The Rise of the Socialist Banditos

“....Look, this is an invigorating job. In some ways, I feel incredibly fortunate to be in this job at a time where the presidency really matters. You know, this is not a caretaker presidency right now. Every decision we're making counts." American President Barack Obama

*As reported by Toby Harnden, 29 March 09

As our President wings his way to the G20 Summit with his Messiah complex and magic wand in hand (read, indispensible teleprompter) it is good to remember that inside the Beltway reside a special class of alien race otherwise known as “Socialist Banditos". President Barack Obama is but the pinnacle representation of what lies beneath his feet. This is no longer your country. Your state is just a colony to be managed from the mother ship. These Legends in their own Eyes, certainly look good within print journalism. But what they propose these days must be vigorously repelled. The Banditos are coming! The Banditos are coming!

In Texas and across the nation we will continue to watch the torpedo of the Constitution as well as vigorous continued political thrusts of a liberal, socialist President. He promises not a “caretaker presidency” but something much more intrusive. Should the individual states not firmly nail the colors to the Rebel’s Mast in a resurgent push for states rights, the next four years could usher in irreconciliable damaging change for our nation.

On state level it brought quiet comfort last week when a federal judge in Dallas rejected a lawsuit seeking to strip the words “one state under God” from the Texas state pledge. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott released a statement which said, “Texans can rest assured that we will continue defending their children’s ability to recite the Texas state pledge.” This might sound like small news to some, but with the financial agenda now cast upon our shoulders by the Socialist Banditos the news brightened my day. In the Bluebonnet State quite a few of us continue to put our utmost confidence in Almighty God. This becomes increasingly important as we are both disappointed and ashamed of the breach of trust by our elected Banditos in Washington. Possibly you also are unfamiliar with our Attorney General for Texas. Greg Abbott happens to be a hard-working paraplegic.

It has occurred to me that possibly those of us who reside within the maligned Constitutionalist class, increasingly stiff-armed by the Beltway Bandito class, are treated in such manner because we are imagined to be as politically powerless as the physically limp legs of our own Texas Attorney General. So it is time to take up our mats (and Constitutional parchment) and walk. And that walk, should take us to the corridors of power in mass numbers. We must begin to demand that our Federal leadership cease and desist their slow destruction of our Republic with their selfish agenda and lack of guardianship of our finances and Constitutional values. We did not work hard enough to bounce a few of the most proliferate rascals from their seats in the last election. I include myself in the previous statement. I laid on my little mat and.... wrote a few blogs.

Those within the Beltway who are the nouveau powerful gods mock a Creator who set in motion the full display of a universe in six days. So it is seems good to consider what the gods of the Beltway have created. After all, a Creator is remembered for that which is crafted by his own hands. It seems to me that in less time than it takes to say "Filipino mail order bride”, the gods within the Beltway signed, sealed and delivered a Stimulus package which is both foreign to the concept of free market capitalism and is a consumer rip-off requiring one to buy-watcha-ain’t-sampled-yerself in economic investment. They created a helluva lot of havoc in less than six days. And as we say in Texas, they made a silk purse out of a sow's ear. We should be squealin' just thinking of it.

Yes, every decision being made inside the Beltway counts today as never before. These decisions, by invigorated socialists, deem government the master of the People as opposed to the People as master of government. We will soon find ourselves totally "beholden" to government for what they have taken from us.

Walter Williams

The Telegraph

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Loss Leader: G20 Dons the Plaid Sportcoat

The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of 'liberalism,' they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.

-Norman Thomas, U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1940, 1944 and 1948

“Quite the contrary to popular belief, the assumptive close is not just about assuming the sale and going for the paperwork. That is a small part of it. The real art of the assumptive close is to make EVERY WORD in your small talk and presentation imply that the sale is already done and that you are just discussing formalities. It is all about attitude.”

Charles Kettner “The Specialist”

There is a scene in Robert Zemeckis’ 1980 movie “Used Cars” I can’t get out of my mind. Perhaps you’ve seen it.

Kurt Russell, intent on stealing a hapless customer from his rival, casts a $10 bill across the street with a rod and reel. Now this movie is old but, aside from making you laugh uncontrollably, it might teach you a few things about what's really going on behind the scenes of our crisis-oriented world.

Matt Drudge ran a headline the other day that got my attention. It read "Merkel Stops the Global New Deal". Following the link to the Times’ UK story, I expected to read something encouraging about stemming the tide of brownshirted socialism and its march on freedom and liberty. What I got frightened me more that the content within. Here is the first sentence in the story:

GORDON BROWN’S carefully laid plans for a G20 deal on worldwide tax cuts have been scuppered by an eve-of-summit ambush by European leaders.

Red flag #1: “Worldwide Tax Cuts”?!

What the [#%*@] does Gordon Brown or anyone else in this G20 Summit think they’re doing planning “worldwide” tax policy? You think I’m crazy? Try reading the story. When you do, note that the entire screed is peppered with assumptive references to high-minded concepts like “global economic stimulus”, and an “open world economy”. And if that’s not enough, supposedly-“conservative” French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to prioritize “radical reform” of capitalism.

Reading The Times Online one would think these “global” institutions, systems and measurements are standard and operationally established. Who knows, maybe they are. The entire “global crisis” movement is traceable to the world’s “real” Gordon Gecko, George Soros. This creepy dude has gained immeasurable cash and control through the destruction and speculation of national currencies. At what point do you think he decided to apply his practice on third world nations to topple the big boy he hates? Guess what? Now he says the G20 Summit is a “make or break” event for the “world’s economy”.

Note the assumptive close here? First, since when must we accept that “the economy” is some kind of singular entity in need of management? Moreover, why the hell have we let socialism advance so far that we accept economic management as a responsibility of the executive branch? Were we paying attention when the Japanese tried this in the ‘80’s?

I’ve written before here about the “Third Way” socialism movement. The Third Way is socialist, big government intrusion and control made to appear fashionable. George H.W. Bush introduced us to it in 1988 with his “Thousand Points of Light” and “A New World Order”. Bill Clinton and Tony Blair made this shell game a worldwide movement. From Gorbachev to Brown, statists have expanded their ranks and mobilized their network. While Americans have been dutifully consuming, the socialists and statist dreamers have been studying us. They knew America wouldn’t knowingly surrender freedom and liberty. Socialism and centralized power structures frighten those who value their liberty.

The statists knew it needed a new face. Are you at all frightened now that they no longer need it? Is it odd how "tax cuts" are no longer a rate reduction but a "credit" for "good" behavior? How is it that "capitalism" is billed as "radical" and "out of control" by the left when industry and the markets have been increasingly regulated for decades? How can market capitalism be criticized when it's been in chains this way?

Don’t be fooled. It is a cheap and tawdry plaid jacket they wear. Statists would have you believe there is a grand and noble motive for everything they propose, and for every exception they add for themselves. But stay sharp. Behind it all profit reigns supreme. If "the common good" were truly their belief, the left would model standards for campaign finance and ethics rather than skirt them. Behind every speech, every teleprompted press conference and every contrived mainstream media "cult of personality" lies the quest for "control". Promises of “social justice”, “fiscal responsibility” and other flowery sounding outcomes are just $10 bills with a hook in them. Chase them to your own detriment.

I hope it is not too late for freedom.

Bob

Treo_bob@yahoo.com

"...naturally, there can be no place for freedom of speech, press, and so on for the foes of socialism.”

Andrei Vishinsky, The Law of the Soviet State

Fallen LEOs Warrant Our Pride

The 19,000+ capacity of Oracle Arena couldn't hold all of the mourners who came to pay their respects at Friday's public memorial. Dignitaries included Senators Boxer and Feinstein, Representative Lee, and Governor Schwarzenegger. But the guests of honor were the families of the four fallen officers, including three widows and ten children. While it is common knowledge that police work can be dangerous, how can we not be outraged when good men are shot down in the prime of their lives by a waste of humanity who should have been rotting away in prison for the rest of his days.

Let's not waste too much energy thinking about the criminal. In his 26 years on this planet, Lovelle Mixon may have been loved by his family, but was a detriment to society and a blight on his race and gender. He was sentenced to six years in Susanville Prison for assault with a firearm, during a 2002 carjacking attempt. He was released in October 2007. In February 2008 he was a homicide suspect. No charges were filed, but he was found with a stolen laptop computer, which violated his parole. He was sent back to prison for 9 months. He was released in November 2008. He is suspected of dragging a 12-year-old girl from a sidewalk and raping her on February 5, and his cousin said he was earning his money as a pimp. By mid-February of this year, Mixon was MIA.

On March 21, two Oakland motorcycle cops pulled over Mixon for a simple traffic violation. Mixon handed his information over, and told his uncle over his cell phone that they were calling for back-up over their radios, shortly before telling him, "I have to go." He didn't tell his elder that he meant: "Go kill cops." Mixon fired his handgun at the two LEOs (Law Enforcement Officers), then stood over them and shot them point-blank in the head, according to witnesses on the scene. At the memorial, Captain Ed Tracey commended citizens who phoned 9-1-1, as well as one citizen who performed CPR. Mixon fled the scene, and was holed up like a rat in a closet as SWAT members were clearing the bedroom. Trading his handgun for an AK-47 assault rifle, Mixon ended the lives of two more officers and injured a fifth, before that officer took Mixon out of our misery.

The National Law Enforcement Memorial will bear the carved names of these four members of Oakland's Finest. Their families, friends and community will bear the loss.

Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40, married father of 3.
Ofc. John Hege, 41.
Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43, married father of 6.
Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35, married father of 1.

You have to wonder if this could have turned out differently. What if those citizens who called on their cell phones had instead been armed with licensed handguns and CCW permits? No amount of gun control will keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, so shouldn't law-abiding citizens be afforded the means to protect themselves from armed assault? From Oct. 2007 - Oct. 2008, the ATF&E referred 403 cases of felons in possession of firearms in northern California and Nevada for federal prosecution. Those are slam-dunk cases, and do not reflect the full scale of the problem in California. Let's think about the national statistics: Over the last 5 years, the ATF&E has referred over 10,600 cases and 18,800 defendants for prosecution of trafficking more than 336,000 weapons.

Read by Oakland Police Chaplain, Father Jayson Landesa, President Obama wrote a letter which included these thoughts:
Our Nation is grateful for the men and women of law enforcement who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our citizens and our neighborhoods. They risk their lives each day on our behalf and ask little in return.
As we honor their memories, I hope each of you will take comfort in knowing that their commitment to their fellow man will never be forgotten. We will always carry them in our hearts, and their legacy of service will inspire us as we work together toward a better Oakland, a better world. May their sacrifices be rewarded with eternal peace.

It seems President Obama and I are on the same page on this matter. The OPD and the families of these fine men are in our prayers.

-Blackfoot

R.N. Migration to Other Industries

Welcome to the local Texas hospital in the year 2020. The Emergency Department will be brightly lit at night and ambulances will continue to run. Your tests will be on schedule, and the doctor will visit you for 2-5 minutes once a day. Your room will be spartan but clean. An aide will fill your pitcher with ice water every morning and take your vital signs throughout the day. What will be missing is the critical link: a Registered Nurse readily available at the bedside.
The statistics are appallingly bad at this point:

“In 2005, Texas had approximately 6,300 graduates from Texas schools of nursing leading to initial RN licensure. In order to increase RN supply to meet demand by 2020, a total of approximately 9,700 nurse graduates need to be produced in 2010; approximately 18,000 in 2015 and almost 25,000 nurse graduates need to be produced in 2020.”

View link here.

The nurse will be there for you in small capacity. The R.N. is the one who will start your intravenous fluid and administer your medications. Beyond that, good luck! Your nurse will be burdened with duplication in charting. He or she will be burdened with signing off on multiple forms which have nothing to do with your care, but everything to do with liability issues. (If you do anything stupid and irrational to injure yourself in our hospital, lawyers will create a new form for nurses to fill out documenting that they are vigilant against this new anomalous danger.) Your nurse will be fatigued from working mandatory staffing patterns which make no allowance for any creativity in scheduling to meet the needs of children and family. My hospital just moved to mandatory twelve hour shifts on the med-surg floors. No creative options for mothers of small children.

One in five R.N.'s flees the bedside within one year of graduation. Why would a R.N. obtain a degree to then walk away so soon? Here are just a few possibilities:

*Lack of appreciation. My (unnamed) facility gave nurses a fifteen dollar Target card for the “holiday gift”. Many of us give our card to an unfortunate member of the community. We do get a free holiday meal and a plate or two of bar-b-cue during the summer. Another area hospital did a bit worse this past Christmas. Their nurses received an e-card greeting for the holiday. God forbid the hospital send a card with a stamp. Coffee cups that say “nurse” and tote bags with the hospital logo are also favorite gifts chosen by hospital administrators for their hard-working nurses. No expense is spared for these little tokens of “appreciation”. While never fantasizing over an AIG bonus big enough to buy a yacht, what nurses are given can generally be found at an area Dollar Store. I have purchased better items for the homeless. Beyond that, I refuse to carry a tote bag or wear a T-shirt with the name of my facility. While the hospital publicity genies see free advertisement, I see a potential stalker who has a nurse fetish hanging around in the parking garage.

*Lack of economic upward mobility. Raises tend to be modest for the most part. Studies have shown that factoring in COLA, nurses pretty well remain within a static economic strata. I read a study several years ago which stated that twenty years post-graduation, R.N.’s had virtually the same earning power as when they were newly licensed. Many nurses “make money” by working the less desirable shifts or as in my case, staff an area which requires a call back schedule on nights and weekends.

*Lack of realistic staffing patterns. This is a constant problem in most hospitals. We are governed by the numbers and allowable FTE’s. Having worked in two facilities which paid consultants to come in and show the hospital how they could save money I can attest that each time, R.N.’s took a hit. Paring the staffing down to skeletal determinations throws units into crisis from day to day. If even one R.N. calls in sick and is not replaced the load can quickly become unmanageable.

So who is going to look out for you in 2020 if you are in an area hospital? R.N.’s are the sentinels of critical medical developments on the floor. We see things coming before anyone else. We are the ones who pick up the phone to put in a call to your physician or if needed, call a rapid response team so that a full Code does not ensue. I am grateful for a career which has provided a vast experience and opportunity to interface with humanity. But the reality of nursing today makes me wish I had chosen a different career path.


Tammy Swofford, R.N. BSN

Book Review: Up in the Old Hotel

If King Solomon were alive today he might possibly consider filing suit against Joseph Mitchell for copyright infringement. I have read the book of Ecclesiastes many times. But “Up in the Old Hotel” has provided the first opportunity to read it as expanded modern literature. Being recently acquainted with the works of Joseph Mitchell, an earlier blog review was done of his short story, “Joe Gould’s Secret”. The story of Joe Gould is collapsed into this text in the fourth and also the final chapter of this selection.

“Up in the Old Hotel” introduces us to an author who spent his life as a career journalist but who should in fact be heralded for a different reason. Mr. Mitchell was a self-trained ethnographer of New York City, a place he called home during his adulthood. His initial life’s work was as a reporter and feature writer for The Herald Tribune and the New Yorker. But his real skill comes to light as an author of national bestsellers describing the gritty lives of the common folk within the boroughs of New York City. An avid observer of his fellow human, Mr. Mitchell chronicles in honest manner the struggles, dreams and desire of those who live on the dash. On each tombstone resides the dash between date of birth and date of death. How quickly life passes! And for the individuals springing to life from Mitchell’s pen and page, what an interesting dash it is, for the reading.

“And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.” Ecclesiastes 1:13

Mr. Mitchell introduces us to both the sane and the profane. We are allowed to ponder the life of a bearded lady. She is a woman rejected by her mother and reduced to a life as a side show freak in the circus. Amazingly, her life has the healthiest equilibrium when she is “Lady Olga”, the bearded lady. She is a “born freak” as are the Siamese twins, midgets or giants in the circus trade. This places her within the “aristocrat” class of circus life. Although initially considering a life in the convent, she chose instead to grow her beard to a foot long, hit the road, and travel about with more than one circus. She marries, and is widowed twice. She divorces the third husband and simply states, “If he was in a bottle I wouldn’t pull out the stopper to give him air.” When Mr. Mitchell introduces her to us, she is married for the fourth time.

“And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the fruit of his labour, it is the gift of God.” Ecclesiastes 3:13

The first section (and first chapter) of the book “McSorley’s Wonderful Saloon” introduces the reader to the oldest saloon in New York City. A later chapter, “Obituary of a Gin Mill” describes in great detail the cultural ups and downs of an establishment which supports a loyal clientele of hard drinking professionals and working class men. While taking the admonition to enjoy the drink a bit too far, the revelry and havoc of a micro-community of drunks who love to sing hymns and old Irish tunes to the accompaniment of an accordian on “cabaret night” is colorfully displayed.

My favorite chapter is simply titled, “The Gypsy Women”. Lugging around “Resurrection plants” to sell to women with inattentive partners, this was just one of many scams perpetrated upon the clueless. Today, these same gypsies would merely target the middle-aged women who linger too long at the bookstore flipping through Harlequin Romance novels. smile

“Better is an handful with quietness, then both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.” Ecclesiastes 4:6

The life of Mazie, a woman who spent her life watching the world go by from the ticket cage of a theater on Venice Square would make me go stark raving mad. But she exemplifies a person who quietly lived her life, dispensing good along the way. We need a few more women like Mazie.

“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.” Ecclesiastes 9:11

Whether employed to keep track of the rat population on the waterfront, as a bartender or the cook in the kitchen, Mr. Mitchell has the distinct ability to present each story without any personal malice or contempt for his subject. I respect his character and the dignity he extends to his fellow man in his writing style.

“Up in the Old Hotel” by Joseph Mitchell is extremely pleasant reading. I like to think that the author also read the book of Ecclesiastes, seeing the reflection cast from Holy Writ onto human flesh.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

The Shifting Mantle - Jesus is my Tekton

tectonics (tek-ˈtä-niks)
1. a branch of geology concerned with the structure of the crust of a planet and the formation of folds and faults in it
2. of or relating to building or construction
from Greek tektonikos, from tektōn "carpenter, builder"

The volcano rumbles, sending tremors across the crust of the land. Spectators are relieved to see expelled steam melting the snow that has accumulated on the jagged peak over many years. They see it as a sign that there is reduction of internal pressure. Their concerns that the imminent eruption will be violently monumental are abated for now. Scientists view it differently. The newly revealed earth at the top of the mountain signifies a forewarning. They have more sophisticated tools than the naked eye. Temperature readings and seismological data can help to estimate when an eruption may occur, but they cannot predict how powerful will be the consequent explosion.

As Alaskans, we anticipate a small-scale natural disaster. With the recent [avo.alaska.edu] Mt. Redoubt activity we are preparing ourselves. Solely on Nature's schedule, magma is thrust up through the layers of earth. It aggressively displaces the rocky foundation that has been in place for decades or centuries. On the surface, ancient glacial ice is transformed into muddy runoff. Lava and ash are expelled from the depths of the earth to the realms we feign to control. Ash is carried for hundreds of miles on the wind. It is quite a sight, to see a looming black cloud pushing its way through the atmosphere, like a swarm of Biblical locusts completely blocking out the sunlight.

When the wind subsides, the ash falls like black snow. You can hear it ringing on metal roofs like summer rain. House pets are given limited outdoor time and livestock is put in barns. Vehicles remain parked, or have their air filters repeatedly replaced. Schools are closed. Hospitals and clinics fill up with the young, the elderly, and people with heart problems or asthma. We cover our faces like bandits, as we clean the ash and grime from our surroundings. We pray for rain to wash the rich nutrients into the ground. We scoop the ash into mason jars and scrawl the volcano's name and eruption date on the lids in black Sharpie ink. It will be a source of joy for years to come, to see the wonder in our grandchildren's eyes, as they shake the jars, and to answer their questions about God's Creation.

If America was a mountain, then perhaps it would be an Alaskan volcano. It looks tranquil on the surface, but there is continuous deep activity in the magma pools of Washington. Since the establishment of our government, we have accumulated national monetary wealth by allowing for individual prosperity of our citizens, like the solitary snowflakes that become part of the vibrant blue body of a mountain glacier. We've had some thin years and struggles along the way. Some melting runoff of our assets happened during the Civil War and the Great Depression, for example. But, for most of our history we have resembled the inspirational "shining city on a hill."

Do you view our government with the naked eye of a spectator? I stay informed, but am not a political scientist. I read the news and have been watching the daily "Barack Obama Show" along with the rest of you. Our current president has been expelling alot of hot air lately, surely meant to calm the majority of citizens into a lulled sense of trust. All due respect to Mel Tormé, but Obama is the true "Velvet Fog". Whether this Congress knows what they're doing remains to be seen. Some say they can already see the hard-pack snow beginning to crack at the top of the mountain. If our economy experiences monumental failure, I hope we can salvage some of the vibrant solidity that has been built and protected by generations of American citizens and soldiers.

Americans should be more concerned than ever about the bedrock of our nation being displaced by this administration. Look at the current AIG debacle, for just one example. Obama went on vacation last month and, literally, gave Congress a couple of days to pass the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The mammoth final draft was completed just a few hours before it was passed. This is the bill that approved the AIG bonuses. To amend their mistake, the government threatened to tax this money at 90%. It turns out Obama's old friends from ACORN again helped to get him out of a predicament. While still under investigation for the '08 election fraud, they arranged bus tours of AIG employees' homes. I wonder if they left a horse's head for a souvenir. Now Secretary Geithner wants to put new regulatory laws on the books. Maybe everybody should just slow down before we start rewriting the Constitution.

My grandparents lived through the Great Depression, and it particularly changed my grandmother for the rest of her life. She would never waste a scrap of food. If she got new bath towels as a gift, she would put them in the back of the linen closet. Like jars of volcanic ash, we can view photos and footage of that time in history. We can listen to the songs, like [youtube] "Brother Can You Spare a Dime". Volcanic ash is the result of the violent upheaval of our earthly foundation. The fallout of the current political maneuvering may also fall down, like black snow, on all of our heads. It is toxic, without a doubt, but it can also fertilize the seeds of our Democracy. Through adversity comes change.

When we explain these times to our grandchildren, we will see the wonder in their eyes. Wonder at how we let this happen. We need to prepare ourselves for what may be lean times ahead. If Obama is in charge of keeping our proverbial glaciers from melting, beware of thin ice. The foundation beneath our feet is being restructured.

-Blackfoot

Live Blogging on the Presidential Press Conference

Does anybody out there have any idea what President Obama meant in his long response to the question on the budget? My husband (he has a degree in Economics) just looked at me and said, "I don't have any idea what he just said."

Any thoughts? I feel like singing, "Here we go 'round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush...." smile

Tammy

To Hijab, or not to Hijab. That is the Question!

A look back in time:

Very carefully, I adjusted the gold braid on my white cover. I noted that the National Defense Ribbon was positioned properly above the left breast pocket. My collar devices - rank and nurse corps insignia - were properly aligned on my collar. My belt was also white with the buckle aligned with the buttons of the blouse. My skirt was the proper length. White shoes with a one inch heel and nude pantyhose. Small gold stud earrings which were Navy regulation for female officers and a light pink lipstick. I was ready for my first summer white inspection as a new Navy officer.

**********************************************************************************
Ask the wrong question and you will come up with the wrong answer every single time. The Christian Science Monitor headlined an article with this:

"Hijab debate lifts veil on limits of Norway's tolerance. A Muslim woman's request to wear a hijab with her police uniform has sparked national controversy."

The questions which must really be answered are the following:

*Does your conviction demand my sacrifice?

*Should your religious belief infringe on the organizational tradition and function of your employer?

Let me take a shot at these questions.

Religious tolerance in a Western nation allows for the practice and observance of your articles of faith in private manner. They may also be fully displayed in public as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others in the public domain. You may worship at a church, a synagogue, a mosque or under a tree in your back yard. You may bow in prayer to the god of your choice. But your conviction should be with your sacrifice. It should cost you, while not costing me! Most important of all, your conviction should not infringe on my personal freedom.

The religious belief of the individual should not demand a workplace change for accomodation. The Norwegian police department has a uniform code. This uniform, represents that the individual is under a chain of command and serves within an authority structure. If a person is unable to wear the uniform as prescribed, he or she should not seek employment in an area which violates their own conscience.

The lady in question has one viable option in my mind. She should tender her resignation to the Chief of Police. She cannot fulfill the requirements of the job. The uniform regulation violates her conscience. But it is not the duty of the workplace to be malleable to her preference or conviction. It is her duty as an employee to be malleable to the demands of the environment in which she has chosen to seek a paycheck.

Undoubtedly Justice Minister Knut Storberget created his own misery when he initially caved in and deconstructed the police uniform regulation at the request of a female Muslim police officer. He then created further conflict with his revocation for the wrong reasons. No organization can survive in obeisance to the demand of one who does not share the organizational vision. A house divided cannot stand.

Allowance of religion to be a balkanizing force within a workplace is a dangerous precedent. It it bad for good order and discipline and it is certainly bad for morale.

The Christian Science Monitor

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Southern Discomfort II: “League of the Just” Takes Shape

"We grant no dukedoms to the few,We hold like rights and shall;—Equal on Sunday in the pew,On Monday in the mall.For what avail the plough or sail,Or land or life, if freedom fail?"

-Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

[Read in 1873 on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.]

Det. Del Spooner: Why didn't you guys just hand the world over on a silver platter?

Susan Calvin: Maybe we did.

-from “I Robot” (2004)

I’m beginning to think “spread the wealth around” was somewhat of an understatement.

When candidate Obama candidly admitted openly having socialistic taxation plans to “Joe The Plumber”, he nearly cost himself an election. Millions of voters, in eager anticipation of wearing brown shirts, insured our 44th president would be the coolest cat to ever make the other half of the country want to search his scalp under the hairline.

But I digress.

It was heartening to learn this weekend that President Obama found time during his tight Hollywood schedule to call and offer congratulations to the newly elected president of El Salvador, Mauricio Funes. The story I read said said Obama discussed his desire with President-elect Mauricio Funes for the two countries to work together on the global economic crisis, energy cooperation and security. Forgive me if visualizing that outcome is just slightly unsettling.

El Salvador joins a growing fraternity of North and South American nations, including Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, and Ecuador with leftists at the helm. In pre-1980's press guides they would be known as "communists". Let's not forget the Quetzalcoatl contingent has connections with noted capitalist sympathizers in Russia, China and North Korea. It’s enough to make you want to pop open a Billy Beer.

If you’re not a fan of the seventies, you really should be. What’s neat about that decade, if you’re only accustomed to reading and hearing about the runaway domestic "misery index", is that the Jimmy Carter era also ushered in unprecedented levels of fear and anxiety over the advances of communism, terrorism and of increasingly emboldened enemies of the United States. It’s just too bad we don’t have another canal to give away. We've come full circle.

The MSM stories available won’t tell you a great deal about the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) and its origin as a revolutionary guerilla organization. It’s far less interesting than rehashing the American President’s radical new swingset, learning about the search for a "first puppy", or how Barack and Michelle work out together in the morning. Never mind that Hugo Chavez funds the FARC terrorists in Columbia while he plays “paddycake” with the Hollywood element that funded and backed Obama’s campaign run.

Chavez continues to tighten relations with China and Russia, and plans cooperation that will bring Russia to Venezuela to develop nuclear energy. In return, Russian Bombers may be stationed there. It almost seems fruitless to fret about the likelihood of military threat from the south. Why waste the bullets? Perhaps Kruschev was right after all...capitalists buried...without firing a shot.

I’ll leave you with Marx and Engle’s Communist Manifesto "To Do List"...be the judge as to where the checkmarks go:

1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.

2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.

3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.

4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.

5. Centralization of credit in the banks of the state, by means of a national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.

6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in he hands of the state.

7. 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.

8. Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.

9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries; gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country.

10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production, etc.

"The [Federal] budget IS the economy..."

-Barack Obama, to 60 Minutes' Steve Kroft. Aired 3/22/09

Bob
treo_bob@yahoo.com

Don't be afraid to see what you see.
Ronald Reagan

Film Review: Brothers at War

The emotion is raw. The vulgarity is real. Duty to mission is embraced. The passion for service is not spoken in scripted creed but simple words. The American soldier stands alone and he stands in rank. But behind the one who wears the cloth of the nation stands the American family. Cognizant that United States sovereignty and safety is born on the shoulders of the one with strong gut and backbone, the families “back home” serve in a reserve capacity to bring emotional support to their bloodline. Pull up a front row seat for the film “Brothers at War”. Welcome to the United States military community.

Early on, a simple analogy is given. The American soldier is the sheep dog on patrol. It is his job, to engage organized chaos (violence) to protect the sheep. All of a sudden, a living “Rambo” steps onto the stage. Moving to the edge of the couch I gear up for battle scenes and body bags. What follows, takes me entirely by surprise.

One of the most poignant lines is the following:

“First time I learned that I could learn something was in the military.”

Our military is the most highly trained and efficient active denial force in the world. The soldier may take a “training time out” prior to continued instruction but he will learn the skill needed for his job. Captain Isaac Rademacher, Sgt. Joe Rademacher and their unit exemplify the disciplined learning process that is undertaken to earn the title of a soldier. And in the process they became “alive like you’ve never been before.”

The film is uncut, as far as vulgarity. The “F bomb” drops with regularity. Get over it. Otherwise you will miss the fun. Follow along as “Hollywood” Jake Rademacher learns the fine art of finding his “inner happy place” and is told to “piss in that” as he travels in an area where it is too dangerous to make a pit stop. As his bladder empties he endures the insults. His genitalia and his manhood both take a hit. Later advised, “I hope you are a fast shitter” I burst out laughing. It reminded me of my own experience running out of a stall with my pants around ankles when suddenly realizing that a snake was in the toilet bowl in Ghana, W. Africa. There are multiple reasons to expedite bodily needs in the field.

But the same men who let fly with “fuck” are the ones who return home to kiss their babies. The coping mechanisms necessary for field survival give way to men who tone it down on their return home. The family embraces the return of the soldier not quite understanding the cost yet knowing they are essential to the soldier’s health and readjustment on his return. This film depicts that essential aspect in good manner. There is interplay between family members. But then Captain Isaac Rademacher simply states, “Mom and Dad don’t know what I do.”

Returning home, Isaac finds the need to acquaint himself with his small daughter. There is the culture shock of readjustment to a kinder and gentler life. A trip to Wal-Mart can be a difficult experience. You will see the heart of an American soldier. Captain Rademacher depicts this heart in a willingness to express his thoughts.

Sgt. Joe Rademacher caught my attention immediately. I saw a distinct sadness in his eyes. The film later introduces a family tragedy. I appreciate the honesty and transparency of the Rademacher family to share in public manner their unmistakable loss. Watch for the photo of Sgt. Rademacher in dress uniform. The pain of familial loss is still being felt. Pray for him.

The men within the long range surveillance unit make us aware of issues of conscience. The sniper team is willing to discuss their role. There is no flinching from the discussion of an Iraqi child tasked as a gun-runner within a zone of conflict. The sniper team jokes a bit but you also realize the seriousness of their task. Should you recoil with indignation at such things and claim your own innocence of bloodshed so be it. Meanwhile, they look in the mirror every morning and assess the men they have become at the behest of a nation who has taught them the deadly art of war.

Brothers at War is not produced and distributed by Hollywood. It was not made to support an industry which earns its keep by pairing trained actors with digital magic and special effects. But it is a film which deserves a berth at every movie theater in America. My respect, to Jake Rademacher.


LCDR Tammy Swofford, USNR, NC

What 's in your Stack?

The past week has been extremely busy for me with a 75 hour call schedule for PACU. Just my week to carry the load. Luckily, only nineteen hours of actual call-back to work, so for that I am grateful. Even so, reading continues along with my never-ending "stack". I have nearly finished "Up in the Old Hotel" by Joseph Mitchell. It is a nice selection picked for me by a professional acquaintance.

Also this week, an initial reading of the latest from Usama bin Ladin: "Practical Steps to Liberate Palestine".... the translated copy on my desk. Nothing new, from a first scan, but I will read it again. Also, I am reading along with analyst James Oppenheim, articles from the CTC at West Point. James provides a bit of commentary in his most recent journal entry at his site. He is a dear personal friend and we bounce thoughts off each other throughout the week.

Link here.

I viewed the film "Brothers at War" tonight and will place a review on the page for Sunday. I need a bit of time to reflect on what was presented because as a Naval officer some of the things which were said meant a lot to me. I am grateful for the copy of the film which arrived in my mailbox yesterday.

My thanks to the Swofford Team for pulling together this week whilst I pulled a hard load as a nurse. smile


Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Who needs GM?

General Motors is hanging its hope for survival on the yet-to-be-seen Chevy Volt, a battery-powered sedan with a gasoline motor adapted from one of it’s European models. The car is supposed to be ready next year.

Too bad. Too late. BYD already has one. BYD, a Chinese battery maker that already powers most of the world’s cell phones, digital cameras, iPods, electric toothbrushes, portable vacuums, etc. unveiled a mass-produced battery-powered hybrid that can run for 60 miles before the gasoline motor has to kick in. They are expected to have a 1,000 charge/recharge cycle. The car is expected to sell for $22,000 here and in Europe, far below what GM says its Volt will have to sell for.

This should not come as a surprise to Rick Wagoner, the GM CEO. BYD showed its latest version, F6DM, a mid-sized sedan, at the Detroit Auto Show. The F6DM reportedly can be driven about 60 miles in electric mode and nearly 270 miles by using the gasoline engine as a generator to charge the battery pack. Top speed is 100 mph. Chevy claims only 40 miles for its lithium-ion batteries. The Chevy engine will not charge the batteries. It is not strong enough to both move the car and charge depleted batteries. BYD said the iron-based batteries can be recharged to 70 percent of capacity in just 10 minutes on household current.The company began building and selling a version of the F3DM in China in late 2008.

Detroit has allegedly been working on alternative fuel cars since before Wang Chuanfu, the 30-something founder of BYD got his bachelor’s degree. It has yet to bring anything but flex fuel vehicles to market.

GM’s problems started in the 1980s when then Chairman Roger B. Smith decided to invest $1 billion dollars in plant modernization. He spent $1 billion so the company could build the same old cars more cheaply and efficiently instead of putting money into coming up with new products. When the company celebrated its 100 year anniversary last September 18, it produced a timeline of achievements. The last thing the company was proud enough to include came out in 1986. The only consolation is that Chrysler is even further behind.

If GM has any startling new technology, let’s put it on the auction block and get what we can for it.

Tom Gordon

The AIG Frat House: The Inebriation of Wealth

The inebriation of alcohol leaves a hang-over. The inebriation with a fascinating lover can end in heartache. Apparently, the inebriation of wealth provides the biggest damn kick of all. And the Frat Boys at AIG have been sucking from the nozzle for a bit too long.

Spare me the drama. On the one hand, Secretary of the Treasury Paulson practically delivered the money with a battalion of forklifts to AIG's doorstep after deeming the insurance giant too big to fail. Congress then approved bailouts to known unethical crooks without placing a true accountability structure in place. So now we have AIG performing as the Mother of all Bankruptcy Fairy Godmothers handing out 165 million dollars in bonuses to employees last week. Out of this little taxpayer subsidized slush fund, 73 lucky gamblers each pulled the lever on the million dollar slot.

Dishonor above duty. That appears to be the name of the game. Hell, tax-paying American! Not only will I take the money, but I will run with it! Pass the nozzle.... slurp. The "talented" who gambled with the income of others will just set up office in a new space. Such is the inebriation of wealth for a few Americans. What a kick! Too bad that they didn't really earn it nor deserve it.

Should the inebriated receive the lifeblood of another? It happened in the State of Texas and in stark manner a few years ago. Should we be giving AIG our liver?

Tammy Swofford

*Please note that I am not against executive suite compensation for healthy corporate management.

Non-Sense of Security: An Excess of Access + Resignation of Rod Beckstrom

Borrowing from the title of one of the latest brain-drain, big-budget motion pictures, let me say: "I'm just not that into you." I know it's hard for you to believe that the online reality show, which you call your life, holds no interest for me. I think it's meaningless to post "I'm eating meatloaf" on your facebook; seeing your drunken parties on YouTube isn't amusing; and the racy photos on your daughter's MySpace page could make the Dalai Lama turn himself in for possessing child pornography. I honestly don't care about the minutiae of your mundane existence.

I, apparently, respect your privacy more than you do. Maybe it is because I value my own privacy. I don't stare at the items in your grocery cart, so don't leer into mine. If I'm visiting your home, I won't snoop in your medicine cabinet, and I would never think of reading your opened mail or going through your computer files. If you need an aspirin, simply ask me. If you want to know what news my Aunt Jenny wrote, I might let you read her letter. You may use my computer, but let me first close my personal and sensitive files. My privacy is more valuable than my money. Don't filch from me.

These days, with everyone trying to track us, we can almost throw the idea of personal privacy out the window. According to CTIA, about 263 million Americans subscribe to wireless services. Due to popular demand, most new cell phones include the digital camera feature. They are a great tool for car accidents and thefts in progress, but they also enable our fellow citizens to capture our most embarrassing moments, and then post the footage online. If anybody filmed my Gerald Ford-like fall on the ice last year, it doesn't bother me as much as Google Earth's photograph of my home and neighborhood.

What bothers me even more is Google's photography of military bases, government buildings, airports, railroad yards, and energy facilities. Lest we forget, we are "on the list" of many people who want to do some damage to our infrastructure. They may not have satellite capabilities, but they do have computer access. You might think it's fun to see whether your neighbor's lawn was mowed, but Google Earth can be used as a less benign tool. (Does your neighbor's ex stalk him or her?) Google Earth is the proverbial gentle dog, which the owner says would lead burglars to the good silver.

Our laws have not kept up with our progress. I'm not talking about overhauling the Constitution. While not perfect, it's pretty damn good, as it stands. However, some of our federal and state laws and regulations are [legalzoom] outdated. We could, outright, strike every quaint law that includes the word "donkey" and save resources. At the very least, we could save ink, as "donkeys" may as well be camels or unicorns. Our problems are more complex than they were 100 years ago, but maybe the biggest leap has happened in the past 10 years.

Technology has taken the form of WB's "Roadrunner", speeding past traditional laws with its tongue stuck out. You can buy almost anything online. From a Jesus-shaped Twinkie, to non-regulated drugs, to suggestive pictures of your daughters, the Internet has an unlimited reach. While it is a tiresome and stressful job to wade through online sexual images, we recognize the payoff when predators, who download child pornography images, are caught in a law enforcement snare. But how do we monitor terrorists and enemy combatants who are scoping out our strengths and weaknesses? How do we ward off breaches in our cyber networks?

Last Friday, National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) Director Rod Beckstrom resigned. In a letter to Homeland Security Director Janet Napolitano, he wrote: "You know you're over the target when you're taking flack." He said his department had been taking its share. He also stated that his team consisted of THREE staff and TWO detailees. Are you kidding me? We have a total of 5 people in the NCSC? It takes that many Best Buy employees to find the software I'm looking to purchase. Beckstrom also wrote that the agency was inadequately funded over the past year. I understand that our budget has been tight, but denying ourselves of cyber security is like driving the Autobahn with a blindfold over our eyes.

Beckstrom has a successful technology business background; he is involved in non-profits, including a "peace network" of CEOs who had some success in diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan; and he has a strong sense of duty, writing to Napolitano that he looks forward to returning to serving the government some day. If I had any vote on how our Stimulus money was being spent, I would give Beckstrom a respectable budget. I think President Obama should have a face-to-face meeting with this man and try to woo him back. Personally, I think he should be begging Mr. Beckstrom to consider returning. Let him sleep in the Lincoln bedroom for free. He can have my share of taxes, access to all of my computer files, and I'd probably even let him read the letter from Aunt Jenny.

[beckstrom.com] Rod Beckstrom Biography

-Blackfoot

Are Bernanke and Geithner Wimps?

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Board chairman Ben Bernanke are the pictures of impotent rage. They say they really hate it that American International Group (AIG) is spending taxpayer money so a bunch of incompetent morons can buy bigger yachts and better art to the tune of $165 million on Sunday and another $55 million paid last December. They hate it, but they say they can’t do anything about it. AIG, which is 80% owned by the federal government, is contractually obligated to pay.

On top of that, the Bush administration’s hand-picked AIG chief executive had the gall to claim that the company had to pay bonuses to retain the high quality employees who put the company in the soup in the first place. Those guys must have some real juicy pictures from the Christmas party. Edward M. Liddy apparently hasn’t notice that Wall Street is awash with high quality financial people who are not only out of work, but would be willing to work for far less than the $6.5 million one AIG employee is scheduled to get as a bonus.

Apparently, when Mr. Liddy agreed to take over AIG for a dollar a year and an unexplained equity kicker, he apparently was not told that his job was to fight a delaying action. That is to keep the doors open while AIG’s businesses were unwound and sold. He is not a fireman sent in to save the company. He is receiver sent in to oversee its liquidation. And, for that, you don’t need any $6.5 million employees. Resolution Trust Corporation did it with government employees.

Messers Geithner, Benanke and Liddy have all overlooked one fact in their haste to pay off the perpetrators of the crime—AIG does not have the money. It is into the American taxpayers for more than $170 billion because it is broke. Legal obligation or not, the money just isn’t there. It can only be taken from AIG’s creditors, the people we are trying to help.

Just who are these creditors and why are we helping them? At least 20 of them are states which entrusted bond revenues to AIG for safe keeping. But the rest probably don’t deserve any help at all. AIG was a big dealer in a game called credit default swaps. According to a New York Times editorial on March 15, there were something like $62 trillion in credit default swaps outstanding last year. Of those, some 80% (about $50 trillion) were bets placed by people with no other financial interest in the transaction. A credit default swap is a bet that a company or a financial portfolio will default.

AIG claimed it thought is was writing insurance policies, but, if that were true, it would have established a loss reserve, but it spent the money that would have gone into the loss reserve on bonuses, so, it clearly was not writing insurance.

How could AIG get a way with running an international gambling endeavor? In 2000 Congress, in its infinite wisdom, specifically exempted credit default swaps from state gaming laws. And finally, just how much is AIG paying off? Does it have to pay the purse or should it just give back the bet? And, how are Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, etc, etc, counting their losses? Are they counting as losses what they would have made if AIG had paid off, or are they counting only the amount they actually put on the line? Seems to me, all that is actually owed is out of pocket expenses, and that is far less than is being claimed. And Gaithner and Bernanke ought to make that clear to all parties.



Tom Gordon

Yellowed Journalism

It's amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper.
-Jerry Seinfeld

I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.
-Thomas Jefferson


Survey the landscape, my friends. It’s ugly out there.

As the sun rises on another Monday, fewer robed men will make that long walk to the end of the driveway. In the old days it was worth it. I had a cocker spaniel that lived for the chance to shoot out of the front door every morning just to grab the morning paper. Fortunately I’ll always have that memory, because I lost him long before the journalists gave me ample reason to drop my subscription.

Do you remember the smell of freshly brewed coffee as you shuffled through to find the sports or comic section your dad or mom had finished? Did you wonder how long pop could stare at the obituaries as if they were interesting? It really didn’t matter. You might watch the sun come up as you forced yourself to chuckle at the “Andy Capp” or “Shoe” cartoon strip they wanted you to read. It often wasn’t that funny but you thought it would make them happy to see you laugh.

It has been a slow and painful death. Personally, I said my goodbyes years ago. I don’t know how old I was when I came to the realization that the editorial section started at A-1 and ended just before the classified advertisements. Yet even this wasn’t enough to tear me away. Factoring in the biases I still craved the morning paper routine like a fantastic drug. Somewhere along the line the quality dropped substantively, but what really got me was the negativity. It’s the same reason I couldn’t stomach Jay Leno.

Those of you still hanging on to that habit, and the incredible shrinking rag, probably should go out and rent “Millennium” with Kris Kristofferson and Cheryl Ladd. It’s at best an average movie, but the premise and closing scene of “Millennium” is a decent metaphor for the state of 21st century print journalism. Jamiecostello58, of the UK says it best on IMDB:

Millennium is certainly no masterpiece and will be easily forgotten

Funny, but that's exactly how I felt as I wadded up my last copy of the Dallas Morning News.

But all is not lost. Science writer Steven Johnson told an Austin, Texas audience that journalism is merely “evolving”, though the paper business is ugly and getting uglier. I’m sad to say that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Again, it’s the negativity. Other than the pro-Obama shilling I conditioned myself to tune-out months ago, everything I read online still takes me right back to the end of the world...as portrayed in a “B” sci-fi movie

…inevitable and forgettable.

A game is never lost, they say, because of the last missed shot. Fans never get this, but coaches do. It is true in this case as well. I don’t buy that newspapers had to die or become irrelevant because of technology. Music videos were going to kill radio in the eighties as well, remember? Why the hell are we all still reading books for crying out loud? We can't print enough of the darn things. Journalism may think it will “evolve” to the new media, but in the end what killed printed news will kill advertising and interest online as well. I can tell you it’s already happening.

Print journalism is dying because journalists quit delivering value. The harbingers of truth sold their souls to activism and advocacy. I’m not an industry expert, but I am an expert consumer. If “journalism” stands a chance online, it will require a great deal of “balance”, which thankfully exists because diverse opinions and sources exist in unfathomable numbers now. Just as freedom dies a little every time someone breaks a law, credibility died a little every time “journalistic ethics” got bypassed.

They have made their bed. When they knew change was needed (there’s that word again) they shook their fists at the gods of objectivity and damned the torpedoes. My heart does not break for them.

But I will always miss watching the dog fighting the damn thing through the partially-opened door.

Bob Miller
Treo_bob@yahoo.com

ps: Give your cat or dog a carmel sometime. It's good for several entertaining minutes.

BROTHERS AT WAR

My Nurse Corps Officer chain of command sent something into my email which is worthy of promotion. Here is the link:

Brothers at War

Here are the cities and dates of release, as presented in the email. If you live in one of these areas, please block the date to go see this film.

March 13, 2009:

Columbus, GA. (near Fort Benning) at Carmike 15

Fayetteville, NC (near Fort Bragg) at Carmike 12

Jacksonville, NC (near Camp LeJeune) at Carmike 16

Chicago, IL. at AMC River East

Washington, DC at Landmark E Street Cinema

Arlington, VA at AMC Shirlington


March 20, 2009

Akron (Ohio National Guard), Regal Interstate Park 18 - Regal Cinemas


March 27, 2009

Augusta, GA (near Fort Gordon, US Army)

Savannah GA (near Fort Stewart, US Army)

Shrevesport, LA (near Barksdale AFB) Cinemark Tinseltown 17

Clarksville, TN (near Fort Campbell, US Army)

Hampton, VA (near Langley AFB) AMC Hampton Town Center 24

Newport News, VA (near Fort Eustis) AMC Kiln Creek 20

Killeen, TX (near Fort Hood) Hollywood Stadium 14 - Hollywood Theaters

San Antonio, TX Bijou at the Crossroads-Santikos

Cleveland Heights (Ohio National Guard), Cedar Lee Cinema

Dayton (near Wright-Patterson AFB) Regal Hollywood 20-Fairfield Commons

Decatur, IL Carmike Hickory Points 12

Oceanside, CA (near Camp Pendleton) Regal Oceanside 12

Monterrey CA (near Presidio of Monterrey, DOD) Osio Cinema


*If I can get a copy of the film I will review it for the blog. smile

LCDR Tammy Swofford

Jai Ho for India's Poor Children

They looked like typical American kids, [LATimes] all smiles as they enjoyed the theme park rides and embraced the mascot Mouse, but they aren't. The child actors of "Slumdog Millionaire", who helped to draw international attention, once again, to the unconscionable poverty of India, are now back at home. The media has followed two of the youngest cast members, Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail Shaikh, 10, and Rubina Rafiq Aali Qureshi, 9. We've been given a glimpse of their daily lives with their families in the slums of Garib Nagar in [NationalGeographic] Dharavi, Mumbai, India. Their American adventure must seem like the difference between Dorothy's visit to Oz, where lollipops grow out of the ground like flowers, and real life in the black and white Dust Bowl world of Kansas. The young actors may have earned a death sentence reprieve, as a result of their newfound fame. Time will tell. Many of their peers will not be so lucky. While it's true that a child is born in India every 2 seconds, 6,000 children under the age of 6 die every day from hunger and malnutrition, alone.

In America, we hope our children are more successful than we are. Elementary school kids are asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" They answer with vocations that sound like fun: firefighter, police officer, or veterinarian. With our new president, young black children are now more commonly answering that they want to be president. By high school, the same children may have changed their goals to computer game programmer, teacher, or lawyer. By the time they reach college age, some may settle on truck driver, waitress, or clerk. Whatever they decide, we recognize that any occupation is possible for anyone, depending on the individual's commitment. In India's caste system, children are not given the hopes that they may be more successful than their parents. On her return home, Rubina Ali was told by her father that she must live like she did before. She told him she would. For a girl Rubina's age, future plans consist of learning to care for a family and... Well, that's about it. Many families live from hand to mouth, which is why there are more than 126 million child laborers under the age of 18. Overall, children in the age range of 5-14 make up about 4% of the work force in India. Think about that.

India's Lok Sabha parliamentary elections begin next month. As we saw when Obama used Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", the choice of campaign songs can be important. The Congress Party has bought the rights to use the Oscar-winning Slumdog song [youtube] "Jai Ho", which translates to "be victorious" or "let there be victory". They have invited Ali and Ismail to attend campaign events. The parents have given permission, as long as it doesn't interfere with the children's school schedule. School schedule? You see, the children were orginally paid a daily wage, which amounted to $700 and $2,500, respectively. (The entire film budget was $14 million.) After the success of the film, the film-makers arranged to pay for their education. As long as they stay in school, they'll receive a "substantial" trust fund at the age of 18. There are rumored to be arrangements for the children's families to be moved into their own apartments. One source said they would be valued at about $20,000 each. When Ismail got ill last month, he was treated with antibiotics. This is something that may not have happened before he became an international star.

I don't know much about India's political system. I figure I'm doing well to halfway figure out our own system sometimes. But, since the Congress Party petitioned and paid for the use of the song, I hope they will honor the message of the movie and will work to improve conditions in their country. That goes for the other parties, as well. Close to half of the nation's population live below the poverty level, and there are too many homeless people to count. 5.7 million people have HIV/AIDS. 130,000 died of the measles in 2007. Both of these diseases are preventable. Of all the children in Mumbai, Ali's cherubic face and Ismail's mischievous smile brought the right attention at the right time. They are fortunate to have this opportunity. I don't normally approve of children being advocates, but there are a few exceptions, like Mattie Stepanek. Although they didn't intend to be, these children are now ambassadors for all of the poverty-stricken children of their nation. I really hope to hear in 8 or 10 years that these kids are attending a university, and not that Ismail died of Dysentery and that Ali has 4 children and AIDS. Real life can be harsh in the black and white slums of India.

Jai Ho, Children of India!

-Blackfoot

This Really Hurts

I like you. Viewers of this blog, I like you a lot. But we have a problem that must be addressed. The bloggers here are not guilty of this, my family is, but I am blaming you because I don't have the cajones to blame the guilty parties. If you love me, LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE. I mean that in a good Christian way. Just stop with the embracing by email. Telephone calls once in a while are good. I like talking to family but there are a couple of things that I have to get off my chest, so here goes.

I love Jesus too, but quit sending me every "blessed" email that requires me to forward it to 7 people within 17 seconds or risk eternal damnation to the fires of the south. Jesus is a loving son of God. He doesn't have email or a Blackberry. If He wants to get in touch with me, He usually is successful and it didn't take high speed internet to git-er-done. He has a strange way of touching the soul and life without your emails mucking up the bandwidth.

Another thing, quit with the fwd:fwd:fwd:fwd:fwd:! Jesus didn't write them emails! Stop falling for the scam! For goodness sake, give me time to get stuff done without sending me another "beautiful message that will bring tears to your eyes".

Oh, and I have news for you. The kid from England with herpes and cancer, remember him? He is 57 years old now and was healed in 1964. Knock it off with the requests for get-well wishes. Oh, and I always love how you send me the same thing that my cousin sent me three minutes ago informing me of his plight. STOP IT. I heard about him. He is o.k. He is missing half his tongue and a testicle, but he can still talk and.....well, let's not go there.

One more thing you should know: I recognize an urban legend. Before you forward that garbage, give me the courtesy of looking on Snopes.com to verify it is real. I don't care if Bill Gates is going to track your email. If he tracks mine, that is an invasion of privacy, and I can promise you he will be sending more than ten grand. USE YOUR BRAIN, IF YOU HAVE ONE. There is no technology to do what it is you are talking about doing.

Quit believing every stupid email that says, "My sister is a lawyer and she knows". Well, there is a good qualification. Someone whose name you don't even know has a sister she doesn't name that spent 90 semester hours getting a bar card. What an elite group. Only 50,000 of them in Texas and about 1/2 million in the country, I would guess. Use your head for a change and stop sending me this nonsense email that you have been sending since 1997!

To my cousins, uncles and aunts. I love you dearly. But leave me alone. There, I feel better now. Please excuse me while I check my email. Jesus may be calling.... again.

Jeff Cunningham

Newsweek Bombs Again

My hand would not have reached for the Newsweek with the beautiful Arabic script had the cover title merely stated, “Radical Islam is a Fact of Life”. But the additional stunner, “How to Live With It” certainly made me dig around in my wallet for a bit of change.
The photography for the article is beautiful. Black and white, the images appear as something worthy of National Geographic. The magazine opens to a picture of Muslim boys descending the steps of a masjid after the Zhuhr prayer with some wearing the traditional thaub, others dressed more in Western manner. We see the profile of a Taliban fighter, female students from Tehran University and small boy memorizing the Qur’an in Pakistan with shadows cast on all except his small frame and an open Qur’an. These images, carefully selected for their message.

The cover title is repackaged from “How to” into “Learning to”. Fareed Zakaria also repositions himself from a passive to more personal stance as he moves into the article. We (Americans) must “learn” to live with radical Islam. Mr. Zakaria, will desensitize the threat for us.

An estimated ten percent of the 1.3-1.5 billion Muslims across the globe are considered to be of a radical bent. Sadly, while we are “learning” how to live with them, another attack on our sovereign soil is undoubtedly in the making.

While not in disagreement with some of the broader brush strokes of thought regarding what is happening on-the-ground in Islam, I am not in agreement with some of Mr. Zakaria’s personal positions on matters. Mr. Zakaria identifies international threat in a vague manner, identifies indigenous aspects of Shari’ah in a strong manner, and pulls to a middle-ground policy while straddling his political fence. Sadly, those who would attack us, have no concept of compromise.

While having concerns about our Predator drones (p 26) and the image they project, it must be remembered that bomb-making terrorists find safe harbor among civilian populations which are sympathetic to their cause. They move freely among their own. Our only means to reach out and touch them, is with a surgical unmanned strike.

It is interesting that an eraser is applied to the policies of the Bush administration while at the same time having the following to say about an Administration which is barely into the first fifty days of governance:

“Beyond Afghanistan, too, it is crucial that we adopt a more sophisticated strategy toward radical Islam. This should come naturally to President Obama…..” (p.28)

What does the editor mean when stating “ should come naturally”? Our new Commander in Chief has not entered the proving ground of his presidency as did former President George W. Bush after 9/11. While I also write and address (in private corridors) some of our hits and misses after 9/11, it is always with the distinct acknowledgement that lessons have been learned, we are building a distinct Military Doctrine as we move operationally, and the cusp of the century brought new challenges not faced by prior administrations. Mr. Obama, has the benefit of the steep learning curve of the last eight years to fall back on should he choose not to throw out the baby with the bath water. I recommend he avail himself of the good.

Fareed Zakaria decries sweeping declarations and seeks a more microcosmic view of the stage, then to lump things in the “Muslim world”. Having studied movements and their tributaries, with a current emphasis of study on resistance movements, it seems beneficial to add this link.

Tariq Ramadan site

Please note the current masthead which states, “Global Movement of Non-Violent Resistance”. This is the emphasis of my studies when evaluating the movements and tributaries effecting the asymmetrical battlespace.

While Fareed Zakaria is the perfect ideologue : “We should mount a spirited defense of our views and values…” It is not views and values which will suffer physical harm with our next attack. Ideas are not attacked with IED’s, car bombs, suicide belts, etc. People, are attacked. Radical Islamists, attack and kill people.

So while seeking that people find “their own balance between freedom and order, liberty and license” Mr. Zakaria can safely sit behind his desk and muster his journalists. But there is a world of anarchy out there. It is borne on the shoulders of the ten percent. And yes, we are seeing a pattern emerge of suicide belt and veil. (p 28) While Muslim female suicide bombers remain a statistical anomaly there is growing documentation of the phenomenon.

Here is the good news. You don’t have to learn “how to live with it”. Your government is very much on top of the issues. Your job is to educate yourself about the issues. Your priority, if a citizen, is to take care of your business as usual. Your government, will be both shield and sword. But do remember this final thought: The threat remains real. Threats are never to be accepted. They are to be dealt with in aggressive manner via chain of command structures in place which are deployed to guard your freedom.


Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Fareed Zakaria: Preface to Thursday Blog

Yes, I know. I shot off my mouth and didn't keep a promise.

View the link.

Scampering around Barnes and Noble this week I saw this cover.What caught my eye first was the green background. It reminded me of a book by author Genevieve Abdo, "No God but God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam." (Chapter two: Streets of Green) Then I noted the graceful poetic look of Arabic with the diacriticals. Translated title?


RADICAL ISLAM IS A FACT OF LIFE: HOW TO LIVE WITH IT


How to live with it? Hmmm. Well, there went three bucks. Flipping through the first two pages of the magazine as I waited in the check-out line I found it interesting that Fareed Zakaria felt it necessary to pat himself on the back.... twice. Declaring himself "clear-eyed" and "brilliant" the editor of Newsweek surely had authority over the final copy of the initial promotional blurb "The Islamists Around Us" and "The Editors Desk" penned by Daniel Klaidman. It kind or reminds me of when Dallas Morning News allowed their homeboy Rod Dreher to review his new book, "Crunchy Cons" within the editorial pages. The Dallas Morning News received a short note from moi, posing this question: "Should an author review his own book?" Possibly, DMN and Newsweek are sharing advice on this kind of stuff. Maybe they are reading Freud....Let's talk about this cover article.

While never presuming myself brilliant nor clear-eyed, I have engaged the Intellectual Battlespace for many years now. We need to talk about Radical Islam. So in the next blog look for a journalistic duel as I deconstruct critical elements of thought. Mr. Zakaria writes well. But it is quite a lullaby he places on the page. Sleep well, America.



Tammy Swofford

Beware the Olés of March

Are you sure you want to send your high-schoolers and college-aged children across the Mexican border for Spring Break? Mexico has beautiful beaches, but it also has one of the highest rates of kidnapping in the world. And if you think the resorts are insulated from crime, think again. You don't have to take my word for it. You can read for yourself the February 20 State Department Travel Alert. They also issued a specific advisory, "Spring Break in Mexico - Know Before You Go!", which states: "Over 100,000 American teenagers and young adults travel to resort areas throughout Mexico over Spring Break each year. While the vast majority enjoys their vacation without incident, several may die, hundreds will be arrested, and still more will make mistakes that could affect them for the rest of their lives." The latter part may refer to sexually transmitted diseases or bad tattoos which were chosen during crazy tequila nights, but there are also increasing odds that our kids could end up the victims of robberies, rapes, kidnappings and shootings.

If you think drug gangs are out of control in Mexico, you're wrong. In fact, they are so much in control, that they led the Juarez police chief to "step down" amid the threat to continue to kill police officers until he quit. Not an idle threat, in a city where over 2,000 people have been murdered in the past year. Drug cartels and gang members are known to have murdered nearly 6,000 people in Mexico in 2008. These gangs choose noble names for themselves, like "Aztecas", "Mexicles", "Artistas Asesinos", "La Familia" etc., but I see them as scorpions, who inject their poison, drop by drop, into the veins of our nation. 90% of America's cocaine supply comes through Mexico, and Juarez is a key staging point on the route to America and Canada. President Calderon has deployed troops to deal with drug cartels across Mexico, including thousands to Juarez, but they are dealing with increasing numbers of desperate gang members, in a country where the average income is just over $8,000.

The growing violence is partially the U.S.'s fault. Really. The DEA can tell us that the violent competition is a result of the success of their efforts and drug busts, but we all know there will always be a way for smugglers to bring their supply to our front door. Until we completely secure our border with Mexico and unless we search every vehicle and container that, seemingly legally, comes into our borders and ports, the cartels will easily continue to find ways to get their product into our nation. So how is it our fault? Aside from the estimated 2,000 weapons smuggled into Mexico from the U.S. every day, we're letting Europe catch up to us in cocaine use. The Colombian drug cartels can get more money, sometimes triple the amount, for their cocaine in Europe than they can get in the U.S. And they don't have to deal with the Mexican scorpions. This leaves less business for Mexican middle men, and more murderous competition over the scraps. Less cocaine use would seem like a good thing for the U.S., and it is, but we must consider that cheaper, and mostly home-made, methamphetamine is one of the reasons for our declining cocaine use. We are a long way from ridding ourselves of our own illegal drug evils.

Maybe the decadent Spring Break tradition, where kids go on week-long drunken party binges with their friends, should be done away with. At the very least, let's keep our kids safer by not sending them to war-torn, poor countries, like Mexico. A couple of years ago, I was impressed with a group of young people who went to [nola.com] New Orleans during their Spring Break, to help with clean-up and rebuilding. I am glad to see their tradition has continued and caught on. Obama even caught the bug... though his pledge of $900 million to rebuild Gaza is way off base. If swinging a hammer just won't satisfy your entitled offspring, there are a number of great vacation places to visit in this vast country. Put them up in a hotel in Washington, D.C. Send them on a skiing trip in Alaska. If you really want to give your kids a "Mexican experience" vacation, and nothing else will do, send them to [usatoday] Atlanta.

Here's a set of photos and journal entries from WCU students who worked in New Orleans this year:
Wesley Foundation - Spring Break 2009

-Blackfoot

CEDAW: A Political Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

You are a woman. The world is certainly a beautiful place! Where do you want to live? Here are your choices: *Afghanistan *Belarus *Burkina Faso *Cuba *Egypt *Israel *Liberia *Saudi Arabia *Northern Ireland *Yemen

Actually, there is a large list of locales where you can live, nations which have embraced CEDAW. But the United States of America is the only industrialized nation which has not signed on for this corrupted piece of political crap. So if you feel “safer” as a woman living in a nation which is a signatory to CEDAW just pack yourself into a shipping crate and I will pay the fee. Go thou hither. Good riddance, Bubble Brain. But as for me, being an American woman remains a core identity. Overall, women have it good in America compared to women in most nations.

The “Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women” has a nice sound to it but the document is just another hollowly conceived attempt by the United Nations to overlay an oppressive political force against national sovereignty. Former President Jimmy Carter, a true gentleman with a soft spot in his head, put his signature on the document.

Rosalynn should have kicked him in the shin for that one, since she claimed a traditional role in the White House. Thankfully, our Senate has had the good sense not to ratify it and still seems resistant to the idea. But the CEDAW predators still want control of the American family. These parasitic radicals seek a deconstruction of the female identity in areas which bring distinct strength to American society. Seeking to make women global units of labor, the CEDAW socialists would have all to bow before the god of abortion, legalize and regulate prostitution so women in poor nations can sell their real estate in exchange for free STD’s and force mothers to drop off their kids at day care, the sooner the better. What a wonderful grown-up world for little girls whose American fathers treated them like princesses. CEDAW is the witch on the U.N. broom still circling the political airspace in D.C. (*D.C. now stands for D.on't C.rap on me, please!)

Personally, I prefer young ladies receive an education, delay child-bearing so that they don’t abort their firstborn and attain to the healthy feminine best: traditional family and a career to boot. Many of the nations who have signed on to CEDAW have nothing to show for binding themselves to the U.N. It is like playing Mozart to a mule. Line up a nice stringed quartet and play in the barnyard all day, but the mule just won’t get it. And until two-legged mules decide to be nice to their wives and daughters, no governing body is superior to conscience. America has a lot of men with rock-solid conscience in this regard.

Since when does the U.N. define “family”? And why should a flatulent international (pseudo) corpus juris deconstruct our Constitution and the laws of our land?

I am an American woman. I do not need the United Nations to shaft my traditions and trash my national landscape with CEDAW. It is a wolf in sheep's clothing. This wolf is circling the pasture again in the form of “womens studies”, magazine articles and a radical left reinvention and sleight of hand. This is an issue to follow.



Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Republicans: Banging on the Ark Door

The space between what’s wrong and right
Is where you’ll find me waiting for you.
-Lyric from “The Space Between”, Dave Matthews Band 2002

Were you listening to me, Neo? Or were you looking at the woman in the red dress?
-Morpheus (Lawrence Fishburn) in “The Matrix”


It is time to justify and prioritize what you believe. Good men have done nothing, and you know what comes next.

I’m not concerned with making dire or ominous analogies and predictions. I’ll leave those to the good Lord and David Wilkerson. The Pastor has faithfully received and passed on a frightening vision of an imminent “earth shattering calamity” that would find cities burning and riots in the streets of the nation. Don’t be too quick to dismiss him, though your mind likely did so before the sentence had been read.

Why did you do that? Conditioning.

In truth, the events themselves are quite possible. Objectively theorize the potential causes. Perhaps your mind leapt to “crazy” because of the messenger. But let’s forget about him for a moment. The point is made.

I wonder how many people thought William Wallace was too cocky. Do you suppose getting locked up repeatedly challenged the credibility of the apostle Paul? Why should someone listen to a jailbird like Nelson Mandela? Did Churchill’s weight make him a less-credible prime minister? When you choose a Neurosurgeon, would you select humility over the "god complex"? Need I continue?

I find it shocking how conviction has fallen out of fashion. We’re just so impressed with open-mindedness and popularity. It’s all the rage. Our nation was founded to be one of ideas and of law, not of men. When invoking the latter, we invariably associate glorification of an undeserving or yet-to-be-accomplished individual.

The opposite is our downfall, and we’re too smart by half.

Bobby Jindal gets up to deliver a conservative rebuttal message and is excoriated for stylistic faux pas. Sarah Palin presents a rare combination of charisma, core principles and energy to the field and gets picked apart. Of course, Rush Limbaugh deserves no support from our side of the pasture because he admires himself so. The reward?

Michael Steele.

So which leader or influential figure will we be ignoring or criticizing…this time…when having simply worked together might have staved off even one freedom-killing measure of “Change”? The two-party system combined with a powerful and polarized media threatens your liberty. Your founding fathers did not sign up for this “fundamental transformation” and neither have your grandkids.

So, folks...while we, the taxed producers of the nation, fracture over the worthiness of our spokesmen and future champions...

we empower the authoritarian element.


bob
treo_bob@yahoo.com

President Barack Obama: Channeling his Speech Writers

Don't whine to me. I told you the truth about Barack Obama. The man cannot think fast on his feet. In Texas, we would say he doesn't know the art of the "quick draw".

It appears that our new President uses his teleprompter for everything. Whether he is "speaking from the heart" to Americans or to a carefully culled press corps, the artistic flow from his mouth is never original copy. Let's sell the guy on eBay!

I miss George W. Sure he bumbled around with his word usage, but when he spoke, he looked directly at us and blurted out words like "thug" or "God Bless America" with regularity. That aspect, endeared him to me. I felt like he would actually sit at my dinner table and tell a joke and enjoy the moment. We all know he was caught with his microphone on at a summit dinner cursing along with a biscuit shoved in his mouth. He may have not been what you wanted, but he was the real deal. He didn't have that slightly dishonest look that comes from channeling Goebbels (a propaganda minister without peer, in the 2oth century) with a teleprompter 24/7. Yes, the device is good for the State of the Union speech. After that, it should find its way to a closet.

I loved it when George W. let us know that he looked into Putin's soul and saw a good man. I laughed about that for weeks! I would replay the thing again and again in my mind and think, "I looked into Putin's soul.... BLACK!" I would start laughing again.

I respected George W. on the evening of 9/11 when he looked at the cameras and told us he would go after all who harbored terrorists. Nary an eloquent scripted response, just a shaken President speaking to a nation in need of comfort.

So remember: When Barack Obama speaks, his speech writers have been hard at work. Just a ventriloquist act. I was never fond of 'em.

Tammy