It's an Article I, Section 8, Thing

Dear America,

it's absolutely crazy that we are even talking about this.

going back to Aristotle:

"Even the best of men in authority 

are liable to be corrupted by passion.  

We may conclude then 

that the law is reason without passion, 

and it is therefore preferable to any individual."

amen.

what is absurd is listening to the arguments from the Left as they gaze upon the members of this Supreme Court -- the "individuals" in position to decide the fate of Obamacare; they are whining in unison, saying it's just not fair; and when they break it down to the brass tacks, they find themselves fixated on one guy -- Kennedy -- lamenting it's all up to him.

WRONG AGAIN.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY this government MADE REASON (without passion) the FOUNDATION of the LAW of the LAND.

What does the LAW say?  What limitations does the CONSTITUTION provide?  Where are the boundaries drawn between the INDIVIDUAL, the STATE, and the Federal Government?

America was designed in direct opposition to anything that appeared, intimated, screamed, conjured, conspired, to look, act, dream like we were run by a RULER(s) of any kind.

MAN was NOT going to decide for us; LAW was going to decide.

Our founders created a limitation of power to the federal government to allow for the people's freedom and liberty to reign.  It was conceived from the Age of Reason to manifest a Reign of Reason.  And it was to protect us from ourselves -- and days like this.

But MAN has usurped the LAW time and time again; and in a stunning turn of fate, has done so in such a way -- over time, trial and error -- that it would seem totally reasonable.

This is what I don't get: since when did the body commissioned solely to protect the LAW become a political push me-pull you vehicle driven by the whims of man?

If we focused upon what the LAW actually says -- without the passion, prejudice and pre-existing conditions --  just how happy would we all be right about now?

You know, Patrick Henry, didn't like The Fed one bit; he considered himself an "anti-federalist" -- someone who basically wanted to give the federal government jack....nothing, nada, no power if we can at all help it.

He fought against Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 (generally recognized as The Commerce Clause) in a very big way; and when tied to what people call The Necessary and Proper Clause (what some people think of as a blank check of no checks/balances whatsoever), Henry deemed the whole thing entirely unnecessary.  He was afraid that it would ultimately lead us into an era with UNLIMITED federal power, complete with unchecked passion and without constraint.  oh Patrick, ssshhh, you had me at 'NO'.

THIS IS HOW SECTION 8 begins:

"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, TO PAY the debts and provide for THE COMMON DEFENSE and GENERAL Welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts, and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"

And beginning with the first clause of great interest with regards to the health care law debate:

"To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes."

blah blah blah la di da di da da...cue clauses of distinction...the coining of money...being the keeper of the "post offices and post roads"...which is funny, isn't it?  one of the main things the Fed was supposed to be fully responsible for...and then moving into at least nine clauses providing for the COMMON DEFENSE, and related.  But now, without further ado, let's cue the second clause of great interest:

"To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof."

Providing for individual HEALTH CARE is NOT what the founders had in mind when they spelled out "GENERAL WELFARE." The greatest concern of the federal government was to remain one thing -- to provide for the COMMON DEFENSE (oh right, and make a few coins that are worth something, and send mail).  But the militia was basically it.  How uncomplicated could we be?

Health Care is awfully specific to every individual -- as well as, to the state (compare California's health care woes to Kansas, if you will).  So specific, in fact, THIS "Affordable Care Act" forces the individual to pay for other people's contraceptives, forces all people to pay for services they do not personally need, and extinguishes all possibility for private insurance companies to compete equally and fairly with a universal coverage package provided by the federal government.  The one that forcibly mandates the individual to pay for it one way or another -- or get fined, taxed with a penalty --  you say "2-may-toe", I say "2-ma-toe".

When the founders came up with "General Welfare," it was all about things like... keeping the lights on at the White House yet to be ... paying the long distance phone bill to compensate for secret conversations between foreign nations (of course, after creating the very conditions for Ma Bell to come into being, that is).  Any expenditure was to be reserved for the basic, general needs in keeping with the expressed intentions to uphold a free, and general, Republic -- not the other way around.

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People."  The Tenth Amendment

hello.

The truth is, anything outside a truly limited federal government is too much.

From Thomas Jefferson:

"The true theory of our Constitution is surely the wisest and best, that the states are independent as to everything within themselves, and united as to respecting foreign nations.  Let the general government be reduced to foreign  concerns only, and let our affairs be disentangled from those of all other nations, except as to commerce, which the merchants will manage the better, the more they are left free to manage for themselves, and our general government may be reduced to a very simple organization, and a very inexpensive one; a few plain duties to be performed by a few servants [referring to CIVIL servants...yeah right, like that's what they are now...but we digress]."

"A very simple organization, and a very inexpensive one."  oh my...

You know,  back in the forties, the federal government got involved to tell Americans -- business owners actually -- exactly how much they could pay their employees.  It became a doctrine under the days of FDR to control the market with both a minimum wage and a maximum wage.  A fine idea, in theory.

So how did American enterprises and entrepreneurs respond?

They began to provide something new, something really keen and totally cool:  a benefits package!

In turn, America, all of a sudden and totally unexpectedly, entered into a new age -- an age which limited the power of the business owner to pay the employee a wage based on what the market will bear, in tune with the experience and education of the candidate himself; with nudge and by shove, the employer was forced to work within specific guidelines and constraints...for the "betterment" of the "general welfare" by an overzealous big government.  To do this -- to succeed and be competitive with other companies, all wanting the same thing -- they had to tack on benefits (health insurance, paid vacation, sick days, a pension, maternity leave, bereavement leave, and so on and so on).

The business of commerce became commingled with individual [Employer and Employee] rights and responsibilities and privileges and duties.  And we have never been the same since.

[And in a warped way -- the business of just doing the right thing, in keeping with honoring an honest, trusting, respectful, working relationship between two parties was superseded by a higher authority, paving the way for this era of litigation, large and small, and a tidal wave of regulations and taxation]

Anywho....all of a sudden, health insurance became a commodity of just good business practice; and from then on, we never looked back; "benefits" became something expected, demanded, as a "right" of the individual.   By definition, the good intention back behind a decent benefits package, became something teetering on the obscene.

Something that was restricted to the personal whims and needs -- and controlled purely by the individual, who could buy his own insurance and carry it with him no matter where he worked or lived -- became a tool of the system.  Growing into the system we see today.  

If you have time -- and taking a totally different tack now -- read the horrific precedence laid out "under the law" dating back to the Wickard vs. Filburn case, of 1942.  I found a really good summary of the case and how it pertains to what is currently happening HERE. 

It was just about a farmer having a little extra wheat, and just look at what happened!

So, here's my final thought on the day and I promise to leave you all in peace and quiet --

"If the day should ever arrive (which God forbid!) when the people of the different parts of our country shall allow their local affairs to be administered by prefects sent from Washington, and when the self-government of the states shall have been so far lost as that of the departments of France, or even so closely limited as that of the counties of England -- on that day the political career of the American people will have been robbed of its most interesting and valuable features, and the usefulness of this nation will be lamentably impaired."  John Fiske, The Critical Period of American History, 1783-1789 -- plucked from The 5000 Year Leap

 Make it a Good Day, G

It's About One Point Three B's to Nowhere Thing

Dear America,

"Peace, Commerce, and Honest Friendship 

with All Nations -- 

Entangling Alliances with None." 

Thomas Jefferson

that was then, this is now.

so you will be happy to know, the yellow crime tape has been sliced, diced, and removed --

just take Hillary's word for it -- there is no need for alarm any longer.  Egypt is on the right path now; the democratic process is fully underway as we speak.

We have been talking about "secret deals" this week.  Anyone recall the days leading up to Mubarek's fall from grace (if he ever had any)?   Our State Department was in there, having secret sit downs with Mubarek and his entire crew.  We nudged.  We interfered.  We shoved.  We meddled.  Call it what you will, but deals were made way back when solidifying days like this:

"As the U.S. State Department prepares to waive democracy requirements and release as much as $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt, a new Gallup poll shows that the majority of Egyptians would rather cozy up to countries like Iran and Turkey than embrace the United States.

Congress passed legislation in 2011 that tied funding in Egypt to progress on democracy and human rights issues. The law, however, also included a waiver provision that allows the state department to overlook the requirement if it is necessary for 'national security interests'.”

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/28/state-dept-memo-excuses-islamist-egyptian-govt-clears-path-for-1-3-billion-in-aid/#ixzz1qQF8umQe

Just how secret?  And just who are the players involved?  No need to go any further than one of Hillary's left hand women:  Huma Abedin

[linking Huma with policy based on six degrees of separation, we get down to two rather quickly...]

[why do you think the democrats didn't rush right in to save Anthony Weiner's sorry a$$....purely rhetorical]

As we have previously mentioned here, Egyptians may have been wooing Americans to visit -- as tourists -- but make no mistake,  they don't want you to stay and take up residence  [for they do not likey-likey the US of A at all] We wheeled and deal-ed with Mubarek for so long -- overlooking a number of transgressions -- that even when we wanted to... DO the RIGHT thing...the Egyptians had lost all faith in us.

[of course, there is wide debate on what Doing the Right Thing looks like...both here and abroad...]

The thing is, only 28% of Egyptians view strong relations with the United States as a good thing. They would rather, as the Daily Caller article points out, "cozy up" to Turkey or Iran.

As predicted over a year ago, the Muslim Brotherhood is running the "democratic process" in Egypt.  And more important, they are not our friend.

AND the United States is giving them 1.3 BILLION dollars to bolster up their military to ensure the peace?

Is this what "peace" and "democracy" looks like?

And here's what the region really thinks about the 1.3 B's...
is the U.S. choosing stability over democracy yet again?

[but then again -- define democracy first, aljazeera...oooh snap]

and let's separate this 1.3 billion from the various miscellaneous funding sources also available, like through USAID funds; an article from the Washington Times (August 2010) illustrates how this has been working out for us:

"Americans also may be surprised to learn that the United States has been an active participant in mosque construction projects overseas. In April, U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Alfonso E. Lenhardt helped cut the ribbon at the 12th-century Kizimkazi Mosque, which was refurbished with assistance from the United States under a program to preserve culturally significant buildings. The U.S. government also helped save the Amr Ebn El Aas Mosque in Cairo, which dates back to 642. The mosque’s namesake was the Muslim conqueror of Christian Egypt, who built the structure on the site where he had pitched his tent before doing battle with the country’s Byzantine rulers. For those who think the Ground Zero Mosque is an example of “Muslim triumphalism” glorifying conquest, the Amr Ebn El Aas Mosque is an example of such a monument - and one paid for with U.S. taxpayer funds.

The mosques being rebuilt by the United States are used for religious worship, which raises important First Amendment questions. U.S. taxpayer money should not be used to preserve and promote Islam, even abroad. In July 2009, the Office of the Inspector General published an audit of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) faith-based and community initiatives that examined whether government funds were being used for religious activities. The auditors found that while USAID was funding some religious activities, officials were “uncertain of whether such uses of Agency funding violate Agency regulations or the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution” when balanced against foreign-policy objectives.

For example, our government rebuilt the Al Shuhada Mosque in Fallujah, Iraq, expecting such benefits as “stimulating the economy, enhancing a sense of pride in the community, reducing opposition to international relief organizations operating in Fallujah, and reducing incentives among young men to participate in violence or insurgent groups.” But Section 205.1(d) of title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations prohibits USAID funds from being used for the rehabilitation of structures to the extent that those structures are used for “inherently religious activities.” It is impossible to separate religion from a mosque; any such projects will necessarily support Islam.

[and my apologies for the long read here...I intended to nip and tuck this section to smithereens, but just couldn't do it...choosing whole context over chopped up talking points...now let's move on...]

Sure, this community building via mosque reconstruction is kinda old news.   But just where are the atheists fighting this one?

Certainly, if they take issue with a simple cross on federal land, just imagine how cross they must be building mosques with American tax dollars in a foreign country, of all people, places, and things.  Separation of church and state -- mosque and state -- across the pond, anyone?

Or does this just fit naturally into the anti-American narrative, marching against western colonialism any which way but loose, and thus, paving the way for a new, new world?

oh, but let's re-wind for just a quick sec:

"expecting such benefits as 'stimulating the economy, enhancing a sense of pride in the community, reducing opposition to international relief organizations operating in Fallujah, and reducing incentives among young men to participate in violence or insurgent groups.'"

that is priceless, isn't it? Was it worth it...rebuilding that mosque in Fallujah...did it enhance a sense of pride, reduce opposition to foreign aid, promote able bodied young men to flee from a life of gang violence...did it make them 'like us' on facebook...?

The Middle East is a different breed altogether; complicated relations between the radicals and the moderates, between sunni's and shia's, Muslims and Christians, East and West, stifle any true democratic process (according to American standards, that is) from ever gaining a foothold.

It's a crime scene, with yellow tape run amuck (still).

This action by the State Department isn't just some slip of the tongue misdemeanor caught on a live mic; it's a felony against our national security -- compromising OUR peace, OUR democracy, OUR future, and immediately becoming a direct threat to Israel -- while all accomplished with OUR money, the people's money, hardly in secret and hardly a best interest at heart.

Aljazeera knows exactly how this 1.3 B's gets played out in Benefits.
But make no mistake, our "security" is not one of them.
....it's more like 1.3 B's to nowhere.

BBBBBut what do I know; I'm just a girl.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's What's Said and Unsaid, Deal or No Deal, Thing

Dear America,

first things first --

let me give a big shout out to Mike Gonzales of The Heritage Foundation for seconding my emotion in motion of yesterday -- and summarizing, allow me to share this:

"The exchange with Mr. Medvedev, lastly, only deepens and validates two already extant and related narratives about our President: one is that he harbors views that are inimical to the American people and only come out in unguarded moments. An example of that is when he said in San Francisco four years ago that Americans cling to their religion and guns bitterly when they’re afraid of the future. The other narrative is that the President will be unshackled once (and if) he is re-elected, and will put in place a plan far more radical than he is letting on in public at the moment."

things just aren't what they appear these days -- almost never.


No longer can we pretend that anyone really means what they say, can we?

When you have the highest example of the land being led by a president who makes arms deals and missile defense concessions under the dark of night, or quite the contrary -- via the live mic -- who can you trust?

-- And Another Thing --

Back to Buffet for just a moment (in part because I was just talking about him with someone just yesterday)...
have you heard about his outrage to pay more in taxes...yeah, it's true...even after bending the president's ear -- for months now -- just to make him (and guys like him) pay more than their fair share.

...we can't even begin to make this stuff up...

So to quickly, and ever so briefly, set the scene:

"the government contends, NetJets owners should be required to pay transportation taxes on two fronts - a levy on the fees for putting the plane in the air and another levy on the fees for maintenance."

...makes the whole conversation even more funny when you consider it is having to do with PRIVATE jets in the first place...but yes, sometimes I do act like I'm twelve...

while the Wide World of Buffet says:

"Mr. Buffett's companies say that if the government really wants to collect the tax, it shouldn't send the bill to them; it should send the bill directly to the thousands of plane owners. [that's really cool...think about it...the rich man sticking it to the other rich man]

NetJets, in a court filing, argues that 'the ticket tax was not intended to apply to private aircraft owners and the fees they pay to maintain and operate their aircraft. Unlike a commercial or charter passenger, an owner owns the aircraft that is providing the transportation, and thus an owner transports himself when he flies on his own aircraft, even if he pays others to assist him in maintaining and operating the aircraft'"

So Buffet is griping about paying a tax -- a transportation tax, to be specific -- for operating a business that revolves around transporting people to and from by plane (and not just any old two-seater, make that an Airstream of one kind or another with a little something something).

Now, Buffet has got a point; for what the government is asking for right now is not a tax as of right now.  The tax law needs to be changed to allow for the "fractional" owners (like a timeshare ownership) to be considered a fully taxable entity, and like any other airline ticket, taxed at the same rate at the time of usage.

But let's be real  -- as we all know -- in a free market -- as the corporate tax rate goes, so goes the consumer's.  All cost of regulations and taxation (and any other day to day expenditure in the cost of doing of business) is passed on to the one who chooses -- of their free will -- to buy, to use, to partake.  It's how the world works; and for a long time, did so rather successfully.

We need to stop for just a moment and recognize that it isn't just about Buffet making gobs of money and flying around on his private jet and eating lunch with the president and complaining about the evil, free market capitalists that we are. For that would be a two-faced -- open faced -- bear sandwich with a side of bull.

What Buffet stands for (or shall I say, USED to stand for...now that he's sitting down with a bib wrapped around his necktie eating cheese-steaks with the 99%) IS for ALL of the consumption and taxation and transportation and motion in play just because of his capitalistic, free-enterprising vision.

We have all become tight with his secretary's story -- oh poor, poor dear...getting taxes taken out of her itty bitty paycheck.  aw....and then look at Buffet, jetting around all over the place complaining about how much money he has made and how awful it is not paying "his fair share."   (Flash forward to 'NetJets Buffet', and say what?  as we quickly digress)  

But the thing is -- his secretary is just one of hundreds, thousands even, touched by the points of light of Warren Buffet. [Not to mention, how do you compute an income tax if, say, a guy makes a "salary" of a dollar a year -- which is quite common among the big guns...At that level, it's called creative genius meets up with corporate earnings meets up with a totally different set of rules, loopholes, and advantages] 

Because just maybe the guy who puts up the risk and investment and liability, creates something we might think of as a priceless commodity:   lots and lots of JOBS. 

Berkshire-Hathaway, NetJets -- every entity under the umbrella of All Things Buffet -- hires people and sells something.  Not only does it hire people, it buys stuff.  Not only does it buy stuff, but the stuff requires people to make more stuff so Buffet, and people like Buffet, can buy more of it.  And while people make stuff, most people get thirsty, and hungry, and eventually have to buy something to quench their thirst and feed their hunger.  And eventually, people get tired making things (anything from widgets to kindergärtners to everything in between)  for eight-ten hours a day, with benefits and sometimes a pension, and have to go home...you know, to rest. This requires a ride home -- by train, by car, by bus, by bike, by plane; and leads to a place called home.  A home may consist of a family -- pets, children, spouse, or butterfly collection; while it could look like an apartment, a home in the suburbs, a mansion, or just a room. and so on and so on.

The reality is, we are making it harder and harder to create private, free market jobs in America, provided by a Buffet, or by anybody else.

Our lives are connected to each other intimately; one thing feeds into another.  The business of commerce and consumption never sleeps in a free market -- as it should!   For it all works even when we are sleeping!

AND it's not just about the business of Buffet -- it is also about his conscience, along with the hearts and minds of all who are employed under him.  For with every action in big business, you also find the opportunity for re-action within the greater community; the feeding of the hungry -- the caring for of the down and out -- gets played out in turn, from simple follow through of the right thing to do...privately...out of the goodness and charity of one's heart.

Not a charity or foundation on the planet can succeed without good conscience -- and individuals with money -- feeding into its income stream, through the gift of time, money and/or stuff (all donations gladly accepted).

Warren Buffet made an empire upon the principles and values of the American Free Market, respective of the laws of capitalism and charity and taxation, and should be the one leading the nation in America's defense -- hardly the contrary!   As clearly,  'All things Buffet' was made in America; and it's the kind of thing that naturally leads to a feeding frenzy.  It should be a good thing all the way around.

But instead of symbolically kissing the cook, he is cursing her (america); and that is simply un-American, in and of itself  [so check and double check, if you will -- I am not calling HIM un-American -- I am calling out his actions as un-American -- there's a difference. He is not a bad person, he's just behaving like a bad capitalist and a lousy guest].


And speaking of really bad capitalists  --

What a president says when he thinks no one else is listening speaks volumes.  I can't get my mind off this.

BUT -- just imagine it --
 secret meetings and clandestine deals between Buffet, Medvedev, SEIU, Soros, AFL-CIO, Ahmadinejad, Karzai, Mubarek, the Muslim Brotherhood, Solyndra, GM, GE, CAIR, socialist.com, communist.com,
...need we say more....reeks with corruption and impropriety of the brand  -- a name grown by long standing good reputation under the label of US of A.

After the USA - Russia gaffe -- all we are left with is a sea of questions. It is unsettling, unnerving and feeds into a night of tossing and turning [but let's have another big shout out to the one who collected the feathers -- which made the pillow, brought to market, and placed on a shelf for Target to sell to me, in hopes that I might sleep like a baby]

At times like these, does it really matter where we call home, how can anyone sleep at all?

pass me the melatonin and have a nice day..

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a What the Front Yard Thing

Dear America,

it's all about the latest TruGreen commercial.  Have you seen it?

funny.

a sketchy weed-killer dude is commissioned to do his thing by a trusting homeowner -- flash forward to the next day -- when the homeowner hops out the front door to get his paper -- and it's dirt.  as far as the eye can see -- and he says, 'what the front yard?'

I don't know.  Maybe it was just the way he said it; maybe it's just the mood I'm in  -- let's just say, thank you TruGreen for the chuckle.

And this is where we will begin:  maybe it was the way he said it...

Now -- let's just forget about TruGreen and go to the open mic:

 "This is my last election. 

After my election I have more flexibility..."

obama to medvedev

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/obama-caught-open-mic-suggesting-confident-2nd-term-article-1.1050903#ixzz1pZRIIHoE

give me a little "space", he says, and then we will talk.

he said it when he thought the world wasn't listening -- and then again, knowing his arrogance, maybe not.

it was just the way he said it...ew.  under his breath and in secret...

going rogue as the Dictator-in-Chief, asserting his confidence in his ability to gain a second term, among other things.

All I can think of is -- how many times has this M.O. been used? 

What else is he planning on doing the day after the election -- self-assured of a second go round?

As the return to 'what the front yard' 

comes echoing from the back of my mind?

All I can say is -- thank goodness it was caught on tape; for this gaffe immediately validates the worries and concerns of a vast majority of Americans revolving around the imaginations of 'four more years.'

For most of America recognizes the fact that four more years of Obama gives permission for this administration to go carte blanch; all controls, all checks and balances, all good conscience is gone, baby, gone with the granting of this guy the SPACE and time to do what he really, really wants without prejudice.   

Did I say it was gone; I mean, ALL gone -- bye bye -- dirt -- as far as the eye can see.

Obama is planning on going ballistic with every radical, social justice, community re-organizing, fundamental transformation, remaking America THING he can imagine; anything and everything he has ever dreamed of, he intends to make a reality.   just because he can, then -- upon four more years.

As he says to Medvedev...just give me a little space...a little time to get this second election out of the way.

We are not Russia.  

We usually don't like dictators here in America.

America was designed by We the People, for We the People.  So now -- under open mic -- We the People want to ask the president (since you brought it up, after all) -- just what exactly do you mean?   With all due respect, Mr. President, but you, sir, have some esplainin' to do.   What the front yard? What in tar-nation kind of missile deal do you plan  on making with Russia....you know, after such time you get America's blessing for a second coming? 

You know, if Bush said something like this and got caught -- it would be all hell breaking loose (ooh la la -- what a great tie back to friday, g....happy monday to me)

Make no mistake.

This is a campaign speech.  (that sly little devil...figuratively speaking and said in jest, of course)

This is a message to the world, and especially to the wee little people of America, preparing us; a second term will ring in four more years fulfilling Obama's presidential/dictatorial bucket list.  oh joy.

What the front yard.

Thanks for the honesty, Mr. O, but for reasons I am sure you can understand -- like full disclosure and transparency and being held under the oath of office, to name just a few -- what else?

We, the People, are now fully entitled to know more.

Make it a Good Day, G

Totally separate subject (kinda sorta):

Here's a good look back to 2003 -- a snapshot of what the Afghanistan people were thinking then.

Did you know this happened over this past weekend?
"The families of the dead, who received the money Saturday at the governor's office, were told that the money came from U.S. President Barack Obama, said Kandahar provincial council member Agha Lalai. He and community elder Jan Agha confirmed the payout amounts."

which is funny -- cuz it made it sound like Obama just took some of his earnings from book sales and wrote a check to each family out of his own pocket and generosity... when EVERYDAY AMERICANS covered for these payments. And in light of the fact that these payments are unusually high, in comparison to what has been paid in the past (around $10 grand), it was awfully generous of him. 
What were they paid:  $50 grand for every death, $11 grand for the wounded.  [worth in Afghan dollars, something like $2.4 million ]
...can he just do that kind of thing now? 

It's America Running with the Devil Thing

Dear America,

i was simply buried by my own thoughts yesterday; and that, coupled with a gawd-awful sour throat -- the kind that made it hard to swallow my Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer tea, the kind that made me sound like a bull frog got stuck on my adam's apple -- just gave me ample reason to stay under the covers all the live long day.

then --unexpectedly -- came a moment of revelation -- while watching CSI Miami reruns of all things:

"[you know what they say] you don't really know who you are
'til all hell breaks loose."

so true, huh?

"If I were the Devil" -- October 13, 1964:  that was then, this is now...

The prophetic words of Paul Harvey (just how many of us listened to him growing up?) -- the same words that now sit in the pit of our stomach making us nauseous.   Versions of the same thing run all over YouTube -- with varying air dates.   Harvey must have returned to creeping into the hearts and minds of Americans -- by way of expressing the Devil's hopes and dreams -- often; trusting that his words of warning might sink in and leave a lasting impression upon us.

you do realize that EVERY THING he said back in circa '64-65 has come true.

here we are -- call it fifty years later (as nifty-fifty rings a very personal bell for me these days...happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...aw, but it's not about me at all, is it.)

 get on with it, G ...we have simply too much going on....

oh, I would be remiss not to mention that today IS the second anniversary of Obamacare -- the socialized medicine package, that has a little something something for everyone, including stuff that's not even paid for....so a great big Happy Birthday to you! aw you so big now! Just look at you -- now reminiscing on little miss pelosi -- "we have to pass the bill to know what's in it."  Surprise! Pound for pages, where's the 3,000 lb. cake?   Where are the 300 million forks, for getting a piece of that?  That trillion dollar flour-less chocolate death bomb -  with raspberry sauce, of course.

guess we don't know who we are 'til all hell breaks loose.

oh, and then there is this:  the band that goes by "Detente" has a new song out:  "Kill Rush."    [warning: it might kill you to listen to it]  go punk rock.  you guys are the bomb.  yea you.
...so we have free speech and all, here in America, they can sing whatever they want to (just like Rush can say whatever he wants to)  -- but seriously, don't you think all this is getting a little out of hand?  

I guess, Bill Maher can continue carrying on with his misogynistic rants -- especially focusing on conservative women -- but where's his song?   That's what I want to know.  Where's Bill's song?  Both dudes do the very same thing -- make money off of politics; both are political pundits, striking a comedic line like only every once in awhile these days. hello -- hypocrisy is not our friend.

guess we don't know who we are 'til all hell breaks loose.

oh, and then there is the heart-wrenching story from Sanford, FL: an area now fully engulfed with fueling a racial riot, complete with Al Sharpton leading the charge.   Trayvon Martin was just walking home with Skittles in his hand when he was ambushed by an overzealous "neighborhood watch man."  The police department told him -- the watchman -- to stand down.   The same watchman -- who is HISPANIC, by the way, chose not to.  He was hispanic when it happened, and is still hispanic today -- as little Trayvon's mom quickly blasted to the airwaves: "it's not a black and white thing. this is about a right and wrong thing." Because it is not -- a black/white thing, thank you, mom...
...so why is Sharpton acting like it is? 
...why is Farrakan jumping into the mix (what is the 'Law of Retaliation' ...not familiar with that one?)   
...why does our president paint the mental picture that if he had a son -- he would "look like" Trayvon -- and doesn't say a word to the general public to settle down?  There was no follow up to have a little faith in the system to fix this, to insist on all of us to wait patiently... until such time the system can make things right again. 

Until then, my heart weeps for Trayvon, and for the heartbreak of his mama and papa.

guess we don't know who we are 'til all hell breaks loose.

And one thing comes to mind right about now -- the reality that, as if all of a sudden, the actions of one bad apple seems to permeate, and make rotten, the whole.

And more than that -- it's like the devil really is winning (thank you, C. Sheen); somehow, the mainstream media makes hay out of the fall of humanity; extremism -- in all shapes, sizes and colors -- becomes the dynamic of communicating with one another, as if all the things we had IN COMMON with each other, have been snuffed out... by nudge or by shove.

guess we don't know who we are 'til all hell breaks loose.

cue the Liberty Mutual Insurance commercial:  



what's your policy?  what's your heart say to you?

we can pick America back up one by one.  we can stop the insanity.

and it will require ALL of us to start -- as of yesterday.  Just because we are running a little late, doesn't mean it's too late.

Since we are going down memory lane today -- think Random Acts of Kindness.  Remember that?

The real question on the day is --
who are you?
and
who's side are you on?
[oops, guess that's two questions]

you should well know the answer(s) already as
ALL HELL IS breaking loose --
the Devil has settled into the community...whether it be black, white, yellow or brown.

I'm going with 'good girl' on the side of Angels.

Make it a Good Day, G

DOING THE RIGHT THING IS NEVER POLITICAL!  Never.

BEING ON THE SIDE OF GOOD IS ALWAYS BI-PARTISAN!  Always. 

 long long time ago, Americans purposefully stood together, arm and arm, and walked the streets elevating the cause for civility between the races.  It wasn't a black thing; it was an American thing; and it was the right thing to do.

as a little mama myself, Mr. President -- I can relate to the loss of Trayvon in equal portion!  Just because I happen to be more white than black than you, it doesn't make me immune to the immediate and devastating crush to my human heart.  Instead of choosing to tie us all together in community no matter the color of our skin, you chose to draw a line to say something to the effect of  - - 'as a black man, I feel this more than you' ...discriminatingly saying "he could have been my son"and pointing out the obvious to every whitey within earshot! [the Narcissist-in-chief lives on to see another day] Are you kidding me?  In a case like this, our sons and daughters are universal.  Matter of fact, you don't even have to be a parent to feel it --  It is so unfortunate that the prism through which YOU (as cute as you are) continue to view America, and Americans, is so askew.  Can I say that without being labeled a racist?  guess i will find out soon enough, right?

It's a That was Then, This is Now Thing

Dear America,

what a difference a day makes, huh?

it was shocking news, late last year, when the Obama Administration classified the murders at Fort Hood as just another case of workplace violence.   Thirteen people died -- with three times more wounded -- while all the rest of America was left stunned by the brutal attack -- at the hands of a doctor, an Army psychiatrist of all things, someone who actually studied the mind - body connection, and should clearly know better.

Especially in light of the truth :  It was a methodical, violent, radical, extremist action against our own troops, no less -- on American soil --  in the name of Allah.

In other words -- not even close to the average, random, boiling-over-point manifestation at the hands of  a disgruntled worker.

That was then; this is now.

Now we could sense the tides changing with the Afghanistan attack upon sixteen civilians, including women and children; we knew what was coming; they [this administration, if not the entire world] intend to throw the book at him -- and then it just rolls into  'it's high time'  -- with high hopes to hang him high at high noon (high tide optional).


Now -- if there is ever a case of workplace violence -- this might be the one.   hello.


Bringing to light the obvious issues leading up to the horrible, unthinkable actions of a soldier in pain:

the previous brain injury -- the post traumatic stress -- the four deployments to the middle east -- the marital distress -- the personal economic worries -- the cost of active duty in a war zone -- alcohol (rumored) -- sleep deprivation -- pure insanity

the army officer showed signs of trouble and the army did not respond appropriately, if at all; the army could have done better to protect the Afghan community -- and the soldier from himself.

[just as the army could have done better in seeing the Nadal Hassan rampage coming...cuz there were plenty of signs there....but then, we would be falling backwards to rehash that, there's no need and no time to re-litigate that again]

oh, but the army is responding now.  Staff Sgt. Robert Bales has the whole world standing at attention now.

Bales was, is, a broken soldier.  And yes, consequences should come.
Hassan went rogue on purpose -- in the name of Allah, actually; it was a terrorist attack by a homegrown terrorist.  Workplace violence?  Only one proves true.  And it was the one done in a remote part of the southern province of Kandahar.

oh my.

you know, this wasn't even where I wanted to go today at all.

but make no mistake -- I intended to go down memory lane, alright -- just not rounding Fort Hood and stopping there for as long as I did.

My morning really got going with the April 2010 issue of Bon Appetit  [I have a real problem throwing out my food mags].  Only by accident, when flipping through the pages in search of the cover recipe [salmon with sweet chili glaze, sugar snap peas, and greens] did something crazy catch my eye:  "Egypt - where it all begins --  'the river fed my soul' ".... Which is ironic, really, considering the blend of sketchy illustration in various sand tones is hardly something that would stop you dead in your tracks and go oh wow.   so hey --  so what if it's two years later, right?

so circling around again to how we started this day...  'what a difference a day makes'.

Just think of how mornings begin in Egypt these days -- in the immediate days following the fall of Mubarek, we have seen more death, more religious persecution, less stability, less tolerance, more extremism than the days under him.  Just six months ago -- less than a year after the end of Mubarek's rule -- we watched workplace violence, in a no place like home kind of vein, amplified; clashes by Egyptians on Egyptians is now common place.

[Oh, not to worry -- go ahead and book your trip today; I'm sure everything will be cool.  Go to www.egypt.travel and let the egyptians help you with the itty bitty nitty gritty details.]

I feel like I am really running on today...but I'm not apologizing for it one bit...

But here's the thing -- this ad -- this sultry little sales pitch to come booze cruise the Nile away -- uses a fascinating typeface to spell out   e   g  y  p  t.   The "t" is twisted into something reminiscent of a palm frond, looking quite religious -- almost like a Christian cross, jumping off the page, calling to you.   See for yourself.  Go here to bear witness of the official logo.

[fascinating, isn't it?  -- two years ago, Egypt's advertising to boost tourism was based upon appealing to our Christian roots back to the homeland of sorts  -- our religious, peaceful, Moses loving roots. AND now look at them!   ah but that was then; this is now.]

[Almost reminds you of our administration, of how quickly they took a step back post-Mubarek -- you know, to allow for the everyday common-man egyptian to painstakingly go through the proper "democratic" course, and making it sound like the Muslim Brotherhood is our friend and we have nothing to fear but fear itself... ah but that was then; this is now... Coptic churches -- attencion -- heads up....] 

Alexis de Tocqueville made the following observation, once upon a time in a day in the life in America:

"Religion in America takes no direct part in the government of society, but it must be regarded as the first of their political institutions...I do not know whether all Americans have a sincere faith in their religion -- for who can search the human heart?  but I am certain that they hold it to be indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions.  This opinion is not peculiar to a class of citizens or to a party, but it belongs to the whole nation and to every rank of society."  from The 5000 Year Leap

ah but that was then; this is now.
5000 years is a leap through many, many days.

The kind of religious liberty this country was made, gave us security in ways we have learned to totally take for granted today.  If nothing else, it was the kind of religious liberty that gave good reason to trust our fellow man to do the right thing (because more often then not, we did).

Even without fully knowing what is in the human heart, there was a spiritual connection to something greater than ourselves that grounded all of us, collectively.   The guiding of society to live by principles and values through a system of government elevating the consequences of cause and effect, good vs. evil, duties and privileges, rights and responsibilities simply became the way, and the only way.

Only now, look at us -- evolving into the every day untethered to our religious liberty at all.

Make it a Good Day, G 

and speaking of traveling...

how about Malia traveling to Mexico for Spring Break?  
this is an interesting website, just discovered today -- Death by 1000 Papercuts


but what up?  after issuing travel warnings, you send your daughter???  [just questioning the wisdom of both parents....don't hate]
next question -- with 25 secret service and a dozen friends, how much is this costing us?
what everrr...(say it like a teeny-bopper it's more fun)

It's about the little green man in the oval office Thing

Dear America,

you know, I consider myself a wee bit naive  (though, think of myself culturally street-wise in the general sense) -- living my life through a prism of  innocence.  I feel like I was just born that way, as it comes naturally and easily to me, and I don't seem to fight it.   I like how I trust.  I like how I believe all things are possible with love.  And for the most part, I like how I speak faith of my fellow man.

but now for a president to don his naiveté on his sleeve... like this?

it makes me wonder...

and question...

just who has his ear these days; just who in sam hill is he giving this guy international relations advice?

"There is no reason 

for the United States and Iran 

to be divided from one another"

President Obama

 of course, he wasn't speaking directly to Ahmadinejad -- he was speaking directly to the hearts and minds of Persians.  It was a taped message, reinforcing America's commitment to the Iranian people.

aside from the great big nuclear-powered elephant standing in the shadows behind the president, sure, there is no reason at all.

why so glum, people?  
...people who just so happen to be way outside my jurisdiction and protection...way.

"Today, my administration

 is issuing new guidelines to make it easier 

for American businesses 

to provide software and services

 into Iran 

that will make it easier 

for the Iranian people to use the Internet."

now away with you, electric iron curtain.  away with you. 


like, just who is gonna wanna set up shop in Iran right now?

the middle east is about to be set on fire, yet again, and Obama is boasting about America's new guidelines to make it easier to use facebook?  seriously?

"oh. now who's being naive, Kay?"

oopsie-daisy...

digressed into one of my favorite lines from The Godfather there

The Iranian government has set up real, live, News streams --  propaganda machines -- all over the world to run 24/7 characterization attacks against America, Christianity, and the Western World as a whole -- indoctrinating the world to hate us just for sharing this planet with them.   HERE is an excellent breakdown.  And HERE is an excellent snippet of how it operates in America.

"We have learned once more that suppressing ideas

 never succeeds in making them go away."

Obama

oh right. once a community organizer, always a community organizer -- even if it's outside the boundaries of his own community.

which is funny, really.
hearing our own president speak of oppression and suppression as if he's not doing any of that right here in his own backyard. [see also:  drilling permits and pipeline approval (burying any possibility of creating avenues to energy independence in the near future); pitting religious liberty rights against universal health care mandates; silencing the voice of conservative women altogether; demonizing the showing of identification when voting...like we do for buying alcohol, or cashing a check, or getting into an R-rated movie; OH, and not to be outdone, crushing free speech with Internet Control regulations right HERE IN AMERICA!   this should do it...no need for overkill, right]

oh silly Americans -- who's being naive?

not me.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's in the Light of a New Day Thing

Dear America,

it's a new week, a new day, a new perspective; out with the old and in with the new.

When Barack Hussein Obama won the presidency, the perception by one, if not all, was that we had finally risen above a wide cultural divide -- division by the color of our skin.

HE made it; and made quite the impression, didn't he.

...and the collective soul of a nation finally took a collective breath; WE made it; and we finally see the wonderful world captured in the dream of Martin Luther King come to be for real.   The majority of America is still white, after all -- and white people put a black man into the highest office of the land.

We were promised hope...and change...and transparency...and best of all, a relentless commitment to climate change in Washington D.C. -- to extinguish the status quo, break the barriers between ideologies, and go "line by line" making the hard cuts necessary in order to save us from ourselves.   And he was going to do it -- so we thought -- in such a way that would change us forever.

And let's face it -- we expected dramatic change; to the tune of the parting of the seas and the moving of mountains.

We didn't expect this.

We didn't anticipate the move back to segregation:  by "color-by-number" -- including, but not limited to, religion, race, gender, sexuality...weight...entitlement...district, state, union...small business, wall street...parental rights, statist control... the 1% against the world...the Fed -- usurping the state, usurping the Individual...have's and have-not's and all of us in the middle...even going so far as pitting women against other women.

[especially considering the real numbers...the country is still 40% conservative...click here and find a pretty page explaining the current demographics; it takes you to "Syrin's Blog in Wasilla, Alaska] 

The more this presidency lives on, the further chopped up we get.

but oh, let's be heart-warmed, George Clooney is still experiencing full swing infatuation with the man...given his latest rounds in the media fighting for his cause (Sudan) (most recently seen on Meet the Press with David Gregory) (you'll have to find the links to these stories on your own).

But just how can he not see it?

How can Clooney not see that we are being divided and conquered by progressive thuggery that constantly forces us to take a side, instead of finding, and fighting for, the common ground?  Where is the commitment to the American culture as we know it?  As it was intended?  Where is the love for greater unity for the greater good [here in America, not Africa] built upon the duties and privileges of individual liberty over all?

Here's a great quote -- plucked from my one of my favorite virtual happy places, The Patriot Post (www.patriotpost.us/subscribe/):

"The goal of the 'liberals' -- as it emerges from the record of the past decades -- was to smuggle this country into welfare statism by means of single, concrete, specific measures, enlarging the power of the government a step at a time, never permitting these steps to be summed up into principles, never permitting their direction to be identified or the basic issue to be named. Thus, statism was to come, not by vote or by violence, but by slow rot -- by a long process of evasion and epistemological corruption, leading to a fait accompli." --author and philosopher Ayn Rand (1905-1982)

We are experiencing this "slow rot" phase; only now that we have a real, and radical, Alinsky follower and community organizer, in the Oval Office, it's no longer disguised.  Indeed. 

Meet 'hope and change and transparency' -- feel the 'climate change in D.C.' -- see the results of the 2008 election through the prism of Truth and Consequences, and shudder.

No longer is the Left trying to hide their indifference to American culture covertly under the cover of darkness -- remaking everything via fundamental transformation; this presidency gives rise and full authority to actually ridicule any opposition, any push-back, anything and everything that interferes with it's objectives, a social justice agenda that destroys America -- economically, culturally, spiritually, collectively -- at her core in the light of day.

He seems quite proud of all of it -- or he wouldn't keep doing it.

He seems quite pleased, actually; getting more smug by the minute; casting his line, by line, on making more division than we thought humanly possible for one man; parting seas not to save the people, but to walk us right into a death trap; moving mountains smack dab on top of our cultural artifacts -- our rich history, timeless traditions, and proven principles and values common to the common man. [which begs the question, just who is the 'common man' now?  and when I say 'common man,' I mean, huMANity in America-- which includes, but is not limited to, women in general, gays in particular, and anyone else too]

but oh, Clooney is quite pleased with him...still.

Leaving only the moonstruck and googly-eyed, lazy and ignorant, socialists, progressives and commies, left to follow.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's God is Good -- Great Even -- and Means Some Thing

Dear America,

so be forewarned, coming to the new America near you, very soon we will bear witness of the employer ban on wearing the cross (see Londontown).

apparently, because the crucifix is not an item actually "required" to wear (like the burqa), employers can ask that it be removed when working in jolly old england.

oh okay.

what's funny about that, is that not all Muslim women abide by the burqa rule, according to Islamic Law, either.

it's a good thing that in America, our Constitution includes explicit parameters allowing for the "free exercise thereof."  whew. that was a close one.  dodged a bullet there

[G note: i have no idea how 'the Law' on this subject is written in Britain]

but just think about this for a moment.

is this really the direction the world wants us to go?

what seems alarming is the growing tide to make the world one or the other:  devout Muslims with free rein to roam the world doing whatever it is they need to do  AND the rest of us -- all lumped into one generically centered, secularly motivated, generally speaking, congregation of sheep following the church of the One World Utopia replacing God altogether.   ["Allah" can stay, but "God" has to go]

outside of Sharia Law, of course -- culturally -- we seem to be fighting for a merge with secularism, taking away any and all signs of displaying our faith, whether it be around our neck or in the public square [see also plenty of lawsuits for the removal of the cross on public land; while here is a link to a current update of a really big fight which began locally, here in San Diego:  Mount Soledad].

is this really grounded in something good for all of us?
will this direction uplift us or tear us apart?
will this translate into more unification -- living in communion with each other, wholly respecting of our personal beliefs and faiths, while celebrating our diversity or compound a greater divide?

Here's a thought --  how about this perspective:  compromising on our beliefs, uprooting the principles and values we used to hold dear,  is what got us here in the first place.

Our dire circumstances facing this country have come from the collective loss of living at the soul level. 

For we have clearly stopped [as of a very long time ago] living with a conscience -- the spiritual, soulful connection that holds societies together; the kind of connection that allows us to question our motives, our integrity, in keeping with making sound decisions between what is right and what is wrong.

we stopped living with a fear of God; have stopped embracing the love of God; and replaced God with bad government leading the ignorant, the shallow, the ingrate, the corrupt, the co-dependent, the weak, the entitled -- clearly choosing to remake the culture into the great society celebrating the mediocre... a generic blend of no religion, no foundation, no tradition...giving us absolutely nothing to write home about, nothing to sing our praises to.

you know, it's not like i expect us to go back to being a bunch of puritans or something.

i just want the freedom to wear my cross, celebrate my faith, plant a crucifix on the top of a shining hill in equal portion to the Law -- which outright gives me that right to do so.

we talk about God a lot here in G land.

as time goes by, i keep circling the arguments surrounding this uncomfortably foreign position -- the vitriolic uprising against God, which in reality, is the Christian God in the specific.

just how could a nation grounded in religious freedom and liberty get here? especially so soon?  it's like we've just signed the papers in the great scheme of life and we're already filing for a divorce?

my wish this morning, is for America to take a big communal breath...

...and to really think this one through.

we are each solely responsible to give God the power to lead us in life; individually, we control how much God we let into our daily life --  which amounts to anywhere from a position of  no power whatsoever, to infinity and beyond.

God is a Life Force, not a threat.

it is our personal experience through our earthly religions that give It a life unique to our own relationship with God, within the community of our organized religion of choice, or not; and speaking of 'earthly' -- religion should be something which grounds us, securely, to a system for living that brings us peace, hope, charity and love for our fellow man.

God is no more Christian, than God is Muslim.

Following Jesus is a religion; following Muhammed is a religion; following John Smith is a religion; following Hare Krishna is a religion...and so on...
all of which are protected under the "free exercise thereof", explicitly and generally, as declared in our first amendment.

and now, here's a random tangent to think about:  did you see this?  (warning: if you look at this and say the Pledge of Allegiance, it may cause nausea, dizziness, heart palpitations, faintness of breath and knees to buckle; best to sit down on a stack of bibles of choice and brace yourself first).  

while here's the latest activity of Obama's religious mentor of twenty years, found here on The Blaze.

good night and God bless,


Make it a Good Day, G

 and to the Atheists:  you are the 1%; look around you; look into the eyes of the 99% of the big wide world who believes in God in some way, shape or form.  step back and be at peace with yourself and the rest of us.  this War on Religion that you are raging -- adversely affecting the lives of men and women and children alike -- does society, as a whole, absolutely no good.  there is no good reason for it whatsoever. 


and to those of us who consider our souls 'religious' -- we just need to look inside our hearts and minds and follow good conscience for our selves;  all else shall be added; and eventually, we will make a beautiful, beautiful world.

It's a Generally Speaking Thing

Dear America,

good morning USA!

with regards to "The GOOD war" -- as stated by our president (over and over again... while knee deep in the trenches under friendly fire of a presidential campaign) -- we must cue the sea change; welcome to "The Eh War."   and if you say it with a little new yorkeh in you and we might get somewhere.

after the killing of 16 civilians by an army soldier over the weekend, our president gets tangled up in what sounds like totally unprepared remarks anchored only by mixed emotion.   He says it is "absolutely tragic and heartbreaking" but "proud generally" of the troops.

Compounding upon the continuing narrative:   The Left's innate ability to lump one bad actor into the whole -- unless of course, you are from the Left, and then you get a pass, or it gets overlooked, or there must be some logical reason for it and it's unapologetically excused.

But the president doesn't separate this rogue army soldier from the whole -- he purposely pools the attack into the larger scale by tossing out a blanketed, all encompassing, 'generally speaking' opinion on the entire bunch; and, generally speaking, calling into question his overall commitment and battle fatigue; and generally speaking, lighting a fire under our enemy, leaving room to doubt our military strength and overall conviction.  The Good War is becoming something of an enigma.

eh, I'm still generally proud of you guys...

you know, I remember way back when, when a rogue military dude gunned down his fellow officers and civilians, our president was quick to protect him -- ...we don't know all the details as of yet...let us not jump to any conclusions...he said (eventually).









The president didn't characterize Nidal Malik Hassan as one in the same with the finer details of the whole -- he didn't besmirch the entire global force of good, leaving it's integrity in question, you know 'generally speaking.'

No.  For Hassan, it was an entirely different situation room.  Hassan was protected in his own little bubble.

For this army soldier in Afghanistan, not so much; the Commander-In-Chief leaves us in muddied waters, and basically -- generally speaking -- begging our foes for forgiveness and leniency.  He left room for doubt all the way around -- within and without.

Now battle fatigue is real; but rogue shooters who choose to terrorize his fellow officers, in the name of Allah, is a totally different breed.

Let's just see how these two guys will eventually be "treated" in "the system" -- for they do seem to have one thing very much in common:  there were signs! which were... for the most part...generally speaking...widely ignored!   but details, right?  I'm pickin' on a pin cushion.

All in all -- generally speaking -- the war in Afghanistan has been thoroughly marred with a really bad image problem; the leader of the free world seems to be missing in action, more interested in following the narrative for re-election rather than leading with conviction.   but have no worries, all you troops out there, for he is still 'proud generally.'   aw.  so sweet.  so encouraging, really.  wow.

Cardboard images of the Commander-In-Chief's mug are being burned by the masses (in Afghanistan) as we speak.

Consider this:  could it be that our president is leading the battle fatigue, simply by -- you know, generally speaking -- failing to lead, apologizing for the ill-effects and consequences of war, illuminating our weaknesses, questioning our mission, undermining our strength and integrity, and for all intents and purposes, making the United States appear as if we have no idea what we are doing there???

talk about battle fatigue -- I'm exhausted just thinking about this.  whiskey tango foxtrot.  what's it spell?

"The truth is incontrovertible.  

Panic may resent it; 

ignorance may deride it; 

malice may distort it, but there it is."  

Winston Churchill

just a guy who knows a thing, or two, about battle 

(and protecting democracy, generally speaking)

Make it a Good Day, G

Context 2008 -- Obama in his own words (albeit, only a Senator at the time); words that we now recognize as 'generally speaking' and clearly co-dependent on the political tide:

"Afghanistan, NATO's first major mission beyond the borders of Europe, has been overlooked and undermanned by many members of the alliance, including the United States.   

Success in Afghanistan, I believe, is critical to American national security and to the security of the entire world, and a failure there would not only endanger our nation and global stability, it would cast serious doubt on the ability of NATO's military and political architecture to uphold our security in the 21st century."

is it the good war anymore, mr. president -- or is it just a wittle-bit bad?

It's just that We are All Giselle's Now Thing

Dear America,

so yesterday -- watching Joel Osteen -- he told a good story.  rumor has it, it was grounded in the reality of living in the wild.  it centered on the moment when the female Giselle is at it's most vulnerable...

basically, the lion follows her around for as long as it takes; he's banking on bagging not just one Giselle, but two. and he's patient about it, too...waiting in the sagebrush until that little mama gives birth...what could she do then, right? run while her baby is half in and half out?   she is marked with a sign on her back that says 'kick me' -- 'come and get it' -- basically, a bullseye for all the world to see.  [it's simply amazing that 'the Giselle' keeps on comin', huh...talk about a strong girl]

Now Joel's sermon was all about a little sweeter message:  "The Promise Is In Me" and you.  Spending the half hour affirming and assuring us, God gives us everything we need on the inside to give birth to our destiny.

And when we are surrounded with the odds stacked up against us; when it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel; Joel throws us a lifeline that hangs on the boom of Truth and Faith -- and we're about to set sail on the adventure we were born to make.  As Joel puts it, "you're about ready to see a dream come to pass."   

Our vulnerabilities in America are at an all time high; this IS a sign.

Either America will be destroyed OR we are about to give birth to the promise inside us.

so of course, all of this got G thinking...

perhaps -- returning to a period of gestation for all of us is in order [and a tall one, at that].

...going back to our roots.

...going back to our first intention.

...going back to our foundation -- finding it's cracks and weaknesses, in order to mend us in uterine.


ew.  seriously.  so gross.

yeah, well stay with me for a moment --
I mean, it's not like we are afraid to talk about the birds and the bees anymore, right?  Just look back at the last two weeks -- talking about conception and condoms, intermingling women's rights and privileges and duties so closely, we couldn't even breathe between us, let alone hear each other speak.

[while left-brain-feminists differ widely from right-brain ones -- oh yes -- bet you didn't know we make both breeds...perhaps, if it helps any, picture Bella Abzug and Clare Boothe Luce leading the two teams]

I don't know why I picked these two women in particular ...there are any number of feminine icons on both sides to choose from.  What I like about Luce, is that she was living her dream long before 'Bella and her merry band of feminists' had to rush in to fix everything for us.

Not necessarily in any order -- Luce was an accomplished playwright, an U.S. Ambassador for Italy in the fifties, an editor of a big time women's magazine - Vanity Fair, a U.S. Congresswoman of Connecticut in the forties, and oh yeah -- and a wife and mother (even divorced from her first marriage...oh my).

Now I may be really wrong about this -- but I think conservative women do a better job thinking for themselves.  I mean, how hard is it laboring up against the left machine everyday?  I mean, if you happen to BE left -- its great, right; and yet, if you are coming from the right, God speed old girl, God speed.

While all the feminists need to do is 'lock and load;'  the free thinking feminists simply have to join in with the broadband running current -- a speeding bullet, really --  made up of the entire mainstream media, think tanks and propaganda machines like Media Matters and the Tides Foundation and Code Pink and NOW and Planned Parenthood.

The left-brain woman feels it is necessary to actually attack the right-brain woman just because she thinks differently.

The left-brain woman dares not go outside the boundaries of the prevailing winds -- the activist agenda -- for fear of her own persecution.

The left-brain woman is merely grounded in a human perspective -- academia -- a human wisdom -- consciously choosing this wisdom to supersede that of the Creator of everything, the Intelligence above all else.

Seriously -- it's just not that hard to swim with the tide and run with the herd, now is it?

And all the while, it is the right-brain-feminist acting as the Giselle in the every day.   Everyday she is experiencing the gut-check; everyday she feels the pangs of laboring against the crowd; everyday she feels attacked and persecuted for just being aligned with the principles and values and unalienable rights God made.

Newsflash: A spiritual foundation is how this country was made -- whether the left wishes to accept that as their truth, or not.  The history books speak volumes.  It's all there.  Our founders could see the writing on the wall -- they could sense the proclivities of human nature -- they could foresee our weaknesses and vulnerabilities -- and set in stone a government of the people, for the people, anyway.

The promise in me is not from  man --  or woman.
there.
I said it.

The founders created America UNDER God for a reason.  It was fortifying our spirit -- the people's spirit -- to endure all things large and small in order to protect us from ourselves and give birth to future generations built upon all things decent and good and ageless and independent and strong.

America is being surrounded by opposition forces.

The thing is, we are all Giselle's now.

Make it a Good Day, G

The Guardian, the movie, was on yesterday afternoon.  Great Costner/Kutcher flick. Go Coast Guard...
The music at the end is simply inspirational; so this girl had to find a video for you this morning...

So, given the news of the weekend, our troops are in harms way in Afghanistan. The forces are falling apart, inside and out. The mission is unclear and completely vulnerable from all points of light. Do we let Afghanistan go? it's a question clearly above my pay grade to answer.  If only there was some kind of gigantic all-knowing loving force available for us to tap into at times like this...grounding us, centering us, fortifying us at the core, all together...it used to be so easy when we all agreed to live and breathe and create and respond this way under God.

funny, isn't it.
people change, I guess.
...while God... kinda stays the same, millennium in, millennium out.

SURE LOOKS LIKE we need to meditate and marinate on who we are as a people, individually -- fine tuning who we are and what we stand for as a people in the collective.

a good trip back to the womb just might do it.

It's a Disturbation Nation Thing...enjoy yourselves

Dear America,

we're gonna just finish this rough week suggesting a new word to describe our latest fixation:  DISTURBATION  

[oh I know lady spell check...it's not a word...sue me]

Disturbing doesn't say the half of it -- while the lack of self-control to re-direct the conversation to the greater good seems futile in this moment.

Remember when just the sound of it -- socialized medicine -- made our skin crawl?  All of us -- republican or democrat, independent or green -- everyone -- from every party, seemed to agree that nowhere in America was either the time or the place to introduce the idea, let alone allow it to enter the house that independence built.

And yet look at us now -- talk about social media, social justice, and social services meeting up with the social agenda of the Obamacare age.   Intermingling people's sex lives, and the free expression and responsibilities thereof -- how much more social can we get?  We are entering a brand new age of self-discovery and experimentation, aren't we?


So this week, Sandra Fluke became the face of the new American girl -- supposedly an improvement on the original design.   This girl -- Sandra -- is certainly making it sound reasonable, isn't she?   Let's just replace personal responsibility everywhere and often; it is our divine right, right?  Let's begin with conception and contraception.  We are entitled to it.  How disturbing.

Who cares if it takes away the liberty of an entire segment of population still completely anchored in faith, along with the familiar cornerstones of American life, like self-reliance and good self-government? f$%k religious freedom.   The ones who are made out to look crazy are the ones who cling too tight to their religion and their guns.   It's a narrative that keeps on giving for the Left.  So much for tolerance, huh. How disturbing.

Especially considering one of the examples Sandra mentioned to congress included a need for contraception not for the explicit prevention/protection from pregnancy, but as part of a gynecological treatment; and to make it more perfectly clear, while name dropping a pet interest quite popular among the Lefties -- Sandra added that this example of a girl happens to be gay.  So taxpayers must pay for contraception, not to be used as contraception?  How disturbing.

Alas, and yet another story we haven't even had time to mention this week seems to fall right in line with where our minds are wandering.  It's about another kind of girl America seems to be making these days; a stupid girl out of Michigan who just so happened to get lucky one day.  Oh, she won the lottery; but the poor girl -- she was down and out and on food stamps in the days leading up to her big take.

And just how does this fairy tale end? She took the cash with a kiss and a lump sum.  But as this story unravels, she continued to take the food stamps anyway.  She won a million dollars -- and, as the little darling points out -- she didn't think she was doing anything wrong by staying on the dole.  How disturbing is that?

"I thought they would cut me off, but since they didn’t, I thought maybe it was OK because I’m not working,” she said. “I feel that it’s OK because I have no income, and I have bills to pay. I have two houses.”  for more on this story, go to the Christian Science Monitor website, here.

When pressed to answer a few questions, Ms. Clayton was like, 'wow...so much of it [a million dollars] went to pay taxes.'  As if she was shocked at the tax rate, or something.   Ya think, Amanda? 

So here's a girl who does nothing more than buy a dollar lottery ticket, and she's bitching about her taxes.

Now dear mandy --  imagine the entrepreneur -- someone who puts up the risk to grow a business from scratch who finally reaches the day when they make it... I mean EARN their first million dollars.  Picture their face when they write that check to the IRS.      yeah, ya get it now, huh.

Oh, but nooooo -- you feel entitled to keep on keepin' on; the money's just too darned good; the food stamp pimp keeps you livin' the dream, the lifestyle you've become accustomed to...and besides, like you said, it's not like you have a job or nothin'...just a couple of houses. say what?

How disturbing.
Just how much more disturbing can this week get?   Just how much more disturbing can we get?  Isn't this nation of entitlement funding simply getting a little out of hand?   [cue a little nasty purr here]

We've been more fixated on the temporal, empty symptoms, than upon the deeper, collective loss of respect, personal responsibility and self-reliance.

More and more, we are showing less self-control -- letting our personal urges dictate the whole of society.

Is this what defines us now?

We are the US of Disturbia, totally preoccupied with disturbation.  And then again, maybe it's just me. 

"Socialism is the philosophy of failure, 

the creed of ignorance, 

and the gospel of envy; 

its inherent virtue 

is the equal sharing of misery."  

Winston Churchill

I know I'm just a girl, and all.

I have faults, I don't know everything and 

sometimes nothing;

I still have much to learn.

but me thinks eventually... 

we will run out of other people's money.

eventually...

none of us will feel very good about ourselves

eventually...

we'll stop making anything of value --

starting at conception

like as in,
we are all stardust now.
throwing in one more stupid girl
just for kicks and giggles...
Miley Cyrus*

I'm gonna shut up now.

Make it a Good Day, G

 oh and just to be clear --

I am not holier than thou --

just fully aware of my own limitations
conjoined with God's grace.

I know where to go when I am torn,

lost, twisted or conflicted...
and when happy, too...
completely joyful
and at peace

[just a nice spin tacked on here 

from an email via 'uncle ted'

...cheers]

* "You are all stardust. You couldn't be here if stars hadn't exploded, because the elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, all the things that matter for evolution) weren't created at the beginning of time,'" Cyrus quoted. "'They were created in stars. So forget Jesus. Stars died so you can live."

Read more: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/miley-cyrus-defends-forget-jesus-tweet-201283#ixzz1ncrVgpgM