The Bitter Americans

The Talkback Section at its Best: The Conservative Media

2012-03-06T21:41:00.003-05:00

I have an on again, off again relationship with the local newspaper's talkback section. I read it for entertainment purposes, but often get so annoyed by the political stupidity the editors actually choose to share, I am forced to take some time away.

I've noticed a trend lately in the talkback section as well as on Facebook. People feel the need to argue which mainstream news stations have the biggest bias and which side they support. Personally, I think it's a little ridiculous to even begin arguing there is a mainstream media conspiracy against Democrats based solely on FoxNews, but there are people who overlook all the other stations while making the claim.

Today's talkback in The Times Herald, had what I would consider one of the stupidest comments I have ever read. It's so stupid, I decided it was worth it's own article to share such an intellectual thought.

“Here’s a word I’m really getting sick of: ‘My tax money.’ These people think that whatever they pay in taxes that goes out to other people is their money being wasted. That is such a hateful type of thing to have started and it all started with Fox News and the insane conservative talk network.”

I won't even get into the 'my tax money' part of this, because someone who thinks it is hateful to be concerned about how the government is spending tax money is a lost cause. I paid it, so I'm not sure how it isn't mine to be concerned about?

What I do want to discuss a little further is the FoxNews comment at the end of this brilliant statement. Apparently it isn't human nature to be concerned about what is being done with your hard earned money. No one would even think about it if the evil Conservative media didn't brainwash us to wonder where it is going.

Shortly after reading this, I checked my stumbleupon account, in which I have been sent two articles on this particular section. I know what I think about the MSM in general, but if you aren't sure, check these out.

15 Questions The Mainstream Media Would Ask Barack Obama If He Were A Republican

So, what would happen if the mainstream media treated Barack Obama the exact same way they treat Republicans? The questions might sound a little something like this.

1) Numerous Mexican citizens and an American citizen have been murdered with weapons knowingly provided to criminals by our own government during Operation Fast and Furious. If Eric Holder was aware that was going on, do you think he should step down as Attorney General? Were you aware of Fast and Furious and if so, shouldn’t you resign?

2) In 2010 you said Solyndra, a company that donated heavily to your political campaign, was “leading the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future.” Today, Solyndra is bankrupt and the taxpayers lost over $500 million on loans that your administration knew might never be paid off when you made them. How do you respond to citizens who say this is evidence of corruption in your administration?

Why isn't the media drilling him on these two subjects. Millions of dollars and lives down the drain, but it doesn't seem to be front page news, that is unless you have been brainwashed and read FoxNews or one of the thousands of blogs run by fellow domestic terrorists.

5) When you took office, the national average for one gallon of gas was $1.89 per gallon. Since then, you’ve demonized the oil industry, dramatically slowed offshore drilling, blocked ANWAR, and rejected the Keystone Pipeline. Now, gas is $3.54 per gallon and rising and is expected to reach $5 per gallon by May of this year. How much higher do you anticipate driving gas prices?

I've discussed this one recently. We got to see first hand how Bush was treated on this subject.

9) You made bipartisanship one of the central themes of your campaign in 2008. Yet, you’ve worked to push bills through Congress with almost no Republican support, spent much less time negotiating with Congress than George Bush did, and you’ve said things like, “But, I don’t want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess. I don’t mind cleaning up after them, but don’t do a lot of talking.” Why did you decide to break your campaign promise to pursue bipartisanship?

15) Members of your administration promised that the trillion dollar stimulus would keep unemployment under 8 percent. Instead, we’ve had 35+ months of 8% and above unemployment. Doesn’t that mean we wasted a trillion dollars on nothing?

It's all Bush's fault, right?

The Top 50 Examples Of Liberal Media Bias

Some of my favorites from the list...

8). Media Falsely Reports Bush Loss in Florida In 2000: As voting for president in 2000 was still going on in Florida’s GOP leaning panhandle, several Networks reported that Bush had already lost the Sunshine State even though the polls had not yet closed. According to some this cost Bush some 10,000 votes...

10). Rathergate (or Memogate): In an effort to damage George W. Bush’s 2004 run for reelection, Dan Rather — whose bias goes back decades — floated a story based on forged documents that claimed Bush had gone AWOL from his Texas Air National Guard unit back in 1973. Internet sleuths, though, realized that the documents purporting to have been created on a 1970s era typewriter were actually made using a Microsoft computer font and obviously these computers did not exist in 1973. Rather refused to admit the truth, however, and ultimate lost his spot as the anchor of CBS’s nightly newscast.

25). Fast And Furious: To this day the media has not spent much time covering Obama’s murderous program of supplying guns to Mexican Narco-Terrorists, a program that has killed hundreds of Mexican citizens and several U.S. law enforcement agents. To its credit, the L.A. Times has been very good on this story and so has CBS’ Sharyl Attkisson, but months went by before the rest of the media began to begrudgingly cover the story.

30). Herman Cain: We’ve all just gone through the end of Herman Cain’s bid for the GOP nomination for the Republican Party. And while Herman came up against a lot of media bias — Cain was often called an Uncle Tom, for one — the biggest example of anti-conservative bias in his campaign was the story of his alleged (and still unproven) infidelities. Just compare the favorable media treatment that Bill Clinton, John Edwards, and other Democrats got for their bimbo eruptions to how the media covered Cain.

33). George Soros/The Koch Brothers: A recent Fox News story asked the trenchant question, “Why Don’t We Hear About Soros’ Ties to Over 30 Major News Organizations?” It is a good question. While the media constantly slams conservative/libertarian donors David and Charles Koch, George Soros is consistently ignored by that same media seemingly so interested in exposing the influence of big money in politics.

I can't really argue with the points made in either article. Either they must be true, or I have been brainwashed by FoxNews!

I'll Attempt to Explain One Last Time...

2012-03-05T20:44:00.002-05:00

Despite having the video of Obama talking about bitter Americans clinging to their guns and religion on the 'About Us' page as well as having the exact quote in bold, immediately below the title banner, I continue to field questions about the blog name.

No, I am not unpatriotic or anti-American! I am a faithful Christian and a supporter of the 2nd amendment, but I am not some an extremist or a 'domestic terrorist.' So many people seem to have an issue with the name, but they are taking up their issues with the wrong person. Our countries constitution grants me the freedom of religion and the freedom to keep and bear arms. It also grants me many other freedoms. That is what makes our country so great. Redirect your questions to President Obama who apparently has issues with people like myself for enjoying those freedoms!

This time I decided to have a little fun with the explanation...

Gas Relief is Only $26,000 Away!

2012-03-04T20:34:00.001-05:00

I hope your fuel economy is worth your families safety...

Regular unleaded gas hit $3.99 per gallon in Port Huron, MI this week and hopefully it isn't something you are too concerned about, because relief isn't coming anytime soon. While President Bush got attacked daily when gas prices were high during his Presidency, the media continues to give Obama a free pass. If I recall correctly, Bush was developing plans to turn vacated military bases into nuclear power plants and oil refineries, lifting bans on oil drilling in the United States, developing green energy, and increasing fuel economy standards for the auto manufacturers. Obama's plan, if you can call it that, consists of him demanding an extreme increase in fuel economy standards, guaranteeing an increase in the price of new cars. Beyond that, the only other plan is to force us to purchase those cars by allowing fuel prices to remain high.

President Barack Obama, in his weekly radio address today, told Americans that fuel efficient cars are the answer to high gas prices. He pointed out that automakers are improving fuel economy of their vehicles, which will in time impact the price at the pump.

Have no worries everyone, this plan should start to have an effect real soon.

Obama went on to predict average fuel economy of cars would be 55 mpg by the middle of the next decade.

Continue reading on Examiner.com President Obama says fuel efficient cars can reduce gas prices - Atlantic City Car Buying | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/car-buying-in-atlantic-city/president-obama-says-fuel-efficient-cars-can-reduce-gas-prices#ixzz1oCR0RpX0

So what this boils down to for you and I is the need to purchase a new, overpriced vehicle in order to save a few dollars at the pump.

I decided it would be fun to take a look at the most fuel efficient vehicles on the market today and see what kind of savings we could expect.

According to www.fueleconomy.gov, the 10 most efficient vehicles are as follows:

1) Mitsubishi I-MiEV 126 city/ 99 hwy $29,125
This coffin on wheels has a 62 mile range before you need to plug in for a few hours and is currently only available in California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington as far as I can tell.

2) Nissan Leaf 106/92 $35,200 before government subsidies
Hopefully you don't have much of a family to shoehorn into this mini car with a whopping 100 mile range.

3) Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Van 62/62
I didn't waste my time researching this panel van. I don't think it is too practical for you family or business. While it may have the cargo space of a van, I wonder what a few thousand pound trailer or cargo load would do to its mileage?

4) Chevrolet Volt 58/62 $39,145 before government subsidies
The Volt has 35 mile range with it's electric motor and just might start on fire!

5) Toyota Prius c 53/46
I couldn't figure this one out. It's on Toyota's website, but it doesn't appear to be available for purchase.

6) Toyota Prius 51/48 $24,000-$29,900

7) Honda Civic Hybrid 44/44 $24,000-$26,750

8) Toyota Prius V 44/40 $26,500-$29,900

9) Lexus CT 200h 43/40 $29,000-$31,750

10) Honda Insight 41/44 $18,350-$23,540

Isn't Obama supposed to be pro UAW and Detroit auto manufacturers? I hope you didn't want to purchase a practical, useful, and affordable American made automobile, because they don't seem to be part of his recovery plan.

So let's say you currently own a Ford Fusion at 23city / 33hwy mpg. By purchasing a vehicle off this list (I refuse to include the useless electric vehicles due to their impracticality), you will get an average of about 43hwy mpg (#'s 5-10 on the list). That's about 10 higher than the Fusion you already own. Take the average price of those same vehicles on the list and you need to invest about $26,000 in a new car.

If you owned the car for 6 years and drove it 12,000 miles per year, while getting 10mpg more than your previous car over that time, you would save approximately 508 gallons of fuel. For the fuel saved to justify the $26,000 investment, gas would need to be $51.18 per gallon!

Just for kicks, let's assume you have a Ford F-150 getting 19 hwy mpg. The new car would save you 2115 gallons of gas. For the fuel saved in this situation to justify the investment, gas would need to be $12.29 per gallon!

How do you like that hope and change now?

Odds and Ends From the Wasteland

2012-03-03T17:50:00.000-05:00

I want to hit on a few topics, but first I want to discuss something that has been on my mind for a while.

A week or two ago, I received an interesting email in the TBA account. It isn't too out of the ordinary to receive a request or an opportunity to share a blog article on 3rd party website. In the past, all the offers or inquiries received have proven to be questionable after a quick Google search. The inquiry received this past week struck me as different.

It was an email from Philip Sherwell of www.telegraph.co.uk, asking me to call him to discuss the GOP primary in Michigan, particularly "Macomb county, given its bellwether reputation and Reagan Democrat history" that caught my attention. After a little research on Philip Sherwell, The Telegraph, and the topic, I decided it wouldn't hurt to give him a call.

The conversation was brief, quickly discussing my take on Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum in the Michigan primary. I was a little surprised how quickly the conversation was over, especially considering the fact we never discussed the topic stated in the email, but I was encouraged by the fact Mr. Sherwell would dig deep enough to call actual political bloggers living in the area.

Perhaps the first sign of Sherwell writing a questionable article was something I came across on Wikipedia. As I researched things a little further out of curiosity, I came across this quote from the Macomb County wiki page.

The county gained fame in the 1980s and '90s as a bellwether of state and national politics. Macomb's large cohort of working-class, socially conservative whites gave it one of the nation's most prominent concentrations of "Reagan Democrats".

Either Sherwell had a strangely familiar thought, or he was doing his research on a site banned by most high school teachers as a source for research papers. I may not be the most professional writer, but even I make a serious attempt to not use Wikipedia as a source unless it is for the most basic facts on a simple subject.

After coming across Sherwell's article on the topic a few days later, it's clear to me he has no interest in finding the real facts behind a story. Sherwell used all the typical media terms when describing Detroit, using them as ridiculous metaphors to destroy the entire GOP nomination race in the process.

Here are a few of Mr. Sherwell's wonderful quotes about the city of Detroit:

"Abandoned wastelands of crumbling homes"
"deserted streets"
"tracts of inner city that are turning back to prairie, complete with wild roaming pheasants and even an occasional coyote"
"post-industrial decline and decay"
"electoral scrap heap"
"Macomb county, a string of suburban communities separated from the ravages of Detroit by the bleak highway of Eight Mile Road"
"the scorched earth tactics could leave the Republican field looking as devastated as some of Detroit's crumbling suburbs"

Mr. Sherwell, I appreciate the call and the opportunity, but next time, you may want to actually learn a little bit about what makes Detroiters tick before dismantling the city in a national article. I highly doubt you made it anywhere near 8 mile and I can pretty much guarantee, you never saw a pheasant or coyote in the city. I'm not denying any of these statements, and I don't mind someone writing or reporting about Detroit's problems, but I would like them to actually understand why we are dealing with these issues if they are going to write about it.

I've shared a Stephen Crowder video in the past discussing the exact same issues, but Mr. Crowder took the time to understand these issues. While you came to Detroit to not only destroy the city, but also the GOP candidates, you have no understanding of what Liberal Democrats and President Obama are doing to this city. Years of liberal programs, government promoted irresponsibility, reverse racism, and union politics have made a great city the wasteland you refer to. The suburbs are full of passionate, hard working, good people waiting to see Detroit make a comeback. Maybe if the media was willing to tell the true story on how Detroit became what it is, we could start to see some change.

On to the other two topics for today.

I wanted to share another powerful poster on abortion. When you think about the people who consider it a women's right to kill their child, think about the other agendas those same people stand for. They are PETA members, attempting to save the lives of animals at all costs, gay rights activists demanding equal rights for all, anti-war demonstrators, calling for the end to wars in order to save lives, and tree huggers, willing to live in a tree so it can't be killed.

Finally, I enjoyed this video originally posted at Conservative Hideout 2.0 so much, I wanted to share a second video I found on a similar topic.

Thursday Night Links 3-1-12

2012-03-01T20:00:00.001-05:00

I'll keep it to one post on the hot topic of the day.
My prayer's go out to the Breitbart family.
The Daley Gator: RIP Andrew Breitbart
I think GatorDoug put it very well when he said "I think the best possible memorial we can ever give to Andrew Breitbart is to fight as hard, and tirelessly as he did for this nation."

MCT: The nanny state grows: NHTSA to require rear-view cameras in all new cars by 2014
I personally think rear view cameras make drivers more dangerous. They don't really give the full picture of what is behind you and they offer the driver a false sense of security. I don't know about you, but I would rather the driver just pay more attention!

Jill Stanek: CNN covers for Obama on infanticide support, cuts key information

Bunkerville: Windows 8 computers have “kill switch”
I don't normally get too worked up over all the stories about Facebook sharing your info or your phone constantly tracking you, but this one is interesting. What do they need a 'kill switch' for?

Conservative Hideout 2.0: How Liberals Argue
Hilarious! Watch this video!

WyBlog: Steven Chu confirms Obama's plan for Trickle Up Poverty
Always great for a few one liners... "The farthest anyone should venture is about 25 miles, which it turns out is the out-and-back range of the aforementioned Government Motors Chevy Volt Flaming Firetrap Golf Cart Of Doom."

Reganite Republican: Gitmo Soccer Field: $750,000 Gift from American Taxpayer

Conservative Byte: Outrage After HuffPo Contributor Calls Catholics ‘Jesus Eaters’
Did this receive the same coverage it would have if Muslims were called The Allah eating cult of Barack Obama?

Conservatives on Fire: Inflation : Is All Well or Is All Hell About to Break Loose?

Political Realities: IRS Oversteps Its Authority – Targets Tea Party

Sentry Journal: Broken Promises: Obama eyes cuts in healthcare benefits for military families and retired military

The Spread Eagle Patriot: Is Freedom Dead?

A Conservative Teacher: Reflecting on Romney's Victory in Michigan's Primary

Reason #5, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter: The Right to Bear Arms

2012-03-01T19:22:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I have written an article for this series, but with Romney getting closer to the nomination after Michigan and Arizona, and with a huge day coming up on Tuesday, I figure it is a good time to share a couple more reasons.

If you missed the first four installments, you can find them here:
Reason #4, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter: Koran Thumper or Bible Thumper?
Reason #3, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter, Barack's Distaste for America
Reason #2, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter: Barack's Resume, or Lack Thereof
Reason #1, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter: Obama's Questionable Company

If you haven't figured it out by the simple fact I have been working on this series, I am willing to vote for just about anyone in a head to head race with Barack Obama. No, I am not compromising myself and the principles I stand for. Making a decision to not vote or vote independent would be more of a compromise to my principles than voting for any of the four remaining candidates. Check out the four articles above and you'll see why.

Today's installment of Reason's Why will touch on a subject that could not only fire up the Conservative right, but many Democrats who have had their blinders on for years while extreme Liberals have taken over the party.

Living in Michigan, I personally know hundreds of people who understand what the American dream really is. They work for the auto related companies in and around Detroit, but at the end of the day, head to their home in the country. They own several acres of property, recreational vehicles, spacious homes with out buildings, large trucks or classic, gas guzzling, American built cars. They come from rural roots and tend to be quite Conservative when it comes to family values and social issues. And one thing many of them would refuse to give up is their right to bear arms. They are hunters, recreational shooters, and plain old gun lovers. They stand for everything Conservatives support, but have become pawns of the Democratic party due to their affiliation with labor unions.

I've seen firsthand, the influence the unions have over people. They take money from your paycheck, whether you like it or not. That money is used for political action committees, often donating over 90% of their funds to Democratic candidates. Newsletters are sent to members, 'suggesting' who they should vote for and spreading a hateful, false message about Conservative candidates. Bullying runs rampant in the workplace, where Conservatives are often mistreated and many times, are the first to be laid off; basically doing something the labor unions take pride in putting an end to.

The funny thing is, while the unions are misleading their members, Liberal Democrats are misleading the unions, playing to them for their sole purpose of retaining their vote.

Argue an issue like the 2nd Amendment with a union worker and you they will quickly resort to twisted facts, blatant lies, or simply change the subject due to the fact they simply don't have an answer. You'll probably end up in a conversation about how the Republicans forced Bill Clinton to sign NAFTA, one of the union's favorite subjects.

What it really comes down to in the end, is the fact these hard working people are not willing to give up their 2nd Amendment rights, along with Conservatives, and neither group understands how such a simple statement, "the right to bear arms", could be so twisted by politicians like Barack Obama. I would guess a vote on easing gun laws in Michigan would easily gather 65-75% of the vote if not tied to partisan politics. Despite that, Michigan has consistently supported 'gun control' Presidents.

Michigan's union worker's beliefs on the 2nd Amendment is a perfect example of how such a large number of people consistently vote for politicians who have major differences in their core principles. It isn't much different than a Democratic Christian trying to explain how they just voted to continue the murder of babies.

For me, and many others, the refusal of the Obama administration to read and defend the 2nd Amendment, exactly as written, is a major issue. Although I can't currently find any stance on the issue on Obama's useless, propaganda filled website, I did manage to dig up this statement from his past.

Millions of hunters own and use guns each year. Millions more participate in a variety of shooting sports such as sporting clays, skeet, target, and trap shooting that may not necessarily involve hunting. As a former constitutional law professor, Barack Obama believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he greatly respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. He will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport, and use guns for the purposes of hunting and target shooting. He also believes that the right is subject to reasonable and commonsense regulation.

As the source of the quote rightfully points out, there is something missing. There is no mention of any reason other than hunting. I would hate to quote such an outdated and useless rag of information like The Constitution, but I believe it says "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

I struggle to see where Barack's stance, as a 'former constitutional law professor' draws any inspiration from the document he taught others about. I also struggle to see where any restrictions are placed on the right to bear arms.

Some additional issues from the source article:

As a state legislator in Illinois, Obama supported banning the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic firearms, increasing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms

He supported a “ban” on the sale and possession of handguns on a political questionnaire

As state senator, he voted against a 2004 measure that allowed self-defense as an affirmative defense to those charged with violating local laws making it otherwise unlawful for such persons to possess firearms.

He voted against allowing persons who had obtained domestic violence protective orders to carry handguns for their protection.

Obama has also stated his opposition to allowing citizens to carry concealed guns and supports a national law outlawing the practice

PJ Media points out some other issues with Barack's stance:

In 1998 Obama stated a desire to “ban the sale or transfer of all forms of semi-automatic weapons.” Many people confuse semi-automatic firearms, which use the energy created when a gun is fired to eject the spent cartridge and load a fresh round, with automatic weapons, more commonly known as machine guns.
Semi-automatic firearms are the most common firearms sold in America today.

Barack Obama’s desire to ban “all forms” of semi-autos would include a ban on most common rimfire target pistols, including those used in Olympic competition.

Barack Obama’s desire to ban “all forms” of semi-autos would ban the Ruger 10/22, Marlin Model 60, and many other rimfire .22 rifles, which form the backbone of American shooting sports, from hunting to target shooting.

Not only does Barack want to ban guns from further purchase, he doesn't seem to be too clear about his stance on confiscating guns from current gun owners.

During his 2004 run for the Senate, Obama said

"I think that the Second Amendment means something. I think that if the government were to confiscate everybody's guns unilaterally that I think that would be subject to constitutional challenge."

He didn't say it would be unconstitutional, just "subject to constitutional challenge." Nor did he express any opposition.

So, do you still feel good about casting an independent vote or simply not voting, knowing you are allowing this man to remain in office? Take your pick, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, or Joe the Plumber, none of these guys would even think about what the repercussions would be if they were to confiscate guns from the citizens of the United States of America.

I will be casting a vote against Barack Obama. I hope you do the same.

Gazelle Intensity

2012-02-28T20:27:00.001-05:00

I enjoy sharing personal stories from time to time in order to explain how my personal beliefs were shaped and I love reading similar stories from my fellow bloggers. Unfortunately, as we do so, we tend to lean toward sharing stories of hardships. It's seems to be quite natural for stories we see worthy of sharing to be stories of death, financial hardship, or other difficulties in life. After all, it is often how you deal with the difficult times that shapes your beliefs.

As I thought about the topic, I realized I am most likely to reference my upbringing as someone of Mexican descent in a low income family or the death of my son. I decided I would personally break that trend today by sharing a story that brings me great joy.

As many of you know, I am a huge Dave Ramsey fan. If you haven't heard of him or read any of his books, you need to go to his website immediately. Immerse yourself in the excellent resources on his site and purchase his books. Find a local church offering Financial Peace University classes or buy Total Money Makeover and get started on your own. Rich or poor, Dave can and will change your life. For business owners, buy Entreleadership and find a local viewing of the webinar. Actually, anyone hoping to get ahead in the workplace should check it out. Dave bases his family financial and business plans on Christian principles. Conservatives will appreciate the core principles and emphasis on self responsibility. Liberals will find themselves unable to deny the effectiveness of the plans despite them going completely against their political beliefs.

As you get into any Dave Ramsey book or seminar, you will hear Dave reference "gazelle intensity." Rather than me telling you what he means by the phrase, let me share a passage from www.daveramsey.com with you.

Dave coined the term after reading Proverbs 6:4–5, which says, “Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler.”

In other words, when you’ve gone into debt, when you’ve co-signed on a loan (the topic of Proverbs 6:4–5), when you’re in over your head with money problems, you need to work as hard to get out of debt as a gazelle works to run from a cheetah...

...So what does this weird animal metaphor have to do with your financial situation? If you’re sick and tired of debt and all of the headaches that come with it, then it’s time for you to think like a gazelle...

...So, if you’re still working your way out of debt, are you gazelle intense? If not, how much longer can you afford to stay burdened by credit cards, student loans, and car payments? What else could you do with that money—save, invest, build for your children’s future?

The cheetah is on your tail. Run like crazy and start getting out of debt now!

My wife and I started on the Dave Ramsey plan over a year ago. We shed all of our credit card debt within a couple months and immediately attacked the payments on her car. For the past 10+ months, we have been following the plan, but lacking intensity. I had made the decision early on, I would follow the plan, but some parts weren't for me. I was having difficulty separating wants from needs.

After thinking with 'gazelle intensity' in mind, I finally made the one decision I knew Dave would have wanted me to make from the start. I sold my truck and shed it's $429 a month payment with it. My wife and I purchased a reliable vehicle we could afford. The exact same day, we made the decision to dedicate every single penny of our tax return to paying off her car.

If you add it all up, I cut approximately $13,000 of debt out of my life in a single day!

I can't tell you how excited I am right now and how good I feel about the decision to get 'gazelle intense.' I thought driving a new, big truck made me feel good, but today I realized being one huge step closer to financial freedom feels much better.

Watch the Discovery Channel or National Geographic for a few minutes and you will see how innate the concept of personal responsibility is, even in animals. If a lion's natural instinct is to care for itself and it's family; how can a human being not be willing to do the same? A mother lion will do what it takes to protect her young. She will spend countless hours hunting, often teaching her young to hunt. There isn't anyone else to turn to if she fails. She doesn't leave the teaching of life's lessons to her young up to others. It is my own responsibility, as Dave would say, to get off my butt, kill something and drag it home. Apparently animals understand this instinct, but many humans today don't. They rely on others and when the help dries up, they are left wondering what happened.

I took a major step in the right direction today. I don't want the burden of relying on unemployment if I lose my job. I don't want to lose my home because I was too focused on wants. I refuse to allow the government to have control over my life through enabling programs disguised as charitable handouts. I will be a real life example of my religious and political beliefs. I will be debt free, I won't rely on anyone but myself, and I will show an unexpected level of generosity to those willing to do the same.

Michigan Primary Today!

2012-02-28T07:06:00.000-05:00

I've only been able to vote in 2 Presidential elections thus far due to age, but today is the first time I remember the Michigan primary meaning anything. It figures this would be the time I SITLL don't know who I am voting for. I know for sure I can count out Paul and Romney, and it seems like Newt forgot about Michigan. So that leaves me with Santorum, which I'm not 100% comfortable with. I really believe we wouldn't have this mess right now if Mike Huckabee ran, but he didn't so I guess I need to make a decision.

This is absolutely NOT an endorsement, but I am 95% sure I will be voting for Santorum.

For all my Michigan friends out there, please remember to vote and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Here is a link to some useful info on the Michigan primary.
I wonder how many people will vote for Bachman, Huntsman, Cain, Perry, etc despite the fact they have dropped out of the race?

Baby Battles

2012-02-27T21:05:00.001-05:00

TBA thanks guest contributor, Cassie, for this article discussing the recent contraception battle.

As a woman, and someone who is regularly skeptical of the republican platform I felt compelled to weigh in on the birth control debate that is raging in Washington. For those of you missed it, the Washington Liberals are trying to force businesses, including religious organizations, to purchase health insurance for their employees which covers birth control, saying it's an issue of preventative care for women. The republicans are arguing that the mandate is a violation of religious liberty.

First and foremost let's get one thing straight. This issue is not about preventative care for women. Access to affordable birth control is not an issue in the current system. Most insurance already covers prescriptions including birth control with a co-pay of around $10 for generics and women's center's such as planned parenthood provide affordable options priced based on income for those without insurance. So the idea that access is some sort of big issue is completely fabricated.

But if it's not about women's health, then what IS it about? Well I'm glad you asked. If you want to find out what this debacle is really all about, simply look at who benefits. Big Pharma stands to reap enormous gains from having their drugs fully paid for by insurance companies. Never mind the fact that it will increase insurance costs. Never mind the fact that, without cost competition, few individuals will chose a less expensive generic prescription over brand name, driving up costs making it that much more difficult for the uninsured to afford birth control. Yes, let us just ignore those pesky little facts.

If our lawmakers are so very concerned about preventing pregnancy, why are condoms and vasectomies not covered? Shouldn't men also have the power to prevent unwanted pregnancy or do our democratic overlords think that only women should be expected to behave responsibly when it comes to sex? So much for gender equality.

Democrats have done a fantastic job of framing this issue as though anyone who opposes forcing insurance companies and employers to fully finance birth control somehow hates women and responsible family planning. But when you strip away the charade and talking points, we can see this supposed philanthropic effort is really about liberals own pocket books. We are facing massive deficits, the erosion of civil liberties, can't congress find something better to do with their time and our money?

PETA Kills Cats and Dogs at an Alarming Rate

2012-02-26T22:45:00.001-05:00

We all know how overbearing and outspoken PETA members can be. Anywhere someone is doing anything even reminiscent of harming an animal, a PETA member pop up. That is unless the animal is an unborn child, in which case it is somehow the mother's right to terminate the life of that child. Many PETA ads and protests are often of an obscene nature and/or violent. They supposedly care enough for the lives of each and every animal, they are willing to place themselves and others in harms way to save those lives.

I'm sure the average PETA member would jump to conclusions about someone like myself due simply to the fact I give no support whatsoever to their agenda. Members of PETA wouldn't take the time to understand that I personally believe preserving wildlife is extremely important and toughening laws on animal abusers would be something I would support. There is really no reason anyone needs a fur coat and killing an animal for the sole reason of having it as a trophy should be a crime. On a personal level, I am one of the biggest dog lovers you will ever meet. I didn't grow up loving dogs, but my wife and I now have two dogs and they are absolutely part of our family. I, despite not wanting to admit it, will ball my eyes out when my dogs pass away. I'm a sucker for my dogs and let them get away with things I never thought I would.

Instead, they would focus on the fact that I do support hunters who do so to support their families. I come from a background where I understand how animals can become a nuisance to a farm or other businesses. I believe God provided us with animals as food as long as those animals are raised in a humane way and their product does not go to waste. I simply don't believe being a vegetarian, especially a vegan, is the healthiest lifestyle one can live.

Although PETA members would tear me to shreds over my stances, as I was doing my daily reading online today, I came across a piece of information that would make many PETA members themselves sick.

Documents published online this month show that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an organization known for its uncompromising animal-rights positions, killed more than 95 percent of the pets in its care in 2011.

The documents, obtained from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, were published online by the Center for Consumer Freedom, a non-profit organization that runs online campaigns targeting groups that antagonize food producers.

Fifteen years’ worth of similar records show that since 1998 PETA has killed more than 27,000 animals at its headquarters in Norfolk, VA.

In a February 16 statement, the Center said PETA killed 1,911 cats and dogs last year, finding homes for only 24 pets.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/24/documents-peta-kills-more-than-95-percent-of-pets-in-its-care/#ixzz1nY8Bzctw

According to PETAkillsanimals.com, the lowest percentage of the animals taken in by PETA at their headquarters in Norfolk, VA to eventually be killed was in 2001 when 72% of them were killed. Since 2006, PETA has killed over 90% of the dogs and cats taken in. You can see the documents backing up the stats here.

So if you are like me and truly love animals, the next time you are reprimanded by a PETA member for also loving the taste of some animals, make sure they know PETA kills more animals than the local humane society.

High Gas Prices Might Save Your Life!

2012-02-25T15:34:00.003-05:00

The fact Obama has been getting a free pass on high gas prices throughout his presidency has been getting on my nerves over the past few weeks as the prices have skyrocketed. Of course I am upset over the prices in general, but my main issue is how the media threw G.W. Bush under the bus as the sole reason for the rising prices during his presidency. We got to hear about how Bush owned oil companies, fought wars for oil, failed to implement an energy plan and purposely forced prices to go up to please his evil, capitalist friends. Well, I haven't seen Obama do anything to stop the wars, and you could argue he has actually increased the tension in the Middle East. I would also say, while Bush failed to implement an energy plan, Obama has failed to HAVE an energy plan. He can definitely tell us what not to do, but he can't seem to put together anything reminiscent of a plan to bring us closer to energy independence. As far as Bush's oil ties go, I simply don't buy that argument, but Obama's ties to people with extreme political agendas for green energy and basic political power definitely seem to play a role in his energy decisions.

My plan was to write something showing how the media had blamed Bush for every cent gas prices raised, while giving Obama a free pass, but as I began to research the topic, I came across this video that already does the job while taking it one step further. Not only do they show how none of the blame is being placed on Obama, they also show how some members of the media are now claiming higher gas prices can benefit our country.

I don't think there is much left to say on that issue, as the video does an excellent job tackling the topic, but there are a few other things I want to address from the video.

1) The speech at the 1:54 mark...I have seen this before and I believe at one point I actually posted the video to the blog. If this was the only footage I had ever seen of Barack Obama, I would have no different feelings about him than I do today, knowing all I know about him. In this 60 second segment, Barack clearly displays his arrogance and elitism. He does not care about the American people and believes he knows what is better for individual families than the families themselves. He believes in a government that can not only control what car you drive, but how many children you have. The look on his face alone tells you how awful he thinks it is that a family would dare to have ten children. Obama is out of touch with the average American. He has no idea what it means to work for a living. He most likely never saw rural (the majority) America until he campaigned. He doesn't understand what it takes to own your own business, be a farmer, construction worker, landscaper, mechanic, or to do any of the tasks that make his life so simple. A Toyota Prius doesn't work for everyone, and if it did, perhaps his motorcade wouldn't be a line of Suburbans getting 8mpg.

2) 2:40 into the video...I want further explanation on how high gas prices are creating jobs. Living in Michigan, I got to see 8 years of Jennifer Granholm using similar math. She would fly to China, convince a company to bring 50 jobs to Michigan, and claim she ADDED 50 jobs. That may be true, but the state also lost thousands of jobs while her small business tax and other policies were killing American owned businesses. I'm sure high gas prices ADD jobs in the green energy sector, but is this reporter considering how many people are being laid off by companies that can no longer afford to operate with the high gas prices? Jobs are always being ADDED, that is if you don't subtract the jobs being lost at the same time.

3) Reasons to be optimistic? 3:05 in...2,220 people in the past year and 1,000 a month as long as prices remain at $4.00 will have their lives saved by the reduced emissions. Let's set aside the fuzzy math, because I refuse to believe anyone, especially a Time Magazine reporter, can actually calculate something like that. Their calculation puts us somewhere around 110,200 people saved in a 10 year span (2,200 + 1,000 x 9 years). I'm sure they would also throw some figure out there on how much money the reduced health problems would save us, but let me give an alternative option. Abortion kills somewhere around 1,200,000 people per year. We would need to have gas remain at this high level for 100 years to have a result similar to outlawing abortion for 1 year. Add in the reduction in government spending from no longer funding abortion and the massive savings from no longer having millions of young adults in need of counseling due to their abortions (If I was a Dem, I would make up a big dollar amount just to make this look more important), and outlawing abortion will save significantly more lives and money that high gas prices without the negative affects on families.

4) 4:35..."I won't have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won't have to worry about paying my mortgage." Do we really want four more years of this mentality. It's time we start holding people responsible for their own actions. People like this woman are why I support anyone but Barack...including Mitt Romney. We need to start turning things around now. Don't sit around another four years because the perfect candidate hasn't come along. Step 1, get rid of Barack. Step 2, make sure our new President hears the concerns of real Conservatives and hold this President to a higher standard. Step 3, restore hope and faith in the Conservative party.

Thursday Night Links 2-23-12

2012-02-23T20:56:00.004-05:00

It feels really good to be back from vacation and back into the groove of things with the blog. If you would have asked me 4 months ago if I would ever miss the blog, I don't think there is any chance I would have said yes. Fortunately, things have been going really well lately and not being able to keep up with things as much as I normally do was a little frustrating. While I did manage to keep the blog updated with some help from Jim, I did not have much time to keep up with the sites on my blogroll.

This week has allowed me to do some catching up as well as make a couple new additions to the site. If you haven't already, take a look at the menu bar. You will notice new tabs called 'bible thumper resources' and 'gun toter resources.' Gun toter resources is still under construction and I will also be adding a third tab called 'Bitter American resources,' but the bible thumper tab is ready to go. Please check it out. It contains links to my favorite resources for Christian news, music, devotionals, financial planners and much more. I will also be adding a store to the tab in the near future with links to my favorite Christan books, music, and movies on Amazon.com. Hopefully you find something on there that peaks your interest, or even possibly inspires you!

As for the links, here they are...Support our friends and check these out!

Mind Numbed Robot: Old Commie Meets New Progressive (Fun with Photoshop)
My apologies to Robot, there was a lull around the end of the year and I failed to notice (link) your updates rerecently. It's good to see you getting back into the swing of things.

The Daley Gator: Demented Old Gasbag bashes Catholics for “Imposing their ideological view”
Demented Old Gasbag???....yes...of course he's talking about Nancy Pelosi! I like that name for her!

Conservative Hideout 2.0: Occupod Letter to the Editor: OWS to Storm Wall Street with Guns?

Remember the good old days of 2009-10, when the Tea Parties were universally declared “dangerous terrorists” by DHS.

I believe being a gun owner was one of the four criteria for being a domestic terrorist. I wonder why no one is talking about the OWS people being terrorists?

Jill Stanek: Obama’s support of infanticide takes center stage in Republican presidential debate
It's about time someone starting focus on Barack, especially on such an important issue.

Conservatives on Fire: Any One But Obama. Okay, Then What?
A good read to hear the other side of my "Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter" series. Where do you stand on the issue?

WyBlog: Tantalizing Topiary Tuesday, or beware of Russians bearing 30,000 year old flowers

Reganite Republican: If Newt Can't Recover, We Should Look to an Open Convention... and That Means PALIN
I don't think there is a any chance this will happen and I also don't think Palin would gather up much support...but I would take her over any of the remaining candidates. That doesn't mean I think she can beat Obama though.

Conservative Byte: Obama’s “Corporate Tax Cut” is a Tax Increase!

Bunkerville: Iranian born Valerie Jarrett: ‘Unemployment good for the economy’

Many bloggers have “a thing” or subject that they just can’t let go of. This (Valerie Jarrett) is mine.

I had never heard of her before, but this is a pretty interesting article. Check it out!

Sentry Journal: Great Moments in Civil Discourse: Death Threats Against Koch Brothers OK!

Political Realities: Your “Fair Share” For 2013 – Obama Is Coming To Collect.

A Conservative Teacher: Am I Guilty of Thoughcrimes?
An excellent article and exactly what a teacher should be...not someone inserts their political beliefs and opinion into teachings, rather focuses on teaching the skill of critical thinking. Thank You!

MCT: Obama and the Democrats: Gas prices Now and Then

WWTFT?: Outrageous Fortune

The Spread Eagle Patriot: Are You Afraid To Speak The Truth?

Blighted Home Owned by Politician Causing Problems for Neighbors

2012-02-23T19:10:00.002-05:00

When I first came across this story on FoxNews this morning, the headline didn't give a name or location of the politician, but for some reason, I just knew it was someone from Detroit. Just a couple days after I write a segment on how I sometimes feel bad for the city of Detroit, an article like this reminds me exactly how far the city has to go.

The decrepit condition of an east Detroit home owned by Michigan Rep. John Conyers' family reportedly has driven up the insurance rate for at least one of the neighbors.

According to MyFoxDetroit, one neighbor claimed her annual homeowners insurance rose from $1,700 to $7,000.

"They raised it because of the abandoned house next door," she told MyFoxDetroit. "They said that my house is being rated up because of the risk of the house (next door) catching on fire."

According to the original MyFoxDetroit story,

The home was originally owned by the Congressman's mother. She signed it over to him, then he signed it over to his wife Monica - who currently resides in a federal prison for bribery.

We have to pay for her legal bill, remember?

Monica Conyers then signed the home over to her mother and son - from the can!

For those of you who don't know, or are unaware of why Detroit may never change, John Conyers has been serving in the Michigan House of Representatives since 1965. His district includes NW Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramack. The State of Michigan is currently looking at appointing an emergency financial manager to Detroit, and one was already appointed to Highland Park in 2000. More recently, Highland Park had DTE, the local utility supplier, remove 1400 light poles to avoid having to pay $4 million in unpaid electrical bills. On top of all this, John's wife Monica is currently serving 37 months in prison on bribery charges that arose from hew time spent on city council under the leadership of Kwame Kilpatrick.

If you think the John Conyers situation is unique, you would be wrong. Detroit continues to elect and re-elect blatantly crooked politicians. They aren't hard to find. Just do a quick Google search and you will find plenty of amusing stories. Just a word of warning, if you do question these people's records around the average Detroiter, you will most definitely be accused of racism.

And just for the record, Obama has endorsed Conyers, and Conyers will most likely return the favor.

Reason #4, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter: Koran Thumper or Bible Thumper?

2012-02-22T19:16:00.000-05:00

I'll be skipping the introduction to this series from now on. If you haven't caught the three previous articles in the series, you can check them out here:
Reason #1
Reason #2
Reason #3

As I'm sure you can all tell by the title of the blog, I absolutely prefer the President of the United States of America to be a devoted Christian. I know the first thing everyone is going to say in response to this article is that Mitt Romney is not Christian. While my desire for the President to be of the Christian faith is no secret, what bothers me most about President Obama is his constantly changing faith. We all know Romney is Mormon. Do any of us really know what Obama is? Personally, I don't think Obama is a man of any faith. He is a politician and willing to be whatever it takes to win the vote. Whatever he is, he has no respect for the institution of marriage, the lives of unborn children, and the morals and principles this great country were founded upon.

There are a lot more videos on youtube on this subject and I'm sure many of you have already seen them. I won't be thrilled about voting for any of the GOP candidates when it comes to their faith aside from Santorum, who leaves me with other concerns, but none of them can be found in videos lying about something like their religion. Barack's willingness to do so shows his thirst for power at any cost. I hope you are willing to do what it takes to make sure he doesn't get another fours years to increase that power over our nation.

Quick Hits: Taxes Make Things Cheaper?

2012-02-21T21:34:00.001-05:00

A week of vacation and spending time with friends and family was great, but I did miss blogging every day. I managed to make a couple updates while I was gone, but I have a pretty decent backlog of things I want to get done so please check back frequently. I just hope I'll be able to scrounge up the time to finish up everything I have planned.

I was able to meet up with Matt, who has been away from the blog for quite some time, and Jim, who has been a loyal contributor to the blog, while I was gone. I can't tell you how excited I am about this upcoming year of blogging after talking with the two of them. I am really looking forward to getting Matt back on board and to Jim's continued participation. Thanks to everyone who continued to check back with TBA while updates were slow going.

I had several ideas today with very little time to write, so I decided I would do a quick rundown of the topics on my mind.

Abort Them for Their Own Good

This first topic was a random thought that popped into my head while doing my rounds on Facebook this morning, but it's yet another part of the abortion argument I simply don't understand. I came across a link to an article about a situation where a team of doctor's highly suggested abortion to the parents of an unborn child. I didn't read the article thoroughly, but I did read enough to understand that the doctor's gave the child a very small chance to survive due to their condition. The doctors apparently thought abortion was the best option for the child. I could end this story right here and argue how ridiculous it is to think abortion gives better odds than going through with the pregnancy, but the fact the child survived a surgery and will miraculously live a 'normal' life only adds to it. Can someone tell me how abortion gives a better chance for the child than letting God's plan play out?

Cocaine with the President

I'm going to give President Obama the benefit of the doubt on this one and assume he didn't know this was happening in the White House during a Correspondent's Dinner in 2009, but the fact he would have a guest who "admits to experimenting with a wide range of drugs, including crack cocaine" at his party is what I am questioning. I wrote recently about Obama's questionable company and this is yet another example. You can claim Obama doesn't have much control over the list of people invited to the party, but I don't buy that argument. David Cross, the attendee in question, doesn't seem to shy about his drug history and I would think a President would want to be pretty careful about the people at his party. Unfortunately for Obama, eliminating the drugs users from his guest list would mean practically none of his Hollywood friends could come to his party. I don't have any friends who do cocaine and if I did, I can assure you they wouldn't be welcome in my home. I think it's time we start holding our Presidents to a higher standard. According to Cross, he "ducked under the table and did it." We all know what another President did under the table in the oval office not too long ago.

Dems vs. Libs

Detroit

Washington D.C

It isn't every day I feel sorry for the people of Detroit, but there was a moment this past weekend on vacation when I did. Without looking up stats, I believe Detroit normally votes somewhere close to 85% Democrat. While I don't think Detroit is as bad as the national media makes it out to be, we all know the situation isn't good. That's what 50 years of Democratic control can get for you. The people of Detroit don't want any input from the suburbs. Anytime local cities and counties try to help, they are racist. When the city continually blows it budget and the state steps in to help, the state is racist. When Kwame Kilpatrick was accused of embezzlement, backroom deals, stealing, murder, etc, it was the racist suburbs accusing him. Needless to say, living in the suburbs, waiting for the great city to recover, you often want to give up. That is until you take a trip to Washington D.C and see the difference between Democrats and Liberals.

I have always believed there is a big difference between Democrats and Liberals. No two places can better illustrate that split than Detroit and Washington D.C. Like Detroit, D.C. votes almost unanimously Democrat. The difference is the D.C. dems are really the Liberals trying to implement a Socialist government in search of more power and greater control over everyone. The people in Detroit are simply the ones being taken advantage of by those Liberals. The people in Detroit are passionate, hard working, and dedicated. They have continually been fooled by Liberal agendas for years. They are fooled into believing the elitist Liberals in D.C. actually care about labor unions, low income residents, and minorities. They don't understand those Liberals don't care about the true spirit and grit in the city of Detroit. Detroit is full of typical Liberal target groups and D.C. is full of the Liberals targeting them in order to gain control and power.

A Felony to Abandon, but a Women's Right to Kill

Please don't take this segment wrong. It absolutely should be a felony for a parent to abandon their child after birth like this woman in Long Beach, CA.

A newborn baby girl was found abandoned outside a gas station in Long Beach, Calif., on Monday night, authorities said.

A woman found the just-born child near a dumpster after she heard it crying when she walked past, KCAL-TV reported.

We are conducting a felony child abuse investigation for someone placing a child in a situation that could cause death," Massacani said, adding that police had not yet identified any suspects.

What I don't understand is how you can kill that same child shorty before birth and find massive support for the decision while receiving no jail sentence.

Taxes Make Hybrid's More Affordable?

I had never heard of a personal property tax on a car until my weekend in Virginia. While the thought of a property tax on my car scares me, the following explanation of why it is a good idea really scares me. I was told the tax makes hybrid vehicles more affordable because the tax is less on a hybrid than other vehicles.

Let's take a quick look at the math...
Non-Hybrid - $30,000 Total
Non-Hybrid with $800 per year tax for 6 years - $800 x 6 = $4800 + $30,000 = $34,800 Total
Hybrid - $37,500 Total
Hybrid with $100 per year tax for 6 years - $100 x 6 = $600 + $37,500 = $38,100 Total

Although these are not real figures, I fail to see any way a tax can actually make something more affordable. I see how it makes the non-hybrid less affordable, but saying the hybrid is more affordable as a result is a really sick way of looking at it.

Reason #3, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter, Barack's Distaste for America

2012-02-18T09:40:00.002-05:00

In the thick of a GOP nomination process where the party is showing major divisions, the candidates continue their failure to focus on the inabilities of our current president. From the time I started blogging, I have been emphasizing the need and willingness to come together with our unanimous support for the chosen candidate. By coming together, I'm not saying you have to openly endorse that candidate on all issues. I understand some people believe voting for Romney at one extreme or Paul at the other would be a compromise of their core beliefs, but how do you feel about knowingly allowing Barack Obama to continue his destruction of our great nation? Voting as one is only a step in the process, but it is a necessary step. We can't wait for the perfect opportunity to come our way while allowing more acceptable ones pass us by. Go ahead, continue to work for that ideal situation, but don't pass up the chance for progress.

Before I get into Barack's hate (there, I said it, distaste is putting it kindly) for this country and it's ideals, let me give you one example to think about. We all have an unmotivated friend who is currently sucking off the system by remaining on unemployment for as long as possible. I personally don't understand that mentality, as I would have created a job for myself by then, but their attitude is different. Many of those people have passed up several low paying job opportunities or are simply unwilling to search for those opportunities. Meanwhile, their personal finances are on a crash course with bankruptcy. They don't see the chance to move up or grow in that lower paying job or they don't want to put in the hard work it takes to do so. Believe me, if I was to lose my job, I would take a job at McDonald's if necessary and soon after, I would be running that place. Call it arrogance if you want, I call it determination. The way I see it, refusing to vote for Romney, Paul, or any of the other candidate is not different. This country is on a crash course and you are not willing to take the route that may require more hard work or determination. You want the easy way out, but you are leaving us with no backup plan. We are headed for a cliff without brakes.

I'm going to make this one pretty short and sweet...

And my personal favorite anti-American comment!
How do you feel knowing a split in the party will allow this to continue?

Thursday Night Links: Bloggin' from the Beltway 2/16/12

2012-02-16T21:42:00.000-05:00

TBA has gone on the road this week with a trip to Washington D.C. It's sad to say, with this being the capital city of such a great nation, but there isn't much I like about it. I'm not talking about the great monuments, extensive history, amazing museums, and the aura that surrounds it all; I'm referring more to the people and the general feeling I get from the neighborhoods surrounding the touristy areas. I don't usually come to D.C. with the intention to be a tourist. I have family here and visit regularly. What I see when experiencing everyday life in the areas surrounding all the historical sites is a liberal city that provides a perfect example of the control the government will have over our lives if we allow politicians like President Obama to continue running this country. Perhaps this topic deserves it's own article and discussion, but for now, I would rather finish up these links and focus on the friends and family we will be seeing as well as the fact I don't have to go back to work until Tuesday.

Enjoy the links and support our fellow bloggers!

The Spread Eagle Patriot: Thursdays’ Rant- America and Religion

The Daley Gator: Tampa Parents Outraged Over School Inviting CAIR Member To Speak To Their Kids

Political Realities: Abortion and Contraception – Rights and Mandates

Conservative Hideout 2.0: The Gospel According to Barack Obama

Reganite Republican: Billion-Dollar Obama Machine Would Cut Santorum to Ribbons

Jill Stanek: Need healing after abortion? Get a foot massage

CoF: Seeing Things in a Different Light __ Thinking About Free Market Capitalist

WyBlog: Weary Winter Wednesday, or random ranting rebuking recycled rubbish

Conservative Byte: Federal Stimulus Dollars Pay for the School Lunch Food Police

WWTFT?: Obama Flexes His New Powers

Bunkerville: Obama fails to tell Americans the danger of contraception

MCT: Price controls over there… And over here

Sentry Journal: Obama’s job approval at 50%: Are you kidding me?

Conservative Views for the Grassroots: Obama Explains On Failed Promise To Cut Deficit In Half

Pseudo-Mathematics of the Obama Budget Plan

2012-02-16T13:13:00.009-05:00

By Jim
President Obama's recent budget proposal has all the Democrats crooning, and Republicans fuming. Only politicians would even consider calling a slightly smaller deficit increase a "budget cut", but this is exactly what Obama's plan tries. Any budget plan which ends up increasing the Federal Debt to over 100% of GDP in 10 years should be deemed as pure fiscal insanity, and the Republicans should work hard against this proposal and any other budget plan (Democrat OR Republican) that does not provide significant change to reduce and eliminate current and future debt obligations.

I recently read an article published by the Cato Institute in the National Review, written by Michael D. Tanner which summarizes and points out much of the deceptive math calculated to "sell" this budget plan to the public and politicians in Washington, D.C. I thought this article did a great job of summarizing the budget and I wanted to share it with our readers. As the author correctly states, "The president's budget is dishonest and irresponsible."

The president actually counts $681 billion in cuts that were agreed to last year as part of the deal to raise the debt ceiling. Shouldn't there be some sort of statute of limitations for how long you can claim credit for cuts that you have already made? And it should probably be shorter for cuts that you fought against every step of the way. The president also counts as a cut the $741 billion we will save from not occupying Iraq over the next 10 years, and from not being in Afghanistan a decade from now. Considering that we were never going to spend that money in the first place, that seems like slightly dishonest accounting. After all, think of all the savings we can claim by not invading Syria. And, finally, $595 billion of the claimed budget cuts is actually interest savings resulting from not having to borrow for the other phony cuts.

On the other hand, the president's budget does include plenty of new spending. For example, there is $476 billion in new spending over 10 years for transportation projects, including the president's favorite boondoggle, "high-speed rail." There are also the usual bailouts for profligate state governments and teachers' unions, including $30 billion to build more schools and $30 billion to hire teachers. Another stimulus anyone?

Read the entire article here: http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=14110

State of the Blog Address 2012 - Looking Back on TBA's 1st Year

2012-02-14T21:31:00.001-05:00

Believe it or not, when I started writing this article, I didn't realize I had reached my one year anniversary as a 'public' blog. As I was checking up on my Google Analytics account, I noticed I started the account on March 17th, 2011. That means about 1 year ago (I don't know the exact date) I was making the transition from being a blog meant for a few friends and family members to discuss politics to something I wanted to openly share and promote with anyone and everyone. I had been running the blog with minimal effort for over 2 years and don't remember exactly what made me decide to take it to the next level, but I do know I jumped in head first with practically no idea what I was getting into. What actually inspired me to write the article was the fact, for the first time since TBA's initial couple months of blogging, we are seeing steady growth and as a result, I feel more motivation than ever to continue blogging.

At no particular time in the past year have I been overly confident I would be able to continually find enough time and motivation to keep this blog updated. Any of my fellow bloggers reading this know how much time and effort goes into running something like this. I tip my hat to each and every one of you, especially those who have helped me get this blog up and running through advice, providing links, and any other form of support. I also want to thank our President for providing me with all the motivation anyone could possibly ask for to continue working hard.

I never had a particular plan of action for the growth of the blog, nor have I had any goals for growth. I guess you could say I'm winging it. When you look around the Conservative blogging world, I think many of us are. I doubt too many of us had a plan to start a blog. Instead, we had a desire to find like minded people and discuss important topics and issues often ignored in the mainstream world. Grassroots movements are becoming the norm in my opinion, and many of us are simply doing this on our free time. I encourage everyone to support our fellow blogs by reading and actively participating in the discussions.

Throughout the experience in the past year I am confident I have learned more from my peers than they have learned from me. I may write 4-5 articles per week, but I am amazed everyday by the knowledge of my fellow bloggers, from their technical abilities to their knowledge of politics, history, the founding fathers, and the hot topics affecting this country and international community. I may not comment regularly on other blogs, but I assure you read and enjoy each and every blog on my blogroll.

As for my plan for TBA going forward, you can expect much of the same, but with an increased effort and passion. While I have gone through some times when this blog was more of a chore than anything, I have come to be more comfortable with sharing my opinion and look forward to hearing every one's reactions and counter arguments to my articles. I may not have known exactly what my niche was when I was getting started, but I feel like I have found several areas of focus that are truly exciting for me to write about.

TBA will always be a faith based blog first and foremost. Writing about conservative principles and how they apply to everyday life will always be more important than politics for me. You'll find more articles about faith, family, personal responsibility, work ethic, and living a optimistic life than you will about particular politicians, policies, and legislation.

The blog currently has one active contributor, Jim, who I sincerely thank for his excellent contributions. Jim, a Libertarian, has not only provided a slightly different viewpoint, but also covers many of the detailed political topics I tend to stay away from, and does it with impressive expertise. I am currently working on adding two contributors, both of which I have been speaking with recently and am hoping, as a result, to provide more 'gun toting' articles as well as more articles focusing on the founding fathers and the constitution.

I again thank everyone who has been reading or just started reading The Bitter Americans. Please 'like' our Facebook page and 'follow' the blog. You can find both options on the right had side of the page.

I also want to extend a special thank you to several people who have been instrumental in my first year of blogging:

Steve from Motor City Times
Larry from Political Realities
Matt from Conservative Hideout - a big congrats on your 3 years of blogging!
Michael from The Classic Liberal
John from Sentry Journal
Chris from Wyblog

These people and blogs were really the first fellow bloggers I came across and all were inspirational with their work and were always helpful with any questions I had.

More recently I have also found great new blogs in The Daley Gator, Bunkerville, Conservatives on Fire, and the rest of my bloglist. All of your work is inspirational and keeps me motivated for my next year of blogging.

I hope everyone has enjoyed the first year! It was difficult, frustrating, and confusing, but I loved it!

Reason #2, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter: Barack's Resume, or Lack Thereof

2012-02-13T22:18:00.002-05:00

If you didn't get to read the 1st installment of this series, be sure to check it out here.

This entire set of articles is meant to bring two major issues to the forefront in the 2012 election process. The first is the obvious division in the Republican party throughout the primary process. We will not defeat Barack Obama with Libertarians, social conservatives, and the establishment each going their own directions. The second major issue is the fact the party is currently spending their time beating each other up instead of focusing on the major issues ongoing in this country and how Conservatives can offer a solution to those issues. The candidates need to spend less time talking about each other and more time talking about the extreme failures of the current administration as well as offering simple, clear solutions.

I will remind you all again, I do not have a clear candidate I am supporting in this process, but am willing to vote for any of the four GOP candidates in order to remove the greatest threat to this country, Barack Obama and his socialist administration. This is reason #2 why...

First of all, I am sad to say, I had to go onto Barack Obama's own website to complete this article. I hoped I would never stoop to that level and I hope you can all forgive me. As I tentatively typed in the url and the page loaded, I came to find a homepage with absolutely no information on President Obama. I was stuck on a screen seemingly forcing me to enter my email address and zip code before reading any information on the candidate. At that point, I was more willing to abandon the plan than I was to sign my life away. After checking it out for a minute I realized if I moved my cursor to the infamous Obama (Pepsi) logo at the top of the page, I could bypass selling my soul to the devil. After clicking there, I found a second page with absolutely no information. Instead, it was asking for donations. While this can be found on other candidates sites, it is normally mixed in on the home page with other useful information. Not on Obama's site. Finally, after finding the way around the second useless page, I was able to access his site so I could pull up his resume, or lack thereof.

Here are my findings from Obama's own website:

After working his way through college with the help of scholarships and student loans, President Obama moved to Chicago, where he worked as an organizer to help rebuild communities devastated by the closure of local steel plants.

He went on to Harvard Law School, where he became the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review. Upon graduation, he took a job teaching constitutional law at the University of Chicago. He also remained active in his community, leading a drive that registered more than 150,000 voters in Illinois leading up to the 1992 election.

Barack Obama was first elected to the Illinois State Senate in 1996. During his time in Springfield, he passed the first major ethics reform in 25 years, cut taxes for working families, and expanded health care for children and their parents. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004, he reached across the aisle to pass the farthest-reaching lobbyist reform in a generation, lock up the world's most dangerous weapons, and bring transparency to government by tracking federal spending online.

So he went to school, organized a community, taught a class on the document he has attempted to destroy, and blazed a trail through the political ranks. I'm personally not sure what part of that makes him qualified to run a country.

Just to compare, let's take a look at the GOP candidates.

Ron Paul:

graduated from Gettysburg College and the Duke University School of Medicine

served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force during the 1960s

began his medical practice in Brazoria County. Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies.

served in Congress during the late 1970s and early 1980s

served on the House Banking committee

was a key member of the Gold Commission

In 1984, he voluntarily relinquished his House seat and returned to his medical practice.

Dr. Paul returned to Congress in 1997 to represent the 14th Congressional district of Texas

serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee

serves as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology

Dr. Paul is the author of several books, including The Revolution: A Manifesto, End the Fed, Liberty Defined, Challenge to Liberty; The Case for Gold; and A Republic, If You Can Keep It.

He has been a distinguished counselor to the Ludwig von Mises Institute, and is widely quoted by scholars and writers in the fields of monetary policy, banking, and political economy

He has received many awards and honors during his career in Congress, from organizations such as the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, the Council for a Competitive Economy, and countless others.

A successful doctor, an Air Force Veteran, a distinguished congressman, an author, a counselor, and winner of multiple awards and honors!

Mitt Romney:

he was a Cub Scout - This may sound minor, but he probably learned more responsibility there than Obama has ever learned in his career.

spent most of his life in the private sector, giving him intimate knowledge of how our economy works

elected Governor of Massachusetts in 2002. Mitt made hard decisions that brought state spending under control. He restructured and consolidated government programs, paring back where necessary and finding efficiencies throughout. Mitt cast more than 800 vetoes as he brought conservative principles to state government. He cut red tape for small businesses, signed into law job-creating incentives, and fought hard to bring new businesses to the state. He eliminated a $3 billion deficit without borrowing or raising taxes. By 2007, at the end of Mitt’s term, the state had accumulated a $2 billion rainy day fund in its coffers.

In 1999, the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics was on the verge of collapse. Thanks to his reputation as a superb manager, Mitt was asked to take over. He revamped the organization’s leadership, trimmed the budget, and restored public confidence. He oversaw an unprecedented security mobilization to assure the safety of the athletes and millions of international visitors, staging one of the most successful games ever held on U.S. soil.

After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1971, he earned dual degrees from Harvard Law and Harvard Business School.

After working as a business consultant for several years, Mitt founded the investment firm Bain Capital in 1984. Under his leadership, Bain Capital helped to launch or rebuild hundreds of companies, including household names such as Staples, Bright Horizons, and The Sports Authority.

Successful in the private sector, has organized the Olympics, has experience running a state (does that qualify as more experience than organizing a community?), and graduated from Harvard Law school along with Barack.

Newt Gingrich:

architect of the “Contract with America” that led the Republican Party to victory in 1994 by capturing the majority in the U.S. House for the first time in forty years

Under Newt’s leadership, Congress passed the first balanced budget in a generation, leading to the repayment of over $400 billion in debt. Congress also cut taxes for the first time in sixteen years and reformed welfare, leading to over sixty percent of welfare recipients either getting a job or going to school.

The Washington Times has called Newt Gingrich “the indispensable leader” and Time magazine, in naming him Man of the Year for 1995

received his Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and Master’s and Doctorate in Modern European History from Tulane University

Newt taught History and Environmental Studies at West Georgia College for eight years

He represented Georgia in Congress for twenty years, including four years as Speaker of the House.

Newt served on the Defense Policy Board under President George W. Bush

He is also the longest-serving teacher of the Joint War Fighting course for Major Generals at Air University and taught officers from all five services as an honorary Distinguished Visiting Scholar and Professor at the National Defense University

In 1999, Gingrich was appointed to the United States Commission on National Security/21st Century, the Hart/Rudman Commission to examine our national security challenges as far out as 2025

In 2003, Newt founded the Center for Health Transformation

Newt also served as the Co-Chairman of the National Commission for Quality Long-term Care and the independent congressional Alzheimer’s Disease Study Group.

Newt and his wife, Callista, host and produce award-winning documentary films, including A City Upon a Hill, Nine Days that Changed the World, Ronald Reagan: Rendezvous with Destiny, and Rediscovering God in America. Together, Newt and Callista also author photo books and record audio books. Newt is the author of twenty-three books, including thirteen New York Times bestsellers.

A successful politician who often took leadership roles, a teacher, an extensive background in national defense, an author, and a producer!

Rick Santorum:

Former U.S. Senator of Pennsylvania

elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990 at the age of 32, and from 1995 to 2007, served in the US Senate

In 2000, he was elected by his peers to the position of Senate Republican Conference Chairman

Along with John Boehner and Jim Nussle, Senator Santorum was a member of the famous "Gang of Seven" that exposed the Congressional Banking and Congressional Post Office scandals

He was also an author and floor manager of the landmark Welfare Reform Act which passed in 1996 that has empowered millions of Americans to leave the welfare rolls and enter the workforce

Senator Santorum wrote and championed legislation that outlawed the heinous procedure known as Partial Birth Abortion as well as the "Born Alive Infants Protection Act," the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act," and the "Combating Autism Act" because he believes each and every individual has value and the most vulnerable in our society need to be protected.

He served eight years on the Senate Armed Services Committee where he led the fight before the attacks of September 11th, 2001 to transform our military from a Cold War force to meet today's threats

He was a leader on US-Israeli relations, authoring both the "Syria Accountability Act" and the "Iran Freedom and Support Act" which he successfully fought to pass in spite of initial opposition by President Bush.

An accomplished author, Senator Santorum penned the 2005 New York Times Best Seller It Takes a Family.

Santorum earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors in political science from Pennsylvania State University in 1980 and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pittsburgh's Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business a year later in 1981. He later returned to his alma matter and earned a law degree with honors from Penn State's Dickinson School of Law in 1986.

practiced law for four years at the Pittsburgh law firm Kirkpatrick & Lockhart

I'm starting to see a trend here...someone who has been successful outside of politics as well as within politics, all while taking on leadership roles.

I have never in my life seen a candidate as unqualified as Barack Obama. Not only does his resume show his inability to lead, he has given us four years proof of that inability. Head to head, any one of these candidates has a resume that puts Barack to shame.

Reason #1, Why the GOP Nominee Shouldn't Matter: Obama's Questionable Company

2012-02-11T14:13:00.001-05:00

Saying I am concerned over how split Conservatives are at this point of the nomination process would be an understatement. Right now, the way I see it, the right is moving in three different directions. There are the Romney supporters, many of whom are concerned about electability, the 'social' Conservatives rallying behind Santorum, and Libertarians, who are obviously supporting Paul. Somewhere in the mix are the Newt Gingrich supporters, although his campaign looks to be loosing momentum quickly. Personally, I'm not too concerned about who you are supporting. There isn't a candidate I am willing to waste much time discussing why you should vote for them. Instead, I want to focus on a major, lost opportunity throughout this nomination process. Just imagine if these candidates spent one single day coming together to work as a team to oust the President with the worst track record in the history of our country. This country is looking for leadership and direction after four years of arrogance and elitism.

This blog has never focused on one single candidate, but rather the issues facing our nation. With November quickly approaching, I want to redirect that focus at the unconstitutional mandates, attacks on personal freedom and other questionable partisan politics of Barack Obama. Each installment in this series of posts will focus on why it is important for this party to come together no matter who the GOP nomination is. I've heard the comments about Romney being no different than Obama, I realize many people, including myself, think Ron Paul's quest for liberty has the potential to go too far and flirts with immorality, and I know Libertarians are concerned about the supposed 'big government' and 'big spending' potential of anyone not named Ron Paul, but after reading a few of these articles, I challenge you to tell me any of these candidates will not be a huge turnaround from Barack Obama.

In this first installment, I want to take a look at the questionable company Barack Obama has surrounded himself with throughout his campaign processes. I'm not talking about his advisers and czars. Those people may require individual articles. I'm talking about people who helped shape Obama's hatred for this country and the constitution and the religious principles it was founded upon.

Jeremiah Wright -
I'm not Mormon and the prospect of having a Non-Christian president doesn't thrill me, but it's better than a Christian hating Muslim. That statement does not imply any hatred for Muslims on my part, but rather my distaste for someone willing to lie about their religious beliefs to make themselves more electable. Watch this video and listen to what Jeremiah Wright has to say. Pay attention to Barack's Anti-Christian legislation, including his recent contraception mandate. No way is this a Christian president. Any decent person who was checking out churches for the family would run far away after listening to this man preach for 1 minute.

William Ayers -
William Ayers is the co-founder of Weather Underground, a Communist Revolutionary group with a history of domestic terrorism. New York Times on Sept. 11, 2001. "I don't regret setting bombs," Ayers is quoted as saying. "I feel we didn't do enough."

Reverend James Meeks -
James Meeks is a Baptist pastor and Democratic Illinois Senator whom Obama seeks out for spiritual counsel. Meeks supported the removal of Rod Blagojevich, has voted against civil unions in Illinois and even ran as an Independent instead of a Democrat, but Meeks is also a known racist. While it's no surprise Meeks has a problem with Caucasians, he also doesn't like Mexicans, Asians, and women, all of which tend to be Obama supporters.

"The word 'minority' from our standpoint should mean African American. I don’t think women, Asians and Hispanics should be able to use that title. That’s why our numbers cannot improve — because we use women, Asians and Hispanics who are not people of color, who are not people who have been discriminated against" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Meeks

Reverend. Jesse Jackson -
No explanation needed for this racist!

Antoin "Tony" Rezko -
Rezko is a known political fundraiser and real estate broker in Illinois. Rezko has been convicted of fraud and bribery in 2008 and was also given 10 1/2 years in prison in 2011 for federal charges based on him forcing businesses to give him kickbacks in exchange for doing business with the state. Obama has extensive ties to Tony Rezko.

Michelle Obama -
2008 was the first time she was EVER proud of this country.

Other questionable ties:
Raila Odinga - Cousin, Radical Islamist
Raul Reyes - Columbian Terrorist
Professor Khalidi - Muslim Terrorist Supporter
Reverend Louis Farrakhan - Racist Nation of Islam / Faux Preacher
Marilyn Katz, a former member of the '60's anti-war group SDS
Kwame Kilpatrick - Former Mayor of Detroit, convicted criminal, and racist
Hatem El-Hady, former official of the Hamas-linked charity Kindhearts

You can dig up what you want on Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, and Ron Paul, but you couldn't assemble a list like this with all of them combined. You may find some ties to corrupt businessmen, an affair or two and some accusations of racism, but at no time in the history of our country have we had such a list of Anti-Christian and Anti-USA, racist, criminals anywhere near the white house.

Can you justify casting a vote (or not voting) knowing you will allow this to continue?

Hostile Takeover: Obama's Mortgage Crisis Solution

2012-02-10T14:51:00.007-05:00

By Jim

We should really call the over-reaching and power grabbing by the Federal Government what it really is: a hostile takeover. It disgusts me to no end how arrogant the Obama administration behaves in their “noble” quest to manage every part of our “much too difficult and confusing” lives.

Obama’s new plan to address the housing crisis includes mandating the 5 largest private banks to pay out a ‘settlement’ to many of their borrowers. This settlement, to the tune of $26 billion dollars, will serve as “restitution” to hundreds of thousands of borrowers if they lost their homes to foreclosure in the past 4 years, and will help current borrowers refinance or reduce their principle.

Over 80% of the people who this supposedly applies to, do not qualify because this proposal only covers private bank owned loans. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans (or government owned or subsidized loans) are not required to put up money, or provide the same service to their customers.

The fact of the matter is that over the years leading up to the housing meltdown, the Department of Housing and Urban Development forced lenders to adhere to dramatically loosened mortgage qualification requirements in their “noble” gesture to let more and more Americans enjoy the dream of home ownership. Of course, the consequences start coming forward when under-qualified individuals are lent more money than they can afford to pay back responsibly, and the Department of HUD ends up being a major contributor to the housing meltdown. So let’s make some sense of Obama’s solution: The government forces the big banks to put up 25 billion dollars of their money and profit, give it away to their borrowers as a settlement, because they’ve somehow done something wrong and deserve to pay a penalty? Or better yet, millions of Americans took loans for more than they could handle, did not uphold their agreement to pay back these loans, complain that their real estate “investment” lost value as if real estate isn’t supposed to have any risk, and they get rewarded for it? And all of this is the evil banks’ fault? If this isn’t the pot calling the kettle black, I don’t know what is.

Maybe I’m just paranoid, but I think this is setting the stage for the Federal Government of the United States to itself become the biggest bank in the country. What better way to ensure the failure of your competitors than by getting to write the rules they play by, while exempting yourself from those same rules? I would not be surprised if the federals took over the banking industry completely because it would fit in perfectly with the nanny state philosophy. How much better could we be protected from bad loans and predatory lending, than if our “protectors” are the ones doing the lending? Does this make me sound like a New World Order conspiracy nut? I hope not, because I don’t think it is that far-fetched.

I hope that more people wake up to how much power they are letting the government take away from themselves and the children of future generations. This has long since become a fight for our freedom that we can no longer afford to ignore.

Thursday Night Links 2-9-12

2012-02-09T20:49:00.003-05:00

The Daley Gator: U.S. Taxpayers On The Hook For $1.6 Billion In Free Cell Phones For Poor
I'm glad we're providing all the essentials!

Sentry Journal: Remolding the Christian Right

Jill Stanek: The problem with making the morning-after pill as easy to get as a candy bar
This is perfect. Ready available irresponsibility for the already irresponsible.

Conservative Views for the Grassroots: Obama struggles to contain uproar over birth-control rule

WyBlog: Majestic Monday Melodies, The Day After The Super Bowl Edition
Being from the Metro Detroit area, the Chrysler commercial was an absolute embarrassment to the city. Fortunately, I've never liked Chrysler in the first place.

Conservative Hideout 2.0: Planned Parenthood Video: This is What They Think of You

Reganite Republican: Reaganite's Sunday Funnies

It's nice to see Jim from CoF back in action...
Conservatives on Fire: Seeing Things in a Different Light __ The 2012 Elections

TBA is keeping Larry and his family in our prayers
Political Realities: Opal Fern Jackson – February 10, 1931/February 02, 2012

WWTFT?: What We Need Is More People on Food Stamps

Bunkerville: Cass Sunstein, Supreme Ginsburg and the S. African Constitution

Conservative Byte: Top Dem: ‘The Fact is You Don’t Need a Budget’

A Conservative Teacher: Newsflash Conservatives- The President Appoints Judges

"all of them (GOP candidates) would appoint better judges to the bench than Obama and avert the utter destruction of our Constitution and way of life that would be another Obama Presidency. A principled, moral person would want this and would vote against Obama no matter who the GOP picks as their nominee."

I couldn't agree more!

MCT: Another bad idea brewing in Europe

Rubio: Republicans Need to Focus on Being Pro Legal Immigration, Not Anti Illegal Immigration

2012-02-08T21:25:00.000-05:00

The speech is not all in Spanish. Skip ahead a couple minutes...

I've written in the past about illegal immigration, but Rubio nails it with this speech. I think the most important message in this speech is the fact Conservatives are not who immigrants, primarily Mexicans, think we are. We are not against them being in this country. We are against them being here illegally. I agree 100% with Rubio that changes need to be made to allow people to come to this country without the confusion and bureaucracy. We need to give them a clear, efficient path to becoming a tax paying citizen and live out their dream. On the other side, the party Mexicans typically vote for, wants to continue keeping them as slaves to their party. They don't care if minorities grow and develop in this nation. Remaining in poverty will keep them under the Liberal wing resulting in Liberal votes.

Is anyone against LEGAL immigration? Rubio is right, republicans NEED to be the party that gets something done!

With such a weak field of candidates for the GOP nomination, I hope whoever does win the nomination selects a strong VP candidate like Rubio.

The CO2 Must Have Gone to Their Brains

2012-02-06T21:53:00.001-05:00

I've heard about some pretty crazy 'green' inventions in the past, but earlier today I stumbled across a list of the 'Top 15 Bizarre Green Inventions' and it appears the environmental wackos have reached a new level of craziness. While I personally have a degree in Architecture focusing on sustainability, I tend to stick to 'green' design and technology that makes financial sense while not making someones everyday tasks unbelievably inconvenient.

Luckily, for our entertainment purposes, the inventions on this list fit perfectly into the liberal environmental plan of 'go green at any cost.' They go far beyond selling cars that can barely begin to be considered affordable without massive government subsidies while traveling an entire 35 miles between recharging with that magical energy source we know as electricity. Some of these will make a light bulb that requires a hazardous materials crew when broken seem like the best idea ever.

Make sure you check out the entire list here, but the following are some of my favorites.

1) Turning Paper into....wait for this....this one is good...paper!
Yes folks, you put scrap paper in one end and get a roll of toilet paper out the other. I'm sure this is some of the finest quality toilet paper, guaranteed to give you the worst rash you have ever had while making an extra large mess out of yesterdays bean burrito. This one sounded stupid before I realized the machine requires 40 sheets of paper and 30 minutes to make a role, with the initial cost of the machine being $100,000. Oh, and the machine only weighs about 1,300lbs.

2) Cell Phone Dead? Just Plug it into your Bikini!

This bikini is covered in solar panels and provides outlets to plug in your favorite gadget. Just thinking, where do most people wear bikinis? Last time I checked it was in the water. Where is the last place you want to take you iPhone, iPad, or other gadget?

Good news for men, the male solar bikini is coming soon!

3) My personal favorite....Out of Cookies? Just go to the Computer and Print Some Out!

Yes, it's a 3D food printer. This printer developed by Cornell University scientists will allow you to print 3D, edible food. I think the highlight of this one is the comment from one of the readers..."So the ink bypasses all the other processes? How? there's an Ink Fairy? It's delivered via plumbing?" This comment addresses my biggest complaint with environmentalists. Out of sight, out of mind. If you plug your car into an outlet and can't see the fossil fuels burning to make that electricity, it must be green. Isn't is easier to put a seed in the ground in your back yard?

Please make sure you check out the rest of the list. You don't want to miss the lamp that runs on your blood, the shower curtain that will inflate and trap you in the shower if you take too long, or the sink that will kill your pet fish if you run too much water!