A&E and the Dangers of Political Correctness

I will say at the offset I have never seen Duck Dynasty nor do I plan to.   It doesn't seem like something that I would be all that interested in enough to spend a half hour of my life sitting in front of the television for.  I have heard of the family and seen pictures of him with various people, but I really know very little about the show except it has something to do with duck hunting.

A&E has decided that it goes against their values to employ someone who holds a biblical worldview on sin.  You can disagree with the premise all you like, but it doesn't change what the bible says.  Homosexuality is a sin according to Christian belief.  I fully understand that there are churches out there that ignore that and have no problem with openly gay clergy and will marry same-sex couples.  That still doesn't change what the bible says about it.

Phil Robertson gave an interview with GQ Magazine.  During that interview he was asked a question on his view of homosexuality.  He answered the question coming from a biblical point of view.  He is a person who believes that the bible is the living word of God.  Yes his words may have been crude, but they were not bigoted, nor did he liken homosexuality to having sex with a goat.  He simply gave a list of things that are sinful, he also included having heterosexual sex outside of marriage in his list.

"Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men."

All he said is that sex outside the confines of  traditional marriage is sinful, which according to the bible, it is.  That shouldn't be up for debate.  Again, you can feel that the bible is outdated, fake, or anything that you may feel about it, but it doesn't change what scripture says.  If you are to follow the bible and its teachings you shouldn't be having sex of any kind outside of traditional marriage.  Once you do that, you are committing a sin.  

Another part of his quote gets left out in almost all of the media coverage:

“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?”

Is it any wonder that this gets left out?  How can you say that he is "hating" on homosexuals if he says he is not judging them?  As a Christian it is part of your duty to spread the word of God.  People will do that in different ways and to different degrees.  But a true Christian never makes statements about someone else's salvation and how God will ultimately judge a person and how they lived their life.  Not only isn't that our job, it way above our pay grade.  

But of course the media coverage is he is a bigot, he is a hater, or he is some crazy right winged nut job.  He isn't allowed to have a biblical worldview and share that openly.  That is something you must keep in the closet and act like it doesn't exist.  Of course the same people who are hitting him hard have no problem with talking about homosexuality in sex ed classes geared to 6 year olds.  That is perfectly acceptable.  But don't tell them the other side of the equation, oh no, you are a hater then.  

If activists for the gay community are as open-minded as they claim to be, they will have a debate on this topic.  But that isn't what happens.  The debate gets shut off by people losing their income or labeled a bigot and a hater.  My gosh even feminist and openly gay Camille Paglia understands what is happening by these fanatics

"utterly fascist & utterly Stalinist"

Having a debate on the legalization of gay marriage is worth having in this country.  But it devolves into name calling and threats.  What does it say about people who say they are only trying to be accepted and have their rights protected by our society when they care none about the rights of those who believe otherwise?  

We have gotten to the point where any talk of religion must be closeted and must be whispered in the confines of your own home.  We have even gotten to the point that sometimes you can't have a bible study in your home without interference, putting up Christmas lights on the outside of your home gets you a letter from your neighbors telling them how offended they are.  

That isn't tolerance folks, that is tyranny.  This is how far we have fallen as a society; a major public university gives classes on the fine art of fellatio and that is deemed a perfectly acceptable use of tax payer funds for "educational" purposes, but a Christian man can't give the biblical view that he tries to live his life by without losing income.  

A&E has every right to end their contract with Mr. Robertson.  They are a private business and they are under no restrictions constitutionally, as this isn't a free speech or free religion issue.  The government isn't interfering.  Just because A&E has the right to end his contract doesn't mean that it should.  So far the sponsors of the show seem to understand what is at stake here and are standing on the right side.  The side that says he has a right to religious liberty and his viewpoints.  

A sad day in America.  A very sad day.  

No, There is No War on Christmas - Video

This is just disgusting.  Why bother to sing this song at all?  I mean really.  Listen to the words, they took out "Christ the Savior" and "Holy Infant", but left "Holy Night".  

They didn't want to "offend" non-Christians, but apparently had no problem offending Christians.  

Christmas is about a birth of baby and that was the son of God.  That is what it is.  There is no way around that.  Christians follow Christ.  

Head meet desk. 

Tribute or Insensitive? Chanel Steps in it With Indian Headress

More politically correct nonsense, now from the fashion world.  Chanel did a show for its pre-fall collection in Texas.  The theme of the collection is south-western with a Native American feel to it.  They had the audacity to use headdresses as part of the finale of the show.

Heaven forbid do something that shows of the beauty of the Native American culture.  Then you are, at best, insensitive and probably racist too.

When you look at the clothes that they were showing you can clearly see a Native American flair to them.  Personally, while I wouldn't wear the pieces with the fringes on them, just not my style, they are quite beautiful and obviously well crafted pieces.  But of course with the hypersensitive culture we live in, the demands for apologies abound.

Chanel has issued a statement:

"Native Americans are an integral part of Texas' rich history and culture and the feather headdress, a symbol of strength and bravery, is one of the most visually stunning examples of creativity and craftsmanship. We deeply apologize if it has been misinterpreted or is seen as offensive as it was really meant to be a tribute to the beauty of craftsmanship."

This constant need that some have to turn everything into a conversation about race really needs to stop.  The word has lost its true meaning at this point.  People should be very concerned about that because when real cases of it come up, people will not take them as seriously as they should.

Take a look at some of the photos and you can see for yourselves that nothing was meant as disrespect to Native American culture.  They were simply doing what fashion houses do at fashion shows, making the outfits over the top.

Quote of the Day - Professor Dan M. Kahann Edition

I’ve got to confess, though, I found this result surprising. As I pushed the button to run the analysis on my computer, I fully expected I’d be shown a modest negative correlation between identifying with the Tea Party and science comprehension.

But then again, I don’t know a single person who identifies with the Tea Party.  All my impressions come from watching cable tv — & I don’t watch Fox News very often — and reading the paper (New York Times daily, plus a variety of politics-focused internet sites like Huffington Post & Politico).  

I’m a little embarrassed, but mainly I’m just glad that I no longer hold this particular mistaken view.

Maybe getting out of that liberal bubble once in a while is good thing.  Especially when that bubble includes Yale University.  

About Megyn Kelly and White St. Nick

I just love all this.  I really do.  Megyn Kelly had a panel discussion on blog post that was written by a black woman and her feelings of inadequacies as a child seeing a white Santa Claus.  Her tongue and cheek suggestion was that we now make Santa into a penguin so that no one else is forced to feel bad about themselves as she did as a child.  

This discussion, per the usual, turned into calls of "RAAAAACIST" and of course White Privilege.  I wonder how many actually watched the segment or just read what has been written about it?  

St. Nicholas was white.  St. Nicholas is what Santa Claus is based upon.  That isn't up for debate.  It is history.  He was a historical figure.  The point of the segment was that just because something in history is uncomfortable, is that a good enough reason to change it?  Her answer is no, it isn't.  She is right about that.  

Across human history there are many things that are uncomfortable.  The crusades, slavery, and the holocaust just to name three.  Do we get to change what happened because someone is uncomfortable with the history of it?  I am white of European descent.  I am only one generation away from it in fact.  I am only the third person in my family to be born in this country.  Now, do I get to whitewash the history of European whites that held blacks in slavery just because I don't like the fact that they did it?  No, I don't.  That is our history.  The same way that blacks that come from African decent don't get to whitewash the fact that many blacks on that continent made money on selling their fellow countrymen into bondage.  That is their history.  

I was reading an article not to long ago on the 9/11 museum that will be opening at The World Trade Center.  Some people didn't want the hijackers mentioned at all, they wanted it to be about the victims only.  I say heck no.  We don't get to decide for ourselves what that day was and what it was not.  19 men hijacked planes and killed 3,000 innocent people based solely upon their sick religious views.  That is what happened.  It doesn't matter that some people may be uncomfortable with that pesky little fact.  Muslims have to deal with it.  Saudis have to deal with the fact that the majority of them came from that country.  It isn't up for debate, or at least it shouldn't be.  

She was making no statement on race.  She was talking about why do we, as a culture, want to change historical figures into a narrative that fits a more "modern, feel-good, politically correct" thing?  What right do we have to do that as a society?  It benefits no one to change our history.  

This has played out in bright colors this week with the death of Nelson Mandela.  I can't think of another recent example that showcases what Ms. Kelly was saying.  Upon his death he was either characterized as a saint or the devil.  The truth is he contained elements of both.  His history does contain acts of violence and innocent people being killed due to those acts of violence.  That cannot be left out of the conversation about his life.  But the other side to that coin is that he left the violence behind him once he was out of imprisonment and tried to lead a country out of a government that was based on oppression, racism, and nothing short of tyranny.  Now I don't agree with his socialist views of government, but I didn't live that life in that time.  I am sitting in the cheap seats and it is real easy for me to say what I would and would not have done in his position, living in that country, as a person of color, in that time.  Freedom isn't free.  We say that all the time in this country when it comes to conversations about our troops and America's standing in the world.  I can think of no example of when a country that was under a tyrannical regime working towards more freedom for its citizens that didn't involve bloodshed.  It isn't pretty, but it is reality.  If there is one thing that makes me crazier than anything else, it is when people don't want to deal with the realities at hand.  We don't get to change our history simply because we don't like it.  Unless of course you want to be intellectually dishonest and lazy.  

There was nothing racist about what Megyn Kelly said.  She wasn't saying that black children can't look to Santa Claus the same way white children do.  She wasn't saying that Santa is only for the whites of the world.  She was saying St. Nicholas is a historical figure and nothing in the world is going to change that fact.  Deal with it.  

Photo of the Day - Fake Sign Language Interpreter May have Gotten One Sign Right

You may have heard that the leader of the World Deaf Federation is saying that the man who was signing during the speech given at the Mandela funeral yesterday was a fake.  I think he may have gotten one sign right though.  

Too funny. 

President Obama, The Narcissist, Keeps it Classy at Mandela Funeral

We should all be so proud.  Seriously?  A selfie at a funeral?  That goes for you to Mr. Cameron.  

Inter-racial Dating in Harlem - Video

I thought this was great.  With all the hullaboo about Mandela being the most recent thing showing our core differences in this country, this made me smile.  

H/T - Joseph 

E.W. Jackson on the Passing of Nelson Mandela

Honestly, I think this is one of the best quotes I have heard.  I admit it, I am a fan of Nelson Mandela.  Don't get me wrong, I think that he was wrong about socialism and I do know his history.  But, the one thing you can't get away from once he was in a position of power, he didn't abuse it.  He didn't turn into those despots that are all so common in Africa.  I also ask myself would I have thought differently in the same set circumstances?

I do think the world lost a great man yesterday.  His past wasn't always pretty but in the end he did what he could to bring equality to millions who wouldn't have had it otherwise and he did it through a democratic process.  He grew and matured into a man that was able to accomplish things that seemed impossible decades earlier.  

People will quibble over whether the African National Congress was the best means of bringing justice to South Africa. They may debate whether sanctions were the right way of pressuring for the end of apartheid. One could point out that Nelson Mandela once embraced violence, but I cannot say that I would not have done the same under those conditions. He later came to realize that violence would not bring down apartheid without destroying South Africa.

One can certainly question whether today’s South Africa fulfills the potential it has for freedom and opportunity. However, there is no doubt that Nelson Mandela was exactly the leader South Africa needed – even if he didn’t start out that way. He was courageous through long years of abuse and imprisonment. He was magnanimous and a force for peace and reconciliation when he was released and catapulted to the presidency. Others in his circumstances have become dictators and authoritarian leaders, exacting vengeance on their enemies. He came to be admired even by those who had once opposed him. The world has lost a great man today.

Quote of the Day - Wendy Davis Edition

As governor, I’ll always make investing in our Texas children my first priority

Seriously?  How she can say this with a straight face is beyond me.   

Here's a Novel Approach. Don't Want to Shop on Thanksgiving? Stay Home

This is another thing that just sits in my craw.  All this hullabaloo about stores opening on Thanksgiving.  For the record, I have zero intention of going to the stores this weekend, let alone on Thanksgiving day.  But I don't make a big deal over the ones that do.  I have a friend who lives in Texas and I remember last year on Thanksgiving she was posting pictures of her and her kids standing in line to get into the stores.  She labeled a few of them as creating memories.  She was doing this not so much to get a big bargain, but for her kids to remember those moments spent with mom and dad on Thanksgiving.  Again, I wouldn't do it.  But who am I to tell her she can't or that she is somehow a bad person because she chooses to?

Another thing that really gets me is the total lack of concern for those that work at restaurants that happen to be open on Thanksgiving.  There are plenty of people who can't be bothered to cook a large meal and go out for dinner.  Do you think that the dishwashers in that restaurant are getting big tips?  Not likely.  They too are away from their families.  So are the chefs/cooks.  What about the cater waiters who go to people homes to help serve meals?  Yes that does happen.  Do you think that those people don't have families like the poor abused Wal-Mart worker?

Look, I have long ago thought that the holiday season has become so commercialized that "the reason for the season" has gotten lost.  That is the society we live in.  That is the society that we have chosen for ourselves.  This isn't be pushed upon us by Wal-Mart.  I remember when I was a kid I was in the family station wagon driving to our destination on Thanksgiving morning and my parents being worried about having enough gas to get back home.  There were no open gas stations back then.  There were no open grocery stores for those items that you didn't remember to buy on your trip for your family meal.  You had to make due.  But today virtually every major grocery store chain is open for at least part of the day.  Oh yeah, they are primarily unionized so the cries for them aren't quite as loud.

Yes, Thanksgiving should be about family.  But the fact is that people have been working on holidays for generations now.  Do you think those football stadiums aren't staffed?   I have a Christmastime birthday and I am a long-suffering life-long Knicks fan.   I was trying to decide what to do for my birthday this year and was thinking about going to a Knicks game since I am now back in the New York area.  They are playing on Christmas Day.  Do you have any idea how badly I want to go to that game?  I found about it far too late and it is all sold out and I am way too cheap to pay the exorbitant prices that tickets are going for at this stage, but let me tell you, I would love to be sitting in the stands on that day.  Does that make me a bad person?  How exactly is that different from Wal-Mart being open?  People will be working won't they?

People decide for themselves what is family tradition and how that time is spent with said family.  There are people who have very tight budgets for Christmas gifts and the deals that are sometimes available during these big events are more than they can resist.  I have another friend who when her children were young, didn't have a great deal of money and her daughter wanted a doll.  That doll was on sale for three hours in the middle of the night.  She got her butt out of bed and went and got it.  Why?  Because she couldn't have afforded it otherwise and that was the one thing her little girl really wanted.  That was important to her.  You may view it a different way, but for her and her daughter it was something special.

This is yet one more example of people trying to use something for a political goal.  This isn't about people missing time with their families.   This is about unionizing Wal-Mart.  If this were simply about people working during "family time" they would be complaining about all the  other businesses that will be open on Thanksgiving Day.  When you start worrying about the servers, the dishwashers, the unionized grocery store workers, then we will talk.

Turns Out, No The Server Wasn't Bashed Because She is Gay. SHOCKER

A server from New Jersey became a nationwide sensation after claiming she wasn't tipped because she is gay.  How exactly the family is supposed to know if someone is gay or not just by looking at them is beyond me, especially in the world of metro sexual men.  But she put a receipt out on social media that showed no tip left on a $93 tab along with a note saying they couldn't tip due to her lifestyle.  She has been getting donations pouring in from all over the country and become sort of like a folk hero for donating some of her windfall to The Wounded Warrior Project.  

A family has come forward with a receipt that matches the one that Ms. Morales has been showing off, the problem is that their receipt has not "hateful" note but does include a tip.  Actually quite a nice one, $18, close to 20%.  The family also has a copy of their visa bill that shows that a charge at that restaurant for that date with the dollar amount that matches the tab plus the tip.  

The woman in question said she believes that it started out as a misunderstanding that she thought the hostess told her that her server was named Dan and said 

"whoa, you're not Dan."

The server story is slightly different:

"oh I thought you were gonna say your name is Dan. You sure surprised us!"

The family decided to come forward because the story didn't seem to be going away.  I am glad that they did come forward because this young woman is profiting off a lie that she is somehow a victim of bias and hate.  

"I just felt like people have a right to know that -- it's fine if people want to donate to her or to the Wounded Warriors, but they're doing it under a false pretense,"

One would think that this young woman has some sort of agenda.  Whatever could that be?  

Quote of the Day - New York Times Editorial Edition

The Senate will return from Easter vacation with nuclear options on its mind. Republicans seem determined to change the rules so Democrats will no longer be able to stop judicial nominations with the threat of a filibuster. If they're acting out of frustration, it's understandable. In the past we've been frustrated when legislators tried to stop important bills from passing by resorting to the same tactic. The filibuster, which allows 41 senators to delay action indefinitely, is a rough instrument that should be used with caution. But its existence goes to the center of the peculiar but effective form of government America cherishes.

The New York Times March 25, 2005 talking about Senate Republicans and President Bush wanting to use the "Nuclear Option"   

I hope to see this same type of write up over the weekend.  I take that back, I expect to see a full frontal attack on this being actually implemented, not just talked about.  

Oh, wait.  They like these guys.  

Virginia State Senator Creigh Deeds in Critical Condition after Stabbing in his Home - Gus Deeds Found Dead - UPDATES

It is being reported that state senator and former gobernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds is fighting for his life in Virginia Medical Center after being stabbed earlier this morning.  His son, Gus Deeds, was found dead in the home.  

Reports are that Gus Deeds stabbed his father multiple times before taking a gun and ending his own life.  

We will have to wait and see how this pans out, as many first reports turn out to be false, but in any event my prayers go out to the Deeds family and I hope that the senator makes a full recovery.  

Very tragic indeed.  

***Police held a news conference around noon.  Senator Deeds was able to give a statement when the police and rescue services arrived.  He was stabbed multiple times in the neck area and upper torso.  His son, Gus, was alive when medics arrived but they were unable to save him and was pronouced dead at the scene due to a gun shot wound.  They will not confirm that Gus was the person who committed the stabbing, but at the present time they are not looking for suspects.  The police also wouldn't give information regarding any criminal or mental health issues of Gus Deeds.  Gus Deeds was the only son of the four children of Creigh Deeds.  

***Sources say that Gus was given a mental health evaluation yesterday and was released due to no bed being available.  

***The hospital has upgraded his status to fair from critical.   

Has K-Mart Crossed a Line With Joe Boxer Christmas Ad? - Video

I read somewhere once that sex sells.  I just seriously wish that retailers wouldn't use sex to sell Christmas gifts.  This is a very sacred time of year for the faithful.  But sometimes I think that I belong in a different era.  This is crass, I don't see how anyone can get around that.  

An Open Letter to Oprah Winfrey

Dearest Oprah:

I heard about your comments to the BBC about how racist we are against President Obama.  Many "hate" President Obama simply because he is black.  Well I don't "hate" President Obama at all.  While I have seen him in person on a few different occasions, I have never actually met the man.  It is very hard to "hate" someone who you never actually have met.

What I do despise are his policies and I, for the life of me, don't get his worldview.  That somehow I am responsible for the saving of the collective soul of America.  That no matter what I do for charity I am still somehow not doing it the right way, because I am saying that it isn't the responsiblity of the government.  I have always respected your works towards charity.  You should be an inspiration to many around the world because you have taken what you have been so blessed to earn and use it to help those less fortunate.  If it were up to Obama you would paying a much higher tax rate and the government would be taking care of it.  Well, attempting to anyway.  You would have far less to give away those free cars.  Remember those, the ones that people were so upset about when they found out they had to pay "taxes" on?

Another thing that has left me scratching my head in your statements is you.  You happen to be one of the richest black women in the country.  Did you get any of that money from the white people who are so racist that they "hate" President Obama?  I mean how could you have become so successful and rich beyond your wildest dreams if this is such a racist country?  For that matter how did this racist, horrible country elect a black man that they "hate" not just once, but twice?  It blows the mind, I mean how can that happen?

I stopped watching your talk show years and years before you decided to move onto other things.  But one of the interviews I did watch was when you interviewed President Bush after his book was released.  One of the things that struck me at the time was your utter lack of knowledge that President Bush couldn't just order the National Guard in Katrina, well at least not without violating the law.  I guess you have forgotten the hate and the vitriol that surrounded President Bush and the cries of racism about killing the black man in NOLA.  Were the people who did this racist against white men?  Was it liberal "white guilt" that propelled the calls of Fascism and the Hitler mustaches?

I have thought long and hard about the question if this country was ready for a black president.  I have long ago come to the conclusion that the answer is no.  But I would suggest to you that you are part of the reason why.  Simple dissent of any policy initiative against this president is called racist.  You don't like Obamacare, raaaaacist.  You didn't like the spending of almost a trillion dollars of borrowed money in a so-called stimulus package, raaaaacist.  You were against Cash for Clunkers, raaaaacist.  You have a problem with the debt almost doubling in the time that President Obama has been in office, raaaaacist.  I can only assume that President Obama has been perfect, has yet to make any mistakes, and deserves no criticism whatsoever.  Heck, there is even republican/conservative "cord words" now.  Who knew?  I mean if you are a supporter of the 10th amendment, you want Jim Crow and slavery to be reinstated in this country.  Didn't we just get a lesson on state rights just yesterday with President Obama's "fix" to the millions of people who are losing their health insurance?  The insurance industry is one of the most heavily regulated in the country.  The states will have to grant exemptions for them in order for the  "If you like your plan, you can keep it. period." promise to be fulfilled.  It isn't as simple Obama's magic wand!!!!  Imagine that, Oprah.  He isn't omnipowerful.  He can't, just with a stroke of the pen, change laws and regulations.  Those state laws about insurance regulations must be raaaaacist too.

I will concede that people in this country are still racist.  I will further concede that it has real world effects on some people's lives.  What I hope that you will also concede is that "many" of the opposition that is there towards your good buddy, President Obama, is the normal political process in this country and it isn't unique to him.  It is actually a testament to how far we have come.  But people like you and the Sharpton all blacks are a victim crowd, can't seem to accept that.  It must be racist.  What else could it be?

I have to wonder Oprah, were you this quick to cry racism when Clarence Thomas was attacked in the hearings for his seat on The Supreme Court?  Did you cry out for Presidential Nominee Herman Cain?  Do you weep for Allen West and the racism he faces when he gets called an Uncle Tom and a race traitor?  I am not sure I have ever seen those statements from you.  Did I miss something?  Maybe I did.  I don't follow you all that closely anymore.  I can't imagine why that this Oprah.  Oh, it must be raaaaacism.

Newspaper Cover of the Day

Why yes it is.

Quote of the Day - Toure Edition Part 3

 Let’s just look at the members who are supporting this Landrieu bill. Mary Landrieu from a red state. Senator Kay Hagin from a red state. Joe Manchin from a red state. Senator Pryor from a red state. Mark Begich from a red state. Do you notice anything? We see red state Democrats who are dealing with the challenge of living and governing in a gerrymandered world where sometimes they have to deal with what the folks on the right want, with very low support on the Republican side for this, but what the folks on the right want.

Oh my.  I would be asking for my college tuition back if I were him.   

Quote of the Day- Piers Morgan Edition Part 5

Considerably more Americans signed a petition to have me deported than enrolled in Obamacare.  I'd start panicking Mr. President.  

Planned Parenthood of Colorado Was Against the New Obamacare Ads Before Being For Them

Yes, they are this hypocritical.  Apparently when they thought the ads were "fake" and done by some republican group, they were no good.  Once they found out they were actual ads they are not only fine with them, they are praising the idea of "discussing birth control".  

Oh my.  

There is no way to describe these ads as anything other than demeaning to young adults in this country.  All they care about are keg parties, sex without consequences or emotion, and birth control.  That is what this administration thinks of you.  It isn't me saying it, it is what they think.  You are only worried about partying, having fun, and sleeping around.  I guess that is why so little has been done to address the very serious issue of jobs for recent college grads and young people.   Who needs those things when they get "free" birth control and do headstands with keg stands?  

H/T. Amy.  

The Consequences of Feminism

Heaven help this country.   A real life ad about Obamacare.  

I Don't Think WashPo has Enough Pinocchio's For this Whopper From President Obama - President Obama Denies Saying "You Can Keep Your HealthPlan"

Um, no that isn't what you said.  Does he not realize that virtually every public statement he makes is videotaped?



I wonder how many Pinocchio's WashPo is going to give him for this one?

Photo of the Day - President Lincoln is a Democrat Edition

Someone is in need of a history lesson:  

Final Push in Virginia Governor's Election - Find a Rally Near You

  Ken Cuccinelli GOTV Fly Around

Quote of the Day - Politico Edition

But for the most part, the mainstream media failed to aggressively pursue the story, taking Obama’s claim at face value without testing it against the facts

 

 Well wonders never cease.  They finally admit it.  This particular quote is talking Obamacare and the GOP and Tea Party saying for years that people would lose their insurance once Obamacare gets implemented.  Well know they have no choice but to admit that we were right.  One would hope this would make them check into other things as well.  I am not holding my breath on that though. 

President Bush Celebrates his First Halloween as a Grandpa

Too cute.

Quote of the Day - Conservative Girl Edition Part 2

I was having a conversation with a young black woman who is an Obama supporter.

Her:  Are you racist?

Me: Did you like President Bush?

Her: Hell No.

Me: Are you racist against white men?  The question is just as ridiculous as the one you just asked.  I also don't like Hillary Clinton, does that mean I hate white women?  Believe it or not, there are other reasons besides skin color to not agree with the president's policies.

The other people around us just busted out laughing.

Hey, There is Something that President Obama is Aware Of

See if you look hard enough you can find almost anything.

Quote of the Day - Ronan Farrow Edition

'The Clintons Represent Style of Honesty That Public Craves Right Now'..

Head meet desk.   

Quote of the Day - Dianne Barrett

"What I have right now is what I'm happy with, and I just want to know why I can't keep what I have? Why do I have to be forced into something else?".

Why the government knows best of course.  Dianne's insurance premium hasn't just doubled, it has gone up by ten fold.  She is unable to find out what type of subsidies she is eligible for because Obamacare's website sucks.  I mean she is in her fifties and you never know how many babies she is going to have at her age so that pre-natal care is very important, don't you think?  

Virginia Democrats White Facing a Black Man

Raaaaacists:

I would love to see what dems would say if a white democrat candidate had black paint put on his face.  

Here's a Nominee for Parent of the Year

I am speechless.

R.I.P. America - Reaching a New Low of Depravity

What kind of person would put this on their car?  How sick would one have to be?  

Quote of the Day - Congresswoman Corrine Brown Edition

“Let’s don’t confuse nobody with the facts.”

Yep, she said this during a hearing of The House of Representatives.  The people of Florida must be so proud.

More Nanny State Political Correctness Costing Tax Payers Millions

Aren't these pretty?  Forever Stamps,   Not so fast.  They are going to be destroyed, yep the entire run.  Why you ask?  Well it should be obvious and an outrage to you.  After all, take a look at the skateboarder.  Where are the knee pads?  The wrist braces?  No helmet?  How can that be?  It is dangerous.  Dangerous I say.  It cannot stand.  A cannonball?  How can that be allowed?  Apparently nowadays you need a helmet to do a head stand.  No helmet you might get hurt.  Oh no.  We can't let that happen now can we?  

Seriously, I didn't ride a bike with a helmet when I was little.  I loved, and I mean loved, gymnastics.  To this day, even at my old age, I am one of the most flexible people I know.  I can put both my feet behind my head.  I don't wear any protective gear.  So far I have never injured myself so badly that I needed medical attention.  We skateboarded without helmets and knee pads.  We survived.  It wasn't the end of the world.   We even had cars without (gasp) airbags and child safety seats.  How did we survive?  IT'S A MIRACLE!!!!  We should all be dead by today's standards.  

Honestly, an entire run of stamps will be destroyed because someone on the Presidential Council has decided this may give kids the wrong impression about being active.  Huh?  Do kids even use stamps anymore?  What is it exactly that they are mailing out?  I mean would you have noticed the lack of knee pads had I not pointed it out?  

Well at least the post office is not running in the red.  Oh wait!!!  Oh it is just a millions.  Who cares?  

Quote of the Day - Cindy Vinson Edition

"Of course, I want people to have health care," Vinson said. "I just didn't realize I would be the one who was going to pay for it personally."

Cindy is a little unhappy with her new insurance rates.  Oh my.  I guess she bought into the whole free health care thing, didn't she?  I would like to know who exactly she thought was going to pay for it?  Oh, I know, the health care fairies.   

Welcome to reality Cindy.  She will be paying $1800 more per year, which includes her maternity care.  It isn't likely she needs maternity care considering she is in her sixties and retired, but the government knows best.  So pay up Cindy.  This is what you voted for when you pulled the lever for Obama.  

She is lucky, another Bay area resident will be coughing up and additional $10K per year for his family of four.  It isn't like he needs that money for food or maybe sending his kids to college on day.  Since he is in mid 50's, I would think he doesn't need maternity coverage either.  But hey look on the bright side, you may need Viagra soon and I think that will be covered.  

Need Heath Insurance? Call 800-F1UCKYO

You really can't make this stuff up.  That's right, the Obamacare hotline number is F1uck Yo.  
Oh my.  

If this isn't irony, I don't know what is.  The only thing that would make it worse would be if they had a different phone number for supporters of this law and this was for the majority of the country that doesn't want this law.  

One would think that someone would have looked at this.  Or maybe they did...............

Quote of the Day - President Obama Edition Part 20

"During the course of my presidency, I have bent over backwards to work with the Republican Party. And have purposely kept my rhetoric down."

BWAAAAAAAAAA  HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I can't decide who needs mental health counseling more, him or the people who believe this crap.

The Human Costs of a Government Shut Down

Many of my regular readers know that I lived in the D.C. area for many years; close to 20 in fact.  I recently moved back to my home state in New England.  For many months after first moving here I had been told many times by someone I had left the bubble and was experiencing the real world.  This discussion was mostly referring to the effects of the economy.

It isn't that I never knew that I lived in a bubble while in Northern Virginia.  For instance, I knew that finding a job in that little area of the world was much easier than many others around the country.  The unemployment rate in the D.C. area was only around 5% even when the rest of the country was well over 8%.  There were foreclosures, layoffs, and the like in the area; but they were able to absorb it better.  Most people got through it without a huge problem.  There are jobs available in the area, maybe not great paying jobs, but you can find something.  Not so much in the state I am in now.  Jobs, even just part-time, are hard to come by.  I went to a very large mall on Friday evening and the place was dead.  That isn't the case at Tyson's Mall just outside of D.C., the place was almost always busy.

So I have kind of a unique perspective on the looming government shut down.  I am conservative and I want to see Obamacare repealed.  I want to see government spending under control, I want to see waste done away with.  But I also know the real human side to a government shut down and how it will affect everyday people.  Many of these people don't work for the government.  They work for private contractors and they clean the floors at the Smithsonian's.  I don't know how much they make, but I doubt it is in the range of six figures.  They also work for the cafe's that are around the government buildings.  I know that not everyone that works on the hill makes a big salary.  Many of the people who work on the Hill are young, passionate people who make just enough to live on and enjoy a few things around the D.C. area, but not much more.  Now they will get back pay if the government shuts down.  Or at least that has been the pattern in the past, although there is no law that states that has to happen.  That will take an act of congress.

About 50% of the Department of Defense are civilian employees who work for government contractors.  They get no back pay, unless of course it was the contracts to start with.  I know many government contractors and not one of them told me that such a provision exists in their contracts.  They will get no back pay, and remember, they are already living on shortened hours due to sequestration.

I also know that there are hot dog vendors that have nothing to do with the government except that a big part of their business depends on people who do.  Babysitters, dog walkers, restaurant staff, hotel staff, vendors who sell T-shirts and trinkets.  There are National Parks all over the country that have campgrounds and hotels that depend on the traffic that those parks bring.  There are also federal buildings all over the country, not just in D.C., the businesses that surround those buildings will feel exactly the same thing, possibly on a smaller scale.

I am all for making cuts to the government, but I am also very much aware that those cuts have to be done in a methodical way.  We can't just wake up tomorrow and say shut it all down and act like that won't have a rippling effect to people who are just like you and me, struggling to make ends meet.

This is a failure of both parties.  These people knew when these dates were coming, and instead of working to avoid these issues, they forge ahead in order to score cheap political points that ends up hurting everyday people.  Many of which who pay no attention to politics, more than likely some of which don't even bother to vote.  They are just living their lives.

The GOP may be able to get a one year delay on the individual mandate.  I am not holding my breath on it, but it is in the realm of possibility.  To me they should be going after spending cuts, because at the end of the day Obamacare isn't going anywhere until it is fully repealed.  That ain't happening until you have a congress that is willing to pass it and a president that is willing to sign it.  The earliest that will happen is in January of 17.

My point is say we close the government down for say a month trying to force Obama to give, at best, a one year delay on the mandate, just remember, that there will be people who won't be able to pay their rent or their credit card bills.  The restaurants and delis that depend on the government employees to stay open may end up closing if they can't make up the income from another area.  Wait staff at these restaurants won't make their normal salaries or could potentially lose their jobs.

It is very easy to say that the average person won't even know that the government shut down when you aren't one of these people.  When it isn't your livelihood that it is at stake.  For those that think it is worth it to prove a point about Obamacare, that is primarily mandatory spending by the way, just think of those people.  If you are in the D.C. area, put your money where your mouth is and go and visit some of these businesses, they will need it.

Call me a Rino if you will, but as I said, I have a unique perspective from living and working in the D.C. area for so long.  I have a Facebook friend who is a government contractor, she just got back to work after having a baby.  She is vet who served her country and pays hers taxes.  She is also a person who doesn't have a great deal of money in the pot to pay her bills during a long shut down, and she isn't alone.   There will be a human cost to this shut down.  Even if you agree with it, don't ignore that these people exist.  Just remember, these people are no different from you and me, everyday people who work hard and are getting a raw deal by our very dysfunctional government.

Quote of the Day - Mark Marano Edition

‘The latest IPCC report has truly sunk to level of hilarious incoherence.  It is quite amazing to see the contortions the IPCC has to go through in order to keep the international climate agenda going’

In case you were wondering, Mark Marano is a climate scientist at MIT.   Germany, the U.S. and Belgium pressured the U.N. to downplay the past 15 years of warming and the increase of the ice in Antartica.  We wouldn't that to get out now would we?

Barilla Pasta and The Sheeple

Oh my the outrage.  The CEO of Barilla pasta said this:

"If (gay people) like our pasta and our communication, they can eat it. If they do not like it, if they do not like what we say, they can eat a different one."

Due to this people are calling for a world-wide boycott.  No where did this man say that gay people are bad.  He said that in their advertising they use traditional families.  Now I worked in the fundraising/marketing field for more than a decade.  While much of what I did was for politicians, the idea behind is pretty much the same.  You speak to your audience.  You speak to the people who are the most likely to buy your product.  Companies spend millions upon millions doing market research.  They know who their main customer base is.  If the majority of people they are selling to are soccer moms, that is who they are going to go after in the large sums of money they spend on advertising.  

I remember once looking over the marketing plan for Joan and David shoes.  See I have a real weakness for shoes and Joan and David are some of my favorites.  They aren't overly expensive yet they are good quality and have the style that I prefer.  The listing that they had as their main customer base fit me to a tee, right down to the Volvo.  Yes they knew the type of car many of their shoppers prefer.  

But no, this isn't good enough for the gay agenda activists.  This was a gotcha question, not unlike what was done to Chick-Fil-A.  Of course asking a Christian conservative about gay marriage was going to come out the way it did.  Christian conservatives don't believe in gay marriage.  That shouldn't be a surprise.  The real question is does Barilla discriminate in their hiring practices?  The answer is likely the same as it is at Chick-Fil-A, no.  

The idea of tolerance is supposed to mean that all accept others belief systems.  Of course that doesn't happen with the gay agenda.  You must agree or you are a bigot, a homophobe, a hater.  Not only do you have to agree, you have to advertise a certain way.  You must use gay couples in your tv and magazine advertising, or you are a hater that doesn't deserve to stay in business.  Lets see gay people make up less than 10% of society worldwide.  The vast majority of people around the world aren't gay.  Of course companies are going to go after the main customer base.  Their job is make a profit, not to handhold a small segment of society to prove how open-minded and tolerant they are.  

What I find so funny about all this is that all the people who are outraged, most of which are heterosexuals, never bother to look into why the question was asked?  Could it be to further an agenda?  No, that couldn't be it.  Stop being sheeple and following along simply because someone with one is asking you to.  How many of these people who are so outraged even realized until a few days ago that gay couples weren't being used in their commercials?  Did you even think about it?  Did you actually care?  Did you actually hear what the man said as opposed to the headlines?  

Barilla Pasta hates gays!!!  Barilla Pasta said they don't want gay people to eat their pasta!!!!!  

No such thing was said.  But for the sheeple that matters none.  Just follow along and close your eyes to the fact that you are being manipulated.  It is easy, as long as you don't use your brain and research for yourself.  

Mo Leaves the Mound for the Last Time - Video

A great career is now over.  I am not a huge baseball fan, matter of fact, I don't really like it at all; but I even I knew who he was and what he was able to accomplish over his long and storied career.  Good luck with the rest of your life.

Quote of the Day - Ken Cuccinelli Edition Part 2

"If my opponent is elected governor, we'll have to change the state motto from 'Sic Semper Tyrannis' to 'Quid Pro Quo.'"

Ken Cuccinelli at the debate between he and Terry McAuliffe  

Extreme Parenting Part 6

A mother in inner city Kansas City made a heart wrenching choice.  An elderly man who is confined to wheelchair was robbed in his home.  He answered the door and was confronted by young man pointing a gun to his head.  He made no effort to resist and the thugs entered his home and robbed him.

This being the second time that this happened to him, he had set up a video camera.  The entire episode was caught on camera and released to the public.  A mom saw her son being the gang leader in this disgraceful event.  She not only confronted her son, she marched him down to the police department and turned him.

It was the right thing to do, but that doesn't mean it was easy.  It takes a special kind of person to realize that even though you are more than likely putting your child in a position to do time in prison allowing them to get away with that kind of behavior is worse.  Her son is 18 years old.  But obviously he has no respect for private property, he has no respect for the elderly, he has no respect for people who have served our country *the victim is a vet*, he has no respect for himself.  She took it into her own hands to say to her son that this behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated by her or by society.

You also have to remember that cooperating with the police is not looked upon as something customary in the inner cities.  So it makes what she did even more noteworthy.  But I think this mom knew her child was out of control and fixing what is wrong is beyond her control.  I am also sure that she was worried he was on a path to end up dead, possibly in a shoot out with the police.

Kudos to this mom for doing the right thing.  I am sure her heart is breaking.

You can watch a news report here.  

VA Governor Debate This Wednesday

The local NBC stations will be covering this debate live.

Extreme Parenting Part 5

This comes from a listing on E-Bay.  A mother in Australia caught her daughter having a sleep-over with an older young man.  This coming shortly after buying her and girlfriends four tickets to a concert.  She decided to sell the tickets.  Here is the listing:

"THIS AUCTION IS FOR ALL 4 ONE DIRECTION TICKETS IN SYDNEY OCTOBER 25th. You can thank my daughters self righteous and lippy attitude for their sale. See sweety? And you thought I was bluffing. I hope the scowl on your b----- little friends faces when you tell them that your dad and i revoked the gift we were giving you all reminds you that your PARENTS are the ones that deserve love and respect more than anyone. And your silly little pack mentality of taking your parents for fools is one sadly mistaken. Anyhow. Your loss someone else's gain who deserves them! THE TICKETS ARE SEATED IN ROW O section 57. REMEMBER AUCTION IS FOR ALL 4 TICKETS and will be sent registered post.
...OH YOUR FRIENDS THOUGHT THAT A FEW PRANKS CALLS WOULD PUT ME OFF SELLING THE GIFT WE BOUGHT FOR THEM for YOUR BIRTHDAY because YOU all LIED to us about sleep overs so you could hang like little trollops at an older guys HOUSE????? Pffft!! I find it HIGHLY amusing that you girls think you invented this stuff. Tricks like this on OUR parents is how HALF of you were conceived .....And why a lot of your friends DONT have an address to send that Fathers day card to!!! I'm not your friend. I'm your MOTHER. And I am here to give you the boundaries that YOU NEED to become a functional responsible adult. You may hate me now..... But I don't care. Its my job to raise a responsible adult..not nuture bad habits in my teen age child."

Publically calling your child a trollop?  I would never do this to my child.  Never.

Hey I Know My Kid Broke the Law, But that Doesn't Mean They Should Face Any Punishment - Parents Threaten Lawsuits over Their Child's Illegal Behavior

Brian Holloway, former NFL player and father of eight, has a vacation home in New York State.  While at his home in Florida his 19 year-old son tells him about some pictures and things he is seeing on twitter.  They were about an out of control party being held in the vacation house.  Now these kids didn't have permission to be there, they broke in and decided to throw a big party.  Items have been stolen, they cleaned out his house of the alcohol he had in the home, they urinated on his carpeting, they spray painted his walls, destroyed hardwood flooring, and left drug paraphernalia on the property.

Brian was a long ways away trying to get a hold of the local sheriff to get these freeloaders out his home.  The sheriff did come and break up the party, which by the way they originally planned on staying for the Labor Day weekend.  The house has sustained thousands of dollars worth of damage and a yet to be determined amount loss due to stolen property.  Yet oddly, the sheriff was unable to make even one arrest.   I guess those kids were fast.  They ran and hid or something.

Brian hasn't taken this lying down.  He has reprinted all the tweets he could find that came from his home during this drunken home invasion.  What do the parents of these young adults do?  They threaten to sue.  That's right.  We wouldn't want little Suzy or Johnny to be publicly humiliated now would we?  After all, most of them are high school students getting ready to fill out applications for college.  How dare someone talk about how out of control their child is?

Now Brian hasn't accused anyone of anything.  He has only put out there tweets that these kids themselves put out on social media.  One tweet said:

yeah mom went to a party and got drunk but hey atleast I'm not a meth addict"

Emily's mom must be so proud.

Dear Maddie was upset that the party got busted, it would have been so much bigger.  Oh no, she missed out on more fun.  That is lawsuit worthy isn't it?  Another young man was glad that his parents don't care what he does.  Apparently not.

Only one parent, count it, one, showed up with their child to help clean up the mess.

We are more and more becoming a society that care nothing for personal property or the rights of the others.  It is me, me, and me that matters.  While it is understandable that kids that age don't get how hard it is to earn the money to afford a home, they should at the very least have the understand that breaking into someone's home is wrong.  That peeing on the carpet is wrong.  That spraying painting on a the wall is wrong.  Do these young adults live in zoo where anything goes?  Would they treat their parents home in this fashion?

But what is worse is the seeming lack of remorse shown by the parents.  It seems that their little brats getting into college is a more desirable thing rather than teaching their kids a sense of responsibility.  Actually showing their children that actions have consequences.  Very real consequences in this case.  That is a lesson that no college can teach these brats.  That is the lesson that the parents alone are in charge of.  But no, they will use our legal system to bash the victim and teach their kids that hey they are special, it was just one stupid mistake.  No biggie.  Move along, nothing to see here.

Quote of the Day - Terry McAuliffe Edition

 "I am not going to read every bill when I’m governor. I’m going to hire people to read them for me."

Well at least he is honest about his laziness and lack of seriousness of the job.   

Happy Constitution Day

Read it, learn it, live it.

Because it matters.  If you don't know what your rights are, you don't know when they are being taken away from you.  Make no mistake, they are being taken away.