Cafferty's Got It!

I know a lot of people, including yours truly, question whether CNN is a "real" media outlet, or just another arm of the administration's media apparatus. But it looks like at least one CNN commentator can look at the actions of the Democrat-controlled Congress and it's Empress-wanna-be Speaker and call-it-like-he-sees-it. As far as I'm concerned.....he's got it, and her, nailed! Check it out:




h/t GSmiley

Everyone's Got an Opinion.....

In light of the Republican victory in gaining the Massachusetts Senate seat, several political pundits have expressed their opinions visually. Here's a couple....




This one is from a guy named Jim Bille from Raleigh, NC. I particularly liked this one, and believes it says it all!

This one was done by Jon Prain of Avon, IL.

I liked it, because it says what I've been saying for a while....those in power just don't have a clue what those of us living in "Flyover Country" think, nor do they really want to know!

If you'd like to see more of these creations, check out the Photo Opinions on FOXNews.

Earthquake Weapon?

OK....so I've heard a number of conspiracy theories in my day; some were entertaining, some were interesting, and some were just plain stupid. It seems Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has a conspiracy theory that is simply crazy. (Now, is that a surprise to anyone?) According to FoxNews, Chavez' state-run media has been reporting that the Haiti earthquake was caused by the US testing an experimental shockwave system that can also cause floods, droughts, and hurricanes. Apparently, the same system is responsible for quakes in California and China. According to Hugo Chavez, we're developing the system to use it as a weapon against Iran, and we caused the Haiti earthquake only to test the system; oh yeah, and to have an excuse to invade and occupy Haiti. WOW! Are we ever powerful...to be able to control the Earth's movements, as well as the Earth's weather! No wonder we're an "empire."

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart

Twenty-nine years ago, I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl. From the first moment I saw her, I knew she was special. She was beautiful then, and she's beautiful now. Of course, my first sight of her was this beautiful little being screaming at the top of her lungs as she protested her birth. She still protests against things she thinks wrong or unfair. She quited down quickly, though, and obviously watched everything happening around her; as the nurses did the things nurses do for newborns. She's still focused and aware; from things around her home to issues of National interest. She was a little beautiful blond baby. From my first sight of her, she's had a special place in my heart.

As a child, my daughter was loving, stubborn, intelligent, and beautiful. She's the child that could both charm and exasperate. She was (and is) athletic and intelligent. She can still be stubborn. She is a strong woman, in a family of strong women. I love her.

My daughter is now a mother, with children of her own. She's a fantastic mother. She is raising her children to be respectful and capable. She's got a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and has married a man with an equally strong testimony. Their children have a bright, simple testimony that will only grow as they hear and feel their parents' testimonies. I'm so proud of my daughter's choice of an eternal companion....she couldn't have found anyone more suited to her. My daughter is an example of someone I'd like to be, eventually.

So, Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I hope this next year brings you all the happiness you deserve!

Inevitable? I hope not!

I'm not normally a big Patrick Buchanan fan....but this article in WorldNetDaily titled "Is America's Financial Collapse Inevitable?" asks some serious questions about the economic future of this country. Mr Buchanan quotes some pretty heavy-hitter economic thinkers who think that the current government policies, which have grown the government's deficit, will eventually cause the debt to grow larger than the gross domestic product; leading to the bankruptcy of our government and the collapse of our economy. Scary stuff! Particularly when the political realities, and trying to keep various voting blocks happy, preclude the hard decisions (cutting entitlements or increasing taxes) that will reduce the deficit. Really scary stuff.

I'm not an economist, nor do I fully understand the interplay of forces on our National economy; but I do believe that growing government (consequently growing government salaries) and growing entitlement programs when our National debt is so high violates common sense. It seems as stupid as using one credit card to pay off another credit card. Maybe our current crop of elected officials are too busy trying to please enough special interest groups to ensure their re-election that they've forgotten basic common sense lessons of life.

Air Force Combat Controllers

George Smiley, over at In From the Cold, has a wonderful post paying tribute to the early efforts of our Air Force Combat Controllers to help resolve the post-earthquake chaos in Haiti. I happen to agree with Mr. Smiley; Combat Controllers are often unsung heroes. They are often the force and power behind the scenes in our Nation's response to natural disasters, as well as being a potent force in combat. Read the post....you'll have a new appreciation for the work these highly-trained warriors do.

Health Care and Closed Doors

In writing this blog, I've been pretty silent about the health care debate. I'm retired military and I was a military "brat." So you see, for most of my life, health care has been provided to me by the Federal government, in one form or another. Military medical coverage has good points and bad points; but you are "covered" (mostly). So, I haven't joined the debate about whether "nationalized" health care is a good thing, or whether "universal health coverage" would actually work. I didn't think it was right, since my health care is covered by the Veteran's Administration and by a form of nationalized insurance called Tricare.

Having said that.....I just have to weigh in now that the Democrats have decided to finalize the "look" of the health care bill behind closed doors; involving only a few "highly placed" Democrats. To me, this plan silences the voice of any opposition. It minimizes the voice of those who spoke at the health care town hall meetings held last fall. It ignores the ideas of the elected representatives of a good portion of this Country....those who vote Republican. By meeting behind closed doors, and not allowing any input into the "final" health care bill, it appears that the Democrat bigwigs will pander to their radical base, their fundraisers, and their ivory-tower apologists rather than try to find a way to approach any health care "crisis" from the point of view of a realist. This is not "open government" and it's not the way important issues should be decided! Secret, back-room meetings do nothing to advance the debate....they silence debate!

Check out this article by Max Pappas on the Freedom Works website. He summarizes several newspaper editors that are calling on the Obama administration to honor the "C-Span Promise" he made during his campaign; to have a more "transparent" government. I know that more campaign promises are broken than are kept...but this is one promise that should have been inviolate; especially when considering this health care bill. This is something that will have a profound impact on this country, its economy and its citizens. Those citizens have a right to know how the "final form" of the bill was written, and to know that their interests have been considered. All citizens have that right, even those who vote Republican!

"Make Mine Freedom" circa 1948

This cartoon, produced in 1948, was going around the web in October 2009. I'm a bit late and just saw it this morning, when a good friend sent it to me via email. (Thanks NoDak Dan!) Nevertheless, I think that it's worth posting here. It's a bit long (almost 10 minutes), but well worth viewing! The interesting thing is that the cartoon was considered "far-fetched" in 1948.....

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! May 2010 be a happy and healthy year for everyone.