It's a Let God Out of the Closet Thing

Dear America,

So the founders built it, so that we may come into a world of freedom and liberty for all, in equal opportunity.

Given we are still discussing nation building, thanks to our dear president bringing up it's importance -- how can we not begin without looking at the very start of it all -- our birth, our early education and environment, how we nurture and teach our children to be of good character, of strong body, of kind spirit, and smart -- really, really smart.

As this sort of thing doesn't just happen by accident, you know.

It takes a village, sure.  But how often are we really in, say, "the village?"  And, how much of that early life is spent simply at home?  And just how stable is that home of ours?  These are all really good questions, if I don't say so myself.

This may be leaning a bit off the subject, but here in San Diego, we have had an unusual rash of entire families, parents and children, killed in a homicide/suicide scenario.  Three families, in fact, over about the last three weeks, are gone.  We talked about the stresses of life just yesterday -- and mostly in jest; but the reality is, in times like these, pressures of raising "good" kids doesn't even get on the top ten list of things to do today, for parents are being drowned, suffocated, buried, in a level of stress that puts just getting food on the table taking over nearly every waking thought.

And in these cases close to home, it all became too much.  A parent not only took their own life, but the life of their children along with; and according to Geraldo, at least 1000 kids a year are killed at the hand of their own parent...roughly three a day.

SO our strength to persevere must come from somewhere, right?  And to come right out with it, that is usually our faith.  See here, a current Gallop poll outlining some of the numbers.

70% of us still believe in Something outside of ourselves; and 41% consider themselves VERY religious, and 29% call themselves moderately religious...while, just 30% put themselves squarely in the NON-religious category.   If we were to break out the group of NON-religious: 29% lean towards GOP, 16% lean independent, and a whopping 54% lean Democrat.

So this poll makes me wonder -- how is it possible then, showing a country which leans seventy percent of the time towards believing in SOMETHING greater than ourselves, a God -- how is it that we have grown so anti-God in our everyday life -- say, in the village?  What, so as soon as we pop our head out our front door, we are supposed to leave our religion at home now?

Sorry.  That dog ain't gonna hunt.
This is not what our founders intended.

Our founders, lived from a place of believing -- a place that fully acknowledged Divine Providence had It's hand in the very making, and the building, and the reinforcing, and the maintenance,  in celebration of all good things to come.


Our founders protected us -- we the people -- FROM government telling us what to believe, and controlling us through the pulpit. It was hardly the situation of the other way around; this land, this nation, was built so that we could wear our religion every day, in school, in the grocery store.. at Home Depot, at Cisco..in the town square, in the village...and not be vilified for it.

And even though real Christianity had great influence upon our founders direction, in that Divine Providence kind of way,  the truth is, America's religion grew from a place so much bigger than that -- for we are living the dream of people like Cicero, that dates back two thousand years! A chief component of Cicero's politic was based upon  "rules of 'right conduct' with the law of the Supreme Creator of the universe...the only intelligent approach to government, justice, and human relations is in terms of the laws which the Supreme Creator has already established." [from The 5000 Year Leap]

Cicero explains this Natural Law in greater detail by saying:

"True law is right reason in agreement with nature; it is of universal application, unchanging and everlasting; it summons to duty by its commands, and averts from wrongdoing by its prohibitions...It is a sin to try to alter this law, nor is it allowable to repeal any part of it [G's favorite part] and it is impossible to abolish it entirely.  We cannot be freed from its obligations by senate or people, and we need not look outside ourselves for an expounder or interpreter of it.  And there will not be different laws in Rome and at Athens, or different laws  now and in the future, but one eternal and unchangeable law will be valid for all nations, and all times, and there will be one master and ruler, that is God, over us all, for he is the author of this law, its promulgator, and its enforcing judge.  Whoever is disobedient is fleeing from himself and denying his human nature, and by reason of the very fact he will suffer the worst punishment."  [Quoted in Ebenstein, Great Political Thinkers, p.133, duly noted in The 5000 Year Leap, p. 40]

Having said that -- and might I suggest sitting with Cicero for as long as you possibly can here -- just imagine now,  how great Thou art.  We are made in America from this cloth; our heritage is rich, masterful, resting on the greatest thinkers of all time!   But here we all come along this one fine day in Two Thousand and Eleven in the Year of our Lord with every intention to uproot every bit of it.  Oh the bloody arrogance and stupidity just blows me away.

Do you think for one minute that the Academia-in-Chief, and the Liberal Organizers for America everywhere, really care about Divine Providence anymore? 

Newsflash:  IT still lives here. God Is and there is nothing you can say or do to change It.

Just because you wish to extinguish all life, liberty, tradition based on life Under God, doesn't mean the rest of us -- the 70% -- stand to agree.  talking to you, King George Soros.

Do you want to live in a world without a living breathing loving soul?  yeah, me neither.

Back to the building of a nation:  start with each and every baby we bring into this world.  And it continues through pre-school, early education, high school, college -- up until they move out and find a village of their own to call home.

So according to the Gallop poll, we do raise our children in a home that lives under God in some fashion -- seventy percent say  that we do, anyway.  That is the good news.

Bad news:  the village doesn't reinforce It's magnificence.  Matter of fact, the village is growing quite tired of even mentioning It's name out loud. The village has decided for us, that it is more appropriate to go by way of pop culture, offering a world of fleeting gods and goddesses, an agenda of many names, of organizations reigning supreme to capture our hearts, steal our money, and exploit our every resource for the "common good."  Sounds a lot like the Church of England, doesn't it? Who needs God, when we have the church of mother earth to tend to, right?

And if that were not enough -- as we have slowly taken away prayer in schools, replacing character building with community organizing, and after years of indoctrinating our children with far left curriculum going against our free market, avenging capitalism, discouraging critical thinking in every way, NOW, we are up against a whole 'nother paradigm -- the onslaught of a brand new agenda focused purely on redefining love, marriage, sexuality, and family.

Perhaps if we included lifestyle differences without demolishing and discrediting traditional relationships and marriage, our children might have half a chance.  But that is certainly not the case, is it?  is it?

Truth is, we have taken God, and our relationship with the Creator totally out of school -- one might even say, that It has been expelled for life. Hit the road, jack, and doncha come back, no more no more. The village has decided that we no longer want you, God; that we no longer need you, God;  that we got this thing called life totally handled.  The village people say, that our children no longer need to give God a second thought.

How can that be when our entire existence as a nation was built upon a belief in Something greater than ourselves -- that Divine Providence led our founders every step of the way -- how can that be?

What is the village so afraid of?

I have a pretty good idea, but that is for you to decide.

But more important, with 70% of the nation leaning to believing in Something, how can it be that our curriculum, that which is responsible for raising our children, allows for this kind of injustice?

How can it be, that all of a sudden, it is totally permissible to teach gay and lesbian relationships, transgender modification, even honoring transvestites and cross dressing 2.0, while curriculum based on building good character, good conscience, critical thinking beyond ourselves -- of what it means on being human, our connection to Something greater than ourselves, and what does God tell us -- is outlawed?

If we believe in treating all people with respect, if we believe in tolerance, if we believe in civil liberties both right and left, then for our children's sake -- then the village must open it's doors to the full curriculum; meaning, the village cannot play God for the rest of us -- and if they insist upon teaching our kids 'that stuff', then our kids deserve a balance of THIS stuff... the stuff that God made...along with it. 

The reality is, our children are in the cross-hairs of a political agenda.

The reality is, nearly 1000 children are killed at the hand of their own mother or father; but the real stunner, the one that the front page never talks about, is that hundreds of thousands are dying a slow death in a liberal education.

we made better kids when McGuffey's Readers were used in school...here's a sample:

About the Stars

1.  What child is there, 

that has never looked up with wonder at the stars!

2. I once knew a little boy, who, after looking 

at them for a long time, went to his mother and said, 

"Mother, these bright things in the sky, 

you call stars, but I think that is not the right name for them."

3."Well, my child," said his mother, "what do you think they are?"

4.  "Why, I think they are God's candles," said the boy.  

This idea is at once natural and beautiful.  

They indeed seem like lamps set 

in the glorious Hall of the Creator, 

to show forth its grandeur, 

and call upon the universe to worship 

Him who sitteth upon the throne, for ever and ever.

5.  Whatever the stars seem to be, 

we have reason to suppose that they are worlds, 

or suns, much larger than the moon, or even this earth.

6.How wonderful then are these shining orbs, 

and how great must He be, 

who in wisdom and goodness has made them all!

and it continues...

...leading the reader through the rest of the story, right to the end, when it welcomes into the room a full discussion of what are stars -- asking what idea is 'natural and beautiful', etc. etc. Just harmless questions making a child truly think for himself!  The child who happens to be of a "non-religious" family, can simply say they do not believe stars are connected to a God at all.  I guess, maybe that would be, in this day and age, about 30% of the class.  But who's counting, right?

The thing is, we stopped nation building, when we ceased teaching our children a deeper connection to all of life and our inherent duty, to ourselves and each other, to maintain 'right conduct' -- with or without God.  

"The sum of all is, if we would most truly enjoy the gift of heaven, let us become a virtuous people; then shall we both deserve and enjoy it.  While, on the other hand, if we are universally vicious and debauched in our manners, though the form of our Constitution carries the face of the most exalted freedom, we shall in reality be the most abject slaves." [Wells, Life of Samuel Adams, 1:22-23, from The 5000 Year Leap]

We must allow ourselves, and especially our children, to walk with God -- out in the open. What is the harm?

As a parent, as a citizen, as a believer, I know this to be true.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's an Eat, Sleep, Pee Thing

Dear America,

How to Handle

Stress Like a Dog:

If you Can't Eat It 

Or Play with It,

Then Pee on It

And Walk Away

stress.

we all have it.

some of us a little, some of us a lot.

sometimes it goes away and sometimes we live with it for days, weeks, months, years.  It can eat us up if we let it.

For many, acting out of character becomes the new modus operandi -- we drink too much, we eat too much, we lash out too much --  meanwhile, nothing seems to fit quite right in our life.  And one drama leads seamlessly to the next.

Often I have wished to be my dog. If you could only see him right now -- not a care in the world.  He just had his morning kibble...while even though he has barely been up and around for an hour, there he is, sleeping something off as if he pulled an all-night'r.  For this dog, it is more like 'eat, pee, sleep' all the live long day -- his playtime amounts to one fetch to where he quickly retreats to his crib.  put a fork in it. done.

The thing is, in this foggy San Diego morning,  the stresses of the American life are adding up.  Matter of fact, as I sit here contemplating all things seen and unseen around me, underneath it all, in the hidden shadows of my world, my papa is undergoing surgery right now.  I can't do anything but wait  (and write...look out...if you think I get pretty long winded before...just you wait my little pretties.)

So, last night, I didn't get to sleep at all.

So, did you take five there, and listen to a little Fifth Dimension?

Great song.

So country-wise... these days, these dark days that we are all experiencing together, are keeping us from being our very best, aren't they?  Each and every one of us are walking around with some level of PTSD.  We are trying to function as best we can, but it is so much easier to ignore responsibility, stay in our shell with perhaps a glass of wine to comfort our weary heads, or maybe open that carton of Ben & Jerry's to have all to ourselves, or even take in a ballgame (or soccer, if you are in the Pasadena area...did any of you catch wind of this stunner?)

here's a little kibble and bit of it to wet your appetite: "Why would spectators raise a ruckus during a national anthem, except to manifest contempt for the country whose anthem it was?" -- Pat Buchanan thinks to himself.  ahh poor Pat, just preaching to the choir, preaching to the choir.  Does anyone really care what is happening to us -- the US as a WHOLE, as a COUNTRY, as a NATION -- and clearly in dire need of rebuilding?

Oh sure, America is doing just fine.  No problems here.  We are on the upswing, right?  The housing market was up .7% in April. wow.  hold me back I am so excited;  however, that number, not being adjusted for seasonal flow isn't exactly accurate -- for when you do, you know, pee on it, the number you get is a bare drop of .1%.        really?

Nation building -- how can we expect things to go well in this area, when everything around us is screaming some variation of '...if you can't eat it, or play with it, then pee on it and walk away?'

This sort of thing is even happening at the big house -- you know, that big white house, that beacon of hope, shining on a hill.  And proof is in the plastic cup-- furnished by the AARP and covered under one of a myriad of supplemental plans through nothing less than heartfelt efforts, financial and otherwise, welcoming a new day in America and fully sanctioned by the Affordable Care Act.

I need to go no further than one of my favorite places for shelter in a pee-storm, The Heritage Foundation.

[and if g's too crude it is due to my mood.  bite me]

And all I got to add is that 'the Heritage' must have been reading my mind.  As let's go back to last night -- there I was tossing and turning...like I said, I couldn't get to sleep at all...and I just kept rolling over with the headlines.    The red thread my little head kept returning to was our rise and fall of our Ethics and Standards.

And you say, yo G, what ever gave you that idea?

So -- circumventing the entire Twitter-Twit of late with our dear Anthony Weiner, as that is the least of our worries.  really. trust me. it is -- we move to just the headlines of the last couple of days:

• Blago down for 300 years, ethics violations, trying to sell Obama's seat in Senate
• Laura Richardson (CA-37th, Star Parker's opponent), down, may be thrown in the clinker for ethics violations from 2010 election
• Obama, found walking a very thin line, using the White House for a back drop for a campaign ad

wow.  might I add, we've got ourselves a party just begging for a theme; color scheme and party favors to be decided at a later date; million dollar question, will the lamestream media have the courage to tie this all up in a bow, or what?

Now, ya see, this is just the last two days -- and we haven't even touched on the wave of violations from the 2008 elections (voter fraud and intimidation violations... by the Black Panthers at the front door of some polls... dead people and felons casting their vote...)  And we haven't even begun to talk about all the ways this White House is subverting the Constitution, usurping the powers of Congress, and otherwise, making up new law and regulations on the fly -- and basically peeing upon the Rule of Law any chance they get. 

From the perspective of a girl of never a few words: America is getting peed on, left, right, front and center.

And this is where my Heritage boys and girls come in.  Save me...Calgone, take me away.  From people who know way more about this than little old me -- and more specifically, it is Lachlan Markay who writes:

"The Obama Administration generally employs one of two strategies to legislate without—and often in spite of—congressional action: (1) administrative decree establishing a new federal rule, or (2) a refusal to enforce existing federal law. In five separate policy areas, the President and the federal agencies under his command have spurned congressional authority to achieve Obama’s objectives."

Oh yes.  He read my mind, as I was counting sheep and all the ways this administration is doing me and my America wrong.  Talk to me, Lachlan.

Five.  It is the number on the day.  And Lachlan, in turn, went on pontificating the one, the two, the three, four, five, right then and there.  And suddenly, everything was made so clear.

And look, the fog is beginning to lift.

Oh, what?  you think I am going to spoil all your fun.  you really don't know G at all, do you?

No.  This is where you step in and go to Lachlan yourself.  It is grab a bag of cheetos and play nice with Lachlan day.  I have gone as far as I can.  Be engaged.  Know the species -- Know the stain -- and take part in understanding all the ways our ethics and standards have changed.  Scratch that. Make that fundamentally transformed right before our very eyes, in the cover of darkness.

Yes. While lame brains are more interested in Weiner's weinergate -- or making their digs on a potential presidential contender against the chosen one -- or reacting in waves of spontaneous combustion over what ever flits and flutters off the Yahoo! page...all the while, our Rule of Law, America's standard of being, relating, and getting along in this world, is being feverishly radicalized in every way.

Some may think, myself included, we are in this mess because we, the people, have had our head in the clouds, the sand, in la la land, for way too long now; we have not done our part to stay informed and respect our Rule of Law, the law of this land -- and do our duty in order to keep it. 

We are a Republic -- while it demands we honor the checks and balances under three branches of government under the Constitution, it also requires the people to take full responsibility for ourselves, and each other, respective of a collection of natural rights and enumerated duties, and many more even left unsaid.  And creating a body of people engaged, educated, and empowered was key. [G loves her happy place @ smartgirlpolitics, indeed]

The idea of being an 'enlightened electorate' was one of America's cornerstones.  For the founders recognized that we are smart creatures, able to think for ourselves, right?  and smarter than the average pooch.

Unlike the leisure-world of a typical hound, we think, therefore I am.  We think of what is right, and wrong.  We think united -- or we break apart in little tiny itsy bitsy pieces by our differences and illusions of superiority of one ideology over another.  We can get pretty messed up actually.

From The 5000 Year Leap, a montage of Jeffersonian ideals of America's blessed electorate:

"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. (Ford, Writings of Thomas Jefferson, 10:4)   No other sure foundation can be devised for the preservation of freedom and happiness...Preach...a crusade against ignorance; establish and improve the law for educating the common people.  Let our countrymen know that the people alone can protect us against these evils [of misgovernment].  (Bergh, Writings of Thomas Jefferson, 5:396-97.)"

Maybe a dog gets a free lunch, a fetch, and a nap all day long -- but for us, the happy little people responsible for feeding the happy little canine into oblivion each and every day, the nation expects more, much more.

And indeed, this would be a fine time to expand upon the poetic words uttered of a president one fine Inaugural morning in 1961, begging us to contemplate, 'ask not what your nation can do for you, ask what you can do for your country...but let's not and say that we did.

Our founders, as noted in The 5000, were each and every one well read.  Even though coming from entirely different backgrounds -- religious, economically, politically, philosophically -- they were able to have a meeting of the minds because they were educated, and well versed on world history, civilizations large and small.

"Although the level of their formal training varied...the thinking of Polybius, Cicero, Thomas Hooker, Coke, Montesquieu, Blackstone, John Locke, and Adam Smith salt-and-peppered their writings and their conversations.  They were also careful students of the Bible, especially the Old Testament, and even though some did not belong to any Christian denomination, the teachings of Jesus were held in universal respect and admiration.

Their historical readings included a broad perspective of Greek, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, European, and English history.  To this writer, nothing is more remarkable about the early American leaders than their breadth of reading and depth of knowledge concerning the essential elements of sound nation building."

to this blogger, ditto.

Do you think this is what our president has in mind for us, when he calls for "nation building"?  Do you think he wants us to run out and become well read on the masterpieces of civilization, history, art and science, questioning with boldness every step of the way?

This is what is wrong with America today.  Besides being glued to reruns of Beavis and Butthead, we have been lulled into believing we can settle down on the lap of the government and do nothing but eat, sleep, and pee, and once in awhile, rollover for a scrap of bacon.  And, just maybe, get our bellies rubbed when we follow along and do what we are told.  Oh my, a certain Jefferson would be so very disappointed with us... as our tail drops between our legs in shame.

finally reached my mama, and pops is in recovery (Thankya Jesus x).  now dare I say, it is time for a nap.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Coolest Ride on Earth Thing, man up

Dear America,

happy tuesday.
hang on, everybody. it is gonna be missy g's wild ride again this morning; I can just feel it.  pop a Dramamine if you have to, grab a friend if you are a wee bit scared.  we will get through this. together.

It is all about Nation Building.  And don't blame me, the president started it.  If he truly wants to go there, then let's go.  Invite us all to the show, right.  Or am I the only one left hanging on for dear life on this very phrase?


The way I see it, much of what the president says gets glossed over by the mainstream -- it is as if his rhetoric is strutted around, in front of the paparazzi, sounding good, looking all-American, and all -- and then poof! there is nothing on the inside to back it up, while all in all, nobody really cares.

He might say it, but there is no follow through in the real world; and even the free market reacts -- with goosebumps and shivers -- wondering what in the world the future might bring -- just where are we going with this.  Everything is up in the air; with a stream of unknowns clearly monopolizing on the day, taking over our every move, hindering all constructive thought.

And we are, for maybe the first time, living in a sea of doubt, just riding the waves.  feeling powerless...something has a hold of us, and we aren't even sure what.  we can't even describe it, we just know we don't like it and never want to be in this position again.

But how can I do this, if I don't know that?

Truth is, we hopped on this whirly twirly roller coaster all on our own volition. Sure, I personally didn't.  Maybe you personally didn't.  But as a group, we all decided that this was the ride -- and fair is fair --  the majority wanted this ride, so the majority wins.  and if you don't like it, then that characterization has already been decided for you, too -- you are either a wussy or a racist, take your pick.

The thing is, we shouldn't even be having this conversation on "nation building."   The founders set us up to protect us from ourselves from the start.  They gave us the warning signs, they enumerated our powers, they read us our rights, they presented our inherent duty - to God and to country - of exactly what it would take from each and every one of us to survive.  They handed over absolutely everything we should ever need to take the right course of action -- in order to protect, defend, and illuminate our essential liberties.

How absurd is it, that we find ourselves these days, defending our first document -- our first Emancipation Proclamation, if you will -- from Great Britain.  How is that even possible?  How dare the modern, progressive, uber-liberal, left wing loons tear apart the engine, piece by piece, and replacing it with anything and everything that runs counter-intuitive to the process of the way this nation, and it's construction, intended.

For if they get their way, we will never make it up the next hill.

From The Heritage Foundation, a beautiful explanation of just this one facet of our heritage, comes from Kim R. Holmes, Ph.D., saying:

"This principle of “inherent” or inalienable rights outside of and despite government imbues our Declaration of Independence and invigorates our Constitution. Since our founding, these important documents provided the basis for our social order and American jurisprudence. They have guided our struggles to overcome slavery and discrimination by race, religion, sex, or birth. And they have guided our engagement abroad.

Yet this principle of inalienable natural rights—fundamental rights that government neither creates nor can take away—isn’t the same as the thoroughly modern idea of “human rights.”

Although both are universal, natural rights most emphatically do not come from government. Government only secures these rights, that is, creates the political conditions that allow one to exercise them. Human rights, as popularly understood, are bestowed by the state or governing body."

This girl, considers Kim Holmes - a boy, by the way - to be nothing short of brilliant.  His entire post, How Should Americans Think About Human Rights? captures the intrinsic value of understanding CONTEXT of country --  as we have only just begun to have that conversation here on G thing just yesterday.  To read more from Holmes -- and I totally recommend an afternoon taking it all in, go here.  Your American spirit will reach such splendid heights, you will never want to leave it behind again.

 But just in case a good read is not in your timetable this morning, let me leave you with this, from Holmes:

"...natural rights, being natural, do not change over time. All men, at all times, have had the same right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Human rights, on the other hand, constantly change. A whole cottage industry has sprung up to advance a bevy of new “economic and social rights” conceived of, defined by, and promoted by activists, governments, and international bureaucrats.

Many Americans are unaware that these manufactured rights are not the same as the natural rights endowed by God or nature. What are often called “human rights” today are social constructs. They either sound like high-minded aspirations—equal rights for women and minorities—or like trivial and harmless concepts such as the “right to leisure.”

These concepts are in fact neither high-minded nor harmless: they are fundamentally incompatible with the Founders’ understanding of natural rights."

Good government -- one that stayed out of the people's way -- relied on each on every one of us to be a good citizen, of sound mind and body, engaged, educated, empowered... to do our part.  That triple E section there was an ode to my new best friends @ Smart Girl Politics.  I am three days in and love, love, love this place to let it all hang out, one conservative girl to another, infiltrated with a few best boys, too. Check it out.

But back on the main line, nearly every debate -- from Debt, Deficit, Entitlement, Gay Marriage, Energy, Church & State, Civil Liberties, Human Rights, International Relations, Medicare, Libya....-- can be course corrected and resolved when proper context and direction is applied.  All of it.

What we are experiencing in America can quickly be defined as revolutionary redistribution -- a redistribution of wealth, a redistribution of rights, a redistribution of liberties, a redistribution of duty, a redistribution of shame, guilt, obligation, happiness, anger, apathy, control, power, even the fun factor...You see where this is going?  Once a government begins the path of redistribution, what is to stop it?  It is a moving train, barreling over the freedoms and liberties of someone else.  It is as simple as that.

While the irony is, the more we break from tradition -- in our so-called progression -- the more we get in our own way.  Full stop ahead, folks.

UNLESS...

unless we remind ourselves of that revolutionary experience that happened so long ago.

We can ride that wave again and again; getting more sure of ourselves as we go along.   Think of it like, the Fair's in town, and it never really goes away.   But like all really cool rides -- you, me, everybody -- need to be tall enough to deserve a spin; which, in revolutionary terms means -- we have to know what we are talking about, we have to spend time growing up a little, we have to understand the meaning of real strength, real honor, real integrity in motion.  We have to become part of a group, in unwavering agreement, to get on in the first place -- and to know the ride.  Be the ride; to live the language and demonstrate our ability to keep up -- for the betterment of not only ourselves, but each other. (man up, nobody likes being next to the kid who spills his cookies, right?)

It is not so much about the right to get on, as much as it is the duty to defend each and every seat, as your own, as connected to the whole, in order so that we might not only survive -- but thrive in it, revel in it, in pursuit of happiness in it.  c'mon, take my hand, it will be so much fun.

Make it a Good Day, G

PS and you know...one of the greatest things about riding the Revolution is that, things may twist and turn, we may even get totally upside down and slide backwards...it may even seem like revolution after revolution after revolution... but eventually, we stop, and right side up.  dizzy perhaps.  but boy, do we have a story to tell.

It's a Spring Thing even when it isn't spring

Dear America,

sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways -- and when I say, the Lord, call It what you will...Spirit, God, Allah, the big bad Universe speaking to you.  once in awhile, if we sit still long enough, a bump on the head this way comes.

Okay, not to continue down this existential path for too long here, but something happened to me yesterday.

Now, first, bear in mind, my girl is out of town for nearly a full ten days -- having started that count down Friday evening.  And I kid you not, when I went to put on my "Singers & Swing" music, to fill up my soul in her absence and buffer the deafening silence, first thing Saturday morning --  what should the very first melody play for me?  Solitude, sung by a John Pizzerelli.  funny stuff.

It was heart wrenching, and yet, oddly warming all at the same time.  It was as if the Universe was listening to my lonesomeness,  and acknowledged every little bit of it.  With words like, 'in my solitude, please dear Lord, send back...my love.'  And sure, it fills in for a love song, too (and lookie there...strangely enough, applying it there fits like a charm.  wow.  things just could not get any better in G land...now frantically filling the sudden awkward silence with sarcasm).

OH and the old Universe was not finished with It's work -- oh no.  It was just getting warmed up...

[and really, in a moment, this too, should tie back into our continuing conversation on nation building, but then again, it's go time with just a girl...no promises]

So the five minutes of solitude quickly jumped, jingled and jived into "...why should I have spring fever... when it isn't even spring...I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams, I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing...it might as well be spring...

all of a sudden I am up again.  I have the house to myself, no baby bird to feed (other than the pooch) and I can pretty much do whatever I want.

[enter crickets here]

oopsy daisy, girl down.

ah go ahead, you keep going, I'll be fine, save yourself.

That was Saturday.

-- Sunday -- 

'this is the day our Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.'

So, part of my Sunday ritual includes a double dose of God, from two totally separate directions, yet equally bringing me to the same place.  I love my Joel Osteen -- and I love catching the Sunday Heart of the Nation Catholic Mass on television.  For me, the two offer a modern cultural application of our Creator working mysteriously on earth, backed up with ridiculously powerful, sentimental, and trusted tradition.

What can I say,  to label my religion as it stands today, is an impossibility -- there is Lutheran (huge, thankfully, all through my childhood)  there is Catholicism (still huge, as it runs deep in my family heritage, while it has grown in my heart falling in love with a good Catholic boy) and still, there is a wee bit of Religious Science (having been introduced to it by accident and never regretting a single moment actively involved at Seaside Church, for nearly a decade of what now seems another life).  Yeah, yeah...somewhere here is nation building... try and keep up.

So, back to my easy Sunday morning.  

Not only have I been feebly attempting to 'let go and let God', as they say at Seaside, by practicing the presence, living life from a place of Spirit Expressing, and listening to those still small voices that we capture once in awhile in our hearts and minds -- but what did my Aries horoscope read?  (yeah, yeah, no other Gods, I got it...but please, this is going somewhere...)   It gave me this:  "the slow, static nature of the day will teach you some lessons on patience."

The thing is, you need a bit of context -- just before I read my daily sun sign blip -- I went to turn on my TV to see my church boys....

And in turn, poof!  broke the TV ...or was it that the TV broke me?  no bother, in this moment, it could easily go either way. .."the slow, static nature of the day will teach you some lessons..."  really?  Is that how you roll, Mr. Universe?  Is that the way we are gonna play it?

Again, too funny for words.  static, eh... 

The Universe is like, I'll show you something to remember.  What are you gonna do now?  huh?  HUH?  Yeah, G, you think you are all that, step back, take a chill pill and take a moment to learn a  thing or two...enough with the pity party in front of the TV...not on my watch.

...so no Sunday services of any kind....  no Fox News Sunday....  no movie to watch for all of twenty minutes before I fall asleep on the couch on a painfully peaceful, hazy, lazy, one fine dog day of a summer afternoon.

And that's when it hit me, the raspberry on the head, WAS GOD... close up and personal.  God was talking to me, just to me.  but then, I don't know, anyone else get hit on the noggin with a message lately?

While right now, just the thought back 24 hours ago, there are tears rushing down my cheeks; and I find myself unable to even keep up with my self.

There is just so much I need to say, so much I need to do, just so much that must be done -- here -- on this earth -- and especially, here, in this beautiful country -- in order to rebuild a nation caught stuck on one channel, a culture without substance; a culture completely captivated by reality TV; a nation grown so entirely narcissistic, we can't seem to get out of our own way.

It's never really quiet long enough to make a real go of it.

The volume is up way too loud; and, generally speaking, everything is on autopilot and nothing is authentic.

Nation Building.  That is good Mr. President.  It is spot on.  However, this funny feeling in my gut tells me that we are talking about two different things, aren't we?  (again, that is what a long -- long -- really long and quiet afternoon is truly good for. did I mention it was long?)

Last week, I dared you, Mr. President, to begin "NATION BUILDING."  And in this week, we will go marching along on that same refrain.

We are witnessing furor and frenzy over a whole host of cultural twists of fate and fancy...

...to be continued.  stay tuned.

We need to squeeze in one more story:

picture this...as there I was, unbeknownst to me, watching my last movie on a Saturday afternoon, FARGO (yes, and what a god-awful choice it was indeed...but understand, I had no idea what was on the horizon, I'll have you recall...let's just say, the universal power source took It's power back)

Anyway...as we were, there I was, deciding to spin a little Solitaire as I watch stupid TV,  setting up the cards the way my Grandma Vi taught me when I was twelve.  Only to look down, only for a second or two and look back up...and there they were.  Words, a whole lot of words on the screen, forcing my eyes to scramble as fast as they possibly could to get it all in my little head.  In a nutshell, just words lending proper context to what I am about to see.  blahg blahg blahg.

These words, written with a backdrop of total silence,  told the viewers within reception range, that what we are about to see is true, only the names have been changed to protect the integrity of the family left picking up the pieces. ...and talk about pieces, OMG.

which, of course,  made this girl think...

If someone should happen to miss this context, they would be ignorant of a simple truth.  If you missed the words hanging on the silent screen -- you know, while setting up a card game, if making a sandwich in the kitchen, or fetching popcorn -- you would miss the essential links to actual story,  with truth right smack up against make believe.  It is the difference of walking out of the theater thinking, wow, that was gnarly -- good thing that was just a movie ....and.... oh my goodness, I can't believe it was true, that it really happened.

Context. It is everything.

And nation building with proper context is the most essential thing.

Now, some of you might even say -- yo G, here you are about to close up shop for the day, and you hardly said two words about this whole nation building thing at all.  you tease.

And I would have to say, you are right.  shoot me.    -- no, scratch that....throw me into the wood chipper and chop me up into teenie tiny bits and pieces with blood spattering everywhere.    whatever.

This is just the first two minutes of the movie.
This is just context.
We are building context before we can build a nation.

are you picking up what I am throwing down?

And the thing is, this might take awhile...but h-e-double toothpicks, I got nothing better to do.  I've got nothing but time on my hands, right?.  The TV broke me in two; and with good reason.  And I may never get it fixed or replaced.

and doesn't the Lord work in mysterious ways...

I'm a restless as a willow in a windstorm, I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string...I'd say that I had  spring fever... but I know it isn't even spring...sing it with me...

Make it a Good Day, G

speaking of springtime, speaking of Arab Spring, check out what this guy @ barenakedislam has to tell us, considering context is everything and all.  read this Discovered my go over the weekend joining a new group:  Smart Girl Politics.   This website, on a real story happening now, came via a group member @ SGP -- go girl go, as I like to say... as then, she talks to friends, and they talk to friends, pretty soon, the whole world knows a thing or two and then some.  

This just in (and speaking of a good sign of things to come): Rod Blagojevich is found guilty of nearly all charges and facing 300 years in prison for attempting to make hay with Obama's seat in the senate.  wow.  talk to me.


don't you love pink and green together?  simply the essence of springtime.

It's a Nation Building Thing

Dear America,

and now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain... and more, much more than this, I did it my way...

happy friday everybody...and where would the world be without music...I don't even want to know...and on that note, my digression is way too early in the day.


The week began with another assault on 'Under God'.  By Wednesday, we were mildly intercepted with a presidential address, reminding us of many things, but the greatest of these being:  “America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home."  And now, as the end is near, my inclination is to tie the two together.

In the last few weeks we have discussed all kinds of ideas surrounding the making of a nation, the building of good character, casting the foundation upon a virtuous lot to keep things steady, comfortable, peaceful, responsible and always, fully engaged -- and thereby, fully committing ourselves, from beginning to end, to the creation of... how did our president say... that "One American Body."

It is a monumental task, this continuous re-building, especially considering it is a construction project that never really ends.  There is always something that needs mending, perhaps a fresh coat of paint, maybe a new room with a view -- from five minute maintenance jobs to years consumed by a labor of love -- restoration hardware requires each and every one of us to do our part.

The president is so right; it is time to focus this nation on building a better nation here at home; because in this present moment, in this new age of liberty freely expressing, we are coming up in short supply of our most precious resources.  For that one American body and it's shelter is falling apart.


Yes, indeed, "infrastructure"..."innovation"... make for good company, after decades of bad science and evolution and false Gods.

Yes, indeed, "nation building"..."here at home"... just makes good sense, after years of utter recklessness in every way, shape, and form, with infidels running the show.

Oh, I'm sorry.  Did I offend anyone?
What, am I not entitled to share my views of the world and society anymore because what, I come from a place so out of this world -- somewhere, out there,  in awe of God?

Here's a real shocker worthy of a headline: this whole 'Under God' brouhaha is a terrible travesty against not only our nation's first shining, founding principle -- but runs, in actuality, in real life, right smack up against GOD Itself. That is cold, bold, and totally absurd...if not also incredibly stupid.

Enough already.  I have had enough.

And in this moment, I deeply regret the ignorance built into my very next question:  HOW DID WE GET HERE?

Oh, don't bother -- I know.

It is a rhetorical question -- falling in line with everything else... rhetorical speeches, rhetorical inauthentic Christianity, rhetorical political correctness, rhetorical intellectual attacks against our Constitution.  There is an explanation for it all.

The only reason we are here -- as a nation -- is that for two hundred years we gave God our all, and everything more, to make this nation hum.  Our founders may not have each and every one believed in the same God; and by that, let's clarify, a God suspiciously deigned by the mad dog collective as "a Christian God."   Au contraire;  this was exactly the reason why we ran, as fast as we possibly could, from the Church of England, for Pete's sakes.  Their view was far more transcendental, more appropriately and globally framed, if you will.  One might even say, fit for a new age, no matter when it should happen to come along.

We made a nation UNDER God, our Creator, of which ALL of our rights and duties come -- as defined in our Declaration of Independence and clearly spelled out in Amendment I of our Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacefully to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

so attencione', oh hallowed halls of government, I HAVE A GRIEVANCE.

My free expression of living life as an American, faithfully under God, is being harassed, ridiculed, slandered and denied.

You want to rebuild a nation, Mr. President?  Start here.

How about we try this -- next time you get up on your high horse at the podium, tell the people to straighten up and fly right; tell the people to stop attacking our first principle; tell the left wing media to stop giving the free expression of  living under No God more credibility than living Under God; stop dismissing the clear and present danger of "nation building" under a system which, under no uncertain terms, wants to erase God from the town square, and if all goes right, totally extinguish God from our heart and soul.

I dare you, Mr. President, tell us, tell us that this is the time to return to our FAITH in God; that in order to rebuild, we must start with basic principles and truths and start all over.  You are a man of faith.  And, after all, you are supposedly an authority on Constitutional Law, you should know all the in's and out's of this like the back of your hand; I have no doubt you have read and thoroughly reviewed the words and intentions of our quintessential documents of our fine nation, and from out of the mouths of our founders themselves.  How could you not and still get your degree?

Let me ask you, how can it be okay for one religious group -- who just so happens to be a group who claims to have no religion, except that, of course, of their own god created from their own belief system, which is, what, I don't know,  a belief in nothing? How can they be the ones to continually  hog the microphone?  They are their own God, are they not?  Their God is the UnGod, who by admission believe it is there dogma that rules over mine?  How is that okay?

We have talked about this so much on G, it is beginning to make my head spin.

They have every right not to believe, think or do in NO-thing, if they so choose -- absolutely every right; but they have no right to squelch my belief, or the FREE EXPRESSION thereof.

Just because we name a street, "Seven in Heaven," it does not establish a national religion; and, to prove it, there are virgins up in heaven waiting for Muslims to return home as we speak.  In the afterlife of world religions large and small, a heaven is made somewhere (that is, if you so believe) or maybe it is not, it does not really matter.

Saying Heaven, is like saying Chocolate -- is it always the same?  I think not.  Are we particular to certain brands?  you bet.  Is the idea of what makes the perfect chocolate each and of our own to decide?  absolutely.  Which, of course, brings us to another shocking truth... for you may be one of those odd sort who don't like chocolate at all.  For me, chocolate is just a sliver of heaven I can put in my mouth...can G get an amen?

Sure, it is silly.  But just think about how over sensitive we have become as a society?   And more than that, just think of all the ways this outright perversion of this primary and sacred principle, the one that this nation was indeed founded, is being shamefully swallowed as the new gospel.

If I were a judge -- I would be laughing at every case that comes my way bearing false allegiances to a nation under no god.

The thing is, when we stopped talking about being a Nation Under God in school (from kindergarten through PhD) it became the very day we stopped building a nation.  case closed.

No.  we are not required to think the same way when it comes to God.  IT is wide open spaces, as they say, when it comes to the intellectual spin revolving the question of what is God, is there God, what is It all about?  what is my purpose? where do I belong?

These are questions that seem to be a threat to the Left (as a whole and generally speaking, and in reality, is more like chopped up bits and pieces run amok) -- and all I have to say to that is, gee, golly gosh, so sorry.

This nation, believe it or not, was created to believe in God our own way -- could this not be any more refreshing and free spirited?  Well, at least it was... up until some people began to go on the attack on other people's beliefs.  Now we have mayhem.


Look, if it is any consolation to the non-believers (which, in reality, are so few, it makes me wonder how your voice, out of all the voices here,  gets the total and free run of the stage in which we are all supposed to share)  --  but if we could just settle down and rethink this.  Surely, there must be a way to come together and figure this out.

What if, every time you see the word God, LOVE pops into your head?  Of course, with full disclosure, my beliefs teach me that my God is Love, but that should be neither here nor there, let's not let something like that get in the way, shall we?   But really, honestly, how innocent and un-alarming is such an idea, the concept of love?  surely, you  love,  right?   

We all love...if only our self and a favorite ice cream... can we not then come to a realization we can build a foundation on that, that God is the same as Love?

From here on out, as you go your way and I go mine, can we just agree that when you see "God" that all we are talking about here is Love.  Just Love.  Literally, figuratively, collectively...it's just a whole lot of love.  Some might even call it Big Love.  Very Very Big Love -- and there is plenty to go around.

It's not like everybody has to believe in Jesus, you know what I am sayin'; and by that, I also mean, some of us believe in all the little children -- red, yellow, black or white, each are precious in His sight -- but nobody has to, you know.   Even though, I believe, that we are here on earth as Spirit expressing, my natural inclination is to say, even atheists are children of God -- but now, I guess that is just fighting words, now isn't it?

But I, as a believer, have the Constitution and our Declaration of Independence at my back and in my heart.  I am free to express God, as long as nobody gets hurt.


Nobody in their right mind would say we have established a National Religion here in America.  For our Constitution was written with a purpose, a purpose UNDER HEAVEN by the way (but God only knows).

Our founders truly believed they were divined by our Creator, by the Maker of All Things seen and unseen, to lay down this nation's Rule of Natural Law.  Our rights, appreciated or not, understood or not, came right out of the Ten Commandments, and then some.  Our rights, as they were written, came from God -- and, against all popular belief,  still do.  Nothing has changed.

This was to protect the people from having a country like England, back hundreds of years ago -- where the Church controlled every function of government and prospered off the backs of it's people.  This was to protect the citizens from it's government -- giving all power to decide such freedom of expression to the people, on their own, in their own time, any way they so wished.  This was to protect this nation from being a society wrecked with internal civilian warfare, pinning one order against another, creating chaos, as it occurs every day in places like Syria, Iran, Egypt, and the like, using tenets of one Religion, one belief, to control people in every way --  in total denial of certain rights taken for granted here -- as in the divining of a real separation of mosque (church) and state.

It was to protect US, the citizens, from an overzealous government using a religion to control the masses.

America was set apart from the rest of the world solely on the basis of our religious freedom.  It is the cornerstone.  It is the foundation.  It is the way we have always been -- and the way we can only continue.  It is the way, the truth, and the light, that created a nation that prospered; and prospered very well  BECAUSE of our faith, not in spite of it.

So this week, under God, we have experienced another test of the human spirit.  And in the end, I agree with a president wholeheartedly when he says it is time --  it is time for America to focus on nation building here at home.

And it begins with returning to the Free Expression of our Faiths -- in God, in Love, in Life that surrounds us.

It begins with reminding the citizenry of the great responsibility we have in front of us -- for we are at a crossroads.

But the truth is, nation building does not require stimulus, infrastructure, green energy, or spending not even one dime; matter of fact, it is the most cost effective way  to not only rebuild our nation as we sit in the throws of economic disaster, but the wisest thing we could do, on the cheap, in order to recreate a nation revolutionized by our first principles, for the next generation.

These last few days, questioning the spirit of a nation under God -- this week, with a nation's focus brought back to the home front -- is an opportunity.  We are not in the midst of chaos.  There is order here in America.  We know that It lives here and is Something we honor.  Deep down, restoring our faith is the only thing that will take us from here to there with any given sense of calm.

we just need to walk our talk (again).

what are we good for?

what reality do we wish to live in -- order or chaos?

isn't it better to ask what is God, what is Love, what is Life all about ?  than not at all.

do we not owe that to our children, who are just beginning to grasp this thing called life --  only now, as the careless chaperones we have been, turn over to them a broken world?

just how do we expect them to make a life and sense out of it all -- what will ground them, console them, give them faith to push through it all?  Chocolate? maybe.  and maybe not.  but what does it hurt to talk about it? absolutely nothing.

Establishment of Religion -- I wish!  We couldn't be further from the truth.  We are living in an age where "religion" is vilified, shunned, ignored, deemed irrelevant and ridiculous.  Unless, you are Muslim, then it is all good.  Unless, you are an Atheists, then all the power to you.  Unless, you are just a hater of Christians or Jews, then that secular theater gets played all day long. Tolerance, pulleeze, I laugh in the face of danger.

It is a big world out there; there is room for all of us; but the last place on earth I would ever think I would have to defend my freedom of expression, of my religion or yours, from road signs to crosses to curriculum to a nation's Pledge of Allegiance -- is here. 

To the atheists, if you are telling me that you cannot respect another person's religion, just who is the one being closed minded and bigoted and rude?   To the intellectual elite within the media, feeding this narrative, is this really how you want to play it -- copy-writing a nation characterized by living without a soul, without the courage to stand up for our nation's first principle?

'Under God' is what we make it -- nothing more nothing less.  

If a street sign saying 'Seven in Heaven' is religious establishment -- it is the most generic ever made.

It is time to focus on nation building here at home.  

The good news is that it will not cost a thing; and the bad news, restoring our courage, integrity, and honor, requires us to hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil,  in return.

Make it a Good Day, G 

It's a Commander Ew - in - Chief Thing

Dear America,

First, this just in:

"Peace will not be preserved 

by pious sentiments expressed

in terms of platitudes 

or by official grimaces 

and diplomatic correctitude."  

Winston Churchill

good, right?

Being of a calculated mindset is often admirable within the context of war; in politics, it only makes someone appear weak -- compromising on a general's wishes, capitulating to your ideological base, while heightening the inherent risks of war unnecessarily.
.
What was the one thing he said that was spot on -- and to my delight, reflecting a sentiment of mine from yesterday -- "America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home."

That was nearing the end of one of his shortest evening addresses he ever made.  In less than 15 minutes, he came to certain forgone conclusions  taking us from his first words as to why we got in it, what was in it for us, who we were mad at, and what we had to do to get our peace back -- morphing quickly into being all about Bin -- even quoting a soldier sending a message "we don't forget...as long as it takes."  We will find you.

Now, as much as I love hearing from our soldiers, for the president to use this one-liner here seemed a wee bit strained, contrived, and, as it would turn out, only the first of many moments when G went 'ew.'

The problem with last night, after all the hype, after the suspense was allowed to build, after pundits and commentary from in and around the beltway tried to surmise every angle the president might attack and give assurances, we are left with nothing more than what was told in premature pontification:  roughly 30,000 troops coming home, beginning with ten this summer, twenty-some next summer, just in time to meet up with his run for a second term.


Oh but wait, there's more; there is something new, and I almost forgot.

"And next May, in Chicago, we will host a summit with our NATO allies and partners to shape the next phase of this transition.

We do know that peace cannot come to a land that has known so much war without a political settlement. So as we strengthen the Afghan government and security forces, America will join initiatives that reconcile the Afghan people, including the Taliban. Our position on these talks is clear: They must be led by the Afghan government, and those who want to be a part of a peaceful Afghanistan must break from Al Qaeda, abandon violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution. But, in part because of our military effort, we have reason to believe that progress can be made."

wow. In Chicago, you say.  Host a summit.  Is that like Organizing for Afghanistan in America?  And including the Taliban, you say.  Talks with the Taliban, with allies and partners, to shape the transition, taking place here, in America, in Chicago; you have invited the Taliban over for lunch in Chicago to have a talk.  Allies, and America, will break bread with the Taliban, next May, in Chicago, at a summit. Feeling awfully Elle Woods like in this moment.   [while I know it is neither here nor there -- but Taliban, is of course italicized to remind us how to pronounce it -- like our president who dons an accent on the fly like no other.]


Now re-reading the objective outlined by our president, in simply this one part, is mind blowing if we hang on every word for any amount of time, so follow me:  "peace cannot come...without a political settlement"...so we will "strengthen the Afghan government and security forces" and "reconcile the Afghan people, including the Taliban."   While, "our position on these talks is clear" -- "the Afghan government" will lead [here in Chicago?] and "those for peaceful Afghanistan must break from Al Queda, abandon violence, and abide by the Afghan constitution." [wow, let's not stop with a tall order, shall we]  ...and finally..... "but, in part because of our military effort [my surge], we have reason to believe that progress can be [giveth or taken away, after my surge]."

Talk about a whole lot going on; you know, Mr. President, I am not sure this region has ever known real peace, or life without one violent evil thread up against another.  This is what they do over there; there is never settlement, never peace, no matter where you turn.  Because, talk about division, talk about generational bigotry and hatred -- this region pits Sunni against Shiite, Iranians against Iraqis, radical terrorists against their own people, men against women, and so on and so on and so on.  Without a certain Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom to Live in Peace, anyway you wish, PEACE is simply not possible -- and it will never be -- until they separate mosque and state [which will NEVER HAPPEN].

details, right?

The thing is, this speech last night, was hardly about the Commander-in-Chief leading his troops, imploring his fellow Americans to follow suit, exuding a bold fresh confidence in every way.  This was a smooth operator, setting the tone for the campaign ahead -- it was swift action, returning to the cool calm of a guarded leader, reminding his followers to not lose faith in him.

We all know that you are ignoring the general's recommendations; and by doing so, not only is Afghanistan "the Good War" as in the words of your last campaign -- but it is without a doubt now, all yours.  You own this war, like you own the economy -- with thanks to Debbie Wasserman Schultz.  This is all on you.

As careful and calculated of a man you are, this posture surprises me; for in the event things begin to unravel, this position does not allow for you to go back and point a finger to anyone else but you.  I guess, ironically, that would mean that perhaps for the very first time, you are truly taking this Commander-in-Chief thing to heart.  Wonders never cease.

"What we can do, and will do, is build a partnership with the Afghan people that endures – one that ensures that we will be able to continue targeting terrorists and supporting a sovereign Afghan government."

endures?  only until the draw down begins -- which is funny, as that is right now.

or, is that endures, up until 2014?  for if you do not have your act together by then, your toast.

And I wonder...just how is this all sitting with the Afghan "women and girls" our president speaks so highly of just a few short moments ago?   I wonder, in this early morning hour, sitting at my desk, tapping my little heart out, just how does a woman, a mother, and just a girl, cope... when in the midst of everything their world throws down?

All the while, here I am, gazing out my window with the morning fog bringing in a soft sense of calm; and even in the midst of magnificent tests of resiliency and strength in my own little world,  the evidence of a beautiful life lives all around me.  I am left only imagining the reality yonder;  nothing can compare with a day of awakening to chaos every morning in Afghanistan.  Nothing.  I feel almost guilty for being so lucky [which is crazy talk, if you only knew my yesterday and the day before that and the day before that...if you see me walking down the street...walk on by...walk on by ..its just a song to reflect my ever changing mood.  that is all]

But my road is nothing in comparison, now is it?  And here ends my sentimental portion on the day.

I was born in the United States of America -- from there on out, everything is considered gravy.

So, venturing to move forward from here and speaking of more ew spewed, how about this line:

"For there should be no doubt that so long as I am president, the United States will never tolerate a safe haven for those who aim to kill us. They cannot elude us, nor escape the justice they deserve."

and on that note, he wants four more years of ignoring the fact that Pakistan gives them shelter.  In this moment, it comes off like a puff of the chest; but then again, maybe his base ate it up.  I think, as far as being presidential, anytime a president says "as long as I am president" you just gotta go ew.  I mean, c'mon, it was cheesy and didn't go down easy.

"And even as there will be dark days ahead in Afghanistan, the light of a secure peace can be seen in the distance. These long wars will come to a responsible end." 

but you just said a moment ago:

"We do know that peace cannot come to a land that has known so much war without a political settlement."

Without a political settlement -- which is totally and unarguably up in the air as we speak -- and like you said, peace cannot come without it.  So about this "responsible end"  -- somewhere over the rainbow -- with all due respect, sir, what is that?

And I suppose you would also say it is really a dumb, long a$$ war requiring a responsible end starting today, but couldn't, as your real tongue was tied.

Then, with astonishment, you whip up a frenzy of global governance initiatives -- leading with a wide range security/police force agenda, the outpouring of revolution taking place in Libya and in turn a call for further support, while centering our endeavors upon the American Rule of Law and a virtuous common denominator of Self-Determination --  all in nearly one breath. oh the things you do with that mouth.

And now to my favorite ew on the day:

"Now, we must invest in America’s greatest resource – our people. We must unleash innovation that creates new jobs and industries, while living within our means. We must rebuild our infrastructure and find new and clean sources of energy. And most of all, after a decade of passionate debate, we must recapture the common purpose that we shared at the beginning of this time of war. For our nation draws strength from our differences, and when our union is strong no hill is too steep [click this. c'mon it'll be fun], no horizon is beyond our reach."

love love love Diana Ross. and notice the stunning flip from 'walk on by' to 'ain't no mountain high enough' -- now do you get me, one minute this, another minute that...
oops.
sideshow alert, sideshow alert...on both a president and G...and who would ever think at the same time.

So a speech destined for greatness -- dealing with a war effort in a horrible horrible place on the other side of the globe, putting our brave boys and girls in harms way -- he throws out innovation; what is wrong with you, man?

This happened to be the most startling moment of the night on the ew factor.

Are you serious?  You think you can spin the strains of war with a little levity is it? of innovation, clean energy and infrastructure building?  Is this our COMMANDER IN CHIEF or CAMPAIGNER IN CHIEF speaking -- cause I gotta say, this was just so awkward in every way; newsflash -- you cannot be both. 

And especially in war, the rule of thumb is pick a side and stay on it.  But if you only knew, the way things naturally work out, when you simply focus on being a really great Commander-in-Chief, the campaign takes care of itself.  Your reputation precedes you, lighting a path into everyone's good graces without even working at it.

Anyway, here goes a rather colorful big finish:

"That’s a lesson worth remembering - that we are all a part of one American family [indeed]. Though we have known disagreement and division, we are bound together by the creed that is written into our founding documents [amen], and a conviction that the United States of America is a country that can achieve whatever it sets out to accomplish. Now, let us finish the work at hand. Let us responsibly end these wars [oopsy daisy, crash and burn...way to tell us what you really want; and clearly marking a second mistake of not holding to the objective -- unless that is now subjective and anything outside a true win goes -- not to mention, does this pledge also apply to the war you just got us in?], and reclaim the American Dream that is at the center of our story. With confidence in our cause [now amended], with faith in our fellow citizens [but you meant to say faith in God and each other], and with hope in our hearts, let us go about the work of extending the promise of America - for this generation, and the next.


May God bless our troops. And may God bless the United States of America.”

Going back to just yesterday, the speech was not designed to put the Taliban on edge -- the president did not pose America as a formidable opponent to be reckoned with; he made his point painfully clear to the world, we are now in draw down mode as "the tide of war is receding." And it is as simple as that.  From here on out expect less and less from American troops, leading up to a withdrawal of combat forces by 2014.

It is not like the Taliban would ever really know when ten thousand troops came home here or come home there.  It is not like they are counting heads, or something.  He didn't need to say a thing -- the only thing that was new information was the Chicago Summit, next May; and for that, surely a press release next April would suffice.

This whole shenanigan pulled off at the start of the quintessential prime-time time slot, was all for show.  He might as well have flashed a number at the bottom of the screen and asked for your vote right then.

The presidential address was --

Not for the Taliban.
Not for Afghanistans.
Not for Conservatives.
Not for anybody else but his base [and maybe, Egypt].

Welcome to the world of winning the next election...a bit of an ewy gooey slimy start and just par for the course.

"The truth is incontrovertible.  

Panic may resent it; 

ignorance may deride it;

malice may distort it, 

but there it is."  

Winston Churchill

Taking us out with one of the world's greatest leaders...

Make it a Good Day, G

and to read more about last night go here, to The Heritage Foundation or here: The Patriot Post.

It's a War Thing

Dear America,

Maybe it's just me -- but I would sure love to return to the day our military strategy didn't include telegraphing our plans out to the entire world months in advance.

I believe a little mystery in this area is being highly underrated, what in this era of WikiLeaks and other bone heads, who's sole mission is to undermine high braid strategies, jeopardizing our sacred troops on the ground, and what not -- isn't this mode of secrecy still sacrosanct in the eyes of our fearless leaders?

Wouldn't it be nice to return to a time when the internet did not report the downsizing of troops twenty four hours before our president?

I mean, seriously, would it not be music to our ears, if tonight, when our president is facing the nation, that he might just say something like this:  'after careful review with the leaders of our fine military, we [not I] have updated our short range and long range plan...and it is really good....but tonight, for all of you out there in the world listening, I am choosing not to say a word about it...nah nahnah nah nah (and proceed to stick out his tongue here)...God Bless, and have a good night everybody .'

Even just a girl recognizes how much keeping secrets is just as much a tactic as it is policy.

But what do I know?

And if all this was not enough these days -- orchestrating the full drawback in Iraq and leaving them to fend for themselves, while calculating our every move we make in Afghanistan (the Good War),and while dropping drones in Pakistan and Yemen -- we are now expected to support Libyan rebels, even when we have no idea who they really are (or do we? ....hm...maybe the secret is 'on us'...what?  what conspiracy?).

But low and behold, here we are, on the verge of committing to authorizing "kinetic military action" and billions of dollars -- what?   for the next year?  Are you kidding me?  And that question going out to the oddest political couple known to man -- Kerry and McCain -- the latest two-some I like to call the DINO & RINO Show.   Who would ever believe it, an anti-war guy entangled with a prisoner of war guy, and each using the power of political persuasion for their own purpose....coming together....isn't it just groovy.

I can't keep up with the truth to tell you the truth.  And to think we thought summer had something to do with it, for on the west coast, here in California especially, we seem to be running in short supply of Flip Flops and Kool-Aid -- but now we know.

But all these twists and turns of the narrative continues to fascinate me to no end:  it's not a war, it is Kinetic Military Action (and running counter to popular belief, it is also absent of hostilities); it's not a tax, it is a penalty (Obamacare); it's not sex (oh gee, do we really have to go there?).

How will our president define the good war and our mission tonight?  Are we done?  Are we there yet?  With the bin Laden wind at his back, what will the narcissistic Commander-in-Chief say now?  It's all about packaging, timing, and re-packaging, you know.

And speaking of which, on this glorious day in America, get a load of that corroded lung on the shiny new packs of ciggies.  Now, admittedly, I have no dog in the hunt -- as a non-smoker I could not care less.  I just find it funny, in my own warped little head of mine, that this kind of boot to the throat tactic really works.

But what intrigues me even more, is the question of what's next -- you know, is that policy for everything from now on?  Will we see aborted 12 week old babies on the packages of Plan B or the Abortion pill?  Will we begin to see 600 lb. junk food fanatics on the sides of boxes of Twinkies and Whoppie Pies?  Will an image of a rotting, stinking, dirty mouth come with every Hershey Bar and Coca-Cola?  just sayin' -- where do we draw the line and who draws that line in the first place, the left or the right foot?

And really, how do we really know if these pictures of horror were not just part of a convoluted vicious scheme of the power elite to get the president off the smokes for good, under a roll your own nicotine withdrawal program of the highest order, and stat?

These are fair questions (well, maybe not the last one).

Politicizing issues when politics has no business belonging, penalizing one industry over another, deciding which wars are good and which wars are bad outside the boundaries of our inherent master plan and foundation -- painstakingly masterminded by our founders -- and basically upending the spirit of sound self-government under a limited federal government in every way,  all of which really have no business living to see another day here in America, land of the free and home of the bravest soldiers on earth.

The thing is, just maybe a return to one of our first intentions is in order -- just maybe, with one fell swoop across the board, a return to an age old doctrine is the mandate on the day; and it goes something like this: "Mind Your Own Business."

Yesterday was all about recognizing that which comes lock, stock and barrel with our rights are a whole host of duties (many, of which, we are inclined these days to fully ignore).  But if we were to really do more of minding our own business, in every way in this country, our societal woes and international entanglements may not entirely go away -- but I do believe I can say with certainty, the possibility of being able to control our own response with personal accountability, to navigate the road ahead with a clear head, backed by our natural duties as a people, and going so far as to set forth a return to the spirit of isolationism, complete with a global conscience, fit for the new age of international relations, would each return to rule the day.

All at once, we can remind each other of our duty to mind our own business -- to be of good character, to be of sound mind, to be of economic independence, to be of kind heart, to be of good cheer, to be of personal honor and integrity every day.

All at once -- and carrying this spirit out to business and industry -- we can be reminded that the less government intervention and regulation, the freer a people are to prosper and make their own happiness.

All at once -- and carrying this same spirit out to the entire world -- we can be reminded to protect our own fair land, first and foremost.  A task that requires us to not only lead by example, keeping up admirable perceptions and realities all over the globe, but to do so while we pay even closer attention to the things of greater importance here at home.

It is a delicate balance this whole 'mind your own business' sort of thing.

There are a number of landmines for a president in this speech tonight; aside from the duty of sounding presidential, like a man in charge, one who completely understands the magnitude of the task at hand as he stands before all Americans -- he must also stand firm in his ability to portray America more strong-willed, headstrong, and capable than the Taliban, and to that end, as a force to be reckoned with, able-bodied and ready and willing to go the distance (defining cold hard core threat). 

The difficulty arises when faced with a stunning flip of reality -- this president is in the midst of having nearly every poll in America telling him to bug out now, like yesterday.   For after the last ten years -- and having short sighted hindsight being what it is -- the entire episode is now being perceived as a misguided disaster if we were to continue as so.  Public opinion to hunker down for as long as it takes on this one is in real short supply (used to be on the same shelf with the flip flops and kool-aid). 

Now, if it were me, I would simply tell the nation, 'I got this one, trust me  -- and trust me even more when I say, I can't tell you what in fact we are going to do.  It is a big fat secret.  Can you dig?'

[and he would say so with far more eloquence, no doubt -- and just in case the situation dictates, that part where I ask 'can you dig' is no racial dig, okay, so let me beat you to that punch right now.  that is just G being me, getting jiggy wit it... only now, sensing that things are beginning to deteriorate rapidly here...kinda like a reason for a surge or a reason to take away a surge... let's get back to the biznet...]

So yeah, yeah.  I would simply fall back on the War Powers Act, you know -- I mean, how many of us have actually read it, in its entirety?  Huh?  Especially when we know it is common practice for even our own legislators not to read the itty bitty details of resolutions far and wide -- how could we expect that, after all, some are like two thousand pages long.   So how would we know; how would we really know if a code of honor surrounding secrecy is enumerated or not.   Keeping things on the down low should be the way this president goes, that's all.

I should have gone to war college. may that be my only regret.

Good luck tonight, Mr. President. really.  mean it.

Make it a Good Day, G

hm.   the second draw down comes merely sixty days before the 2012 election.  oh really, BO? Indeed, you are the most transparent administration.  Whiskey Tango Foxtrot to you.

It's a Disconnect Thing

Dear America,

reading the news this morning, glancing over some of my favorite freedom and liberty vibes, it came to me -- a certain disconnect is making it's way through the air.

Now, my senses have long felt this sway when captured by the headlines on the daily market watch;  it never fails, the quick remark of why the market is up, or why the market is down, seems to fly by someone's seat of the pants.  Just last week the market may be down for austerity woes of Greece -- while this week, it's up for the fourth straight day for the very same reason -- only different; yesterday was Monday and just before the Sun entered Cancer, while today is Tuesday, marked by a Vesta of 20 degrees of Aquarius.  go ahead, look it up.

And all this when our headlines vacillate from Doctors in Chicago, at the AMA convention, saying they have no problem with the latest health insurance requirement, as if the trillion dollar entitlement is as good as paid for and no worries exist on the co-payment horizon; while congress sits on their hands and closes their eyes in discussions on the Debt Ceiling -- never mind the venomous barbs back and forth, practically speaking in tongues, over Medicare; and all while, the hottest news stories revolve around a guy who wouldn't pull his pants up when choosing to fly the friendly skies recently, a mother that "allegedly" killed her own daughter and partied for a month before telling anyone, and riots in Vancouver -- with a college fling spotlighted for two days over just a kiss in the middle of the road -- and all over a pathetic loss in a hockey game (yeah, not my country, but still...)  These are the things that consume our free time.

News keeps going on around us even when the world is on fire -- even when the sky is falling -- even when we are about to lose it all.  Which is strange, given we are steeped in the age of reality TV, our first inclination is not to say a word.  Perhaps if we deny the prevailing winds long enough they will go away.

But seriously, if we took our emotional cues from the headlines, I have no doubt, every one of us would be flying high in the funny farm.

There is nothing grounding us.

We have lost our ability to think clearly and use good reason in order to navigate the road ahead, so that we might be able to fairly evaluate our current situation and move forward with confidence; our own denial and disconnect from reality is sending us into just another dimension of coping, while, at the same time, putting us on the trajectory of deep regret, total loss, and a downright miserable future.

And this, all because we -- as a whole -- are way too busy flitting and fluttering on meaningless things.

Our disconnect is beginning to show.

Yesterday was all about our pledge -- to God, to country, and each other -- as written according to our Declaration of Independence..."And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."  And I thought to myself 'this defines assimilation...this is one nation under God...this is the missing link between division and citizens united.'

We hasten to rush to criticize the lack of assimilation from those who come here searching for a new life, the shelter of a land which honors freedom and liberty for all, a land which welcomes equal opportunity in the pursuit of happiness -- and yet, it has been that very thing that has created a great divide within our own, those born and raised with every opportunity in the world.  How can we expect other people to come, assimilate, become one nation under God, when we, ourselves, no longer live by example?

So what, do as I say but not as I do is the new American way?

So in between the headlines -- with the Wal-Mart class action lawsuit, with Wisconsin Court of Appeals, with the NLRB suing Boeing, with the DOJ suing Arizona, with everyday citizens suing Obamacare's Individual Mandate....oh right, with Casey Anthony sitting there looking dumbfounded for the tenth day in a row -- my latest realization points in one direction:   attorneys.  all of them.  left, right and center. for good. for evil. we are a no longer the honor society but a vile, loathsome, litigious society placing all responsibility and attorney's fees on somebody else.  Just look at me carrying on like so...

Don't look at me...it is not my fault, it's his fault.

I have rights (and my rights are more important than yours).

If it doesn't work the old fashioned way, sue.  File a motion.  Cease and Desist.  Place a Moratorium.  Take it to court.  Blame somebody else.  Claim no fault of my own.

Anyone see where I am going with this?  Or are the lights on and nobody is home?  Did we get disconnected somehow... ah oh, think I am losing you...can you hear me now?

As a country, we proceeded to work quite well as long as we remembered two things: yes, we are fully loaded with plenty of GOD given, endowed, rights [that is the good news]  but the bad news is, they come action packed with DUTIES (both public and private).    ....awkward.

SO, somehow, over the years of having too much fun, we have forgotten  that step one comes only when we have faithfully followed through with step two (which that would mean, step two really comes before step one, if we were to take just a moment to work things out in our head....right, but who has got time for that when the Casey Anthony trial is on).

ASSIMILATION.   All of us are required to not only recognize, but demonstrate, that our rights and duties are equally aligned.

We have totally lost touch with the stark reality of life as a responsible, upright, citizen in the United States of America -- as, and here's the real kicker, as our most important "rights" and "duties" are not even enumerated within our founding documents!  wow.  way to go, guys... way to assume a righteous belief in the human spirit, oh great founding fathers of mine.  talk about blame...look at what they done der did  (and the awkward courtesy laugh fits in nicely here).

Which means what?   We have to learn them; these ideas need to be taught; the desired outcome does not happen purely by accident.

Natural rights -- you know, the kind that we were endowed with, not by man, but by that awesome Creator of ours -- the one's declared as "with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"  go something like this:

• The right to self-government
• The right to bear arms for self-defense
• The right to own, develop, and dispose of property
• The right to make personal choices
• The right of free conscience
• The right to choose a profession
• The right to petition
• The right to assemble
• The right to free speech
• The right to enjoy the fruits of one's labors
• The right to explore the natural resources of the earth...

and there are, of course, plenty more...this portion came right out of The 5000 Year Leap.  Get it, if you have not done so already.  Our shift in society to: 'what about me' and 'what about my rights' while clearly dissing our natural duties that come with --  has destroyed us.

And on that note then, let's flash gordon over to the DUTIES supply side:

• The duty to honor the supremacy of the Creator and his laws...Nature's Law, Divine Law, Universal Law...
• The duty not to take the life of another except in self-defense
• The duty not to steal or destroy the property of another
• The duty to be honest in all transactions with others
• The duty of children to honor and obey their parents and elders
• The duty of parents and elders to protect, teach, feed, clothe, and provide shelter for children
• The duty to support law and order and keep the peace
• The duty not to contrive through a covetous heart to despoil another
• The duty to be temperate
• The duty to become economically self-sufficient
• The duty to maintain the integrity of the family structure
• The duty to support personal and public standards of common decency
• The duty to follow rules of moral rectitude...

 again, there is plenty more where I got that...just read The Leap.

We are witnessing a huge disconnect in and around our world;  this world, the one we are living in right now --totally sucks; and it is MY fault, your fault, and every body's fault.  But I know, if I stop and change my evil ways, while you stop long enough to change yours, sometime down the road we may be finding good old America sitting right side up again.

We've got this American way thing all backwards and upside down; and the real thing is (besides Coca-Cola), is that our so called rights should be the least of our concern.

The way I figure it is, all we really have to do is go back to doing our duty again --  to God and to country  -- and for EACH OTHER, especially our children.  I believe, before you know it, nearly every single one of our societal woes would be gone.  poof.  taken care of.  swiped clean. while perhaps the very last thing we would be needing is an attorney.

IF only...if only we kept right on assimilating with the process of self-reliance -- keeping up with our end of the bargain and honoring the way of sound self-government living in community with one another. If only.

And can you just imagine it...just what would the headlines be saying about us then?

Makes me giddy just thinking about it.

Make it a Good Day, G