Merry Christmas!

Best wishes to you and yours this Christmas. 

Pajama Boy--70 Years in the Making

Where indeed?

One of my friends posted this on Facebook today, via Liberal Logic 101.

I liked what he had to say about this:

 I would say "Yes, you're reading this wrong." It's not about looks It's about actions and personal responsibility. 60 years ago, The Greatest Generation was fighting a war for the very survival of our way of life against totalitarian regimes in both Europe and the Pacific. Fighting not just to maintain our freedoms, but for the oppressed peoples of the world. They, our fathers, uncles, grandfathers, did not think of themselves or of personal gain or creature comforts, but of participating in "a mighty endeavour" and serving a greater good. A higher calling. Hundreds of thousands of them paid with their lives, as did millions of others around the globe. The point is that today, many (perhaps most?) in our society are not only not contributing to the greater good, but their only concerns are "what's in it for me" and "government's main purpose is to take care of me (e.g., provide me food, shelter, health care, etc) from cradle to grave." It's about self sufficiency, personal responsibility, and core values. 


Well said.  

Duck Dynasty Flap

(Image by Glenn Foden)  

Last week one of the members of the reality TV show, Duck Dynasty was suspended from the show, supposedly for anti-gay remarks made during in an interview with GQ Magazine.  

I didn't comment about during the initial media feeding frenzy because:

1. I don't follow the show, although I hear it's a hoot.  And

2. I know the scenario/story arc...

...which went something like this:

Phil Robertson, made some comment that irked the PC Inquisitors.  Therefore, the Bishop of the Archdiocese of A&E of the High Church of Political Correctness sought fit to excommunicate the sinner from their midst.

In other words:  Standard PC over reaction.

In this case though, the only problem was--they weren't expecting fans to push back.  The Cracker Barrel restaurants tried appeasing the PC crowd--and ended up enraging customers instead.  

Everything I've seen on Facebook from my own circle of friends have been pro-Duck Dynasty.  (I'm sure some of my liberal friends may have posted anti-DD comments, I just haven't seen them yet). 

I finally read Star Parker's Duck Dynasty Christmas article and saw just how little it took to ruffle the PC Commissars' collective feathers.  

One of the many problems I have with political correctness is that it removes the adult concept of agreeing to disagree.  This leaves no room for reasoned debate.  At best, PC puts a crimp on free speech.  At worst, it's intolerant as Mark Steyn writes. 

One can even get in trouble with the PC Commissars for stating the obvious, as Megyn Kelly did over Santa Claus's ethnicity.

The War on Christmas

(Image from The O'Reilly Factor) 

Leftists love to poke fun at FOX News' coverage of the War on Christmas.  

I don't know if I'd call it a full-fledged "war" but there has been attacks, whether concerted or not, against Christmas traditions, even against the word "Christmas" itself.

Now I don't mind people using the phrase "Happy Holidays."  I use it myself, in order to lump in the other holidays that often occur at this time of the year, primarily New Year's and Hanukkah.   I don't know of anyone personally that celebrates Kwanzaa, but if I did, I'd wish them a happy one.  And many of my friends joke about celebrating Festivus.  

What I do mind, is the deliberate attempt to stifle, or outright ban any expression, especially religious ones, regarding Christmas.  

 Matt Mackowiak of Townhall, explains how real the War on Christmas is. 

I certainly won't demand people greet me with "Merry Christmas" if they choose to say "Happy Holidays," as long as they don't get bent out of shape if I bid them a Merry Christmas.

May your Holidays--Christmas, Hanukkah (after 2013), Kwanzaa, New Year and even Festivus--be peaceful and pleasant.

Obamacare's New Superhero--Pajama Boy!

Just before Thanksgiving Team Obama tried getting Americans to talk about Obamacare to their kith & kin during the holiday feast.  

Apparently that didn't work out as planned.  Not as bad as the Obamacare website, or as catastrophic as millions getting cancellation notices from the healthcare plans they liked, but it was widely panned.

Now Team Obama is once again practicing the definition of insanity:  Doing the same thing over again and expecting different results.  

A couple days ago, exactly one week before Christmas they called on the help of--Pajama Boy! 

On-line scorn, like the led picture was immediately followed.  

But on a serious note--now that I'm done laughing--isn't this just like leftists to subvert traditional/religious holidays?

School Shooting "Non-Story"

(Image by Eric Allie)

The shooting at Arapahoe High School, Colorado caught the media's attention for several hours.  One female student was shot and at this time remains in critical condition, or a coma (reports vary).

But since then--nothing.  Nadda. Zip.

No hue & cry about gun control.

Could it be that it came out--rather fleetingly--that the perp's fellow students described him as "an opinionated socialist?"

In any case, politics/social commentaries aside, I pray the girl pulls through and am thankful there were no additional casualties.

Obamacare: Typical Template of Leftist Programs

(Image by Gary McCoy)

Looks like the political cartoonists are getting some miles out of paring Obamacare with South Africa's fake sign language interpreter.

Anyway, while the full negative effects of Obamacare continue to unfold--slowly--John Hawkins of Townhall points out the 5 Things Obamacare teaches you about leftists and their programs.

Oxymoron of the Year: "Affordable Healthcare"

(Image by Jerry Holbert) 

"If you like your healthcare play, you can keep it" was voted Lie of the Year.

(Image by Gary Varvel)

But it's becoming clearer to many early supporters of Obamacare, that the "Affordable Healthcare Act," well isn't very affordable at all.

While us conservative types knew this all along, even we didn't know how bad it would be--and now we're finding out.

The latest is that according to The Seattle Times, via HotAir, your assets can be seized in order to pay for healthcare--even if the government forced you on to Medicaid.  

The leftists are "running out of other peoples' money" so fast they're willing to claim dibs on any family inheritance.  Why make out a will when the government can take it all--even after your dead.

Scrooges of the Poverty Zones

(Image by Glenn McCoy) 

Leftists like to blame conservatives for not caring for the poor, even blaming them for creating poverty in the first place.  Here's a friendly reminder by Newt Gingrich, via Katie Pavlich, on who's been in charge of the poverty zones for the past 50 years.  

The #1 Lie of 2013

 

(Image by Chip Bok)

 

Last week Politifact announced the #1 Lie of the Year 2013 to be--"...if you like your healthcare plan you can keep it..."

 

I'm sure no one is surprised by this, although the Obamacare trainwreck has had some close competition like, Benghazi, the IRS scandal, the NSA scandal, not to mention Fast & Furious now three years old.

 

But Michelle Malkin points out that Politifact has undergone an evolutionary process of calling Our Dear Leader a "Liar! Liar!"

 

This thumbnail sketch of the non-FOX News apparent turning on Obama is motivated by two factors:

 

1. The media are acting like jilted lovers over Obama's broken promise(s) and,

 

2. The story is simply too big to ignore--although they're still trying to soft-peddle the magnitude of this catastrophe.

 

 

Big Apple Gun Grab

I was heading to South Carolina when news broke of Moff Bloomberg and his stormtroopers confiscating rifles and shotguns that hold more than 5 rounds. 

Katie Pavlich of Townhall reminds us of Obama's assurances that nobody is coming for your guns.

Yeah, just like the "..if you like your healthcare plan you can keep it" promise.

 

I just caught the news of all this last night while on Facebook.  The question I posed was:  I wonder how many people with criminal records will turn in their weapons? 

 

Battlefield Reflections

(Image:  My photo of the King's Mountain Visitors Center)

Last week, I was in South Carolina visiting my daughter and her boyfriend.  One day, while they were at work, I stole away to King's Mountain.  It was a cool & cloudy Saturday and I was one of maybe half-a-dozen visitors.  At least it wasn't raining.

My first stop was the Visitors Center.  The place was manned by two female park rangers, a redhead and curly-haired brunette.  The redhead offered to start the short historical film in the theater for me and I took her up on the offer.

After the movie, I set out for a battlefield walk around and over the summit.

When I returned the brunette asked me if I enjoyed my battlefield walk.  The funny thing was--I never told either of them of my hiking plans and was surprised they noticed me.  The gals became less chatty with me when I paid for the several items I found in the gift shop.  (Maybe they saw my wedding ring).

Well whether they were flirtatious or professionally courteous, I bid them a Merry Christmas and went off to meet my daughter for dinner.

 

(Image:  My photo of the Cowpens Monument at the Visitors Center)

 

A couple days later, after a whirlwind day of running errands; my daughter, her boyfriend and I made a quick trip to Cowpens.  This time it was raining.

We were the only ones in the Visitors Center, which was manned by a couple of congenial guys instead of two flirty women.

We had less than an hour and a half to spend before the battlefield closed for the day.  The park rangers offered to show us both the fiber-optic map show and the historical movie outside the normal viewing times, along with giving us some pointers on the battlefield tour.

My daughter and her boyfriend asked me several questions about the battle and the American Revolution in general, but by this time I was more focused on recent events than 18th Century history.

My pleasant encounters with the park rangers at both battlefields were in stark contrast to what transpired during the government shutdown.  A couple months ago, I made several posts based on news reports of "Imperial Parktroopers," as I called them; barricading open-air facilities throughout the nation--most notably the World War II Memorial, close up views of Old Faithful and the scenic stops near Mount Rushmore.

I remembered this quote from an anonymous ranger to the Washington Times (via Townhall):  We've been told to make life as difficult for people as we can. It's disgusting. 

So if Obama's version of Order 66 was so disgusting, why did he and his fellow park rangers carry it out?

When the government is your paymaster, it can also be your taskmaster.  I don't know if there were any veiled--or not-so veiled--threats about the consequences of failing to comply.  Maybe none were needed.

I'm not employed by the National Park Service, so it's easy for me to talk glibly about a "vee ver only followink ordahs" mentality during the government shutdown.

But upon further reflection, I wondered--and still wonder--if I were a park ranger, would I execute orders to "...make life as difficult for people...", or would I refuse?

I'd like to think I'd say "Hell no!" However, when I think of possibly losing my job over my righteous defiance--especially in this economy--I'm not so sure.

And this my friends, is how tyrants turn honest public servants into minions. 

All it takes is for the government to do is cut people off from their paychecks, foodstamps, healthcare, free phones--whatever--in order to get a majority of people to do it's bidding.

Funeral Farce

Just as I was leaving to visit family, I heard Nelson Mandela died.  The state funeral was held three days ago and yet, the somber occassion was laced with farce worthy of something out of Bongolesia.

Let's see...

First, there was Obama engaged in a selfie threesome with the Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and her UK counterpart David Cameron.

Michelle did not look amused. (Maybe she was miffed at not being invited to make it a foursome).

Then there was the Dear Leader-to-Dear Leader handshake with Raul Castro, which did not endear Obama to the hearts & minds of Cuban-American lawmakers. 

Finally there was the fake sign language interpreter...

...yeah, that guy standing a few feet from Obama with his index finger across his throat.  This was especially telling since this faker now claims he's a schizzo who "sometimes gets violent."

(I guess the Secret Service had the day off to spend with their Colombian hookers).

What did Our Dear Leader do when he stood at the podium?

He inserted himself--repeatedly--into his eulogy, but this was "normal ops" for Obama.

I'd enjoy a dash of "Funeral Spice" as Mark Steyn suggested, if the "phony scandals" like IRS now openly targeting conservative groups weren't a weekly occurrence. 

This is just a stone's throw away from openly criminilazing political opposition.

And speaking of criminals, Dear Leader Kim Jong Un of North Korea was--shocked, shocked!--to discover his dear uncle Jang Song Thaek wasn't so dear after all.

Or so he and the state media say.

The Obamunists here should take note:  This is the end-game of yielding more and more power to a leader--dear, or otherwise.

 Even those within the inner circle aren't safe and as the North Koreans know all to well--no one is safe.

(Image by Jerry Holbert) 

Obama's Soviet-Style Publicity

 

(Image from The People's Cube)

 

Despite the on-going trainwreck of Obamacare, Our Dear Leader still has his fans among the non-FOX NEWS/Talk Radio media that continue to sing his praises. 

 

Take CNN's LZ Granderson who's defending Obama's if-you-like-your-doctor/healthcare big lie in an everybody does, so it's okay sort of way.

 

But ever since Team Obama shut out independent photojournalists, the liberal media natives are restless. 

 

Brent Bozell writes about the White House staff publishing picture-perfect propaganda.

 

Try saying that three times fast...

 

Anyway, my friends and I actually heard of the Sovietization of presidential publicity from The Telegraph.

 

Which promted Comrade Karla to write:

 

...you have to go to overseas newspapers to actually get any news these days, especially on anything that takes a dim view of the Emperor.

 

 

Obamacare Band Aid in Place

(Image by Henry Payne)

 

Our Dear Leader and his minions have proclaimed the Obamacare website is fixed.

All is well citizens!

Except Jonah Goldberg points out that a a few "minor" details need "some" work--maybe even created from the ground-up.

Bill Clinton is also under the delusion that the central problem to Obamacare is the "glitchy" website.  Once that's fixed, all the "inconveniences" of signing-up for Obamacare will be forgotten by next year's election. 

So no matter how bad Obamacare gets, we can still count on loyal Party members singing it's praises...

 

(Image by Nate Beeler)

China's Opening Moves?

 

(Image by Henry Payne)

 

Last week, China proclaimed an Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) over a great swath of the East China Sea. 

 

Since then, China's new ADIZ was challenged by American B-52s (which pleasantly surprised my friends and I), along with aircraft from Japan and South Korea.

 

Untapped oil reserves are helping to fuel this diplo-military confrontation.

 

And Carlyle Thayer of Global Post, explains why these events matter. 

 

Meanwhile, Walter Russell Mead of The American Interest, warns China is one member of the "Axis of Weevils," that will continue to "punch above their wieght," until we develop a coherent strategy.

 

I think we can expect more provocations such as this, while Team Obama continues to weaken American influence in the world.

Obamacare Website--Still Broke

 

(Image by Gary Varvel)

 

Well the "red line" for the Obamacare Website Fix came and went on 30 November. 

 

And guess what?

 

It's still "...not smooth sailing just yet" as Allison (sp) said on the CNN video during an "off day," like Kathleen Sebelius suggested. 

 

Here's what happened earlier during Cyber Monday.  You'd figure everyone was on-line shopping, making it an "off day" for the Obamacare website.

 

This would all be a joke if only millions of people weren't now depending on this site to work, as Miss Liebau writes at the end of her article. 

 

What's also no laughing matter is getting "coincidentally" audited by the IRS, after openly complaining publicly about Obamacare.

 

There may be even more "coincidental" audits looming in the future...

 

(Image by Eric Allie)

 

 

 

High Seas Hijinks in Puget Sound

(Image from the Seattle PI)

 

A sex-offender decided to take a Victoria Clipper for a joy ride yesterday. 

 

Here's a video clip from KING 5 News highlighting the merry chase in Puget Sound, along with questions about the facility's security.

Actually, It's Worse Than the Munich Pact

(Image by Jerry Holbert)

 

This past Friday, Mark Steyn, quoting Bret Stephans article in the WSJ, made a very good point that our nuke "deal" with Iran is actually worse than the Munich Pact of 1938. 

 

Here's an excerpt at why the Iranian Nuke Deal is so bad compared to negotiations with Hitler:

 

...the French and British prime ministers were negotiating with Berlin [in 1938] from a position of profound military weakness...This time round, a superpower and its allies accounting for over 50 percent of the planet’s military spending was facing a militarily insignificant country with a ruined economy and no more than two to three months’ worth of hard currency — and they gave it everything it wanted.