Enough is Enough!

Stop catering to cowards and murderers who want nothing more than your annihilation!

I know this will cause some commotion. But I am so sick of the "political correctness" of remaining silent. I feel no pity for the people of muslim countries. I do feel sorrow for them, but not pity. They follow a religion that for centuries has been about the total domination of the world under an Islam banner. They believe there is no room for any other religion. And any muslim that says they want a peaceful coexistence with others is either lying to you or themselves. Their religion says its okay to lie to anyone not a muslim. So when someone cries about why there is no coverage of how we bomb them or shoot them or whatever, I just get so boiling mad. We would leave them be if they would stop doing things like Paris. Like 9/11, like London, like Moscow. We would leave them alone if they would stop trying to usurp our countries, our religions, our laws, our customs and our traditions. But they will NEVER stop. People really need to understand this. I do not want harm to come to anyone. But I will also not sit by while they decide to cause me, mine or other innocent people harm. Enough is enough.

Moderate Islam. Extreme Islam. Peaceful Islam.

These are all the same.

They want nothing more than the total annihilation of those who are NOT Islam. Thats it. Bottom line. Its what their religion, what their "prophet", what their entire ideology calls for. Their "great book" calls for the destruction of infidels. Make no mistake about it, thats us, folks. Thats anyone NOT muslim, NOT followers of the prophet. NOT believers in Islam.

For those who say "they don't know any better" I say BAH!

People have brains. People have common sense. If you are taught and indoctrinated into thinking this is right, then you are foolish. You are mindless. You don't know how to use your brain and think for yourself.

How many Germans fought against Hitler because they knew it was wrong? How many fought Stalin? The czars? These people were taught and indoctrinated into a certain belief. And they KNEW it was wrong. These people WANT to believe its right to cause the genocide of the world that is not Islam.

So I don't want to hear that they don't know any better because its what they were taught. Its like all those morons who were taught differently but decide to join these cowards and murderers. They WANT to do what is wrong!

So if you want to play all nicey-nice and sympathetic to them, and let them kill you. Go for it.

Me and mine? I'm not going let anyone do this. And you can call me mean, heartless or whatever. I don't play nice with someone dedicated to destroying me and my way of life.

Agree, disagree, I just don't care anymore. You want to be sheep and let them erase you, you want to listen to the spin that our bogus leaders are spewing, you want to NOT think for yourself . . . by all means, go ahead. This is just me, Thinking Out Loud and deciding enough is enough of being silent.

Politicians and the economy - maybe we need NEW ones

Back in August of 2010, when I was living in Columbia, SC - before my life was laid waste by a young woman with a serious mental illness - when I was the Columbia Conservative Examiner, I wrote an opinion piece.

It was called "Sometimes you just need a new one."

It bears repeating here. And I'll tell you why afterwards.

My five-year old grandson came up to me with a small inflatable basketball. He asked me to blow it up. I suspected that there was a hole in it but I went ahead and wore out my lungs blowing the darn thing up anyway. Sure enough, there was a small leak in it. Slowly, it began to deflate again.

"Sorry, pal," I explained to him. "It won't stay inflated. It has a hole in it." I then squeezed on the ball to show him where the air was coming out. He took the shriveling plastic globe and looked at it for a second. Then he said, "I know how to fix it."

"You can open it up,” he thoughtfully explained to me. “And put money inside. That will fix it."

I explained that putting money in it would not fix the hole. But he insisted it would. I then showed him the tube and said money would not fit in there.

"Yes, it will," he insisted. Then he looked around, spied a dime and said, "It just has to be a little money."

I took the dime and showed him it would not fit in the tiny tube.

"Sorry, pal," I explained. "Money won't fix the problem." Sadly, he took the ball, looked at it for a second then cheerfully turned to his brother and said, "Wanna go play in our room."

And off they went, deflated ball forgotten on the floor. Ah, the resilience of youth.

Then I wistfully wondered why Democrats are not so easily taught. You can show them the tube, explain that not only will the money not fit into the tube, it won't fix the problem. And they will keep trying to shove that dime or penny or quarter into the hole and insisting it will fit and it will fix the problem.

The stimulus money, what little was actually spent trying to stimulate anything, was a total bust. But what do they (those in power - aka the Democrats and the Obama Administration) want to do? They want to keep trying to shove money into that tube. Even if they force the tube wide enough to accept the dime, no amount of money is going to cover up a hole in the ball. It may sit on it for a little while, keeping some air from escaping. But in the long run, the air will still keep whistling out of the hole, the money will shift, and the initial problem will not get fixed.

And then you have the problem of closing the hole you widened to get that dime through in the first place.

The only way to fix a hole in a plastic ball is to use the right patch for the job, wait for it to set, then slowly re-inflate the ball to make sure the patch stays. And sometimes, you have to just accept the fact that the ball is not going to be fixed and you need to just go ahead and get a new one.

But as much as some politicians act like a five-year old, we just have to accept the fact that they're not as smart. And we have to just go ahead and get some new ones. Politicians that is, not five-year olds.

Now, the reason I bring this back up, because the economy is still in the toilet. The whole has still not been patched and the powers that be thing it needs MORE money shoved into it. Not only are they delusional, but they are using the problems in this country to consolidate power into their own hands and OUT of the hands of the people.

Don't get me wrong. Both parties are playing these stupid games of consolidation. Both parties are steering America off a cliff. The Obama Administration with its stupid politics of fiscal ruin and European style revision. It didn't work for them, it sure as HELL is not going to work here.

AND the Grand Old Party is doing with controlling manipulation and sneaky politics.

AND BOTH PARTIES are doing it with the extreme division of this great nation.

Look, it takes the heart of a liberal and the common sense of a conservative to find and administer solutions. Compassion to want to help those in need and a steely eye to make sure those who would take advantage of another's compassion to make sure there is the means to help those in need.

You can agree or disagree. I don't care. But if you want this country to regain its footing as the greatest nation on the earth and begin leading the way again, then you need to stop listening to all those spinners out there and start thinking for yourself. If I get you to at least do that, than I will consider this time well spent. But hey, this is just me, as usual, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Some wonder, others criticize

Some wonder why I write this blog, some wonder why don't write more and some just criticize what is written and debate the motive.

I shall endeavor to put it as simply as possible - although I thought I did this at the end of every blog entry - by employing the words of history's greatest philosopher, Socrates.

"I cannot teach anybody anything I can only make them think."

I only pass along things I have found that are contrary to common sense, that I have discovered through my skills as an investigative journalist, and the obvious manipulations by unscrupulous people to make their bosses sound much better than they truly are.

As for my political philosophies, I am indeed conservative, with one caveat - that is with a small "c" not a capital one. I do not identify with a party nor do I ascribe to any one political party or affiliation. Everything I view, I do so from a conservative tableau. And that is the only benchmark I have for myself.

So from that, I point out the stupid things, the SPIN things, the lack of common sense things that EVERYONE is doing.

Some say, "no you are anti-Obama." To this I have to say honestly no I am not. Am I against many things he does as President? Yes. Am I outraged by some of the things he and his administration have to say and do? Most definitely yes. BUt I was once impressed by him when he was younger. I was once looking forward to what he could do in his political career. But then I watched him get chewed up by the machine and infiltrated by the SPIN. Sometimes (and I only believe this sometimes), I think he actually even believes some of the SPIN. SOme of it. Not all of it. Which makes him even more of the typical politician. Because he only believes some of it. Which means he knows most of it is BS. And still does what he does.

But as a man, a father, an American, a human being, I have absolutely nothing against him.

I am equally vocal about many things supposed Conservatives, Republicans and other "patriots" do. I will blast Romney, the GOP and anyone else who spews the SPIN for their own person, party or political gain.

America is better than all this nonsense. And there needs to be voices out there - even those who oppose me as well - speaking to truth. Because it is with these voices, speaking loud and clear, and unhindered by an oppressive government, that will KEEP America strong.

So, I will keep on speaking to the idiots and SPIN and blatant lies that undermine this country I love and served, and continue to serve in my own way. I will keep calling politicians, celebrity, fawning media, and anyone else that would SPIN the truth to suit their own agenda and against what is best for America.

How do you know what is best for America!?

I hear you screaming that (and I thought I was done with this post - but noooooo). So I will address this now, here, rather than later.

I don't know what is best for America.

But our founders did. They created a beautiful template for us to follow.

Freedom of thought. Freedom from dictatorship states. Freedom to choose our religion. Freedom to chose who we work for, what we do, how we do it. Freedom to be the best we can be.

They put into a place a government answerable to the governed. A government that is a servant and not a tyrant. A government, if it becomes too deaf and blind, has in its mechanism a manner to which to expunge it and replace it with one that returns to that which it was designed to be - a government of the people, for the people and by the people.

By using this benchmark, I can see what the founders believed to be best for America. And speak from these truths to show people how to STOP BEING SHEEP and AVOID THE SPIN.

And to those who say, oh that is outdated and old-fashioned, America needs to change, I simply respond it is NOT America which needs to change - at least not it founding principles. It is those who feel this way that can move to somewhere else.

America is not the land of the dependent and the lazy. It is the "land of the brave and home of the free." If you can't live with the basic ideas that founded the freedoms this country is built upon, then there is no locked door keeping you here. If you want cradle to grave service, move to Europe. If you want a government that does all your thinking move to Russia or China.

This is why I oppose Obama and anyone who would "change" America into some socialist, nanny state. That is NOT America.

But you know, agree or not, its all good. I just want you to think for yourself. Look into the truth of history and not the lies of SPIN. Learn from where it is you (and by this I mean the collective you of America) grew from. Learn to discern truth from lies and half truths, AVOID THE SPIN they would have you believe. And if I can get just one person to STOP BEING SHEEP, then I will feel I have done well. Anyway, this is just me, as usual, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

Not ANOTHER year in review article

Everyone has the traditional "year in review" articles. So many cars crashed and buildings burned. So many celebrities got married / divorce. So many of them went to rehab / jail / some third world country. Storms lashed parts of the country, earthquakes struck parts of the world, the moon was see in this or that phase. For every niche paper or magazine or news show or music insert, there is a "year in review."

But NOT here. For my regular readers, you have been keeping up with what the year has held. For those not so regular, the beauty of the internet is that you can go back and look things over.

(Which leads me to the shameless plug for my new book, Thinking out Loud - The Book. If you want to know what went on during the 2008 election cycle and the President's first year in office WITHOUT the spin and the lies and the misconceptions, just buy my new e-book. It is loaded with all kinds of links to references that will show you and tell you what REALLY happened, so you can make an INFORMED decision come November. Not a decision based on what others want to tell you happened. It is on Barnes & Nobel's Nook website.)

There is no need to do a year in review because you all lived through the disaster our government has created. You have dealt with the unemployment, the lack of basic understanding of business concepts by our governing body and the absolute disconnect between what the people want them to do and what the politicians think we want them to do.

So let us look to the future. Let us look to 2012 and decide what we are going to do moving forward. Obama thinks he doesn't need Congress. Since he already doesn't feel he needs the American people, this is not a good thing. He has already shown us that he thinks we are all imbeciles, whom he needs to lecture so that we "understand" what it is he is trying to do.

We KNOW what he is trying to do. And we don't want him to do it. (Some do, but these are either the misguided who can't tell the difference between someone out and giving them a handout - or they are the lazy who don't want to work for even the handouts.) But the American people are so disorganized, between political party rhetoric, losing focus on what the priorities should be and the sheep among us who keep confusing the conversation with the spin, we don't have a firm enough solidarity to stop the politicians from destroying what tenuous grasp we are holding onto now.

So here is what we do. STOP LISTENING TO THE SPIN! Stop listening to the politicians, they just want to keep their jobs - despite not really DOING their jobs. Stop listening to the talking heads because they ARE doing their jobs in order to KEEP their jobs. STOP BEING SHEEP!!

That should be the New Year's Resolution of EVERY American. In 2012, we will STOP BEING SHEEP! I want you to pass this along to every person you know. Have them read this. Or just TELL them to make this resolution. Repeat after me, "I WILL STOP BEING SHEEP!"

All you Occupy types, STOP BEING SHEEP!

All you Obama-nites, who can't see that he CAN do wrong, STOP BEING SHEEP!

All you Conservatives with the capital "C" STOP BEING SHEEP!

All you liberals who don't understand you can be helpful without being irresponsible, STOP BEING SHEEP!

Now you can, as usual, agree or disagree with me. That doesn't bother me either way. What I find most distressing is, after reading what I have to say here, you still listen to those out there who don't have YOUR best interest at heart. And I KNOW they don't because the only one who has YOUR best interest at heart is YOU. So, STOP BEING SHEEP, and I will consider my job done well. Start thinking for yourselves, and I will know I have done what I set out to do. Even one person. Just STOP BEING SHEEP! But, no matter, because this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have yourself a great day. A happy New Year! And be SAFE out there tonight (and every night).

Charles

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - The first ten people who comment on THIS blog post (with legitimate email addresses, will get a 50% off discount coupon for my new book, Thinking Out Loud - The Book!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas to all

PC be damned. I'm going to say it.

Merry Christmas to all.

Happy Hanukah, too. But no one seems to get offended when you say that.

And I am going to do something that liberals would scream is so not conservative. But that is because they don't know what the heck they are talking about.

If you are in the northeast area of Pennsylvania (NW New Jersey or SW New York), stop by Calling All Angels Thrift Shoppe and donate or volunteer or simply shop for something. The proceeds go toward purchasing food for local food pantries.

Or if there is any place near you that is doing something for someone else, then go help out. And not just because it is Christmas (or Hanukah). Do it because it is the human thing to do, the American thing to do.

Why do I say liberals would scream that this idea is coming from a liberal? Because so many liberals scrunch their noses or snicker a little "ha ha ha" if I do charitable work. Because not only do they think that charity is the purview of the bleeding heart liberals of the world, they have a firm notion in their head that conservatives are heartless.

Truth is, the very foundation of this country and conservative beliefs everywhere is that it is our duty to help those in need. Conservatives, however, differentiate between those in real need and those who are just too lazy to do for themselves. And it is this act of differentiating that makes liberals everywhere decry the conservative as heartless.

Agree, disagree, whatever. Its the holidays and I am just doing my usual, Thinking Out Loud.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza, whatever holiday event you are celebrating this time of year. And be safe out there.

Charles

New word, no need to get it out

Anyone who read the previous posting about getting help with the book can forget about it. If you missed it, that's fine. I deleted the post.

I never delete anything. But I realized that it was tacky asking for donations to help me self publish. I am that desperate to get this thing out there for as many people to read and be reminded that I didn't think about how it might offend my regular readers. So, this is a first, but I did delete it. Not that it had anything monumental to say.

Anyway, my nephew turned me onto a great way to publish and it is something I can do. So please pay attention to this space, as I will be advertising the book as soon as I am able to get it to the publisher. I am hoping to have it available in both standard book form and in electronic book form.

Back to my normal agenda, can you believe the political BS oozing out of DC? I'm sure you can. Because it is the same old BS dung that comes from Washington DC morons.

Cap, cut and balance was the only way to go. It made sense. It made fiscal sense, common sense and societal sense. But leave it up to the schmucks who run this country to come to a compromise that fails to keep us out of further debt, leaves us without a demand for our politicians to be responsible and leave us without responsible cuts in current spending.

We will pay through the nose, continue to pay through the nose and will always pay through the nose if we continue to let these morons lie to us (about seniors losing their checks this week), BS us ( about the need to stabilize the world economy by allowing us to run up MORE debt) and giving us the shaft (by allowing ridiculous spending habits).

Agree, disagree, it doesn't matter. Just stop listening to the spin and use that grey matter between your ears for more than just remembering to chew and walk at the same time. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Charles

New Superheroes

The latest Conservative Cartoon from Townhall is great. Check it out.

Click here.

As a Navy vet and a proud conservative, I totally agree.

USA! USA! USA!

Little Pet Peeves that really bother me (Politically)

The TEA party started out as a group of Americans really ticked off with the US government for its over-reaching, power grabbing, un-Constitutional behaviour. Taxed Enough Already. And it grew into a bunch of Americans voicing their displeasure with the bloated, spend like a drunken sailor, more interested in special interests than protecting the interests of the public entity.

But then along came the naysayers. (Generally, the ones in power, behind the power and gain the most from keeping those in power.) They called the group racists. Which is hard to fathom when every race, gender and creed have taken up the "fed up with the Feds up" in DC rallying cry. They say its a bunch of American hating nazi's. Which is so ludicrous that it doesn't garner much more of a response from me except to say there is nothing MORE American than voicing your opinions about how our country is run. They have called the group anti-Government . . . okay, I'll give that one to them, so long as what they mean the government which is overspending, stomping on rights, ignoring the Constitution, ignoring the will of the people and sleeping with the special interests and unions. Then YEP, guilty on that one. (If you may recall, I am not a part of any TEA party organization, haven't even gone to a meeting of same. I am just an American that believes all AMERICANS deserve a voice.)

THEN came the media, who, as usual, just doesn't get it. They started referring to the TEA party as the Tea Party. It is not a political party. It is Americans standing up and letting their voices be heard. That it is from those who mostly identify themselves as conservative is a story in and of itself, as most conservatives have not traditionally done the grass roots, rally, sign carrying routine. But the mainstream media did their usual thing and leaned waaaaaay left on this one and fell in line with the liberal, Democrat agenda.

But that is just one thing. Another is that you cannot disapprove of President Obama without being called a racist or Uncle Tom. I am so tired of that card being played by politician and pundit alike. Obermann with his little chills running up his leg can go stuff it in a Spam can. I do not disagree with Obama because he is not white, I disagree with Obama because he is wrong. There is a great difference. If a white man, oh I don't know, like Clinton or Carter were doing the things Obama has done . . . oh wait, yeah they did a lot of stuff like Obama (just not as fast or as radical) and I totally disagreed with what they did. In fact, I don't like the President's policies hardly at all, but I still think Jimmy carter was the worst President in modern history. And he was my boss for a brief period of time and I am allowed to say that.

Another little political pet peeve of mine is the ridiculous way that every pundit thinks in black and white and has no shades of grey or coloring in between. We can have social responsibility but still be fiscally conservative. We can take care of those most in need (as out founding fathers envisioned America) while still cutting those off who take advantage of our generosity for their own greed. We can be big business friendly and still protect the rights of the workers. Without business, there are no jobs. Without skilled and educated people, there are no good workers. If we keep jobs in America, for Americans, we can reward those who make that possible. The American Dream is still alive. The American Spirit will not be torn asunder. So long as we all realize that we all have to live in this house.

I will share more in Political Pet Peeves Two. But for now, my fingers are tired, my back and leg is hurting and I need a break.

As usual, agree or disagree, that really doesn't matter to me. So long as I get you to think for yourselves, I've done my job. Because, heck, this is just me . . . Thinking out Loud.

Have a great day!

Why politicians need to back off of DADT

Well, I am going to wade in on the DADT policy. That is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Normally I would not write on this topic but it is really getting me ticked off.

A little background. While in High school, there were several friends of mine who were gay. Some denied it, some were more open (at least to friends). And we didn't care. I remember telling a one such person when he kept getting angry about people calling him gay, "Hey man, we don't care if you're gay or not. Just stop denying what is obvious to all of us and get on with life." He kept denying it and went a little nuts. There was an incident with him in a tree, half naked, yelling he was Jesus Christ. It was sad. He finally admitted to it and has turned his life around.

I was also in the Navy for six years, and again, there were people who we knew were gay and we didn't care. I remember going to a place in Hawaii, the Lava Lounge, one night. It was a pretty cool place. We did note that the people were dancing with same sex partners. The bartender came up and, very concerned, asked us if we knew it was a gay bar. We said we did and did he want us to leave. He laughed and said 'heavens no' and that he would let people know we were straight so they wouldn't hit on us. That is how we felt about it. Don't hit on me because I am straight and it's all cool.

So now to the big debate on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." The politicians, Obama included the most, need to stay the hell out of this policy. It is a military issue. Some people were not cool about it in the '70s and '80s because of misconceptions about gay people. They were afraid, and for some it was a valid concern, that it could be used by foreign governments to pressure gays into divulging classified information. And it was a concern by some homophobes who were not comfortable talking about these things and were afraid of being hit on or molested.

But today, it is more openly accepted and the Cold War is over. So the classified information stuff is no longer an issue. And with women in the military these past decades, the whole argument about gays not having your back has been alleviated for many since they feel women can have their backs, so can gays. (It's the whole misconception about gays being effeminate and weak. Such a lame argument.)

The main sticking point to all of this is that it is a MILITARY ISSUE. Not a political one. The LGBT community would best be served staying away from politicians promising stuff to them and go to the military community instead. If the military decides the concerns of decades ago are no longer valid, then it is both within it's right and it's purview, to change the policy. lawmakers need to stay out of the argument. If the military says to drop it and not make it such a big deal, then the politicians should just do their jobs and cancel the DADT law.

Now don't get me wrong, as a conservative, this issue is strictly a 'government stay out of this arena' one. As a Christian, I don't approve of the lifestyle, but I don't hate the people who live it. I am not the kind of person who says "I must change these sinful heathens!" That is not what Christianity is all about. And those like the Westboro baptist types are sick for disobeying God's command on this. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself. I guess the Westboro people really must hate themselves.

As a vet, I think the policy does more harm than good these days and should be done away with.

But mostly, as a conservative, I feel the government is way too involved in people's lives and need to back the heck off.

Agree with me, disagree with me, it doesn't really mater to me. But if I make you open your eyes and stop listening to the extremists on both sides and think for yourself, than I have done my job. But hey, as always, this is just me, Thinking out Loud.

Have a great day.

No surprise to the lies

The Democrats are telling lies that anyone with common sense can see through. But people who want to believe them are not using common sense.

The first lie is that the "TAX CUTS" will cost us $750 billion while the extension of unemployment benefits will cost $18 billion.

Common sense will tell you to look at what they are talking about. The tax cuts will not cost anything. They will keep the government from receiving $750 billion over ten years, while the unemployment benefits will cost $65 billion each year. So that is about $75 billion in uncollected money each year for the tax cuts while the unemployment extension will cost $65 billion each year.

The second thing to look at is that the tax cuts are not tax cuts. The stopping of them will cost business by RAISING tax rates.

Next lie about all this is that the Republicans are heartless people who believe that people would rather get an unemployment check than work. The truth is that Republicans know that unemployment is a problem. There are people out there who would rather collect a free check than work but this is not why the Republicans are taking a hard line. The fiscally conservative person knows that first we must tighten the belt and find a way to pay for the unemployment extension AND help business get the economy moving and hire people.

It is the Democrats that would rather spew rhetoric than address the real problems. They are more willing to offer people a hand out and get them addicted to government help then give a hand up and help people fend for themselves, as it should be. They are like drug dealers, except the drug they choose to peddle is dependence on the government. And they peddle it well.

The next lie they are pushing out there is that business are greedy and don't care about anything but their bottom line. This is so far from the truth. Business depends on people to succeed. They depend on people to buy their products and services. They depend on people to see their products and services. In a down economy, neither is happening.

But what Democrats don't understand or refuse to understand is the concepts and facts about business and a capitalistic society. If you keep making the atmosphere for business constantly question what will be happening next, it is hard for them to plan or operate their businesses effectively. They cannot have the rules changing every year or every few years. They plan YEARS down the road.

If the Democrats would stop being beholden to their union puppeteers, they would work on HOW to pay for the unemployment benefit extension, which is all the Republicans are asking. If they were serious about getting the economy up and running again and have people be able to live their lives how they want without being dependent on the government for everything, they would get off the nonsense of lying about the tax cuts. The "rich" they so quickly label business owners currently pay 35% in taxes (a whole hell of a lot more than the average Joe working stiff), but would have to pay another 3% (which is a lot more when you consider the big numbers we are talking about here) if the tax rate is not maintained.

It is not a tax cut. It is a status quo of the tax rate. Imagine if you were asked to suddenly pay 3% more in taxes next year. at a $40,000 a year job, that comes out to an additional $1200 in taxes, or $100 a month. Can you afford to give the government another $100 a month? What bill will you stop paying? Do you stop paying rent? Or stop buying food? Maybe you can stop paying those credit card bills or don't buy clothes for your kids. Now imagine you have employees working for you, and pulling in $250,000 a year, you have to stop paying $625 a month to someone. An employee, a vendor or maybe cut coverage for health or something. Tell you employees there will be no Christmas bonus this year. Now who appears heartless?

Add to this the whole healthcare costs you will now have to deal with. If you don't believe that nugget will affect businesses, just look at the million dollar a year hit AT&T has reported to the SEC (as is required by law and not a politically motivated stunt).

The Democrats such as Pelosi are lying so big that most people out there seem to be just dazed by the non-common sense of it all and are believing it.

Don't be fooled. And don't take my word. Stop and think about it. Put yourself in the shoes of a business owner. Or better yet, relate it to your own household. If you have less money coming in but more expnses to deal with, do you borrow from the bank or on your credit card or just print up your own money? Or do you tighten your belt until you make it through the hard times?

Agree or disagree, it makes no difference to me. Just so long as you stop believing the rhetoric and start thinking for yourselves. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

The Great NPR Debate

Juan Williams was a senior news analyst at NPR (National Public Radio). He is also a news commentator on FOX News. He took his usual position on the liberal side of things while on the Bill O'Reilly show the other night. That evening, NPR announced it was terminating Williams' contract because "his remarks on 'The O'Reilly Factor' this past Monday were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and undermined his credibility as a news analyst with NPR."

One would think Williams did something totally horrific to deserve such a summary dismaissal. However, all he did was speak the truth. He said "I mean, look, Bill, I'm not a bigot. You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country," Williams said Monday. But when I get on a plane, I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim garb and I think, you know, they're identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous."

He then went on the attack to get O'Reilly to stop characterizing all Muslims as jihadists and told him to "be careful." To which Bill said he would not be careful anymore. He stated that the liberals would have you believe it is a "small" number of the Muslim population that are terrorist but that, in truth, it was "nations; Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan . . ."

The contention of NPR was that his comments about being "nervous" on a plane with Muslims was not professional and "inconsistent" with their "editorial standards."

Many people, including Sarah Palin (whom I have an immense deal of respect for) are calling for the immediate defunding of NPR and PBS.

I disagree with defunding NPR and PBS. They are very important. The initial concept of funding public radio and television was to give a clear unobstructed voice to everything from news to education, entertainment and information, and to expand higher education to people who would not normally have access. It began with the Morrill Act in 1862 and was expanded (with matching public funding) by the Educational Television Facilities Act of 1962.

To defund them would be to give into the "controlled" media and education. NPR and PBS have a rich history of free education and speech. However, I agree that they have gone too far left and socialistic. Some regulating needs to be done, and it is within the right of the government and the people to do so. But these regulations must be Constitutional in nature and reflect the open dialogue they MUST represent, left and right and center. These entities have become far too political and must be de-politicized. If they are unwilling to do so, then by all means, it is within our rights to end their funding. To silence them all together would be a disservice and wrong. They in turn were wrong for silencing Williams and should be brought to task.

Many who would defund this public institution would argue that they have leaned too far to the left, and as is exemplified by the firing of Juan Williams, are stiflinmg the very freedom that allows them to exist. These same people, faced with the history and need for public radio and television, express a lack of hope that any regulation would work.

Therein lies the carrot and the stick. WE fund them. WE decide they have lost their way. If THEY don't correct their lean, WE sink the ship and move on. But to simply defund, we allow those who would control ALL media and education (regardless of their leanings) to win. In a sense, the publicly funded venues of NPR and PBS are our hedge against the age old adage that the victors write the history books. With publicly funded NPR and PBS doing their jobs correctly, we get all the good history with the bad. Thus, we learn not to repeat. And don't lose hope, as it has been the benchmark of the resiliency of America to weather ALL its past storms.

You may agree or disagree with me and that, by the very founding of this country, is your right. But if you have continued to read thus far, and have begun to let at least a little new thought to creep in from what I have been saying, then I will have considered my time well spent and my job done. Think for yourselves and stop listening to every bit of rhetoric, from right or left, and taking it for gospel fact and truth. But hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day.

Its about middle America, stupid!

I would have said "its about the economy, stupid!" but that wouldn't get across the real problems these knuckleheads in DC just don't seem to get. Billions of dollars to create jobs and stimulate the economy and they just don't get it. And it is not about the poor and the illegal immigrant and the wealthy CEOs. Its about the middle class of America!

The poor, the indigent, the illegal immigrant and their bleeding heart liberal supporters, the wealthy CEOs and Wall Street cronies, and the Beltway insiders are the only ones whining. The stuck in the rut, been there too long, hands in the pockets of every special interest from unions to community organizers members of the US government are whining and complaining and strutting about what they've done and what they plan on doing.

And none of them get it.

Its the middle class of America who are silently suffering. They were doiong fine with their house payments until Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac blew up under Barney Frank and the rest of Congress' eyes. Then they started struggling. They were making their car payments just fine, until two of the Big Three needed bailout money and the big bankers were brought into secret meetings at gun point and told they had to both take the money and get super regulated by Big Brother. Then they continued to struggle. health care changes made companies like AT&T report their bottom line was going to tumble, layoffs continued unabated (despite the Summer of Recovery being touted) and credit was impossible to get.

And the middle class of America struggle daily. They are upside down in their cars (which they could afford before but cannot now), they are upside down in the homes (which they could afford but cannot now), they are watching their health care premiums being raised and set to slam them for getting the best plan to care for their family but now is a crime (which they are having trouble being able to afford both premiums and taxes). The middle class makes up a large portion of America but they are struggling silently. They are making $200, $300, $500 less a month than they were before (due to slow downs at work or outright layoffs) and are having to decide between food on the table a roof over the head or the means to get from point A to point B.

And they have no voice, save that of the TEA party groups, talk radio or independent bloggers. Which, of course, no one in government is listening to. In fact, government is doing its best to paint these groups as being not important, not relevant and nto worth their time.

But come November, the middle class WILL have its say. They will be ready to explain to the ever expanding, rapidly disconnecting government that ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

Until then, Obama, Pelosi, Reid and all the politicians that are refusing to listen will keep trying to re-manufacture America to their nanny-state preferences. However, they will then find out just how powerful the silently struggling middle class can be. Many of them, Democrat and Republican alike, will be looking for new eployment.