May 2008 Archives

Walking the Old Campaign Trail

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by Jack Lee

For some folks election time is an incredibly important event and for many more, well, it's practically just another day, almost a non-event. I know...I've been out walking my neighborhood precinct in support of my candidate of choice for about two weeks. It's what I like to do when I can. The bonus is I get to talk to diffent types of people other than my typical hyper-partisan friends. This keeps me grounded. I get a better feel for what’s going on, and let me tell you I got an earful this time.

Seems like for every one positive comment I hear 5 or 6 negatives. First people tend to really dislike the President, they almost have a problem with Congress, they are disgusted with Republicans at the national level, they fear California is broke and they're upset because we're overrun by illegals,....and the list goes on! Some of the comments from voters are probably the most cynical and discouraging I've ever heard!

And then we get down to the excuses why they don't want to be involved at all, despite these compelling issues! This all points toward a low voter turnout for the primary, especially on the republican side and that can't be good! Some say this was an unintended consequence of our early presidential primary. Maybe, but I think it's more than that, like voter apathy or burnout (see below for some of those factors). WE have about 15 million registered voters in California and I'll bet we don't get more than 6 million to turn out on Tuesday.

Here's the top four excuses for not being involved: #4. "I don't even know who's running!" Now that makes a person look silly! We're only three days away from election day, the candidates are running ads every 5 minutes of every day and our mail boxes are filled with campaign literature... and they still don't know who is running? #3. "I don't think anything will change, no matter who gets elected." Things DO change and not always for the best, so we have to stay involved. You know the old saying, "If you are not part of the process then you are part of the problem" It's true. #2 "They (politicians) say they're going to this or that, but they never do, so why bother?" Sure, broken campaign promises its a problem, but hardly anything new. Which brings up the next logical question, why do you people keep re-electing the promise breakers? I think I know why... see excuse #4. And now (drum roll please) the most often repeated excuse is, "I don't know who to believe there's so many negative campaign ads flying around." Sound familiar? But, you should know, it's your duty as a voter to know and it's not that hard. We've had a lot of voter forums, newspaper articles, speeches, Q and A meetings, tons of mailers, radio and tv ads...there is no good excuse why you don't have an informed opinion about our candidates and issues.

I'm going to sound like Bill Clinton now, but I share your pain! I know we have our problems; when it comes to politics few people could possibly be more cynical than me. Heck, I have so many gripes with the system I lose count, but I'm still here! I’m still involved, even though some of my pals on the opposing side probably wish I would croak! Well, some day they will get their wish... but not this day. And I hope not before the primary...I wanna cast my vote! Ok, I’m off my soap box for now, but in the immortal words of our Governor…”I’ll be back.”

ONE OFFICER CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

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badge_CHP.gifThe Chico CHP has a new officer by the name of Todd Bergman. Traffic Officer Bergman transferred from the Willows unit where he had an absolutely outstanding record for traffic enforcement. T/O Bergman has brought his skills to Chico and has continued to set an example for safety enforcement. Based on a number of compliments from local citizens and some from his own peers, his efforts are paying off by improving local seat belt compliance and thereby reducing the risk of death or injury to our area citizens.

We're extremely proud of the job all our local law enforcement officers are doing, and we don't mean to embarrass Todd or set him up for some kidding by his fellow officers, but we want to offer our sincere thanks from Post Scripts for a job well done.

Now we want to point how tough that job is and how well our CHP Officers are doing it:

In 2006, 4,195 people died and 277,373 people were injured in California traffic collisions. California’s 2006 Mileage Death Rate (MDR) - fatalities per 100 million miles traveled (100 Million VMT) is 1.28, much lower than the national MDR of 1.41. Of the 5 largest states in terms of total traffic fatalities, (CA, FL, TX, GA, & NC), California has the lowest rate.

California’s 2007 seat belt usage rate is 94.6%, which is significantly better than the national average of 81%. This is up from 93.4% in 2006 and represents 365,750 more Californians buckling up. California’s seat belt use rate (94.6%) is the fourth best in the nation – behind Hawaii (97.6%), Washington (96.4%), and Oregon (95.4%).

In California, the percent of restrained passenger vehicle occupant fatalities increased from 55.4% in 2005 to 56.4% in 2006, much better than the national average of 41.3%. Further, California was third best in the nation, with only the small states of Alaska and Oregon higher. ** In 2006, about half, 458, of the 917 known unrestrained fatalities would be alive today had they simply buckled up.

California’s 2007 child safety seat usage rate is 87.7% - dropping slightly from 87.8% in 2006.

Teen fatalities decreased 6.7% from 527 in 2005 to 492 in 2006 – the lowest level since 2001.

In 2006, the percent of restrained passenger vehicle occupant “teenaged” fatalities was 51.8% in 2006. Since restraints are about 50% effective in preventing a fatality, NHTSA estimates that 75 dead teens would be alive today had they simply buckled up. Only Oregon has a higher restraint use. Teen use in fatalities is less that the restraint use of all California fatalities at 56.4%.

It's our hope that the CHP Commander in Sacramento will send us a few motor officers. We sure need it. Chico is a growing community and the most effective way to protect citizens is good traffic enforcement. The dollar cost as well the injuries and deaths due to traffic accidents is far more than the sum of local criminal activity. People tend to forget that when reading about high profile crimes like robbery or homicide. Of course it's all important and that is why Post Scripts has been and will always be... a strong supporter of law enforcement!


If It Is GREEN, Avoid It!!

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Submitted by Harold Ey....


>...If you barbecue, please read and then send this to a friend

At a recent meth training/workshop for law enforcement there was a lot of great new information presented. I wanted to let you all know about one thing of importance. Meth cooks are getting the propane tanks from the exchanges at Wal-Mart, Kroger, etc. and emptying them of the propane. Anh_cylinder_3_tank.jpg Then, they are filling them with anhydrous ammonia (which they now have a recipe for, by the way). After they are finished with them, they return them to the store. They are then refilled with propane and sent back for you and me to buy. Anhydrous ammonia is very corrosive and weakens the structure of the tank. It can be very dangerous when mixed with propane and hooked up to our grills, etc. According to the presenter, you should inspect the propane tank for any blue or greenish residue around the valve areas. If it is present, refuse to purchase that one.'

You should check out the following website for more details. They also have pictures you can show.

http://www.npga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=529

TEST

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This is only a test to see if our comments section has been restored. TEST

Interesting Vegas Real Estate Ad

by Ross Franco, BlockShopper Staff

Dr. Ronald Rosen and his wife, Rebecca, sold a five-bedroom, 3.5 bath at 2241 Country Cottage Court in Las Vegas to Scott and Rebecca Moreno for $520,000 on April 21.

The Rosens paid $387,000 for the property in Jan. 1995. The 3,596 square foot house, which is in the Canyon Estates, was built the same year. Home sales in Las Vegas dropped almost 29 percent in 2007 versus sales in 2006. The median sales price also fell from $280,000 to $270,000.

Speaker Pelosi “Makes Nice” With the Enemy

by Tina Grazier

The progressive approach in world affairs is to make friends, even with America’s sworn enemies. And how do we do that? We begin with a few words of praise:

“…some of the success of the surge is that the goodwill of the Iranians…they decided in Basra when the fighting would end, they negotiated that cessation of hostilities…the Iranians.” – Nancy Pelosi

How Madam speaker arrived at this bizarre conclusion is beyond me. It’s as if she thinks they were sitting at tea one day and suddenly thought to themselves, “gosh, this game we’ve been playing in Iraq is not very nice…let’s just stop.”

She obviously learned very little from her talks with President Maliki and General Petraeus during her recent visit to Iraq. Oh well, it's clear that she is moving on...

Drawing from her own vast diplomatic experience, she is making a bid to pave the way for an Obama presidency. She has begun this process by attempting to smooth out the rift with Iran and Ahmadinejad. In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle (see quote above) she praises Iran for the success of the surge in securing the recent “cessation of hostilities” thus snubbing President Maliki, the Iraqi military, President Bush, and last but not least, the United States military.)

But wait. Isn’t the whole idea of peacemaking to ensure that all parties,everyone, feel included and welcome? Isn’t the goal to create a world in which all countries “just get along”? Don't we base this on the fact that all people are basically the same and…you know, connected? Don’t we all deserve to be treated with equal amounts of kindness and praise no matter what?

Hmmm…there are definite holes in this line of thinking, at least in practice.

Meanwhile from Stockholm some semblance of sanity remains:

THE BIKER

Submitted by my old buddy, SGT Paul Newman, USMC, Iraq Vet., ,....

I saw you, hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line.
But, you didn't see me, put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate
last Sunday.

I saw you, pull your child closer when we passed each other on the
sidewalk.
But, you didn't see me, playing Santa at the local mall.

Is America Ready for Progressive-isms?

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by Tina Grazier

We’ve been asked if America is ready for a woman or an African American in the White House. I think the two questions are absurd, myself, but there is a concern that does deserve careful consideration by voters. What do you think about a fascist, communist, socialist…progressive in the White House (or Congress)? Progressives are becoming very bold about their plans for our nation. Are we ready for the "ism" changes they propose?

socialism - any of various theories or social and political movements advocating or aiming at collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and control of the distribution of goods…a system or condition of society or group living in which there is no private property. - Websters Dictionary

fascism - any program for setting up a centralized autocratic national regime with severely nationalistic policies, exercising regimentation of industry, commerce, and finance, rigid censorship, and forcible suppression of opposition. - Websters Dictionary

communism - a theory advocating elimination of private ownership of property or capital b : a system or condition real or imagined in which goods are owned commonly rather than privately and are available as needed to each one in a unified group sometimes limited, sometimes inclusive, and often composed of members living and working together : a similar system preventing amassing of privately owned goods and assuring equalitarian returns to those working = Websters Dictionary

Last week on the floor of the House of Representatives Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) openly admitted what many of us have suspected all along, that the progressive arm of the Democrat Party has designs on independent American industry. During hearings of oil industry representatives Waters said the following:

And guess what this liberal will be all about? This liberal will be about …“socializing”….uh….er….(long pause)…” would be about, basically, taking over and the government running all of your companies!”

Hillary Clinton has essentially (but much more diplomatically) stated similarly that she wants to ”take” oil profits and use that private money as she sees fit. Apparently the big change they keep talking about includes usurping the U.S. Constitution in favor of Marx, Lenin, Mao, Castro, Chavez, et al...

Private property…the right to ownership of our homes, businesses and other property…is one of the pillars that ensures our continued freedom. It is one of the basic foundational precepts of this great republic.

republic - a government in which supreme power resides in a body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by elected officers and representatives responsible to them and governing according to law. - Websters Dictionary

Is America ready for the conglomerate of progressive isms that is alive and at work in forming policy in the Democrat Party?? I guess it depends on the degree to which YOU are willing to hand over your property to the likes of Maxine Waters and Hillary Clinton.

Is America ready for Progressive-isms? We’ll all find out come November. Vote wisely Pilgrims!

Republicans Reconcile at CRA Meeting in Chico

Last night the California Republican Assembly (CRA) for Butte County held a public meeting at the Chico City Council Chambers. As was expected, the gathering became a little raucous with brief exchanges between members stemming from a controversial vote by the County Central Committee Board to censure a republican candidate during the heat of a primary run.

The censure was viewed by some as a hatchet job, but others defended it as appropriate. However, by the end of the meeting members seemed to emerged more united and allied than they when they went in. Even apologies were exchanged and bitter rivals shook hands as a gesture of good will. This reconciliation promised to lead the CRA forward to more productive things.

A motion was made by Cliff Wagner-Oroville, to research and adopt new bylaws that will remove the specter of a conflict of interest when considering actions such as censures, endorsements or oppositions to republican candidates or issues, especially in a pre-primary season where emotions tend to run hot. The new bylaws will provide for a precise method how such things will be handled in the future. The motion was enthusiastically approved by all members. This marks a new beginning to protect the integrity of CRA and allow it's members to stay focused on promoting all republican issues and candidates while avoiding internal conflict. "This will give us clear rules for supporting or opposing candidates in the future and we need that!" said Jack Lee, CRA member.

The CRA Chair, Pete Weber - Chico, kept the meeting moving along in an orderly fashion and allowed all members and persons present a fair opportunity to speak about their concerns and air all grievances. ( Ah, if only the Chico City Council meetings could be run as smoothly and courteously! )

This new bylaw change will next be proposed at the upcoming Republican Central Committee meeting for Butte County. If it is approved, this will go a long way to restoring peace among the local Republican groups.

Currently the bylaws for the BCRP either don't address this issue clearly or they are not totally consistent with the State Party bylaws. The proposed changes should correct this.

GREAT DAY!

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Political War - Even Jack's Mentioned

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The Union from Placer County reads....

LOGUE.jpg(Dan Logue shown on left) "A longstanding political feud, conflicts of interest and some "good old boys" issues within the Yuba and Butte GOP central committees have fueled the no-holds-barred campaign for the 3rd District Assembly nomination, according to candidate Sue Horne.

Horne's opponent, Yuba County Supervisor Dan Logue, denies the charges. Some of his supporters contend the Nevada County supervisor will wilt under pressure in Sacramento.

The mudslinging campaign for Assemblyman Rick Keene's seat illustrates what has become all too common in politics nowadays - focusing on political infighting and mailers instead of the issues, at least in some voters' minds.

Horne said Keene (R-Chico) and state Sen. Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) have endorsed Logue because of her former affiliation with deceased Assemblyman Bernie Richter (R-Chico).

"It goes back to the war between Rick Keene, Sam Aanestad and Bernie Richter when I worked for him," Horne said.

Aanestad lost to Richter in a close Assembly election in 1992 and beat Richter's son-in-law, David Reade, in 1998.

More From "THE UNION" Newspaper

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27 May 08: The Union Editorial: "You need a scorecard these days to figure out the politics within the two primary political parties. After all, endorsements generally come down to favors and political relationships that have very little to do with the issues, or which candidate would best represent constituents.

HORNE.jpg(Sue Horne shown left) Such is the case in the race for the state's 3rd District Assembly seat, currently held by Rick Keene. Nevada County Supervisor Sue Horne and Yuba County Supervisor Dan Logue - both Republicans - have been in the midst of a spirited, often nasty battle that should be settled on June 3. When the dust does settle, we hope Horne will be headed to Sacramento, where we believe she will serve Nevada County in the same outstanding manner she has served us as a member of the Nevada County Board of Supervisors the past several years.

Another Memorial Day

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by Jack Lee

Another Memorial Day has come and gone and we were reminded once again of the high price paid to have this country with all its freedoms. Funny thing about freedom, it's like air, you really don't appreciate it until you don't have it anymore. In America I think too many of us take our freedoms for granted. Like free speech, freedom of religion, freedom to associate with whom we choose, freedom of the press or even freedom to vote. The latter one gets less frequently used with every passing election, I'm not sure if that is an abuse or a neglect of freedom, but whatever it is it's not helping us be a better representative democracy.

Ironically few inalienable rights get abused more than our every day freedoms we take for granted; some people are always pushing the limits, for instance... the freedom of radicals to protest and make arces out of themselves while calling for the downfall of things we hold dear. Seems like we wind up spending more time defending the abusers of freedom than we ever do supporting the defenders of freedom. We like to say as long as the abusers are around then we know we're still free. Maybe so, but that doesn't mean I have to like them.

The older and wiser among us aren't usually given to abusing freedom, have you noticed? That's the job of fools and youth. I guess the older folks have lived long enough to have learned from their mistakes and seen enough of life to know when not to abuse their freedoms; you hardly ever see old people hurling rocks at a police line or carrying a signs that say "Impeach Bush" or "No Blood for Oil"! (If pump prices keep going up I think that last one will be changed to, "Take Their #@% Oil")

As the Sun Sets on This Memorial Day 2008…

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The patriot’s blood is the seed of Freedom’s tree. ~ Thomas Campbell

by Tina Grazier

“Post Scripts” recently received a comment from Joe Repya, “Memorial Day - I’m Tired,” in which Joe lamented the state of his nation upon his return from Iraq:

I left Baghdad and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 after my tour in Vietnam Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in just four months, but I'm tired…

I spent this Memorial Day pondering Joe’s words. I wondered what would have made Joe’s return from Iraq a more pleasing or positive experience…what would have made him feel good about the country he obviously loves so much. And finally I wondered, what could be done to truly honor those who have given so much in service to our country.

The parades and memorial celebrations we have each year are one way to show our appreciation and respect...they serve to remind us of the sacrifice that’s been made. Flying the American flag is a patriotic gesture that honors those who have “died to make us free”. Being a volunteer and donating to veterans causes, visiting the wounded in military hospitals, and offering condolences and a helping hand to military families are others ways to participate and show appreciation.

Comments Section Bombed By Emails

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Someone with the IP address of 63.147.64.5 is causing our spam filter to block comments. Please make sure your computer isn't infected with a virus and is sending out a rash of emails. This URL comes back to Qwest and we are going to find out who is doing this!

Exposed - Election Dirty Tricks

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by Jack Lee

hot topic.jpg

Here is the story I have been promising you. It's an expose' about devious local politics and it's a shocker:

On or about May 15th two Central Committee Chairs, one from Yuba County and one from Butte County (both Logue supporters) used their group to vote for censure against Sue Horne. As you may know already, Sue Horne is Logue’s main oppostion and another republican candidate in this pre-primary race. The Committees did this censure in virtually the 11th hour of this race and that left almost no time for Sue to respond. This was an extremely unusual move (to censure a republican candidate) in a pre-primary race. Now we're advised it's against the California Republican Party rules, at least according to Shawn Steel the recent Chairman of the State Party and now a National Representative. Will they shut down a central committee for breaking the rules? Probably not, even if they could. See, central committees do pretty much whatever they want, sometimes in violation of the State rules. So if a State officers says they have right to do it because and its against the rules and the local committee said we are going to do it and we had every right because you can't stop us, it's possible that truth may exist on both sides and I am looking deeper into this legal point.

Memorial Day - I'm Tired

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by Joe Repya...

flag1.jpg Two weeks ago, as I was starting my sixth month of duty in Iraq , I was forced to return to the USA for surgery for an injury I sustained prior to my deployment. With luck, I'll return to Iraq to finish my tour.

I left Baghdad and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 after my tour in Vietnam Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in just four months, but I'm tired.

I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican who lack the courage, fortitude, and character to see these difficult tasks through.

I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when the going gets tough.

I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those that claim they 'Support the Troops' by wanting them to 'Cut and Run' before victory is achieved.

I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are having on the battlefield.

I'm tired that so many Americans think you can rebuild a dictatorship into a democracy over night.

I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the voting booth and freely elect a Constitution and soon a permanent Parliament.

I'm tired of the so called 'Elite Left' that prolongs this war by giving aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during the Vietnam War.

I'm tire d of antiwar protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen soldiers. A family whose loved ones gave their life in a just and noble cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly protesters is beyond shameful.

I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boom -- Vietnam generation, has such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult tasks through to victory.

I'm tired that some are more concerned about the treatment of captives than they are the slaughter and beheading of our citizens and allies.

I'm tired that when we find mass graves it is seldom reported by the press, but mistreat a prisoner and it is front page news.

Mostly, I'm tired that the people of this great nation didn't learn from history that there is no substitute for Victory.

Sincerely,
Joe Repya,
Lieutenant Colonel , U. S. Army
101st Airborne Division

Jack Lee - Modern Day Crockett

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by Tina Grazier

“...it was expected of me that I was to bow to the name of Andrew Jackson...even at the expense of my conscience and judgement. such a thing was new to me, and a total stranger to my principles.”

by Tina Grazier

Over the course of many months Jack Lee has expressed great disdain for the “political machine” and for the fundraising demands of running for office. He has expressed frustration in a process that makes the average citizen’s chance for being elected remote, if not impossible. He has lamented the loss of fresh voices this system engenders.

Jack Lee, a dedicated man of honor, a man who values freedom and loves his country, has been accused of not being serious about his candidacy. I disagree. Jack was very serious about wishing to serve the people, service being a part of his very nature, and he would indeed make a good representative of the people.

Jack Lee’s plight is hardly new to our republic. Political power and all of the machinations that exist at all levels of politics can work to undermine good people…as the following historical example demonstrates:

Fed Up In Seattle

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Posted by Tina

“Woman gets mad, then even over theft,” by Christine Clarridge - Seattle Times staff reporter

When Pauline Goldmeier pulled up to her Seward Park home last week and saw a group of teens making off with her $500 mountain bike, something snapped. ** She'd been the victim of a carjacking, a kidnapping and uncounted incidents of vandalism, but that day she'd had enough. "They had no idea whose bike they were stealing," said the 41-year-old legal secretary and mother of two. "I've had a lot of things happen to me, and I'm tired of it." ** Thirteen years ago, Goldmeier said, she was kidnapped and carjacked on Genesee Street in South Seattle as she picked up her toddler from day care. The man told her he had a gun, forced her into her car and to an ATM to withdraw cash. ** So last week, when she saw her bike being ridden away from her house, she turned her car around and took off after the teens…staying on the tail of the kid with the bike.
"He was laughing at me," she said, "but I floored it and literally cut him off a few feet from his face. He stopped laughing then and jumped off the bike." ** When Goldmeier and her husband returned home with her bike, they were able to show police a video surveillance tape taken by the home security cameras they installed last year — after a series of car prowls — that led to the arrest of three of the five suspects. ** "As soon as police showed them the video where you can see them plotting and see their faces, they started singing like canaries," Goldmeier said. ** "We do not encourage people to chase after burglary suspects," said Seattle police spokeswoman Renee Witt. "However, people do what they feel they have to do when they are being victimized. We can't tell citizens not to chase after a suspect; we just ask them to be safe and use good judgment.

Texas Tells Fed EPA to Buzz Off

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Posted by Tina

Talk about your basic states rights revival…Texas adds it’s voice to a growing number of states taking Nancy Reagan’s advice and applying “just say no” to BIG Federal Government:

“A Texas Timeout on Biofuels”

The state of Texas is now in official opposition to the federal ethanol mandate. Governor Rick Perry has petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency for a one-year reprieve, and the reason is simple and increasingly familiar: Washington's ethanol obsession is hurting the state. ** Because of the mandate to add this biofuel to gasoline, ranchers are being forced into bidding wars with ethanol plants for the grains they feed their cattle. ** Last week the EPA opened a 30-day public comment period on the Texas waiver request, the first step in what could lead to granting his request. ** The most interesting thing revealed by this effort is that EPA holds the power to stand down from the ethanol fiasco. Congress gave EPA the authority to grant such waivers in the event the ethanol mandate had unforeseen consequences. Governor Perry argues that the mess in Texas qualifies.

One small step…I'm hoping for tap dancing giants myself.

Talk About Chickens Coming Home to Roost!

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Posted by Tina

Both John McCain and Barack Obama say they want to rein in the power of the so-called ''527s,'' the independent political committees that skirt the campaign finance laws with unlimited financing and unregulated campaign attacks. But two of McCain's own campaign chairmen are serving on the board of an independent organization behind a new attack ad against Obama, ''an apparent violation of the Arizona Republican's new conflict of interest policy,'' – Baltimore Sun

McCain may yet come to regret this terrible blunder.

The Heritage Foundation offers some insight into the problem:

The First Amendment denies government the power to determine that spending to promote one's political views is wasteful, excessive, or unwise. In the free society ordained by our Constitution it is not the government, but the people-individually as citizens and candidates and collectively as associations and political committees-who must retain control over the quantity and range of debate on public issues in a political campaign.8 ** Thus, the effort by the "reformers" to take this power from the people is both wrong and doomed to fail because it is unconstitutional. Chief among the wrongheaded and unconstitutional sets of proposals is the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1999, sponsored in the Senate (S. 26) by Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell Feingold (D-WI) and in the House (H.R. 417) by Representatives Christopher Shays (R-CT) and Martin Meehan (D-MA). Although announced with the promise of reducing the "corrupting influence of big money,"9 these bills would do nothing of the sort. Instead, they shake a fist at the First Amendment and, if passed, would be destined for a court-ordered funeral. ** To adopt true reform, Congress would need first to recognize that today's perceived abuses simply are the predictable result of past "reforms" in which the suppression of political speech was the principal focus of the "reformers." In contrast, adopting measurers that would enhance political speech and improve transparency and public accountability would deal more effectively with the problems, and they unquestionably would be upheld by the courts. Such measures include raising or eliminating contribution limits that have been eroded by inflation and removing barriers that prevent political parties from exercising a moderating influence in political campaigns.

This 527 business will be utilized by both campaigns...no doubt about it. In the mean time find me wishing and hoping and thinkin' and praying, planning and dreaming and ...still waiting for the funeral.

Comment Section Disrupted

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We're still having trouble receiving comments. This one IP address keeps coming up as spamming and it is not spam, but it blocks your comments. It's frustrating the heck out of me trying to remove it. Will contact system admin monday. Sorry about the problems, but they are really beyond the control of Tina or myself.

President Bush Has Repeatedly Warned the American People

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An election year offers the promise of change but it is not a time to bury our heads in the sand

by Tina Grazier

According to polls most Americans don’t approve of President Bush. It’s difficult to say what motivates the disapproval but I think it’s pretty safe to say that the war has a lot to do with it. His execution of the war, the so called “cowboy approach” to the terrorist threat has been continuously challenged and undermined even though the President has repeatedly warned us that al-Qaeda is serious. Instead of treating the president with the respect he (and the office of president) deserves the American press, left leaning politicians, and others continue to place politics above survival, dismissing his warnings and questioning his serious approach to this determined enemy.

The President is in a difficult position. He doesn’t wish to alarm the people unnecessarily but at the same time he knows he needs to advise us of the dangers that remain; dangers that have been growing in intensity and scope since the early hostage taking of the seventies. The President knows people need information in order to make wise decisions and be fully prepared. Unfortunately too many in the press offer little to encourage a serious approach and sadly too many of the people refuse to face reality seeking information on their own.

Front Page Magazine has published an article, “America in Ashes,” by Christopher S. Carson. Carson. Mr. Carson was associated with the American Enterprise Institute and holds a masters degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University. His piece provides information regarding the latest ominous message from al-Qaeda and supporting data and history that dates back to pre-911 threats. I hope you will take the time to read the full article even though it may be difficult to do so.

A sampling follows, under the fold, for those with the wisdom and fortitude to care. Be brave dear friends...our lives and those of family and friends might depend on it:

Indy’s No Commie – Woo Hoo!

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Posted by Tina

He has battled against Nazi villains, a Beduin swordsman and a pit of poisonous snakes. Now Indiana Jones can add the Communist Party of St Petersburg to his list of adversaries. Party leaders accused the actors Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett yesterday of promoting crude, anti-Soviet propaganda in their new film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. They have urged Russian moviegoers to boycott the film and told Ford, 65, not to visit the country. - The Times, London

By Tina Grazier

Negative talk about the war finds anti-war Democrats grinning from ear to ear. When it comes to positive news they will go to any lengths to shut those people up…even when they know what they’re talking about.

An Investors Business Daily editorial reveals a pretty stinky addition to defense legislation that the House recently passed:

“Safe From Truth” – IBD Editorial

Democrats have decided this election year that American voters can't handle the fact that victory in Iraq is at hand. ** In its passage last week of the defense policy bill, the House issued a prohibition against the Pentagon's "concerted effort to propagandize" the American public regarding the Iraq War. ** It came in the form of an amendment authored by Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., which also would authorize an investigation of the Defense Department's "propaganda" efforts by the Government Accountability Office. ** According to Rep. Paul Broun, R-Ga., the Hodes provision could end up classifying even the U.S. Marines' slogan, "The Few, the Proud, the Marines," as a "concerted effort to propagandize" in violation of the law.

We've heard from various military spokespersons over the past 5 years and they have not always spoken favorably about the war. In fact many spoke against Bush policies in Iraq. So what’s the big problem here? Could it be that General Petreaus, for instance, was so credible…so good at just saying how things were going, no embellishment, no polish or shine…that they fear the American people will believe we are winning? I guess we can’t have that...not in an election year.

What is wrong with these people? You'd think they didn't have anything to offer the American people themselves the way they run around trying to shut other people up. Hmmmm....

Waste in Government – Oh the Shock!

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Posted by Tina

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon cannot account for nearly 15 billion dollars in payments for goods and services in Iraq, according to an internal audit which members of Congress blasted Friday as a ''shocking'' accountability failure. ** The disclosures sparked outrage among legislators and concern that US taxpayers are deeply vulnerable to massive waste and fraud in the Pentagon's contracting system. - Agence France-Presse

When Andrew Cuomo left office 47 billion dollars could not be accounted for at HUD.

How much unaccounted for cash do you suppose an audit of all government offices and programs would turn up? More than enough to fill your gas tanks for the rest of your life at any price I’d wager.

GOOFY SOFTWARE!

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by Jack Lee

I've recently had trouble entering a comment on the blog and it turns out that our spam filter was blocking my own IP address. If you have had any difficulty in posting to this blog please be advised I will get a special email advising me you tired to post something and I will unblock your IP address. I will not be able to recover your post, you will have to resubmit it. I appologize for this clunky software, but we have no choice in what we use here. If it continues we will have to get administrative help.

Note from Tina: Jack I'm having the same trouble. It's happened off and on over the last couple of days...I thought maybe my sharp tongue had got me in trouble...LOL.

NEW Element Discovery

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Submitted by Harrold Ey...

Research has led to the discovery of the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neuron, 25 assistant neurons, 88 deputy neurons, and 198 assistant deputy
neurons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons. Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second to take from four days to four years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neurons and deputy neurons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neurons, forming
isodopes. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as
Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Karl Rove Advises Obama on Foreign Policy

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Posted by Tina

Karl Rove has been doing political analysis for Fox News and a number of democrat pundits have expressed surprise at his fair-handed commentary. It doesn’t surprise me he’s a decent guy and very smart. Mr. Rove is also writing columns for the Wall Street Journal. The piece below offers some very good advice to Barack Obama whose performance on foreign policy matters of late have shown him to be a light weight in this area:

“Obama's Troubling Instincts,” by Karl Rove

On Sunday at a stop in Oregon, Sen. Obama was dismissive of the threats posed by Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba and Syria. That's the same Iran whose Quds Force is arming and training insurgents and illegal militias in Iraq to kill American soldiers; that is supporting Hezbollah and Hamas in violent attacks on Lebanon and Israel; and that is racing to develop a nuclear weapon while threatening the "annihilation" of Israel. ** By Monday in Montana, Mr. Obama recognized his error. He abruptly changed course, admitting that Iran represents a threat to the region and U.S. interests. ** Voters need to ask if Sunday's comments, not Monday's correction, aren't the best evidence of his true thinking. ** I recommend that he read Henry Kissinger's book, "The White House Years." Mr. Obama would learn it took 134 private meetings between U.S. and Chinese diplomats before a breakthrough at a Jan. 20, 1970 meeting in Warsaw. It took 18 months of behind-the-scenes discussions before Mr. Kissinger secretly visited Beijing. And it took seven more months of hard work before Nixon went to China. The result was a new relationship, announced in a communiqué worked out over months of careful diplomacy. ** The Chinese didn't change because of a presidential visit. In another book, "Diplomacy," Mr. Kissinger writes that "China was induced to rejoin the community of nations less by the prospect of dialogue with the United States than by fear of being attacked by its ostensible ally, the Soviet Union." Change came because the U.S. convinced Beijing it was in its interest to change. Then the president visited.

When it comes to foreign policy decisions I’m not sure in these dangerous times that we can afford a learn as you go president. Now he's saying his words have been distorted but making excuses by blaming others isn't very presidential either.

I keep wondering why this talented, educated man didn’t wait to run for president until he matured a little and had more experience. Time is on his side…he could have spent the next four to eight years learning and building a more solid foundation for this important job. Perhaps the history making aspect of being the first was something he was afraid he’d lose? Too late for now...he'd be wise to listen to Karl.

Has Pelosi Run Afoul of McCain Feingold?

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Posted by Tina

“Speaker Pelosi in Ethical Hot Water?” - Brit Hume, Political Grapevine, FOX News

Campaign finance experts say Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have violated federal law by appearing in a television commercial advocating a response to global warming. Cybercast News reports the ad ran nationwide between mid-April and May 6. ** The spot was planned and paid for by Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection. It may be a violation of the McCain-Feingold law that Pelosi enthusiastically supported. The law forbids candidates from appearing in ads run by an independent group — and mentioning the candidate's name — within 90 days of an election. Pelosi is on the ballot in the June 3 California primary — less than a month after the last ad ran. ** Pelosi's office denied coordinating the ad with Gore's group — another possible violation. The conservative group Judicial Watch will file a complaint to the Federal Election Commission.

No shocker here...rules mean nothing to the elitist democrat leadership.

Lurching Leftward – House Resolution 1325

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Posted by Tina

Here’s a quick question for all of you. Do you think the UN should be able to appoint 23 people (recent appointees include China, Cuba and Iraq) with the power to determine:

the welfare and well being of American women and families?

Read the article, “The United States and U.N. Security Resolution 1325,” by Janice Shaw Crouse, PHD, at TownHall.com

Meet John Yoo – Author of “The Torture Memo”

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Posted by Tina

I don’t usually read Esquire magazine…(too busy looking at the pictures)…...............JUUUST KID-DING!

I think some of you might enjoy reading this interview with the man who took part in deciding where the lines should be drawn on the issue of interrogation and captured terrorists. Find it in Esquire by following the link below:

“John Yoo: In His Own Words,” by John H. Richardson - Esquire

John Yoo is a professor of constitutional law at the University of California-Berkeley. He is also the main author of what has come to be known as "The Torture Memo," the long-sealed internal White House document that defined precisely which aggressive techniques could be legally employed by CIA interrogators against suspected terrorists. ** Earlier this year, Yoo sat down with Esquire author John H. Richardson for a series of lengthy interviews about the memo and about how Yoo -- a scholar by trade, a libertarian by temperament -- came to be the man behind it.

THE VERDICT

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Submitted by TinmanB....

A defendant was on trial for murder. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse. In the defense's closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom." He looked toward the courtroom door.
The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly.
A minute passed. Nothing happened. Finally the lawyer said, "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation.
I therefore put to you that you have a reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty."
The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate.
A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty.
"But how?" inquired the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door."
The jury foreman replied: "Oh, we looked, but your client didn't."

Lee v. Prager - Viewing the GOP

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by Jack Lee

An opposing view on Dennis Prager's commentary shown below....

I guess I'm one of those 81% of unhappy Americans that doesn't like the direction this country is going that Prager talks about, but I am still voting FOR Republicans!!! Not because they are doing a wonderful job, nor even a mediocre job, but because anything else would be far worse at this time.

Prager insinuates that Americans have become more or less bored with the Republicans so they want to hand it over to Democrats for awhile. Well, now that isn't fair, it minimizes what is really going on!

Ok, if 81% of the American voters say we're ‘headed in the wrong direction’ then I must believe it's because we've had a GOP Congress and owned the Presidency and we still couldn't get anything done. We were asleep at the switch when one crisis or one debacle after another happened...all on our watch.

Shall I go down the growing list of complaints about the Party and the Administration?

+The Mexican border is still wide open, it's only slightly better, but still open. And the border patrol is still short handed to even begin to control the flow of illegals sneaking in to the US.
+We're still waging war in Iraq, we're still struggling amid the corruption and incompetence on a scale unknown in our history and blowing more money than we ever dreamed of spending on another country.
+We've got spiking energy costs driving up costs at an alarming rate!

ELECTION NEWS

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POST SCRIPTS EXCLUSIVE REPORT

hot topic.jpg

We're currently investigating an alleged censure by the Butte County Republican Central Committee. The details of the censure are still unclear and we're trying to reach the author for comment. However we can assure you of one thing, whether it proves true or not, either way it will ad a new dimension to low politics.

If anyone has any information on an email circulating entitled, "Butte County Republican Party Official Action" please contact us immediately. Your identity will be protected.

Updated as of 5 pm. I have spoken with several parties to this action of censure and I am compiling the story. However it does not look like it will be ready until tomorrow. My colleagues in the hard copy have elected not to run with it, although several other papers have, at least to some extent.

I want to give this story a fair hearing and allow both sides their input, as time permits. Be advised that anyting i say that is remotely critical of anyone, especially a candidate, will have a full opportunity to respond with thier side of the story. And there is ALWAYS two sides to every story isn't there? .

Consensus Denied!

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Posted by Tina

A paper on Globalogna has been presented to the world:

“31,000 scientists reject global warming” – World Net Dailey

More than 31,000 scientists across the United States, including more than 9,000 Ph.D.s in fields including atmospheric science, climatology, Earth science, environment and dozens of other specialties, have signed a petition rejecting "global warming," the assumption that the human production of greenhouse gases is damaging Earth's climate.

Bless the beasts, the children, and these very smart, sensible scientists!!!


What Direction Is That?

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A quote from Dennis Prager

Posted by Tina

“Today’s most widely accepted political belief is that because an unprecedentedly high percentage of Americans—81 percent—believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, the Republicans are headed for a major defeat this coming November. If this is the case, it can only be because the American voter translates ‘headed in the wrong direction’ as ‘because the Republicans have had their way, so it’s time to let the Democrats have theirs.’ That should not be the case. I count myself as one of the 81 percent who believes America is headed in the wrong direction, and that is precisely why I am voting Republican. Moreover, I suspect I am not alone among the 81 percent in ascribing the wrong track to the leftist, not the conservative, influence on American life. ... Perhaps most of the 81 percent think that ‘wrong direction’ means, among many other things, the following: Forty years of left-wing control of the news media, of Hollywood, of the public schools, of the universities and of nearly every big city government have nearly ruined those institutions. Forty years of a litigation explosion has had terrible social and economic effects... Multiculturalism is destroying the concept of an American culture and people. Obama and the Democrats even opposed declaring English as America’s national language. So 81 percent of Americans are right. We are on the wrong track. But the future of America entirely depends on what track it is most Americans think is wrong.”

What do you think is the "wrong direction"...and WHY?

Democrat Meddling When “Mr. President” is a Republican

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It adds up to much more than mere “tolerance” for their friends the communists, tyrants, drug smugglers, and terrorists.

by Tina Grazier

Nancy Pelosi’s recent “surprise” (and uninvited) visit to Iraq represents her second foray into the world of diplomacy…and it’s NOT in her job description. It represents yet another example of the meddling tactics that some congressional democrats use to undermine sensitive diplomatic negotiations, operations, and policy of republican presidents. The danger this poses to Americans and American credibility around the world is not something to be taken lightly. The utter pomposity and ego it takes to assume the responsibilities of other elected officials, as well as effectively sidestepping the will of congress, is astounding and we should not let individual leaders get away with this egregious behavior. Congress and the president represent the voice of the American people; the decisions they make should not be usurped by individual congressmen who decide to take matters into their own hands.

I Want to Pay More At the Pump!

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by Jack "I got too much money" Lee

The rising cost of gasoline is hitting some people really hard, even in Saudi Arabia. The latest pump price there has climbed to about 92 cents a gallon! In Venezuela the pump price is a bit more realistic; it's about 20 cents a gallon. But, keep in mind overall this is terrible news for the fragile economies of these poor 3rd world nations and we should try to do something to help. Maybe we could subsidize their pump prices to take some of the sting out of it?

Thanks to the American Congress we are effectively doing just that! Yes my friends Congress deserves a lot of credit for shifting our wealth and using the gas pumps to do it. First, they have been very successful at keeping American oil safely out of the hands of polluters like you and me and in the ground where it belongs. I feel pretty good about that don't you? Like stop me before I pollute again! lol Seriously, we American consumers understand that it's far more important to focus on the real problem facing all of us today, global warming!

Global warming, that's exactly why we must teach our children to avoid carbon fuels and educate the world that burning dino fuel is evil. Just like the people who drive big SUV's. SUV's, that's another problem and another reason why we gladly pay our "fair share" at the pump so we can punish those who are fuelish over-consumers driving gas guzzling SUV's. Unfortunately, pump prices are only about $4 a gallon today, which seems way too low considering the vast wealth of us every day Americans, especially when compared to the poverty stricken people in lesser countries like Kuwait where gasoline is a whopping 40 cents a gallon.

Do you have any idea what forty cents means to the average Kuwaiti? They need help people!

Again, let me say in contrast to these poor little countries we Americans have too much surplus money and we should be eager to pay far more at the pumps if that will help shift the wealth and bring ying and yang into balance. I'm not exactly sure what that means, be I hear it a lot at the head shop so it must be right. Anyway, thanks to our Congress, a good deal of our filthy surplus money is being diverted to needy Arab nations where it will be put to

Matrimonial Advice from a Considerate Husband

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It is important for men to remember that, as women grow older, it becomes harder for them to maintain the same quality of housekeeping as when they were younger. When you notice this, try not to yell at them. Some are oversensitive, and there's nothing worse than an oversensitive woman.

My name is Richard. Let me relate how I handled the situation with my wife, Emma.

Since I retired several years ago, it has become necessary for Emma to get a full-time job along with her part-time job, both for extra income and for the health benefits that we needed.

UPDATE: Dan Logue and The Farm Seizure

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Submitted by Tim Clark...

Logue claims to have met with Rice family at 6 specific meetings...BUT, official meeting records prove otherwise.

(Marysville) - Dan Logue says he met with the Rice family 6 specific times when he pushed through an eminent domain seizure of their farm. Logue used this so-called "fact" to respond to the Rice's telling their story about the seizure.

The problem for Dan Logue is that, according to official minutes of these public meetings, he was absent 5 of the 6 meetings, and his attendance cannot be confirmed for the 6th, where he is recorded neither speaking to the Rice's nor commenting on any other issue. Dan Logue has refused to comment about the discrepancy between his claims and the actual public record.

In the spirit of fairness if Mr. Logue wishes to respond he will have the same space as we've given this article

Sad Celebrity Death - I knew Him Well

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Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community.

The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers.

He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 350 for about 20 minutes. (glad he wasn't cremated) Maybe he will rise from the grave?

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ICE CREAM STORE - SHUBERTS

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ABC news - Tucked away in Northern California, Shubert's Ice Cream and Candy has been a Chico institution since it's founding in 1938, with four generations of the Shubert family still running the shop today. Shubert's still hand-makes all of its ice cream and candy, using local ingredients delivered weekly from family-owned farms surrounding Chico. The shop's signature flavor is Chico Mint, a unique twist on your traditional mint chocolate chip ice cream — featuring chocolate ice cream with mint candies, both made by hand on location. They are now in the top four for America's best scoop of ice cream. Click here to cast your vote for Shubert's of Chico!

ELECTIONS - Do You Have Any Helpful Suggestions?

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How can we improve on our elections and encourage more good candidates to run for office?

Here are a few of my ideas for state office:

1. Filing fee should be .075% of the annual salary.

2. Filing fee must accompany at least 200 qualifying signatures.

Fair Political Practices?

| 1 Comment

by Jack Lee

Imagine you are applying for a government job and you are standing in the applicants line when the big boss comes out and talks to an old friend in this line and takes him into his office. He offers his friend the benefit of

Words of Wisdom - "DUST"

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from TinmanB

woman1.bmpRemember...a layer of dust protects the Wood beneath it.

'A house becomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture ...'

I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over'

Finally I realized one day that no-one came over; they were all out living life and having fun!

NOW, when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home .

They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun.

If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short. Enjoy it!

Funny Campaign Button

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commies.jpg

Debate in Toronto: Resolved “GOP Keeps Us Safe”

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Posted by Tina

“Debate this: GOP keeps us safe,” by Peter Worthington – Toronto Sun

Next Monday, the inaugural Munk Debate takes place at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum on the issue: "Be it resolved that the world is a safer place with a Republican in the White House." ** What makes this significant is the quality of the four debaters -- and prospects of the most unusual U.S. presidential election in the lives of most of us. ** In favour of the motion are Charles Krauthammer of the Washington Post who radiates common sense, knowledge and realism, and Niall Ferguson, a revisionist historian who supported the war in Iraq, opposed the 2004 re-election of George Bush. ** Opposing the resolution is former U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke who brokered the Dayton peace accords in Bosnia, and urged military action against Saddam Hussein "Not only because he possesses the potential for weapons of mass destruction, but because of the very nature of his regime . . . a clear and present danger at all times." ** His debating partner is Samantha Power, Irish-born Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and foreign policy specialist who favours armed intervention to prevent genocide and humanitarian crises. She resigned as foreign policy adviser to Barrack Obama after calling Hillary Clinton a "monster." If Obama becomes president, she is mentioned as cabinet material.

So, what do you think? Is the world safer with a republican in the White House?

Let Me Make This Clear

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ours.jpg

A Tribute on Armed Forces Day

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"There are only two forces who have offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American military.”

Posted by Tina

A few days ago we had an exchange on Post Scripts when Lisa posted comments against the war in Iraq. Lisa generously shared with us that her father had been killed in the Iraq war. She shared the bitterness she feels toward those who support the war and confessed she hoped she could learn to forgive them. When I saw the following story I thought about the brave men and women who risk their lives in military service to our country but I also thought about Lisa and about the millions of others who have sacrificed loved ones so that others might be freed from oppression, subjugation, torture and death. I hope Mr. Knudsen doesn’t mind my editing of his beautiful story…and I hope it brings comfort to those who have sacrificed so much to know that we honor the memory of those who have fallen.

Please take the time to read the entire story…it’s about one man’s journey to discover more about his real father, a soldier who gave his life at Normandy during WWII, after his 18th birthday when his mother revealed the truth about his birth:

“Kirkland man's journey to find father brings past to life,” by Bill Knudsen

Your real dad's name is Bill Cuthbert. You are named after him; he was killed in the Second World War. He was a navigator on a B-24 bomber and his plane was shot down over France on April 20, 1944, when you were just about 6 months old. He is buried in the American Cemetery in Normandy, France. Then your stepdad and I met in late 1945 and we were married in 1946. That is also the same year that he adopted you and we made a commitment to raise you as our son together."

SNEAKY POLITICS - I HATE IT

| 6 Comments

By Jack Lee

An open letter reply to Steve Thompson, et al,, Chairman of the Butte County Republican Party and others, who recently wrote in to Post Scripts. His letter can be seen below in comments:

Dear Mr. Chairman,

With all due respect to your position and as a former Chairman myself, let me say that I’m disappointed, but not surprised that you have not addressed my concerns made earlier. Let me recap so you can't easily avoid them:

1. Assemblyman Keene entered into a "private" arrangement with Dan Logue to succeed him. That is, he quietly selected Mr. Logue and this was done according to Mr. Keene's own statement where he freely admitted that it was done several years in advance of this current election. Call it a backroom deal, a quid pro quo arrangement, or whatever; the fact is he did it and I have a problem with such an early selection. This selecting a successor business short circuits the routine election process.

2. By quietly picking his own successor and getting all the election details lined up and ready to go, this arrangement greased the election for one guy, Dan Logue. That shouldn't happen. He was given the authority and prestige of Mr. Keene's high office to get all the support and money he needed to the chagrin of all other challengers. I guess this is why many of Keene's deep pocket contributors are the same for Logue, but that should not surprise anyone; this is all part of the game plan. This is the kind of strong advantage usually reserved ONLY for incumbents and it's why incumbents are so hard to dislodge once the get into office, they have all the advantages of money and notoriety and this is why the voters approved term limits.

Do you deny this is a huge advantage for a new candidate like Mr. Logue, so much so that there is no longer a level playing field?

3. By using the prestige and the good works of his own office and even his own staff to support and bring along his [chosen successor] he is handing off the baton, keeping other candidates at bay and forming a future alliance all at once. It's in theory a win-win for himself and Mr. Logue. Do you deny any of this?

4. Further, an incumbent choosing his own successor has the effect of not just discouraging the competition, it also restrains all the new ideas that come with a field of new candidates. Would you deny this is true Mr. Chairman?

5. The name of the game is.... money. Money equals power and power equals money. It’s that simple.

This not a bad situation, it's a terrible situation and we need reform to restore equal opportunity to our elections. The high cost of just running for office is a real big problem because a candidate almost can't get elected... unless they take the big money and that comes with a lot of risk for them and for us voters. Just look at all the special interest legislation in California! They all do it, the republicans and democrats and the longer they stay in office the more addicted they get to the money!

It's why politicians never stop money raising from their first day on the job. Raising money has become too much of what it means to be a good legislator. Taking in money and wriiting legislation is a dangerous combination. Would you deny this?

Mr. Keene, the outgoing incumbent, still has a whopping $220,559.19 in his "Friends of Rick Keene" fund and his "Rick Keene for Election" fund shows $647,957.29 ...as of 03/17/2008. And he's not even running for anything...yet.

6. But, the comical part is you people say I'm not a good republican because I won't play along with this stuff and I want people to know about it? Again, with all due respect Mr. Chairman (and your tag team), in the real world most people think just like me and if you don't think so you are out of touch.

Voters are tired of the games and sick of the special interests that buy off politicians and buy our elections. We want no non-sense legislation that place us before the special interests!

In summary: I'm making an ethical stand for what I believe and I wish more republicans would do the same. If they did maybe this party would not be in such a mess. How many more races do we lose before you guys get it?

We need to stand on principle, ethics and ideas and turn this into action! This is what made our party great and the lack of it will surely be our demise!

In case you have not noticed, we have failed our voter base in California and lost all but a super majority in the state legislature. Congress is next and the Presidency is at risk. When what we are doing ISN'T working and our ethics are in question it's time for a change and that means we backtrack to those days when we really stood for something! Principles, ethics and ideas...then we act swifty to make those words into action!

Hugo Chavez for “Change”

| 4 Comments

Posted by Tina

“Chávez envisions US as partner in fighting injustice,” by Martin Baron – Boston Globe

President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela had just wrapped up a press conference, extravagant in its theatrics, where he denounced an Interpol report that authenticated documents linking his government to rebels in neighboring Colombia. That lasted four hours, and then he extended a surprise invitation to a delegation of American newspaper editors on a "fact-finding mission" to Venezuela: Perhaps we can spend 10 to 15 minutes together over coffee? ** I beg for forgiveness if in my speech I've hurt any feelings back in the States. I ask for forgiveness. When I speak about the United States, I do not refer to the people, to the citizens. I refer to the elite that is governing the United States - and not even referring to all of the elite governing the United States. Because we have friends among the elite governing the US. The economic elite, we have friends. We have friends among the cultural elite of the United States . . . Danny Glover. Kevin Spacey came over here. Sean Penn. Those are my friends, close friends . . . And when they come over here, they say what they like and what they don't like. And we still are friends. And that's what we want. We want to be friends. And I hope that with the new government we can then open new space for exchange - and discuss. It would be a lie if I say I have no preference. However, I don't want to take this personal, and take this candidate or that candidate . . . I shouldn't say anything that might be used against someone. I'd rather be careful and see things from a distance. Our preference would be that whoever is elected, we might start immediately with some exchange. It is through talking we can then come closer and share and compare our views and then reach an agreement. ** I remember when I met George Bush for the first time. It was in Canada during the Summit of the Americas. We shook hands. And I said to him, with a lot of spontaneity and sincerity - and I know very little English - but I said this [in English]: I want to be your friend . . . I was hopeful for about 20 minutes. ** I would love, for instance, to be able to work with the United States, together, and other countries as well, regardless of the ideology, to work in the field of health, for instance, infant mortality, food production. In Latin America, we have 19 million malnourished people . . . Haiti, this is a disaster. Children that die of hunger. Education. So many things that we can do together. Forget about the complexity of ideology. No matter how we think, there's a world waiting for us to tackle injustices. So I wish we can do that together. Well, if we couldn't do all that, at least we can sit down and talk. ** What I am about to say might seem an exaggeration to you. But if the world had to choose a president - a president that could address the problems of the world, a president to lead the world, a president with the powers to do that - Fidel would be the man. Perhaps he's not the only one. . . . He's a machine, a human machine to solve problems, (with) a huge analytical capacity to analyze things and look for solutions to problems. I truly love him as a father, and it doesn't bother me to say so.

After reading the entire article I have to say this again: it isn’t that the whole world hates America, or our President…it’s that hard line revolutionaries, socialists, communists and terrorists hate America. It’s a lot easier to run drugs, oppress people, make illegal deals with UN officials, nationalize businesses, take over private property, etc. when America is governed by weak, appeasing, accomodating, like-minded friends. Remarks made by Hugo Chavez mirror those made by many democrats and leftists in America. (also quite a few terrorists in the world) The “change” Hugo Chavez desires in our leadership is change for which he feels a strong kinship…just like the kinship he has with Fidel Castro, Sean Penn, Danny Glover and Kevin Spacey. In the case of the president... who might that be?

Please vote wisely in November…I don’t want to live in a country that mimics third world dictators and thugs.

Speaking Truth to Jackasses

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The donkeys always seem to get it wrong

Posted by Tina

President Bush yesterday characterized Capitol Hill Democrats as hypocrites for demanding that Saudi Arabia pump more oil while blocking attempts to increase domestic drilling in such places as Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico. ** ''Those who are screaming the loudest for increased production from Saudi Arabia are the very same people who are fighting the fiercest against domestic exploration, against the development of nuclear power and against expanding refining capacity'' - Washington Times

AP Buries Madam Speaker's Remarks

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Posted by Tina

“Iraq detains 1,000 in anti-al-Qaida crackdown,” by Lee Keath, AP

This article from the AP has a little gem buried deep within the text. Neither it’s title nor it's beginning paragraph offer the slightest clue as to what 's buried deep within. Here's how the story begins:

BAGHDAD - Nearly 1,000 people have been detained in a sweep to break al-Qaida in Iraq's sway in Iraq's third largest city, Mosul, but many of the fighters have fled to nearby areas, where troops are hunting for them, Iraqi officials said Saturday.

But if you scan down to the 18th paragraph you'll find a few words about Nancy Pelosi’s recent trip to Iraq and the successes she discovered about Iraq and the success of the surge:

The prime minister (of Iraq) returned to Baghdad from Mosul — where he has been overseeing the crackdown — to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who made a surprise visit to Iraq on Saturday. ** Pelosi, a top Democratic critic of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, expressed confidence that expected provincial elections will promote national reconciliation. ** ** "We're assured the elections will happen here, they will be transparent, they will be inclusive and they will take Iraq closer to the reconciliation we all want it to have," said Pelosi. She also met with Iraq's parliament speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker and Gen. David Petraeus, the top American commander in Iraq.

Puleeease! "Reconcilliation we all want it to have"? She hasn't wanted reconcilliation...she has wanted to abandon the Iraqi people and force our troops to come home with their heads hung low. Democrats have been extremely critical of the Iraq war, President Bush, General David Petreaus, the Surge, and the Iraqi government. They have held hearings and threatened lawsuits and censure. They have done little to aid the war effort and a great deal to undermine it. Empty, “but we support the troops” pleas just don't mean squat in the larger picture.

Could it be that she will now posture to take some measure of credit for our victory...wil lshe attempt to smooth and soothe the rough, deep and ragged cuts her party has inflicted regarding the war...does she wish to scrub the egg from the faces of democrats in Congress as we head toward the election in November?

Note to the AP: This is an election year. Ms Pelosi's sudden awakening... this "should have had a V-8" momment by the person who is third in line to the Presidency...should warrant a headline and story of it’s own. Get busy!

It’s an Election Year…Lets Compare Tax Burdens

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Posted by Tina

The money we earn belongs to us…it is our property. Higher fuel and food costs are placing greater burdens on family budgets. This is a poor time to put the democrats in charge of tax policy. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have grand ambitions for taking more of what we earn, more of our property, to cover pet projects and their socialist agenda. One simple option for raising our taxes doesn’t even require passing new law…they can simply let the Bush tax laws expire.

The following comparison is from the Tax Foundation Blog:


Tax Bracket--------Burden/Bill Clinton--------Relief/G W Bush (2008)

Single making 30K-------tax $8,400---------------------tax $4,500

Single making 50K-------tax $14,000--------------------tax $12,500

Single making 75K-------tax $23,250--------------------tax $18,750


Married making 60K-----tax $16,800--------------------tax $9,000

Married making 75K-----tax $21,000--------------------tax $18,750

Married making 125K---tax $38,750--------------------tax $31,250

Both democratic presidential candidates will return to the higher tax rates

It is amazing how many people that fall into the categories above think Bush is screwing them and Bill Clinton was the greatest President ever.

The Tax Foundation Homepage has tax statistics going back to 1913.

A Counter Point for Mr. Dan Logue

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The following was received from Cliff Wagner, an employee for Mr. Keene who supports and endorses Mr. Logue. Here is Mr. Wagners information forwarded on behalf of Mr. Logue:

In the interest of full disclosure, I would ask that you post Logue's Press Release, which preceded Tim Clark's missive on Horne's behalf.

A remotely objective reader will note significant differences in tone and content.
May 14, 2008

Deceitful Horne Mailer Gets Facts Wrong

Logue Demands Apology

Poll

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John McCain was your choice in our weekend poll. "Who would be most likely to use nukes in war" Clinton, McCain, Obama or none of the above, but you would!"


Support For McClintock

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Submitted for your consideration by Aaron Park

Republicans lost Congress in 2006 because of Out-of-Control Spending and our open borders.

Republican voters stayed home while Democrats had a field day.

Now Millionaire Liberal Former Congressman Doug Ose has migrated to a Conservative District in hopes of continuing the majority-destroying tradition of Washington D.C. insiders.

In a last desperate attempt to regain power, Doug Ose has added $700,000 to the already $890,000 he has spent. Despite promising to only serve three terms in Congress, Ose kept $500,000 in a campaign account and tossed aside that promise, filing to run again four years later.

Thoughts About Elections

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(In particular...Thoughts About The 3rd Dist. Assembly Election)
by Jack Lee

Thoughts About The 3rd Dist. Assembly Election)
by Jack Lee

It's no secret that after due investigation and consideration I decided to back Sue Horne-R for Assembly District 3. I did it because she is the best choice and for no other reason.

This assembly district represents most of Chico and over half of Butte County and many key counties that overlap into Sam Aanested's Senate District. Sam’s is termed out soon, hold that thought. The assembly seat here is currently occupied by Rick Keene-R. Rick who is also being termed out and hold that thought too, this will all become clear soon.

Rick, the incumbent, and Sue the candidate are closely aligned on many issues and that's the good part for us conservatives. We know who she is and what she stands for and Ricks done a good job in the Assembly too.
Rick Keene and Sue Horne look like a winning pair, but then you have to wonder, so why is Rick backing Dan Logue from the Oliverhurst area? Logue and Keene seem like an odd pair? Logue is a big shot real estate developer. He was also the first candidate to go on the attack early in this campaign to destroy his rival, Sue Horne. So, why would Keene be hanging with a guy who is pulling all sorts of tricks to win this election? It was Dan Logue who was trying to manipulate Republican Central Committees to get early endorsements. Why would

Dan Logue - A Bad Choice for Assembly?

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Re-posted by permission of the author...

Dirty Dan' Logue Caught In Lies About Eminent Domain Seizure

Logue Still Refuses to Meet with or Apologize to Rice Family for Farm Seizure!

(Yuba County) - Dirty campaigner Dan Logue blatantly lied about key facts in his news release yesterday that attempted to refute the story of the Rice family, whose farm Logue seized through the use of Eminent Domain.

Posted by Tina

…conservatism is alive and well in America; don’t let anyone tell you differently. And by conservatism, I don’t mean the warmed-over “raise your hand if you believe …” kind of conservatism we see blooming every election cycle. No, I’m speaking of the conservatism grounded in principles based upon enduring truths: an understanding of the importance of human nature in the affairs of individuals and nations. Respect for the lessons of history, the importance of faith and tradition. The understanding that while man is prone to err, he is capable of great things when not subjugated by a too-powerful government. These are the principles that inspired our Founding Fathers, and resulted in a Constitution that delineated the powers of the central government, established checks and balances among the branches of government and further diffused governmental power by a system of Federalism.

Read his full article, “The Place to Discuss Our Fundamental Principles” on Townhall.com

Ibrahim Alloush Recommends Terrorists Go Nuclear

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Posted by Tina

There are many opinions expressed about situations and there are historians who differ in perspective and analysis. This, however, is current and comes straight from the horses mouth:

Jordanian Professor Advocates Suicide Terrorists Use Nuke Bombs," by Hana Levi Julian – Israel National News

Jordanian University lecturer Ibrahim Alloush recommended on Al-Jazeera television this week that suicide bombers be equipped with small nuclear bombs. According to a transcript provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Dr. Alloush said, "Whoever managed to get a martyrdom-seeker into Dimona, should consider how to get martyrdom-seekers into Dimona and elsewhere armed with non-conventional explosives - and perhaps even small nuclear bombs," he stated. "We should think in this direction."

(The Negev Nuclear Research Center, is located about 10 kilometers southeast of Dimona, in Israel. Dimona is the site of a suicide bombing last February that killed just one person thanks to an alert police officer.)

Our News As Seen Through British Eyes

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by Richard C. Cook

Now in 2008 the three remaining presidential candidates are all compromised. Hillary Clinton, with her husband Bill, have long been servitors of that branch of the international financial elite headquartered on Wall Street in New York City . Recently, Republican candidate John McCain traveled to do homage to Israel , then attended a soiree with the Fourth Baron Rothschild in London.

By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, International Business Editor
13/May/2008

The avalanche of bankruptcies has begun. Six US companies of substance have defaulted on bonds over the past fortnight, against 17 for the whole of last year.

As a "non-believer" in the instant rebound story, I am not easily shocked by gloomy reports. But the latest note by Standard & Poor's -

Quote of the week

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“We, the members of the New Republican Party, believe that the preservation and enhancement of the values that strengthen and protect individual freedom, family life, communities and neighborhoods and the liberty of our beloved nation should be at the heart of any legislative or political program presented to the American people... Our task now is not to sell a philosophy, but to make the majority of Americans, who already share that philosophy, see that

Same Pill Different Labels

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topNews.jpgBy Mark Alexander

08-20 Digest - The Grand Old Party looks, and acts, like the Going Out Party.

After losing three congressional special elections in as many months, in what were assumed to be “Republican” districts, some Republicans are finally waking up to the fact that they have squandered the Reagan legacy and consequently, are about to be relegated to the minority status wasteland they occupied for five decades after WWII.

Republicans lost House Speaker Denny Hastert’s Illinois seat, Rep. Richard Baker’s Louisiana seat, and this week Roger Wicker’s seat in a very conservative Mississippi district. Notably, President George W. Bush carried all three of these districts in 2004.

Gay Marriage Victory in California

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AP - SAN FRANCISCO---- Even as same-sex couples across California begin making plans to tie the knot, opponents are redoubling their efforts to make sure wedding bells never ring for gay couples in the nation's most populous state.

BUSH MAKES A GREAT SPEECH! (Finally)

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by Jack Lee

In my book ol "W" hit a homer with his last speech delivered in Israel about appeasement with the enemy.

The President said in a clear and confident tone: "Some (meaning Obama) seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along.

Now A Word From Our Sponsor

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(advertisement)

HHOJUNK.jpg

Save Big Money On Gas or Diesel

Get 30,40, 50% or more MPG's!

SAVE - SAVE - SAVE!


Average Savings: $500 per month or more!

Fuel Device Scam and a Quick Surprise Ending!

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by Jack Lee

Ok, so you may have read earlier that I'm doing sort of an expose' ad on ebay regarding these quack HHO generators that promise 50% of more better mileage by using water to produce hydrogen gas aka Brown's gas. In case you are just joining us, this is quackery based on an old science project. However, fuel prices have brought out a lot of quacks trying to turn a fast buck by any means and using the Brown's gas experiment to make false mileage claims was just their ticket to new riches! Now they are selling these HHO kits openly on eBay and there are pages and pages of the HHO devices for sale with all sorts of wild and unsupportable claims!

Apparently eBay doesn't restrict them or hasn't caught on to the fact these devices are scams.

If you want to see some of the angry comments I got from the fraudsters, please click this link. it's amazing to see the level of vitriol shared among these fraudsters. However, they also share one other thing and this can be found on almost any other scam, from diet pills to hair restorers... they never offer any credible proof done by an independent testing laboratory. It's always just testimonials which is totally worthless.

(UPDATE) eBay has responded to my consumer complaint to ban the above items and quickly moved into action! (Drum roll please...). I suppose they must have been operating under the theory "let no good deed go unpunished"...because these dorks banned MOI... me, the consumer advocate, me the guy trying to expose this fraud. Arrrgggg!!! The times must be tough for eBay and they had six pages of fraud items to be sold and only ONE consumer watchdog crying foul, so money talks and justice gets the heave ho into the #@$% ...I kid you not. The Pinheads have won!

Seems my ad was in some sort of "technical violation" because I was only offering an email follow-up with further information on the quack devices and of course I had a disclaimer not to buy it because basically I said what everyone needed to know already in my ad exposing the HHO quackery. One of my fouler critics who was selling these bogus things emailed me to say good-bye, adding insult to well you know. What a bummer.

OK, he who laughs last...I,, your crusading advocate ala Don Quixote, would-be Champion for Consumer Justice, shall NOT be undaunted! I will move on to Plan B and tilt at the ultimate windmill!!! And like a snow flake falling in Hades I will challenge the odds with my weapon of last retort, one that will surely NOT strike much fear into the dark hearts of these eBay fraudsters, yet it is my only choice left...I shall file a formal complaint with the Dept. of Consumer Affairs for the State of California! I have "infinite trust" our decreped civil servants will work (perhaps thats the wrong verb...work?) not-too-diligently to maybe, possibly, right a wrong on behalf of TRUTH, JUSTICE AND AMERICAN ADVERTISING! And I will watch for a successful outcome even as the calendar years will surely tick-off like the minutes on my grandfather clock and report back to you.

Israel Part II- A Look At Issues and History

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by Jack Lee

"No two historians ever agree on what happened, and the damn thing is they both think they're telling the truth." Harry S. Truman.

History will always be subject to the manipulations of someone. On the internet many accounts are published in an effort to convince as opposed to inform. However, the truth is out here and if you look for several unbiased sources you'll probably get as close to accurate as is humanly possible. This very brief account of a story that is thousands of years old and it may be impossible to do it justice, but it may be helpful as a starting point with the barest of facts.

The Jewish Kingdoms of Ancient Judah and Israel

"The archeological record indicates that the Jewish people evolved out of native Cana'anite peoples and invading tribes. Some time between about 1800 and 1500 B.C., it is thought that a Semitic people called Hebrews (hapiru) left Mesopotamia and settled in Canaan. Canaan was settled by different tribes including Semitic peoples, Hittites, and later Philistines, peoples of the sea who are thought to have arrived from Mycenae, or to be part of the ancient Greek peoples that also settled Mycenae.

The Arab-Israli Conflict-A History Lesson

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Posted by Tina

I’m always delighted when I find an article that relates to comments made to Post Scripts by one of our friends. Today Walter was kind enough to express his thoughts about Palestinians who are providing “get out the vote” support for Barack Obama.

I’d like to share this article (which illuminates the historical perspective) from the American Thinker:

“Triple Cross: How Britain Created the Arab-Israel Conflict,” by Rachel Neuwirth

Outside of the Muslim countries, no press in the world is as biased, as unfair, and as dishonest and vindictive towards Israel as the British press. The BBC and the newspapers The Guardian and The Independent take the lead in relentlessly vilifying the Jewish state, but Sky News, Reuters, The Economist and numerous other major media outlets do not lag far behind them in their race to see which can defame and malign Israel the most. Israel is incessantly castigated as an imperialist and colonialist power whose people stole their country from its "indigenous" and rightful owners, the "Palestinians."

Is Post Scripts Too High Brow?

| 4 Comments

by Jack Lee

Despite consistently being in the top three most popular blogs, the ER only infrequently prints excerpts from our "national" news articles and instead defers to the other blogs with their hometown stories. This would be entirely consistent with the overall theme of the paper which is geared to the local story, however, I have to wonder has Post Scripts become a victim of our own penchant for a conservative view of national news or is there a little leftwing bias rearing it's head somewhere within the staff thats sorts out the Blog Log excerpts for print on Monday? If it was all based on ratings you would think we would be in there every week!

Danes Estimate Price Tag for Global Warming Edicts

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Are you sure you want to buy into this nonesense?

Posted by Tina

To celebrate the McCain Oregon Global Warming Love-in I thought I’d post this story from the Guardian, UK. I’ll let you read the article at your leasure...the point I found most remarkable is this:

The annual cost of an increase in renewable energy of less than 20% (18 percentage points) - and five years later, by 2025 - will be more than €2.5bn. And the benefit? If Denmark sticks to this decision throughout the rest of this century, it will spend more than €200bn to postpone global warming by five days.

2oo Billion Euro’s for five widdle days. Whoa…why isn’t anyone bothered by government profiteering? At least with gasoline and heating and cooling you get a product...an actual benefit...and you can indulge per your own priorities and budget. Find the article here:

“Money for nothing,” by Bjorn Lomborg


Good “Food Shortage” News

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Posted by Tina

Kabul - Afghan farmers hope to capitalise on soaring food costs by growing wheat instead of poppy crops, with the fall in heroin prices further fuelling the switch. The price of a tonne of wheat in Afghanistan has almost trebled this year, causing acute food shortages. A changeover of crops has begun in key agricultural regions ** He said a significant increase in wheat crops is expected from next year's harvest. ''The high price of commodities has encouraged farmers to switch from poppy cultivation to wheat. - Guardian (UK)

Funny how opportunity, and the chance to make a buck, can change things.

Newt Says Blame Left Wing Democrats

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Posted by Tina

“The Politicians' Energy Crisis -- And Its Cure,” by Newt Gingrich

For decades left-leaning politicians have advocated higher prices and less energy. They were going to save the environment by punishing Americans into driving less and driving smaller cars. Now their policies have succeeded with a vengeance. ** The very left wing politicians who favored a policy of no oil and gas exploration, no use of coal, no development of nuclear power, and no aggressive development of new technologies are now panic-stricken that their policies of higher prices have led to higher prices. ** And now the same shortsighted, dishonest politicians who created the crisis are blaming everyone but themselves for the crisis. Because they refuse to be honest about the policies which led to this crisis, they can't be honest about the policies that will lead us out of it. ** The politicians want scapegoats. The American people just want solutions.

As always Newt doesn’t come to the discussion as an empty suit:

Palestinians for Obama

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Posted by Tina

Here’s an al-Jazeera news report, posted on You tube, on Palestinians in Gaza who are phonebanking in support of Barack Obama's campaign.

REPORTER: It may be hard to believe, but working in this tiny Internet cafe in Gaza City may just be one of Barack Obama's biggest fans. ** Before every U.S. primary, 23-year-old Ibrahim Abu Jayyab gathers 17 of his friends to try and rally support for Obama's campaign in the U.S. ** So why does a young Palestinian living in Gaza spend so much of his time and money on an election thousands of miles away? ** ABU JAYYAB: [translated] It all started at the time of the U.S. primaries. After studying Obama's electoral campaign manifesto, I thought, 'this is a man that is capable of change inside America.' As for potential change in the Middle East, he can also do that. I think he can bring peace to the area, or at least this is what we hope. ** REPORTER: And the game plan? Ibrahim and his friends call random numbers in the U.S. before every primary to deliver one simple message: ABU JAYYAB: [in English] Elect Senator Obama. I will change. I will achieve... the justice in the Middle East.

Hat tip: CampaignSpot at NRO

Australia’s Bid to Prosecute Ahmadinejad

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Posted by Tina

The Rudd Government is preparing a case to take Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to the International Court of Justice for ''inciting genocide'' and denying the Jewish Holocaust. Australia is the only nation pursuing Iran's despotic leader, who has threatened to ''wipe Israel off the map'', through international laws. (Snip) ''The alternative to not using these international legal mechanisms is considering wholesale invasion of countries, which itself involves, obviously, expense but more relevantly, of course, the potential for significant loss of life'' - The Australian

This probably will go nowhere fast, so to speak, but I solute the Australians for their effort.

Metering Panhandlers

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Posted by Tina

San Francisco has a daunting homeless problem, as do most large cities. Their latest effort to deal with the problem of panhandling is pretty clever. It will allow people to assuage guilt and stroke compassion by giving to the bums on the street but the money will go to charities that help the homeless rather than the homeless person who would likely just buy drugs or booze with it. I doubt if it will do much to change the situation, however:

Rather than tossing loose change into a panhandler's empty cup, San Francisco officials want you instead to slide your spare quarters and nickels into a homeless meter. The city's latest attempt to deal with one of its most vexing problems will be announced in coming weeks in the form of 10 old parking meters installed in some of the most heavily panhandled areas... S.F. Chronicle

Lower Cost Gasoline In Mexico

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Post by Jack

Despite their high tax, the cost of gasoline in Mexico is still about 70 cents per gallon cheaper than here. Diesel is an average of 11% less than their regular and that is the real bargain. Here diesel costs more than premium which makes no sense at all. In Mexico gas stations sell fuel at the same price anywhere in the country, it's a fixed commodity.

Almost anywhere in the US the pump price is going to be less than it is here in California. You will actually get a better fuel and thus better MPG if you buy Oregon gasoline. Our California formulation makes for lousy gasoline and you can thank our environmentalist lobby for that too. Remember the MTBE fiasco? That stuff caused pollution and cost more and it didn't help anything. It was a total waste of money. This is small stuff compared to the real rip off, please read on:

Extortion Pays

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How To Play Terrorism

| 1 Comment

by Homer P. Simpson

Terrorism works only as long as you have targets, but when you've run out of targets and killed everybody that ever stood in your way and there is nobody left to kill, then your great victory is complete. Game over and now you are all alone...D'oh!

Argument Etiquette or the Gall of some Cheese d---s!

| 15 Comments

By John Freitas

Say you’re a liberal; we already know that you know far better than us regular folks, what is best for us.

We know your superior intellect outsmarts usins ever time!

We don’t even hardly notice when you ignore the content of an argument, that you can’t apparently refute, and instead attack us for jus listnen to Rush Limbaugh or sum other conservative. Or call us “skunks” or idjets or

Selling the FairTax

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Posted by Tina

There's a great idea for selling the FairTax. Buy the book....read the book...carry the book wherever you go and...talk to fellow Americans. As the following article shows it can be an entertaining experience that really has the potential to make a difference!

“Nothing is Certain but Death and the FairTax,” by Mike S. Adams

“Dr. Adams, you probably aren’t even reading that book. You’re just trying to provoke a debate.”
Of course, I really was reading the book but it gave me a very good idea. I decided to keep carrying it with me everywhere for a week after I finished reading it just to see whether that would be a good way of provoking debate on the issue. The very next day it produced the following exchange with a flat tax supporter:

Supporter of the Flat Tax of Yesterday (SOFTY): Sorry, I support the flat tax.

Adams: How often do you change your underwear?

House Democrats Dirty Tricks

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Over 100 Republicans walked out!

Posted by Tina


“HUMAN EVENTS Exclusive: Boss Hoyer to Take the Stand,” by Jed Babbin

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md) will testify tomorrow afternoon in an unprecedented hearing before the Select Committee investigating how the Democrats violated House rules to produce a fraudulent result on August 2, 2007. ** Tuesday’s hearing before the “Select Committee to Investigate the Voting Irregularities of

OK…How About Abortion?

| 2 Comments

Posted by Tina

Ever since California voters became the first in the nation to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, the state has faced unyielding opposition from the federal government, which insists it has the power to prohibit a drug it

So You Hated Congressional Spending…

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…and decided to punish the republican by tossing the bums out…

by Tina Grazier

Conservative voters are in a pickle. We hate BIG wasteful government. So what have we gained by switching parties, voting for the other guy, or just refusing to participate? We have NOT gotten smaller (or smarter) government. In fact, we have the threat of higher taxes and government that grows by leaps and bounds. The

Mother Nature’s Perfect Agenda

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Posted by Tina

Esquel - Volcanic ash raining down from the Chilean volcano Chaiten may cause long-term environmental damage and harm the health of people and animals in Patagonia, scientists said. Ash from the

Market Report

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From the WSJ

"One notable industrial giant missing from today’s 180-point bounce in the Dow Jones Industrial Average is General Electric Co. Since GE stumbled to its worst one-day loss since the October 1987 crash, the stock has been unable to dust itself off, even though other major industrial bellwethers and financial names have rebounded.

GE fell nearly 13% Friday after reporting a first-quarter profit that fell seven cents shy of analyst expectations. The stock has stagnated since, and on a day when 13 of the 30 Dow components have gained at least 2%, GE is up a mere 0.7%. "

Maybe if they would quite dealing with Iran investors would not be fleeing in droves.


ANOTHER STUPID, BUT TRUE STORY

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Posted by Jack

Ebay is selling a lot of the HHO generators with claims turning water into fuel and getting 40-50% more MPG... which is a total bogus claim of course. It ticked me off these fraudsters were getting away with selling these devices on eBay and making a ton of money cheating people.

Whaaa...USA Begs to Help "Their" People?!

| 2 Comments

Posted by Jack Lee

Until late yesterday the Burmese government refused our repeated offers of help for the disaster victims. We were practically begging to send them relief supplies and they were turning their backs on us. What little aid does get in must be repackaged so it looks like it came from the military junta or supplies are diverted to the black market to strengthen the Burmese regime.

Barrack Obama Rewrites Lessons From History

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by Jack Lee

"Those who have not learned from history are doomed to repeat it." It is an old saying that has been proved to our chagrin too many times in peace and war. Barrack Obama now joins an elite club of people refusing to learn from history when he said recently, "I trust the American people to understand that it is not weakness, but wisdom to talk not just to our friends, but to our enemies, like Roosevelt did, and Kennedy did, and Truman did."

Based on the above, Mr. Obama is not only rejecting history's lessons, he doesn't even know his history because he sure got it wrong!

Obama_oregon.jpgWhen FDR died and Truman took over he continued his policy of an unconditional surrender for Japan right to the end. He did not negotiate with Japan's zealot militarism which would have kept it alive and viable, he crushed it when he dropped the A-Bomb and that ended the war. A few

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Celebrating Moms

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ts.jpeg"To the world you might just be one person, but to one person you might just be the world." - ~Author Unknown~

Jack and Tina send a world of thanks and best wishes to all of you Moms...it's the hardest, yet most important job, you'll ever have.

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Columbia’s VP Talks Back to the Left

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Are you listening Pelosi and Reid…does it matter to you that Columbians are struggling against horrendous odds to remain a free democracy, allied to America, Canada, and the free world?

Posted by Tina

“Colombia's V-P dismisses rights criticism as left-wing bias,” by Mike Blanchfield, Canwest News Service

The Energy Front

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The next president will make decisions that will have broad consequences for the future of the American people…energy is in the forefront of this challenge.

by Tina Grazier

We are definitely living in unstable and confusing times. War and natural disasters challenge our resources and resolve and economic challenges follow as a natural course. Deep division has come to the forefront of politics, as

Not So Sharp Sharpton Owes Big Tax Bill

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Posted by Tina

NEW YORK -- Big corporations give him money. Presidential candidates seek his endorsement. He has influential friends in Congress and the governor's mansion. ** But he still carries baggage from his early days as a fire-breathing agitator: Government records obtained by The Associated Press indicate that Sharpton and his business entities owe nearly $1.5 million in overdue taxes and associated penalties.

This is one of those tax and spend democrats…but only with other people’s money, natch!

S.F. Has Stinkin’ Idea

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Posted by Tina

FOX news reports:

A group called the Presidential Memorial Commission of San Francisco has launched a ballot initiative that would rename a city sewage treatment plant the "George W. Bush Sewage Plant." A petition is being circulated that would put the measure up for a vote in November. If it passes, it will rename the city's Oceanside Treatment Plant for the 43rd president of the United States.

There must be a toxic waste dump somewhere we could name after the Nobel Prize winning Algore?

First Lady of Sorrow and Broken Souls?

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Posted by Tina

“Fear creates this veil of impossibility and it is hanging over all of our heads,” she recently said. “Only Barack Obama can fix America’s soul. Only Barack Obama can fix America’s broken soul.”

She looks out across America, all the way to the shores of Malibu, and all she can see is a nation of “broken souls”? Who does she think makes the country work? Who pays the trillions in taxes she’s so eager to help spend?
She also believes her husband has the power to fix souls. Isn’t that a bit too much of that “church and state” thing?

Who needs a First Lady with such a negative view of the people of this great nation? Who needs a First Lady with such a supernatural view of her mate?

Not this voter!

American Terrorist Recruitment

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Posted by Tina

Congress: Al-Qaeda Using Internet to Recruit Terrorists in the US

Using a video montage showing mass executions, bomb-making, and a promise to ''slit the throats of Americans and Jews,'' two U.S. lawmakers unveiled a report that says homegrown violent Islamic extremism poses an increasing threat to the safety of the American people. The bipartisan report by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs was unveiled by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) at a press conference. ** Lieberman said it was a mistake to underestimate the tactics being used by "the minority" of Muslims, who believe in jihad, or struggle, to create a caliphate, or global Islamic state. ** "The terrorists, who some still mistakenly dismiss as people living in caves, are as sophisticated in their communication abilities today as the very sophisticated members of this generation," Lieberman said. ** He said that sophistication includes the coordination of the message being disseminated to Americans through virtual clearinghouses. ** "Al Qaeda or allied violent Islamic organizations manage a multi-tiered online media operation consisting of several production units to create content with the core message used to recruit and train terrorists."

It’s not going away folks…no matter how many spells the witches of Code Pink cast to end the war.

Scene From Iraq

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army_mil.jpg

An Iraqi soldier poses for a picture during a combined mission with U.S. Soldiers in Mahmudiyah.

We're making progress, it's been slow, it's been fraught with frustrations, incompetence and corruption, but the boots on the ground have done an oustanding job and they deserve our support. Never forget that.

Here We Go Again - Running Your Car on Water?

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by Jack Lee

THE AD SAYS: Create your own water hybrid for under $150!

Did you know that you can convert your car to a water-burning car? You can run your car on water, supplemental to gasoline, to increase your car's fuel efficiency and reduce your fuel costs significantly.

Michigan Voices Just Keep Reporting In

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Posted by Jack

About a year ago we ran a story about Michigan State University and how their "PC" attitude was affecting the conservative and patriotic voices on campus. We've received many compliments about our story, but none that sums it up any better than this one and now we are humbled to present Gary's comments about our American Story:

World Leaders - A Question

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Posted by Jack

How many nations in all of Western and Eastern Europe have had a black President or black political leaders in, oh, say the last 1000 years? How many countries in South America or Southeast Asia have elected black leaders in the last few hundred years? How about just naming any black political leader that has faced a runoff in election in these places and just for fun you can toss in Canada, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Azores, the Falklands, Iceland, Mexico, South America or anywhere outside of sub-Sahara Africa?


So, it seems to me that only here, in this rotten country that Rev. Wright calls the US of KKK of A, that [we] are so open, fair and tolerant that [we] have a black leader in contention for the highest elected office in the land and lets not forget he's not the first either. He's also one of many black leaders that have risen to great prominence and power here and has shaped our American history. Now doesn't that speak volumes about us?


CORRECTION - Al-Masri Not Captured

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Friday - The U.S. military on Friday denied Iraqi government claims that the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was captured and said a man with a similar name had been arrested in the northern city of Mosul.

Iraqi authorities had announced Thursday that police commandos captured Abu Ayyub al-Masri in a raid in the northern city of Mosul.

"Neither coalition forces nor Iraqi security forces detained or killed Abu Ayyub al-Masri. This guy had a similar name," said Maj. Peggy Kageleiry, a U.S. military spokeswoman in northern Iraq. She said no additional details were being immediately provided.

Rooting for Hillary Clinton?

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by Nick F

For awhile now I had been hoping that Clinton would get the nomination, assuming that she would be the more vulnerable candidate.

Now I am not so sure. I think there is something to be said for defeating the Obama machine now.

The bottom line, is that if Hillary doesn't win this time around, it will be incredibly hard for her to run again successfully. The same is not true of Obama. Obama like a super virus will be harder to defeat in 4 years.

His vulnerability right now is a combination of little experience and his associations. In 4 years he will have gathered greater experience, and he will have had time to distance himself from those not so convenient friendships and acquaintances.

I am starting to "hope" for an Obama victory in August. McCain shouldn't have too much trouble beating him, and a defeat now would throw a major wrench in any future intentions to run. Hillary being defeated by her own party would have a similar effect on any future plans of hers. Especially if Guiliani does us all a favor and runs against her for the Senate.

All in all this whole process has been a pleasure to watch, but I think I am ready to root for an Obama victory at the convention, now that all the polish has worn off, and people are finally starting to see him for the slick demagogue he really is.

Any thoughts?

Meatloaf, Not A Great Meal, but OK

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by Toby Stahler

Clinton, Obama, it doesn't matter, they are both unelectable. It boils down to one simple truth, your average white guy wouldn't vote for either of them. I am just calling a spade a spade and saying it like it is.

As a republican I feel shafted with our choice but I take great comfort in not being a democrat and how badly they got screwed.

McCain will win this because he is someone we can all "live" with. He is a RINO and they know it and when he wins they will act like they really pulled one over on us. I am all for having someone in the WH we can all agree is an ok choice. McCain is that, he is an ok choice.

That is really sad. Our best choice for POTUS could also be meatloaf with a side of mashed potato's. It's an ok meal not great but, ok.

It's Not Over

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by DHB

Not so fast. Hillary could still win the nomination. All you have to do is play the "What If" game.
What if Obama gets run over by a beer truck?
What if Obama gets arrested in a men's room for making advances to an undercover cop?
What if it is revealed that Obama took bribes from Rezko? (Well, that probably would not matter much.)
What if NSA wiretaps show 10,000 calls from Osama to Obama? Calls that he answered?
What if Obama gets caught smoking a cigarette?
What if Obama's secret diary, in which he writes "I hate America KKK," is uncovered?

This game could go on and on, but the point is, it ain't over until it's over.

London’s New Mayor is a Conservative American!

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Posted by Tina

“London's American Mayor,” by R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. – The American Spectator

He was born in New York General Hospital, New York, New York, on June 19, 1964--the year remembered by American conservatives as the Goldwater Year. **
It is now faintly circulating through American media that Johnson was born here, but so is the report that he gave

Al-Masri Arrested in Mosul

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Posted by Tina

The leader of al Qaida in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been arrested in the northern city of Mosul, an Iraqi Defence Ministry spokesman has said.

Spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the arrest of al-Masri, also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, was confirmed to him by the Iraqi commander of the province.

News of the arrest was also reported by Iraqi state television.

It's Over

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by Jack Lee

While most of you were putting out the cat, turning off the lights and preparing to go to bed, the guys in the news rooms across television-land were recognizing that the race for Hillary Clinton is finally over. She can't win the popular vote and she can't win by super delegates.

Pelosi Utters the Stupidest Quote of the Century!

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Posted by Tina

“Drilling is the failed energy policy of yesterday that has brought us record gas prices today.”

Read all of Pelosi’s brilliant energy thoughts here.

Battle Hymn

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Posted by Tina

I got this today from a friend via email and thought you might enjoy it:

Just like the rendition performed by the military band during the Pope's
recent visit, this will send shivers up your spine, it is that good!

Outstanding performance by grammar through high school kids. One
of the fathers recorded it, added some graphic enhancements
to the recording, and posted it on the web. The song, of course, is the
'Battle Hymn Of The Republic.


Humor From the Tinman

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IDIOT SIGHTING:
We had to have the garage door repaired. The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head and said, 'Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower.' I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, 'NO, it's not. Four is larger than two.'

We haven't used Sears repair since.

IDIOT SIGHTING
My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her a quarter. She said, 'you gave me too mu ch money.' I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a dollar bill back.' She sighed and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the quarter, and said "We're sorry but they could not do that kind of thing.' The clerk then proceeded to give me back $1 and 75 cents in change.

Do not confuse the clerks at McD's.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I live in a se mi-rural area. We recently h ad a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road. The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.'

From Kingman, KS

IDIOT SIGHTING IN FOOD SERVICE:
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.' He said he was sorry, but they only had iceburg lettuce.

From Kansas City

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?' To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?' He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'

Happened in Birmingham , Ala.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, 'What on earth are blind people doing driving?!'

She was a probation officer in Wichita , KS

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and for the sake of her life, couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.

A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriffs office, no less.

STAY ALERT.
They walk among us... and the scary part is that they VOTE and they REPRODUCE!

Summing Up the Presidential Race

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It looks like the Republican's really don't want it considering what the next 4 years might bring and the Democrats would just as soon not have it either. I think that explains why we have these lame candidates.

JUST DON'T PANIC!

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Exposing the very bad track record of the enviro prophets.
Posted by Tina

Walter Williams has once again exposed the silly predictions of enviro prophets in a great IBD editorial, “Environmentalists Still Can’t Get It Right.” Not only does he list the predictions, he also asks some pointed questions about how government should, or shouldn't, respond. Check it out:

"Environmentalists Still Can't Get It Right" - Walter Williams

1969, environmentalist Nigel Calder warned, "The threat of a new ice age must now stand alongside nuclear war as a likely source of wholesale death and misery for mankind." ** C.C. Wallen of the World Meteorological Organization said, "The cooling since 1940 has been large enough and consistent enough that it will not soon be reversed."

In 1968, professor Paul Ehrlich, former Vice President Al Gore's hero and mentor, predicted that there would be a major food shortage in the U.S. and "in the 1970s . . . hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death." ** Ehrlich forecast that 65 million Americans would die of starvation between 1980 and 1989, and that by 1999 the U.S. population would have declined to 22.6 million. ** Ehrlich's predictions about England were gloomier: "If I were a gambler, I would take even money that England will not exist in the year 2000."

WAR PROFITEERING RAMPANT Says Senator

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Posted by Jack

Starting April 28th, 2008 the Senate's Democratic Policy Committee has been holding a series of hearings to investigate contracting abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., Dorgan said today this should be about accountability, not partisanship. If the taxpayers are getting hosed then we need to find out who is doing it and put them in jail. I agree and I'm glad Dorgan feels this way. The waste, fraud and abuse, according to Dorgan and many others, are compromizing our troops and stalling their mission.

Among the many cases he is investigating is the selling of unclean water to the Army that had twice the bacteria level of Euphrates river that runs through Baghdad. The contractor allegedly skipped the decontamination process outlined in his contract. The Army and Haliburton first denied these claims, however evidence has since turned up that soldiers were becoming sick and then whistle blowers confirm it really happened. In 2005 Dr. Shah Alam, Gulf Region South District program manager in Iraq had this to say, “The nice thing about it is there is a real need for the clinic program and it feels good to know that something good is coming to the people,” The clinics were allocated $1.4 million each and today the money is gone, and there is only a handful of clinics built.

Where's Obama?

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CNN is apologizing today after the cable news outlet confused Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., with terrorist Osama bin Laden in on-screen graphics last night reading, "Where's Obama?"

wheresobamalarge.jpg

North Carolina Vote

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Barack Obama 621,434 56%

Hillary Clinton 464,470 42%

Indianna vote count so far... 7 pm pacific time;

Hillary Clinton 513,881 52%

Barack Obama 478,077 48%

Best Quote All Day

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Quote of the Day........

'My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it.'
-- Barack Obama

VA Calling Combat Veterans

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Posted by Jack

Week of May 05, 2008: The Department of Veterans Affairs recently began contacting nearly 570,000 combat veterans to ensure they know about VA's medical services and other benefits. A "Combat Veteran Call Center" will call two distinct populations of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. In the first phase, calls will go to an estimated 17,000 veterans who were sick or injured while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. VA officials will offer to appoint a care manager to work with them. The second phase targets 550,000 Afghanistan and Iraq veterans who have been discharged from active duty but have not contacted VA for services to make sure they are informed about VA's benefits and services.

This Week's Best Funny

| 3 Comments

Submitted by TinmanB

Judy Wallman, a professional genealogical researcher, discovered that Hillary Clinton's great-great uncle, Remus Rodham, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889.

The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows. On the back of the picture is this inscription: "Remus Rodham; horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Mo ntana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889."

Judy Wallman e-mailed Hillary Clinton for comments. Hillary's staff responded with the following biographical sketch as they saw it:

"Remus Rodham was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory . His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1885, he devoted several years of his life to service at a government facility, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed."

Looking for answers on Microsoft's COFEE device

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Microsoft device helps police pluck evidence from cyberscene of crime

By Benjamin J. Romano - Seattle Times technology reporter

Microsoft has developed a small plug-in device that investigators can use to quickly extract forensic data from computers that may have been used in crimes.

The COFEE, which stands for Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor, is a USB "thumb drive" that was quietly distributed to a handful of law-enforcement agencies last June. Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith described its use to the 350 law-enforcement experts attending a company conference Monday.

Vegan’s in the Crosshairs

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Posted by Tina

It was only a matter of time until the PC world discovered the vulnerability of the plant world. Soon we won’t have a thing left to nibble on:

“The Silent Scream of the Asparagus - Get ready for 'plant rights,'” by Wesley J. Smith

You just knew it was coming: At the request of the Swiss government, an ethics panel has weighed in on the "dignity" of plants and opined that the arbitrary killing of flora is morally wrong. This is no hoax. The concept of what could be called "plant rights" is being seriously debated. ** A few years ago the Swiss added to their national constitution a provision requiring "account to be taken of the dignity of creation when handling animals, plants and other organisms." No one knew exactly what it meant, so they asked the Swiss Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology to figure it out. The resulting report, "The Dignity of Living Beings with Regard to Plants," is enough to short circuit the brain. ** A "clear majority" of the panel adopted what it called a "biocentric" moral view, meaning that "living organisms should be considered morally for their own sake because they are alive." Thus, the panel determined that we cannot claim "absolute ownership" over plants and, moreover, that "individual plants have an inherent worth." This means that "we may not use them just as we please, even if the plant community is not in danger, or if our actions do not endanger the species, or if we are not acting arbitrarily." (emphasis mine)

THE WORLD HAS GONE BANANAS...PUN INTENDED!

Republican Drones for Pelosi

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by Tina Grazier

There isn’t much point to calling for less government these days. Republicans, whether demoralized or simply jaded, have decided to join the ranks of the Queen Bee of Capital Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Like good little drones they show up faithfully for their Pelosi inspired three day work week, buzzing approvingly as the Queen issues edicts from her chamber for spending and spending and ever more spending. “We must help the people,” she cries in between bites of cucumber sandwiches…and the buzzing grows louder in approval.

Please read Robert Novak’s revealing piece, “Czar Nancy’s Rule,” to discover how this one woman show has made the notion of representative government a thing of the past in Congress. It may be the wave of the future…after all look at Venezuela. Hugo and his South American Marxist pals could have been the inspiration for this queen:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Operating outside public view, the House Democratic majority is taking extraordinary steps to maintain spending as usual while awaiting a Democrat as president. ** There has been little or no public Republican protest over seizure of the appropriating process by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her clique.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

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beer.jpg

THE SERMON

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A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate jars. The first worm was put into a container of alcohol. The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke. The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup. The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

Slavery - Pointing Fingers and Assigning Guilt

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Posted by Jack

I want everyone to read this...it's that important:

"It should also be noted that being angry at the United States of America because of slavery is rather off the mark. During most of the slavery period in what is now called America, there was no United States. The land was settled by colonists, who were British citizens until they revolted. The USA was not an independent country with a working constitution and the authority to pass laws until after 1800. One of the very first laws passed was a law prohibiting the importation of African slaves to the USA. It took a while longer to outlaw slavery entirely, but the USA was the first to do it in world history." DHB

The colonial slave trade represented 7% of the total, so there are a lot of responsible parties in line ahead of colonial America when it comes to slavery, not the least of which are black Africans who participated in and profited from the slave trade and engaged in it regularly for a thousand years before Columbus was in knee pants. Throughout history and as far back as you care to look there have been slaves. Mostly they were white slaves if you study the subject carefully. The Bible gives us a good idea who the slaves were, Roman and Greek history does too. In the backdrop of world history DHB's comments about the United States are even more profound!

Slavery_5.jpg(1864 cartoon showing America embracing a wounded black soldier.) While there were blacks slaves in the colonies, there were also white slaves that were mostly indentured servants who worked off their debt just as many blacks were emancipated for the same reason by caring and repentant white owners who grew to detest the practice of slavery for any reason. Granted, this was the exception and not the rule, but it was the beginning of change and it started here and that is also worth noting too. Jack Lee END

-------------------

Fun facts: It is not possible to tickle yourself. The cerebellum, a part of the brain, warns the rest of the brain that you are about to tickle yourself. Since your brain knows this, it ignores the resulting sensation.

The Modern Global Revolutionary Movement

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As Ahmadinejad likes to tell his Latin American hosts: The Americans are going, the Iranians are coming.

Posted by Tina Grazier

Another domino, Paraguay, has fallen into the Ahmadinejad/Chavez camp...and congressional democrats continue to diddle:

“Iran’s Winning Latin Power Play,” by Amir Taheri

May 1, 2008 -- 'A MAN of God and an enemy of the Great Satan": That's how Iran's official media described Fernando Lugo - the Paraguayan ex-priest who just won his country's presidency in a hotly contested election. ** Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Lugo on his win - hopes that Paraguay will now become another link in what he calls "the counter lasso" - the chain of anti-US regimes he's supporting with the help of his "brother," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. ** Since the late '80s, the Iranian-run Hezbollah, a global movement of Khomeinist militants, has built a base in Paraguay by recruiting in the Shiite community, about 15 percent of the population. That base played a key role in ensuring Lugo's victory, especially via a big fund-raising campaign backed by Iran and Venezuela.

The Continuing Pursuit of "Fair Play"

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by Tina Grazier

It would seem that freedom has it lost it's value and meaning for the average American. Today there seems to be a greater interest in fairness. Fairness is the hope of the future with diversity, inclusion, controlled wages and work environments and diversity training and even re-education seminars for errant souls who dare to cross that imaginary fairness line. This matrix of behavioral, educational and hiring pressures and controls has been gradually constructed over the past fifty or so years as a means of giving people equal opportunity...or so we were told. But it doesn't stop liberals from promising even more fairness:

"Hillary Clinton is a prayer of every American who really longs for fair play. She intends to help our country become what it can become. She dares to say human beings are more alike than we are unalike." - Maya Angelou

Latest Polling On Hillary & Rev. Wright

| 4 Comments

Posted by Jack

On the national scene Hillary Clinton has narrowed the margin to just 2 percentage points, where only recently Obama led her by 10. However, polls also show that democrats are becoming less enchanted with either candidate as they continue to launch salvos at each other leading to mutual destruction.

In North Carolina - Mason Dixon Polling for WRAL conducted the North Carolina poll between 28-29 April. The poll showed Obama leading Clinton with 49% to 42% democratic vote. With MoE = 4.9%, the poll gave Obama just 7 % points’ lead over Clinton.

obama3.jpgThe damage is being done to Obama by his former pastor the Reverend Wright. This last week the Rev. Wright had these pearls to say to America..."What we are doing is the same thing al-Qa’ida is doing under a different color flag, calling on the name of a different god, to sanction and approve our murder and our mayhem!...

You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you...

Remember, it was soldiers of the 3rd Marine Regiment of Rome who had fun with Jesus, who was mistreated as a prisoner of war, an enemy of the occupying army stationed in Jerusalem, to ensure the mopping up action of Operation Israeli Freedom...

The government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color...

Louis Farrakhan is not my enemy. He did not put me in chains, he did not put me in slavery, and he didn’t make me this color.”

Rev. Wright God...I've got a news flash for you, God made you that color, is God therefore your enemy because you hate your color? This is what it sounds like to me! And lets be clear, just when were you in slavery Rev. Wright? No, the Marine Corps doesn't count. And who told you, who gave you the undeniable truth and evidence the government invented HIV? Where is this evidence? Because without any facts or evidence such an outrageous claim makes you look like a kook. Rev. Wright you sir are divisive and pushing your biggoted message of black victimization by white America will destroy Barrack Obama. Maybe there will be justice in that too, because Barrack Obama and his wife seem to have bought into your the black victimizing and absurd rhetoric because they stayed with you for all these years. There had to be something in your message that resonated with them and that has America worried about this Presidential candidate.

Q & A - at the AARP Conference

| No Comments

Q: Where can men over the age of 60 find younger, sexy women who are interested in them?
A: Try a bookstore-------under fiction.

Q: What can a man do while his wife is going through menopause?
A: Keep busy. If you're handy with tools, you can finish the basement. When you are done you will have a place to live.

Q: How can you increase the heart rate of your 60+ year old husband?
A: Tell him you're pregnant.

Q: How can you avoid that terrible curse of the elderly-----wrinkles?
A: Take off your glasses

Q: Seriously! What can I do for these crow's feet and all those wrinkles on my face?
A: Go braless. It will usually pull them out.

Q: Why should 60+ year old people use valet parking?
A: Valets don't forget where they park your car.

Q: Is it common for 60+ year olds to have problems with short term memory storage? A: Storing memory is not a problem, retrieving it is a problem.

Q: As people age, do they sleep more soundly?
A: Yes, but usually in the afternoon.

Q: Where should 60+ yea r olds look for eye glasses?
A: On their foreheads.

Q: What is the most common remark made by 60+ year olds when they enter antique stores?
A: "Gosh, I remember these."

Quote of the Week

| No Comments

“The truth about black poverty today, as Kay Hymowitz of the Manhattan Institute has aptly put it, is that it is ‘intricately intertwined with the collapse of the nuclear family in the inner city.’ Consider that black households that are headed by married couples have median incomes almost 90 percent that of white households headed by married couples. The problem in the black community is that far too few black households are headed by married couples... It is not simply a moral claim, but a well-documented empirical one, that family and education are the keys to success in our free country. Black children don’t need politicians of any color who claim to hold the keys to their future. They need parents who know their names. Two of them.” —Star Parker

Pricing People Out of the Food Market

| 1 Comment

Posted by Jack

"The tiny country of Burkina Faso was brought to the edge of chaos by food riots. You probably didn't notice. In Morocco, 34 were sentenced to prison for participating in food riots. In Yemen at least a dozen have died in violent food riots.

A month ago, Indonesia had to call out federal troops in order to quell protests against the rising cost of basic food items. Last November food riots in Mauritania claimed the life of an 18-year old boy. The Indian state of Bengal also saw massive food riots. In Italy, residents are protesting the rising cost of pasta.

"This is the new face of hunger. There is food on the shelves, but people are priced out of the market."

ALERT - California Budget Worse Than Forecast

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by Jack Lee

The news today was a little worse than yesterday, which was a little worse than last month, which was a little worse than last year. The projected budget deficit started out in 07 at 10 billion, soon rose to 12 billion and then it was 16 billion and today the prediction is (drum roll please)...$20 billion!

You're not shocked...uh, you say you pretty much expected this? Wow. It's amazing how brilliant the average citizen can be when compared to the average legislator, who has been completely blindsided by this budget shortfall. What is it about those people, are they living in a different world than us regular folks? Are they so well insulated with their own personal finances that they don't feel the financial hits we take every day, in the rising costs of food, the depreciation in our home equities, the pump prices that cut into our clothing budget or worse, our food budget?

Whatever it is, too many legislators seem too detached, out of touch and aloof from our mundane lives and what a balanced budget looks like. This more than anything else, is why California has a budget deficit greater than the sum of the other 49 states! We have a huge income, it's not our income...it our spending.

Here's a novel idea, why not thank your local Democrat politician for dragging us into the poor us by casting a vote for anybody else except a democrat?!!!!

Jenna Bush Supports Who?

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Posted by Jack

The former party girl turned teacher turned children's book author let it slip on CNN's "Larry King Live" that she's not sure she'll vote for presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain and even left open the possibility she'll support either Sen. Barack Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton. Wait...what? (From Netscape.com)