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October 30, 2005
Happy Halloween!
May you be Cursed by this Classical Education!
The MajorFamily
Pumpkin by MajorTeen. Photo by MajorDad.
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 07:11 PM | Comments (2)
October 29, 2005
Toughen Up Buttercups....Part Deux
I know that I tend to get fixated on the stupid stuff out there...but if I don't, who will?
My latest blood pressure elevating news tidbit comes to us from Boston and The Boston Globe.
In this report we have a story about an elementary school in Boston that's caving to the pressure from a minority of students and their families that are offended by the celebration of Halloween. I completely understand the concerns of these parents...and support their desire to keep their kids home to avoid any religious conflicts they might have.
Now let's get something straight here...the school is simply having a traditional Halloween program that thousands of schools have had for 50 years. Little kids like to dress up, the teachers probably enjoy the break from the grind, and parents get a kick in pulling out their digital cameras and sending cute pictures to other friends and family members. Sounds like everyone wins all the way around the table and how often does this get to happen?
Sounded to me like the principal was worried about having a few kids skip school in order to avoid the Halloween festivities. How would he react if the parents that were NOT offended told him that they would keep their kids home if the Halloween celebration DIDN'T go on as scheduled? I think that it's high time that those of us in the majority decided to play hardball with these idiots running schools like a bunch of pansies. A principal needs to be able to take charge and run the school so that smart little kids pop out the other end of the pipeline....not politically correct ones.
For all the two dozen of you that might come here to read this...share it with your friends. We need to get something straight again in this country and it's that we are made up of a very diverse population. For over 200 years we've established our own traditions and they are ours to keep. If you choose not to participate, that's fine, but we have had it up to here with you taking away tradition after tradition.
If you feel so strongly about this, then you go to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day! How about New Year's Eve too?
Seriously folks....you need to fight this lunacy with equal or heavier fire than they're pumping out! Things are getting way out of hand. We need to try to get the genie back in the bottle before we lose our identity as a nation!
See you on the high ground....I'll be dressed as Dora the Explorer!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 12:13 PM | Comments (3)
October 28, 2005
JackAsses of the Week
This morning i picked this one up from FoxNews.com.
Cutting to the chase of the story...an Army reservist's wife has been fired for taking an extra day of UNPAID leave in order to see her husband, a deploying reservist, off to the Middle East. While the company had granted the wife a week of UNPAID leave in order to help her husband prepare to deploy and to leave....they refused to grant her one additional day of UNPAID leave in order to get herself back to work.
While we only know part of the story, as we don't know what her habits were before this incident, it still sounds like this woman's been done WRONG.
This certainly isn't the way we support soldiers and their families!
See you on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
UPDATE: My journalism skills might be slipping. I had posted contact information about the company in question....and then went to the company's website. (Other information came up on another website...and I'd posted that.) Apparently the support for our troops is much stronger than some would have you believe as when I went to the actual company website...they already had a banner in place claiming that they were NOT the company that had fired Suzette Boler.
If anyone else has time this morning...please feel free to post the ACTUAL contact information for where Suzette Boler actually worked.
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 07:01 AM | Comments (4)
October 26, 2005
Blaming FEMA or Jeb?
This afternoon while running errands at work, I happened to catch a quick news sound bite coming from Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma. Apparently 'the natives' are starting to get a little more than restless in that they're running out of water and food. A good background story can be found here at MyWay.
Folks, folks, folks. I just have to thrown the BS flag on this one!
Hurricane Wilma was one of the slowest moving storms we've seen this year. The people in Florida had almost a full week to prepare themselves for the impending arrival of Wilma. To blame ANY government is absolutely ludicrous! When are we going to draw the line of where personal responsibility ends and government responsibility begins?
I'm really starting to feel like a real sucker by putting 13% of my pay into a retirement program, paying for homeowners and automobile insurance, health insurance, and the rest of those things that RESPONSIBLE people do to NOT be a drain on our government. Am I the only person that feels this way?
Florida and the Gulf Coast get hit by hurricanes. California is targeted by earthquakes. Texas and the rest of the midwest are subject to tornados. We all play the game...and we take our chances OR we prepare for the potential problems. Buy a case of Dinty Moore Beef Stew with your LoneStar card or food stamps and put it in the closet.
Before the hurricane hits....scrub your bathubs and basins REALLY, REALLY, REALLY well....and fill the bathtubs and sinks before the storm hits. If push comes to shove, you can boil that water for drinking, cooking and limited bathing.
Folks...life is a full contact sport. If you're not ready for it...you're going to wind up on television as a victim some time.
Oh, there I go again. There's nothing wrong with being a victim anymore. 50 years ago we wouldn't call you a victim...we'd just call you dumb!
See you on the high ground folks!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:16 PM | Comments (7)
Write a Blog.....Get Suspended from School?
Well, have to give Digg.com credit for bringing this one to my attention. Read the background story here at the Morris County Daily Record (I used deliver this rag as a kid.)
Let's see if I get this straight.
At Pope John XXIII High School (I'm assuming a private high school attended by the "beautiful people" of Northern NJ) the principal and administrators are uncomfortable with the ability of a student to post information about what goes on inside the walls of the institution....discussions about policies and staff meetings. Even in the article, the safety of students is mentioned last...as bloggers could potentially post information about their classmates.
Under the guise of keeping children safe on the Internet this principal seems to think that he can ban students from blogging.
A couple of issues I have with this policy...
1. It gives the students a chance to learn about the concept of "cause and effect." If a student's dumb enough to reveal their identity AND badmouth the school or faculty...they deserve to be the targets of consequences.
2. A student that chooses to blog is working on their written communications skills. I think that this is a GREAT THING! One of the things that bothers me most about education today is the fact that there seems to be so little emphasis placed on being able to communicate in writing. If you have kids and don't believe me, take a look at what they're writing these days.
3. Through blogging, children may learn about critical thinking skills more rapidly than those that don't. One of the great aspects of blogging is the ability to comment. When commenting to another blogger's post, critical thinking immediately comes into play. You either agree or disagree...and the best comments will actually back up their arguments with facts. (Having just read MajorTeen's first crack at the new SAT writing section...I can see that there's work to be done here....and she's almost a straight A student!)
4. Finally, the policy isn't enforceable. By making such a big deal about this, the school's opening itself up to lawsuit after lawsuit. Even if I had a child in the school (and I don't) and I caught him/her writing questionable content that I chose to squash myself, I'd still be in line for the lawsuit payday. However, all this policy will do is to drive the students underground....and not change what's being written.
What do you all think out there?
See you on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 05:44 PM | Comments (2)
October 25, 2005
Now they want to ban......Piggy Banks???
A hat is tipped Dagney's way on this one!
Here's the base story.....
First it was Piglet and Winnie the Pooh (lifelong friend of the unclean animal)....not it appears that British banks are bending over (and I don't mean backwards) to appease offended Muslims by banning "piggy banks" from their premises.
I found it heartening that several Muslim members of parliament are up in arms about the ban too! Their explanation makes SO MUCH SENSE. I hope our members of Congress are listening! Here it goes, I'll paraphrase it from what I remember from the article above.
"Why can't we embrace the diversity of the different people here in Britain? Why do we have to be moving towards what will eventually be a very bland nation? If we do this with piggy banks, how long will it be before other symbols that show our differences are gone from the landscape? Christmas trees, Christian crosses, etc."
I hate to say it but, "By Jove, I believe that chap's gotten it quite right."
See you on the high ground and Cheerio!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:46 PM | Comments (3)
October 20, 2005
Yet Another Personality Test....What Science Fiction Character Are You?
Here's another fun quiz that "pegs" you as the science fiction character you're mostly closely aligned to based on your answers.
Take the quiz here.
Here's my result....I'm not shocked. One of my favorite quotations from Star Wars is, "Do or do not....there is no 'try.'"
See you on the high ground...
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:38 AM | Comments (5)
October 19, 2005
Just Say No to Illegal Immigration
Well, after all these years someone inside the Washington Beltway gets it! Yesterday, FoxNews and others reported that Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, has made a bold albeit obvious statement about the state of illegal immigration in this country....it's illegal.
Well, no surprise here. I've always been pretty respectful of our laws, realizing full well that "illegal use of an automobile in excess of posted speed limits," "illegal deprivation of another's life," or "illegal removal of property not owned by you" are all going to cause you problems with the law. Finally somebody high up in the administration "gets it" and looks like they might be making a move to do something about it.
In Secretary Chertoff's sights is the problem of our "catch and release" approach to illegals that are apprehended, but are not from Mexico. In the case of Mexican illegals, they've always been returned to Mexico without question. As to other nationalities that use Mexico as a springboard into the land of "milk and honey" far too often they're released on their own recognizance and told to return to court for their immigration hearings some weeks down the road. If you can believe it, most of these folks never show up for their review. They use the weeks between apprehension and the scheduled court date to disappear into the United States and begin their new lives....immigration laws be damned.
My problem with the revolving doors we have on our borders, that seemingly spin with abandon, is that they've been used by people that mean us harm before...and I see no reason why they won't be able to exploit this in the future. Monday night I watched a very disturbing hour long documentary/short feature called "The Last Best Chance." Produced and distributed by HBO, this program showcases the problems of "loose" nuclear materials around the world, but primarily in the former Soviet Union. The show highlights an Al Qaeda plot to manufacture crude "gun type" nuclear weapons...as well as securing Soviet tactical nuclear weapons from the former republics. We, as the good guys working with the Russians, attempt to shove the genie back into the bottle, but with little effect. The film ends with an SUV crossing into the US from Canada heading for New York City and a small tug boat heading into the Chesapeake Bay on its way to Washington, D.C..
While I'm sure that there's something of a liberal tilt to the film and its backers, they bring to light a very good point. Controlling illegal immigration isn't the only problem to solve to avoid nuclear terrorism in our backyard. It's getting a handle on the tons of materials and former Cold War arsenals still out there "flapping" around. Go to www.lastbestchance.org for more information. Or better yet, do what you can to catch this on HBO this month!
In any case, I'll take this story as a sign of the times...that perhaps we'll finally do what's needed doing for years. That's to enforce the sovereignty of our borders!
See you on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:06 AM | Comments (1)
October 17, 2005
For Full Enjoyment Read English!
A hat tip goes out to Greg Knapp at KLIF in Dallas for this one...
He was talking about a story that comes to us from Mason, Ohio where the proprietor of a bar has posted a sign that simply states, "For Service Speak English." The background for the rant I'm fixing to tee off on can be found here courtesy of the Cincinatti Enquirer.
As stated in the article...Ohio law states:
Ohio law states it is unlawful for any proprietor "of a place of public accommodation" to deny the "full enjoyment" of the accommodations based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or ancestry.
I tend to agree with Mr. Ullum, the owner of Pleasure Inn Tavern, that the sign actually is making two statements. The first, that English is the preferred language of the establishment. The second, that none of the bar's employees happen to be bilingual. Seems fair enough to me.
Like it or not, English is spoken by the majority of Americans...and those that live in within our borders. While we seem far too hesitant to make English the "official" language, it's the de facto one we have. If you want to get ahead in this country, you MUST have the ability to read AND speak English. Anything less is simply going to place you further and further behind. Most of us are the results of the great immigration from Europe...and our great grandparents and beyond felt the need to assimilate to become part of this great nation. Nobody tried to tear their heritage away from them...they felt compelled to make the effort to learn the language of their new country. For the most part, they raised their children using an English first method. The native language took a backseat to the language of America, English.
As to the "discrimination" based on national origin goes...I've met many a foreigner that speaks and writes English better than me...but that's only because they've chosen to embrace their new nation by learning its language. Even some visitors to this country can speak better English than most of us can communicate in a second or third language. Why should those that choose to live and benefit from the opportunity this country offers do any less?
Am I going to be forced to translate "Cursed by a Classical Education" to avoid prosecution and persecution for my "English-only" tilt? I sure hope that's not the case, I'll have to brush up on my Spanish, Latin, and Russian if that's the case!
Let's just say no to frivilous, nonsensical cases championed by the ACLU-like advocates persecuting Mr. Ullum and highly encourage our new citizens from far off lands to work on learning to communicate in English like the rest of us. Doing anything less is just this side of lunacy.
See you on the high ground! Or for you in Ohio, "Véale en el terreno alto."
MajorDad1984 or Papá Mayor Diecinueve Ochenta Cuatro
"Maldecido por una Educación Clásica"
Una punta del sombrero sale a Greg Knapp en KLIF En Dallas para éste..
El hablaba acerca de un cuento que viene nos a de Albañil, Ohio donde el propietario de una barra ha anunciado un signo que indica simplemente, "Para el Servicio Habla inglés." El fondo para el lenguaje declamatorio que fijo a la te lejos en puede ser encontrado aquí La cortesía del Investigador de Cincinatti.
Cuando indicado en el artículo. la ley ..Ohio indica:
La ley de Ohio lo indica es ilegal para cualquier propietario "de un lugar del alojamiento público" negar el "placer repleto" de los alojamientos basados en la carrera, el color, la religión, el sexo, el origen nacional, la incapacidad, la edad o la ascendencia.
Tiendo a concordar con Sr. Ullum, el dueño de Taberna de Posada de Placer, que el signo hace realmente dos declaraciones. El primer, que inglés es el idioma preferido del establecimiento. El segundo, que ninguno de los empleados de barra sucede ser bilingüe. Parece suficiente justo a mí.
Como lo o no, inglés es hablado por la mayoría de Americanos. ..and ésos que viven en dentro de nuestras fronteras. Mientras parecemos demasiado vacilantes hacer inglés el idioma "oficial", es el de facto uno nosotros tenemos. Si usted quiere adelantarse en este país, usted debe tener la habilidad de leer Y hablar inglés. Algo menos simplemente le colocará aún más y aún más atrás. La mayoría de nosotros es los resultados de la gran inmigración de Europa. ..and nuestros gran abuelos y más allá de sentía la necesidad de asimilar para llegar a ser la parte de esta gran nación. Nadie trató de romper su herencia lejos de ellos. ..they sentía obligó para hacer el esfuerzo de aprender el idioma de su país nuevo. Para las la mayoría de las partes, ellos levantaron a sus niños que utilizan un inglés primero método. El idioma nativo tomó un asiento trasero al idioma de América, inglés.
En cuanto a la "discriminación" basada en el origen nacional va. ..I've encontró muchos un extranjero que habla y escribe inglés mejor que yo. ..but que es único porque ellos han escogido abrazar su nación nueva aprendiendo su idioma. Aún algunos visitantes a este país pueden hablar mejor inglés que la mayoría de nosotros puede comunicar en un segundo o tercer idioma. ¿Por qué deben ésos eso escoge vivir y beneficiar de la oportunidad estas ofertas del país hacen cualquier menos?
¿Seré forzado traducir "Maldecido por una Educación Clásica" evitar la prosecución y la persecución para mi inclinación de "inglés Sólo"? ¡Yo esperanza segura que no es el caso, yo tendré que repasar mi español, latín, y ruso si eso es el caso!
Digamos apenas no al frivilous, los casos absurdos defendieron por los abogados de ACLU-COMO que persiguen Sr. Ullum y alentan sumamente a nuestros ciudadanos nuevos de lejos lejos las tierras para trabajar a aprender a comunicar para querer en inglés el resto de nosotros. Hacer algo es menos apenas este lado de la locura.
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:48 PM | Comments (8)
October 16, 2005
Memories....Baby Boomers Enjoy!
And if you didn't raise a baby boomer....a little history lesson here.
I received this little poem Memories in email today and I found it out on the web at the link I just gave you. I'm old enough to remember most of these things....so that puts this as little as 40 years in the past.
If you're under 30, you probably don't remember much...if any of these things we've put behind us. And that's part of the problem.
If you've been following the ongoing comments between me and Crystal about this post I think this says a lot about the differences between our generations.
If you go to that poem, not everyone lived at that level. Of course there have always been rich people with the latest and greatest of EVERYTHING. They always had new cars, color televisions, "push button" phones (and more than the one in the kitchen), and some of the other finer things in life. My parents didn't start out with a lot...but they always seemed to find the money or time to spend on/with me and MajorSister They worked hard and were frugal with their money. It's served them well now that they've retired. Thankfully my sister and I were paying attention to the lessons they've taught us along the way.
Extravagance wasn't something we had much of...but we always had what we needed. Note, we had what we NEEDED. Sometimes that was in line also with what we WANTED...and when that happened it was great.
Before we say we don't make enough money, perhaps we should take a look at how we spend what we get from our labors. Compare the two words.....WANT and NEED. Most of the things you NEED are very inexpensive, while the things you WANT carry a heftier price tag.
If you're too young to understand or remember the times mentioned in the poem above, you probably think you're downtrodden and will never "make it." Patience....patience. All you need and some of what you want will come with time and experience.
My advice to you is to figure out what you want to "do with your life" or "how you want to make your living" and then become the best "whatever" you chose in town! Don't be too anxious to drive yourself deep into debt in the pursuit of trying to live at the level your parents are.
See you on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 03:42 PM | Comments (1)
October 15, 2005
Rehearsal or Pre-Briefing? You say To-may-toe, I say To-mah-toe!
Well, another story that seems to have people up in arms is the one that sprang from President Bush's recent videoteleconference with 10 Americans and 1 Iraqi soldier in Tikrit, Iraq.
Among the allegations/issues with the "production" include:
1. There were 5 officers and 5 enlisted soldiers on the panel.
2. A soldier (E8) assigned to a public affairs unit was one of the panel of 10.
3. The deputy defense official assisting in putting this together seemed to be "coaching" the session.
4. The soldiers were provided the possible questions before this event began...and even had the opportunity to practice their responses.
Let me address these points one by one...
1. There were 5 officers and 5 enlisted soldiers on the panel.
Like most things that raise a stink in our society, is the issue of "haves and have nots." The stories covering this event seem to grasp onto this fact....by saying the president needs to talk to the "boots on the ground" meaning enlisted men and women rather than allegedly pampered officers. The fact that "boots on the ground" ain't a bunch of captains is horse crap. From lieutenants to colonels, the officers are sharing the burden and placing themselves in harms way on a daily basis. While as you rise in rank, you typically move further and further from the tip of the spear, you are still responsible for the actions of the soldiers under you. You are still repsonsible for those at the very tip of the spear....and you do spend time at "the front."
The idea that somehow captains are pampered prima donas is absolutely wrong...
2. A soldier (E8) assigned to a public affairs unit was one of the panel of 10.
While it might look bad to have an Army journalist on the panel, I fail to see the fault in having MSG Lombardo participate in this. When reading the transcript of the event, her responses do seem to be quite well prepared, but that's what I'd expect from someone in her field. Also, let's be realistic. She was doing her job in putting a good spin on the story she told in her response. Army journalism does the same for journalism as military music does for the music field....not that much. Military PAOs are supposed to show the force in the best light possible. Doing anything else is detrimental to morale.
3. The deputy defense official assisting in putting this together seemed to be "coaching" the session.
Well, if you've ever had the pleasure of preparing a briefing or town hall session presided over by a colonel or higher, you know that you're going to have at least one pre-brief before the actual event. As the position of Commander-in-Chief significantly trumps the colonel, I'd imagine that the soldiers in this panel spent more than a few minutes getting ready for this event.
4. The soldiers were provided the possible questions before this event began...and even had the opportunity to practice their responses.
What we have to ask ourselves is does this mean that this event told lies? Misinformed the American public? No, I doubt that anyone handed those panelists their answers on 3 x 5 cards. What I will maintain is that they told the soldiers the questions that the president would ask them...and then farmed the questions to the panelists to prepare the responses. Now if anyone changed the responses' content...that would be flat wrong. But if the "flacks" that assisted in putting on the event helped the soldiers come across with a better answer (not sounding like some dumb hick) I would think that the soldiers would be thankful. It's not every day you're televised internationally speaking to the President of the United States.
One piece of criticism that I haven't seen yet is the racial makeup of the panel. Looking at the names of the participants as provided by the WhiteHouse.gov website and the photo of the panel sititng on risers, I'd be lead to believe that there are some on the left that would be upset by the makeup of the panel. Hopefully this post doesn't rip the scab off a healing story.
In order to avoid the next flap over something simple like this...I wouldn't see a problem with this approach.
1. Provide a representative group of soldiers, noncommissioned and commissioned officers to the event organizer.
2. Have the event organizer explain to the panel that each member is to answer a question. Each soldier can be given a question to prepare a response. Nothing wrong with knowing what the questions might be. I would think that the President would appreciate a well thought out response rather than one pulled out of a butt in real time.
3. Have the panel introduce themselves at the beginning of the event by stating their name, hometown, and position held in Iraq. This will allow the President to toss the questions at the appropriate soldier by calling them by name. I was surprised at how stilted the participants were when it came time to "pass the microphone" to the next person. Looked very phony.
Finally, I think the MSM needs to get off their high horse and abandon their mission of sinking this president. He was elected, not selected and he's got three more tough years ahead of him. Does it hurt that much to throw support behind a president that you didn't vote for?
See you on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 09:42 AM | Comments (3)
October 12, 2005
Yeah...and if a frog had wings Al, it wouldn't bump its ass when he hopped!
What's his excuse?
(Hat tip to
MyWay.com here)
If you happened to miss this...former Vice President Algore is on a European
Vacation/Speaking Ranting Tour that seems to have stalled in
Stockholm, Sweden. If this hot air system isn't enough through the weather
into a tizzy over there, I don't know what would. Here are a couple of
"gems" from Mr. Gore (and me over here in BOLD RED I'll intersperse my
comments throughout...I think you'll be able to figure out which one of us is
doing the talking):
"We would not have invaded a country that didn't attack us," he said, referring to Iraq. "We would not have taken money from the working families and given it to the most wealthy families."
Now, I may be in a minority here, but has anyone knocked on your door for donations for the wealthy lately? This is a continued drumbeat tapped by the liberal democrats to make you hate "the man" for being wealthy. Mr. Gore and his followers (well he must have a few) need to realize that this continuous "poor, poor pitiful me" routine isn't resonating with the Average Joe. I guess there might be something to the claim by great propagandists of the past...that if you repeat the same lie loud enough and long enough, eventually people will begin to believe it.
To be successful in this or any other country, people have to be able to believe in themselves. They need to believe that they can become self-reliant. They might even need to be coerced into becoming self-reliant, but that's a cornerstone.
After that, they have to be educated and encourage to think for themselves. That doesn't mean that they need to question the obvious...but they certainly must have a finely tuned BS filter in place.
Finally they need to have the drive to get from her to there. "There" being the goals they set for themselves.
"We would not be trying to control and intimidate the news media. We would not be routinely torturing people," Gore said. "We would be a different country."
I'm not sure what to say to the first part of this. I suppose that "we" were trying to control the media during the Rathergate scandal that helped G.W. Bush "steal" this election from Al's good friend, John Kerry. Or maybe that we forced the media to report about the shenanigans going on inside New Orleans in the worst of the Katrina aftermath.
As the the charge of routinely torturing people...I would maintain that if that were the rule rather than the exception the face of the Iraq situation would be markedly different. I'm not advocating torture as the end all be all of gathering information, but I happen to believe that there are some VERY GOOD reasons for it. Sorry, we're all good folks here in the US, but if we happen to catch "Haji" covered in explosive residue inside a place that allegedly fixes toasters, I'm gonna start cranking the phone and see what he knows.
On Katrina/Rita:
"There were specific warnings that the levees might break," he said. "But for whatever reason those warnings were not acted upon in a timely way."
Gee, maybe this administration can start picking my lottery numbers if they have that kind of foresight. How much higher did you and Bill build those levees while in office?
On Global Warming
"My country is extremely attentive to the slightest increase in a risk from terror, and that's appropriate," he said. "But why should we be so tolerant of risk where the future habitability of our planet is concerned?"
It took us several hundred years to get where we are, Al. The fix (if one's really necessary) isn't going to happen over night...it sure didn't happen from 1992-2000 either. At this point, I tend to believe you try to survive through the more immediate crisis in order to face the longer term one.
On a political future...
He declined to comment on New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's possible run for the White House in 2008, but he said he believes the country is ready for a female president.
"Of course a woman could get elected president," he said. "I am not going to make any comment on individual candidates. It's quite premature."
That's because the leading female candidate would clean your clock, Buddy Boy! Face facts, the only reason you were elected to office is because of the name. Go watch Eddie Murphy in "The Distinguished Gentleman" and tell me that you didn't....
I would jump for joy to see Algore back on the campaign trail!
See you on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:05 PM | Comments (9)
A New Pop Quiz....
| MajorDad1984 is a Social Conservative (31% permissive) and an... Economic Conservative (68% permissive) You are best described as a:
Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test |
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 07:20 AM | Comments (1)
October 11, 2005
And NOW They Worry about Nepotism???
Hey folks...back from the dead again, but off to the doctor in a few hours to see what's causing the sinus pressure to the point that it hurts to move my eyes when the Motrin and other OTC remedies wear off. Now that I've provided far too much information....
FoxNews.com is running a story entitled "Nepotism Feared in Miers Nomination."
Excuse me? Pardon me? What?!?!?!
Where were these guardians of all that's good and holy when our former President William Jefferson Blythe Clinton was in office and appointing people to fill positions in government? Where did many of these people come from? (I know that was a lot of unanswered questions all in a row, let me try and provide a few answers....)
Well, the answer primarily goes in two directions. They were either friends of the Clintons, particularly Bill, from their time playing benevolent dictator/ineffective governor in Arkansas OR they were left leaning chums that they made while on their fairy tale journey through their higher academic efforts at Yale, Harvard, or Oxford. And you know what? If your friends are qualified to hold positions in your cabinet or the government over which you preside, I suppose it's best to appoint "the devils you know."
Was I tickled to see the hillbillies of Arkansas head east, rather than west in 1992? Not one bit, but I suppose if the electorate had been a little more united (thanks, Ross Perot) that wouldn't have happened. We gave Mr. Clinton his chance to appoint his buddies...and we were rewarded with the most corrupt administration in quite some time. Now it's time for Mr. Bush to make an appointment to the bench of the Supreme Court and everyone seems to want to cry foul. Nope, doesn't work like that. Mr. Bush has every right to nominate and the Senate has every right to confirm or NOT.
We'll see what happens on this nomination...but I don't think that it's going to be very fair and balanced.
See you on the high ground folks!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:06 AM | Comments (1)
October 08, 2005
Piglet Banned in England!?!?!
I have to offer a 'hat tip' to Absinthe and Cookies for this one! As well as Michelle Malkin....
Yes, Winnie the Pooh's friend Piglet has drawn the ire of the Islamic nutjobs! Muslim government workers have complained about the display of pig-related calendars, cubicle toys, and kleenex containers. Apparently the last straw for the overly sensitive Muslims came when pig shaped "stress relievers" were distributed to a certain office's workforce.
Okay, let me get this straight. Immigrants to England, from predominately Islamic countries, are now trying to change the history and culture of the lands they're invading. Did I get that about right?
First, let me remind these pious people that they are guests of their host nations. The British people are now suffering from their own hospitality.
Second, pigs are part of human society...primarily as a tasty food source. Yes, I'm sure that we're all pretty aware that pigs are inherently a filthy beast...but when butchered, cleaned up, and cooked properly absolutely delicious! What would fill my need for a pulled pork BBQ sandwich?
Third, the targets of the latest sensitivity effort are never going to make it into the food chain for even the most ignorant Muslim. A stuffed doll of Piglet isn't going to find itself on the breakfast table...and if it were to do so, I'd hope the person that tried to eat it would choke to death on those button eyes.
Fourth, when is someone going to show a little backbone when it comes to these sorts of complaints? Just being a member of a minority doesn't give you the right to live an "offense" free life. Not that the British are the only people that have caved to political correctness, we've got a history of that in this country too!
If you weren't aware of it, we fought a war 140 years ago right here in America that has been under attack in just the recent few years. Yes, our Southern states were involved in the heinous practice of using slave labor to build their agrarian society. Was it wrong, without a doubt. Does that mean that they should have to erase all vestiges of their history because of it though? I think not. The display of the Confederate flag should not be a crime...it's part of our history! Perhaps we should keep it around as a reminder of the mistakes of the past.
The bottom line to all of this nonsense is that there are two ways to handle something offensive. The first is that you can be offended...get all red in the face...and complain. The second (and my personal favorite) is to maintain in your own mind that you don't have any reason to embrace the offensive object or practice, but that others may as it is their right to do so. Where is the Islamic outrage to the televised beheadings of innocent civilians? Or the daily suicide bombings in Iraq that seem to be targeting religious congregations? Standing up in the stirrups over a stuffed cartoon character (and literary figure) isn't going to hold much water until you get these offensive practices under control.
See you on the high ground folks! I'm off for some BBQ!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:58 AM | Comments (1)
Back from the Dead...
Well, maybe not from the dead, but it felt that way!
Thursday afternoon I came home from work and crawled into bed with chills and sweats alternating every few hours. The worst of it was the chills and chattering teeth. When MajorMom came home, she checked my temperature that clocked in at 102.8. After administering Motrin and fluids, it started to come down a little, but Friday morning still found me with a fever over 101. Needless to say, I dipped into my 700+ hours of sick leave and decided to stay home.
After spending most of the day in bed, I was finally out of fever town...and I'm feeling much better today. Be careful out there...the seasons are changing and these things are likely to happen to you too.
See you on the high ground and fever free!
MajorDad1984
UPDATE 10/8-10/9
My earlier reports of being back from the dead apparently were much exagerated and flat out incorrect. Yes, relapse set in on Saturday and continued through Sunday. Here I am, up at 5:30 or so on Monday, 10 October...and I think I need to break down and see if I can get in to see a doctor today. Wish me luck, folks!
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 08:17 AM | Comments (3)
October 04, 2005
Hollywood vs. Hollyweird
Today I received an email that documented the participation in prior wars by the then members of the Hollywood elite. I did some poking around the Web and found the following links that I know you're going to be fascinated by. Having served the Army well over half my life in and out of uniform, even I was surprised by some of the stories of selfless service. Go check out these websites and learn something new today. I know you will, unless of course you're a member of the greatest generation...and you'll be reminded of some of those who served.
Hollywood On the Flip Side
Actors with WWII Military Records
After reading through these, it just confirms my belief that something terrible has happened to our country.
First and foremost, the love of country doesn't seem to hold the same allure that it used to. Mr. Bush is not that much different than Mr. Roosevelt who steered this country through some its most tumultuous times. The threat today is just as real today as it was then. Evil is real and it must be confronted. If not now, when? If not us, who?
Second, the country united against the Axis in WWII and against the Soviet Bear during the Cold War. I don't get a sense of that now. Here in my home state of Texas, I get a good feeling about the support, but the minute I turn on the televised news or even talk radio...I get the impression that there's far too many people that really want the US to lose in Iraq and quite possibly in the overall war on terrorism. All the support that we had going for us in the wake of 9/11 is gone. I'll tell you this, I have not forgotten...and never will. I grew up in the relative shadows of the World Trade Centers...and seeing Manhattan without them on the skyline drives that fact home.
Finally, the concept of selfless service seems to be a thing of the past. No, don't get me wrong, the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines still do it every day. So do other first responders like our police, fire and rescue services...but beyond them, I feel as if people are taking for granted their plush lifestyles. Yes, even those displaced by Katrina and Rita had it pretty darned good when compared to many other places on the globe.
Enjoy those two links...and think about what you can do to help bring that spirit back.
See you on the high ground!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:27 PM | Comments (7)
What's all the fuss about?
One of the first things that we heard after President Bush nominated Harriet Miers to fill the position of retiring Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor was:
"She doesn't have a history!" "There's no paper trail!" "She's never even been a judge!"
Well, actually that last one probably places her in pretty good standing as far as being a member of the US Supreme Court. What the naysayers and malcontents won't say...is that neither was recently departed William Rehnquist. It would seem that he served honorably on the court for 33 years, 19 of which he spent wearing the robe with all the stripes as the Chief Justice!
While I really don't have an opinion about the Supreme Court...I believe that it's the president's Constitutional duty to nominate qualified justices to the bench of this court. It's up to the Senate to confirm them. Having said that, I would hope that the opposition party (to the man sitting in the White House) would keep this in mind during confirmation hearings. I listened to a bit of the hearings to confirm Chief Justice Roberts and I was appalled at some of the questions and the monologuing mostly by the Democrat senators on the Judiciary Committee. They need to ask the questions worthy of the job their trying to do...and that is confirm the qualifications of the nominee. It's not an opportunity to play "what if" and wargame future decisions of this candidate.
Justices at all levels need to interpret the law and not make decisions that can be taken as legislating from the bench. I, along with 52% of the electorate, trust Mr. Bush enough to hold the "football" containing the codes to the largest nuclear arsenal on the face of the planet. I think I trust him enough to nominated a highly qualified legal mind to the bench of the Supreme Court. Not everyone on my side of the aisle/spectrum is pleased with the decision, but that's life. We'll just have to see where Justice Miers comes down on a number of issues, just like all the other members of the court. We've been surprised before...I'm sure we'll be surprised again.
On the really big issues, I think that there's an authority that supercedes anything that can come out of the Supreme Court. Let the big guy do his job, huh?
See you on the high ground folks! Congratulations Ms. Miers!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:51 AM | Comments (1)
October 03, 2005
God Bless Texas!
This about says it all. Citizen justice the way we like it here!
See you on the high ground...and no looting or else!
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:18 PM | Comments (0)
Dueling Canucks...A Tale of Two Canadians
Let's compare and contrast these "statements" by two Canadians. One who gets it, one who's spent far too much time in his Hollywood world of "make believe."
George Bush, The Man The Ottawa Citizen September 11, 2005By David Warren
There's plenty wrong with America, since you asked. I'm tempted to say that the only difference from Canada is that they have a few things right. That would be unfair, of course -- I am often pleased to discover things we still get right.
But one of them would not be disaster preparation. If something happened up here, on the scale of Katrina, we wouldn't even have the resources to arrive late. We would be waiting for the Americans to come save us, the same way the government in Louisiana just waved and pointed at Washington, D.C. The theory being that, when you're real trouble, that's where the adults live.
And that isn't an exaggeration. Almost everything that has worked in the recovery operation along the U.S. Gulf Coast has been military and National Guard. Within a few days, under several commands, finally consolidated under the remarkable Lt.-Gen. Russell Honore, it was once again the U.S. military efficiently cobbling together a recovery operation on a scale beyond the capacity of any other earthly institution.
We hardly have a military up here. We have elected one feckless government after another that has cut corners until there is nothing substantial left. We don't have the ability even to transport and equip our few soldiers. Should disaster strike at home, on a big scale, we become a Third World country. At which point, our national smugness is of no avail.
From Democrats and the American Left -- the U.S. equivalent to the people who run Canada -- we are still hearing that the disaster in New Orleans showed that a heartless, white Republican America had abandoned its underclass.
This is garbage. The great majority of those not evacuated lived in assisted housing and receive food stamps, prescription medicine and government support through many other programs. Many have, all their lives, expected someone to lift them to safety, without input from themselves. And the demagogic mayor they elected left, quite literally, hundreds of transit and school buses that could have driven them out of town parked in rows, to be lost in the flood.
Yes, that was insensitive. But it is also the truth; and sooner or later we must acknowledge that welfare dependency creates exactly the sort of haplessness and social degeneration we saw on display, as the floodwaters rose. Many suffered terribly, and many died, and one's heart goes out! . But already the survivors are being put up in new accommodations, and their various entitlements have been directed to new locations.
The scale of private charity has also been unprecedented. There are yet no statistics, but I'll wager the most generous state in the union will prove to have been arch-Republican Texas and that, nationally, contributions in cash and kind are coming disproportionately from people who vote Republican. For the world divides into "the mouths" and "the wallets."
The Bush-bashing, both down there and up here, has so far lost touch with reality, as to raise questions about the bashers' state of mind.
Consult any authoritative source on how government works in the United States and you will learn that the U.S. federal government's legal, constitutional, and institutional responsibility for first response to Katrina, as to any natural disaster, was zero.
Notwithstanding, President Bush took the prescient step of declaring a disaster, in order to begin deploying FEMA and other federal assets, two full days in advance of the storm fall. In the little time since, he has managed to co-ordinate an immense recovery operation -- the largest in human history -- without invoking martial powers. He has been sufficiently presidential to respond, not even once, to the extraordinarily mendacious and childish blame-throwing.
One thinks of Kipling's poem "If," which I learned to recite as a lad, and mention now in the full knowledge that it drives postmodern leftoids and gliberals to apoplexy -- as anything that is good, beautiful, or true:
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise .Unlike his critics, Bush is a man, in the full sense presented by these verses. A fallible man, like all the rest, but a man.
And now...Donald Sutherland's rant recently heard during an interview as reported on the Drudge Report:
'COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF' SUTHERLAND: BUSH WILL DESTROY OUR LIVESChoking back tears, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF star Donald Sutherland warned this week: President Bush "will destroy our lives!"
The star of the new ABC drama, which follows the first woman President of the United States, lashed out at the real White House during a dramatic sit down interview with the BBC.
Sutherland ripped Bush and his administration for the war and Hurricane Katrina fallout.
"They were inept. The were inadequate to the task, and they lied," Sutherland charged.
"And they were insulting, and they were vindictive. And they were heartless. They did not care. They do not care. They do not care about Iraqi people. They do not care about the families of dead soldiers. They only care about profit."
At one point during the session, Sutherland started crying: "We stolen our children's future... We have children. We have children. How dare we take their legacy from them. How dare we. It's shameful. What we are doing to our world."
Sutherland went on rip Karl Rove's "methods and means" against people like Cindy Sheehan.
"We're back to burning books in Germany," Sutherland said of NBC's editing out of Kanye West's comment on Bush during a hurricane relief telethon.
Developing...
More in the extended entry area below....
In the first article, David Warren seems to get it. He understands the US Constitution and the rules that govern this nation far better than Donald Sutherland who has probably spent far more time in this country than Mr. Warren. He understands that the slippery slope Canada has slid down has placed itself as a paper tiger at best. Mr. Sutherland probably admires that.
Mr. Warren understands that life is a full contact sport, full of bumps and bruises along the way. Mr. Sutherland on the other hand comes from a world where he calls the shots, commands huge salaries, and can make demands like a rock star when he's working on a set. As far as Mr. Sutherland's contention that the Bush Administration only cares about profit...I'd like to ask Mr. Sutherland how much he's chipped in to the disaster relief funds for Katrina and Rita. For someone that has undoubtedly put countless sheckels in his pocket thanks to American movie audiences, Mr. Sutherland has quite a negative impression of Americans as a people.
Mr. Sutherland's theatrics about stealing our childrens' future are just that...but of course I might be wrong. Perhaps living in his fantasy land for as long as he has, has effected his ability to separate reality from the make believe worlds and times he portrays on the big and little screens. Mr. Warren seems to understand that we are in a time where men willing to make tough decisions now, are doing what they can to insure the future of America and indeed the citizens of the world.
Mr. Sutherland, the threat to a society where people can freely plunk down $8 to see one of your films is under attack by radical factions of Islam. If you don't believe me, I suggest you read a little about Afghan history under the Taliban. You don't even have to go that far around the world for that. How about places like Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. While I understand the desire to preserve Arab/Islamic cultures, lashing out at the West they way these nations sometimes are prone to do is very similar to sticking ones head in the sand.
The world is far too small a place for a number of reasons to include the increase in communications capability and superior travel opportunities. If these nations choose to do so, they could simply place the West off limits to their people and culture. But let's keep in mind that will prevent them from taking advantage of the benefits we "ugly Americans" have been known to offer anyone that asks.
Good job Mr. Warren you get an A. Mr. Sutherland, you need to go back and be a little more specific and use some facts. Emotions alone don't get you that far on "Cursed by a Classical Education."
See you on the high ground, Mr. Warren.
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 06:45 AM | Comments (2)
Happy Belated Birthday to Cursed by a Classical Education
I was too busy yesterday to mention it (okay, I forgot it too) but Cursed by a Classical Education turned one year old yesterday! Yes, I joined the blogosphere on October 2, 2004 after lurking for a number of months by starting a blog over on Blogger. I guess I just wanted to join in all the fun and games I'd been reading about. In case you're interested, my first blog post is located here.
I want to say thank you to the faithful readers that have stopped by, added your two cents, and made the experience worthwhile. It's been a busy year full of experiences including the war on terror, to the battle against illegal immigration, Ted Kennedy's nonsense, Cindy Sheehan's summer camping trip, Hurricane Katrina and Rita, the nomination of Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, the flaying of Tom DeLay, and back full circle to Iraq.
If you're out there, lurking and not commenting, drop me a quick comment to know you're here. As you'll see if you read through the some 335 comments, all views and opinions are accepted here...although you have to give as good as you can take sometimes. The core readers here definitely have some firm opinions and aren't afraid to share them with each other.
Thanks for making this past year an interesting experience. I'm looking forward to the next 365 days!
See you on the high ground.
MajorDad1984
Posted by MajorDad1984 at 05:53 AM | Comments (2)
