Today We Start Again...

Wow, almost a year since I was last here.  Maybe I'm starting to get excited about democracy again.  We've come through a very long and difficult campaign.  And it's time to put all else aside for the good of our nation, our families, and ourselves. This is the great thing about democracy - we get to start over again.  

Whether or not I agree with the President Elect, I am invigorated and hopeful.  That is something I did not think he could deliver--but he has.

Whether or not I agree with Senator McCain, I am proud of him as well.  It's now up to us to hold President Obama to his word and his speech from Grant Park in Chicago.  It's up to us, because other's won't.

I didn't think today would be a good day--but it is.  

Let's not do to this president, what was done to the past.  

Today we are all Americans.  Today we get to start over and forgive, forget,  because tomorrow counts more.  Hope, compassion, truth, country.  I had doubts that we could come together again--but we will.

mR

Happy Holidays...

I sincerely wish all of you a very happy holiday season. I don't care what religion you are (or aren't) or what you choose to do this time of year. I'm wishing you a Merry Christmas because that's what me and my family celebrate during this time of the year. If you are Jewish, please wish me a happy Hanukkah. If you are Muslim, please wish me a prosperous Ramadan, etc. I respect your traditions, even if your tradition is to have no tradition.

What I don't get is people fighting over what is appropriate to display or not to display. And don't get me started on the hypocracy involved in all of it. It seems that the same groups that are for "free speech" are the same ones tearing down the parts that they don't like. Free Speech is the right to offend. Free Speech is the right to criticize. Free speech is the right to give a message that others may not agree with. The ACLU will defend the right for anyone to say anything, but will make sure that citizens of a particular city or county can't display their traditions or their speech. The same people pushing for sexual educational messages in the public arena are the same groups that are pulling the religious symbols (or rather Christian Religious symbols) down. If it is not hate speech, or a vulgar obscenity, then why is there even a question? When I go into an old Italian neighborhood, I enjoy watching the old Catholic customs that they practice during a wedding or funeral procession. I would love to walk through a Muslim neighborhood during Ramadan and see the various lanterns on display of their faith. The feeling I get walking through a predominately Jewish neighborhood during the nights of Hanukkah gives me a sense of peace. Next, the ACLU will be taking away the ancient American Indian traditions in their communities in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. Losing the Christian traditions has exactly the same impact on our culture as it would if you took away those traditions from their respective cultures. A vital and important part of that culture would be lost.

Please, if you get the chance, take a look at a post at the Daily Kos. Read the descriptions of all of these religious symbols. Then read the one about the Christmas Tree, which in their opinion is the Christian Symbol for Christmas (I personally feel it is more secular). Why is it that all of the other symbols are very respectfully described yet the Christmas Tree (which is now apparently religious) is described like this: "We all know that the Christmas tree is really a pagan symbol adopted by our culture to honor crass commercialism at its worst. But in this instance it will stand in as a symbol of Christian rejoicing at the birth of the Savior and the enlightenment he tried to bring to the world."


This isn't just on the Daily Kos. This is the leftist blogosphere that you've been hearing so much about. There is no war on Christmas. There is a war on common sense by the looney left that has been slowly raging into the mainstream. To be honest, it pisses me off that these people are so far gone and dishonest with even the simplest of truths. What does something like this accomplish? Don't offend anyone's religion, unless they happen to be Christians.

I am sure that you will find the same kind of garbage of the far right loonies blogs as well. But to be honest, I don't know where they are because they are not spouted by the media as fact. There are a lot of right wingers that I don't agree with (You know who you are Ann Coulter). But other than her and a few like her, I don't know where to find this kind of unabashed spewing of hypocracy and hatred that is so prevalent on the left. If you know where, please let me know so that I can get pissed off about them as well. On the right, people like them are already thought of as crazies. Find me a normal right leaning person who agrees with the likes of Fred Phelps and his family of escaped mental patients (i.e. Westboro Baptist Church) and I will agree that they are far right crazies.

By the way you can visit their website at http://www.godhatesfags.com/ and read their page on why they are thanking God for today's bridge collapse in Nepal that has left many dead. In my opinion Westboro on the right = Loons on the left (Daily Kos, Randi Rhodes, Al Franken, Rosie O'Donnell).

Isn't it time we were honest with ourselves? I don't know if that will ever happen, but I do honestly have a wish for all of you (even Ann Coulter and Rosie O'Donnell). I wish you a very Happy New Year. And a special wish goes out to those Americans and other countrymen who are away from their families this year fighting for those all over the world. We hope you are all able to come home in 2008. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

mR

Don't Like the Time? Change the Clock!

It is official. Hugo Chavez has lost his mind. Starting next week, the time in Venezuela will move back 30 minutes. He's given everyone till next Sunday night to change it and there is a multitude of confusion both inside the government and outside whether the clock moves forward or backward. Venezuela will officially be what we have always known - in a whole time zone unto itself. (Reuters)

mR

Very Upsetting Story from Texas

I have always tried my best to give this administration and its staff the benefit of the doubt. But I have tried to be honest about its shortcomings. Even through the Blackwater fiasco, I tried. This story that I read about today is inexcusable. I'm going to post a link to a story that I read on ABC News.com via the Drudge Report today that makes me very sad and very angry. I can honestly say that I have never felt so let down as I do by the United States Departments of State and Justice. The legacy of former A.G. Gonzalez continues and a huge problem for which the Secretary of State must answer.

This is the kind of garbage that makes it difficult for our brave men and women overseas to do their job, to earn the respect of the world, and to earn the respect of the people and nations that they are serving. Iraq is a noble cause, but it has been so messed up by the present bureacracy and administration that I am embarrassed to have voted for them. I hope the story of this young woman leaves many people in Washington unable to sleep tonight. The screams of help from this young lady should ring in every politician's and Iraq contractor's head for a long time to come.

Rape Cover-up in Iraq reported by ABC News via The Drudge Report.

I've been very critical of the media throughout the Iraq War and I think it's more than justified. I think that very much has been made of very little. And I think that very little good has been reported of the abundance that has happened. But I do think that this story needs to be told--VERY LOUD, and VERY CLEAR. A young women named Jamie Leigh Jones deserves justice. It just goes to show that brutality is not only a quality of the extremists that our brave Soldiers and Marines are fighting. It is also a quality of a few who answer to no law in Iraq. Our goal should be to protect the innocent. It should not be used to shield the guilty.

Let me be clear. This - in no way - has anything to do with any group of people as a whole. Nor does this story have any relation to tactics used by the CIA in the questioning of terrorist suspects and enemy combatants. I do hope that leftist partisans do not try to draw this into the "torture" debate. But I am afraid that Harry Reid (political hack that he is) is going to blame the President and every other member of the Bush administration for every brutal detail. What is sad is that he might even get the support and sympathy of the media to go along with him. The administration is responsible for their inability to earn justice for this young lady. Only the men who perpetrated these actions (and possibly the company) are responsible for the crime.

KBR & Halliburton executives should be screaming from the rooftops for investigations and apologizing all over themselves. I am absolutely disgusted that these companies are American and continue to remain silent. The management of these companies verges on incompetency and its stockholders should be disgusted. If they are responsible for setting this culture in their organization, then they should also be punished to the full extent of the law. I would also hope that a free market would exercise its right to sell off their shares and/or replace the management if need be.

Am I speaking before I've heard all the facts? Yep. I hope I don't have to eat my words, but I could not keep silent on this.

My thoughts and prayers are with Jamie and her family.

mR

Picture Source: ABC News.com

Coming Back Online....

I have been bored with Politics over the last few months. Probably not so much bored as tired of the lies and the garbage, but it's getting too close not to have a voice. Please make sure that you use yours as well, if for nothing else but to vote in the primary.

The "Greatest" Generation

I always smirked at the older folks when they said that they didn't understand what was happening to kids these days. I always thought that we were fine and that the older generation just didn't know what they were talking about. We treated it as a "barefoot in snow, uphill both ways" story. Now that I've reached my early 30's I'm not quite sure if I look at their stories the same way. I don't think it's just my age, I think it's more than that. Society is going to hell in a handbasket, and my generation is one of the largest contributors.

At what point do we start looking at society and start worrying about the future. I'm not talking about global warming, social security, or even medicare. I'm talking about a lack of leadership in the generation that is coming up behind me and the new generation behind that. What is going to happen after my generation is too old to lead. What happens when we are the retired and aging generation.


We have only ourselves to blame. Parents of today are corrupting our future. For evidence look no further than Lindsay's, Britney's, and Paris' parents. All in the name of entertainment and free speech. There may be nothing wrong with educating our children about the real world, but what's lacking is the education. Allowing children to make the moral choices without education is a recipe for disaster.

Who is educating our children? Is it a representative cross section of society? Absolutely not. In 2001, 34% of educators claimed to be center of the road politically. That sounds great. Until you look at the other numbers. Only 18% claim to be right leaning. A whopping 48% claim to left leaning. That's a stunning statistic. It's all about freedoms and speech, etc. That's all well and good, but there is no such thing as freedom of speech inside the family.

Who is raising our children? Video games, cell phones, the internet, and television. Teachers are running movies like "Brokeback Mountain" in middle school classrooms. Recently a friend told me that their children were taking field trips to see Spiderman 3. When I was in school it was trips to a dairy factory, a museum, or a zoo.


Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with "Brokeback Mountain." Free speech should be alive and well and I personally found the movie boring and pointless. Even for a love story, it lacked content. But I don't think that a movie that is rated PG13 or R should be shown in a middleschool classroom setting. I don't want my nieces or nephews watching "Bachelor Party" or "Cruel Intentions" during English Class. They need to watch it at their friends house when their parents aren't around like we did. At least then we knew it was wrong. It wasn't legitimized by a teacher or a parent who says that kind of portrayed behavior is "OK".


Instead we end up with Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton filling the vacuum left by today's parents.

I Agree With Elizabeth Edwards--AHHHHHHHHH!

Crazies to the Left, and Crazies to the Right. That's the way the hacks (political and otherwise) are making me feel these days. I almost think that looneys on each side of the aisle are actually drawing those of us in the middle together--you know, the ones with the common sense.


I was listening to Fox News on my way to work this morning and actually caught some banter between Edie Hill and Ann Coulter criticizing Rosie O'Donnell's use of her daughter for political fodder. You probably know what I'm talking about. Playing guerilla dress up to make a political statement. We've come to expect this repulsive and looney behavior from Rosie. Putting your children into a political statement is irresponsible in my opinion. But "responsible" isn't a word I would use to describe Rosie anyway.


Leave it to crazy Coulter to use this attempt to criticize the entire gay community. I believe the quote was something like Rosie "has set gay adoption back 20 years." Well maybe that's what Coulter hopes would happen. But personally I don't see what one has to do with the other. There are good parents and bad parents. When are people going to learn that gross generalization is wrong regardless of what side you are on.

Shame on Edie Hill and Fox News for presenting this woman as an expert on anything other than selling books. Here's something I thought I'd never say: I agree with Elizabeth Edwards on this one. Coulter is destroying the debate by inserting hate, just as the looneys have been on the left for quite some time.

mr


P.S. Thanks to Bernie Goldberg for the "Crazies to the Left...." line.

I Want to be an Illegal Immigrant!

I apologize if any of you have already seen this. It's reportedly from an irritated native Iowan addressed to Senator Tom Harkin (D)-Iowa, on the topic of Illegal Immigration. I'm not a big fan of chain emails, so I thought I would post this rather than send it into your email boxes. I make no claim to the facts in the letter or its authenticity, but I thought it was amusing. I have not even had the chance to read the bill to see if the claims are true, so I am limiting my commentary on this one. I am protecting the name on the letter as I do not know if it is a real person or not. If you are the author, please let me know so that I can give you credit. --rm


Dear Senator Harkin,

As a native Iowan and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you.

My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stems from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United States for five years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone figures it out.

Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes every year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I can apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent result for me and my family because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005.

Additionally, as an illegal alien, I could begin using the local emergency room as my primary health care provider. Once I have stopped paying premiums for medical insurance, my accountant figures I could save almost $10,000 a year.

Another benefit in gaining illegal status would be that my daughter would receive preferential treatment relative to her law school applications, as well as "in-state" tuition rates for many colleges throughout the United States for my son.

Lastly, I understand that illegal status would relieve me of the burden of renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car insurance premiums. This is very important to me given that I still have college age children driving my car.

If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become illegal (retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.

Your Loyal Constituent,
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxx
Burlington , IA

Get your Forms (NOW)!! Call your Internal Revenue Service 1-800-289-1040. Please pass this onto your friends so they can save on this great offer!!!!

Is The Looney Left Falling Apart?

Three major blows to the Far Left happened these last weeks. I feel that their true colors are finally showing, and they aren't red, white, or blue. Is a self-imploding event finally happening. I fear not, although it is well overdue. People destructive to the cause (or Kos) are still out there to take up the slack for those that have bitten the dust.

Now, don't get me wrong. I consider myself a moderate (independent-use your own word here). I'm not celebrating that misguided people are crashing and burning. What I am pleased with is that these mainstream "newsworthy" (notice the quotes) hateful and destructive voices have been marginalized, or rather been shown for what they are.

Cindy Sheehan (pictured with Speaker Pelosi, below) is selling her Crawford ranch du-jour to move back to her home state of, wait for it, California. It seems that the left is not far enough left for her. Now, maybe the grieving process can finally get started and the healing can begin. While I have great sympathy for her sacrifice and respect for her rights to speak out. Sympathy only lasts so long, and she overstayed her welcome on our sympathies.

Perhaps the most notable (or is it notorious) collapse this week for the kos is the complete true-color exhibition by Venezuela president Hugo Chavez (pictured below) of what he is--a power-hungry dictator. Far left = free speech, right? Isn't that one of their pillars of truth or something? What is the opposite of free speech? Closing down an independent television station? I don't know how you could get more opposite. Other than maybe harassing those that are speaking out against you--wait, what? Oh, I guess that is happening as well. Yet I've heard no comment from far left angels Belefonte or Danny Glover. All praise to fidel!

The third implosion happened as Rosie O'Donnell quit mid-contract at The View. The Diva can dish it,

but walked away when the dish came back at her.

Now each event alone probably isn't worth writing about. Put all of these events together and within a two week period is almost apocalyptic. Are the Looney's falling apart? I sincerely doubt it. Debate is healthy. But, savage and hateful speech is deconstructive on both sides. It seems to be taking its toll on those involved in it. I just hope that some of the far left-speak activists are paying attention.

mr

Better Late....

I did want to see what the general reaction was to the Republican Debate on Fox News. I know this is old news, but I wanted to bring it up anyway. I was extremely impressed with Brit Hume, Wendell Goler, and Chris Wallace. Very fine journalists, I thought the questions were pointed and relevant. I also thought that they touched (and pressed) on issues that were important to voters regardless of party view. Was this a hack job? No. Good coverage, great job to Fox News!

I had real issue with the post debate coverage offered by Fox News. It may just be me, but I think Fox News seriously undermines it credibility when post debate coverage is lead by partisan (however "fair and balanced") personalities. Debates are a place for reporting. I hardly think that Hannity and Colmes are unbiased reporters. When the spin is not only spun by the candidates and their lackeys, but also by the network hosts, too much gets lost in the translation. People aren't allowed to follow the information for themselves. I said it about Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann at MSNBC. Alan played an Hannity-like impotent gotcha, and Sean filled in the sentences and spun for the candidates. As far as I'm concerned there is no place for partisanship at debates by the network. The spinning should be left up to the candidates.

mr