Saw this meme over at Og’s place.  As he isn’t selecting anyone to “send” it to, thought I would “appropriate it”, and post it here.  Feel free to cut and paste the darn thing and use it yourself.

The ones in bold are those which I have done/experienced.  To be sure, there are events not on this list which have “rounded out” my life.  YMMV.

1. Started your own blog *
2. Slept under the stars *
3. Played in a band *
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower *
6. Given more than you can afford to charity *
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis *
10. Sang a solo *
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea(from land) *
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch *
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables *
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight *
22. Hitch hiked *
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill *
24. Built a snow fort *
25. Held a lamb *
26. Gone skinny dipping *
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset *
31. Hit a home run *
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing *
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant *
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight *
46. Been transported in an ambulance *
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling *
52. Kissed in the rain *
53. Played in the mud *
54. Gone to a drive-in theater *
55. Been in a movie *
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business *
58. Taken a martial arts class *
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma *
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check *
68. Flown in a helicopter *
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy *
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar *
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the EvergladesWrestled a gator, too.
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle *
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car *
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper *
85. Read the entire Bible *
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating *
88. Had chickenpox *
89. Saved someone’s life *
90. Sat on a jury *
91. Met someone famous *
92. Joined a book club *
93. Lost a loved one *
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person *
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone *
99. Been stung by a bee *
100. Read an entire book in one day *

[UPDATE: Went through the list and added my own as marked by * -M]

Via email, from a reliable source:

Did you know:
In 2006 there were 7.6 million motor vehicles sold in the United States. Of those, 5.5 million—including Ford, Chrysler and GM—were imported under NAFTA regulations. What that means is that only 2.1 million of the vehicles that were purchased by US consumers were actually built in the United States by US labor. And, about 75% of those domestic cars and trucks were actually Japanese or Korean branded vehicles: Toyota, Honda and Hyundai.
So here’s the $25 billion question. Why in the world should the US taxpayers bail out Detroit? There are virtually no jobs at stake because there are virtually no Ford, Chrysler or GM passenger cars or trucks made in the United States. If the Big-3 need a quick fix from government, they need to ask Beijing, Ottawa, Mexico City, Buenos Aires or Brasilia.
If GM wants a $25 billion bailout, here’s the price: close down all manufacturing plants in China, Mexico, and Brazil and return those jobs to the United States. The same goes for Ford and Chrysler. Jobs for money. It sounds like a good idea to me.

Sounds like a damn good idea to me, too.  There’s change you can believe in.

Let’s see the Big Three stand up to the UAW and tell them that the days of making $35-40 an hour for standing in one spot and turning one screw all day are over.  Let’s hear the Big Three announce to all that it’s now a $12 per hour job, and see who wants it.  My guess is that someone will want that job.  Do that throughout the union-controlled plants, and guess what, the cost of automobiles goes down, and American buyers start buying American products again.

The whole idea of a “bailout” for American automakers is nothing more than a ploy to keep the Union vote, at the expense of everyone else.  Screw that.  Let the automakers do what businessmen in every other field have had to do.

Find a way to become competitive, or die.  And you can’t be competitive by paying unskilled labor at management-level pay rates.

Back around 1975 things were different.  You had men and women serving side by side in our little world of the Navy (intermediate level maintenance in aviation avionics) not a perfect world, but one that for the most part worked.  We were men and women working together and though there were hiccups from time to time, for the most part we were Sailors first while on duty or at work, the job took priority to gender issues.

Most of the females took personal pride (at least the ones I knew) at being accepted as Sailors and as part of our “team”.  They did their job(s) as well as any man (oft times better then most). and on the off hours partied just as hard.  To be sure situations did crop up from time to time which required someone “older and wiser” then our mostly 20 something group, to figure out or resolve.  But we were expected to handle things at the lowest level possible.  And we were fortunate enough to have some senior enlisted folks with their stuff in one sock. (Plus the Division Officer was a Warrant Officer, vice a junior officer who may still be wet behind the ears.)

Sadly, only a few short years later, we fell pray to (and would continue being exposed to time and again through out the remainder of my Navy career) that odious beast which the great Bill Whittle renders asunder here.

The Sexual Harassment Lecture.  Or more importantly, as it should be titled,  “The Relinquishing Of Adult Responsibility(s) & Consequence(s) For The Betterment Of All Humankind” ™  (or if you must, TROARCFTBOAH).

“It is not the intent of the alleged harasser, but the impact on the recipient.

It doesn’t matter if you meant to hurt someone. As long as someone was hurt, then harassment took place.  …  “

Lord almighty, I can’t remember the number of times that bit of patented bs was flung at us.   And each time it happened a little more of ones self … died.  Please, if you haven’t done so already, go back and read the whole thing, especially the last two paragraphs.

Yeah, I remember those “Mandatory Training Sessions”.  I also seem to recall starting with the first one (It could be argued it goes back even further to the days of the infamous “Z Grams”.) that is when we stopped being a Navy of Sailors  and “evolved” into a group of men and women at sea (and ashore) who happen to be in the Navy.  I liked it better when we were just Sailors, and by extension, expected to be accountable for our actions as the adults we were supposed to be.

Update:  Fixed broken link, should work fine now, go read!!

What, you say?  Dictatorship?  Can’t happen in America, right?

So we thought.

Congressman Paul Broun of Georgia thinks differently.

A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

“It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he’s the one who proposed this national security force,” Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. “I’m just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism.”

You see, Obama wants to form a national police force, to take the burden of home defense off the military.  This force would be funded by reducing funding for the military.

“That’s exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it’s exactly what the Soviet Union did,” Broun said. “When he’s proposing to have a national security force that’s answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he’s showing me signs of being Marxist.”

Obama’s comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado about building a new civil service corps. Among other things, he called for expanding the nation’s foreign service and doubling the size of the Peace Corps “to renew our diplomacy.”

And of course, we all already know about Obama’s anti-gun history.  Now that he’ll be in the Oval Office with a Demonrat-controlled House and Senate, the stage is set for the anti-gun agenda to come out.

Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force.

Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors “common sense” gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he’ll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.

“We can’t be lulled into complacency,” Broun said. “You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I’m not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I’m saying is there is the potential.”

We live in dangerous times.  Those of us who served in the military swore an oath to defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic.  Our nation may be facing the largest domestic enemy it’s ever had.

And it was a long time coming.

Twenty years, to be exact.

I have cleared my last airplane to land.  I have issued my final vector.  I worked my final shift as an air traffic controller yesterday, and entered the ranks of the retired.

My last tower shift was Friday evening, and my last official action in the tower was to clear a JetLink (contractor for Continental) flight to land.  Once they touched down, I issued runway-exit instructions, and told them “fellows, just thought you might like to know…I’m retiring, and you were the last aircraft I’ll ever clear to land”.  They congratulated me on the air and asked if I had time to come down to the aircraft to meet them.  I did, and when I got there both the captain and first officer presented me with their logbooks, asking me to make an entry in them.

Saturday dawned bright and clear for my final shift in Approach Control.  Clear-sky Saturdays are always busy around here, and this particular Saturday was also marked by the LSU-Alabama game in Baton Rouge.  College football is king around these parts, and when LSU has a home game, we typically have anywhere from 50-85 flights depart for Baton Rouge within a ninety minute window, and this Saturday was no exception.  We’re short-staffed to the point we always work on Saturdays with all sectors combined, so it was a busy day on radar.

My last hour on position was busy enough that when my relief came in, it took me five minutes to get caught up enough to give a hurried relief briefing to a controller with about, oh, nineteen years less experience than I have.

And then I was done.  Administrative out-processing, turned in my credentials and headset and out the door.  Still have a bit of paperwork to do on Monday, but it’s official.  I’m retired.

Well, sort of.  I’m too young (and too materialistic) to not keep working.  And I do have some plans.  But those are for a future date.

For now, it’s back to packing as we get ready to move back to Texas, and the next stage in our lives.

More to follow…

As my first entry was more or less an introduction as to who I am (or rather, who I used to be) I felt it only right and proper to provide a legitimate commentary as well.

I guess one should feel somewhat charitable toward the new office holder, especially when his winning of the largest political brass ring only came about this morning.  And so to start this bit of oratory, I , the Col. , wish President-elect Obama well … and may he be able to quickly melt said brass ring as soon as possible, turning it into a very large set of brass balls.  Heaven knows with all that he has promised, and with how the enemies of this great nation view him,  he is going to need them!

This bit of prose should be quite interesting as I am fresh from the other side of the vale, so perhaps my “enlightened viewpoint” may be of some worth.  Shall we take a look into the crystal ball?

1.  Okay, I am fudging on this one a bit.  After all our Vice President-in-waiting, Joesph Biden, has probably let this cat out of the bag already.

“Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking,” … “Remember I said it standing here. if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. And he’s gonna have to make some really tough — I don’t know what the decision’s gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it’s gonna happen,”

My guess is, the good Senator Biden was really doing one of two things:

A) He was being that “master of foreign policy” that he is well known to be, and in so many words “throwing down the diplomatic gauntlet”.  In reality (I never expected to be using the word “reality” in the same sentence with the words  “Senator Biden“, but there is always a first time, even for this ol shade.) challenging our advisaries to do their damnedest against that shinning knight of hope and change President-elect Obama.  Surely Biden knows more then most the true mettle of the man or he would not have been so cavalier.

OR

B) Mr. Biden, in fact, has some information which he is not at liberty to share with (the rest of) us.  Of some skulduggery waiting to be foisted on our newly minted Commander-in-Chief.   And need I remind you all President-elect Obama has no military training/experience what so ever.  John F Kennedy served his country with distinction in World War II, and he struggled mightily with the Communist horde.  Even that craven coward of a man Jimmy Carter, had not only  military schooling (the best the country offered) and a chance to learn under the best of them, in the Navy (for what very little good it did him or the country).  Obama has nothing, and our enemies (and fair weather friends abroad) know it.

But as much as it pains me to do so (And hope to never do so again!) I have to agree with Senator Biden on this one.  Obama will be tested … if not in the first 60 days in office, positively before his first year is out.

2.  The price of oil will never see 3 dollars a gallon again.  (How do you Americans put up with this?  Back when I was driving if it was above 15 cents a gallon … there would have been a blistering editorial in a certain Chicago daily you could have bet on that!!)  Harrumph… As I was saying,  you all will never pay 3 dollars a gallon at the pumps.  Because we will have either destroyed most of the middle east or will be hostage to the same part of the world which provides the crude.  If you are lucky you might see it fall below 5 dollars a gallon !!

3.  Marijuana will become legal.  This will be “by degrees”.  First stage will be medicinal use only, followed by out and out you can grow your own with no penalty as “the masses” realize the government pills are not “potent” enough.   The final stage will be the allowing for existing tobacco companies to produce it and the government to tax same at all levels.   Sadly, this will become the “opiate of the masses”.

It would appear my crystal ball is fogging up.  Or perhaps it is over heating.  Heaven knows my blood pressure would be sky high about now were I still in corporeal form.

And as always when dealing with prognostications of any sort, remember the following.  This is only, as Charles Dickens (Sigh, heaven must be causing me to mellow somewhat.  This is the second quote from a socialist in the same day!!) mentioned in “Scrooge”;

“Men’s courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead,” said Scrooge. “But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!”

Thus it is so with mine.  You have the power within you all to bring about a different course of action(s), then those foretold.  Even now.  Perhaps we will re-visit this again at some future point in time.

As always, I remain,

The Col.

This is cross posted here as well.  *Guy*  aka *The Col.*

Cuban cigars will likely become legal again.

No surprise here.  The market fell sharply today upon word of the The Chosen One’s election.

Savvy investors are unsettled by the news, doubting Obama’s ability to do anything about the economy, and fearing his planned tax hikes.

Well, it would seem the public has spoken. (Yes, I know there is the manipulated votes, the agenda driven media, and more which may have tilted the election. But let’s put that aside. Realistically with no “power” to bring about any formal investigations that will produce positive results, all of that is best left for future historians to unearth. It won’t happen on our watch.)To the President-elect: Congratulations and good luck. You (or your handlers) correctly read the mood of a large enough chunk of the country. Your ability to win the hearts and minds of those you needed to get you to the office of the President, if nothing else, was masterfully done. Judging from your track record (at least that part of it we are able to see) this has been your goal since at least your Harvard Law School days.

Now don’t get me wrong, I despise most everything Senator Obama stands for. Hell, generally anything exiting his mouth is suspect from the get go. But, unlike those on the other side of the political street, I refuse to stoop to the juvenile name calling and such, now he has made it to office. Don’t like it done to President Bush, same standards should apply to Obama.

That being said, I would give most everything I own, if I had the control of a major metro newspaper chain. You see we have taken a 77 year leap back into the past. This is not 2009 it is 1933. President-elect Obama will be this generations FDR. (That he will, most likely, be this generations Jimmy Carter as well, will be conveniently ignored by the media.) This re-emergence of FDR calls for balance. We need, and I would humbly apply for the position of “Col. McCormick” Owner/Publisher of the once great conservative beacon, “The Chicago Tribune” (Yeah, I know … it isn’t even close to what the Col. published or envisioned … and more’s the pity.) We need a strong media presence to counter (hell, just to monitor) the flow of fecal change which will shortly be streaming out of Washington. Some how I don’t see Fox news being able to handle that task. We shall see.

Dusting my crystal ball off for the next post. One thing for sure the next 2 to 4 years are going to be anything but dull. The country is in shaky economic straights, it has elected an extremely leftist leaning incoming President, one who envisions making mass social-economic changes. Yep, 1933 … “Happy Days Are Here Again” … NOT!

Normally don’t talk about folks running for Congressional or Senate seats outside of the People’s Republic of Illinois. But in this case I’ll make an exception. There is a battle for Western Pennsylvania’s Congressional District. The incumbent, John Murtha, who has been in the news more then once, coming across with something far less then positive toward either his constituents or on other occasions, his comrades in arms, members of the United States Marines. Well, it would appear the Marines are not taking his actions and or words lightly. Indeed, at least one former Marine has spoken publicly, calling Murtha a  “*fat little bastard”. One final note on this piece of scum … Talking with a number of friends, some of whom are retired Marines, the following important distinction was made. All Marines, wither retired or finishing one or more enlistments and returning to civilian live, are “Former Marines”. There are NO “Ex-Marines” … with two exceptions … Lee Harvey Oswald, and John Murtha. I think that says it all.

Dr. Thomas Sowell, brilliant as always, writes at Townhall:

Some elections are routine, some are important and some are historic. If Senator John McCain wins this election, it will probably go down in history as routine. But if Senator Barack Obama wins, it is more likely to be historic– and catastrophic.

Once the election is over, the glittering generalities of rhetoric and style will mean nothing. Everything will depend on performance in facing huge challenges, domestic and foreign.

Performance is where Barack Obama has nothing to show for his political career, either in Illinois or in Washington.

Policies that he proposes under the banner of “change” are almost all policies that have been tried repeatedly in other countries– and failed repeatedly in other countries.

Go read the whole thing.

Via the Washington Post:

Americans have cut back on buying cars, furniture and clothes in a tough economy, but there’s one consumer item that’s still enjoying healthy sales: guns. Purchases of firearms and ammunition have risen 8 to 10 percent this year, according to state and federal data.

No surprise there.  Consider what an Obama presidency combined with a Democratic majority in the House, and a Dem-controlled filibuster-proof Senate could do to your Second Amendment rights.

For starters, expect a renewed “assault weapons ban”, in which firearms are banned based on their appearance, not their performance.  (After all, pistol grips, folding or collapsible stocks, barrel shrouds, flash hiders and muzzle brakes look “scary”.) 

Expect new bans on most types of semi-automatic weapons, and on high-capacity magazines.  Expect increased taxes on ammunition, and a new cry for ammunition that’s micro-stamped. 

And this time, expect the ban to be retroactive.  If you’re so non-compliant with current thinkspeak as to actually OWN an AR-15 or other so-called “assault weapon”, you’ll be expected to turn yourself in, and surrender your weapon.  Likewise if you have a semi-auto handgun that can carry 10 rounds or more.

Expect new Federal regulations that restrict the right of states to issue concealed-carry permits to their citizens.  If you have a current, and valid, concealed carry permit, expect your state’s database to be plundered, and you’ll be ordered to appear before some “official” to explain why you need it.  If you aren’t a law enforcement officer, that official’s determination will be “you don’t need it”.

This isn’t what COULD happen, it’s what WILL happen if the Left gains control.  Think I’m joking?

Have a big sip of the Obamessiah’s KoolAid, pull the D lever and hope for the best.

Well, this finally made it to Drudge.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging Barack Obama’s qualifications to be president. U.S. District Judge R. Barclay Surrick on Friday night rejected the suit by attorney Philip J. Berg, who alleged that Obama was not a U.S. citizen and therefore ineligible for the presidency. Berg claimed that Obama is either a citizen of his father’s native Kenya or became a citizen of Indonesia after he moved there as a boy.

So far so good. Nice brief synopsis. Makes one want to know more or read on. which is a good thing.

Obama was born in Hawaii to an American mother and a Kenyan father. His parents divorced and his mother married an Indonesian man.

Oh REALLY???? Do you have legitimate proof? As of yet, the Obama camp has only shown a “certificate of live birth” on their site which has at the very least been strongly questioned as to its authenticity, and at worst is an out right forgery! To date, they have not come forth with a certified (preferably original copy of the hospital records) birth certificate. Then there is the issue of Constitutional guidelines as to what qualifies one to be “American born”. Due to the age of Obama’s mother at the time of his birth, and the law as written in effect at that time Being born in Hawaii (assuming that is true for the moment) would still disqualify him, due to his mother’s age at the time of his birth. We don’t even have to entertain the suggestions (Though they should have been looked into by a true watch dog of the government, what used to be known as “the press”. Sadly, they are only interested in Palin’s cloths budget.) of Obama having been born in Kenya. Or, so it has been suggested, that his step father from Indonesia, formally adopted Obama, thus making him a citizen of Indonesia. If so, then where is his documents of (re) naturalization upon coming to the US? (or proof showing none were ever needed in the first place) The above blockquote is the height of media hubris, by suggesting none of this need to be looked into at all.

Internet-fueled conspiracy theories question whether Obama is a “natural-born citizen” as required by the Constitution for a presidential candidate and whether he lost his citizenship while living abroad.

Conspiracy theories???!!! Paaaalease, give me a break! The only reason I have jumped on this is because Obama (or his campaign) have been notoriously mute about any of this, as has been the majority of the media. Had this been a conservative or Republican the media drums would be beating long and loudly, until such documentation was produced. No, there is no major agency cover up here. Though I would by into the media being complicit in what is (or isn’t) here, by their collective silence.

Surrick ruled that Berg lacked standing to bring the case, saying any harm from an allegedly ineligible candidate was “too vague and its effects too attenuated to confer standing on any and all voters.”

What is too vague? What is too attenuated? Straight up, either the man IS or IS NOT qualified to run for the Presidency. It is as simple as that. And YES, that in and of itself would “confer standing on and and all voters”. Me thinks the judge was either bought off, or is scared of repercussions from the Obamaites, or wanted to wash his hands of this whole mess, punting it up to SCOTUS for the final word.

Visiting “Curmudgeonly & Skeptical”, “Rodger, the Real King of France”’s home on the web, is almost always a joy.  Today was no exception.  Indeed, he posts on the further exploits of “The Melanin Jimmy Carter”, specifically his lack of being vetted by the media, and the attempts by Philip J. Berg to have the “Hope & Change fairy of the Senate” produce proof of his being qualified for the office of the President.

Rodger suggests we should write our local print media and perhaps (with odds much like those of winning the lottery … but still worth a shot - ed) they will print ones letter(s) in their op-ed pages.  I must have been on a sugar high or some such, for I took up his gauntlet and sent the following to our local daily, “The Rockford Register Star”.

Feel free to look up your local paper here if you feel so inclined to do so, after reading this.

My letter is as follows:

When an average American, in asking Senator Obama a question about his proposed taxation policies, is vetted with a vengeance by the media shortly thereafter, one wonders why the same “due diligence wasn’t afforded to the Democratic presidential nominee himself.

It is perhaps not too surprising, given the majority of major media outlets tend to lean to the left in their presentation/coverage of candidates, and political news in general.  And to be sure, as in almost all national elections there are, on both sides, whispered words of alleged misdeeds, improprieties, and potential scandals hidden.  Rumors flow with mad abandon.

When a highly ranked Democrat, and former deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Philip J. Berg, comes forward with questions, which he feels should have been (properly) addressed by the media in their guise of “governmental watchdogs”, yet remain to be satisfactorily dealt with, we reach a level of legitimacy beyond mere rumor or innuendo, which can no longer be “conveniently” ignored.

Mr. Berg filed suit in U.S. District Court in August, alleging Obama is not a natural-born citizen and is thus ineligible to serve as president of the United States. Though Obama has posted an image of a Hawaii birth certificate online, (and said certificate has been suspected of being something less then legitimate) Berg demands that the court verify the original document, which the Obama campaign has not provided.  His suit was numerous other demands for original documentation. Documentation which has not been forthcoming from the Senator’s campaign or the Senator himself.

The as of the latest information to date, Mr. Berg claims to have in his possession an audio file of the Senator’s Kenyan Grandmother, stating her grandson was, in fact, born in Kenya.  Berg states he will release this audio within the next few days.

Assuming this latest is true, other questions should be asked.  If the Senator is in fact Kenyan by birth, and has never formally sworn allegiance to this country (by way of legal naturalization processes), then by state law he could not have legally held his Illinois State Senate seat.  More over, he could not have been a US Senator.  In short, is he an illegal alien?

Now, lets put the citizenship concern aside for a moment.  What about his political record?  Has any major news agency (print or media) listed Obama’s voting record?  His (total) sponsorship of bills (at either the state or federal level)?  His college grades (they did so with President Bush, and Al Gore, and Senator Kerry)?  Have they looked into where he got his monies for college? For his state and federal Senate campaigns?

As we reach the final days before electing the next occupant of the oval office, civic duty, regardless of party affiliation, requires each of us to demand (much as Mr. Berg has) that “we the people” are fully informed as to the candidates meeting Constitutional qualifications (at the very least).  Even at this late date, is it to much to ask the  “guardians of our rights”, “a free press” to provide same?

It’s the end of the fiscal year, so for anyone who’s ever worked in the Government knows only too well, it’s time to spend all the money.  After all, if you don’t spend all of what you got THIS year, you might not get as much NEXT year.

In the Federal Aviation Administration facility where I work, this year it means new furniture in all the management and administrative areas.  It doesn’t matter that what is already there is beautiful, dark cherry, solid-wood furniture, and is barely six years old.  It doesn’t matter that most of the furniture sits in unused offices.  It doesn’t matter that it’s all in “like-new” condition.  No, what matters is there is money to be spent, so spend it we must…or we might not get as much next year.

We’re replacing the receptionist desk, but we haven’t had a receptionist in ten years.  We’re replacing the desk, credenza and bookshelves in the automation specialist office, but we haven’t had a local automation specialist in eight years.  Of course, the manager and administrative assistant’s offices are both getting facelifts as well, along with the shared supervisor’s office (four workstations, all beautiful cheery wood, must be replaced).

GSA rules say that the “surplus” furniture must first be made available to other agencies, but why take used when you can buy new?  It’ll wind up in a Federal auction to the public somewhere, and will be sold for a fraction of what the Government originally paid for it…and it’s in like-new condition.

We’re just one tiny facility in one of the smaller federal agencies.  This is your government at work.  This is YOUR TAX DOLLARS at work.

And this is why we need REFORM, not “change”.  We need SMALLER government, not bigger.  We need LESS tax dollars, not more.  We need major across-the-board slashes in government spending.

We need candidates who realize that the biggest problem in the US Government is the US Government itself, and who are willing to work to reform the system.

We need Joe the Plumber.  We need Rick the Bricklayer, and Marty the Butcher.  We need Sarah Palin.

What we DON’T need is a member of the Chicago thug regime rising to national power.  What we don’t need is pie-in-the-sky “we’re gonna GIVE you”.  Don’t give us ANYTHING.  Stop taking from us, then wasting it.

We stand to loose everything this election cycle.   If (and it is NOT a very big *if*) Obama wins, this country, as envisioned/created by the founding fathers, is finished.  What the radical islamic (I refuse to capitalize a pseudo-religion.  One which was started by a pedophile … who if he was visited by Gabriel and given the word of god … surly corrupted it to meet his own needs and ends.  And if not, well … then he was quite the angry snake oil salesman wasn’t he.  But I digress.) terrorists and their sponsors couldn’t accomplish with planes, bombs, and bullets, will be well on their way to achieving with the ballot box … an end to “The Great Satan”, the greatest representative republic to ever grace this planet.  (And yes, though he may not be a Muslim, Obama is pro islam make no mistake about that.)

We will be facing a combination of socialism (read that as EU style government), liberal fascism, or quite possibly outright communism. You may also add Shara law to any of the above for the most bitter/ironic of uncivilized flavoring.

I didn’t think such a thing would be possible in my lifetime.  The progressives and other agitators followed their policy of advancing their agenda(s) by incramentalism.  They (mis)used the courts and judicial system to circumvent the legislative and executive branches (of all levels) of government.  Raping our “rule of law” to meet their agenda(s) at any and all cost.  Those who would see this Representative Republic fall are on the brink of achieving exactly that.

We, as “the adults”, those who would take the necessary steps to ensure the above will not come to pass, have very few choices left.  And of the choices available, there is only one which gives us any sort of chance to correct the mistakes, “we”,  the adults have either made ourselves, or which the children (masquerading as adults) make in our stead.  They are as follows:

1. Get out and vote Nov 4th.
And like it or not, vote for the McCain/Palin ticket. Yes, the man has his faults, and they are many.  But to allow the country to fall into the hands of Barack “he whose middle name shall not be named” Obama, and his unrepentant domestic terrorist-American hating-anti Semite-pro islamic band of thugs (and this is just talking about his wife and close friends/advisers), is to give this country and more importantly our Constitution, the kiss of death.

2. Hit “The Reset Button”.
Although it may feel very good in wanting to take some sort of concrete action against the long list of groups and individuals who have debased this country’s laws, customs, and ideals, the resulting blood bath (and make no mistake, blood bath there will be) would be horrific.  It will make the Civil War look like a tea party in comparison.  Indeed, I am not alone in this belief. The good Mrs. DuToit espouses on this very point here, and I know there was another post regarding this same topic, but dag nab it, I can’t seem to find it.  (In any case, stop by her spot on the web, and “The Baron’s” site as well. For in less then 45 days they will be bidding the blogging world farewell, as they head, hand in hand, toward what ever new adventures life brings their way.)

3. Drink the Kool-Ade.
Go ahead, give in.  Everybody else is doing it (or so the media would have you believe).  Why young and old alike are kneeling at the alter of “Smoke and Mirrors”  …. oops, I mean “Hope and Change”.  Never mind the fact(s) of who “The Messiah” really is still have not been adequately vetted.  (Was he born in Hawaii? Was his mother old enough by the legal statutes of that time for him to be an American citizen?  What was his gpa for Columbia?  For Harvard Law School?  What social/political ties did he have up to and including present day ties? … Btw, see the previous post below to follow this train of thought.)  You say you (dare to) question his “bona fades”?  You must either be misguided or a racist (or both).  Just drink deep … shut up …. and vote for the one who will truly god damn … err BLESS … yeah that’s the ticket … BLESS America.   (Psssst, hey bud, wanna buy a bridge???)

The second and third choice above  will both bring about tragic ends to this country.  Make no mistake about it.  I could have provided references.  They are out there.  Legitimate ones, not freepers, not wikpedia.  There is work being done every day to try and validate and or verify what is only being whispered about (if that) at traditional media outlets (both the print and electronic media).  Obama is nothing more then a 21st century Wizard of Oz.  His strings are being pulled by others with agendas and goals he has either bought into (in order to achieve his goal of the oval office), or ones he has always believed in.  Any way you read him … WE Lose!

Which brings us back to choice number one.  It may be the lesser of two evils.  It may stink to the highest of heavens.  We may have to deal with a host of problems and a ton of challenges, which, given a choice, we would rather never have to deal with in the first place.  But there is a better then average chance after four years of John McCain we will still have something with which to fight the good fight with.  That after four years others may answer the call who will be much more in tune with the core values and ideals of the Republican party of old. (You remember those don’t you? Smaller-less intrusive government, lower taxes, a strong defense, secure borders, original interpretation of our Constitution … yeah THAT GOP.)

Like it or not. This is the only choice “real adults” have.   Please remember this come November 4th.  If you give in to the “truth” the media and political pundits are spewing … crying “all is lost” “The Melanin Jimmy Carter” has it already in the bag’ …

Come the morning of November 5th … it well and truly will be.

This letter is from a friend of ours who we believe wrote this with great concern.

To All My Friends, this is long, but very important, please take the time to read it.

This election has me very worried.  So many things to consider.   About a year ago I would have voted for Obama. I have changed my mind three times since than.  I watch all the news channels, jumping from one to another.  I must say this drives my husband crazy.  But, I feel if you view MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News, you might get some middle ground to work with. 

About six months ago, I started thinking ‘where did the money come from for Obama’.  I have four daughters who went to College, and we were middle class, and money was tight.  We (including my girls) worked hard and there were lots of student loans.

I started looking into Obama’s life. 

Around 1979 Obama started college at Occidental in California.  He is very open about his two years at Occidental, he tried all kinds of drugs and was wasting his time but, even though he had a brilliant mind, did not apply himself to his studies.

‘Barry’ (that was the name he used all his life) during this time had two roommates, Muhammad Hasan Chandoo and Wahid Hamid, both from Pakistan. During the summer of 1981, after his second year in college, he made a ’round the world’ trip.  Stopping to see his mother in Indonesia, next Hyderabad in India, three weeks in Karachi, Pakistan where he stayed with his roommate’s family, then off to Africa to visit his father’s family.  My question: where did he get the money for this trip? 

Nether I, nor any one of my children would have had money for a trip like this when they where in college.  When he came back he started school at Columbia University in New York.  It is at this time he  wants everyone to call him Barack - not Barry.  Do you know what the tuition is at Columbia?  It’s not cheap to say the least!   Where did he get money for tuition?  Student Loans? Maybe.

After Columbia, he went to Chicago to work as a Community Organizer for $12,000 a year.  Why Chicago?  Why not New York? He was already living in New York.
By ‘chance’  he met  Antoin ‘Tony’ Rezko, born in Aleppo Syria, and a real estate developer in Chicago.  Rezko has been convicted of fraud and bribery this year.  Rezko, was named ‘Entrepreneur of the Decade’ by the Arab-American Business and Professional Association’. 

About two years later, Obama entered Harvard Law School.  Do you have any idea what tuition is for Harvard Law School?  Where did he get the money for Law School?  More student loans? 

After Law school, he went back to Chicago. Rezko offered him a job, which he turned down.  But, he did take a job with Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland. Guess what?  They represented ‘Rezar’ which is Rezko’s firm.  Rezko was one of Obama’s first major financial contributors when he ran for office in Chicago.  In 2003, Rezko threw an early fundraiser for Obama which Chicago Tribune reporter David Mendelland claims was instrumental in providing Obama with ’seed money’ for his U.S. Senate race.

In 2005, Obama purchased a new home in Kenwoood District of Chicago for $1.65 million (less than asking price).  With ALL those Student Loans - Where did he get the money for the property? 

On the same day Rezko’s wife, Rita, purchased the adjoining empty lot for full price. The London Times reported that Nadhmi Auchi, an Iraqi-born Billionaire loaned Rezko $3.5 million three weeks before Obama’s new home was purchased.  Obama met Nadhmi Auchi many times with Rezko.

Now, we have Obama running for President.  Valerie Jarrett, was Michele Obama’s boss.  She is now Obama’s chief advisor and he does not make any major decisions without talking to her first.  Where was Jarrett born? Ready for this? Shiraz, Iran!  Do we see a pattern here?  Or am I going crazy?

On May 10, 2008 The Times reported, Robert Malley, advisor to Obama, was ’sacked’ after the press found out he was having regular contacts with ‘Hamas’, which controls Gaza and is connected with Iran.  This past week, buried in the back part of the papers, Iraqi newspapers reported that during Obama’s visit to Iraq, he asked their leaders to do nothing about the war until after he is elected, and he will ‘Take care of things’.. 

Oh, and by the way, remember the college roommates that were born in Pakistan?  They are in charge of all those ’small’ Internet campaign contributions for Obama.  Where is that money coming from?  The poor and middle class in this country?  Or could it be from the Middle East?

And the final bit of news.  On September 7, 2008, The Washington Times posted a verbal slip that was made on ‘This Week’ with George Stephanapoulos.  Obama on talking about his religion said, ‘My Muslim faith’.  When questioned, ‘he made a mistake’.  Some mistake!

All of the above information I got on line.  If you would like to check it - Wikipedia, encyclopedia, Barack Obama; Tony Rezko; Valerie Jarrett: Daily Times - Obama visited Pakistan in 1981; The Washington Times - September 7, 2008; The Times May 10, 2008.

Now the BIG question - If I found out all this information on my own, why haven’t all of our ‘intelligent’ members of the press been reporting this?
A phrase that keeps ringing in my ear - ‘Beware of the enemy from within’!!!

Beware the enemy within, indeed.