Conservative Belle

You Want the Truth?

2009-06-17T10:27:00.008-05:00

You can't handle the truth.

Evidence of election fraud and vote tampering in Iran. No wonder these people are outraged.

Curtsy to: [redacted] Twitter member who lives in Tehran

Palin Should Be Proud and Honored by Letterman Comparisons

2009-06-15T07:11:00.000-05:00

Michelle Malkin recently wrote a compelling letter to David Letterman about his hypocritical comments and his poor excuses following the backlash of his insults to Palin's daughter. First, let me confess that I do not watch Letterman's show because I am seldom awake at that hour. When I was in junior high, I thought he was pretty funny. I probably didn't understand much of his satire at that age, admittedly. Regardless, I wouldn't have found his remarks about Governor Sarah Palin and her daughters amusing.

What enlightened me in Malkin's piece was not the often expressed discontent about Letterman's "comic FAIL" regarding Palin's daughter and the sexual connotations. No, I didn't even have to go there because it should be fairly obvious to anyone that the "jokes" were in poor taste and disrespectful and WRONG. What Malkin brought to my attention was something I didn't realize - Letterman's long history of comparisons with Palin's appearance and working-class women.

Over the past year, Letterman has displayed his sexist, elitist stripes in jibe after jibe aimed at Palin. Taken cumulatively, Letterman's mockery is about much more than expressing contempt for the popular GOP governor. It's a handy device to deride a broad class of working-class and middle-class women he holds in contempt:

"You know, she reminds me, she looks like the flight attendant who won't give you a second can of Pepsi. No, you've had enough. We're landing. Looks like the waitress at the coffee shop who draws a little smiley face on your check. Have a nice day."

"She looks like the dip sample lady at Safeway. She looks like the nurse who weighs you and then makes you sit alone in your underwear for 20 minutes. She looks like the Olive Garden hostess who says, 'I'm sorry, your table isn't ready yet.' She looks like the infomercial lady who says she made $64,000 a month flipping condos."

"She looks like the lady at the bakery who yells out '44! 45!' She looks like a real estate agent whose picture you see on the bus stop bench. That's who she looks like. She looks like the lady who has a chain of cupcake stores."

In November 2008, Letterman told tanking CBS News anchor Katie Couric that he was "aroused" by Palin. In March 2009, Letterman attacked Bristol and snickered about her being "knocked up" again.

So here is where I take real issue.

I am a hard-working, middle-class woman in the work force. My occupation and my responsibilities are not relevant. But what is relevant is the honor to working women everywhere to be compared to a successful female governor - regardless of political party. Politics is a tough game, and it should be obvious that few women have taken a national spotlight in that arena. These trends are changing slowly, but identity politics is important. Ask Hillary Clinton. Ask Geraldine Ferraro. Ask Senator Kay Bailey-Hutchinson. Ask Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle. Or maybe just ask your locally elected female politician. So if someone makes an attempt at comparing me to just one of these ladies, not based on party ideology but because we are all successful in our field, then I'm honored.

But Letterman intended his remarks to be insulting to Palin, right? So if he compares her looks to that of a teller at a bank or a school librarian, he means it to be insulting to Palin. Am I getting his attempt at humor here? Was it an attempt to belittle Governor Palin by comparing her role as Governor and her appearance to be that of a "common" working class "babe"? Because if that was his intent, he FAILED, in epic proportions.

Malkin is right. What Letterman instead accomplished was to successfully demean working-class women across this country, in a snide and deceptive way. Not by comparing them to Palin, but by attempting to insult Palin through his multiple comparisons to her in his weird attempts at comedy. He suggested that a woman's appearance and her success at whatever her occupation, can somehow be used acceptably to berate another successful, hard-working woman, with whom he holds great animosity toward her political platform. Of course, this type of "humor" is only selectively applied.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting censorship for Letterman or that Palin is off limits on his television show. What I am suggesting, however, is that women should be aware of Letterman's misogynistic leanings in his remarks. And that Governor Palin should be proud of those very comparisons to hard-working, middle class women everywhere. What an honor!

Textbook Theft Scam Busted

2009-06-09T09:08:00.004-05:00

It seems some Louisiana gals ripped off nearly 4,000 textbooks from Barnes & Noble stores all over the Gulf Coast area, including Mississippi. Then they sold them for cash at a used bookstore.

Heaven forbid, they would ever bother to read a textbook and try to end a life of crime. How sad.

How Does Mississippi Conduct Fair Elections?

2009-06-09T08:39:00.003-05:00

We draw names, of course. Or numbers. This is as good as it gets, folks.

The Gardener and the Veteran

2009-05-07T09:52:00.005-05:00

WLOX reporter, Brad Kessey shares a great story about a man determined to exercise his vote in the municipal elections in Gulfport, MS on Tuesday. Please go take the time to read it. It should

On a more personal note, four years ago I helped a man in his nineties vote curb side from his daughter's truck. He told me that he has never once missed an election and he would continue to vote as long as he had breath in his body. He was a veteran and he told me he felt it was his duty to be involved in the decisions made by government, even in a local run-off election for a school board member. He was barely able to color in the circles on the ballot with the pencil, but he wouldn't leave until he completed his mission. His daughter was so very proud of him. I was too.

I was amazed at his fortitude and I have never forgotten his story. And at every election cycle, I remember him. When I'm in my nineties, I want to have the same testimony about my voting record. Do you?

I Need My Smith County Watermelons and Tomato Sandwiches!

2009-04-13T22:58:00.002-05:00

First it was green onions, then peanut butter and now pistachios. If truth be told, there were probably a few others thrown in between. Of course, I am referring to foods that cause food poisoning. We are all aware of them. Just this weekend my sister warned her mother-in-law not to eat pistachios because it was the "new" food not to eat.

So it is not surprising that a few in Congress have decided to sit around and doodle and rewrite the original HR Bill 759 into the new even more ridiculous HR 875 bill .

Do you enjoy raising a garden every summer so you can put up fresh vegetables for your family?

Do you enjoy hunting so you can have fresh meat in your freezer?

If this bill passes, you could be considered a criminal if you grow vegetables in your backyard. It could be illegal if you share a summer fresh tomato with your neighbor... forget that... if you even grow a tomato! No more farmer's markets. No more roadside truck sales. No more Smith County watermelons!

The public is starting to stand and taking notice of this bill because of what it means for the everyday person. However, in reality there are probably very few in Congress who probably even know about this bill and when it arrives on the floor they will vote based on the good old method of "How are you voting?" decision making process.

We need to contact our members at 202-224-3121 and ask them to oppose HR 875 and S 425. While you are at it ask them if they personally have read the legislation and what their position is? If they have not read the legislation ask them to read it and politely let them know that just because other representitives are not reading the legislation and voting on it does not mean they can do the same.

Also, find out who sits on your states agriculture and farming committee and contact them with your concerns.

The time to act is now. I seriously don't want to have to go to jail for a home grown tomato sandwich, but it just isn't summer without them.

Please, people, help a Mississippi girl out!

Our Bold and Intimidating US Navy

2009-04-13T13:54:00.003-05:00

Two of the three Navy vessels, that were in the Gulf of Aden to help rescue the hijacked merchant ship, were built in Mississippi. The USS Boxer and the USS Bainbridge once called Northrop-Grumman Shipyard in Pascagoula their home. We are very proud of all the servicemen and women who were involved in the brave rescue of Captain Phillips. Well done.

Something I noted when reading a related article today were some comments from another "pirate." [emphasis mine]

The pirates had appealed by satellite phone to other pirate groups to sail captive ships and hostages to the scene of the standoff, to put some pressure on the U.S. forces. But Guled Farah, who belongs to another pirate group that had hijacked a German ship last week, said that the presence of the U.S. vessels scared them off.
[...]
The only real deterrence for pirates, who netted tens of millions of dollars in ransoms last year, according to independent experts, is the threat of force. But military interventions often don't end as well as the U.S. operation. On Friday French forces swooped in to release a captured yacht and one of the five French hostages was killed in a firefight with pirates.

I was glad to see President Obama say this:

"We remain resolved to halt the rise of piracy in this region," Obama said. "To achieve that goal, we must continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks, be prepared to interdict acts of piracy and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes."

Those are tall words and I hope he can get the cooperation of the U.N. and other countries to continue to assist with this goal.

Lobbyists Give Huge Return on Investment

2009-04-09T09:22:00.002-05:00

It pays to have friends in high places, if you buy some friends who know those movers and shakers. According to a study done at the University of Kansas, the return on investment is quite lucrative.

Big companies that spent hundreds of millions lobbying successfully for a tax break enacted in 2004 got a 22,000-percent return on that investment — proof that for those who can afford it, hiring a lobbyist can pay handsome dividends.

The figures, compiled by professors at the University of Kansas for a study to be released Thursday, offer a rarely seen glimpse of how the lobbying business works, and why — even as President Barack Obama vows to curb lobbyists' influence — the industry is booming as never before.

While the biggest recipients of influence were pharmaceutical companies and technology companies, no doubt those who were receiving stimulus money and bailout funds had similarly sent lobbyists to Washington to plea their case. In fact, according to a nonpartisan group who studied this, the TARP recipients got a whopping 258,449 percent ROI for the $114 million they forked out for political influence.

And of course, let's not forget all the politicians who resign and then work for lobbyist firms or the lobbyists who are extended family of current politicians and make out like bandits.

The system is terribly corrupt. It lends itself to unfair pay to play practices. When a politician can fly on a corporate jet for a couple of hours back to their home state and give an audience to paid lobbyists for the duration of the flight, but can't give the time for a phone call from a constituent, something is wrong. I understand that businesses have a right to have their voices heard. But are they only being heard because they can afford to host fundraisers for the re-election cause of the elected official?

I've given money to campaigns before and volunteered for campaigns for many high-level elected officials. Such low-scale participation has wielded little if any benefit for me, no matter how many hours of my time I gave. When I called upon them when I needed assistance, I got the run around and an eventual "he's just too busy to help out" response. Or worse, I called their Washington offices to express concern about legislation and to ask questions about where they stood on the bill, only to have a staffer speak to me in a "oh, it's one of those pesky constituents calling again" tone of voice and neglect to even ask me what part of his district I was in. Oh, but sometimes it produces a polite form letter response. Lucky me. So where is my 258,449 percent ROI?

Oh that's right. How could I forget? My ROI is in the form of a national debt that per capita likely exceeds my current annual salary and is then passed onto future generations who aren't even able to vote on the spending matters. Elected officials spend my ROI into oblivion helping out those who can afford paid lobbyists but can't manage their businesses effectively and then pay to influence for more hand-outs.

Why don't these businesses just stop paying for lobbying firms, donating to campaigns/PACs, hosting fundraisers and buying fancy dinners and instead invest that money into profitable and proven business strategies that are not dependent on government handouts? From a voter and a consumer's perspective, I don't think that is an unreasonable expectation.

A Special Thank You From a Soldier

2009-04-06T16:58:00.004-05:00

In lieu of buying a lot of gifts this past Christmas, I chose to purchase care packages from Soldiers' Angels for our soldiers serving overseas and donate them in honor of my friends and family. It was a very small gesture on my part, compared to their great sacrifices, but I wanted to do something. Imagine my surprise today when I received a thank you letter via email from a corporal who received one of the donations.

This soldier has a wife (living in another country), who does not have a DSN line on which to communicate and so the phone cards he received in the care packages were very helpful to him and her. This is his third deployment and he is so happy to have the phone cards to communicate with his family more often than the occasional email, as he did on his last two deployments. I'm so happy they are helpful to him and others.

I did not even expect that the donor email would be given to him and that any of the recipients would have a way to contact me. However, now knowing how helpful these were to him, I going to send some more. Maybe you can join me by going to the Soldiers' Angels store and finding a care package that suits your budget or maybe just some AT&T phone cards. You can honor your friends/family and honor our military and their families. It will be a blessing to you even if you never hear from them.

Mississippi Tax Day Tea Parties

2009-04-06T16:17:00.005-05:00

Tax Day Tea Parties are being organized all across Mississippi. Participants who wish to join others in protesting the out-of-control government spending may find a location and time for an area near them by clicking here. The Tax Day Tea Party on April 15 is focused on one theme: Repeal the Pork, Cut Taxes and Spending.

My Favorite Line From Obama's Speech

2009-03-25T20:43:00.000-05:00

"It took a couple of days because I like to know what I'm talking about before I speak."

I almost had to replace my computer after reading that little snippet from Obama's speech. No, I couldn't stomach watching the speech. After all, he had warmed up for his speech by appearing on "The Tonight Show", ESPN, and "60 Minutes". I didn't watch those either, but even after all the teaser commercials I had pretty much had enough.

However, I enjoyed watching the Twitter comments roll on my screen during his speech so when I saw that one sentence pop up I nearly howled with laughter. President Obama said that in response to the question of why it took him so long to express outrage over the AIG bonuses.

Hmmmm.... it took him a couple of days to form a response? Americans pretty much formed a response in 2 seconds. FAIL!

Charlie Rangel Thinks No One Cares About the AIG Bonus Language

2009-03-20T07:16:00.003-05:00

So I have taken some time this morning to read about the history of the "bonuses" for bailed out companies. In all fairness, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) is getting an unfair shake.

The public record shows Dodd authored an amendment that would have prevented "any bonus" being paid to top executives of firms getting bailout money. It was the White House and the Treasury Department that insisted Dodd's amendment be watered down to apply only to bonuses paid under agreements signed in the past five weeks. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has taken public responsibility for that.

The Dodd Amendment was removed in the conference committee between the House and Senate on H.R. 1. The article I link above has a NUMBER of references which quote the Obama Administration as pressuring Dodd for the removal of his amendment. And the language which allowed the bonuses was added secretly by those in the conference committee. The members of the conference committee?

Democratic Senate members Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, Max Baucus of Montana and Harry Reid of Nevada and Democratic House members David Obey of Wisconsin, Charles Rangel of New York and Henry Waxman of California. No Republican lawmakers were among the conferees.

And now the blame game ensues. The Democrat finger-pointing has become unreal. Speaker Nancy Pelosi claims it is a Senate-White House issue and that members of Congress had NOTHING to do with it.

Asked to explain what her understanding was of how the looser language came to pass through Congress, Pelosi pointed back at the Senate and the Obama White House.

“This is Senate-White House language,” Pelosi said, referring to the now-radioactive provision. “That is what we are talking about here.

“If you want to talk about what happened in the Senate, go to the Senate and talk to them,” she added.

And Pelosi continuously denied that she or any other House Democrat signed off on the provision, even though the House eventually voted to agree to the conference report on the stimulus bill.

“This was never brought to conference,” she said. “This never came to the House side, and you can talk to any of our conferees. It’s a matter of fact and record.”

Is that right? No members of the House were in that conference committee? Well, let's just see about that.

Good ole Charlie Rangel (D-NY) can always be counted on for putting his proverbial foot in his mouth and he ends up contradicting the Speaker.

Democrats brushed aside GOP complaints. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) dismissed the idea that an outraged public cared who might have changed the wording of the 1,100-page stimulus bill at the last minute, saying, “Nobody back home is asking about the conference report.”

Would that be the conference report that Pelosi says never was seen by House members? Didn't they vote on that before it went to the President?

Oh wait. Let's not leave out Harry Reid (D-NV).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) referred questions to Dodd. At another point, he said he wanted to start “focusing on the future.”

The future focus would be the legislation to tax the bonuses and giving the Justice Department the authority to restrict bailout recipients from giving out future bonuses. Because of course, no one cares about that language put in the conference report that gave the companies the ability to award those bonuses in the first place thereby removing Dodd's restrictions. And no one from the House knew anything about it. And no one took any money from these companies (cough, Republicans and Democrats, cough) or flew in their jets or served on their Board of Directors, etc...

I can't decide whether to be disgusted by all of this or just roll my eyes and chalk it up to business as usual. I think both.

Twitter Takes Mississippi by Storm - Part 1

2009-03-19T07:01:00.001-05:00

Yes, that is Twitter, not twister. Twitter is a social-networking application that allows you to communicate with others by using status updates, news, photos and web links in 140 characters or less.

I've taken the liberty of identifying several news organizations, politicians, government agencies, bloggers and businesses in Mississippi that are using this technology. Here is my first list. If you are on Twitter and would like me to include you on the next list, please leave me a comment or send me a Tweet. Be patient since the comments are moderated on the blog.

Federal Elected Officials:
Senator Roger Wicker
Congressman Gregg Harper

State Elected Officials:
Governor Haley Barbour
State Auditor Stacey Pickering

State Legislators:
Rep. Greg Snowden

State Agencies:
MS Department of Health
MS Emergency Management Agency
MS Public Broadcasting
MS Public Broadcasting News

Universities/Colleges (not their sports team stuff):
Tougaloo College
Ole Miss

Television Stations:
WLOX
WDAM
WLBT
WJTV
WHLT

Newspapers:
Natchez Democrat
Clarion-Ledger
Sun Herald
Hattiesburg American
Jackson Free Press
Oxford Eagle
High Cotton News - Starkville
The Local Voice - Oxford
The Student Printz - Hattiesburg

Radio:
103.7 FM

Various Organizations:
MS Hospital Association
City of Columbus Visitor's Bureau
Salvation Army - AL, LA, MS
Visit Natchez
Laurel Express
USM Alumni

Businesses:
Mad Genius, Inc.
Bulldog Deli
Strange Brew Coffeehouse
MSU Cold Stone Creamery
Pinegrove Treatment
Coffee News of South MS
A Cut Above Lawn Service
Monmouth Plantation
Oak Street Place
Crescent City Grill
MS Gift Company
Cellular South

News/Political Bloggers:
Conservative Belle
Liberal Smash
MS Perspective
Sam Hall
State Street Posts

Churches:
First Baptist Hattiesburg
First Baptist Church Meridian
St. Columb's Church Ridgeland
Briar Hill Baptist

Miscellaneous:
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
Comcast Cares (customer service)
Oak Grove Library

Ya know, that constitution thing is like, so old and outdated...

2009-03-03T12:27:00.003-06:00

Somehow I think that Andrew Lang would feel differently about the Constitution if his home was invaded without warrant to look for contraband and the government unlawfully seized his property. Or what if Lang didn't receive a trial by his peers if he was ever arrested. Or maybe Lang would be upset if the government prevented him from saying he thinks the mayor wears combat boots.

But he sure opposes this ancient relic of a document because of one amendment with which he disagrees - that pesky 2nd Amendment.

LAPORTE | Student Andrew Lang told gun supporters their beliefs are out of touch and he would not feel safe with firearms in a city building.

His comments drew boos from gun rights activists who packed LaPorte City Hall Monday urging their constitutional right to bear arms be preserved.

Lang said it's not the 1770s when the British were coming and, nowadays, there ought to be exceptions.

"You guys are bringing up stuff about the constitution. It's a little bit old and outdated. This is when our country was under attack from a foreign force," said Lang.

Yeah, don't let that little piece of paper get in the way of protecting someone's civil rights!

Does Lang naively believe that a crazed criminal would leave their firearm at the door, when they intend to do physical harm to someone in a city building?

Regardless, the LaPorte city council voted against such a firearms ban by a 4-3 vote.

Priceless. Heh.

2009-03-03T07:38:00.001-06:00

Curtsy to: Darleen

New Research May Eliminate Need for Embryonic Stem Cells

2009-03-01T15:19:00.003-06:00

It appears more strides are being made by scientists to use adult stem cells in lieu of using embryonic stem cells. Here's some more good news.

Researchers said on Sunday they had found a safer way to transform ordinary skin cells into powerful stem cells in a move that could eventually remove the need to use human embryos.

It is the first time that scientists have turned skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells -- which look and act like embryonic stem cells -- without having to use viruses in the process.

Even the scientist who cloned Dolly the Sheep believes this progress, combined with other similar research on adult stem cells, could prove to be useful in regenerative medicine, which many hope can one day cure many diseases.

Send A Red Envelope

2009-02-19T08:44:00.002-06:00

"Well, the first thing I'd do as president is,

is sign the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA).

That's the first thing that I'd do." -- Barack Hussein Obama

Many of you already know that the above statement was the reason I did not vote for our new president. Although building a house contains many facets, every house has a foundation. The basic respect for life at conception is one of the foundations our house is built on. I believe that is so because God told us in Psalm 139:13, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."

That is why I am supporting the "Send A Red Envelope" campaign. My hope is that the White House will be flooded with 50 million red envelopes - one for each baby that has been aborted before it he or she has had a chance to live - and that this effort will change President Obama's heart.

Will you consider joining me?

Get a red envelope and send it to:

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500-0001

On the back of the envelope, write the following message:

This envelope represents one child who died in an abortion.

It is empty because that life was unable to offer anything to the world.

Responsibility begins with conception.

For more information on: Obama's reasons for supporting infanticide, Michelle Obama's partial birth abortion fundraising letter, Obama's abortion record, or more visit: www.sendaredenvelope.org

Sign The Petition

2009-02-13T08:34:00.002-06:00

The final passage of the Stimulus Bill is set for vote TODAY and no one has seen the bill!   The Conservative Underground is for the Bill to be posted on the Internet for 1 week with a summary of all spending.

Somehow that doesn't seem unreasonable considering the final version of the bill termed The Economic Recovery Package will cost $789 Billion, with interest over $1 Trillion.

And they want us to pay all this back WITHOUT seeing it.    We have a right to see this!

CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION

Need a Press Conference Recap?

2009-02-10T12:10:00.004-06:00

No one live blogs it better than Greg.

Oh, and I loved this little gem that I heard President Obama say last night. (emphasis mine)

And I think that both sides are going to have to acknowledge we're going to need more money for new science labs, to pay teachers more effectively, but we're also going to need more reform, which means that we've got to train teachers more effectively, bad teachers need to be fired after being given the opportunity to train effectively, that we should experiment with things like charter schools that are innovating in the classroom, that we should have high standards.

It seems I remember some caterwauling from the left when John McCain said on the campaign trail that good teachers should be paid more and that "we should find bad teachers another line of work." Liberals chastise conservatives when they use the "reform" word to refer to merit-based pay for teachers, charter schools, poor-performing teachers and voucher programs.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Exercising My 2nd Amendment Rights

2009-02-09T12:01:00.005-06:00

I have been wanting to buy a gun for about 10 years but I just kept finding other priorities or interests instead. Several people kept encouraging me to just go shoot one, try it out and see what feels comfortable before purchasing. I've been around law enforcement people for many years but I've always had a respectful fear of guns. They were intimidating to me. I decided I wanted that intimidation to end. So I recently went to a shooting range, rented two handguns and took my first shot (pun intended) at target-shooting.

I bought some ear and eye protection first. Then, I rented a Glock 9mm and a Taurus .38 revolver from the range and got some basic instruction. I loaded the 9mm first and shot 17 rounds in my first target from 5 yards. (Good thing I was wearing eye protection because the first shell popped up and hit the safety glasses. It startled me because I didn't expect it.) Then I loaded the revolver and shot 5 rounds into the same target.

I retrieved the first target and the two range employees who were with me said I did a great job. I didn't miss the target at all. In fact, I nailed all my shots within the 8-10 point ranges. I even had a couple of shots that hit the same place twice. And I had three shots that hit in the bulls-eye area. They said some law enforcement officers can't even do that well in their qualifications. I guess I'm a natural.

I wasn't very scientific about my targets after the first one, unfortunately. I should have fired one gun completely into a single target and then fired the other one into a separate target and compared my accuracy, but instead I just kept switching back and forth as I ran out of ammo. The next two targets I used I moved to 7 yards. I missed the target a couple of shots but mostly hit in the 8-10 point range again.

After I was finished with the 100 rounds of ammo I purchased, the range employees asked me which gun I liked the best. Gosh, I liked them both. They each felt different, though not significantly, and both were comfortable. I didn't notice a major difference except for the recoil, trigger ease and loudness factors. If I was hard-pressed to choose, I'd have to go with the Glock, but maybe not that particular model (17) . However, I want to do some more research before I choose and read some reviews. I do understand that maintenance for a semi-automatic gun is greater than with a revolver. That can factor in and so can cost and safety features.

[Side note: To all you sexist naysayers who think women should only carry a .22 and that having a weak wrist can cause a 9mm to jam, I would just like to say - WRONG!. And to all the ladies who listen to the sexists, just remember that if I can do it, you can do it too. At least try it before you decide differently.]

Meanwhile, I'm looking at some certified instructors so that I can learn all I need to know (safety, operations, stance, ammo, maintenance, etc...) from a professional. I'm not in any rush to do this because I want to be sure I get the right fit for me. And I want to make sure I do things properly, with the most education.

I had a great time and I'm feeling very empowered and confident, plus it was a lot of fun. I walked away grinning from ear to ear and told them "I'll be back."

Okay, I know that some of you will have some thoughts about this, so line up and feel free to share. I can't wait to hear your points of view and advice.

Oh, and here is my first target from my first time shooting ever. Read it and weep, you pansy criminal scumbags! Remember I will show no mercy.

Washington Bureauweenies Take Note!

2009-01-29T12:11:00.002-06:00

Here's how you can work out a budget deficit by simply following in the steps of Mississippi - sell an airplane on E-Bay.

House Bill 1065 gained approval in the House Appropriations Committee. It still needs approval on the House floor before moving to the Senate for debate.

The measure calls for the state's Cessna Citation jet to be sold by competitive bids, public auction or on eBay. The jet is used mostly by statewide elected officials to travel around Mississippi and the rest of the country.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Johnny Stringer, D-Montrose, said the plane is valued at $3.7 million and costs $1,900 per hour to use. He said the state owes $500,000 on the jet, obtained through a lease-purchase agreement.

It seems that Stringer must be listening to Dave Ramsey. If you need to get out of debt, sell that which you can live without. It's a darn shame that the lawmakers in Washington D.C. can't seem to find solutions like this. Kudos to Representative Stringer for the effort.

Yes, I Went There Again

2009-01-27T19:32:00.002-06:00

I can't seem to let this one go, so I wrote over at DPUD about the Geithner debacle. More info about him and my personal reactions can be found there.

Dennis Miller on Hoes

2009-01-22T19:30:00.003-06:00

I happened to catch Dennis Miller last night on The O'Reilly Factor. I am so glad I found this clip to share with you, in case you missed it. I really enjoy Dennis Miller (on TV and radio), but this was just a classic moment.

"I, for one, welcome the next four years in that "hoes" can once again become a word about an implement that's used to till a garden at a community center."

Bwahahahaha! I, too, welcome that part.

I found the video on a new site I've been looking over - Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood. Be sure to check it out. Andy Levy from Fox News' Red Eye writes there too.

REJECT! REJECT! REJECT!

2009-01-22T19:00:00.005-06:00

The United States Senate has rejected presidential nominees for similar and lessor offenses than that of Timothy Geithner for Secretary of the Treasury. I've been silent on this subject thus far but the nomination of Geithner as head of the IRS just reeks of hypocrisy and frankly embarrassment. How is the public trust supposed to rest assuredly with a man who failed to pay his taxes?

Think back around eight years ago. President Bush nominated Linda Chavez as Labor Secretary back in 2001. The Democrats had a field day with her because she had been accused of hiring someone who was not in the country legally. By doing so they continued an expectation level - you can't be head of labor if you can't follow basic labor laws. She eventually withdrew herself from the nomination.

So how is this any different with Geithner? It isn't. You can't be head of the IRS if you can't follow tax laws. Period. That's the expectation level for that post. Too bad.

The GOP Senators should reject this nomination collectively based on principle. There is no compromise here. This isn't obstruction. This isn't being mean. This isn't even revenge. It is about the public trust and the audacity to nominate someone who so overtly believes his failure to adhere to the law should have no impact on his ability to force OTHERS to do it. Writing a check and saying your tax software made a mistake is not acceptable.

And Geithner should withdraw and allow President Obama the opportunity to nominate someone who didn't violate the tax laws before they were put in charge of the tax laws.

Mississippians Should NOT Be Duped

2009-01-22T07:18:00.003-06:00

In this midst of a budget crisis in Mississippi what do you think we all should do? Common sense would tell you that if you don't have the revenue to pay for all your expenses, you should cut expenses and/or find ways to generate more revenue. But since when has common sense ever prevailed in our state capital? Governor Barbour, in his state of the state address, told the citizens of the Magnolia State that we were going to have to make adjustments.

There is a law . . . a statute . . . Section 27 104 13 of the Mississippi Code that orders the Governor to make enough cuts in appropriated state spending to eliminate any deficit spending, if State revenue comes in lower than the estimate on which the appropriations were made by the Legislature.

As you know, to comply with the mandate of this law, I made forty-two million dollars in spending reductions affecting many state departments and agencies back in November. I held others, like the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, harmless from these cuts.

Now that sounds like some common sense prevailing. And now the projected revenues are falling even more and the governor says we have to make more cuts. Will it hurt? Of course it will, for a little while. Can every agency afford to cut back? Sure it can, for a little while. Hiring freezes, employee raises, benefit cuts, and purchasing restrictions are all included in this reduction of expenditures. Sacrifices are necessary and mandatory.

Except, it seems, for public officials who think they are deserving of a BIG FAT PAY RAISE. The "do-as-I-say-but-not-as-I-do" policy reigns supreme again in the Mississippi legislature, just as it does in Washington D.C. Representative Linda Coleman (D-Bolivar County) introduced House Bill 1257, which asks for salary increases for nearly every county and state elected position.

I guess Ms. Coleman (and others) think there is no need to tighten the purse strings when it comes to the salaries, travel expenses and benefits of elected officials. After all, those elected officials work hard and they deserve it, right? But those pesky public schools with all their demands, all those kids needing to prove that Mississippi can stop being at the bottom of the education list in the country, they are the ones who better make some cuts. Give us a break.

I'm sure they thought this would just slip through without any notice. Mississippi taxpayers are expected to make all the personal sacrifices. We are the ones who suffer when state and local governments can't provide the necessary services we depend upon. But we are willing to bite the bullet as long as everyone else does. But to suggest that elected officials are above that notion is outrageous.

I encourage every Mississippi citizen who reads this to contact their state legislator immediately and demand that this bill DIE, DIE, DIE.

To contact your representative and senator during session, call them at the switchboard - (601) 359-3770. To find your representative to contact them directly, click here. To find your senator to contact them directly, click here.

The members of the Fees and Salaries of Public Officers committee are:

Linda F. Coleman, Chairman; Chuck Espy, Vice-Chairman
Members: Mark Baker; Gary Chism; Blaine Eaton; George Flaggs, Jr.; Jeffrey Guice; Rita Martinson; Willie J. Perkins, Sr.; John Read; Walter L. Robinson, Jr.; Ferr Smith; Mary Ann Stevens; Rufus Straughter; Joseph L. Warren

Politely let them know that this piece of legislation in any form is unacceptable. Let them know we will not be duped.