What U Don’t Know That U Need 2 No

 

Ads are hitting the airwaves stating that Congress wants to cut Medicare payments to hospitals.  Medicare was a gift.  There was nothing in the original SS legislation that applied any of your earnings to medical care.  That was a gift from another Congress in another time.  Why do I call it a gift?  Because those who passed it at the time knew it wasn’t and couldn’t be supported by earnings contributions that were already overextended.  They did it for electability. 

I understand that and retirees should too.  What you also need to understand is that Medicare could be manageable.  It could be feasible for us to support Medicare IF (and that’s a big if) we did not have to support every whiner in the world with Medicaid.  That’s where the little ditty of an ad veers off course.  At the end of the ad Medicaid rears it’s ugly head. 

In America we support non earners (those who don’t or can’t work) with an income.  Then we give them food stamps so they can eat.   Then we give them subsidized housing so they don’t have to live in boxes.  Then we not only meet their basic medical needs we provide them with medical care that many wage earning taxpayers cannot afford.

If that’s not enough we also give these benefits to anyone who comes into this nation  legally or illegally until they get on their feet.  Unfortunately the system is too big and no one can actually keep track of who truly deserves help and who doesn’t.  It is a common practice for illegals to work off the books or for low wages and still be supplemented with all these gifts.  Where does the money come from?  IT CAME FROM THE FUNDS YOU PAID INTO SS UNTIL THAT WAS ALL GONE THEN IT WAS BORROWED.

Those who support taking care of our elderly as I do get disgusted when Medicaid is lumped in with Medicare.  But remember Medicare is a gift.  You never paid for it.  All you paid for was a Social Security check every month when you reached retirement.

BUT (and this is a big but) that’s not the only thing that is bleeding dry the funds we could be funneling into Medicare to care for the twilight years of our elderly.  Get on the SSI bandwagon.  Do you think anything was paid into any fund to support anyone with a disability?  No.  Do you think anything was paid into any fund to support survivor benefits? No.  Please do the math.  There is no way that a man who dies at thirty years old has paid enough into his social security account to provide  $400 a month for  his 2 and 4 year old until they turn 18.  It’s a gift from some distant congress who wanted to get re-elected. 

What is going unspoken in these ads is that Medicaid doesn’t stand a snowballs chance in hell of getting any support so they lump it in with Medicare because it’s a big lobby.

We can support our seniors.  We can’t support every Tom, Dick and Harry who wants a free ride.  Hospitals and Doctors and insurance companies cannot tote the load.  The Republic is broke and has about reached it’s borrowing limit.  Stop Medicaid.  Stop disability payments and Seniors stop allowing advertisers to lump you in with a corrupt system.

Lift the maximum earnings limit and get rid of the Medicaid freeloaders and seniors won’t have to worry about benefits being cut. 

The Slippery Situation that is Greece

 

Eurozone On the Edge of Disaster | TheBlaze.com

For those of you who have investments in the stock market (no one I know) this is the top story for several days that is actually eclipsing OWS in the MS media.  Interestingly enough this sparks my interest not because I am a Euro groupie (those Americans who think everything in Europe is better, smarter, more urbane or just generally uber-cool) but because I find myself actually applauding the Prime Minister George Papandreou for choosing to offer a referendum on the EU bailout for the citizens of Greece to vote on.  What a novel idea…Actually allowing citizens to vote on an issue and then for government to actually abide by that vote.

It used to work that way in America.  When you voted for a Representative you knew that person would actually go to the seat of government and reflect the opinion of the majority (those who elected him) in his vote.  Not anymore. Now we speak clearly through our votes, our chosen representatives go to DC where they drink the water, get brainwashed or for whatever reason ignore the wishes of their constituency and vote with the herd.

Everyone assumes such a referendum would lead to Greece thumbing their nose at the EU by refusing the austerity measures attached to a bailout of their country.  Those who believe themselves to be in the know could be surprised  there might actually be a majority of Greeks who would want the EU interference.  It’s not likely, but it has become apparent in this country that the one squeaky wheel that is getting all the grease does not necessarily reflect the sentiments of the other three smooth rolling wheels.

Personally I think it would be a great idea for Greece to vote against the austerity measures.  They would then 1) Choose to default on their debts and probably bring about the eventual demise of the European Union and it’s price fixed monetary unit the Euro, 2) Choose to sell their Geek souls to some wealthy nation such as China whose strings would (in time) prove to be many times worse than austerity, or 3) Choose the Icelandic Effect which says if you knuckle under, cut back and pay your bills you can actually come out a stronger; better nation.

Whatever happened it would be the choice of the voting citizens of Greece that made the decision.  That is a basic principal of Democracy a word according to Wikipedia (…which was coined from δῆμος (dêmos) "people" and κράτος (Kratos) "power"…)  means rule of the people.

The rule of the people is being largely ignored in our Republic.  Our elected representatives are sitting idly by allowing the Executive branch of our government to operate totally unchecked thereby placing us under the rule not '”Of the People” but by the Executive pen of one man.

How simple it would be to pass a law revoking the use of Executive Order.  I wonder why they aren’t doing that?

Atlas is Shrugging

 

Gibson CEO Says Feds Told Him Problems Could be Avoided with Madagascar Outsourcing | TheBlaze.com

Doesn’t this bother anybody?  An American company that employs American workers is being persecuted and told that if they would just do it the Fed way their problems will go away.  This administration has done every crooked underhanded thing they can think of to put American business’ out of business. They are pumping money out left and right to unions and banks and Dem contributors, they have rammed through laws and instituted policies that place undue burdens on states and are killing business’.  They have pursued avenues that have resulted in American citizens dying while refusing to enforce American law because they believe it to be unfair.  They have deliberately pursued policies that are shutting down American business’ and causing more American’s to be unemployed while encouraging people who are in this country illegally to stay here and compete with unemployed citizens for the sparse amount of jobs that exist.  They have killed communities, jobs and whole industries to save a fish.

If you haven’t seen the light by now, then you need to read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.  This book is not only a play by play description of the anti capitalism that is happening in our nation at this very moment I believe it is a script for the Obama Administration right down to words they speak.  When Napolitano makes a statement about what FEMA will do for the Irene victims reference is made to the Federal Family. http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=57520  Well read pages 662 through 664 of Atlas Shrugged and you will see exactly what I’m talking about.

This cannot continue and for those of you who think you are immune to the bias and discrimination of this administration I want you to think about this. When GM & Chrysler were bailed out they denied the shareholders the right to go through bankruptcy and have a chance to recoup their investments.  In the government takeover dealerships were closed without an obvious consistency other than they were republicans or conservative. No one did anything. Judges could be considered complicit in bypassing bankruptcy laws all in the name of “saving jobs and the industry”. No one did anything to stop them. Well you survivors who have been supporting these corrupt actions word is your next. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/14/chrysler-dealers-closing-_n_203460.html

In 2009 California’s Central Valley was turned into a dust bowl because of a fish http://beetlebabee.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/dead-and-dying-californias-central-valley-dust-bowl/ The story is not any better in 2011 http://hotair.com/archives/2011/01/13/video-federal-policies-failing-the-central-valley/

This administration took our strategic oil reserves and put them on the auction block for the world. http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/06/24/1296681/obama-europe-tap-oil-reserve.html  Doesn’t it bother you that our tax dollars paid for that oil and it was intended for us in the event of an emergency and not other countries?

Doesn’t it bother you that we and NATO actively support Libyan rebels in driving Gaddafi out just so Europe could potentially have the oil?  http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief-cover/881881-race-oil-has-begun  Doesn’t it bother you that this was done at a time when we can ill afford to participate in another “Kinetic” exercise?

Doesn’t it bother you to think that if these are the things we know about, what is going on behind our backs that never makes it to the surface

I know.  You’re a good little democrat.  You’re a progressive, a  socialist, a communist.  You belong to a union.  Your safe.  They’ll never touch you.  They just go after the republicans, conservatives, Christians, Jews and tea parties.    Well guess again.  They stopped you in San Francisco http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/08/13/bart-board-member-speaks-out-against-phone-jamming-during-planned-protest/  they will stop you again.

Let me tell you what you are.  You are non-essential.  You are merely a means to an end and I really don’t think you’re going to like your place in the N.W.O.

So what can be done?  Demand that things drastically change.  No more executive orders.  No more Czars.  No more departmental mandates.  No more bureaucratic boards making policy.  No more free rides. No more union heads directing government or policy. Repeal the Lacey Act, Dodd-Frank, the Health Care Act and other business killing legislation.  Demand a FLAT Tax. Demand enforcement of our laws especially by the Executive branch that is charged with enforcing our laws. Demand that judicial appointments be scrutinized and rejected for any hint of bias or social engineering.  Demand that corrupt politicians be expelled and prevented from receiving ANY taxpayer funded benefit.  Demand that no organization receive taxpayer funding.  The list is endless, but you know what is right and what is wrong and you know that NO taxpayer dollars should ever go to anything that could possibly be considered partisan. 

Our Constitution gave us rights and we need to demand that our representation protect those right through adherence to our Constitution.  If ANY branch oversteps it’s Constitutional bounds it should be stopped cold and ejected without a legal battle. Atlas is shrugging and the Liberal/Progressive/Socialist/Communist union has memorized the script.  If you intend to survive you’d better read it so you can recognize the cues when they’re given.  The powers that be underestimated you.  They believed their superior educations and intellects would trump your common sense and moral sensibility.  They counted on you being dumb and surprise, surprise…you’re not.

Gibson CEO Says Feds Told Him Problems Could be Avoided with Madagascar Outsourcing | TheBlaze.com

I’m Not Green Obscene, But I Do Care

 

As the EPA tries to bypass Congress (not that they’d act on anything anyway) to impose Cap ‘N Tax on the energy industry.  While POTUS tries to force green vehicles on us and uses taxpayer funds to subsidize the global “green machine.”  I have to make an observation.  Water.  Potable water is one of our most precious resources.  In times of drought it becomes even more precious..

I’m not “Green Obscene”, but I do care about our environment.  From the time fifty years ago that a teacher pointed out to me that natural resources are not finite.  Unless they are managed properly eventually everything God gave us will run out.

I’m sitting right in the middle of a major drought (not the first I’ve experienced in my life and certainly not the last) where rivers and lakes are drying up and wildlife and livestock are struggling for hydration and the potential for fire is frightening.  Most years it’s very dry where I live come June, July and August so it has long been my practice not to water my grass.  I’ve got this “survival of the fittest” attitude when it comes to grass.  If it want sto survive badly enough it will put down deeper roots and that will benefit it even when there is no drought.  But this year I realized that wasting water on ornamentals was a pretty bad idea.  I made the decision to allow those ornamentals to perish in the drought and heat.  I could not justify wasting water on pretty flowers and attractive trees.

I determined instead to let nature take it’s course and replace those ornamentals next year with edibles.  I don’t have a problem with watering my garden.  We eat that food which in turn provides us with a good deal of hydration. So decision made I am determined to replace every ornamental in the yard with something edible.  I won’t cut down existing shade trees that were here when I got here, but they are all full growth and I am applying my SOTF theory to them. 

Decision made I’ve been mentally plotting next years plantings.  I do this mostly when I’m going from one place to another in my car.  I ruminate.  As I was making and an early morning grocery store run my ruminations were interrupted by the Social Security office’s sprinkler system showering my windshield.  I glanced over to see that most of the water they were applying to their grass was hitting the street.  “Call and have them adjust the sprinklers”, you say.  I could, but that only solves the one problem.  I began to notice on my occasional forays into town that there’s a whole lot of watering going on at all local, state and federal buildings.  You can’t stop them.  They don’t want the grounds of their buildings to appear blighted.  They will water regardless.  But how about if we actually put our tax dollars to good use for a change? 

I think all new construction  for any government building should require that only edibles be planted.  Berry bushes, fruit and citrus trees and even vegetables.  They could plan raised beds into their construction that would offer seating for people eating lunches or taking breaks or just those that have to wait in long lines at DMV’s and court houses.  Governments often contract to yard services for maintenance on their grounds.  Why not allow community groups to plant and service these gardens and turn the produce over to food banks.  If this were as successful as I think it could be a lot of the harvest could be used to supplement our federal cafeterias and lunch rooms.

I like this idea a lot, but more than anything I truly hope that anyone reading this realizes it’s time to stop wasting our water and start putting it to good use.  Don’t water your grass, don’t wash your car until the rains come and plant something you can eat.  Garden plants are really very attractive and a little goes a long way.

They Might Have Been Giants

 

Today the House of Representatives had the opportunity to walk erect with heads held high.  They might have been giants.  They could have listened to the people, heeded the voices they heard and walked in the footsteps of history to claim their place in the sun.

Instead they thought they knew best.  They believed they were smarter and more clever than the people who chose them.  They thought they could defeat the evil trolls and their leader the Deceiver, but they failed to understand that without the will of the people, victory (even if won) would always be hollow.

The people knew they could not win against the trolls and the Deceiver.  Those who have no principles have no enemies except principles.  Those principles must be the bedrock on which decisions are made. To stray from those principles even with the best of intentions always ends in loss.  It is like doing battle with a dragon who says,  “If you lay down your sword, we can talk about this”, but as soon as you lay that sword down the dragon consumes you in fire.

Our forefather’s knew that they had to stand on their principles.  They had little else to stand on.  They rose to the challenge.  They stood against a tyrannical empire and they emerged beaten but free.  Free to be fair and just and honorable.  They went into battle as David's and emerged as Goliaths.  Giants among men who would still be remembered by those who held true to their principles 235 years later.  Last November the People gave the House a directive,  “Stop the spending, represent us as we want to be represented and we will be loyal, support and cover your six”. 

Today the House made it’s choice.  They chose to attempt to out maneuver  the trolls and their leader rather than heed the People.  They were amazed when it didn’t work. 

There were 22 giants and 218 that might have been giants. 

I’m Just Sayin’…

I'm beginning to think that there has been subversion brewing since the 2010 election. We know the Republican Party didn't like the Tea Party candidates, but they wanted to wrest control of Congress from the Democrats because they had been effectively neutered.
Isn't it interesting that everyone's (including the old guard republicans ) demonizing the newly elected.  They are now being called conservatives (as if it were a dirty word) by their own House members.  Could it be because it was the intention all along( if they could not be swayed to join the dark side) to demonize them, paint them as extremist: discredit them so that Republican's and Democrats could get back to business as usual.  You know lining their own pockets, padding their resume's with pork and voting themselves yearly raises and benefit packages.
Since when did having principles, standing strong for those you represent, and having the courage of your convictions become a bad thing?
I believe if this situation (if analyzed) could reveal the republican's were behind Obamacare all along.  I believe they saw it as the only way out of toting the load on Medicare and Medicaid without offending the poor and the elderly.  I believe that parts of that legislation actually went so far past the scorched principles of some in congress at the time that they had to be paid off to make it more palatable (ex: the Nebraska Purchase), some even determined to retire as they could no longer stomach the legislation they were party to passing.
Now we are back in the middle of rhetoric with "A Crisis" situation and we must pass something.  There will be arm twisting, cajoling, name calling and (if what we hear about the Boeing/NLRB situation is true) outright threats.
I am proud of those new voices we sent in November.  I am proud of people like Jim DeMint, Louie Gomer, Michelle Bachman and others who have been in Washington for years and yet still hold onto their convictions and refuse to compromise them.  I thank you all and tell you that while they all are accusing you of being "CONSERVATIVES" I thank you for having backbone and being PATRIOTS who truly love your Republic.

Cheri H Dorbritz

John Boehner is Not Our Friend

 

I think this would need a great deal of tweaking to be considered acceptable.

The Budget Control Act of 2011, S. 627 as amended

FIRST-YEAR CUTS. The bill would provide caps on non-emergency discretionary spending for FY 2012-2021. The cap for FY 2012 would be $1.043 trillion, which is a $7 billion reduction compared to FY 2011. The House's appropriations process has been on course to reduce such spending by $31 billion, a number which many RSC Members felt was insufficient (The RSC budget would have reduced this spending by $71 billion). Per the bill, the discretionary cap for FY 2012 is $24 billion above the current FY 2012 House appropriations plan.

TEN-YEAR DISCRETIONARY CAPS.The bill sets discretionary spending caps that increase gradually over the FY 2012-2021 period. According to the sponsors, the total spending cuts compared to the baseline are $1.2 trillion. However, the spending cap rises from $1.043 trillion in FY 2012 to $1.234 trillion in FY 2021. This is measured as a cut because CBO's baseline assumes growth with inflation, instead of using zero baseline budgeting. Within the cap, there is a firewall protecting defense in FY 2012 and FY 2013, but not from FY 2014-2021.

BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT. The bill would require a vote on (not passage of) a Balanced Budget Amendment (BBA) in each house of Congress during last three months of 2011. If one house did pass a BBA, the other house would have to take up that BBA as-passed within 15 days. Nothing in the bill conditions the debt limit increase on a Balanced Budget Amendment being sent to the states.

EMERGENCY SPENDING OUTSIDE OF CAP. The bill allows emergency-designated spending or funding for the Global War on Terrorism to fall outside the caps. In order for spending to fall outside the cap, the President would have to designate it as an emergency and the Congress would have to so designate it in statute.

DEBT LIMIT INCREASES. The bill would grant the President an automatic $400 billion debt-ceiling increase if he certified before the end of calendar year 2011 that the federal debt is within $100 billion of the debt limit. Presumably such certification would come immediately upon enactment of this bill. The President would get an additional $500 billion debt-ceiling increase if the Congress failed to pass a resolution of disapproval, subject to expedited procedures in the House and Senate (similar procedure to McConnell plan). If the resolution of disapproval passed, the President would presumably veto it, and the Congress could only override it with a two-thirds vote in both houses, pursuant to Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution. If, after the debt ceiling is increased by $900 billion, the President later certifies that the federal debt is again within $100 billion of the debt limit, the President could request up to $1.6 trillion in additional debt, subject to the same disapproval procedures above. This debt limit increase would be contingent on the joint committee described below leading to enactment of a deficit reduction package in excess of $1.6 trillion.

JOINT COMMITTEE. The bill would create a twelve-member Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, which would be required to provide original recommendations (including legislative language) to "significantly" improve both the short- and long-term fiscal imbalance of the federal government, as well as to consider the recommendations from existing standing committees of Congress. The goal of the committee would be to reduce the deficit by $1.8 trillion. A majority of the committee (seven members) would be able to report its legislative recommendations for reducing the deficit before Thanksgiving, and such legislation would be subject to expedited consideration in both houses. The bill does not prevent the joint committee from reporting legislation to increase taxes.

MANDATORY SPENDING.The legislation provides funding to fill a shortfall of $17 billion (over two years) for the federal Pell Grant program. The bill more than offsets this spending by terminating Direct Loan Repayment Incentives, as well as subsidized loans for graduate students. Beyond that, the bill envisions any mandatory spending changes being done via the Joint Committee described above.

I think it is clear that John Boehner is not our friend.

It’s All Too Odd | RedState

I recent years I have learned to apply a test to rumors:

1) The first time you hear it or see it in print.  Ignore it.

2) The second time you hear it or see it in print.  Pay attention.

3) The third time you hear it or see it in print you can take it to the bank because it’s true.

Here is the first mention

http://www.rollcall.com/news/house_could_vote_wednesday_on_boehner_plan-207632-1.html?pos=hfph

Here is the second mention

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/07/25/staff-briefing-notes-on-the-boehner-plan/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

This morning I have seen the third mention  of the McConnell option appearing in print.

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/07/27/its-all-too-odd/

It’s quacking people and I‘m pretty sure you can take this one to the bank.  If it concerns you that this or any President would have this type of power over our debt then go home and forget about it.  If this sends chills up your spine then fax, call, tweet or in general contact your congressmen and tell them no!

I’d also like to address those of you who are concerned about getting your checks if the debt ceiling isn’t raised.

We currently borrow 40 cents of every dollar.  If our debt increases anymore without drastic cuts that bring our revenues back in line toward paying our bills.  You can forget about being concerned about your checks coming.  They won’t.  We have no money!  Think about it.  A short period of time without a check and FOREVER without a check.  If we do not bring this in line now we will all be eating garbage and no one will be taking anything to the bank.

It’s All Too Odd | RedState

New Soldiers

 

Everyday our elected officials send American men and women into war zones under the pretext that they are protecting our nation from harm.  It is not my intent to diminish the service of these brave Americans.  It is my intent to point out that there have been no wars or non wars that have been fought on foreign soil since WWII that may not have been better served to actually protect America by staying at home and building our defenses here. Still our soldiers fight to the death to protect us.

Today our elected officials were sent into the trenches to protect us from a very real threat to our nation.  Many fought bravely.  So many in fact that the bill that could have saved our nation from harm was passed in the House and narrowly shot down over the Senate floor.

You cannot give up this fight.  We know you’re tired.  We know you are frustrated.  You cannot cave.  You must run this through the House again and fire it back to the Senate.  You do not want to surrender in this battle.  The is the one battle that determines if we live under tyranny or if we emerge into the light of fiscal responsibility to be the nation we are meant to be.

Cheri H Dorbritz

I am a city girl.  Not the big city just “in town”.  I’ve been fortunate enough for many years to live rurally.  I’m never far from civilization, but I’m definitely outside the city limits.  I have been blessed with a couple of friends who are of the farming ilk and they have been gracious enough to school me in water conservation ( a must when living on a well and a conventional septic system), canning, gardening and most all things rural. 

One of these friends gifted me with a jar of worms a few years back for my birthday.  I can honestly tell you that this was hands down the best birthday gift I ever received.  Under his direction I was able to take this small jar of red worms in shredded news paper and parlay it into two functioning worm beds for myself and some for friends.  These little critters have provided me with high grade compost for my garden for literally no cost.  I feed them garbage they give me compost tea for my grapes and berries as well as compost for my garden.  My garden is raised beds (which can be problematic) and this year was our best yet despite record heat and no rain.

For many years I’ve been concerned about the hormones being pumped into our food products.  I believe this is a contributor to early onset puberty in our children and cancer in adults.  I buy hormone free whenever possible, but since I live outside a town and not a large urban center my options are limited.  A suggestion ( from of all people my chiropractor) put me on the path to an urban chicken tractor.  I began to research them and found the idea to be interesting.  Then information from a friend of a friend who actually raises chickens commercially ( it appears the aim is to get a chicken to process ready in three to five weeks time) the total lack of hormone free eggs at my local grocery and rising food prices convinced me to take the leap.

After much wailing and gnashing of teeth I finally convinced my wonderful husband to build me a chicken tractor.  It took us a month of weekends, 2 or three divorces and a lot of use of the words stupid and boob but we produced a chicken tractor. 

Ova Office VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We shopped around for hormone free food, gathered up pine shavings, waterers, and food dishes and after a couple of weeks thought we were ready for chickens.  We took the grandkids with us to pick out the chickens ( you can’t actually pick a in the heat it’s sort of like catching fish in a tank and you give up long before the chicken does), settled on mature layers ( better able to survive the record heat) and took our purchases home to their home. 

Chickens VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The whole point to this is that next to my worms this is the greatest thing I’ve ever had.  Foghorn Leghorn ( not actually a leghorn or a male), Chicken Hawk ( not actually a chicken hawk) and Selena Gomez (need I reiterate?) are wheeled around our 3/4 acre fenced area several times a day.  They eat, they lay eggs and someday if I have enough courage they will end up in a stock pot.  I clean the poop out of their coop a couple of times a week to put in the composter and several times a day I herd them into their coop in order for the dogs to go out (our basset hound believes they are squeaky toys made for her) and I put them up at night to protect them from predators.  Other than that they are not much trouble.  

Alright…Honestly there have been a couple of incidents.  First our grandson waited until we brought the chickens home to decide he wanted to “pet a chicken”.  Don’t ask the experienced chicken handler we purchased them from if you can pet a chicken. Wait until you get home and ask Mimi.  Having seen the claws and beaks on these birds up close Mimi had no choice but to inform him that you can’t pet a chicken.  Tears ensued and Mimi felt like a heel, but there was no chicken petting. I chose to live with the guilt of having warped my grandchild because he will be forced to grow up without having petted a chicken.

The other incident was a chicken break.  Due to my own negligence one escaped about a week after setting up house.  Selena found this extremely liberating.  She fluttered pecked and scratched her way around the yard while I built and elaborate contraption of trash cans, boards, garden carts and sheets designed to funnel her back into he home.  With a window screen in one hand and a board in the other I tried unsuccessfully for an hour in the blistering heat to heard her into the tunnel and thus into the coop from which she had escaped.

During this hour ( when I would get her just shy of the tunnel before she squawked and flew off) two thoughts occurred to me as I sweated buckets and set off to round her up again

1) If my shotgun had been handy there would have been chicken for dinner and

2) They don’t charge nearly enough for eggs.

I also wondered what the appropriate course of action should be if she decided to fly over the four foot fence and take off.  Should I put up Chicken wanted posters or act ignorant and allow her to live the life of a vagabond chicken?

Eventually my husband came home and as I herded her around the cage he opened the door and she stepped in.  It took all of 5 minutes.  I was left to dismantle my tunnel in the heat and hate his smugness.  I am much more careful now, but I am also a few steps closer to placing one in the stock pot when her laying days are over (I was initially having visions of elderly chickens hobbling around the yard living out their golden years until they keeled over dead and were buried in the chicken cemetery we’d construct on the back acreage).

I can tell you that whatever trouble they might be is totally eradicated when you open the door and there sits an egg or two.  It’s like Christmas. So if you’ve never heard of an urban chicken tractor look it up and if you live in a city especially check out red worms.  Both are easy to care for, don’t cost much and (for me at least) are a source of personal satisfaction that I can say “I did it!”.

 

 

Cheri H Dorbritz

Caveat Emptor: Boehner Says There’s A Deal | RedState

http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/07/07/caveat-emptor-boehner-says-theres-a-deal/#postcomment

All any of us ever wanted to do was work our jobs, live our lives and mind our own business'.  Once we have been made aware of this kind of crap we are forced to FOREVER live our lives keeping an eye on the fedgov and our elected representatives.  All those people who believed they could come out in droves against obamacare and that was the end of it must surely understand that this is now a forever thing.  While we harangue the debt ceiling we are misdirected from permanent fixes to permanent problems.  Congressional term limits, flat (not Fair(please if nothing else the last 2 1/2 years should have taught us to be suspicious of anything with FAIR in the title... It would be anything but)) tax, bans on executive orders, bans on Czars, bans on nuclear options and all the many other little tricks politicians have devised over the years to stay in power, side step our Constitution and ruin our children.  No friends, if you are truly serious, if you truly believe we are no longer a free nation and if you ever want your children and grandchildren to live in the America we knew, you can never again let your guard down.

Caveat Emptor: Boehner Says There’s A Deal | RedState

Replace Boehner

I am seeing nothing roll out of the House of Representatives that makes me want to stand up and cheer.  How 'bout you guys?  We give the Republicans the largest victory they've had in years and what do we get for it?  Literally nothing.
I constantly hear Boehner talking about Obama not being a leader.  Well frankly, I don't think Boehner is much of a leader.  He has spent all his time spouting off like a gusher and then rolling over like a lap dog for Obama.
Obama commits our military and our money to a non-war in Lybia without consulting our elected Representatives (who are supposed to control the purse strings) and they do nothing.
Obama insinuates he will skirt our Constitution and borrow without our elected Representatives consent and WE THE TAXPAYER will have to pay it back and we hear not a word from them.
The Federal Reserve is running amok and our elected Representatives do nothing.
We have a Republican judge agreeing that it's okay for Obamacare to FORCE an individual to purchase healthcare and our elected Republican Representatives vote to repeal Obamacare and think that gets them off the hook.
I believe it is time for John Boehner to resign and hand the position of Speaker of the House over to someone that will actually lead as the voters had hoped they would immediately after the election.

Fruit for the Fruitless

Red State's Morning briefing says we should call Speaker Boehner and thank him for blocking Obama recess appointments.  Give me a break Erick.  Or are you just desperate to find anything good this Repub led House has done?  He wants us to thank this Rhino for doing the job he was elected to do and has shirked since the Repubs took control of the House in November? Maybe we should also thank him for not initiating impeachment proceedings against a President who has committed us to war action without congressional approval?  How about we congratulate him on all the savings he's implemented for taxpayers?Sure!  Let's send him a fruit basket.
I Know I'm feelin' the love.  How 'bout you?

A Great Idea.

This came to me in an email today.    Is it true?  I don't know, but I like it!.  I'm putting one up this weekend and I hope everyone else does too.

 

 

"When driving to, from, and through  Frankenmuth, Michigan, I'm always intrigued with the many small simple crosses in the front yards of the homes we pass by.  Those crosses are a statement of support for Frankenmuth's Christian foundation.

Two years ago an atheist living there complained about two crosses on a bridge in town.   He requested that they be removed and the town removed them. He then decided that, since he was so successful with that, the city shield should also be changed since it had on it, along with other symbols, a heart with a cross inside signifying the city's Lutheran beginnings.
At that point, the residents decided they had enough.  Hundreds of residents made their opinions known by placing small crosses in their front yards.   Seeing this quiet but powerful statement from the community, the man removed his complaint.  Those simple  crosses remain in those front yards today. 
After passing those crosses for two years, it finally hit me that a small cross in millions of front yards across our country could provide a powerful and inspiring message for all Americans passing them every day.  I think it might be time to take this idea across America.
We have an administration that says "we are not a Christian nation" and everywhere you look the ACLU and others are trying to remove from our history and current lives any reference to God, prayer, or the fact that our country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.  Our administration can't bring themselves to talk about "radical Muslims or Islamic terrorists" for fear of offending them, but they can talk about Americans "clinging to their guns and their religion", or insinuate that our own military troops coming home from service overseas might turn into terrorists.   The majority of Americans are Christians, why are we letting this happen to us.

It's time to stand up and make a statement. a small, quiet, but powerful statement.  If you agree, place a small white cross in your front yard or garden for all to see that they are not alone.  It would be a beautiful thing to see crosses all across America.

God has richly blessed America but America is falling short of returning thanks for it...we can help to change that."

Politico Speak

A Kinetic Military Action
It is another reason to impeach BO. So why are our legislators not taking action? Well, you know, we have to protect these poor people. Well how about us. We're poor people over here . They could have taken what they spent on the tomahawks and gas alone and paid the taxpayer back some of the SS they've stolen from us over the years. Oh I know they didn't steal it...they just borrowed it.
Give me a break..."Kinetic Military Action"?  Do they think we're stupid?  "A military action in motion"?

Have I Fallen Down the Rabbit Hole

We are bombing a leader no one knows how to spell his name, on a decision made by a man no one really knows who he is to defend a foreign policy so convoluted that we declare a man an enemy,suspect him of being behind the bombing of an aircraft then shake his hand, set up shop in his dictatorship and give him foreign aid.  I find myself(a staunch conservative with libertarian leanings) agreeing with Dennis Kucinich, Ralph Nader and Alan Colmes.  The only explanation I can come up with is that I've fallen down the rabbit hole.  It gets curiouser and curiouser.
Our leader(that no one really knows who he is) has a tendency to escape to South American nations every time there is a controversial decision to be made.  He was in Latin America when it was announced the controversial Clean Air Act was passed on April 17, 2009.  That piece of job killing, natural resource crippling legislation that we all loved and held dear.  You know the one where business' carbon emissions can be taxed, but there is a surprising lack of enforcement against our own wasteful government whose carbon footprint makes everyone else's look like fairy foot prints.
Now he's in Latin America whooping it up with the Brazilians when he commits our military resources to a Libyan attack without bothering to get congressional approval.
No one comprehends the expense of these operations.  Changing the theatre from Iraq to Afghanistan or even supporting a theatre can figure nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in one day of contract awards from the DOD.  The missile's, the fuel, the loss of equipment are all ongoing expenses in an engagement.  Then there are the American lives put at risk.  Always the last considered and yet the greatest potential for loss that should ever be considered and one that should be put above all others.  The immaturity of this President becomes evident when we have planes go down in Libya.  Despite the total disregard for our Constitution in skirting congress' approval, is he really prepared to accept the responsibility for the potential loss of American lives in this action?  If lives are lost he and Hillary will jointly share the responsibility for those lives, because they rushed into this action and did not consult congress.
Obama is the self proclaimed King of America.  He refuses to enforce our laws based on his and members of his administrations ideology and gambles with American lives and jobs as if they were his toys and there is no congressional leadership to force him to abide by our constitution.  Boehner seems to think all he has to do is make an attempt to curb spending and he has done all that is needed.
I find myself aligning with the likes of Kucinich, Nader and Colmes when they are the only ones demanding that this union-puppet king be brought to task for his actions. 
We have all fallen down the rabbit hole and every minute we hold our breath waiting for the next shoe to drop.  I'm tired of it.  If he cannot abide by our law then he must be impeached.  There is no other way to return to sanity or the rule of law that is our Constitution.

When did the hero switch hats?

Happy St. Patrick's Day.  I'm surprised liberal New Yorker's still celebrate the day the Catholic priest drove the snakes (pagans) from Ireland.  It is (after all) Christian related.  Still it was a great time in Irish history and a time when hero's still wore white hats which brings me to the point of today's blog. 
I'm watching FOX this morning and they show a bunch of River dancers in front of the studio dressed in black riot gear with black skull helmets on in celebration of St. Patrick's Day.  Now this is not my idea of what should greet me on t.v. on this particular day.  The title of the riot gear/skull helmet exhibition was "Defending Ireland."  Okay.  I get it now, but that made me think, "When did the hero switch hats?"
When did the hero stop showing up in shining white armor that blinded the enemy(remember Gandalf in LOR The Two Towers appearing on the morning of the fifth day dressed in white with white hair flowing and the blinding white light of the moring sun behind him) to drive back the black hat wearing evil doers? 
I understand that law enforcement often don black riot gear to "appear" more formidible and threatening to give the perpetrator pause.  I also understand that the military at times choose the black gear in order to dissappear under the cover of darkness.  These are definately the "good" guys.  There are reasons they dress this way.  Just as there are reasons large people wear black...it slims. The Goth subculture favors black clothing, nails, etc. because it sets them apart and makes them easily identifiable and possibly because it slims.  Black is a warm color and an excellent neutral.  It can also be very dramatic when paired with white or red, but it is very difficult to associate black with a "good" feeling or with a hero or savior.
I think this fits with the trend in recent years for literary, film and television anti-hero's.  You know the one's.  The firefighter who saves lives and buildings while destroying himself and his loved ones with his alcoholism.  The doctor who brings lives back from the brink with his uncanny diagnostic skills while pushing himself over the edge with an illegal and unprofessional addiction.  Even criminals are often glorified like the hired killer who ends up sacrificing himself in order to save a little girl he's befriended.  Have we reached the point where there are no truly heroic "white hat" types?  You know the ones that make the right descisions even when it's not the easy one.  The one's whose heroic deeds are truly an extension of their upright/moral personal lives.
Everyone knows immagery is a powerful tool.  Black is the color of death.  It is the color of mourning, loss, regret, sorrow, depression, anger and (yes) evil.  If we're going to dance in celebration of a hero's battle against the evil serpent (pagans) shouldn't we be wearing a costume that symbolizes good rather than evil?  When did we lower our standards?  When did we decide it's okay to be good with a pinch of bad or redeem a lifetime of murder by saving one life?  Shouldn't we all be trying to wear white hats rather than telling ourselves and our children dirty gray or black is okay?

Could it Be?

I was listening to the news the other night and heard coverage of the rebels in Libya.  These were guys in the areas that the rebels have supposedly taken control of.  What I found interesting (and believe me I was not rivited by the report I was actually fixing dinner at the time) was when I heard one rebel speaking and it caught my attention that his English was as good as mine.  That's when I put aside what I was doing and actually watched the report.  This man didn't look middle eastern and he certainly didn't sound middle eastern.   He looked as American as I and his diction was actually far better than mine, because I am a Texan with a cajun slur thrown in.  So over the next few days I began to pay closer atention to these reports.  Once again I personally saw and heard a rebel who did not look like any of the other rebels he was with and he did not sound like the rebels he was with.
Today I saw a report where the rebel actually identified himself as an expatriated Libyan who had been living in the Netherlands or something (I think he said Amsterdam) and he had come home to help his people.  I did not doubt him.  That's okay.  That's a good thing.  What concerns me is are there Progressive, Marxist, Socialist, Communist Americans sticking their noses into the affairs of these people?
I don't know.  I'm just asking, "Could it be?"

Keep it Close

I'll make this brief.  State's need to get their strategy in order becausee what is going down in WI will be coming to a state near you soon.  You are dealing with liberal/socialist/marxist/communist unions and dems that care only about their agenda (which is squeezing the American taxpayer for all they can and riding this great nation into the ground).  These people are militant and corrupt and they have your stimulus dollars backing them up.  They don't care about anything except enriching themselves and their dem buddies are even worse because they can't even show up to do the job they were elected to do.  Corrupt physicians will even weigh in with excuses for the unexcuseable.
So get your strategy on now, keep it close and keep it secret because as soon as you try to cut the money line to these boobs the same thing will happen in your state.

WI is Ground Zero in the Fight to Right what's Wrong

It's Saturday 5 a.m. and I turn on the news to see the idiocy still going on in WI.  Apparently the legislature has adjourned because the Dems have run away and are hiding out so that they don't have to vote to take away collective bargaining for the teachers.
Now the first thing I have to tell you is that if I was a WI taxpayer I wouldn't want these boobs teaching my children.  I also would be removing from office the childish run-a-ways as quickly as possible so that the legislature could do the job it was elected to do.  But the most important thing I would be doing this morning is asking myself is this a good use of my tax dollar, because that is at the heart of the current demonstration.
It's not about the children or teachers being fairly compensated.  It's about push-back and money for union coffers.  Look at the union leadership, look at what they are doing.  This is a show of force and a threat to the American taxpayer to say, "Bend to our will or chaos will reign".
You should also know that you have the current administration and the 111th Congress to thank for this mess.  Why? Oh please!  Do you really think the GM bailout was to save the auto industry?  No.  It was specifically a money pipeline for the union.  Hand washes hand.  The unions threw united support behind BO and when you sign on the line with the devil there is always a payment due.
Don't just end with the GM bailout, the biggest union support payoff came in the form of Stimulus 1, Unemployment Extensions, and the First Responders Compensation.  These were nothing but pipelines funneled directly into union coffers.  That's right your tax dollars are being used to finance everything going on in WI right now.  Witness that by OFA's involvement in this fiasco.  BO's adopted child has run off with your tax dollars and is now biting WI taxpayers in the butt.
Your tax dollars were never intended to help people.  They were intended to keep people without jobs quiet and happy and replenish the union coffers so that they could try to bring hard working Americans to heel.  Make them obey the unions.  Make them fear the unions.
Frankly unions have no place in the public sector.  Who will they bargain with? Unions in the public sector bargain with elected officials who are playing with OPM (other people's money).  Witness that with the WI teachers.  They believe if they cripple the education system and disrupt the statehouse the OPM will continue to flow because no one would dare fire them.
Then we have news that the illustrious DNC has their toe in the pool.  My aren't you proud to know that your elected officials are working against you WI?  I'll bet that the WI taxpayer is thrilled to know that DNC donations are going to support the other states in which the WI Dems are hiding.
Let's pause to speculate for a moment.  Let's say Walker caves to the teachers union & allows the status quo to continue, will the children in this state get a better education?  No, because the fact is that most of the funds streaming into education nationwide are going to feed the teachers and their unions.  Children are being babysat in schools not educated.  Most don't even have funds to purchase textbooks for each child.  They have shared textbooks for class only.  Public schools are holding fundraisers not for wanted (or needed) playground equipment, but for overhead projectors, computers and other basic equipment.
Then our illustrious President weighs in and of course it's on the side of the unions.
The teachers in WI should be fired for contract violations and BO should be impeached for misappropriation of funds and malfeasance in office.  The public employees need to remember they are civil servants.  That means to serve the citizens.  Their jobs should always be at the whim of the taxpayer and they should NOT HAVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
If we all truly love our children and grandchildren we need to take our schools away from the government and put them back in the hands of the states.  People in WI know what is best for their children, people in Ohio know what is best for their children, and the federal government doesn't have a clue as to what is best for anyone's children.
Don't back down WI, don't back down Gov Walker, and don't back down legislature.  Bring it all to a halt, because if you don't stop it now.  The flood gates on unions gouging governments and taxpayers will open and never end.
And ask yourself, "Do I really want these people teaching my children?"