The Ridiculous, Irresponsible and Frightening!

The ridiculous: President Obama flying to Copenhagen to discuss global warming and climate change in the middle of a HUGE blizzard

The irresponsible: Sen. Ben Nelson.....'nuff said

The frightening: Al Franken is actually in the Senate...and allowed to talk

Honestly, the events of this week are so astronomically catastrophic that the above comments are all I can safely muster without Xanax close at hand

Climate Change-apalooza

I will be the first to admit that when it comes to environmental issues, I stand a little bit to the left of many Conservatives on the issue. Although, I'm not out chaining myself to trees, I do believe that protecting the environment, cutting needless waste and pollution and, in general, encouraging the development of more green spaces is beneficial for everyone (see my previous blog "The Real Socioeconomic Gap in Healthcare". However....as well known to many readers, the current climate farce (along with the ridiculously hypocritical Copenhagen summit) is more focused on

a) gaining political points

b) creation of a worldwide system of regulation to puts business under government control and transfers wealth from rich nations to poor ones.

than it is actually benefitting the environment.

As Dick Morris terrifically pointed out in a recent Op-ed on the issue:

"The worst nightmare of the left is about to come true: The United States is about to achieve the carbon emissions goals set by the 1997 Kyoto Accords. Once seemingly beyond reach, the United States is already halfway toward meeting the stringent Kyoto goals for reduction in carbon emissions without a cap-and-trade law or a carbon tax or carbon dioxide being declared a pollutant...............................Should the emissions come down on their own, as they are doing, the excuse for draconian legislation goes, well, up in smoke."

The rest of the article can be found HERE, a must read to put climate change, emissions regulation and where the U.S. stands as a polluter, in perspective.

A similar economic coup was attempted during the 1970's with the The New International Economic Order (NIEO). This was a set of proposals put forth by developing countries to promote their interests by improving their terms of trade, increasing development assistance, developed-country tariff reductions, and other means. It was meant to be a revision of the international economic system in favour of Third World countries--- basically wealth redistribution via global socialism.

Luckily these aims went no where, thanks mainly to Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, both of whom refused to let the world cadre of entitlement advocating whiners walk all over the United States and take away the rights of hard working citizens.

Unfortunately the attack on democracy has risen once again, this time attaching itself to the fad of environmentalism and climate change. And frighteningly, this time our political leaders are submitting to their whines, much like an embarrassed parent trying to subdued a child having a temper tantrum in a public place.

Environmentalism is essentially becoming a new form of socialism.

On the first day of Copenhagen opened, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency claimed jurisdiction over the regulation of carbon emissions by declaring them an "endangerment" to human health. Due to the fact that we operate in a carbon-based economy, this declaration will give the EPA unprecedented regulation power. Any institution that emits more than 250 tons of CO2 a year will be under EPA control.

According to Charles Krauthammer, not since the creation of the Internal Revenue Service has a federal agency been given more power over every aspect of economic life.

Frightening to say the least. The Obama administration is determined to turn the United States into a socialist nation and is mounting the war on multiple fronts...environmentalism, healthcare, economic regulations.....

PolitiFact | Vote now for 'Lie of the Year'!

PolitiFact | Vote now for 'Lie of the Year'!

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In Search of an Icon

As I watched Tim Tebow respond to reporters questions with ultimate class and sincerity after losing the SEC Championship to Alabama...I'm reminded of the deep human need to have a hero. I'm not a Florida fan, in any manner, Tebow is a good player and I appreciate his morals, however I have never understood the Tebow love shown by both fans and commentators. Tonight...for the first time I did.

It is human nature to always look for a hero. Sort of like how as children we would play with action figures, or dress up like super heros for halloween. We crave an idol, perhaps it gives us a sense of security, perhaps it gives us hope, perhaps it simply helps us believe that anything is possible. In this often dark world we live in, we need a Hercules to lift us up.

Unfortunately it seems the human idols of our world are slowly disappearing. Some may think this is a positive, since in this world of the 24 hour news cycle, everyone and everything is exposed. Perhaps. Perhaps it is a plus that people can't hide behind facades anymore and are eventually shown to be what they are, imperfect, flawed, human. But in reality what do we, as a struggling civilization, need the most...to know that Tiger Woods had affairs with numerous woman, or to be able to see him as a sort of super hero of our time. What helps us more? The truth or the hope? It is a hard line to draw.

Tebow is as loved as he is because he still maintains an aura of goodness around him. He is skilled, gracious and morally grounded....or at least that is what it seems for now. I hope he is able to maintain his stellar reputation, I hope more like him are able to rise up.

Humans need a hero. Each time one falls, so does our own sense of possibility and value.

“We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look. ”

- Ronald Reagan

Military vs. Civilian Trails Revisited

Very interesting document put together by Congressional Research Service. Very much clears up the distinctions and rights afforded to defendants in each one.

PDF document found HERE

(Courtesy of Secrecy News, a publication of the Federation of American Scientists, a great resource for intelligence and security news)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Trash Day

WARNING: This post is unpolitical in nature, but heck, it is my blog and I can post whatever I want :o)

There is something very meditative about trash day. Call me crazy; but, for me trash day is Monday and it feels good. The trash men here come very early in the morning, right after I have returned home from my run. If I’m not too busy I like to watch as the different trucks drive by, the disgruntle men jumping off the back and throwing your waste, your burdens over their shoulders to take off somewhere else. It must be stressful being a trash man, dealing with everyone else’s junk.

Sunday night is sort of like a ceremony, a ritual. Separating the recycling, flatting out the boxes, gathering up everything in the house that could even be considered as trash, just to get it out, to start new. Sometimes, if it has been a particularly hard or stressful week, I will put the trash out first thing on Sunday morning, (I’m sure this doesn’t make the neighbors happy) it is just too much to deal with for one more day.

Once it is all out on the curb, out of my house, almost out of my life, I feel at peace. I know that it will be gone it the morning and I can start out the week anew.

Of course I’ll build up more trash as soon as that is picked up. Little slips of paper here and there or even bigger items that just have to go, but at least I know if I can make it through the week…………………

Last night I was thinking about it and I realized that in some of the most difficult times in my life I developed this almost obsessive habit of taking the trash out to the can every night, no matter how empty or full the bag was. It was like I was trying to get rid of something, but at the time I just didn’t know what.

I still do this now. When I am stressed I go through and toss and toss and toss, clean out my closet, throw out files, kick people out of my roladex. It is as if I'm on a frantic search to find what stinks in my life. Something rotten that was brought in and hidden by the dog or fell behind the stove.

I seem to become better at handling trash day as each year passes. Knowing what to throw out and what to keep is the hardest part of the chore. I know I have lost a lot that I now regret and kept a lot that I soon realized was trash.

I guess that is life. Sometimes a weed looks like a flower, sometimes lead looks like gold and sometimes trash looks like treasure.

There is something very meditative about trash day.

The Fallacy of a Higher Minimum Wage

Once when I was young I asked my father why we couldn't just print more money in order to help the poor people. He, being a brave man, attempted to proceed through an explanation of inflation that might be understandable to an eight year old. At that age I could not understand all the in's and out's of the process, but I still understood the basic concept. It is impossible to add something to one part of the economy without seeing effects elsewhere; any economic policy needs to be look at from a 'total picture' viewpoint instead of just as a stand alone subject.

Unfortunately, this quick fix idea is often touted by two types of policy makers:

a) Those who have no concept of consequences of actions (Obama Administration)

b) Those who advocate any policy which leads citizens to greater dependency on government and government programs (Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats).

Just as printing more money seems like a good idea, but doesn't work in real life, raising the minimum wage, as good as it sounds, just doesn’t measure up.

There are a couple of things that occur in the economy when the minimum wage goes up. The first one is the loss of jobs (using history as an example, this is not the way to raise up the working class). Ever Since the Congress mandated the Minimum Wage Commission of the 1980's the consensus average estimate has been that raising the minimum wage by 10% increases unemployment by 2%. This creates a raise to loss ratio of 5 to 1, not too bad until we look a little closer.

Not every worker makes the minimum wage, in fact recent studies have shown that only around 1/5 of the workforce are minimum wage earners. The unemployment effect will, therefore, be concentrated in this group of workers (one fifth of the total workforce), further increasing the loss of jobs in this group.

The truly devastating effect of a minimum wage increase occurs when you consider the ripple effect that it creates. It is not just the loss of a job, it is the loss of opportunity for these newly unemployed individuals that will continue to affect our economy long after the initial effects of the wage increase have subsided.

Minimum wage jobs are often thought of as learning jobs. They allow employers to feel more comfortable giving someone a chance that they might not have otherwise. The loss of total jobs might only be 2% for every 10% increase, but the loss of opportunity for those newly unemployed people is 100%. How will these people gain the skills necessary to make them more valuable employees? Case in point, before the minimum wage was applied to teenagers in 1956 the unemployment rate for black teenagers was the same or lower then that for white teens. After it was put into effect the black teenage unemployment rate skyrocketed. We can only imagine what the future became for those newly unemployed black teens. The same could be assumed to have occurred in the adult population as well.

Those workers that are able to stay employed do not face as bright a future either. They will either have their hours cut (therefore stopping them from earning a greater income), or non-wage benefits slashed. The higher skilled workers who were making close to what the new minimum wage is previously will not be happy either (with good reason since their skills have now been devalued). The whole domino effect falls on top of the employer.

Employers will face a few choices; raise prices, cut employees (thus cutting quality and service) or go out of business. How many small to medium business owners who already run their operations on a shoe string will be forced to close?

In the long run the only people who will truly benefit from this increase are the shameless politicians trying to show the poor voters that they care. If these poor people lose their jobs because of it, they will most likely blame their employer, not their policymaker.

A politicians dream: Appear as if you are helping out the ‘little people’ and then when they lose their job, promise them that if you stay in office you will do something about those greedy politicians and business owners who have ruined their lives.

Washington's First Thanksgiving Proclaimation

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789

Click HERE for a look at the actual document

Congress Establishes Thanksgiving

Gobble, Gobble! Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Interesting link detailing Congress's original establishment of Thanksgiving, complete with pictures of actual documents.

Congress Establishes Thanksgiving

Broder vs. Reid: Round One

Great piece by David Broder, on Obamacare, in the Washington Post yesterday...cut and paste below so you don't have to sign in to the WP to see it

A Budget-buster in the making

By David S. Broder

Sunday, November 22, 2009

It's simply not true that America is ambivalent about everything when it comes to the Obama health plan.

The day after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) gave its qualified blessing to the version of health reform produced by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Quinnipiac University poll of a national cross section of voters reported its latest results.

This poll may not be as famous as some others, but I know the care and professionalism of the people who run it, and one question was particularly interesting to me.

It read: "President Obama has pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our federal budget deficit over the next decade. Do you think that President Obama will be able to keep his promise or do you think that any health care plan that Congress passes and President Obama signs will add to the federal budget deficit?"

The answer: Less than one-fifth of the voters -- 19 percent of the sample -- think he will keep his word. Nine of 10 Republicans and eight of 10 independents said that whatever passes will add to the torrent of red ink. By a margin of four to three, even Democrats agreed this is likely.

That fear contributed directly to the fact that, by a 16-point margin, the majority in this poll said they oppose the legislation moving through Congress.

I have been writing for months that the acid test for this effort lies less in the publicized fight over the public option or the issue of abortion coverage than in the plausibility of its claim to be fiscally responsible.

This is obviously turning out to be the case. While the CBO said that both the House-passed bill and the one Reid has drafted meet Obama's test by being budget-neutral, every expert I have talked to says that the public has it right. These bills, as they stand, are budget-busters.

Here, for example, is what Robert Bixby, the executive director of the Concord Coalition, a bipartisan group of budget watchdogs, told me: "The Senate bill is better than the House version, but there's not much reform in this bill. As of now, it's basically a big entitlement expansion, plus tax increases."

Here's another expert, Maya MacGuineas, the president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: "While this bill does a better job than the House version at reducing the deficit and controlling costs, it still doesn't do enough. Given the political system's aversion to tax increases and spending cuts, I worry about what the final bill will look like."

These are nonpartisan sources, but Republican budget experts such as former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eakin amplify the point with specific examples and biting language. Holtz-Eakin cites a long list of Democratic-sponsored "budget gimmicks" that made it possible for the CBO to estimate that Reid's bill would reduce federal deficits by $130 billion by 2019.

Perhaps the biggest of those maneuvers was Reid's decision to postpone the start of subsidies to help the uninsured buy policies from mid-2013 to January 2014 -- long after taxes and fees levied by the bill would have begun.

Even with that change, there is plenty in the CBO report to suggest that the promised budget savings may not materialize. If you read deep enough, you will find that under the Senate bill, "federal outlays for health care would increase during the 2010-2019 period" -- not decline. The gross increase would be almost $1 trillion -- $848 billion, to be exact, mainly to subsidize the uninsured. The net increase would be $160 billion.

But this depends on two big gambles. Will future Congresses actually impose the assumed $420 billion in cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs? They never have.

And will this Congress enact the excise tax on high-premium insurance policies (the so-called Cadillac plans) in Reid's bill? Obama has never endorsed them, and House Democrats -- reacting to union pressure -- turned them down in favor of a surtax on millionaires' income.

The challenge to Congress -- and to Obama -- remains the same: Make the promised savings real, and don't pass along unfunded programs to our children and grandchildren.

The best part of this article was the reaction by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Broder's article, which was published in the Sunday Post, was available online Saturday, prior to the Senate's Healthcare debate. Reid displayed extreme professionalism and maturity by exclaiming that the Senate shouldn't "focus on a man who has been retired for many years and writes a column once in a while."

Rivaling a teenage girl in his fickleness, according to The Hill, "In 2004, Reid praised Broder as 'a long-time syndicated columnist who is nonpartisan and fair' and last year, he called him a 'moderate columnist.'"

Such 'frienemies'....Paris and Lindsey....Harry and David, I'm virtually waiting for Senator Reid to throw his little sequined clutch at Broder. I have a feeling this wont be the end of this little fight....

Say Thank You to Our Troops

Such a simple, easy way to support our troops, but so important. Way to go Xerox!

Copied from the website:

"The mission of Let's Say Thanks is to provide a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through this site you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women.

The postcards, depicting patriotic scenes and hometown images, were selected from a pool of entries from children across the country."

Go HERE to send your card

Knock, Knock...whose there? Hypocrisy...

Hypocrisy who?

Hypocrisy is ok if it is a tactic used by liberals to get their way....

Just a few great recent articles to give Sunday morning taste of the hypocrisy which has abounded lately, especially in the realm of healthcare...more to come

Calling Dianne DeGette’s bigotry and ignorance out

By Michelle Malkin

Democrat Rep. Dianne DeGette of Colorado is leading the charge to keep abortion funding in the Obamacare/Pelosicare government health care takeover bill.

She is fuming over the exercise of political speech by leaders of faith who oppose government abortion subsidies.

She wants to shut them up: MORE HERE

Who's Legislating Morality Now?

by Andrew Tallman

When I argue that abortion under most circumstances should be illegal, I am charged with trying to legislate morality.

When I say divorce ought to be harder to obtain, not easier, I am accused of trying to legislate morality.

And when I say states should be free to make laws concerning adultery, homosexual behavior, contraception, or premarital sex, I am accused again of trying to legislate morality.

Yet when Barack Obama and the Democrats propose making it a crime to not carry health insurance, no one seems to notice that they are very aggressively trying to legislate morality.

MORE HERE

The Five Flaws of the Reid Health Bill

Great synopsis from The Heritage Foundation: The Five Flaws of the Reid Health Bill

ZoNation: What Conservatives Are For

This is great!!!!

ZoNation: What Conservatives Are For

Policy Fashioned to Fit Rhetoric

The newest member in the on-going debate on the Obama administration's decision to bring Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (along with three other terrorists) to New York to stand trial in a civilian court is former Attorney General Michael Mukasey. Muskasey who served as the judge in the trial stemming from the first attack on the World Trade Center, spoke out against the current Administration's decision while speaking at the Federalist Society's National Lawyers Convention on Friday.

He described the move, as “a decision I consider not only unwise, but based on a refusal to face the fact that what we are involved with here is a war with people who follow a religiously-based ideology that calls on them to kill us, and to return instead to the mindset that prevailed before Sept. 11 that acts like the first World Trade Center bombing, the attacks on our embassies in Africa and other such acts can and should be treated as conventional crimes and tried in conventional courts.”

He went on to tactfully and factually decry many of the Obama Administration's decisions which have "seemed in many instances to be a system in which policy is fashioned to fit and proceed rhetoric rather than being thought out in advance with arguments then formulated in support of it.”

Bam Pow.....that would hurt, however I'm not sure the Obama Administration is able to understand the meaning of that statement, after all, Muskasey has this pesky habit of speaking in complete sentences vs. easily quotable sound bites.

The American Spectator gives a complete, must read over-view of Muskasey's complete speech HERE

It really is amazing comparing Muskasey to current Attorney General Eric Holder, not only in rhetoric, but in foresight, depth of understanding and overall breadth of knowledge and consequences of actions. Amazing and frightening.

Sarah Palin and the Blame Game

Sarah Palin’s new book, "Going Rogue", is the former vice-presidential candidate’s latest, and probably most disgusting, publicity stunt to date. Perhaps Palin believes that by playing the ‘junior high cattiness’ card the American voter will manage to completely overlook her lack of substantial policy knowledge, or for that matter, lack of lucent understanding of current events.

The “Sarah Palin” idolism, that took hold in the Republican party upon her selection for Vice-Presidential candidate, still ceases to make logical sense to me. Even more, it makes me fear for the future of the Republican party. Continued adoration (and...gulp..possible election) of candidates like Palin, would be a shameful move for a party that is already struggling with trying to find a solid identity.

This latest Palin media blitz has proved her to be even more ignorant, immature and unprofessional than, even I, previously thought. Now, of course, I have not read the book, but read enough experts to be sufficiently nauseated. This book could have been an opportunity for Palin to prove the supposed media slander wrong. A book allows a candidate to detail their insights, motivations and policy ideas in an uninterrupted forum.

Instead, Palin used her book to prove her doubters and enemies correct. “Going Rough” has no great insights, no commentaries on important national dilemmas or moral imperatives. No, it is full of accusations and blame for pretty much everyone but herself.

Much of her ire is directed at McCain campaign aids, such as Nicolle Wallace and Steve Schmidt. Wallace is at fault for the ill fated Katie Couric interview and the decision to purchase expensive clothing. Schmidt is blamed for pretty much everything else. She goes as far as attacking Schmidt’s ‘rotund physique’, in light of him giving her nutrition advice.

.....um....what? This is what you include in a book? I feel like this type of information is better suited to be written in a note, that you scrawl on notebook paper, fold up in some unique way and pass to your BFF during study hall.

I won’t detail the many, many, many accusations slung at the McCain campaign, since a simple google search will play them out if the reader is interested.

Palin is a sad representation of a female policy maker, she is a sad representation of a conservative leader, and overall a sad representation of the image she tries to portray. If Palin wants to be a leader, she needs to stop blaming others, own up to her own faults and maybe spend less time gossiping and more time trying to improve her knowledge base and grasp on national and international affairs.

Can you tell me how to get........

Argghh...well I wrote a nice long blog update post last night and submitted it just around the time my internet went out due to little Miss Hurricane Ida....so here we go again. I'm back from officer training, but unfortunately not under the best circumstance. Ends up the medical problems which prevented the Air Force from putting me on active duty for many months, did prove to be a problem and I was released after two weeks and am in the process of receiving an honorable discharge. Needless to say, I'm disappointed, but I'm a true believer that everything happens for a reason, and I'm sure this has as well.

So, time to dust this thing off...I must apologize for being so completely absent for the past few weeks, and promise to not let it happen again. There are so many things happening in the world right now, my mind is just spinning with rants and raves to entertain and inform with, however...this first blog post will be focused on one of the most significant events of the week....the 40th Birthday of Sesame Street, which was yesterday, Nov. 10th.

I'm sure many of us have found memories of good times up with our friends Kermit, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie and even Cookie Monster. These characters taught me many things that have shaped my life into what it is today. Through Sesame Street I learned my first Spanish (now fluent), gained a fine appreciation for the color green (green's the color of spring, and green can be cool and friendly-like, and green can be big like a mountain, or important like a river, or tall like a tree), and memorized many, many catchy lyrics that I undoubtedly tortured my poor parents with by singing constantly around the house.

Here are a few fun facts about Sesame Street (courtesy Jane Boursaw of AOL Television Online)

The Show:

When creator Jim Henson died in 1990, the show stopped producing new sketches featuring Kermit the Frog. He only appeared in reruns of old sketches until 1998, when he popped up to do a Sesame Street News Flash when Oscar the Grouch's pet worm Slimy went into space. He appeared again in 2001, reporting on a hurricane with Al Roker.

'Sesame Street' has won more than 100 Emmy Awards, more than any other television show in the United States.

Some Muppets were canned over the years for interesting reasons: Don Music, the pianist who banged his head against the piano in frustration, was dropped after kids at home started doing the same thing. Harvey Kneeslapper was cut loose because his signature laugh was too much of a strain on Frank Oz's vocal chords. Roosevelt Franklin was considered to be a negative cultural stereotype (he was the only African American Muppet at the time and was seen mostly in detention after school). Professor Hastings, a teacher whose lectures were so dull that even he fell asleep, was discontinued because ... he was too dull.

'Sesame Street' was originally designed for inner-city kids to help them learn English.

Big Bird:

Big Bird is 8'2" tall.

He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994.

Big Bird's teddy bear is named "Radar" after the character from 'MASH' who always slept with a teddy bear.

He's generally referred to as a canary, but reports as to his lineage vary. While visiting 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,' he told King Friday XIII, "Actually, I'm a golden condor." During an appearance on 'Hollywood Squares,' he told Peter Marshall that he was a lark, and he's also been referred to as part homing pigeon.

Big Bird almost never got Mr. Hooper's last name right, often calling him Mr. Looper or other rhyming words like "scooper" and "pooper" (thus endearing himself to four-year-olds everywhere).

According to the book 'Sesame Street Unpaved,' Big Bird's nest contains a bubble gum dispenser, a clock with no hands, a feather duster, a football helmet, a golf bag with one club, a hurricane lamp, a megaphone, a picture of Mr. Hooper, a Roman bust, a tricycle wheel, a watering can, an old record player, an umbrella, a mailbox, and a pair of snowshoes. Other objects not listed in the book include a small wooden alphabet sign, a jack-and-balls game, a picture of his cousin Abelardo, and a pull-string lamp.

Big Bird's bookshelf contains 'March of Democracy,' 'Preface to Philosophy,' 'Principles of Chemistry,' and 'Shattered Lamp.'

Other Characters:

In 2004, Cookie Monster revealed that before trying cookies for the first time, his name was Sid.

The shoe size of Snuffy Snuffleupagus is 65 GGG.

Some old Bert and Ernie skits showed Ernie having his own bedroom instead of sharing a bedroom with Bert. (Yes, there was that whole "are they gay?" movement there for a while.)

Ernie wears horizontal stripes on his sweater to make him appear more relaxed; Bert wears vertical stripes on his sweater to make him appear more uptight.

The Neighborhood:

The left-side door in the front of 123 Sesame Street has never been opened. Big Bird once tried to get Snuffy into the building; when it turned out that Snuffy couldn't fit through just one door, Big Bird explained that the other door was "locked."

To answer that immortal question, here's how to get to Sesame Street: Take the "R" or "V" train to Steinway Street. Stay on back of train. Walk west on 34th Avenue, three blocks to 36th Street. Turn left on 36th Street. The entrance to Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens is mid-block (between 34th & 35th Avenues).

With or Without You

One last post as I head to the airport....interesting commentary by U2 lead singer, Bono, in today's NY Times...

I don't have time to comment, but would be very interested in readers impressions and thoughts about it.

I will say, I do in particular like the last paragraph...perhaps not in the same way Bono said it, but salient all the same

Read it HERE

Off I go....into the Wild, Blue Yonder......

Well...lots of updates on my side of the fence. Tomorrow I will be leaving for Air Force Officer Training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. I will be there for five weeks and then be attending Intelligence School at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, TX.

It has been a bit of a long road between me and the AF, those close to me know the gory and frustrating details, however, I am excited about this new adventure and the experiences it will bring. It should also allow me to bring an interesting new perspective to this blog, especially in the areas of national defense, security and intelligence.

Any updates in the next month will most likely be on a more personal level about my experiences at officer training. I can pretty much guarantee these will be humorous! So stay tuned!

Before I wander off, I wanted to include a few commentary pieces which I particularly liked this week:

This piece from Charles Krauthammer (who is consistently one of my favorite columnists) is excellent and a must read!

I also very much appreciated this column from Ann Coulter (who you probably won't see me linking to much since I often find her extremism tactics off-putting and more in the 'rant' category, than the 'informative' category)

I am avoiding discussing the Rush Limbaugh/NFL issue too much, since frankly, when I start to think about the whole ordeal I find myself slipping into fits of convulsions due to the complete hypocrisy, reverse discrimination and absolute....ok, I have to stop....all I will say is if you really want to become furious about the issue google 'Juan Williams supports Rush Limbaugh' (Mr. Williams is one of my favorite liberals!). Also, this piece, from Sister Toldjah, gives a good recap of everything.

And finally, the girl (and romantic) in me, had to include this piece about love on Capital Hill

:o)

2nd Lt. Petrolino....signing off! Stand by for updates!

Obama wins the Heisman Trophy

I received this as a forward from a friend....not sure who to credit it to, but it is priceless....just had to share!

Obama wins the Heisman Trophy after watching a college football game today!!!

Obama has been awarded the Heisman Trophy after watching a college football game! His name was submitted for the award by George Soros just moments before Obama actually watched part of a football-game on television aboard Air Force One. Obama learned about the Heisman award while travelling to accept an Academy Award for his appearances in post-election campaign ads. Obama said: "I will accept the Heisman trophy in the name of all the minority players who are being denied the opportunity to play college football simply because of their grades, lack of ability, or incarceration ."

The White House also announced today that Obama has reluctantly been persuaded by his staff and the ACLU to present himself with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the outstanding deeds he hopes to accomplish sometime in the future. A decision on his Congressional Medal of Honor has been temporarily sidetracked because of minor technical issues concerning eligibility.

In the meantime, the President's decisions on the economy, health-care, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been delayed indefinitely due to the president's busy schedule of public appearances. When asked what involvement he will have in the healthcare-bill named in his honor, Obama replied: I will probably vote "Present".

Poor Ole Columbus

Read over another one of John Feehrey's great blogs, "Debate Rages in the White House", and it inspired me to search to see just how many 'Columbus Day' protests, were held yesterday. So I went about doing intensive research (google :o)) to gain some statistical evidence (counting) about the prevalence of Columbus Day protests.

Unsuprisingly, the first city that came up on the protest meter, was Eugene, Oregon...home of University of Oregon. Having lived in Portland for several years, I can attest to the fact that the Oregonians LOVE their protests. Half the time, I'm pretty sure, a good half to three fourths of the protesters waving their signs and yelling at passerby's, have absolutely ZERO idea about what they are out there for.

However, you have to give them credit for their limitless passion. It takes alot of commitment to go out in the grey skies and constant Oregon drizzle, day after day, to stand around for hours protesting random things. These people are dedicated to the art of protest, it is like the official 'sport' of Oregon.

So, University of Oregon students had a Columbus Day Protest, which you can read about HERE

One of the great things about America is that we have freedom of speech to protest things like Columbus, labor rights or even florescent light bulbs (because I'm sure that they offend somebody, somewhere). However, I am somewhat bothered (or shall I say irritated) by inefficiency and protests that really are doing nothing but furthering 'victim' mentality among minorities and other groups who feel that they deserve special rights because they were 'oppressed by the white man' gazillions of years ago. I just have an inability to see the helpfulness of this (the actions or the mentality).

In today's world, 'special rights', only go to further any racism that still exists. Any person or group who advocates for minority privilege is, in my mind, refusing to take responsibility for their own lives and 'pursuit of happiness'.

Way to Go Senator Dianne Feinstein!!!!

Very impressed with the democratic Senator's ability to rise above partisan politics and 'Obama-worship', to support our troops and the recommendations of the Generals on the ground in Afghanistan.

Feinstein told George Stephanopoulos yesterday:

“I don’t know how you put somebody in, who is as 'cracker jack' as General McChrystal who gives the president very solid recommendations and not take those recommendations if you are not going to pull out,”

She continued, “If you do not want to take the recommendations then you put your people in such jeopardy.”

See the full discussion HERE

The Real 'Socioeconomic Gap' in Healthcare: Part Two

Green Space Solutions! Finally! Sorry, for the delay...lots of exciting things going on in life...soon to be updated here, since they most likely will affect some of the content of this blog...in a very good way!

So, as pointed out in Part One of this series, when comparing people of similar socioeconomic status, numerous studies have show that those who live in or have access to green space are in better health, have longer life expectancy and are socially, emotionally and physically healthier, than their concrete bound peers. The question then becomes, how do we improve access to green space to lower socioeconomic classes. A valid assumption can be made that a large percentage of lower income citizens are located in urban or developed suburban environments (of course, this is not true for all, but can be used as a foundation to work upon, especially when considering populations of big cities.)

This being the case we have two basic ways to expose these people to more green space

-Bring the green space to them.

-Bring them to the green space.

So lets start with what we already have. Being the fiscal conservative that I am, I say...hey, we have all of these wonderful national parks, trails, lakes, rivers, etc., etc., etc, that in many places are under utilized...how can we make it easier for urbanites to enjoy them?

Enter an innovative program starting up operations in California, called ‘Transit to Trails’. Transit to Trails takes inner city youth and their families to mountain, beach, and Los Angeles River trips. The project not only helps them get out of the city and enjoy the natural atmosphere around them, it also provides educational information about the water, land, wildlife, and cultural history of the area. Some trips even take a one-two punch and help teach the kids about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating for life-long health.

Many of these children live less than an hour from these natural green spaces, but have never been there. They either have working parents that have no time to take them or funds to send them, lack access to cars, or simply do not know enough about the areas to plan trips. Transit to Trails is a multi-agency effort and utilizes the public transportation system.

Although, it is wonderful to utilize the green spaces we already have, it is also helpful for these citizens to be able to enjoy the green spaces on a daily basis. Enter ‘urban renewal’. Sure there are already many city parks (thanks to the New Deal), but study after study have shown in the areas where green space exposure is needed the most, people avoid these parks out of fear. Crime prevention solutions are above my level of expertise, however, effort undoubtedly needs to be put into brainstorming solutions.

Another, urban green space project that is gaining popularity, and one of my personal favorites, is the ‘community garden’. Lots of information about community gardens from American Community Garden Association.

A few examples of cities that have instituted great community gardening programs:

-Los Angeles

-New York

And just to further encourage my point, HERE is an article that specifically addresses health benefits of community gardens!

Of course there are many more options for bringing more green space into citizen's lives, these are just a few programs, which I know about and love. I would love to hear from readers, who know of other measures cities have taken to encourage exploration and development of urban green space. The benefits of all these programs are enormous on a social, mental, physical and environmental level.

The Real 'Socioeconomic Gap' in Healthcare: Part One

Many activists blindly blame ‘socioeconomic’ factors, as the main cause in the healthcare difference between rich and poor. They talk alot about closing the ‘gap’ between different economic levels, but spend far too little time actually thinking about what factors are involved in creating this gap.

Yes, it is undeniable that there is a positive correlation between income levels and health status (this is true for most conditions, not all, which is an important factor to remember as well), but holding money in your hand is not just a ticket to good health. It is the environments and living situations that differ between socioeconomic status levels that cause the health disparities, not the money itself.

So what if we focused on those environmental differences and tried to change those first? That would truly be ‘preventative’ medicine. The term ‘preventative medicine’ is thrown around like a healthcare messiah, but sadly, often translates into ‘pre-screening’ tests. Random testing does not define preventative medicine at all, but rather answers the Jeopardy question “How do you waste the most money in the least amount of time?”.......

Preventative medicine at its core involves enabling lifestyle changes which foster good health. So what would those lifestyle changes include? How about access to quality foods. It is horrendous that we live in a nation where junk food costs less than fruits and veggies. Fruit and vegetable people, honestly, you plant them in the ground, they grown, you pick them...but sadly, it is true, it is expensive to eat well.

According to a study done by the University of Washington, researchers found when they compared the prices of 370 foods sold at supermarkets, junk foods not only cost less than fruits and vegetables, but prices were also less likely to rise as a result of inflation.

Upon reporting the results of the study, lead author Adam Drewnowski remarked:

“If you have $3 to feed yourself, your choices gravitate toward foods which give you the most calories per dollar. Not only are the empty calories cheaper, but the healthy foods are becoming more and more expensive. Vegetables and fruits are rapidly becoming luxury goods.”

Now that is a tragedy for healthcare that needs to be fixed, not the fact that poor people don’t have insurance.

Another recent study on mortality rates in the UK revealed that low-income families living in green areas were almost as healthy as their affluent neighbors. University of Glasgow researcher Richard Mitchell commented; "We found that the health gap between the rich and poor is much lower in areas with the greenest environments."

Mitchell and his team compared the health and well-being of people across a range of incomes to the amount of green space in their area. They found people of lower socioeconomic levels who lived in green areas were less likely to die than those in more industrialized areas. Specifically, lower income people in green areas had a reduced rate of heart disease than those of the same income level living in more developed suburbs.

Mitchell concluded, "The implications of this study are clear: environments that promote good health might be crucial in the fight to reduce health inequalities".

So we have two key factors isolated here:

-Access to affordable, nutritious food

-Access to green space

Some innovative cities are already working to help narrow this environmental gap. More on the proposed solutions in part dos.....

Super Majorities with Bummer Priorities

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.

-Ronald Reagan

One of my favorite movies is ‘Dave’ with Kevin Kline. This movie is fabulously refreshing, not just because Kline is a goofy, comic, lovable hero, or because it has a feel good theme that leaves you with a sense of cheesy euphoria at the end. This movie is great because in its Hollywood way, it succinctly details one of the sad truths about Washington. All too often, while our elected officials are busy tearing each other down, campaigning for their next election and secretly hiding funding for a full service spa for chickens in defense bills (gotta keep their farming constituents happy after all), the real policy making is lost in the shuffle.

Let’s take a look at the many amazing accomplishments of the President’s current super majority in Congress. I would list them all, but.....um...other than a fairly un-stimulating economic stimulus bill, there is just not much to list. The thing about a ‘super majority’ is that it is ‘super’ for a reason (otherwise they would call it a ‘bummer majority’, which really doesn’t have the same ring to it). The tremendous voting power of their majority status should allow them to easily further their legislative priorities. Unfortunately between the in-fighting, political name calling and other acts of completely lunacy (please see my previous post for some great examples of aforementioned ‘lunacy’) not much is being accomplished.

Not that our democratic friends are the only ones to unproductively wither away their majority status. Republicans have had the same problem, and too often ‘super’ majorities waste their time with ‘bummer’ priorities.

The movie Dave, points out the way simple solutions often are overlooked, as politicians become wrapped up in the details of politics. This is common in many bureaucracies, and too often, the goal is forgotten along the way. Of course law making is a difficult process, but by prostituting themselves out to whatever interest group or constituency promises to bring them the most political capital at the moment, our elected officials are forced to add so many different ingredients to the batter the cake is unable rise.

Extremists and Schizophrenics and Big Bird...Oh My!

Tomorrow, I promise to have an actual position piece, concerning the research which has show having more green spaces in urban environments closes the health gap between those of upper and lower socioeconomic statuses...today, however I would like to give a big shout out to the many loons that seem to be coming out of the wood work at rapid speed.

Those who know me, will know I'm not a fan of extremists, on either side of the political spectrum, and I will be the first to call them out. Extremists in my mind do a grave disservice to our democracy and just waste time. They play on the fears of ignorant people, bombarded with so many mixed messages, it is easier for them to cling to the words of passionate zealots. It is frightening, cult-like, but American. As irritating as they are, the fact that Americans have the freedom of speech to let these crazies show their stripes is better than any other option.

So first I would like to start with Fox News's zealot du jour....Glenn Beck and Senator Lindsey Graham's wonderfully refreshing commentary on him. The best article on this was posted in the (gasp) Huffington Post (and you know it has to be good when I reference the Huffington Post...I'm actually rather ashamed I logged onto their website). Senator Graham nicely discusses the problems with extremists, like Mr. Beck, and echos my thoughts on them exactly.

Next is this nice little explosion from Rep. Grayson of Florida....

And finally....we can end the day with a little clip from Sesame Street....as we see, Big Bird must be spending his downtime watching Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity.....I long for the days of Kermit, a true Reagan Republican!

Cha-Cha-Cha Chia Obama

Yes, there are alot of very scary, very serious things going on in our world right now:

-The situation in Afghanistan.

-Our President's complete lack of concern for the safety of our troops or the fact that 'Victory' is important

-A healthcare bill that has been read by virtually no one and seems to only serve to increase our national debt, up our tax burden, lower the quality of our care and.......

..........but I digress.....although there are many important things going on in the world right now...I feel I must let you all know about an important development in the history of Chia pets...Yes, my dear friends, The Chia Obama!

Watch the commercial here

Some of you might have fond memories of the brief showing of the Chia Obama a few months ago in Walgreens. Sadly, the store yanked this piece of Americana, out of fear that customers would think it was racist.

Luckily for the American people, CVS has saved the day and is re-introducing the Chia Obama in selected markets this week. You can also order the President here

U.N. Summit: Part Two

An interesting end to the week for the UN summit. Starting with Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday, who showed himself to be one of the few voices of reason and action in a week full of polyester threats and bedazzled treaties. He began by pointing out that allowing Iranian “President” Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak the previous night amounted to a "disgrace of the U.N. charter."

Netanyahu’s outrage was spurred by Ahmadinejad’s comments, the previous week, proclaiming that the Jew’s “created the story of Holocaust...” and “then made hundreds of films and wrote hundreds of books to argue they have suffered and need a home.... This is a myth, and Zionists are criminals."

Mr. Netanyahu continued about Mr. Ahmadinejad, "Perhaps some of you think this man and his odious regime only threaten the Jews. Well, if you think that, you are wrong, dead wrong. What starts as attacks on Jews always ends up engulfing others."

Thank you Prime Minister! I’m glad someone has some concept of what the word ‘precedent’ means. How quickly the world forgets the ability of a few (or even one) crazy leaders, whose powers are left unhindered, who are given countless ‘warnings’ and “sanctions’ that are never followed through, to accomplish devastating feats.

He concluded his remarks by citing Winston Churchill,

“Over seventy years ago, Winston Churchill lamented what he called the “confirmed unteachability of mankind,” the unfortunate habit of civilized societies to sleep until danger nearly overtakes them. Churchill bemoaned what he called the “want of foresight, the unwillingness to act when action will be simple and effective, the lack of clear thinking, the confusion of counsel until emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong.”

I speak here today in the hope that Churchill’s assessment of the “unteachability of mankind” is for once proven wrong. and his warnings about mounting threats in the run-up to World War II. The question facing the international community is whether it is prepared to confront these forces or just accommodate them,"

(for a great read about the background history of this Churchill speech, read this insightful commentary by Rick Richman:

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/richman/104831 )

And that is the main question isn’t it? Sadly so far, we have pathetically answered that question. For years the world has given Iran warning after warning, all of which have proven to be empty and baseless. Diplomacy has come to be defined as words with no actions behind them- and now we wonder why Ahmandinejad prances around unhindered, unapologetic and flatout dismissive of any further threats and sanctions proposed for his country.

On Friday, President Obama, Prime Minister Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy threatened tough new sanctions against Iran after they publicly revealed that Tehran was building a second nuclear enrichment plant. According to US intelligence, the plant’s size and structure is consistent with enriching fuel to make nuclear weapons.

Threatening is nice, but really rather pointless. This is an opportunity for the United States and the world body to turn the tide in international relations. If we hope for the United Nations to ever have any type of worth, words need to be followed through on with actions.

So far in his Presidency, Obama has seemed more concerned with being ‘liked’ by insane world leaders (Chavez, Ahmandinejad, Qaddafi) than protecting the security and freedoms of the United States, its allies and suppressed peoples around the world. His words and actions, in response to Iran’s latest defiance, will have unmeasurable repercussions.

U.N. Summit: Part One

The United Nations Summit, taking place in New York this week, has done a wonderful job reinforcing a few overwhelming and slightly nerve racking truths about the condition of our Nation and World.  

It goes without saying, the United Nations has successfully reaffirmed the fact that it is a comically inept organization. The whole week has played like a reality T.V. show for world leaders. We have successfully given several narcissistic, corrupt and flat out dangerous rulers the opportunity to have the attention of the world. 

Secondly, it has given Obama the opportunity to, once again, display his extreme sense of self-righteousness, ignorance on international affairs and most obvious continuing disgust and embarrassment about the country he represents. 

“I have been in office for just nine months, though some days it seems a lot longer.” Obama began his apology on Wednesday, “I am well aware of the expectations that accompany my presidency around the world”. 

What expectations are those President Obama? Are they the expectations that we are going to negotiate with terrorists? Are they expectations that we are so afraid to offend corrupt dictators we will refuse to speak out in support of citizens uprising in the name of freedom, such as in the Iranian elections? Are they expectations that when given a choice between the rights of our intelligence agencies to collect crucial national security information and the rights of terrorists, we will side with the terrorists?

Later, before discussing his actions on closing down Guantanamo and pulling out of Iraq, he stated,

“For those who question the character and cause of my nation, I ask you to look at the concrete actions we have taken in just nine months.”

I don’t think I need to add my commentary for the reader to see the unbelievable self-righteousness and misunderstanding of the essence of what a democracy stands for displayed in that statement. 

And then he continued with his never-ending apologies for the fact that America has time and time again worked tirelessly to improve the safety and right to freedom of countries around the world. 

“I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust,” Obama told the assembly. “A part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies and a belief on, on certain critical issues, America had acted unilaterally without regard for the interests of others.”

Yes, it is terrible. Horrendous that our nation has continued to help countless countries and people whose lives and liberties are at risk. Shameful that the United States has put our soldiers and dollars on the line to improve the lives and security of many often ungrateful nations. How could we?

More importantly, how could a man who is suppose to be a representative of our country so gravely misunderstand the nature and mission of our international policy? 

For full text of Obama's Speech: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/us/politics/24prexy.text.html

...to be continued