God Bless America!

Today's Washington Post...

"DHS spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said the updating of policies reflects an effort to be more transparent. In an e-mail, she wrote that the decision ofU.S. Customs and Border Protection(CBP) "to change some of the standards in its old policies reflects the realities of the post-9/11 environment, the agency's expanded mission and legal authorities, and developments in the law, including the Homeland Security Act of 2003. Although certain aspects of the policies have changed, the policies have always reflected the notion that officers have the constitutional authority to inspect information presented at the border" without requiring suspicion of a particular traveler."

So, basically, DHS and TSA have the right to question an American citizen based on NOTHING. Americans are supposed to be protected by the Bill of Rights Amendment #4.  But because the US was subjected to a terrorist attack seven years ago, we have surrendered one of our most basic rights.  And the people we elect to protect those rights are the ones who tell us we are not safe and need their protection.  Blimey!  The terrorists have won without firing another shot.

If an agent doesn't like the way I comb my hair, or the smell of someone's perfume, or maybe even the color of your skin, they can pretty much do anything they want.  What can they do?  Search you, question you about your religion, take your laptop, take your camera...it's endless.  And what right do you have to deny such action?  None. NONE!

God bless America

Land that I love

Michael Moore's new film

I know that lots of people find Michael Moore annoying and over the top liberal, but I think it's pretty cool that he's putting his new film up for free downloading at:

www.slackeruprising.com

I haven't watched it so I can't vouch for the quality of either the content or video.

The Legend of Tippacanoe

During the early stages of the War of 1812, actually this happened in late 1811, the governor of the Indiana Territory was worried about a group of Shawnee under the leadership of The Prophet. He and his brother, Tecumseh, were organizing Indian groups in an effort to stop treaties with settlers that surrendered large amounts of Indian territory. To make a very long story very short, the governor, William Henry Harrison,  attacked Prophetstown on the Tippacanoe River. It was a disaster for two reasons: first, the Indians and their two leaders had already left the settlement, and second, Harrison had left his fort unprotected. The Indians had already attacked the fort and abandoned the territory. In his haste to report the outcome to President James Madison, Harrison wrote of a great victory at Tippacanoe before the outcome could possibly have been known. It was never refuted, but was obviously inaccurate.

Now, Tecumseh was not happy. In fact, according to legend, he put a curse on Harrison and all future US presidents.

Maybe you are cynical about such things, as I am. But...

William Henry Harrison, the same guy, was elected president in 1840 running under the motto "Tippacanoe and Tyler, too." He died 30 days after taking office.
Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860. He died in office.
James Garfield was elected president in 1880. He died in office.
William McKinley was elected president in 1900. He died in office.
Warren Harding was elected president in 1920. He died in office.
Frankiln D. Roosevelt was re-elected president in 1940. He died in office.
John F. Kennedy was elected president in 1960. He died in office.
Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1980, shot but survived.
George W. Bush elected (?) president in 2000. Brain dead in office.

What was the curse? All presidents elected in a year ending in zero would die in office. Maybe it's just a legend.

John Adams, a TRUE American

March 5, 1770. A British sentry posted outside the Boston Custom House was being taunted by a few men and boys. The crowd of Bostonians grew larger and the lone sentry was reinforced by eight additional soldiers. The situation escalated and shots rang out. Five Americans were dead. Sam Adams published a pamphlet with a scene on the cover, drawn by Paul Revere, showing what Adams described as butchery.

The British soldiers were imprisoned but no Boston lawyer would defend them.

Finally, stating, "If, by supporting the rights of mankind, and of invincible truth, I shall contribute to save from the agonies of death one unfortunate victim of tyranny, or of ignorance, equally fatal, his blessings and years of transport will be sufficient consolation to me for the contempt of all mankind."

These are the words of John Adams who was the lawyer defending the British soldiers present at the "Boston Massacre." This unpopular position did not stop Adams, who rightly believed that in a free country all people have the right to counsel and a fair trial.

Sarah Palin spoke these words at the Republican Convention:

"Al-Qaeda terrorists still plot to inflict catastrophic harm on America." Referring to Barak Obama she stated, "He's worried that someone won't read them their rights."

I'm worried, too. We cannot as a nation devolve into thinking that if you are arrested you are guilty of anything.

If Sarah Palin believes what she said then those who are out to destroy us have already done so.

UN of Gadgets

If you are interested in the latest technology, specifically handheld devices such as media players, PDAs, and Ultra Portable PCs, head over to

www.UNofgadgets.com

Try it, you'll like it!

McCain and Palin and Keating OH MY!

John McCain:

"All through this period, the "gooks" were bombarding us with antiwar quotes from people in high places back in Washington. This was the most effective propaganda they had to use against us—speeches and statements by men who were generally respected in the United States."

"This was not too wild to the "gooks," because they're used to the bowing thing."

"A lot of them were homosexual, although never toward us. Some, who were pretty damned sadistic, seemed to get a big thrill out of the beatings."

GOOKS!!!

I'm proud of the part Joe and my wife, Carol, played here at home. The temptation for the wives, as the years went by, was to say, "God, I want them home under any circumstances." When Carol was pressed to take this line, her answer was, "Just to get him home is not enough for me, and it's not enough for John—I want him to come home standing up."

Not so proud. He divorced her after she was crippled in a car accident.

John McCain was one of the "Keating Five." McCain had private meetings on Charles Keating's behalf while a senator with federal banking regulators who were investigating Keating's Lincoln Savings and Loan Association. When Lincoln collapsed it cost the US taxpayers $3.4 billion. McCain was reprimanded by the Senate. It gets worse. McCain took donations from Keating, free trips on Keating's jet, and the second Mrs. McCain invested in an Arizona shopping mall along with Keating. This is all a matter of public record.
John McCain the presidential candidate claims he never did favors for special interests. Oh really?

The McCain-Palin squad claims that Barak Obama favors sex-education for kindergarten kids. Is teaching them to avoid strangers, which is what he really said, sex-education?

Mrs. Palin claims she told Washington "NO!" on the bridge to nowhere. This is after it became a national issue and ALASKA still kept the money.Mrs. Palin sent lobbyists to Washington that secured $27 million in earmarked funding, not for all of Alaska mind you, but for Wasilla. Wasilla, a town of about 6,000 people. This outraged many in Washington and was cited by one senator in particular as a prime example of pork barrel spending. That Senator was John McCain!

The "lipstick on a pig" comment was NOT directed at Mrs. Palin, as the Republican candidates would have you believe. It was directed at McCain's economic package.

Hockey moms unite!

A couple of photos sent to me from the largest political rally in Anchorage history. Not one moose, but several hockey moms showed up. Maybe these folks know something about Mrs. Palin that John McCain doesn't.

John McCain seems to forget quite easily, maybe it's his age...

Just yesterday in Iowa he claimed that Barak Obama was, "Part of the problem in Washington."

Excuse me, John, but haven't you been in Washington for about the last hundred years?

He also stated he would fire Chris Cox, chairman of the SEC. His reasoning was that Cox created open season for short sellers. Now anyone with half a brain knows that it is just as legitimate a strategy to gamble that stocks will decrease in value as it is that stocks will increase. Cox has aimed to bring stocks to a more reasonable value level, and has even recently tried to curb short selling. McCain has ignored this, and the fact that Cox is a federal employee trying to do what he is paid to do. Pressure from McCain is pretty outrageous conduct.