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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.

Photoblog

Photos from my photoblog.

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Saturday, February 17, 2007

Immigration by the Numbers and Blogburst Video

The next two videos will provide some background on what the dangers of Illegal Immigration are, and the third video is from the people at Freedom Folks as part of a new project they are launching.


Immigration by the Numbers I




Immigration by the Numbers II




Blogs for Borders Blogburst for 02-12-007

Video of Americans Confronting Mexican Insurgents

I have found a new word to describe the Illegal Aliens who demand amnesty, and the Rights of Citizenship as their reward for illegally sneaking across the border: Mexican Insurgents.

With a new wave of protests planned for this spring, things should begin to get interesting.



Hat Tip: Kathy R
Props to DNET for reconsidering their policy on Video Sharing Sites.

Friday, February 16, 2007

The Right Side of History

Noisy Room has an excellent video you should watch. [Link to Video]


I have a bad feeling about the aid and comfort this vote will give to the Enemies of Mankind.

666th Post Non-Binding Resolution Passes US House

I think it is odd that this post is my 666th on this blog, and a post I have to report the passing of House Resolution 63 opposing the Surge of Troops that President Bush has ordered for Iraq.

Here is the Roll Call of the vote.

My Representative, Congressman Heath Shuler voted for it. I think who ever wins the Republican Primary the next time around should use this vote to his/her advantage...especially since it has already spooked Mookie to flee the country.

At least the Defeatocrats and RINOs have his [Mookie] back, huh?

I wonder how long it will be before they [Dems] start looking for "wasteful" spending as a ruse to start taking away funds for the troops?





When Wasps Attack



I took this Monday during lunch. I was trying to get a close up shot of the wasp, so that I could use its mugshot as an avatar. The Wasp took objection, and rushed the erstwhile paparazzi, forcing him to flee the scene with much haste!!! =D
Also, check out my PhotoBlog for my newest posting.

Non-binding Resolution for the Defeatocrats

In local news, newly minted Congressman Heath Shuler rose to support the Non-binding Resolution. [Text of Speech] He has also blogged about it on his blog at the Asheville CitizenTimes website.

Here is a portion of an entry:

The days of Congress shirking its responsibility are over. We have a duty to ensure the voices of Americans are heard. We have an equal obligation to ensure that when Congress says it is supporting our troops, that our troops are actually being supported.

For example, just this week it was reported that there are still 4,000 Humvees driving around Iraq without the armor needed to protect them against lethal weapons known as "explosively formed penetrators" (EFP). These EFP’s are now inflicting 70 percent of the American casualties in the country, according to U.S. military and civilian officials.

Think about that, four years into this conflict with billions of taxpayer dollars spent, we have troops in Humvees without the protection they need to protect American lives.

I notice that it does not enter into his mind to address the source of the EFPs that are crossing the border into Iraq. His solution is that our troops 'duck and cover,' a mentality that allows the problem to continue. It is a little like putting on insect repellent to counter misquitoes instead of draining the swamp that gave birth to them.

It is my opinion that this Non-binding Resolution is but the first step in a plan to defund this war, just like in Vietnam.

Here is my response to Congressman Shuler (D-NC) I posted on his blog:

Thunder Pig said...
This non-binding resolution is but the first step in a Democratic Plan to deny funding for the war, just like in Vietnam. And the results, if successful, will probably result in as many deaths, if not more than the three million or so who died when we fled our allies in South Vietnam. Iran will then stand to reign over the Straits of Hormuz, and astride a significant part of the world's oil supply. It matters not whether we get a single drop of oil from the Middle East. The people we buy our products from do, and we will pay increased prices for everything from Japan, Europe, China, and elsewhere should the dominant player (sans our participation) decide to move in and slaughter everyone who opposes them, and charge whatever they want, and the number one sponsor of terrorist groups will have billions of extra euros with which to spend. All these euros will further depress the value of the dollar...costing us much more than we are spending now.

Posted on 02/15/2007 at 03:07:02 AM

More on the resolution below.


House Resolution 63 states:

110th CONGRESS
1st Session

H. CON. RES. 63

Disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 12, 2007

Mr. SKELTON (for himself, Mr. LANTOS, and Mr. JONES of North Carolina) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned


CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Disapproving of the decision of the President announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That--
      (1) Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq; and
      (2) Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.
Link to Resolution

Summary of Actions to Date

I also refer you to the following blog, Let Freedom Ring, for more information on this disturbing development in defeatism by the Defeatocrats of the 110th
Congress, and they are already ramping up efforts to keep Congressman Shuler in office...it is nice to see that, according to Chris Cillizza of The Fix, he [Shuler] is considered in danger of losing his seat in 2008.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

The President and Vice President Speak to the Nation




Now, this is an Alternate Universe worth living in!!!



This is the official uploaded version.


Come to the Flashlight Vigil on Feb 22


Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission
Learn, focus, act ~ together...
Countdown!
8 days until our community drug vigil!
---------
Drug Fact # 8
In a majority of child abuse and neglect cases,
some form of parental drug use lurks in the background.
Drug abuse always harms more than the user...
We must stop the harm!

“Stop the Harm” Flashlight Vigil


Bringing our community together to shine a light on the harms of hard drugs…

Where: City-County Plaza (you bring a flashlight and we’ll bring the red cellophane covers)

When: Thursday evening, February 22, 2007, rain, snow or shine from 6:30-7:15 pm

Who: Anyone who has lost a family member to drugs, been personally affected by drugs, is

living near drug activity, or who cares about the harms.

Why: To highlight the harms of hard drugs, illuminate causes, and call the public and city leaders to action in addressing our open air drug market.

Event Schedule

  • Introductory comments- Councilman Mumpower
  • Opening prayer- Pastor Whitesides
  • Welcome from the Mayor- Mayor Bellamy
  • Take a stand- Matt Mittan
  • Presentation by a father and son on drug harms- Shad & Shad Jr. Waters
  • Presentation by a young lady- Ms. Amy
  • Fighting back with song- Rockell Whitesides
  • Flashlight ceremony – voices and lights over the city! Carl Mumpower
  • “Stop the Harm” chant- Selina Sullivan
  • Closing prayer followed by the Lord’s Prayer- Pastor Buddy Corbin

This will be a 30-40 minute event from beginning to end. Each presentation will be 2-3 minutes. The highlight will be a ceremony where participants (everyone is asked to bring a flashlight) will shine their light on the ground – those who have a family member, friend, or loved one who has been harmed will have a red cover on their flashlight and one by one call a name they wish to recognize and raise their flashlight toward the night as they do so. When all names have been called, everyone else in attendance will raise their flashlight and that will be the moment we turn on he SkyTracker search light. That, in turn, will be the signal for everyone in Asheville who cannot attend the event to step onto their porch, yard, or street and shine their own light toward the night. It’s all about shining a light on a commitment to “Stopping the Harm” of hard drugs in Asheville ~ together…

~Sponsored by the Asheville-Buncombe Drug Commission~

Dedicated to preventing and addressing the causes and consequences of hard drugs in our community…

drmumpower@aol.com ~ (828) 252-8390

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

VICTORY IN IRAQ PREVIEW: Mookie Flees Surge

Feb. 13, 2007 — While members of the U.S. House of Representatives take turns weighing in on President Bush's planned troop surge in Iraq, the focus in Iraq is not on the arrival of more U.S. troops, but the departure of one of the country's most powerful men, Moqtada al Sadr and members of his army.

According to senior military officials, al Sadr left Baghdad two to three weeks ago and fled to Tehran, Iran, where he has family.

Al Sadr commands the Mahdi army, one of the most formidable insurgent militias in Iraq, and his move coincides with the announced U.S. troop surge in Baghdad.

Sources believe al Sadr is worried about an increase of 20,000 U.S. troops in the Iraqi capital. One official told ABC News' Martha Raddatz, "He is scared he will get a JDAM [bomb] dropped on his house."

Sources say some of the Mahdi army leadership went with al Sadr.

Read the rest at ABC News

Read the article at Little Green Footballs, where I was inspired by one of the commentors to post this video to give us a bit of the flavor for how it went, complete with Congress as the Three-Headed Guy:






And all this while Congress contemplates Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

CALL TO ACTION---Contact Bank of America

TELEPHONE RALLY
Bank of America Higher Standards Newsroom
Bank of America https://www. bankofamerica. com is offering credit cards to customers without a social security card (illegal aliens).
CALL
CORPORATE AFFAIRS Bank of America
415.717.0195
CALL
TOLL FREE NUMBER - when phone is answered pres "O" for operator - you may have to hold

California

1.800.622.8731

ALL OTHER STATES

1.800.432-1000

Write a postcard/letter
Bank of America CEO
Kenneth D. Lewis
Chairman, CEO and President
Bank of America Corporate Center
100 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, North Carolina 28255

*ARTICLE
Bank of America offering credit cards to illegal immigrants


Toyota Prius Drivers Fuel Environmental Catastrophe




By MARTIN DELGADO, Mail on Sunday

The 'green-living' Toyota Prius has become the ultimate statement for those seeking to stress their commitment to the environment.

However, the environment-saving credentials of the cars are seriously undermined by the disclosure that one of the car's essential components is produced at a factory that has created devastation likened to the arid environment of the moon.

So many plants and trees around the factory at Sudbury in Ontario, Canada, have died that astronauts from Nasa practised driving moon buggies on the outskirts of the city because it was considered the closest thing on earth to the rocky lunar landscape.


Unlike normal cars, hybrids such as the Prius, whose proud owners include Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and ex-Tory leader Michael Howard, are powered by a battery that contains nickel - as well as a traditional petrol engine.

Toyota gets the metal from a Canadian company whose smelting facility at Sudbury has spewed sulphur dioxide into the air for more than a century.

The car giant buys about 1,000 tons a year from the plant, which is owned by Inco, one of the world's largest nickel-mining companies.

Fumes emerging from the factory are so poisonous that they have destroyed vegetation in the surrounding countryside, turning the once-beautiful landscape into the bare, rocky terrain astronauts might expect to find in outer space.

Although efforts have been made in recent years to reduce emissions from the plant's 1,250ft chimney - dubbed the Superstack - campaigners say the factory is still respon-sible for some of the worst pollution in North America.

David Martin, energy co-ordinator of Greenpeace Canada, said: "The acid rain around Sudbury was so bad it destroyed all the plants and the soil slid down off the hillside.

"The solution they came up with was the Superstack. The idea was to dilute the pollution, but all it did was spread the fallout right across northern Ontario. Things improved in the Nineties but the plant is still responsible for large-scale emissions of sulphur dioxide.

"Sudbury remains a major environmental and health problem. The environmental cost of producing that car battery is pretty high."

Once the nickel is smelted it is sent 10,000 miles on a container ship journey which in itself consumes vast quantities of fuel and energy.

First it is shipped to Europe's biggest nickel refinery at Clydach near Swansea, South Wales. From there it is transported to the Chinese cities of Dalian and Shenyang to be turned into a lightweight substance called nickel foam.

The final stage of the manufacturing process takes place in Japan where the Prius batteries are made.

Toyota produced nearly 180,000 Prius cars last year, some 4,000 of which were sold in Britain. Last week 14 MPs from all parties claimed they had exchanged their petrol-guzzling vehicles for a Prius or similar hybrid.

But some experts doubt whether the Prius even wins the argument over fuel consumption.

Robert Fowler, of the Battery Vehicle Association, said: "It is questionable whether it does any more miles to the gallon than a good diesel.

"The hybrid system has a very small battery so most of the time it's operating as a petrol car, particularly out of town and above 30mph."

A Toyota spokesman said last night: "I cannot confirm the source of the nickel used in the Prius battery. It is true there is a slight increase in the energy required to produce the materials for the car."


Commentary

I see that Buncombe County has purchased some of these cars in the naive hope to "save the earth." I hope a similar article is printed when they have to replace the very expensive batteries. According to Toyota spokeswoman Mona Richardson, the service parts cost about $3,000. I also note that the warranty is 8 years or 100,000 miles...so put back 3 pennies for every mile you drive, or perhaps a nickel to cover the labor cost.

Monday, February 12, 2007

NC Lottery Trolling for Fools With $20 Bills

The North Carolina 'Education' Lottery is aiming to increase victims sales by introducing a $20 a pop raffle ticket for 4 chances in 500,000 to win $1,000,000;
5 Chances in 499,996 to win $100,000; and 500 in 499,496 to win $1,000.
The other 99.89% get a piece of paper spit out by a computer.


My first thought was "surely there aren't enough people dumb enough to buy these tickets," then I remembered the time I had spent in lines at gas stations while people bought reams of the scratch-offs. Now, whenever possible, I get my fuel at stations that don't sell the tickets, and make sure I tell the workers there why I am doing so, and some tell me they quit selling the tickets because it was costing them customers who bought other things as well.

I keep thinking of all the good that money could do if it were invested in a no load mutual fund, a savings account, or a college fund for the children of these people, instead of into the coffers of the lottery company and the state to use in construction of schools and not for educating anyone.

Here are a couple of newspaper articles about the new scheme game:


Raleigh News & Observer



Charlotte Observer


Sunday, February 11, 2007

Crystal Clear



One of the multitude of photos I've taken in the last two weeks of icy formations.
I hope to be posting them here and on my photoblog.

DNC's Imam on Sean Hannity Radio Show

I regret not tuning in to Hannity Friday on my way home from work on XM124 because the imam who led the DNC Leadership in prayer was on the show, and he would not answer Sean's questions. Luckily, one of the Lizard Nation crowd recorded it, and put it up on You Tube., and it is posted at Little Green Footballs.

It is hilarious!

The Gathering Storm

There is an excellent blog I would like to point people toward reading, and subscribing to it's weekly newsletter, and listen to it's weekly radio show, which is also available as a podcast if you can't listen live.

The blog is The Gathering Storm, and I have enjoyed being kept up to date on its focus of the enemy's tactics: Intimidation, Infiltration, Disinformation, and others as well.

Here is a taste of an entry for this past Friday:


Storm Track Disinformation: CAIR - Promoting Ideology Over Community

Blond Sagacity posted a biting blog on CAIR and its feud with the Fox Network over the TV show 24.

Making a show about modern day terrorism without using Muslims extremists would be like making a Mafia show and using Guatemalans. In fact, considering that almost every act of terrorism over the past 20 years was perpetrated by young radical Muslim males, when I see a show that doesn't have the balls to make the terrorist a Muslim I chalk it up to PC tripe.

Here’s what has CAIR’s burka’s in a bunch.

"..."The overwhelming impression you get is fear and hatred for Muslims," said Rabiah Ahmed, a spokeswoman for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations. She said Thursday she was distressed by this season's premiere. "After watching that show, I was afraid to go to the grocery store because I wasn't sure the person next to me would be able to differentiate between fiction and reality."

Ahem!! Excuse me!! Americans are quite able to distinguish between fiction and reality. Case in point is 9-11. There was only one incident of Muslim’s being attacked – and killed – and that was on a man wearing a turban who was not even Muslim – he was a Sikh. What Americans seem to be having trouble with is separating fiction from reality when it comes to statements from Islamist supporting organizations and individuals like CAIR.

Go ahead and add this blog to your favorites, or your sidebar or blogroll if you have a blog.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

Another Insurgent Video: Baghdad Sniper



Lefties...these people WILL come here if we tuck tail and run. Do you want this on your heads?

Zune Phone to Beat iPhone to the Street?





CrunchGear’s Matt Hickey has been tracking rumors about a Zune phone for the last week. What began as a reliable tip is now a solid story: Last Monday Microsoft filed an application with the FCC for an enigmatic wireless device that could be used to talk over the Internet. The device is described as being used for “consumer broadband access and networking.” Microsoft goes on to say that the device would use OFDM as its communications protocol, not WiFi or Bluetooth. The standard OFDM (orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) is a modulation scheme that is used widely in upcoming 4G standards of the future. Sprint/Nextel may be the carrier, since they are building out a 4G network that will work with the OFDM standard.



And the most interesting part of the story is that this device may be available in May, a month before the iPhone.
Read the rest at Techcrunch

Now, the really cool tech toys and killer apps will start to roll out!

Statistical Ignoramuses and Catastrophic Anthropogenic Global Warming

In modern scientific studies, it is important that competent statisticians have input into the data analysis phase. In climate science, many researchers seem to have forgotten that basic step. As a result, much of what most journalists and members of the public believe has been "proven" about climate change, is simply wrong.

Read the rest at Al Fin

Commentary

I still think the Primary Goal of the Leftists pushing for lower emissions is the destruction of our economy so they can inflict us with another attempt at socialism.

Israel - 3rd in the world in high tech investments

Straight From The Jerusalem Boardroom #112, February 9, 2007

Yoram Ettinger

1. MORGAN STANLEY, Jan. 10, 2007: “Foreign capital flows to Israel surged from $3.2BN in 2002 to $11.6BN in 2005 and a record level of $23.4BN last year… The Shekel is fundamentally undervalued against the dollar and even more so against the euro… Despite geopolitical constraints and indeed the eruption of a guerilla war in Lebanon, the Israeli economy has continued to grow at a robust pace…Israel’s economy has the strength to withstand a global slowdown… The Bank of Israel has opted for monetary easing and lowered short-term interest rates even below those in the US…Consumer price inflation declined from 3.8% in April to minus 0.3% in November… Budget deficit [was reduced] from 5.4% of GDP in 2003 to 0.9% last year… The current account surplus is not just a cyclical phenomenon. Israel’s current account balance moved from a deficit of 0.5% of GDP in 2002 to a surplus of 2.9% in 2005 and about 6% [surplus] last year…” (Globes, Jan. 11, 2007).

IsraPundit

Islamist Video of US Chinook Shootdown

I am posting this for informational purposes. We are at war, and if we withdraw from Iraq, I guarantee you they will follow our troops here. See how many of your liberties remain intact thereafter. Perhaps then the Hate America First crowd will get a taste of Quisling in their mouths.




*Update:
I have been informed that the video has been removed from you tube. I will post it either there, or to another account later this afternoon when I can get to a fast connection at the local library if I can't find it on Live Leak first.


Okay...Below is the Live Leak post. My internet provider, DNET has decided that Live Leak is to be blocked for their users and I have had to visit the local library to get this posted. I plan on pushing this issue with them because, in my view, if they block one video-sharing site, they should block them all, since one can find indecent material on all of them. I will likely be switching providers.







Elie Wiesel Attacked in San Fransisco By Holocaust Denier

SAN FRANCISCO - In a bizarre attack, a well-known author and Holocaust scholar was dragged out of a San Francisco hotel elevator by an apparent Holocaust denier who reportedly had been trailing him for weeks.

Police escorted Elie Wiesel to San Francisco International Airport on Feb. 1 after a man accosted Wiesel in the elevator at the Argent Hotel, at 50 Third St., after Wiesel participated in a panel discussion at a peace conference and before Wiesel was scheduled to catch a flight back to New York.

Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and author of more than 40 books, including the memoir “Night,” about his experiences at Auschwitz, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. Last fall, the Boston University professor was suggested as a possible replacement for Israeli President Moshe Katsav, who faces sexual assault charges.

Read more about Elie Wiesel and his best-selling book "Night."

Police confirmed this week that the attack took place and that officers escorted Wiesel to the airport following the attack. According to police, the suspect accosted Wiesel in the hotel elevator at around 6:30 p.m., saying he wanted to interview him. Wiesel said he would do the interview in the lobby. That’s when the attacker pulled him out of the elevator, police reported.

In a posting Tuesday on the anti-Zionist Web site ZioPedia, a writer using the name Eric Hunt takes credit for the attack: “After ensuring no women would be traumatized by what I had to do (I had been trailing Wiesel for weeks), I stopped the elevator at the sixth floor. I pulled Wiesel out of the elevator. I said I wanted to interview him.”

Wiesel grabbed at his chest and yelled for help, according to the posting. “I told him, ‘Why don’t you want people to know the truth?’ His expression changed, and he began screaming again. …” the posting reads.Police reported that the suspect tried to force Wiesel into one of the rooms, but ran away when Wiesel started yelling.

Examiner article


Commentary

These Holocaust Deniers are as nutty as the 9/11 Conspiracy Nuts. I have attempted to debate some of these people via email, and in person, and they always, alway resort to ad hominem attacks when their arguments are exposed as untrue, and once had to physically subdue an unhinged conspiracy nut.
One thing I will say about the people of the jewish religion is that they have always functioned as canaries for civilization. When you see them attacked and assailed, you know that there is danger lurking for the rest of us.
The Holocaust Deniers and 9/11 Conspiracy Nuts are being used as pawns by spiritual forces of a dark nature as they try to create justification for wiping those people out of existence, as has been tried since time immemorial. It is a hatred that has to be seen first hand to be understood, or at least appreciated as something not natural.
I have spoken to members of The Ayran Brotherhood, the Church of the Creator, Skinheads, Wahhabis, Shi'a, Sunni, Deobandi, Salafists, and 9/11 Conspiracy Nuts and one thing these people all share in common is hatred of the Jew, or the Politically Correct stand-in the neo-con. These people outnumber the Jew at least 100 to 1 and are still impotent to wipe them out. Why?
Why have they not been able to wipe out the Jews? I hold that they are stupid beyond belief because they have been blinded spiritually to the truth.

Elie Wiesel has survived. He survived those who have set up the death camps, and he has survived those who deny the death camps existed. He has survived hate yet again. May God Bless him to continue doing so.

Do you want to experience the kind of hatred I am talking about? Get yourself a posterboard and write something pro-Israel upon it and stand with it in a public place. Be sure you bring some friends along to film the results.

Friday, February 9, 2007

Pelosi Wants a Bigger PonyPlane

There has been a bit of a controversy concerning Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanting a bigger plane for security reasons. Apparently, she does not want to stop for refueling on her weekly flights from Washington, DC to San Fransisco, California, and back.


Her current plane is a military version of a Gulfsteam III called a C-20B, that is the same type of plane used by former Speaker Denny Hastert


From the AirForce Fact Sheets page, the range is as follows:


Range: C-20B, 4,250 miles (3,698 nautical miles) long-range; C-20H, 4,850 miles (4,220 nautical miles) long range

The plane she wants is a modified Boeing 757 called a C-32, and its' range is as follows:

Range: 5,500 nautical miles unrefueled range

She wants to upgrade to flying a plane equivalent to Air Force Two.

I listened all day to various talk shows as they discussed the story as part of the stories each show was following. On my commute home, I listened to Michael Reagan, who had special insight to the story due to his father being President for 8 years.

According to Michael Reagan, when family members fly on government aircraft, they are charged coach rates for their seats, and pay for the food served to them as well. Staff Members are also charged the same rates. The only exceptions are spouses, who only fly free if attending a public function as part of protocol.

Also the President is also charged for his meals at the White House by The Park Service, who operates The White House.

When attending fundraisers or other events not a public function, the event organizers are charged for the flight, and several are usually planned the same day to lessen the burden on any one event.

From Glenn Beck:
The C-32 costs $300,000 one way from Washington, DC to San Fransisco to operate, and puts out 10,000 lbs an hour more than the C-20B...so the round trip would result in 50 tons more CO2 emissions than the C-20B each week she returned home to her district.

I think what rankles, is the 'Culture of Corruption' meme that is exposed as just a means to get elected...she wants her family and friends to fly free.

The issue is discussed on these sites:

Military Photos

Media Matters

Hot Air

John Lott's Website

BlogCritics

AutoBlogGreen

Wizbang, with links to Think Progress.

UPDATE


Instapundit

Bearing Drift

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

THE ARTICULATE DEBATE by Richard Rivette


Senator Barack Obama is articulate. So am I.
Get over yourself. He isn’t an exception because he is black, and I’m not typical because I’m white. Most people today, black, white or otherwise, are not articulate. They cannot and do not clearly express themselves. That explains the vast number of bad relationships, poor work performance and lowly lifestyles.
Go out into the streets of our cities and suburbs. Listen to the drivel most teenagers spew. Listen to their idiotic parents who bred them. They go well beyond regional slang and jive, like we all used as kids, to be “cool”, and tread into the realm of non-English. They mangle words, phrases and meanings. They don’t convey their ideas in a captivating way. Mostly, they speak in short guttural bursts interlacing every comment, with “Aiight”, “You know what I’m saying”, “you kno’”, “uh”, “yeah”, “like”, etc. etc.
Their language is intentionally meant to confuse, to obfuscate, to ostracize others and to impart condescendence towards those they wish to personally condemn. They think it is funny when they can talk among themselves and nobody else “understands” the “code.” They snicker and laugh at you because you speak well. And are not one of them. I have some sad news for these losers. No one wants to be them. They aren’t special when they speak like that. They sound like morons.
It is a pathetic attempt to be special in a world they cannot fathom. They are unable to compete or relate genuinely intuitive thought according to accepted standards so they destroy the standard instead of making the attempt. In the process, they only destroy themselves and our society. Because they breed more insipidity as the age.
Their language is mean-spirited, obnoxious and rude. They are ill-mannered and generally completely ignorant of higher thoughts. They have no room for compassion, helpfulness or other ideals they demand bestowed on them by those who actually perform well. There is hope for some, but not for others. They are determined to be nothing more than they are now. They are the masses once referred to by Marxist philosophers and their lack of motivation is a threat to civilization itself. They may be smart, but the more time they spend acting and speaking in this manner brings them closer to stupid daily. They spend their time listening to the music of those who would denigrate the language and society itself, glorifyingly singing of rape, sex and violence towards others. Where theft and hate are allowed and encouraged. Where intolerance is fine against those you want to be tolerant of you.
They do not have command of a decent vocabulary thanks to the deficient and retarded national school system. Neither do they understand syntax, rules of grammar nor the power of combining statements to lay the foundation for an adequate argument.
Our schools no longer support nor teach debate since the students are for the most part incapable of writing, reading, understanding, and reiterating thoughts in a cogent, concise, precise, or other demonstrative manner which clearly paints a picture of their thoughts on any subject. We give them false praise instead of hard lessons. We let Johnnie know his work is "good' when really it is poor and unusable. This carries over into college and life. We now fear criticizing anyone so their self-esteem won't suffer. That kills any chance of improvement. Students today believe they are doing well. They are not. Generally, they are incompetent in every way.
It is not the fault of the teacher, nor the student, nor the administration, nor the families, nor society. They would pass the blame anyway. Primarily, I view it as the fault of the entertainer. Today’s cultural icons, elevated to hero status, focus not on the principles, moral guidance, literacy or example they can set when enunciating ideas.
The modern successful musician, actor, model, and sports star, regardless of race, continuously utter statements which reveal true historic ignorance, which only contributes to the cultural void we now face. Businesses, like the television programmers, cater to this deficient group, because they spend money on consumer goods. And we end up with shows that devolve into more of the same hate-filled, poke-fun-at-your-neighbor, reduce-society-to-ashes, trash. There are no more morality plays allowed, and no good metaphor goes unpunished. Reality TV should teach us one thing. In reality, people really are genuinely pretty disgusting.
With all secular humanist ideals met, no culture is a complete culture. When you strive for no goal and seek to make everyone equal, no one is superior in tone or intellectual ability.
And when that glorious milestone of creating a cultural morass is reached, there will be none left who can express themselves in anything but the most rudimentary manner. We have dumbed down speech, writing and every other expressive art form to the point of inarticulation.
So when people get upset that one points out a politician like Barack Obama is articulate, they feel bad about themselves or their race. They should. We all should feel bad about ourselves and our races. What we should do is stop seeing race at all. But that would impact the survival of many “non-profit” organizations which leech off taxpayers to provide questionable services to those who are allowed to continue acting like complete deficients. We’ve bred and supported the lowest common denominator and passed it off as high civilization. Yet this is the best the world has to offer.
We are fools, unable to speak intelligibly. Those who are well-spoken, clearly understood, or stellar in any way, become articulate. It is a blessing and a curse. Children with good language skill sets are immediately the targets of bullies and taught there is danger in being productive, creative or articulate. It is a sick underpinning which is generally ignored. I was abused as a child simply for being able to speak my mind in an adult manner. Today, I would probably be dead in the street for being intelligent.
In a world which rewards mediocrity, the articulate are fast becoming unacceptable as an embarrassment to others. Don’t criticize and kill the messenger. These buffoons embarrass themselves. So, to hell with them. They are not worth my time. I will simply protect myself against the imbeciles as best I can.
If people don’t want to feel bad about being inarticulate, then they need to read some books, takes some speaking lessons, and create a new culture - one viably committed to maintaining the language and improving expression. There is no excuse that an adult cannot speak intelligently. They can always return to school.
Stop making “idiotspeak” a revered mode of conversation. Until then, I don’t want to hear about who uses what words properly. Or how their meaning is “perceived.” Fashizzle?
PS Senator Biden is a plagiarist so his level of articulation can only be assumed from his original comments, whatever those might be. I really don't want a President who has to apologize every time he speaks. So Biden is not what we should consider articulate.
Obama IS articulate. So am I. And that should be encouraging.
I just don't believe he is qualified to be President.
Anyone else out there agree?
- Richard Rivette
www.rivettegroup.com
Authority is granted to reproduce this article at will provided the notice is given that the contents are copyright 2007 Richard Rivette.
-30

V: THE SECOND GENERATION

I found out that there may be a new mini-series based on the characters from the show that nearly bankrupted Warner Brothers in the 80's.

Check out the page for the novel, which takes place 20 years after the series ended.

The authors' website reveals that the Sacremento Zoo named its Reptile House after him.

Hillary Clinton, Capitalist, Socialist, or Communist?

An American Chavez in the making?



That statement scares the willies out of me, and reminds me to keep my powder dry, and my head down!

*Note--I am having problems with the youtube version, so I am including the Live Leak version below.

Global Warming. The Cold, Hard Facts?


A view of Thunder Pig from behing the ice.

Monday, February 5, 2007

Global Warming, as we think we know it, doesn't exist. And I am not the only one trying to make people open up their eyes and see the truth. But few listen, despite the fact that I was the first Canadian Ph.D. in Climatology and I have an extensive background in climatology, especially the reconstruction of past climates and the impact of climate change on human history and the human condition. Few listen, even though I have a Ph.D, (Doctor of Science) from the University of London, England and was a climatology professor at the University of Winnipeg. For some reason (actually for many), the World is not listening. Here is why.

What would happen if tomorrow we were told that, after all, the Earth is flat? It would probably be the most important piece of news in the media and would generate a lot of debate. So why is it that when scientists who have studied the Global Warming phenomenon for years say that humans are not the cause nobody listens? Why does no one acknowledge that the Emperor has no clothes on?

Believe it or not, Global Warming is not due to human contribution of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). This in fact is the greatest deception in the history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with no scientific justification. For example, Environment Canada brags about spending $3.7 billion in the last five years dealing with climate change almost all on propaganda trying to defend an indefensible scientific position while at the same time closing weather stations and failing to meet legislated pollution targets.

No sensible person seeks conflict, especially with governments, but if we don't pursue the truth, we are lost as individuals and as a society. That is why I insist on saying that there is no evidence that we are, or could ever cause global climate change. And, recently, Yuri A. Izrael, Vice President of the United Nations sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirmed this statement. So how has the world come to believe that something is wrong?

Maybe for the same reason we believed, 30 years ago, that global cooling was the biggest threat: a matter of faith. "It is a cold fact: the Global Cooling presents humankind with the most important social, political, and adaptive challenge we have had to deal with for ten thousand years. Your stake in the decisions we make concerning it is of ultimate importance; the survival of ourselves, our children, our species," wrote Lowell Ponte in 1976.

I was as opposed to the threats of impending doom global cooling engendered as I am to the threats made about Global Warming. Let me stress I am not denying the phenomenon has occurred. The world has warmed since 1680, the nadir of a cool period called the Little Ice Age (LIA) that has generally continued to the present. These climate changes are well within natural variability and explained quite easily by changes in the sun. But there is nothing unusual going on.

Read more




More and more Scientists are coming forth to speak on this Great Deception known as human-caused global warming. For all you laymen out there...the Stalinist tactics of the adherents of the religion of global warming as they try to shut up their opposition is all the proof you need. In my personal investigations and interviews for my Algore Project, I have had "scientists" refuse to answer my questions and become very agitated once they understood I knew the scientific method:

  • 1. Observe some aspect of the universe.
  • 2. Invent a tentative description, called a hypothesis, that is consistent with what you have observed.
  • 3. Use the hypothesis to make predictions.
  • 4. Test those predictions by experiments or further observations and modify the hypothesis in the light of your results.
  • 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until there are no discrepancies between theory and experiment and/or observation.

Okay, observations have been made that global temperatures seem to be rising, and a hypothesis has been put forth that man is the Prime Cause of this global warming. The next step is where the hypothesis of global warming breaks down, and drastically.

Predictions must be made with the hypothesis. Back in the 80's, I remember that the sea level was supposed to rise by tens of feet by the year AD 2000, and manhattan and many other coastal areas would be flooded. Didn't happen. Temperatures were supposed to rise by a degree or more. Didn't happen. So far, I believe these guys are batting zilch.

Step four is supposed to involve testing the predictive ability of the hypothesis, and fine tuning to make better predictions, or abandoning the hypothesis and starting over.

All I see is more predictions...moved up in time to where we won't know if they prove true or not. Global Warming, for all its' furious connecting of past events, sounds an awful lot like a Conspiracy Theory, which also lacks the ability to predict future events with any accuracy.


And if that fails...lie, lie, and lie some more. Case in point: The stranded Polar Bears Hoax.

Here is a little of the transcript from Rush Limbaugh:



By the way, do you remember last week Drudge had on his home page a picture of two polar bears? Actually, that picture goes back to 2004. I did a little research. I have found something. That picture has been totally misrepresented. It was of two polar bears on what looks like a melting glacier, a little ice floe that has split away, and they are supposedly stranded. That picture was taken back in 2004, and the caption for the original picture talks about how these polar bears, a mother and her cub, are playing around on an ice sculpture created by waves! An ice sculpture created by waves, a phenomenon that occurs when you have real cold water and cold air in the north like at the Arctic Circle. Now, nobody can tell me that waves are part of global warming, because waves have been in the ocean ever since there's been the ocean. So global warming had no impact whatsoever on where those polar bears were!

They chose to be there. They swam out there, swam up on the ice floe. They can swim hundreds of miles, on top of the water, the surface, underneath. The whole thing was a fraud, and it is a great little microcosm for the entire global warming escapade. I got a whole global warming stack that we'll get to today again -- and, folks, again we've got record cold weather this week, and we don't have any broadcast news stories questioning global warming! All summer long, or in late fall, we can get really hot temperatures and they'll go banshee over the "fact" that there's global warming. Now, there's this cold front today that's going to be all week, 35 wind chill in Chicago last night, and no news about global warming whatsoever maybe being questionable.



And click here to see the photo in its' original context.

Sunday, February 4, 2007

Heath Shuler, Power Player of the Week

NC-11 Congressman Heath shuler was selected as The Power Player of the Week on Chris Wallace's Fox News Sunday. Here is the video of that appearance.





Hat Tip: Petulant Rumblings

Saturday, February 3, 2007

Insolvent-Plagued Asheville Loses Water Lawsuit

ASHEVILLE — A state Superior Court judge issued a ruling Friday dismissing the city of Asheville’s lawsuit against North Carolina and Buncombe County seeking control of the city water system’s rates and revenues.

Judge Howard Manning of Wake County said the state General Assembly did not exceed its constitutional authority in enacting a law that prevents the city from charging higher water rates to customers living outside its municipal boundaries.


Manning also upheld the right of legislators to prevent Asheville from using water system revenues for anything other than operating or maintaining the system.

County Manager Wanda Greene applauded the judge’s ruling upholding the passage of Sullivan Acts II and III, which were approved at the urging of Buncombe County commissioners.

“I’m delighted the citizens are going to be protected from paying differential water rates for water,” Greene said. “I think that’s a big benefit to citizens who would have had an increase in their water rates because they don’t live in the city.”


Asheville Citizen-Times


Commentary

I am especially glad to see the part about preventing the City Council from using revenue from the water system for anything other than operating or maintaining the system. This prevents the children on the city council from buying "candy" with the money, such as spending it on the transit system, housing for the homeless, or some such "social engineering" attempt. I believe the majority of that council are dyed in the wool communists as well as children.


I gotta get to more of these meetings!


Friday, February 2, 2007

The Problem with Alternative Fuels

Almost all schemes for converting our nation to alternative sources of energy have one thing in common: lack of Real Estate.

A Long Row To Hoe

Proposals for an alcohol-fueled end to dependence on foreign oil do not sit lightly on the American landscape. Can they fit within our borders at all?

State Of The Union speeches tend to cross using figures with speaking figuratively, and this hybrid rhetoric can bear strange fruit, like the switchgrass mania spreading up K Street like kudzu. Math has never been the Beltway's strongest suit, and it will take a while for many in DC to realize that biofuel, like the solar and wind energy franchises already on offer, suffers from sheer lack of real estate.Huffnpuffes A recent WSJ Op-ed devoted a thousand words to singing the praises of cellulose fermentation , but neglected to divide its rosy bottom line projections by ethanol's depressingly low energy content - a barrel of the stuff falls so far short of real gasoline-- over two million BTU's,that you'd need about ten gallons extra to equal a tankful. Japan's last gasp in World War II was distilling biomass to get kamekaze fuel.

Solar ranching translates into paving areas the size of Massachusetts with silicon panels. But farming out the fuel supply means putting multiples of Texas under the plough. Even corn as tall as an elephant's eye yields less than half a gallon of ethanol per acre per day. And biotech might, at best, wring another quart out of fertile farmland.

That's just not enough...


Continue Reading

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Fun In The Snow

Today, I had the distinct honor of taking my mother to work in the snow.

It was fun. I got to see several wrecks, some in the process! I also did a 180 in a successful attempt to avoid some expensive fender-work and a wrecker bill. The funniest part, to me anyway, was when my mother chided me for waving at someone in another vehicle as we all spun by each other. She said, "Quit showing off." I assure you it was a friendly wave, not a single fingered signal of appreciation! 0[8^)

When I came to rest, I was still in the road, but pointed the wrong way. I beat it out of there before I was tempted to turn around in the road.

Near Catamount Gap, We saw the driver of a red SUV, who was going about 50mph, lose control and slide across the grassy median into our lane (headed right for us), straiten it up, then he dove across the median back into his two lanes. He did this without slowing down. I was suitably impressed and wished that I had my camera rolling. My mother had insisted that I put "the stupid thing down" and drive. That was probably wise.

Anyway, there are pictures.



Top of Cowee Mountain



Cowee Mountain Large

Rescue Squad, Unit One

We arrive shaken, not stirred!

Upon reflection, I think I will, if asked, pass on the "volunteer" taxi gig. It's too bad on the nerves!

Champion of the Left Hugo Chavez to "Rule By Decree"

This is exactly where the Left in America wishes to take us. Let's just see how many of them act as his apologists, and blame us for the move.


CARACAS, VENEZUELA — President Hugo Chavez was granted sweeping powers Wednesday to rule by decree for 18 months to accelerate his push toward socialism, a move that critics said propelled Venezuela toward dictatorship.

Convening in a downtown plaza for a session that resembled a political rally, the National Assembly unanimously gave Chavez control in 11 key areas, including the economy, the oil industry, defense and the structure of the state.

"Long live the sovereign people! Long live President Hugo Chavez! Long live socialism!" said National Assembly President Cilia Flores as she proclaimed the "enabling law" approved by a show of hands.

Chavez critics call the law a radical lurch toward authoritarianism by a leader with unchecked power, similar to the way Fidel Castro monopolized leadership in Cuba years ago.
LA Times Article


The results of a quick Survey on what others are saying....

Freedom Folks Hugo Hitler Chavez Gains Decree Power

Radioactive Communist Zombies Evil Empire

The Jawa Report I Think This Star Wars Quote Sums It Up

And below I have pasted the body of a dKospedia article on Hugo Chavez:

Hugo Chavez

From dKosopedia

Hugo Chavez, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, is the President of the Bolivaran Republic of Venezuela. Chavez won a fully democratic and open election in August, 2004 with 58% of the vote. Jimmy Carter served with international observers certifying the final tally.

Since then the Venezuelan government has exhibited signs of authoritarianism. Economic elites like opposition leader Gerardo Blyde are still free to speak but the political space for opposition is shrinking as there are fewer mews media outlets to propagate elite opinion. The formal authority of the Venezuelan presidency is also increasing. On January 19, 2007, the Venezuelan National Assembly passed legislation allowing the Venezuelan President for 18 months to impose political, economic and social reforms.

Populist

Chavez is widely viewed throughout Latin America as a champion of the poor and economically disadvantaged middle class. Opposition to his solidly progressive views in a long-standing climate of economic hard times led to a push for the 2004 recall election, preceded by previous attempts at a coup d'etat and marked by harsh opposition from the oligarchic Right in Venezuela and elsewhere. Chavez has implemented civic reforms which have directly and tangibly benefited Venezuela's poor and middle class, which has widened his support among these sectors and helped stave off opportunistic threats against his office and government. Chavez's detractors accuse him of being "demagogic" and "thuggish," and that he seeks to "consolidate power" and "enrich cronies" while "using" the poor.

Chavez's policy platform is Bolivarísmo, a renewed effort to determine and define autonomous public and political policy in Latin America, named after and hearkening to Simón Bolívar, leader of the Latin American independence movement throughout South America in the 1820s and counterpart of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Venezuela and Brazil, together with Bolivia, represent a recent trend toward the left in Latin American politics and society, a trend which had been impeded for decades by US intervention, notably through efforts of the CIA. The name of revolutionary icon Fidel Castro, hated in Washington and Miami but loved across much of Latin America, is regularly deployed to cast aspersions upon Chavez and other progressive leaders of the region who retain diplomatic and cultural relations with Cuba, notably because of Cuba's high literacy rate and breadth of medical and social care achievements.

The primary Bolivarismo platform is land reform, an issue that threatens US transnational economic interests. The US has not been helpful to Chavez, but has been less forceful in having him removed than it has been with previous left wing politicians in Latin America. The preferred methods of intervention have historically been the destabilization of leftist and progressive states through agitation propaganda and inflammatory rhetoric. Land reform has historically been repelled through military and covert interventions, as are the cases in Guatemala and Perú in the mid-twentieth century.

The second son of two school teachers, Chavez was born on July 28, 1954 in the town of Sabaneta, Barinas, Venezuela.