If the Republicans Capture Governor, Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General They'll Be Ready with an 'Explaination'
Remember the 'angry white male' from the 1994 elections when Congress was taken from one-party domination? That was the 'explaination' given for the upset. No doubt, he'll be back as an explaination of any new surge for Consevatives in election results.
Public Servants who lose touch with their constituents probably won't get a mention. There is a REASON the voters are upset with elected representatives.
I grew up with Davy Crockett as a hero. I still remember the part where he rode through the night to defeat the Indian Bill, a bad piece of legislation that cost him his congressional career for opposing it. Davy Crockett was one of us! There was no question. Saying: "you can go to hell, I'll go to Texas!," Crockett was probably the first angry white male! he, unlike many politicians today, refused to leave his roots and join the 'elite.'
Fast forward to 2008 and you have two 'public servants' who let their hair down with their elite buddies and say things like: "You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them. … And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."
Or consider this quote: "One of the things you are going to see is a coalition that is just about completely taken over the Republican Party in this state and if they have their way it’s going to take overstate government. It is made up of the Christian Coalition, but not just them. It is made up of the right-to-lifers, but not just them. It’s made up of the NRA, but not just them. It is made up of the Home-schoolers but not just them. It’s made up of a whole coalition of people that have all sorts of differing views that I think most of us in this room would find threatening to what it means to be an American." [1.]
Scary stuff! The man responsible for the second quote is a Senator from the State of Virginia. If you are a person of faith, believe in G-d, understand the Second Amendment, hold unborn human life sacred or educate your children at home you are 'threatening to what it means to be an American' to the ruling 'elite.'
But they disrespect the American people and their long-held values at their own peril. The first remark above cost Barack Obama the Pennsylvania primary. The second cost Mark Warner his credibility as a representative of Virginia's people. Even a fawning press can only protect you so much when you lose touch with the people you are elected to serve.
The 2009 Governor's race has seen a steady stream of negative advertising aimed at making you think Bob McDonnell is 'threatening to what it means to be an American.' He's been excoriated for his pro-life stance [which many of us share with him]. He's been painted as 'anti-woman' [though I know a lot of intelligent women who support him]. He's been painted as the 'tax and spend' candidate in advertisements delivered in a 'folksy voice' so we'll believe he's one of us. The ad goes on to tell us McDonnel supported the Bush tax cuts 'for the rich' and that his plan for transportation is to raid money from education. Wow, all that in one ad! Problem is the ad assumes we the voters aren't all that smart. If he's going to raise all those taxes and power company rates he's creating whole new revenue streams. Why would he have to "steal" money from education? -- except it sounds vlllainous in a sound byte. Even as the press debunked the ad's points pretty thouroughly it continued to play on the Christian Radio station I listen to. The ad had actually very little to say about political matters and a lot to say about how intelligent the Deeds Campaign thought the voters were. They just didn't seem to think we were all that smart.
***
The polls would tell you otherwise though. Just like in 1994 there is a message of limited government and respect for the people's instincts in a free market. That is key. That is coupled with a respect for the values that have long been the bedrock of our way of life. That will be the real reason for a strong showing on Tuesday. Success is NOT guaranteed, by the way. It is time for all of us to step up to the plate. Tuesday's election must be the 'shot heard around the world' for Conservative principles in government.
But don't expect the media pundits to get it right the first time. We'll need to remind them again in 2010.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Quote of the Day!
An Honest Question for the Board of Supervisors
"What do you do with all this money that y'all are taking from us?"--Fred Parker, Shenandoah County resident, addressing Board of Supervisors (10/29/09)
More from SWAC Girl [click to read]. Hundreds are turning out in Shenandoah County to fight the same battle we are fighting in Augusta.
"What do you do with all this money that y'all are taking from us?"--Fred Parker, Shenandoah County resident, addressing Board of Supervisors (10/29/09)
More from SWAC Girl [click to read]. Hundreds are turning out in Shenandoah County to fight the same battle we are fighting in Augusta.
Eternal Vigilance Department
A Lot Hangs in the Balance in This Election...
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." -- Thomas Paine
There is a lot of importance to your vote this time. All eyes are on Virginia as in a few days we will elect our Governor, Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor. What we say by our support of those candidates who hold to our values as Americans will resonate across the country. This must be our finest hour. We cannot let our country down.
The polls, while reassurring, only speak of the passion that must yet be channelled into the struggle to preserve our Nation. The Virginia election results must be the next "shot heard around the world" in our fight.
The election in New Jersey is also very important. Now the emergence of Doug Hoffman, Conservative Party candidate as a serious contender in the New York special election give us the opportunity to begin turning the tide. Now is the time to make ourselves heard... LOUDLY!
"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote . . . that he is executing on of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country." -- Samuel Adams
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it." -- Thomas Paine
There is a lot of importance to your vote this time. All eyes are on Virginia as in a few days we will elect our Governor, Attorney General and Lieutenant Governor. What we say by our support of those candidates who hold to our values as Americans will resonate across the country. This must be our finest hour. We cannot let our country down.
The polls, while reassurring, only speak of the passion that must yet be channelled into the struggle to preserve our Nation. The Virginia election results must be the next "shot heard around the world" in our fight.
The election in New Jersey is also very important. Now the emergence of Doug Hoffman, Conservative Party candidate as a serious contender in the New York special election give us the opportunity to begin turning the tide. Now is the time to make ourselves heard... LOUDLY!
"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote . . . that he is executing on of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country." -- Samuel Adams
Thursday, October 29, 2009
"You're the Commander-in-Chief, Dude!!!"
If You Can't Lead Great Men and Women, Step Aside!
This from SWAC Girl [click to read] is to the point.
"What, Me worry?" is not an
acceptable response!
Nero Fiddled, Obama "dithers." Historians are pretty convinced Nero WANTED to burn Rome to the ground so he could "remake" it. They say he did it to build himself a bigger palace. I guess Nero liked to "party" too and needed a larger pad.
History repeats itself?
This from SWAC Girl [click to read] is to the point.
"What, Me worry?" is not an
acceptable response!
Nero Fiddled, Obama "dithers." Historians are pretty convinced Nero WANTED to burn Rome to the ground so he could "remake" it. They say he did it to build himself a bigger palace. I guess Nero liked to "party" too and needed a larger pad.
History repeats itself?
An Economic Agenda for the GOP:
Free Markets, Not Big Business...
Luigi Zingales and the 100mpg Carburator
Luigi Zingales in City Journal [click to read].
In the 1970's, at the height of the gas crisis, there was an urban myth circulating about the 100mpg carburator. It went something like this: Someone had invented an ultra-efficient fuel/air mixer but industry interests had bought the patent, assuring the device would never see the light of day.
The myth persisted with the story that the prototype device had accidently been installed on a production vehicle and was thus discovered. The unknowing purchaser enjoyed passing by the gas station for months on end. When he went back to the dealer for scheduled maintenance they tried to swap it for a regular carburator but the savvy customer caught them and kept the device.
The basis for the myth is the American's inherent trust of large entities, be it big government or big business. Mr. Zingales makes a helpful, and healthy distinction between being "pro-market" and being"pro-business."
In this blog I've chronicled the story of Preston Tucker's innovative automobile and how his company was brought down by established interests. "Pro-business" can sometimes default into the worst kind of protectionism. Mr. Zingales offers a clear thinking approach to this problem that Conservatives would do well to heed.
Luigi Zingales and the 100mpg Carburator
Luigi Zingales in City Journal [click to read].
In the 1970's, at the height of the gas crisis, there was an urban myth circulating about the 100mpg carburator. It went something like this: Someone had invented an ultra-efficient fuel/air mixer but industry interests had bought the patent, assuring the device would never see the light of day.
The myth persisted with the story that the prototype device had accidently been installed on a production vehicle and was thus discovered. The unknowing purchaser enjoyed passing by the gas station for months on end. When he went back to the dealer for scheduled maintenance they tried to swap it for a regular carburator but the savvy customer caught them and kept the device.
The basis for the myth is the American's inherent trust of large entities, be it big government or big business. Mr. Zingales makes a helpful, and healthy distinction between being "pro-market" and being"pro-business."
In this blog I've chronicled the story of Preston Tucker's innovative automobile and how his company was brought down by established interests. "Pro-business" can sometimes default into the worst kind of protectionism. Mr. Zingales offers a clear thinking approach to this problem that Conservatives would do well to heed.
TIME is on California's Side...
...but time isn't, and neither is THYME...
Contrarian publication.
This Article in City Journal Caught My Eye [click to read] after I had created this weeks 'THYME.' William Voegeli has some interesting observations.
"...And it’s going to occur to more and more entrepreneurial pathfinders that one of the boxes they can think outside is California itself. There’s no geographic monopoly on creativity. Bright ideas that need to be delivered to customers by employees are rendered untenable when prospective workers can’t find affordable housing, stand long commutes, put up with declining public schools and services, or accept rising taxes. As Joel Kotkin of NewGeography.com wrote last year, “California can still attract many newcomers, particularly young and ambitious people who dream of a career in Hollywood or Silicon Valley. The problem is that when you grow up and have failed to secure your own dotcom or television series, life in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, or even Kansas starts looking better.”
Contrarian publication.
This Article in City Journal Caught My Eye [click to read] after I had created this weeks 'THYME.' William Voegeli has some interesting observations.
"...And it’s going to occur to more and more entrepreneurial pathfinders that one of the boxes they can think outside is California itself. There’s no geographic monopoly on creativity. Bright ideas that need to be delivered to customers by employees are rendered untenable when prospective workers can’t find affordable housing, stand long commutes, put up with declining public schools and services, or accept rising taxes. As Joel Kotkin of NewGeography.com wrote last year, “California can still attract many newcomers, particularly young and ambitious people who dream of a career in Hollywood or Silicon Valley. The problem is that when you grow up and have failed to secure your own dotcom or television series, life in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina, or even Kansas starts looking better.”
B-24 Taking Off from SHD
On to Lynchburg...
The Liberator is the last plane to take off as the historic aircraft continue their tour.
The first thing you notice upon entering the aircraft is how tight things are. Making our way through the bombers we try to imagine what it was like for the young men who flew in them.
The crews were made up of pretty young men. 25 was an old man in this crowd! Many came from America's heartland and were tough men, used to hard work. But what did it feel like to slip down into that ball turret and defend your craft from attackers? If only those old aircraft could talk...
B-17 Flying Fortress.
B-24 cockpit.
Ball turret.
I used to have breakfast in the old Crozet Pool Room when I lived on the other side of the mountain. One of the 'regulars' was a gentleman who had been the radio operator on a B-24 liberator. He told some hair-raising stories! When I saw his station in the aircraft it looked pretty much as I imagined...
The plane's radio.
The Liberator is the last plane to take off as the historic aircraft continue their tour.
The first thing you notice upon entering the aircraft is how tight things are. Making our way through the bombers we try to imagine what it was like for the young men who flew in them.
The crews were made up of pretty young men. 25 was an old man in this crowd! Many came from America's heartland and were tough men, used to hard work. But what did it feel like to slip down into that ball turret and defend your craft from attackers? If only those old aircraft could talk...
B-17 Flying Fortress.
B-24 cockpit.
Ball turret.
I used to have breakfast in the old Crozet Pool Room when I lived on the other side of the mountain. One of the 'regulars' was a gentleman who had been the radio operator on a B-24 liberator. He told some hair-raising stories! When I saw his station in the aircraft it looked pretty much as I imagined...
The plane's radio.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Stop the Dismantling of America
We Owe It to the Greatest Generation...
Cockpit of a B-17 Flying Fortress.
...And Our Kids!
Thomas Sowell asks: Will the Country Wake Up Before It's Too Late [click to read].
"Nothing so epitomizes President Obama’s own contempt for American values and traditions as trying to ram two bills through Congress in his first year — each bill more than a thousand pages long — too fast for either of them to be read, much less discussed. That he succeeded only the first time says that some people are starting to wake up. Whether enough people will wake up in time to keep America from being dismantled, piece by piece, is another question — and the biggest question for this generation."
ht/SWAC Girl
Cockpit of a B-17 Flying Fortress.
...And Our Kids!
Thomas Sowell asks: Will the Country Wake Up Before It's Too Late [click to read].
"Nothing so epitomizes President Obama’s own contempt for American values and traditions as trying to ram two bills through Congress in his first year — each bill more than a thousand pages long — too fast for either of them to be read, much less discussed. That he succeeded only the first time says that some people are starting to wake up. Whether enough people will wake up in time to keep America from being dismantled, piece by piece, is another question — and the biggest question for this generation."
ht/SWAC Girl
World War II Aircraft Visit Valley
The Mustang, Liberator and Flying Fortress
A beautifully restored, flying P-51 Mustang.
A young American meets a B-17 Flying Fortress.
Pilot talk.
A B-24 Liberator.
B-17 Flying Fortress.
P-51 Mustang.
A beautifully restored, flying P-51 Mustang.
A young American meets a B-17 Flying Fortress.
Pilot talk.
A B-24 Liberator.
B-17 Flying Fortress.
P-51 Mustang.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The 'Perfect' Valley Scene II
Another Contender from Sunday Afternoon...
Seen near Little North Mountain.
Seen near Little North Mountain.
It's Time to Refound Our Universities
They've Strayed Too Far from the Noble Purposes of their Founders
Jefferson's Rotunda, the center of his 'Academic Village.' Photo by Holsinger.
Did you know that Hamas enjoys more positive praise on some of our college campuses than it does on the West Bank? Just ask Khaled Abu Toameh, an Arab Muslim with Israeli citizenship who used to be with the Palestinian media but chose to move to the Israeli press where he was free to speak what was on his heart.
Toameh has observed a 'Pro Palestinian Junta' taking place on U.S. campuses as Middle-Eastern studies professors promote a pretty one-sided picture of a complex situation.
There is a problem here. Most of the kids attending 'Code Pink' antiwar presentations have never been to Israel and are swayed by the speech of people who conveniently ignore the nature of jihad and the refusal of Palestinian spokesmen to recognize Israel's right to exist. Playing on sympathy for the victims of this situation, they ignore the reality that many Hamas policies have continued the harm. They forget that the pullout from Gaza left the people there with beautiful greenhouses and the possibility of taking part in the 'miracle' agriculture that the region had enjoyed under Jewish control. The Palestinians trashed the facilities, shot rockets at Sderot and chose instead to live supplied through tunnels from Egypt.
Years ago, my sister-in-law was a young idealist who chose to go live with the Sandinistas for a bit, obviously inspired by some academic. Problem was when you actually got there you saw that the Sandinistas were not such idealists at all.
May I make the controversial statement that $20,000 a year is a bit much to be paying for such indoctrination.
Guardians of the Gate
Why do they get away with it? There is only one reason. They are the 'guardians of the gate' to a number of important and well paying careers. The computer revolution has begun to chip away at that as many young people have been able to bypass the four or five year path that was traditionally perscribed for success. That is not a bad thing, howls about lacking "well roundedness" aside.
In the Seventeenth Century colleges were founded in this land to train well read leaders and reach the Native population with the Gospel. That's why Dartmouth and William and Mary have Indians as mascots. A gentleman such as Thomas Jefferson was schooled in practical arts, such as Architecture, along with his Classical education.
Fast forward to the Twenty-first Century. Western Civilization has been effectively eliminated from the curriculum. Beauty and truth have been reduced to relative terms. They still exist, but not at the academy.
A Modest Proposal
Every year large coprporations hire the graduates of such prestigious institutions and then lament that they are then required to actually train them for the work! To add insult to injury, they are cooerced through alumni associations and endowments to pony up to maintain the status quo.
Here is the modest proposal. Industry and medicine need to reinstate the apprenticeship system of old and take the money they are throwing into a failed sytem to found their own institutes of Art, Architecture, Engineering, Medicine [yes, Medicine]! Hospitals need to own and operate the training of physicians.
Building upon the existing Community College system, they can provide the well-rounded education that Seventeenth Century students received. Prolonged adolescence would be replaced by a productive young adulthood and knowledge would be acquired over a lifetime instead of in a four year attempt to "force feed" young people who are frankly more interested in other things.
Citizens would pursue continuing education in their field and also in arts and letters. My own Father is my perfect man as a model of the Citizen-Scholar. He barely made it through high school and his advisor wrote a letter saying that he could not recommend that my Father pursue Engineering as a career. Dad went to a junior college for a year before applying to Notre Dame where he did indeed pursue his Engineering degree. Upon graduation he went to Wright doing structural analysis on aircraft. Eventually he ended up at the Martin Company in Baltimore doing structural analysis on the seaplanes used in the Pacific Theatre during WWII.
He married his chief number cruncher and eventually left Martin to start his own lab. He had one of those shop/garage units that plumbing contractors rent and he built shock and vibration test equipment in there. Eventually he was hired to write the test procedures for NASA. He became a department head there, having created a lot of the quality assurance methodology for spacecraft.
But I've digressed. In Dad's day they really did train Engineers who couldn't read and Liberal Arts Scholars who couldn't count. Dad slowly aquired a magnificent library and schooled himself in letters. He read all the noble works of Western literature and probably could have taught the courses! He was equally at home reading Plato or dissecting a roto-tiller. My complete man!
When I was twelve, he said "build me a greenhouse" and offered more moral support than knowledge as I did my own research and drew plans for the thing. He gave me a budget and helped me place the rafters. When I secured a good price for a set of old storm windows I think he was pleased. The redwood structure didn't succumb to termites until Reagan was president.
Thomas Jefferson designed this addition to Farmington as well as Monticello and the University of Virginia.
Jefferson's Rotunda, the center of his 'Academic Village.' Photo by Holsinger.
Did you know that Hamas enjoys more positive praise on some of our college campuses than it does on the West Bank? Just ask Khaled Abu Toameh, an Arab Muslim with Israeli citizenship who used to be with the Palestinian media but chose to move to the Israeli press where he was free to speak what was on his heart.
Toameh has observed a 'Pro Palestinian Junta' taking place on U.S. campuses as Middle-Eastern studies professors promote a pretty one-sided picture of a complex situation.
There is a problem here. Most of the kids attending 'Code Pink' antiwar presentations have never been to Israel and are swayed by the speech of people who conveniently ignore the nature of jihad and the refusal of Palestinian spokesmen to recognize Israel's right to exist. Playing on sympathy for the victims of this situation, they ignore the reality that many Hamas policies have continued the harm. They forget that the pullout from Gaza left the people there with beautiful greenhouses and the possibility of taking part in the 'miracle' agriculture that the region had enjoyed under Jewish control. The Palestinians trashed the facilities, shot rockets at Sderot and chose instead to live supplied through tunnels from Egypt.
Years ago, my sister-in-law was a young idealist who chose to go live with the Sandinistas for a bit, obviously inspired by some academic. Problem was when you actually got there you saw that the Sandinistas were not such idealists at all.
May I make the controversial statement that $20,000 a year is a bit much to be paying for such indoctrination.
Guardians of the Gate
Why do they get away with it? There is only one reason. They are the 'guardians of the gate' to a number of important and well paying careers. The computer revolution has begun to chip away at that as many young people have been able to bypass the four or five year path that was traditionally perscribed for success. That is not a bad thing, howls about lacking "well roundedness" aside.
In the Seventeenth Century colleges were founded in this land to train well read leaders and reach the Native population with the Gospel. That's why Dartmouth and William and Mary have Indians as mascots. A gentleman such as Thomas Jefferson was schooled in practical arts, such as Architecture, along with his Classical education.
Fast forward to the Twenty-first Century. Western Civilization has been effectively eliminated from the curriculum. Beauty and truth have been reduced to relative terms. They still exist, but not at the academy.
A Modest Proposal
Every year large coprporations hire the graduates of such prestigious institutions and then lament that they are then required to actually train them for the work! To add insult to injury, they are cooerced through alumni associations and endowments to pony up to maintain the status quo.
Here is the modest proposal. Industry and medicine need to reinstate the apprenticeship system of old and take the money they are throwing into a failed sytem to found their own institutes of Art, Architecture, Engineering, Medicine [yes, Medicine]! Hospitals need to own and operate the training of physicians.
Building upon the existing Community College system, they can provide the well-rounded education that Seventeenth Century students received. Prolonged adolescence would be replaced by a productive young adulthood and knowledge would be acquired over a lifetime instead of in a four year attempt to "force feed" young people who are frankly more interested in other things.
Citizens would pursue continuing education in their field and also in arts and letters. My own Father is my perfect man as a model of the Citizen-Scholar. He barely made it through high school and his advisor wrote a letter saying that he could not recommend that my Father pursue Engineering as a career. Dad went to a junior college for a year before applying to Notre Dame where he did indeed pursue his Engineering degree. Upon graduation he went to Wright doing structural analysis on aircraft. Eventually he ended up at the Martin Company in Baltimore doing structural analysis on the seaplanes used in the Pacific Theatre during WWII.
He married his chief number cruncher and eventually left Martin to start his own lab. He had one of those shop/garage units that plumbing contractors rent and he built shock and vibration test equipment in there. Eventually he was hired to write the test procedures for NASA. He became a department head there, having created a lot of the quality assurance methodology for spacecraft.
But I've digressed. In Dad's day they really did train Engineers who couldn't read and Liberal Arts Scholars who couldn't count. Dad slowly aquired a magnificent library and schooled himself in letters. He read all the noble works of Western literature and probably could have taught the courses! He was equally at home reading Plato or dissecting a roto-tiller. My complete man!
When I was twelve, he said "build me a greenhouse" and offered more moral support than knowledge as I did my own research and drew plans for the thing. He gave me a budget and helped me place the rafters. When I secured a good price for a set of old storm windows I think he was pleased. The redwood structure didn't succumb to termites until Reagan was president.
Thomas Jefferson designed this addition to Farmington as well as Monticello and the University of Virginia.
Monday, October 26, 2009
This Day in 1983
Never Forget Hezbollah's Attack
The Attack on the Marine Barracks Remembered [click to read].
"At 6:25 local time on the morning of October 23, 1983, agents of the ayatollah used a suicide bomber to plow a truck filled with explosives into the U.S. Marines barracks in Beirut, Lebanon."
The Attack on the Marine Barracks Remembered [click to read]."At 6:25 local time on the morning of October 23, 1983, agents of the ayatollah used a suicide bomber to plow a truck filled with explosives into the U.S. Marines barracks in Beirut, Lebanon."
***
"May we never forget the Americans Iran killed in Beirut in 1983. May we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God, praying faithfully for the victims and their families and friends, as well as the criminals."
Autumn Color
Along Little North Mountain
Green fields and colorful trees in Western Augusta County.
There are a number of fine brick four-chimney houses along the foot of Little North Mountain.
A very symetrical farm lane.
Green fields and colorful trees in Western Augusta County.
There are a number of fine brick four-chimney houses along the foot of Little North Mountain.
A very symetrical farm lane.
THYME Magazine
Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor
Volume I, Issue IX
The Promised Land
Forget California...
Recently we saw a media circus unfolding at the United Nations and our President presiding over a lovefest of the world's most despicable despots..
...then up stepped Binyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of a Nation the size of New Jersey! He spoke with a clarity and respect for the hard truths the world faces today. "Have you no shame" he stated as the world gave stage to the holacaust denying President of Iran. Holding the actual plans for the Nazi death camps in his hands as he spoke, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke for every freedom loving decent person in America in denouncing the freak show that had erupted in the UN. His Speech [click to read] is a model for those who would return American leadership to a world gone mad.
Israel today gets a lot of bad press. To read the media these day youget the impression that it is a very backward and opressive society. Nothing could be further from the truth.The Middle East's only Democratic government, Israel has Arabs in the Knesset, their representative body. In fact, the complexity of viewpoints represented in the Knesset is worth some serious study. It might be instructive for pluralistic America. The governments of Israel's neighbors, in contrast, suffer no views that are different from the prevailing ideology.
The Palestinian situation must be viewed in this light; What if there was a group of Mexican-American war refugees, all Mexicans, that Mexico wouldn't take in, insisting instead that they deserved a homeland in California. They occupied areas of Southern California and launched missles into San Diego on a regular basis.I don't think California could just carve out a Nation for them. Their situation is unfortunate, but their government may be their own worst enemy.
"Strong against the Hamas."
Israel and New Jersey.
It's true, Israel is not much bigger than the state of New Jersey, yet it is second only to California in high tech industries. Silicon Israel [click to read] is a modern miracle. It has long been a major agricultural exporter surpassing states with much more land area.
California won't save us. Ronald Reagan doesn't live there anymore."They" say "the era of Reagan is over." No, it's "time to get along" and be "bipartisan."
So, have the threats to freedom been defeated? Is the world so much safer that we can forget the time when Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thacher stood strong against tyranny?
I seriously doubt it. Binyamin Netanyahu speaks for many of us. He understands the threats that surround his nation and speaks clearly. When Mr. Netanyahu speaks, a lot of clear thinking people are listening intently. Reagan may be gone but here is a man who's message resonates with the man who said "tear down this wall!"
Volume I, Issue IX
The Promised Land
Forget California...
Recently we saw a media circus unfolding at the United Nations and our President presiding over a lovefest of the world's most despicable despots..
...then up stepped Binyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of a Nation the size of New Jersey! He spoke with a clarity and respect for the hard truths the world faces today. "Have you no shame" he stated as the world gave stage to the holacaust denying President of Iran. Holding the actual plans for the Nazi death camps in his hands as he spoke, Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke for every freedom loving decent person in America in denouncing the freak show that had erupted in the UN. His Speech [click to read] is a model for those who would return American leadership to a world gone mad.
Israel today gets a lot of bad press. To read the media these day youget the impression that it is a very backward and opressive society. Nothing could be further from the truth.The Middle East's only Democratic government, Israel has Arabs in the Knesset, their representative body. In fact, the complexity of viewpoints represented in the Knesset is worth some serious study. It might be instructive for pluralistic America. The governments of Israel's neighbors, in contrast, suffer no views that are different from the prevailing ideology.
The Palestinian situation must be viewed in this light; What if there was a group of Mexican-American war refugees, all Mexicans, that Mexico wouldn't take in, insisting instead that they deserved a homeland in California. They occupied areas of Southern California and launched missles into San Diego on a regular basis.I don't think California could just carve out a Nation for them. Their situation is unfortunate, but their government may be their own worst enemy.
"Strong against the Hamas."
Israel and New Jersey.
It's true, Israel is not much bigger than the state of New Jersey, yet it is second only to California in high tech industries. Silicon Israel [click to read] is a modern miracle. It has long been a major agricultural exporter surpassing states with much more land area.
California won't save us. Ronald Reagan doesn't live there anymore."They" say "the era of Reagan is over." No, it's "time to get along" and be "bipartisan."
So, have the threats to freedom been defeated? Is the world so much safer that we can forget the time when Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thacher stood strong against tyranny?
I seriously doubt it. Binyamin Netanyahu speaks for many of us. He understands the threats that surround his nation and speaks clearly. When Mr. Netanyahu speaks, a lot of clear thinking people are listening intently. Reagan may be gone but here is a man who's message resonates with the man who said "tear down this wall!"
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Bethel Presbyterian Church
Church on the Old Howardsville Turnpike
The tower.
The cemetary.
The bell tower.
The tower.
The cemetary.
The bell tower.
Betsy Bell Mountain
Fall Colors in Staunton's Urban Wilderness
The trail up the mountain is alive with color.
The trail up the mountain is alive with color.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Snow in the Blue Ridge
Mid-October Snow Surprises 'Leafers'
Snow at Big Meadows.
Hemlock and snow, Skyland.
Fern.
Snow at Big Meadows.
Hemlock and snow, Skyland.
Fern.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
THYME Magazine
Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor
Volume I, Issue VIIIA
A Conservative Voice [Clearly speaking]!
And Here are the Poll Numbers [click to read] ht/Lynn.
Volume I, Issue VIIIA
A Conservative Voice [Clearly speaking]!
And Here are the Poll Numbers [click to read] ht/Lynn.
THYME Magazine
Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor
Volume I, Issue VIII, Special Virginia Election Issue.
Photo by Jen Fariello
The Moderate Democrat's Dilemma
Pity Creigh Deeds. His job is not an easy one. First he must convince Virginians that he is 'one of them.' Even though the Washington Post and Senator Mark Warner are big fans, he's got to project that "down home folksy voice" that says he remembers his Bath County Roots.
Then there's the question of how tightly to embrace that donkey on the National level? It's probably a good idea to "not support" the Cap and Trade Tax being pushed forward by Mark Warner and the National Organization.
Then there's the base. You've got to put in a dig about George Bush's "tax cuts for the rich" but move on before someone points out that those lower rates spur corporate growth. You've got to convince college girls that Bob McDonnell wants to reinstate the Middle Ages so they'll "rock the vote!" Still you have to deal with the fact that most Virginians find Bob McDonnell's moral values mirror their own.
Since you are effectively running against your national party AND the Republicans, who's on your team? Your guaranteed tax cut for "any business that hires a new employee" sounds good but how do you create a climate where the business actually needs more employees due to increased productivity?
You see Creigh, I have to justify the ENTIRE cost of the employee before I will hire him or her.
And bringing broadband to every cowpasture in Virginia will probably go to the lowest bidder -- someone from out of state.
Also, how clear should you be on tax policy? A lot of us believe that government needs to restrain itself, just as we have had to in this current economy, and those 'evil' tax cuts will eventually lead to more business activity and increased revenues. It is not a fluke that the states in the most fiscal trouble right now have the highest tax rates. But who should YOU listen to?
Finally, how much should you bash your opponent when it starts to sound like that's all you have to offer? It's starting to sound something like this:
Folksy Voice: "We already know that Bob McDonnell Beats His Dawg!, But did you Know: BOB McDONNELL BEATS HIS DAWG!!!, and by the way, he supports Bush's tax cuts for the rich, and Bob McDonnell Beats His Dawg..."
It's time to present your positve ideas.
If you bash a good man's reputation long enough, it becomes obvious that you're bashing a good man's reputation. All good men have their naysayers and it is all too easy to become known for your naysaying.
Just the Facts M'am
Recently Creigh Deeds' advertising referenced the website FactCheck.org to discredit his opponent. But follow the trail below to find out just how fair and balanced FactCheck.org really is.
The ANNENBERG Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvaniais the organization behind the FactCheck.org website that is being referenced by voters and media personalities alike to help them form opinions on the “truthfulness” of the claims being made by political ads as well as statements made on the Campaign Trail.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Ph.D. is the Director of the ANNENBERG Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania which is the organization BEHIND the FactCheck.org “truthfulness” website.
Dr. Jamieson's newest book entitled “Echo Chamber: Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment” is a MAJOR HIT PIECE against the Conservative voices in the media on television, radio, and in print. View the book’s Table of Contents [click to read]. Then decide for yourself.
What’s the bottom line? FactCheck.org is a LEFT-BIASED organization that has sold itself as “Politically NEUTRAL” to America’s voters and media personnel. The fact is, the ANNENBERG Public Policy Center (APPC), the sponsoring agency behind FactCheck.org, is itself supported by the same foundation, the ANNENBERG FOUNDATION, that Bill Ayers secured the 49.2million dollars from to create the Chicago ANNENBERG Challenge“philanthropic” organization in which Barack Obama was the founding Chairman of the Board for and Ayers served as the grant writer of and co-Chair of for its two operating arms. Hardly an 'unbiased' source. Source: Free Republic
Family Foundation has This [click to read].
Volume I, Issue VIII, Special Virginia Election Issue.
Photo by Jen Fariello
The Moderate Democrat's Dilemma
Pity Creigh Deeds. His job is not an easy one. First he must convince Virginians that he is 'one of them.' Even though the Washington Post and Senator Mark Warner are big fans, he's got to project that "down home folksy voice" that says he remembers his Bath County Roots.
Then there's the question of how tightly to embrace that donkey on the National level? It's probably a good idea to "not support" the Cap and Trade Tax being pushed forward by Mark Warner and the National Organization.
Then there's the base. You've got to put in a dig about George Bush's "tax cuts for the rich" but move on before someone points out that those lower rates spur corporate growth. You've got to convince college girls that Bob McDonnell wants to reinstate the Middle Ages so they'll "rock the vote!" Still you have to deal with the fact that most Virginians find Bob McDonnell's moral values mirror their own.
Since you are effectively running against your national party AND the Republicans, who's on your team? Your guaranteed tax cut for "any business that hires a new employee" sounds good but how do you create a climate where the business actually needs more employees due to increased productivity?
You see Creigh, I have to justify the ENTIRE cost of the employee before I will hire him or her.
And bringing broadband to every cowpasture in Virginia will probably go to the lowest bidder -- someone from out of state.
Also, how clear should you be on tax policy? A lot of us believe that government needs to restrain itself, just as we have had to in this current economy, and those 'evil' tax cuts will eventually lead to more business activity and increased revenues. It is not a fluke that the states in the most fiscal trouble right now have the highest tax rates. But who should YOU listen to?
Finally, how much should you bash your opponent when it starts to sound like that's all you have to offer? It's starting to sound something like this:
Folksy Voice: "We already know that Bob McDonnell Beats His Dawg!, But did you Know: BOB McDONNELL BEATS HIS DAWG!!!, and by the way, he supports Bush's tax cuts for the rich, and Bob McDonnell Beats His Dawg..."
It's time to present your positve ideas.
If you bash a good man's reputation long enough, it becomes obvious that you're bashing a good man's reputation. All good men have their naysayers and it is all too easy to become known for your naysaying.
Just the Facts M'am
Recently Creigh Deeds' advertising referenced the website FactCheck.org to discredit his opponent. But follow the trail below to find out just how fair and balanced FactCheck.org really is.
The ANNENBERG Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvaniais the organization behind the FactCheck.org website that is being referenced by voters and media personalities alike to help them form opinions on the “truthfulness” of the claims being made by political ads as well as statements made on the Campaign Trail.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Ph.D. is the Director of the ANNENBERG Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania which is the organization BEHIND the FactCheck.org “truthfulness” website.
Dr. Jamieson's newest book entitled “Echo Chamber: Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment” is a MAJOR HIT PIECE against the Conservative voices in the media on television, radio, and in print. View the book’s Table of Contents [click to read]. Then decide for yourself.
What’s the bottom line? FactCheck.org is a LEFT-BIASED organization that has sold itself as “Politically NEUTRAL” to America’s voters and media personnel. The fact is, the ANNENBERG Public Policy Center (APPC), the sponsoring agency behind FactCheck.org, is itself supported by the same foundation, the ANNENBERG FOUNDATION, that Bill Ayers secured the 49.2million dollars from to create the Chicago ANNENBERG Challenge“philanthropic” organization in which Barack Obama was the founding Chairman of the Board for and Ayers served as the grant writer of and co-Chair of for its two operating arms. Hardly an 'unbiased' source. Source: Free Republic
Family Foundation has This [click to read].
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Lord Christopher Monckton
Straight Talk About the Climate Treaty...
This photo of Massanutten Lodge at Skyland was taken yesterday.
“Is Obama Poised to Cede US Sovereignty?”
Lord Monckton Says So [click to read] and we need to let the White House know how we feel about it!
Go to the White House Website [click to read] and send an email.
Write the President:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Telephone the White House:
Phone Numbers:
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Tell our President we do not want him ceding our National Sovereignty and do not support an energy policy that relies on any 'carbon offset' scheme. We support a diversified sourcing of our energy needs including the development of more nuclear power, natural gas and increased domestic production of oil resources.
"President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history." -- Quote from the White House Website. Hold him to it.
Please save this information for your own future reference.
No, this isn't Colorado. It is Virginia in October. Massanutten Lodge at Skyland.
This photo of Massanutten Lodge at Skyland was taken yesterday.
“Is Obama Poised to Cede US Sovereignty?”
Lord Monckton Says So [click to read] and we need to let the White House know how we feel about it!
Go to the White House Website [click to read] and send an email.
Write the President:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Telephone the White House:
Phone Numbers:
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Tell our President we do not want him ceding our National Sovereignty and do not support an energy policy that relies on any 'carbon offset' scheme. We support a diversified sourcing of our energy needs including the development of more nuclear power, natural gas and increased domestic production of oil resources.
"President Obama is committed to creating the most open and accessible administration in American history." -- Quote from the White House Website. Hold him to it.
Please save this information for your own future reference.
No, this isn't Colorado. It is Virginia in October. Massanutten Lodge at Skyland.
Skyline Drive
A Crisp Autumn Day that Feels More Like Winter
Big Run Canyon Overlook.
Old Rag Mountain five miles away.
Trees along the Skyline Drive.
Big Run Canyon Overlook.
Old Rag Mountain five miles away.
Trees along the Skyline Drive.
Lord Christopher Monckton
Straight Talk About the Climate Treaty...
“Is Obama Poised to Cede US Sovereignty?”
Lord Monckton was heard on Rush Limbaugh [click to read]. Michelle Malkin Has Video [click to read]. Here are his thoughts on the treaty that Gordon Brown wants 'rushed' to ratification:
I have read that treaty. And what it says is this: That a world government is going to be created. The word "government" actually appears as the first of three purposes of the new entity. The second purpose is the transfer of wealth from the countries of the West to Third World countries, in satisfaction of what is called, coyly, "a climate debt," because we have been burning CO2 and they haven't and we've been screwing up the climate. We haven't been screwing up the climate, but that's the line. And the third purpose of this new entity, this government is "enforcement."
How many of you think that the word "election" or "democracy" or "vote" or "ballot" occurs anywhere in the 200 pages of that treaty? Quite right! It doesn't appear once. So at last the communists who piled out of the Berlin Wall and into the environmental movement and took over Greenpeace so that my friends who funded it left within a year because they'd captured it. Now the apotheosis is at hand. They are about to impose a communist world government on the world. You have a president who has very strong sympathies with that point of view. He's going to sign. He'll sign anything. He's a Nobel peace laureate. Of course he'll sign it!
So, thank you, America. You were the beacon of freedom to the world. It is a privilege merely to stand on this soil of freedom while it is still free. But in the next few weeks, unless you stop it, your president will sign your freedom, your democracy, and your prosperity away forever -- and neither you nor any subsequent government you may elect would have any power whatsoever to take it back again. That is how serious it is.
Snow on the Passamaquoddy trail yesterday.
Fresh fallen Autumn leaves in the snow.
Bright colors and early snow.
"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." -- Samuel Adams
“Is Obama Poised to Cede US Sovereignty?”
Lord Monckton was heard on Rush Limbaugh [click to read]. Michelle Malkin Has Video [click to read]. Here are his thoughts on the treaty that Gordon Brown wants 'rushed' to ratification:
I have read that treaty. And what it says is this: That a world government is going to be created. The word "government" actually appears as the first of three purposes of the new entity. The second purpose is the transfer of wealth from the countries of the West to Third World countries, in satisfaction of what is called, coyly, "a climate debt," because we have been burning CO2 and they haven't and we've been screwing up the climate. We haven't been screwing up the climate, but that's the line. And the third purpose of this new entity, this government is "enforcement."
How many of you think that the word "election" or "democracy" or "vote" or "ballot" occurs anywhere in the 200 pages of that treaty? Quite right! It doesn't appear once. So at last the communists who piled out of the Berlin Wall and into the environmental movement and took over Greenpeace so that my friends who funded it left within a year because they'd captured it. Now the apotheosis is at hand. They are about to impose a communist world government on the world. You have a president who has very strong sympathies with that point of view. He's going to sign. He'll sign anything. He's a Nobel peace laureate. Of course he'll sign it!
So, thank you, America. You were the beacon of freedom to the world. It is a privilege merely to stand on this soil of freedom while it is still free. But in the next few weeks, unless you stop it, your president will sign your freedom, your democracy, and your prosperity away forever -- and neither you nor any subsequent government you may elect would have any power whatsoever to take it back again. That is how serious it is.
Snow on the Passamaquoddy trail yesterday.
Fresh fallen Autumn leaves in the snow.
Bright colors and early snow.
"No people will tamely surrender their Liberties, nor can any be easily subdued, when knowledge is diffused and Virtue is preserved. On the Contrary, when People are universally ignorant, and debauched in their Manners, they will sink under their own weight without the Aid of foreign Invaders." -- Samuel Adams
Dumbing Down Dissenters
Tim Phillips of Americans for Prosperity Writes...
Ever noticed how the Left focuses on attacking us personally rather than engaging in honest debate on the issues?
Just last week I appeared on two very different shows: Sean Hannity's Great American Panel and Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show. Seeing how the debate went is instructive.
On Sean Hannity's show Wednesday night, we had a civil yet spirited discussion on issues of the day. Juan Williams, a Fox News contributor and PBS commentator (with whom I often disagree) made his points concisely and focused on genuine issues. Hannity, as moderator, led the discussion in a manner befitting a leading national media figure. CLICK HERE
The next evening, Rachel Maddow's show was completely different. During a 10-minute segment with me, she flatly refused to discuss even for a moment the health care issue, which was supposed to be the topic.
Instead, she spent her time in a screeching, angry, at times irrational attack on Americans for Prosperity saying that activists like you are not real, that you're part of a big corporate front, etc. Her attacks on you echoed Speaker Pelosi calling you "un-American" for your grassroots involvement and Sen. Harry Reid calling you "evil-mongers" and others on the Left saying we incite "mob violence."
Maddow attacked the personal integrity of our Americans for Prosperity Foundation chairman, David Koch, and another of our board members, Art Pope. The spectacle was enlightening: On a national network, Maddow was viciously attacking two great Americans simply because they volunteer their time and give some of their money to support the cause of freedom. Somehow, she has forgotten to attack George Soros for giving tens of millions to liberal causes like MoveOn.org. When I called her on this hypocrisy, she had no answer.
Then, Maddow cast me as the bad guy. The most outlandish part was when she called me a "parasite feeding on the fears of Americans." CLICK here for video of the Maddow show.
It's never fun being attacked. You and I both get frustrated when we see politicians and pundits denigrate Americans like us because we are in the arena fighting for our freedoms.
But, here's the encouraging part.
The Left is not debating us on the issues precisely because they know they're losing on this front.
Americans are agreeing with us that a Washington takeover of health care will mean medical treatments denied, longer lines, less choice and more taxes and more debt. ObamaCare is now supported by only 35% of the American people because our fellow citizens are hearing both sides and supporting our view that individual freedom, less government control, lower taxes and less debt is better than the Left's alternative.
So, that means folks like Rachel Maddow, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Harry Reid, the big labor unions, and all their friends are going to drop the issues debate and focus their fire on discrediting us with personal attacks.
We should be encouraged by this turn of events. Their attacks mean we are winning with the American people.
Morning sun in Autumn trees.
Ever noticed how the Left focuses on attacking us personally rather than engaging in honest debate on the issues?
Just last week I appeared on two very different shows: Sean Hannity's Great American Panel and Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show. Seeing how the debate went is instructive.
On Sean Hannity's show Wednesday night, we had a civil yet spirited discussion on issues of the day. Juan Williams, a Fox News contributor and PBS commentator (with whom I often disagree) made his points concisely and focused on genuine issues. Hannity, as moderator, led the discussion in a manner befitting a leading national media figure. CLICK HERE
The next evening, Rachel Maddow's show was completely different. During a 10-minute segment with me, she flatly refused to discuss even for a moment the health care issue, which was supposed to be the topic.
Instead, she spent her time in a screeching, angry, at times irrational attack on Americans for Prosperity saying that activists like you are not real, that you're part of a big corporate front, etc. Her attacks on you echoed Speaker Pelosi calling you "un-American" for your grassroots involvement and Sen. Harry Reid calling you "evil-mongers" and others on the Left saying we incite "mob violence."
Maddow attacked the personal integrity of our Americans for Prosperity Foundation chairman, David Koch, and another of our board members, Art Pope. The spectacle was enlightening: On a national network, Maddow was viciously attacking two great Americans simply because they volunteer their time and give some of their money to support the cause of freedom. Somehow, she has forgotten to attack George Soros for giving tens of millions to liberal causes like MoveOn.org. When I called her on this hypocrisy, she had no answer.
Then, Maddow cast me as the bad guy. The most outlandish part was when she called me a "parasite feeding on the fears of Americans." CLICK here for video of the Maddow show.
It's never fun being attacked. You and I both get frustrated when we see politicians and pundits denigrate Americans like us because we are in the arena fighting for our freedoms.
But, here's the encouraging part.
The Left is not debating us on the issues precisely because they know they're losing on this front.
Americans are agreeing with us that a Washington takeover of health care will mean medical treatments denied, longer lines, less choice and more taxes and more debt. ObamaCare is now supported by only 35% of the American people because our fellow citizens are hearing both sides and supporting our view that individual freedom, less government control, lower taxes and less debt is better than the Left's alternative.
So, that means folks like Rachel Maddow, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Harry Reid, the big labor unions, and all their friends are going to drop the issues debate and focus their fire on discrediting us with personal attacks.
We should be encouraged by this turn of events. Their attacks mean we are winning with the American people.
Morning sun in Autumn trees.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Massanutten Lodge
In the Snow on October 19
Addie Pollack's Massanutten Lodge at Skyland under an early Autumn snow.
Addie Pollack's Massanutten Lodge at Skyland under an early Autumn snow.
THYME Magazine
Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor
Volume I, Issue VII
Dumbing Down Your Dissenters
In Amerika Rush Limbaugh has to be 'evil.' Chairman Mao is 'Good' [click to read]. Mark Steyn points out how those who wish to discredit Limbaugh have resorted to 'inventive quotations,' that is sort of like 'inventive spelling' in that you make what you THINK the man said in order to make your point that Rush is a bigoted firebrand. As Stein points out the quote attributed to Limbaugh is totally undocumented and looks like it comes fresh from the Al Sharpton Race-industry production line. In fact, if you look closer at Mr.Limbaugh's real life you find his long-time friendship and professional association with Mr. Snerdly totally debunks the 'racism' charge.What you DO find in Rush Limbaugh's resume is a long tradition of humorous analysis of the whole race issue. To parody an L.A. Times editorial on the subject he has Paul Shanklin impersonate Sharpton [complete with megaphone] mimicking an old Peter Paul and Mary song. It's hilarious. But it can also be taken out of context if one wants to 'prove' that Rush Limbaugh has no business investing in the St. Louis Rams franchise. The fact that Limbaugh is one of the NFL's strongest advocates is an 'inconvenient truth' for these people.
Amerika
In 1987 ABC [yes, ABC]!, aired a miniseries called 'Amerika.' The Sovietization of the spelling is on purpose and the show depicts the aftermath of a bloodless takeover of America by the Soviet Socialists.The show was criticized by the Left and the United Nations for obvious reasons, [in the show the UN 'administers' the defeated U.S. territories]. Conservatives complained that the show did not show the true terror of the Soviet system. Actually, in retrospect, the show is more terrifying in its sublimity. It's too close to the reality unfolding before our very eyes.
All the President's Czars
So in this light we finally address the host of presidential appointees that dwell in the shadowlands of the administration. One thinks of the admonition of the Wizard of Oz: "Pay no attentoin to that man in the corner..." but in the movie, it was the little man who made Oz move. So, one must suspect, do the Czars.Glenn Beck Provides this List of Czars [click to read]. It is from Summer and is somewhat dated but the reason I reference it is Beck's own research and analysis of the Czars, which is valuable.
Apparently, we are supposed to see the appointment of such high-profile people as Francis Collins and cluck approvingly of our President's wisdom while ignoring the little man in the corner. At least that is the media's take on it. It's embarassing when Glenn Beck actually points out the philosophies and worldviews of the army of Czars who have been quietly assembled around the President.
Your Mother Was Right About This
You can tell a lot about a person by who he [or she] associates with. The facts coming out about these appointees is disturbing for that reason. They represent our President's vision for 'Amerika.'
That is why Kevin Jennings [click to read] is disturbing. He IS the man our President wants in the corner creating policy for our children.
The Left and Right Do Not Want the Same America [click to read]. Since it is the left that contols all houses of the government we would do well to understand this. But we would do well to study their strategy for implementing their vision as well. That is why the Czars need to be under the microscope. Henceforth THYME will use the term 'Amerika' to refer to the left's vision and 'America' to refer to the one that Patriots have bled for down through history.
Take note, as in the case of Jennings, when there is an attempt to discredit America's G-d fearing heritage. This is by design in the tradition of Roger Baldwin and other socialist thinkers. 'Amerika' requires the elimination of Judeo-Christian worldview constraints. Government must emerge as the source of all blessing. Wouldn't that explain the need to promote a lifestyle message to children that promoted not only immediate gratification, but a severe departure from the values taught by G-d fearing people for centuries? Baldwin, a socialist and the founder of the ACLU stated that Judeo-Christian principles were an impediment to the transformation of America into a socialist utopia.
War on Small Business
If small business creates the lion's share of jobs and innovation why do some want to burden it to death. City Journal [click to read] examines this disturbing trend. Could it have something to do with the vision for 'Amerika?'
Special Bonus Pull-Out Section:
Volume I, Issue VIIA
No, She Wasn't Always Happy...
But When Momma Wasn't Happy, Things Got Taken Care of!
A while ago I was talking with one of the staff at the Frontier Culture Museum. She was researching the plight of frontier women and how many of them fought lonliness and depression... but they built a mighty nation. Prior to the 'modern' era women worked alongside men in an agricultural economy. Read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books to get a picture of this as Ma and the girls resourcefully ran the farm.
This Blog began with the story of Dr. June McCarroll [click to read], the inventor of pavement markings. She is featured on our 'second' cover here. Her story is one of overcoming opposition and skepticism... and her amazing perserverance in doing so.
Then there is the story of Ruby Beck [cick to read]. She was an African-American woman who concieved the idea of owning her own restaurant. OK, there was a problem. She was living in the mid-Twentieth Century and Massive Resistance was in full force. No banks would loan her the money but she persisted until she found lenders at Burke and herbert willing to take a risk.
She built her Boxwood House Restaurant around family recipies and her sister Lizzie Harrison joined her in the business as chef. Lizzie's cooking was famous. She cared for my Aunt Molly in her later years as a live-in caregiver. When Aunt Molly threw a family dinner it was an experience! Homemade bread! Homemade Preserves! Cornbread! You get the picture. Lizzie took these fine recipes to the Boxwood House and, with her sister, made history! In 1971 Ruby Beck won the “Virginia Small Businessman of the Year Award.” Ruby was the first woman in Virginia, the 2nd woman nationally and the first minority business owner in the South to receive the prestigious award. Pretty impressive!
Lizzie was pretty impressive in her own right. She was a lady who found joy in taking us down to the little pond to catch tadpoles. She was kind and tough -- one of the best marksmen we ever knew. Once she shot a snake out of a tree and became the family's own version of Alvin York.
We never feared for the safety of Aunt Molly and Lizzie, though they lived along busy U.S. 29. Lizzie's rifle skills were such legend that no locals would have messed with her. Our standing family joke was that out of town troublemakers would have been met by the following sound: "BLAM!!!, Who WAS that?"
Here's an Article on Mrs. Beck [click to read] from the Culpeper Star Exponent.
Volume I, Issue VII
Dumbing Down Your Dissenters
In Amerika Rush Limbaugh has to be 'evil.' Chairman Mao is 'Good' [click to read]. Mark Steyn points out how those who wish to discredit Limbaugh have resorted to 'inventive quotations,' that is sort of like 'inventive spelling' in that you make what you THINK the man said in order to make your point that Rush is a bigoted firebrand. As Stein points out the quote attributed to Limbaugh is totally undocumented and looks like it comes fresh from the Al Sharpton Race-industry production line. In fact, if you look closer at Mr.Limbaugh's real life you find his long-time friendship and professional association with Mr. Snerdly totally debunks the 'racism' charge.What you DO find in Rush Limbaugh's resume is a long tradition of humorous analysis of the whole race issue. To parody an L.A. Times editorial on the subject he has Paul Shanklin impersonate Sharpton [complete with megaphone] mimicking an old Peter Paul and Mary song. It's hilarious. But it can also be taken out of context if one wants to 'prove' that Rush Limbaugh has no business investing in the St. Louis Rams franchise. The fact that Limbaugh is one of the NFL's strongest advocates is an 'inconvenient truth' for these people.
Amerika
In 1987 ABC [yes, ABC]!, aired a miniseries called 'Amerika.' The Sovietization of the spelling is on purpose and the show depicts the aftermath of a bloodless takeover of America by the Soviet Socialists.The show was criticized by the Left and the United Nations for obvious reasons, [in the show the UN 'administers' the defeated U.S. territories]. Conservatives complained that the show did not show the true terror of the Soviet system. Actually, in retrospect, the show is more terrifying in its sublimity. It's too close to the reality unfolding before our very eyes.
All the President's Czars
So in this light we finally address the host of presidential appointees that dwell in the shadowlands of the administration. One thinks of the admonition of the Wizard of Oz: "Pay no attentoin to that man in the corner..." but in the movie, it was the little man who made Oz move. So, one must suspect, do the Czars.Glenn Beck Provides this List of Czars [click to read]. It is from Summer and is somewhat dated but the reason I reference it is Beck's own research and analysis of the Czars, which is valuable.
Apparently, we are supposed to see the appointment of such high-profile people as Francis Collins and cluck approvingly of our President's wisdom while ignoring the little man in the corner. At least that is the media's take on it. It's embarassing when Glenn Beck actually points out the philosophies and worldviews of the army of Czars who have been quietly assembled around the President.
Your Mother Was Right About This
You can tell a lot about a person by who he [or she] associates with. The facts coming out about these appointees is disturbing for that reason. They represent our President's vision for 'Amerika.'
That is why Kevin Jennings [click to read] is disturbing. He IS the man our President wants in the corner creating policy for our children.
The Left and Right Do Not Want the Same America [click to read]. Since it is the left that contols all houses of the government we would do well to understand this. But we would do well to study their strategy for implementing their vision as well. That is why the Czars need to be under the microscope. Henceforth THYME will use the term 'Amerika' to refer to the left's vision and 'America' to refer to the one that Patriots have bled for down through history.
Take note, as in the case of Jennings, when there is an attempt to discredit America's G-d fearing heritage. This is by design in the tradition of Roger Baldwin and other socialist thinkers. 'Amerika' requires the elimination of Judeo-Christian worldview constraints. Government must emerge as the source of all blessing. Wouldn't that explain the need to promote a lifestyle message to children that promoted not only immediate gratification, but a severe departure from the values taught by G-d fearing people for centuries? Baldwin, a socialist and the founder of the ACLU stated that Judeo-Christian principles were an impediment to the transformation of America into a socialist utopia.
***
War on Small Business
If small business creates the lion's share of jobs and innovation why do some want to burden it to death. City Journal [click to read] examines this disturbing trend. Could it have something to do with the vision for 'Amerika?'
Special Bonus Pull-Out Section:
Volume I, Issue VIIA
No, She Wasn't Always Happy...
But When Momma Wasn't Happy, Things Got Taken Care of!
A while ago I was talking with one of the staff at the Frontier Culture Museum. She was researching the plight of frontier women and how many of them fought lonliness and depression... but they built a mighty nation. Prior to the 'modern' era women worked alongside men in an agricultural economy. Read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books to get a picture of this as Ma and the girls resourcefully ran the farm.
This Blog began with the story of Dr. June McCarroll [click to read], the inventor of pavement markings. She is featured on our 'second' cover here. Her story is one of overcoming opposition and skepticism... and her amazing perserverance in doing so.
Then there is the story of Ruby Beck [cick to read]. She was an African-American woman who concieved the idea of owning her own restaurant. OK, there was a problem. She was living in the mid-Twentieth Century and Massive Resistance was in full force. No banks would loan her the money but she persisted until she found lenders at Burke and herbert willing to take a risk.
She built her Boxwood House Restaurant around family recipies and her sister Lizzie Harrison joined her in the business as chef. Lizzie's cooking was famous. She cared for my Aunt Molly in her later years as a live-in caregiver. When Aunt Molly threw a family dinner it was an experience! Homemade bread! Homemade Preserves! Cornbread! You get the picture. Lizzie took these fine recipes to the Boxwood House and, with her sister, made history! In 1971 Ruby Beck won the “Virginia Small Businessman of the Year Award.” Ruby was the first woman in Virginia, the 2nd woman nationally and the first minority business owner in the South to receive the prestigious award. Pretty impressive!
Lizzie was pretty impressive in her own right. She was a lady who found joy in taking us down to the little pond to catch tadpoles. She was kind and tough -- one of the best marksmen we ever knew. Once she shot a snake out of a tree and became the family's own version of Alvin York.
We never feared for the safety of Aunt Molly and Lizzie, though they lived along busy U.S. 29. Lizzie's rifle skills were such legend that no locals would have messed with her. Our standing family joke was that out of town troublemakers would have been met by the following sound: "BLAM!!!, Who WAS that?"
Here's an Article on Mrs. Beck [click to read] from the Culpeper Star Exponent.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
THYME Magazine
Citizen Journalism with a Better Flavor
Volume I, Issue VIA, Special Edition.
Is Kevin Jennings Good for America?
In a word, no. And Glenn Beck is one of a few people willing to point this out.
Yet another controversial Obama-administration appointee, Kevin Jennings, is in the national spotlight. Much has been made about Jennings' troubling actions and statements in the past. However, parents don't need to look that far back to understand the radical policies that Jennings would like to enact today in our nation's public schools.
They need only examine his 17-year track record [click to read]. as the founder and leader of the nation's largest advocacy group devoted to promoting homosexuality to school children—GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Under Jennings' leadership, GLSEN created a list of books that it recommends for use in public schools [click to read].
Also under Jennings' direction, GLSEN has used the "safe school" mantra to push a one-sided agenda into schools [click to read] that has no 'tolerance' for socially conservative and Christian viewpoints—and that promotes gender confusion [click to read]. GLSEN has promoted lesson plans and student activities [click to read] that also reflect this bias. In an article for the Huffington Post titled "Recruit, Recruit, Recruit" Jennings had no 'tolerance' for the activities of Young Life, a Christian organization with a strong emphasis on outreach to high school students.
Most of us would support a policy of teaching mutual respect for people with different viewpoints without an underlying message that "your viewpoint is wrong" being inferred. I do not think schools need to promote 'alternative' ideas about sexuality at all, but Mr. Jennings, if this were his mindset, would not be bashing Young Life and writing lesson plans that seek to override parental influences.
READ MORE ABOUT SAFE SCHOOLS CZAR, KEVIN JENNINGS
Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Czars [click to read].
Firestorm Erupts over Obama's Education Appointee [click to read].
TAKE ACTION
Protect children and prevent Jennings from using a taxpayer-funded government office to push homosexual advocacy into public schools. [click to read].
ht/Citizenlink and Glenn Beck. This is a Special Edition, the regular issue will publish on Monday.
Here is the 'companion' TIME Issue [click to read]. I was told that since many Conservatives don't bother to look at the 'Professional' weekly news magazine anymore, someone might miss the full impact of my 'cover commentary.' Here is Rush's Cover Idea [click to read] for TIME.
Volume I, Issue VIA, Special Edition.
Is Kevin Jennings Good for America?
In a word, no. And Glenn Beck is one of a few people willing to point this out.
Yet another controversial Obama-administration appointee, Kevin Jennings, is in the national spotlight. Much has been made about Jennings' troubling actions and statements in the past. However, parents don't need to look that far back to understand the radical policies that Jennings would like to enact today in our nation's public schools.
They need only examine his 17-year track record [click to read]. as the founder and leader of the nation's largest advocacy group devoted to promoting homosexuality to school children—GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Under Jennings' leadership, GLSEN created a list of books that it recommends for use in public schools [click to read].
Also under Jennings' direction, GLSEN has used the "safe school" mantra to push a one-sided agenda into schools [click to read] that has no 'tolerance' for socially conservative and Christian viewpoints—and that promotes gender confusion [click to read]. GLSEN has promoted lesson plans and student activities [click to read] that also reflect this bias. In an article for the Huffington Post titled "Recruit, Recruit, Recruit" Jennings had no 'tolerance' for the activities of Young Life, a Christian organization with a strong emphasis on outreach to high school students.
Most of us would support a policy of teaching mutual respect for people with different viewpoints without an underlying message that "your viewpoint is wrong" being inferred. I do not think schools need to promote 'alternative' ideas about sexuality at all, but Mr. Jennings, if this were his mindset, would not be bashing Young Life and writing lesson plans that seek to override parental influences.
READ MORE ABOUT SAFE SCHOOLS CZAR, KEVIN JENNINGS
Lawmakers Hold Hearing on Czars [click to read].
Firestorm Erupts over Obama's Education Appointee [click to read].
TAKE ACTION
Protect children and prevent Jennings from using a taxpayer-funded government office to push homosexual advocacy into public schools. [click to read].
ht/Citizenlink and Glenn Beck. This is a Special Edition, the regular issue will publish on Monday.
Here is the 'companion' TIME Issue [click to read]. I was told that since many Conservatives don't bother to look at the 'Professional' weekly news magazine anymore, someone might miss the full impact of my 'cover commentary.' Here is Rush's Cover Idea [click to read] for TIME.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Rainy Day Flowers
Wet and Wintry Weather
Rain drops on pansies.
Not Evil Just Wrong [click to read] is coming October 18th. This movie, full of 'inconvenient truth' for global warming alarmists, will be a must-see. It's supposed to snow tonight here in Virginia. Last Winter the days our new President was inaugurated were some of the coldest on record. This is not the time to allow our energy economy to be torn down in the hysteria of the moment. Good science tells us otherwise.
Rain drops on pansies.
Not Evil Just Wrong [click to read] is coming October 18th. This movie, full of 'inconvenient truth' for global warming alarmists, will be a must-see. It's supposed to snow tonight here in Virginia. Last Winter the days our new President was inaugurated were some of the coldest on record. This is not the time to allow our energy economy to be torn down in the hysteria of the moment. Good science tells us otherwise.
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