Food for Thought

I just saw a "news ticker" flash across the bottom of the screen on the Weather Channel informing us all that the "Obama administration has asked the food and restaurant industry to limit marketing to children." I bet this is kind of like when a mob boss tells a subordinate that "maybe they ought to think about' doing (or refraining from) doing something. We have all seen that at the movies and we all know what that means.

It is just a bit more of the "fundamental change" you see.

Little Chucky Schumer

It is a holiday and I will refrain, for now, on speaking about this loathsome individual.

Crazy Dr. Savage Hits The Nail On the Head (Again)

The other day I was driving around about 6pm or so Central Time and listening to Michael Savage on the radio. I usually would listen to Michael Berry if I were in the car about this time but his show was pre-empted (as they say) by an Astros game. That sort of irritates me. I will eat your hat if the Astros are not at the bottom of the pile when all is said and done. Well maybe not; the Pirates are in their division after all. Be that as it may I found myself listening to Good Dr. Savage. Now I have said before that Savage is just a little bit nuts but quite often right on the money. He is one smart dude and certainly understands the relevance of history. Anyway he noted that instead us of pumping money into Iraq, they should be paying us for "liberating" them from dictatorship. Seems reasonable to me. We got rid of Saddam for them and now it seems they should be paying for our services. Instead it seems they want to send us a bill for damages. I think I heard something about that a while back.

That is crazy.

Gas for Six Bucks Per Gal? STFU

Just saw a "news" report that gasoline may be headed to six dollars a gallon. Don't really believe that but if it becomes the case we can kiss our economy goodbye. I hold those responsible who are energy obstructionists. As I have said before, those scum don't practice politics, have honest disagreements, etc. etc. What they do is commit treason. No sense pulling punches. "No blood for oil" these types  always bleat. Prices go that high there will be blood I wager. It is doubtful that this country will be denied access to the Mohammedan (and other) oil fields. The radical environmental left will shoulder the blame for derailing our opportunity to become (nearly) energy independent. We may all pay the consequences. Hope to God this scenario does not come to pass.

Go For the Gold at the Golden Arches

Well it seems that today is "national hiring day" under the Golden Arches. Nothing wrong with that. I have said before that fast food can be a very very good and sometimes lucrative career for some folk. My high school students tend to make light of their classmates who work with the Golden Arches and their various competitors. I point out that there is more than one person who started in high school working part time in fast food, stuck with it, and now are in the six figure range. A "regional" manager for any of the major "restaurants" can bring home plenty of jack. No doubt. I doubt the kids listen to me though. They are sixteen and seventeen year olds and know everything you see. Wise men most of them. Anyway nothing wrong with a major hiring push in fast food. Not a great job for most but better than nothing for many folk during these tough times.

What I have noticed though is something a bit odd (but rather typical). If you recall, during the term of Bush the leftists were bemoaning the lack of opportunities in this country. They derided the "hamburger flipper" jobs as something just not worth doing.  Now of course it is a wonderful thing that the Golden Arches is making making a major hire. I do believe the left leaning media is a bit hypocritical.

But you already knew that.

The Evil Empire Under Assault

As I have noted before, I do a good bit of shopping at the Evil Empire. Not proud of that fact especially, but you can often get things a bit cheaper there. I annoys me that a good bit of the stuff there is Red Chinese junk and I am just not convinced that they are very ethical with their labor practices. If you remember, a few short years back, they were caught using a illegal alien contractors to do some cleaning/maintenance work. Did corporate know about it? My guess would be yes.

Now lately I have been doing some grocery shopping at a couple of national and one regional chain. I like an aesthetically pleasing environment when shopping and these stores fill the bill. Until very recently you could count on paying just a bit more for most items then at the Empire and thus I chose to do most shopping in the den of evil. Lately though I have noticed that if one looks around and uses the "customer cards" that two of three of these chains offer, then one pays near the same and indeed in some cases a bit less than comparable items at the Empire. They are still higher on many items of course but if one is discriminating the check out price should be not that much different. Combine that with "pretty" stores, good merchandise and less clutter I will chose to shop more often at these competing chains. One thing the Empire is not is aesthetically pleasing. Cluttered and junky most of them I have noticed. Perhaps inflation is starting to take its toll on the Empire and the others are trying to match prices. Plus, and this is the crux of the matter, I have recently fallen in love with Sushi (I used to call it bait) and I have never seen one of the Empire's outlets offer this for sale. Come to think of it I have never seen hummus for sale at the Empire either. On a sad note though I did notice some Red Chinese crawfish and shrimp for sale at one of the more upscale chain stores. That saddens me.

While on he subject, I have noticed that one can get many comparable items at various "dollar stores" with prices very close to those at the Empire. Pretty quick in and out at these small outlets and they are pretty conveniently located and very price competitive. I like that.

It looks like the Empire may have a problem.  Sam Walton might be rolling over in his grave.

The Study Of Religion

I enjoy reading blogs from all across the political spectrum. What better way to learn what the American people are thinking than to check out a little bit of everything. A smorgasbord if you will. One of the places where I stop from time to time is an outlet knows as Saberpoint authored by a man who calls himself Stogie. saberpoint.blogspot.com Now I agree with a good deal of what he writes and there is also some that I really do not agree with. For instance, he fully supports the most excellent porn mustached Very Reverend Jones in his Koran burning escapade. Now being an advocate of freedom of speech I do support Jones' right to burn the Koran anytime he feels the need, I just find it rather silly and immature. Of course there is a good deal he writes about that I agree with wholeheartedly. The man  (Stogie) is obviously a patriot who loves our nation.

A week or so back Stogie authored a post concerning learning about Islam through online reading of the Koran. The object being to learn about the thinking of the enemy. It is pretty evident that Islam is at war with the West (even our Mohammedan "allies" are not to be trusted) and I have myself perused the Koran a time or two while browsing in bookstores. Fine and good. My problem with the study of the Koran is that I frankly do not believe I really know enough about Christianity and the Bible to waste my time with an in depth study of Islam. I do believe it is important to understand your enemy in order to better combat them but I just don't think a study of the Koran is for me.

I really do not want to sound flippant here or (gasp) intolerant and I also do not want to be cliche' but frankly I learned everything I feel I need to know about Islam on September 11, 2001.

Does that sound ignorant to you? Perhaps so but I offer no apologies.

Hair and Palin

Apparently now there are people of the chattering (useless) class who are comparing Donald Trump and Sarah Palin. I really don't see how the two can be compared unless it is only that both are being lambasted by the "liberal" media. Trump is now the main target for numerous reasons not the least of which is his unfortunate hair style. Now both are rather ridiculous individuals and neither are probably presidential material but one is a self made and very accomplished person and the other is just a "poster child" for a segment of the population.

If we just look at Palin it is easy to see that she pretty much has just taken advantage of the love affair that many on the right seem to have with unqualified and slightly loony persons. Can't blame her there. I am sure she has enriched herself beyond her wildest dreams by being sort of a modern day "pin up girl" for some on the right. Good job if one can get it I suppose. Perhaps a better job than being the elected governor of the state of Alaska. She of course resigned from that post for no real reason that I can see (other than finding it tiresome) and that really should say it all about her character. Now I believe her to be a pretty smart person (I used to think her dumb) or at the very least quite adept at manipulation, but then again I have known "titty dancers" who were mentally on the ball and quite manipulative (sociopaths) also. I must admit I do find her rather interesting but do not believe her to be a serious candidate for any public office, much less the most powerful position on earth.

Now Trump is a different animal altogether. He is undoubtedly a successful person and knows what it takes to make it "big" in this nation. Of course there are those that begrudge him due to his business savvy but I think the majority of us just kind of sit back and marvel. Yes it is true that he can be pretty ridiculous. His love affair with himself is apparent and it is pretty easy to make fun of his personality and, above all, his hair. One thing though. He is being targeted heavily by those on the left and that of course means one thing and one thing only. They are running scared, just as they were (and still are) afraid of Palin. When the left starts attacking hard one can smell the stench of terror on them. They of course are pointing out the fact that he is a narcissist and are really hitting hard on Trump's questioning  the origins of Obama's birth. The leftist pretty much thought that had been put to bed by now. Guess they were wrong. It is also being pointed out by the left that Trump has gone bankrupt in the past. Well of course stupid. Bankruptcy is a business tactic of those who play in the "Bigs." A bit underhanded perhaps but pretty much an accepted and expected business tactic.

I find it unlikely that Trump is really serious about running for the office of president but he does bring some important items for discussion to the table. No I am not talking about Obama's birthplace, although that is still an issue.

If I had to chose between Palin and Donald I would go with Trump.

Mission Control

It seems like Houston will not get one of the Space Shuttles to display. A bit odd, considering that the city is, along with Cape Canaveral, the backbone of the American Space Program. It looks as if California, Florida, DC, and New York will be the recipients of the honor of displaying a shuttle. Ok it is not the end of the world but let us think about this a bit.

California has a lot of space related industry and has facilities that are an important part of the space program. No problem there in my mind. They deserve a shuttle.

DC is home to the Smithsonian. Of course a shuttle should be on display at the nation's premier museum. It would be stupid not to house one there.

The shuttle is launched from Cape Canaveral and it goes without saying that a shuttle needs to be on display in the Sunshine State. As a matter of record I had ring side seats to the very first shuttle that ever went into space. Yes sir from the flying bridge of the USCGC Courageous (since sold to the Sri Lanka) I witnessed the launch with the aid of the "big eyes." It was almost like I was right on top of the thing. Great. Of course I did not appreciate the significance at the time. I can also remember twice being the guard ship on the recovery of the external tanks. Those would come back to earth and land in the ocean about 150 miles (I think) or so out to sea. The initial portion of that duty was pretty cool. A helo was assigned to harass Soviet "trawlers" that were stationed in the area. Pretty interesting.  The second part of that duty was terrible. Escorting tugs towing the tanks into port was a long and boring ordeal. The tugs barely made headway and it took a good while to get them back into port. Be that as it may, Florida certainly should have a shuttle to display.

New York? New F-ing York? That is just pure stupidity. Nothing against those fine folks, but just what does New York have to do with the space program? Of course it is a "Blue" state.......That probably says it all right there. Hope those folks appreciate the hard work and sacrifice that made us (at one time) the premier leader in space exploration.

Why does Houston deserve to display a shuttle? If you have to ask that them perhaps you are either very young or just very stupid. JSC is in the Clear Lake area of Houston number one. You know the place that houses mission control. There are also many astronauts and other key personnel who live in the area and they deserve to have one of these historic pieces of equipment on display locally. A slap in the face to those fine people if you ask me. Also there is the little episode of one of the ships exploding over East Texas and scattering debris (and human remains) all over the piney woods. It is a slap in the face to their memory to not have a shuttle in Texas. A slap in the face.

Interestingly enough I heard a caller on one of the local talk shows (Outlaw Dave) mention that it is Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee's fault that Houston did not get a shuttle. A bit of a stretch there of course, but Sheila does seem to get involved in issues that are none of here business and can't seem to make her voice heard about something like this. I guess that it is because JSC is in the (predominantly white and Soviet spy laden) suburbs. Just not important enough for her to get involved I guess. Not near as important as proposing some sort of federal recognition of Michael Jackson. If she was a congresswoman worth her salt she would have had a private interview with Obama and ruined her trademark red dress or perhaps allowed her crown weave to be soiled. I jest of course and no, I don't believe it was necessarily her duty to lobby for a local home for a shuttle. She is such a dumbass though that I could not help taking a shot. A bit immature I know, but as I have noted before, my immaturity runs pretty deep.

The whole thing is not the end of the world of course, but one has to wonder if there is some underhanded politics involved. The majority of Texans would not vote for President Obama for the commissioner of the local mosquito control district.

Oh well.

Gas Again

The prices at the pump have remained high but rather steady for  over a month but have started to rise again in the last week or so. There was a "pull back" today on the price of a barrel of oil but I bet that will not be a trend. Don't you just love economists and their BS? One said today that the price should start dropping soon and another said to stand by for much higher prices. My money is on the second opinion.

School Lunch Wars

It appears that some public school in Chicago has banned bring from home lunches to be, well, brought from home. Other schools across the country have taken a similar approach.  Apparently the debate is about the nutritional value of the lunches. I am sure there is some financial incentive really behind this at the Chicago school. Probably some Federal or Illinois grant money that is paid to the schools to provide a certain amount of "healthy lunches" on campus. I would bet the school is coming out ahead on the balance sheet. Just speculation of course, it could just nothing more than busybody fascism in play here. Hard to say. Just another small skirmish in the war against personal freedom. I been atellin ya and atellin ya this kind of thing will get out of control.

It already has.

Golf

Okay golf is fun to play on occasion. I do so myself once in a while. Today, as I find myself doing the regular Sunday things today around the house, my better half is folding clothes and watching some golf on TV. The Masters I believe is this weekend. Could be wrong. While, as noted, golf can be fun to play once in a while but it is a chore to watch on television. I noticed at one point someone made a very great (lucky) shot and the roar of the crowd almost drowned out the announcer(s). I can think of a lot of things to do at a golf tournament (poon gaze, get hammered, eat too much, etc.), but braying about a long putt someone made is not one of them. I am just not sure if I would classify golf as a sport. A fun pass time perhaps, but a sport; perhaps not. I pretty much have the same thoughts about bowling and (gasp) poker.

Bull in a China Cabinet

I have known my friend for over 20 years and he is much more conservative than I am. He may be just a bit to the right of Attila the Hun. Be that as it may, we just kind of keep crossing each others paths as the years pass and for that I am thankful. Now this man has not a PC bone in his body and will say anything to anybody and just not much care who is offended. Some of the situations that he finds himself in can be pretty comical. Today he called me on the cell and mentioned that he took his dog to some kind of vet clinic that apparently is of the "cut rate" variety. Volume is apparently the business tactic of this particular animal medical facility. It seems that there was a huge line outside the clinic that literally stretched around the block. I would have taken one look at the line and just kept on driving. For whatever reason, he decided to get out and wait in line. I guess after a while he got tired of waiting as patience is not really his strong suit. As he was about to leave he mentioned to someone  that the whole thing must be like "Obamacare for animals." Well it seems that the line contained a good many supporters of the current POTUS and he received dirty looks. He did not care of course.

At another time he was hanging out with a friend of his and I suppose they had a few beers under their belt when he spotted a lady in Muslim garb. If I recall the story correctly he told her something like "I hope you don't have a bomb under all that." Glad I was not there for that one. Even his friend, a true sociopath who makes his living managing "gentleman's clubs,"  told him he was out of line.

Nope my friend does not have a PC bone in his body. I love that about him.

It is Good To Know People In High Places

Garage sale over. Most of the rest of the stuff has been purchased at about a dime on the dollar by a friend of ours who owns a resale shop. Anyway, the object of a garage sale is clear out the clutter in your life as much as it is to make (recoup) a buck or two. Normally I would just have taken most of this stuff to Goodwill or the Salvation Army but times are a bit tight. I suppose that makes me some kind of enemy of the poor. Or something. I would hate to be accused of being a Republicant (as my favorite troll likes to call them. She is a just a little nuts). Oh wait. I have already been so accused. I have not been, nor will I ever be, a member of either the Republicant or Democrat(ic) Party. By God!

I Thought Southwest Airlines Was a Cut Above

It is apparent that Southwest Airlines, along with others, are outsourcing some of their maintenance work to Central America. I did not know this, but there are news articles from as far back as 2008 reporting on this. Does this compromise safety? Possibly. Possibly not. Hard to say. Of course the airlines will tell us all that this is a non issue. Perhaps they would be correct from a purely safety standpoint and again perhaps they would be incorrect (to put it nicely). One thing is certain; outsourcing vital jobs to foreign workers is Un American. This type of thing is damaging to our nation. I don't like that vato! I don't like that.

Out of His League

I am not really much a fan of President Obama. I don't find him to be "evil" or anything, I just think he is in way over his head with the job of President. Now one thing that lingers with me is the nagging doubt that the man is even legally qualified. Don't get me wrong; I am not saying that the man is not an American citizen but I want to see the birth certificate. Does that make me a birther? Perhaps. Is it such a hard thing to have the man's record of birth published? It seems that this would be one of the first things that the American people were shown just as soon as the question came up. It does make one wonder. Now if the President was not born in the United States and people in his organization knew about it; what does that say about the integrity of the process? I guess that is kind of a stupid question. Most folk seeking to ride the coat tails of power have very little integrity.

Now a related question that seems to be coming up concerns Obama and Islam. There are a great many people who believe him to be a Mohammedan. I am not one of those. I refuse to believe it to be the case. Or could it be that I just don't want to believe it.  I do recall that Colin Powell mentioned that it really should not matter even if Obama is a follower of the Prophet? I agree to some extent. As long as the American people knew that Obama was a practitioner of the "religion of peace" (wonder who thought that one up), and the American people still voted for the man, then it would not matter in the least. If however, the voters did not know the candidate was a Muslim and it was concealed from them then, well, that is a different animal altogether. It is interesting that he (Obama) was associated with the Very Reverend Wright who is supposedly a Christian minister. Of course Wright being a Christian is a matter of debate but that is another topic for another time. Or not.  After having to cut bait with this Wright (for obvious reasons) I have found it interesting that Obama has not found another home, so to speak, to worship. Kind of breaking with tradition. In my memory, all who hold the office, tend to wear their Christianity on their sleeve. Remember the giant Bible that Bill Clinton paraded around like a trophy wife? Obama does not seem to feel the need to do that. For that, I suppose, I give him some credit. If you don't "feel" it don't pretend I always say. Still it is a break with tradition. Does this make him a Muslim? I think not but I will say that in the back of my mind there is always the small doubt that Obama is in reality an American citizen just as there is a nagging suspicion that he may indeed be, as some say, a follower of Mohammed. I chose not to believe either is the case, despite the nagging doubt. Many would say I am shutting my eyes to the obvious and others would say I am some kind of "right wing birther." Or something.

So be it.

Who to Root For?

Who to root for? Nope not talking about the Final Four although I must admit that I am going for whoever wins the Butler/VCU contest to take the whole banana. Hoping one of them take it at any rate. It is nice to see a small school upend the big boys. Wish D1 college football had as good a system. That won't happen anytime soon. Not talking about that here though. I am referring to the Libya vs Libya contest that is playing out for our viewing pleasure almost nonstop on various "news" outlets.

 Who to root for? Who to root for? That is a tough one. Kinda like trying to decide who to pull for in the old Iran/Iraq contest a good may years back. They both sucked and you kind of hoped they both could lose but one had to, sort of, prevail. Just like in Libya right now. Do I pull for the Colonel or the Rebs? We know who the Colonel is but just who are these rebels? It has been reported that some are the very same jihadists that have fought our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Is that true? At this time government policy does seem to favor these rebels, but I don't want my fellow Americans or our allies being put in harms way helping a bunch of Mohammedan terrorists. Do you? I don't want to support Khadaffi (my favorite spelling) either. He is a known terrorist and just because he has been somewhat "inactive" in recent years does not discount that fact. I guess you could say he is a bit like Bill Ayers on steroids. Now as long as we are on the subject of the Colonel; did you not have kind of a WTF moment when it was reported that one of his sons was working in the United States? Who are these people who allowed such to happen? Crazy. Anyway who should I root for? I guess I will just decide to root for none of them. Since NATO is bombing anyway why not just bomb both sides and be done with it? That seems like good policy to me. A policy to stand behind.

Ridiculous Reverend

Well I guess Pastor Jones, the silly redneck with the most excellent porn mustache, has finally gone and done it. Yep he and his flock  have burned a Koran. Quite Christian of them don't you think? It really does not seem like it should be all that big of a deal frankly. Kinda immature on the part of the good reverend and his inbred followers but just not something worth getting in a twist about. Apparently some Mohammedans think differently. There are reports of rioting and murder over this little episode. And we believe that these folk are capable of democracy? Savages straight out of the 8th century many of them. We still refer to them as being members of various "tribes." Probably for good reason.