Why Russian Ships no longer are attacked by Somali Pirates

The Russians first handcuffed all of the Pirates to the Boat and then  blew it up and sank the vessel. For some reason Somalia Pirates have quit attacking Russian Ships.

 We should allow our Flagged vessels to hire private security firms (a la Blackwater). These "Security Specialists" would have to board the vessels out at sea, because cargo vessels are not allowed to be armed when entering foreign ports. The "Security Specialists" could also escort the Vessels with privately developed fast attack boats.  With the correct Armaments, they could sink  or severely damage any of the Somali Pirate boats that attempt to attack our Cargo Vessels. I believe after a few incidents, American Flagged Vessels would be as safe as the Russian Vessels.

Last Entry of the year (probably)

Since we are at the end of the year, the new year coming is the beginning of the second decade or the 21st Century, I decided to geeze a little and see how much of my memories some of you may share.

 Here 'tis, do you remember?

 Rabbit Ears
 A coat hanger with tinfoil when your Rabbit ears broke
 Your antenna could only pick up one television station, if you were lucky, you could get all three.. (ABC, NBC, CBS)
 Brought to you in living color!!
 Black and white TV
 Reruns..
 Nothing on worth watching on Sunday until "Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" with Marlin Perkins,"The Wonderful World of Disney", or "The Ed Sullivan Show"
 TV Couples Slept in Twin Beds
 UHF was 'New' or So that's what that other dial is for!!
 Cigarette commercials
 AM Radio
 Transistor radios
 American Top 40 with Casy Kasim, listening on Sunday to find out what was the new #1 song in the nation
 45 RM records which you couldn't play unless you had the Square adapter for your turn table or one of the little plastic gizmos for the hole
 If someone was "High Tech" they had a "Reel to Reel" tape recorder (My dad got one in '67 I think it was)
 Televisions and Stereos were furniture and came in big wood cabinets or "Consoles"
 You had to 'Turn the Dial' to change channels and the fine tuning was a larger wheel around the dial
 Invariably, the dial was lost and you had to use pliers to change the channel
 If you had a Remote control it was mechanical, and turned on the TV to Channel 2, it then had to 'clunk' through each channel and when it made it back around to Channel 13 it turned off (My Dad used to hide ours)
 TV stations went off the air at midnight with the National Anthem and the Poem "High Flight", they didn't come back on until 6 am. They either broadcast "Test Patterns" or shut down completely
 Cartoons were only on on Saturdays until 11 AM
 Nobody wore seat-belts
 Riding on a hot summer day with all of the windows down.. 4/55 Air conditioning, four windows down at 55mph
 Wing Windows, or as my wife calls them Fly Windows, the small windows in the front of the car on the Diver's and Passenger's doors that you could open to direct air in. Adults that smoked used them as ashtrays
 Hand-crank windows, it was a big deal to have electric windows
 Cars that had Ashtrays, in the front and back
 It was exciting when a neighborhood Family brought home a new car
 New Car models Came out every spring and it was a cool to see what they looked like
 Gas Stations gave away freebies (Glasses, Plates) to get you to come in
 Full Service gas; they Checked your oil and cleaned the windshield
 Your car couldn't hold five dollars worth of gas even though it was a land yacht with a 20 gallon tank
 You really didn't care about your cars gas mileage
 It was cool to have an 8 Tack Player in your car and you had to wedge a matchbook in it to get it to play correctly when it got old
Drive in Movies, going in your Pajamas and falling asleep in the back seat
 Everyone's Mom and Dad Smoked
 Everyone Dressed up to go out to dinner
 Movies almost always began with a cartoon, especially Disney movies
 All of the old Disney Classics were re-released every 4 years
 Singing Christmas Carols in the School Christmas Pageant, my second grade class practiced Greensleeves every morning after we said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang My Country Tis of thee.
 Halloween Pageants, Marching around the school in your Polyester Halloween Costume with the plastic mask. The costume was sold in a windowed cardboard box that only displayed the characters face.
 Home made costumes that you had to explain what you were
 Soaping a houses' windows when they didn't give out Halloween Candy (I learned the proper technique from my big brother)
 "It's (time) do you know where your children are?"
 Playing hide and seek on a summer night with all of the kids in the neighborhood.
 Freeze tag
 The Good Humor Man driving his white truck ringing the bell
 The first time you rode in a car with AC
 The first time you went to Someone's house that had central air conditioning
 The first time you saw a Garbage disposal, or a Dish washer
 Stingray Bicycles with Banana seats
 Hot wheels car sets, I had a "Johnny Lightning" racetrack
 Wham-O! made all of the cool toys
 Beatle Boots (My big brother had some)
 Jeans with the legs "Pegged" so tight you couldn't get your foot through them (My brother again)
 The Saturday night "Creature Feature" that showed all of the cheesy horror movies, it usually had some guy dressed as a Vampire for a host
 McDonald's was new and had only 'X' millions served, it was a big treat to go
 Apollo 8 Circling the moon at Christmas

 Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year from the BigMan.. And Big Mama (Just a nick name not a description) too!

The Left and PDS/TPDS

PDS - Palin Derangement Syndrome; The preoccupation with and fear of Sarah Palin

TPDS - Tea Party Derangement Syndrome; The preoccupation with and fear of the Tea Party

Recently, I saw a segment on Fox News "The Best notable quotables of 2010". Yes, I know what you are thinking, why spend a whole segment on Joe Biden? Believe it or not, there were other folks that spouted blatantly stupid and ridiculous things.

Three of the quotes, Frank Rich, NY Times; Joe McGinnis, Liberal Author and Pundit; and Rob Reiner (AKA Meathead), Actor and Director; compared the Tea Party to Fascists and NAZIs, and a double whammy by suggesting that not only was the Tea Party NAZIs, but that Sarah Palin was a their Hitler like leader (McGinnis).

 For quite some time it has bothered me that the American Left continuously calls the right of this country Fascists and NAZIs. When I was younger, because of my poor public education, I somewhat accepted the premise. Then one day it hit me... NAZI is an acronym for National German Socialists Workers Party, the key word here being SOCIALISTS.

 After more reading and research on my part I discovered the following:

 1. Benito Mussolini, a life long Socialist who had flirted with Communism, created the concept of Fascism after returning from service in the Italian Army in WWI (they were on our side for that one). He thought that a Nation, operated more like the military, using a military style esprit de corps would be more efficient at Economic command and control.

 2. Fascism is a type of Socialism with two differences:
     a. The Government does not own ALL means of production, those which it does not own it controls by regulation, investment, or subsidy. (Think GM, Chrysler, Alternative energy and oil)
     b. Whereas Communism and Socialism extort "Workers of the World Unite!!" Fascism can be summed up by  "Workers of (Nation) Unite!"
    
 3. Nazism is a type of Fascism with one main difference, instead of the motto "Workers of (Nation) Unite!", it is "(Race/Color/Ethnicity) Workers of (Nation) Unite!"


Furthermore, Benito and Adolph were darlings of the American Left up until they attacked the Soviet Union. Which at the beginning of WWII was paradise on earth to most American leftists. Therefore, if you were an American Communist, the enemy which was to the right of you and your beliefs was Fascismt or a Nazism. Since these two ideologies were considered the most evil of the 20th century (even though Communism was responsible for more death and misery), it has become a favorite insult/comeback of the American left when they can't support their arguments.



You: "Millions Starved in the Soviet Union and Communist China when they Collectivized the farms"
Former Leftist Friend: "FASCIST!!"



Socialism and it's offspring Communism, Fascism, and Nazism, are predicated on the destruction of the individual for the good of the collective. Comparing the Tea Party and Sarah Palin, who believe that individual liberty and freedom are tantamount, to these failed ideologies is either tired rhetoric or a sign that those on the American Left have gone so far down the road toward Communism that all they can see to their right, is Fascism, and Nazism.

Or, it could just be they are having a hard time explaining why Papa Doc Obama is failing...

American Exceptionalism

 The idea of American Exceptionalism was a developed by Alexis de Tocqueville in order to describe what he saw when touring America at the turn of the 18th/19th centuries. The idea was based on the following ideas.

1. Natural, or if you are religious, God given rights. These rights are yours as a human. They have not been bequeathed to you by any King or Government. They can't be rescinded or taken from you by any King or Government without your consent.

2. The basis of all rights is "Property". The root of property rights is self ownership. You own you. All Natural or God given rights emanate from this ownership. One of the most fundamental of the emanating rights is the right to self defense. You have the right to protect your life, you have the right to live. Further, you have the right to reap the rewards of your labor. The confiscation of the results of your labor, taken forcibly, or under the threat of force, for the benefit of another, is the definition of Slavery.

3. The Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States were created with these ideas as their kernel.  The Declaration of Independence codifies these rights with the statement "All men are created equal, and they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. AMONG (emphasis mine) these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The original draft contained "life, liberty, and property". Property was removed because it was feared tha the slave holders would consider this a basis for their right to subjugate their fellow man. Regardless of what the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvainia Ave, Washington DC, has said in 13 different speeches, the word "Creator" is in the the document.

4. The Constitution restricted the power of the new Federal Government by enumerating the few powers allowed to it. It further reserved any powers not so enumerated, to the States and the people. It was recognized that in order to form a Government, the People had to allow the Government to have some of their rights in order to function in the interest of the people. This at the time was one of the most revoltionary ideas to come from the founding of our country. The idea that Government did not bequeath rights upon it's citizens/subjects, but those citizens instead bequeathed rights upon Government. Further since we as a free people "Lent" those rights to Government to act in our behalf, we have the right to rescind those rights when Government no longer acts in our interests.

 These ideas for their time were considered exceptional. American Exceptionalism does not mean that we as a people are better or smarter than others. Just more free, at least we were. Our sucess as a nation is a direct result of these exceptional concepts.

Asclepius Shrugged

A good look at what is and will happen to our medical system...

Asclepius Shrugged

The True Lesson of Thanksgiving

Those of you, who like myself, were educated in the later half of the 20th century, were taught that the poor stupid Pilgrims didn't know how to grow food. Even though many had been farmers in Europe, they must have forgotten how to grow food or that the climate and soil in the New World was so much different than Europe that their old methods didn't work. Never fear, they were rescued by a stone age people, the natives of the New World that were one with nature. These people, who cultivated the ground with sharpened sticks, taught these poor white European imbeciles, whom had already developed a rudimentary animal drawn plow, how to cultivate food.  This saved these wretches from famine and starvation. In gratitude the imbecilic white Europeans held a feast and invited their aboriginal saviors (whom by the way were the first ecologists). These white Europeans, surviving because of the assistance of these benevolent natives ultimately repaid them by giving them blankets infected with small pox, massacring them and stealing their land.

 And they lived happily ever after...

 Excuse me... I always get a little misty after the Blanket part...

Yes this a a beautiful bucolic story (unless you are are Indian). Except that almost none of it is true. OK, there were some massacres and we did take their land.. Other than that, all the rest is fantasy. Even the blanket story.

In fact the true lesson of Thanksgiving is that Socialism/Communism doesn't work.

  Hey Big Fella, we are talking Pilgrims here, not Berkeley college students.


 Yes I know that, but the Pilgrims organized their farm community along Communal  lines. Communal, Communism, sound similar? That is because they are based on the same concept. "From Each according to their ability, to each according to their needs"   The Pilgrims basically lived in a 1960's hippie commune with out the free love (the Scarlet Letter was much later). The ultimate goal was to share the work and produce equally.

That is why they almost starved to death.
When you get fed no matter how hard you work, you work only as hardyou can get by with.

"So as it well appeared that famine must still ensue the next year also, if not some way prevented," wrote Gov. William Bradford in his diary. The colonists, he said, "began to think how they might raise as much corn as they could, and obtain a better crop than they had done, that they might not still thus languish in misery. At length after much debate of things, (I) (with the advice of the chiefest among them) gave way that they should set corn every man for his own particular, and in that regard trust to themselves. And so assigned to every family a parcel of land."

  To quote a great American Icon, Homer Simpson.. "DOH!!".
Everyone was starving, so here is a plot of land, you are responsible for your own crops and food.. I bet you can't guess what happened next..

"This had very good success," Bradford wrote, "for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been. By this time harvest was come, and instead of famine, now God gave them plenty, and the face of things was changed, to the rejoicing of the hearts of many."

Praise the Lord and Pass the Gravy!! Lets have a feast!!
When individuals own their own property and are allowed the fruits of their labors miracles happen!! Further, working your butt off or starving also is a great incentive..

 Hey Bigman, you mean there were no Indians at the first Thanksgiving?

 No, I didn't say that, yes there probably were. You see, the local tribes had been wiped out by disease introduced by the "randy" rum toting fisherman that had been coming to The Grand Banks for almost 200 years. In fact, the hero of the story that we had been taught, Squanto, was actually taken to Europe by those fishermen, and had lived there for 20 or so years. He came back to his village to find that everyone he knew had died. It just so happens that the Pilgrims landed at the site of the empty village. It obviously had been a good site for a village, so Plymouth was established there. Squanto was homeless and without family, he was able to communicate with the Pilgrims and the Indians so he became an invaluable translator.
 The Wampanoags most likely attended the first Thanksgiving feast in order to cement an alliance with the Pilgrims. They had become outnumbered by inland tribes because of the diseases that they had been exposed to and they saw advantages in befriending the Pilgrims. Especially since the Pilgrims had guns and had participated in some raids against the Narragansett with their Wampanoag neighbors..

Don't touch my junk dude!!!

So if you don't want to submit to the grope, you will be held against your will, and fined $11,000.00.... Unless you are a Muslim Female in a Burqua or wearing a Hajib that is...
They need to stop profiling objects and profile perps. No that does not mean Racial profiling... The last time I checked being a Muslim was religious identification, not a racial one and it is only one of many "key ID" features that would make up a "Profile"....

 Profiling is used everyday. If you have purchased auto, health, or life insurance, you were subject to a profile. In the case of insurance they are called actuarial tables. They take into account multiple factors in order to create a risk "Profile". When you applied for a job, the employer that reviewed your application or resume used a "Profile" of the the perfect candidate and compared how you measured up to that "Profile". In Law Enforcement, "Profiling is used frequently, whether they are looking for a Serial Killer or a drunk driver. There are certain "Key ID" features that bring attention to individuals or groups that merit further investigation. For instance, if there had been a recent hold up at a local "Stop and Rob" (7/11, Wawa, Fasmart) and the suspects were described as two white males in their early 20's, you wouldn't be stopping and checking Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, females of any race, or the elderly. Why? Because they do not meet the "Profile". Furthermore, the more information you receive the more detailed the profile becomes. What clothing were they wearing? What kind of vehicle, if any, were they using? What was the color, year and make of the vehicle? With these details it narrows the search for those individuals most likely to be the Perpetrators we are looking for.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the "Depends Bomber", was identified prior to boarding his Airplane last Christmas. He was on the no fly list, he was banned from entering the UK, and his father went to the American embassy in Nigeria and told the American Officials there that his son wanted to martyr himself on an American bound Airliner.. Furthermore he had made several recent visits to Yemen (Trips to Yemen are a key ID feature of many of the current crops of terrorists).

 Richard Reed, the infamous 'Shoe Bomber' was a member of the Brixton Mosque, this mosque was the mosque of several of the September 11th terrorists. This would also be a "Key ID" feature of a would be terrorist. He also had a long arrest record in Britain and had served multiple prison sentences. Prison is a place where many Muslim converts are recruited. Prison would be an additional ID feature.

Ahmed Ressam, the Millennium Bomber, lived in an area of Montreal known to contain a Al Queda cell. Further he was a Canadian fugitive with a long arrest record. He was capture because of an old Law Enforcement technique. Questioning by an experienced Interrogator. The CBP Officer noticed that he would not keep eye contact and when he did make eye contact he looked nervous. So she pulled him aside for a vehicle search.

 As a former Police Officer, I know that if I should stop someone for a routine traffic violation, that I cannot pull you out of your vehicle and search you without probable cause. If I do, it is a violation of your 4th amendment right of  not being subject to unreasonable search and seizure. So if I decide to fly, I now automatically give up my 4th Amendment rights? 

 The TSA has just announced that if you decide not to submit to the Pat Down of to the full body scan, not only can you not board an airplane, you also cannot leave the airport. Furthermore you are now also subject to an $11,000 fine. Being held if you do not submit to an unconstitutional search sound like imprisonment to me, at the minimum it is an improper arrest. The definition of an arrest is when you feel that your freedom of movement has been restricted by individuals or physical barriers.  

 CAIR, the Council on American Islamic Relations has determined that Muslim women cannot be made to submit to the full body scan, if they are wearing a Hajib, they cannot be patted down below the shoulders, or if they are wearing a full Burqua, they cannot be patted down at all. Further, a Muslim woman wearing a full Burqua or veil cannot be forced to reveal her face in order to prove her identity. If wearing a veil or a full Burqua is a religious choice, with that choice should come the understanding that  you cannot get a drivers license, or a passport without exposing your face. Without a license, you can't drive or fly domestically, without a passport, you cannot leave the country.

So am I saying that no one should be subject to searches, scans, or metal detectors? No, I am saying that using proper law enforcement methods, we wouldn't be wasting time conducting invasive searches of the elderly, infants. By conducting a simple questioning by a trained law enforcement officer and then use those screening methods if needed, air safety would not decrease and travel would become more efficient and possibly cheaper.

Here is an article on the recent TSA guidlines.

Election '10, The Tea Party

Here is a quick update on the Tea Parties' rampant racism. Recently, the NAACP released a report detailing just how racist the Tea Party is. Still as far as I know there weren't any candidates that had ties to the Klu-Klux-Klan (Unlike the late Democratic Senator and Grand Kleagle, Robert "Sheets' Byrd).

Here is a short list of some of the lily white candidates supported by the Tea Party that won election Tuesday Night.

Brian Sandoval - Governor - Nevada (First Hispanic Governor of Nevada)
Susannah Martinez - Governor - New Mexico (First Hispanic Female Governor of NM)
Marco Rubio - Senator - Florida (Son of Cuban Refugee/Immigrants)
Nicky Haley - Governor - South Carolina (First SC Female Governor, Second Republican Indian {dot not feather} Governor in the US -Bobby Jindal LA. was first)
Tim Scott - Representative - South Carolina (First Black Republican US Rep. from S.C.)
Lt. Col. Allen West - Representative - Florida (First Black Republican Fla. Rep. elected since a former slave was elected in 1870)
Bill Flores - Representative - Texas
Francisco Canseco - Representative - Texas

Man those Tea Party folks sure are non-inclusive. There isn't a single Aleut, Athabaskan, or Pacific Islander among the bunch.

Election '10

On a recent Punditry show Big Mama (just a nickname, not a description) and I viewed. The Democrat expert claimed that the Tea Party and apparent Republican surge is not because of a repudiation of Obama and Congresses Socialist policies. No it was more of an anti-incumbent surge because it was taking out entrenched Republicans along with Democrats.
 Either this is poor critical thinking or it is simply excuse making. The Republicans that are being axed or whom have decided to bow out are RINOs (Republican In Name Only). They aren't being rejected because they are incumbents, they are being kicked to the curb because they are Liberals/Socialists.

During an interview I watched which featured Karl Rove, Mr. Rove complained that he would rather win a seat with a "Moderate" or "Liberal" (read RINO) Republican that voted the Party line (Karl is not a conservative, he is a Party man) 70% of the time.. Actually I would rather lose the seat by putting up a Principled Conservative or Libertarian to a  Conservative Democrat (if they still exist) that will still probably vote with the Republicans 50-70% of the time. That way when they Voted with the Democrats on the big things (ala Collins, Snow, and Lindsey Grahamnesty*), at least you wouldn't feel as though you have been stabbed in the back.

A news flash from Delaware today.. The Camp of the "Bearded Marxist" for Senate (Coons). Is worried because of the light turn out in New Castle and Kent Counties. These are majority Democrat Counties.

To win, Mr. Coons will have to get heavy support from Democrats and independents in New Castle, the state’s most populous county. In the primary, Ms. O’Donnell drew heavy support from the state’s other two counties, Kent and Sussex, which skew more to the right. -- I think it would be hilarious and a smack in the face to both the Republican establishment, Democrats, and Main Stream Media. They have all heaped scorn and ridicule on Ms. O'Donnell. Even if she is the dummy that they have been trying to portray her as (which I doubt she is). She definitely can be no worse than Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray, or Patsy Schroeder. All three of which don't have enough wattage combined to power a night light.


* Senator Lindsey Graham is a big supporter of Amnesty for Illegal Aliens. Therefore he is referred to as Senator Grahamnesty.

Dennis Prager on Americanism

You may not be able to see this in your email update. You will probably have to go my blog page to see the embedded video.
Mr. Prager is a radio talk show host, he is discussing the biggest threat to America.

The Proper Way to Beat Your Wife

Uh-Oh Big Man... Did you take Big Mama of the mailing list?

Who me? I am not scared of Big Mama (Just a nickname not a description)..
OK, maybe just a little skittish..

Anyway, A friend sent this video to me. It contains two pieces of great information from Al-Jazeera, the Islamic CNN.. The first is why do so many European women want a Muslim man, and the second is, how to and when it is permissible, to beat your wife. Only a modern forward looking religion has rules like this. That must be why the Liberals love to bash those backward American Christian Sects like the Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians and defend Islam. None of them have this kind of guidance. Could you imagine Billy Graham giving a lecture on how to properly beat your wife and when is the only time you are allowed to do it?
Translation is provided by MEMRI which is a watchdog group that monitors Islamic media.

Bamster and the Tea Party

Mr. Obama told Rolling Stone that the tea party movement is financed and directed by "powerful, special-interest lobbies." But this doesn't mean that tea party groups are composed entirely of corporate puppets. Mr. Obama graciously implied that a small subset of the movement is simply motivated by bigotry.
The President said "there are probably some aspects of the Tea Party that are a little darker, that have to do with anti-immigrant sentiment or are troubled by what I represent as the President." The tea party is now supported by a third of the country in some polls.

 OK, here is my disclaimer-

    I have been to several Tea Party rallies, The first was in the rain, in Lafayette Square, which is adjacent to the White House, on April 15th 2009. Most folks there were using plastic sheeting or ponchos to keep dry. If there were corporate sponsorship, where was the money being spent? Further, the crowd of approximately 2,000 was, to use a P.C. term very diverse. I don't believe that Racism or Bigotry had anything to do with the rally. Spending and Big Govt. did.

    The second Tea Party rally I attended was the following 4th of July at my local Courthouse. Again, if there were corporate money involved, it was not evident among the 1,000 or so people that showed up. The crowd was not as diverse as the one in Washington D.C.. Then again, it wasn't all one group either. I think the second crowd represented the makeup of the area in proportion to its' inhabitants. Again, at either rally I never heard a bigoted remark, nor saw a sign that could be considered racist.

    I surmise that the left doesn't like when regular people begin to speak out. They are planning a “One Nation” rally in Washington DC for October 2nd. This rally although does have sponsorship, Union and left leaning religious “Social Justice” groups. These groups are paying for Buses and food for those willing to attend. As far as I know, at the Tea Party rallies, individuals scheduled the buses and each rider paid for their seats and brought or bought their own food..

     I have noticed that when the left accuses a group or an individual of something, they have either already done it, or are planning it. Like John McCain not being an American because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone. I wonder whom they were worried about with that one?

Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheese Burger

BigMan? What the?

Yeah, you read it correctly.. 
The big thing at this year's State Fairs is the "Krispy Kreme Cheese Burger"..1,000 Calories of MMM! MMM! MMM!

But You said Bacon..

Yeah, well I figured what the heck.. With a belly Bomb like that what is two slices of Bacon? 208 calories? I am a man of adventure! That makes it only 1208 Calories!! The photo here is of the actual burger, taken with my IPhone, and as you can see, it was rather dark...

They basically take a Glazed Krispy Kreme dougnut, slice it like a bagel, and use the doughnut like a hamburger bun.

I shared it with 4 other folks, Big Mama (Nickname, not a description), #1 daughter, her spouse Doc, and the Caboose (child  #4, the last of the line).
 The consensus was that it was actually pretty good. A mixture of Salty and Sweet.  Not that I would eat one on a regular basis.. Although I did see a young lady with three of them that could be described as "Big Mama, description, not a nickname".

The Definition of Political Correctness

I truly wish I could take credit for this or at least knew who came up with this definition.

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

Says it all doesn't it?

Support a Tea Party Candidate

As I have said many times before, I am NOT a Republican. I am a Libertarian, or I could be even be called a "Classic Liberal". The word "Liberal" in both labels refers to liberty, not the "I will take more of your money because I know how to spend it better than you" Modern Liberal/Progressive... Then again some men would say that the definition of a Modern Liberal/Progressive also sounds like the definition of a spouse, Big Mama (just a nick name not a description) excluded.. Because I believe in liberty and the inherent right of mankind to live a life unencumbered by Government interference, I usually vote and support the lesser of two evils, aka the Republican party.

 A recent article by Peggy Noonan describes the libertarian's dilemma quite well. If all issues before Congress were to be likened to a yardstick, 0" being the goal of the so called right and 36" the goal of the left. A compromise would be 18", the right really wanting  5" and the left wanting 31". What has been happening in our Congress is that the compromise is usually 28". We are told by the Republicans "Hey, it still has an '8' in it!" and "Be thankful it's not '29'!" If a Congressman or Senator stands their ground and will only accept  18" they are labeled in the MSM and by Democrats as extremists or "Far Right". Those Republicans that readily accept those compromises of 28"-31" are called "Moderates" (aka RINOs). Those Democrats that would be happy with only getting 22"-25" are called "Blue-Dog Democrats" and they have to be "reigned" in by the Democrat leadership...

Unfortunately, the Republican Party is more about Party than values/convictions/issues. This has been demonstrated in the recent Primaries. The GOP backed the Good Ol' Boys and Girls without regard where they would land on the above scale. As long as you had put your time in, it was your turn, principals be dammed. Therefore the choices were horrendous. One of the most egregious candidates was former Delaware Rep. Mike Castle. Rep. Castle only voted with the Republican party 88% of the time.

 Wait a minute BigMan!! 88%, that seems to be a fairly good voting record..

 Looks can be deceiving. If you keep in mind that 90% of all resolutions/bills before Congress are boilerplate pabulum: "The Congress of the US hereby recognizes the Ladies Garden Club of East Nowhere Anystate for their fine public works..". The other 10% are bills with teeth in them that actually effect our lives, so Rep Castle could actually have a -2% voting record, or you could say that he never voted with the Republicans when it counted. Rep. Castle promised Sen. Harry Reid D/NV support for the idiotic "Cap and Trade Bill". Further Rep. Castle supported and voted for a resolution to move an Investigation for Impeachment of President Bush to the Judiciary Committee.  Rep. Castle is the poster boy for the MSM/Democrat definition of "Moderate".. He is a RINO (Republican In Name Only). We have enough problems in the Senate without a Male version of Susan Collins or Olympia Snow.

 Because of this, I have not been willing to provide funds to the GOP. My current Congressman doesn't need any funds as he is not only not a RINO, he should win handily. Unfortunately, nether of my state's two current Democrat Senators or up for election. So I decided to send $50.00 to any Candidate that I deemed worthy of my support. Two I found immediately, Lt.Col. Allen West USA(R) running for Congress in FLA's 22nd District, and Ilario Pantano (Former USMC 2nd LT in Iraq) running for NC's 7th district. I have now sent $50.00 to Christine O'Donnell for Del. Senate. I must admit that I do not know as much about Ms. O'Donnell as I do about the two other gentlemen, but when the GOP decided to abandon her the day after she won the Delaware Republican Senate Primary (defeating Rep. Castle), and told her "Let the Tea Party support you". It really pissed me off so I sent her a donation. I also sent this Email to the GOP:

 "I usually donate money to the GOP. This election season I have chosen to donate to individual candidates because of the GOP's stance on Tea Party supported candidates. A prime example is last nights primary in Delaware. The GOP announced it will not support Ms. O'Donnell with campaign funds. Therefore, the money I would normally donate to the GOP will go to Ms. O'Donnell. I have also sent funds to Lt.Col West in Fla and Mr. Pantano in N.C. and will most likely contribute more. Unless the GOP begins supporting Conservative candidates, I will no longer support the GOP."


 If you are like me and do not have a local candidate that needs your support, find some worthy candidates out there and support them. They need your help.

A fun Day at the Hacienda de Grande Hombre

 Note: When I post to this Blog, emails are sent out and if there are photos or videos posted to the Blog, they do not appear in the email. You will have to click the link TheMusingsOfABigMan to see the photos/videos.

A quick background for this entry. This event took place at Hacienda de Grande Hombre. The Hacienda is situated in the Eastern U.S. on a seven acre stand of mostly hardwood trees.

Yep, I live in the woods.

Even though my little patch of paradise has McMansion suburbia encroaching from several directions, I still have quite a collection of wildlife roaming around. Everything from a herd of deer, to foxes, red tailed hawks, squirrels, opossums, raccoons, the occasional turkey, and once a bear. Further I also have quite the collection of lizards, toads etc. Every so often I also see snakes. If they are black snakes, I leave them alone because they prey on Big Mama's (just a nick name not a description) least favorite species of wild life, field mice. They also prey upon the subject of this post, Copperhead snakes.

If you have not had the pleasure living in the Eastern US, especially below the Mason Dixon in the mid Atlantic region, the Copperhead is the only venomous snake we have east of the Blue Ridge and Smokie Mountains which is Timber Rattler territory.

 I have seen and killed my fair share of Copperheads, to date the largest Copperhead I have seen or killed was approximately

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26 inches long. As you can see by the information below, 26 inches is about average for an adult Copper head.



     Family: Crotalidae - Pit viper Snakes (dangerously venomous)

     Typical Adult Size: 24 to 36 inches

     Reproduction: live bearing

     Eye Pupil: elliptical

    Dorsal Scales: weakly keeled

    Anal Scale: single

    Adults are usually in the range of 24 to 36 inches in length, although specimens of greater than 42 inches are not rare. They give         live birth to young.

         http://www.snakesandfrogs.com/scra/snakes/copperh.htm
 Big Mama (just a nick name not a description) and I have been making improvements to Hacienda de Grande Hombre since we took up residence here 15 years ago. Last week I removed some interior partitions (I tore out some walls) as part of our current project. Because of rain and the fact that our County Landfill has cut back hours, I piled the debris out side near my front entry. This morning as I loaded my truck I had my first of two close encounters with Copperheads. I was just picking up the last of the drywall pieces when I noticed one of our resident Toads we affectionately call "Terrence". As I moved the drywall, I noticed Terrence had taken up residence underneath it, and I was thinking, we should really get him a toad house (yes, there is such a thing). As soon as I completely lifted the drywall from the ground I saw that approximately where my hand had been was a coiled Copperhead snake. I cannot express to you how thrilling it is to know that I had my hand within one to two inches of a coiled Copperhead. OK,  so thrilling isn't quite the correct word, but the pucker factor was rather high.. I then called for Big Mama (just a nick name not a description) and requested that she get my Machete'. OK, so it wasn't quite a "excuse me dear, but do you think you could locate my Machete', thank you ever so much", but I bet you can guess the conversation immediately after she said "OH MY GOD!!". Once I had my US Army issued Machete' in hand, I quickly dispatched the snake. This one wasn't that big, approximately 13" or so. I threw it in with the rest of the junk and made my run to the dump. The thrill for the day was over.. Or so I thought.


  After Big Mama (just a nick name not a description) and I arrived back at the Hacienda, we took a break and had some lunch. I decided that after lunch I would position a flatbed trailer I have, near the front of the Hacienda so I could just pile the rest of the debris directly on it instead of the ground. I didn't want to provide a nice shelter for another one of our little friends. I went into my garage, retrieved the hitch I use for that trailer, and walked out to my truck. At this point I was looking for my work gloves and was walking back towards the Hacienda when in the driveway, near where I had just walked, was a Big "Expletive" Copperhead.
 
   "Oh Pah-leeze BigMan, BigMa and BigPa (they live far enough away not to need a disclaimer) have told you a Million times not to exaggerate!!"
  
   I am not exaggerating, read this line again, from a Copperhead page and I quote;
  
   "Adults are usually in the range of 24 to 36 inches in length, although specimens of greater than 42 inches are not rare."
  
   Specimens of greater than 42 inches are not rare... Once incapacitated this specimen WAS greater than 42 inches, it was 45 inches to be exact.
  
   As you can imagine, I again was thrilled.. OK, not exactly thrilled. I quickly gave it a wide berth, and retrieved my US Army issued Machete'. When I returned to my previous location, the snake had moved to a partially landscaped planting bed. I was debating how to approach the snake, as I had read somewhere that snakes can strike half again as long as their body length. Which I would discover later was 22 1/2", in a circle from it's head.
    Big Mama (just a nick name not a description) then came out of the Hacienda to see what the hell I was doing standing there with my Machete' in my hand staring at the ground. I then requested that she retrieve my anti-burglar intrusion device from the nightstand. OK, so I used an expletive and the word gun. She quickly went and retrieved my anti-burglar intrusion device. Once she brought it to me I stood there trying to decide whether to shoot it or chop off it's head. I decided to use a long handled scraper to pin it to the ground and remove the snake's head with the machete'.

 Now some of you from the west are probably thinking to yourself
'A 45" snake? You call that a snake? It isn't even deadly to an adult, a small child or a small dog, yes, but you BigMan?'
OK, so I agree that it probably would not have killed me, hurt me, or made me ill? Yes. There are many things that could hurt me but not kill me, like shooting myself in the hand with a pneumatic nail gun (yeah, I have done it), slamming my hand in a car door, or listening to 'Gangsta Rap'. None of these things would kill me, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't avoid them. 
  
 Yes, I know that the Copperhead's cousin, the Water Moccasin is more deadly, as is the Rattle Snake. I have been fishing with BigPa when a Water Moccasin, on two different occasions wanted to get in our boat. BigPa dissuaded them with a shot shooting revolver he developed in the early '70s (he was 30 years ahead of the Taurus Judge).  The bad thing about a Copperhead is that you do not know it is there until you have been bitten. It blends in with the leaf litter so that it is completely hidden. BigPup (a description not a nickname) a six year old 200 lb English Mastiff, was bitten earlier this year and we did not realize it until he was acting listless, A home veterinary visit and $250.00 later, he is doing fine.

 "Home veterinary visit BigMan?"

 Yeah, BigPup has mild hip dysplasia and he doesn't like jumping into vehicles. When a Mastiff doesn't want to do something, you won't get him to do it...

 Anyway, I kill Copperheads and this particular Copperhead I have skinned and I am attempting to cure the skin following the below instructions I found on the Internet. I plan on making it into a hatband for my cowboy hat. Yes, the BigMan is known to wear a cowboy hat on occasion. Read some of my older posts.

         Photos and videos attached.

 Curing Snakeskin

 Remove the head, if it is a poisonous snake be careful they are dangerous even after the snake is dead.

 Cut down the middle of the belly plates with a pair of scissors or snips.
 Remove the skin from the carcass. Try to maintain a steady pressure, the skin should peel easily from the neck to the vent.

 Remove the skin from the vent, this requires some delicate knife work. You might use a box cutter for this, they are sharp.

 Remove any remaining fat or meat from the hide, about the same as you would skin a fish, keeping the blade almost flat and work with a smooth sawing strokes to avoid cuts or tears in the hide.

 When the skin is removed and scraped clean, rinse and carefully inspect the inside for any bile or blood stains. Wash them away.

 Now to the Curing part:

 Fill a gallon jug two-thirds full of water. Dissolve as much plain salt (non-iodized) in the water as possible. Stir the water as you add the salt and when you see the crystals sinking to the bottom instead of dissolving, that is enough salt. (It will take about 2 lbs of salt to a gallon of water)

 Place the skin in loose fold (not rolled) in the salt water solution.
 Seal the jug, and leave a room temperature (70 degrees) for four days. Rotate the jug gently once or twice a day.

 Remove from he salt water on the fourth day. Rinse for several minutes and lightly pat dry on towels.

 Mix a solution of equal parts glycerin and water. Pure glycerin is available at most drugstores.
 Two pints of glycerin mixed with water is sufficient to treat three medium-sized snake skins.

 Place the skin in the glycerin solution, cover and let stand at room temperature for another four days. Rotate but do not shake the jug daily.

 After the skin has been in the glycerin solution four days, remove and pat dry with a towel.

 Place the dry skin on an unfinished, dry, flat pine board. The boards must be long and wide enough to sandwich the whole skin. Do not stretch the skin to flatten it, just roll it out smoothly on the board. Use the flat of your hand to remove and wrinkles.

 Place a second pine board on top of the skin. The skin must be firmly pressed, so weigh down the top board.

 Let dry for four days. It may take a little longer in the dead of winter or in humid conditions.

When the skin is dry, it will be soft and pliable. Put a little talcum powder on the dry hide and roll it around on an old paper-towel roll ( one of those cardboard rollers) and it will keep until you are ready to turn it into a hatband or mount it on a display board. http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/Rept...3A8601BE6.html.

A Movie Preview and a Commercial

These were sent to me by a good friend, Backpacking co-sufferer and retired US Marine.
The commercial I had already seen as it was sent to me earlier by "Big Pa" and I had just not posted it yet. I will either go see the Movie or at least buy a copy.
I would gladly donate $100.00 to have the commercial shown during the NFL kick off game Thursday September 9th. It sure would piss off a lot of Democrats..

What we have to lose

Unfortunately, we Americans have become complacent. This complacency is the result of our success. We have enjoyed an almost 400 year win streak. Sure we have had a few bumps, bruises and set backs. We have always figured out how to persevere and advance no matter the obstacle. This has caused us to get comfortable and soft. We also are an optimistic people, we like to see the good in each other because, we as Americans, are a good people regardless of what others think. We have traditions of helping each other in times on need and peril. We always root for the underdog because we began as an underdog nation in 1776 when, as a ragtag group of 13 colonies that were still mostly wilderness, took on what at the time the worlds most powerful nation. A true global Empire, Britain. The most terrible by product of our success, complacency, has it's own by product. Forgetfulness.

We have forgotten the history of man.

We have forgotten that man is evil by nature.

We have forgotten that man wishes to absorb power and control.

We have forgotten that there are men, who through their own conceit believe that their fellow man is too stupid to care for themselves. They they and they alone know what is best for all and that they should have the reins of power. They believe that this power is a birth right, their destiny, no matter how many of their fellow humans they destroy or kill. The ends justify the means.

The history of man for as far back as it has been recorded is one of War, famine, pestilence, slavery and subjugation.

A woman's life or intelligence were not valued, she was but a brood mare, a second class citizen, a beast of burden to be traded, bought and sold. She was a burden to the family she was born into, her only value was that she could be used to cement alliances between families, tribes or nations by being given. To this day, we have traditions that still hearken back to the dowries that had to be paid in order to have a daughter, a burden, a mouth to be fed, accepted into a new family. Many died in child birth, or from exhaustion.

Children were not the special joy they are today. Many did not name their children until the age of three or four so that when the died, they could forget more easily. Families would have as many children as possible in hopes that enough would live and be male in order to work the land. for many centuries if two or three live to adulthood, families were considered lucky.

Old age was not a matter years, but a matter of if you could still work and be useful. once your body broke down to a point that you could not produce, you were expendable. If your station in society was low, that could be as early as your mid thirties or early forties.

Ladies and gentlemen, we Americans live in a dream. The dream of mankind for thousands of years. To be free, to profit from the labors of our work and intelligence. To own our own small piece of ground. To be free of hunger, want or sickness.

This human experiment, The United States of America, changed the world. Is it hard to imagine what the world would be like if America as we have known it never existed? No, it is not. The world was a cruel and despotic place when the USA was birthed through the labors of many men. Those men sacrificed much to ensure that it would not be still born. They, like man through out time were not perfect, but for their time they were a guiding light to humanity. Without the USA, man would still live in darkness. With out the USA, most humans would still be illiterate. With out the USA, most countries would still be ruled by Monarchs and despots. With out the USA, most children would die of disease.

The USA was an example of how man could live and prosper if left to his own devices. Our frontier culture proved the worth of woman. She was not a burden, she was a partner, a friend a confidant. Other countries of the world resisted emulating the USA, and their citizens fled in droves to come here. THIS was the fabled promise land. A unique place were no matter what your father or mother's station in life. Through hard work, you could be rich, you could be a success. In this land, the poor of the world told each other, that the streets were paved with gold. If only you could get to America, life would be good.

We who were born here, we who matured here have taken her for granted. We have ignored those among us who believe that power is a tool. We have believed that because our founders eschewed power and only accepted the trappings of power in order to serve not to control, that we Americans were different. We have had that tradition, and believed in it. Fortunately our founders did not trust man because they knew the truth about man. When they established this experiment, they attempted to put in place checks and balances in order to keep power from being centralized. They designed Government to be weak by design. They wished the power to reside with the people at local levels. Over the years, as we became more and more complacent in our comfort, we allowed men to slowly amass more power. This was for "emergencies only". This was to "Level the Playing Field". We wanted to be more "Fair". These evil men used our spirit of good will and benevolence to amass power. They have now enough power and have broken down the checks and balances to the point that we are at risk of losing it all.

We are now at risk of despotism, slavery, and subjugation. Am I saying that Barack Obama is a despot? No, but the power he is amassing can be used to destroy our Constitution and thereby our way of life. Even if he was a man of good intentions and character, which I doubt, the power he is collecting into the Presidency could be used by a successor to plunge man back into darkness.

There are those outside of our country who are also taking advantage of our benevolence in an attempt to subjugate us. We have a tradition of "Freedom of Religion". This came about because many of our early colonists were religious refugees. Therefore we as a people squash any perceived religious persecution. Islam, is not a religion, it is a way of life encompassing Politics, Religion, and Commerce. Many of it's followers just adhere to it's religious component. Many not only embrace it all, but push it's acceptance through religious tolerance. Islam as a whole, if allowed to flourish, will plunge us back into the dark ages where it was born.

We are facing these two challenges to our existence. We have been given a dream, the dream of man. We must fight to ensure that it does not once again become a nightmare.

When you see your children, when you see your grandchildren, you see the future of the USA. Do you want your legacy to be that you did nothing? Do you want to be part of the generation that allowed the dream to die?

Do you want the USA, America as we have known it, to become a rumor, a myth that is told to children at night by candlelight?

Once upon a time, there was a place, a shining place where the streets were paved with gold. Where little boys and little girls could grow up to be anything they wanted. Where men and women were free to do as they pleased as long as it did not injure another. They could live and work where and for whom they desired.

This far off place was a paradise... A paradise lost...

Does The Bamster Have Leprosy?

This is funny.. At a recent Democrat fundraiser in GA... Papa Doc was all alone.. None of the GA Democrats bothered to show up..

Smart Ass...

VP Joe Biden... The gift that keeps on giving. I used to say at the beginning of this train wreck of an administration "Joe Biden, Making Dan Quayle look smarter every day". Well here is Ol' Joe Calling an owner of an Ice cream shop a smart ass. When asked how much was owed, the owner just replied "It's on me, you could lower taxes though".

Elmer Fudd on Business

I found the other old Cartoon I mentioned the other day, If  this embed doesn't work I will try to post it as an attachment. If those don't work, you can find it by searching for 'Yankee Dood It'.

The NRA sides with Tyranny

 For those of you who may not have heard, the NRA has struck a deal with Chucky Schumer and the Bolshevik Bitch (Nancy Pelosi) not to oppose their new bill to restrict free speech. Because of the recent SCOTUS ruling that gave Corporations and Private groups the same rights as Unions to advertise during political campaigns, the Democrats in Congress had to do something about that. They have crafted a bill to remove the First Amendment rights of those entities.. The NRA stuck a deal not to oppose the bill if they (the NRA) were exempted. They tried to make the same deal before the McCain/Feingold law, but of course even though they  were promised that they would be exempted later, the Democrats of course screwed them.. See, the Democrats ARE really egalitarian.. They screw everybody..

 Read about it here

 I sent the following email to the NRA:


It saddened me to read that the NRA sold out my First Amendment Rights to ensure that the NRA's First Amendment rights were not infringed. The Second Amendment is supposed to be used to protect the other Nine. Therefore, even though the association's focus is the Second Amendment, it should never agree to stand idly by while other freedoms are infringed upon.

What happened to the NRA motto "Freedom First"? I will no longer place my NRA "Freedom First" yard signs out around election time.. Not only is it now a hollow statement.. Because of the NRA's actions, it may even be illegal.


By the way, I am a Patron Life Member of the NRA.

Old Cartoon Circa 1948

This cartoon was sent to me by a friend, unfortunately they don't make any like these any more. I remember several that used to be shown on Saturday mornings. The one I saw most was Elmer Fudd explaining how Capitalism worked; selling stock, manufacturing a product, advertising, customer service, reinvestment of capital, and paying dividends to stock holders. Some one should rescue all of these old cartoons and make a collection like the "School House Rock" series. Our children need some of this old fashioned "Propaganda".

New Pocket Constitution has a disclaimer..

A new "Pocket" Constitution which contains the Declaration of Independance, The Constitution and the Federalist Papers contains the following disclamer inside the front cover..
 Maybe we should all drop them a line about what our values are since they believe that these documents no longer reflect them..

Stalin and the National D-Day memorial

In the small town of Bedford Virgina, about 20 miles off of US I-81, is the National D-Day Memorial. You may be wondering why this small Virginia town would be chosen for such an honor. In retrospect, they would most likely have not wanted the 'honnor' of  a Memorial in their town.
 Alpha Company, 1st of the 116th, 29th ID (my old unit when I served in the VAARNG), was at the outbreak of WWII, and at the time of the landing, comprised of the entire Male population of the town of Bedford VA, between the ages of 18 and 29. Of the 35 men, only 18 were left uninjured from their landing on Omaha beach. Within a week, 23 would be dead.

 Recently an additional bust has been added to the sculptures and statues honoring the fallen of D-Day and WWII.... A bust of Joseph Stalin.. The committee in charge of the memorial has not given a good reason for this addition. They have attempted to make up for it by adding a small dedication to the 100 million people he was responsible for murdering (by comparison, Hitler has ONLY been attributed responsibility for 25 million deaths). I recently sent them an email:

to:dday@dday.org

To who it may concern,

 I had been planning on visiting the D Day Memorial this summer until I heard the news that for some unknown reason a bust of one of the worst mass murderers in history, Joseph Stalin, has been placed there. I am unsure why you would honor a man that made Adolph Hitler look like an amateur when it comes to the wholesale slaughter of his fellow man. The only reason this monster was fighting on the side of the Allies was that Hitler turned on him after they jointly consumed Poland as military allies. Unless I am mistaken, Polish troops took part in the landing, did you consider their memory when you took this decision? Did you take any consideration of good taste?
 What would the Bedford Boys say if any of them could tell you how they feel? They probably would be ashamed.

Two more nails in liberalism's coffin

--Gene Schwimmer--
Is Atlas about to shrug? Don't know, but judging by a couple of news items today, it sure looks like the old boy's knees are starting to wobble.

First, USA Today reports that in the first quarter, "[p]aychecks from private business shrank to their smallest share of personal income in U.S. history during the first quarter of this year." As University of Michigan economist Donald Grimes points out, "The trend is not sustainable" because "[t]he federal government depends on private wages to generate income taxes to pay for its ever-more-expensive programs."

Whoa! I mean, who knew? Clearly, Barack Obama doesn't, nor do much or all of his economic "team." There is no I in team, as the saying goes, but surely at least one member of Obama's "team" can count the number of Is in idiot. Or is that asking too much of an economic "team" that apparently believes that money grows on trees.

But there is good news, too - evidence that the public, increasingly, is getting it. In today's Rasmussen Poll, Obama's approval rating stands at 42% , a new low for him.


Soooo..Hows' that hope and change working out for you?

Time to CowboyUp!

CowboyUp-
    rodeo life: tuff-up, get back on yer horse, don't back down, don't give up, and do the best you can with the hand you're dealt.

    ranch life: give it all you've got, or "I cowboy for a living."

 From Merrian-Webster Dictionary: cow·boy
    noun
    1 : one who tends cattle or horses; especially : a usually mounted cattle-ranch hand
    2 : a rodeo performer
    
    From the American Heritage Dictionary: cow·boy  
    n.
    1. A hired man, especially in the western United States, who tends cattle and performs many of his duties on horseback. Also called cowman, cowpoke, cowpuncher, also called regionally buckaroo, vaquero, waddy.
    2. An adventurous hero.
   
    John Wayne about old time cowboys--
   
        "They were simple, direct men.
   
        They believed in things like liberty and minding their own business.
   
        When the first cowboys were herding longhorns up the Chisholm Trail from Texas to Kansas they were a pretty tough lot, but they had to be. It was a rough era in our history. There was no room for nuance or no time for luxury.
   
       Out of the lives of these cowboys have come all sorts of stories and legends, Some true and some fiction. But the most authentic and dependable evidence of what the cowboys really were has come from the artists who pictured them in their true environment, risking their lives in stampedes, freezing or sweating, under the stars, by lonely campfires, rowdying in saloons, fighting, branding and whooping it up around the chuck wagons."
   
   The American Cowboy, why is he such an icon? After all Pigboys and Sheepboys (yes there was such a thing) aren't sung about or romanticized in movies.
   The Cowboy had a horse, he didn't use a carriage or wagon, he had the ultimate mobility. During the heyday of the Cowboy, riding horses was a luxury in most of the world, in Europe, only the upper class had riding horses. Here in America, a common Cowboy not only owned a horse, if he was a good Cowboy, he may even have a "Remuda" of 1-3 more horses.
   
   Recently a German College student I know was taking a film studies class. The students had to select a genre of movies and explain their significance to the culture. She selected American Cowboy movies. She had spent some time with my family and I have a large collection of classic American westerns that I had exposed her to. This is what I told her;
   
         "The American Western is the American version of Mythology. Since the United States is a relatively young country we had to develop a mythology of our own to explain who we were. They were also stories used to teach American ideals of morals, virtue and duty.
        
    The Cowboy became the American version of the Knight-errant. He was a rugged individualist, but also loyal to friends and dangerous to foes. He was not easy to anger, but once he was wronged he took matters into his own hands to see justice was served. He was the protector of Women, children, the weak and elderly. He was a Patriotic American who loved his country, even though he may have been a former Southern Soldier (American Civil War)."
   
The Cowboy epitomizes uniquely American values of individualism, Freedom, and Justice. They did not care about your race, religion or country of origin. What was important was could you be depended on and most important, could you "CowboyUp"?

Like the Willie Nelson song "My Heroes have always been Cowboys" I grew up wanting to be a Cowboy like John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Gary Cooper, Rowdy Yates, Hoss, Little Joe, Paladin, and Matt Dillon. If you grew up in the 50's or 60's, you probably wanted to be a Cowboy too. I can not remember a time in my life that I haven't had at least one pair of Cowboy boots somewhere in my closet. When I was a kid my dad always wore a straw Cowboy hat. That's the way I still see him in my minds eye whenever I think of him. He hasn't worn a Cowboy hat in years, not since baseball caps became more stylish in the 70's, but I still think of him in that sweat stained straw hat.

 I have been lucky enough to have met real Cowboys, I have made several trips to Montana, to the "Cat Creek Cattle Company" which is near the small town of Winnet whose town motto is "Winnet Montana, it's not the end of the earth, but you can see it from here." While there I was able to meet many ranch families and enjoyed their hospitality, I missed the trip wherein my Dad and Brother assisted with roundup and branding. They didn't actually ride, they just helped with the "Banding" (neutering, using a tight band), vaccinations and branding. These folks are all hard working, Patriotic, and generous to a fault.

My Paternal Uncle played at being a Cowboy, he Rodeoed from time to time, I believe he was into roping. I do know that he owned the same Appaloosa three or more times. "Jack" was his favorite horse. Whenever times were tough or he didn't have a place to keep him, he would sell Jack only to buy him back when he could. The last time he bought Jack back, Jack's riding days were over, he loved that horse.


The current administration and other Eastern Elites, much like their beloved European Socialist idols, find Cowboys laughable. When President Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan and then Iraq, he was lampooned as a Cowboy. You see, the Europeans think calling someone a "Cowboy" is an insult. Which is something I had to explain to our German College student, that most average Americans don't. If you were an Eastern elite or an Obama appointee, it would be. To me, there could be no higher praise than being called a "Cowboy".

Since the antithesis of what this regime stands for is the Cowboy spirit, I suggest a "quiet riot". Show solidarity with your friends and compatriots in the Tea Parties. Get those old Cowboy boots out, polish 'em up and wear 'em. Go to you local "Tractor Supply" store. They have inexpensive straw Cowboy hats. Wear them this summer to the Little League and Soccer games you attend, they are great for keeping the Sun off your face and neck, that's what they were designed for. They have a full selection of Cowboy style work boots and if you wear a suit or Business attire for work, a pair of shined Cowboy boots work just fine. Cowboy boots go with Jeans, Khakis or Slacks.

 Show your independence and your opposition to where our country is going... "CowboyUp!"

Fomer KGB Operative, Yuri Bezmenov, Interview 1985

I was directed to this interview by the Quinn and Rose Morning Show. Rather eye opening on how what the KGB set into motion is now coming to pass..

Nifty Counter

I am trying to figure out how to make this a regular part of my Blog over on the right side. They have made changes to the layout recently and it doesn't like the code....

TEN PLANKS OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO

In the Mid 1800's Karl Marx and Frederick Engels wrote two books outlining their ideas for a new "system" of Government. These books were, "The Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital". Marx and Engels believed the the "proletariat" (the abused under class) would rise up and overthrow the "bourgeoisie" (the middle class). In order for the rise of the Communist state there were 10 things that had to be accomplished.

First Plank: Abolition of property in land and the application of all rents of land to public purposes. (Zoning - Model ordinances proposed by Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover widely adopted. Supreme Court ruled "zoning" to be "constitutional" in 1921. Private owners of property required to get permission from government relative to the use of their property. Federally owned lands are leased for grazing, mining, timber usages, the fees being paid into the U.S. Treasury.) The use of eminent domain for non-public use. Towns and cities have now begun to use eminent domain to take property from private citizens to sell to developers for the promise of future Tax revenues.

Second Plank: A heavy progressive or graduated income tax. (Corporate Tax Act of 1909. The 16th Amendment, allegedly ratified in 1913. The Revenue Act of 1913, section 2, Income Tax.) _ The Bamster is currently making even more progressive.

Third Plank: Abolition of all rights of inheritance. - Estate Taxes. It is now almost impossible for a family business to be handed down from generation to generation. This include Family farms and sports franchises.

Fourth Plank: CONFISCATION OF THE PROPERTY OF ALL EMIGRANTS AND REBELS. (The confiscation of property and persecution of those critical - "rebels" - of government policies and actions, frequently accomplished by prosecuting them in a courtroom drama on charges of violations of non-existing administrative or regulatory laws.) This has taken a recent twist. The DEA and local Law Enforcement use the law to confiscate the property of drug dealers. You may believe that this is a wonderful idea, but there have been abuses wherein innocent people have been framed by corrupt Law Enforcement in order to obtain land for the National Park service or an especially valuable piece of property that can be sold at a profit. Local Law Enforcement may sell what they confiscate and use it for any and all local Police expenses.  

Fifth Plank: Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly. (The Federal Reserve Bank, 1913- -the system of privately-owned Federal Reserve banks which maintain a monopoly on the valueless debt "money" in circulation.) Obama now controls Citi Bank, GMAC, and Student Loans. Multiple banks are controlled by the fact they were forced to take TARP loans.

Sixth Plank: Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State. (Federal Radio Commission, 1927; Federal Communications Commission, 1934; Air Commerce Act of 1926; Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938; Federal Aviation Agency, 1958; becoming part of the Department of Transportation in 1966; Federal Highway Act of 1916 (federal funds made available to States for highway construction); Interstate Highway System, 1944 (funding began 1956); Interstate Commerce Commission given authority by Congress to regulate trucking and carriers on inland waterways, 1935-40; Department of Transportation, 1966.)

Seventh Plank: Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. (Depart-ment of Agriculture, 1862; Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1933 -- farmers will receive government aid if and only if they relinquish control of farming activities; Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933 with the Hoover Dam completed in 1936.) The take over of GM and Chrysler.

Eighth Plank: Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies especially for agriculture. (First labor unions, known as federations, appeared in 1820. National Labor Union established 1866. American Federation of Labor established 1886. Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 placed railways under federal regulation. Department of Labor, 1913. Labor-management negotiations sanctioned under Railway Labor Act of 1926. Civil Works Administration, 1933. National Labor Relations Act of 1935, stated purpose to free inter-state commerce from disruptive strikes by eliminating the cause of the strike. Works Progress Administration 1935. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, mandated 40-hour work week and time-and-a-half for overtime, set "minimum wage" scale. Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively the equal liability of all to labor.)

Ninth Plank: Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country. (Food processing companies, with the co-operation of the Farmers Home Administration foreclosures, are buying up farms and creating "conglomerates.")

Tenth Plank: Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of child factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production. (Gradual shift from private education to publicly funded began in the Northern States, early 1800's. 1887: federal money (unconstitutionally) began funding specialized education. Smith-Lever Act of 1914, vocational education; Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 and other relief acts of the 1930's. Federal school lunch program of 1935; National School Lunch Act of 1946. National Defense Education Act of 1958, a reaction to Russia's Sputnik satellite demonstration, provided grants to education's specialties. Federal school aid law passed, 1965, greatly enlarged federal role in education, "head-start" programs, textbooks, library books.

Your new "health care"

An interesting wrinkle that is included in the New Health Care package. If a couple has Health insurance through the Husbands place of employment for an example, and he loses his job. The Government can fine the Wife's place of employment $3,000 because she is not covered by a Health Policy. Her Place of employment has three choices, they can provide Health Insurance, pay the fine, or fire her. If they did not offer Health Insurance it was most likely that they couldn't afford it. If that was the case, they would just fire her.

Here is an interesting video I found.

Ronaldus Magnus

As you can see from the header of my Blog page, I am a fan of Ronald Reagan. I have a shirt that is a spoof of the infamous Che' Guevera shirt that all of the young skulls full of mush like to wear that has a silhouette of Reagan. Many of those same young skulls full of mush that have a clue as to whom Che' really was find it offensive. That is what I like about it. Fans of an infamous Communist Murderer being offended by one of the greatest champions of freedom ever born.

 What brings this all up? I have noticed lately that GE has been running commercials commemorating the 100th birthday of Ronald Reagan. I find this somewhat offensive seeing as how the current leadership of GE has been sucking up to Papa Doc Obama. They supported the Health Care hijacking and they also support the Cap and Trade bill that will make everyone's gas and electric bills skyrocket. Papa Doc even admitted this during his run for President.




 GE now trying to remind everyone of their former relationship with Ronald Reagan is like a "soiled dove" explaining that she once dated a minister..

Our Town

I was led to this Youtube recording entitled "Our Town" By Iris Dement. I have, over my 48 years, become more maudlin. As a lad I wouldn't even get misty over "Old Yellar". Now it's seems that anything can cause me to pause, especially when it comes to my children or my wife. If you have ever lived in a small town this will bring you back to it. Even if you haven't had the pleasure of small town life (I only lived in a smallish mid-western town for 2 years) you have probably visited one. This song is about small town life being lost. It can even be an allegory for our freedom recently lost. I guess that is what grabbed my heart the most. It makes you think of things past and now gone.

Enjoy






Artist: Dement Iris
Song: Our Town
Album: Infamous Angel
   

And you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.

Up the street beside that red neon light,
That's where I met my baby on one hot summer night.
He was the tender and I ordered a beer,
It's been forty years and I'm still sitting here.

But you know the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.

It's here I had my babies and I had my first kiss.
I've walked down Main Street in the cold morning mist.
Over there is where I bought my first car.
It turned over once but then it never went far.

And I can see the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.

I buried my Mama and I buried my Pa.
They sleep up the street beside that pretty brick wall.
I bring them flowers about every day,
but I just gotta cry when I think what they'd say.

If they could see how the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on now and kiss it goodbye,
But hold on to your lover,
'Cause your heart's bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to our town.
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our town, on our town,
Goodnight.

Now I sit on the porch and watch the lightning-bugs fly.
But I can't see too good, I got tears in my eyes.
I'm leaving tomorrow but I don't wanna go.
I love you, my town, you'll always live in my soul.

But I can see the sun's settin' fast,
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts.
Well, go on, I gotta kiss you goodbye,
But I'll hold to my lover,
'Cause my heart's 'bout to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to my town, to my town.
I can see the sun has gone down on my town, on my town,
Goodnight.
Goodnight.

Demcrats Create New Slavery

Slavery: (Webster)
Function: noun
Date: 1551


1 : drudgery, toil
2 : submission to a dominating influence
3 a : the state of a person who is a chattel of another b : the practice of slaveholding


Slavery: Wikipedia
Slavery (also called thralldom) is a form of forced labor in which people are considered to be the property of others. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand wages. In some societies it was legal for an owner to kill a slave; in others it was a crime.[1]


The organization Anti-Slavery International defines slavery as "forced labor." By this definition there are approximately 27 million slaves in the world today, more than at any point in history and more than twice as many as all African slaves brought to the Americas combined.


The International labor Organization, however, does not equate forced labor with slavery. According to ILO, there are estimated 12 million people around the world still working under coercion in forced labor, slavery and slavery-like practices.[5]


Most are debt slaves, largely in South Asia, who are under debt bondage incurred by lenders, some for generations.[6] Human trafficking is mostly for prostituting women and children into the sex trade.[7] It is described as "the largest slave trade in history" and is the fastest growing criminal industry, set to outgrow drug trafficking.




Serfdom: (Wikipedia)


Specifics of serfdom varied greatly through time and region. In some places, serfdom was merged with or exchanged for various forms of taxation.


The amount of labor required varied. In Poland, for example, it was a few days per year per household in the 13th century; one day per week per household in the 14th century; four days per week per household in the 17th century and six days per week per household in the 18th century. Early serfdom in Poland was mostly limited on the royal territories (królewszczyzny).


"Per household" means that every farm had to give a worker for the required number of days.[13] For example, in the 18th century, six people: a peasant, his wife, three children and a hired worker would be required to work for their lord one day a week, which would be counted as six days.


Sometimes, serfs served as soldiers in the event of conflict and could earn freedom or even ennoblement for valor in combat. In other cases, serfs could purchase their freedom, be manumitted by their enlightened or generous owners, or flee to towns or newly-settled land where few questions were asked. Laws varied from country to country: in England a serf who made his way to a chartered town and evaded recapture for a year and a day obtained his freedom.


Slavery, Serfdom.. Another way I have heard them defined as "The confiscation by force of the fruits of one's labor". Therefore the confiscatee is a slave or serf of the confiscator.

Monday, with the signing of the "Health Care Reform Bill", the United States of America has created two new categories of slaves or serfs.

The first are Doctors. Doctors? Yes, if you look at the Wiki definition of Slavery , the phrase "deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand wages". These will now pertain to any and all Medical Doctors. The Government will be able to restrict where they may live and practice medicine based on a geographic area's need for Doctors. Further, as is the current practice in Medicare and Medicaid, the Government will decide what is a fair reimbursement for services. Medicare and Medicaid DO NOT reimburse at cost let alone allow the Doctor to make any Profit (aka a living, salary etc). The ugly truth is that this is the real reason for the sky rocketing cost of health care, not gouging greedy Doctors and Hospitals. These individuals and institutions force the rest of us make up for the shortfall of the Government programs. Therefore we are taxed twice for Medicare, once by the Federal Government, and once by Health care providers. Doctors who don't initially submit..er a "sign up" for the program will be barred from ever participating. Further if they choose to leave the "program" they will be barred from ever rejoining (why would they go back? I don't know). At this time it is unclear if they will lose the right to practice medicine if they do not participate, but that would not surprise me. Hidden in the "Health Care Reform Bill" is also regulations to control whom may become Doctors. That is done to a degree currently by the AMA by restricting the number of medical students accepted each year. For the most part, those students that are accepted are the "best and brightest" or  at least those that are the most hard working. That will all change. With the new rules, "Under represented" minorities will be given preference. What does that mean? Well currently Whites are still considered the Majority (approximately 51% of population), with Hispanics, Blacks, Asians and Jews making up the rest in roughly that order. Looking at this list you would think that all things being equal (stupid phrase, because they never are) that the percentages of Doctors would resemble this make up. No.. It doesn't. But the current group of Marxists in control see this disparity as prima fascia evidence of discrimination. I do not know the exact breakdown of Doctors by race, I attempted to find it, for I am sure someone has done the study. My guesstimate would be in order of percentage; White, Jewish, Asian (to include Indians), Hispanic, and Black. In this scenario the "Under represented" minorities are Hispanics and Blacks. Therefore, they would get preferential treatment and most of the seats in Medical school. If you do an Internet search on "Doctors Racial Makeup" you will find multiple articles from the left stating that minorities, especially Blacks, do not get proper or sufficient medical care because there aren't enough Black doctors... Isn't that Racist on it's face? Two problems with this. 1. That the reason Doctors do not practice in the inner cities is because they hate black people. 2. If there were more Black Doctors they would practice in the inner cities.. Would they? Would they live or build their practices in crime and drug ridden neighborhoods? Would they not, if given a choice, live and practice where they could live safely and make a living? A simpler way to look at it, would they prefer inner city Detroit, or the Suburbs?
If I had a choice, I would like to have a Doctor that was considered the best and brightest doing my Heart Surgery rather than a Doctor that was selected because he had the proper amount of Melanin...   


 The second group of the new Slaves/Serfs are the Successful, the Achievers, the Earners. This Bill is the third great entitlement created by our Government. The first two, Social Security, and Medicare were intended for the lower middle class and the poor, but the cost was shared by all (if you worked) because technically, everyone qualified for benefits. This new Health Care entitlement is different, benefits are technically for everyone, but only the "Rich" will pay for it. "Oh Boy!!" you say, "Get the Bastards!!", "Yeah Buddy!!". Hold on there.. Just what is the definition of "Rich". How much money do you have to earn to be "Rich". According to this Bill, a Family of 4 whose income is $88,000.00 per year and above are "Rich". If you have a family of 4 and make less than that, you aren't. Depending on where you live and what your frame of reference is, you may believe that that definition of the "Rich" is valid.. Well I challenge you to live in Boston, New York City, Washington DC, Chicago or any other major metropolitan area and support a family of 4 on that salary. "Whoa, hold on there BigMan.. You are a Libertarian, they choose to live there." Yes, you are correct, and you may have chosen to live in Pickles Gap Arkansas and work at the Toad Suck Inn (these are real places, been there), why should someone that lives in a big Metropolitan Area, but doesn't live comparably better than you do, pay for your Health Care? Redistribution of Wealth, is Slavery. Plain and simple. Confiscating by force (But we have the largest voluntary tax system in the world!! yeah.. right, volunteer not to pay for a couple of years and see what happens) the fruit of an individual or group's labor for the benefit of another individual or group, is Slavery.

 "But Health Care is a RIGHT!!"
 Really?
 As a Libertarian, I believe in a broad spectrum of individual rights. INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. I also believe that these rights are not "Given", "Bequeathed", or "Bestowed". These rights are part of your basic humanity and can't be taken away without your permission. The founders believed that these rights were "Given", they believed that they were given by God and therefore could not be taken away by Man or Govt. except by your permission. Both of these ideas are known as "Natural Rights". Therefore rights that do not already exist or that aren't Natural Rights can't be created.

  This is how I see your and my rights as a Libertarian; You have the right to do ANYTHING you want with your body or possessions up to the point wherein your actions affect my or someone else's rights. Therefore if you want to drink until you are falling down drunk, that is your business. When you get in a car, your actions may have an effect on the safety of others. You do not have a right to drive on the roads drunk. Although if your driving was restricted to your property were the only chance of damage or injury was to yourself or your property. Be my guest, knock yourself out..
 
  So why isn't Health Care a right? Were you born with it? No. Does it exist in Nature? No. How do you get it? It can only exist if someone produces it. In other words, there can be no Health Care if there are no Doctors, Nurses, or Medicine. A Doctor or Nurse's skill and time belong to them. They invested time and money to obtain that skill. You do not have a right to their time or skill. They may give it to you, or you may purchase it. Obtaining it any other way is theft, the forced acquisition of their skills or time is slavery.  As for medicine, a Pharmaceutical company creates it by doing research and then producing it through paying for the labor and material. You do not have a right to their production without payment.  "Well, what about their obscene profits?" What is an obscene profit? Is it a percentage or an amount over and above the cost of doing business? If they make no profit, why would investors invest in those companies? Where would they get their research money? If research stops, where will new drugs come from? The American Pharmaceutical industry is the last medical research industry extant. With no profits they will disappear. Why would they stay in business, because they are nice? What will we do then? What will we do for Doctors when they aren't paid fairly for their services? In Great Britain and Canada, they rely mostly on Doctors trained in and from the Third World. That is our future.
 
  If there are no Doctors, no Nurses, no medicine, how can you have the right to something that does not exist?
 
   "I swear by my life and my love of it that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."-- John Galt, 'Atlas Shrugged'