Smorgasbord Friday

Randy Lee Tenley, 44, of Kalispell, Montana, died last week. Apparently, he was wearing a sniper outfit called a 'ghillie' suit...at night...on the side of a busy highway....attempting to initiate a Sasquatch or Bigfoot sighting. One 15 year old girl came driving by and struck Randy, knocking him out into the middle of the road. A second girl, 17, came driving by and ran over poor Randy, administering the final and fatal coup de grace. One of the police officers told a local TV news station that 'he would not have been easy to see', as the ghillie suit covers the entire body in dark, camouflaged clothing made to resemble foliage. His motives of trying to get people to call in about Sasquatch were determined by interviews with friends and relatives. I wasn't disappointed in looking at what else may have contributed to Randy's demise when the officer went on to say that alcohol was probably involved. One of the policemen said what I was thinking...."You can't make this stuff up."

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I know this won't surprise you, but researchers are very excited that they have discovered the peeing habits of Pandas. As you know, the fate of the free world rests on our knowledge of how Pandas pee. Because Pandas have a diminished mating window, it is extremely important they find the perfect spot to do their business. Not only that, they have a particular method of accomplishing the urination process. It seems they 'bust' out a handstand and let 'er fly. This way, no drop is wasted as they tend to splatter their odious scent all over the widest tree they can find for greater effect in attracting that perfect Panda Playmate of the Year. I feel safer knowing that we now know what Pandas have known all along.

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I don't know about prisons in other States, but I know you really don't want to go to prison in Texas. You see, we aren't just the most prolific death row vacancy maker in the Union, we also don't air condition our jails. In the summer, that means Texas prisons can get even more dangerous than normal.  In 2011, during July and August of last year, at least 10 inmates died from heat related deaths. Heat indexes around Texas, in the dog days of summer, reach abnormally high levels inside buildings with no air conditioning. One Texas prison recorded a heat index of 150 degrees last year. The Texas Civil Rights Project has filed suit over the death of one inmate near Dallas. When they found him, his body temperature was 109. He slipped into a coma and died. In the Texas vernacular, we don't cotton to crime down he'ah and don't really care how bad you got it in prison. As State Senator John Whitmire (D-Houston) said, “I’m sorry about the conditions, but I guess I could be real direct and say, you know, if you don’t want to be there, don’t commit a crime."  Prison officials have long argued that Texas taxpayers wouldn’t tolerate spending money on air conditioning for convicts. He's correct. “We have limited taxpayer dollars and resources,” Whitmire said. “And we need to use it as best we can. And it’s not going to be spent for air conditioning of our prisons.” I guess if you want to stay cool...don't break the law in Texas.

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Ludowici, Georgia: Four Army soldiers killed a former buddy and his girlfriend for fear they would expose an anarchist militia group they had formed. One of the conspirators had used nearly a hundred thousand dollars from a half million dollar life insurance policy to buy automatic weapons, other guns, bomb components and land in Washington State for the militia's use. He got the half million from the death of his pregnant wife a year earlier that authorities are now saying....looks suspicious. These guys were very serious in that their plans included taking over Fort Stewart, bombing a dam in Washington State, as well as poisoning its apple crop...eventually topple the government and assassinate the President. The murder of their former buddy and his woman is what gave them away, since....like most criminals...they didn't cover their tracks very well. The short lived group had a cool acronym, though. It was the only thing they really used their brains for. F.E.A.R. Short for Forever Enduring Always Ready. I hope they're ready to endure prison. Because that's where they be a'goin'.

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Now, on to INTOLERANCE OF THE PARTIES!!!! 
1.  Yahoo News' Washington Bureau Chief was fired Wednesday after he was caught on a hot mic joking that Republicans are 'happy to have a party' while black people drown. The comment was made by David Chalian during live coverage of the RNC in Tampa. It was...allegedly...a reference to Republicans starting their convention while Isaac churned toward New Orleans.

2.  Next act of intolerance goes to Samuel L. Jackson. I don't know where these Hollywood types get off thinking that we want to hear them say something that actually came out of their own brain. We only want to hear them recite lines that somebody else wrote and do things on screen that a director told them to do. Otherwise, they need to shuttup. Here was his tweet when he discovered Isaac wasn't going to hit Tampa:   Unfair S***: GOP spared by Issac ! NOLA prolly F***ed Again! Not understanding God's plan!"

 This led to several people tweeting him back and lambasting him for being so blatantly intolerant. Jackson then tweeted some kind of possibly LSD enduced apology:

"Daayum! Poked a Hornets nest, hunh? Apologies to God, Tampa, da GOP& Isaac(sp)! Who played the Race card?!"

How about this, Samuel. Just go make another movie better than Snakes on a Plane. Sheesh.

3.  Mia Love, a black, woman mayor in Utah running for Congress, spoke at the RNC the other night and did an outstanding job. Then, someone broke onto her Wikipedia site and posted the following: (Warning! Offensive Material to Follow!!)

 So, in other words she is a total sell-out to the Right Wing Hate Machine and the greedy bigots who control the GOP and love to see people like Mia Love be exploited like the house nigger she truly is.

   But, it's the Right Wing that is waging a war on women. Notice how this disgusting person accuses the GOP of being bigots, and then refers to Mayor Love as a house n*****. Shameful and repulsive.

4. But, the Democrats didn't corner the market on being idiots. The Republicans got in on the racial hatred as well. Two Republican delegates were taken out of the RNC for throwing nuts at a CNN black camera woman and saying, "This is how we feed animals!" They needed to be thrown out and were. I hope they were not allowed back in.

These kind of things are deplorable behavior, no matter who is doing it. I don't know why we can't be civil to one another and still have differing opinions and ideas.

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Last but not least, while the Texans were playing the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night, Aug. 30, a 25 year old man named Jonathan Kelly decided to show off his lack of circus skills by sliding down one of the handrails of an escalator. As fate would have it, he lost his balance and fell the equivalent of three stories, landing on concrete. We all know that at 25 years of age, one is ten feet tall and bullet proof...at least in their minds. Mr. Kelly died at the hospital. While this is a sad story and I don't wish this upon anyone, I can't help but be reminded of an old joke. Do you know what the last words of a redneck are? "Hey guys! Watch this!" Now watch his family sue Reliant Stadium, the Texans, Bob McNair, Gary Kubiak and the Texans' Cheerleaders for not having a sign posted that read....TO ALL IDIOTS: DO NOT TRY TO SLIDE DOWN THE HANDRAIL!

That's it for this edition of Smorgasbord Friday. Have a great Labor Day Weekend and try not to do anything stupid. You might not live through it.









 

 

 

Islamic 'Juma' to Conduct Prayer at DNC?

Everybody needs to calm down. You can't find Juma kicking off the DNC on the DNC's list of events. The actual prayer time is going to happen on August 31st, Sept. 1-2, ending the day before the DNC, and it will take place in a park somewhere away from where the convention is being held. It is NOT a part of the Democratic National Convention and Obama and his staff did NOT say no to a Catholic Cardinal (which they did) and then YES to a radical muslim organization for a prayer time at the DNC.

There is so much spin in politics and among those who follow politics that it is difficult to determine what's a fact and what is pure crap. The stuff going on the internet about this Juma business is pure crap. Regardless of whether you are pro-Islam or anti-Islam, these people have a right to assemble in a public place and pray if they want to. I know that when they become the majority that won't be the case for the rest of us infidels; but right now they are the minority which means they are peaceful and all inclusive and liberal with other religions. Since the Constitution is still in force, they have every right to pray and do their thing.

It seems strange to me that the NOW feminists and the Gay Pride folks won't be protesting against them, since they are extremely anti-women's rights and routinely execute gay people in the areas where Sharia law rules the day, but that's their decision.

But, if the DNC has not in fact invited them to open the Convention with an Islamic prayer, then don't spread it around that they have. Don't be like THEM, meaning the liberals. Speak the truth. And right now, the truth is that Juma has not been invited by the DNC to open the convention. They...have...not...done...that.

References:

www.muslimbureau.com
The Democratic Convention's first three days are at the Time Warner Cable Arena. The last day will be at the Bank of America Stadium.

Obama Supporters Need to Take a Second Look...

Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, died this past weekend at the age of 82 from heart complications after bypass surgery. Neil Armstrong could have used his celebrity for whatever purpose he wished. He could have remained on the stage and been the poster boy for any cause he chose. Instead, he taught engineering and tended to his farm. He rarely gave interviews, or speeches, and shunned the limelight. He knew, as so many politicians don't, that his achievement of walking on the moon was the achievement of tens of thousands of people working together and that he did not have the right to soak up the accolades for what took place.

Not so our President. Obama is a narcissist extraordinaire. On his Tumblr page he gave a short tribute to Neil Armstrong...and posted a picture of himself looking up at the moon. Really?

Hey Obama!!! You didn't build that!!! You were only eight years old when that happened, dude. Why on a tribute to one of the greatest heroes in American history does your mug have to be there? Why, when you are the one right now relegating NASA to a has-been organization by raping their funding, are you in any universe close to a tribute to Neil Armstrong? It boggles the mind that he would have the unmitigated audacity to do this. But this is how he is. This is how he has always been. I hate to put money in the man's pocket, but read Dreams From My Father. He's a megalomaniacal narcissist of the first order. Anyone who would write their biography before they reach thirty tells you that!!!

Then, if you are a supporter of his, guess what? If he loses in November...it's your fault. First, the reason he can't get anything done as President is George Bush's fault. Next, if he gets beat by Romney, it's his supporter's fault. Don't believe me? Check out his latest e-mail:

Last week, when I was in Iowa, voters told me they were feeling it. The numbers back it up: Our side is getting outspent 2-to-1 on the air there. But the folks asking me about this don't want an explanation -- they want to know what I'm going to do about it. And the fact is that solving this problem is up to you ….We're losing this air war right now. I don't have as much time to campaign this time as I did in 2008, so this whole thing is riding on you making it happen.

Un-freakin-believable. His defeat will have nothing to do with his policies. It will have nothing to do with the fact he has been the worst President in the history of the nation. It will have nothing to do with his stance on immigration (which is to have a pro-illegal immigration stance). It will have nothing to do with 8% and over unemployment rate for the last 40 some odd months in a row. It will have nothing to do with the nation going bankrupt since he continues to spend money like there is no tomorrow...and there is a tomorrow. No, it will have to do with his supporters not giving him enough money. Plus, the statement in the e-mail about not having as much time to campaign would be laughable if not for it being so pathetic. It's an outright lie. From January to June the man held 160 fundraisers. ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY!!!! That's 26.6 a month on average. How many days are there in a month? You do that math.

This guy has an opinion of himself that supercedes all others. He is as anti-American as the day is long. Yet, people support him....but not enough if you listen to him. Hell, he wanted people to give him money for their weddings. A wedding gift in the bride's name that would go to help Obama win re-election. Who does he think he is? I believe it's quite plain. He thinks he's the be all, end all...and if he's re-elected, he may just well be the end all for America as we know it.

Take it the bank.

 

 

New Poll: What is America's Most Hated Industry?

1. Oil and Gas Industry
Thinkstock> Pct. negative rating: 61%

Nearly two-thirds of Americans have a negative overall view of the oil and gas industry, falling below the U.S. government in the eyes of the public. In 2011, ACSI gave gas stations a score of 74, which placed it 11th from the bottom out of 48 industries. At the time of the 2012 Gallup survey, gasoline prices were on the rise. Plus, as Newport pointed out, people have to deal with the oil and gas industry every day when they put gas in their car “and they see prices inexplicably zoom up, and they’re not sure why.” Increasingly high revenues and government tax breaks may be one explanation for the oil and gas industry’s poor public image. The Gallup report also suggests that some Americans believe the industry has a poor environmental record, which is not always confined to events off-shore, or abroad.
(THE ABOVE TAKEN FROM 24/7 WALL ST. ARTICLE)

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The oil field has been putting food on my table, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and cars in my garage....all my life. My two grandfathers worked in the oil field. My dad worked in the oil field. And I proudly proclaim that I am 'Oil Field Trash'. The world's economy is petroleum based. You can't wake up in the morning and open your eyes without seeing petroleum products all around you. If it weren't for petroleum, you wouldn't have all the little gadgets you like to use every day.

People complain about gas prices, except for those of us in the industry. Instead of working for the government and sucking off taxpayers, oil field workers make their own way and toil in one of the most dangerous industries out there. I have tested equipment that required more than 200,000 pounds per square inch of hydrostatic pressure. I have been present when hundreds of thousands of pounds of load has been lifted at one time, where the slightest mistake could have meant people killed. We go to places that sound exotic, but is quite dangerous. In Nigeria I had to have body guards and we couldn't go outside the well guarded, walled in, electrified, gated compound. In Mexico there were worries of being kidnapped. In Venezuela Americans are disliked. In Trinidad, crime is a concern. A lot of us put our lives on the line to make the money we do and are away from our families for weeks and months on end.

Unlike a lot of industries, we're expected to take risks. It's what we do. More people want to focus on the BP oil spill than on the 11 workers that perished that day. They all had families...wives, children, parents, and friends. Yet, it is the spill people want to remember.

The oil field has allowed me to live in a three bedroom townhouse with all the amenities. I have two Mercedes in my garage. I own a big ass television and five computers. I wear Polo shirts and have the best cowboy boots money can buy...alligator, lizard, ostrich, etc. I have a huge belt buckle on my western style belt that's made of silver with a big gold 'C' on it. I have a Wittnauer wrist watch (Rolex is too gaudy) and diamond rings and wear two gold chains around my neck. I'm in the top three percent of earners in the United States of America and I earned every penny of it by the sweat of my brow, working long hours, putting myself in dangerous places and in dangerous situations, and by spending weeks and months away from home. Not only that, but in this business you work with some of the most ornery folks alive. We can be crass and downright offensive, but we are a family who knows what it takes to make it in this business. It isn't for the faint of heart or the squeamish. We're a tough bunch. Six months after I had a quadruple bypass I was in Nigeria working in incessant heat, pouring rain, disease infested country (having been immunized from cholera, typhoid, yellow fever, hepatitis A thru Z and taking malaria pills every day), among people that might start rioting at any moment; and directing the load out and seafastening and testing of equipment on a concrete dock with guards holding AK47's. One of the men I worked with, a 42 year old and good man, died of malaria while I was there. He left behind a 10 year old daughter. Three more were hospitalized from it. I was one of the lucky ones. And you want to complain about gas prices?

All my life my family has been looked down upon because we make our living in the oil field. I'm glad my industry is the most hated in America. That means that a lot of you won't try to get into it, which makes my expertise that much more valuable. We have a shortage of people, and that's how I like it. So, when you go to the gas pump and pay more than four dollars a gallon and start cussin' the oil companies out, remember one thing. The oil companies have to pay people like me a helluva lot of money to do what we do. They have to pay billions of dollars for concept, engineering, analysis, FEED studies, design, HSE, quality control, manufacturing, testing, shipping, and installation to develop a deepwater field. And that's while the drilling is still being done. Some of these offshore drilling rigs charge a million dollars a day. Some of the huge installation vessels that put the equipment 8000 feet below the surface of the ocean charge a million dollars a day. The equipment itself can cost upwards of a billion dollars. One project off the coast of Australia will cost 30 billion by the time its development is finished. All so you can have gas for your cars, boats, motorcycles, planes. This enables you to have fire for the stove you cook with and hot water so you can bathe your ungrateful bodies in. This industry keeps you warm during the winter. Any time you pick up something made of plastic, think about what it took to get that product to you.

I was one of the client representatives on a platform in the Gulf of Mexico that presently produces a billion cubic feet of natural gas a day. EVERY day. This one platform supplies America with 3% of its natural gas needs. Yet, 61% of America hates this industry. That's okay by me. Keep on hatin'.  Keep on complaining about how you don't get paid enough in whatever profession YOU CHOSE for yourself. Keep on whining about how you can't get ahead in life when you don't have the gumption to get up and do something about it by taking a risk. Keep on hiding in your closet, afraid to get in your covered wagon and explore new territory that might hold promise for a better life. While you're doing that, I'll keep laughing my way to the bank.

Smorgasbord Friday

Welcome to the second edition of SMORGASBORD FRIDAY!!!!

The mummified body of a heroic diver who died 13 years ago while saving his buddy was found this week. The Huffington Post added that he was still in his wetsuit and the oxygen tanks still strapped to his back. Like...uh...he was ever going to take them off? He was found in over 220 ft. of water where the temperature remains at a constant 36 degrees, effectively preserving him enough that an autopsy quickly determined his identity. Glad that he is finally able to be put to rest.

The Iranians are saber rattling once again about how it is an insult for the country of Israel to exist and are spouting their old rhetoric about erasing the Jews from the planet. Let me just say that greater countries than theirs have tried the same thing over the last 2000 years and more. If one believes the Bible, the Iranians need to shuttup and sulk away. According to the scripture...they ain't going anywhere.

Joe Biden will be hawking his diatribe in Tampa during the Republican National Convention. This will be the first time that an unwritten courtesy is violated. That courtesy has been for each party to allow their conventions to go unmolested by the other party during this time. I'm not surprised at the crassness, and am quite glad Old Joe will be there. He's most certainly going to say something stupid again...and again...and probably again. He's the best weapon the Republicans have to re-take the White House in November.

Speaking of Democrats saying stupid things, you can put Michelle Obama in the mix. She told a bunch of supporters the other day to be sure and get as many people as possible to the polls on November 2. Why is that stupid? The presidential election is on November 6. Duh.

But, we can't let the Democrats have all the fun. Seems there's this Republican Congressman, Todd Akin running for the Senate in Missouri. He said last week that if a woman is subjected to a 'legitimate' rape (is there any other kind???) that her body has a way of keeping those little spermies from getting her pregnant. He was defending his stance against abortion...and performed miserably. I have to agree with Obama when he said that Akin obviously missed science class in school. What an idiot.

In South Africa, Solly the Hippo died. He was beaten up by another male hippo and took refuge in someone's swimming pool. Only problem was that it didn't have any steps and he couldn't get out. People drained the pool to about a three foot water depth so he wouldn't drown, but he died from stress before they could get him out.

The Syrians are killing each other as fast as they can and for some reason our government is concerned about it. When will we stop being the world's policeman? Hasn't Iraq or Afghanistan or Egypt or Libya or Somalia or Algeria taught us anything? These people hate us. They have hated us before, they hate us now, and they will hate us in the future no matter what we do. Why? Because we're rich, we support Israel, and we ain't muslim. Yet. If you haven't heard, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States. Ain't that a kick in the pants.

Greenpeace has gotten bold. Some of their folks have boarded a Russian drilling platform exploring for oil in the Arctic. They have attached tents to the side of this huge offshore structure in hopes of stopping the Russkies from drilling there. I don't know if they've heard, but the Russians don't mess around with people like them. They aren't a bunch of wusses like us and the Japanese. It wouldn't surprise me if these Enviro-nuts disappear inside some Gulag in Siberia soon.

Today marks the 43rd year I have been an owner of guns. To date...none have just jumped up and killed anybody. I'm still waiting for them to get a mind of their own and do so, but for some reason they don't move unless I handle them. I'll keep you posted on when they do.

Have a great weekend.

Shooting in New York

Someone else has decided that the only way to resolve a dispute is to start shooting people. Preliminary reports are that it was a worker's squabble that got out of hand. So far, the story is that the gunman is dead, one bystander is dead, and ten wounded (one critically).

I've had worker's squabbles. Several, in fact. I've even threatened a couple of co-workers. One tried to fry me with 460V three-phase electricity because he was too lazy to secure the leads in the starter box and it blew up while I was standing on the equipment. It was a miracle I wasn't instantly killed. The next thing he knew there was a fifteen inch crescent wrench under his nose and me in his face. Another time a boss of mine thought he could cuss me out, while he was drunk, and talk to me like a dog. He didn't do it again.

I've been fired, demoted, had my pay cut, given crappy jobs, unjustly removed from a project, called nasty names, and even been homeless and thrown out on the street because some people didn't like me. Not once...not one time...did I EVER think about shooting, much less killing, somebody. I never was even in the same universe in thinking of killing people who never did anything to me.

The thought processes that go through the minds of these people that do such things is as alien to me as the Greek language. I have sorely disliked some people in my life but I have never hated them. You see, it takes hate to kill another human being. The Bible says that if you ONLY hate someone else you have already committed their murder. If you actually kill someone from your hate, then you have done twice the crime. The Colorado shooter and the Fort Hood shooter and the Sikh Temple shooter and now the Empire State Building shooter all had to have hate in their hearts to do such things. Where does this kind of hate come from? Why does it exist? Well, I could write a thousand pages of why and where but the vast majority of the population would never read it and if they did; wouldn't believe it. What people would rather do is point at the weapon. (shrill voice) "It was the gun that did it! It..was ...the...gun!!!" No, it was the hateful person wielding the gun.

The United Kingdom has outlawed almost every type of gun in their country. If you own a shotgun it must be kept in a locked safe, with a trigger guard, unloaded, with the ammo locked away separately. The police even come by your house from time to time in order to prove you are in compliance with the regulation. So, you know what they have seen an increase in? Knife crime. People are being stabbed, cut, sliced and diced at a rate the country has never seen before, and it's only getting worse. They are even talking in Parliament about outlawing knives. I guess the Brits will have to start thinking of better ways of slicing their steak. Maybe just pick it up off the table and chew on it like a bear. I don't know.

People have been killing each other ever since they were created and fell from Grace. If you believe that kind of thing. If you don't, then people have been killing each other since they crawled out from the primordial ooze. Either way, we're a pack of killers. Throughout our history, we have developed and devised better and more efficient ways to kill each other. If you take away the efficiency, then we revert to the next best thing that works. The argument is, "Yeah? Well, if someone has a knife they can't kill a whole bunch of people! Dude!" Hmmmm. It was only a few months ago in Asia where a knife-wielding madman went running down a crowded street and killed more than ten people and wounded more than fifty. Never underestimate a determined idiot bent on a high body count. The answer to this is, "Oh yeah? Well, you don't see it happen that much when it's a knife! Dude!" I ask those who say that to start reading this blog entry again and note what is happening in the UK. I know. I lived there for about four years.

If you take away the guns, people will use knives. If you take away the knives, people will use clubs. You can't take away the clubs, because anything can be used as a club. What must be taken away is the hate. And, according to the Bible, there is only one thing that can take that away. Even the Islamic faith doesn't promise such a thing. If it does, then why do we see so much bloodshed among them as well?

But, people refuse to believe in a loving God providing a saviour whereby hate can be eradicated. They would rather rely on the 'goodness' within the human heart and the human spirit. How sad. Because within the human heart and the human spirit is born the inherent seed of hate. We come with it. If you are a parent, have you ever had to teach your child how to misbehave? Be selfish? Be rebellious? Disobey? I rest my case. No, children must be taught manners, authority, rules of conduct and accepted societal mores. Otherwise, they end up like this idiot in New York today, thinking that it's all about them.

I heard a policeman say something one time that was very profound. He said that you can go to any prison in the United States and talk to any prisoner that is there and you will find out one thing common among them all. They were never taught simple manners and the respect of others. Respect diffuses hate. Manners weakens hate. It allows the spirit and heart of man to be open to a message of ultimate love and sacrifice. And if the man responds to that message positively, you will have someone like me. Someone who is incapable of hating. Someone who would kill only if protecting himself and family from deadly harm. Someone who finds the actions committed today in New York disgusting. Yet, it won't happen for the masses. They believe in temporal things, and have thrown spiritual things to the side. God is dead, they say. Didn't you know that? Well, he certainly is in the lives of those who indiscriminately kill. Isn't he?

Letter I Sent to Senator John Cornyn

To the Honorable Senator John Cornyn:

Senator Cornyn,

  I am taken aback by the DHS's purchase of several hundred million hollow point, high powered bullets. The government has said it is for arming and practice purposes. I used to be in law enforcement and know for a fact these types of ammunition are not for target practice. There are much cheaper 'target' rounds for this purpose. Target rounds make precise holes in paper targets so the accuracy of the shooter can be efficiently determined. Hollow Points are made for field use. Purchases are being made by the National Weather Service, the SSA and other departments with space in their budgets so the DHS can make these purchases. I am not a conspiracy buff, but it seems to me our government is preparing for some kind of action against the American people. There is no earthly reason any department other than our military branches should be ordering this kind of firepower. The government was not put into place to protect itself from its own citizens, but to protect its citizens from foreign enemies. I am appalled that not a peep has been heard from the floor of Congress or the Senate demanding that Janet Napolitano explain her actions, and the actions of the current administration, and that those explanations should be forthright, concise and have some merit. The present explanation is ludicrous, at best. There is a growing fear in this country about what plans Washington D.C. has for the American people, and I am finding myself leaning in that direction myself. I am a law abiding citizen, having never been arrested or jailed for any reason; and I find it disconcerting that my representatives are not looking out for my best interests, as well as those of my fellow Americans, by asking and demanding answers to at least this most disturbing development. Any non-stock answer from you on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Rober Coward

I Have No Problem With What You Believe...Until

Are you a homosexual? Do you believe in gay marriage? Do you want equal rights? I have no problem with that. Do your thing.

Are you for bigger government control? Are you for higher taxes? Do you want more entitlements for all? I have no problem with that. Vote your conscience. Preach your political dogma. It's your right.

Do you believe that anyone who wants to come into this country should be allowed free access to do so, with immediate rights granted to them? Do you want them to get government assistance and to be able to get jobs, driver's licenses and be able to vote without being American citizens? I have no problem with your beliefs. Vote for the person who most resembles your way of thinking. Do all you can to attain these things, within the law.

Do you believe in abortion on demand? Are you a person who fights for women's rights when it comes to a consequence of their actions? I have no problem with that. Get your placard and stand on the street corner and shout it to the rooftops. That is your right.

Are you a person that believes America should be downsized so the playing field on the world stage will be more in line with the other nations in the world? I support your right to fight for that. This is America, after all.

I believe the problem we are running into is that our countrymen have forgotten one very important thing. When the balloons are set loose, and the rhetoric dies down, and we all go home to our families, we should remember that in the end, we are Americans. We aren't left, right, gay, straight, Republican, Liberal, Independent, Green, Anti-Green, Vegan, Vegetarian, or Carnivore. Regardless of being Baptist, Muslim, Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Mormon, Pentecostal or Atheist...if you live here and are a citizen, we are all Americans. Black, White, Asian, Hispanic...if you live here and are a citizen, we are all Americans.

Yet, divisiveness is killing this nation. There are the race-niks, the religious-niks, the politcal-niks, the sex-niks, the rights-niks, etc etc etc. One can't speak what they believe without the others railing against them to drown them out. The other can't speak without being rudely interrupted and accused of being uncaring, inhuman, and scurrilously evil. Even though we are a diverse nation of peoples, we don't have to be diverse when it comes to showing respect for each other and coming together as Americans when it counts. And when is that? It is when another American's liberty is infringed upon. My liberty ends where yours begins. And, your liberty ends where mine begins. If we all would live by that one rule, America would be great again in no time. We all need to remember that liberty is not the freedom to do as you will, but the freedom to do as you ought.

I have no problem with what you believe or which cause you hang your hat on, as long as it is lawful. What I have a problem with is when those who don't agree with me then turn to rend and vilify me as someone who is uneducated and less than human. I actually had a vegan tell me one time that I should be killed since I eat meat. How tragic. I do not deserve to live because I eat meat. This is where we are heading today...if we are not already there. Too many people believe this way:

"I have a cause. It is more righteous than your cause, in my mind. Therefore...you are the enemy and must be destroyed. First your voice must die. Then your reasoning must die. Then you must be contained."

We all know what the last step of tyranny is, don't we? If not, then we are doomed to repeat history. For some reason, Americans do not think this government will turn on us. They do not fear the unthinkable for that very reason.

I will believe in your right to choose your own path. If you try to restrict me from doing the same, my response will be....Don't Tread On Me.

Moron Monday

Not a long post today, but thought I would share some thoughts with you about the following article. Check it out...... (My Notes in BOLD)

DALLAS – A Texas woman is suing the Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones, saying her buttocks was severely burned when she sat on a bench outside Cowboys Stadium. Okay, a bench outside Cowboys Stadium burned her butt. I'm with ya so far.

In a lawsuit filed last week in Tarrant County, Jennelle Carrillo said the black marble bench was in direct sunlight on a hot August afternoon before a Cowboys scrimmage last year. Gotcha. Bench / Sunlight / August afternoon. Just gathering the facts. A weather official says the high temperature on that day was 101 degrees. The weather man will testify it was 101 degrees. Keep going.

Carrillo's lawyer, Michael Wash, said his client didn't know the extent of the burns until after receiving medical attention. She knew she had been injured, just not how badly. Poor lady. The lawsuit claims she was hospitalized and underwent skin grafts. Skin grafts to the burned butt that sat on a hot , black marble bench on an August afternoon when it was 101 degrees outside next to Cowboy Stadium

The lawsuit claims there were no warnings about sitting on the benches in hot weather. Oh man! I was on her side until the last sentence of the story. Here's the difference between smart people and stupid people.

Smart People:  I'm tired of standing up. I need to sit down and rest. It is so hot. I should find some shade. But, there is a nice bench there...even though it is in the exposed sunlight. Let me touch it with my finger to see how hot it is. OW. That is hot. I should not sit there.

Stupid People: I'm tired of standing up. I need to sit down and rest. It is so hot. I should find some shade.  But, there is a nice bench there...even though it is in the exposed sunlight. Let me plant my BIG ASS on it and stay there until I need skin grafts to the third degree burns on my BIG ASS.

This is why we DON'T want warning signs. It saves the stupid people who marry other stupid people who then produce stupid people. I see this being thrown out of court and Michael Walsh becoming the laughing stock of Texas. I'm out!!!!

Smorgasbord Friday

The DHS (Department of Homeland Security) has ordered hundreds of millions of hollow point bullets. They don't have enough in their budget to pay for this order, so that's why we're seeing the National Weather Service put in an order for over a hundred thousand, among other federal agencies. Notice these are not for the military, nor are they target rounds. Hollow points are not 'target' rounds. So, it begs the question...why does an agency that is meant to protect us from terrorism need hundreds of millions of bullets?

In certain areas of the country the military is carrying out training exercises with fully armed and equipped troops on the streets of our towns, instead of on their bases. When asked by local citizens why they are on their streets with full armament, they simply reply they are just following orders. Sounds like something I read about during a trial that took place in Nuremberg, Germany several years ago. So, it begs the question...why is our military, which exists to protect us from foreign enemies, conducting training exercises in the streets of America?

Seems an Akula class submarine from Russia cruised around the Gulf of Mexico for a month, UNDETECTED, by our naval forces. This type of submarine is equipped with cruise missiles and is verified as having nuclear capability. So, it begs the question...why does our current administration think it's a good idea to severely cut military spending?

In July, a Russian bomber made it into California air space before being intercepted by two of our fighter jets. So, it begs the question...why does our current administration think it's a good idea to severely cut military spending?

In June, several Russian attack aircraft flew into Alaska airspace while conducting war simulations. So, it begs the question...why does our current administration think it's a good idea to severely cut military spending?

An idiot goes into a Christian based foundation with 15 Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and shoots a black security guard because he doesn't agree with their politics. Hardly a peep is heard from the mainstream media about it...you can't find Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton with a search warrant....and the FBI is wondering whether to charge him with terrorism, a hate crime, or just aggravated assault. Meanwhile, Dan Cathy of Chick-Fil-A is crucified from coast to coast and border to border by every liberal media channel, mayors of major cities, as well as the gay community. The shooter in D.C. was a volunteer for gay rights. So, it begs the question...if it's okay to vilify and harangue one group, why is the other side of the coin ignored when it comes to shooting a black man working in a building that is actively Christian?

Joe Biden has been sent back to Delaware to cool his tongue. Seems as if the Vice President is more of a liability on the campaign trail than he is when he's locked up inside his palatial estate where he can't talk to anybody. What a week he had. "Gonna put ya'll back in chains."    While in Virginia..."We can win North Carolina again!" He's a gaffe machine. What an embarrassment. Remember when the Democrats used the line that Dan Quayle was only a heart beat away from the Presidency? So is Joe Biden. So, it begs the question...regardless of Obama's abysmal record as president; why would people still want to vote for him when an idiot like Biden is just a heartbeat away from the Presidency?

Some guy in Texas made it into my personal Hall of Fame. He re-configured an electronic road sign to read...WARNING! ZOMBIES AHEAD. Gotta love it.

Have a great weekend.  

May I see some I.D. please?

I bought my wife a Mercedes CLK350 convertible last Saturday. They wanted to see my I.D. I went to the Bass Pro Shop two weeks ago and bought some ammunition. They asked to see my I.D. I took one of my rifles to a gunsmith three weeks ago for some repairs to be made to it. I had to show him my I.D. When my wife bought a bunch of furniture late last year and wrote a check, they asked to see her I.D. When we got a loan four years ago, the people that were going to give me the money...with interest of course...wouldn't do it unless I showed them some I.D. While working overseas, every time I came home, I had to show U.S. Immigration some I.D. The last time a cop pulled me over, if I hadn't shown some I.D., the guy could have detained me for 'Failure to Identify'. When I got my Concealed Handgun License, I had to show them some I.D. When I bought my Ruger .357 Magnum Revolver, I had to show some I.D. Whenever I open or close a bank account, I have to present a valid I.D. I have an account at Scottrade but had to show them some I.D. before they would allow it.

Do you see where I'm going here?

Civil and voting rights groups, including the NAACP, the ACLU, the League of Women Voters, La Rasa, and every other group you can think of that is Pro-Democrat; INCLUDING the United States Attorney General's office, has sought preliminary injunctions to block laws enacted by several States to require a valid photo I.D. in order to vote in the respective State in which they reside. Their argument is that it erects unfair hurdles for many legitimate voters who lack an acceptable form of identification.

What?

How can you truly live in this country and get what you need (LEGALLY), much less what you want (LEGALLY), without an acceptable form of identification? I can't hardly walk into my bathroom to use the toilet without showing some government schmuck my I.D.

Here's what the issue is really all about. The Democrats have long relied on the blacks, the hispanics, the asians et al as a mainstay voting bloc to keep them in power. One of the ways, if not THE way, they keep them within the fold, is by the billions and billions of dollars of entitlements that is theirs to claim with little to no red tape to get it. Then, they have made it extremely easy for them to vote, even if they are in the country illegally, without proper immigrant documentation, with only a green card, or if they are even dead. Yes, I know this is not confined to the Democratic Party, but it is their expertise and they're the best at it.

Many was the time that we would go to the SSI office in Beaumont, Texas and it was overrun with hispanics and blacks. We would see them called forward and stay in front of the government schmuck for about five minutes and away they went with a smile on their face. When we were called one time, we rolled our daughter up to the desk, in her wheelchair, and sat down to speak with the person about getting her on Medicaid. Here she is, club feet, crossed eyes, yet to have any real sense of the world, obviously paralyzed, and the government schmuck tells us we need a letter from the doctor proving she was paralyzed. I said, "Are you blind or something?" That was when my wife made me go outside. They wouldn't even start the paperwork without the letter. And they would only tell us one thing at a time. After about the eighth visit we finally had everything they needed. Oh, but she got our I.D. before we left the first time. I sure didn't see the blacks and hispanics having ANY trouble showing their I.D. to get THEIR gubment handouts, so why should they have any problem with having an I.D. to vote? They wouldn't, unless they're doing something sneaky and illegal...like voting more than once or voting for dead people.

Why, we can't have people having to PROVE they are actual citizens of the United States before they vote! Voting should be open to every Tom, Dick and Harry throughout the world so even our enemies can have a say about who rules...uh...er...represents us. It's unfair, it's un-American, it's un-Democratic, it's, it's, it's....the way things should be, actually.

I'm glad the judge in Pennsylvania ruled against these traitors and frauds and said that the State has the right to enact voting regulation so only citizens can vote. Now, the Democrats will have to get off their lazy asses and be sure all their lazy, slugabed voters have fraudulent I.D.'s. That's the next, logical step for these miscreants. And that's all for today.

Can't Support It or Look At It

Photos have surfaced of Barak's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham that...if authentic, reveal a side to her character that is quite shocking since this is the mother of the President of the United States.

I have to wonder, "Why now?" Not only that, but..."Why at all?"

So far, the election process has been normal with the 'low blows'. Romney murdered someone's wife. Obama is a communist. Romney hasn't paid his taxes. Obama is a communist. This is all stuff we are used to in every election.

But, let me tell you about how I feel when you attack someone's momma. I don't care how evil, crass, corrupt, salacious, perverted, drunken, high or messed up someone else's momma is or was....you don't attack her; especially if she's dead. Let me repeat...YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT SOMEONE ELSE'S MOMMA. PERIOD. EVER.

Plus, I don't care how evil, crass, corrupt, salacious, perverted, drunken, high or messed up someone is that you don't like...you talk about THEM to their face...YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT THEIR MOMMA. PERIOD. EVER.

In my humble opinion,  a person can get no lower than to dog someone's mother. I remember one time that I got extremely redneck in the ICU of Beaumont's Baptist Hospital several years ago. My grandmother lay dead on a gurney and my mother told me the doctors had forgotten to give her the heart medication she required. I took it up with the doctor and he informed me my mother was....lying. Before he knew it, the good doctor was up against the wall with me in his face. I said, "Did you just call my momma a liar?" He quickly did a quick back check and said that he must have mispoken. What he meant to say was that she was mistaken. As it turned out...she wasn't and the doctors apologized for the error in their treatment. It isn't what caused her death, but they damn sure didn't give it to her.

Hell, I wouldn't bad mouth Hitler's mother or Saddam's mother, or any other sorry piece of crap's mother you can think of. You just don't do things like that and still call youself a decent human being.

I don't like Barak Hussein Obama. I don't like him, his politics, his policies, his ideals, his laws, or his legislation. But all that has absolutely nothing to do with his mother. I had one of the greatest ladies in the world as my momma. Anything I am that's bad, cannot and should not be laid at her feet. I do the bad things all by myself. Anything I am that is good, she gets all the credit. But never, ever, never ever let me hear you bad mouth my momma...or anybody else's momma. It's just something you do...not...do. Otherwise...you're a total jerk. TOTAL.

I can't support the issuing of these photos. I saw them posted on my FB home page, and have not nor will not look at them again. After all...that's somebody's momma. Shame on you if you perpetuate it.

The Chick-Fil-A Bully Apologizes...Sort Of

Adam Smith makes another video that lasts more than 7 minutes to apologize to Rachel, the drive-thru girl at the Arizona Chick-Fil-A he berated for no real apparent reason other than to be a total jerk.

But he still doesn't get why there was such an outpouring of support on August 1st. He STILL thinks it was about gays, gay marriage, gay rights yadda yadda yadda. How can someone this stupid become a CFO and a college lecturer?

I hope someone sends this blog to him, so he can STOP being so self righteous about his stance since it is SOOOOOOO misdirected.

Hey ADAM!!! It was about the First Amendment Rights of ALLLLL Americans, dipwad. I didn't like the way you spoke to that poor girl, but you had every right to say what you wanted to. Every gay person in America has every right to say what they think about gay stuff. Rachel has every right to either be nice to you or to invoke her right to free speech and tell you to bugger off. And do you know what else that means, idiot jeans? It means that Dan Cathy can have whatever stance he wants and give his money to whomever he wants because this is still a FREE COUNTRY.

Amazon.com gives money to gay rights groups. But I still sell my books there and buy books from them. There are companies I do business with that give money to all kinds of groups I disagree with and if I get enough of them, guess what? I just don't go there anymore.  I don't show up at the counter and berate somebody I don't even know just because they work there. Do you know you were driving a car that probably had gasoline made from Middle East oil and that Muslims KILL homosexuals in the Middle East? Yet, you still pump that stuff in your car. Here in America, some of us just don't want them to be legally married. The government here doesn't sanction their execution and we Americans wouldn't stand for that anyway. You hypocrite. Stop buying gas, and I'll stop buying chicken. DEAL?

In case you don't watch the news, three mayors of major American cities either suggested or outright said they would use the power of their office to shut Chick-Fil-A out from doing business in their cities simply because Dan Cathy was on a Christian radio station and voiced his personal views. One went so far as to say (Rahm Emanuel) that he knew what the values were for everybody in Chicago. He's just as much a smut face as you are! What these men did, ADAM, was attack mine, YOURS, and everyone else's First Amendment Right under the Constitution of the United States...including gays. If they think they can do it to one, they will eventually think they can do it to all.

The reason you lost your job is not because your company is against the right to free speech. The reason you lost your job is because you were STUPID enough to put such an idiotic video online where everybody in the whole freakin' world could see it and the company got such a backlash from it they had to get rid of you for their own self preservation. Sad, I know. But, you brought it on yourself. I don't think you should have lost your job, I don't think you should have been threatened, and I really feel sorry for your family for not only having to be fearful of what some OTHER nutjob might do, but the fact they are stuck with their own NUTJOB.

You would have come off a lot better if you had just said on the NEW video, "I'm sorry, Rachel. I shouldn't have done that. I will never do it to anyone again." And then you should have SHUT UP!!! However, I support your right to keep on jabbering, so talk away. Those of us who went to Chick-Fil-A that day showed up to support us all, you imbecile.

And don't expect an apology from me. I hope you get a better job than you had. I hope this all blows over today and everyone in this country forgets who you are so you can live out your miserable little life in peace. I hope you win a squillion dollars in the lotto and give it to every gay organization in the world if that's what you want to do. In the meantime, just remember that not everybody thinks like you....and that's their RIGHT. THANK GOD!

Washington, D.C. What does the D.C. Stand For?

There are a lot of people in this country that have no idea that D.C. stands for District of Columbia.  This is a portion of land that was given to the government by Maryland. The District is under the total control of Congress and is not part of any State. It is the seat of the United States Government.

Long ago, it was a place to be revered. Then, in the 1800's, it became a place to be despised by the Southern Slave States. D.C. decided to erode State's rights and a mighty war was fought because of it. Since that time, State's rights have been chipped at, chiseled upon, and sometimes taken a sledge hammer to, and the District of Columbia today is looking more like the District of Control. Or, how about Washington, Domination of Citizens? Better yet, Washington, Death of Constitution.

There are no patriots in Washington anymore.  None. There are powermongers. There are money hogs. There are hypocrites, liars, cheats, thieves, and vagabonds of every definition. They exist in the congressional hall, the senate, the Supreme Court and the White House. And after the election in November, nothing will have changed, no matter who wins.

The Constitution to them is nothing more than an old piece of paper to be rewritten and scribed with the rules of a morally bankrupt code. How I long for the day that someone stand up and slaps that silly smile off of Pelosi's face. Not with physicality, but with reason so powerful and so profound it will leave her not only speechless but with nothing to smile about. What sweet savour would there be in our nostrils if all of America were to stand up as one and vote them all out. Then, send a message to the ones we put in there that the same would happen to them if they so much as sneezed wrong. But, it won't happen. It won't happen because the majority of this country is more interested in what Kim Kardashian is doing than what our government is doing. It won't happen because people still listen to the politician's rhetoric in their lame speeches and NEVER hold them accountable when it all turns out to be lies. It won't happen because America has become complacent and expects nothing but handouts and entitlements to the most undeserving within our borders and simply shrugs at the crumbs that fall everyone else's way. It won't happen because people think it is every other Congressman that has caused the problem but not their own. And we vote them in again and again and again as if they are entitled to the seat. I believe we, the American people, should look at the tenure of them all and if any have more than 15 years in office they should be voted out regardless of the party that they are replaced with.

The United States Government was not created to rule over us. It was created to guarantee our individual rights and freedoms as human beings per the dictates of the Constitution and represent us. But, no longer. The detractors of the Constitution clamour as to how it is outdated, outmoded, outlived its effectiveness. We have outgrown what these men wrote so long ago, say they. These were men with slaves and mistresses and tobacco farms and who drank whiskey and cavorted with trollops, say they. We can't continue to follow something that was written before Twitter was invented. We can't continue to follow something that never foresaw airplanes, the internet, movies, telephones or the atomic bomb or the landing on the moon and mars. We must enter a new era, they say.

And like sheep the masses of this country listen and bow down to rulers instead of representatives. Our law enforcement are being militarized. Drones fly over our skies. Soldiers train in our streets instead of on their bases. Why do you think that is? What do you think the government is preparing for? A party? We are all going to wake up one morning...and it could happen that fast...to being prisoners in our own land. The televisions won't work, the internet will be down, our phones will be inoperative; and tanks will roll down our streets. Suddenly, the televisions will begin to work. And there will be a man who is no longer president, but dictator. I'm not necessarily talking about who is in the White House now. I'm just saying that it's going to happen. And it's going to happen sooner than later. The most well armed population in the world will have to make a choice to stand up and be counted, or bow down and be interned. I hope I don't see it in my lifetime. But it's coming. It's coming.

There ARE Some People I Hate

Well....not really. But I would like to. For example, take this lady in Scotland. She's had this painting lounging around her house for decades. Hasn't ever shown any interest in it other than it was a gift from her father. He was probably doing his summer cleaning way back when and just wanted to get rid of the thing.

So one day, she takes it to have it appraised. Why? The article doesn't say. She just does, on a whim. The art expert nearly drops dead from a heart attack. On the back of this painting is a Papal Bull from some pope from the 17th century. They also believe the painting is an original Da Vinci. That's right. Leonardo Da Vinci. If not his, they believe it was from a student that was trained by Da Vinci, which makes the painting immensely valuable in its own right. If it is an original Da Vinci, the woman can walk away with a cool $150,000,000.00 dollars.

How would you like to know that you've been scrimping to get by all your life, working from dawn to dusk, from can to can't, and all along you have a lotto ticket hanging on your wall? You have a golden pass to a life of luxury and you walk by it every day wondering if you should just throw the damn thing out. Amazing.

When my mom died we found that she had saved one of my old, school lunch boxes. It was a Jetsons' lunch box. On a whim, I looked it up on the internet to find that it is one of the most sought after boxes by collectors. Up until then, I didn't even know there WERE lunchbox colletors. For some reason, it was missing its thermos, which brought the value down. But, it is still in good shape, and I could probably get about $800 for it. A far cry from 150 million.

I read about people buying old homes and finding hundreds of thousands of dollars stashed in the walls. I read one time where somebody bought this old old house and found a million dollars in Confederate currency. It was worth thousands to collectors. I also read about people who walk up on sacks and out of simple curiosity look inside to find 25 grand or 50 grand. I hate people like that. The most money I've ever walked up on was forty dollars. A black lady saw it at the same time I did, but I grabbed it first. Being the gentleman, I gave her twenty. It was a win win. Still, it ain't 150 million dollars.

It would serve me just fine to not hear stories like this. All they do is make me sad. Why can't it be me? Why can't I win the lotto or find a stash, have a lunchbox that's worth 150 million dollars. What's wrong with me??? Why can't it be me???? So, I sulk back to my house and go to the darkest corner and seethe with bitterness, hoping these people choke on every penny. I hope it is a slow, painful, merciless choking that lasts and lasts and lasts. Then, I get over it and start watching TV. Usually the Forensic Files, Snapped; Women Who Kill; Behind Mansion Walls, or some other murder show. These make me realize that I don't have it so bad and I start feeling good for the old woman who found a 150 million dollar painting that was never lost...to her. Yet, when I get up in the morning to the sound of the screeching alarm clock, fight the traffic to sit down in a little cubicle, and go about my mundane job because I have to keep working...I start hating her all over again. The bitch.

New Twitter Account and Other Musings....

Now that I have signed my first publishing contract, I'm expected to market my work, me, things about me, etc. to get the word out that a new author is on the prowl for your reading entertainment.

I am now on Twitter as @RCowardAuthor. Since I just signed on, I'm kind of new at this schtick and am getting my feet wet little by little.

My goal is to get to the point where I can just write for a living. I want to buy a 75' Chris Craft, older version but in good shape, and retire out on the West Coast. Whether or not I will ever reach this goal is moot. We all have to have a goal, or a plan. It's one of the things that keeps us going.

The Western should be available sometime after the first of the year, 2013. I have another book finished and ready to put out there, so I went to the bookstore over the weekend and bought the 2012 issue of The Writer's Market. Want to see what other publishers exist that might be interested in the newest creation of mine.

The horror novel is going very well. I typed close to 10,000 words over the weekend. The story line is flowing at a rapid pace. I love it when I get in the groove like that. It's then I know the characters have taken on a life of their own. It is at that point where they have become real in my mind and the personalities are so vivid to me. When they speak, I can almost hear their voices and see their mannerisms. If I can keep this up, it should be finished in a few weeks.

Two more books are in the creation stages. The ideas for storylines keep coming at me like crazy. I have, what I think, is a great sci-fi idea and will probably start on that one after the horror is completed. The other idea I've been toying with a while, but am not convinced of it...yet.

Vacation time is nearing. The wife and I shall be going to the Bahamas for a week next month. Our target is one of the smaller out islands, away from the madding crowd. It only has eight bungalows, so you can see that privacy is of great importance to us. One restaurant, one bar. Love it. Each bungalow comes with its own boat for us to ride around in. It's going to be fun...I hope.

Didn't feel like writing about serious issues today. I know there is a lot of bad news out there. There is also the slanted news on both sides of the aisle and slanted political opinions from both parties...."Liar!" "Dirty Liar!"...yadda yadda yadda. There isn't anything we can do about it at this juncture, so I prefer to simply be happy today and talk about things that don't really matter. I hope I accomplished that.

I want everyone to be happy today. For just this one day. Rich, poor, gay, straight, employed, unemployed, male, female, child, pseudo-child, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or Atheist. Throw aside all the things that crumple up your face and cause you to look like you've been suckin' on a green persimmon for the last six months and smile. Every day above ground is a great day. Make this one the best day of the week. Okay? Okay. Bye for now.

Marilyn Gone Fifty Years Tomorrow

On August 5, 2012, Marilyn Monroe will have been dead fifty years. I was six years old when she died and didn't know anything about her. Other than what one can glean from biographies, films, newspapaer articles, documentaries and such; we still don't know much about Marilyn Monroe the person. Yet, she persists as an icon of Americana legend; and is argued over to this day on many points.

BEAUTY: I'm a guy, so I guess I can only speak from one guy's perspective. I've been around long enough to know that Hollywood has a way of making women more beautiful than they really are. I think the most beautiful woman I've ever seen was Elizabeth Taylor. In her younger days, had she ever approached me I would have been speechless in her presence. However, Marilyn Monroe's creation by Hollywood exuded sex appeal like no other woman I have watched on film. I never tire of seeing the photo where she is allowing her dress to be blown upward on a sidewalk.

It is a highly suggestive picture of a woman who may know no bounds and is far from chaste. Yet, it also reveals a woman who is confident in who she is and carefree. We know now she was not confident within herself, but I am merely saying this is what the photo portrays. It was Marilyn in this state that gained, and still gains, men's attention. She was one of the sexiest women to have ever lived...in my humble opinion.

ACTING: Marilyn Monroe started out as a model and soon garnered minor roles in movies. She was very adept at playing the dumb blonde, but wished to broaden her abilities and went to acting school. The film that made everyone stand up and pay attention was Bus Stop. It was highly acclaimed and brought her into the spotlight. She made several films that were very popular and in which she received awards. She could never be put in the same league as Meryl Streep or Gwyneth Paltrow et al, but neither could those women cause the excessive drooling of men on a planetary scale. I go to see Streep movies because of the quality of the performance. I watch Marilyn movies because of the physical quality of the woman.

MENTAL MAKE-UP: As with many people, Marilyn Monroe had a problem with fame. Hollywood has a way of sucking out the soul with no anesthesia or mercy. By ag 36, Monroe was used up. She was under constant psychiatric care. She would often turn to alchohol and drugs to numb the inner pain she was experiencing. And still there were few to help her. Most people only wanted what they could get from her; her body, her money, and whatever fame that could rub off on them by being close to her. She was a lost and vulnerable spirit trapped in a vat of piranha, and had no chance of coming out in one piece, much less alive.

Hollywood makes you what they think can bring in the most amount of money. They don't care who you really are, inside. I like to think the picture below is one that shows the true beauty of Marilyn Monroe:

Here, she is a wholesome, pretty young woman. She is dressed as any woman in America would have dressed at that time. Her smile looks genuine, and in her eyes you might be able to notice the joy of life.

Now, look at this one, where she is singing Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes:

Doesn't even look like the same woman. If it had been possible for me to choose one over the other, I would have taken the woman in plain dress, with a plain hairdo, but with a genuine smile. The last image was of a person that didn't exist. She was a myth, and it's the myth that is lauded as being a success.

For some reason I can't explain, Marilyn Monroe exemplifies everything that is wrong with Hollywood, and at the same time everything that is right about Hollywood. Still, hers is a sad story of human tragedy at the pinnacle of what the world sees as success. And, strangely, I can't help but marvel at her. She was, and is, an image to be admired and to be thoughtfully contemplated on when we look at what direction we wish to take in life. No matter what you think of her, she captivates to this very day.

Let Me Tell You Where Dan Cathy Went Wrong

First off, Dan Cathy can say whatever he wants to, and so can the homosexual community; as concerns their position on what traditional marriage is. Secondly, Rahm Emanuel...who has gone incredibly quiet about the whole affair for the last three days (snicker snicker)...and his other mayoral cronies...cannot say they will use their political office and powers thereof to interfere with legal free trade and commerce over someone's opinion. There.

Where Mr. Cathy erred in his original interview statement was in reference to God's judgment coming down on America because of the 'audacity' of human beings to redefine what marriage constitutes. This is why.

As a Christian, we all believe that Jesus was the Son of God and died for man's sins. Easy to say, right? But, there's more to it, and that is why one must be as equally learned in the Old Testament as they are in the New Testament. I know that most of us have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark. Good movie, bad theology. The Ark of the Covenant had three things inside it that represented man's rejection of God. It contained the manna (bread) that fed the Jews during their wandering in the wilderness. They complained about the bread after a while, and didn't want to eat it anymore, even though God was supplying it for them and all they had to do was leave their tents in the morning and gather it up. This represented man's rejection of God's provision. Then, it contained the the Ten Commandments. Not the original set, since Moses broke those; they were a copy. These represented man's rejection of God's law. Finally, there was a section of Aaron's staff. The Jews rebelled against those leading them to the Promised Land. These were men that God Himself had chosen to lead. So, this represented man's rejection of God's leadership. Provision, Law, Leadership. Every year, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice on top of the Ark, known as the Mercy Seat. By all accounts, before the blood was sprinkled...God could see into the Ark and witness his creation's rejection of Him. Once the blood was on it, then that's all he could see, and His anger was abated. At least for another year. Blood sacrifice goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. Once they ate from the tree of knowledge, they knew they were naked, since God's glory was instantly removed from them. The Bible states that they tried to clothe their bodies with leaves. As we all know, leaves make very poor clothing. It then says that God gave them skins for a covering. So, this begs the question...where did God get the skins? Well, he surely didn't go down to the Skin Store. Innocent animals had to die to cover man's sin. That's where blood sacrifice got started. The only problem is that this blood only 'covered' the sin. It didn't take it away. That's why a perfect and willing sacrifice had to be made so man's sin could be totally obliterated, and as the Psalms says, thrown as far as the east is from the west. When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says that he became sin. All sin, past, present, and future was cast upon him. Since the Father cannot look on sin, that is why Jesus wanted to know why he had been forsaken. Before Jesus died, he said, 'It is finished.' That's when the veil separating the holy of holies in the temple was torn in two. There was now no longer a separation between God and man. At that moment, we began to live under the umbrella of the dispensation of God's grace. THAT's why Dan Cathy got it wrong.

At this very moment, God is not angry at anyone. His anger has been abated by the work that Jesus did on the cross. God doesn't punish anyone right now. Jesus is working as our high priest at the throne of the Father, interceding for us all. That's right, for us ALL. Black, white, hispanic, asian, good, bad, ugly, murderer, rapist, adulterer, etc etc etc. The Holy Spirit works among us to enlighten as many that will come to him, to come to him. God's judgment, for the moment, has been withheld for the last two thousand years due to Jesus' work on the cross. Does that mean that God condones sin now? Of course not. He never has and he never will. The conservative Christian believes that one day, and we believe soon, there will take place an event called The Rapture. The Left Behind series has made this event very popular. While entertaining, it is also bad theology. However, I digress. Once the Rapture occurs, those who have accepted Jesus as their saviour from sin...known as The Church...will be taken away and placed under God's personal protection. After that will come a time known as The Tribulation. This is when God's judgment will be poured out on the world. There will be the Seal Judgments, the Trumpet Judgments, and finally...the worst of them all...the Bowl Judgments.

There will be no country or race or sexual orientation judged more harshly than others. Believe me, it will be a non-partial judgment that will be dispensed equally among all. That is because God does not and never has viewed one sin as greater than another. Sin is sin in his eyes.

So, when Dan Cathy said that God was going to judge America, he was partially right. But he should have added in the GRACE part that we live under right now. Of course, some people could look around and say, "I don't see any grace thing goin' on down here." I would agree, to a point.

Sin brings its own judgment that has nothing to do with God. He told Adam that if he ate from the tree of knowledge, that he would surely die. Death is an ugly thing and comes in a myriad of forms. Eventually, it is physical. But men and women can die many deaths in a lifetime, and it is all due to sin. Sin has affected the plant life of this world. It has affected the animal life. It affects the rain, the oceans, the weather cycles and even the tectonic plates. It is the reason for wars and murders and rapes and any other ill thing you can think of. It is the reason for disease, age and death. It has such a monstrous effect, that the more people turn from God, the more torn the planet is, the ecosystem, the governments and the communities. The 'judgment' people are seeing today is a judgment of our own making, not God's. He merely let us know in the beginning that it would happen.

Watch the homosexuals today while they do their kiss-in at Chick-Fil-A. Unknowingly, they are sowing to the eventual destruction of the planet. Not because of kissing, or even for being homosexual. But for turning their backs on God's provision, law, and leadership. Just like it's always been, and shall always be for everyone that does the same.

FIRST BOOK DEAL

I am pleased to announce that for the first time I have been offered a bonafide contract from a publisher for one of my works. It is a Western I wrote while working in London earlier this year. The story came to me fast and furious and I typed more than 97,000 words in less than two months. Never before has a story line been so clear in my head. Not once did I get writer's block while pounding this one out.

To have this happen to me is to meet my first goal as a writer. That goal was to actually be recognized by someone in the business. Getting published is a tough racket because there is a lot of competition out there. I came real close several years ago and made it through the first two reviews with a non-fiction I authored. It wasn't until the final review by the publisher that my work was culled from going on to the production line. I did get something rare, however. Usually, one only receives a form letter saying thanks but no thanks. It is normally very short and very terse, but polite. This time, the Managing Editor sent me a note on company letterhead. He advised that he was in my corner on the book, but was overridden by the publishing board. They were a small press, only printing about twelve books a year. He told me that I was a good writer, and to keep on working at it. He also urged me to re-submit the book in a couple of years. I never did, but I always took comfort in his kind words and never let myself get discouraged. After all, a managing editor of a publishing company confirmed that I was a good writer. Now, someone else has thought so. I couldn't be happier.

By no means do I believe this is my ticket to retirement...though that would be nice. My new goal is to continue putting my work out there. I already have an action/mystery novel in the can and ready for submission. I'm 27,000 words into my newest offering, which is a horror novel. I have started the skeleton on two more books, a sci-fi and another that I will keep the genre secret for right now.

It's going to take a few months for my Western to go on the market. We will now enter the editing stage and the cover design stage. The title of this new work is "Hell's Gunman" and if you like that genre I'm almost certain you will like this book. Wish me luck and send your thoughts and prayers my way. It would be great to write for a living. Man...can it happen? We'll see.

I Supported the First Amendment Yesterday

Even at 5:30pm, the line at the Chick-Fil-A that I and my family went to was packed with people. The country took a stand yesterday, and it wasn't against gays. No matter how they try to spin it, the outpouring of support wasn't a statement against gays marrying. It wasn't a hate filled day of intolerance against gays. What it really was, was a statement by the American people out there that our...or anybody's...first amendment rights would not be attacked by those in power.

Take 'thug' number one.

Rahm Emanuel, Mayor of Chicago. He goes out and says that Chick-Fil-A's values are not Chicago values and that if they hold to their beliefs they aren't welcome in the city. This guy is the perfect poster boy for  Chicago Political Thuggery that has existed since before Al Capone. Does anyone remember the 'naked' shower incident between Emanuel and Rep. Massa (who was going to vote against the health care bill)? This is Massa's own words:

“Rahm Emanuel is son of the devil’s spawn, Rep. Eric Massa (D-NY) said. “He is an individual who would sell his mother to get a vote. He would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive…I am showering, naked as a jaybird, and here comes Rahm Emanuel, not even with a towel wrapped around his tush, poking his finger in my chest, yelling at me.”

Yes, those are the values of Chicago politics. And what about the time that Emanuel sent a dead fish to a pollster he was angry with? An old mob message that someone was, or either would be, sleeping with the fishes. Yes, those are the values of Chicago politics we ALL should ascribe to. However, the Catholic Cardinal in Chicago, Francis George, said it best about this thug.

"Recent comments by those who administer our city seem to assume that the city government can decide for everyone what are the 'values' that must be held by citizens of Chicago," George wrote on the Archdiocese of Chicago's blog Sunday. "I was born and raised here, and my understanding of being a Chicagoan never included submitting my value system to the government for approval. Must those whose personal values do not conform to those of the government of the day move from the city?"

Then, we have thug number 2.

This is Chicago Alderman, Proco 'Joe' Moreno. He announced he will block Chick-fil-A's effort to build its second Chicago store in Logan Square because the chain's top executive has made clear his opposition to gay marriage. OH. Okay. Let's stop free trade and commerce because you disagree with someone's personal views about traditional marriage. I think that is a Constitutional transgression, dude.

Then, we have thug number 3.

This is Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. He sent a letter to Chick-Fil-A. It says, in part:

"In recent days you said Chick-fil-A opposes same-sex marriage and said the generation that supports it has 'an arrogant attitude,'" Menino wrote in a letter dated July 20. "Now—incredibly—your company says you are backing out of the same-sex marriage debate. I urge you to back out of your plans to locate in Boston." Not in the letter, but in other comments, the mayor even suggested moves would be made to make sure the chain did not come there. The letter is a first amendment right. The threat to use government power to restrain commerce due to a differing opinion is a Constitutional no-no. And, he knows it. That's the scary part of all these guys.

Then, we have thug number 4.

This is San Francisco's mayor, Ed Lee. Well, he had to side against Chick-Fil-A. After all, it would have been political suicide if he hadn't. However, to side with those who would agree to a squashing of others' first amendment rights is being a coward and almost a traitor to the Constitution. If not an actual traitor to the Constitution.

I have labeled these men as thugs not because of their opinion. I believe as firmly in their right to voice their opinion as I do my own. What I take umbrage with is their tendency to utilize the power of their office to attack and punish someone who would have the audacity to disagree with them and some portion of their constituency. That is the definition of a thug. They are thugs.

The most frightening of all of these men is Emanuel. For him to stand up and say that he knows the value system of every person living in Chicago should send shivers down our spine. The Cardinal hit the nail on the proverbial head. This is nothing more than thought police, folks. There will come a time in this country where we all are going to have to make a stand or lay down like sheep. This was not about gays, gay hating, or gay bashing. It was about the right to express your opinion; for or against. And we saw how quickly those who would suppress that right came to the fore. Now, THAT's arrogance.