I Swear…..

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:14:23 +0000

Juror’s oath:

“You, and each of you, swear that in all causes committed to you, you will
give a true verdict therein according to the law and the evidence given you. So
help you God.”

Jurors are sworn and required by law to abide by this oath when deciding the fate of a sinngle person. Does it bother anyone, besides me, that this same oath is not required by law to be sworn to, or even considered, by those we have chosen to decide the fate of 310 million fellow Americans? Food for thought, people.

Speed and Truth… Principles of the Past

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 15:39:17 +0000

This morning I watched an old 1940 movie on the TCM network entitled “A Dispatch From Reuter’s,” the story of Paul Julius Reuter and how he established his world wide news service in the mid-1800′s. The prologue to the movie stated there were two principles he deeply believed in and demanded adherence to….. Speed and Truth. It went on to say that media outlets who bought his reports also respected those same principles.

That last statement started me thinking about the media of today. Undoubtedly, one half of those principles… Speed… has continued to be important to the media. It has advanced to the point that news reports are almost instantaneous and the struggle to be first to report the news remains as fierce as it was in Reuter’s time.

However, the second half of his principles…. Truth… seems to be of less importance to the media today, which is confusing since the end users of their product, the people, want and demand the truth. I don’t know about everyone else, but I have a difficult time believing that much of the news I hear or read today has not been slanted, manipulated or had something omitted.

Knowing how much he valued the truth, I think Julius Reuter would be very disappointed to see that the news business, which he played a large part in creating, has become an information source which can’t be trusted to tell the truth, no matter how fast we get it.

MY, How the Times Have Changed

Mon, 16 May 2011 16:46:21 +0000

My Take on “Party”

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 21:14:45 +0000

After watching Sean Hannity’s special on “Fight to Control Congress”, I sent him this response:

Your program, “Fight to Control Congress” on Sunday was interesting, but you, and most others in this country, fail to realize where the real battle lies. It is not a battle between Democrats and Republicans, a batttle which you fervently promote. (And this is where you do a disservice to your country.) It is a battle between those who feel they are superior and better connected and think they are more qualified to lead……. and those who really believe we are all “created equal”, with the only difference being….. we have different jobs. (A majority believe this, by the way.) That is why Congress is deaf to the will of the people. They are the chosen few.

You have fallen for, and been sucked into, the argument that one political party, no matter which one, inherently has all the right answers. If you really cared about our (your) country, you would see through that in a second. But no, you prefer to promote the idea that Republicans have all the right answers, which is as flawed as someone claiming the Democrats have the same. With the continued existence of our country at stake, and all you and others on both sides can do, is blame the other guy, resulting in nothing substantive being done to fix our problems, but further dividing us in the process. Your blind partisanship is obvious and that blind partisanship, which has engulfed the United States, is the main reason we are where we are today. Partisanship is more important than the United States of America. That is what you are peddling and that is what most Americans believe, thanks in part, to you.

Shame on you. If you could get your head out of your partisan butt for a minute, you would realize that most of us are on the same team, it’s just that party politics has divided us to the extent that we can’t agree on what’s best for our country, and we are all paying for it, and you are promoting it. And, after all, that’s exactly what both parties want. Wake up, Hannity, you are a pawn in the big picture.

Here’s a quote from one of my posts:

The Democratic party is not primarily concerned with the best interests of the country!

The Republican party is not primarily concerned with the best interests of the country!

They are both mostly concerned with what is best for their own party. Period! Not you, not me….Just the party. And either one of them is perfectly willing to let this country go down the drain as long as each can blame it on the other, still cursing each other and throwing accusations as we sink out of sight. Watch any politician of any political persuasion on TV and observe his conversation evolve into a blame game. It would be a rare occurence, indeed, if it didn’t happen that way.

This is what partisanship for the sake of partisanship is doing to America. This is what we get when so many think that party, ideology and race, are the only standards we should use to elect those who will decide whether this country lives or dies. This is what we have given ourselves and our kids.

Here it is, from the horse’s .. uhhh.. mouth

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:12:28 +0000

“Trying to recharge unions key to his 2008 victory, President Obama on Wednesday implored members of the AFL-CIO to be patient with the pace of the recovery and warned them they and the economy would suffer far worse under Republican rule,” reports the Washington Times.

There it is folks, from the President himself. We would be “far worse under Republican ‘RULE’”. It would stand to reason then, that we are better off under Democratic “RULE”, right? This is exactly the mindset of our leaders, all of them…. they are the ruling class, not the governing class, as we so naively thought. We are the subjects, not the employer, as we so naively thought. If we, and I mean all of us, don’t get our heads out of our butts and realize that subjugation, not representation, is the priority in Washington, then we deserve to be “RULED”. This is one time Obama slipped and spoke the absolute truth.

“LAWFUL CONTACT” MEANS RACIAL PROFILING?

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 15:58:47 +0000

That’s the argument I see and hear while reading blogs and watching TV commentary regarding the discussion of the “lawful contact” term in the Arizona immigration law. So, I did some research.

From the Miriam-Webster dictionary:

Lawful:

established by law; conforming to or permitted by law or established rules.

Therefore, “lawful contact” is contact which is permitted by already established laws or rules. The term “lawful contact” is not, in itself, a legal term, which is why it can’t be found in a legal dictionary. It simply refers to already existing laws for affirmation of the legality of an action. It is a common phrase used in Federal law and in the laws of every state in the Union. It is not new nor is it unique to Arizona’s law.

So, when opponents of the Arizona immigration law claim that “lawful contact” allows police to stop anyone, anytime, including your grandmother walking down the street, and demand proof of citizenship, it is simply not true. Authorities must still abide by the already existing laws, just as they did last year and in the years before. The term does not grant police additional power.

The fact that many believe that this term, which has no legal standing by itself, allows racial profiling is proof of the gullibility of the American people and the pervasive ignorance which engulfs this nation and in addition, it shows just how adept and well practiced the politicians and special interests are at pulling the wool over the peoples’ eyes. This is just one more instance of that dangerous combination of blind partisanship and ignorance, which politicians and special interests intently nurture for their benefit, and which divides us along party lines and slowly chips away at the very foundation of our country.

THIS IS WHAT”S WRONG…..

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:08:32 +0000

This is an open letter to the people of the United States of America….. Those whom it particularly concerns know exactly who you are…..

I was taught, and I continued to believe for a long time, that our elected officials were given their jobs, by us, in order to oversee the wellbeing of those who elected them, simply because it would be impossible to have 300 million+ people in one room, trying to decide an issue. Boy, was I wrong! The one thing that must be remembered, and that most have forgotten or ignored, is that basically, we are all the same. The only difference between any of us is that we have different jobs or education and, most importantly, common sense is not learned in school. And if your job is in the government sector, you are automatically smarter, more intelligent and inherently know what is best for the United States of America, better than anyone else. ( Plus, you’ve got your job forever, if you want it or can keep it.) And, the ignorant among us are willing to believe endless rhetoric while blindly following their own party line and trusting that what politicians are telling us is the truth. This, in itself, is the precursor to the downfall of our country.

A majority of the voting public, Republican or Democrat, is too damn lazy or too preoccupied with other things to bother with their responsibility of educating themselves about the issues important to their own country and their own life before voting, preferring instead to vote with whomever they are registered with or whoever promised the most that they think will benefit them. I am sorely dissappointed that most people in my country, all the way up to the top, are not overly interested in the wellfare of the country, but rather devoted to the struggle over who wins the pissing match between the Democrats and the Republicans! And this is what our future depends on?? Give me a break!

I’m sure that many will continue to support their party of choice without having a clue as to why, other than “that’s my party” or “he will pay my mortgage.” I would like to thank all of you in that category in advance for directing my country into oblivion. It is my sincere desire that I can meet each and every one of you in person someday, to thank you properly.

Dreams Really Do Come True

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:20:05 +0000

One night awhile back I awoke from a weird dream and, as is not the norm, I remembered every little detail. Sometimes I can only recall fleeting glimpses of my nightly travels or, more likely, nothing at all.

I was leisurely strolling through a damp forest somewhere, sun shining, no breeze, no sound. Looking up as I walked, gazing at the treetops as the sunlight filtered down, I tripped and stumbled into a large, wet, mucky puddle and sunk up to my waist. The suction on my legs from the sucking mud beneath the water allowed almost no movement from beltbuckle down. As I stayed motionless, trying to think of a way out, the water was noticeably creeping up my body. “Great!”, I thought. “Now what?” I hollered and hollered for help until my throat was raw.

After what seemed like an eternity and now submerged up to my shoulders and more than a little terrified, I hear an answer from my left. “Where are you?”, he yelled. “I’m over here,” I screamed. With that, a middle aged man bounded onto the trail about fifty yards down. Almost simultaneously, another man about the same age appears from the right side of the trail. They both stop abrubtly, just looking at each other. Then the fireworks begin. They obviously knew each other and as they yelled and screamed, shaking their fingers at one another, one of them berates the Republicans and the other says some not so nice things about Democrats. And on and on they go, becoming louder and more animated. “I really don’t need this” I’m thinking to myself. The water lapping at my chin makes their choices for President more than unimportant to me. Selfish as it may seem, I actually thought there were more pressing matters to consider other than whose party is right. “Help, you guys. I need help, now!”, I plead as I’m blowing bubbles in my final bathwater.

Slowly, as I take in that last view of those two people, totally oblivious to what’s important and arguing politics instead, my head slips beneath the surface. In a final gesture of appreciation for their assistance in my time of need, I raise my hand in a meaningful one finger salute before it, too, disappears.

Then I woke up, holding my breath. Been trying to figure out if there was a meaning to this dream, since it was one of the few I remember. Then, an epiphany!……..I was the United States of America in my dream and the two guys were the leaders of our country. It all makes sense, now.

Therefore, with gratitude in my heart, I now offer that same salute of thanks, for real this time, to politicians throughout this country who have shown us all that politics and partisanship outweigh common sense and the wellbeing of this country every time. Sweet dreams.

Energy Independece Possible? If we Get Our Headsd Out of Our Our Butts.

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:03:00 +0000

I have always thought that we should use whatever means at our disposal to isolate ourselves from our unending dependence on foreign oil. We now have that opportunity to do so. However, the Green movement and certain members of Congress, who profess that any use of the Earth for the advancement of civilation, is an affront to Mother Nature and is, therefore, not acceptable, is the primary reason we are energy dependent on someone else. Our leaders, especially our President, have avowed that any energy production, other than renewable types, are not acceptable within the vision of their dream.

How ignorant, or how politically fervent do you have to be to understand that our own resources can, and inevitably will, remove us from the shackles of energy dependence? Most of your duly elected representatives do you a grave disservice. Do you see it, or do you simply let it slide, because they are of your Party.

There is a link at the bottom that substantiates this:

Here’s an interesting read, important and verifiable information :

About 6 months ago, this writer was watching a news program on oil and
one of the Forbes Bros. was the guest. The host said to Forbes, “I am going to
ask you a direct question and I would like a direct answer; how much oil does the U.S. have in the ground?” Forbes did not miss a beat, he said, “more than all the Middle East put together.” Please read below.

The U. S. Geological Service issued a report in April 2008 that only scientists and oil men knew was coming, but man, was it big. It was a revised report (hadn’t been updated since 1995) on how much oil was in this area of the western 2/3 of North Dakota, western South Dakota, and
extreme eastern Montana ….. check THIS out:

The Bakken is the largest domestic oil discovery since Alaska’s Prudhoe
Bay, and has the potential to eliminate all American dependence on foreign
oil.. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates it at 503 billion barrels. Even if just 10% of the oil is recoverable… at $107 a barrel, we’re looking at a resource base worth more than $5..3 trillion.

“When I first briefed legislators on this, you could practically see their jaws hit the floor. They had no idea..” says Terry Johnson, the Montana Legislature’s financial analyst.

“This sizable find is now the highest-producing onshore oil field found in the past 56 years,” reports The Pittsburgh Post Gazette. It’s a formation known as the Williston Basin, but is more commonly referred to as the ‘Bakken.’ It stretches from Northern Montana, through North Dakota and into Canada. For years, U. S. oil exploration has been considered a dead
end. Even the ‘Big Oil’ companies gave up searching for major oil wells decades ago. However, a recent technological breakthrough has opened up the Bakken’s massive reserves…. and we now have access of up to 500 billion barrels. And because this is light, sweet oil, those billions of barrels will cost Americans just $16 PER BARREL!

That’s enough crude to fully fuel the American economy for 2041 years
straight. And if THAT didn’t throw you on the floor, then this next one should – because it’s from 2006!

U. S. Oil Discovery- Largest Reserve in the World

Stansberry Report Online – 4/20/2006

Hidden 1,000 feet beneath the surface of the Rocky Mountains lies the largest untapped oil reserve in the world. It is more than 2 TRILLION barrels. On August 8, 2005 President Bush mandated its extraction. In three and a half years of high oil prices none has been extracted. With this motherload of oil why are we still fighting over off-shore drilling?

They reported this stunning news: We have more oil inside our borders, than all the other proven reserves on earth. Here are the official estimates:

- 8-times as much oil as Saudi Arabia

- 18-times as much oil as Iraq

- 21-times as much oil as Kuwait

- 22-times as much oil as Iran

- 500-times as much oil as Yemen

- and it’s all right here in the Western United States .

HOW can this BE? HOW can we NOT BE extracting this? Because the
environmentalists and others have blocked all efforts to help America become independent of foreign oil! Again, we are letting a small group of people dictate our lives and our economy…..WHY?

James Bartis, lead researcher with the study says we’ve got more oil in this very compact area than the entire Middle East -more than 2 TRILLION barrels untapped. That’s more than all the proven oil reserves of crude oil in the world today, reports The Denver Post.

Don’t think ‘OPEC’ will drop its price – even with this find? Think again! It’s all about the competitive marketplace, – it has to. Think OPEC just might be funding the environmentalists?

Got your attention yet? Now, while you’re thinking about it, do this:

Pass this along. If you don’t take a little time to do this, then you should stifle yourself the next time you complain about gas prices – by doing NOTHING, you forfeit your right to complain.

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1911

Why Read It First?

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:40:55 +0000

Members of Congress voting for any bill without reading it is a complete dereliction of duty and incompetence on the job. Worse yet, voting for a bill which includes taxes of any sort, without reading it, is not representing the people and is, in reality, taxation without representation. Is that not one of the major reasons we had our very own revolution???? Would any of us sign an expensive contract without reading it? Of course not! But our lawmakers are glad to do it because, after all, special interests and Party must be rewarded and besides, it’s not their personal money anyway.

King George III of Great Britain and his leaders held the view that the wishes of colonists in America were unimportant and their only lawful purpose and duty was to obey the rules of the mother country, shut up and pay their unrepresented taxes. I suggest to you that this very same attitude is driving the present Congress and administration. Didn’t our ancestors fight and die to insure this would not happen again? Will it take a Revolution II or another Civil War to set our leaders straight? I don’t know. I certainly hope not. However, in my opinion, they are sowing the seeds for one. And if these seeds should take root, whose fault is it? We the people, absolutely! We will have allowed our apathy, ignorance and blind partisanship to permit our leaders the ability to treat us like the colonists of yesteryear.