Black Militants; Selective Amnesia

                                               

Even before the U.S. Justice Department arrived in Florida to investigate the Zimmerman-Martin murder investigation, even before we found out Trayvon Martin was on a drug suspension from school, Barack Obama uttered "if I had a son he would look like Trayvon Martin".  Perhaps so, since Obama too has had his own history of drug abuse.

Even before an investigative Grand Jury could be named, even before we learned that Trayvon Martin had been caught by police with a bag full of stolen jewelry and burglar tools, Al Sharpton was calling him an honorable martyr.

Even before witnesses came forward to testify that Trayvon Martin was bloodying Zimmerman's nose and banging the back of his head on the sidewalk, Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson were busy demonizing Zimmerman, who was the head of the Neighbor Hood Watch in his community.

Even before we learned that Trayvon Martin, in the last three years, has been involved with assaulting a school bus driver, posting "gangsta" images on his Facebook page and was caught spraying graffiti at his own school, the Black Panthers were in the streets demanding that Zimmerman be hunted down and beatened to a pulp.

All of the black militants have chosen to ignore the murder of the University of Mississippi white student by two blacks last week.

Sharpton and Jackson have failed to register their outrage at the blacks down in Georgia who set fire to a white youth in retaliation for the Martin death.

Sharpton and Jackson have said not a word about the three innocents gunned down in downtown Indianapolis on St. Patricks Day weekend.  Nor have they protested the handicapped girl in Kansas, beaten severely by black thugs.

Little Aliya Shell who was gunned down on the front porch of her home as Latino and Black gangs in South side Chicago is still waiting for Sharpton and Jackson to march in sympathy of her tragic death.

Go to any online newspaper reporting in Baltimore, Chicago, Indianapolis, Los Angeles or Detroit and read the overnight crime news.  You will find whites suffering both injury and death at the hands of Black criminals.

But you won't hear a peep about any of these tragedies emanating from the camps of Sharpton or Jackson or MSNBC.

Selective Amnesia.

"Will We See Ron Paul's Image On A Quarter?"

                                                     

In twenty years or so we may be seeing Congressman Ron Paul's image on a unit of our currency.

 Let me be clear:  I'm not a Ron Paul supporter.   First of all, I've never been able to get my head around Congressman Paul's advocacy of legalizing drug use.  Just can't see how that would make our society any less destructive than we are now.  Secondly, Congressman Paul has never fully explained his proposal for bringing our troops home from overseas.  Though I am a 22-year vet I really like Paul's idea of bringing most of our troops home and closing military bases in wealthy countries like the U.K. and Germany and Japan and Korea, who are able to reduce their own defense costs by relying on us.  And we certainly need to leave Afghanistan, and vow to never again try to democratize a Muslim nation.   However, there are areas in the world where we pre-position supplies and equipment and need to stay there should we need to react quickly to a military contingency that affects our national security.   Ron Paul has never explained the extent of his military reduction plans nor has he shown much wisdom by saying "let Iran have the nuclear weapon; too much like Jimmy Carter in this regard.

What I do support about Congressman Paul's proposals are his honesty with regard to our national debt and the need to deeply cut spending...and to do it quickly and severely.   If our folks ever took a hard look on what we have to do to re-pay that debt, and how hard that is going to be, they would realize, under current spending rates, we are never going to get a balanced budget.  Even the most restrictive spending plan proposed by Republicans leaves us another $8 billion in debt ($24 trillion dollars!) by the year 2020.  Let's not even discuss Obama's plans; it is simply built on feathery light dreams of fantasy revenue that doesn't exist, even if we taxed billionaires at 100 percent of income.

I also applaud Congressman Paul's honesty.  He's the only politician I know who offers honest answers to real problems.  As I watch the Republican presidential candidates on the debate floor, I see them look over at Congressman Paul when he speaks; I would give a lot to read their minds at that moment.  They know Paul is speaking the truth about our problems but dare not admit that Paul's solutions on the budget are really the only viable solution for solving them.  Obama is no better.

So, Ron Paul will not be elected President.  Why?  Because, like me, too many folks are squeamish about his ideas on legalizing drugs and his ideas on defense and national security.

No, he won't be elected President.  But, as we get closer to a Greece-type shutdown, as we begin to feel the effects of runaway inflation, the collapse of the dollar, and the realization that our standard of living is going to go down, without any hope for a recovery, folks will look back on Congressman Paul's warnings and wished they had listened to him.

At that time, we'll have a whole Congress full of people who said they knew it all the time!  Then, some Congressional commission will recommend Ron Paul be honored on the face of our currency, and be awarded a Congressional Gold Medal.

Sadly, our gold reserves will be sitting in a vault in Peking so we'll have to mint the coin in gold-plated tin.

When Will Whites Learn To Play "Victim?"

                              6-year old Aliya Shell; Gunned Down In South Chicago                


I detest the "cop wanna-be" Mr. Zimmerman down in Florida who gunned down 17-year old Trayvon Martin.  So do most Americans.  However, I also have a problem with how quickly the Black community will don the martyr's robes and take to the streets when one of their own is killed by a white man, yet totally ignore the far greater problem of Black violence on America's streets.

Yesterday, Perpetual Whiner, Al Sharpton led a Black protest in New York against the Florida police dragging their feet on arresting Zimmerman.  This morning brings news that Blacks will lead a protest down in Zimmerman's own community.  That's fine, as far as it goes.  But I want to know this:

1) Last weekend, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, urban black criminals gunned down three people in the streets of Indianapolis.  I see no Black march to protest against those black thugs.

2)  These past months in Phoenix street warfare between Blacks and Latinos have resulted in numerous innocents being shot as they were caught between the warring gangs.  I see no national TV coverage of this, nor have I seen a single Black Marcher parading their indignation at this senseless violence.

3) Last weekend, on Chicago's South Side,  Latino and Black gang members shot 23 people on a single weekend.  One of those bullets killed 6-year old Aliya Shell as she sat on her front porch as her mother was working to untangle a knot in her lovely curley locks.  Al Sharpton and other Blacks have no plans to march down the streets of south side Chicago to protest this senseless killing.

It should be noted that, when one googles "Southside Chicago Shootings" one finds dozens and dozens of local news reports of endless Black and Latino shootings.  None ever make the national news.

It should also be noted that Southside Chicago is where a certain "Community Organizer" began his political career by trumpeting the "victimhood" of blacks and ignoring the white victims of that same Black neighborhood.

I'm guessing that, until Whites are willing to march in the streets in protest of the explosive Latino and Black violence, we'll continue to be caught in the crossfire.  It seems that "victimhood" gets the news coverage and Blacks will only take to the streets in protest when the perpetrator is white.

Post Script:  We have now learned that witnesses saw Trayvon Martin attack Zimmerman.  We have now learned that Martin was in the area after a drug suspension from school.  We have now learned that in the last three years Martin attacked a school bus driver, was caught with stolen jewelry and break-in tools and was caught defacing public property with graffiti gear.  But we didn't hear it from Jessie Jackson or Al Sharpton, or MSNBC, did we?  A black martyr?  I think not.

BTW, We are not seeing the Lamestream media covering this one:  http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/rnr/2935822230.html


We also have seen no mainstream news reports after two blacks killed a white student at the Univ. of Mississippi, or the handicap girl in Kansas beaten by black youths in retaliation for the Martin incident, nor have i seen a single national story about the black gang who set another white  youth on fire in retaliation for the Martin incident.

Sad, Damned Sad.

Photos With A "Soul"

                                            Roxy, With A "Mona Lisa" Smile          

If any of my readers should ever tire of the flavorless standard family portrait at your neighborhood Walmart, and you wish for a photographer who has an intuitive talent for capturing the unique essence of your family members I suggest you google Brittany Ostrov Photography.

I have known this lady since she was but a young girl.  When she was about sixteen I was honored to see a portfolio of her work.  It absolutely blew me away.  I stared in awe at how she was able to capture facial expressions that afforded a peek into the soul of those being photographed.  I gazed for long minutes into the eyes of a young girl; those eyes telling me so clearly the woman she would someday be.  At that time she was experimenting with the human subject as well as unique takes on landscapes which shone with a luminosity rarely seen by photographers with perhaps less talent, and certainly lacking the intuitive touch that makes a photograph unique to the special subject.

Brittany Ostrov is now a professional photographer whose body of work over the last few years is indeed impressive.  I won't go into all the professional associations and commercial agencies who now use her work in print, only to say that she can do a commercial food presentation so beautifully that one finds himself with salivary glands in full bloom or tongue parched and yearning for that local beer, droplets of condensation sliding down the bottle neck.

No, what amazes me about Brittany's work is her ability to present a unique human image at a time and place that may never come again.  For instance, anyone can take a picture of a newborn babe.  But, I saw one of Brittany's pic of a newborn that left me wondering how she did it!  The babe, only moments old, is staring outward into a world of discovery.  Brittany chooses to illustrate this human condition by focusing on the wrinkle of forehead and a facial expression of intense curiosity as to what this new world she has entered is all about.

In another newborn session, another babe has reached out with tiny hand to incircle the loving small finger of the one who has given her precious life.  It captures the physical bonding of two souls and says "We in some sense, shall always be 'one'".

The photo above is of my granddaughter; in the not uncommon ritual of a bubble bath, the little girl turns to the spontaneous click of camera to say "what do you think you're doing!".  Or perhaps, with a bit of "queenliness", get ready to proclaim "must I be bothered even in the bath?".  Perhaps Brittany has even nabbed a variation of that subtle "junior Mona Lisa" smile, caught somewhere between humor and irritation.

I urge you to visit Brittany's work at Brittany Ostrov Photography.  She's on the net, on Facebook and you will find an impressive portfolio of her work there.  You will marvel at how she's able to show in image, the love of two newlyweds on a wedding shoot, the beauty of a landscape, or the interlacing of love captured from a family shoot.  Britanny lives and works on the East Coast but travels all over to those who solicit her work.

Oh hell!  Perhaps I sing her praises just as an excuse to show off my beautiful granddaughters!

                                                            Lexi, Sweet Sixteen!

Tim Tebow And The Triumph of Defeat

                                                   
Previously posted on January:

Last week Tim Tebow pulled off a miraculous football playoff victory against a football dynasty that owns more than their fair share of Lombardi trophies.  As the home fans cheered his name he gave all the glory to his team and his God.  Prior to the game he took the time to run over to a fan section and embrace a young lady who was suffering from a brain tumor.

On Saturday night in New England the New England Patriots, and their highly talented quarterback, crushed the Denver Broncos and brought an end to Denver's Cinderella dreams.   Throughout the game New England fans taunted Tim Tebow.  "TEBOW! TEBOW!, they screamed, as the Patriot quarterback, with the talented arm, rich beyond anyone's dream, married to a fashion model, displayed a God-given talent on the football field.  Not once did Tom Brady drop to his knees to thank God for his talent...or to pray for the safety of his teammates for the duration of a violent game.

 Tim Tebow was the last player to leave the locker room following the game.  He stayed around to answer the media's call for answers as to Denver's loss.  Tim Tebow took responsibility for the defeat.  Before heading for the team bus Tebow stopped to visit with a young man suffering from a traumatic brain injury.

I could not have been more proud of Tim Tebow as he displayed grace and compassion in the face of defeat.  One of the things I've learned in my life is that we learn far more from defeat than we ever learn in our victories.  At one time in my life I made $120,000 per year and at another time I was homeless for a time.  I learned far more from a time when I was homeless and relied on stuffing reclaimed aluminum cans in a recycling machine for a meal.

Tim Tebow is 24 years old.  He has learned at an early age the triumph of dealing with defeat and for tempering pride in victory.  He is not a great quarterback and perhaps may never be one.  But Tim Tebow is a "champion" in life....and isn't that what's really important?


Post Script (19 March 2012):  Today came the news that Peyton Manning has signed with Denver.  Good for Denver, probably a good choice.  Tim will likely be traded or released and he'll have another mountain to climb.  That's okay,  Tim will persevere wherever he ends up, and he'll be an asset and a positive force for good.  Good luck, Tim!

Managing The "F" Word

                                                     

When I was a kid saying the "F" word would get you a good mouthful of a Lifebuoy Bar from your mom.  Today it's used so frequently that it's lost much of the heft and weight behind it.  The "F" word was one my generation kept in its arsenal for when we were really, really angry at someone, or about something.

Today the "F" word shows up on Cable, or late at night on the mainstream channels, or during the day when it takes the form of short squeaky bleep by program monitors when uttered by those Illuminati who wish to appear "hip".

I've heard the "F" word used in everyday conversation so often from some people (usually ignorant, uneducated and inarticulate people)  that it becomes some weird form of speech pattern.  Because I am from my particular generation, and because, like in my youth, I choose to keep it in my arsenal for use when it really means something, I used the word sparingly.

However, sparingly does not necessarily mean infrequently.  I have found myself using the word more often these days as we become less civil to each other.

For instance, the "F" word always comes out when someone makes a hard left in front of me at an intersection in which I have the right away.  When riding with my wife, who hates the word, she always says "you know, they can't hear you, so the only one that gets offended is me".  I take the criticism silently, not bothering to explain that at least I feel better after having uttered the phrase; it's cathartic to get the anger out of my system.

Lately, I have been "F"ing off every one of those recorded telemarketing messages, especially the ones that tells me that "there is nothing wrong with my credit" but I need to call this number right away.  When the telemarketer is a live call, I always say something smart ass like "perhaps your firm has not heard of the "Do Not Call" list; if you had you certainly wouldn't be calling me.  However, in this day and age, when companies are desperate to survive, and who have opted to ignore the Do Not Call law, I'm becoming more and more tempted to use the good ole "F" You phrase.   Were it not for the fact that the poor telemarketing slob is just trying to make a living I would turn those telephone conversations into obscene phone calls.

I'm also sorry to admit that I have been "dissing" the President of the United States with the "F" word every time he treks out to the Rose Garden to make another "pronouncement on high" about sticking still another of Big Government's fingers into my personal life.  When I last googled the number of speeches Obama has made it came out to an average of two per day for every day he's spent in office.

I also invariably utter the "F" word at some point when listening to Al Sharpton, Bill Mahr, Jessie Jackson, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Debra Wasserstein, Stephen Colbert, or Rachel Maddow for any length of time.

At my age I know better.  I know I should try to abstain from using the "F" word at all.  I'm sure my mother is waiting up in heaven with a six pack of Lifebuoy when I stroll through those pearly gates.  But, I've found that there's nothing like the good old "F" word, used with discretion, for expressing my feelings about a particular matter.

In My Mother's 80 years I never ever heard her utter the deadly word.  Nor, in my 44 years of life with my wife have I ever heard her utter the word either.  Good for them.  I admire them for that.

But I'm a curmudgeon, and I don't believe a curmudgeon could survive had he not been able to spew out an "F" word on timely occasions.

Gotta go now, my phone is ringing, and it is undoubtedly one of those "F******* telemarketers.

Sigh.

The Magnificent WWII G.I. BILL OF RIGHTS!

                                                     

Laurence O'Donnell, the screaming meemie ultra liberal who presides over one of the many far left news shows on MSNBC, has chosen to cite as his "show promotion",  the WWII G.I. Bill as proof of how well Big Government succeeds in uplifting our fellow Americans.

As all liberals do, he twists the facts to fit his own political ideology.  O'Donnell pimps the G.I. bill to advocate for today's big government welfare and give-away programs.

What O'Donnell doesn't tell you is that the character of those who emerged from the fire of World War II was far different than today's "victim class" that developed following the implementation of Lyndon Johnson's disastrous Great Society in 1965.

We all know that today's Big Government programs are rife with waste, fraud and corruption, driven by tens of millions of folks who have been on the government dole in one form or another for their entire lives.  Whether it be Welfare, Food Stamps, WIC, Free Government Housing, Free Minority Scholarships, Pell Grants or a free ride from having to pay taxes, tens of millions of Americans today have  assumed they are "entitled" to a free ride on the taxpayer's dime.

Contrast those today with those Americans who emerged from the Great Depression more sober and serious about their economic survival, only to be plunged into the flames of a World War that engulfed the entire planet.

How did those Americans respond?  On December 8th, 1941, tens of millions of American men crowded into military recruitment offices, eager to join the fight!  The enlisted G.I. was paid $50 bucks a month, and out of that he paid social security and income taxes!  Yes, despite this meager pay, he paid taxes! (52 percent of all Americans today pay not a dime in income taxes and feel that is their right!)

Let's flash forward to WWII's end.  In 1944 our Congress, a Congress that still had America's best interest at heart, anticipating a better future, passed the The WWII G.I. Bill of Rights.  This G.I. Bill funded two programs which literally created America's Middle Class that, over the next five decades, paid a thousand times more in taxes, than the G.I. Bill cost the government to fund!

The Education portion of the G.I. Bill paid vets $110 dollars a month from which the vet was required to pay for his books, his tuition and all his living expenses.  It worked!  An amazing 72 percent of vets took advantage of this program.  Following graduation they were able to offer their employers, an educated work force, with great character forged by the Great Depression and participation in World War II!

Upon joining the work force these vets used the housing portion of the G.I. Bill to buy homes and drove the percentage of home ownership from 15 percent to nearly 50% by the mid 1950's!

Results?  The first Middle Class that America had ever known!

So, when Laurence O'Donnell pimps the old WWII G.I. Bill as proof that Big Government works, let's tell the whole truth.  Government programs are only effective when they are given to those who actually deserve them, to those who have earned them, for those who use a "hand up" to stand on their own two feet....and not for those who are looking for a life-long free ride on the taxpayer's dime!

"Grounds" For Divorce

                                                 
Last month my Bunn coffee maker filed for divorce.  We had been together since 2004.  Then, one morning last month I got up, bleary eyed, only to discover the heat had gone out of our relationship.  After  eight years of giving me four cups of delicious coffee in less than two minutes the heating element apparently went out and left me in the cold.

I had two options as backup.  The cheap coffee pot that I had been using in my RV was sitting out in the garage.  My second option was a Keurig Classic that I had bought as a gift for someone else.  I had never been a fan of those K-Cups that run about a buck a cup; I thought they were silly.  However, I had scored a good deal on the Keurig Classic.  I found a  brand new in the box one selling for $60 dollars on Craig's List.  I was suspicious about the deal because this model retails new for no less than $100 dollars, plus tax and shipping.  But, because the lady selling was right here in Sun City, I called her and actually got the brand new Keurig for $40 dollars.  Having researched this on Amazon I was well aware of the kinky Keurig problems users have with the unit; i.e. not making a full cup, the need to de-lime the unit frequently, as well as consumer complaints about the cost of the K-cups.  But, hey, for $40 dollars I figured I would buy it.

So, with my Bunn on the outs, I decided to pull the Keurig out and give it a try-out.  Because I am retired military I can still shop in the military commissary and found that I could get the k-cups for about .50 cents a piece in a box of 12.  I picked up a couple of boxes, took them home and put my first k-cup in and hit the right buttons.  Nothing happened.  No water came out.  So, I got back to the owner's manual, find the customer service number and ring up the Keurig rep.  I describe the problem, and while I am manually going through the process on the phone, I nudge the unit about a half inch on the counter and, voila!, the unit kicks in and begins making coffee!  Shortest customer service call I ever made.

So, how's the Keurig working out?  Less than satisfactory.  First, the quality of the coffee, regardless of brand, is less than that given me in the Bunn coffee maker.  I found that the Newman's Own Decaf to be too weak for my taste.  The Green Mountain Coffee brands tended to taste like instant coffee, which I abhor.  I did find the Tully's coffee to be the best of the k-cups.

Too, the Keurig unit itself is finicky.  I have yet to get a full mug type cup of coffee from this unit, even when pushing the larger portion button.  While my Bunn, when operating, gave me the necessary 195 plus degree temperature for a well brewed and rapid cup of coffee, I suspect the Keurig does not.  The taste of the Keurig brew indicates the brew process is below par.

Also,  since my daughter and son-in-law include me in subscription delivery of Peete's Coffee, Goruda blend, I wanted my Peet's coffee, which is not available in the K-cups.  Ever prepared to find solutions I found a little company that makes an insertable generic k-cup in which you can put your ground coffee of choice and run in the Keurig.  I found the Eco-brew generic cups on Amazon and ordered a pair of them.
After receiving them I filled it with Peet's coffee and ran it through the Keurig.  While the coffee was okay, the Keurig still does not give me that rich and aromatic cup of coffee that the Bunn provides.

So, here I am, just "settling" for less at the moment.  I'm cruising the internet for some  promotion or some discount sale on a new Bunn coffee pot.  Since they run about $150 bucks I'm willing to wait for a bargain.  I'll be in "wedded bliss" when my Bunn and I are once more reunited.   When it does, I'll "file for divorce" from the less than satisfactory Keurig.  She had her chance to make me happy and she always left me cold and yearning for more.

Sigh.....

Taxpayers Pay For Free Abortions and Transgender Care For Illegals

 

Good Morning Folks,

If you're ever feeling a need for a little sado-masochism you may want to go online and review Obama's budget.  Don't be shy.  Obama often recommends that you go to Whitehouse.gov/budget and see how well he's managing your tax dollars.                                                

I've visited often and always find a program so wasteful and silly that I am assured again as to why I believe in limited government.

The one that just caught my eye was part of Homeland Security's Immigration and Naturalization's ICE Program.  (See the link below).  This particular source is ICE's Operation Manual which provides guidelines for the care and treatment of illegals.

When one opens up the "Medical Care" Tab of the ICE Operation Manual, one finds that you, the taxpayer, are required to pay for abortions for illegals held in U.S. custody.  You must also pay for a whole host of pre-natal care practices.  I have a problem with that, but not nearly the problem I have with the care and treatment of illegal transgendered prisoners.

The Obama administration has dictated that transgendered illegals who have been undergoing hormonal treatments to accelerate their sex change desires must continue to receive hormonal treatment while in ICE custody.

Need I even have to say it?  With $16 trillion dollars in debt, with American citizens in serious need, do we really need to be funding sex change support for illegal aliens?

Sigh.

http://www.ice.gov/detention-standards/2011/

Obama Rates Himself in Top 4 Presidents of All Time

                                                         
                         President Barack Obama sat for an extensive interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” though it appears the portion of the interview actually broadcast on TV left out a statement where Obama essentially declared himself the fourth best president in terms of his accomplishments.

The statement was only made available online as part of the full interview on “60 Minutes Overtime.”

According to a transcript posted on the “60 Minutes” website, Obama said he would hold his accomplishments so far as president against those of Lyndon B. Johnson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

“I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president — with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln — just in terms of what we’ve gotten done in modern history,” Obama told CBS’s Steve Kroft.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/70684.html

Wow!  President Obama, the "anointed one",  has now placed himself in the top four of all Presidents in our entire history!


Let's see:  Our first President, the Father of Our Country, kept a rag-tag army together for seven years, while most of that time they were not being fed, clothed or even paid!  He went on to defeat a British Army 20 times the size of Washington's troops!  After being elected President, Washington set the moral standards for President, served honorably, and after two terms in office, stepped down from office, though he remained the most popular man in America!


And Obama considers himself better than Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, thus codifying our personal rights, and, while President, completely wiped our our national debt.


Obama says he's better than James Madison who wrote our Constitution; yes, the very Constitution that protected Obama as he stood in Harvard Square in 1991 and "damned Americans", even as he attended that University on full minority scholarship.


Barack Obama places himself above Teddy Roosevelt who cleaned up political corruption in New York and Chicago, put in place the food safety laws that still protect us today, broke the back of the Robber Barons and put millions of acres of federal land into our National Park system.


Finally, Barack Obama considers himself superior to President Ronald Reagan who inherited from Jimmy Carter, an inflation rate of 20 percent, high unemployment and mortgage interest rates of 18 percent!  Reagan was able to squeeze inflation rates down to 4 percent, created 30 million jobs and put in place business incentives that created Walmart, Microsoft, Apple Computer and a hundred other businesses that pay billions in taxes to the U.S. Treasury even today!   Within an hour of Reagan's inauguration Iran terrorists released hundreds of American hostages when Reagan warned them that , on his first day in office,  he'd level Iran if the hostages were not released.  Finally, Reagan restored American pride and American power during his Presidency, faced down the Soviets, brought down the Berlin Wall and ended the Cold War!


Obama's accomplishments?  During his first year in office he flew all over the world, apologizing for America, praising the behavior of the Muslim world while saying America was not exceptional, just another nation like everyone else.  In three short years Obama ran up more debt than all other Presidents in our history combined.  He spent a trillion dollars on pork barrel stimulus and rammed Obamacare down our throats when 70 percent of us said we didn't want it.  The Congressional Budget Office says Obamacare will add another 10 trillion dollars to our national debt over the next nine years!


How big must one's ego be to write off the majestic accomplishments of our greatest Presidents and declare himself among the greatest of all time!


Sad, Damned Sad.

Liberals Cheer Southern Tornado Destruction

                                                         

Last week I was reading a news article on Yahoo about the horrific loss of life and property in the wake of dozens of Tornadoes which plagued the Mid-west and southern states in these last few days.  I saw folks standing in front of their demolished homes, their shoulders slumped in sad resignation.

I saw rescuers pulling old people out from the rubble of the only homes they ever knew.  I saw people salvaging family photos from the heaps of destruction.

I saw a 20-month old girl plucked from the middle of a cow pasture; she had been plucked from the arms of her mother, violently lifted up and slammed down in a field a mile away.

I saw the folks at storm shelters, tagging the backs of old people's jackets with a note "watch closely, do not allow to exit shelter", lest these old folks, their minds clouded by age and shock, attempt to return to homes that are no longer there.

As most of you who have read Yahoo news articles, at the bottom of the article are message boards which allow readers to comment on the particular bit of news.

So, imagine my shock when I began to read the comments attached to the storm stories, the vast majority were hateful liberal spews denigrating the victims of these storms.  Here's just a sampling:

"All right you Southern crackers!  Where's your God now!  If everything is God's will just shut up and take it!"

"Cheers to the tornadoes!  Now you Tea-baggers are getting what you deserve!"

"Hey Bible Thumpers!"  "How's Your Bible and Your Guns Working For You About Now!"

"Hey Right Wing Mid-West Trailer Trash!"  "You want government to do less...so we'll just leave you to rot in your own rubble!"

"Glad to Read This!"...Tea Baggers finally getting what they deserve!"

The hate speech went on and on for days.

So what are we to make of this?  Liberals profess to have greater sympathy for those who are downtrodden.  If so, how does one explain the outpouring of hate toward the storm victims?

Could it be that most liberals only care about those whom they can cast as "victims", when those victims can advance their political objectives?  Is their any better evidence that the liberal socialists care only about the "victims" when they can be used as tools to advance their socialist agenda?

Finally, what can we say about the state of the "liberal soul" when such spewing of hate erupts amidst such tragic human misery.

Culinary Cruising Phoenix, Day 3!

                                                 
Well, Day three of our culinary quest in Phoenix turned out to be something of a bust.  Part of the problem was that I failed to fully do my research.

We set off in the late afternoon to Scottsdale yesterday.  We had planned to have dinner in the Arts District just off Scottsdale Road, then take the two hour Arts Walk Tour that happens each Thursday night.  We were excited to join in a 30-year Scottsdale tradition.

So we started out from the west side, took the loop 101 and arrived in Scottsdale in plenty of time to have dinner, then join the arts walk.  Upon arriving in Scottsdale we were happy to find a parking space right in the arts district.  (Free three hour parking!).

After having researched the Check Please Arizona on line site we had decided to have dinner at the Rusty Spur on Main Street.  After locating the restaurant, and pursuing the prices on the outside window, we entered the Rusty Spur and found a vacant table.  The first impression one gets upon seeing the Rusty Spur for the first time is how terribly small the place is.  There were less than ten tables in a room that was no more than 15 by 20 feet, with some seating available at the bar.  The second thing we noted was the lack of any interest from the staff to serve us.  While waiting we noticed no one was having dinner either. After a few minutes we decided to leave and look elsewhere or somewhere to eat.  (Alas, after returning home I found that the Rusty Spur is a "lunch only; 11am to 4pm" restaurant, so we missed that time frame big time!)

Out on the streets again, we wandered around the area and studied our tourist guide.  My daughter noticed that Big Earl's Barbecue was nearby and had been featured on the Man Versus Food program so, out of curiosity, we decided to go there.  Huge Mistake!  Big Earl's was lightly populated as we entered the place and were quickly seated.  A peep at the menu prices for Big Earl's fare may explain the light patronage.  Most of the entrees fell into the $20 dollar range and, as other diners were served, we noted the paucity of the portions for a full course dinner.

Never the less, we were tired and hungry so we ordered cocktails and reviewed affordable menu choices. We had plenty of time to do so because it took over ten minutes to get our drinks despite the fact that the few customers present were not over-taxing the wait staff.

When our drinks arrived we were ready to order.  My daughter ordered a pull pork sandwich and fries, my wife order the hot wings and I ordered a burger and fries.  The waiter then apologized and said that the deep fryer was out of order so fries and hot wings were not available.  The head waiter, perhaps noticing our frustration at not being told upfront that the fare was limited, intervened and said they could do the fries and hot wings after all.

After a time our orders arrived.  On taking the first bite of my burger I tasted a beef patty that seemed to have been soaked in salt brine before grilling.  I like salty food but this was well past salty.  However, sensing that we had found the wrong place to eat I plowed through the burger, alternating bites or brine with generous sips or beer to wash it down.  However, my wife's hot wings were so salty that they were completely inedible.  My daughter brought this to the head waiter's attention and he was gracious enough to remove the charges for the hot wings from our bill.  We quickly paid the bill and left.

Our evening was saved by the Art Walk!  We were able to tour a dozen galleries and admire the works of so many talented local artists!  Those works which most captured our interest and admiration were priced at  a range that would get you a good use car to the price of my wife's new Honda but they were beautiful and we were grateful just to see them.  And, really, it was all about the experience; it was lovely to walk down the central arts district, listening to street musicians and people watching.  The weather was perfect and the real treat last night was all of the native American art and music that took center stage.  We listened to a lovely Navajo man demonstrate the craft and practice of bow and arrow as well as native flutes which filled the air with beautifully mournful music.

We could not possibly see all of the art at all of the galleries on a single night but plan to return and see more on future Thursdays.  If you have not visited Scottsdale's Thursday evening Art Walks, you are missing a huge treat!

                                                     

Culinary Cruising in Phoenix, Day Two!

                                                       

In my last blog I recounted that we're using this week's visit of our daughter to Phoenix to venture out and try some of the restaurants and food favorites which have been featured in either "Check Please, Arizona" or the Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives".  On our second day we began our day by visiting the Red Poeviner Tortilla Factory in Surprise, Arizona.  My daughter was anxious to purchase fresh tortillas to take back to her home in Virginia.  The Red Poeviner is a modest operation on old Santa Fe Road in Surprise.  They make fresh tortillas for both wholesale and retail sales and also run a small food operation on site.  This day they were offering a combo of fresh tamales, with sides for a very reasonable price at the counter.  My daughter bought a pack of freshly made tortillas so that we could sample them and decide if this establishment would be where we go to purchase in volume on the day before her departure.  We found Red Poeviner's tortillas to be quite tasty, light and fluffy.  Good food!  However, we have also heard about Carolina's outstanding tortillas so we visited the Carolina's restaurant in Peoria and ordered both plain and the buttered tortillas for comparison.  Perhaps we were influenced by the fresh butter folded into Carolina's fresh tortillas, but Carolina's won the taste test!

Our next stop was at the Cerrita's Candy Factory in Glendale.  I had read that this was a popular spot for visitors to buy and take home freshly made candy and we were not disappointed.  We watched part of the factory tour but were anxious to see the many varieties of candy so we scooted over to the retail bins to marvel at chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate covered jalapeño peppers!  After salivating over attractive bins of all varieties of candies we purchased bags of delicious chocolates and caramels and peanut brittle, then continued down the road of culinary pursuits.

Trying our best not to dig into our candy haul, we headed East toward Scottsdale.  As we cruised down Scottsdale Road we marveled at the winter luxury of the Hiltons and Radisons as Eastern tourists walked around in golf shorts and basked in our warm winter temps.  Our next destination was lunch at "Noodles Ranch" in Scottsdale.  This is a Vietnamese restaurant that offers a vast array of light and elegant Vietnamese food favorites but our goal was to score a noon time bowl of hearty "Pho", the beef and noodle soup that is a staple with Vietnamese families.  We arrived just as they were opening for lunch and were quickly seated and orders taken.  My wife had a coconut juice, laced with layers of fresh coconut and my daughter ordered the traditional Vietnamese iced coffee.  Within a very short time the restaurant began filling up and order after order was for the Pho soup.  I was amazed when our orders arrived at the table.   We ordered the beef sirloin Pho and were greeted with huge bowls of Pho packed with savory beef and noodles.  The key to good Pho is allowing the beef broth to simmer long and strong and to make sure the spices are blended properly.  We were not disappointed.  This Pho was some of the best we have ever tasted.  None of us were able to finish our servings so, if you're looking for a great $7 dollar lunch you can't beat Noodle Ranch.  The owner is a professional chef who relocated to Scottsdale from Washington State and opened his restaurant here, much to the satisfaction of local diners.  This is a family owned and operated restaurant for all to enjoy!

Prior to heading back to the west side we decided to stop and check out a new Toffee Candy company that had been featured on the local morning TV show the day before.  After some difficulty finding it we finally located it tucked away in the innards of a shopping center off of Shea and 70th street.  The shop is called GoodyTwos and is a mother-daughter business that has opted to specialize in toffee candy.  We went in and sampled the toffee candy and it was tasty.  However, we were surprised and disappointed that it was overpriced.  $14.95 for a modest 1/2 pound of Toffee and $26.95 for the same candy available in a gift box.  My daughter did splurge for one small bag of Toffee then we hit the road and headed for home, our eyes entertained with Scottsdale's lushness and our stomach's sated with another day of good eating!