"The Powers That Be!"

Do you remember the name "Pravda"; it was one of the communist newspapers in the old Soviet Union. Pravda spouted the party line in all issues; alternate opinions in the Soviet Union weren't too well received. Soviet Gulags were filled with men and women who openly spoke or wrote anything that was critical of the government. All government policies were sacrosanct and beyond the reach of criticism from anyone. If you dared to speak against the government, off to prison you'd go!

In Germany, after Adolph Hitler took power; the Gestapo made sure criticism of the Third Reich was made impossible through murder and imprisonment. Doors were kicked in and people were hauled off never to be seen again. The Fuhrer didn't appreciate dissenting speech from anyone! We all know what happened to those who questioned the "Little Corporal", and his ideas about National Socialism! Criticism of NAZI policies was discouraged!

I love our first amendment rights! Free speech is a great thing and we are most blessed to have it in America; yet we should never take it for granted. I say things in my blogs that are not very complimentary about our current President; it is my right to do so. I'm sure there are people who don't like what I write; that is their right. I don't like much of what Barack Obama has done since he took the office of President, and I'm quite verbose about it; I feel safe in my criticism under my first amendment guarantee. No American government should ever stifle free speech or criticism of any administration!

I have owned many Ford products in my life. I still fondly remember my 1991 F-150 pick-up truck, as one of the most reliable vehicles I've ever owned. Ford didn't take any government bail-out money from the Obama Stimulus, and I laud them for this. Smart business has made Ford a profitable and successful company. Recently, Ford has been running commercials with ordinary customers about the vehicles they have purchased, and they have been very effective. One commercial in which a customer stated he bought his Ford because Ford didn't take government bail-out money; this certain commercial is being pulled out because of alleged pressure from the Obama White House. Evidently, a veiled threat was made, saying the Ford commercial was too critical of Obama's bail-out of the auto industry. A call from the White House can be an intimidating thing; it brings about thoughts of "audits" and "investigations" that could be initiated from "BIG BROTHER"! I understand Ford pulling their ad because of the fear of a spurious investigation and inquisition.

What we must ask ourselves is this; what is coming next? If a successful corporation can be bullied by any administration, what will that administration stifle next? Who that criticizes this administration now is safe? Will we face "audits" from the IRS? When will our doors be "kicked in" because we have the audacity to criticize the powers that be?

(This is my last blog this week, I have numerous appointments so I will talk to all of you on Monday; if the "secret police" don't come and get me!)

"Droppin' Those Gs!"

I'm of Italian heritage; I grew up in a neighborhood that was predominantly of Italian heritage and we all had similar households. We had a certain amount of Italian spoken in our homes and I'm sure most of us remember some of the "words" that mean things only to us. My wife is of Jewish heritage, and grew up in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, and I'm sure she still knows "words" that only have meaning to her and her friends of Jewish heritage.

The movies have given America a look inside their perception of what they believe Italian homes are like. Movies like "The Godfather", "Goodfellas", "Rocky" and "Saturday Night Fever" project a speech pattern that most non-Italians believe is the norm for Italian-Americans. To an extent this may be true, as many young people feel they must "play the role" if they have any Italian blood in their veins. I rarely say "AYYY!", or "WHOAA!", and I have never "Whacked!" anybody (although I have thought about it). I never say "Forgettaboutit!" or call my fellow Italians "Dagos" or "Guineas"! I find this type of language disrespectful and insulting to people who produced DaVinci and Verdi. I believe a command of the English language is a mark of intelligence; I dislike being "talked down to".

Barack Obama made a speech recently to a predominantly black audience for political support, which is fine, yet I believe Mr. Obama was talking down to his audience. During the course of his speech, he began "dropping his Gs" at the end of his words; "complainIN, grumblIN" were two examples of this speech pattern. I, obviously, am not a black man, but I most certainly would have been offended at this blatant attempt to "lower" the caliber of the speech to appear as "one of the crowd". I'm sure Rudy Guilianni never said "AYYY!!" to an Italian-American crowd; it would have been an act of disrespect to those folks. Slang and street talk won't endear any politician to his audience. Mr. Obama's speech wasn't well received by his listeners for both his speech pattern and his content, as he chided his audience about "cryin", saying they should take off their "bedroom slippers" and "puttin in their marchin boots". The black community in America is at an unemployment rate of over 20 per cent, and I don't think casting a shadow over their situation will help Mr. Obama.

Mr. Obama, I believe that Harvard education that we have all heard about would be better served if you didn't purposely butcher the English language to pander to the crowd; it is a disservice to Harvard, and the crowd!

"WILD-CARD!!"

In my younger days, I was a man who liked an occasional game of chance; I would rarely turn down an invitation to a good poker game. At times, some of these games became a little pricey and quite a bit of money was lying on the table. I remember one game where a close friend of mine lost his car. We always had one hard and fast rule; no wild-card games. If you are a "parlor gambler" who plays for pennies or just for "fun", you have probably engaged in games that include wild-cards. For those of you who don't play poker, a wild-card is any card that can be designated to enhance your hand. Games like "Acey-Deucey", with aces and deuces wild, or "baseball" with 3s and 9s wild, can lead to a hand with six kings or eight queens; no real gambler will sit in at a game like that. Wild-cards can change the entire strategy of a poker player's skills; there is no way to plan your hand with the presence of wild-cards. You won't find any wild-card games in Las Vegas or Reno!

Next year, we will be having our nation's biggest "Poker Game", the Presidential Election of 2012. In November, Americans will be gambling on who they think will do the best job as Chief Executive in the United States for the next four years. The Democrats will most likely re-nominate incumbent President, Barack Obama, barring a "dark horse" who could possibly challenge him.

The Republicans have a field of politicians, few of whom could be labeled as progressive or liberal, and all of whom are conservative when compared to our current President. There is one person running for the nomination who differs from the rest of the field in one area; he is not now, nor has he ever been a politician: that man is Herman Cain, CEO of the Godfather Pizza chain. Mr. Cain is a businessman with common sense, conservative ideas and a candor that seems to ring true to many prospective voters. Mr. Cain is the "Wild-Card" in the Republican race for the presidential nomination. Oh, by the way, Mr. Cain is black, yet those supposed racists from the Republican Party seem to be embracing him anyway; now there is a shock for you! Mr. Cain's entrance into this race has been welcomed by many conservative voters, including the TEA Party (you know, the racists). Should Mr. Cain win in the primaries and receive the nomination of the Republican Party, it will most certainly cause many on the left consternation because they will be forced to abandon their charges of racism against almost every conservative American. You see how much a wild-card can screw up your game!

I like Herman Cain; I don't know if he can get the nomination or if he is the best candidate; but he is a "game changer" for the entire field of candidates and our incumbent President. I can't wait to see what cards the dealer will turn next, in America's "Big Game"!

"Class Clown"

Did you have a "class clown" when you were in school; you know that guy who would make remarks during class or eat bugs in the playground? I think all of us remember someone like that. We would usually laugh at him, and that is exactly what he wanted. Guys like that need attention and will do almost anything to get it. Unfortunately for them, their actions usually ended with a trip to the "office" and a talk with the principal; or worse, a conference with their parents. I'm sure we've all walked by the office and seen the "seats of shame" where those "class clowns" and other miscreants sat waiting to find out their fate, nobody looked too happy to be there. Those poor souls all got their moments of attention and now they pay the price. Strangely, I don't remember any of the "wise remarks" made by those "sages of the classroom" as well as I remember their "rewards" for making them. Today, I just remember them as foolish and not too bright; but in the fifth grade, you are allowed some foolish behavior; as an adult, it doesn't go over very well.

Yesterday, Iranian lunatic, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, made a speech to the United Nations. As I have written several articles about Mr. Ahmadinejad in the past, I wasn't expecting any surprises from this "empty barrel" of echoing hatred. Mr. Ahmadinejad is the poster boy for "birth control"; his parents could have been better served watching late night television instead of conceiving this misanthrope. Once again, Ahmadinejad questioned the Holocaust, as he is one of the world's most vocal anti-Semites and is dedicated to Israel's destruction. This lunatic stated that the 9-11 attacks were "mysterious", insinuating U.S. government involvement in this crime against humanity. He even said Osama bin Laden's burial at sea was a "cover up" by the United States!

At this point of his speech, American and some European representatives walked out of the auditorium in disgust. As usual, he condemned the United States system of free enterprise and our republican form of government. In the end, he proved himself to be the same fool he has been in the past, continuing his insane ranting and hate filled rhetoric.

When will this "class clown" be called into the "Principal's office"? How many members of his "class" are paying attention to him? I don't hold much hope that the United Nations will do anything to limit the poison that this dangerous fool says, or does. If this "Class Clown" decides to really "act up", what will the result be?

"Taking the 5th!!"

I like gangster movies; obviously, I believe the "Godfather" is the benchmark for all gangster movies. I saw Michael in "Godfather II" sit in front of a Senate Committee on organized crime and it seemed very authentic. Having grown up in the 50s and 60s, I saw several Senate hearings on television. I remember the Kefauver Committee on organized crime during the middle 50s when some Mafia members were questioned by the Senate panel. At times, during the hearing, the man being questioned would lean over to his attorney and after council from him he would invoke his 5th amendment right against self incrimination. I remember a newspaper kept a count as to how many times the men questioned "took the 5th" during their time on the stand. It was very interesting watching men with well-documented connections to organized crime use our Constitution to shield them from honest inquiry. Although this constant using of the 5th amendment created an air of guilt, it was a perfectly legal maneuver, and is the right of every citizen in America. One funny statement was made when a man questioned answered that he "refused to answer on the grounds that his answer could incinerate him"; and he may have been right. Many of those questioned were in fear of their "Bosses", who would eliminate them or their families without conscience in order to protect themselves: "taking the 5th" was an easy way out for those alleged lawbreakers.

Solyndra, the "Green" corporation that was highly touted by Barack Obama, is now under Senate investigation. Solyndra received 528 million dollars of the Obama stimulus to create "green jobs" in America. Since receiving these funds, Solyndra has gone bankrupt, sticking America for the loss of over 1/2 billion dollars. Strangely, when this same company tried to get funding from the Bush administration, it was turned down as a bad risk; one expert said this company would probably go bankrupt by September of 2011; how prophetic was that? When Barack Obama took office, Solyndra was put on the fast track for funding; do you find this suspect? If this wasn't criminal it was, to say the least, very bad judgment!

Friday, Solyndra executives will be questioned by the Senate, and they have already stated that they will be taking the 5th amendment during questioning. I can understand bad business decisions and suffering a loss; that is not criminal, so why the 5th? Who, or what, is being protected by this action? How far up the ladder could this hearing go; could it reach the White House? These men may not be wearing "silk suits and fedoras" but they are certainly using a "thugs defense" while on the stand. I think they may be taking orders from "The Don"!

"Theft From The U.N."

I live in Central Illinois; I've been a resident of Illinois my entire life, except while I was in the Army. The first fifty years of my life were spent in Chicago, which I remember fondly. I, like all Illinoisans, spent time visiting Wisconsin and Indiana; it was like going to a foreign land when I was a young boy. When we crossed the border, it was like an event to all of us kids; we didn't know what to expect from those strangers from another state!

Wisconsin is a very pretty state; it has some rolling hills, which to someone from Illinois is quite an attraction; it has lots of "cheese stores" which my mother liked and it is filled with Green Bay Packer fans, which I didn't particularly care for, but all in all, it is a nice place to visit. But, as the old saying goes, "I wouldn't want to live there". Luckily, we are separated by the border with little chance of being annexed by Wisconsin. I would be very upset to find out that Wisconsin wanted to take parts of Illinois as its' own; it doesn't have that right, although they could take some politicians who most Illinoisans wouldn't miss!

The United Nations is trying to take parts of Israel and give them to Palestine in order to create a nation that, at this time, doesn't exist. I find this infringement from a third party into something that is clearly an Israeli issue quite disturbing. I don't believe the U.N. has any real jurisdiction in this matter; it seems to advocate the forced release of territory from a sovereign nation into the hands of what is basically a terrorist organization whose agenda is the destruction of the Israeli people. If the U.N. tried to take some land from France or Germany and surrender it to another nation, do you think they would stand still for it? Perhaps the United States should give some territory back to Mexico (although they already seem to be doing this): I think our Congress would not greet this with much acceptance.

Most of the U.N. has already embraced the idea of giving away Israeli land to the Palestinians, with little argument from anyone. The United States has said they are against this, and President Obama said if this passes, he will stop monetary aid to Palestine. What Mr. Obama should do is stop paying 22% of the U.N. budget if this passes; that will get their attention!

The United Nations and all of its member nations have no right to redistribute the territory of any other nation. All this action will do is make the Middle-East even more unstable than it is now, and give all those Israel haters more ammunition for their hatred.

As an American who believes in a free society and autonomous government, I hope the Israeli Prime Minister dismisses this illegal resolution. This is further proof of the U.N. agenda against the people of Israel. Stand strong Israel; this is your land!

"An Empty Tool Shed"

When I get the morning paper, I read the obits first, then sports and finally the comics. I read "Blondie" every day. I think Dagwood is hilarious, all he thinks about is food and naps; I identify with him! Dagwood has a neighbor named Herb who borrows things from Dagwood instead of buying his own things. Some of us may have neighbors like Herb. I have a lawn mower, a power washer, a hedge trimmer, a chain saw and sundry hand tools and yard items that I store in my shed. I worked a long time to acquire all of my tools, and I make it a practice not to lend them out because many people who borrow things bring them back broken or filthy; it is always accompanied by an apology. I got this way because of my father who kept his tools sorted and clean and stored properly. I don't have any right to my neighbors tools; he paid for them and I didn't. If I were starting a contracting business, I couldn't go to a different contractor and ask him to use his steam shovel or bull dozer: he worked hard to pay for that equipment; I didn't! I have no right to expect someone else to foot the bill for me.

Barack Obama has revealed his "new plan" to reduce the deficit, TAX THE WEALTHY. Oddly, this sounds a lot like his old plan, just like all his new plans sound like his old plans. Mr. Obama wants an additional tax hike on America's investment class; the only group in the United States that has any chance of creating jobs!

I don't know why Barack Obama hates the wealthy, but he does. Barack Obama resents people who have attained great monetary success and believes they should give their money to people who haven't taken the risks and done the hard work it takes to succeed. He has already used the threat of Medicare and Medicaid cuts to frighten senior citizens to push his new tax agenda.

There is an old saying "A poor man never gave me a job!", and this is true. Mr. Obama must face facts; his economic policies have hurt America deeply; his health care debacle is a huge mistake and should be REPEALED. China practically owns America due to a dollar so weak that it has lost respect around the world economy! Obama's remedy is to suck more money away from those who can create jobs; this is stupidity! The words "class warfare" has been used by both sides of the aisle over Obama's proposal. This is worse than class warfare; it is a direct attack on the free market from a man who has never held a job outside of "community organizer". If America wants to get on a fast track to a DOUBLE-DIP RECESSION, all we need to do is listen to Barack Obama. Less tax and less regulation will help us more than trying to tax America to death. Pretty soon now, if we continue on this path, our neighbors "tool shed" will be empty; then who do we borrow from?