Exposed: The Extremist Agenda

Please watch Glenn Beck's special tonight on CNN Headline News.

For more information, go to Glenn Beck's website. To find the CNN Headline News channel in your area, go here.

Bush is back

I’ve been a little disappointed in President Bush lately, I don’t mind telling you. I think he’s most effective when he is laying things on the line with the press, the politicians and the American people. He’s been unwilling to do that for a long while now. As a result, I think that things have spiraled downward when they did not have to do so. But today, I do believe that President Bush is back. His speach at the American Legion National Convention was absolutely right. See the entire speech here.

A few snippets picked from throughout the speech follow:

When you see innocent civilians ripped apart by suicide bombs, or families buried inside their homes, the world can seem engulfed in purposeless violence. The truth is there is violence, but those who cause it have a clear purpose. When terrorists murder at the World Trade Center, or car bombers strike in Baghdad, or hijackers plot to blow up planes over the Atlantic, or terrorist militias shoot rockets at Israeli towns, they are all pursuing the same objective — to turn back the advance of freedom, and impose a dark vision of tyranny and terror across the world.

Despite their differences, these groups from — form the outlines of a single movement, a worldwide network of radicals that use terror to kill those who stand in the way of their totalitarian ideology. And the unifying feature of this movement, the link that spans sectarian divisions and local grievances, is the rigid conviction that free societies are a threat to their twisted view of Islam.

The war we fight today is more than a military conflict; it is the decisive ideological struggle of the 21st century. (Applause.) On one side are those who believe in the values of freedom and moderation — the right of all people to speak, and worship, and live in liberty. And on the other side are those driven by the values of tyranny and extremism — the right of a self-appointed few to impose their fanatical views on all the rest. As veterans, you have seen this kind of enemy before. They’re successors to Fascists, to Nazis, to Communists, and other totalitarians of the 20th century. And history shows what the outcome will be: This war will be difficult; this war will be long; and this war will end in the defeat of the terrorists and totalitarians, and a victory for the cause of freedom and liberty.

In the space of a single morning, it became clear that the calm we saw in the Middle East was only a mirage. We realized that years of pursuing stability to promote peace had left us with neither. Instead, the lack of freedom in the Middle East made the region an incubator for terrorist movements.

Here at home we have a choice to make about Iraq. Some politicians look at our efforts in Iraq and see a diversion from the war on terror. That would come as news to Osama bin Laden, who proclaimed that the “third world war is raging” in Iraq. It would come as news to the number two man of al Qaeda, Zawahiri, who has called the struggle in Iraq, quote, “the place for the greatest battle.” It would come as news to the terrorists from Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and other countries, who have to come to Iraq to fight the rise of democracy.

We can decide to stop fighting the terrorists in Iraq and other parts of the world, but they will not decide to stop fighting us. General John Abizaid, our top commander in the Middle East region, recently put it this way: “If we leave, they will follow us.” And he is right. The security of the civilized world depends on victory in the war on terror, and that depends on victory in Iraq. So the United States of America will not leave until victory is achieved.

Victory in Iraq will be difficult and it will require more sacrifice. The fighting there can be as fierce as it was at Omaha Beach or Guadalcanal. And victory is as important as it was in those earlier battles.

For all that is new about this war, one thing has not changed: Victory still depends on the courage and the patience and the resolve of the American people. Above all, it depends on patriots who are willing to fight for freedom.

God Bless him, I love when the politician in him goes away and the Texan in him comes out.

Iranian women back behind the veil

Perhaps this is what the Iran people need to get them off the dime and push harder for change. The election of a man who wants to hasten the coming of the last prophet, Mahdi, and set on the path to the end of the world has been bad news from the beginning. Why the Iranian people thought this fanatical behavior would only be directed at external entities, is beyond me.

By the way, let’s all remember this photo of Ahmadinejad taken as he explained his concept of a world without Zionism (see recap here).

Iran cracks down on women’s dress
TEHRAN, Aug. 29 (UPI) —
Police in Tehran have been ordering Iranian women to cover up, stopping those
they perceive as “badly veiled.”

The crackdown followed the 2005 election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“We are certainly seeing a return to behavior we haven’t seen for 10 years,” Hadi Ghaemi of Human Rights Watch told The Telegraph. “Generally, the imposition of strict Islamic codes has been increasing under Ahmadinejad.”

Ghaemi said that the penalty for violating a code that requires the complete covering of women’s heads and bodies in public depends on the officers involved and the women’s political connections.

“The person could end up in jail depending on their relationship with the authorities,” he said. “Generally, the imposition of strict Islamic codes has been increasing under Ahmadinejad.” Just as women in recent years had pushed the boundaries by wearing head scarves that revealed more than they hid, many Iranians had flouted the law banning them from owning satellite dishes, the report said. The government has been cracking down on them as well.

If the peace-at-any-price international enablers don’t wake up and realize that these people are not kidding when they say they want to destroy us, then we really are doomed. Those of us who are taking this seriously are largely ignored…by the peaceniks and our politicians.

Everything old is new again

Well, Slate magazine has a beautiful pictorial essay called Life Under Hezbollah on their site today.  Kind of a love letter to a terrorist group, really.  From the photos, life in Lebanon is grand, and it's all because of the really great, heart-warming things that Hezbollah is doing for the Lebanese.

 

Of course, the first picture is a little eerie -

 

According to Slate:  this photo shows "young militants of Hezbollah"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reminds me of the Hitler Youth, how 'bout you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Wikipedia entry for Hezbollah includes:

Political activities

Hezbollah is an active participant in the political life and processes of Lebanon. The organization has been involved in activities like building schools, clinics, and hospitals.^[22]. However, the scope of its operation is mostly military in nature. In 1992, it participated in Lebanese elections for the first time, winning 12 out of 128 seats in parliament. It won 10 seats in 1996, and 8 in 2000. In the general election of 2005, it won 23 seats nationwide, and an Amal-Hezbollah alliance won all 23 seats in Southern Lebanon. Despite Israeli's complete withdrawl from Southern Lebanon on May 22, 2000, Hezbollah has continued its military operations against Israel, regularly firing Katyusha rockets at Israeli towns and villages. As a political entity, Hezbollah is dedicated to the destruction of Israel.^[23]

Look at the last two sentences (in red, emphasis mine).  Are these rational people?  Look at the last sentence, anyone listening in recent days, weeks, months and years, knows that they have said exactly this.  These are not the actions or statements of people who wish to participate in an agreed peace plan.

 

I personally believe that Israel is showing restraint now for not bombing every square inch of Lebanon.  Citizens have been killed, true.  It's terribly unfortunate.  Perhaps Hezbollah (like Sadaam Hussein) should stop storing weapons and soldiers in the residential neighborhoods.  Perhaps the citizens of Lebanon will reconsider voting into positions of power people with ties to a known and declared terrorist group.  That'd be good.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Terrorism, Hezbollah, Lebanon, Hitler, Children, War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Israel - the clock is ticking

 

Apparently, the U.S. Administration has given Israel one week to wrap things up.

 

I sincerely we doubt we would appreciate some other country giving us a timeline for any military action we would engage in or allow such a demand to influence our strategy.

 

Israel should do what it must do to protect itself and its' citizens.  We should not be telling them when to stop, we should be asking what we can do to help.

 

Very disappointing.

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Idiot trolls & 500 pound gorillas

I've worked several different places in the last 29 years. Big companies, small ones, governmental agencies, non-profits and for profit -- they all have one thing in common, the Idiot Decision-Making Troll.

I don't know who this clueless gremlin is, but it's a large family. The dastardly demon seems to have a favorite prank, replacing competent employees with feckless dead-enders based on "time served".

Troll: Hi Joe! How are ya?

Joe: Uh...oh...well, how do you think I am?

Troll: You seem swell!

Joe: I am swell!

Troll: You know Joe, we're thinking of making some changes...You know Mike, in BioMedical Research and Development?

Joe: Uh...oh...yes.

Troll: We think you should take his job.

Joe: Uh...oh...shouldn't Tim get it? He's Mike's right-hand man and has been for 20 years.

Troll: We think you should take Mike's job!

Joe: But Mr. Troll, I don't know anything about BioMedical R & D. I'm an accountant.

Troll: You'll be super!

I've been listening to talk radio for 20 years. Some of it makes me want to gag, some is informative, some entertaining...sometimes, if you're really lucky, you find a program that is all three.

Northwest Ohio's big talk radio station is WSPD (1370-AM on your radio dial). It has had the usual revolving door of hosts since I began listening after moving back to the area in 1997. A couple of years ago, the previous morning drive host left and in came the new guy, Bob Frantz. Now, I don't know where Bob Frantz came from (I am sure he said at the time) and I don't know the extent of his talk radio experience. From the beginning, he seemed like a no nonsense guy. None of the smoozie stuff and none of that FM Morning Zoo DJ residue. He was, in a word, refreshing.

Sometimes I agreed with Bob, sometimes I disagreed. Occasionally, I turn him off because, I just couldn't take it any more. But he was always articulate, prepared and committed. He focused on local issues and current events - national and global. He always seemed knowledgeable about his topic and, although occasionally self-righteous, open for debate.

This week, in the dead of night, the Idiotic Decision Making Troll crept into WSPD. A new program director (who, incidentally, has taken over the afternoon drive slot...what a coincidence!) decided to replace Mr. Frantz. The replacement, apparently a legendary figure in Toledo radio, seems ill-suited to the job. The new program director (who, incidentally has hired himself for the afternoon drive slot) seems to have some sort of Arbitron death wish.

In the last 4 days, the intelligent talk radio station I listened to throughout the day has become a big Morning Zoo Frat Party. There have been more infantile conversations this week than in the previous 3 years. Just stupid stuff: drinking references, sexual double entendre, shooting & hunting & fishing stories, running jokes: "you're fired, this is the third time I've fired you this morning". You know what I mean. What was once "WSPD traffic & weather" has become "Speedy (i.e. SPD) traffic & weather". I'm waiting for the snappy little jingle...the new program director (who, incidentally, has hired himself for the afternoon slot) probably has some sort of composing fantasy...he could hire himself to write it. That was snarky and immature, I know, so I fit right in to the new wSPD philosophy!

I believe that companies have the right to hire, fire, tinker, dabble and annihilate themselves if they see fit. The market will prove them right or wrong. I am hoping, in this case, the market proves them wrong.

The changes were never announced to the listeners -- devious? deceptive? It sure feels that way.

Mr. Frantz was removed entirely from the WSPD website. A couple of days later, after much complaining, questioning, speculation, threats and general public unrest, an announcement was made that Mr. Frantz was starting a new show, on WSPD, airing daily from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Tidy! Put a bow on that. All done! Lovely.

Not done. The natives are restless and want accountability. Reliable sources say that the new Program Director has an on-air commercial which, so I am told, snarkily says, if you're one of those who are unhappy with the recent programming changes, sorry to see you go. Buh-bye. I haven't heard the ad, so I don't know precisely what the content or context is, but it seems a idiotic idea to me. If it's intended to be a "my way or the highway" line in the sand, they will continue to lose audience share. If it's intended to be a sardonic or satirical message to unhappy listeners, it's risky to insult or demean your audience.

Many complaints have been lodged on Mr Frantz's blog. Other Toledo bloggers are blogging, for example here. Options are being discussed. A petition is online. I don't know if any of that will make any difference. The gorilla sits where ever he wants. Should ratings or advertising revenue be affected, that will matter.

Look, we've all been on the receiving end of the gorilla at some point in our lives. We know how that feels. Sometimes, it's not even because of anything you did... It's just because the gorilla is bigger than you. All you can do it try to keep from getting sat on.

Mr. Frantz will, reportedly, be at The Andersons on Monroe Street in Toledo, on Friday, November 18, 2005 for a personal appearance. I understand it will start at 3:00 p.m. If you can, drop by there and let him know you support him. It may make him feel appreciated and it will be like giving a (virtual) knee to the groin of the gorilla.

Thanks.

What my mother taught me

I hope you have seen the TV ads for "The Other Iraq". If not, go here and view take a look. While you're there, take a look at the whole site, it has interesting tid-bits like this:

Hidden in the shadows of history, resistance against repression became the Kurdish way of life, until atrocities inflicted by a dictator named Saddam Hussein sent shock waves throughout the world causing people of ever nation to ask, “Who are the Kurds?”

For many, awareness arrived on ‘Bloody Friday’ in March of nineteen eighty-eight when Saddam dropped poisonous gas on the Kurdish city of Halabja killing five thousand within minutes, followed by seven thousand more as the bombing continued for days.

Halabja was not Saddam’s only chemical attack against Iraq’s Kurds, it was simply the worst, captured in all its horrific detail, making it a symbol of the atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein.

I know, you'd heard that. We all have, and for many years now. But what about this snippet?

INTERVIEW: PROFESSOR NAZAR AMIN:
At the time when the central Iraqi regime - before the toppling of Saddam Hussein, was busy with creating weapons of mass destruction, we were busy planting trees and creating new classes at our universities and opening new departments and building centers of education for our children and for our youth

The Kurds and Iraqis alike should have been doing this a long time ago...and not just for economic development opportunities. They should have been making it known, to their fellow countrymen, their fellow Muslims, to the American people and to the world, that this war in Iraq is just, itis necessary, and it is appreciated.

The U.S. and the world waited too long to address Saddam Hussein, but it has now. Instead of celebrating that, instead of defending those who liberated them from Hussein, too many Iraqis are silent. Allowing a great injustice to be done to those who, finally, answered their call.

Now we find ourselves increasingly battered, not by just the Muslim extremists, not just by the do-nothing United Nations, not just by the "America's too powerful, let's undermine everything they do" French and Germans, et. al., but by our own countrymen - the left wing nut jobs, the main stream media who will make news if they must and never let facts get in the way of a juicy scandal, the blue & gray hippies who must turn everything into a 1960s redux, the uber-rich & famous who need something to do between martinis & botox treaments, all of the liberal and most of the moderate Democrats who must try to bring down the president to continue feeding on the public teat and increasingly, the Republican's positioning themselves for a run for the Top Dog job.

They should all be ashamed of themselves.

Shhhh....listen, hear what they are saying:

"The United States has never wavered in its quest to help Iraqis build a democracy that rewards compromise and consensus. The ever generous American people have paid a tragic price, the lives of their finest men and women, to advance the banner of freedom and democracy, a sacrifice for which we are profoundly grateful."

H.E. Masoud Barzani, President, Kurdistan Region in Iraq

"And something else is different in Kurdistan: they like Americans here. Both US presidents, father and son Bush, are considered liberators of Kurdistan. The elder, because he imposed the 1991 no-fly zone, which made the Kurds more independent and laid the groundwork for today's turn for the better."

Berliner Zeitung

Maybe it's just an ad. Maybe it's simpley designed to increase economic growth. I don't know. I do know I'm proud to be an American. I'm proud of my President who has the strength of character to do what is right. I'm proud of those men and women who put on that uniform everyday for others - you, me, the murdered of September 11, 2001, the Iraqis, the Afghanis, the South Vietnamese, the South Koreans, the French, Polish, and on and on.

My mom taught me when I was just small that it's only polite to say thank you when someone does something for you.

So, President Bush: thank you. United States Armed Forces: thank you.

The Other Iraq: you're welcome...

Chirac is an idiot

You don't like thinking it, but you do. France's President Jacques Chirac is just an idiot. The news is filled with reports of the rioting in Paris, now spreading in limited fashion to other European countries.

Chirac's response? Curfews. That's taking a tough line!

Chirac's inept handling of well, everything would be a "what goes around, comes around" moment, except that 1) people are being killed and injured and 2) speculation that this is part of Al Qaeda's "Great Ramadan Offensive".

If this is indeed Step One of a global rope-a-dope designed to create havoc and gain some sort of advantage, it's frightening. The fact that it's taking place in the home of jello-spined, weak-kneed, white flag endowed Parisians...that's terrifying.

People need to stand up. Across the pond(s) and here at home.

We cannot be a land of milk-toast socialist-wannabes. Tell Cindy Sheehan to shut up, tell the Hollywood muckety mucks to schedule a massage and tell the liberal Democrats and the "let's not offend anyone" Republicans to get back on the porch, and let the big dogs out again. The big, bad, bare-teethed, "this is my yard and I'll bite you where it counts" dogs.

Tomorrow is election day. It's piddly little local and state stuff, but please go vote. Stand up. Get off the porch. Be one of the big dogs.

Friends, Allies, Predators, Clean-up and the Little People

Well, you knew it was coming...I guess I just didn't imagine that it would come before all the victims were rescued or recovered.

Of course, the U.S. has been given the blame for causing Hurricane Katrina and therefore, we deserve what we've gotten.

Germany has weighed in here. Posters at the Democratic Underground website are convinced it's Bush's fault, by word, deed, thought or pure evilness...and apparently, the media is ignoring it...hmmmmm. The usual suspects at the Huffington Post and other uber-lib publications are jumping on the sandbags to make political hay out of a human event. Most insensitive commentary: hard to decide, might be RFK Jr. Best response: Greg Gutfeld. A quick glance at the international e-papers shows British, Japanese, Australian, etc. reports scant or no news of Katrina. These are our allies, right? And, because I know you're wondering, the Islamic Republic News Agency reports Iran has sent their condolences. By the way, that's the only condolence from an international governing body I have been able to find in a Google search so far.

I'm just getting more and more angry about this.

• I'm upset about those using this natural disaster into a political event (cuts in FEMA funds, cuts directly to Louisiana's funding, not enough National Guard troops because of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, ad nauseum).
• I'm ticked off that with an event of this magnitude, there are so many people wondering why it isn't cleaned up and back to normal already.
• I'm frustrated that President Bush doesn't address the nation and show leadership about this. While I support President Bush and voted for him, but I do not understand his stance on this issue.
• I'm angry that gasoline prices are rising so quickly, and none of our government officials seem to care to do anything about it. What is the federal and state tax on gasoline? What kind of relief would it provide if it was (temporarily) suspended? Where are the oil & gas and public utility companies cutting back their record profits a bit to offer some relief?
• I'm fed up with profits and share-holders trumping fairness to us "little people".
• I'm incensed that the tree-huggers that block construction of nuclear power facilities, more refineries and additional U.S. oil drilling projects are putting the oil prices directly on the back of President Bush, Halliburton, et. al.
• I'm fed up with the hands in my pocket every day looking for more money for this and that (see the pork in the newest transportation bill, here and here)
  
  [...But hundreds of millions of dollars will be channeled to programs that critics say have nothing to do with improving congestion or efficiency: $2.3 million for the beautification of the Ronald Reagan Freeway in California; $6 million for graffiti elimination in New York; nearly $4 million on the National Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio, and the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich.; $2.4 million on a Red River National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Louisiana; and $1.2 million to install lighting and steps and to equip an interpretative facility at the Blue Ridge Music Center, to name a few.]

And then these are the same folks telling me I should be saving for my retirement, buying more to keep the economy going, give to my church, give to charities, give to political campaigns, not care that already taxed income with be taxed again if I do have any money left over when I die....

Who are these people? When was the last time they lived in the same world I inhabit?

Peggy Noonan wrote about "these people" recently. I think it's on target. Who are these people? Why do we keep putting them into office? I'm not talking about an eight-year limited president. I'm talking about the 20, 30, 40 year Senators. The men (and it is mostly men) who vote themselves a pay raise in the wee hours of the morning.

Under current law, members of the House and Senate will receive an automatic pay raise of approximately $4,000 in 2005 unless Congress takes action. An annual increase in congressional salaries was made automatic by Congress in 1989.

The men who won't read our emails or take our calls until a year before re-election. The men who think of us as the "little people".

I have thought for some time that it will take another American Revolution for things to change. It will take a collective effort of 'middle' Americans. The right and the left need not apply. I don't know that we have the stomach for it. But I fear that nothing short of revolution will do it.

I am tired of being treated as a little person. I am tired of being surrounded by animals who care nothing about human decency, only what's new, hip and trendy. I'm tired of power-hungry elected officials and greedy corporate officials looking for a way to get theirs, at the expense of others.

Who are these people? The ones who expect me to embrace a vulgar hip-hop culture as mainstream? Who are these people to want me to view a natural disaster as a catchy slogan for getting President Bush impeached? Who are these people who are emptying my pockets to fill their own? Who are these people who want me to view men who are flying planes into buildings and trying to kill me as misunderstood freedom fighters? Who are these people who think nothing is worth fighting for? Who are these people?

The Gulf Coast isn't the only thing that needs to be cleaned up.

Katrina & Our Friends

I would like to quote some of the heart-warming condolences from our international friends on the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina to the U.S. gulf coast.

Here they are:


And here are the generous offers of aid and support from those friends:


That's it. That's all. That's typical. I've Googled, and I can't find anything. Nothing. Zero. Zilch.

I wonder why we are expected to give and give and give to "international disasters" (either through our government's commitments [via the taxpayers] or through private donations) but should the U.S. experience a disaster, and those same people who are johnny-on-the-spot with their hands out when someone else needs something can't be found when we're hurting.

And these are the same people who complain that the U.S. is a cowboy, not part of the international community and are unilateral in their approach to things.

Well, we've always relied on ourselves. We've had to be unilateral because there isn't anyone behind or beside us in our times of trouble.

So as we attempt to heal our countrymen, I will be looking for benefit concerts being held in London, Paris, Moscow and Rome. I'll keep my eye on the newspapers for the "forgiveness of debt" that we extend to those who owe us. I'll wait for that donation of oil from Saudi Arabia, Canada and Kuwait. And wait and wait and wait.

Another Gitmo Outrage

I would like to go on record and say that, while I support keeping people who want to kill me locked up, and I don't consider sleep deprivation in order to get information over-the-line , the latest news of U.S. treatment of terrorists in custody is reprehensible.

Ask any female, and they will tell you that wearing a bra can be considered torture. They pinch, they don't move the same way you do, they dig into your shoulders, they're hot, the underwire finds it's way out of the fabric and pokes you...Although better than the previous undergarment (the corset), these things are dangerous! For a brief history, go here and here.

Choosing a bra is another form of torture - push up, shaping or minimizing? Underwire or soft support? Full cup or demi? Fancy, lacy, sexy little thing (that barely stays on) or practical? Racerback? Strapless? Halter? Do you choose a color that's sure to show through your white blouse? How much sense does that make? Victoria Secret is offering colors such as fiesta pink, grape sorbet, lime, cayman blue, pink raspberry, pool blue, and rosita pink. Does anyone really need a cross-dyed bra?

Still as cruel as they sometimes are, time and gravity is more cruel. So I continue to wear one. Even those 20-year old bra-burners of the 60s and 70s are back to being strapped in now that they're in their fifties and sixties.

Torture? Millions of women have been wearing bras for decades. C'mon! Humiliating? That's when your strap breaks and you have one breast on your chest and another hang down 'round mid-thigh.

Given the choice between wearing a bra and having my head sawed off, there's no real thought that needs to go into that....

Parenting 101

Is it just me or does it seem that "parenting" is being abandoned as a responsibility of people having children. It's okay to bear children, but raising them up, instilling values, expecting certain types of behavior is a quaint old-fashioned notion. Relegated to the scrapbook, like a heart and lace adorned postcard with the salutation "Dear Friend"...

Michael Jackson dangling his baby over a balcony, Michael Jackson wrapping his kids' faces in sheer fabric, spiderman masks, etc. Michael Jackson thinking it's "charming" having young boys and teen boys sleeping in his bed.

The Samantha Runyon, Sarah Lunde, Jessica Lundsford, JonBenet Ramsey, Carlie Brucia, Elizabeth Smart and other cases should be ringing a gigantic bell in people's heads. The Mary Kay Letourneau, Pam Smart and other teacher "seducing" student incidences are increasing at an alarming rate.

The Jessica Holloway disapperance is becoming a drawn-out Perry Mason mystery, not an on-going missing persons case. And, apparently, the prime suspect's, Joran van der Sloot's parents were unaware of their 17-year-old son's extra-curricular activities. Sneaking out after curfew in defiance of "house rules" becomes easier when you have your own apartment on your parent's property.

What the heck is going on here?

My stepson just turned 14 and is exhibiting all the typical behavior of a teenager. I remember it. I lived through it. But I'll tell ya, I had parents that didn't put up with the crap that parents today accept. I wasn't thought of or treated like an equal in my parents' home. I was the child. I was less experienced, less mature and less likely to make a sound decision than they. And they let me know it. I disagreed back then, but today, I realize the wisdom of their position.

Too many parents today are uncomfortable being strict with their children. Even if it is for their benefit. My folks didn't view parenting as a popularity contest. They didn't want to be my buddy. They knew their job was to raise a decent human being, and they took that responsibility seriously. They brought up three kids who today are responsible adults. Did we give them a hard time growing up? Yes. Did they have (more than) their share of heartache because our actions and word? Oh yes. Did they waiver and take the "easy way out"? Oh no.

Thanks Mom & Dad.

To blog or not to blog...

I haven't posted in a while, mostly because, well, I have a life and it keeps interrupting me. But I have been reading a lot of blogs during the last few months...funny ones, thoughtful ones, political ones, everyday life ones, and some that require me to have a barf bag in my hand to get through.

So I began to question what type of blog this will be...

I'm not an aspiring writer, so this will not be a career launching blog. I'm not funny, so the comedy thing is out. I'm not particularly political, so no elephants or donkeys here. There are alot of current event blogs out there -- Michelle Malkin is one of the best -- do we need another? My life isn't interesting to anyone but me (and sometimes, not even me), who would want to read about it?

After going through the list, I felt that I should pack up the blog tent and go home. It dawned on me that blogs written by middle aged females living in a small town in Ohio are lacking...there's my niche! I have opinions on everything (ask anyone who knows me), and you're going to be able to read them.

So here we go...

It's a snow trance thing...

I live in a small town in Northern Ohio. We got socked in the stomach with (another) major snowstorm this weekend.

So, I put on the boots and hat and gloves, picked up a perky blue plastic shovel and headed out to toss the snow around. It was quiet. It was too quiet. It was that eerie, "has something bad happened and am I the only person left alive" kind of quiet.

Shoveling snow is a surreal experience. It lets your mind wander from thought to thought..a kind of free association produced by the cold and the hypnotic gray-white of ground merging with sky.

- who came up with idea of plastic snow shovels? What do they actually DO for you? Mostly, they just skim the bottom layer of snow. What sense does that make? Sure, you may have removed the majority of snow, but you've also pushed that glazy bottom layer down in the nooks and crannies of the pavement. So all you've really accomplished is clearing away any traction you may have had and created a slick surface for which you may be sued. I have my grandfather's big, honkin' metal shovel. Steel, not wimpy aluminum. That sucker takes half the sidewalk with it each time you scoop...but the concrete that's left is clean as a whistle!

- who first stated that shoveling snow caused increased risk of heart attack in men? Googling for all these words: snow shoveling men heart attack = 58,900 and then snow shoveling women heart attack = 55,800. But you don't hear about the increased risk to women much, do you? Is it some grand men's club conspiracy? Isn't it convenient that women (the more nurturing sex) are out there shoveling just as the bowl games, play-off games and the like are starting? ("No, honey, let me push around 80 tons of snow, I don't want you to keel over and die from a heart attack." "Okay, thanks. Before you do, fix me a sandwich with hard salami and cheese with mayo. White bread is fine. Don't forget the chips and dip."). Over the course of the weekend, I saw far more women shoveling than men. The men I did see doing snow removal were there with the snowblowers, tractors with snow blades, etc. -- the "power tools". Take that any way you want.

See here:
snow shoveling 1

and here:
snow shoveling 2

- when it snows like this, why is it that the MSM only seems to think that it's happening in New York? I mean, they report the bad weather in St. Louis until Chicago is hit, and they report Detroit and Cleveland for a couple of hours. But once New York is in the radar, those other cities don't really exist. There were little snippets of reporting from "the Midwest" ('cause there's New York and there's California and the states in the middle are really only one, big [red-colored] blob. At the point that the first flake fell on Rockefeller Center, we Midwesterner were on our own.

- why do dogs risk a "time-out" in their crate for peeing in the house rather than go outside for 15 seconds when there is snow on the ground; but they will stand in a foot of snow for 15 minutes to bark at the dog next door?

I love shoveling snow...but I love when it's done more.

A time, not a term

President Bush gave an inaugural address today for outlining his agenda for a time, not a term. The President asked Americans for a selfless dedication to grander ideals and service to others that has not been asked in a generation. These requests were not for donations of money or labor until the aftermath of a hurricane, tsunami or other natural disaster has been cleared away. It is a request for a commitment to lift peoples out of a life of hopelessness and helplessness. It is not only poverty of purse, but poverty of spirit that plagues these people.

For those of us who lived through the "me" generation of the 80s, that mindset did not end as we ushered in the 90s. For most of us, that generation ended on September 11, 2001.

These bold endeavored outlined by the President today will not be achieved in four years, they may not be achieved in 40 years. Rather, President Bush put us on a path today. A path to a more peaceful world. For the instant gratification generation of 250 cable channels, remote controls, Game Boy, XBox and movies-on-demand, this may be a foreign concept. Work for which the worker himself may not be compensated. Have we become so self-absorbed that we cannot strive for the greater good? I hope not. It negates the sacrifices that so many of our ancestors made tens and hundreds of years ago.

For those who say we should not walk this path, I think Prime Minister Blair said it best in his address to the U.S. Congress in July, 2003"

And I know it's hard on America. And in some small corner of this vast country, out in Nevada or Idaho or these places I've never been to but always wanted to go -- (laughter) -- I know out there, there's a guy getting on with his life, perfectly happily, minding his own business, saying to you, the political leaders of this country, "Why me, and why us, and why America?" And the only answer is because destiny put you in this place in history in this moment in time, and the task is yours to do.

President Bush's speech
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/01/20050120-1.html

Mr Blair's Speech
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/17/international/worldspecial/17WEB-BTEX.html?ex=1106370000&en=a70d68485d1be463&ei=5070&oref=login&position=&pagewanted=print&position=