Sarah Palin this afternoon offered personal thanks to Dede Scozzafava for suspending her campaign, and called on all concerned about the future of America to consider a donation to Doug Hoffman.
"I want to personally thank Republican Dede Scozzafava for acting so selflessly today in the NY District 23 race. Now it's time to cross the finish line with Doug Hoffman so that he can get to work for District 23 and the rest of America.
With Congress poised to overhaul one-sixth of our economy with so-called health care “reform” (which is really a government takeover of health care) and with plans to enact a cap-and-tax bill just as our economy struggles to recover, Doug Hoffman will be a voice for fiscal responsibility and common sense in Washington.
We need candidates like Doug now more than ever. In these final days of the campaign, it's vital that Doug continue to receive the enthusiastic support of those who want to bring common sense to Washington. Let’s help make it happen! You can help Doug by visiting his official website today and offering your support: https://www.doughoffmanforcongress.com/donate3.html"
I have not read the entire Nancy Pelosi Destruction of America Act of 2009. However, I was listening to my local radio show this morning and they were discussing the number of times certain words (shall, doctor) appear in the bill, and I was searching along with the discussion, counting for myself so that I could know I was hearing the truth. During one of these searches, I came across Section 223 of the bill, which is titled "Health Benefits Advisory Committee." I stopped my search because I found a few certain aspects of this section troubling.
First, there is subsection (a) which is titled "Establishment." This subsection is comprised of five (5) paragraphs. Already I know this bill is too much mucky-muck, because I think the entire problem can be solved by executing ideas I've outlined in seven rather short paragraphs. Of course, my take does not include the word 'shall' over 3000 times. I guess I'd never be a good politician.
Anyway, back to subsection (a). I encourage you to read the subsection in its entirety, beginning on page 111 here. Paragraph (1) reads, "There is established a private-public advisory committee which shall be a panel of medical and other experts to be known as the Health Benefits Advisory Committee to recommend covered benefits and essential, enhanced, and premium plans."
At this point I'm already distressed, because the government is half of a group that has "Other medical experts" to recommend benefits. Huh? Why can't I just have the benefits my current insurance offers, and have the government leave me alone?
Next we skip to paragraph (3) which reads, "The Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall be composed of the following members, in addition to the Surgeon General: (A) Nine members who are not Federal employees or officers and who are appointed by the President."
Stop. End of discussion. The President of the United States of America has many, many things to do, none of which should be appointing people to be on a panel (committee, whatever) that is involved in the medical insurance of the general public. Commander-in-Chief. Chief Executive Officer. Diplomat at the highest level. The list goes on.
A bit more reading, and we learn that there are other appointments made by other people, and that "Such initial appointments shall be made not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act."
In other words, President Obama appoints the first round of "members" to the "committee." I'm sorry, I've seen and heard the things President Obama's appointments and associates have to say about our nation, our freedoms, and the entire concept of redistribution, and I refuse. I'll be happy to sit behind bars, having not purchased medical insurance, before I will be subjected to this radicalization of America. Try me.
Now, here is where I really take issue. Paragraph five (5) of still subsection (a) reads, "PARTICIPATION.—The membership of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall at least reflect providers, patient representatives, employers (including small employers), labor, health insurance issuers, experts in health care financing and delivery, experts in oral health care, experts in racial and ethnic disparities, experts on health care needs and disparities of individuals with disabilities, representatives of relevant governmental agencies, and at least one practicing physician or other health professional and an expert in child and adolescent health and shall represent a balance among various sectors of the health care system so that no single sector unduly influences the recommendations of such Committee."
Okay. Key words? Let's start with "So that no single sector unduly influences the recommendations of such Committee." Exactly who is to say that no single sector is not unduly influencing recommendations? Should we be able to trust our government to make that judgment?
Let's look past Barack Obama for a minute, so that he is not the focus of our thinking. Why should I trust that the next president - even one I voted for - will appoint people who are just and fair? Why can the government determine "fairness" and recommend treatments better than a private sector company held accountable by the desire to maintain its balance sheet and reputation? Who is to say that we won't have radical racists appointed by a president who does not care for people from the Middle East or Eastern Asia, and suddenly America develops a rash of Middle Easterners, Koreans, or Chinese dying off like nobody's business? I'm not saying it will happen, and I certainly don't want something like this to happen, but in my opinion herein lies one point where too much government control can be proven unjustified and troublesome.
The bill tries to protect against this kind of thing, as paragraph four (4) explains, "Each member of the Health Benefits Advisory Committee shall serve a 3-year term on the Committee, except that the terms of the initial members shall be adjusted in order to provide for a staggered term of appointment for all such members." However, over the course of an eight year presidency, this means that a president will be responsible for quite a number of appointments. Again, our president has better things to do, and that is too much control in the hands of the government.
More key words? I have to be honest and say that the words "experts in racial and ethnic disparities" stand out like a sore thumb. Why exactly is it important for someone in the business of medical insurance be well versed in the disparities between people of different races? Are we not all supposed to be treated equally? Does our Constitution not state that we are all created equal? Remember the key words we just discussed had to do with undue influence, yet suddenly someone's race or ethnicity may be an issue for which we need an expert? Call me a cynic, but I'm sensing this is exactly and nothing other than the point in this bill that defines it as reparations.
I would love to hear some feedback from anyone who thinks they have an answer that disproves my theories. I also would like to know if you think I'm on track - not just because you don't want government health care, but because you've read another perspective and it is similar in concept, or because you have a legal understanding that tells me I am right or wrong. Of course, if you just don't want government health care and want to discuss it, I welcome your thoughts as well.
We must dissect this bill quickly and know the reasons we are not willing to accept it, and we must be extremely vocal. This must be the subject of every phone call and email received by any representative in Congress for the next week.
One more thought, and a few more minutes of your time - Michelle Bachmann was on Hannity tonight and was very emphatic about exactly how important this issue is. I believe Bachmann can sometimes be a bit erratic and over the top, but tonight she was very succinct. She also called for a gathering of anyone who can make it to DC next Thursday, as she hopes to hold a rally of sorts and put the face of America in front of those who are uncertain about their vote on this particular bill.
Originally performed in 1970 buy The Temptations during an era of racial tension, economic turmoil, and the Vietnam war, and performed in this 19985 video by British alternative rockers Love and Rockets, Ball of Confusion is a timeless classic that seems to fit any era.
While the politicians in office may change, the song remains the same; war, racial tensions, economic turmoil, drugs, summers full of discontent with policy coming from Washington. Now, almost 40 years after the original version of this song chronicled the political tone of an era, it seems all we need to do is change a couple of words in the song and it perfectly describes every detail of what we are witnessing today.
Peoria Police say 48-year-old Faleh Almalechi was arrested in Georgia.
He is accused of deliberately running down his daughter, 20-year-old Noor Almalechi, and 43-year-old Amal Edan Khalaf, the mother of her boyfriend, in a Peoria parking lot Oct. 20.
Police believe Faleh ran over his daughter because she disrespected the family by being too "westernized."
Noor is still hospitalized in life-threatening condition.
As pointed out by Neil Cavuto, today Chris Christie might have won over the hearts and minds of many New Jersey residents.
Not so much because the voters of New Jersey have weight issues of their own as implied by Imus, although they say we have a nationwide epidemic, but instead because Christie calls out Corzine on his advertisements and is so jovial about his own size.
I believe if enough undecided NJ voters see or hear this clip over the weekend, come Tuesday it might just make Christie the big fat winner he says he will be.
Kudos to Chris Christie for telling it like it is.
Witness Joy Behar as she listens and responds to Gore Vidal discuss George W. Bush.
I will live with the fact that Vidal makes fun of Bush. No doubt that is the thing to do in the land of the liberal loon. However, after Behar listens to Vidal explain that killing Bush is "One murder that I miss not committing," Behar reprehensibly says "Well, it's too late anyway."
Excuse me? A man just "joked" about killing the former president of the United States of America, and the best you have is "Well, it's too late anyway?" I'm not sure about the laws regarding former presidents, but were Bush a sitting president Vidal Gore would be behind bars right now. Imagine someone saying such a thing about Barack Obama.. not right now, but after his time in office. We all know the show host would be losing their job, and the person who made such a comment would be publicly chastised.
I'll be honest, I have not even opened the file, other than to confirm that it is a functioning link. I don't really feel that I need to; we have been told that we will have a "consumer option" in this bill. Therefore I pass, although not in the "opt out" way that Harry Reid would have.
Those of you who live in Arizona know that we have a very important gubernatorial election coming up. Currently we are being served by former Secretary of Sate Jan Brewer (R), who replaced Janet Napolitano (D) after Napolitano was appointed by President Obama to be Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
While we do have some time before the Arizona Republican primary which takes place on September 7, 2010, it is never too early to get acquainted with your choices. At this time Governor Brewer has not committed to seeking reelection. Other names being discussed for the Republican ticket are many and include such prominent figures as Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Congressman Jeff Flake, and former Congressman J. D. Hayworth. A more complete list of possible Republican and Democratic party candidates can be found on the "Our Campaigns" website.
Today I heard a radio advertisement for John Munger and was intrigued, so I checked out his website. I must say I am impressed by his resume. He has experience as a former State Chairman of the Arizona Republican Party, a former member of the Republican National Committee, and former Pima County Republican Chairman. Munger also served as Co-Chairman of the McCain for President, Arizona Campaign, a position that both impresses me and concerns me. Currently he is Chairman of ImagineArizona, a Political Action Committee with a mission to promote policies based on creating dynamic economic growth through the empowerment of free people and limited government.
Speaking of policies and economic growth, I also am impressed by his ideas as he states them on his website, and believe that he may be the right person at the right time, given our current economic situation in both Arizona and America.
Regarding taxes, his website states that "Rather than increasing taxes, we must reduce or eliminate the corporate income tax ( which is higher than almost any other state in our region) and completely eliminate our Personal Property Tax on Business Equipment (which most of the states in our region do not charge) to finally make Arizona competitive for small investment and the creation of real jobs for real Arizona families. In addition we must eliminate Arizona capital gains tax in order to encourage investment of new job creation here in Arizona."
On the border and immigration, his policy is that "We must immediately declare war on the cartels, marshall, train, and equip Arizona’s own interjurisdictional crime task force to attack the cartels anywhere we find them, drive them from our state, and secure our borders where the Feds will not."
Munger has great ideas about the development of our highway system that do not involve government and taxes; instead he maps out a plan in which private corporations fund the development of highways. "Private companies stand ready to invest their own money to build those four lanes of road, from Tucson to Flagstaff, and would employ Arizona workers, equipment, and materials to do it. The four lanes would be built in about 3 years, and would be built and maintained according to state standards and then turned over to the state in roughly 30 years, free and clear. Arizonan, including truckers, could drive either on the public road for free and pay a small fee to drive on the toll lanes. Your choice. But safety and speed of movement would be enhanced in any event."
On his website, he describes why he is running for governor by asking "Where is Arizona going?" His answer, in part, tells me that he very much understands the issues this state faces as I see them. He continues by stating "Frankly, the universal answer I have heard from virtually all Arizonans is: “I don’t know.” Universally, after far too many years of drifting government, led by professional politicians with little real experience, and directed only by Crisis Management, with government responding only at the last moment of crisis, Arizonans have watched in frustration as jobs and businesses disappear, our education system fails our children, a water shortage looms on the horizon, our transportation system totters, all while government has grown at twice the combined rater of inflation plus population growth for the last many years."
I must admit, I am a bit biased toward J. D. Hayworth, and should he choose to run he would probably have my vote in a minute. However, I also believe that Hayworth is serving the people of Phoenix and Arizona in a very important capacity in his current position as a talk show host for AM 550 KFYI. He keeps us informed of issues both local and national with an insight that not many can offer.
Hayworth has also openly discussed running in 2010 for the Senate seat currently occupied by John McCain, and I believe his previous experience in Washington combined with his current understanding of the issues at home would provide great representation, but there he's only one of one hundred.
If you are a resident of Arizona and are concerned about the future of our state I hope you take some time to learn about John Munger, as I believe he certainly is worthy of serious consideration.
The following is a re-post of some information that needs to get out. To the best of my knowledge, the original post (minus my language edit) is at Jim McMahon's blog, and so I offer a huge hat tip to him for the work. If you go by his blog because of this post, let him know I sent you, and I know the email I received asked me to get the message out, so I'll ask that you consider re-posting this to your own blog as well. Additionally, I received this message through the owner of Conservative Blogs Central. I have a button on my sidebar for Conservative B.C.; I am starting to see that we may have a solid leader in our midst, and I recommend you all consider the idea of joining this blog and becoming part of the movement. If your blog is largely politics like mine, or even if not but you really believe that we must begin to organize now... check it out.
In case you're not aware of this, the gubernatorial elections for Virginia and New Jersey are next Tuesday, Nov. 3rd.
Bob McDonnell (R) has a double digit lead in the polls over the Creigh Deeds (D) in Virginia, but Chris Christie is neck and neck with the incumbent Governor Jon Corzine (D) in New Jersey. In my opinion, Corzine is an arrogant liberal and the reason it's a close race is because there's another guy running as an Independent (a liberal sleeper) that is splitting the votes, Corzine has the advantage of the incumbency and also has a boat load of money from the DNC.
You're probably thinking, "Who gives a #@$%, I don't live in either of those States!" Right? Well let me tell you why; Every eye in Congress is on this election to see if we conservatives mean business when we say that we are going to remove every single politician from office that doesn't act in the best interests of "We the People," and elect public officials that will.
If either of these Democrats get elected, it's over for the freedoms we have taken for granted for far to long.........we're done! We'll have proven to our out of control government and corrupt politicians that we're all talk and no action, and they can continue to do whatever they damn well please.
So if you're against the Communist takeover of our country and want to salvage what's left of America, put these links on your Facebook page, send them out to everyone in your e-mail list and put the YouTube videos up on your blogs if you have one. If you don't, send these links to a blog that you read on a regular basis and ask them to post them.
Please do this even if you never forward e-mails or hate politics and don't like politicians, because I'm sure you care about America and we're in trouble. We must remind them WHO THEY WORK FOR!
It is imperative that we do everything in our power to get the vote out next Tuesday. It's now or never folks, we're not going to get another shot at this!
As we all know, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Our broken watch d'jour, Joy Behar, is usually so far away from reality it boggles the mind.
However, as witnessed in the following clip, Behar acknowledges that there is a level of hypocrisy amongst liberals, and seems to even understand that Barack Obama himself, as he has gone golfing more in 9 months than George W. Bush did in his first 3 years in office (in addition to playing basketball, having date nights, holding Wednesday party nights, and flying to Copenhagen to pitch for the Olympics) is hypocrite in chief.
Of course, the editorializing is mine, but I'm sure Joy thought it...
A government-sponsored "public option" for health care lives, though it may be more attractive to skeptics if it goes by a different moniker, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday.
In an appearance at a Florida senior center, the Democratic leader referred to the so-called public option as "the consumer option." Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., appeared by Pelosi's side and used the term "competitive option."
Both suggested new terminology might get them past any lingering doubts among the public—or consumers or competitors.
"You'll hear everyone say, 'There's got to be a better name for this,'" Pelosi said. "When people think of the public option, public is being misrepresented, that this is being paid for with their public dollars."
Pelosi said that was a misconception and that any taxpayer money used to start up the public option would be repaid. She also said such an option would ultimately drive down government health care costs.
The speaker said the "competitive option" idea emerged during her closed-door roundtable at the Sunrise Senior Center with advocates of seniors and others who work with older populations. Wasserman Schultz suggested the term might be here to stay.
"I think she's going to go up and test-drive it when she goes back to Washington," Wasserman Schultz said. "It might stick."
As for having the votes to pass such a measure, both women said a public option would survive. They wouldn't get into numbers of congressional supporters, but said it was simply a matter of picking which type of public option to pursue.
As I sit here in front of my PC running a Windows operating system designed by Microsoft, I wish I could snap my fingers and turn it into a Mac. This is not so much because I want to be a Mac owner; although my younger brother swears by them and insists that I would love to own one, I like my PC and really don't want to make the investment involved in buying a Mac.
The reason I'd like not to own a PC at this particular moment has to do with Microsoft, and their inconspicuous contribution to the degradation of society in a commercial, as shown later in this post.
We certainly should not expect that we are living in the days of Ward, June, Wally, and the Beav' anymore. For the most part we have come to understand that when used in the proper environment and context, obscenity can be found appropriate and relevant to to the situation at hand. For example, it would be difficult to watch a movie about mobsters without an "f-bomb" being dropped every other sentence, because that is an element of reality when dealing with organized crime. There are, of course, other 'adult' situations in which profane language can be considered acceptable as well.
My concern is the amount of adult material and obscenity that is permeating today's culture at the mainstream level. This is something that can often be extremely obvious and therefore easy for parents to monitor; other times not so much. This commercial falls into the category of the not so much. Because of the nature of today's media, children will pick up on it immediately, and because it involves a product they are very in tune with it will appear to be acceptable.
Kids use computers. In fact, in many households the children are more skilled in the use of computers than are the adults. Kids also are extremely alert and media savvy, therefore when things appear in a rapid-fire fashion it is often easy for adults to overlook them, while children are more likely to catch everything. Kids are also like parrots; they have a tendency to repeat much of what they see and hear. Naturally there are instances when this can be good (Yes Sir, Thank you), but of course other times I'm sure parents wish their children were incapable of retention at any level.
This commercial is one of those instances. Notice how, like in so many commercials today, sounds and images move so quickly that unless you are focused directly on the sights and sounds coming from your speakers and screen, you will hardly be able to tell what it is that is being advertised. However, in the midst of this sensory overload comes a word that I have personally witnessed children using, and I find it nauseating that parents allow their children to speak in this fashion.
"Friggin" is the "clean" translation for another word that describes fornication, amongst other things. Some other uses of the word may indicate pain, irritability, displeasure, and other things that can be described without obscenity. Again: environment and context are everything, and in a commercial describing a computer operating system, there is no place for the use of the word "abso-friggin-lutely."
This is a commercial that I viewed during a football game. Kids watch football, as well as other sports. This commercial may not run on Nickelodeon or Disney Channel but it certainly may run during prime-time, perhaps during an episode of "Dancing With The Stars" or "American Idol," and just like that there are thousands if not millions of little ears hearing "abso-friggin-lutely." And because it is used in a commercial for a product they know and use, the word will instantly be embedded into their vocabulary and be deemed appropriate.
Helped by a long green-flag run that established him as the dominant car, Denny Hamlin turned a dominant car into a winner at Martinsville Speedway, passing Jimmie Johnson with 138 laps to go Sunday and holding off the Chase leader on a series of late restarts.
Hamlin pulled away after a restart with 52 laps to go, ending Johnson's remarkable run of five trips to Victory Lane in the last six races at the shortest circuit in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. Hamlin then easily pulled away again on another restart with 12 laps to go, and again when a late crash forced a "green-white-checkered" two-lap sprint to the finish of the 501-lap event.
Hamlin's second career victory on the half-mile oval kept the Virginia racer as the only driver besides Johnson to win on the paper clip-shaped track in the last seven races. Hamlin won the spring race last year, and was leading when Johnson gave him the "bump-and-run" with 15 laps to go earlier this year.
Hamlin led three times for a race-high 206 laps, while Johnson led 164 circuits.
Johnson, seeking his record fourth consecutive series title, held on for second and padded his lead in the series standings with four races to go. Mark Martin remained second in the standings, but his deficit went from 90 points to 118, as he finished eighth. Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart held third and fourth positions in the overall standings with finishes of fifth and tenth place respectively, while Juan Pablo Montoya moved back into the top five in the Chase standings with a third place run. Complete standing can be found here.
Next weekend NASCAR's premiere division moves from the shortest track in the series to the longest as they travel to Talladega, Alabama. Considered by most to be the "wild-card" event in the ten race playoff, Talladega is known for its tendency to have what it called "the big one," a wreck that is caused by all 43 cars racing 3 or 4-wide within feet of each other. As they "bump-draft" down the straightaways at nearly 200mph, one mistake can take out numerous cars in a fraction of a second.
If you've never watched a NASCAR race but you love excitement, a race at Talladega is a great introduction to the sport. As an introduction to how exciting a race at Talladega can be, here are a couple of clips. First, the amazing finish there in this year's spring race:
Next, the "big one" from the chase race of 2008. The #83 car was in the second row of cars when his right front tire exploded, which sent him careening across the pack into the wall, and the entire pack of over 30 cars behind him had to scatter and hope to avoid a wreck.
The race will broadcast live on ABC, with coverage beginning at 12pm EST.
Last year's winner of the Chase race at Talladega Super-Speedway was Tony Stewart.
Last night, Rhodes Scholar, MSNBC host, and Obama lapdog Rachel Maddow went on quite a rant, describing how in her well educated opinion Fox News Channel is not news.
Maddow began by discussing the White House's "War on Fox," which by now we all understand means that they have said FNC is not a legitimate news agency. She then described how the rest of the media "does consider Fox a news agency."
She also discussed the fact that the White House tried to single out FNC and exempt them from a media pool interview with one of Obama's Czars, a request that the pool unanimously denied. Rather than recognizing and applauding this event as a victory was over those who clearly wish to repress our First Amendment rights, Maddow offered snarky commentary about how FNC was "trumpeting" this as a victory over the White House.
She then offered a fair presentation, showing how it is possible to offer an opinion and cover the news responsibly. She offered the perennial example of Walter Cronkite as he opined on Vietnam, as well as CNN's Anderson Cooper and Shep Smith from FNC and their heartfelt coverage of Katrina.
While I must say I agree with her in these instances, as well as her use of Laura Logan from CBS discussing Iraq in a negative light, I must call her out on the fact that she used examples that tug at the heart strings of her liberal choir by using these examples. Why she could not use a powerful example of a FNC reporter showing some of the bravery of our troops in Iraq or Afghanistan is obvious; while those instances exist, they would diminish the emotional effect of her point because they would be validating an issue that liberals do not agree with in principle.
Next Maddow came to the focal point of her misguided argument: the idea that Fox News Channel is somehow completely responsible for the April 15th 'Tea Party' rallies, as well as the 9/12 'March on DC' and related gatherings nationwide. Her belief, as is now the belief of all of the sheeple who watched her show last night, is that Glenn Beck and FNC actively organized these patriotic gatherings at which Americans expressed their displeasure for the behavior in Washington, DC. On more than one occasion she called these events "anti-government," which plays right into the fallacy that some patriotic Americans do not want a government; that we are anarchists who wish to pay no taxes, and that we would have others "die quickly" rather than giving them 'free' health care.
Maddow framed her entire discussion in the model of the old Sesame Street segment "One of these things is not like the other." Interestingly, as she does this she fails to mention the fact that her own employer MSNBC is a division of General Electric, which is important on a couple of levels, and that MSNBC truly is the thing that is not like the others.
First, and more important than can be expressed, is the fact that the CEO of GE, Jeffrey Immelt, is on an "economic advisory board" for President Obama which has great influence over every decision the president makes regarding our economy. It has already been discovered that Obama's budget includes plans for "climate change revenues" which will greatly benefit GE, a company that has actively planned for the enactment of "cap and trade" and has lobbied for its passage to the tune of millions of dollars. Additionally, GE employees and executives gave $1.35 million to politicians in the past election while GE’s political action committee shelled out $1.55 million. About 64 percent of this $2.9 million went to Democrats, with Obama easily the top recipient of GE money.
Additionally, it is a widely held opinion that during the 2008 election, the media openly conspired to help Barack Obama become president. Media Research Center offers information that shows 69 percent of those interviewed remain convinced that reporters try to help the candidate they want to win, and this year by a nearly five-to-one margin voters believe they are trying to help Barack Obama. Specifically, 50 percent of voters think most reporters are trying to help Obama win versus 11 percent who believe they are trying to help his Republican opponent John McCain" with 26 percent saying "reporters offer unbiased coverage.
Furthermore, Pew Research Center conducted a study regarding actual coverage over one month of the campaign. From September 8th through October 16th, Pew found that while the tone of coverage of Barack Obama was generally even (negative to positive) with a difference of about 5 percent, coverage of John McCain during the same period was incredibly biased, with only 14 percent of coverage positive and 57 percent negative.
Additionally, Pew also studied the coverage from each individual network, and offered these results:
TOTAL COVERAGE (all media added together - 2,412 stories from 48 outlets) Positive Obama Stories 36% Positive McCain Stories 14% Negative Obama Stories 29% Negative McCain Stories 57%
Specifically, breaking down coverage between these two networks:
In conclusion, while this was an interesting attempt by Rachel Maddow to carry on President Obama's apparent marginalization of Fox News Channel, Maddow's diatribe falls short in the fact department. While there are many facts that prove MSNBC has a vested interest in Barack Obama's agenda finding success, and that the media on a whole certainly promoted Obama's candidacy in a positive manner, nowhere did Maddow offer any conclusive proof that Fox did anything beyond reporting with regards to the 'Tea Party' and '9/12' rallies.
And while the discussion brought forward by Maddow had nothing to do with MSNBC individually, it is well known that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones, and MSNBC is clearly a glass house.
The operator of a La-Z-Boy chair converted into a motorized vehicle -- complete with a stereo and cup holders -- has admitted that he crashed the piece of furniture after leaving a bar in Proctor, Minn., extremely drunk.
Dennis LeRoy Anderson, 61, of Proctor, pleaded guilty Monday to hopping on the chair on the night of Aug. 31, 2008, after visiting the Keyboard Lounge, then crashing into a more traditional vehicle in the parking lot. Anderson's blood-alcohol content was 0.29 percent, more than three times the legal limit for driving in Minnesota.
Deputy Police Chief Troy Foucault said Thursday that the chair is "quite decked out." Along with the stereo and cup holders, it is driven by a converted gasoline-powered lawnmower, and has a steering wheel, headlights and a power antenna.
Foucault estimated that the La-Z-Boy can top out at 15 to 20 miles per hour. A National Hot Rod Association sticker adorns the headrest.
The chair was impounded and will be sold at the next police auction.
"We have quite a few people calling about buying it," said Foucault, who half-seriously acknowledged that he is tempted to bid on it, except that "I have kids who would take it out and drive it on the street."
Anderson admitted to police that he had been drinking at home, was leaving the bar and had drunk eight or nine beers that day before getting on the La-Z-Boy and crashing it into a Dodge Intrepid parked outside, Foucault said. Anderson was treated for minor injuries and given a field sobriety test, even though he pleaded several times with the officer to "give him a break," according to the police report.
"He failed everything," Foucault said, which led to Anderson's arrest and seizure of the chair. The officer on the scene checked Anderson's driver's license and determined that it had been revoked because of a previous drunken-driving conviction, according to police.
Every so often, the right people come together at the right place and in the right time of life, and the results are truly inspired.
In 1979 in Springfield, Missouri, guitarist Ty Tabor was a member of a band opening for Phil Keaggy and his live performing band, which included bassist Doug Pinnick and percussionist Jerry Gaskill. The drummer in Tabor's band had just quit, and since he was skilled in percussion Ty offered to fill in for that night's set. Not owning a drum kit, Tabor asked Gaskill if he might borrow his set for the night. Both bands played, and everyone went their separate ways.
Fast forward to 1980. Doug Pinnick attended a set at Evangel College where Tabor was back to his original instrument of guitar. Pinnick was impressed and asked Tabor if he would like to collaborate on some ideas. Joined on many occasions by Gaskill, the three eventually added a rhythm guitarist as a fourth member and formed a band called The Edge. Three years and a couple of fourth members later after playing primarily top 40 cover songs, the band became a trio, and changed its name to Sneak Preview.
By 1985 the three-piece band had made some connections with a record company in Houston, Texas and moved south. While in Houston, the band met Sam Taylor, then the vice president of ZZ Top's production company. Taylor became interested in promoting the band, and convinced them to change their name, and King's X was born.
Over the next three years Taylor helped the band transition from a radio friendly pop-style genre to more of an experimental and complex writing style, with influences including Sly And The Family Stone, Rush, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, and Jimi Hendrix just to name a few.
This hard work all came to fruition in 1988 as Kings X released their first full length album, Out Of The Silent Planet. While critically acclaimed by critics, Out Of The Silent Planet never made it any higher than #144 on Billboards charts. Two songs were released as singles but never garnered much attention.
In 1989 the band released what is considered by many to be their landmark album, Gretchen Goes To Nebraska. It is from this album that tonight's Friday Night Videos selection is chosen.
Over My Head is a song written by Doug Pinnick. Considered the "lead singer" of King's X, Pinnick is a long, lanky left-handed Black man who, because of his looks and musical talent, is often asked if he is related to Jimi Hendrix. With vocal skills developed in his youth as a member of a very musical Southern Baptist family, Pinnick passionately belts out an amazing range of tones with strength comparable to the likes of Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden.
Adding a strong gospel influence to his singing in Over My Head, Pinnick tells the story of his grandmother sitting on the front porch of his childhood home in Illinois. During live performances, the band brings the volume down and Pinnick speaks of his love for the woman who taught him music, helped him develop a strong relationship with God, and ultimately was the primary influence in making him the man he is today.
Witnessing a live performance by King's X is a truly inspirational event. They tend to play smaller, more intimate venues, so there's rarely a bad seat or location to stand and witness great musicianship. The friendship of the three men is evident in their performances, and each of them is extremely skilled at his invidual instrument.
King's X has released a total of 12 studio albums and one official live album. In addition, each member of the band has released their own solo album.
On a personal note, I have met the members of King's X and they are extremely courteous and appreciative of their fans. They make a point at each and every show to stay after and meet with fans outside of their tour bus, which in today's era of big arenas and big stars is quite respectable.
At a time in our existence during which we are witnessing events beyond our wildest beliefs, every so often it is good to take a deep breath, look toward the sky, give thanks for our freedom, and hear the music... Over My Head.
I've heard this rhetoric on Huffington Post in the comments section. I expect it from the Berkeley types that populate that echo chamber.
In the era of the War on the Fox News Channel, however, one might expect that other "news" agencies would consider the contemptuous remarks they allow their commentators to put out on the airwaves.
Pay specific attention to the effort Chris Matthews makes to get this statement out before the end of the segment. He was stopped by the continuing conversation more than once, but absolutely made it known where he stands regarding Conservatism.
Given the nature of the statement made by Chris Matthews in the following video, one might assume that either MSNBC has no concern for the possibility of the White House cracking down on them in the same fashion as they have on Fox News Channel, or the White House takes no issue with statements such as this.
As Fox News Channel famously says: We report, You decide.
At one time in my life, I was truly complacent and apathetic. I was not a welfare case; in fact I worked two jobs during much of my 20's and early 30's. My complacency was more a lack of concern for politics and what was happening in the world than a lifestyle or political belief system that wanted the government to support me. Therefore I believe I was at that time in my life very different than today's "Progressives" who seem to truly wish for government funded everything. The youth of today obviously have no understanding of how a nation operates, and that government does not create the wealth that funds the social programs they wish to have enacted for their benefit.
What I didn't know, because I didn't learn enough during my years in our public education system, was exactly how unique our Republic was (and still is) in history, and how absolutely vital it is that we preserve freedom. History class was boring for a 17 year old with a driver's license who was on the swim team and a had girlfriend during the early MTV era when they still really were "Music Television."
I was young and I didn't pay enough attention, but I did not understand that at the time. I'm sure the school system taught the basics well, and in the mid 80's when I graduated high school the liberal takeover was not in full effect so I don't think I was taught this revisionist crap they're offering today. I now very much appreciate the high school education I received, as I know full well I developed my "3 R's" better during those years than many are able to, after a full four year Bachelor's degree curriculum.
However, during that time in my life I did learn a great deal about our political system and how Washington, D.C. operates, because I had a very engaging teacher in my Government class. For this I am extremely grateful, as now there is so much happening with regards to our Constitution, and it is so very important to have a handle on what the discussions are all about. I also thoroughly enjoy engaging "Progressives" about issues of The Constitution, because they haven't a clue and I help them find one - even when it is against their will.
I had the great fortune of taking a field trip my senior year to go see Ronald Reagan at a campaign rally in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, just one month or so before the 1984 election. The location was remarkable, as we were surrounded by the tall buildings of the city, and Reagan's words reflected off the walls, creating a slight echo effect. What a thrill that was, even for a young man who didn't understand the history of the moment.
We truly are the "Shining city on a hill" that Reagan spoke of, and as he also said in that famous speech -
"We are told every day that the assembly-line worker is becoming a dull-witted robot and that mass production results in standardization. Well, there isn't a socialist country in the world that would not give its copy of Karl Marx for our standardization."
I wrote this tonight because I was inspired by a post over at Opus #6's great blog, MAINFO. This post presents some fascinating statistics regarding our nation's population. If you don't believe we are still a center-right nation, this information will give you hope. At the same time, the simple fact is that there was just enough shift in the balance to cause the election to the office of president the most radical person ever. I believe this post will both frighten and inspire you, and it is truly a worthy read.
As broadcast on CNN today, as well as reported on by Msnbc.com's Keva Andersen, First Lady Michelle Obama spun a hula hoop around her waist a documented (as in somebody actually counted) 142 times before it hit the ground.
Recently I wrote about a meeting of world leaders that is scheduled to take place in Copenhagen in December 2009. I also have written about what Lord Monckton had to say while talking with Glenn Beck, as they discussed the treaty that is expected to be discussed and signed by leaders at this meeting.
Today I offer an "advertisement" that was produced by the government of Great Britain, showing a father reading his daughter a bedtime story. In this tall tale, puppies drown and rabbits are left without water to drink because of rising CO2 levels.
Either the little girl in this "advertisement" is an extremely good actress, or they really have their message down, because as the story is told the expression on the little girl's face becomes more one of despair than the original joy one would expect from a child as her Daddy read her a bedtime story.
While this is a situation taking place on foreign soil, this is not a foreign concept to Americans. In 2007 The Washington Post did a very interesting piece on how parents are having to find productive outlets for their 8-year-olds' obsessions with dying polar bears. Teachers say enrollment in high school and college environmental studies classes is doubling year after year. And psychologists say they're seeing an increasing number of young patients preoccupied by a climactic Armageddon.
In the 1970's people were lead to believe that the world was doomed to freeze due to "Global Cooling." For the past 20 or more years the name of the Earth's doom has changed from "Global Warming" to "Climate Change," and now in America, we have President Obama discussing the idea that if we do not provide "Environmental Justice" we are sure to destroy Mother Earth.
Now we have the government of one of the world's leading nations producing propaganda that shows a big "Carbon Monster" hovering over the land, leaving a little girl asking if there will be a happy ending. When it comes "Climate Change" propaganda, the only happy ending will be the day this type of scare tactic ceases to exist.
KFYI News is reporting that Peoria police are looking for a Glendale man who allegedly ran over his 20-year-old daughter and another woman in the Department of Economic Security parking lot Tuesday.
Faleh Hassan Almaleki, 48, was reportedly angry at his daughter, Noor Faleh Almaleki, for becoming 'too westernized' and not living according to their traditional Iraqi values.
Both women have been hospitalized. The daughter of the suspect had life-threatening injuries.
The other victim, Amal Edan Khalaf, had less serious injuries. Khalaf is the mother of Almaleki's boyfriend.
Faleh Hassan Almaleki was last seen in a Grey or silver 2000 Jeep grand Cherokee, Arizona License ADS-9192
Anyone with information can call SILENT WITNESS or the Peoria Police Tip Line at 623.773.7045.
In the following video clip, Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC displays for all Americans the reason why the Obama administration is raising such concerns about Fox News Channel and their apparent inability to report in an objective manner.
As she interviews Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, notice the clear neutrality with which Ms. Mitchell presents the interview, as she does not at all attempt to persuade her audience to hold a belief in any direction.
Fox News Channel would be well served to take notice of Ms. Mitchell's professionalism and journalistic ethics.
CBS News is reporting that President Barack Obama received his seasonal flu shot this afternoon.
It appears that only one reporter was needed to write this hard-hitting piece, as the other members of the First Family had already been vaccinated for the flu this year.
There was a huge sigh of relief throughout much of the media as news of this event traveled from CBS to the other news agencies. Chris Matthews reported once again having that tingle up his leg.
However, there is still great concern at MSNBC and the New York Times, as since the president is a healthy adult with no underlying conditions, he does not fall into the priority group to receive the H1N1 flu shot just yet.
Further investigation found Arianna Huffington weeping with joy as she learned that CBS is reporting he intends to get it once it is available to the general population, and Evan Thomas of Newsweek was heard to be praising God.
Lord Monckton served as a policy adviser to Margaret Thatcher. He has repeatedly challenged AlGore to a debate to which AlGore has refused. Monckton sued to stop AlGore's film "An Inconvenient Truth" from being shown in British schools due to its inaccuracies. The judge found in-favor of Monckton, ordering 9 serious errors in the film to be corrected. Lord Monckton travels internationally in an attempt to educate the public about the myth of global warming.
CNN is reporting that The Reverend Al Sharpton and his lawyers say they are preparing to file a defamation lawsuit against conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for an op-ed published Saturday, which Sharpton alleges "erroneously" characterizes his (Sharpton's) role in a string of violent incidents in New York in the early 90's.
In the op-ed published in Saturday's Wall Street Journal Limbaugh writes Sharpton "played a leading role in the 1991 Crown Heights riot (he called neighborhood Jews ‘diamond merchants’) and 1995 Freddie's Fashion Mart riot."
The Crown Heights riot began after a Hasidic Rabbi accidently struck and killed an African American boy with his car. The boy died from the injuries–sparking four nights of riots. The Rabbi was not charged, but Sharpton played a large role in rallying on behalf of the young boy’s family and the African American community.
According to a statement put out by Sharpton’s media consultant, a study New York Governor Mario Cuomo commissioned showed Sharpton was not involved in the Crown Heights incident until after the rioting concluded.
"Mr. Limbaugh's blatant and defamatory statements regarding the Crown Heights Riots falsely give the impression that Rev. Sharpton was present during the violence that occurred when in reality he had been called in by the family after the violence," Sharpton’s statement says.
On a cold night under the bright lights, in front of the "hometown" for virtually all of NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson and Team #48 once again showed why they are the three-time defending champions of stock car racing's premier circuit, as Johnson once again started from the pole position, led the most laps and drove to victory in the "Bank of America 500."
The first team to start from the pole position and win the race in 27 years at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, North Carolina, crew chief Chad Knaus' crew performed at its best when it counted the most, as they changed two right-side tires and jumped out just in front of Kasey Kahne in the #9 car on the "money stop." After a few caution flags which caused incredible restarts, Jeff Gordon in the #24 car passed the #48 on the final restart in an unbelievable duel between teammates, but just three laps later Johnson took the lead away from Gordon and drove away to take the checkered flag.
Since the inception of the Chase format in 2004, Team #48 is now the first team to ever win three of the first five races in the ten-race battle for the championship. Johnson now has driven to a series leading six victories in the 2009 campaign, and has opened up a 90 point lead on second place Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin. Fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammate driver, and co-owner of the #48 car Jeff Gordon jumped up two spots in the overall Chase standings to third, 138 behind the leader. Tony Stewart fell to 155 points of the leader but maintained fourth place in the standings, with Kurt Busch moving up one position to round out the top five.
Next week the competition moves to the half-mile 'paperclip' at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Virginia. The winner of the race at Martinsville last year was Jimmie Johnson.
Appearing in the Wall Street Journal today is an Op-Ed written by Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh offers fact and opinion in a concise piece aimed at bringing the facts to the forefront, while shedding light on the behavior of those who have called him racist or questioned his moral qualifications to be part owner of an NFL franchise.
"[...] It didn't take long before my name was selectively leaked to the media as part of the Checketts investment group. Shortly thereafter, the media elicited comments from the likes of Al Sharpton. In 1998 Mr. Sharpton was found guilty of defamation and ordered to pay $65,000 for falsely accusing a New York prosecutor of rape in the 1987 Tawana Brawley case. He also played a leading role in the 1991 Crown Heights riot (he called neighborhood Jews "diamond merchants") and 1995 Freddie's Fashion Mart riot.
"Not to be outdone, Jesse Jackson, whose history includes anti-Semitic speech (in 1984 he referred to Jews as "Hymies" and to New York City as "Hymietown" in a Washington Post interview) chimed in. He found me unfit to be associated with the NFL. I was too divisive and worse. I was accused of once supporting slavery and having praised Martin Luther King Jr.'s murderer, James Earl Ray."
I have seen over the last day or two posts by The Conservative Lady and Opus #6 at MAINFO regarding President Obama's plan to travel to Copenhagen this December to sign the "Treaty of Copenhagen."
On this page it is overwhelmingly evident that this is a plan for "One World Governance," something President Obama is clearly in support of, given his position on "Climate Change" and "Redistribution of wealth" as chronicled by many observers, including yourhumblehost.
I have linked to the pages offered by Opus and TCL (click their names above) - please read them and learn what you can from their offerings. I also offer this page, which is a link I found on the aforementioned UN page. To me the part of this page that gives it all away is written as follows:
The message from this Summit is clear -- the Copenhagen deal must be comprehensive, and ensure:
Enhanced action to assist the most vulnerable and the poorest to adapt to the impacts of climate change; Ambitious emission-reduction targets for industrialized countries; Nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing countries with the necessary support; Significantly scaled-up financial and technological resources; and An equitable governance structure.
Sound vaguely familiar?
****UPDATE****
Because you might miss it, or for those who don't read all the way through all the links (and there are a few) here is a link to the treaty as written on September 15, 2009. If you go to this .pdf and look on the right hand side you will see it all ties in with the UN link I provided in my original piece.
In 1984, a somewhat obscure yet very experienced band called Talking Heads, in coordination with film producer Jonathan Demme, created a phenomenal piece of history in the form of a live concert movie called Stop Making Sense.
Talking Heads had been together for about ten years at the time they produced Stop Making Sense. Not known in the 'pop' music scene, they were quite popular within an underground circle who found their music on "College Radio" stations. These often were exactly what their name states - radio stations operated by college campuses. Other times they were stations with less powerful signal strength, with little funding, that often opted to offer play lists not from the mainstream of current music. In the 80's these stations were quite popular, as both 'punk' and 'heavy metal' aficionados of the day searched for more obscure bands to follow.
David Byrne, Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth first started playing music together as members of a band called The Artistics in 1974. The Artistics dissolved within a year, and the three moved to New York, eventually sharing an apartment. Unable to find a bass player in New York City, Frantz encouraged Weymouth to learn to play bass, and shortly thereafter they played their first gig as "Talking Heads," opening for the Ramones at CBGB on June 8, 1975.
Over the years, the band received great critical acclaim, but failed to create much excitement in the pop music scene. This all changed in 1984, when in theaters nationwide music lovers witnessed the eccentric Byrne, nearly swimming in an over-sized off-white suit, standing on a stage by himself, with only an acoustic guitar and a boom box. The introductory song to the film, Physcho Killer, locked viewers in for an 88 minute festival of song and dance. As each song closed, more instruments and additional band members joined Byrne on the stage, until finally the entire band was performing before enthralled audiences.
The film was a critical and box office success, and was the highlight of the career of Talking Heads. The band went on to create more music, but eventually disbanded (officially) in 1991.
One of the highlights of this film was the song "Slippery People." With lyrics that lead one to believe the song may be about murder or suicide, it is a somewhat haunting, yet thoroughly enchanting tune that displays the fun side of Talking Heads in their prime.
And so, at a time in which it seems that all we have in our political world is a bunch of "slippery people" - enjoy.
There are forces at work behind the scenes on the left in the race war that is taking place in America today. Currently at the center of this discrimination is radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh.
In the following video, Bill O'Reilly discusses the situation involving Limbaugh and the National Football League. Rush was invited by Dave Checketts, the owner of the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League, to be an investor in the St. Louis Rams. The two guests, Juan Williams and Warren Ballentine, took very opposite sides of the discussion. Williams presented the more rational side of the discussion, explaining that there were statements being attributed to Limbaugh that were not true, yet because of the power of the media were seeming to be true. Meanwhile Ballentine very much sided with the politically correct agenda, saying essentially that guilt by association was in play in this case, and that just because Limbaugh didn't say those specific things does not mean he is not a racist.
During the entirety of debate, as well as the specific discussion in the video, one extremely important figure has been the Executive Director of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith. Smith has been extremely vocal in his opposition to Limbaugh, saying "[...] I understand that this ownership consideration is in the early stages. But sport in America is at its best when it unifies, gives all of us reason to cheer, and when it transcends. Our sport does exactly that when it overcomes division and rejects discrimination and hatred."
Notice additionally, at approximately the 9:00 mark of the following video, during the discussion of the "Barack The Magic Negro" parody done by Paul Shanklin and played on Limbaugh's show, how Warren Ballentine tells Juan Williams "It's okay, you can go back to the porch, Juan," which in the Black community is reference to being a "House Negro."
On a personal note, last Sunday (October 11, 2009) I was watching ESPN after witnessing my beloved Broncos take an overtime victory against the New England Patriots. The Limbaugh topic came up, and Chris Mortenson made a comment, to the effect of not understanding "Why someone would be caught hanging out with the likes of Limbaugh." Unfortunately I can not find video to authenticate what I witnessed, but I did immediately write a letter to ESPN, which read as follows:
"I was watching Sportscenter and trying to enjoy the highlights when the football commentary crew began commenting on the Rams ownership situation, and the fact that Rush Libmaugh is part of a potential group of buyers. Somebody (I think it was Mortensen) made some snide remark about why someone would be caught hanging out with the likes of Limbaugh. ESPN is a sports network, if I want to hear that leftist political crap I'll turn on MSNBC. Tell the crew to discuss the facts only please."
I will credit ESPN in that they did offer a reply, which read:
"Thank you for contacting us and sharing your perspective. A number of our programs are designed to offer opinions of our commentators on sports news and issues of the day. There are some individuals who have expressed concerns about Rush Limbaugh being the owner of an NFL team. We understand that viewers sometimes can disagree with the opinions of our commentators. Nevertheless, we feel it is important to represent a range of perspectives regarding key issues of this nature. We appreciate having the opportunity to respond to your concerns."
However, let the record show that tonight in my post, I linked to an article written by the same Chris Mortensen, which was 'updated' on October 12 at 11:15AM. This article makes mention of many of the popular accusations against Limbaugh, yet at no point mentions the relationship between DeMaurice Smith and the Obama administration.
I was able to find these connections very easily by doing simple Google searches, and all of my results were found within the top five hits. Mortensen is a paid Journalist for ESPN, owned by the ABC Network and Disney Corporation. I am an average American citizen.
I will be replying to ESPN, including a link to my blog post with the facts as they are known.
