Sunday, November 30, 2008

Greed, Murder, Death, and Mayhem. Happy Holidays

Preview for Sunday 113008

Hey folks,

"I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas." "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem." "Silent Night, Holy Night." These are just a few of my favorites. Every time I hear them, they take me back to that small town in upstate NY. Being a kid, I could not wait for this time of year. From the fall season leading into Halloween to Thanksgiving which then lead into waiting for Santa.

It wasn't just the fact presents were on the way, but the FEELING of the whole season. I was in the small local Church play every year up to about 12 years old, and loved every minute of it. I loved going with my Grandmother to the stores and seeing them all decked out in Holiday Cheer. I like seeing so many people, more than normal but not as insane as it is today, shopping for their loved ones. Nearly everyone had smiles on their faces and was quick to wish you a Merry Christmas.

Rudolph and Frosty were on TV, and let's not forget Charlie Brown. Everything was good. Everything was fine. I loved everything about this time of year. Then when I turned 18, I worked in a Mall as the Sgt. of Security for 4 years. During that time, I started seeing more and more people arriving and deals being made on what is now known as "Black Friday." The Friday after Thanksgiving. Yes, there were no parking. Yes sometimes a few people's nerves got a little frazzled. But all in all, not really all that bad. Just more busy.

Now this changed over the years. One "GOT TO HAVE" gift after another. Cabbage Patch kids, Elmo, got to have this, got to have that. People lost their minds. People were selling, or even more sad, BUYING things Online for THOUSANDS of dollars that people could not GIVE away the very next year.

Retailers and Merchandisers learned that this was an EASY and nearly a guaranteed way to make a lot of money fast. So stores and Manufactures started to MARKET this ONE day as THE DAY. They started trying to create that next got to have item.

So what is in the news today? Greed, Murder, Death, and Mayhem. Yes that new Holiday Spirit is in full effect. Something has happened since Linus explained to Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about.






So coming right up today?

That Ain't No Toy Gun
The Holiday Spirit
Unwelcome Guest?
Envionuts Coming Out To Hold Obama 's Feet To The GWBS Fire.
The Obama New Deal
IWA For Sunday 113008

I have to reiterate this folks. Too late this year, but as for next. Take my advice, STAY HOME ON "BLACK FRIDAY!" If you DO venture out, pretty please, LEAVE THE KIDDIES AT HOME. Spend time with family and friends, shop Online, and wait a few days before venturing out. The Monday after, when everyone goes back to work and school, is usually pretty good. Do not buy into the whole "got to have" thing. NOTHING is worth your or a loved one's life. NOTHING. Do not let GREED, ruin what should be the best time of the year. Never forget, the REAL reason for the season. He can not be bought at Wal-Mart.
Peter

That Ain't No Toy Gun

Holiday Spirit on Full Display

Hey folks,

I started out talking about the lady that uh, excused her dinner guest via a machete. Then I saw the story of the poor temp Wal-Mart Employee that got TRAMPLED to death. Then I just saw THIS. Yes folks, the Holiday Spirit is in full effect. I guess. More on the others in a second. First, THIS IS A TOY STORE! TOYS, KIDS, A FUN PLACE. But that ain't no toy gun.

According to the AP - Witnesses: Fatal shooting followed toy store brawl

PALM DESERT, Calif. – The shooting occurred in a crowded toy store on the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, but authorities say it wasn't related to the bargain-hunting frenzy. Instead, two men pulled guns and killed each other after the women with them erupted into a bloody brawl, witnesses said.

How was this NOT related to shopping? Why were they there?

Authorities released few details about the mayhem that broke out at the Toys "R" Us store around 11:30 a.m. Friday, sending scared shoppers fleeing. Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez said the fight was not over a toy and that handguns were found by the men's bodies. He refused to say whether the shooting was gang-related.

The victims were identified as Alejandro Moreno, 39, of Desert Hot Springs, and Juan Meza, 28, of Cathedral City. No one else was hurt.

Witnesses Scott and Joan Barrick said they were checking out of the store when the brawl began between two women, each with a man. The women were near the checkout area, but the Barricks did not think the women had purchases.

They're trying really hard here. They really are.

One woman suddenly started punching the other woman, who fought back as blood flowed from her nose, said Scott Barrick, 41. The man who was with the woman being punched pulled a gun halfway out of his pocket, then shoved it back in, he said.

"He pulled his gun right next to me. I turned to look for my wife, and she was already hiding," Scott Barrick said.

"I was scared," said Joan Barrick, 40. "I didn't want to die today. I really didn't want to die today, and I think that's what we were all thinking."

The other man pulled a gun and pointed it at the first man but forgot to cock it, Scott Barrick said. The first man tried to run but was blocked by the line of people, then ran back toward the store's electronics section as the other man fired his gun, he said.

The first man reached a dead-end in electronics, turned around and ran toward an exit, pulling his gun and firing back, Scott Barrick said.

"He went up to the cash register, he went to put his hand on the thing and he just went phoomp," he said, indicating the man fell.

He said he did not see what happened to the other man.

Palm Desert Councilman Jim Ferguson said police told him two men with handguns shot and killed each other.

"I think the obvious question everyone has is who takes loaded weapons into a Toys "R" Us?" he said. "I doubt it was the casual holiday shopper."

Maybe on "Black Friday."

Ray Turner, 20, said he was two aisles away when two women began shouting and screaming at each other and he had a clear view of the fight until a crowd clustered around them. Both women had children, he said.

"We thought it was just a fight and then someone yelled: `He's got a gun! He's got a gun!' You really couldn't see nothing because there was a crowd," Turner said.

Rafael Gomez, 11, said he and his father had been in the store about 20 minutes before the shooting but were in a nearby Pizza Hut when they saw people pouring out of the store screaming.

"We just saw them running and crying. I was kind of scared," Rafael said. "We got lucky."

Toys "R" Us issued a statement expressing outrage over the violence.

"We are working closely with local law enforcement officials to determine the specific details of what occurred," the statement said. "Our understanding is that this act seems to have been the result of a personal dispute between the individuals involved. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to associate the events of today with Black Friday."

Palm Desert is a resort town about 120 miles east of Los Angeles.

Folks, this is three stories in just two days time. Now if this had nothing to do with shopping, one would have to then wonder why they were there. Why they we at the check out. Right?

Anyway, take my advice, STAY HOME ON "BLACK FRIDAY!" If you DO venture out, pretty please, LEAVE THE KIDDIES AT HOME. I'll be right back with the other two.
Peter

Sources:
AP - Witnesses: Fatal shooting followed toy store brawl

The Holiday Spirit

Something has happened since Charles Dickens





Hey folks,

Even all the way back to Charlie Brown's little Christmas tree, Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol," people have been warning about this type of thing.

I remember growing up in a little known town in upstate NY. I was in the Christmas Play at the local Church every year. The Holidays were ALWAYS about family and friends. Not just Holidays, but every Sunday as well. Yes, of course I waited for Santa. I looked forward to presents. However, I KNEW what the real meaning of the Holiday was all about.

Slowly over the years as I grew, I watched Christmas creeping into the stores earlier and earlier every year. Now? Even Halloween is commercialized. It is all about money and things.

I remember one year I actually took my Aunt up on her offer to go shopping on "Black Friday." My foot was run over twice. I was hugged by a strange Woman that thought I was her Husband, and saw a fist fight over the last Bike. That was it for me.

But this is the norm nowadays. The Stores BANK on this one day, then the following leading up to Christmas itself to make or break them. Our whole economy is judged at least in part on these numbers. People get nuts and go into "Black Friday" as if it were a sport. Well, here is a perfect example of how greed kills. Literally.

Sun Sentinel - Wal-Mart worker dies in Black Friday stampede

Hundreds of bargain-hungry shoppers stepped on a fallen Wal-Mart worker, who died Friday morning, after the crowd knocked down the store's front doors -- and the worker -- during the "utter chaos" of a Black Friday shopping melee, Nassau County police said.

"A throng of shoppers . . . physically broke down the doors" around 5 a.m. Friday and knocked the 34-year-old part-time worker to the ground as the crowd pushed its way into the store at the Green Acres Mall, Nassau police said.

Seriously folks. What is WORTH a life of another?

Police identified the worker as Jdimytai Damour of Jamaica, Queens.

God Rest his soul and comfort his family.

"This crowd was out of control," said Nassau Police Det. Lt. Michael Fleming, whose squad is investigating the death. He characterized the melee as "utter chaos."

Fleming said an estimated 2,000 people had gathered in line around 5 a.m. as the store was preparing to open.

Asked at a news conference whether the store had enough security given the crowds that Black Friday shopping typically attracts, Fleming said no. Four shoppers had minor injuries, police said.

Yeah, blame the store. Do not get me wrong. Did Wal-Mart have a part in this? Yup. Should they have had better security? Yup. I believe that this employee WAS a security person. But what about the GREED that drove these 2000 plus "shoppers" insane enough to BREAK DOWN the door and TRAMPLE this poor employee, most likely making a hair more than a Minimal Wage?

People in the rear of the line began pushing, cascading the people in the front into the doors, which were knocked off their hinges, Fleming said.

Hundreds of shoppers who then streamed in literally stepped on the worker who later died, Fleming said.

Fleming said the worker, who has not been publicly identified, was a temporary worker sent by an employment agency. Fleming did not rule out criminal charges in the case, though he said it would be nearly impossible to identify individual shoppers.

But, he said, authorities were reviewing surveillance video.

Another police officer told Newsday the prelude to the death at the Green Acres Mall was "a mob scene."

Shoppers who surged past the fallen Wal-Mart worker into the store were asked to leave by other store workers, some of them crying and visibly upset, said one shopper, Kimberly Cribbs, of Far Rockaway.

Though rumors circulated among the shoppers that someone had been badly injured, people ignored the Wal-Mart workers' requests that they stop shopping, move to the front of the store and exit, Cribbs said.

"They kept shopping. It's not right," Cribbs said. "They're savages."


Greed folks. Greed.

Cribbs said she entered the store after the injured worker was already being attended to. As people waited, then pushed into the store, she said, "It was chaos."

Another shopper said people were screaming and shoving in line before the opening.

The police got an emergency call at 5:03 a.m. reporting that the worker had been injured, and he was taken to Franklin Hospital in Valley Stream where he was pronounced dead at 6:03 a.m.

As of Friday morning, the cause of death was described as "undetermined," police said. An exact cause of death will be determined by the county medical examiner's office, police said.

Shopper Camla Brown described a disorganized mob that was thirsting to get into the store before the trampling.

Again, FOR WHAT?

"There was no organization," said Brown, 47, a restaurant manager from Valley Stream.

A 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital for observation. Three other shoppers suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospitals for treatment, and they were expected to be released.

Dan Fogelman, spokesman at Wal-Mart corporate headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., said Friday, "The safety and security of our customers and associates are our top priority."

Fogelman called the death "a tragic situation" and said the company was cooperating fully with the Nassau County police investigation. He declined to comment on whether the company would review its practice of heavily-discounted holiday sales events, or whether the company was reviewing its crowd control measures at such sales.

Fogelman said company management were saddened by the death of the worker and the injuries to customers, adding, "Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time."

In a pace considerably more subdued, shoppers by the hundreds streamed into the Wal-Mart the moment it reopened in the early afternoon. Nassau County police officers standing near the entrance asked the shoppers to take it easy as they walked in.

The store's front doors, the ones broken down by the earlier mob, have not been replaced.

A handwritten sign, apparently from early Friday morning, said, "Blitz line starts here" with an arrow telling shoppers where to line up.

What is in Wal-Mart, or ANY store for that matter, that is worth the death of another person? WHAT thing would you put before your own safety and security. Greed is a powerful thing. That is partially what drove Obama to victory. He kept talking about giving everyone something for nothing. It is what causes some to go to War. It is what causes murder and mayhem everywhere and at any time. It IS what caused the death of this worker. Yes we can not have anything that may seem "TOO Religious" in our public areas. But Greed? That is just fine.

You know what else I discovered on the one "Black Friday I survived with my Aunt? I could still get the same, in one case, a BETTER deal the next day. You know, when everyone was tending to their injuries or being bailed out of jail. I also learned there are better parking places a couple of days after. Things are also restocked by then as well.

You can keep the whole "Black Friday" thing. Me I'll spend time with family and friends, shop Online, and wait a few days before venturing out. The Monday after, when everyone goes back to work and school, is usually pretty good.
Peter

Sources:
Sun Sentinel - Wal-Mart worker dies in Black Friday stampede

Unwelcome Guest?

You Can't Make This Stuff Up 113008

Hey folks,

Well, I hope you all had a happy and safe Thanksgiving. I hope that you all got together with friends and family, had bountiful meals, gave thanks, and slept well. Tomorrow is back to reality for most of us.

Now I know that there are some that have family they only see on Holidays, Weddings, and Deaths. Most of the time you dread them coming, can't wait for and even celebrate when leaving. But we do these things out of respect, usually for another member of the family.

Yes, I have heard all about unwelcome guests. I have had my share over the years. I have dropped hints, "It's getting late. Better beat the traffic. I'm really tired and have this thing tomorrow." ETC. I have to admit, I never thought to do this.

According to the Sun Sentinel - Tampa woman chases dinner guest out with machete

TAMPA - A Tampa woman is behind bars for chasing after a Thanksgiving dinner guest with a machete.

Annette Jenkins, 46, is facing aggravated assault charges. She's being held on $2,000 bond.

Police were called to her home Thursday night when her brother arrived for dinner with a woman. The hostess reportedly waved the machete at the woman while yelling, ``If you don't get out, I'll kill you.''

No one was injured.

Jenkins is being held at the Hillsborough County Jail.

Think she got the point? {Laughing} Ah yes, the Holiday Spirit is in the air. I guess this unwanted guest has something else to be thankful for. She is not chopped up and being served for Christmas dinner. {Smile}
Peter

Sources:
Sun Sentinel - Tampa woman chases dinner guest out with machete

Envionuts Coming Out To Hold Obama 's Feet To The GWBS Fire.

More evidence that when the Loons are in charge, the Kooks come out.

Hey folks,

In the Health and Science Segment this week, we have FURTHER evidence of the fact that when the Loonies are in charge, the Kooks just keep coming out of the woodwork. This latest example is the Envionuts that want Obama to pick Jonathan Cannon, a University of Virginia law professor. So who is he? YUP you got it, yet another Clintonista. He is a former Clinton official who is widely regarded as one of the Chief Architects of Greenhouse Gas Regulation policies in the 1990s. AKA, GWBS.

Jonathan Cannon, director of the Law School's Environmental and Land Use Law Program, joined the Law School faculty in 1998 from the Environmental Protection Agency, where he served as general counsel (1995-98) and assistant administrator for administration and resources management (1992-95). Prior to his work with the EPA, Cannon was in the private practice of environmental law; served as an adjunct professor at Washington and Lee Law School, where he taught environmental law; and was a lecturer at the Law School.

He is one of these complete Idiots that "created" the whole GHG thing. He is also one that agrees with the whole complete garbage junk science that says Carbon Dioxide, you know, that of which we exhale, is a pollutant.

They are THRILLED that Obama won. According to this piece in at US News and World Report- Environmental Groups Hope Obama Will Rebuild EPA After Bush Years by Kent Garber Posted November 25, 2008

Environmentalists are eager for President-elect Barack Obama to take office so that he can reverse the troubled Bush administration legacy at the Environmental Protection Agency. They have watched with dismay—and often disgust—for eight years as the Bush White House took apart decades-old protections and gutted the agency's authority.

Of course. They blame Bush for the EPA not CATERING to them. They feel that Bush is evil and is helping destroy the planet. They seem to forget that Bush is eager to "Protect the planet" as well. They are just upset with him that he does not let the EPA control people's PRIVATE lives and that he has not let the EPA become a Government Hit Squad to enforce the whims of these Kooks. They think that Obama is one of them.

Now, environmentalists are hopeful for a more receptive president. In recent weeks, Obama has signaled, sometimes explicitly, his intention to take the EPA in a much different direction than his predecessor. The changes, observers say, will likely be both broad and specific, affecting not only individual policies but also the larger question of where power should lie within the federal government for decisions that affect the environment.

There are strong indications that the EPA, under the Obama administration, will be asked to play an integral role in the fight against climate change, that some air and water regulations will be reviewed and tightened, and that the agency could stand to receive large boosts in its budget and staffing. Some changes could come quickly, within the first year of Obama's presidency; others may take longer.

All about the money folks. All about the money. That is what GWBS is all about. Power, control, and MONEY. The last paragraph of this piece really says it all. Like I have been pointing out to you, Obama is putting into place people that will further his agenda.

That process could be lengthy. But it doesn't have to be, since in many cases proposals for more stringent rules already exist, they've simply been cast aside. "There is already a whole base of knowledge out there, so this doesn't have to take forever" Steinzor says. "The most important thing for [Obama transition cochairman] John Podesta and the transition team is to make sure they have people in place, sitting at their desks."

The problem is, that "whole base of knowledge" out there is BAD science. False hypothesises, and unproven hypothesises, passed off as FACT. The problem is, what these people want is a GOVERNMENT controlled organization to pass laws and FORCE people into compliance of a SCAM. THERE IS NO CONSENSUS. There is also a "whole base of knowledge" out there that says we are heading for another Ice Age. No, I'm not talking about back in the 70s. I'm talking about an article I caught just a couple of days ago. There is also a "whole base of knowledge" out there that says this is just cycles. NATURAL cycles and there is no threat whatsoever.

As I just pointed out to you last week, poor little Lee Myung-Bak, President of South Korea, is having a hard time enacting and enforcing his part of the SCAM because no one wants to join him. Why? No money. So since Obama is throwing all this money around, they feel, "Hey, maybe he will start tossing some our way so that we can in turn start making money on this SCAM. We'll even give him a piece of the pie." They also help get him elected so, uh, Obama, it's uh, time to anti-up.
Peter

Sources:
US News and World Report- Environmental Groups Hope Obama Will Rebuild EPA After Bush Years

The Obama New Deal

From the Emails Special Sunday Edition 113008

Hey folks,

As promised, here it is. The special Sunday Edition of the From the Emails Segment. Having not been here on Friday, I could not post it then.

You know, I almost did not post this. JG sent this to me with this caption.

"Oh, boy. While Barack Obama's appointments so far have been fairly moderate, other Democrats are whistling "Happy Days are Here Again" and dusting off their wish lists for federal spending. "

MODERATE? While Barack Obama's appointments so far have been fairly MODERATE?!?!? Seriously? A guy that sends dead fish to people? HILLARY? Rahm Emanuel, a fiery partisan is a significant departure from the soft-spoken, low key aides that "No-Drama Obama" has surrounded himself with during his campaign. What about John Podesta, like Emanuel, is a former top aide to Bill Clinton and a tough partisan infighter, though less bombastic than the new chief of staff. Eric Holder? Janet Napolitano? MODERATES?

But I clicked the link anyway, and to my surprise, I found this to be a pretty good article. Here it is.

About That New Deal by Mona Charen

"This is the best deal since 1932." So said House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) regarding the increased public appetite for government intervention in the economy. Incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel echoed the sentiment when he told the Wall Street Journal, "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste."

Oh, boy. While Barack Obama's appointments so far have been fairly moderate, other Democrats are whistling "Happy Days are Here Again" and dusting off their wish lists for federal spending. "The House and Senate Appropriations committees hope to use December to negotiate a $410 billion omnibus measure that can be swiftly approved when the new Congress convenes," reports the Politico. Wasn't it just two months ago that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi -- supposedly outraged that the Congress was being asked (by Bush and Paulson) to pony up $700 billion to prevent a total freeze of credit markets around the globe -- intoned "SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS." She repeated it for emphasis: "Madame Speaker, when was the last time anyone ever asked you for SEVEN HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS? It's a staggering figure."

But that was then. Now the cover of TIME magazine features Obama as FDR and the term "new New Deal" is on everyone's lips. Columnist Paul Krugman is fine with that, except he objects that Roosevelt didn't do enough!

The conventional wisdom has had a rough time of it lately among scholars. You know the fairy tale. You were probably taught it in school. During the 1920s, America practiced laissez-faire economics. The 1920s were seen, as historian Amity Shlaes put it, as a period of "false growth and low morals." Greedy businessmen got out of control and created a market crash in 1929. President Hoover, obedient to Republican ideas concerning noninterference in the market, did nothing. The economy spiraled into a depression. Roosevelt was elected in 1932, banished fear, inaugurated the New Deal, and put America back to work.

A series of recent books has demolished the myth. Some of Roosevelt's reforms were salutary (the Securities and Exchange Commission, reform of the Federal Reserve) but the New Deal's chief object was never achieved -- it did not solve the nation's unemployment problem. The CATO Institute's Jim Powell points out in "FDR's Folly," "From 1934 to 1940, the median annual unemployment rate was 17.2. At no point during the 1930s did unemployment go below 14 percent. ... Living standards remained depressed until after the war." Stanford University history professor David Kennedy has acknowledged, "Whatever it was, the New Deal was not a recovery program, or at any rate not an effective one."

Amity Shlaes' "The Forgotten Man" reminds us that FDR was a class warrior with a vengeance, always at pains to pin the nation's ills on "economic royalists" who had, he claimed, depressed wages, fixed prices, and conspired to keep all of the nation's wealth in their own greedy hands. FDR's war on businessmen (which featured not just rhetorical but actual criminal prosecutions) spread fear and timidity throughout the entrepreneurial sector. Shlaes writes, "The New Yorker magazine's cartoons of the plump, terrified Wall Streeter were accurate; business was terrified of the president. But the cartoons did not depict the consequences of that intimidation: that businesses decided to wait Roosevelt out, hold on to their cash, and invest in future years."

It is only recently that the New Deal myth has really taken hold. At the time there was less pretense. In "New Deal or Raw Deal?" Burton Folsom of Hillsdale College quotes Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau. Testifying before the House Ways & Means Committee in May of 1939, the FDR ally and acolyte did not sugarcoat it:

"We are spending more money than we have ever spent before and it does not work. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started and an enormous debt to boot."

On balance, the New Deal damaged the nation profoundly by extending and deepening the Great Depression. No other downturn in American history lasted so long or afflicted so many.

So no repeats, thank you very much.

I agree 100 percent. Well, OK. Not 100, maybe more like 98 percent. I still have a problem with the whole MODERATE thing.
Peter

LINK
Townhall.com - About That New Deal


Note: "From The Emails" is a weekly segment in the Friday edition of the OPNtalk Blog. If you care to send in News Articles, Comments, Stories, or anything else you may wish to share, please feel free to send it to opntalk@aim.com As always, you never know what you are going to see here.

IWA For Sunday 113008

Another self important Actor thinking we care what they think.

Hey folks,

Yeah, here we go again. You know, I really do get tired of this. But you know what? It actually works. Someone who gets paid way too much to PRETEND that they are someone else or that they are somehow important to the world, start thinking that they REALLY are.

I've talked about this type of thing before. These people are usually swamped with fans, receive Emails and Letters from thousands if not millions of people saying that they are the best thing since sliced bread. Then they are surrounded all day and night by others that wait on their beckoning call. They are surrounded by "Yes People" all the time and then they get to a place where they think this is NORMAL. That people really care what they think or say.

Too many times, these people do not live in reality long enough to understand what reality actually is. They do what they are told, think how they are told to think, and say what others tell them to say.

Well, it appears that Actor Josh Duhamel, best know most likely as of late from the "Transformers" movie, has decided to speak out about the plight of the Polar Bears. Yup. Polar Bears.

The Actor traveled to the shore of the Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, where Polar Bears assemble annually to await the freeze up. He joined elite polar bear "Experts" Dr. Ian Stirling and Dr. Steven Amstrup, members of the Scientific Advisory Council of Polar Bears International, a non-profit organization devoted to worldwide conservation of the Polar Bear through support of research and education.

So he makes this following statement.

"I'm blown away by the beauty of seeing these awesome creatures up close and personal, I wanted to see the effects of climate change and confront the contradictory claims about polar bears first hand. The plight of the polar bear is a symbol of what's going on globally."

OK. Did you catch this contradiction? He said that he wanted to go there to "confront the contradictory claims about polar bears first hand." This implies that he has heard both sides of an argument and want to find out what it the TRUTH for himself.

I had a similar, well OK many, similar situations in my own life. One was back in the late 80s. I had two very good friends of mine trying to convince me that THEIR church was the best one for me. They BOTH claimed to be "Born Again", BOTH claimed to be "Christian." BOTH claimed that the OTHER'S church was just flat out wrong. How could this be? So I went to BOTH to see for myself. I did. I chose based on what I actually SAW and HEARD, and INVESTIGATED for myself.

So little Josh Duhamel has heard that the Polar Bears are dying and we are killing them, but he has also heard that it is a bunch of bunk. That the Polar Bear numbers have exploded and they are no longer in any threat at all. So he is going there to find out for himself. Right? Wrong. Finish his statement. "The plight of the polar bear is a symbol of what's going on globally."

So he has already made up his mind. I guess. Then while he was there, he met Dr. Ian Stirling, AKA the "Godfather of polar bear research," Dr. Ian Stirling shared his latest findings with Duhamel about the decline in the Polar Bear population. Problem is, they are not declining. So he claims the latest data shows that Polar Bear body weight has dropped 20% over the last 25 years. Polar Bears are smaller and therefore at a higher risk of losing cubs during birth. {Sigh}

So what is this great Actor's answer?

"In Los Angeles especially, we have got to travel more efficiently. Reducing electricity as much as possible, and eating locally-grown, organic food are easy actions to take for most of us."

{Laughing} OK. So how do YOU travel? What is YOUR electric bill? Folks, the Polar Bears are not going anywhere. They are NOT reducing in numbers. The weight thing? I would love to see the research on that. I would LOVE to see how Global Warming has reduced the weight of the Polar Bears.

Congratulations Josh Duhamel, for one, thinking anyone really cares what you have been told to say, two, for being nothing more than a sheep, and three, your answer to how to solve the fictitious GWBS problem, you ARE the Idiot of the Week. Now why do you not go make a movie on how that incredible car of yours travels to the Hudson Bay and saves the Polar Bears?
Peter

Sources:
Polar Bears International

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving To You And Yours

Happy Thanksgiving



Wishing you all a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Eat well, drink responsibly, and above all give thanks for your many blessings. Be safe, be of good cheer, and remember, everyone goes home at the end of the day. {Smile} Just kidding. See you Sunday. Do not fret, we'll have a special from the Emails Sunday edition. See you then.
Peter

California Seeks to Silence Free Speech

Further PROOF that New Liberals are Idiots

Hey folks,

There are so many different problems with this, it is not even funny. It is just further proof the the New Liberal Party is NOTHING like the original. Nor do they even have a clue what TRUE Liberalism is. AGAIN:

What is Liberalism defined? According to Wikipedia

Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value.[1] Liberalism has its roots in the Western Age of Enlightenment, but the term has taken on different meanings in different time periods (for example now in the United States generally it means new liberalism while in the rest of the world has the meaning of classical liberalism).

Broadly speaking, liberalism emphasizes individual rights. It seeks a society characterized by freedom of thought for individuals, limitations on power (especially of government and religion), the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market economy that supports free private enterprise, and a transparent system of government in which the rights of all citizens are protected.[2] In modern society, liberals favor a liberal democracy with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law and an equal opportunity to succeed.[3]

Many new liberals advocate a greater degree of government interference in the free market, often in the form of anti-discrimination laws, civil service examinations, universal education, and progressive taxation. This philosophy frequently extends to a belief that the government should provide for a degree of general welfare, including benefits for the unemployed, housing for the homeless, and medical care for the sick. Such publicly-funded initiatives and interferences in the market are rejected by modern advocates of classical liberalism, which emphasizes free private enterprise, individual property rights and freedom of contract; classical liberals hold that economic inequality, as arising naturally from competition in the free market, does not justify the violation of private property rights.

Liberalism rejected many foundational assumptions which dominated most earlier theories of government, such as the Divine Right of Kings, hereditary status, and established religion. Fundamental human rights that all liberals support include the right to life, liberty, and property.

A broader use of the term liberalism is in the context of liberal democracy (see also constitutionalism). In this sense of the word, it refers to a democracy in which the powers of government are limited and the rights of citizens are legally defined; this applies to nearly all Western democracies, and therefore is not solely associated with liberal parties.

Now lets touch on some of these. The LWL {Left Wing Loons}do NOT support personal freedoms, free exchange of thought, nor do they support free speech. Unless you agree with them. If not, they will do EVERYTHING they can to discredit, close minds, and silence the speaker. They also do not care what the PEOPLE say at the voting both, if they disagree with them.

They DO want to control the market. They DO want to, in essence, put a cap on how far you can go. Ask Obama and his $250,000, uh, $200,000, I mean $150,000, would you believe $130,000? Whatever it is today, it is still a cap on private citizens. Make Make more than that, you will pay for it. They DO want you to need them. They love social programs that they try to pass off as compassion. They want more control in your lives.

Anti-discrimination laws have become discrimination. Universal education is becoming simple brain washing. Progressive taxation is simply punishment for making it. Religion? I'll get to that in a minute. What about this? "classical liberals hold that economic inequality, as arising naturally from competition in the free market, does not justify the violation of private property rights." Not the new LWL. They have no problem taking your land if it benefits them. They will even give it to another private person for that reason. They call it eminent domain.

Then this statement in the meaning, "Fundamental human rights that all liberals support include the right to life, liberty, and property." That is the EXACT opposite of what they truly believe. Right to life? Abortion, embryonic stem cell research, I guess that is the same. Right?

They want you to have no other choice than to depend on them. Why do you think that they are so against God? Many see God as the final authority. As well they should. But that would mean someone or something, in their mind, is above them.

Look at their targets. Wal-Mart, Big Oil, Pharmaceutical Companies, any big business. Wal-Mart is the biggest employer in the world. They start giving out cheap prescriptions, they are attacked. They {LWL} do not want you going there. They will give them to you. You need THEM not Wal-Mart. Free market is their enemy.

The "American Dream" is fine with them, as long as they are the center of it. They strip away at your abilities to think for, express, and do for yourself so that they may do for you. The "Fairness Doctrine" AKA the Censorship Doctrine.

According to Wikipedia,

A tyrant (Latin tyrannus, from Greek τtύ?ρ?αaν?ν?ο?ς? týrannos) possesses absolute power through the people in a state or in an organization: one refers to this mode of rule as a tyranny. In ancient Greece, tyrants were generally aristocrats who had gained power over the others by getting the support of the poor people by giving them land, freeing them from slavery, etc.

Welfare, food stamps, government housing, free education, ETC. Get the point?

Tyranny is micro management and control over every aspect of your life. This is what the Liberals strive for. They envy people like Hugo Chavez , Castro, and Ahmadinejad. Absolute power without accountability. They even line up to go visit these people. Praise these people. Even say we should talk to these people. Obama even said China is so much better than we. We could learn from them.

Liberalism is an attempt to create an alternate reality, where liberalism is compassionateness. Where it is fair and just. Where those that have, should care for those that have not. It punishes independents, and rewards those that blindly follow. It stifles free thought, and tells you want to believe.

Yes folks, like these six words or not, TODAY'S "Liberalism IS a quest for tyranny."

Let's look at California. Since the election, where the PEOPLE voted in Prop 8, the LWL have lost their minds. Remember the break down. In Florida, Whites voted 60-40, but Black voters approved a ban on gay marriage by a vote of 71 to 29. Is there any question? Now I'm pointing out Race for a reason here. Then in California, Whites may have even let this fail 51-49. It was the 70 percent support from Black voters that put the measure over the top. 70 to 30. It was not the White, War Mongering, Racist, Chauvinistic, Homophobes, you know, Republicans. It was not the "Church" that did this. It was the Blacks. Liberal Democratic Black people. Obama's base.

We have seen EVERYTHING being thrown at the Blacks from the Gays. Liberal bloggers and a bunch of Gay Rights Activists were out there calling Black people the N-word for supporting Prop 8 in large numbers. Some stars made off hand comments about this. Like Roseanne Barr calling Blacks Ignorant and said some of their churches were corrupted. Where is the investigation for possible HATE SPEECH on these people? Why are the Gay Rights Activists NOT protesting the Blacks in the Inner City neighborhoods?

So what do we learn yesterday? According to the AP - California to investigate Mormon aid to Prop 8

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California officials will investigate whether the Mormon church accurately described its role in a campaign to ban gay marriage in the state.

The California Fair Political Practices Commission said Monday that a complaint by a gay rights group merits further inquiry.

ABSOLUTE BULL! The majority of the people in California VOTED. Prop 8 PASSED. It is CLEAR what the WILL of the PEOPLE in California, and 30 other States, is. Now ONE complaint is going to cause this Inquisition against the Mormon Church? Pay back against Mitt Romney? The MORMONS did NOT get this passed. The PEOPLE did. The VAST MAJORITY OF BLACKS DID.

Executive director Roman Porter says the decision does not mean any wrongdoing has been determined.

None was Moron, I mean Roman. So what is the point? We know the point folks. They are attempting to find some kind of way to subvert the Will of the People.

Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, accuses the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of failing to report the value of work it did to support Proposition 8.

A representative from the Salt Lake City-based church could not be reached for comment.

They should not have to comment. We have a little thing called the First Amendment in this Country. I know that the LWL HATES that, but we do. Not only does this PROTECT the people by given them the RIGHT to say whatever they want, it also PROTECTS THE CHURCHES FROM THE STATE. I think I may have found my Idiot of the Week already.

I will be watching this one folks. But you know, the sad truth is, this new Clinto,,I mean Obama Administration is FILLED with people JUST LIKE Roman. People that HATE the Constitution, the Freedoms that it provides, and that could not care less about the Will of the People. This is the type of thing that I have been warning you about for over two years now. This will only get worse once the new Administration takes over. Folks, you have not seen ANYTHING yet.
Peter

Sources:
AP- California to investigate Mormon aid to Prop 8

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Farewell to Alan Colmes

It is a sad day.

Hey folks,

This broke yesterday on the Sean Hannity Radio Program and is now posted on Alan's Fox News Blog Liberaland

It’s Been A Great 12 Years

November 24th, 2008, 1:34 PM EST
ALAN COLMES TO DEPART TOP RATED HANNITY & COLMES

FOX News Channel’s (FNC) Alan Colmes will relinquish his role as co-host of Hannity & Colmes at the end of the year.

In announcing his decision, Colmes said, “I approached Bill Shine (FNC’s Senior Vice President of Programming) earlier this year about wanting to move on after 12 years to develop new and challenging ways to contribute to the growth of the network. Although it’s bittersweet to leave one of the longest marriages on cable news, I’m proud that both Sean (Hannity) and I remained unharmed after sitting side by side, night after night for so many years.”

Colmes will continue to have a presence on FNC as he will serve as a liberal commentator on a variety of FOX News programming, including Foxnews.com’s The Strategy Room and continue hosting his radio program, The Alan Colmes Show on FOX Talk, a division of FOX News Radio. He will also begin developing a weekend program.

Shine said, “We’re very sorry to see Alan reach this decision but we understand his desire to seek other creative challenges in his career. We value his incredible hard work in making Hannity & Colmes the most successful debate program on cable news and we’re going to miss him on the show. Thankfully, he will begin developing a weekend pilot for us.”

FOX News Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Roger Ailes added, “Alan is one of the key reasons why FOX News has been such a remarkable success. We’re sad to see him leave the program but we look forward to his ongoing contributions to the network.”

Hannity & Colmes is the only FNC program which has remained in the same timeslot for 12 years, catapulting to number one in 2003 and never relinquishing the top spot. The second highest-rated program in cable news behind only The O’Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes averaged 3.3 million viewers nightly for the Nielsen month of October and is poised to mark 60 consecutive months at number one at the end of November.

Hannity added, “Not only has Alan been a remarkable co-host, he’s been a great friend which is rare in this industry - I’ll genuinely miss sparring with such a skillful debate partner.”

Throughout his 12 year tenure on Hannity & Colmes, Colmes has interviewed numerous key political figures, including: President Elect Barack Obama, Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), DNC Chairman Howard Dean and former Vice President Al Gore.

FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour general news service covering breaking news as well as political, entertainment and business news. For nearly seven years, FNC has been the most watched cable news channel in the nation. Owned by News Corp., FNC is available in more than 90 million homes.

So Alan is out. Now I know I know, I have heard all the rumors, and the conspiracy theories. Some even sound like they consist of plausible logic. But I'm not ready to jump on board yet.

I really am upset that Alan is going. Hannity will most likely find a replacement and the show will go on. Perhaps former Mayor Koch? Maybe someone like, WAIT!!! I got it. I doubt it. But I got the PERFECT substitute. No one could EVER replace Colmes. But this guy would most DEFINITELY bring in ratings. Imagine this, Hannity and Carville. Yup, James Carville. I would actually watch THAT every night. I know, it's just a dream. But MAN, would THAT be a great show.

I will NEVER agree with Alan on, well, just about ANYTHING, but he is not loon. He can reason, even if he has Liberal tendencies. {Smile} Even if he just doesn't think for himself from time to time, he is still a good guy. It really was a great 12 years.

Good luck to you Alan Colmes, with whatever you chose to do in the future. I wish you nothing but the best.
Peter

Sources:
Alan Colmes Blog

Monday, November 24, 2008

Kids and The Internet

The "Experts" are just FLAT OUT WRONG! Partially right on premises.

Hey folks,

I just got done posting the Big Sunday Edition of the OPNTalk Blog when I caught this article about kids on the Interenet from the Sun Sentinel, a local paper here in South Florida. I have to take exception with the "Experts" on some of their points of view.

Back on December 09, 2007, I posted You Control Access To The Internet. I was talking about the case where an adult women, Lori Dew, allegedly played an online prank on 13 year old Megan Meier, who later committed suicide.

I was talking about how how Lori Dew had been blamed for the whole thing and how she was EVIL in the eyes of those in their home town. I said this.

STOP!!! OK, question. Did Tina Meier, Megan's Mother, know ANYTHING about what her daughter was doing? Did she know where her daughter was visiting online? Did she KNOW that this was happening? If not, WHY?

The question is still valid. Then I offered this advice.

I get "harassed" from time to time online. I get called names, wished death upon, told I should just go away. I've been in many battles over the years. You know what? If I really get to the point that I no longer what to deal with some of these people, I simply don't. There is software, and all kinds of ways, you can block them. You could stop going where they are. Or you can do what I do, just ignore them. When you ignore them, it get boring to them, who do it for a reaction, no reaction, they move on.

The advice is still valid. Then on Sunday March 9, 2007, the IWA winner WAS one of these so called "Experts." Idiot Says Internet Predators no big deal. I said this.

I still cannot get over this one. I really can’t. This guy is a complete Moron when it comes to this. He is sending a dangerous message to your kids, and to stupid adults out there. If they believe this Idiot, they will lower their already lacking concern and supervision on what their kids are doing on the Computer. There are almost no words for this one.

He sighted a study saying that there really are no Internet predators out there. Really no danger. The Parents are more likely to molest their kids. IT ACTUALLY SAID THIS. One of the points of the Study that really got me was this.

Myth #4: Most Internet predators are pedophiles.

The public largely assumes that people looking for sex online are targeting young children, but that's not true. In fact, most predators seek relationships and sex from teens and adolescents, not from younger children.

Yes 13 year olds are not as bad as 10 year olds. Come on folks, didn’t you know that?

I'm getting angry all over again. So what do I see yesterday morning? Sun Sentinel - 'Geeked out' kids can learn vital tech skills socializing online

Equipped with a mobile phone, laptop and Internet access, Heather Prince hangs out for hours a day on MySpace, YouTube and other venues in a virtual world baffling to her mother.

"Often I think she could be using her time doing something better," Annette Deuel said of her daughter, a senior at Tavares High School, near Orlando.

She could be. Do you have her passwords Mrs. Deuel? Do you know where she is REALLY visiting and who she is REALLY talking to?

"My mom doesn't get it," Heather, 17, said while scanning fresh postings on her MySpace page.

Many parents don't, says a new study regarded as the largest ever to examine how the Internet affects kids' social development and education. It concluded that Heather's and her mom's generational differences over the value of spending time online are common.

Which is TRULY SAD.

The report points out benefits for "geeked out" kids who take full advantage of such learning opportunities. They can find the freedom and encouragement to pursue interests that might not be popular with their school peers. They also become more technologically savvy.

"It might surprise parents to learn that it's not a waste of time for their teens to hang out online," said Mizuko Ito, a researcher from the University of California-Irvine, and lead author of the study. "There are myths about kids online — that it's dangerous or makes them lazy. But we found that spending time online is essential for young people to pick up social and technical skills they need to be competent citizens in our digital age."

WHAT ABOUT THE DANGERS Dr. Ito? Oh yeah, there is no danger.

The project, which began in 2005, was completed this summer and included interviews of 800 youths, ages 8 to 20, and their parents. The three-year study was supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which has pledged $50 million to explore how digital media are changing how young people learn, play, socialize and participate in civic life.

In an interview, Ito said today's kids socialize online in much the same way that their parents once hung out at the mall or their grandparents gathered at the soda fountain.

"It just looks really different from the social life their parents grew up with," she said.

Ito said the opportunities can be educational, though they're often peer-based and self-directed.

The findings might surprise parents, but not "wired" educators, said Rob Anderson, former principal at Orlando's Edgewater High School, which boasts magnet programs in engineering, science and technology.

"Folks who work with kids already know this," he said of the study's findings. "Parents might not like it, but they don't really have a choice. This is how the world is, and these things are not going away."

WRONG Mr. Anderson. WRONG! Parents DO have a choice. Parents NEED to control this. They NEED to have access at all times. THEY NEED TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN. Parents DO have a choice. Sorry. That is just fact. I know some in the Psychobabble community will not like this, but kids are kids, and PARENTS are PARENTS. The KIDS, have no Rights or privileges save those granted by the Parent. THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE.

Anderson said online activities force kids to employ collaborative skills — as they share ideas and arguments with others who live worlds away. It also requires them to analyze, evaluate and synthesize information, a process that sharpens critical thinking.

Nonetheless, some parents remain wary of hanging out online, with lurking predators and many distractions.

"I know it's a different world now than what was available to us," said Midori Burton, who worries about the amount of time her 14-year-old son spends socializing online. "My concern is that when he goes into that digital field, I don't know who he's dealing with. With a push of a button, you can talk to anybody." She said she has tried to limit his online and texting times.

This is why it IS your job Mrs. Burton to MONITOR what she is doing. With a pull of the plug, she goes nowhere. It really is not a difficult concept to understand.

Heather Prince says she observes her parents' online rules.

"Be careful what you do there," she said. "My dad tells me the stuff on MySpace, for example, is a way for people to learn about me. He doesn't want me to have cuss words, gross things or inappropriate pictures there, so I don't."

Good Girl! Good Father. I hope he is checking from time to time.

The study suggests that kids learn quickly from other kids what's acceptable and what's not.

You know, {Sigh} I'm going to need a calming moment when I'm done with this GARBAGE today. Kids need NOT to be learning from OTHER KIDS what is acceptable. Some kids think it is acceptable to have BJ competitions at school dances. Some see it as acceptable to send naked photos of themselves over their cell phones. Some see "Bedding as many boys as you can" as acceptable. Some see drugs as OK, as long as you do not over do it.

PARENTS need to teach their kids what is acceptable and not. Not other kids. Here a little ray of sunshine in this otherwise completely absurd article.

It also concludes that the best way for parents to monitor their children's online life is to be part of it. Some interviews revealed that families bonded around the computer, by watching videos together, producing and posting their own media and through gaming, a central part of the online experience for many youths.

Along with that, make sure you have the passwords. Check where they are going when you are not around. Get software if you have too to track and record what they are doing. They do not like that, they do not go online.

"I think it's important for parents to understand that their kids are picking up sophisticated skills that will serve them in the future," Ito said. "Ten years ago it would have been hard to believe most kids would have a home page. Now more than half do, and they are filled with pictures, music and things that are important to them.

Online participation is becoming more and more essential in our society — it's how we associate professionally and interact socially."

OK. I have no problem, {Laughing} yeah believe it or not, with kids being online. I really do not have a problem with it. In limited and fully controlled doses. I'll give Dr. Ito credit here. She is right. We do live in an age of technology. No doubt about it. Kids being online is essential. Look at this past election. One of the news agencies used Holograms. That really was cool. Before you know it, we ALL will be. We will all be beaming all over the place and meeting and spending time with each other in ways we can only imaging now. I get all that.

However, there MUST BE RULES. No, not Big Brother monitoring and censoring everything we do, we need Big Parent. Big Mom, Big Dad. THEY need to monitoring and censoring everything that their KIDS do. It really is, just that simple.
Peter

Sources:
OPNTalk - You Control Access To The Internet
OPNTalk - Idiot Says Internet Predators no big deal
Sun Sentinel - 'Geeked out' kids can learn vital tech skills socializing online

Sunday, November 23, 2008

In-dept Look At Obama Cabinet

Preview for Sunday 112308

Hey folks,

Happy Sunday to you. Since it is Sunday, you know what that means. The Big Sunday Edition of the OPNTalk Blog.

Coming right up today, an in-depth three part look into the New Obama Administration. I'm sorry, but try as hard as I can, all I see is the Clinton Administration taking back over.

The New Clinton Administration
Janet Napolitano for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
Clinton as Secretary of State
Misplaced Anger and False Call For Censorship
Lack Of Money Causes Interest In Saving The Planet To Dwindle
IWA For Sunday 112308

I really want to get right to it, so sit back, get ready, here we go.
Peter

The New Clinton Administration

I mean Obama Administration. I think.

Hey folks,

This is going to take some time. This has been completely amazing me as I watch this come into being. I pointed out the new AG Eric Holder, and BIG TIME Clinton operative. Member of Hillary's Health Care mess, involved in the pardon of Rich, and Terrorists, including two of the Weather Underground. ETC.

So let's look at some more of this mystical CHANGE and this NEW direction. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) surfaced Friday as a possible candidate for secretary of the Interior. Greg Craig to the post of White House counsel, who does not like Obama's choice for Secretary of State. Bill Richardson is now a top choice for Commerce secretary. Timothy Geithner, the president of the New York Federal Reserve, who likely will emerge as the secretary of treasury. Lawrence Summers is another candidate.

Retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones, who was the former head of NATO and U.S. forces in Europe, appears to be the leading contender for the national security adviser position. Retired Adm. Dennis C. Blair, former commander in chief of the Pacific Command and a sixth generation naval officer, has emerged as the top candidate for director of national intelligence. Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., has been picked to head the Department of Health and Human Services, where he would work on a health care plan that will provide universal access, as Obama promised in his campaign.Of course, Gov. Janet Napolitano for Homeland Security, and Hillary for Secretary of State.

Let's look at some of these people. Shall we? One they are ALL Clintonistas.

Lawrence Summers was forced out as president of Harvard University for a number of perceived insults, including suggesting that biological differences explain why women are inferior to men in science, engineering and math.

What about Retired Adm. Dennis C. Blair? Some say he is a New World Orderist. A Universalist that hates war and Bush. I'm not sure what to think of him yet. I found his following comments interesting.

"To carry out a successful future strategy in the world, we do not need to maintain a relative level of power to the rest of the world on the order of our superiority to North Korea, but we need to have a vibrant and open economy, strong military forces and a society with important aspects that other countries admire and seek to emulate. This means that we must get our fiscal house in order, we need to improve our K- through-12 educational system, repair our national transportation infrastructure, maintain and improve our global economic business competitiveness, maintain open markets in capital, services and goods, and restore our reputation for acting in a moral and responsible manner."

Now they stop here. He is for universal FREE education and in in agreement with Obama on early education. He agrees that the war is immoral and the Bush Administration policies have hurt America's standings. I have seen this quote. But they fail to give you the rest of what I find VERY interesting.

"Only an economically dynamic, militarily powerful, attractive United States can improve its position in the world with our open, inefficient national security system not driven by a single powerful threat."

So he doesn't think our National Security is what it should be. But he DOES believe in a STRONG Military, and, well, keep going.

"There is one other set of internal policies that the United States must pursue consistently to improve its international position, and these have to do with imported oil. Continued dependence on imported petroleum at current and projected levels will undercut any strategy or set of principles the country tries to pursue in the future. We will continue to be on a military hair trigger in the Persian Gulf Region, and we will become more heavily involved in violent and unstable areas of Central Asia and Western Africa. It is difficult to imagine a successful American grand strategy under these circumstances.

Although energy independence is unrealistic, a dramatic decrease in the oil intensity of the American economy is very achievable. During the 1970s and 1980s the United States cut in half the amount of imported petroleum it used to generate a dollar of gross domestic product. We can do so again with a combination of known conservation measures, safe drilling of domestic reserves, and investment in alternative technologies financed in large measure by revision of ethanol tariffs. With national oil intensity cut in half our economy would be much less subject to interruptions in supply abroad and variations in price, and our policies towards the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia could be more balanced, less militarized, and more in keeping with our values."

ABSOLUTELY!

"So the first orders of business are to rebuild the foundation of American international power, restoring a United States that is economically dynamic, globally competitive, attractive in its values and with reduced imported oil intensity. Beyond these actions at home we need a set of strategic principles to guide our international policies and actions.

The start point for a set of strategic principles is a goal or objective. What kind of a world does the United States want in another 20 or 30 years? What is our vision of the world we want to build?

We seek a world of nation states with secure and respected borders that are able to enforce the rule of law within their territory; we seek a world of nation states that have representative governments that protect the rights of their minorities, that base their economies on free markets, and that openly trade with one another in capital, services and goods."

FREE MARKETS! CAPITALISM!

"I believe that the great majority of Americans share this vision. As important, I believe that the great majority of citizens of the rest of the world and their governments also share it. In fact, most of these goals are expressed in the United Nations Charter, to which 192 nations now belong, representing virtually the entire population of the planet."

Now this following bit I find TRULY amazing. Get this.

"Beyond the hypocrisy of authoritarian governments that repress their people and pay lip service to these ideals, the only reservations around the world about this goal have to do with enforcing one of its tenets at the expense of others and timelines and methods for achieving it. So American grand strategic principles have the great advantage of being based on a vision shared by most of the world."

ABSOLUTLEY again! However, we just elected a President that does EXACTLY that. He spouts Authoritarian ideals and "pay lip service to the America" that you Adm. Blair, just pointed out. So if you take this job of Director of National Intelligence, I hope you stay TRUE to what you just said.

Now what about Tom Dashle? He heads Obama's health care policy group and wrote, Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis. Daschle argues in the book that the U.S. must make health-care available to everyone. A HUGH Universal Health care proponent.

Daschle has proposed creating a Federal Health Board that would function similarly to the Federal Reserve System as a kind of enforcer of health policy. He has also suggested merging employer-based plans, Medicaid and Medicare with an expanded Federal Employee Health Benefits Program that would cover all.

So you are starting to see how Obama is putting into place some that will work hard to further HIS ideals.

I'll be right back with the two I REALLY want to talk about, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano is the chief candidate for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and of course Hillary as Secretary of State.
Peter

Janet Napolitano for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

Seriously?

Hey folks,

OK we're back. Just like Tom Dashel, Obama tapped someone else to put into a position that will help him to further his agenda. Janet Napolitano for Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

So how is this person that is going to be placed in charge of our Nations Security? A big Amnesty proponent, big Pro - Choice, proponent, and or course, another Clintonista.

In 1991, while a partner with the private Phoenix law firm Lewis and Roca LLP, Napolitano served as attorney for Anita Hill. Remember her? Anita Hill testified in the U.S. Senate that then U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her ten years earlier when she was his subordinate at the federal EEOC. It didn't happen.

In 1993, Napolitano was appointed by President Bill Clinton as United States attorney for the District of Arizona. As U.S. attorney, she was involved in the investigation of Michael Fortier of Kingman, Arizona, in connection to the Oklahoma City bombing. She ran for and won the position of state attorney general in 1998. Her tenure focused on consumer protection issues and improving general law enforcement.

Then she Chaired The Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC), is a public/private, membership driven, 501 non-profit organization that formulates programs and action items impacting the relationship between Arizona, Mexico, and Latin America.

The AMC Claims that their mission is to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for the citizens of Arizona by promoting a strong, cooperative relationship with Mexico and Latin America through advocacy, trade, networking and information. The AMC headquarters office is maintained within the Arizona State Capitol building in Phoenix, Arizona.

She has NO experience in Foreign Affairs other than this. She knows NOTHING about Homeland Security. Yet, she could very well end up in charge of it. Now THAT is a scary thought.

What is her position on Wire Taps? We do not know. What is her position on the War in Iraq? We do not know. What is her stance on those that wish to harm this country? We do not know.

What we do know is that she hold radical views just like the new President, and will now be in a place to HELP him with HIS agenda. That's great, but do we REALLY want someone in such a sensitive position that we know very little about? Well, then again, Obama did get elected President.

Be right back with Clinton.
Peter

Clinton as Secretary of State

How is this NOT a conflict of interests?

Hey folks,

Alright, Hillary? Hillary Clinton is going to be the new Secretary of State. According to the Chicago Tribune - Report: Clinton to accept Obama cabinet By Peter Nicholas and Christi Parsons Tribune staff reporter 7:56 PM CST, November 21, 2008

President-elect Barack Obama has settled on former campaign rival Hillary Clinton to be secretary of State, following a high-stakes courtship that is expected to lead to a formal announcement after the Thanksgiving holiday, aides to both said.

We are also hearing that she either has or will be resigning her Senate Position. But how is this NOT a conflict of interest? According to the Tribune.

After an extensive examination of Bill Clinton's complicated financial dealings, the Obama transition team is now satisfied that the nomination will not pose any conflicts of interest, an aide to the president-elect said.

Oh well I'm glad that they are sure of that. {Sigh}

On her end, Clinton is ready to give up her Senate seat and become the nation's top diplomat, taking one of the most prestigious cabinet posts, friends and advisors said Friday. They added that she has not yet accepted the job.

She will. According to this article.

The Obama transition team and Clinton's Senate office both said the nomination is "on track.'' At least two other prominent Democrats were also in the running for the secretary of State job: Richardson and U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004.

After a withering presidential campaign, bringing Clinton into Obama's circle was a feat of diplomacy in itself. As candidates, the two competed hard for the nomination, with loyalists trading tough charges.

Not all are happy about this. No not happy at all.

In March, Obama's team put out a memo challenging Clinton's foreign policy credentials. Greg Craig, who worked in Bill Clinton's State Department, wrote that as first lady she "did not do any heavy lifting with foreign governments, whether they were friendly or not. She never managed a foreign policy crisis, and there is no evidence to suggest that she participated in the decision-making that occurred in connection with any such crisis.''

{Laughing} So the NEW White House Counsel is counseling again it.

Obama recently named Craig to the post of White House counsel. Obama and Clinton have also represented different factions in the party. He was favored by better-educated, wealthier voters; she was the hero of women and a more downscale swath of the electorate.

"a more downscale swath of the electorate?"

One obstacle to the appointment was Bill Clinton's finances. The former president has made a fortune delivering speeches around the world, while taking in hundreds of millions of dollars from anonymous donors for his private foundation and library. Some of the money has come from foreign sources, including a $10 million gift from the Saudi royal family.

AND SHE WILL BE THE SECRETARY OF STATE!

During the campaign, Obama released a memo claiming that the secrecy surrounding the donors showed that Hillary Clinton, despite her years in public life, had not yet been fully vetted and had a "history of misleading voters.''

What has changed?

To clear a path for his wife's appointment, Bill Clinton agreed to several concessions: He gave the Obama team the names of more than 200,000 donors to his foundation and library; he agreed to clear any future paid speeches with the White House and State Department; and he said he would distance himself from his foundation.

{Laughing} Yeah, but he is not doing away with the foundation. This really is incredible.

An Obama aide said Friday the "financial disclosure issues have been worked out.'' And a Bill Clinton aide said: "If she does not do it, it won't be because of my boss.''

Idiot. But there are more that do not like this appointment.

The selection of Clinton for the State Department prompted Latino groups to ask Obama to consider the ethnic makeup of his cabinet.

Richardson, a Latino, had hoped for the State job, a Democrat close to him said. He is now a top choice for Commerce secretary, a member of Obama's circle said.

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) surfaced Friday as a possible candidate for secretary of the Interior. "Everybody's hope in the Latino community was to see Gov. Richardson as secretary of State," said Janet Murguia, president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza, the country's largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. "Obviously, we felt like he was eminently qualified.''

While Clinton would be an ``excellent'' secretary of State, Murguia said, Latino activists want to see Richardson installed in an important cabinet position and several Latino candidates-Grijalva and others-considered for other positions.

"We've got qualified Hispanic candidates who could fill any cabinet role," she said. "Giving them due consideration is only right."


Yeah they want AMNESTY. They think this would be a GIANT STEP in that direction. Even Richardson is not happy.

A Democrat close to Richardson brushed aside talk of the Commerce slot, at the same time acknowledging Richardson's interest in a cabinet position. "Richardson's interested in being secretary of State. Until that's resolved, he doesn't want to think or talk about anything else," this person said..

So not all are happy in Obama World. As we see his cabinet taking shape, all we see is Clinton 3. Including Clintons themselves. I only see one that I have hope for, the rest, nothing but Clintonistas and no change whatsoever. Where is the CHANGE? I guess "you can't have change if you put a representative of the same ol' guard in the drivers' seat," but it is OK if you are driving the bus FILLED with them. Right?
Peter

Sources:
Chicago Tribune - Report: Clinton to accept Obama cabinet post