

As if America needed another loud-mouthed and misinformed sociocommunist ranting about how bad the United States is even though our rooted capitalism and associated freedoms gave him every opportunity to succeed and acquire great wealth. "Daylight Come, Harry Please Go Home."

Belafonte proved in spades he is no civil rights champion nor a defender of Martin Luther King Jr.'s ideals and harmonic vision. Belafonte blurted stridently in no uncertain terms that Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice is "revered nowhere." Harry referred to former Secretary of State Colin Powell as George Bush's "house boy." So much for empowering your brethren and defending leaders within your ethnicity. The liberal leaders and victimologists of the NAACP and so called religious leaders within the African-American community like Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton will contend they missed Belafonte's tirade when confronted with remarks spewed from one of their brothers in arms.

Even though Belafonte is showing his age and apparent slide into senility, he still thumbs his nose at our country and calypsos with great joy all the while being puppeteered by his new best friend Hugo Chavez. Chavez calls Bush the devil and Harry agrees. Harry stands proudly at the microphone and contends Bush is the great terrorist. I wonder what happens if he stands in Venezuela and calls Chavez a great Satan. Oh yeah, the state controls the media there and he finds himself in prison or worse for the rest of his life. Never mind that Chavez directly controls the monies from Venezuela's vast oil resources and that money empowers the poor in his country only after his wealth is assured. That little banty rooster Chavez is playing poor aged Harry like a fine-tuned piccolo. Belafonte is dumb enough to criticize the country that provided him with the basic gifts to say what he wants and live as he wishes while exalting a brutal dictator that only wishes to see capitalism and the American way fail.

I really don't care if you hate the United States and her democracy and host of freedoms. That is your choice. But do not use those freedoms for misguided hate speech without understanding and giving thanks to those that fought to give those rights to you, men a thousand times poorer and a thousand times more noble than you Harry. A lot of these men died before their 20th birthdays and never questioned or faltered in serving an ideal greater than themselves. Belafonte obviously never served a greater interest than his own. The ideal and beauty of America. Use up her resources to benefit your selfish objectives if you must but please get out if you hate her that bad. She and we don't want you around. Perhaps mill about at the level of Chavez' populace and blame Amercia for the tyranny inflicted by brutal dictators like Hugo. You're old enough and close enough to the grave now you may not have time to understand it. I just hope your idiotic example never really catches on. I'm going to buy some bananas. One fruit deserves another.

Can Washington Get Anymore Stupid or Chaotic?

2007-03-25T09:45:00.000-06:00

I find solace at the keyboard. Making the mistake of watching the Sunday morning network news circuit simply makes my blood boil and blood pressure rocket to near lethal levels. We'll cover several topics being hotly contested on Capitol Hill and within the confines of news studios in Washington and New York City. The sad fact remains; not one of the top selling news stories has one iota of signifigance in the propagation of peace and prosperity within the borders of America.

The newly elected Democratic Congress responds to the needs of the nation as expected. The House Democrats beat the drum of troop withdrawl and passed a bill (with 17,000 pork earmarks, makes you feel good about your tax dollars) for supplemental funding of military activities in Afghanistan and Iraq. The bill also contained a firm date for the redeployment of U.S. military forces in September 2008. Basically the Democrats drew a line in the sand and conceded defeat to insurgents and radical Muslims. The Democrats never understood or believed in a strong national defense to begin with so I certainly understand their disdain for utilizing American troops for the liberation of an entire culture and the stabilization of a violent and fundamentalist Middle East. All the time spent debating, spinning, and arguing over a bill that George W. Bush would veto even under the influence of cocaine and strong scotch. I think the idea of a hearty, proud, and potent national security policy literally scares the speaker and majority leader. The only national defense system that makes their progressive ideas sustainable revolves around a reactionary philosophy as opposed to one of proaction. Basically let's contract national security out to carnies not working during breaks in the carnival season and contract airpower responsibilities to France's three plane air force or Lithuania's advanced fleet of helium balloon craft. The left wing liberals in this country simply have no idea of what the military means to a country; it is not about reactionary protections but rather world leverage in maintaining peace through strength. The fall of the Roman Empire begins anew. Oh, as an aside our borders are wide open and Iran continues to defy weapons inspectors and the U.N. while Pelosi wastes your time debating non-binding resolutions. Aren't elections supposed to be about furthering the agenda of the taxpaying populace?

Al Gore testifed on Capitol Hill on the subject of global warming. Okay, let's say for the sake of argument that each and every American including the scientific community agrees with the premises of Gore's arguments. Therein lies the problem. There is mass confusion on the difference between scientific consensus and scientific fact. Scientific consensus simply means a vote has occurred on some proposed theory. It is no different than the American public voting for the next American Idol winner. It doesn't mean that the winning contestant is more viable than any other or maintains more factual merit. All of the empirical data used to build the foundations for a global warming thesis can be challenged. It has been warmer since 1990 and man is believed to be responsible for this through increased emissions of carbon dioxide but what about the even warmer temperatures obtained through geologic comparisons in what is known as the medieval period? Did lords and noblemen in the English countryside have hidden textile plants beneath the sod secretly emitting CO2 as serfs slaved about in the burgeoning candlepowered economy of 1500 A.D.?

The most alarming facet of Gore's movie and public display is the grossly overblown alarmism he spreads to justify and rationalize his position. Gore touts scientific consensus in regards to the tenets of his theory but disavows the same consensus when it comes to the actual and probable effects of global warming. Al believes we will be cooked like chickens in ten years only to be swept away by flooding waters from the seas rising 20 feet. The international scientific community on the other hand (Yes, Gore's own clique of scientific supporters) believes the effects to be far more minimal. Seas may rise several inches rather than feet and no one in Gore's camp even talks about the benefits of increased warmth over increased cold in regards to other Democratic talking points like energy conservation. If we bought Gore lock, stock, and barrel the widespread and catastrophic damage to our economy, standard of living, and place in the world far outweighs the supposed and surmised climate changes pushed by Gore's camp. It is scary to watch the mainstream media spoon feed the American public one side of a debate spearheaded by a secular dirt worshipper determined to justify his place and power base in modern America. I guess I'll invest in an umbrella.

The scandal driven media continues its full frontal assault on the Bush Administration. I am not saying Bush doesn't have plenty of skeletons rattling in his closet but nonetheless the attacks on every move made within the administration seem unparalleled in comparison to previous administrations. Clinton got a pass on refusing to take the handover of Bin Laden from Sudan among other cigar-stained relapses of morality. So now the race is on to convict Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in regards to the firings of several United States attorneys. Apparently opponents of the administration cite political motivations in the firings especially in the case of New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM). Here is a news flash.

It simply doesn't matter and the firings are perhaps the most insignificant news story in the history of the mainstream press. Bush and his appointees can fire an attorney whenever and however as provided for in the Constitution under executive privilege. Bush can call Alberto into his office and inform him that he simply doesn't like the brands of soft drinks consumed by the attorneys and fire them for that reason. He may not like that several of the attorneys chose boxers over briefs and fire them for that reason. He may not like that one attorney's wife's mole on her nose and especially the wiry hair protruding from it and fire him for that reason. It simply isn't a story. It certainly isn't a story being reported fairly because Clinton's half-man attorney Janet Reno swept all 93 attorneys onto the sidewalk. What about the sudden dismissal of the U.S. attorney investigating Illinois Democrat Dan Rostenkowski's ordeal? No politics played there. It is the same biased media double standard pretending that inside deals and politically motivated firings are unique to this administration or any other. Maybe their reporting would hold more credibility if both sides were examined instead of the viewpoint they choose to editorialize. Remember the media is smarter than you are and you will be told only what is in your best interest according to an editor that donates to liberal causes. Sounds like sheep doo-doo to me.

Vast Right Wing or Maybe Left Wing Pet Food Recall

2007-03-24T15:18:00.000-06:00

I am pleased to announce that upon my triumphant return home from harrowing domestic travels, my pets greeted me with the utmost in health and fervor. Apparently they had yet to succumb to another vast and sinister conspiracy spearheaded by evil pet food manufacturers. What is the latest? Rat poison detected in pet food may be the cause of the untimely demise of several cats and one dog. I have tried in vain to contact representatives of both the cat and dog unions but their representatives seem tied up in yarn balling and the burying of rancid bones. I also tried contacting a PETA representative but all available members are apparently spending time on a wicked and violent campaign that urges citizens to murder and consume the living flesh of lettuce and a few other pulpy vegetables.

I left home three weeks ago and delivered 50,000 pounds of green peas to a pet food manufacturer in Columbia, South Carolina. I arrived at the plant early Monday morning in the hopes of facilitating an efficient delivery. I am usually wrong in hoping for such nonsense. At the unloading facility I checked for the appropriate personnel for an hour and one half before contacting security and alerting them that no employees manifested themselves in the area. After much stewing and brewing two workers from the warehouse arrived to take charge of my unloading process. Apparently the man responsible to be on shift at my arrival time had done a "Peter Pan" off of a bridge deck on his Harley the night before and no one knew he lay in critical condition at a local hospital with what I would guess to be "moderate to severe" scratches. Modern product movement systems are usually controlled by a central computer system. The operator simply clicks on the product, selects which floor pit will be utilized for the unloading process, and finally chooses which bin to store the product in. After that analytical maze, giant augers and cups beneath the ground in the unloading pit transfer the product or "leg" it up and over to the appropriate storage facility. Those poor fellows poked and plugged and beeped through computer keys until the pit augers burped, spit dust, and finally whirred to life. They sampled the load via two dixie cups which I found relief in knowing were not intended as a random drug test for me. I had just used the restroom minutes earlier.

By midweek I found myself in beautiful Russellville, Arkansas which lies south of the Ozarks and just a spit north of,.............. well I guess just a spit north of southern Arkansas. I always wanted to say "just a spit north of." I loaded what is coined "chicken meal" for transport to yet another pet food manufacturing plant in Victorville, California. Basically the earthly remains of poultry are incinerated and then ground into a fine powder that stinks to kingdom come. It sure is worth paying for the overpriced stuff once it is in a dog food sack. You're only paying about a 200% markup for this gruel. No wonder my dog prefers table scraps and only eats dog food when his ribs begin to show. You always can tell which trucks have meat and bone meal on board because the trip is almost always carried out with an entourage of flies and stray dogs. Truck stop attendants are always eager to wait on a driver that has struggled to shovel off a load of this hellish and foul substance. As I stand covered in this ghoulish beige powder I have to waft the flys away just to communicate intelligibly. At any rate, the plant rejected my load because its moisture content exceeded acceptable levels. I just transported rotting chicken entrails 1500 miles in temperatures reaching 95 degrees in Needles, California and they're worried about moisture content? I can accept a rejection based on stinky content or gross content but moisture content seemed a bit silly. At any rate I hauled the rotting flesh to back from whence it came.

To make a tediously long story short, most pet food manufacturing plants have far more stringent product standards than do companies that accept food for human consumption. It just goes to show how out of whack everything is. My company usually makes more money from the transportation of pet food than human food. While we all struggle to make a living the focus of the industry seems to center around the accidental deaths of a few pets. It's a pet food conspiracy I tell you. Pet food manufacturers intentionally poisoned those animals so that they could lose business and profits based on gargantuan price markups. I think not.

Tax Time

2007-03-23T08:52:00.000-06:00

Guess this is my last chance to blog before the hubby comes home!

I am supposed to be getting all the tax information together so we can go to the accountant's office on Monday morning. Won't that be fun..... Every year I pride myself in being able to use an accounting program to help with recording that important imformation that the IRS requires. So once again I have all the numbers plugged in there and hopefully when they are put onto their correct lines on the IRS forms it will show some positive results for us. That is why I go to all this trouble in the first place. I believe in taking advanctage of every tax break there is out there. If there is a legal way to provide them with a number and I have the paperwork to back it up..... it makes me happy!

I know all of you out there must think that I am a nut but those accounting programs are a challenge and one that I like to see if I can make my way through each year. They aren't any worse than some of those video games that the kids play now. I can't get my way through them hardly at all so this can't be that bad!

So I will get the rest of my reports ready to print and hopefully the visit to the accountant on Monday won't be as bad as my husband thinks.

I am sure that you faithful readers will be happy that my hubby will be back. I am sure that he will have some stories to tell after being out on the highways of the USA for the last three weeks.

So until the next time......

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Another Wonderful Liver Transplant Story

2007-03-20T08:24:00.000-06:00

I just read this story of one liver saving two people. Such a wonderful story. Hope you read and enjoy it too.

http://health.yahoo.com/news/173162

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative

Getting Through Security

2007-03-18T09:18:00.000-06:00

I just can't get the thought of flying out of mind so I have to talk about it again....

I always have been excited about a new adventure and some of the best adventures I have had included flying somewhere. But after I think about it some of the adventure has included just getting through security....

Years ago my husband I flew to Arizona for a visit with family. Those were the days before 9/11 and the security was minimal. I had just about everything imaginable in my purse. Of course... what woman didn't! Well this particular time I couldn't get through the security check. I don't get alarmed or upset over these things... I just go with the flow. Well come to find out after they x-rayed my purse they said I was carrying a weapon!

Me? A weapon? Ok ... I couldn't figure that one out so I asked what kind of weapon. They said I had a "throwing star". Ok ... now those of you that know me know that I am full Norwegian and know nothing of throwing stars let alone how to use them. So I thought for a moment and then realized what I had in my purse that was close to a throwing star. But security wouldn't let me touch my purse for fear that I would use the weapon. So they dug through my entire purse and they came up with nothing. I knew what it was that they were looking for but they wouldn't allow me to help. I even told them what pocket to look in! They still couldn't find it.... So finally they realized that I wasn't a big threat and they let me find the "throwing star" that I had as a weapon. I pulled out my "Phillips County Sheriff's Department Key Chain" that was a five star badge made into a key chain. There was a sigh of relief from everyone and I was on my way.

Another time I was traveling alone and returning from a trip from Mexico. I went through security before boarding the plane in Mexico City. My purse made it through but I beeped. Well I couldn't figure that one out. All I was wearing were shorts and sandals. I didn't have any bulky clothing on or a large amount of jewelry or any sort. Security went over me with the "wand" and sent me on my way. Then I had to go through another security check just before boarding the plane that I was to fly to LAX. Same thing happened and they couldn't figure it out but sent me on my way.

So with my little amount of experience in flying I assumed that the wand was just overly sensitive and I thought no more about it.......... until I got to LAX!! There I had to retrieve my bags and take them through security and recheck them. Then I was on my way to the gates and before that I had to physically get myself through security again. I of course beeped again and they didn't even ask me a thing. They just said, "We have been waiting for you." I was really thrown off guard there. I had never had anything happen like that before. They told me they were going to do a cavity search! Over my dead body!

And as I threw up my hands and held them next to my head..... I suddenly realized what the problem was.... I had a pair of coral colored, fan shaped earrings on. They looked as though they were plastic but they were metal. I told them that I knew what the problem was and to let me just take those earrings off. They agreed and yep... that was it! Thank God!!! That was three security checks that I didn't make it through all because of a dumb pair of earrings!

I was also a CSA for an airline and worked at the gates every day that I worked. I loved the traffic of the people hurrying from gate to gate and my favorite thing to do was to drive the Jetway up to the plane when it pulled up to the gate. Those were fun memories of being a CSA. But everyday that I worked I had to get to the gates and to do that I had to go through security. I was in uniform and carried my purse and my gate information. Everyday security pulled me aside to check my purse. I never had anything in it and I never made anything beep! I saw the same people at security everyday but still they insisted on checking my purse. I knew it was just a random check and they were required to do it every so often but why me? I just smiled and asked, "Did you find yesterday's sandwich in there?" They didn't think it was very funny....

So now after the 9/11 attacks and all the heightened security I am more careful. I have removed everything from my purse that looks like a weapon and I even try to dress properly so that I don't cause a problem. So now I am down to my stocking feet and they are still having a problem getting me through security. I have no steel plates in my head or any holding any body parts together so what is the big deal now? Oh dear..... it has to be the under wire bra this time.... I can't win.

Love the adventure though!

Signed..... Mrs. Montana Conservative