I hope what I have lived is my life

As the days grow shorter, I grow more wistful, and more desirous to concentrate my efforts on the things/notions/activities that speak to me, to my soul; To define my own measure of success - for me - and pursue it. I'm reaching an age where "biding my time" makes less and less sense. I so appreciate the clarity I have for the things that matter - to me. I am increasingly intolerant of the things that do not matter - to me. I celebrate the increasing wisdom with age. I lament the diminishing energy with age. I am increasingly taken with the poignant beauty of perfect matches ... - musical notes to words - skills to tasks - soulmates. I yearn.

How to be (mostly) happy

I will share with you one of the biggest practical keys to being (mostly) happy.

Of the things that you most enjoy to do, identify and then train yourself to focus on the ones that cannot be 'rationed' by someone else (reading - for pleasure or for learning, running, playing a musical instrument, exercise). If the activity is something that cannot really be practiced by yourself (sex, tennis, judo, ?), then you must create a scenario can still protects you from rationing. For example, if your jones is sex (and you're a male), then don't get married. If it's tennis, then join a club that you can go to and always find a partner to play with.

If your jones is money, then make sure that you can make enough money to support your activities/desires.

If your jones involves activities that require groups, then make sure you hook up with a group of like-minded people.

Over the long haul, rationing is frustrating. If you can avoid those scenarios, you'll be able to pursue your jones with concentrated gusto to the (mostly) full extent that you want.

Archery

A jug of water, a loaf of bread, and thou.

What a difference 17 months makes

Well, I've been emailing a LOT, but not blogging. As my March 2010 post predicted, what a disaster the aftermath of Obamacare's ratification by a Super Majority Democratic congress has been - and the worst parts of Obamacare haven't even begun to kick in yet!

Let's see, job growth - since Obamacare passed - has plummeted from 60k jobs a month (still a pathetic number) to 6k a month (a result that is disastrous beyond description), we're another 3Trillion$$$ in debt, gold is up from $1100/oz to over $1800/oz, the dollar has plummeted another 15%, etc.

The government is lying to us about inflation, too (big Surprise!). It's closer to 7%, not the 2% to which they'll admit.

Businesses aren't going to borrow/risk/invest their money on new plant/equipment/personnel until they believe they will have a clear/stable/predictable/supportive environment of taxes and minimal government regulation/involvement. It's just that simple.

On the upside, personally, I've taken up Olympic style target Archery, and taken to it like a duck to water - what a great sport! Quiet but social; quite physical, but low impact/non injurious; analytical but relaxing; competitive but friendly; quid pro quo effort in/results out.

Bye Bye Miss American Pie

Not a good day to be a taxpayer.

March 21, 2010 ... the day the takers in America achieved critical mass. It's downhill from here, baby - full speed ahead - next stop National Bankruptcy.

Condolensces in advance

to Progressives - the torch bearers of Marx, Lenin, and Mussolini. You lost again. Get ready to watch the upcoming new reality show "We the People" (playing out in New Media and election booths all over the country this Fall) as traditional Americans take back their country, inherited from the Founding Fathers.

The Hurt Locker

is a really, really, really good movie. Honest, spare, truthful, painful, tense. The protaganist is a true warrior, and a hero.

Highly recommended for serious people.

Peggy Noonan too generous (or naive)

Peggy Noonan writes that President Obama, in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize, should 'deflect the limelight and make the speech not about himself' .... is there a single 'adult' who believes there's any possibility that Obama won't make it about himself?

But then she goes further, and says he should make it a loving speech about America ... which would be great ... except that BO hates the America that Peggy has written of so beautifully in the past. He's in the process of trying to hobble, hamstring, and humiliate this most noble of experiments.

Not make it about himself? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ..... must ..... stop ..... laughing ....

Question: What is a Nut?

Answer: ACORN

http://www.breitbart.tv/shock-undercover-video-shows-acorn-workers-advising-pimp-prostitute-to-avoid-law/

this is how Obama's beloved 'community organizers' work ....

More Peggy, More Fog

An excerpt from Peggy Noonan's latest ..

"from a new
president who doesn’t strut and doesn’t swagger but does have a level
of 1950s cool, Old Vegas cool, of supreme and confident smoothness"

'who doesn't strut and doesn't swagger' ... Is she kidding? Is she drinking heavily? Is she watching the same guy I'm watching? Can't be.

I mean ... when I reread that sentence in a test tube, it suggests a teenager talking about her matinee idol. Yeeesh.

Star Parker - a Star in Every Sense of the Word

Back on Uncle Sam's plantation
Star Parker - Syndicated Columnist




Six years ago I wrote a book called Uncle Sam's Plantation. I wrote the book to tell my own story of what I saw living inside the welfare state and my own transformation out of it.

I said in that book that indeed there are two Americas -- a poor America on socialism and a wealthy America on capitalism.

I talked about government programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS), Emergency Assistance to Needy Families with Children (EANF), Section 8 Housing, and Food Stamps.

A vast sea of perhaps well-intentioned government programs, all initially set into motion in the 1960s by Democrats, that were going to lift the nation's poor out of poverty.

A benevolent Uncle Sam welcomed mostly poor black Americans onto the government plantation. Those who accepted the invitation switched mindsets from "How do I take care of myself?" to "What do I have to do to stay on the plantation?"

Instead of solving economic problems, government welfare socialism created monstrous moral and spiritual problems -- the kind of problems that are inevitable when individuals turn responsibility for their lives over to others.

The legacy of American socialism is our blighted inner cities, dysfunctional inner city schools, and broken black families.

Through God's grace, I found my way out. It was then that I understood what freedom meant and how great this country is.

I had the privilege of working on welfare reform in 1996 which was passed by a Republican controlled Congress.

I thought we were on the road to moving socialism out of our poor black communities and replacing it with wealth-producing American capitalism.

But, incredibly, we are now going in the opposite direction.

Instead of poor America on socialism becoming more like rich American on capitalism, rich America on capitalism is becoming like poor America on socialism.

Uncle Sam has welcomed our banks onto the plantation and they have said, "Thank you, Suh."

Now, instead of thinking about what creative things need to be done to serve customers, they are thinking about what they have to tell Massah in order to get their cash.

There is some kind of irony that this is all happening under our first black president on the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Abraham Lincoln.

Worse, socialism seems to be the element of our new young president. And maybe even more troubling, our corporate executives seem happy to move onto the plantation.

In an op-Ed on the opinion page of the Washington Post, Mr. Obama is clear that the goal of his trillion dollar spending plan is much more than short term economic stimulus.

"This plan is more than a prescription for short-term spending -- it's a strategy for America's long-term growth and opportunity in areas such as renewable energy, healthcare, and education."

Perhaps more incredibly, Obama seems to think that government taking over an economy is a new idea. Or that massive growth in government can take place "with unprecedented transparency and accountability."

Yes, sir, we heard it from Jimmy Carter when he created the Department of Energy, the Synfuels Corporation, and the Department of Education.

Or how about the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 -- The War on Poverty -- which President Johnson said "...does not merely expand old programs or improve what is already being done. It charts a new course. It strikes at the causes, not just the consequences of poverty."

Trillions of dollars later, black poverty is the same. But black families are not, with triple the incidence of single-parent homes and out-of-wedlock births.

It's not complicated. Americans can accept Barack Obama's invitation to move onto the plantation. Or they can choose personal responsibility and freedom.

Does anyone really need to think about what the choice should be?

"The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money."

Roses Smell Wonderful, and Are Beautiful

READ THIS VERY SLOWLY.... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word 'refrigeration' mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, 'How about going to lunch in a half hour? She would gas up and stammer, 'I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain.' And my personal favorite: 'It's Monday.' She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Jimmy toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to,' 'I plan on,' and 'Someday, when things are settled down a bit.'

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process.. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker.. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now.. go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to... not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butter fly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask, 'How are you,' do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, 'We'll do it tomorrow.' Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say 'Hi?'

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift.... Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower.. Hear the music before the song is over.

To those I have sent this to.... I cherish our friendship and appreciate all you do.

'Life may not be the party we hoped for.. but while we are here we might as well dance!

Peggy Noonan is "Shocked to Find Gambling at Ricks"

Peggy Noonan writes ... "The president seemed like a man long celebrated as being very good at politics—the swift rise, the astute reading of a varied electorate—who is finding out day by day that he isn’t actually all that good at it. " ....

Really? That's a surprising revelation to her? Good Lord, what nice rose-colored glasses you have, Peggy.

Other than the fact that you were enamored with BO's alleged writing prowess (and his pandering to an electorate that is so unanchored from a God-based belief system that they were ripe for any fast-talking traveling salesman who passed by) what in his background (which is a pretty small sampling, to be sure, considering how much of this guy's past is covered up and hidden) suggested to you that he would be good at running a fruit stand, much less the Presidency? And that doesn't even take into account the observation that this guy has a mean streak and a larcenous, ungenerous soul - obvious to everyone that didn't vote for him, and becoming obvious to many many more with each passing week.

It's possible to bet one's future by walking over to the roulette wheel, betting it all on '24 black', and having the outcome that you hope to have ... but it's not an action taken after grownup discernment and thinking.

While we're not all guilty that this guy is the President (although given the momentous negative ramifications of this guy's actions, it's a very small consolation), we are all going to regret this President ... you might regret it more than some, but you won't be alone.

Home From the Hill

M,

Home from the Hill

I thought it was such a big, all encompassing story. For me, it was like watching a tense, low scoring baseball game - lots of contemplation, quiet drama under the surface, tension that you knew would erupt if you took your eyes off the field.

It was a study of how each person handled his or her personal misfortune (his/her charge of his/her wild boar). Each of them suffered from a big hurt, but each one handled his/her hurt differently. Some with stoicism (Wade and Hanna .... ironically, both Wade and Hanna treated their big hurts - his big hurt was the love of his life, Hanna, freezing him out; and her big hurt was the love of her life giving away his 'charms' to a gin ginny and fathering a child out of wedlock - with stoicism, ego, and pride); some with noble Don Quixote attempts to right unrightable wrongs (Theron trying to make things right for Rafe - although Theron was also guilty of a whiny guilt syndrome); some not being able to forgive others human fraility (Hanna couldn't/wouldn't forgive Wade, and Theron (like mother like son) couldn't/wouldn't forgive either one of them); some with overwhelming generosity and sunny resignation of a dealt hand (Rafe - what a fabulous hero ... think Dad!), and some with blind violent rage at helplessness to protect that most precious to them (Libby's dad). The irony that both Libby's dad and Theron were unable to tolerate what they perceived to be injustice perpetrated against themselves, and how high was the cost of that intolerance. The passion and drama of youth, the resignation and cynicism of dreams unrealized, the largeness of spirit displayed through acceptance, and the destructive result of cold hate - pride, love, lust, ego, anger, narcissistic indignation ... it's all there.

See, it's like the viewer is in a laboratory, watching all of these people making their choices and dealing with the consequences of those choices, all the while thinking that they have no choice, when in fact they do. All of the reactions described above are choices each of them made. And the viewer can watch the action and think to himself "which is the best choice?" Which person do I want to be like? Wade? Hanna? Theron? Libby? Rafe? Libby's dad? What would be the best choice if I was she? If I was he? Can I learn this lesson through someone else's pain and apply the lesson to my own elephant?

And how tragic that Captain Honeycutt, in death calls for the very person he would not call 'son' in life. And how poignant that Hanna loudly proclaims Rafe just that - Wade Honeycutt's son - on his tombstone ... was it generosity reflected in her act (and was there perhaps a final small act of vengeance in it, too?)? And think of how the ones who had been denied the most in the beginning of the story were the ones who gained the most at the end of it.

It's a wonderful metaphor for LIFE - it's a wonderful metaphor for the court case of the Angelic Conflict - God and his angels watching us inferior creatures down here scurring around trying to navigate through chaos (much of it caused by ourselves) and being influenced and manipulated by Satan and his fallen angels - they so desperate to contruct utopia here on Earth so as to prove God wrong.

And on a visual level, I loved some of the scenes, like when Hanna is berating Wade in his study, talking about Theron having a mind of his own, and when she thinks to strike a blow by remarking "He has a mind of his own, Wade - I gave him that. He won't come running like one of your hunting dogs." But Wade boomerangs her thrust with that deadpan look and a snap of his fingers, bringing immediately to heel two of his hunting dogs. Both of them loving Theron, but both of them using him as a pawn in their titanic test of wills with each other.

It was glorious and painful human drama well told.


well ..... you asked!

Baseball is a Metaphor for Parenting

Baseball is a great metaphor for parenting and commitment. Fans revere the players who demonstrated the commitment and grit and focus to try hard and excel over not just weeks or months or even a couple of years, but decades. We love them for their daily contributions of caring and pleasure-given to us, the fans, over the course of many many years that is a great analogy for parenting.

When a player gets inducted into the Hall of Fame, and we thrill listening to a recitation of his career numbers and achievements, most of us could substitute acknowledgments of our parents' sacrifices to us ... "she stayed up 145 nights with a sick child during her parenting career" ... "he missed 498 hours of work to watch/coach every game his son played in a 10 year schoolboy career" ... "they sacrificed their lake house dream and a trip to Europe to put their daughter through college and graduate school" ... "he waited up 112 nights till his teenage daughter was home safely for the night" ... "she worked 800 hours of overtime so that her son could have a car to take to college" ...

The greatest players - the ones who 'care the most about the game' - are the ones who understand that they have a moral responsibility to do their best because of us in the stands, and the payoff is our eternal admiration and appreciation ... just like the eternal bond between parents and children.

A Letter For The Ages

This, my friends, is what it's all about. I'm lucky to be surrounded by people who have this kind of thinking process and life view.

Thanks, Mark.
lks

From Mark G - a letter for the ages...

Well, I'm feeling motivated to write this email to my friends and family, so I suppose I'll go ahead and get it done. A few minutes ago, a lady by the name of Kim Laugherty called me. I've never me t Kim, but I knew her husband Richard. Richard owned and operated two companies. One is a cable manufacturing shop, where they make and install steel cable in commercial buildings. The other is the business Richard started first, and still spent most of his daylight hours working. It is called RDS (Rock and Dent Services). Richard had a thriving business going with car dealerships to repair chips in windshields, and dents from flying doors, or hailstones, etc. As you know, I've been known to buy a car every now and then. About 9 years ago, I purchased a new Toyota Sequoia. I drove it home and immediately wanted to hang a tennis ball from a string on the garage ceiling so I wouldn't hit the front wall of the garage while pulling in. Becky came out in the garage on her way to run errands, and saw me trying to attach the tennis ball, and saw me placing my foot on the hood of my 1 hour old Sequoia: "don't dent the hood", were the last words she said as she left. Of course, within 5 minutes I had dented the hood. In a panic I called the Toyota dealer where I had purchased the Sequoia, and their service department gave me Richard's phone # and told me he was the best guy in town to fix it. I called Richard immediately, and after hearing my story he felt so bad for me, he came straight over to my house to fix it. It was the first of many Saturday's that Richard would take time out of his theoretical "day off" to come fix some dent, rock chip, paint scrape, etc for me....and over the past 9 years, there have been a lot of them. During that time I had a lot of time to visit with Richard as he worked on my cars. He was a kindred spirit...he loved to hunt, loved his family....he loved a lot of the same things I do. We didn't do things together, but we most certainly enjoyed the time visiting when we did see each other. We had no problem thinking of things to say, or having to worry about how we were saying them. Richard was one of the hardest working & conscientious people I have ever met. He almost always worked something in to every conversation about his daughter, or his wife Kim. Richard came to my house a week ago Saturday, when I was gone for the day playing golf with my friends. He showed up.....again...to fix a rock chip in one of my car windows, and a dent in another car. As usual. he did such a remarkable job, I couldn't even see where the damage was prior to his repair. Becky gave him a nice tip, as he always deserved more than he charged me. I called him to tell him how grateful I was, and to thank him....again....for providing such excellent service to me, as he had done so many times. I don't think he often went to people's homes to do this work....he concentrated on the large volume car dealers offered him....but, I suppose I did represent a larger than average volume for an individual car owner! We chatted for a few minutes about his daughter's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and about how his business was doing. I had no idea it would be the last time I would ever talk to Richard.

I have never met Richard's wife, Kim, so when she called me this morning, I immediately was concerned that there was some sort of problem. Kim told me she was going through some of the numbers in Richard's cell phone and calling some of his good friends, and some of the people she knew Richard liked. She said he talked about me often, and always laughed when he did. She said he truly seemed to enjoy coming to work on my vehicles, as he enjoyed visiting with me.....but I assure you, not as much as I enjoyed visiting with him. I so wish now that I had been home when he came to my house that last time. Kim then told me Richard had been killed Friday morning in an auto accident on Rayford road in The Woodlands. A girl was texting on her phone, pulled out and broad-sided the truck Richard was riding in. He was a passenger, and did have his seat belt on. But it was apparently a violent accident, as it rolled the truck, almost tore the roof off, and threw Richard from the vehicle...he died instantly.

I'm writing this, and have include you on this email for a reason. You are a good friend, or a cousin, or brother-in-law, or a niece, or a nephew, or an aunt, or an uncle, or a mom, or a dad, or a wife, or a daughter....you are someone very special to me. I want this to be a wake up call for all of us that life is an incredible gift, freely given to us from God. Our lives are of great value. As such, I hope we all make as much from them as Richard did. Richard was making his life count....he was making a difference. He worked two businesses, with very little time for himself, so he could provide a great life for his wife and daughter. He did his work with great effort, and a lot of pride. There was very little idle time in Richard's life. This should also be a wake up call for us all that we are not guaranteed the next breath, much less tomorrow. Make every day count...give your best effort, and use the talents God gave you to your utmost ability.....take time to help other people, even when it is an inconvenience for you.....and tell the people you love that you love them, because you may not be able to do that tomorrow. If you are reading this, please know that you are a person I love. Finally, if you don't know the one true God who placed you on this earth for a divine purpose, please, please, please seek Him out....if you seek Him, you will find Him. Let me know if you want to talk about it....it's my favorite subject!

When I get details about the funeral arrangements for Richard, I will pass them on. I am hoping there will be some sort of scholarship fund established for Richard's 11 year old daughter. If you feel led to help, I can assure you there is no more deserving man you could help in this regard, than Richard Laugherty. And one last wake up call for all of us....cell phones and driving are every bit as dangerous as drinking and driving....so lets hang up and drive.

Jesse James - a man after my own heart

the motorcycle builder who started West Coast Choppers, has made millions and millions, and it married to Sandra Bullock (mine) ... said this in an interview with Bike magazine ....

"I like cutting and welding, thinking about a project or a chickenshit bracket for a carb. I build it in my mind then I do it on autopilot, my hands working all the machines. Bouncing like a bee on a beehive, just making it happen. All this other stuff, TV shows, Top Fuel, you know, Ferraris, it's all b.s. I was put on this earth to weld and make stuff. God gave me a gift to weld and beat metal. I am good at it.

When I was hungry and wanted all this stuff, stuff was my goal, amassing all this stuff. I've had seven Ferraris, a Lamborghini, a Bentley and all these things, and I've gotten rid of them all. Getting all these material things is fleeting. It doesn't fill your soul up. Now my goals are to make projects and teach myself a new talent and skill, like a battle within my brain. All that other b.s. was for everybody else, it wasn't for me. Now my success is defined by what I prove to myself."

This guy is singing a melody that soothes my soul.

Col. Thieme and the power of ideas and words

I still get chills when I remember how Col. Thieme began every Bible class (quoted here from memory) .....

The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints and the marrow, and is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

Open the Word of Truth this evening to ...

www.berachah.org

Thanks, Mom! Many people have become ICE students/witnesses as result of you putting those tapes on reel to reel, and playing them at ear-busting volume levels on the stereo while you were doing housework, I can close my eyes and I'm 9 years old again, playing football or baseball or riding bikes out front, and hearing those teachings blaring on the stereo

ByeBye American Pie; Hello Banana Cream

Bananas always form the same way, and take the same shape ...

1. Cult of Personality
(250,000 in Berlin; 80,000 acceptance speech; 2 million on Washington Monument square, chanting "O-bam-ah", "O-bam-ah")
2. Nationalization and Economic Stagnation
(too obvious to explain)
3. Censorship
(Fairness Doctrine, which is a veiled measure to censure conservative talk radio)
4. Refutation of laws and due process
(Congressional 'retroactive, punitive, and specific targeted 90% tax on AIG bonuses)

Alas, poor USA, we knew and loved thee well.

LG,let me highlight for you how colored is the lens through which you see everything .... please re-read my message and point out to me exactly where I was injecting Democrat bashing? There is no mention of parties, only that the House of Representatives is acting like a banana republic. Your knee-jerk response "Republicans are acting just as badly as Democrats!" is pretty funny, really.

But more to the point is that far more than "how most Americans were totally ignorant of the excesses of Wall Street until these bailouts" is how ignorant this administration - primarily - and the entire government on both sides - a close second - continues to be ignorant of almost everything concerning this entire mess. These bonuses (and I'm no friend of these fat ass corp execs) were contracted almost a year ago, and were INCLUDED IN THE STIMULUS BILL THAT YOUR MAN BARACK VOTED FOR LAST FALL, and the checks were sent out AFTER the current administration released yet another $30billion to AIG. So it's a little disingenuous for Obama to now be outraged at these bonuses (maybe the lesson here is that politicians of all persuasions should actually read and know what the flaming hell they're proposing/voting for) - and also disingenuous for these politicians (Reps and Dems) to be screaming foul (for example, I don't hear Senator Dodd offering to give back the $170,000 that AIG filled his campaign coffers with recently. If there are Reps that have been the recipient of significant AIG campaign donations, then that goes for them too).

Thirdly, I know you're a skilled debater and argument weaver, but you're being a little lazy/sloppy here, and also inappropriate I think. A flippant throw away line is not only inadequate, it's out of place. I sent this to about 20 AMERICANS, both Reps and Dems. The ramifications of whether AIG execs are offensive, the bonuses are offensive, and that Tim Geithner is incompetant are of no lasting consequence - as isn't Franklin Raines making $90million off of bonuses by Fannie Mae in 6 years, while he and Fannie did the lion's share of getting us into this mess (the dogs bark, but the caravan moves on).
But the precedent of a body of Congress (having voted on and passed the bill that allowed the bonuses) now targeting a very specific group of American workers who have committed no crimes through a 'special specific vindictive usurious tax' has HUGE potential minefields for all kinds of things, most notably the impact on future Freedom of Speech. Think about it LG, as a practical matter (forget about the ethical side of the question, for which the partisan lens won't allow a super-rosa discussion) do you think that Democrats are going to hold the White House and both houses of Congress forever? Even for the rest of your lifetime? Do you really want this kind of precedent put in place if that leverage is then going to be applied in the future by a Republican Congress and/or White House? My God - the government of the United States of America is populated by a frightening number of people of completely unsatisfactory capabilities and brainpower. THINK.

Finally, 'this' isn't supposed to be a democracy (thank God!). It's supposed to be a Republic (though probably not really in practice anymore), and the Founding Fathers were very very focused on making sure that it was a Republic, to prevent exactly this kind of populism rule - which this government certainly now is.

No need to respond. I'm not going to spend this year trying to out-sing Pavarotti or out-screech monkeys or out-yowl cats (pick your preferred metaphor). But there are bigger issues here that warrant more serious thought than everyone trying to out-sound bite someone else on every issue that comes up - some things should transcend Jon Stewart and his little sniffing-lip barbs.

Best Regards,

lks


At 03:01 PM 3/19/2009, you wrote:

Gotta say, though Larry, Republicans are jumping on the populist "Off with their heads" bandwagon with equal fervor as Democrats. And the likes of Grassley will only be satisfied with the actual heads of these executives.
What is amazing to me is how most Americans were totally ignorant of the excesses of Wall Street until these bailouts. Not to worry, though, the populace doesn't rule this democracy - never has, probably never will.


Subject
targeted taxation will pave the road for the loss of Freedom of Speech




House slaps tax on AIG pay
Responding to outrage over AIG payouts, House approves bill that would impose 90% tax on those bonuses.
*******************************************

Guys, this is "targeted taxation" ... it's what third world dictators do. Our country is being run like a banana republic. An average 8th grader could look at this and have his blood run cold.

Once this precedent is set (the govt using the IRS to target individuals it doesn't like), how quickly will Freedome of Speech fall?

Here is Who's Coming

think he doesn't deserve a little more enthusiasm than name, rank, and serial #?
HERE.

FITNA - The film that is causing such an uproar among the liberal media

and among Muslims. People serious about the future of the world they know owe it to themselves and their children - in my opinion - to watch this film.

HERE.

Card Check is Card Dealing That Woulda Got You Shot in the Old West

HERE.

These two paragraphs tell you all you need to know about this blatant attempt to steal the freedom of employees and businesses.

Winds of War

John and Jeanette,

I can feel the gentle breeze that announces the coming winds of global war. It's the 30's all over again. The intellectuals never learn anything useful (because of their arrogance, not lack of brain power), and their pinheaded dithering (followed in lockstep by the media) always leads us down this path, where the only thing that will save the forest is a forest fire.

What a tragedy in the making, and us (as individuals) so helpless to stop it.

George McGovern - Failed Business Owner "I had no idea about all the TAXES!"

HERE

this is beyond ironic ... just another smart Democrat getting a taste of the business end of the world he helped to create ...

Why Dems Can't Now Take a Hands Off

you made some reasoned observations, M. But no Obama voters get a pass - they voted, so they take responsibility for the consequences of that vote.

80% of Dems approve of B.O.'s policy efforts so far. So when I 'rail' against the Dems, it's the 80% I'm railing against (which is a pretty big chunk of them, no?)

"Conservative Democrat" .... what does that mean?

She sent on to you a flaming hit piece from NOW slamming Palin after her nomination by McCain.

Anyone who voted for Obama bears the responsibility for the outcomes of his policies. Anyone who was interested in knowing the facts of each candidate had the information available - not addressing the facts then isn't a very good defense now or in the future.

To vote for Obama, one needed to be one of 8 or 9 things:

- a casual sloppy "I'm a Democrat who is ignorant of the issues and beliefs of my candidate" citizen
- a one issue voter (abortion, getting out of Iraq, closing Guantanamo, stemcell research, etc) who puts his/her one pet cause above the overriding welfare of the American populace as a whole
- a short sighted voter (Repub or Dem or Ind) who became worn down and exhausted mentally from the "Bash Bush" campaign by the media the last 7 years
- a communist and/or socialist (both of which have robust parties in the US, and both of which are big Obama supporters)
- a practicing Muslim (the exceptions are few and far between)
- a frivolous human who considered nothing seriously, but thought it would be 'cool' to be part of an historic vote
- an 'intellectual' Republican who was enamored by Obama's color, his 'presentation of somber deliberation', his ability as a writer, and thus whistled irresponsibly past the graveyard of his very clear belief system and vision of the world he wants (Black liberation theology, 'economic justice', etc).

Yes, I sent out many many pieces of information that clearly described his belief system, based upon his words and his actions. Democrats weren't sending out stuff like that about McCain because there was nothing to send out - he's a loyal American, a war hero, a committed longterm public servant, an experienced savvy foreign policy student - in short, a 'known' quantity. That he was not a slick, skilled salesman of the conservative voice is hardly an excuse for voting for "the most liberal member of the Senate" who clearly believes in income redistribution, forcing the productive to get on their knees in order to be at eye level with the non-productive (his constituency). I wasn't happy with McCain as the candidate (knowing we needed a formidable contender to turn back the huge momentum of the Obama campaign, fueled by the media juggernaut, millions of illegal immigrants, and hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign contributions), but to my eye he certainly was the only candidate who could/would come close to protecting our Founding Father's heritage and legacy of a Free, God fearing Republic.

It was no secret what Obama was, and his current actions are just confirmation of his past actions and beliefs. To claim over the next 4 or 8 years that "We're shocked! Shocked!" will be a disingenuous position for Dems and other 2008 Obama supporters to take.

At 02:18 PM 3/10/2009, you wrote:
It's possible she's NOT so much an Obama supporter as a Democrat. She said there was a reason she switched from being a Repub to being a Dem - something to do with her airline job long ago.
I think she's a conservative Dem rather than an left-wing Obama devotee, but she hated Bush (as did many), and voted Dem. She sent me one thing about Obama (can't remember what it was)...you sent out dozens of anti-Democratic rants!

You seem to assume all Democrats are in love with Obama and think he walks on water. Not true - nor are they all crazy about his politics and policies. They didn't see McCain as an option - and face it - he wasn't a good one. We certainly weren't impressed, but we voted for him - as a Republican, because we very much disliked what Obama espoused. I've heard you say you don't vote for the party, you vote for the man. In this election, we didn't have a good option on either side.

Not everyone who's a Dem is obsessed - and nuts! There are a few good Americans out there who belong to the Democratic party!

M


--- On Tue, 3/10/09,
From: L
Subject: Re: Forms of Government
To: m
Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 2:48 PM

and again, I'm humored at something like this coming from an Obama supporter. He has spoken out in the past against the rule of limitations inherent in our US Constitution - he believes that it should be a document that tells the government what it must do (not what the Founding Fathers intended) , instead of a document that tells the government what it cannot do (which is what the Founding Fathers set up)

Obama would prefer (since he currently has the majority) a democracy (mob rule), and is trying to cement that majority by taking from the producers and giving the spoils to as many of his constituents/mob as possible.



At 09:31 AM 3/10/2009, you wrote:
Excellent!!
----- Original Message -----
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


A simple explanation...Here

Thanks for Nothing, Bro.

Wall Street Journal describes how Obama has laid an egg, concentrating on income transfer instead of income creation ... HERE.

Wise vs. Wish

M,

apropo our discussion this morning, here is a 4 minute discussion between Jim Cramer (the stock guy) and Erin Burnett (the CNBC co-anchor). She's a huge Obama liberal. Listen to the exchange between these two intelligent people and you will see the stark differences in how they 'see' the world ... Cramer is all about 'actions and consequences', and Erin is all about "feeling better". See Video Here

Another Bite from the Obama Sandwich

hold your nose, chew, and swallow (to be repeated tomorrow) ...

WASHINGTON ­ President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia’s president last month suggesting that he would back off deploying a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe if Moscow would help stop Iran from developing long-range weapons, American officials said Monday.

Let's make a short list ... withholding money from American troops in Afghan for rebuilding efforts; giving $1billion to Hamas; and now secret diplomatic entreaties to appease Russia at the expense of our allies ...

nice ... real nice.

Peggy and Obama sittin' in a tree...

Peggy Noonan is so far around the 'style' bend with dreamy eyes for Obama's 'bearing' that I can't even hear her anymore, much less see her.

Her latest ode includes "A mysterious thing happened in that speech Tuesday night. By the end of it Barack Obama had become president. Every president has a moment
when suddenly he becomes what he meant to be, or knows what he is ... So with Mr. Obama, about four-fifths of the way through the speech. He was looking from the prompters to the congressmen and senators, and suddenly he was engaging on what seemed a deeper level. His voice took on inflection. He wasn’t detached, as if he was wondering how he was doing. He seemed equal to the moment and then, in some new way, in command of it..."

Wow, how's that leg chill you got going there, Peggy?

My sad observation is that the same flowering adulation and intellligencia admiration was showered on Mussolini in the 30's. But that didn't make the man or his ideas worthy of laudatory praise in 1939 ... nor should/does it in 2009.