2009......what a year

Well here we are, getting close to the end of another year. Around this time of year, we usually get those "look back" type of TV news programs. I haven't had a TV set for over two years now, so I wonder if they still do those types of programs. Well, this post will look at some of the things I learned this year.

One thing I learned early this year is that an "historic" event can be a dud.

How so? Well, the American presidential election of 2008 gave us the "historic" moment. For the very first time, a black man was elected as president.

OK, historic for sure. How was it a dud? Well, less than one week into the new job, the "new" president ordered the bombing by drone aircraft of targets in Pakistan. In his first year in office, Go-bomb-them has dropped more bombs on Pakistan than W. Shrub did in four years on the job.

We also learned in 2009 that the Nobel Peace Prize can be awarded to a person for "expectations" rather than any actual work towards peace. How else does one explain how Go-bomb-them was even nominated for this "prize"? The nominations for the "prize" closed in late February. He took office on 20 January. So, after being on the job less than two months, he was nominated for this "prize". What peace did he help to make in that short time? Did he bring peace to Iraq? Did he end the war in Afghanistan? Did he bring peace to the Palestine/Israel conflict?

Sadly, the answer to those questions is a resounding no. What he did do in that time was to bomb Pakistan. He also made no comment about the brutal invasion of Gaza. The "excuse" for the no comment on the Gaza disaster was that he had not yet assumed the office. True, yet at the same time, a very weak excuse to me.

So, just what had our president done in his short time in office to warrant the "peace prize"? Well, he got elected on the slogan of "yes we can". He was billed as "change we can believe in". He had raised the expectations of people all over the world.

Oh, so he was nominated for the "prize" based on the expectations people had of him? OK, but by that sort of standard, why not give a high school diploma to every child on his/her first day in kindergarten? We could tell them they were getting it for our expectations of them. Why not? If it works for a "peace prize", what limits do we apply to "regular" people? Do we hold a child to a higher standard than we do a president of a world power? Inquiring minds want to know.

I also learned that when is finally awarded this "peace prize" that it is A-OK to dismiss those who have really worked for genuine peace. You know, people like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.. They were described as "naive" by Go-bomb-them in his acceptance speech. In that same speech, he told the world that peace requires war. Was that a "1984" type moment? War is peace? Slavery is Freedom? Oh bother, he really did make it seem that war makes for peace. I had no idea that when giving a speech while accepting a "peace prize" that it was OK to tell the world how war is such a necessity. I never have claimed to be very smart, but somehow it just doesn't seem right to give a speech on how two very well know people who worked hard to achieve real peace were "deluded" as it were. I never would have thought it proper to give a speech accepting a "peace prize" while you tell the world how war makes for peace. Call me stupid, but somehow that just doesn't seem right to me.

Yes, dumb old charlie sure would have figured that if you were being awarded a "peace prize" you should talk about peace and other peace makers. I don't think talking about how "good" can come from war is the right thing to do at that time. Then, maybe I do need some "educating". Yes, I must be very damn stupid at that. I mean, if the president of the US of A makes the sort of "peace prize" speech where he puts down genuine peace makers and reminds us all how "good" war can be, well then, it must be OK to do that.

Is it just me. or does Go-bomb-them look more and more like W. Shrub every day? Sure, the guy still talks in complete sentences, but, well, just what is he really saying?

Before he even got on the plane to fly off to get his "prize", he announced that he would be sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. OK, now, here I might need some help. He sends more troops to a war, thereby escalating a war. Then he goes off to pick up a "peace prize"?

No wonder the elephant gang likes him. Toss in that "prize" speech and they may dump the moose burger bimbo for Go-bomb-them.

By the way, I saw on some web site where one of the late night comics, I think(?) it was Leno, said that Go-bomb-them was nominated for an Academy Award. He got the nomination for a Democrat acting like a Republican. No matter which of the TV guys said it, it sounds damn close to right to me.

I also learned that if you claim to be a "student" of the Great Depression and happen to be the chairman of the Fed, you can be named as the "Time" magazine person of the year. And not just because of those two "qualifications" either. Nope, you can be Fed boss and a "student" of that economic mess and do everything possible to not do what should be done and still get that magazine cover. Not being an economist, I may not have the "clout" to tell Ben his job, but had FDR and his folks done what Ben and his crew have done, that depression of the 1930's would not have ended even with World War Two to bail them out.

I am not a "student" of that time period, but I have read where the government tried to end the depression by creating jobs for those who had none. There was massive federal spending on all sorts of projects. Jobs were created. OK, some were just "make work" jobs, but, they did get people back to work with a regular pay check. What has Ben done? Well, he gave huge, some might even say obscene, amounts of money to the very folks who caused the current economic mess. Yes, folks, old Ben gave Trillions to the "too big to fail" banksters. Now, here again, I show how damn stupid I am. To me, a regular old dumb ass if there ever was one, a "student" of the Great Depression would have gone for things like government spending on jobs to repair the infrastructure. He would have set the money for construction of our aging roads, bridges, and other projects that need to be done. In fact, many of those items have been in great need of money for repairs for years. It was not that long ago that we had a bridge fail in Minnesota. Remember that one? We have many more bridges that are in very bad shape. We have millions of people without jobs. Skilled people without jobs. We have an aging infrastructure. Seems to me, any real "student" of the Great Depression would be able to see that granting the money for those jobs would have been the way to go. But, that would just help the working class. I suppose that is why Ben chose to help those "poor" under paid banksters. Yep, help for the working class might sound like socialism to the elephant gang. Might get Limburger, Beck, O'Really and that crew all hyper. Faux Noise might raise some crap over that sort of thing. Dear me, we can't get those folks upset now.

So, maybe being a "student" of something now means that when a situation comes along that is very close to what you have studied so much, you do just the very opposite of what the folks you studied did. And, then you can be the "person of the year" and have the whole cover on "Time" magazine. No doubt that magazine cover and $5.00 will get you a small, plain coffee at Starbucks. Big damn deal.

We have also learned that one can get elected to the US Senate and not act like any sort of decent American. Yes, I bring up Joe LIEbermann now. Old Joe used to be a member of the donkey gang. He and they didn't get along so good, so Joe quit to be an "independent". LOLMAO!!!!! Sorry about the laughter, but Joe has never been independent. He has been, and always will be, a tool of AIPAC. He is a forever "Israel Firster". On the health care bill grinding its way through Congress, Joe has threatened to hold his breath till he gets his way. Screw him. Let him do it, I dare him. He is a little coward. The other day, Senator Franken got old Joe. Joe was giving some yammering yack or other and asked for an extension on his time. Senator Franken said "no". Poor joe, nobody has ever dared to say no to him before. He said he didn't take it personally. Bullshit! Everything is personal with that rat bastard. Let the little weasel stew in his own shit for now. I never have cared much for Al Franken, but he sure did one decent thing this time. I still think Franken is a pompous ass and never thought he was funny, but I give him a thumbs up for this. Just proves that because I may not like the guy that he can't do something good now and then. Nice move Al.

It may be nasty of me to pick on "poor old" Joe, but he has been doing everything he can to make sure that regular Americans never get a decent health care plan. All the while, he enjoys a gold plated health care package at our, tax payer, expense. Sort of an,

"I got mine. Screw the rest of you." That is what we call an attitude folks. And Joe has a very nasty attitude. Past time that somebody slapped his ass down. Just wish it had been a much harder slap.

The folks who spent two weeks in Denmark learned something also. They learned that Go-bomb-them was not going to ride in like the old US cavalry to "save the day" for them. He did show up the day before the end of that climate meeting. He had some back room meetings with China and some other folks. He did sign on to a statement also. Um, well, big deal. That "statement" isn't really much of anything, as the folks who had been there for the past two weeks found out real soon. The compromise that Go-bomb-them signed onto does not set goals, does not set time limits, doesn't really do much of anything.

One comment from the busted Copenhagen meeting was, "Yes we can, but no, he won't". Sort of sums up a whole lot about the president of the old US of A. I'd say that applies to a great many things. Things like peace and health care for starters. HEalth care? Yes we can, but no, he won't. Peace? Yes we can, but no, he won't. I say that we Americans have first "dibs" on being damn disappointed in Go-bomb-them. We elected him, and he is an American. The rest of the world is upset over this climate deal? Too damn bad, he screwed us even more, and we are stuck with him for at least three more years. Denmark this week just showed the rest of the world what he has shown us for the past 11 months.

So that is my look at the year 2009. A look at a few of the things I have learned this past year. Oh, and guess what? We still have 11+ days left in the year! That means we might even get to learn a few more neat things before we say goodbye to 2009. I'm not sure if that makes me happy or just wary.

semper fi

dopenhagen? brokenhagen? (fill in the blank)enhagen

Well, somebody once told me that it is not polite to rub it in. Screw polite.

The "climate summit" or whatever the hell was "supposed" to have happen in Denmark is now officially over, finished, done.

And man alive, are some folks highly pissed off about it all. And I am not talking about Al, not my pal, Gore. Some of the countries who thought that Go-bomb-them would arrive, fresh from the "peace" prize deal, and "save the world". Yeah, sure he would. Well, guess what happened? Go-bomb-them arrived alright. He then proceeded to have "closed door" meetings with China and maybe somebody else. When he "emerged" from the back room deal making, there was a "consensus". Yes boys and girls, our "dear leader" has made some back room deal with China, India, and maybe Russia and Brazil to "help" those poorer countries "mitigate" the effects of climate change. You heard where Hi-Larry told the world how "we", the US of A, is going to put up $100 billion for this. More borrowing by us now. Well, what will that $100 billion get those poor folks? I don't know, but if I had money to invest in this "help", I'd put some money into inflatable air mattresses or rubber life rafts. You know, the sort of item that folks who are about to be flooded might find useful.

I really shouldn't joke about this, but the whole truth is, global warming is NOT happening. No, I do not refer to the "leaked" emails that show how the data has been doctored. REAL science shows that, if anything, the globe is cooling. Just look at the climate in the old US of A recently. We have had record low temperatures and early snow falls. Record early snow for many areas in fact. Also, the real data show the the globe is not warming. The doctored data also did away with the "uncooperative" Medieval Warm Period. Well, hey, that didn't fit the "model" so, the data HAD to go. Isn't that how you "do" science? Toss out any data that does not support your pet theory? Oh, you don't do that? Oh, dear, well, back to the old drawing board then. Also, Al, never my pal, Gore is the big loser here.

But, back to Go-bomb-them. He says the "deal" that was made in Denmark is a good start. Well, maybe, maybe not. If you are Al, never ever my pal, Gore you don't like it much as the spotlight is now off you. Maybe that is permanent, then the deal will be good for sure. Gore has been riding this "global warming" for way too long. He and his pals now have to figure how they will scam us out of all that money they were going to make from "cap and trade" which is carbon trading. Carbon trading, which needs to die a very swift and painful death, is just the new derivatives for the stock market and the banksters to get even richer off of. Gore was dead sure to be very rich from that scam as well. After all, Gore has set himself up as THE guru of "global warming". Maybe now he will just go home to Tipper and sulk for the next 30 years.

OK, NOW, back to Go-bomb-them. Sorry about that detour. Sort of sorry,maybe. Maybe not.

Many other world leaders are very disappointed with Go-bomb-them. They were certain that the new "peace" prize winner would be on their side in this "global warming" deal. He sold them out. Like any sane American could not see that coming? How many of you are surprised that Go-bomb-them sold out the "poorer" countries on this deal? Come on, be honest. How many of you are really surprised about it? How could any American who has been awake and sentient this past year be surprised that he "sold out"? He has done that to America since the inauguration. Now, the other world leaders get to feel like those Americans who voted for him. Screwed. Hey, what can I tell you/them? The guy is just the typical American politician. He knows who pays his bills. Yep, the big banksters. They don't want to waste money with global warming. They don't want to waste money on global cooling either. they just want MORE money, any way they can get it. The more, the better. Legal means or any other way, as long as they get tons more money, that is all they care about.

OK, so the average, sane American should have seen this "sell out" in Denmark coming. Well, so should those world leaders who are so surprised. Why? Did they read or listen to the "prize" speech? I have only seen portions of the damn thing. I said recently here that I decided not to read it. I have not read the entire speech yet and may not. I have seen enough of it and I have read some analysis of it by others to know that it stunk to hell and back. After hearing or reading a speech by a person who won a "peace" prize use the acceptance speech to praise war, well, they have no excuse to say they are surprised now.

This brings up another point. One reader of this corner asked if I heard the speech. I told him no, I didn't listen to it. He said I should read it and then blog on how pissed off it made me. Well, I still didn't read it, see above. BUT, I have seen enough of it to be pissed off to a degree. So, here ya go buddy, my "pissed at the "prize" speech rant".

Go-bomb-them "won" the Nobel "peace" prize this year. For what, nobody really knows. The nominations closed in February. He took office in mid January. Within his very first week in office, he authorized drone air strikes on Pakistan. OK, now before the nominations closed, he was nominated. For what? What peace did he achieve in, oh be generous, and say six weeks in office? He didn't have a peace plan for the Palestinian/Israeli mess. He didn't end any war. He DID escalate the sort of war in Pakistan. I say sort of war as we are not "officially" fighting there, yet. It is a sort of war in Pakistan from our side of things. More like our Afghan war sort of "spills" over across the border into Pakistan.

OK, so, he was nominated for the "prize". Fine, even though we still do not really know why. Later, we find out, lo and behold, he has WON the "prize". How? Beats the hell out of me, ask the Norwegians. THEY voted on the damn thing.

Now the rant regards the "prize" speech. Parts of the "prize" speech that I have seen get this old veteran highly pissed off. NOT as angry as I might be if and when I ever read the entire yak-yak. It wasn't JUST that during the "prize" speech he dismissed BOTH Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. No, now that alone was bad enough. BUT, he didn't stop there. He went further. He made the remark that war is necessary to achieve peace!!!!!! What the HELL!!!!!! We "have" to have war in order to have peace???? Since when?? YES, sometimes, after a war there is a period of peace. Wars do not bring peace however. Negotiations bring peace. War and blood shed, slaughter, rape, and all that comes with war is NOT needed to have peace. Peace only requires the opposing sides to sit down and talk like sane, rational human beings.

And to think that SOME Americans actually thought the guy was a "peace" candidate during the 2008 campaign! Well, if anything, the "prize" speech sure as hell ruled him out from being a "peace" person to me. I did not believe the guy when he was running for this current job he has. I voted for Ms. McKinney. THAT would have been real change. A black woman as president of America. Wow, that would be history for sure.

This "prize" speech just shows that Go-bomb-them loves was as much as W. Shrub. Go-bomb-them, I think, actually enjoys being a "war president". Just as W. Shrub did. Some commentators have said that we are now in the third Shrub presidency. I am not 100% certain of that, but this "prize" speech sure goes a long way to convincing me of that.

So, cheer up folks. Go-bomb-them did not sell us to Gore and the "greenies". Not by a long shot. Am I happy about the outcome of Copenhagen? Not really. I am glad that they did not get a legally binding document from it. That would have been disaster in my opinion. What they got, is a "deal" where each country can set their own goals as to reducing "green house gases" and it is NOT legally binding in any way. The "poor" nations did not get the huge handouts of money that they still want to comply with the agreement. Well, they don't need much money now. They can set their own goals, and why would anybody pay them for that? You can also bet the farm that the $100 billion Hi-Larry mentioned, well, that will sort of "evaporate". Hey, global warming can do that to money uncle Sam "promises" you know.

In the end, yes, I am gloating a bit. Al, never to be my pal, Gore lost out. Hopefully he lost big time huge. If we never see or hear from him again it will be too soon. Go back to his mansion and sulk. And don't forget to pay that electric bill there Al.

The warming crew lost out also. Well, maybe now we can get the real, honest science on climate.

As to the climate, I do think it may be changing. But, if anything, it is getting cooler. Back in the early 1970's that WAS the big worry. The coming ice age was in many science magazines at that time. Maybe they were right then, just off with the timing. I also believe that conserving our natural resources is a very good idea and we all ought to do what we can to conserve. Using energy efficient appliances and vehicles just makes good sense. It is also good for the personal "economy" (personal finances) as well. If you need a new ride, buy one that gets better mileage than what you own now. You will save money every time you fill up and save on resources as well. That is a good thing to do, smart even. There are all sorts of tips on how to save energy and other resources that do not cost much to do. It just makes sense that to be good stewards of this planet that we use the resources wisely. Leave some for the kids. Don't be wasteful with what we have. Everybody and the planet will thank us for that.

Oh, one last comment on what drives global warming, even global cooling for that matter. It is seen most every day by most people. Yep, right out there in the sky. The sun. That is what drives our climate. When solar activity is looked at along side climate data, well, let me just say that it all falls into place. And, we have accurate data on solar activity, sun spots, that go back hundreds of years. There IS a correlation folks. Some scientists know this. I even remember reading about sun spots and climate way back in grade school. How many of you remember back in the 1950's a school

magazine" the "Weekly Reader"? I know that the grade school I went to in Illinois had us get it. In 1957, it was IGY, International Geophysics Year. There were all sorts of interesting science articles in that little newsletter/magazine that year. I do not claim to remember much of what I read then, but the solar activity and climate stuck with me. There were articles on the connection during the early 1970's and talk of global cooling/ new ice age also. The idea of solar activity driving our climate is not new.

Aha, so, you ask, then why all the fuss on global warming? Well, you cannot make huge piles of money if the sun drives the climate. BUT, if people are causing "global warming", well, hell, there are tons of money to be had from that. We make them stop what they have been doing for years and have them do something new. See how the scam works? Well, it was supposed to work.

Poor Al, never ever my pal, Gore, he was set to be richer than Bill Gates.

semper fi

nothing much

Wow! I got actual comments posted here. That is odd as it is unusual for me to have comments posted at the corner. I usually get an email or three, sometimes. Often times nothing at all. Now that is OK by me. I don't expect any sort of response. In fact, I don't really know if anybody reads this blog. Well, not quite true, some folks tell me they read it.

Either way, this isn't to gather any sort of "following". That would be the worst thing that could happen, my opinion. I am not a leader. I was a very good worker before the old back gave up. I did good work, and never had any problems with the quality of my work. That even held up for some hobbies I had and one I still have. I refer to my photography. No, it isn't "professional" quality photography, but I did not set out to be a professional photographer. I do it because I enjoy it and I do a fair job of it. It is a hobby and nothing more.

Same holds here with the old "corner". This blog is a sort of hobby as well. It is my little soap box where I can write about whatever I feel like writing about. This also explains why the new postings here are very irregular. I do not write on any sort of schedule at all. I only post here when I feel like it or if I read something that I want to comment on beyond just an email reply to the author of an article.

Why am I putting all this down today? Well, it is a long winded, my usual "style" of a reply to a comment posted here.

The nice person who posted the comment mentioned that my posts are not very frequent. Exactly. And it will continue to be so. At 62 I doubt that I am going to change much, if at all in any way. I don't see any "need" for me to post here even once a week. Sometimes I might do one a week, or even more. That has happened, but don't count on it.

I doubt that I have much to say that often. I also doubt that my opinion is needed on any topic with any frequency. Who the hell am I anyhow? Nobody of any great importance is who.

The same person mentioned not being in agreement with all I write. Great! To be totally honest, if you agree with all I write, you are, in my opinion, in need of some serious intervention. Again, I do not set out to get any following or group. I do not want to, and will not be any leader of any group of any sort. No way. I don't know where I might be going, so follow at your own risk. Better yet, just sit back and watch and laugh when I fall flat on my ass.

This blog is not to get anybody to agree with me either. It is where I post my opinions and ideas. I am not trying to get people to agree with me, just maybe to get people to think about the possibility of another view point.

One more comment before I end this for today. It was mentioned to me that maybe I should read the "prize" speech that Go-bomb-them gave the other day and then comment on it. I have thought about that and decided that there are already enough comments on that speech already. Also, those who have commented on the speech did a much better job of it than I could, so there won't be any comments by me on it. Sorry, I just don't feel like doing it. I will get around to reading it later this week. Right now, I just don't give a flying crap what he said. From what I have seen of it, the whole speech is just the usual political crap anyway. Why would anybody "need" my comments on it?

Well, if I don't make it back here before then, Happy Holidays" to one and all. Have a safe holiday season folks. Remember, do not drink and drive.

semper fi.

A Clarification

I guess I should try to make a clarification here.

The last few posts here have been a bit "hard" on a certain "group" of people. No, not politicians, THEY deserve all that I give them and more. I am talking here about xtians. What I mean by that term are the fakes, not REAL Christians in any way.

I do my best to respect the beliefs of all other people, within reason of course. I have no respect at all for those who "believe" that sex with children is OK. I have no respect for those who believe it is OK for them to beat their wives or children either. I DO think some kids need a spanking at times, but that is not a beating.

I also have no respect for hypocrites. Here is where the xtians come in. To me, these are the folks who preach about Christ, yet do not in any way, live what they preach. They are coming out of the woodwork at this time of year. That is what we get every year around late November and on into December in particular. You all know them. They are the ones who go around talking about "peace on earth" or even "goodwill to men", that gang. They sure do talk a good one don't they? Yet they do not put their words into practice. While they are off shouting "peace on earth" they are also praying for "victory" for our troops.

They must have never been to war, actually, they probably have never even been in the military. "Victory" implies death and destruction. How is that compatible with "peace on earth"?

Peace on earth, goodwill to men implies, actually means, just that peace. It does not mean "victory" or wars or killing or making other people homeless.

I detest the hypocrites and anything they "stand for". They are just liars. They "say" they worship the "prince of Peace" yet they pray to their god for a military victory. They are NOT Christians at all, they are xtians.

I use that term in much the same way some use xmas. There is NO Christ in either. As to xmas, that is totally commercial, you can be a total atheist and enjoy xmas, no "god" of any sort there. Just like the xtians, no Jesus, no "prince of Peace", no joy, just hypocrisy.

I do respect the real, true Christians and wish them well. Same with any other true believer. I respect their beliefs. I only ask that they not demand that I believe what they believe. If my non-belief means I will spend eternity in some "hell" or other, well, that is MY choice. Thank you for your concern, now, let me live my life as I choose. I try to live my life by doing no harm to others. I do not try to convince anyone to follow what I believe. I just would like the religious folks to show me that same respect.

I don't think that is too much to ask for. Mutual respect. Now, that is a concept that could actually lead to real world peace.

Happy holidays to all.

hockey sticks?

Well, it sure looks like the meeting this week in Denmark is going to be very interesting.

The "hockey stick" graph for climate change is coming under pressure. The "leaked" emails from England have only added to the fuel against drastic, made made, climate change.

Things are so bad that Al, not my pal, Gore has backed out of even attending this meeting. He was supposed to give at least one speech on this topic. What with his now tow books, his Oscar winning movie, and of all things, a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts on the man made climate change, his no show leaves many folks wondering about the whole topic.

While this "disaster" of the emails gives fuel to the "deniers", it should make any sane, rational person stop and ask questions. One thing that really needs to be addressed, from my point of view, is why have the people who have been pushing the "hockey stick" data been so very slow, if at all, in sharing their data? As I understand things, the way science is supposed to work is you share all of your data with any other researcher who asks for it. In this way, they are able to use your data and see if they came get the same results that you have obtained. By not sharing this data, or being very slow to share it, they give the impression that they may have something they wish to keep secret. By not sharing the data, or in being very slow to do so, they make other researchers wonder why they are doing this. If you are an honest researcher, you should be willing to share all of your data with any other competent researchers. That is how new discoveries are validated. The with holding of data gives the impression of having something to hide.

And, it would seem that some of the "hockey stick" people did have things they wanted to hide. At least one researcher who finally got access to the original data has not been able to confirm their "hockey stick" conclusions. In fact, he has found that the "Medieval Warm Period" was even warmer that the temperatures we are experiencing today. This does not show in the hockey stick models. In fact, the "Medieval Warm Period" drops out completely in the "hockey stick" conclusions. Amazing.

Some of the "hockey stick" data only include tree rings from 10 (ten) tree ring samples. Also, those ten samples were not random samples. Not exactly a representative sampling in any way at all.

I do not claim that there is no climate change. The climate of planet earth has been changing for the last 4 billion years. Yep, ever since the planet formed. It will continue to keep on changing until the sun burns out.

The climate has undergone many periods of extreme climate change. We know there have been more than one ice age. We also know that it has been much warmer than it has been in our life times. During the age of the dinosaurs the climate was much warmer. Humans did not drive any of the previous climate changes.

I seriously doubt that the current climate change is driven by human activity also.

That being said, I see no reason why we should not do our best to conserve our natural resources. That just makes good sense to me. The less we use of them, the more there will be for future generations. Saving energy, by using high efficiency appliances, cars and truck that get better fuel milage are things we ought to do. It will save us money in the short term and it will help to insure that those resources may be available for the next generations.

What is very worrying to me is this "idea" of "cap and trade". This sounds like another scam for the very rich to get even richer and for the poor to get even poorer. As I said, just another scam. Actually, to me, "cap and trade" is not unlike those emails you get that inform you that you have "won" some lottery or other. Sure thing, by "random drawing" you have just "won" a huge sum of money. Now, you "only" need to send the "keeping fees" to "insure" the delivery of your prize. Just another SCAM, as is "cap and trade".

Bottom line, we all need to do our part to save our resources fro future generations. What we do not need to do is to tax the poor people of the world. We do not need government mandates to force conservation. While a few nice "carrots" could be useful in this, big "sticks" of higher taxes on the poor will not make things any better for any except government tax collectors and the speculators who will get rich off the idiot "cap and trade" schemes.

Just my 2 cents on climate change.

semper fi

and now it just keeps getting deeper

Oh boy, have we been had!

I don't know if I should laugh or cuss. I just caught some news on al-Jazeera. Herr Gates has stated to Congress that the president has given him the "leeway" to send an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan. That is OVER the 30,000 that Go-bomb-them told us the other night that he will be sending to that cluster f**k.

Yes, you did the math properly there, a total, so far, of 33,000 new troops to the killing fields of Afghanistan. And you voted for Go-bomb-them because you "thought" he was anti-war? Well, he sure as hell fooled you, didn't he?

I could sit here and say, "told ya so". But just because I voted for Ms. McKinney, not the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in D.C., I won't do that. It isn't polite, and those who honestly believed this guy might be anti-war have enough grief to deal with. So, no, I won't rub it in.

Now, another question for you all. Do you really think that he will start to draw down the number of troops in Afghanistan in the summer of 2011 as he said he would the other night? Can you still trust this guy? Is it that hard for you to see that he is just another liar, a typical politician? Come on people! Wake up! The guy said whatever he needed to say to get elected. He is not a savior nor is he in any way anti-war.

Hell, if he was truly an anti-war person he never would have made it out of the primaries, IF he would even have been allowed to run in the first place. This is America, anti-war people do not get elected to office, at least not to any office with real power behind it. Not today for sure. Maybe someday, but dreaming won't help just now.

We need to protest this damn idiot war of choice. It matters not at all that a member of the donkey gang occupies the White House. Hell, LBJ was a member of that gang and he "suffered" all sorts of protest demonstrations. Why not picket Go-bomb-them? What has he done for America?

Well, he has escalated the stupid, idiotic war in Afghanistan is what. For that he should be picketed and protested against. Email the White House, email your Congress critter. Call them. Tell them to end the goddamn stupid wars of choice. These wars are not making AMerica safer. In fact, they are insuring that we now have more enemies than ever before. Every time we kill a civilian (collateral damage) we create more "terrorists". Every dead Afghan has family, they will demand revenge. It is in their culture to do so. Not unlike America. What you say? America wants revenge? Damn right! We invaded Afghanistan and then Iraq because Shrub and crew said they were behind the attacks in New York city and the Pentagon. Revenge was what motivated this country to go half a world away to "kick ass and take names". Pure, simple revenge. And we just create more enemies by killing more innocent civilians.

We are stuck in two idiotic wars of choice. There is no end in sight for either. The SOFA (status of forces agreement) with Iraq is not worth the paper it is printed on. Why? Because it is baed on "facts on the ground", just as the 18 months and out for the new Afghan troop deployment is. And those "facts on the ground" are very much subject to change. Can you honestly believe that when summer 2011 gets closer that old McCrystal will not say, well, things have "changed" and we "need" to keep the troops here longer? Think he won't say that? If you really believe he won't, I just might have a nice bridge for you to buy. Or maybe some nice beach front property in, oh, Arizona.

We are in these wars for the long haul people. There is no "exit strategy" for either. There won't be either. This is the "long war" the Pentagon has been lusting for since the Soviet Union fell apart. The "long war" has NO end. That is the "beauty" of it all. Endless war for endless profits for the likes of Boeing, Lockheed-Martin and the other "defense" corporations. These wars have nothing at all to do with "democracy" or "human rights", those are just smoke screens to keep us in line with our "leaders" wishes.

The country is being run by the war profiteers and the "too big to fail" banksters. They all make obscene profits from war. Way back in 1933, General Smedley Butler wrote a pamphlet entitled "War is a Racket". He was 100% correct then and even more so now. War is a business, and the profits are great. Not for those who do the fighting and dying however. They are expendable. Mere cogs in the machine.

Notice how those who cry the loudest for war are those who have never been to war. Most of them have never even worn the uniform of any military.

We have been lied to for years people. We all need to protest against these stupid, illegal, damned idiotic wars of choice.

we knew this was coming

Well, the war lovers should all be happy now.

Yep, Go-bomb-them has "decided" to send more troops to the disaster of Afghanistan. Thanks loads there bud. I keep looking for that "change" we were supposed to be able to believe in. Some change there Mr. President. Just what we didn't need, more body bags filled with our dead troops. More money down a rat hole. Merry goddamn xmas to you too there in the White House.

No doubt the idiots like Limburger, Beck, and the rest of that crew will howl that we aren't sending enough troops off to war. Anybody else ever notice how those who cheer the loudest for war and more war are those who never saw war in person. In fact, most of them never even wore a uniform of any military. How is it that some people actually listen to the likes of Beck, Limburger and that bunch talk on and on about war. Those morons never even were in the military. Beck could not pass the mental tests to enlist and Limburger got a medical deferment. How is it that some people actually think these fools know anything about war? What the hell do they even know about the military? They never served. Why listen to somebody who has no experience with the military or war? Is America that goddamn stupid? Enough of the country must be, these fools get the ratings, so somebody is watching/listening to them. Holy shit! Well, go follow those jack asses, see where it gets you. Oh, and when it blows up in your face, I WILL laugh at you. Damn right I will. Don't ever stop to listen to anybody who has actually been in a war. Nope, just follow the bloody loud mouth fools.

And then we have our(?) cowardly, bought and paid for Congress critters who tell us how "free" we are. Yeah, sure we are, free to kiss the hind end of zionism.

First thing to do, ban AIPAC.

Second thing, close every military base we have in every foreign country and bring ALL of our troops home. I'd let the Marines stay on guard at our embassies. They do provide security and they look good in dress blues. They have a tradition of embassy guarding also. Plus, I was told that embassy duty is very good duty.

Third, we shut down the war profiteers. Yep, the defense(?) contractors. Put the money into what we really need, like a decent national health plan that covers ALL Americans. Something like the Congress critters give themselves at OUR expense. Why do they get to have "socialized" medicine and we don't?

Then we break up those "too big to fail" banks. Also, we bring back Glass-Steagal, with even better oversight.

After that, we have real elections.

We might actually be able to restore the old Constitutional republic.

Just my Xmas wish list. And yes, I use Xmas. Why not? This IS America where the only thing that matters is profits.

Oh, one more thing, NO Xtians allowed in government. ALL religions will have to register as agents of a foreign power. Put some real separation between religion and government. Anybody who says he/she is a member of any religion first and an American next is out of any government position.

pre turkey day rant

Well, it is almost turkey day here in the old US of A. Time for another rant from the corner.

First up, the "economy". I wonder at times if we still have one. Today I saw an article about housing and mortgages. According to a report by First American Core Logic 10.7 million home owners owe more than the homes are worth. 10.7 Million! Ouch. The same report says that 23%, nearly 1 in 4, are "under water". Double ouch!

Oh, but don't worry folks. The stock market has been going up. OK, so, then where are the jobs? Well, they have all been sent off shore. Yep, outsourced. All in the name of profits. Screw the American worker. The corporations and stock holders need huge profits. Americans be damned if there is money to be made. Talk about your sunshine patriots.

And yet, the big banksters will get huge bonuses this year. Almost makes you proud to be an American. Where the regular people starve, but the rich just get ever richer. America, what a country.

Health care? Does anybody have any? Well, our wonderful Congress critter sure as hell do. In fact they have a super health care plan. All government paid for and run by the way. Yep, those very same critters who could never allow "socialism" like national health care have a tax payer financed health care plan that is gold plated and then some. Why don't you ever hear Beck, Limburger, O'Really, or the other morons at Faux Noise talk about that? Makes you stop and think, doesn't it? Well, damn it, it sure as hell should make every American think, and very hard at that. Here our elected "leaders" get super health care, paid for by we the people, and they refuse to let us peons have anything like single payer health care. Can you say hypocrites? YES you CAN!!! And we should all tell them so, every day until WE get a decent national health care for ALL Americans. Rattle their cages. Crap, if that moron Beck can start something, then us sane folks ought to be able to make some noise also.

Email, write, and/or call your elected officials and ask why they get special treatment while we get shit. Might wake a few of them up. It is worth a try at the very least. What do we have left to lose?

The wars. Well, first off, both Iraq and Afghanistan are illegal. Look up international law. In fact, just look at American law. We did NOT declare war on either of these countries. Nope, not at all. Oh sure, Congress voted to "authorize" the president to invade them both. NOT even close to being a declared war people. Congress let more than one president put troops into and then add thousands more troops to the war in Vietnam. Never declared war there either. In fact, the last declared war was World War Two. Not Korea, not Vietnam, not Iraq, either time, not Afghanistan, not Grenada, nor any of the countless other wars America has been involved in since 1945.

Tie to end these two stupid wars of choice. One good point for our current president, he DID say Iraq was not a good war. No kidding?! Well, Mr. President, neither is Afghanistan. Yes, I know, he said it was a war of necessity. Well, he was wrong. Why not just say so and bring the troops home? Hell, it is easy. Just admit that he made a mistake. I have done that myself. It is how I was taught as a kid. Dad always told me that I should admit my mistakes and do my best to not repeat them. Let Go-bomb-them do the same. Act like an adult there Mr. President. You are only human, we all make mistakes.

Oh, and while you are out there bringing the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan, bring them home from all the other 700+ bases we have in foreign countries. We do not need troops stationed all over the world. I'd allow for the Marine guards at our overseas embassies. They do provide security and they have a long tradition of doing so. They can stay on the job. The rest of our troops need to be here in America. It IS called the Department of Defense, NOT the Department of Defending other countries. Our troops should be in America defending America. NOT in bases around the world. That does not provide security to us, no way Jose.

It is way past time for us to give up this stupid idea of empire. Yes, I said empire. That IS what we have in fact people. If we don't have an empire, why do we "need" 700+ bases on foreign soil? Explain that one to me. Empire has bases in foreign countries, Constitutional republics have NO need for such crap.

America is NOT at all more secure due to all those bases and the two wars we are stuck in. If anything those things make us less secure, less safe. Even the top military brass admit that for every civilian we kill in Iraq and Afghanistan, we create at least one more "terrorist". I put terrorist in quotes there for a reason. Most of those who are fighting our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are NOT terrorists. They are just people who live in those countries and they do NOT want to have a foreign army as occupiers. How would WE like having some foreign army occupying America? You know damn well, we would NOT like it at all. OK, so why should other people like it when we occupy their country? Can you say "double standards"? Of course you can. We are NOT in either Afghanistan or Iraq to promote "democracy". We are in those countries for one thing and only one thing. Huge profits for the military-industrial-bankster-media complex. That is why "we" fight today, for profits, money. And lots and lots of money. It sure as hell is not for any "glory". I have been in war and there is NO "glory" in it at all. Yes, there is heroism and bravery, but no glory, none at all. War is just mass murder. And huge profits for those who never even wear a uniform who get rich from the bleeding and dying of others.

America likes to say it is a Christian nation. Well, as I remember it, Christ said something to the effect of "blessed are the peacemakers". I also recall him being quoted as saying things like "love your enemy" and also "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Well, do "we" want others to come and occupy America? Do we Christians? Remember Christians, actions speak louder than words. Yes, I AM calling you Christians out. Damn right I am. You claim to follow Christ, well show it. I am sick of hearing you Christians go on and on about Jesus and love but you never put it into actions. You should ALL of you Christians, be out emailing, phoning, and writing your Congress critters telling them to stop the wars. WHEn will you do so? I have done that and will continue to do so. When will the Christians step up?

Or is it just old heathens like me who speak out against illegal wars? America is a Christian nation? Well, PROVE it! Or else keep quiet about it.

One final comment on health care. I'm just waiting to see how much more of a cut I am going to have in my Social Security for my Medicare next year. Of course there will be no cost of living increase in Social Security next year. We knew that months ago. But, they have not said how much the Medicare deduction will go up yet. And don't forget that "wonderful" part D also. No doubt it will go up. It has every year so far. And if you have a Medicare supplement that will be going higher also. Count on it. All because our dear leader likes his phony "bi=partisanship" crap. He knows that the elephant gang will never admit he has done anything good. And they never will. The damn fool elephant gang is stuck on one thing only, "no". That is all they have, and maybe some hot air. Oh, and they still have the moose burger bimbo. She is out hyping her new book. Oh joy. Come on Mr. President, give this country a decent, true single payer national health care system. We are the only industrialized country without such a system. World wide America is, get this folks, number 37 in health care. 37!!! That means 36 other countries have better health care than we have. And with the shit coming from this Congress, it will only get worse. Stop listening to that damn "talk radio" and Faux Noise people. Demand national health care for every American. Period.

Oh, and happy turkey day to all.

American show trial?

Well, it now seems that Khaled Shaikh Mohammed will get a jury trial in New York city.

Of course the right wing folks are up in arms about this. They cry about the extra needed security for the trial. They claim that the military commissions are "good enough" for this sort of thing. Actually, I think the right wingers believe that ANY sort of "trial" even the military commissions are too good for these people.

Well, to that attitude, I say crap! America used to be a nation of laws. We had rules, we had trial by a jury of peers. It is still there in the old Constitution.

Military commissions and military trials are for those who are in the military.

This "idea" of an "unlawful enemy combatant" is total bullshit. Nobody has ever, to my knowledge, ever defined just what IS an "unlawful enemy combatant". I have NO idea what such a person could be. It is just another fig newton from the idiot gang of W. Shrub. There has never been such a thing as an "unlawful enemy combatant". This "category" comes from the same legal "minds"(??) as the definition of what actually is torture. Yep, it came from the likes of Gonzales and Yoo. Two "lawyers" who are war criminals by international law. Thanks loads there guys.

Supposedly KSM has admitted that he is the master mind behind 9/11. I would like to know if he confessed before or after he was water boarded. The powers that be admitted that this guy was water boarded over 180 times in ONE month! That is at least 6 times a day. Holy shit. With that sort of treatment, your dear sainted grandmother would admit to being the "lone gun man" in Dallas or to being the sole killer of Christ. Will this information come out during his upcoming trial? I wonder.

Of course he has supposedly said he is guilty and welcomes the death penalty. Of course he does. That would make him a martyr to Islam. Well, don't give him the death penalty. Let him get life with no parole. That would be total hell for him. Rob this nut case of his "glory" as a martyr. That would be fitting punishment.

Actually no. I doubt that there IS a fitting punishment for such acts. Just like the child molesters, what would be a fitting punishment for such crimes? I am not sure.

Personally, I do not believe in the death penalty. To me it is just the state killing some one in my name. That is done daily in the current illegal wars. We have more than enough death as it is. Much of it state sponsored.

Another question arises here. Why are only KSm and four others getting a trial by jury in the United States? What about those still left at Gitmo? Some of them will still get there "justice" from the military commissions. Wrong move. ALL those we have prisoners in Gitmo and other CIA secret prisons deserve a jury trial in this country.

Terrorism is a crime. It should be dealt with as a crime. Use police actions to catch them. Give them a civilian jury trial. That is how America is supposed to operate.

This whole mess of "unlawful enemy combatants", military commissions, and the rest of the bullshit "war on terror" is just a way to side step the Constitution. ENOUGH! Put an end to that crap. We must restore the constitutional republic.

Although I fear it may be too late for that. I hope it is not too late.

semper fi

well, it was a nice vacation

Well, I sure had a fun day at the drags Saturday. The "vacation" from poli-tricks was too short though. No sooner than I get over 1100 new photos downloaded to the old iMac than what pops up? Sarah Palin!

Holy crap. I thought the moose burger bimbo was still in Alaska. Yes, I know, she did quit as the governor of that state. Funny, but she still had close to half of her FIRST term left to fill.

Now that is really a fine politician for you. Some "radical" type who is "for the people" for sure. Hell yes. Get yourself elected as "one of the little people" and then, half way through your first term, well, just quit. Simple. Nothing to it folks. See how "good" she is? Just how much did she do for the state of Alaska during her half of a term? I'd bet it wasn't very much. The reason is, I have heard where it takes close to a year for the new person to just figure out who is who in the government. You can only get down to the real work after the first year in office. And that gave her, at best, one year to do much.

Well, the people of Alaska elected her. Poor folks, I feel for them. At least they didn't have to hold a special election to replace her. Just move the number two person up one spot.

Now the moose burger bimbo is on a book tour. Of course she had a professional ghost writer "help" her with the book. Help? More like have it ALL done for her. Supposedly the tome is over 400 pages. Now, I seriously doubt that Ms. Palin could fill five pages, double spaced, hand written. How she "managed" to write over 400 is way too much for me to believe. No, it is ALL ghost written in my opinion.

She has two "big interviews" already lined up also. She will be on Ophra and Baba Wawa will also get to "interview" her. Boy, I bet she won't have that Katie gal do one this time. Now that would be funny. Why, I'd almost be tempted to find somebody who owns a TV set and watch that one. Notice I said almost. Remember, almost, like close, only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. Oh yeah, and nuclear weapons.

Of course she is scheduled to be on Rush Limburger. Naturally. I bet she will show up on Faux Noise also. And you can bet your last dime that Keith Olbermann is crying that she won't be on his show. Olbermann is just as phony as O'Really, Beck, Limburger, and the rest of them.

Oh, some small bit of good news. Lou Dobbs is now gone from CNN. Maybe CNN has decided to get back to doing actual news again and stop the editorials. Well, if Wolfie is still employed at CNN then it still is not worth watching.

Back to Palin. Why anybody gives a rats hind end what she "thinks" about anything is beyond me. She claims to be "one of the people". Yeah, sure she is. How many "just plain folks" have the life style that family have? No, I don't mean the unwed teenager in the family. I mean the money they have. That house in Alaska didn't come cheap. And I do not believe her "story" about how she and the family did NOT want all those new clothes that the McCain crew "forced" onto them. Sure they didn't. And the Pope is a Baptist too. Or is he Pentecostal? Heck, I keep forgetting just what he is.

What is it about morons like Palin that seem to fascinate the American public? Do any real people actually give a crap about her? Or is it the media that keeps pushing her on us? Either way, she should have stayed in the North in the snow until global warming melted it all.

This is just another damn diversion. With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq going badly, the economy (do we still have one?) in the toilet, the "incident" at Fort Hood, Go-bomb-them on his Asian trip, the Russians making noises about the gas supply to Europe, and other really important things, we get Palin again. Like I said, she is being used as a diversion here folks.

There are some pundits, on the net also, who are making the claim that this bimbo will be a "king maker" for the elephant gang. What?? This clown who cannot speak English much better than the idiot Shrub as a "king maker"??? One internet pundit even said she could be a "king breaker", in that if SHE doesn't approve of the person the elephant gang runs in 2012, then that person won't even get nominated!!! Again, WHAT???

How in hell did this failure get that sort of power? Are the elephants that bad off? Really?? Man, oh man, I knew that the elephant gang was in serious bad shape, but if this gal has that sort of power with them, they are way worse off than even I could ever imagine. Good grief, get the funeral party together now, the elephant gang died, but they don't know it yet. Seriously, if a clown who quits half way through her first term can have the power these pundits say she has, then the elephant gang IS dead. It just needs the burial.

On a more serious note regards Palin. She could be very dangerous to America. She had at her rallies during the 2008 campaign, people who, when Obama was mentioned, yelled out "Kill him!". They also shouted "Traitor" and "Treason" when his name was mentioned. Now that sort of shit is very dangerous folks. This clown lady could lead us to a type of Hitler. NO, she is not that, she doesn't have the brains to be that. But, she could set the stage for one. She comes across like a demented Joe Goebbels. NO, not Joe the plumber, the Nazi propaganda minister. She could be the cheerleader for the next Hitler. And, she has experience at that. Wasn't she actually a cheerleader in high school? I seem to remember that she had been. I may be wrong on that. Need to "fact check" it.

The thing is, we have some very un-smart folks in America today, didn't want to call them dumb, so I used un-smart. And the trouble with that sort is they tend to listen to fools like Palin, Limburger, Beck, O'Really, etc. When Limburger pushes some clown, the "ditto heads" flock to the new clown. All because "rush" said to do so. Now, I wonder if Beck will cry if the moose burger bimbo doesn't come on his show? Wouldn't you like to see that? Beck having a cry on air because Sarah turned him down. I'd watch the video on the net. No, it would NOT get me to go and buy a damn TV set. I don't sell out that cheap. Besides, something like that would be on the net almost immediately, so I'd still get to see it, over and over......LOL.

What would be best, my opinion, is for the snow queen (Palin) to form a third party. Then she could go down in flames, another donkey gang critter wins in 2012 and the snow queen fades into the darkest pages of history. Just like Teddy R did when he ran his bull moose party.Oh, and she could take Limburger, and ALL of Faux Noise and Dobbs with her. And the idiot woman Congress critter from Minnesota. Bachmann(sp). Hey, I can still dream. Or is it hope? Ah, "hope" that I might believe in? OK, so it was "change" to believe in. Well that "change" and "hope" never quite got to us, did it? Thanks loads there Barrack.

Well, that is about enough for this time.

Best to all of you. Keep working for real change folks. It is all we can do. If we each do our own small part to make this a better life, than some day it will happen. We CAN make this better. It won't be easy, but things that are worth it never do come easy.

semper fi.

What a drag

Well, it is time for a little change of pace here at the old "corner". Even a hardened old heathen like myself needs a bit of a break from the daily poli-tricks of the old US of A. So, I took Saturday off for some good old fashioned fun. Packed a lunch and a jug of home brewed lemonade and with a full tank of diesel in ye olde Cummins powered Dodge, headed South.

Yes sir folks, I went to Erwinville for a day of drag racing. The sights, sounds and smells of the racing did this old guy a world of good too. Nothing like going to the races and meeting all sorts of nice people to help recharge the old battery. I even had a few of the racers ask me how much I charged for my photos! No kidding, some of them seemed almost willing to pay me for taking photos of their cars.

Being a total amateur, I told them, just give me your email address and I will email them to you. Heck, I was out for fun. Why not share the joy? I wouldn't know how to price my photos any way. I don't feel right in using the "going" rate for a professional photog, so I have sent some and will finish in the next day or so. Going through over 1100 photos isn't fast. Well, I ain't very fast at much of anything these days. It;s a joke people. A joke on me, and about me. Hey, at least I can still laugh at myself.

Well, if you want to see the photos, I have them at fotki.com. I still have a place there for my photos. I could put some here, but the method for getting them to the blog is more than I care to try. After my fourth failed attempt at it, I just remembered the old fotki site and went there.

The address for my albums is; http://public.fotki.com/bear4751/

So, if you feel like being adventurous, please go look at my photos. Oh, let me know what you think of them, if you wish.

Thanks and have a great day.

elections and the donkey gang

Well, they had elections in part of the country yesterday and it looks to have been bad news for the donkey gang. Yes, they lost in many of the "contests" that were run.

Some of the analysis I have read so far today seem to think this is not just bad news for the rest of the donkey gang in next years elections, but it might not be good news for Go-bomb-them either.

Now what amazes me, is that some of these "pundits" are stunned. Really. They are saying how it is just one year ago today that our president won his election. Well, that is true, as far as it goes. It IS one year ago that Mr. obama DID win the presidential election. OK, so that is a fact, what of it?

Well, these folks who are analyzing yesterday's defeat for the donkey gang are surprised. I don't know why. Unless, oh my, these folks who are bemoaning last nights donkey defeat must have drunk the "change" and "hope" kool aid last summer. Yes, that has to be why they are now in a panic.

Apparently these folks actually thought(?) that Go-bomb-them was going to deliver on this "hope" and "change".

Well, he did, sort of. Now, we working class people can "hope" we get some sort of health care in America. And he did bring in some changes. Yes sir, he changed the Secretary of State from Condi Rice to Hi-Larry Clinton.

See, hope and change. That was so easy.

Another thing that bothers me about all the hand wringing over this loss last night is that they fear our president will be a one term guy. Well, considering what he has done for us in the past nine months, what does he need a second term for?

Also, how is it that these people are so surprised at the tiny bit that our new leader has actually accomplished? I suppose they must be like one person I talked with back in the summer of 2007. He was telling me how he really liked Obama. I asked what he thought was so special about the man. Well, he told me, he has some good ideas and he really speaks very well, he is saying lots of good things. Well, than, I had to do what I usually do, yes, I asked this guy just WHAT it was that candidate Obama was actually saying. There was a very long silence, then he finally said to me, well, the man has a very good speaking voice AND he talks in complete sentences.

Now, after having suffered listening, or trying to listen to the Shrub for more than seven years, I did have some small bit of sympathy for this guy. However, having a good speaking voice and being able to communicate in complete, understandable sentences is NOT the top requirement for being president of the US of A.

My problem, from the very first with Mr. Obama is that he never actually explained any of his ideas. He never really said just how he might try to do what he talked about.

Now, to find that not only might the entire donkey gang be in election trouble, but Go-bomb-them himself may have a re-election problem, well, I am not at all surprised.

The man made lots of "good speeches" during the campaign. He has even made a few good ones since he took the office. My question is, where or on what has he delivered?

This all fits quite well, I think, with my question about the "left" in America. Where IS the left? Where are all these supposed "progressives"? If they really believed in our president and his agenda, wouldn't you think they would have mobilized all their supporters to elect more "progressives" and other donkey gang folks?

Another article today asks where are the Democrats. Well, they are right where they have been since Clinton time. Sitting back doing nothing. They lost a good bit under Clinton. Under W. Bush, they were out of power and just sat on the sidelines and approved/voted for nearly everything W. asked for. Yes, the donkey gang voted for the "patriot act", the military commissions mess, Gitmo, and both of the damn wars of choice. They basically just folded under to the Cheney/Bush gang. Now that they control BOTH houses of Congress AND the presidency, they seem to have folded again! Only this time, it looks as if they have folded to Limburger, Beck, O'Really and the rest of Faux Noise. Can you say "gutless"? Of course you can, it is pronounced Democrat.

Maybe it will turn out that our current president will be a one term guy. I think the world may have been a much better place had "saint" Woodrow been a one term wonder. We will find out in 2012 if Mr. Obama gets a second term. Oh, but wait, that is the year the world is supposed to end on December 21st so it may not matter much if he is re-elected or not. Just ask those pesky old Mayans.

Ain't 'Merika a grand place to live?

p.s. NO, I do NOT believe the world will end in 2012. Unless some damn fool starts a nuclear war around that time. The only thing the Mayan calendar suggests is that a "new age" will begin as the old one ends. It is a cycle, nothing more than passing from one sign of/in the zodiac to another. And as to the alignment of the planets and all that, it happens every year in December. Just ask Neil Degrasse Tyson.

it is "official" in Afghanistan

Well it is now "official". Yep, the "election" in Afghanistan is now over. Mr. Karzai is now the "legitimate" leader/president/ruler or whatever title he claims. While watching the CBC news program last night on the internet, they came out with this "news" at about 10:13 PM central standard time.

Well, why not give the "election" to Karzai? Since the challenger decided to not take part in the run off to be held on the 7th of this month. We need to understand that it is a bit much to hold any sort of election, run off or other wise, when there is only one person running. I mean, who do you run off against in that case? Yourself?

Now all those folks who have lost a loved one to the war in Afghanistan can now be so very proud. Our troops died to bring democracy to that country. Democracy? Well, if you think a normal Chicago style election is democracy maybe. Or should we hold up as an example Florida in 2000? Or maybe Ohio in 2004?

Just what IS democracy American style now days? Rigged elections?

Maybe I am very old fashioned, but this does not seem at all like the sort of democracy I was taught in high school civics class. Of course that was way back in 1965-66 and we all know the world has progressed so very far since then.

Yes sir, progress, like Vietnam, the first Gulf war, and now Iraq (again), and of course Afghanistan.

I meant no disrespect at all to the troops who have been killed or wounded in Afghanistan. Hell, I am a veteran of the Vietnam disaster. I respect all the veterans of all of our wars. The troops don't make policy, they just have to figure a way to carry it out. I just have to say that I find their sacrifice to have been in vain if the goal was to bring democracy to Afghanistan.

I see where Mr. Karzai has agreed to make some changes that our leader, Go-bomb-them has requested. Yes, from now on, the dead will only be allowed to vote twice in any future Afghan elections. Did I mention that the president of America is from Chicago?

Maybe it was best to call off the scheduled run off.

Just ranting

Some things I have been thinking about and some that just bother me this time at the old corner.

I had read an article about the left in America. You remember them, the liberals. What, you don't know who they are? Well, that just may be for the reason that the "left" or the "liberals" no longer truly exist here in America today.

Just what has the "left" done of late? The author of the article I read suggested that maybe the "left" was finally rousing. I don't think they are rousing from their long slumber at all. No, I think they are just sort of readjusting themselves in their bed. They have been sleeping there these many long years.

Without W. Shrub to kick around any more, what was the left (is there a pun in this?) of the "left" has gone back to the deep sleep of "Clinton time". Yep, was have a donkey gang member occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue so go back to sleep folks. Yes sir, nothing to see here at all. Well, it is damn hard to see much when you are asleep.

In my opinion, the "left" of recent times, such as the eight miserable years of Cheney/Bush, was never much anyway. Look at what it was, MoveOn.org, ANSWER, and others I cannot even remember. What a joke that gang is/was. All hot air and very little else. A one issue gang, anything or anybody but Bush. Man,that sure sounds like the damnable elephant gang doesn't it? One issue and only one issue. Get Shrub out of office and they fold their tents and go home to sleep. Lazy assholes! Fools of the first order. Goddamn it, there is MUCH work to do yet!

Holy crap people, we have an "economy"(??) that is in tatters. Go-bomb-them is still running foreign affairs according to the damn Cheney script. Where the hell is the "left"? Out to lunch or fast asleep.

And this is coming from me, not some left wing nut ball, but an honest to god REAL former US Marine and a Vietnam veteran. Goddamn, if I can see this shit, why the hell can't the so-called "left" see it also? Are they really blind as well as deaf and dumb? Or is it that there isn't any money in it for them? Are they afraid of Faux Noise? Beck? O'Really? Limburger? They love Olbermann? Holy shit, I remember when all Olbermann could barely do was read the sports scores on the CBS TV station in Lost Angeles! I didn't think he was very good at that job either. Then he gets a job with ESPN and now he is some "left wing" commentator at MSNBC? What? How did this half assed sports reporter (actually score reader) get to that level? Holy crap, America IS brain dead. That this self inflated ego, Olbermann, is the "voice" of the left in America is sick. Or, maybe, just maybe, it is proof that the Peter Principle IS for real.

The level of discourse in America today is not even at the level of a group of three year olds in a sand box. All we get are the fools on the tube fighting(??) each other over ratings. Come on people. This sham of Olbermann against O'Really, Beck, and Limburger is a fraud. I would not be at all surprised to find out that they are vest pals off the set. Probably go out for drinks with each other every night. It is all for show, ratings, yet so many Americans swallow this show. Hook, line, and sinker. I don't believe any of them.

This all makes me very happy that I have not even owned a TV set for over two years and counting. Why would I want one? To watch the crap that passes itself off as news, or "political commentary"? No way Jose! I'll stick with the internet and decent sites like Counterpunch among many others that are worth MY time.

Hell, even CNN has sunk to new lows lately. Can any sane human being defend Lou Dobbs? Crap on ice. I saw some clips of his rants about Illegal aliens the other day. This guy is even loonier than Limburger. And that is something I thought would never be topped. Every problem in America is traced back to illegal aliens, if you listen to Dobbs that is. That is beyond crazy.

And now our(??) military is getting into the act. General McChrystal is telling people that if he doesn't get the number of troops he want, he will resign. Really? Well, have a good retirement then Stan. And don't let the door hit you in the rear on your way out.

This guy is a general and does not know the chain of command? He does NOT get to make policy. He does NOT get to demand anything from the Commander in Chief.

And where the hell is Go-bomb-them in all this shit? The guy is supposed to have been a Constitutional scholar. Wasn't he supposed to have taught Constitutional Law? Doesn't HE know the goddamn chain of command either? Who the hell IS in charge in D.C.? Anybody?

Now, if our president had any smarts, he would hire Scott Ritter to run his security crew. At last we would have an intelligent adult in charge.

Supposedly there is a rumor of a possible mutiny of the generals if Stan doesn't get all he wants for the Afghan mess. OK, let them try. I'll be against them rat generals. Hell, I am already. Damn fools, we got our hind ends handed to us in Vietnam. True, we won all the battles, but could never defeat the home them. Same thing happened right here along 1776 or there abouts. These fool generals don't even know American history! An invading army cannot defeat the home team. At some point the invaders will go home. The home team is already home.

Crap, a bunch of rag tag mechanics, carpenters, blacksmiths, merchants, and farmers beat the crap out of the super power of the day. The British Empire, right here, in good old 'Merika.

What a bunch of fools. You just know they are all graduates of some military school or other. West Point or Annapolis. Phooey! A pox on all of them.

Jeff Huber over at his blog Pen and Sword said every officer bird colonel and higher should be fired. On that point, I think Jeff is 100% correct. It just shows how back in Vietnam we were right when we said that rank is inversely proportional to intelligence. "Moon" Mullins, "king" David, and McCrapstyl just prove the point.

And then just the other day Hi-Larry springs back into the news. Yes sir, sshe sure told them dang "Pakis" a thing or three. By gawd she did. Yes sir, she sure knows how to keep our pals close. Yep, just tell them that you think they KNOW where the bad guys are, but they won't let us in on that secret. Now, if we are going to fight that damn stupid, jackass war in Afghanistan/Pakistan we NEED the Pakistanis to be on OUR side. We do NOT need to accuse them of being indifferent to our goals. We also have no cause, of any sort, to treat them as our lackeys. They are NOT our servants, even though Hi-Larry may think so. Why did Go-bomb-them allow this person onto his cabinet? She is NOT a diplomat in any way, shape, or form. Hell, I could do a better job than she did in Pakistan. Holy shit people, you do NOT go off and accuse your allies of being on the "wrong" side of things. Unless you have solid proof. Hi-LArry has no such thing.

The she skips over to Israel and pals around with Nutty-yahoo and now it is unreasonable for the Palestinians to demand a halt to ALL settlement building before they even begin peace talks. That request/demand is "unreasonable" according to Hi-Larry. It has never been done before, therefore, it is not allowed. Well, Israel has never entered into peace negotiations with any desire to achieve peace before either. So much for the "new" diplomatic front put up by Go-bomb-them. Wasn't he the one who told the Israelis to stop the settlements? I remember him saying that this past summer. Well, it looks like Hi-Larry IS in charge of this now. Forget what the president has said, she knows best.

This "new" administration came in with a promise of change. About the only change we got was a change of the idiots in the White House and the cabinet. It looks more and more like this gang is running the very same script that Cheney/Bush used.

Holy hell, what a damn mess we have.