Cheer-leading for Energy

I believe in Logic, Commonsense, and Reality.

Hey folks,

Not much time today. I wasn't going to even come in to the OPNTalk Office, things to do. But then I saw two News Stories I HAVE to comment on and a question I HAVE to answer. Since it IS Tuesday, I'll answer this question.

"Pete, WHY? Why do you continue to be a Cheerleader for the energy industry. I'm not trying to be rude here, and I think you are a smart guy, but I will tell you I rarely ever "check in" as you say on Tuesdays, because I know all I will see is drill baby drill, or you making excuses for the high gas prices while the oil companies get richer. I just do not understand how you have been so duped."

Well, the short answer is that I believe in Logic, Commonsense, and REALITY.

Does the Oil Companies make big Profits? Yup. But they SPEND Big to get them. It is the sheer size of the numbers that get most people lost. They can't wrap their mind around it. Just like people trying to understand Government Spending.

Most in the world will be lucky if they make a Million in their lifetime. Then you have people talking about Billions and Trillions, most can't grasp the concept. Yes, Oil Companies make Billions in Profit. But they SPEND Billions to get there. They have to search out, extract, refine, and ship the Oil. They spend BILLIONS to do so. So they make Billions in return. Just like YOU investing in anything. The more you put in, at risk, the more you make, or lose. The Oil Companies do come up "dry" from time to time, meaning they LOSE Billions.

However, what most do not talk about is the Government makes MORE than "Big Oil," and they do NOTHING. No one complains about that. Big Oil makes pennies on the Gallon, Government makes percentages.

Then you have the fact that we NEED Oil. Oil is what the WORLD runs on. Notice the price at the pump keeps going up? World demand is still going up. In some areas here in sunny South Florida, I have seen $3.00 a gallon. Why? Because Demand {World} is going up, Supply, is not. Logic dictates, INCREASE Supply, LOWER Demand, Pay LESS. There is no other formula that works here.

What I do find insane is those that feel that if the Energy Cost Skyrocket, by design, someone, somewhere, will miraculously come up with a viable alternative on a mass scale that everyone in the world could switch to over night and we could all be "Green." There IS nothing out there to switch to. While we wait on this magical Dream to come true, the poor and less fortunate will be forced to chose between Food, which the cost of will skyrocket as well, and heating their homes or driving their cars. Will Congress? No. Most are Millionaires and most pay NOTHING for gas. YOU do. Does Obama care about the Price of Gas? No. Rush Limbaugh? No. People with money can afford it. The single Mom working two jobs? YES. The Retiree? YES. People on a fixed income? YES.

So why am I a Cheerleader for the Energy Companies? Because I GET IT. I understand REALITY. I understand that we have more natural resources than the entire Middle East Combined. I understand that relying on Foreign Governments that hate us, is just foolish. I understand that within a Year and a half, to two years, we could be using some of our VAST Resources and the Prices will reduce majorly and we will be more secure. Remember when Bush just TALKED about Drilling here? The Prices plummeted. Imagine if we actually DID IT.

See you tomorrow to talk about the other two. Secondhand Smoke and someone is attacking little Hitler.
Peter

Oregon Bomb Plot Suspect Arrested, Second Hand Smoke

Preview for Sunday 112810

Hey folks,

First and foremost, a shout out to the FBI and the Investigators that stopped and arrested Mohamed Osman Mohamud. According to the AP - Oregon bomb-plot suspect wanted 'spectacular show' By Tim Fought And Nedra Pickler, Associated Press

PORTLAND, Ore. – A Somali-born teenager plotted "a spectacular show" of terrorism for months, saying he didn't mind that children would die if he bombed a crowded Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, according to a law-enforcement official and court documents.

He never got the chance. Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was arrested Friday in downtown Portland after using a cell phone to try to detonate what he thought were explosives in a van, prosecutors said. It turned out to be a dummy bomb put together by FBI agents. Authorities said Mohamud was acting alone.

The alleged plot followed a string of terrorist attack planning by U.S. citizens or residents, including a Times Square plot in which a Pakistan-born man pleaded guilty earlier this year to trying to set off a car bomb at a bustling street corner. Last month, another Pakistan-born Virginia resident was accused in a bomb plot to kill commuters.

In the Portland plot, Mohamud was not being directed by any foreign terrorist organization, according to a law-enforcement official who wasn't authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on a condition of anonymity.

Congratulations on a Job well done Agents. Thank you for keeping Americans safe this Holiday Season. For more, clink the LINK.

What a great way to start the Big Sunday Edition of the OPNTalk Blog. It IS Sunday. Hello. Glad to have ya. I'm fine. You know what this is and who this is. Just Four {Three and a half or so} days removed from Thanksgiving. Hope you are feeling better than I. {Laughing} Guess what I had for Dinner last night? Yup Turkey Sandwiches and Chips. Pie for Breakfast for the past Three days as well. {Smile} Feel Like I gained fifty pounds. I'll be spending more time at the Gym this Week.

Anyway, we have a FULLY loaded day ahead, and a lot to cover. Coming right up?

DREAM Act hunger strike spreads
Presidency and the Constitution
QE2, China, Russia quit dollar
Green Christmas for My Liberal Friends.
Active Kids Mean Healthier Kids
DLA For Sunday 112810
IWA For Sunday 112810

ALL this coming right up. Remember you can follow along on Twitter, become friends on Facebook, find me over at Tom Sullivan Radio Listener's Club, and as always, if you want to be part of the OPNTalk Blog, the Email is opntalk@gmail.com.

First, did you hear about this? Now you know that I quit Smoking some time ago. I'm not a smoker anymore, nor do I have any allegiance to the Tobacco Industry. I do not advertise for them, nor receive any compensation of ANY kind for them. But stories like this just really tick me off. According to the AP - More than 600,000 people killed by 2nd-hand smoke By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer Fri Nov 26, 1:29 am ET

Now if you just read the Headline, you can easily see why the Anti-Smoking Nazi Groups out there will be quick to jump all over this. Sound HORRIBLE does it not? Problem is, it's NOT real. It's NOT based on REAL Science, nor is there any ACTUAL PROOF that it is INDEED Second Hand Smoke causing the deaths. Here is what I mean.

LONDON – Secondhand smoke kills more than 600,000 people worldwide every year, according to a new study.

In the first look at the global impact of secondhand smoking, researchers analyzed data from 2004 for 192 countries. They found 40 percent of children and more than 30 percent of non-smoking men and women regularly breathe in secondhand smoke.

Scientists then estimated that passive smoking causes about 379,000 deaths from heart disease, 165,000 deaths from lower respiratory disease, 36,900 deaths from asthma and 21,400 deaths from lung cancer a year.

Altogether, those account for about 1 percent of the world's deaths. The study was paid for by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare and Bloomberg Philanthropies. It was published Friday in the British medical journal Lancet.

So how was the Data formulated and by whom. Is there any other possibilities involved in the "heart disease, lower respiratory disease, and asthma?" Who WAS the Smoker involved in these cases? Does the "Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare and Bloomberg Philanthropies." stand to gain from this study?

"This helps us understand the real toll of tobacco," said Armando Peruga, a program manager at the World Health Organization's Tobacco-Free Initiative, who led the study. He said the approximately 603,000 deaths from secondhand smoking should be added to the 5.1 million deaths that smoking itself causes every year.

Oh. Armando Peruga, a program manager at the World Health Organization's Tobacco-Free Initiative, who led the study. Yeah, no bias there. {Smile}

Peruga said WHO was particularly concerned about the 165,000 children who die of smoke-related respiratory infections, mostly in Southeast Asia and Africa.

"The mix of infectious diseases and secondhand smoke is a deadly combination," Peruga said. Children whose parents smoke have a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome, ear infections, pneumonia, bronchitis and asthma. Their lungs may also grow more slowly than kids whose parents don't smoke.

Peruga and colleagues found the highest numbers of people exposed to secondhand smoke are in Europe and Asia. The lowest rates of exposure were in the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa.

secondhand smoke had its biggest impact on women, killing about 281,000. In many parts of the world, women are at least 50 percent more likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke than men.

Why? I guess Women are just helpless Victims. Most likely big bad Evil Men are to blame. {Sigh}

While many Western countries have introduced smoking bans in public places, experts said it would be difficult to legislate further.

"I don't think it is likely we will see strong regulations reaching into homes," said Heather Wipfli of the Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, who was not connected to the study. She said more public smoking bans and education might persuade people to quit smoking at home.

In the U.K., the British Lung Foundation is petitioning the government to outlaw smoking in cars.

Helena Shovelton, the foundation's chief executive, said smoking parents frequently underestimate the danger their habit is doing to their children.

"It's almost as if people are in denial," she said. "They absolutely would not do something dangerous like leaving their child in the middle of the road but somehow, smoking in front of them is fine."

Uh yes, more Government Control and interference in your Private and Personal Lives. They have to protect non-smokers, mostly helpless Women and Children from you. Forget the fact this is all gobblygook. Sound good Liberal nonsense that is NOT backed by REAL Science. It's a bunch of assumptions and interjections of opinion to formulate something that sounds Logical and correct.

Like I said, and as you can see, we have a BUSY day ahead of us today, so lets get to it. Going to fill my cup, be right back.
Peter

Sources:
AP - Oregon bomb-plot suspect wanted 'spectacular show'
AP - More than 600,000 people killed by 2nd-hand smoke

DREAM Act hunger strike spreads

Do you really care?

Hey folks,

I don't. So some kids, with skulls full of mush, having been brainwashed into thinking that America is Evil and the cause of all the problems in the world, have decided to go on a hunger strike. Why? They want Congress to pass the Dream Act.

What is the DREAM Act? Amnesty. Amnesty in the guise of compassion for those who where Minors when they arrived here. So a Kid, or Teenager of an Illegal Alien would, under this Bunk, being here at least five years, {Proved by how?}be allowed to "Earn" Citizenship, through attending Two Years in College and or the Military. They would have to be "good Moral Character," {As determined by whom?} and they would have to be on the road to getting a College Degree.

Basically, it is a step toward Amnesty. That's all this is. Yet, some Students in Universities across Texas and San Antonio, have gone on a Hunger strike to pressure U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to vote for the DREAM Act. No doubt they have been Brainwashed by those Liberal Institutions to think that all these people want is a better life, and America's Immigration Laws are Draconian and Evil. Then again, many of them that ARE Striking ARE Illegal to begin with.

Anyway, as I said, who cares? According to SA.com - DREAM Act hunger strike spreads By Melissa Ludwig - Express-News Web Posted: 11/24/2010 12:00 AM CST

University students across Texas this week joined San Antonio students in a hunger strike aimed at pressuring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison to vote for the DREAM Act, a bill that would provide a path to citizenship for students and soldiers brought to the country illegally as children.

Started two weeks ago by a dozen students at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the hunger strike spread this week to UT campuses in Austin, Dallas, Arlington, Brownsville and Edinburg, as well as the University of North Texas in Denton, according to members of DREAM Act NOW!, the UTSA student group that organized the strike.

The group is part of a national coalition called United We DREAM, which brings together activists in each state. Universities in Florida and Indiana have also begun striking in solidarity, members said.

“Now that they have seen we are still going and not planning to stop, some have joined us,” said Claudia Sanchez, one of the UTSA strikers. Sanchez, 29, is a U.S. citizen, but many of her fellow strikers are in the country illegally.

Hutchison met with a DREAM Act activist in Washington last week in hopes the meeting would end the hunger strike, according to a spokeswoman. Sanchez said San Antonio strikers want a face-to-face meeting with Hutchison when she comes home to Texas for the holidays.

“We want to start talking about the specifics of the DREAM Act so she can tell us exactly what she doesn't agree with,” Sanchez said. “We are giving her until Thanksgiving. If not, we are going to start stepping up our campaign. We will put more pressure on her.”

If she cares. What does it matter to her if YOU eat of not? What does it matter to ANYONE but YOU? I don't care. Most Americans do not care. Most Americans do NOT want the Dream Act. What we want, is for those that wish to come to this country, to do so LEGALLY. It really is not that hard a concept. Come here LEGALLY, and we will welcome you with open arms. Come here ILLEGALLY, and you fall privy to the LAW that is on the Books. YOU are then a CRIMINAL and NOT worthy of a chance to circumvent the system. Sorry.

In a statement issued Tuesday, Hutchison said she would not support the current bill because it “goes far beyond the intended group of children who grew up in the U.S. and attended primary and secondary schools here.”

Hutchison is concerned for the safety and welfare of the students, but has already met with people from many parts of Texas on the issue and does not plan change her position, the statement said.

Like I said, who cares. They are Striking for those who are ILLEGAL. This does not sit well with most law abiding Citizens. Should we care if there were a group conducting a Hunger Strike for Bank Robbers? Of course not. We would hope that you have enough money to buy new jeans after you lose the weight from not eating.

Sanchez said she hoped Congress would vote on the bill next week during the lame-duck session.

The act would provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants brought to the country before the age of 16. To be eligible, the immigrants must have no criminal record and either attend college or serve in the military for two years. It would likely benefit about 825,000 immigrants, the vast majority under the age of 35, according to the Migration Policy Institute

Yeah she wants it jammed through while the Lib Loons still have some power. I do not think that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison has anything to worry about. It's not coming up for a Vote any time soon. They have too much on their plate than to worry about something that they know they do not have the Votes for. Sorry Kiddies. But think of it this way. Maybe you'll lose some weight and look good for Graduation and or the up coming Spring Break. {Smile}
Peter

Sources:
SA.com - DREAM Act hunger strike spreads

Presidency and the Constitution

From the Emails

Hey folks,

Yeah, I was not here on Friday, too much Turkey, Pies, and other stuff to eat. {Smile} But the Email never shuts down. So here is a Special Sunday Edition of From the Emails.

This is from Hillsdale College. It's called Imprimis. I love Hillsdale because their whole mission is to TEACH. They Teach their Students, no matter what Major, what the Constitution IS. What is it all about. What it is not as well. They are not bogged down with Liberal agendas and they do not allow ANY Government Money to come in and corrupt TRUE Education.

Every month, they send out "Imprimis."

Imprimis is the free monthly speech digest of Hillsdale College and is dedicated to educating citizens and promoting civil and religious liberty by covering cultural, economic, political and educational issues of enduring significance. The content of Imprimis is drawn from speeches delivered to Hillsdale College-hosted events, both on-campus and off-campus. First published in 1972, Imprimis is one of the most widely circulated opinion publications in the nation with over 1.8 million subscribers.

And YOU could be a Subscriber also. Just go to their WEBSITE, click on "Free Subscriptions" and you will be ready to go. Once a Month, YOU will receive Via your Email, Imprimis. Here is a taste of what you will get. This is by Mike Pence

MIKE PENCE graduated from Hanover College in 1981 and earned his J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1986. After running for Congress in 1988 and 1990, he was named president of the Indiana Policy Review Commission, a state think tank based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1991. He was first elected to Congress from Indiana’s 6th District in 2000 and was most recently elected to a fifth term in 2008. That same year he was elected to serve as House Republican Conference Chairman. During the 109th Congress, he also served as chairman of the House Republican Study Committee, the largest caucus in the House of Representatives.

The following is adapted from a speech delivered on the Hillsdale College campus on September 20, 2010.

The Presidency and the Constitution

THE PRESIDENCY is the most visible thread that runs through the tapestry of the American government. More often than not, for good or for ill, it sets the tone for the other branches and spurs the expectations of the people. Its powers are vast and consequential, its requirements impossible for mortals to fulfill without humility and insistent attention to its purpose as set forth in the Constitution of the United States.

Isn’t it amazing, given the great and momentous nature of the office, that those who seek it seldom pause to consider what they are seeking? Rather, unconstrained by principle or reflection, there is a mad rush toward something that, once its powers are seized, the new president can wield as an instrument with which to transform the nation and the people according to his highest aspirations.

But, other than in a crisis of the house divided, the presidency is neither fit nor intended to be such an instrument. When it is made that, the country sustains a wound, and cries out justly and indignantly. And what the nation says is the theme of this address. What it says—informed by its long history, impelled by the laws of nature and nature’s God—is that we as a people are not to be ruled and not to be commanded. It says that the president should never forget this; that he has not risen above us, but is merely one of us, chosen by ballot, dismissed after his term, tasked not to transform and work his will upon us, but to bear the weight of decision and to carry out faithfully the design laid down in the Constitution in accordance with the Declaration of Independence.

* * *

The presidency must adhere to its definition as expressed in the Constitution, and to conduct defined over time and by tradition. While the powers of the office have enlarged, along with those of the legislature and the judiciary, the framework of the government was intended to restrict abuses common to classical empires and to the regal states of the 18th century.

Without proper adherence to the role contemplated in the Constitution for the presidency, the checks and balances in the constitutional plan become weakened. This has been most obvious in recent years when the three branches of government have been subject to the tutelage of a single party. Under either party, presidents have often forgotten that they are intended to restrain the Congress at times, and that the Congress is independent of their desires. And thus fused in unholy unity, the political class has raged forward in a drunken expansion of powers and prerogatives, mistakenly assuming that to exercise power is by default to do good.

Even the simplest among us knows that this is not so. Power is an instrument of fatal consequence. It is confined no more readily than quicksilver, and escapes good intentions as easily as air flows through mesh. Therefore, those who are entrusted with it must educate themselves in self-restraint. A republic is about limitation, and for good reason, because we are mortal and our actions are imperfect.

The tragedy of presidential decision is that even with the best choice, some, perhaps many, will be left behind, and some, perhaps many, may die. Because of this, a true statesman lives continuously with what Churchill called “stress of soul.” He may give to Paul, but only because he robs Peter. And that is why you must always be wary of a president who seems to float upon his own greatness. For all greatness is tempered by mortality, every soul is equal, and distinctions among men cannot be owned; they are on loan from God, who takes them back and evens accounts at the end.

It is a tragedy indeed that new generations taking office attribute failures in governance to insufficient power, and seek more of it. In the judiciary, this has seldom been better expressed than by Justice Thurgood Marshall, who said: “You do what you think is right and let the law catch up.” In the Congress, it presents itself in massive legislation, acts and codes thousands of pages long and so monstrously over-complicated that no human being can read through them—much less understand them, much less apply them justly to a people that increasingly feel like they are no longer being asked, but rather told. Our nation finds itself in the position of a dog whose duty it is not to ask why—because the “why” is too elevated for his nature—but simply to obey.

America is not a dog, and does not require a “because-I-said-so” jurisprudence; or legislators who knit laws of such insulting complexity that they are heavier than chains; or a president who acts like, speaks like, and is received as a king.

The president is not our teacher, our tutor, our guide or ruler. He does not command us; we command him. We serve neither him nor his vision. It is not his job or his prerogative to redefine custom, law, and beliefs; to appropriate industries; to seize the country, as it were, by the shoulders or by the throat so as to impose by force of theatrical charisma his justice upon 300 million others. It is neither his job nor his prerogative to shift the power of decision away from them, and to him and the acolytes of his choosing.

Is my characterization of unprecedented presumption incorrect? Listen to the words of the leader of President Obama’s transition team and perhaps his next chief-of-staff: “It’s important that President-Elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.” Or, more recently, the latest presidential appointment to avoid confirmation by the Senate—the new head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—who wrote last Friday: “President Obama understands the importance of leveling the playing field again.”

“Take power. . .rule. . .leveling.” Though it is the model now, this has never been and should never again be the model of the presidency or the character of the American president. No one can say this too strongly, and no one can say it enough until it is remedied. We are not subjects; we are citizens. We fought a war so that we do not have to treat even kings like kings, and—if I may remind you—we won that war. Since then, the principle of royalty has, in this country, been inoperative. Who is better suited or more required to exemplify this conviction, in word and deed, than the President of the United States?

* * *

The powers of the presidency are extraordinary and necessarily great, and great presidents treat them sparingly. For example, it is not the president’s job to manipulate the nation’s youth for the sake of his agenda or his party. They are a potent political force when massed by the social network to which they are permanently attached. But if the president has their true interests at heart he will neither flatter them nor let them adore him, for in flattery is condescension and in adoration is direction, and youth is neither seasoned nor tested enough to direct a nation. Nor should it be the president’s business to presume to direct them. It is difficult enough to do right by one’s own children. No one can be the father of a whole continent’s youth.

Is the president, therefore, expected to turn away from this and other easy advantage? Yes. Like Harry Truman, who went to bed before the result on election night, he must know when to withdraw, to hold back, and to forgo attention, publicity, or advantage.

There is no finer, more moving, or more profound understanding of the nature of the presidency and the command of humility placed upon it than that expressed by President Coolidge. He, like Lincoln, lost a child while he was president, a son of sixteen. “The day I became president,” Coolidge wrote, “he had just started to work in a tobacco field. When one of his fellow laborers said to him, ‘If my father was president I would not work in a tobacco field,’ Calvin replied, ‘If my father were your father you would.’” His admiration for the boy was obvious.

Young Calvin contracted blood poisoning from an incident on the South Lawn of the White House. Coolidge wrote, “What might have happened to him under other circumstances we do not know, but if I had not been president. . . .” And then he continued,

“In his suffering he was asking me to make him well. I could not. When he went, the power and glory of the Presidency went with him.”

A sensibility such as this, and not power, is the source of presidential dignity, and must be restored. It depends entirely upon character, self-discipline, and an understanding of the fundamental principles that underlie not only the republic, but life itself. It communicates that the president feels the gravity of his office and is willing to sacrifice himself; that his eye is not upon his own prospects but on the storm of history, through which he must navigate with the specific powers accorded to him and the limitations placed on those powers both by man and by God.

* * *

The modern presidency has drifted far from the great strength and illumination of its source: the Constitution as given life by the Declaration of Independence, the greatest political document ever written. The Constitution—terse, sober, and specific—does not, except by implication, address the president’s demeanor. But this we can read in the best qualities of the founding generation, which we would do well to imitate. In the Capitol Rotunda are heroic paintings of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the victory at Saratoga, the victory at Yorktown, and—something seldom seen in history—a general, the leader of an armed rebellion, resigning his commission and surrendering his army to a new democracy. Upon hearing from Benjamin West that George Washington, having won the war and been urged by some to use the army to make himself king, would instead return to his farm, King George III said: “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.” He did, and he was.

To aspire to such virtue and self-restraint would in a sense be difficult, but in another sense it should be easy—difficult because it would be demanding and ideal, and easy because it is the right thing to do and the rewards are immediately self-evident.

A president who slights the Constitution is like a rider who hates his horse: he will be thrown, and the nation along with him. The president solemnly swears to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. He does not solemnly swear to ignore, overlook, supplement, or reinterpret it. Other than in a crisis of existence, such as the Civil War, amendment should be the sole means of circumventing the Constitution. For if a president joins the powers of his office to his own willful interpretation, he steps away from a government of laws and toward a government of men.

Is the Constitution a fluctuating and inconstant document, a collection of suggestions whose purpose is to stimulate debate in a future to which the Founders were necessarily blind? Progressives tell us that even the Framers themselves could not reach agreement in its regard. But they did agree upon it. And they wrote it down. And they signed it. And they lived by it. Its words are unchanging and unchangeable except, again, by amendment. There is no allowance for a president to override it according to his supposed superior conception. Why is this good? It is good because the sun will burn out, the Ohio River will flow backwards, and the cow will jump over the moon 10,000 times before any modern president’s conception is superior to that of the Founders of this nation.

Would it be such a great surprise that a good part of the political strife of our times is because one president after another, rather than keeping faith with it, argues with the document he is supposed to live by? This discontent will only be calmed by returning the presidency to the nation’s first principles. The Constitution and the Declaration should be on a president’s mind all the time, as the prism through which the light of all question of governance passes. Though we have—sometimes gradually, sometimes radically—moved away from this, we can move back to it. And who better than the president to restore this wholesome devotion to limited government?

* * *

And as the president returns to the consistent application of the principles in the Constitution, he will also ensure fiscal responsibility and prosperity. Who is better suited, with his executive and veto powers, to carry over the duty of self-restraint and discipline to the idea of fiscal solvency? When the president restrains government spending, leaving room for the American people to enjoy the fruits of their labor, growth is inevitable. As Senator Robert Taft wrote: “Liberty has been the key to our progress in the past and is the key to our progress in the future.... If we can preserve liberty in all its essentials, there is no limit to the future of the American people.”

Whereas the president must be cautious, dutiful, and deferential at home, his character must change abroad. Were he to ask for a primer on how to act in relation to other states, which no holder of the office has needed to this point, and were that primer to be written by the American people, whether of 1776 or 2010, you can be confident that it would contain the following instructions:

You do not bow to kings. Outside our shores, the President of the United States of America bows to no man. When in foreign lands, you do not criticize your own country. You do not argue the case against the United States, but the case for it. You do not apologize to the enemies of the United States. Should you be confused, a country, people, or region that harbors, shelters, supports, encourages, or cheers attacks upon our country or the slaughter of our friends and families are enemies of the United States. And, to repeat, you do not apologize to them.

Closely related to this, and perhaps the least ambiguous of the president’s complex responsibilities, is his duty as commander-in-chief of the military. In this regard there is a very simple rule, unknown to some presidents regardless of party: If, after careful determination, intense stress of soul, and the deepest prayer, you go to war, then, having gone to war, you go to war to win. You do not cast away American lives, or those of the innocent noncombatant enemy, upon a theory, a gambit, or a notion. And if the politics of your own election or of your party intrude upon your decisions for even an instant—there are no words for this.

More commonplace, but hardly less important, are other expectations of the president in this regard. He must not stint on the equipment and provisioning of the armed forces, and if he errs it must be not on the side of scarcity but of surplus. And he must be the guardian of his troops, taking every step to avoid the loss of even a single life.

The American soldier is as precious as the closest of your kin—because he is your kin, and for his sake the president must, in effect, say to the Congress and to the people: ÒI am the Commander-in-Chief. It is my sacred duty to defend the United States, and to give our soldiers what they need to complete the mission and come home safe, whatever the cost.Ó

If, in fulfilling this duty, the president wavers, he will have betrayed his office, for this is not a policy, it is probity. It is written on the blood-soaked ground of Saratoga, Yorktown, Antietam, Cold Harbor, the Marne, Guadalcanal, the Pointe du Hoc, the Chosin Reservoir, Khe Sanh, Iraq, Afghanistan, and a thousand other places in our history, in lessons repeated over and over again.

* * *

The presidency, a great and complex subject upon which I have only touched, has become symbolic of overreaching. There are many truths that we have been frightened to tell or face. If we run from them, they will catch us with our backs turned and pull us down. Better that we should not flee but rather stop and look them in the eye.

What might our forebears say to us, knowing what they knew, and having done what they did? I have no doubt that they would tell us to channel our passions, speak the truth and do what is right, slowly and with resolution; to work calmly, steadily and without animus or fear; to be like a rock in the tide, let the water tumble about us, and be firm and unashamed in our love of country.

I see us like those in Philadelphia in 1776. Danger all around, but a fresh chapter, ready to begin, uncorrupted, with great possibilities and—inexplicably, perhaps miraculously—the way is clearing ahead. I have never doubted that Providence can appear in history like the sun emerging from behind the clouds, if only as a reward for adherence to first principles. As Winston Churchill said in a speech to Congress on December 26, 1941: “He must indeed have a blind soul who cannot see that some great purpose and design is being worked out here below, of which we have the honor to be the faithful servants.”

As Americans, we inherit what Lincoln in his First Inaugural called “the mystic chords of memory stretching from every patriot grave.” They bind us to the great and the humble, the known and the unknown of Americans past—and if I hear them clearly, what they say is that although we may have strayed, we have not strayed too far to return, for we are their descendants. We can still astound the world with justice, reason and strength. I know this is true, but even if it was not we could not in decency stand down, if only for our debt to history. We owe a debt to those who came before, who did great things, and suffered more than we suffer, and gave more than we give, and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor for us, whom they did not know. For we “drink from wells we did not dig” and are “warmed by fires we did not build,” and so we must be faithful in our time as they were in theirs.

Many great generations are gone, but by the character and memory of their existence they forbid us to despair of the republic. I see them crossing the prairies in the sun and wind. I see their faces looking out from steel mills and coal mines, and immigrant ships crawling into the harbors at dawn. I see them at war, at work and at peace. I see them, long departed, looking into the camera, with hopeful and sad eyes. And I see them embracing their children, who became us. They are our family and our blood, and we cannot desert them. In spirit, all of them come down to all of us, in a connection that, out of love, we cannot betray.

They are silent now and forever, but from the eternal silence of every patriot grave there is yet an echo that says, “It is not too late; keep faith with us, keep faith with God, and do not, do not ever despair of the republic.”

Note: From The Emails is a weekly Segment every Friday, or occasionally anytime, that appears here at the OPNTalk Blog. Please feel free to Email any Articles, Comments, Thoughts, Whatever, that you may like to share to opntalk@gmail.com As always, you never know what you may see here.

QE2, China, Russia quit dollar

They all warned us.

Hey folks

When the Fed announced that they were thinking about and planning to go for another round, dubbed QE2, the WORLD said, "Don't do it." Even Obama, travelling around the Global was met with, "What are you stupid, get out of here." Of course, not in so many words. But the World made it plain and clear to Obama, that his Economic Plans were not working and they wanted NOTHING to do with ANY of them. They came right out and said, don't do QE2.

So what did the Fed do? QE2. They printed another $600 Billion Dollars and threw it into the Market via buying Treasury debt. So? Is it working? You tell me? According to the NY Times - Is the Fed’s Plan Working? Look Abroad By PAUL J. LIM

HOW will you know whether the Federal Reserve’s plan to reinvigorate the economy by buying Treasury debt is working?

Simple: Look at how foreign stocks are behaving. Based on their performance last week, the Fed could be running into a problem.

Although one goal of the Fed’s $600 billion monetary stimulus is to restore confidence in domestic stocks — in the hope of bolstering consumer confidence and spending here at home — the real canary in the coal mine for the central bank’s plan is the performance of overseas equities.

Why? Market strategists say they believe that the Fed’s effort, its second foray into quantitative easing, known as QE2, will have several consequences, some of them apparently unintended. For starters, by keeping market interest rates low through buying intermediate-term Treasuries, the Fed hopes to prompt risk-taking among investors.

But risk-taking doesn’t stop at America’s shores, and since anticipation of QE2 began building, investors have bid up risky emerging-market stocks more than domestic equities. Since Aug. 31, the Morgan Stanley Capital International Emerging Markets Index has surged more than 13 percent. That strong rally is a sign that the Fed’s efforts packed initial punch, because it encouraged investors to take on risk.

Low interest rates also reduce demand for the dollar, though it has been rising quite recently. Over the longer haul, a falling dollar would lower the cost of American goods sold abroad, increasing exports and, ultimately, job creation.

But a declining dollar would also “encourage U.S.-based investors to favor overseas investments,” said Jeffrey N. Kleintop, chief market strategist at LPL Financial in Boston. That’s because when the dollar sinks against other currencies, investors who put money to work abroad can profit on the currency exchange.

Since Aug. 31, the MSCI EAFE index of foreign stocks in developed markets has gained 5.9 percent. But despite the dollar’s strength in November, the weakening of the currency in September and October nearly doubled those gains: 10.1 percent for Americans investing abroad.

Now add with that, THIS. China Daily - China, Russia quit dollar By Su Qiang and Li Xiaokun (China Daily) Updated: 2010-11-24 08:02

St. Petersburg, Russia - China and Russia have decided to renounce the US dollar and resort to using their own currencies for bilateral trade, Premier Wen Jiabao and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin announced late on Tuesday.

Chinese experts said the move reflected closer relations between Beijing and Moscow and is not aimed at challenging the dollar, but to protect their domestic economies.

"About trade settlement, we have decided to use our own currencies," Putin said at a joint news conference with Wen in St. Petersburg.

The two countries were accustomed to using other currencies, especially the dollar, for bilateral trade. Since the financial crisis, however, high-ranking officials on both sides began to explore other possibilities.

Translation folks, since Obama hasn't a clue, they are protecting themselves. They can see the Greatest Country on the Face of the planet implode, and they want to be in a position to profit from it in the long run, not be taken down with it. Not to mention, the world is anticipating even further American declines and disarray of the once Great Nation. A shell of itself. An opportunity that the World can not pass up. Read the rest of this.

The yuan has now started trading against the Russian rouble in the Chinese interbank market, while the renminbi will soon be allowed to trade against the rouble in Russia, Putin said.

"That has forged an important step in bilateral trade and it is a result of the consolidated financial systems of world countries," he said.

Putin made his remarks after a meeting with Wen. They also officiated at a signing ceremony for 12 documents, including energy cooperation.

The documents covered cooperation on aviation, railroad construction, customs, protecting intellectual property, culture and a joint communiqu. Details of the documents have yet to be released.

Putin said one of the pacts between the two countries is about the purchase of two nuclear reactors from Russia by China's Tianwan nuclear power plant, the most advanced nuclear power complex in China.

Putin has called for boosting sales of natural resources - Russia's main export - to China, but price has proven to be a sticking point.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, who holds sway over Russia's energy sector, said following a meeting with Chinese representatives that Moscow and Beijing are unlikely to agree on the price of Russian gas supplies to China before the middle of next year.

Russia is looking for China to pay prices similar to those Russian gas giant Gazprom charges its European customers, but Beijing wants a discount. The two sides were about $100 per 1,000 cubic meters apart, according to Chinese officials last week.

Wen's trip follows Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's three-day visit to China in September, during which he and President Hu Jintao launched a cross-border pipeline linking the world's biggest energy producer with the largest energy consumer.

Wen said at the press conference that the partnership between Beijing and Moscow has "reached an unprecedented level" and pledged the two countries will "never become each other's enemy".

Over the past year, "our strategic cooperative partnership endured strenuous tests and reached an unprecedented level," Wen said, adding the two nations are now more confident and determined to defend their mutual interests.

"China will firmly follow the path of peaceful development and support the renaissance of Russia as a great power," he said.

As we get weaker, Russia gets stronger. Iran acquires a Nuclear Bomb, China, North Korea, and others are getting in motion. As America gets weaker, the World becomes more dangerous. I told you Putin wants it all back. He want the Motherland back. He is getting it, while our President signs away our Rights and Power. Destroys our Economy, and hinders our Freedom.

"The modernization of China will not affect other countries' interests, while a solid and strong Sino-Russian relationship is in line with the fundamental interests of both countries."

Wen said Beijing is willing to boost cooperation with Moscow in Northeast Asia, Central Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as in major international organizations and on mechanisms in pursuit of a "fair and reasonable new order" in international politics and the economy.

Sun Zhuangzhi, a senior researcher in Central Asian studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the new mode of trade settlement between China and Russia follows a global trend after the financial crisis exposed the faults of a dollar-dominated world financial system.

Pang Zhongying, who specializes in international politics at Renmin University of China, said the proposal is not challenging the dollar, but aimed at avoiding the risks the dollar represents.

Wen arrived in the northern Russian city on Monday evening for a regular meeting between Chinese and Russian heads of government.

He left St. Petersburg for Moscow late on Tuesday and is set to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday.

Folks, just look around. All this money spent. What's better? Seriously? Where is the "recovery?" Where are the Home Sales, Jobs, Financial Recovery? Where is the Security? Where is our World Standing? We are further and further in Debt, with nothing to gain. We have a Leadership that seemingly doesn't really care about anything other than their agenda. The World is reacting to it. We MUST stop this before it becomes too late.
Peter

Sources:
NY Times - Is the Fed’s Plan Working? Look Abroad
China Daily - China, Russia quit dollar

OPNTalk - I Hope Obama Is Watching

Green Christmas for My Liberal Friends.

Since the Holiday is about Love and Sharing.

Hey folks,

Christmas is right around the corner, and this goes out in the Spirit of the Season. The Spirit of coming together and sharing love. I'm being serious here. You do not have to follow these "Green Tips" if you chose not to, but I find some of them pretty interesting. So no sarcasms, or put downs here. Truly just tips for my Greenie Friends at Christmas Time.

Dreaming of a Green Christmas? Tips for an Eco-Conscious Holiday PR Newswire

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Nov. 26, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- It was Bing Crosby who immortalized a white Christmas in his 1942 hit single, but these days more and more eco-conscious consumers are dreaming of a green Christmas instead. If you're looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint this holiday season, consider these tips from Dedee DeLongpre Johnston, director of sustainability at Wake Forest University.

*Use Sustainable Gift Wrap: Consider saving and re-using holiday wrapping paper just as your grandmother once did. Or wrap your gifts in pretty fabric that can be used for other purposes. "In my family, we re-gift gift bags again and again," DeLongpre Johnston says. "Pillowcases can also make pretty gift wraps if done right."

*Decorate with Energy-Efficient Lighting: While many people still use standard incandescent holiday bulbs, decorative LED lights are now available in a variety of holiday shapes and colors. In addition to having a much longer life span than standard lights, LEDs also reduce fire risks because they stay cool to the touch. "This would be one of the areas where you might spend a little more upfront, but save in the long run," DeLongpre Johnston says. Want to be even greener? Use light-sensor timers to turn your lights on and off.

*Give Consumable Gifts: Most Americans don't need any more stuff or as DeLongpre Johnston points out we're all "stuffed out." So consider giving the gift of services instead, or goods that can be consumed. Some ideas include massages, pedicures, tickets to sporting events, gift certificates for restaurants and other similar pampering treats. Other options would be to give consumable gifts that keep on giving all year long like a membership to a Wine of the Month Club or a monthly delivery of seasonal fruits grown locally. Says DeLongpre Johnston: "It doesn't mean you have to be any less generous."

*Make a Donation in Someone's Name: If someone has a passion in life, giving to an organization that supports their cause can be very meaningful. Whether you donate a flock of chicks to support a hungry family through Heifer International or fund the planting of trees through American Forest, you will be giving a gift that gives back and helps preserve the environment at the same time.

*Give the Gift of Time: Schedule time to get together with friends and family for cookie exchanges or other meaningful holiday events. "We do have the ability as individuals and families to bring whatever intention to this season that we want," DeLongpre Johnston says. "So we can share meals and share time with one another, and if we'd like to give each other gifts, we can do that too."

*Treecycle: If you have a cut tree, check with your local municipality to find out when they will pick it up for recycling. Fortunately, you'll be in good company. More than 30 million real Christmas trees are sold in the United States each year, but more than 90 percent are being recycled for mulch or chipped and used in parks and other public spaces.

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com.

SOURCE Wake Forest University

Like I said, no sarcasms, digs, nor put downs. Happy Holidays to all my OPNers out there.
Peter

Active Kids Mean Healthier Kids

Health and Science for Sunday 112810

Hey folks,

OK. I know some of you are not going to be happy with me on this one. I know, I know. It's a different day and age. I know it seems too simplistic. But it really is pretty simple. Active Children are HEALTHIER Children.

Remember the ELMM Diet I told you about? The Eat Less Move More Diet. Guaranteed to work every time for anyone. Simply put, if you burn more than you take in, you lose weight. You are healthier. You feel better.

Kids have a higher metabolism than Adults. For the most part. They have more energy, and they burn more energy. They do not have to be over weight, even if Fast Food is included in their diet. The key is activity.

What brought all this to mind was this. According to Clubmum.net - Keeping the Kiddos Active in the Cold Months This post brought to you by Chef Boyardee Posted on November 08, 2010 by Jodi Grundig

Okay, I'll admit that November is one of my least favorite months of the year. It's just the beginning of the winter, when the leaves are bare, the cold has settled in, and the days get shorter. Since my kids spend so much time outdoors in the summer, I really have to work hard to keep them active in the winter.

My kids are constantly trying to get me to turn the television on, and honestly, the temptation is strong to give in. After all, they are quiet and easy to manage when they are watching television! But they have loads of energy to burn, and believe me - it's best for the whole family if they burn it off in an organized, mindful manner!

This month, I have a few tricks up my sleeves to keep them active indoors - without me having to refuse them television constantly. First of all, they are each enrolled in weekly gymnastics classes – which they absolutely love. It's a good forty-five minutes of solid exercise, AND they are learning some great skills that they can utilize in the future.

For more ad-hoc play, I like to do dance parties. My son just loves using my iPad to play music, and we all dance around together until we collapse in exhaustion. We also do some really fun "Olympic-style" games, with skipping, hopping, and jumping as "sports". If they get sick of that, we do obstacle courses and relays.

What do you do to keep your kids active in the winter months?

When I was growing up, my activity was Seasonal. In the Spring and Summer, we played Baseball, Smear the,,uh, one with the Ball. You know, throw the ball up and whomever caught it got slammed by EVERYONE else. Boy Girl, it didn't matter, and we are not talking Tag. We would also go out from Dawn til Dusk making stuff up as we played, rode Bikes, ETC.

In the Fall, Football. Again, Boys and Girls. Football. Not Tag. Full contact, full force. No mansy pansy "careful, someone might get hurt," or, "Hey careful you may brush something and it may be considered 'harassment,'" Again, from Dawn till Dusk, or at least after school, til Dinner.

Winter? Of course SLEDDING. Snowmen. Snowball fights. Shoveling out the Neighbors for some extra cash. Yeah, it was cold. We put on coats. Instead of Texting to see what our friends were up to, we went to their HOUSE.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not completely against Texting. Not against Computers, or Video Games. Although, try the Wii, or Kinect for Xbox 360. They will satisfy the Virtual Reality Excitement craving, AND they will get plenty of exercise at the same time.

The point is, let Kids be Kids. Teach them how to use their imagination, then LET them. If you have to, RESTRICT the amount of time they spend Online and sitting in front of the the Boob Tube. If you live in an area that is not safe for them to go out unsupervised, then why not sigh them up for something like the Martial Arts, Gymnastics, Organized Sports, or even Boy / Girl Scouts. Some thing. Any thing.

Just because the temperature is dropping outside, doesn't mean that they have to hibernate for the Winter. There will already be more and more foods. Lets not let them more less and less. That's what too many Adults do. Hence the increase in Gym Memberships in January. You know, the ones that usually see a influx of new People for about a Month. {Smile}

Anyway, as I said before. It's Sunday. Three / Four days removed from Thanksgiving, and I'm still feeling it. Of course I just finished off the Pies and other left overs yesterday. Josh? Me and him hit the Mall Friday. He spent the day with Nana and his friend Saturday, and we are heading off to Church and then a Daddy and Son adventure in just a couple of hours. I have a feeling we will be working some of it off.

Happy Holiday Season to you all. Make it a Happy and Healthy one.
Peter

Sources:
Clubmum.net - Keeping the Kiddos Active in the Cold Months

DLA For Sunday 112810

At least you have to consider it.

Hey folks,

Did you catch this? Someone who gets it. You want to know why some are VERY happy that, most likely, we are going to get gridlock in the Government? Because nothing will get done? That's the point. Now we have someone making the suggestion that they just stay home.

Our winner? Bobby Jindal: Make Congress part-time

Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal wants members of Congress to stay home more often.

“We used to pay farmers not to grow crops, let's pay congressmen to stay out of Washington, D.C.,” Jindal said in an interview with Human Events. “Mark Twain said that our liberty, our wallets were safest when the legislature's not in session.”

{Laughing} They can't screw things up if they are not there.

Jindal, himself a former congressman, said once elected, many lawmakers become entrenched in Washington and become the very people they once campaigned against.

“Make them part-time, give them term limits,” Jindal said. “Don’t let them become lobbyists. When they have to live under the same rules and laws they pass for the rest of us, maybe you’d see some more common sense coming out of Washington, D.C.”

As the system works today, he said, “you’ve got a permanent governing political class.”

Most of whom are Millionaires and actually get away with engaging in Class Warfare.

I like the Ideas. Part Time and Term Limits. Things we SHOULD be considering. Congratulations Bobby Jindal, you ARE the Winner of the Display of Logic Award for this day, Sunday 112810. For not only showing Intelligence to see it, but for having the courage to stand up and SAY something about it.
Peter

Sources:
Politico - Bobby Jindal: Make Congress part-time

IWA For Sunday 112810

Animals Over People?

Hey folks,

I've been asked over the years how I can say in one breath, "I like Animals more than I do most people." and then say things like "If my family is starving and there is a Spotted Owl over there, we are having us a BBQ." How do I reconcile the two apparently opposite views on the topic of Animal Rights?

Well, first, I do not feel Animals have "Rights." Do I feel there should be laws to protect them from abuse? Of course. I do not think anyone has the "Right" to harm a helpless Animal. Yet, "Rights" I feel should be allotted to Humans.

Second, I DO like Animals more than most people, because they are INNOCENT. They do their Animal things without thought of Greed or Harm to others for self gain. They simply want to live, procreate, and be loved. That's it. People have Free Will and, as the Word declares, "for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth" Gen 8:21 And in Galatians 5:

19Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Animals do not have these flaws. They just are. So, in this light, I DO like Animals more than most people.

However, I also understand that People, are more important, the most important, "things" if you will, on Earth. That's right. Human Beings ARE the most important creation on Earth. We have domination over the Earth and all things upon it. With that Right, we have a responsibility to treat kindly, and protect to a degree, those that can not protect themselves. But NEVER at the expense to Humans.

In other words, if the "Jones" Family buy a home, and start to build on it, and someone finds a Spotted Frog, or whatever, the Frog loses. Sorry. The "Jones" come before a Frog.

Our Idiot this Week, is one of those Animal First People. He is not happy with Obama. He thinks he has not done enough for "Endangered Species." I believe that the Polar Bears may still be on this list even though they are no longer Endangered. The Polar Bear Population is exploding and is greater than in the Past. Yet, they serve a political agenda.

Well, our Idiot said this.

"Species on the candidate list continue to deteriorate while waiting for care. The 251 species now under consideration for federal protection are glaring reminders that we can and should do more to safeguard our valuable natural resources."

Yes, Bob Irvin, Senior VP for Conservation at Defenders of Wildlife. According to this Piece: AP - Critics say Obama lagging on endangered species By MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press Matthew Daly, Associated Press – Fri Nov 26, 2:46 am ET

Many of the species listed as candidates for protection have been waiting for such a designation for decades, including the Oregon spotted frog, found in three West Coast states, and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, found in nine Midwest and Great Lakes states. The frog has been a candidate for the endangered species list since 1991, the snake since 1982.

So one has been a Candidate for 20 years, and the other 30? Yet, they are still here. Why do we never hear about all those NEW Species they find all the time. Including those thought LONG extinct?

So what could I possibly, being an Animal Lover, have against the Endangered Species Lists? It is the fact, that once an Animal is listed, it is now protected by Law. In other words, the Federal Government can come in and regulate the land, take the land, control whatever anyone wants to do on the land, in the name of compassion for and the protection of, the Animal. Meanwhile, to Hell with the people in those areas.

Congratulations Bob Irvin, for attacking Obama for being equal to Bush on Protected Species YOU declare endangered, YOU are the Idiot of the Week. Not to mention, Obama doesn't care about the American People, do you REALLY think he cares about the Spotted Frog? Seriously? If you do, then you are more than well deserving of this award.

How about those Caribou?
Peter

Sources:
AP - Critics say Obama lagging on endangered species

Happy Thanksgiving To All

May it be a Happy and Healthy Holiday.

Hey folks,

I have a lot to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my family. My Mother for giving birth to me. My Wife who takes good care of me. My Son. Of whom I again can see the world through the eyes of a Child. A World of Magic and Miracles. Innocent and pure. My Second Son on his way.

I am thankful for my Job, in a time so many are struggling to find one.

I am thankful for my home, in a time when so many can not get one of their own, or are in the process of losing theirs.

I am thankful for being born an American. Born into the greatest country on Earth. Thankful for our Freedoms.

The Freedom to be whatever I chose to be. In a land where our Poor, have homes, cars, cell phones. On Average two TVs, Computers, and a means to an education. In a World who's poor live in huts, with no toilets, running water, or electric.

The Freedom to speak out against our Leader's Policies, without fear of punishment and death.

The Freedom to DREAM, and the ABILITY to achieve that dream.

The Freedom to believe. To practice whatever Faith I believe in, anytime and anywhere I chose.

I am thankful for the Men and Women, who stand up, leave their Families, and put their dreams on hold, to take an oath, to defend those Freedoms. Those that understand that Freedom is NEVER given freely. It is ALWAYS taken and defended by force. Those that are willing to pay the ultimate price, including the laying down of their own lives, for that freedom.

But most importantly, I am thankful to God, for Life itself. For without that, we would have NOTHING.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope you have a happy and healthy Holiday. Just remember, even those with the least, have MUCH to be thankful for.
Peter

You May Pay For the Ground Zero Mosque

Where to get 100 Million Dollars?

Hey folks,

It had all but gone away, in the Media anyway, that Ground Zero Mosque. Some said it will never be paid for, and the truth is, they have really not raised ANY money for it. What money they have raised, they are paying themselves with.

So what to do, what to do? Can't get enough Insane Lunatics to pay for your Trophy, wait, I have an Idea. Lets get the stupid Americans to pay for it. Yes. Lets get the stupid Americans to pay for the Symbol of Victory, right near the place where we KILLED THREE THOUSAND of them. Hey, we'll tell them that we will be doing all those Liberal agenda, feel good stuff. You know, they are not paying for a Mosque. No, no, no. We'll tell them that they are helping to fund Domestic Violence Programs. Yeah I know. They are too stupid to realized we do not care about Women. Shh. Services for Homeless Veterans, two multi-cultural Art Exhibits and, uh, oh they love this one, tell them they will help fund Immigration Services. Go ahead. They will buy it. And we will have even more money to pay ourselves.

Do you think it'll work?

Of course. At least with the Stupid Liberals. This is an OUTREACH. A GOOD thing. They can be a part of it. Show those stupid Republicans and, what do they call them? Uh, yeah, right, right, 'Bitter Clingers', and I love this one, 'Tea Baggers'. Show them that they are much smarter and better than them for seeing beyond those 'Bitter Clingers' uh, 'Hate filled, Racist, Bigoted, Islamophbic ignorant views. Both men laugh.

Folks, here it is. According to CNN - Islamic community center developer seeks federal funding November 22, 2010By Allan Chernoff, CNN Senior Correspondent

The developer behind the controversial Islamic community center and mosque planned for Lower Manhattan has requested federal funding through the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation to support the project known as Park51.

The funding would come from money the Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated to help rebuild the neighborhood after the 9/11 attacks.

So they want YOU to pay for it now. You do not want it anywhere near Ground Zero, and they want you to PAY to put it there. Did that Greek Church receive any of that money?

"Park51 has applied for a Lower Manhattan Development Corporation grant," said Sharif El-Gamal, CEO of SOHO Properties, the developer behind the Islamic center. In a statement, El-Gamal said the money would "in part fund social service programs such as domestic violence programs, Arabic and other foreign language classes, programs and services for homeless veterans, two multi-cultural art exhibits and immigration services."

The Lower Manhattan Development Corporation received more than 265 applications seeking more than $175 million for community and cultural programs, though the LMDC has only $17 million of federal funding to allocate.

"We are now turning to the challenging but important task of sorting through the applications to identify those that address long-standing community and cultural needs," said Avi Schick, chairman of LMDC.

The grants will range from $100,000 to $1 million, according to Julie Menin, chair of Community Board 1 and a member of the LMDC board. Among the criteria used to judge applications, Menin said, are financial viability, job creation, revitalizing the community and a track record of service in Lower Manhattan.

"We have funded museums, public schools, programs to help small businesses hurt after 9/11," said Menin.

What about that Greek Orthodox Church that was destroyed on 9-11? Do not give me that garbage about Separation of Church and State if you are actually considering this request from Project51. By the way, WHY Project51? Why the Name?

First, the the Cordoba House, what it will be called, is a name of a great Military Victory, as we talked about in the past. The Meaning of “Cordoba” for this Mosque is actually the name of a City of Spain that was ceased and converted to Islam. It IS a symbol of Victory.

Second, 51? Well, in the Qur'an?

Qur'an (5:51) - "O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people."

Interesting?

An online report said Park51 had requested $5 million, but neither the developer nor LMDC board members would confirm that amount.

The LMDC plans to decide how to allocate the $17 million "towards the end of the first quarter of next year," said Menin.

Park51 has yet to raise significant funds for the community center located two blocks north of Ground Zero, a project that could cost $100-million.

"Park51 has not launched a formal fundraising program and is currently in the process of expanding its Board of Directors to plan, manage and oversee such efforts," said El-Gamal, adding that the project has not yet applied for federal tax-exempt status, but plans to do so "in the coming weeks."

So whatever money that they have received, they have just pocketed. You know, to "expand its Board of Directors to plan, manage and oversee." Now they want YOU to help them pay for it.

You know folks, in a REAL and SANE America, we would have told these Idiots to go pound sand a LONG time ago. This would not have ever even been considered a possible TOPIC of CONVERSATION, let alone actually considering American money being requested to help PAY for it. But we do not live in a SANE America. Not just yet. The Kooks are still running the Show. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Peter.

Sources:
CNN - Islamic community center developer seeks federal funding

EPA Out Of Control

Give Liberals Unlimited Freedom and Power, they will take yours.

Hey folks,

Happy Tuesday in this short week to ya. Hope you are ready for Turkey Day. I am. Thanksgiving. My favorite Holiday.

I first told you about E15 Tuesday, August 24, 2010 E15, Liberal Dreams Have Consequences

So you may have heard, the E.P.A. is considering raising the maximum blend of ethanol in unleaded gasoline from 10 percent to 15%. Great. So what's the problem? No one knows how it will effect the Engine, Pollution, OR the World Food Source.

I reminded you about the Food Riots and told you how this was guaranteed to cause even more. Then you add in the fact it has not even been tested?

Then on Tuesday, November 09, 2010 EPA, One of Many Things, Needs To Be Reeled In we talked about how Obama and the Kooks in Congress, do not have enough Votes to get some of the things he wanted Passed. Now he has even less. So?

So what to do, what to do? Give the EPA, nearly unlimited power to do it for ya. This way when it hits the fan, you can say, "Hey, wasn't me, it was the EPA." If there is to be a GREAT back lash to it, then Obama and Crew could come in for the rescue, and attack the very TOOL that they are using to get Cap and Tax. Get the point?

We talked about the EPA, through it's "Clean Air Act," is set to completely destroy Private Industries. The EPA proposed 42 significant regulations, with an annual Economic impact of $100 Million or more, during the Administration's first 18 months. One of the most damaging and outrageous, is the "New Ozone Standard." When this is implemented, the experts say it will cost ANOTHER 7.3 Million U.S. Jobs, and raise the cost of EVERYTHING in your daily life.

As I said then, this is all a bunch of gobbledygook.

They know this is all Bunk. All Political. Why else do you think that they came out on Tuesday, yes Election Day, when the Republicans TRAMPLED the Democrats all across the country, to say that it would postpone the release of the new Ozone Standard until the end of the year. My guess is that it will be shelved. They know that their new found Authority can be limited by the New House. They will not want to push it. My guess would be that they will attempt to lay low for the next two years in the hopes that the Democrats take over again in 2012.

Here is an EXCELLENT Video about all this.


If you have trouble viewing the Video, go to YouTube. But this is why you still need to be concerned about this. Even though they postponed, and may even shelve the new Ozone Standard, this doesn't mean that they can not bring it back, when Congress is more "friendly" toward them.

No folks, it really is simple. Give Liberals unlimited Freedom and Power, they will take yours. Every time. From the Food Police, to the EPA, TSA, Federal and Local Governments. Left unchecked, Liberalism is dangerous and WILL impede your Freedoms and Will. They do not care what you think, if they actually CAN legally, or what the actual outcome may be. They TRULY feel that they are smarter than you, and they know better. Screw you and what you think. THEY are large and in charge. You will know your role, and obey.

Problem is, for them, THIS IS AMERICA. Home of the Free, and Land of the Brave. We will NOT lay down and give up our Freedoms. They have been bought with too great a price. We will NOT become complacent with Tyranny, or allow a Dictatorship to rise. We will not accept unfounded, and unproven gobbledygook as FACT. Why do you think they lost the "Global Warming" argument? Why do you think they were thrown out on their arse, this past election? We are NOT stupid, nor shall we ever be complacent with stupidity.

EPA is just one more thing that needs to be reeled in. Their power limited. We need to bring control back to the People. We need Adults running the show and Intelligence in Government. We need checks and balances. Safeguards and Limits as to how far ANY group, especially non elected groups, can go in dictating or impeding Freedoms. The new Republicans in the House sure do have their work cut out for them. Let's hope they are.
Peter

A New Additiction 'Food Porn'

Preview for Sunday 112110

Hey folks,

I'm not kidding. There is a new Addiction out there. You may be suffering from it. It's called Food Porn. {Laughing} Not what you think. According to WTOM.com - 'Food porn' - Is your favorite restaurant on this list?

WASHINGTON - It's "food porn." That's what the Center for Science in the Public Interest dubbed the 1,030-calorie, deep-fried Lasagna Fritta appetizer at the Olive Garden.

The restaurant, known for its "bottomless" salad and breadsticks, made the consumer group's 2010 "Xtreme Eating Awards".

Other restaurants you frequent also made the list: P.F. Chang's, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, California Pizza Kitchen, Outback, Chevy's and Bob Evans.

Two Cheesecake Factory dishes were also singled out. The pasta carbonara -- described as spaghettini with smoked bacon, green peas and a garlic-parmesan cream sauce -- is loaded with 2,500 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat. The chocolate truffle cake has 1,670 calories and 48 grams of saturated fat.

The group, which some call the food police, knocks Five Guys for its 700-calorie hamburger and its fries (620 calories for the small and 1,460 for the large). Five Guys is "no friend to your hips," CSPI says, pointing to the bacon cheeseburger and large fries adding up to 2,380 calories.

In issuing its awards, CSPI says two out of three adults and one third of children are now overweight or obese in America. Nearly 30 percent of young people are too heavy to join the military.

Restaurants are changing their ways, with more of them offering smaller portions or lower-calorie fare.

They're doing it ahead of a U.S. healthcare law that will require calorie counts to be posted on menus as early as next year.

So remember, you are not cheating on Healthy Foods, you have an addiction. It's not your fault.

Welcome to the Big Sunday Edition of the OPNTalk Blog. I AM Peter Carlock, your Provocateur of Thought. Coming right up today?

Show Trial of Rangel, Racism Set Up?
TSA: Naked Or Molested, Your Choice
Web Censorship Bill Passed
Naked Scanners Cause Cancer
DLA For Sunday 112110
IWA For Sunday 112110


All that in a second. Don't forget, you can follow along on Twitter, join me on Facebook, find me on Tom Sullivan Radio Listener's Club, and as always, if you want to be a part of the OPNTalk Blog, the Email is opntalk@gmail.com.

Going to fill my cup. Be right back.
Peter

Show Trial of Rangel, Racism Set Up?

It was all just show.

Hey folks,

Did you catch the Show? It was Show time in the House. Yes, Rangel found GUILTY. "I'm Screwed." "They will not let me hire more Lawyers." " I'm not being afforded Due Process" Then came the Guilty Verdict in Act Two. Then came the Tears in Act Three. Then the Sentence? Rangel to be Censured.

Oh no. Censured. A mark on his file? A nasty letter? Public comment that he has been a bad boy? Oooh. They really took him to task. He was found guilty of 11 House Ethics Violations and failing to report more than $600,000, and failing to pay taxes on Rental Income from a Villa he owns in the Dominican Republic. So? He gets a Slap on the wrist. Oh, some say he may have to pay the Taxes. Uh. Maybe. You try it, see what happens to you.

Meanwhile there is another under,,uh, make that WAS under investigation. According to The Hill - Waters accuses Ethics of having weak case after calling off her trial By Susan Crabtree - 11/19/10 04:13 PM ET

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) accused the ethics committee of having a weak case that is unraveling after the panel abruptly cancelled her public trial.

“The committee’s decision to cancel the hearing and put it off indefinitely demonstrates that the committee does not have a strong case and would not be able to prove any violation has occurred,” she said in a lengthy statement Friday reacting to the announcement.

She also said she was disappointed the committee once again postponed the hearing and said it showed “a complete disregard for due process and fairness.”

“For over a year, I have cooperated with the investigation and I have consistently asked for a public hearing on this matter,” she said. “I remain eager to present my case and demonstrate to my constituents and all Americans that I have not violated any House rules.”

The House ethics committee announced Friday it has delayed indefinitely Waters trial because the panel had discovered new evidence in the case.

So this Show has been put on hold. Most likely because the Players are about to change and they have better things to do. But notice how she is talking about “a complete disregard for due process and fairness.”

So you have TWO Black Congress People calling foul. They both say they are a Victim of the failure to receive "Due Process." Why could this be? Maybe because they are Black? We already know that Waters is quick to play the Race Card. Rangel was trying to save his Butt from, uh, a slap on the wrist. But could they be trying to set up a Racism Defense? Of course they are.

Look folks, the reality is that this is all mere distractions. Shows. Mean nothing. Nothing is going to change for either one of these two. Do not get distracted. We have bigger fish to fry, and more important things to do.
Peter

Sources:
The Hill - House panel recommends Rangel be censured for ethics violations
The Hill - Waters accuses Ethics of having weak case after calling off her trial