Common Sense Political Ramblings

Live Free

2012-05-04T22:13:00.000-05:00

That's Gary Johnson's slogan and his mindset. Watch this interview to see it for yourself...

OWS Opens a Bank Account?

2011-10-19T19:57:00.005-05:00

Yeah, seemed kind of odd to me too. So I looked into the bank. You won't believe what I found.

The Amalgamated Bank, which you may or may not know is the only All Union Owned bank in America. Makes since right? Union owned bank gets big cash deposit from leftists. Nothing wrong with that.

What you don't know is the Amalgamated Bank also owns about 1 Million shares in News Corp. Yes, that's Rupert Murdock's news organization.

How do you think the hippies taking part in OWS would feel about that. God I hope they read this.

But, I'm not done...

Two, they’re currently in some financial trouble and receiving a lifeline from two major Wall Street Investors, Wilbur L. Ross Jr. and Ronald W. Burkle. They’re investing $50 million each to help this bank.

As if that weren't enough...

This bank is currently under an FDIC Enforcement action because of some creative accounting on their bad loans.

So the OWS puts their donation money in a bank. This is what got me looking at this bank. I don't understand organizing a month long protest against banks then putting your money in one. But they had to put it somewhere, so OK.

But then I look into it and find this bank is being bailed out by one of the richest investors on Wall Street. You know, the people they hate. Look a little further, I find out they own a million shares in Rupert Murdock's News Corp. Again, somebody else that you know that they hate. Then I find out that the FDIC is looking at them corrupt banking practices, which is partly what has these hippies so upset. The fat cats getting away with crimes.

Yet now they've put over $400,000 of their donations into this bank. Anyone else find this odd?

We're constantly hearing from protesters that we need to "create awareness." A phrase that drives me absolutely nuts because making people aware of something doesn't actually solve anything. But more to my point, I think it's time I create some awareness of my own...

I Haven't Forgotten

2010-09-11T12:17:00.001-05:00

But in case you have...

Just One Reason Why

2010-06-21T20:21:00.004-05:00

I could never vote for Sarah Palin for President.

I don't know if you Twitter. I have a twitter account, but I don't use it. I started it before I found Facebook and I like Facebook better. But Sarah Palin Twitters. And with this particular twit, I have to wonder what the hell she was thinking...

LINK

Gulf disaster needs divine intervention as man's efforts have been futile. Gulf lawmakers designate today Day of Prayer for solution/miracle

Now, I'm all for prayer if that's what you like. I'm all for asking God for help to figure out a tough problem. If that's what you want to do, go for it.

But when you're a politician, very vocal with your opinions about the failures of the current administration, don't be so naive as to think posting something like that on your Twitter page is going to do anything but make you look like an idiot.

God is not going to clean up that oil. And that is how it will be spun. As if she's going to count on God to do the work. Her intentions may have been fantastic, but her execution is idiotic. You just can't play at the level if you're going to open yourself up to ridicule that easily.

You just can't.

And the Dumbest Politician of the Day Goes To...

2010-06-19T00:07:00.005-05:00

Michigan House Speaker Andy Dillon...

Dillon goes out of state for 'hire Michigan' ad

From The Detroit News:

Lansing -- An introductory TV ad for House Speaker Andy Dillon's gubernatorial campaign that trumpets his support for a "hire Michigan first" bill was produced by a Chicago firm.

The 30-second spot, which cost more than $200,000, began airing statewide Tuesday. It says the Redford Township Democrat "is fighting for a law to hire Michigan workers first." Onscreen are the words: "The Dillon Record: Fighting to Pass the Hire Michigan First Law." The legislation, which would give businesses incentives to hire state workers, has not won final passage in the Legislature.

So, to make an ad, promoting the idea of "Hire Michigan First" this gubanatorial wanna-be goes to a Chicago firm to produce the ad.

As if that's not bad enough...

When asked why the campaign didn't hire a Michigan firm, T.J. Bucholz, a spokesman for the Dillon campaign, noting AKPD helped get Obama elected, said: "There are only a handful of companies that do this kind of work. I'm not aware of one in Michigan with that kind of caliber."

So, hire Michigan first, unless you want high caliber work?

You just can't make that stuff up.

UPDATE: We have a runner up for the award...

I like the sentiment, but I don't think I'd want that guy helping out in a political race.

Will be back soon.

2010-06-18T23:48:00.003-05:00

Ok, the technical issues with the blog have been resolved. It's been a busy period and something had to take a back seat. Unfortunately, it was this. But it's time to get back into the fight. So come back soon for some common sense ramblings of a Jarhead, gone quite mad...

Avatar. A Movie Review

2010-01-30T21:27:00.002-05:00

OK, I saw it and bottom line I liked it. I liked it a lot. It was very entertaining and the imagery, especially in 3D IMAX, was just phenomenal. I was absorbed by the movie and the characters for the most part. There were just a few poorly placed phrases that made it a hair too political. They were just blatant shots at the Bush administration that really cheapened the movie. Because they were cheap shots that were not needed.

First, the bad guy colonel phrasing his battle plan as a "preemptive strike" was not only factually inaccurate, it was, IMO, a swipe at our actions in Iraq. It was not a preemptive attack. It was just an attack. The lame attempt to draw a parallel to the actions being taken on this futuristic planet and our actions in Iraq was just cheap and frankly, it was lazy writing.

Secondly, they actually used the phrase "shock and awe" in describing what what the colonel had planned. Again, cheap and lazy writing. It's hard for me to imagine a film with a budget as big as this could not come up with some better writing. Or at least more original. Of course, the entire story isn't that creative writing wise, other than the characters names and dialect. It's Dances With Wolves except that it didn't take place after the Civil War, it takes place on a distant planet. Yes, the entire story line is based on an anti-capitalism and therefore and anti-American theme, but it you're not bogged down by it. There's enough going on in the movie that it becomes secondary.

Also, I did not like the fact that they used Marines in this film. Granted, the hero of the film is a Marine, and he was the only character I saw sporting the Eagle Globe and Anchor emblem of the Marine Corps. So, I guess it evens out.

And really, those are the only things I did not like about the film. A small list given it's 2 and half hour run time.

Now, the special effects, the creatures, the scenery of the planet, all top notch. There were a couple of scenes that in 3D, it was absolutely mind boggling. And it is definitely worth putting away your politics for an evening and going to see.

I gotta say what hit me during the movie was the same feeling I had as an 8 year old boy going to see Star Wars. This movie was a voyage to another world, just as Star Wars was in 1977. This is definitely the Star Wars of today. It's probably the first time I've ever felt like I'm living in 2010 because the special effects were that good.

It was odd getting back into my truck, looking at my GPS and thinking it seems like I've just went from 2010 back to the 50s. Since I got it, I thought my GPS was very cool and somewhat futuristic. Now it almost seems like an 8-track player because I feel like I got an in-depth look at what life was supposed to be like in 2010, from a technology standpoint.

Anyway, great movie. Well worth the time and money.

Political Quote of the Year

2010-01-20T15:13:00.002-05:00

Goes to a Democrat...

Chris Van Hollen, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Represenative of Maryland's 8th district, in an effort to help Martha Coakley win Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, asked...

Quote:

Why would you hand the keys to the car back to the same guys whose policies drove the economy into the ditch and then walked away from the scene of the accident?

Ya think maybe, just maybe, that was the wrong analogy to use when discussing a Massachusetts Senate seat? Maybe?

Check Out the Coverage Congress Gets

2010-01-06T11:46:00.004-05:00

For $42 a month...

No Debating Congress' Lavish Health Care

Here's a few highlights, if you don't want to click the link:

For them, there's no coverage limit - a major factor for the American families bankrupted or thrown into poverty by health care costs.

Pre-existing conditions? No problem for congressmen and women. The rest of us are out of luck.

And the elected officials get still more perks most Americans can only dream of. Got a cold? You probably have to take time off work and wait to see a doctor.

Not Congress.

"We're able to access that health care 24 hours a day when we're in Washington," Graham said, leading us to the Attending Physician's Office, a clinic inside the U.S. Capitol. They don’t even have to leave the office.

They also get VIP hospital treatment from the best doctors at Bethesda Naval Hospital. And they have a reserved spot at the elite Ward 72 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the late Sen. Strom Thurmond spent a lot of time.

Outpatient care is free. Well, free for them. Your tax dollars pick up the cost.

Sign me up.

Obama Declaring Healthcare Negotiations Will Be Televised

2010-01-06T11:27:00.002-05:00

But the Democratic majority in the House and Senate plan to hold those conferences behind close doors.

Why?

Never Forget, Never Again

2009-09-11T08:54:00.001-05:00

God Bless those lost, those who lost loved ones, and God Bless the United States of America.

The President Speaking To Children

2009-09-02T19:33:00.001-05:00

Ok, I'm probably going to catch hell for this, but what the hell, I know I'm right...

A message to my fellow Conservatives: Get over it. So the President is going to speak to children. Holy Mother of God!

As a father, I've been teaching my kid how to think for himself since he could understand what I was saying. I've taught him right from wrong, right from left, and everything in between. I've challenged him when he's wrong. I've corrected him when he over reacts to an issue. I've guided him through complex issues and believe it or not, have tried to present both sides of an issue so he can see it for himself and make a decision on what HE thinks about it.

Now, my boy is long on book smarts, and a tad shy on common sense. And he does get ahead of himself in political discussions. But I know for a fact that if he should ever have to sit through a speech from the president, he's not going to be indoctrinated. He's not going to buy into the bullshit. He's going to think about it, ask me questions if need be and he'll be just fine.

You know how I know that? Because I've raised him his entire life. I would hope everyone of you would know the exact same thing about your kids.

So everyone chill out. It's just a presidential speech that most of them won't listen to anyways. If your kid is so susceptible to an hour with Obama, that they're going to be indoctrinated into being Marxists, Obama is not your biggest problem.

We Will Not Go Quietly...

2009-08-14T12:58:00.006-05:00

"When the people fear the government there is tyranny. When the government fears the people there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson

OBAMA: “I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care program."

2009-08-04T16:07:00.000-05:00

From 2003, in his own words...

Make no mistake, if they get their health care package in, we will never, ever get rid of it.

Ever...

The Simple Lessons...

2009-07-18T22:01:00.002-05:00

That our kids are not learning. I want you to watch this cartoon from the 40's. And when it's over, please comment below and tell me who the snake oil salesman reminds you of...

Gooberment Screws Us Again...

2009-06-03T12:11:00.004-05:00

Crushing, Hidden Tax of Federal Regulation Soars

From the story linked above...
"Lawmakers Fail to Scrutinize the "10,000 Commandments" of Federal RegulationsWashington, D.C. June 3, 2009 – Federal regulations impose a whopping $1.17 trillion last year in compliance burdens on Americans, finds a new report from the Competitive Enterprise Institute. That amounts to $3,849 for each man, woman, and child in America. The Federal Register, the depository of all rules, stands at a record-high 79,435 pages. "

Anyone else just want to punch somebody in the brain? You know, last year was an election year, and I don't recall hearing anyone campaign on these new regulations, do you?

People, you better wake up. Government will screw you over every single time and not think twice about it. And it seems it no longer matters which party is in power. Re-puke-lican or Demo-commie will screw you any way they can and twice on Sunday.

Now you know why I left the Replublican Party.

A Memorial Day Tribute

2009-05-25T06:49:00.001-05:00

On this Memorial Day, I invite you to raise your glass, say a little prayer and remember those that willingly gave their lives in service to all of us that enjoy living in the Greatest Country in the World. This is just a small token of my appreciation. A video I made a couple of years ago, but demonstrates my continued gratitude.

Germany to Ban Paintball

2009-05-12T05:15:00.005-05:00

What a bunch of dumb asses.... <-Click link to read story

It seems in the wake of a school shooting in which 16 were killed back in March, they've decided this is a solution.

"The governing parties say paintball trivializes violence and risks lowering the threshold for committing violent acts."

This has to be one of the dumbest ideas I've ever heard. I mean, I've played paintball and it's a great release of stress and frustration. I can tell you this, after shooting my friends with paintball, I no longer had a desire to beat the shit out of them, therefore proving the above German theory incorrect.

NOTE-You can see some of my paintball pics if you scroll down the page, and click the paintball links shown on the left side of the page. Does it look like we've "lowered the threshold for committing violent acts?" Hell no. Afterwards, we all got drunk and sang around a campfire like idiots.

"I Can Tell You This Though"

2009-05-11T09:35:00.004-05:00

"Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there's a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death."

Ok, David Feherty just became my favorite golf announcer. He has sense apologized for writing that joke in his column. And rightly so. I'm not going to condone joking about the murder of public officials. But I'm always going to like anything that ends with "bin Laden would be strangled to death."

Step Right Up, Get Your Free Car...

2009-05-11T09:20:00.003-05:00

"And here I always thought “Welfare Cadillac” was just a stupid novelty song from 1970."

Let's see, free housing, free healthcare, free food, now free cars. Of course I mean free to some, while the rest of us have to work to pay for not only our own, but theirs too. That's a lovely message to send to kids don't ya think? I hope my 15 year old son doesn't see this story. He'll wait for the state to buy him a car next year...

Now This, is a Speech

2009-03-06T12:22:00.003-05:00

A passionate, common sense speech that every American should see. And most should see twice...

Merry Christmas

2008-12-20T04:10:00.001-05:00

Political Nightmare Style...

Best video ever!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Nightmare!

The True Story of Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T02:20:00.000-05:00

And the great economic lessons learned at the beginning of our great nation. By Fred E. Fodvary, Senior Editor at Progress.org.

The Thanksgiving Day that millions of Americans celebrate, with turkey and stuffing, is a myth. The true history was forgotten long ago, and even most of the history books have it wrong.

The myth goes like this: The Pilgrims landed in 1620 and founded the Colony of New Plymouth. They had a difficult first winter, but survived with the help of the Indians. In the fall of 1621, the grateful Pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving Day and invited the Indians to a big Thanksgiving-Day feast with turkey and pumpkins. There was indeed a big feast in 1621, but it was not a Thanksgiving Day. This three day feast was described in a letter by the colonist Edward Winslow. It was a shooting party with the Indians, but there was no Thanksgiving Day proclamation, nor any mention of a thanksgiving in 1621 in any historical record. The history of the colony was chronicled by Governor William Bradford in his book, Of Plymouth Plantation, available at many libraries. Bradford relates how the Pilgrims set up a communist system in which they owned the land in common and would also share the harvests in common.

By 1623, it became clear this system was not working out well. The men were not eager to work in the fields, since if they worked hard, they would have to share their produce with everyone else. The colonists faced another year of poor harvests. They held a meeting to decide what to do. As Governor Bradford describes it, At last after much debate of things, the governor gave way that they should set corn everyman for his own particular... That had very good success for it made all hands very industrious, so much [more] corn was planted than otherwise would have been. The Pilgrims changed their economic system from communism to geoism; the land was still owned in common and could not be sold or inherited, but each family was allotted a portion, and they could keep whatever they grew. The governor assigned to every family a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number for that end.

Bradford wrote that their experience taught them that communism, meaning sharing all the production, was vain and a failure: “The experience that has had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years, and that amongst Godly and sober men, may well evince the Vanities of the conceit of Plato's and other ancients, applauded by some of later times; that the taking away of property, and bringing into common wealth, would make them happy and flourishing, as if they were wiser than God.”

Their new geoist economic system was a great success. It looked like they would have an abundant harvest this time. But then, during the summer, the rains stopped, threatening the crops. The Pilgrims held a Day of Humiliation and prayer. The rains came and the harvest was saved. It is logical to surmise that the Pilgrims saw this as a was a sign that God blessed their new economic system, because Governor Bradford proclaimed November 29, 1623, as a Day of Thanksgiving.

This was the first proclamation of thanksgiving found in Bradford's chronicles or any other historical record. The first Thanksgiving Day was therefore in November 1623. Much later, this first Thanksgiving Day became confused and mixed up with the shooting party with the Indians of 1621. And in the mix-up, the great economics lesson was forgotten and then discarded by the time the Plymouth Colony merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.

The Pilgrims recognized that the land itself was and should be their common community property, but that it is proper for the fruits of the labor of each person and family to belong to those who produced them. This was the great economics lesson the Pilgrims learned, a lesson that so impressed them that they commemorated it every year thereafter. This should have been a day to remember their vital economics lesson, but this lesson was later forgotten in the mix-up with the shooting party with the Indians!

This bitter lesson would be learned all over again by the people of the Soviet Union, where socialism and communalism of production failed again. Fortunately the Pilgrims, a smaller community in simpler times, were able to switch quickly and realize the great prosperity that comes from applying the geoist principle of the common ownership of land and the individual ownership of labor.

Thanksgiving Day should be remembered not just as a day when we give thanks for our abundance, but more deeply and historically when we recall why we have this abundance. In our Thanksgiving Day celebrations, let us therefore tell one another the true origins of the thanksgiving and the great economic lesson that it rightfully should remember.

Be sure to take a few moments away from the food, family, and football (Three of the greatest things in the world :) and say a little prayer for our troops. They are far away from home on a day that is all about families. They are far away from theirs to do a job that doesn't pay very well and is very dangerous. I can remember Thanksgivings away from my family and I know exactly how hard it can be. God bless you all, and Happy Thanksgiving.

How Obama Got Elected

2008-11-18T05:25:00.004-05:00

This will depress the hell out of you...

Former Radio host John Zeigler put together a little video interviewing Obama supporters asking them certain questions. He also commissioned Zogby to conduct a poll with the same questions. He's posted the results up on HowObamaGotElected.com

Check out the video. You won't believe it...

You think the media is doing their job? You think the American people are doing their job? These people are getting their news from Saturday Night Live and Bill Maher. The negatives about Palin were overwhelmingly known. While the negatives about Obama were a mystery. Look at the Zogby Poll results:

512 Obama Voters 11/13/08-11/15/08 MOE +/- 4.4 points

97.1% High School Graduate or higher, 55% College Graduates

Results to 12 simple Multiple Choice Questions

57.4% could NOT correctly say which party controls congress (50/50 shot just by guessing)

81.8% could NOT correctly say Joe Biden quit a previous campaign because of plagiarism (25% chance by guessing)

82.6% could NOT correctly say that Barack Obama won his first election by getting opponents kicked off the ballot (25% chance by guessing)

88.4% could NOT correctly say that Obama said his policies would likely bankrupt the coal industry and make energy rates skyrocket (25% chance by guessing)

56.1% could NOT correctly say Obama started his political career at the home of two former members of the Weather Underground (25% chance by guessing).

And yet.....

Only 13.7% failed to identify Sarah Palin as the person on which their party spent $150,000 in clothes

Only 6.2% failed to identify Palin as the one with a pregnant teenage daughter

And 86.9 % thought that Palin said that she could see Russia from her "house," even though that was Tina Fey who said that!!

Only 2.4% got at least 11 correct.

Only .5% got all of them correct. (And we "gave" one answer that was technically not Palin, but actually Tina Fey)

An uninformed public has given us the next "most powerful man in the world" because John Stewart, Bill Maher, and Tina Fey didn't like the other guy. Talk about your Political Nightmare.

George Bernard Shaw once wrote "Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." Which is to say a populace that buys into the best advertising campaign instead of making an informed vote will get exactly what they ask for. Well, if I may...

You asked for it, you got it, Obama.

Attention Coal Miners

2008-11-02T17:25:00.004-05:00

Careful who you vote for...

Apparently, Obama's plans for future coal powered plants will be include increased carbon charges, that will in effect bankrupt them. This is what he told the San Francisco Chronicle

Is that what your union told you?

More on the story here:

Here's another nice little clip about how Obama wants your electric bill to "skyrocket"

Time to wake up people. Despite all of his talk about hope and change and saving the middle class, it isn't the rich that will struggle with a higher electric bill. It's the poor and the middle class that will.