Thursday, December 11, 2008

No Sirens In Dension

Last Monday, the sirens in Denison didn’t sound when a severe storm with tornadoes in it approached. A little research showed that the equipment was malfunctioning. I have to wonder about a few things:
1.) How long had it been known that the equipment wasn’t working?
2.) What measures had been put in place to get the equipment repaired?
3.) Why wasn’t it common knowledge that the equipment wasn’t working?
4.) Why are people so reliant on the sirens?

I guess that my biggest question is why WERE the people so reliant on these storm sirens. First of all, no matter where I’ve lived, I’ve been told that these sirens aren’t designed to be heard while one is indoors and their windows closed. So, any person worried about storms have a few options:

1.) Watch the TV for the local weather
2.) Have a weather alert radio.
3.) Use their internet to monitor incoming storms.

While I don’t own a weather alert radio now, I have in the past. They work pretty well. They do get annoying to some extent because many times one will get a warning they’re not exactly wanting. It all depends on how one programs their weather radio. They really don’t cost very much in respect to what they do. After all, isn’t a little personal safety worth a lot? What I DID was I watched the local TV for the incoming weather. The TV stations, KXII and KTEN had VERY good coverage. I will say the KXII “froze” up for several minutes, during the peak of the storm. I tuned to KTEN. I also monitored the incoming weather from my computer. I do realize that some people haven’t jumped into the 21st Century and don’t own computers. OK. I don’t know of ANYBODY that doesn’t have one or more TVs. There may be a few out there. That’s when neighbors come in handy. If I knew that my neighbor didn’t have a TV or a weather radio, I’m pretty sure that I would be knocking on their door, alerting them. However, that doesn’t seem to be the thing to do any more.

The one thing that perturbs me is the attitude that the Government needs to “baby-sit” everybody. Why is everybody up in arms about the lack of a siren that they may or may not be able to hear? It seems to me that people are far too reliant on the Government for far too many things. It’s almost as if ADULTS need baby-sitting. I’m sorry, but this is one of those ideologies that has been preached to me since I was old enough to comprehend, fend for yourself!! I’m an adult now. I have been for many years. The people complaining about the lack of the sirens are also “adults”. I’m sorry, but people need to suck it up and come to the realization that the Government can’t do EVERYTHING!! Just remember, “If the government is big enough to give you everything you want, it is big enough to take away everything you have." (Gerald R Ford) I guess some folks just don’t grasp this. Our taxes are extremely high as it is. Pretty soon, we’ll be giving most of what we have back to the Government, be it Federal, State, or Local. In today’s world, I’d like to see a smaller Government. Wouldn’t you?

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

On Racism

Seems to me that every time a person of any other race than "white" has committed a crime, been "offended", been criticized, or simply just doesn't get their way, that rampant cries of racism seem to sprout from many of their mouths without hesitation. These very same people are allegedly the "Liberals" that are supposed to be "open minded". How many times during the recent election was the race card played?? (rhetorical question) WHO, exactly, was the first one to play the race card??

It has come to my attention from a couple of other blogs that there are a few things going on. They both bug the hell out of me. The first one is about an election to FORCE the L.A. police to OBEY the law. Why on Earth should we need to VOTE on a subject that is already law?? Have some City Administrators decided that they are above the law?? Apparently. Why is it deemed "racist" to have our law enforcement do their freaking jobs ??

Then we have my friend, Texas Fred, blogging on the hyphenated American. I must admit that I pretty much agree with his sentiments in this post. I've often said similar, myself. I see that this is the bigger problem. Americans are divided. We can never truly come together as a country when we have become this divided. I recall reading stories about WWII and the Americans of German & Japanese descent went to fight for America. They weren't "divided". They didn't call themselves Japanese-Americans or German- Americans. They were just "Americans" All of this division seems to perpetuate the growing racism that we are seeing today. In addition, we seem to have somehow added in a "hate" factor. I was born and raised in Texas, a "typical" Southern State. I didn't KNOW racism until I joined the Navy. I didn't hate blacks or Mexicans. Now, there have been people that I just didn't like, but let me assure you, it has exactly ZERO to do with the color of their skin. What I've grown to disdain is how we are having other folks' race/ethnic background/ sexual preferences FORCED down our throats. The words of John Wayne (or whoever wrote the poem for him) seem to come to my mind pretty quickly. They still ring true today:

"The Hyphen, Webster's Dictionary defines,
Is a symbol used to divide a
compound word or a single word.
So it seems to me that when a man calls himself
An "Afro-American," a "Mexican-American,"
"Italian-American," An "Irish-American," "Jewish-American,"
What he's sayin' is, "I'm a divided American."

Well, we all came from other places,
Different creeds and different races,
To form a nation...to become as one,
Yet look at the harm a line has done -
A simple little line, and yet
As divisive as a line can get.
A crooked cross the Nazis flew,
And the Russian hammer and sickle too-
Time bombs in the lives of Man;
But none of these could ever fan
The flames of hatred faster than
The Hyphen.

The Russian hammer built a wall
That locks men's hearts from freedom's call.
A crooked cross flew overhead
Above twenty million tragic dead-
Among them men from this great nation,
Who died for freedom's preservation.
A hyphen is a line that's small;
It can be a bridge or be a wall.
A bridge can save you lots of time;
A wall you always have to climb.
The road to liberty lies true.
The Hyphen's use is up to you.

Used as a bridge, it can span
All the differences of Man.
Being free in mind and soul
Should be our most important goal.
If you use The Hyphen as a wall,
You'll make your life mean...and small.
An American is a special breed,
Whose people came to her in need.
They came to her that they might find
A world where they'd have peace of mind.
Where men are equal...and something more-
Stand taller than they stood before.

So you be wise in your decision,
And that little line won't cause division.
Let's join hands with one another...
For in this land, each man's your brother.
United we stand...divided we fall.
WE'RE AMERICANS...and that says it all."

Monday, December 1, 2008

Black Friday

I realize that many other bloggers have already covered this, but I really wanted to develop an opinion of the Walmart Stampede besides the one I initially developed. It's tragic that people have dropped to the depths of animals, all in order to get a "bargain". To kill one person and injure several others shows me what we are becoming; insensitive, narcississtic animals!!! (At least many of us) Black Friday IS a good day to catch some sales and great prices on Christmas gifts or just "stuff". But, at what cost are we willing to sacrifice for these sales?? People stand in line for hours, if not overnight?!?!?! HUH ?? Sorry, but I've never stood in line for longer than an hour for anything, INCLUDING my twenty years in the military. I won't even go to a restaurant if t has more than a half an hour wait, unless it is a TRULY SPECIAL occasion. Get up at 0400 (or earlier) just to go out and snag something incredibly marked down, of which there may be few in the store?? Nahhh, I'm sorry. I don't like the crowds that much. I especially detest racing into a store to find that one special "bargain". I'll spend the extra $ to get what I want WHEN I want.

However, this brings up other thoughts on how we, as "civilized" human beings (and many of us proclaim to be Christians) and how we treat others any more. It seems to me that we have become a self-indulgent, self pleasing (read: Hedonistic) society. Others are no longer a concern unless it's a convenient contribution that makes ourselves "look good". I see it daily. In the way people drive, the way they act towards each other, and just general attitudes. The "Golden Rule" seems to have been long forgotten. This mentality crosses ALL racial, ethnic & class lines. I'm saddened by the fact that we no longer treat each other as human beings and equals. WE have political divides, we have ethnic divides, we have religious divides, and we have other things that keep us divided. One group thinks they're better than another, for whatever reason. And, I think these are the reasons that one man was killed, a pregnant woman hospitalized, and a couple of more injured. For Pete's sake, take that extra 10 seconds to HELP someone in need !!!

Finally, recession, you say ?? The national media reports that sales on Black Friday were up some 3%. I don't know about nationally, but my local Sears store sold roughly some $260K last year on Black Friday. This year, that very same Sears store sold somewhere in excess of $300K. That's up some 20+% .......Things that don't add up..........

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!!



I want to take the time to thank our troops who are deployed overseas while we are here at home sitting on our fat butts enjoying time with our families and friends. Thanks Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coasties for fighting the war that some can no longer do and for those who won’t!!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Congress & Combat Related Injuries

I can't tell y'all JUST how ANGRY this makes me!!!


Idiotic: Revision of Law Passed by Democratic Congress Defines "Combat Injuries" for Vet Benefits to Exclude "Non-Combat" Injuries... Such as Being Blown Up in an IED Ambush
—Ace

I imagine this will get fixed. But what the hell?

Technically, this occurs due to a Pentagon regulation-- but that regulation itself was promulgated to be consistent with the Democrat-passed law.

I think this is all just a big mistake, and not intended by anyone, but can anyone imagine the screaming Keith Olbermann would be doing had it not been the Democrats primarily responsible?

Marine Cpl. James Dixon was wounded twice in Iraq -- by a roadside bomb and a land mine. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, a concussion, a dislocated hip and hearing loss. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Army Sgt. Lori Meshell shattered a hip and crushed her back and knees while diving for cover during a mortar attack in Iraq. She has undergone a hip replacement and knee reconstruction and needs at least three more surgeries.

In each case, the Pentagon ruled that their disabilities were not combat-related.

In a little-noticed regulation change in March, the military's definition of combat-related disabilities was narrowed, costing some injured veterans thousands of dollars in lost benefits -- and triggering outrage from veterans' advocacy groups.

The Pentagon said the change was consistent with Congress' intent when it passed a "wounded warrior" law in January. Narrowing the combat-related definition was necessary to preserve the "special distinction for those who incur disabilities while participating in the risk of combat, in contrast with those injured otherwise," William J. Carr, deputy undersecretary of Defense, wrote in a letter to the 1.3-million-member Disabled American Veterans.

The group, which has called the policy revision a "shocking level of disrespect for those who stood in harm's way," is lobbying to have the change rescinded.

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said the Pentagon's "more conservative definition" limited benefits for some veterans. "That was not our intent," Levin said in a statement.



Thanks to Ace at Ace of Spades


This is utter BULLSHIT !!! These IDIOTS in Congress need to get a frikkin clue !!! (or get them stupid bastards out of there!!) If it's a direct result of enemy action, it should be COMBAT RELATED!!!

Friday, November 14, 2008

The End of Free Speech ??

It seems as if the Obama-ites have brought about an end to free speech. It is no longer acceptable to criticize Obama or his ilk. If one does, then they are labelled "racist" or some other nefarious name. We have "Joe the Plumber" that simply asked a question of Obama. His troubles began once he asked that simple question. His background was checked, without authorization, by several agencies. Next, Michelle Bachmann voiced her displeasure with Obama. She had to issue an apology. An apology ?? FOR WHAT ?!?!?!? Just because she stated the TRUTH ?!?!?!? Her opinion ?!?!?!? Sure, public officials should be careful how they ouch their words, but seriously?!?!? Bush has been called many bad things and by some of our nation's leaders. Have they been "investigated" ?? No. Then we had the incident in Missouri, which I touched on earlier. Surely, Obama wouldn't practice any type of censorship, would he ? After all, that would violate our First Amendment rights. Even the leftists always seem to say that "dissent is the highest form of patriotism" or some other justification of mandating the berating of our GOP leaders. Now, I read that apparently a couple of Durham police officers that posted something on their "MySpace" page. "It wasn't a racial slur, but we're still investigating it." That's what the investigators say. Later on they state, "Bonfield added that if the allegations are found to be true and officers posted racially charged statements, then an appropriate response by the department would be warranted." Ok, was it a racially charged statement or not ?? If so, exactly WHY are they investigating it? Is it because they offended Obama or is it because they are just investigating their own ? It just seems to me that Obama's militant faction is attempting to suppress free speech throughout the nation. I sure hope that I'm wrong, but if these are any indicators, we're in MAJOR trouble.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

A Note to the GOP

It's time for the GOP to relocate it's roots. Let's discuss the McCain campaign and why it failed. As I see it, McCain really dropped the ball. He ran an impotent campaign. There were many times that he could have attacked Obama on the issues, but no, he wanted to "play nice". I'm sorry, but this election wasn't a time to "play nice". Palin was doing CPR to a dying campaign. The GOP needs to realize that had they let Palin loose, McCain might have been our President Elect.

On the issues: The border. McCain was softer on the border than Cottonelle toilet paper. He wanted to pander to the Mexican vote. From what I've observed and read, there are a good many Mexicans that are here LEGALLY and they are just as much against illegal immigration as the next person. Instead, the GOP had to pick McCain in fear that they would lose the Hispanic vote. I'm thinking that was one of the many mistakes.

On the economy.... well, McCain did that to himself. Something about him saying that the economy was "fundamentally strong". That showed just how much he was out of touch with the current situation. The economy hasn't been real good since 2005. Hello ?? I know this for a fact. The job market, at least for me, was pretty much non-existent. The Real Estate market was in the beginning of collapsing. My ex-wife, being an agent/ broker, I experienced this first hand. So, to say that McCain is out of touch on the economy is being kind.

The Base.... McCain totally forgot about his base, and kept pandering to the left. To many Conservatives out there (and I am one of them) wanted a candidate that would bring the base together. There IS NO reason that ANY conservative should have voted for Obama, but they did. Why ?? Because the base didn't feel they were comfortable with our candidate. I didn't like McCain from the beginning. He wasn't my first pick. As a matter of fact, he was towards the bottom of my list. There were other candidates that could have brought something to the table, but they were essentially ignored by the GOP AND the media.

McCain was strong on the anti-terrorism bit. That was a good thing. Where else was he strong at ?? He wasn't super strong on the 2nd Amendment. If anything, he was "lukewarm". He would have been strong on Defense, at least that's what I believe. He did have some religious convictions and that was good.

In the future, GOP, you need to select a candidate that WILL bring the base together. The party needs to stick together, too. Let loose the Dogs of war !! I just read today that Jindahl was asked about considering the possibility of filling the empty seat of the VP back in July/ August. He declined. Now we see WHY he declined. After what's been done to Sarah Palin, it's a good thing to stay FAR away from mediocre candidates.

So, listen up, GOP, get back to your roots!! Let's get some candidates in office that are solid conservatives, not RINOs like McCain. I look forward to 2012, when we may have a chance to rid ourselves of the bonds of a "ruler" and get some people in office that will do some GOOD for the country. Perhaps a Palin/Jindahl ticket ??

Monday, November 10, 2008

Obama, Obama, Obama

Now that the citizenry has spoken, I wonder what is it to become of this country? I really never liked either one of our major candidates. I preferred McCain over Obama, but I didn't get excited about the McCain campaign until Sarah came along. She breathed new life into an impotent and dying campaign. Obama's election is certainly historic, as he has been the ONLY black to actually succeed in getting elected. There were those before him,
(e.g.: Alan Keyes, Jesse Jackson), but they could never garner enough of a following to even be competetive.

I have had my reservations about Obama since his selection as the Dem candidate. Too many corrupt affiliations, questionable citizenship, socialistic policies, etc. The typical Conservative complaints, I suppose. I'm still waiting on the results of Berg v Obama. That could prove interesting as there seems to be a few people from Kenya claiming that Barack Obama was born there, including his grandmother and a religious figurehead. I wonder if the Obama-ites will accept his disqualification easily, should it be proven? I kind of doubt it.

What bothers me more about Obama, since his election, is the fact that he and his handlers have resorted to using the term, "Rule" and "Ruler". I'm sorry, but America does NOT have "rulers". We have Presidents, Commanders-in-Chiefs, and leaders. This causes me great consternation.
Secondly, he's already started in with his anti-gun policies. To re-instate the 1994 "Assault Weapons Ban". That was a failed anti-gun legislation that was little more than a feel good proposition. A good synopsis of the failed legislation is Here Furthermore, assault weapons have comprised less that 1% of ALL gun crimes. I wouldn't waste any more of our representative's time. I would, instead, focus on punishing the criminal that uses a gun in the commission of a crime. Of course, our courts seem to have a revolving door, at least in some areas of the country.

Next, we have the massive handout programs that Obama campaigned on. Excuse me, but, just HOW is Obama supposed to raise this money to enable these massive handout programs ? There is only one viable alternative, raising taxes. While I'm an unemployed, retired military veteran, these increased taxes might actually benefit me. However, I'd LIKE to think that I have a broader view of this country than just myself. I can see it affecting many people by increasing their taxes, elevating the unemployment levels, and in general, doing more harm than good. History PROVES that every time taxes are raised, bad things happen. Anybody old enough to remember the Carter regime will remember just how life was back then.

One of the other items that bother me is that other free countries are starting to become concerned about Obama's continued support. That's telling me that the entire world, especially major nations, doesn't have the confidence in the Obama Presidency. They are preparing for the worst. Of course, as the old adage goes, "If you want Peace, prepare for War". Russia and China are rattling their sabres and the US is sitting idly by. I'm fairly certain that nothing much will happen until AFTER Obama is sworn in.

As we observed during the campaign, Obama is ready to walk all over the First Amendment. He wanted a controversial advertisement removed from the airwaves in Missouri. That, in itself, should show EVERYBODY what Obama is up to. Furthermore, he doesn't consider the US Constitution a viable document in this day and age. This makes me question as to just what else he has in mind for "our rights"? I'm certain that the rights violations that the Bush regime has committed will pale in comparison. I pray to God that I'm wrong !!!

Another thing that disturbs me is the blind following that Obama has recruited & obtained. His followers seem to have been brainwashed. The don't seem to be paying attention to the truth, his intentions, or anything brought to light about him. It's as if they've drank "the Kool-Aid". Now they want to have an actual holiday for Obama. WHAT THE HELL ?!?!?!?!? The man hasn't even taken office yet !!! A HOLIDAY ?!?!?!? Come on..... let's get real. That would equate to having a special holiday for JFK, Reagan, or any of the other historic presidents, even before they've made history or had a successful tenure in office. Honestly, I'd rather see a holiday for Rosa Parks. At least SHE deserves some recognition !!! What else I think is that his followers are going to be sorely disappointed when he fails to do everything he's promised to do. This story just shows that he's already making excuses and trying to forestall the inherent disappointment of "his people". Already, he's quickly editing his website, www.change.org, in order to minimize expectations.

All in all, I hope & pray for this country and that we will survive his tenure in office. I'm pretty sure that we, as humans, will survive his "leadership", but I'm not so sure that the America I grew up in, served, and have come to love, will.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bayou Renaissance Man: Controversy at The High Road

Bayou Renaissance Man: Controversy at The High Road

I support The High Road. I HOPE they get this worked out because there is a plethora of information to be had from there.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Is Obama Right for This Country??

Is either one of the primary Presidential candidates right for this country ?? As I see Obama, he has little experience, a ton of skeletons hiding in his closet and more flip-flops than a J-K flip-flop (electronics, folks). I don't hate Obama. I question his sincerity. I question his motives. The fact that he's black (or partly) doesn't bother me, just his politics. He's been consistently anti-gun throughout his career in politics. He's been on the far left all of that time and now, he decides he's going to "shift towards the center" just to appease the centrist voters and hopefully gain more votes. After all, it IS politics. If anybody with any sense of reasoning would just LOOK at his voting record on the issues, both at state and Federal levels, it would become quite clear he is "all hat and no cattle".

McCain is only slightly better. I would call him a RINO, to be quite honest. I really don't care for ANY of our choices for the President and Commander-in-Chief, but I would lean towards a squadron commander vs someone that has questionable motives, no leadership experience and the political backing of those who would usurp our rights and the Constitution.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Transitions

Just before Christmas, my wife of 20+ years told me she wanted a divorce. I won't say that I didn't see it coming. Our marriage had been waning for years, especially since my first lower back surgery. She kept claiming that I didn't do my physical therapy, yadda, yadda, yadda. Things slowly grew worse from there. Depression set in for a couple of reasons. Firstly, my back didn't get any better. Secondly, a motor vehicle accident caused me to have ANOTHER surgery, after herniating 2 disks in my neck. The depression got worse and I became a grumpy bastard, eventually losing my job. I will fault my old employer for not recognizing the symptoms to some extent, but also myself and my wife. Trying to find new employment was a problem, as I was unable to do a lot of physical stuff, especially standing, lifting, and being on my feet for any length of time. I tried to do some self-employment things, but they didn't really work out. I probably didn't try hard enough, I can't really say.

The emotional abuse set in. It will haunt me forever. Basically, I was told that I was lazy, I DID gain a lot of weight and was informed that I was pretty much worthless. This went on for a few years, probably six. Sure, I kept the house, did the yard, maintained the pool, hot tub, and vehicles. I did pretty much what my Realtor wife wanted or needed. I even kept up a website for her. Learning HTML was fun, at least a little. I DID become very computer literate.

The declining real estate market here in MN really placed a financial strain on us, especially since I couldn't find any decent work that I felt I could do. Another lower back surgery proved to be more beneficial. The Orthopaedic surgeon found a problem. He told me that during the surgery, he found bone fragments in my spine. He removed the bone fragments and fused my spine at one level. I was actually getting better. Walking became a little better, I was doing things in the yard and completing my physical therapy. Hell, I even joined the gym in an attempt to get things better. Depression still reigned in my life. Medications only made me numb to the world. A week before Christmas this year, the wife comes in drunk and informs me that she no longer wants to be married, driving me into a deeper depression than I already was. More than once, thoughts of suicide entered my mind. However, that wouldn't really accomplish anything and some driving force kept me going, if barely. Christmas eve day, Rick Warren was preaching on the TV. Feeling that I had little to lose, I joined in with him in a prayer.

The next thing I know, I'm getting my faith in God back. I'm driven to return to my home (in the south). I really didn't know why I was driven to return to where I grew up. It really was a mystery. Ultimately, enough money came in, allowing me to get down there. It wasn't terribly far, but it was a 1000 mile trip. I looked around for work, returned to Church, (something I had pretty much given up on), and reconnected with some old friends. I discovered that one old friend/ classmate was still in town. I merely dropped in to say, "Hi". I had no expectations. I was really drawn to her. She was the one I took to the senior prom some 33 years ago. She took me by the hand (figuratively) and got me out walking, boosted my ego to heights I hadn't seen in decades and I watched my depression slink away. So, as we continued to walk every day, life took on a new meaning. I fell in love again, something I really didn't expect to happen. I tapered off my anti-depressants, ultimately, not even needing them for the near month I was home. After all, they made me feel "drugged", "lifeless" and just plain "icky".

Now, I'm back in MN, missing my new love terribly and dealing with my soon to be "ex". My soon to be "ex" is being pretty decent, all in all, but a little "flaky" and confusing. It's a little tough, especially going through old pictures and "stuff", trying to decide who gets what and all of the painful emotions that come with getting a divorce. I talk to my Southern Angel daily, sometimes more. She gives me the strength to carry on with what I need to accomplish and return back "home" to my new love, a new place to live and a new job. The bigger thing is that this transition, however painful it seemed at first, has proven to be a blessing in disguise. I guess that God DOES work in mysterious ways. All in all, transitions CAN be good!!!