Pat'sRick© Says

Long Time No Write

2011-02-18T10:15:00.001-06:00

This is just a hello to all of you who check to see if there is something new. There will be soon, but not today.

It's about time

2010-05-17T12:46:00.013-05:00

The chart above depicts the lifelines of notable Old Testament personalities, assuming that Adam and Eve were created in year zero. Years run vertically in the chart. Personalities are horizontal in the chart. The bottom of each line marks the birth and the top the death (except for Enoch who simply walked with God). The horizontal line marks the year of the flood.Three things interest me

Dave and Blarney and the Tea Parties

2010-04-20T14:18:00.002-05:00

Blarney: Dave, did I see you coming from one of those TEA parties last week? Dave: Yes, you did, Blarney. Blarney: What is that all about? Dave: Well, you know TEA stands for Taxed Enough Already. It’s a play on words honoring the Boston Tea Party. Blarney: Are you guys anti-government terrorists? Dave: No, Blarney, that is ridiculous. We are for Constitutional government as

My friend, the first amendment

2010-04-12T11:21:00.001-05:00

Congress shall make no law [This seems pretty straightforward to me. This amendment is limiting the power of Congress to make a law] respecting an establishment of religion, [So Congress cannot establish a “Church of America” or some such silly thing.] or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; [On the other hand, Congress cannot prohibit me from worshipping the moon if I want to.] or abridging

Beat the Clock

2010-04-05T15:22:00.001-05:00

How old is the earth? That should be easy to calculate from any number of processes. And it is. The problem is that the different processes give different answers. Here’s basically how to do it. Let’s say there is a process (radioactive decay) that converts one substance (call it A)into another (call it B). All we need to know is the rate of conversion and the amount of substance B created

He is Risen

2010-04-04T16:55:00.004-05:00

Perhaps is is fitting that my last post was about Christmas and this is about Easter. After all, the resurrection is the whole point of the miraculous birth. Jesus was not jus the perfect sacrifice; He has risen to execute His own last will and testament.Don Francisco did a wonderful song from Peter's perspective called He's Alive. If you have never heard it, please listen and place yourself in

I wish for you a very Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T01:10:00.003-06:00

December the 25th is not a "Winter Holiday", it is designated as Christmas Day.It is also very likely NOT the birthday of Jesus the Christ, but it is a designated day to remember that event. (Shepherds would not likely have been "in the field" in winter.) The event was attended by some celestial signs and visitors, but nobody bothered to mention the actual date. Perhaps the date was considered of

Stimulus Effects for Retirees

2009-12-20T15:56:00.003-06:00

The Federal Government has issued the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) adjustment figures for Social Security and military retirees. Here you go:Social Security.Cost of Living increase = 0%.Cost of Medicare Part B goes from $96.50 to $110.50.Net Benefit to seniors = -$14.00.Military Retirees.Cost of Living increase = 0%.Tax increase due to stimulus = $10.Net benefit to military retirees = -$10.

Why Governments Never Shrink

2009-12-14T16:31:00.001-06:00

Our wonderful Republic (not a Democracy, regardless of what dictionary.com says. ) was founded by some really smart guys. They were not, of course, saints. They did, however, recognize the fallibility of humans. We are a flawed people. Because they rightly discerned the nature of man, they invented a system of government with checks and balances and wrote the Constitution to limit the power

Dave and Blarney and photosynthesis

2009-12-09T08:19:00.001-06:00

Blarney: Dave, you still haven’t told me why you think Lisa P. Jackson was stupid to call carbon dioxide a pollutant. After all, the UN has stated that it definitely causes global warm… Climate Change. Humans are to blame.Dave: Blarney, have you ever heard of photosynthesis?Blarney: Is that something like using Photo Shop to make up phony pictures?Dave: Good

Dave and Blarney, UN and Pollution

2009-12-08T13:21:00.001-06:00

Blarney: Dave, why so serious? Dave: I just can’t believe the stupidity of some people. Blarney: To whom do you refer? Dave: EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, for one. She called Greenhouse gases a threat to our health. Blarney: What is stupid about that? Dave: Do you know what the largest greenhouse gas is? Blarney: Sure. Everybody knows that it is Carbon Dioxide. That’s what

Dave and Blarney and AGW

2009-12-04T12:46:00.003-06:00

Dave: Well, Blarney, how’s that Global Warming working out now? Houston has the earliest snowfall ever.Blarney: Dave, you should know you can’t take one data point and make a theory go away.Dave: Speaking of data, how about those emails in Great Britain?Blarney: I don’t know what you are talking about.Dave: There has been some data washing going on at the University

Senate Amendments to the (amendment) Health care bill

2009-11-30T10:14:00.001-06:00

SA 2788. Mr. COBURN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2786 proposed by Mr. Reid (for himself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Dodd, and Mr. Harkin) to the bill H.R. 3590, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the first-time homebuyers credit in the case of members of the Armed Forces and certain other Federal employees, and for other purposes; which was ordered to

Some Healthcare Thoughts

2009-11-24T08:26:00.004-06:00

I read an interesting article today. Two thoughts struck me about this: 1. 11 Let’s not be hasty to dismiss patients as “vegetative” without more extensive testing.Belgian doctors who treated him early on said that Rom had gone from a coma into a vegetative condition. Coma is a state of unconsciousness in which the eyes are closed and the patient can't be roused, as

Sleight of Hand in Health Care

2009-11-23T12:44:00.001-06:00

This is the cautionary tale of two bills:1. H.R. 3590 - To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the first-time homebuyers credit in the case of members of the Armed Forces and certain other Federal employees, and for other purposes. Entered IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES on September 17, 2009 by Charlie Rangel.2. H.R. 3962 - Affordable

Blue Dogs in Name Only

2009-11-13T08:02:00.001-06:00

The following so-called Blue Dog Democrats failed to join the other 39 to defeat the Health Care bill: Mike Arcuri (N.Y.) Joe Baca (Calif.) Marion Berry (Ark.) Sanford Bishop (Ga.) Leonard Boswell (Iowa) Dennis Cardoza (Calif.) Christopher Carney (Penn.) Jim Cooper (Tenn.) Jim Costa (Calif.) Henry Cuellar (Texas) Kathy Dahlkemper (Penn.) Joe Donnelly (Ind.) Brad Ellsworth (Ind.) Gabrielle

In case you missed it

2009-11-13T07:44:00.002-06:00

It seems that NY-23 was prematurely conceded by Hoffman. Had he not conceded, Pelosi would have been one vote shorter from passing the Health Care Monstrosity. Then maybe the Republican would not have voted for it either. Ah, well.

Addendum to Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T08:02:00.001-05:00

It might seem strange that a man who voted present in the Illinois Senate, spent most of his US Senate time campaigning to be President, and has been in office a scant nine months to win the Peace Prize. It is stranger still that someone who had been in office 11 DAYS would be nominated. In case you are unfamiliar with the process, let me help you out. The Deadline for nominations is 1

The Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T07:39:00.001-05:00

As if the Nobel committee had any credibility left to lose, they outdid themselves this time. Let’s briefly review who did NOT win the Nobel Prize in recent years: Mahatma Gandhi Irena Sendler Pope John XXIII Dorothy Day Now let’s see who DID win 2009 Barack Hussein Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” 2008

Eat Right, Part 3

2009-10-05T22:29:00.001-05:00

I would like to follow up on a thread from a previous post. In it I stated that I was mad at the "faith" people. I must admit, I am one of them. There is a general misunderstanding about the teachings of faith. It has been labeled the "name it and claim it" or "blab it and grab it" movement by people who do not really listen to the message. For years Christianity was known as the "Great

Insurance, Part 2

2009-09-30T04:16:00.001-05:00

At our last juncture, we discussed term insurance, which is the cheapest form of temporary insurance. It is designed to provide for the family in the event of an untimely death before assets can be accumulated. The idea with term insurance is to have a target amount of money that you will have accumulated to provide for the family. Once that target is reached, you would not need the insurance.

Die Anyway, Part 2

2009-09-28T17:22:00.001-05:00

I have held a number of jobs in my years: Pin setter in a bowling alley, busboy, caddy, producer and director of a successful after high school play, Air Force officer, college professor, Certified Life Underwriter (CLU) and insurance agent (property, casualty, life, annuities, and mutual funds). I would like to take a few moments of your time to share with you what I know about the insurance

Eat Right. Be Fit. Die Anyway.

2009-09-26T04:04:00.001-05:00

This title was a T-shirt inscription that I saw when taking my mother-in-love to have a carotid ultrasound. It reminds us that life is fatal. As one wag put it "You'll never get out alive." Or as the Bible says "it is appointed to man once to die…"If any of you followed the link above, you know I left out part of that quotation (of course, the ellipsis tells you something was omitted, but the

Dave and Blarney Discuss Health Care - Part 1

2009-09-01T13:29:00.001-05:00

Blarney: Yes we can! Hope we can believe in! Change that matters! Organize for America! Dave: What has you so worked up, Blarney? Blarney: I am just so pumped! I just left a “Town Hall” meeting with the President. It was great! Dave: What was it about? Blarney: It was about health care reform. Wow! It was stupendous! Dave: Really? What is the plan? Blarney: I’m not really

Happy Mother’s Day

2009-05-10T20:43:00.003-05:00

Isn't it interesting that we have this national holiday to recognize mothers, no matter who their offspring turned out to be? Charles Manson had a mother. So did Ted Bundy.And, as it turns out, so did Jesus of Nazareth. Catholics have raised His mother to an idol. Protestants want to throw her under the bus. Can't we find a middle ground? After all, the Angel thought she was special (Luke 1):

Life is Good

2009-04-22T12:04:00.005-05:00

Once upon a time there was a country founded by people who wanted to enjoy freedom of religion and freedom from unjust taxes. These people framed a document which they called a "Constitution". This document clearly described a system of limited federal government holding together a group of otherwise autonomous states. These states, in turn, were governed by the people from the state. It was a

Eleven Principled Democrats

2009-01-30T07:39:00.001-06:00

The recent vote on the so-called stimulus package found every single House Republican voting “No”. That isn’t much of a surprise, since the package is all about funding liberal pet projects, growing government and having no positive impact on the economy. What might be more surprising is the fact that eleven Democrats stood up to their party (including my own Representative, Bobby Bright

Dave and Blarney at the Inauguration

2009-01-21T08:56:00.003-06:00

Dave: Well, Blarney, your man gave a great speech. I only hope he will be a great president.Blarney: Dave, have you nothing good to say?Dave: Weren’t you listening to me? I said the speech was great.Blarney: That’s the problem with you right wing Looney Tunes. You are always criticizing our great President. Look at the mess Bush made of the last eight years.Dave:

Eleventh Hour Victory for Compean and Ramos

2009-01-19T12:31:00.002-06:00

If you have followed the case, you know that the last best hope for these border patrol agents would be a pardon or have the sentence commuted by the President.President Bush has just announced that he would commute the sentences of both Compean and Ramos. The Associated Press, in true left wing fashion, hammered on the Border Patrol agents:Bush's decision to commute the sentences of Ignacio

It's a New Year

2009-01-07T13:09:00.001-06:00

It is an historic year, with the very first black American set to assume the highest executive office in the land. As everybody knows, he is a Democrat and should be instituting an extreme agenda of left-wing policies. Indeed many pundits are warning us of that very possibility. Yet, here is an amazing thing. Of the announced nominations for his cabinet, I really can’t object to any of

About Obamanation

2008-11-17T07:53:00.002-06:00

Republicans clearly had no plan of attack about the ideology of Barack Obama. The even almost ignored the associations which gave a clue. The significant thing about Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers is not their radical ideas, nor why Obama hung around with them. The significant thing is why THEY felt comfortable hanging around Obama. I submit that they are

Global warming continues unabated

2008-10-15T12:22:00.001-05:00

News Anchor: Record temperatures in California continue to prove that Global Warming is advancing. Over to you, Bill. Correspondent #1: No, Tom, those are record low temperatures. Grape growers are concerned about early free. . . News Anchor: Thanks for your report, Bill. Now on to Oregon where more record temperatures clearly demonstrate Global Warming. Tell us about it, Mike.

Dave and Blarney Discuss the Bailout

2008-10-02T08:08:00.003-05:00

Blarney: Well, the Senate is acting where the House flopped.Dave: You mean because they passed a bailout bill?Blarney: Exactly. Now if only those stubborn Republicans in the House will get on board.Dave: Blarney, can I ask you a few questions?Blarney: I suppose so.Dave: Does this bill have anything to do with money?Blarney: It has everything to do with money.Dave:

McCain, Obama, and the "Credit Crisis"

2008-09-30T16:44:00.002-05:00

OK. Let's review the bidding. 1977 - Jimmuh Cahtuh and the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) - Encourage banks to make loans to risky clients.Enter ACORNACORN is a non-profit, non-partisan social justice organization with nationalheadquarters in New York, New Orleans and Washington, D.C. To maintainindependence, ACORN does not accept government funding and is not tax exempt.Since 1970 ACORN (

Hil(l)ar(y)ious Sarah

2008-09-21T19:00:00.001-05:00

Joe Biden on McCain's speech

2008-09-05T08:15:00.004-05:00

Imagine, Joe Biden took the time to send me an eMail. Wow. My comments are next to his.From: Joe Biden [mailto:info@barackobama.com]Sent: Friday, September 05, 2008 5:01 AMTo: Pat'sRickSubject: McCain's speechRichard --John McCain just accepted the Republican nomination and adopted the most conservative platform in the history of his party. And I say, right on. It’s

Questions About Man-made Global Warming

2008-07-21T12:11:00.001-05:00

You could call these questions about Anthropogenic Global Warming, if you wanted to impress your professor. 1. Where do you take the global temperature? (temperature will vary by latitude. It is generally hotter at the equator and cooler at the poles) 2. If the answer to #1 is that we take average readings, what

Global Warming is Bad for Your Health

2008-07-15T12:28:00.001-05:00

There are many things about the Anthropogenic (man-made) Global Warming hysteria that are, well, funny. It seems that every day we find things that “Global Warming may cause” in supposedly reputable news sources. I thought news sources were to report something that has already happened, not something that “may” happen. One of the latest I have seen is that Global Warming may cause

It's Only Money

2008-07-14T07:34:00.001-05:00

According to the Obama campaign, McCain is way ahead in fund raising: “By collecting huge checks from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs, they raised more money than ever before in June. Combined with the Republican National Committee, they now have more than $95 million in cash on hand.” See those darn lobbyists. You won’t catch Obama accepting money from lobbyists. No, sir.

Dave and Blarney Discuss the Weather

2008-07-02T15:04:00.002-05:00

Dave: Hi, Blarney. What are you up to?Blarney: Hi, Dave. I’m heading to a protest march about high gas prices.Dave: I thought you wanted gas prices to be higher.Blarney: Whatever gave you that idea?Dave: Don’t you want to reduce man-made carbon emissions?Blarney: Absolutely. We need to do everything we can to reduce man’s impact on Global Warming.Dave: Well,

Be Safe Out There

2008-07-02T14:25:00.001-05:00

10 Deadliest Days of the Year To Drive 1. July 4 2. July 3 3. December 23 4. August 3 5. January 1 6. August 6 7. August 4 8. August 12 9. July 2 10.September 2 Five Deadliest Months to Drive 1. August 2. October 3. July 4. November 5. September Deadliest Day of the Week to Drive 1. Saturday 2. Friday 3. Thursday 4. Wednesday 5. Monday 6. Tuesday 7.

The Actual Decision

2008-06-26T11:13:00.001-05:00

Go here to read the transcript of the case, the majority decision (written by Justice Scalia with Roberts, Kennedy, Alito and Thomas joining) and two dissenting opinions (written by Stevens and Breyer with Souter and Ginsburg joining): Click this link for the transcript.

The Second Amendment Survives

2008-06-26T11:05:00.001-05:00

The Bill of Rights: A Transcription The Preamble to The Bill of Rights Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its

Senators up for Election

2008-03-21T12:34:00.009-05:00

Thought you might want to consider their votes on suspending earmarks (pork-barrel politics) in this year’s election. A “NO” vote is against limiting the earmarks. A “Yes” vote is in the best interests of the individual taxpayer.Class II - Senators Whose Terms of Service Expire in 2009Senators in Class II were elected to office in the November 2002 general election. Their terms run from the

The Constitutional Amendments

2008-03-18T13:34:00.001-05:00

You can visit the Bill of Rights at the National Archives at any time. Why were the first ten amendments added? The Preamble to The Bill of Rights Congress of the United States begun and held at the City of New-York, on Wednesday the fourth of March, one thousand seven hundred and eighty nine. THE Conventions of a number of the States, having at the time of their adopting the

Spend Like Drunken Democrats

2008-03-15T22:37:00.002-05:00

Presidential hopeful John McCain tried unsuccessfully to implement a one-year moratorium on earmarks. Surprisingly, the other two Presidential hopefuls from the Democrats voted along with him. So did Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Russ Feingold (D-WA), Evan Bayh (D-IN), Claire McCaskill (D-MO). If all the Republicans had voted with him, it would have carried. Sadly, 26 Republicans like their pork too much

Contract with Conservatives

2008-02-23T23:48:00.002-06:00

If John McCain wants the Conservative vote, he will have to agree to conservative things – like reducing the size of government, extending the Tax Cuts under George W. Bush, supporting the military and winning the war in Iraq and the War on Terror. Things like thinking clearly on the Man-made Global Warming farce.We'll see.To sign the contract, go here.

Dave and Blarney at Christmas

2007-12-25T08:49:00.001-06:00

Dave: Merry Christmas, Blarney.Blarney: I don't celebrate Christmas.Dave: Oh, okay, belated Happy Hannukah.Blarney: I don't celebrate any mythological holidays.Dave: Really?Blarney: Absolutely. I only celebrate authentic holidays.Dave: Such as?Blarney: Kwanzaa.Dave: But you aren't African-American.Blarney: See how racist you are! All you right wingnuts are racist, sexist, homophobes!Dave: Excuse

New Post at the Alternate Site

2007-12-22T11:06:00.000-06:00

Click here for the article.I'll follow up later.

Happy Birthday, Marine corps.

2007-11-09T12:29:00.001-06:00

Human Events has a tribute to the Marines on their 232nd birthday (10 Nov 2007). They are the third oldest* of the services, predating even our Declaration of Independence. My USAF is quite young by comparison (started as a separate branch on 18 Sep 1947). But always remember that 75% of the earth is covered by water and 100% of the earth is covered by air. *Marine corps founded 10

Help SAVE America

2007-11-09T07:49:00.001-06:00

An unprecedented bi-partisan illegal immigration bill has been brought to the House. Introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), with 89 original co-sponsors, the SAVE (Secure America with Verification and Enforcement) Act of 2007 (H.R. 4088) presents proof that at least the House of Representatives understands that Americans frown on amnesty and illegal immigration. The Blue Dogs are

Can you believe the Weather Channel?

2007-11-08T19:02:00.000-06:00

Well, how about its founder? This was published at ICECAP, (ICECAP, International Climate and Environmental Change Assessment Project, is the portal to all things climate for elected officials and staffers, journalists, scientists, educators and the public. It provides access to a new and growing global society of respected scientists and journalists that are not deniers that our climate is

Accuracy in Media Matters

2007-10-29T12:57:00.001-05:00

That is actually the name of two "watchdog" organizations in one title. We all know that the news media's main job is to provide... ... income for the media stars. A large percentage of people in the news media admit to being liberal. Even if they didn't the bias would be obvious. The news media desperately want the Democrats to be in power. They are willing to ignore for as long as

Breaking News From the Left

2007-10-26T17:35:00.000-05:00

Global Warming and the War in Iraq cause .....Arson!Yes, Harry Reid, there was a cause for the fires and it had nothing to do with Global Warming. Yes, Barbara Boxer, there are enough National Guard in California to handle the situation.Guess what? California also has earthquakes. And fires are not uncommon. Fire's can be caused by downed power lines or by man. Smoky the Bear claims he has never

Quick - Who are These People?

2007-10-26T08:33:00.001-05:00

Navy Lt Michael MurphySgt. 1st Class Paul Ray SmithCpl. Jason DunhamOK, then. Quick - who are these people?Britney SpearsParis HiltonMy guess is you probably knew the latter names because of the incessant media exposure. My further guess is that unless you subscribe to military news, you never heard of the first three.There is something fundamentally wrong with a media that extols spoiled, rich,

News From the Front Lines

2007-10-24T04:59:00.000-05:00

For whatever reason (probably another topic someday) the mainstream media (aka the alphabet networks and certain newspapers with national distribution) is slow to report any good news from Iraq or Afghanistan. You can go straight to the USCENTCOM home page or subscribe to news feeds from them or from Defense Link and get the official information. Of course, some distrust the government, so you

More About Climate Change

2007-10-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

As I promised (or warned, as the case may be) you, here is some rambling thought about climate change (CG) and anthropogenic global warming (AGW).Since climate is locally defined, it would appear that climate change happens every day as a matter of course. Some days it is warm, some days it rains, some days it is cold, etc. Somewhere along the line we (not me, but somebody) decided that the

What do Al Gore, Jimmy Carter and Yasser Arafat Have in Common?

2007-10-12T07:45:00.001-05:00

I mean, other than being America-bashing, anti-Israeli demagogues? They are recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. Yes, Al Gore shares the award this year with the Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC). Apparently this year the hot topic is Climate Change. Interesting to me are the various definitions of climate: The composite or generally prevailing weather conditions

Phony Soldiers

2007-10-08T16:51:00.000-05:00

The Democrats are up in arms over Rush Limbaugh saying two words ("phony soldiers") to a caller who was referring to the likes of Jesse MacBeth, Scott Thomas Beauchamp, and others. These people make up things to say about our troops and try to gain credibility by enhancing their military service, much like the Senator from North Vietnam and Tom Harkin. They are, in fact, phony soldiers attempting

In case you missed the Congressional Response to the "Betray US" AD

2007-10-05T08:49:00.001-05:00

MoveOn.org ran a subsidized ad in the New York times implying that General Petraeus could be called General "Betray Us".In response, Senator John Cornyn (R-Tex) sponsored an amendment expressing support for the General and condemning the personal attacks.U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 110th Congress - 1st Sessionas compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the

Iraqi Freedom Death Toll

2007-08-29T15:14:00.001-05:00

According to the DoD, the total casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan to date are 3,299 Killed in Action (KIA) plus 860 deaths from non-combat causes. That means we can shortly expect another round of cheering as we go over a new benchmark for the drive-by media: 3,300 combat deaths for US forces in the War on Terror. Or maybe they will wait for the 3,100 deaths in Iraq. At any rate, there are

Eco-Conscious

2007-08-16T08:50:00.001-05:00

An email is making the rounds about the energy consumption and environmental impact of two houses. One belongs to Al "inconvenient" Gore. The other belongs to George W. (the chimp) Bushitler. One is 10,000 square feet, the other a mere 4,000. One uses 20 times the national average of energy, the other recycles water for irrigation and uses geothermal exchangers to heat and cool the

My Granddaughters

2007-07-28T16:20:00.000-05:00

This is a departure from the usual political or satirical commentary. This is a part of my son's 39th birthday celebration. My granddaughters (Brianna and Chase) had their "American Idol" debut. They "won" and went to "Hollywood". I enjoyed it. I hope you do, too.Oops. The video would not post. Try clicking the link.

My New Hero

2007-07-06T08:27:00.001-05:00

Here is a new hero for the people: Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican, Alabama. Watch him on immigration. Check here for the written word.

ACLU and Immigrant Rights

2007-06-28T07:35:00.001-05:00

The following is a direct quote from the ACLU page at http://www.aclu.com/immigrants/gen/11663res20040806.html The Immigrants' Rights Project (IRP) of the American Civil Liberties Union works to defend the civil and constitutional rights of immigrants through a comprehensive program of impact litigation and public education. The IRP files constitutional and class action lawsuits protecting the

Why Not Vote for Generic Republicans?

2007-06-11T08:33:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I get numerous requests for campaign contributions. Even John McCain wants my support (translation: dollars). I get phone calls from the Republican National Committee, the College Republicans, The Republican Senatorial Alliance (or something like that), all asking me to contribute because the Republicans are better than Hillary.That strikes me as the same type

Amnesty

2007-06-04T12:21:00.001-05:00

am·nes·ty /am-nuh-stee/ noun, plural -ties, verb, -tied, -ty·ing.–noun 1. a general pardon for offenses, esp. political offenses, against a government, often granted before any trial or conviction. 2. Law. an act of forgiveness for past offenses, esp. to a class of persons as a whole. 3. a forgetting or overlooking of any past offense. –verb (used with object) 4. to grant amnesty to;

Global Warming Test

2007-04-16T08:11:00.001-05:00

I was recently referred to a Global Warming Test. You might want to try it for yourself.

Another Roll Call Vote

2007-04-13T09:01:00.001-05:00

While it is interesting to hear what candidates say, it is often more instructive to watch what they do. Case in point is Senator John McCain, the man who would be President. Just two days ago, he participated in a vote FOR embryonic stem cell research. Here is the text of the legislation (S. 5; Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007) and the results of the roll call vote (63-34),

Dave and Blarney April Fool

2007-04-02T07:54:00.001-05:00

Dave: Hi, Blarney. I haven't seen you since you left for that Man Made Global Warming conference. How did that go? Blarney: It was cancelled due to a blizzard. We decided to hold the next one in July. Dave: That's pretty smart. You should have some record high temperatures somewhere that you can point to as evidence. Blarney: We had a record high just a few days ago in Montgomery,

The Wedding Party

2007-03-16T10:48:00.000-05:00

My daughter, Michele, married Caesar Espinoza in Las Vegas. Although I was unable to attend, my son, Scott, carried me along by cell phone. So I was able to give her away at the appropriate time. I thought some of you would be interested in seeing the wedding party. Michele's friend, Ava Rose, was the maid of honor.

You Easter, I say Resurrection Day

2007-03-16T00:26:00.000-05:00

Being, as you know, a Christian, I have more regard for Easter than I do for Christmas. There are several reasons for this, chief being that the whole point of the birth of Christ (say, did you know that was what Christmas was about?) is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Without such resurrection, in the words of Apostle Paul, we are lost.But, of course, we can see the fruits of

Imagine a World Without America

2007-03-11T21:33:00.000-05:00

Here is a video from the newest link on my blogroll: Be sure to visit them.

The Senate Vote

2007-02-19T17:47:00.001-06:00

The Republicans, using the 60 vote rule managed to "filibuster" the motion. On the vote to end the filibuster, seven Republicans actually sided with the Democrats. The names are no surprise if you have been following Congressional votes. For a review of some of the ones I thought were important, click the Congressional Votes link below.Anyway, the seven Republicans who voted for cloture are:

Who wants to support the trops?

2007-02-18T11:58:00.000-06:00

As Scott Ott at Scrappleface has nailed it,Moments after Republicans in the senate blocked a Democrat attempt to vote on a non-binding resolution expressing disapproval of a U.S. troop surge in Iraq, Majority Leader Harry Reid hailed the non-vote as “perhaps the greatest Democrat military accomplishment of the past 40 years.”Reid is upset because the House did what he could not get the Senate to

What the Troops Deal With

2007-02-08T11:18:00.000-06:00

Read the entire report.

Pat's thoughts on the troop excerpts

2007-02-07T12:48:00.001-06:00

Why are the uninformed in reality...those who have not served their country in the armed forces or are not even informed on the conditions faced by them... making the laws that govern military conduct on the battlefield. Those who are unable to help a drowning young woman out of a sinking car, the ones who are calling for American servicemen to be prosecuted for fighting and preserving

Another View of the War on Terror

2007-02-07T10:33:00.001-06:00

There is a report that consolidates the perspectives of actual people engaged in the fight (as opposed to the talking heads and politicos) over at Free Republic. Click here for the full report. Here is a summary: Please go read the whole report. Then you might want to visit another site for background: World Threats.

Global Warming Ravages Carolinas, Georgia

2007-02-03T10:42:00.000-06:00

As February marched onto the calendar, Atlanta weathered an ice storm, in spite of the fact that man-made global warming is indisputable.By 9 p.m., temperatures across the metro Atlanta area had dropped below freezing and were still falling. Light rain -- most of it not reaching the ground -- was observed on radar moving eastward into far western Georgia.The Carolinas were also hit, mostly

The State of the Union

2007-01-24T07:41:00.001-06:00

The President was right on so many issues. Read the full text here. Some of my favorite points deal with the War on Terror. For example, "what good have we done": In the last two years, we've seen the desire for liberty in the broader Middle East -- and we have been sobered by the enemy's fierce reaction. In 2005, the world watched as the citizens of Lebanon raised the banner of

Global Warming Continues Rampage

2007-01-18T07:32:00.001-06:00

Where is Algore when you need him? Global warming yesterday ruined plans of many Californians by dropping a freak blizzard on them. Global Warming champion, Heidi Cullen has issued a fatwa against any meteorologist who would disrespect GW (not Bush). Interestingly, none of the mainstream media seemed to notice the blizzard in Colorado (although the weather channel did). Well, off

New Year, New Format

2007-01-17T19:38:00.000-06:00

Some of you may have noticed a few cosmetic changes to the blog. My picture has moved to the sidebar, which has moved to the left. There is a new way to access previous posts. And Sacred Cow Burgers is no longer on my blogroll. Jay Dyson has apparently completely shut down his site. What used to link to him now goes to a site full of ads. No more biting photos and commentary.However,

It's a New Year

2007-01-01T21:01:00.000-06:00

And you can make it happy.Or you can make it sad.You can make it good,Or you can make it bad.As for me and my family, we will choose life.

Tax Cuts For the Rich

2006-11-06T12:02:00.000-06:00

Local politics is pretty interesting. It is a microcosm of the national politics. One contestant for Governor complains that the incumbent raised taxes in spite of a pledge to lower them. What is interesting about this to me, is that she is from the "No Tax Cuts for the Rich" party. The governor did, in fact, lower income taxes. He raised property taxes. Now, income taxes are taxes

Dave and Blarney Discuss Elections

2006-10-19T12:08:00.000-05:00

Blarney:This time the Democrats will win both houses of Congress, thanks to Mark Foley. Dave: Why is that, Blarney? Blarney: Voters are outraged, and rightly so, about the Republican handling of this mess. Dave: What is it, exactly, that the Democrats dislike about the incidents? Blarney: Well, isn't it obvious? Dave: Here are the facts as I understand them: Foley is a homosexual.

The Watchmaker

2006-10-03T05:36:00.000-05:00

Here is a beautiful poem, suitable for sharing with your children or grandchildren. You can even download the poem with music for a mere $5.My friends Hawkeye and Camojack will like it and will probably have an extended post at their sites.

Space Tourist

2006-10-01T09:48:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't heard, Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian born woman, has just completed her paid vacation on the International Space Station. She has her own blog with videos from space that you might find interesting.Enjoy the videos and celebrate the fact that an Iranian woman was the first entrepreneur in space. Robert A Heinlein had it wrong.

You Have to Read This

2006-09-10T19:11:00.000-05:00

You may have seen some of the following in an eMail that has made a few laps around the net. Click here for the original author's update and comments.Here is a sample:You are America’s axis of idiots. Your Collective Stupidity will destroy us. Self-serving politics and terrorist abetting news scoops are more important to you than our national security or the lives of innocent civilians and

Dave and Blarney Discuss Academia

2006-09-10T09:26:00.000-05:00

Blarney: I've been thinking about our last conversation.Dave: That's good. What new thoughts do you have?Blarney: You tricked me.Dave: Excuse me?Blarney: You got me to accept your labels of "insane" and "fraud". That was a mistake on my part. I dislike labels.Dave: Really? What would you call someone whose grip on reality is gone, or who intentionally deceives people?Blarney: Either "

Dave and Blarney Discuss Jesus

2006-08-30T08:09:00.000-05:00

Blarney: I know why the Christians hate the Jews. Dave: What are you talking about? Blarney: Well, you know how Mel Gibson let out that anti-Jewish tirade? He's the one who made that movie about Jesus. The Jews killed Jesus and so Christians hate them. Dave: Blarney, you are so confused. Jesus was a Jew and it was the Romans who killed him. If Christians should hate anybody, it

Things to Ponder

2006-08-03T09:25:00.000-05:00

I was going to do a Dave and Blarney, but right now I am just in a random musing kind of mood. This post was triggered by something I heard on the radio. The weather forecaster said something about the "normal" rainfall for this time of year. Followed by a remark about the temperature being "higher than average" for this time of year. For some reason, I actually thought about what he

House vote on same sex marriage

2006-07-18T14:51:00.000-05:00

Each chamber of Congress must pass a resolution for a Constitutional amendment by a 2/3 majority. It would then go to the states where 3/4 must ratify. To put that in numbers, you would need 67 positive votes in the Senate and 289 positive votes in the House. So, with only 236 votes, the amendment failed in the House. It is no surprise that most of the Democrats voted no. On a straight party vote

Happy Fourth of July

2006-07-04T09:08:00.000-05:00

I think it is good to reflect on what it really means to be an American. Some folks have no concept of history beyond their own personal experience. So let me direct you to a few articles that are well worth the read today:Kenneth Copeland discusses the flag and the anthem that refers to it in The Star Spangled Banner.Bill Whittle discusses civilization as a whole in Rafts.The Patriot Post

Why Pick on the NYT?...

2006-06-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

... What about the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times? They also "broke" the story. When the Treasury Department learned that the NYT was going to run the story in spite of pleas from both Democrats and Republicans, they (Treasury) contacted the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times to provide them with some declassified information on the project. See the WSJ article.

House Condemns Times, Supports Swift TFTP

2006-06-30T10:56:00.000-05:00

Lots of whereas, followed by Resolved, That the House of Representatives-- (1) supports efforts to identify, track, and pursue suspected foreign terrorists and their financial supporters by tracking terrorist money flows and uncovering terrorist networks here and abroad, including through the use of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program; (2) finds that the Terrorist

Update on the "Flag burning" amendment.

2006-06-28T20:18:00.000-05:00

Here is the full text of the proposed amendment: `The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.'Maybe that is a little broad. What, exactly, would be the power to prohibit? Passing a law? What would constitute physical desecration? Perhaps this was only intended to get around the 1989 Court decision that said these type of laws were "

Flag Burning Amendment

2006-06-28T12:49:00.000-05:00

The vote to propose a Constitutional Amendment against burning the flag failed by one vote (See Article V), 66 to 34. Interestingly enough, three Republicans voted against the resolution:Robert Bennett (R-UT)Lincoln Chafee (R-RI)Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Any one of them could have voted for the resolution which would have initiated the process of the House of Representatives and then the

Global Warming Redux

2006-06-28T09:17:00.000-05:00

The Associated Press claims that scientists are praising Al Gore's new movie, An Inconvenient Truth. However, the U. S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works disagrees. Meanwhile, ABC News is looking for "first person accounts" of how global warming is affecting our daily lives. Have you noticed changes in your own backyard or hometown? The differences can be large

Dave, Blarney, Ann, and Jack

2006-06-27T09:14:00.000-05:00

Blarney: Can you believe how insensitive those Marines are? Dave: Which Marines? Jack Murtha? Blarney: No, I mean these guys going around killing innocent civilians. It's just like in Vietnam - you know - My Lai. Dave: Your lie? Glad to hear you admit it. I served in Vietnam, you know. Blarney: Wow! I had no idea you were a baby-killer. Dave: Baby-killer? No, Blarney, I have

Ehren Watada

2006-06-20T11:08:00.000-05:00

A young Army Officer has decided to throw his lot in with terrorists. Michele Malkin has been on the case, as well as Blackfive. Even Liberal Larry has written about him, so I am late to the game. Here's my two cents anyway. Once in a lifetime someone has an experience that marks them from that day forward. Apparently that moment lies in the young LT's future.I am shocked, SHOCKED,