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I am working on the template of this blog today in order to chase down some problems that have developed with my template and widgets.

Macon County Commissioners

Coverage of the meetings of the Macon County Board of County Commissioners.

Franklin Town Board of Aldermen

Coverage of the meetings of the Franklin Town Board of Aldermen.

Macon County School Board

Coverage of the meetings of the Macon County School Board.

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Photos from my photoblog.

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About

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Vote in Freedom Works Straw Poll
July 31 to August 2


Now that you've seen the video, go vote!

Blogs 4 Borders Video Blogburst 073107

This week's burst tells the story of Terry Funderburk, an American
citizen nearly driven out of his profession by illegal aliens. His
one man protest is a fairly good working definition of irony!

And of course the 100% Preventables!



Read Terry's original story
here
, follow up
here
. A follow up letter from Terry is
here
.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Qur'an Defiler Faces Felonies,
Local Ron Paul Supporter Desecrates Flag, Assualts Deputy

From Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs:

I’ve received an email from Stanislav Shmulevich, who has been arrested in New York for putting a Koran in a toilet at Pace University. And his case is even more outrageous than we first reported.

First, Shmulevich was arrested and jailed for 24 hours. Second, he’s not facing misdemeanor charges—he’s being charged with two felonies, criminal mischief and aggravated harassment.

Felonies. For putting a book in a toilet.

Third, his income is on a borderline that disqualifies him for a public defender, so he stands to suffer incredible financial hardship as well.

Fourth, his name and photograph were published in several newspapers in New York, and he and his mother were ambushed outside the court by reporters. In a case like this, clearly with the potential to enrage radical Muslims, this is so irresponsible of the media that it borders on criminal.

Do we still live in a country that values free speech? This case is pretty good evidence that we do not. Mr. Shmulevich is caught in a Kafkaesque nightmare right out of the Soviet Union, and it’s all happening at the demand of the Muslim Student Association and the Council on American Islamic Relations.

If that isn't bad enough, some more:

Muslim activists had called on Pace University to crack down on hate crimes after the incidents. As a result, the university said it would offer sensitivity training to its students.

The school was accused by Muslim students of not taking the incident seriously enough at first. Pace classified the first desecration of the holy book as an act of vandalism, but university officials later reversed themselves and referred the incident to the New York Police Department’s hate crimes unit.

Newsday


For more on the charges, Allah Pundit outlines the NYS Penal Code of the charges.

These people are demanding, and receiving special rights above and beyond those given to other people. This type of thing about special rights and privileges is going on across this country, so watch out for a form of Sharia Law to come to a neighborhood near you!

There is a local brouhaha over an idiot Ron Paul supporter who scuffled with, and assaulted, law enforcement over a misdemeanor citation, committing a felony to avoid a misdemeanor. If that isn't the very definition of idiot, I don't know what is.

Here are a couple of the blogs covering the local incident:


If a member of law enforcement is alerted to an American flag flying upside down at a residence, I think it would be perfectly reasonable for them to pay a courtesy visit to see if the residents are truly in distress rather than violently barge in to someone’s private home and manhandle them into submission and captivity. That would be the American thing to do.

The arrogance of government and police power is staggering.

It saddens me to hear responses on the AC-T bulletin board calling for greater uses of force and violence against peaceful protests, greater restrictions on the speech of authentic patriots, greater losses of individual liberties to the reach and powers of an authoritarian state, and a greater inversion of the sovereignty of the individual in favor of the brute force of government control.



Tim Peck: Another Thug With A Badge



What is becoming of our democracy these days: No fly lists, indefinite detentions, torture facilities, and police state tactics?

And now here in our beloved, Asheville?



Uptown Ruler: Police State In Our Own Backyard

Since this area is eat up with Lefty Progressive Blogs, I guess I'll be the only one pointing out the common sense approach to this whole thing:

Had Mr. Kuhn accepted his citation, the thing would not have spun out of control. He very likely would have gotten the charges dropped before court.

Commentary

This whole narcissistic society of "ME First!" "MY Rights Trump Everyone else's" and "I'M Offended" are some of the worst things to come from the Baby Boomers and the Hippies of the 60s.
At least these idiots and most of their supporters are in Asheville, and out of my community. My neighbors all fly the flag, and show It proper respect.
One of them summed it up pretty well for me, and I'll share it with you:
"Don't forget, Bob. These people DO live in Asheville, where pragmatic reality does not apply." --John W July 28, 2007

Club Gitmo Alum Participate in Jihad

AT LEAST 30 former Guantanamo Bay detainees have been killed or recaptured after taking up arms against allied forces following their release.

They have been discovered mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but not in Iraq, a US Defence Department spokesman told The Age yesterday.

Commander Jeffrey Gordon said the detainees had, while in custody, falsely claimed to be farmers, truck drivers, cooks, small-arms merchants, low-level combatants or had offered other false explanations for being in Afghanistan.

"We are aware of dozens of cases where they have returned to militant activities, participated in anti-US propaganda or engaged in other activities," said Commander Gordon.

His comments follow the death this week of Taliban commander and former detainee Abdullah Mehsud, who reportedly blew himself up rather than surrender to Pakistani forces. In December 2001, Mehsud was captured in Afghanistan and held at Guantanamo Bay until his release in March 2004. He later became the Taliban chief for South Waziristan.

Source: The Age


Hat Tip: Jihad Watch

And these are the types of people the Left, and their clueless allies, would have us put in U.S. prisons to spread their poison, not to mention their skills, to inmates who have converted to Islam while in prison.


What is to stop these radicalized American Muslims from engaging in their own jihad once they are freed from prison? This is a poisonous virus that must be watched very closely, lest we find ourselves in a similar situation as experienced in France, and other parts of Europe who are enduring 'rampaging youth' who love to burn cars, riot, and other such nonsense.

We have had numerous terrorist attacks on American soil before and after 9/11. For political reasons, both the Bush-43 Administration and the Democrats refuse to acknowledge them for what they are, jihadis committing acts of terror.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Chaiman Tom on Blog Talk Radio Tomorrow

Tom Cole will be on CQ Radio tomorrow with Ed Morrisey of Captain's Quarters.

ABC Lies About Gun in Murder Case (So what else is new?)

I just saw this at Newsbusters, and had to pass it along for those who haven't seen it:


On Friday's
World News, ABC host Charles Gibson incorrectly implied that a murder suspect in New York City had purchased his weapon from a gun store in Virginia, ignoring the fact that the original owner, now deceased, had purchased the gun legally from the shop in 1999, and that police have not yet discovered how the suspect obtained the gun. Instead, Gibson contended that this case shows that criminals often go to shops for their weapons as he set up the piece: "Well, the recent shooting death of a New York City police officer is shedding some light on how criminals get their guns. Too often, they simply go to a store. And they know which stores to go to. According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, one percent of this nation's gun stores sell the guns that account for nearly 60 percent of the guns traced to crimes."

Lefties For Censorship:
A Preview of a Democrat Administration

The Neo-Stalinists of the nutroots have once again displayed a love of Tyranny and Censorship, especially when the views expressed are at odds with their view of reality.
These people are as dangerous a group to American Liberties as has ever walked our shores, and anyone who considers an alliance with them is suspect. They have been shamed from using the term "Liberal" because Bush-41 so effectively ridiculed them from using it as a self descriptor.

What has gotten me on this rant? The latest "movement" by Moveon.org and Daily Kos to scare advertisers away from Bill O'Reilly's The O'Reilly Factor on Fox.


NEW YORK (AP) -- Liberal activists are stepping up their campaign against Fox News Channel by pressuring advertisers not to patronize the network.

MoveOn.org, the Campaign for America's Future and liberal blogs like DailyKos.com are asking thousands of supporters to monitor who is advertising on the network. Once a database is gathered, an organized phone-calling campaign will begin, said Jim Gilliam, vice president of media strategy for Brave New Films, a company that has made anti-Fox videos.

The groups have successfully pressured Democratic presidential candidates not to appear at any debate sponsored by Fox, and are also trying to get Home Depot Inc. to stop advertising there.

At least 5,000 people nationwide have signed up to compile logs on who is running commercials on Fox, Gilliam said. The groups want to first concentrate on businesses running local ads, as opposed to national commercials.

''It's a lot more effective for Sam's Diner to get calls from 10 people in his town than going to the consumer complaint department of some pharmaceutical company,'' Gilliam said.

Some of the videos produced by Gilliam's company compile statements made by Fox anchors and guests that the activists consider misleading, such as those that question global warming.








And, true to form, they are lying already...trying to take credit for Lowe's pulling adverts from O'Reilly's show, when they pulled their adverts back in February over a different matter altogether.

One website even has a list of O'Reilly Advertisers to make it easy for the lefty brownshirts to find their targets. I suggest you use the list to praise the advertisers.

These nuts even have a petition asking Home Depot to pull adverts from Fox!


The Left knows their nutty ideas will not survive in the marketplace of ideas, so they are left with no other choice but to try to shut up their opposition.

I consider Fox as the official channel for RINOs, and actually harmful to the conservative movement. Can you imagine the rage that would be expressed if a real conservative news channel made it on the air? Talk about foaming at the mouth!!!

Let's see...
CNN=Liberal
ABC=Liberal
NBC=Liberal
CBS=Progressive
MSNBC=Progressive
Fox News=RINO

I guess there might be some bias there, eh?

Sources: LGF//Redstate//Gateway Pundit//New York Times//Daily Kos

Oh, and the whole point of my title...can you imagine the kind of damage a Lefty President would do to our Liberties and Freedom of Speech?

Saturday, July 28, 2007

QUIZ--Foreign Policy Philosophy

I just found a website called Neo-Libertarian through an email list. I found a couple of quizes on the site, and I took one on Foreign Policy Philosophy, and here are my results:

My top result for the SelectSmart.com selector,
Foreign Policy Philosophy,
is ?????




#1Neoconservative
Emphasis on civilizations, democracy, strength; states act through civilizational and cultural means for their own advancement. We must spread democratic institutions and markets to other countries, but also include a very strong military establishment, democracy is a tool of diplomacy and war, ultimately democracies will side with us and we must side with them, although some of our allies may be non-democratic. Bush-43, Kristol, Wolfowitz.
More information about this result.
Get your selector results graphic and text links here.
The most frequent top results for this selector.
Read selected Books
#2Liberal
Emphasis on freedom, markets, democracy; free democratic states are good and fair, but autocratic states are immoral. We must push for democratization and liberalization around the world using open trade and international organizations: all people should be free. Wilson, Reagan, Kant, Shultz.
More information about this result.
Get your selector results graphic and text links here.
The most frequent top results for this selector.
Read selected Books
#3Neoliberal
Emphasis on cooperation, consensus, free trade; cooperative, democratic states are more advantageous than rogue autocracies. To secure our own borders, we should make sure other countries are democratic, free-trading, and participate in international organizations: a much more pragmatic version of Liberal. Clinton, Fukuyama, Marshall.
More information about this result.
Get your selector results graphic and text links here.
The most frequent top results for this selector.
Read selected Books

Friday, July 27, 2007

1,000th Post!
General Patton Speaks on WW IV


The General has requested the use of my blog, and I am only too happy to let him speak.

General Patton Rocks!

Annual Book Sale in Waynesville


I made my annual trek to the Waynesville Public Library for the Annual Book Sale today. I thought today was the first day, but yesterday was...so tomorrow will be the last day of the sale.

My haul this year: 21 books!

History
Civil War by Bruce Catton
*Lexington and Concord by Arthur Tourtellot
*102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn
*The Convention and The Constitution by David Smith
The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico by Bernard Diaz del Castillo
The Atlas of World History by Rand McNally
The Age of Napoleon by Wm and Ariel Durant
(Volume XI of The Story of Civilization)my collection is complete!
The Rise and Fall of The League of Nations by George Scott

Fiction
*The Unseen Hand by A. Ralph Epperson
*Operation Thunderchild by Nick Pope
1632 by Eric Flint
The Source by James Michener
Chesapeake by James Michener


Political
*Our Angry Earth by Isaac Asimov and Frederik Pohl
The Bubble of American Supremacy by George Soros
Slander by Ann Coulter
How to Talk to a Liberal (If you must) by Ann Coulter
Winning The Future by Newt Gingrich
The Final Days by Barbara Olson
The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945 by George Nash
The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk
The Woven Figure by George Will
The Third Wave by Alvin Toffler

* Books are paperback or softcover

A Funny Joke About Liberals

I found a funny joke about Liberals, and posted a link to the guy who first led me to it at WNC Citizens Blog.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

The March Toward Victory Continues!

The Bogus TNR story continues to unravel, and the John Doe Amendment has been saved from the Democrats, and the bogus Lancet Iraq Fatality figures are again shown to be extremely suspect. These victories are the result of Conservative Talk Radio, Conservative Bloggers, and hundreds of thousands of alert Conservative Activists who were willing to contact their elected representatives to save the John Doe Amendment.


(Washington, D.C.): The Center for Security Policy is gratified that its efforts, those of innumerable bloggers, radio talk show hosts and other public-minded citizens translated into an important legislative victory late last night. Thanks to the leadership of Sens. Joe Lieberman and Susan Collins, the chairman and ranking minority member, respectively, of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and especially that of Rep. Pete King, Sen. Collins’ counterpart on the House Homeland Security Committee, legislation along the lines of that adopted by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of the House of Representatives last May at Rep. King’s initiative will shortly become law.

The language will provide protection against the sorts of harassment lawsuits filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) after several unidentified individuals reported six Muslim imams engaged in suspicious – and frightening – behavior prior to boarding a USAir flight in November 2006. CAIR has been identified as a front organization for the Muslim Brotherhood and is an un-indicted co-conspirator in an alleged terrorism-financing plot.

Center President Frank Gaffney said on learning of this extraordinary development:

"Thanks to courageous, principled and tenacious efforts by key legislators like Rep. King and Sens. Lieberman and Collins, the American people are going to be free to do their part in the War for the Free World – serving as indispensable eyes and ears for those trying to protect us against terrorism – without fear that the likes of CAIR will be suing them for doing so."

"We are extremely grateful to these lawmakers and also to members of the Democratic leadership who opposed such efforts, but eventually relented in the face of an outpouring of public demands that the King amendment be enacted into law. We are even more appreciative of the efforts made by all those who helped alert the public to the need to engage so directly and, ultimately, so decisively."

Source: Center for Security Policy






Shannon Love at the Chicago Boyz blog called foul on the Lancet 2004 study early on and, with vindication, reacts to David Kane’s new analysis of the 2004 Lancet Iraq death toll study: “Kane shows that if the Falluja cluster is included in the statistical calculations, the confidence interval dips below zero, which is a big no-no. Since the study’s raw data remain a closely guarded secret, Kane cannot be absolutely certain that the inclusion of the Falluja cluster renders the study mathematically invalid…but that’s the way to bet. In science, replication is the iron test. I find it revealing that no other source or study has come close to replicating the original study. All my original points still stand. Ah, vindication is sweet.”

Source: Michelle Malkin

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst 072407

More violence threatened on our southern border, when will our feckless gubmint notice?

Illegal alien rampage in St Paul Minnesota, media uninterested?

100% Preventable! A harvest of American children!



More coverage of the ongoing war with Mexico.

Watch the entire Minnesota
news story here. More blog coverage here and here.

This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security and a sane immigration policy. If you'd like to join go to the Blogs For Borders Website and send us an email with "sign me up" in the subject line.

The New Republic Bogus Story Challenged

I have previously covered this developing story in this previous post. Now, MNF-Iraq has responded to the TNR's claims:

"We are aware of what was written under a pseudonym. Its writer is unknown as
are his motives. We hold soldiers to the highest standards and the
allegations made are completely inconsistent with those expectations. In the absence of any credible information or independent corroboration, we presently have no reason to believe it."
Source: Gateway Pundit, where there is much more on this apparently fabricated story.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Democrats Want You
To Keep Quiet About Suspicious Behavior



Photo stolen from Jihad Watch, who stole it from Say Anything, who stole it from The Gates of Vienna, where the Baron is a gifted graphics producer.


Public pressure is mounting on Capitol Hill Democrats to include the "John Doe" provision into a written conference report of the final 911 Commission bill.

The provision would protect the public for reporting suspicious behavior that may be terrorist connected, and is the result of a current lawsuit against U.S. Airways and "John Doe" passengers filed by a group of imams who were kicked off a flight.

"Democrats have been backed into a corner by public outrage over their efforts, so we are seeing these Democrats publicly say they support it in principle, but behind the scenes they are working to kill it," said one Republican leadership aide close to the conference process.

"There are powerful Democrats in the House and Senate trying to kill this provision," the aide said.

"Keeping the pressure on" to include the provision are Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut Independent and chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, the committee's ranking member, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine whose efforts last week fell three votes short of passing the provision to an education bill, and Rep. Pete King, New York Republican and ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee and an author of the provision.

Source: Jihad Watch

Related: The Democrats' New Negotiating Partners

Please contact your elected critter to voice your concerns.

Senate Switchboard 202-224-3121

House Switchboard 202-225-3121

I'm gonna hafta dig up my Chicken Party Logo, and switch it to Democrats on Terror from my original GOP on Illegal Aliens.

Monday, July 23, 2007

The Recipe for SUCCESS

I have been going over my archived data for several websites I've mirrored over the years, and found a two-part essay that reminds me of why it is so fantastically great to be an American, why I have almost always felt that the future would be better than the past.
After sitting and re-reading it again, I feel recharged, ready to take my act on the road again.

Here are the two parts of the essay:

TRINITY [part 1] [part 2]

If you find you like this guys writing, he has published a book of his essays, and you can get it in Softcover for $24.95.

I purchased my original copy on May 18, 2005, according to Amazon, and I think it's time I replaced my dog-eared copy with a shiny new one!

Hardcover

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Another Media Attempt to Harm Our Troops Fails

The Left, which includes most of the Media, is so against this war that they are willing to lie in order to support their agenda to get us out of Iraq.
I have documented others' findings on this matter before, and here is another one exposed: The New Republic, who's only response to the discovery is a terse statement as follows:

NOTE TO READERS:

Several conservative blogs have raised questions about the Diarist "Shock Troops," written by a soldier in Iraq using the pseudonym Scott Thomas. Whenever anybody levels serious accusations against a piece published in our magazine, we take those charges seriously. Indeed, we're in the process of investigating them. I've spoken extensively with the author of the piece and have communicated with other soldiers who witnessed the events described in the diarist. Thus far, these conversations have done nothing to undermine--and much to corroborate--the author's descriptions. I will let you know more after we complete our investigation.

--Franklin Foer
Matt Sanchez wrote the following:



I was at Camp Falcon earlier this month and didn't recognize any of what Scott Thomas described. So, I e-mailed the public affairs officer Major Luedeke at Camp Falcon:

Per COL Boylan's request, I have prepared the following:

1. There was no mass grave found during the construction of any of our coalition outposts in the Rashid District at any time. Such a discovery would have prompted an investigation and close attention paid at levels higher than ours to making sure that the victims were properly interred and attempts would have been made to determine their identities. It is difficult to fathom that a unit's leadership would condone Soldiers disrespecting the remains of anyone in the fashion described.

2. Due to the threat of IEDs, our combat vehicles are driven professionally and in control at all times. To be driving erratically so as to hit dogs or other things would be to put the entire vehicle's crew at risk and would be gross dereliction of duty by the noncommissioned officer or officer in charge of the vehicle. Drivers aren't allowed to simply free-wheel their vehicles however they see fit, and they are *not* allowed to be moved anywhere with out a vehicle commander present to supervise the movement. Therefore- claims of vehicles leaving the roadways to hit animals are highly dubious, given the very real threat of IEDs and normal standards of conduct.

3. As for the alleged woman with severe burn scars, we have nobody matching that description here at FOB Falcon. As Soldiers, we practice the value of Respect: "Treat people as you want to be treated." If the blogger and his friends can't live the Army value of respect, I have little doubt that someone around them who does would have made an on-the-spot correction. The Falcon dining facility is not a spacious one. Anyone being rude, loud or raucous calls immediate attention to himself. It is hard to fathom that anyone would be able to get away with such callous behavior without somebody intervening and stopping it from happening.


These type of stories are part of I believe are part of a 5GW-type of campaign being conducted against our troops, against our people, and designed to provide moral support to the anti-American War Protesters here, and the enemy in the Theater.

For a more detailed timeline of how this particular story unfolded and fell apart, visit Gateway Pundit, where Jim has been following developments of this story.

He also links to others who are covering the story.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel Fuel
Remedies for Lubrication Problems

I don't know about you guys, but I've had problems with the new diesel fuel wearing out engine parts. Today, I read with interest several suggested remedies to that problem on Survival Blog via reader letters. Here is a snippet of one:




Hello Jim,

I have been a fuel distributor since 1972. I have seen many changes in the industry since then and IMHO the ULSD fuel is one of the goofier ones. The fuel is treated to get rid of the nasty sulfur. Along with this goes some of the wax, thus less power. BTU losses of 3-7% are common. The ULSD fuel is harder to winterize then the old 500 PPM fuel we have been using. CFPP (Cold Filter Plug Point) of the ULSD fuel starts out 20 to 30 degrees higher than the old fuel and requires more of the winter additive to bring the the CFPP down to acceptable numbers. Once again our government supplies us with unintended consequences.
We purchase our additive from Schaffer's. They have an additive for the ULSDF called Diesel Treat 2000 ULSDF that other than the power loss, virtually returns the 15 PPM to the 500 PPM specs. We purchase the additive in bulk and cost to treat is less than 2 cents per gallon. As the off road diesel is now at 500 PPM and may be as low as 15 PPM we currently treat all of our diesel sales.
Source: Survival Blog

Meet President Cheney


President Cheney

This man will have Presidential Powers for a few hours today, much to the dismay of moonbats.
That makes today a good day indeed!!!!

Friday, July 20, 2007

Neal Boortz For President !!!


I Stand With Neal Boortz!!!
This was a seminar caller.

Related:
Terrorist Sniper Taken Out

Thursday, July 19, 2007

You Think They Got The Message?

According to this story linked from Drudge, the Feds are claiming they're gonna finally build some of the wall...

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Construction on a border wall in southern Texas is expected to begin by this autumn, despite strong local opposition, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in an interview published on Thursday.

Chertoff told the Houston Chronicle the federal government "can't rule out" using powers of eminent domain to seize land for the wall that is intended to stem the flow of illegal immigrants entering the United States from Mexico.

Which Theologian Are You?

I saw this quiz on a blog called ruminations from the distant hills, and I don't quite know what to make of it...

You scored as Martin Luther, The daddy of the Reformation. You are opposed to any Catholic ideas of works-salvation and see the scriptures as being primarily authoritative.

John Calvin

100%

Martin Luther

100%

Anselm

93%

Jürgen Moltmann

93%

Jonathan Edwards

80%

Charles Finney

67%

Friedrich Schleiermacher

60%

Karl Barth

60%

Paul Tillich

53%

Augustine

47%

Which theologian are you?
created with QuizFarm.com

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

WAKE UP EUROPE!


Online Videos by Veoh.com

Join us on September 11, 2007 in Brussels


For more information on how you can join the Counterjihad:

SIAD

SIOE

AKTE-ISLAM

GATES OF VIENNA

VIGILANT FREEDOM

Moonbats in Charlotte

A Charlotte area blogger, Ogre, checked out a Moonbat Rally yesterday:

What an evening. I have to say I really felt like I completely wasted an afternoon. I could have come home and done something important, like go to the bathroom or something. Ah well. Here's the report from the scene.

I found out Tuesday morning that Sheehan was supposed to be at a local park at 5:00pm. I decided I'd head over with the camera. Just before it was time I found out the morning host at WBT 1110, one Keith Larson had found out that Cindy's "people" didn't reserve the park. He quickly tried to reserve the park, but Mecklenburg Parks and Rec would not allow him to reserve it. Since they wouldn't let him, he invited all his listeners out for a pick-up baseball game at about 4:00pm.

I arrived just after 4:00, and indeed, there was a good-sized group out on the baseball field where Cindy was supposed to speak:

Source_ Ogre's Politics and Views

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Blogs 4 Borders Blogburst 0717

It was a crazy, busy, amazing weekend in the Chicago area. This week's
Blogburst is chock full of video from...

Conference on Immigration
-- Lake County

Several hundred patriots turned out to listen to and mingle with the
likes of Ted Hayes, Monica Ramos & Joe Loya, Rick Biesada, Rosanna
Pulido, and William Gheen. Not to mention Chris Burgard, whose movie, Border was screened at the
conference (my review is here).

Shopping
in Waukegan

The anti-law enforcement crowd has been boycotting Waukegan businesses
that don't display an orange "no 287(g)" sign in the window, so a bunch
of us, led by ALIPAC's William Gheen,
went shopping in businesses that DO support local authorities assisting
ICE with deporting illegal alien criminals.

Victory in
Waukegan
!

Several hundred patriots and about 1500 from the pro-illegal/open
borders side assembled outside Waukegan's town hall as the council met for a
final vote on 287(g). There were cops stationed everywhere for
several blocks around the building. Snipers on the roof. Mounted police.
Police with dogs. Police in riot gear. Everyone was well protected as
the council voted (again) to pursue 287(g).







This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For
Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security
and a sane immigration policy. If you'd like to join find
out how right here
.

Fighting An Enemy Congress

I found an interesting article over at Redstate on my morning rounds:

Last week on his radio show, Morning in America, Bill Bennett proposed that the GOP presidential candidates hold a joint press conference. The purpose of such an event would be for the declared candidates to position themselves firmly beside President Bush and in support of his policies in fighting the Global War on Terror. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the candidates would be placing themselves directly in the path of a Congress hell bent on bringing about a defeat for America in Iraq.

Every candidate for the GOP nomination needs to stand up right now. In fact, I'd urge them to hold a joint press conference and stand up and say a) they support the troops and their mission; b) they believe in giving Petraeus and Lynch and their boys a chance; and c) that they will do everything in their political power to lead us through to victory, rather than retreat. It would be a helluva statement and a necessary corrective to the national debate. They should get together on this and do it next week. It would make the cover of every paper and we think it'd show the American people and the world that while we are divided on some things, we are not divided on war—at least one party in America is not divided. Guys, do this.


This is an idea whose time is now. This week, Congress continues to debate new and exciting plans designed to guarantee failure and humiliation in Iraq. The Republican presidential candidates, who stand to inherit the disaster the Democratic Congress is attempting to engineer, should put their primary rivalry aside for one day and fight back.


Source: Redstate

Will any of the current GOP candidates accept?
I don't think they will because most of them are cowards, and do not have the vision such a move requires, not to mention leadership. That is one of the reasons the Fred Thompson campaign has generated so much buzz, so much hope, the current candidates do not.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Robin Cape's Partisan Power Grab

My copy of the Asheville City-Council Meeting won't arrive until later in the week, but others are busy parsing the content from the latest meeting, and fellow blogger Tim Peck has already posted one (from which I stole the title for this post), and here it is:




For Background on this issue please visit the following websites:

Let Asheville Vote,


Tim Peck, and


Scrutiny Hooligans

A Decade of Blogging

No, not me! Although I am approaching the 1,000th post of this particular blog.



We are approaching a decade since the first blogger -- regarded by many to be Jorn Barger -- began his business of hunting and gathering links to items that tickled his fancy, to which he appended some of his own commentary. On Dec. 23, 1997, on his site, Robot Wisdom, Mr. Barger wrote: "I decided to start my own webpage logging the best stuff I find as I surf, on a daily basis," and the Oxford English Dictionary regards this as the primordial root of the word "weblog."


Source: Wall Street Journal

WSJ has an early celebration of a decade of blogging on their website,where they turn to twelve commentators for their take on the whole thing. Here are snippets of my favorite comments:

Broadly speaking, conservative bloggers have followed the Drudge model, acting as a check on the liberal tendencies of the mainstream media, or "MSM." Conservative bloggers' proudest moments have come when they have debunked false and biased MSM reporting, especially CBS's fraudulent exposé on President Bush's National Guard service in 2004 and Reuters' doctored photos from Lebanon in 2006.

The liberal blogosphere, meanwhile, is a hotbed of edgy activism -- some might say extremism. It pushed forward the Valerie Plame kerfuffle and gave support to candidates such as Ned Lamont, Jon Tester and Jim Webb. Just as conservative talk radio helped along the Republican victory in 1994, liberal blogs had their moment of triumph in the midterm elections 12 years later. --James Taranto Editor, Opinion Journal


We've already seen the effects on the Democratic Party. Web sites such as Daily Kos and MoveOn.org -- which I find fascinating as models of online activism -- have made it quite clear that their aim goes beyond stopping President Bush; they're also targeting leaders in their own party viewed as unresponsive to the grassroots. Sen. Joe Lieberman's primary loss is the most visible example. If Republicans remain out of step with their base for too long, expect a similar insurgency on the right.

Similarly in news, it used to be that the only way to respond to an article or editorial was to write a letter to the editor. Now anyone can be a publisher. Bloggers can critique, fact-check or applaud journalists on their own platform, as well as offer their own analysis of world events. The term MSM is a derogatory term in the blogosphere, signifying distrust of the news professional.
---Newt Gingrich, Winning The Future


Military blogs offer readers a front-row seat into the camaraderie, pride and challenges of those in uniform. No one can better represent the experiences of a soldier than soldiers themselves, and "milbloggers" deployed to the frontlines of the war on terror offer first-hand insights into their service and sacrifice.

Why does this matter? Because milbloggers uniquely reveal the human face of our forces, from a young trooper patrolling Baghdad neighborhoods to a doctor saving lives at a Combat Support Hospital. First-hand accounts are an important way to communicate the creativity, commitment, and the lighter moments of those who are placing their lives on the line.
---Brigadier General Kevin Berner, spokesman for MNF-Iraq


Commentary



My own personal experience of blogging has been a good one. I have met a lot of interesting people, and have had some fascinating email debates that have spanned 18 months.
I have joined a few organizations of bloggers and activists, hoping to make a difference., and have found a new hope for America. If someone like me can start a blog on an old beat up computer running Windows 98 with 30 Meg of RAM, a 1GB HD, and a 28k phoneline, then virtually anyone can.
I now have a more powerful computer (though still a couple gens behind), several portable HDs, a few cameras that shoot digital photos and video, and plans for much more!
So, here I stand...looking back, and looking forward; My vision in place and finally reaching the point where my promised "conservative revolution in west carolina" can finally begin. Perhaps it is fitting that it begin in the tenth year of the blogosphere. Stay Tuned, the Revolution Will Be Blogged!
My personal theme song:


Saturday, July 14, 2007

Grassroots Conservatism on Political Pistachio

I listen to the podcasts of several radio shows on Blog Talk Radio (see left side bar for the drop down menu), and one of them is Political Pistachio. His show will be addressing some concerns that all grassroots conservatives should be addressing in their own minds. I'll let Doug do the talking:

A couple of Republicans are now challenging Bush's Iraq Policy. They are proposing that Bush must have a new strategy by mid-October, to make adjustments to the "reality" as they see it that sectarian factionalism is not likely to abate anytime soon. In the meantime, American Intelligence has determined that Al Qaeda is stepping up its efforts to infiltrate America as well as having acquired the capabilities it needs to strike America with another terror attack.

With the 2008 Presidential Election looming in the distance it is apparent that the Democratic Candidates all believe that appeasement of the enemy, and taking no action without first receiving approval from an impotent United Nations, is their position. The current president, though willing to take the fight to the nations that harbor terrorism, is unwilling to do what it takes to seal our borders which is necessary for national security. The Republican Presidential Candidates are undecided or wavering on a number of issues. They don't have a plan for the rapidly increasing fuel prices. None of them, aside from some of the minor candidates, have a definitive answer for the illegal alien problem. The War on Terror confounds them. Rudy is strong on terror, but a liberal when it comes to social issues. McCain is sunk. Romney has flip-flopped nearly as much as Kerry did during the last election.

What to do?

Minor Candidates like Hunter and Huckabee offer some possibilities, and the Conservative Right is hoping that Fred Thompson gets into the race, a possibility that may happen (and his numbers, even without officially announcing his candidacy are quite high).

The next four broadcasts of Political Pistachio Radio will address this conundrum by having grassroots conservative candidates on the show. First, July 14, 2007, we will have the self-proclaimed "next Lincoln/Reagan" on the show. His name is John Bootie.

On July 21st Cary Cartter will return to Political Pistachio Radio to talk more specifically on the issues that we did not get the opportunity to touch upon the last time he was on the show.

On July 28th a person close to Sarah Palin's candidacy will be on to tell us about her drive for the Presidency.

On August 4th Richard Smith, Christian Conservative, will be on the show to discuss his candidacy.

Then, after all of that, the shows get really interesting. On August 11th I have scheduled as a guest on Political Pistachio Radio Atlas Shrugs!

On August 25th one more candidate, Brad Lord-Leutweyler will be on the show.

Then, on September 8th Andrea Shea King will be my guest.

As always, the shows will air live at 4pm Pacific Time/7pm Eastern.

During the shows you may call in at (646) 652-2940 to join the discussion, or submit questions via Yahoo Messenger (My ID is douglasvgibbs).

Friday, July 13, 2007

Ron Paul Registers A Zero In Poll

Republicans.

Giuliani has the support of 30% of "Republicans and Republican leaners," vs. 28% a month ago; Thompson comes in with 20%, vs. 19% in June; McCain has 16%, vs. 18% a month earlier.
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney remains in fourth, at 9% vs. 7% in June.
The current numbers for the rest of the Republicans included in the survey: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, 6%; former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, 2%; Rep. Duncan Hunter, 2%; Rep. Tom Tancredo, 2%; Sen. Sam Brownback, 1%; Sen. Chuck Hagel, 1%; former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, 1%. Neither former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore nor Rep. Ron Paul registered any support.
None of the Republican numbers change significantly if Gingrich is removed from the poll.
The survey of 394 Republicans and voters who "lean" Republican has a margin of error of +/- 5 percentage points.



Source: USA/Gallup
Hat Tip: Barking Moonbat Early Warning System

Need I say any more? Except that I don't like Ron Paul, and was tickled to see the numbers.
"Ron Paul, I am laughing at your superior intellect."

Video Debate: Hindu Prayer Before US Senate

Here are a few videos on this controversy:





The Event





Harry Reid Responds

For one of thousands of examples of violent Hindus, click here,
or watch this video.




An Atheist Chimes in, cannot stay on Topic or resist attacking Christianity.




A Christian Responds



This Too Will Fail (The Surrender Caucus)

This latest ridiculous attempt to surrender will fail, and cannot override a President Veto. This Resolution has less support than the previous effort. All it will accomplish is the identification of moderate Democrats and Republicans who may be eligible for defeat in 2008.

A Taste of others covering the story in the Blogosphere:

Redstate


Captain's Quarters


Michelle Malkin


Daily Kos


Wizbang


Update 6.11am: Jim Quinn's analysis of the bill is that the language on withdrawal starts out strong on the 1st page, "Demand Immediate Withdrawal", then weakens to "a reduction in forces" on page 3, then pages on...the language states the forces will be reduced to a minimum force required to provide security for the United States and the Iraqi Government. He says Speaker Pelosi knew the bill would fail from the get-go, and was meant as a crumb for the moonbat "base" of the Democrat Party.



Thursday, July 12, 2007

VIDEO--CIndy Sheehan for Congress #2

Cindy Sheehan is threatening to unseat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi if she does not
promote the impeachment of President George W. Bush.
I have managed to secure a copy of one of her campaign ads, and hope you enjoy the look into her thought machinations:




Hat Tip: Red State

Related: British Release Giant Badgers in Basra

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Case of the Bogus Baghdad Bullet in the Bed

Or, Another Bogus Story Pimped by the Legacy Media



This woman claims her bed was hit by a bullet fired by US or Iraqi Troops during a raid (presumably nearby).

Gateway Pundit has more about the bogus story, and the bloggers who exposed it.

Commentary

I'm thinking that the best way to expose these Chuckleheads in the Legacy Media is to call them on it, and post the idiocies they "report" as news. This is more of a Propaganda Piece than a news story, designed to be read, and believed by guillible people who don't have time to fact-check the Legacy Media.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst 071007

Uncounted Beans: Illegal aliens influencing congressional seats?

100% Preventable! arrested 11 times, not deported, rapes 15 year
old girl!

Vigilance Dispatch: Illinois town seeks to deport alien
criminals, Hispanics not happy!



You can learn more about illegal aliens effects on the apportionment of
congressional seats in this excellent CIS
study
.

Do you have your tickets yet? If you're in the greater Illinois area
we will be attending (and possibly live blogging) the "LAKE COUNTY
CONFERENCE ON IMMIGRATION
!" Sorry about that I just lost control
for a second.

Please keep the border agents in your thoughts and prayers! Several of
them could use our help. Agent Ramos. Agent
Noe Aleman
. Anything you can donate will help, both the agents are
in danger of losing their houses.

This has been the Blogs For Borders Video Blogburst. The Blogs For
Borders Blogroll is dedicated to American sovereignty, border security
and a sane immigration policy. If you'd like to join find
out how right here
.

Monday, July 9, 2007

North Carolina Conservative Disavows Martin Nesbitt Indictment

In regards to the stories here, and here, the North Carolina Conservative has posted the following:




Important message, please read

An article has appeared on blogs and been forwarded through email lists, claiming that Sen. Martin Nesbitt is under federal investigation. The article is being attributed to The North Carolina Conservative. However, no article has been written or published by our publication regarding this matter.

Although we have heard similar rumors, the NCC does not know if anything in the email concerning Sen. Martin Nesbitt is valid. We are trying to find out the facts, so we can either confirm or debunk the email, but it is the policy of the Justice Department to neither confirm nor deny any investigation into anyone. At this time, and unless facts prove otherwise, the NCC accuses Sen. Nesbitt of no wrong-doing.


Source: North Carolina Conservative

Commentary


Someone sure wanted to see (and got) a lot of buzz surrounding State Senator Martin Nesbitt and the North Carolina Conservative, to what ends, I can only speculate.

I think that if there is corruption involved, it will be a long hunt, as it was with
Jim Black. That very case was the reason I started this blog, to get a feel for how things were going in North Carolina politics since the days of Jim Hunt, when I last knew what was going on...

Audio: Dems Plot to Turn Troops Against President Bush

I listen to Quinn and Rose on XM165 every morning on the way to work [Link to WPGB], and at work when I can.
This morning Quinn has broken another story about Democrats, and how they work behind the scenes.
I have taken the liberty to embed the audio.






I have had trouble getting the audio to work, so try downloading this wma file. It is 12.3MB in size.

**Update** I'm still working some leads on this story...will add more.


Beaver County Newspaper Article

I've been in contact with both the White House, and Congressman Shuler's Office, and both seem unaware that there was a special program for Gold Star Tours of the White House. I certainly can't find anything on the web.

AP Story


Alex Conant, a White House spokesman, said an exception would
be made for Mrs. Boyer. He said there is no written policy prioritizing who gets White House tours, and "we try to accommodate as many visitors to the White House as possible." Sandy Boyer, 58, of Zelienople, Pa., said her mother tried to get tour tickets more than a week ago after she learned her daughter, Beverly Boyer, 51, was traveling to Washington from Arizona. It is the family's first joint visit to the nation's capitol.
Allys Boyer called Altmire's office after she was told there is a four-month wait for White House tours.
Sandy Boyer said the misunderstanding made her feel discriminated against.
"I was appalled. ... It was almost like the men and women who fought
in other wars were not being honored," she said.



Commentary

I think this story has been spun out of control, and perhaps the Beaver County Reporter was used, with or without his cooperation to score political points by the Congressman or someone on his staff. My own quick research has confirmed the time scales involved in getting in for a tour. That other Congress Critters are involved suggests something wider, and I don't think it's serendipity. Shame on those who would use a Gold Star Mother to nefarious purposes!

**Updated** Noonish

I found a record of Congressman Altmire's comments [Link] and I used Google Cache so certain words would be highlighted. An excerpt follows:

We were talking about accountability. I did just want to tell one story
that is related to the way this administration views our men and women and the families that are serving this country. I had a constituent in town today. She is an 84-year-old Gold Star mother. Her son was killed in 1969 in Vietnam. She has not been to Washington, D.C. She has not seen the Wall with her son's name on it, the Vietnam War Memorial. She called our office 2 weeks ago and explained her situation. She said, "I am bringing my two daughters, who are obviously grown now. They are the sisters of the serviceman that was killed in 1969. They are going to come down together as a family for the first time." Her goal, her life-long dream, was to tour the White House. So we called the White House. As you certainly know, there is a 6-month waiting list. But there is an exception in special ircumstances.

One of those circumstances, we were told, you were probably told, were for Gold Star families.


They can get in and take that tour of the White House. So we were told, sure, they are welcome. We sent the information over, and then we promptly got a phone call saying, well, no, no, that exception only works for Iraq and Afghanistan Gold Star families, not for Vietnam era families.
So we had to call back this 84-year-old woman who wanted to see the Vietnam War Memorial and her son's name on the wall for the first time, and wanted to tour the White House, it was her lifelong dream, and
we had to tell her well, I am sorry, we are not going to be able to do that,
because the White House does not allow that.
Then it came to my attention that we as Members of Congress in very rare circumstances are allowed to take groups down and put them in the line if we appear with them. So I called her and I said, you know, I am going to just do this myself.
So today we took her down and we put her in the line and she got her tour of the White House.

So I sent a letter to President Bush and I said, there is two issues here. One is this policy is ridiculous. How can you justify putting one group of families who have suffered the greatest loss imaginable in the service of our country ahead of another group of families? How can you put one generation of military Gold Star families ahead of another?
The second issue is, what is the policy? Can you explain it? What is the justification for it? And please change it. That was the situation. I was fortunate as a Member of Congress, I was able to get Ms. Boyer in. But, unfortunately, you wonder how many people around the country have
made a similar effort and were unable to get in on this tour.
So, I really thought this was a disgraceful situation, and I did want to bring it to the attention of my freshmen colleagues, because this is something that just happened today. And I think it is indicative of the treatment that our military families are getting from this administration.


The Panda Patrol Visits WNC

Panda-monium in Asheville!!!


WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. Twenty-two Freedomworks members from 3 chapters-- McDowell, Macon and Buncombe Counties-- rallied for sensible energy policy and against recent votes in Congress to place price controls on gasoline. FreedomWorks received press coverage from WLOS TV ABC and the Asheville Tribune as they rallied outside Congressman Heath Shuler’s Asheville office.


Allen Page, FreedomWorks’ Southeastern Director, said , “Congressman Shuler is supposed to be a Blue Dog Democrat, but for someone who claims to be a fiscal conservative, he’s not taking real life economics into consideration on his energy votes. His recent vote on the Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act would limit development of domestic energy sources, thereby increasing gas prices.

"Limiting domestic production will do nothing to relieve energy costs; in fact it will make them worse. If we want to see gas prices come down we need to increase the supply. Congressman Shuler needs to understand that although his votes satisfied the environmentalists in Hollywood, he is raising costs for hardworking North Carolinians at the pump.”

Source: Freedom Works NC Chapter

Sunday, July 8, 2007

BREAKING--NC Senator Nesbitt To Be Indicted?

**Updated see bottom of post**

Apparently, this story is in the early breaking stages, although former NC Senator RL Clark has warned us of it for over a year. I received it in my email, and the story is not posted at North Carolina Conservative yet, so I'll post an excerpt, and then the link to the full story once it becomes available.



Raleigh, NC -- North Carolina's Democratic State Senator Martin Nesbitt may soon be indicted on Federal racketeering and money laundering charges from his repeated funneling of state budget funds through the statewide Blue Cross/Blue Shield non-profit organization, while the company sponsored the
personal investments of the State Senator and members of his immediate family.

According to highly placed anonymous sources, the investigation from the U.S. Department of Justice could be made public in the coming days as undercover operations are concluded. It is unknown whether this investigation has any correspondence to the earlier Federal investigation undertaken to uncover corruption inside the North Carolina State House.

Senator Nesbitt could not be reached for comment but a spokesperson stated, "The Senator will deny all charges."

Officers of Blue Cross have stated that they are not aware of any wrongdoing, and only responded to Senator Nesbitt's request for sponsorship funds totaling millions of dollars because the Senator worked on behalf of the company in securing state funding for its operations budget.

Apparently, tax dollars intended to supply health care needs for children and other vulnerable populations were siphoned off in a scheme to underwrite the racing business of Senator Nesbitt. While officials are hesitant to release any documents at this time showing the connection between the two,
other former Senators have noted and forwarded materials to the press over several years, with little or no action taken against Senator Nesbitt to date.


Hat Tip: Anon
For More Info Soon: North Carolina Conservative
Related: Bubbleshare Photo Album of Race Team by Tim Peck
Previously: WNC Citizens Blog March 2007

**Update** Monday, July 9th at 2.20am
Thanks to all who forwarded the following to me...

At this point in time, the email I forwarded that was attributed to the NC Conservative should be treated as rumor and nothing more, as the newspaper has not published this report, and has not yet been able to confirm the report (which had been forwarded to them, as well.)

This report has appeared on several blogs and emails, and is written as a newspaper report. However, until and unless we are able to hear from the Justice Department that the report is factual, the allegations are nothing more than conjecture.

I would encourage those that forwarded the report to me, and those that forwarded the report I sent out, to inform your email list that the report is, at this time, not supported with any evidence of its validity.



Hmmm....

WaPo--Twisting the Numbers on Civilian Deaths in Iraq

The news sounded ominous, with reporter Joshua Partlow openly questioning the success of the current surge strategy, stating as fact that June civilian deaths in Baghdad were much higher in comparison to January:

Nearly five months into a security strategy that involves thousands of additional U.S. and Iraqi troops patrolling Baghdad, the number of unidentified bodies found on the streets of the capital was 41 percent higher in June than in January, according to unofficial Health Ministry statistics.

During the month of June, 453 unidentified corpses, some bound, blindfolded, and bearing signs of torture, were found in Baghdad, according to morgue data provided by a Health Ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

My goodness. Depressing news like this could be enough for a weak-kneed GOP Senator to flip the other way and declare that all is lost, not even waiting to see if the new plan will work or not. The problem, however, is that the statistics Mr. Partlow used are so unreliable that the article is tantamount to a lie.


Source: Redstate

Commentary

I have long ago come to the conclusion that the Legacy Media in America are opposed to this war, and will say anything, tell any lie, and ignore the truth in order to make things look worse than they actually are at any time.

Take, for instance, the progress of Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baquoba. What? You haven't heard of it? Read about it at Michael Yon Online Magazine.

Have you heard of the AP Story about 20 Decapitated Bodies? Did you know it was a lie? Confederate Yankee, among others, callled them on it.

So, when you read a newspaper, National or Local, you need to realize these people have an agenda, and that agenda is not reporting the truth. The same goes for the alphabet soup evening newscasts. Wizbang has some thoughts on that.

I, also, have an agenda, and I hope that I am very transparent about that agenda. That is to advance conservatism and report my observations on what other people are saying. I have more respect for the local progressive bloggers than I do the local 'neutral' press. They, like me, wear their colors on their sleeves.

I will leave you with an example of the Legacy Media ignoring a story, that of the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villagairosa, as told at Gateway Pundit.