Living The Grand Life

Groundhog day again again

2012-02-02T07:27:00.005-07:00

It's Groundhog day again! A day that involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to an insignificant creature of little intelligence for prognostication. Here he is now.

President Barack Obama said in February 2009 that his presidency would be "one-term proposition" if the economy did not recover in three years.

It's Groundhog Day again! He poked out his head, saw the dark and stormy clouds of economic recession and retreated to his burrow. The bad news is 10 more months of misery.

The good news is that it's only ten more months.

NBC lies again

2012-02-02T06:27:00.003-07:00

NBC and the lying liars they call newscasters have lied again. Who's surprised?

Last night they produced a big segment on the announcement that the Komen foundation would not be making a grant to Planned Parenthood.

The Planned Parenthood company line is that they bowed to political pressure from the right.

The hyperventilating newscaster perpetrated the continuing myth that "poor" women would no longer have access to cancer screenings if they could not go to Planned Parenthood. That, of course, is not true. There are many programs for women.

NBC made no effort to present Komen's policy - NBC just shilled for PP. Pitiful

NotRomney wins Florida

2012-02-01T06:52:00.002-07:00

Romney............... 46.4%

Not Romney ........53.6%

Not over yet.

Rumer has it

2012-02-01T04:08:00.002-07:00

Another (small) politician takes (tiny) advantage

2012-01-31T11:19:00.004-07:00

Hey - I'm always willing to respond to a challenge. An anonymous commentator asks why I have not written about the legislator from Western Colorado. If you have not heard the story, read it at the link.

Colorado lawmaker suspended after skirting DUI apologizes on floor

UPATE 2/1/2012: Denver police apologize to lawmaker, say she didn't invoke immunity during DUI stop

Laura Bradford has been a mostly ineffective legislator. I think that is mostly good since most activity by lawmakers causes more problems than they solve.

Here's my deal. I don't care that she used a little fast talking to get out of a ticket. I'm not surprised that a politician has used their position for personal gain. That's what most politicians do. That's why the Founding Fathers were so distrustful of government. That's why they made terms so short. It really should be a regular occurrence of one term and done for legislators.

Put it in perspective, it's not like Holder's fast talking that resulted in more than 300 deaths.

Mr Anonymous, if you really think this is the scandal of the year, attend a county caucus, find a new representative..

Deja Vu all over again

2012-01-31T07:22:00.004-07:00

It's like it was 1979 again.

A weak ineffectual President

A failed energy policy

High misery index (unemployment rate + inflation rate)

And finally....

A developing mid-east hostage crisis - Americans
barred from leaving Egypt seek refuge at US embassy in Cairo

Holder knew

2012-01-31T06:09:00.001-07:00

all about Fast and Furious.

Eric Holder's False Testimony Warrants Impeachment

For incompetence alone, Attorney General Eric Holder should resign in the
wake of the illegal "Fast and Furious" gunrunning scandal. But fresh news that
he knew of it and is covering it up warrants impeachment.

Read the whole thing.

Saving the economy- one lace corset at a time

2012-01-30T06:08:00.006-07:00

US First Lady Michelle Obama spent $50,000 in one shopping spree at a luxury lingerie shop.

Agent Provocateur, which is styled on vintage Hollywood glamour, sells handmade Calais lace corsets that sell for up to $1400 each.

The First Lady closed off part of Madison Avenue to spend time in the luxury lingerie shop.

Hard times and Walmart are for the little people.

**No pictures were included in this post. You're welcome**

The End of Global Warming

2012-01-30T05:52:00.000-07:00

The editors and staff at Grand Life have long thought that Algore's Global warming was a hoax perpetrated to create another tax.

It turns out we were right, but you'll probably never read or hear the story in the MSM.

Forget global warming - it's Cycle 25 we need to worry about (and if NASA scientists are right the Thames will be freezing over again)

The supposed ‘consensus’ on man-made global warming is facing an inconvenient challenge after the release of new temperature data showing the planet has not warmed for the past 15 years.

The figures suggest that we could even be heading for a mini ice age to rival the 70-year temperature drop that saw frost fairs held on the Thames in the 17th Century.

Romney and his Achilles’ heel

2012-01-29T07:41:00.000-07:00

Just saw a Romney supporter on the news. She said RomneyCare is completely different from ObamaCare.

One requires an individual citizen to buy a commodity as a condition of living and breathing in the federal territory of the U.S.

One requires an individual citizen to buy a commodity as a condition of living and breathing in the state territory of Massachusetts.

So it's OK for a totality of government intrusion into your life, but only if it is the right level of government?

Not for me - I don't want any government, at any level, making the kind of life decisions that will be made. I don't suddenly think it's fine if it's the city council of Grand Junction. I've seen those bozos in action (apologies to any working clowns).

Any politician who would support and craft such a program just because the citizens in his state "wanted it" is a dangerous person. Leaders are supposed to explain why some wants are folly.

What She Said

2012-01-28T05:53:00.001-07:00

Cannibals in GOP Establishment Employ Tactics of the Left

We have witnessed something very disturbing this week. The Republican establishment which fought Ronald Reagan in the 1970s and which continues to fight the grassroots Tea Party movement today has adopted the tactics of the left in using the media and the politics of personal destruction to attack an opponent.

We will look back on this week and realize that something changed. I have given numerous interviews wherein I espoused the benefits of thorough vetting during aggressive contested primary elections, but this week’s tactics aren’t what I meant. Those who claim allegiance to Ronald Reagan’s 11th Commandment should stop and think about where we are today. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, the fathers of the modern conservative movement, would be ashamed of us in this primary. Let me make clear that I have no problem with the routine rough and tumble of a heated campaign. As I said at the first Tea Party convention two years ago, I am in favor of contested primaries and healthy, pointed debate. They help focus candidates and the electorate. I have fought in tough and heated contested primaries myself. But what we have seen in Florida this week is beyond the pale. It was unprecedented in GOP primaries. I’ve seen it before – heck, I lived it before – but not in a GOP primary race.

I am sadly too familiar with these tactics because they were used against the GOP ticket in 2008. The left seeks to single someone out and destroy his or her record and reputation and family using the media as a channel to dump handpicked and half-baked campaign opposition research on the public. The difference in 2008 was that I was largely unknown to the American public, so they had no way of differentiating between the lies and the truth. All of it came at them at once as “facts” about me. But Newt Gingrich is known to us – both the good and the bad.

We know that Newt fought in the trenches during the Reagan Revolution. As Rush Limbaugh pointed out, Newt was among a handful of Republican Congressman who would regularly take to the House floor to defend Reagan at a time when conservatives didn’t have Fox News or talk radio or conservative blogs to give any balance to the liberal mainstream media. Newt actually came at Reagan’s administration “from the right” to remind Americans that freer markets and tougher national defense would win our future. But this week a few handpicked and selectively edited comments which Newt made during his 40-year career were used to claim that Newt was somehow anti-Reagan and isn’t conservative enough to go against the accepted moderate in the primary race. (I know, it makes no sense, and the GOP establishment hopes you won’t stop and think about this nonsense. Mark Levin and others have shown the ridiculousness of this.) To add insult to injury, this “anti-Reagan” claim was made by a candidate who admitted to not even supporting or voting for Reagan. He actually was against the Reagan movement, donated to liberal candidates, and said he didn’t want to go back to the Reagan days. You can’t change history. We know that Newt Gingrich brought the Reagan Revolution into the 1990s. We know it because none other than Nancy Reagan herself announced this when she presented Newt with an award, telling us, “The dramatic movement of 1995 is an outgrowth of a much earlier crusade that goes back half a century. Barry Goldwater handed the torch to Ronnie, and in turn Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt and the Republican members of Congress to keep that dream alive.” As Rush and others pointed out, if Nancy Reagan had ever thought that Newt was in any way an opponent of her beloved husband, she would never have even appeared on a stage with him, let alone presented him with an award and said such kind things about him. Nor would Reagan’s son, Michael Reagan, have chosen to endorse Newt in this primary race. There are no two greater keepers of the Reagan legacy than Nancy and Michael Reagan. What we saw with this ridiculous opposition dump on Newt was nothing short of Stalin-esque rewriting of history. It was Alinsky tactics at their worst.

But this whole thing isn’t really about Newt Gingrich vs. Mitt Romney. It is about the GOP establishment vs. the Tea Party grassroots and independent Americans who are sick of the politics of personal destruction used now by both parties’ operatives with a complicit media egging it on. In fact, the establishment has been just as dismissive of Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. Newt is an imperfect vessel for Tea Party support, but in South Carolina the Tea Party chose to get behind him instead of the old guard’s choice. In response, the GOP establishment voices denounced South Carolinian voters with the same vitriol we usually see from the left when they spew hatred at everyday Americans “bitterly clinging” to their faith and their Second Amendment rights. The Tea Party was once again told to sit down and shut up and listen to the “wisdom” of their betters. We were reminded of the litany of Tea Party endorsed candidates in 2010 who didn’t win. Well, here’s a little newsflash to the establishment: without the Tea Party there would have been no historic 2010 victory at all.

I spoke up before the South Carolina primary to urge voters there to keep this primary going because I have great concern about the GOP establishment trying to anoint a candidate without the blessing of the grassroots and all the needed energy and resources we as commonsense constitutional conservatives could bring to the general election in order to defeat President Obama. Now, I respect Governor Romney and his success. But there are serious concerns about his record and whether as a politician he consistently applied conservative principles and how this impacts the agenda moving forward. The questions need answers now. That is why this primary should not be rushed to an end. We need to vet this. Pundits in the Beltway are gleefully proclaiming that this primary race is over after Florida, despite 46 states still not having chimed in. Well, perhaps it’s possible that it will come to a speedy end in just four days; but with these questions left unanswered, it will not have come to a satisfactory conclusion. Without this necessary vetting process, the unanswered question of Governor Romney’s conservative bona fides and the unanswered and false attacks on Newt Gingrich will hang in the air to demoralize many in the electorate. The Tea Party grassroots will certainly feel disenfranchised and disenchanted with the perceived orchestrated outcome from self-proclaimed movers and shakers trying to sew this all up. And, trust me, during the general election, Governor Romney’s statements and record in the private sector will be relentlessly parsed over by the opposition in excruciating detail to frighten off swing voters. This is why we need a fair primary that is not prematurely cut short by the GOP establishment using Alinsky tactics to kneecap Governor Romney’s chief rival.

As I said in my speech in Iowa last September, the challenge of this election is not simply to replace President Obama. The real challenge is who and what we will replace him with. It’s not enough to just change up the uniform. If we don’t change the team and the game plan, we won’t save our country. We truly need sudden and relentless reform in Washington to defend our republic, though it’s becoming clearer that the old guard wants anything but that. That is why we should all be concerned by the tactics employed by the establishment this week. We will not save our country by becoming like the left. And I question whether the GOP establishment would ever employ the same harsh tactics they used on Newt against Obama. I didn’t see it in 2008. Many of these same characters sat on their thumbs in ‘08 and let Obama escape unvetted. Oddly, they’re now using every available microscope and endoscope – along with rewriting history – in attempts to character assassinate anyone challenging their chosen one in their own party’s primary. So, one must ask, who are they really running against?

- Sarah Palin

Big dog

2012-01-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

Email of the day...

I used to be a Big Dog, but now the Young 'Uns are passing me by.

Be nice to others, because. . .

Time WILL make a difference

One day you will no longer be the big dog...

just the old dog...

and it's nice to be surrounded by friends!

Repeats

2012-01-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I watched the Big Bang Theory. It was a rerun, but so was the State of the Election speech.

No need to write a new speech if nothing ever gets done.

The State of Obama's re-election camapign

2012-01-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

Big speech tonight. But why talk about the State of the Union when you can talk about yourself?

Same old cliches. Think Obama will mention that the Senate dems have failed to pass a budget for 1000 days? Think he'll mention Fast and Furious? Think he'll mention the green failure of Solyndra? Think he'll mention Iran's nuclear program?

Me neither. So what's the point of even watching. Highlights and summaries will abound on the web tomorrow.

Paper Tiger

2012-01-23T07:11:00.001-07:00

The map is not the territory - the picture is not the thing - you can't eat a recipe.

Anyone who has ever been tasked with hiring knows that what's on paper is but a veiled hint at who the person is.

Mitt's got a perfect resume. On paper he should be a easy pick. He has experience, success, good looks and good hair. His family is perfect.

But he is Mr. Stiff. He just doesn't get it.

Newt won big by attacking. But Newt won on his attacks on the welfare state and the liberal press. Newt is attacking Obama and the liberal culture. Newt catches on to what people want.

Mit apparently thought, "Attacks work - I should start attacking too." Mitt Romney: Newt Gingrich is a ‘failed leader,’ ‘disgrace’

That is not a good tactic. Mitt should be attacking Obama and the liberal culture. He should say something like "Newt's right, but I can do it better".

I don't think Romney will get the nomination.

Mitt's father

2012-01-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Shades of Algore. The Ghosts of ‘68

The father’s setback (a failed run for president in '68) wounded the son. Mitt Romney has called his father the “the definition of a successful human.” The centerpiece of the current Romney campaign bus is a large poster of the elder Romney.

Gore had a father that raised him to be nothing less than POTUS. It apparently didn't matter what Al wanted. I think it damaged Al beyond measure - it clogged his chakras.I think a man should respect and love his father, but Al and Mitt may have a problem.

How's that again?

2012-01-22T07:22:00.001-07:00

Mitt, the Milquetoast Moderate from Massachusetts is the most electable.

From Red State

Newt Gingrich’s rise has a lot to do with Newt Gingrich’s debate performance. But it has just as much to do with a party base in revolt against its thought and party leaders in Washington, DC. The base is revolting because they swept the GOP back into relevance in Washington just under two years ago and they have been thanked with contempt ever since.
Adding insult to injury, the party and thought leaders now try to foist on the base a milquetoast moderate from Massachusetts. Newt Gingrich can thank Mitt Romney and more for the second look he is getting. Base hostility will now be exacerbated by Mitt Romney’s backers now undoubtedly making a conscious effort to prop up Rick Santorum to shut down Newt Gingrich.
--
Newt has taken the worst the media, Romney and the left can dish out, and he’s still standing and fighting with passion and eloquence....
--
In every way in the last two weeks, Romney has signaled he won’t fight for the base. He looks like a lost child when trying to answer the taxes issue. He couldn’t stand up to Santorum in the debate. He sounds every bit like Gordon Gekko, not Milton Friedman, when he talks Bain and free markets.

Basically, today’s vote is about Republican grassroots giving the Washington Republican establishment the finger. The base is angry, and right now, only Newt is left to fight for them, as imperfect as he is. We may still end up with Romney, but voters aren’t going to let him have it easily.

Where's the Exs

2012-01-21T05:54:00.000-07:00

We know all of George Strait's exs live in Texas.

We know more than we want about Thomas Jefferson's alleged affairs 230 years ago.

We know all about young actor Ronald Reagan's flirtations with movie starlets.

We know all about Bill Clinton's high school, college, Arkansas and White House ~~bimbos~~ girlfriends.

We know all about Newt's ex-wives.

We know nothing about Obama's ex-girlfriends. They must be out there somewhere. Right?

I'm starting to like Newt

2012-01-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

ABC and the lame stream media tried to take him out and instead may have put him in first place for South Carolina.

Like a American made Timex watch - Newt takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.

Turns out Santorum won Iowa, so Mitt is still the 30% candidate.

I like Newt 'cause he says what I often yell at the smug, smarmy "news"casters like Brian Williams and his ilk.

I like Newt because he is keeping the game going. Sarah Palin is right. The contest needs to continue. The eventual nominee will have been tested and trained. He (who ever it is) will be in great shape and fighting trim. We can't have a prize fight if the contender stops training months before the big contest.

Update - I mostly agree with this: DAN RIEHL: Why I’m Backing Newt Gingrich.

Iron(y) deficiency

2012-01-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

Irony deficiency - a disease attacking journalists and bureaucrats. It is primarily caused by a lack of facts. However some individuals have so ruined their metabolic programming they can no longer process the truth.

Newt’s biggest sin marked with scarlet letter ‘R’

Note how the lamestream media is pummeling Newt, as opposed to the way they treated the now-indicted John Edwards in 2008. Edwards had a knocked-up New Age gal pal who had picked him up in a singles bar in Manhattan. He was using campaign cash to keep her and the unborn love child on the lam, shuttling them from one posh resort hotel suite to another, while Edwards’ loyal aide lied that he was the father of the future Frances. And don’t forget the XXX amateur videotapes.--The Edwards scandal was on the front page of the National Enquirer every week. But the moonbat media was unanimous in its verdict. ... Nothing to see here, move along. Did I mention that John Edwards is a Democrat?

Uncle Sam Tells Americans How to Get Out of Debt

After saddling the country with as much new debt as the rest of the world combined in one year flat, one would think that Uncle Sam wouldn’t have the cojones to dish out debt advice to others. But one would be wrong. In an unwitting self-parody worthy of Froma Harrop on The Daily Show, the Federal Trade Commission has created a step-by-step web guide for Americans “Knee-Deep in Debt.”

The first step, says the agency, which represents a government that went over 800 days without passing a budget, is: create a budget! Get a “realistic assessment of how much money you take in and how much money you spend,” it lectures those in financial doo-doo, seemingly oblivious of the fact that its own bosses have promised $60 trillion to a $100 trillion more in entitlements than the country has money to pay for. It continues...

Obama - so far

2012-01-19T06:34:00.000-07:00

Conor Friedersdorf, a staff writer at The Atlantic, asks a question of Newsweek's Andrew Sullivan:

Why Focus on Obama's Dumbest Critics? How would you have reacted in 2008 if any Republican ran promising to do the following?

(1) Codify indefinite detention into law; (2) draw up a secret kill list of people, including American citizens, to assassinate without due process; (3) proceed with warrantless spying on American citizens; (4) prosecute Bush-era whistleblowers for violating state secrets; (5) reinterpret the War Powers Resolution such that entering a war of choice without a Congressional declaration is permissible; (6) enter and prosecute such a war; (7) institutionalize naked scanners and intrusive full body pat-downs in major American airports; (8) oversee a planned expansion of TSA so that its agents are already beginning to patrol American highways, train stations, and bus depots; (9) wage an undeclared drone war on numerous Muslim countries that delegates to the CIA the final call about some strikes that put civilians in jeopardy; (10) invoke the state-secrets privilege to dismiss lawsuits brought by civil-liberties organizations on dubious technicalities rather than litigating them on the merits; (11) preside over federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries; (12) attempt to negotiate an extension of American troops in Iraq beyond 2011 (an effort that thankfully failed); (14) reauthorize the Patriot Act; (13) and select an economic team mostly made up of former and future financial executives from Wall Street firms that played major roles in the financial crisis.

Read the whole discussion at the link. It's hard to understand why the left continues to support this man. On the other hand it's easy to see why libertarians despise him.

Stop SOPA

2012-01-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Contact your congress critter. Wikipedia goes dark - Google protests.

The blackout is a protest against proposed legislation in the United States – the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate – that, if passed, would seriously damage the free and open Internet

Story here

Justified returns

2012-01-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Justified - Season 3 starts tonight. Check your local provider for times. Mine will show it at 8:00MT despite what the ad says.

You might know that the Raylon Givens character first appeared in a couple of Elmore Leonard books. To coincide with the season premiere, a new book is being released today.

Raylan: A Novel (Raylan Givens)

If you had a kindle you could download it right now.

Newt plays the trump card

2012-01-17T06:06:00.001-07:00

The cards were dealt at the debate last night in South Carolina.

Juan Williams plays the race card. The Speaker plays the trump card of American common sense and conservative values.

Newt sure can give a good answer.

Mind the gap

2012-01-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Suppose poor you old makes $40,000 per year.
Suppose your "rich" neighbor makes $60,000 per year.
The gap between "poor" and "rich" is $20,000

Double everything. No inflation - everyone is doing better.

You now make $80,000 per year.
Your "rich" neighbor now makes $120,000 per year.
The gap between "poor" and "rich is is now $40,000

The gap doubled. The distance between rich and poor has grown even wider. Will you resent your rich neighbor? But you now have twice as much as you did before.

I'll be right back

2012-01-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

as soon as I take care of a few things.

Don't forget the goal

2012-01-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

The election of 2012 ain't a conservative popularity contest. It's a war to, first, last, and always, destroy any possibility of a second term for Barack Hussain Obama.

This is not a "Vote-For" election. This is a "Vote-Against" election. This is not a "Sit-It-Out-And-Pout" election. This is a "Get-Obama-Out" election. That is what it is about and that is all it is about.

The girlfriend suitability discernment

2012-01-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

Girl eating an apple

Men and women have had a food relationship from the very beginning.

On my first cooking post back in January of 2007 I wrote:

A man’s ability to cook an edible meal and clean up afterward is an attribute highly valued by women.

Still true. Cooking is a great way for single men to attract women. But it can be even more. It can be a selection process.

Friday night my wife and I had dinner at the Winery. It is still my favorite Grand Junction restuarant, in fact it's one of the first places I reviewed (also back in 2007). We had a chance to talk with owner Steve Thoms for a minute.

He put a new spin on French essayist Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin's (you've heard it on Iron Chef) famous line:

Eating oysters

"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are."

There is a point here I promise, and I'm getting to it.

It's all about girlfriends. It's all about finding someone you can be with.

You could try eHarmony. You could spend a lot of time and money "getting to know" someone. Or you could use the ultimate chef's tool - The Girlfriend Suitability Discernment Instrument.

It's not as complicated as it sounds. Just a few simple food related questions.

Are you a vegan? Don't eat meat? - you are gone!
Don't like garlic, onions or leeks? - bye bye.
Won't eat rare roast beef - find another friend.
Does pork fat get you in a tizzy? Get busy! - leaving.

I think he's on to something.

Civil Disservice left behind

2012-01-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Proof that there is, in fact. no intelligent life in the left media.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Civil Disservice

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

The Daily Show on Facebook

Phony Outrage

2012-01-13T05:35:00.001-07:00

I'd say this was about right-

Pissing on the Enemy

To the media pack, the “pissing story” was a welcome present, because they can unleash their full primal scream of righteous indignation against the Marines, whom they resent because the Marines are so very good at what they do. DIGRESSION: As an institution, the military, at least temporarily, is the best we’ve got, and the Marines are the best of the lot, both because they’re relatively small, and because they are well led.
BACK TO THE SERMON: The bottom line is that the media pack is herding our officials into a politically correct apology frenzy, and you can be sure that the Marines have been told to move very fast so that public sacrifices can be staged.
It’s pretty shameful, and I doubt the public views this spectacle with great enthusiasm. I wonder what a Rasmussen poll would yield if the American people were asked if they think the behavior of the pissing Marines was akin to a major war crime. And do they think the Marines should be sent to Guantanamo?
It used to be that our military leaders felt free to piss on our enemies with great abandon. Or at least on their frontiers. Here, for example, is a video of General George Patton happily pissing into the Rhine River en route to Hitler’s Berlin. Nobody demanded HIS head for this shameful act.
--
If I were advising the secretaries of state and defense I’d say:
1. Treat it as a routine matter. “Boys will be boys. Especially in war. Stuff happens. We enforce our rules.”
2. Don’t pass judgment, even hypothetically. Just say, it’s been referred to the investigators. When we find out what happened, we’ll get back to you.
3. If Karzai delivers more moral lectures, have the president of the United States give a speech about Afghan sexual culture, including the treatment of young boys by older men, and the treatment of women by all Afghan men. And then suggest, ever so sweetly, that Karzai is not really in a strong position to lecture us.

The candidates' economic wars

2012-01-11T06:42:00.001-07:00

There has been a lot of discussion about Republican candidates attacking "capitalism". Rush, the Wall Street Journal, and a host of pundits have been critical of the Romney attack ads. They say capitalism is under attack from our own candidates. But is it really?

I've never been a fan of large corporations. It's not really the same thing as capitalism. Now is a good opportunity to make a distinction. I like these definition from Wiktionary.

Corporatism 1.Political / Economic system in which power is exercised through large organizations (businesses, trade unions, their associated lobbying efforts, etc.) working in concert or conflict with each other; usually with the goal of influencing or subsuming the direction of the state and generally only to benefit their own socioeconomic agendas at the expense of the will of the people, and to the detriment of the common good.

Capitalism 1.(politics) a socio-economic system based on private property rights, including the private ownership of resources or capital, with economic decisions made largely through the operation of an unregulated market. 2.(economics, ) a socio-economic system based on the abstraction of resources into the form of privately-owned capital, with economic decisions made largely through the operation of an unregulated market.

Stupid Question - Great Answer

2012-01-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

They are having a little squabble in Madison, WI. Wisconson has joined 49 other states in providing a clear path to a concealed carry permit. Lots of people are happy. So many have applied for a permit that Wisconsinwon't meet concealed carry deadlines.

Blogger Ann Althouse, a law professor at the university has a great post on the flap.

Madisonians — including Police Chief Noble Wray — fret about the new concealed carry law in action.The whole thing is a fun read, but I especially like this comment:

Fanlund (author of the Cap Times piece) quotes Madison Police Chief Wray:"What I can't understand is how come we have not evolved beyond the point that the best way to protect ourselves is a gun? How come we cannot come up with something that is less destructive and less permanent."

Althouse responds:

I don't know, Chief. I'm pretty evolved myself, being a Madisonian professor, but I don't know. I do have a question for you though: Why haven't the police — the police you lead — eliminated crime in our neighborhoods? Why are there still rapes and robberies? Why are there still gangs? Why haven't your police evolved to the point where you have solved these problems for us?....

And as one of her commentators notes:

I think the next most logical question to Chief Wray is to ask why do your officers carry a gun then? Hell, their motto is "to protect and serve" and they use a gun as a protective weapon, so why can't I do just the same thing to protect myself, my family and perhaps my innocent fellow citizens.

Deadlock in Dixville Notch

2012-01-10T05:12:00.002-07:00

Breaking: Deadlock in Dixville Notch!

Dixville Notch, NH is the first town to vote in the first primary: They vote at midnight and tally shortly thereafter. Since its first primary in 1960, Dixville Notch has always voted for the eventual GOP nominee. Always. Its nine total votes punch well above their weight.

The tally? Click on the link to see.

Three Cheers for Tebow

2012-01-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

War on Religion

2012-01-08T06:03:00.002-07:00

The Obama administration makes Obamacare exceptions for large corporations like McDonald's. Obama administration officials are happy to grant waivers to SIEU and it's minions. But Obama has apparently never read a "negative liberty" he likes in the Constitution. It's "negative" because the Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

Colorado Christian University

has a filed a lawsuit challenging the Barack Obama administration's health care legislation requirement that the morning-after pill be provided by health insurance plans.

The emergency contraception pill that can prevent pregnancy and can be taken the day after having unprotected sex is considered tantamount to abortion by the suburban Denver, multidenominational school, which has 3,900 students.

The Washington, D.C.-based Becket Fund for Religious Liberty says it filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court Thursday on the Lakewood school's behalf. The suit challenges the requirement that all federal-government-approved contraception be provided under the Affordable Care Act, including the morning-after pill.

Twenty-second iteration of the Twelfth Day

2012-01-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today is the Twelfth Day of Christmas. It is the traditional end of the Christmas season. The day is also known as the “Feast of the Epiphany“. Various church traditions celebrate the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and include the commemoration of: his birth; the visit of the Magi, or "Wise Men", who arrived in Bethlehem; all of Jesus' childhood events, up to and including his baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist; and even the miracle at the Wedding of Cana in Galilee.

It is also my wedding anniversary. One of life’s gifts is a happy marriage, better even than twelve drummers drumming. My marriage has been a gift that has shaped my life in ways I never could have imagined. It’s been 22 years and I’m happily looking forward to more.

Justified again

2012-01-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

When seconds count, police are often more than twenty minutes away.

Okla. Mom Sarah McKinley Kills Intruder Justin Martin.

Sarah McKinley, 18, killed Justin Martin with a single gunshot wound on New Year’s Eve when he forced his way into her Blanchard, Okla. home and came at her with a long hunting knife, ABC News reports. The deadly encounter occurred about a week after the young mom’s husband died of cancer, according to TV station KOCO.
--
When McKinley heard the men trying to break in, she called 911.
She also holed up in her bedroom with a 12-gauge shotgun and a pistol, while she put a bottle in her three-month-old son's mouth.

"I've got two guns in my hand -- Is it okay to shoot him if he comes in this door?" McKinley asked the 911 operator.

"I can't tell you that you can do that, but you do what you have to do to protect your baby," the dispatcher told McKinley when she asked a second time. The call went on for 21 minutes as the men powered their way into McKinley's house.
--
Eventually, Martin kicked in the door and charged at her with a knife, but McKinley fired before he could injure her.

Video at the link. It's worth watching to see the composure of this young mother.

Somebody else wins

2012-01-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

Somebody else won in Iowa last night. A whopping 75% of Republicans voted for somebody other than Romney.

Romney's so-called electability

I’m looking at the screen and seeing a difference of under 50 votes between Rick ($500,000 spent in Iowa) Santorum and Mitt (10 Million spent in Iowa) Romney. (Those figures per MSNBC) Rick Santorum gives begins his speech as we wait to find out who will actually win in Iowa.
--
Mitt Romney has every possible advantage, 4 years of campaigning, a huge war chest, the backing of the GOP establishment and the aura of inevitability and yet, in the state of Iowa after 4 years of campaigning he can’t break 25% of the vote.

The plus sized lady hasn't even warmed up her vocal cords yet.

The Laurie Kadrich hurt continues

2012-01-02T06:28:00.000-07:00

Back in January of 2011 Laurie Kadrich and Rob Schoeber, Director of Grand Junction's Parks and Recreation Department, decided to take over the operation of the Pinyon Grill. It had been run by a private contractor , but Kadrich suddenly found all sorts of reason to challenge this private operation. When challenged by the press and citizens, Kadrich presented an ever changing story. See the Grand Life posts at the end.

Schoeber arbitrarily changed the nature of the Pinyon Grill. He no longer wanted the grill operated as a restaurant. The city planned to convert it to a sports bar. The then current management was told to vacate the premises by February 11, 2011. Two Rivers (a city operation) would take over.

Here is a new story in the continuing saga from Amy Hamilton in today's Sentinel.

Missing the green
Food, beverage vendor at city-owned golf courses fails to make profit

The food and beverage vendor since April for the city-owned Tiara Rado and Lincoln Park golf courses spent the day Friday packing up and closing shop.

Miles Blackford, who operated The Irons at Tiara Rado, said he wasn’t able to make a profit at the business venture.--The longtime contractor prior to Blackford, Steve Hoefer, who operated the business as Pinon Grill, drew fire from city officials after complaints about outside parties cutting into customer service expected by golfers. Hoefer, however, said at the time that outside parties were essential to his business model and accounted for 35 percent of sales.

And here is the kicker-

In an interim period between the closing of Pinon Grill and Blackford opening The Irons, Two Rivers (a city government agency) took over operations with a loss of $11,000, Schoeber said.

Remember, city citizens are paying Kadrich more than $100,000 in severance pay. That's what it cost to get rid of her. Probably money well spent considering her numerous bad decisions.

It is important that the City council put some thought into the next contract and the severance conditions. Council employees, like the city attorney, will argue it is the way it has to be. No - it does not have to be that way. Golden Parachutes are not some sort of civil right for government employees.

Grand Life featured several posts on the Tiara Rado fiasco:

Vindictive bureaucrats

Something rotten at city hall

Misinformation or Dishonesty?

Not Justified -

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T10:14:00.002-07:00

to all!

Quotable

2011-12-31T05:52:00.001-07:00

The Quote of the Decade:

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America 's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”

Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

King Putt

So the Obama central planners spent nearly a trillion dollars based on their projections, and now we’re supposed to ignore their wildly erroneous forecasts because they just didn’t realize how bad the Bush economy was?

As Judge Spotswood Robinson used to say to lawyers in trouble, “what’s your next argument?”
Glenn Reynolds, December 31, 2011

Bad reporting from the Denver Post

2011-12-29T06:12:00.002-07:00

Ari Armstrong busted their biased reporting.

Via Instapundit - "MORE BAD GUN JOURNALISM, this time in the Denver Post. "

Read Armstrong's blog post at the link. You'll be amazed at the snotty lack of professionalism in the reporter who got caught in a lie.

Makes one wonder about the general competency and factual reporting of anything in the Post.

Ari does a lot of writing. Look for his bi-weekly column in the Grand Junction Free Press.

Noted economist Michelle Obama

2011-12-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

Too good -

Read the whole thing: Noted economist Michelle Obama has a better vacation wardobe than you do.

Mediocre

2011-12-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

Moderate to inferior in quality; ordinary.

Dinner last night should have been a simple and good plate of food.

I started with a spiral sliced ham bought on sale during the holidays. I added a casserole of homemade potatoes au gratin. It is a dinner I've prepared more than a few times. It should have been good.But the ham was a little dry - cooked just a bit too long.The potatoes were a bit underdone, and I should have added more flour to the milk/cheese sauce.

It was mediocre.

It has happened to me before: Recipe for Disaster

But the point remains, one of the less talked about secrets of good cooks is this: sometimes things go wrong. Wash the dishes and try again tomorrow.

Quote of the day

2011-12-28T08:58:00.002-07:00

Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you would have wanted had you known.

Garrison Keillor
US humorist & radio broadcaster (1942 - )

Puppy - warm - happiness

2011-12-27T06:49:00.005-07:00

It's Libby the Therapy Dog's birthday. All the best blogs are doing "best of" posts, so here's a post from 2007.

December 2011

Yesterday we celebrated the adoption of a new puppy. She is a little ball of fluff, half Maltese and half poodle and a secret core of wolfness that all dogs, even little dogs, possess.

Dogs have always been a part of my family life. The addition of little Libby marks a transition of sorts for our family.

My wife and I have been married seventeen years. I married into a ready-made family that included two young daughters. Like all stepfamilies, we found new relationships are not automatic.

Enter Amazing Grace.

Shortly after embarking on our adventure we decided to adopt a family dog. We needed a small dog and hopefully one that would be easy on allergies. We found a small black blob of a dog. She too, was a little ball of fluff, half Yorkshire and half poodle. For such a little dog she performed an amazing feat; she brought us together as a family. She was our dog, a shared responsibility and a shared joy. She allowed the language of family. The girls might not be comfortable calling me dad, but the dog could. Many times I heard one of the girls say,”Grace, tell your daddy…”

Grace was always a part of birthdays and holidays. She tolerated the disruption of moving five times until happily ending up in Grand Junction. She accepted a new little terrier puppy, and took over the responsibility of bossing him. Winston needed a lot of bossing too. He may have been the sweetest, gentlest dog I have ever owned ... he was also the dumbest. Nevertheless he became part of the family too.

The two dogs saw us through holidays and work days, graduations and marriages, transitions and crises. When my wife went through the trials and tribulations of breast cancer I'm sure the her constant companions made a critical difference.

Two years ago Winston became late of the Planet Earth.

After a year had passed we adopted a new little puppy, Mercy. (“grace and mercy shall follow you all the days…). Grace accepted Mercy and imposed a little order and a little teaching. Grace was always ready to head out the door when she saw the leash, always ready to share a bit of ice cream after dinner, and increasingly always ready for a little nap.

After sixteen and a half years she just wore out. She had given us her all and the time came for her to join Winston in the big backyard.

So now, once again, we are a two dog family. Two young dogs full of vim and curiosity - I’m sure it will be an adventure.

Super Christmas

2011-12-26T09:38:00.002-07:00

I hope you all had a super Christmas. I did. My wife knows I like the Big Bang Theory on TV and bought me a super hero T-shirt just like they all wear.

Unbeknownst to her, my super hero days go back to 1956. Here I am with SuperBrother Pat. I was really happy both times. It's just something about pictures.

She also fed my Zombie Apocalypse mania with a new ammo bag, water filter, and vest with a zillion pockets. It's great to have a wife who understands you. It's really the best present.

Christmas gift

2011-12-25T06:19:00.000-07:00

Last night in church we heard again the Christmas story according to Luke. I thought, as we are supposed to do, about the real meaning of Christmas. I thought , as I often do, about the political implications.

The gift given at Christ's birth is a radical realignment of the relationship of man and the universe. The message is simple and powerful.

You are a special individual with a unique relationship to the Creator of the universe.

You are equal in the Creator's sight to every other human being, no matter their earthly station.

You can decide, you can choose good or evil.

You are encouraged to help your fellow man, but in the end, you are accountable for your decisions.

This is not a world view that existed much before Christianity. It does not exist in North Korea. It is almost the first thing stamped out by communist socialist totalitarian states. Dictators and elites cannot tolerate the idea of a freely acting individual. It is why the left is so often godless and the champion of atheism.

The very idea of the individual is the foundation of America's mutual contract.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...

I suppose one does not have to be Christian to embrace the idea of the individual, but as a country we should never forget the foundation of our Christmas gift.

Eggs Benedict at home

2011-12-24T08:35:00.002-07:00

Eggs Benedict and hash browns

Why not? It's (one of) Nancy's favorite breakfast meals. It's Christmastime.

Buy some English muffins (really an American creation). Toast them under the broiler.

Add some Canadian bacon (cured pork loin - made in America).

Top with a poached egg. Cover with Hollandaise Sauce

Brown a chopped baked potato in a little olive oil.

Here is an easy recipe:

Blender Hollandaisefrom Marlene of CooksKorner

Get everything staged

3 egg yolks at room temperature
3/4 cups of butter, unsalted
1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch of cayenne

Melt butter in a small saucepan.
Place the eggs, lemon juice, cayenne and mustard in a blender. Blend for a minute until nicely combined.
Pour the butter through the hole in the top of the lid of the blender, SLOWLY, with the blender at high speed. This should take about 10-15 seconds to blend and thicken. You will hear the change as it thickens. Trust me, you’ll know.

Makes about a cup

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T06:04:00.002-07:00

Great Moments

2011-12-24T05:55:00.002-07:00

Official Establishment Candidate

2011-12-23T06:09:00.003-07:00

Willard "Mitt" Romney won the endorsement of George "Read My Lips" H.W. Bush.

He adds that to the endorsement of Bob "Erectile Dysfunction" Dole and Dan "Potatoe" Quayle.

That pretty much sews up the bland, don't make any substantive changes, just let us spend your money, establishment wing of the Republican party.

I don't think it will carry any weight with anybody who thinks we need a major change in direction.

Soltice

2011-12-23T05:48:00.001-07:00

“I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December
A magical thing
And sweet to remember.
‘We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,’
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.”
- Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing

Best quotes for 2011

2011-12-22T04:58:00.001-07:00

From RightWingNews: The 50 Best Political Quotes For 2011

Here are three of my favorite quotes from Democrats

47) Why does the left hate free speech? Because they don’t know how to talk about the substantive merits when they are challenged. Having submerged themselves in disciplining each other by denouncing any heretics in their midst, they find themselves overwhelmed and outnumbered in America, where there is vibrant debate about all sorts of things they don’t know how to begin to talk about. They resort to stomping their feet and shouting “shut up”… when they aren’t prissily imploring everyone to be “civil.” — Ann Althouse

37) (He) doesn’t go into why Obama managed to get to the top of politics without being all that good at it. The answer is distressingly obvious: Obama’s the biggest affirmative action baby in history. When other pols are trying, failing, learning, while climbing up the middle rungs of the ladder, he got a pass. — Mickey Kaus

26) Well, “The Washington post” three weeks ago had this investigation and they said that President Obama has now raised more money from Wall Street and the banks for this election cycle than all — than all eight Republicans combined. I don’t want to say that, because if that’s the truth, that Wall Street already has their man and his name is Barack Obama, then we’ve got a much bigger problem. — Michael Moore

There's more at the link.

Payroll tax?

2011-12-21T07:30:00.001-07:00

The argument over the payroll tax extension has one thing going for it - too much truth telling.

Isn't Obama "just playing politics" when he refuses the Speaker's call for help?

Isn't Obama just playing politics by arguing for a tax cut when he's spent the past year arguing for tax increases?

Obama seems to think that only the other side plays politics. He sees no need to compromise. It's always the other side that has to compromise with him. But then, Obama places himself as the fourth greatest president.

And when did the social security deduction (FICA) turn into a tax? I thought it was an insurance premium. You pay in - then you get a pay out. So - it's really just a scam, a Ponzi scheme, a TAX. Money goes to the general fund, to spend now. Taxes go to pay future obligations. But you knew that didn't you?

When you've lost Hugo...

2011-12-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

Hugo Chavez: Obama’s a ‘clown’ president

Email of the day

2011-12-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

To My Democrat Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2012 but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that United States is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wisher.

To My Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

When your wife says...

2011-12-18T05:45:00.002-07:00

Do you want to go to church?
Do you want to stop for coffee?
Do you want to...?

It's not a question.

Romney wins key endorsement

2011-12-18T05:40:00.000-07:00

from Bob Dole. Republican candidates tremble (or something).

Also Romney gets endorsement from the Des Moines Register. Electorate asks: "Do newspaper endorsement mean anything anymore?

Keystone Christmas

2011-12-17T07:20:00.002-07:00

Congress to Approve Keystone Pipeline Provision in Budget Deal

It looks like the GOP stiffened their spines and outmaneuvered the Bamster on the Keystone pipeline.

Obama has threatened to veto such a bill. It will be interesting to see what he does. The unions and many Democrats want the pipeline. It's the enviroweenies that are fighting it.

A Deer Camp Christmas

2011-12-17T06:28:00.000-07:00

I knew when I put an email address on the blog I was asking for it. I get an amazing amount of stuff. This little gem came in the other day:

Hi Gene-
See attached. Since Marine4ever didn't want to spend much time at deer camp with Skippy the Street Poet- Skippy has composed a little Christmas verse for you and your readers. Enjoy!

I think Skippy might secretly be Muldoon, but you can see why he would pick a nome de plume.

A Deer Camp Christmas

(with apologies to Clement Moore)

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the woods

Not a creature was stirring, (this couldn’t be good!)

The rifles were hung in the RV with care,

In hopes that a trophy buck soon would be there.

My buddies were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of big antlers danced in their heads.

And Bubba in his long johns, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out in the meadow arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bunk to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up some hash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a scrawny cow elk, and eight tiny mule deer.

But there in the background, it had to be luck,

I saw in an instant a seven-point buck.

More massive than oak trees his antlers they spread,

And he whistled, and snorted, and shook his big head!

"Psst Bubba! Go grab me my thirty-aught-six!

And hand me some bullets, that buck’s in a fix!

I snuck out the door to the top of the rise!

‘Twas certain that big deer would sure be surprised"

As dry leaves that were rustling blew in my face,

I tiptoed along at a tortoise-like pace.

I knew that real soon, his antlers I’d see,

But I wasn’t quite sure just where he would be.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard to my right

The prancing and pawing, a beautiful sight.

As I raised up my rifle, and drew a good bead,

My heart was a-pounding, I darn nearly peed.

I lined up the crosshairs admiring his rack,

In the blink of an eye he just dropped in his tracks.

But before I could reach him to my great surprise

A man dressed in red came up over the rise

His eyes-how they twinkled, his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he cried, like a bowlful of jelly!

The clearing grew calm as he knelt by the deer,

and across his red cheek trickled one single tear.

He was chubby and plump, a right handsome old elf,

And I couldn’t get angry in spite of myself!

The respect that he showed as he bowed down his head

Soon gave me to know that I’d shot Prancer dead.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And loaded that deer on his truck with a jerk.

Somehow I knew that this couldn’t be good,

It didn’t look right with him strapped on the hood!

He phoned Mrs. Claus and said “Hey, whoop-de-doo,

For supper we’re gonna have venison stew”.

And I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

Grand Junction City Manager Resigns

2011-12-15T13:46:00.005-07:00

Sentinel story here: GJ Council asks city manager Kadrich to step down

And apparently she did.

Kadrich, in a news release, said there were “fundamental philosophical differences between me and City Council,” in providing a reason for her resignation.

I think there were also “fundamental philosophical differences" between her and the City residents.

Like all good things, it will cost.

Kadrich will receive a year’s worth of salary and benefits for her resignation. Kadrich’s salary is $153,338 this year.

I think this is great news. I think she is such a toxic presence that even the 150K buy-out / golden parachute is a bargain.

Here is a list of past posts highlighting problems with Laurie Kadrich: City Manager Posts

Now if they just don't pick someone worse...

Don't even think it

2011-12-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

More here: Mommy Wants More Housework For Christmas

Christmas Song

2011-12-14T07:28:00.001-07:00

Too good

2011-12-12T07:48:00.003-07:00

Breakfast is done: fried ham w/ red-eyed gravy, biscuits, eggs, and grits. Dishes put away. Trash out on the curb.

Christmas shopping is nearly done. Wife is pretty. Dogs are good.

And, the new tactical shotgun works just fine. I'm ready.

Metaphor alert

2011-12-12T05:24:00.005-07:00

There was a little more than two minutes before Denver's first home shutout in 52 seasons.

The Chicago machine: 10. Denver, led by Tim Tebow: 0

but then-

...Tebow found holes in the Cover-2 defense in the closing minutes, driving the Broncos 63 yards on seven plays to throw a 10-yard touchdown pass to an uncovered Demaryius Thomas

The Bears punted with 1:06 remaining and Tebow took over on his own 20 with 56 seconds left. Poised in crunch time, he quickly moved the Broncos in range for a 59-yard field goal by Prater to tie his career long and force overtime.

Sudden death overtime-

Matt Prater's 51-yard field goal 6 1/2 minutes into overtime gave the Broncos a 13-10 victory over the stunned Chicago Bears on Sunday. Prater's 59-yarder with 3 seconds left in regulation tied the score after Tebow led another rally.

Never quit. Never give up.

Candidate observations

2011-12-11T07:12:00.002-07:00

Bill Quick

“The prospect of hanging focuses the mind wonderfully. And the national mind has felt the noose tightening around its collective neck for several years now. Angel-on-the-head-of-a-pin arguments about abortion, or sweeping hysteria about gays destroying the institution of marriage are minuscule distractions when you’re faced with possibly permanent unemployment, bankruptcy, negative home ownership, and a government that seems hell-bent on making your pain worse, not better. That’s what this election is about.”

Newt and the Governing Class

I just returned from the belly of the beast, Washington, D.C. There is not a more parochial or insular city in the country. While there, I had a conversation with two members of what can be described only as the Republican establishment, one in the print media and the other a K Street lobbyist. In short order, the conversation turned to Newt Gingrich and his surge to the top of the ladder. There is no one more reviled in Washington than Newt. If anyone believes he is part of the establishment, he or she is mistaken.

Take Mark Levin’s Mitt Romney Challenge and Win a Prize

A free signed copy of Injustice: Exposing the Racial Agenda of the Obama Justice Department, (Regnery, 2011) for whoever can answer two questions posed by Mark Levin tonight on his radio show.

1. What conservative, limited government principle has Mitt Romney ever succesfully fought for and accomplished?

2. What Tea Party event has Romney ever attended?

There may or may not be answers to the questions. No presumptions here, just an opportunity to win an enjoyable and timely book about Eric Holder’s Justice Department.

Email your two answers to Rule of Law (make it all one word) at Electionlawcenter.com. First two (valid) answers win. We’ll post the winner here at Tatler, and if there are no winning answers, we’ll keep asking, again, and again.

Mitt Romney's Electability

Jonathan Last succinctly defined the intellectual vacuum at its heart: “The only real ‘conservative’ problem Romney has is a matter of policy and not ideology: It’s his Massachusetts health care reform. He says it worked great for his state, that he’s proud of it, and that his first act as president will be to make sure no one else in America ever has to experience anything like it.”

It is difficult to run a political campaign on an absurd idea. If you have no positive message, you need to go negative.

Rush: Quit taking Ron Paul seriously

Rush says that Ron Paul’s foreign policy with this attacks on America sound like that of a Democrat. Rush quotes him as saying this on Wednesday night in a packed house of 1,000 students:

Re-distributing power

2011-12-09T05:54:00.007-07:00

One of my favorite TV shows is the Big Bang Theory. Last night's episode, The Speckerman Recurrence, was about confronting a bully from Leonard's high school past.

Leonard has a Ph.D and now works as a scientist at CalTech.

The bully, Speckerman, shows up wanting a favor. He was always physically abusive, using his size and strength to intimidate.

Leonard tries to explain how the high school "jokes" were not funny. Leonard has no fond memories of so-called good times.

Leonard tries to appeal to Speckerman's better nature. The problem is that Speckerman has no "better nature." He is a thug and a bully who is used to getting what he wants by verbal abuse and physical intimidation.

Speckerman makes himself at home in Leonard's apartment. He helps himself to Leonard's food. He insults Leonard's kitchen skills calling him a nancy-boy. Speckerman refuses to leave Leonard's apartment.

Leonard tells off the bully and then runs for his life (ha ha ha)....It's not really funny is it?

Should 1% of the muscle men be able to take whatever they want from the 99%, from the nerds, and women, and little old ladies, and the handicapped?

Leonard could have instantly rendered the situation fair. He could have re-distributed the power. He could have exercised his Second Amendment right. The presence of one small .22 caliber pistol would have neutralized all of Speckerman's physical advantage.

That's one real secret of fairness and equality that the libs never want you to contemplate.

"With my dog I don't get no respect.

2011-12-08T07:22:00.003-07:00

He keeps barking at the front door. He don't want to go out. He wants me to leave."

If you are the Rodney Dangerfield of Republican candidates, Why do you think this will help?

Former Vice President Dan Quayle endorses Mitt Romney

Crooked Incompetent Dangerous

2011-12-08T05:57:00.005-07:00

Crooked from the beginning. Illinois: State Of Embarrassment

Most critics of Barack Obama’s desultory performance the past three years trace it to his supposedly leftist ideology, lack of experience and even his personality quirks. But it would perhaps be more useful to look at the geography — of Chicago and the state of Illinois — that nurtured his career and shaped his approach to politics. Like with George W. Bush and Texas, this is a case where you can’t separate the man from the place.

The Chicago imprint on Obama is unmistakable. His closest advisors are almost all products of the Windy City’s machine politic: Consigliere Valerie Jarrett; his first chief of staff, now Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel; and his current chief of staff, longtime Chicago hackster William Daley, scion of the Windy City’s longtime ruling family.

All these figures arose from a Chicago where corruption is so commonplace that it elicits winks, nods and even a kind of admiration. Since 1973, for example, 27 Chicago Aldermen have been convicted by U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of Illinois.

That culture of corruption affects the rest of the state as well. Both Gov. George Ryan (who served from 1999 to 2003 and and his successor Ron Blagojevich have been convicted a major crimes. So have four of the state’s last eight governors. Blagojevich’s felonies are part and parcel of a political climate that also includes the also newly convicted Antonin “Tony” Rezko, a real estate speculator and early key Obama backer, sentenced late last month to a ten-year prison sentence.

Crony capitalism constitutes the essential element of what the legendary columnist John Kass of the Chicago Tribune has labeled both the “Chicago way” and the “Illinois Combine”, not primarily an ideology-driven movement. The political system, he notes, “knows no party, only appetites.”

Committee Weighs Contempt Citation Against White House Over Solyndra

$535 million U.S. loan guarantee to Solyndra LLC lost - doubt much of the money will be recovered by taxpayers after the company’s bankruptcy

Add 30 years of Rev Wright's Church and Black Theology, a mix of Marxists ideology, Black Muslim sympathy, and and reparation economics, and general incompetence. Put it all together and it pretty much explains B.O.

Then add Bill Ayers to his political start (Bill Ayers Hosted a Fundraiser for Obama)

And, it looks like he even had to cheat to get on the ballot.

Indiana 2008 Presidential Primary Election Fraud Probe Heats Up

Charity Rorie, a mother of four, sat in her Mishawaka, Ind., kitchen, stunned that her name appeared on a 2008 Democratic presidential primary petition for then-candidate Barack Obama.

"That's not my signature," she told Fox News, saying her signature is "absolutely" a fake. She also said she was troubled someone forged both her signature and that of her husband, Jeff, and listed personal details such as their address and birthdays.

"It's scary," Rorie said. "It's shocking. It definitely is illegal. A lot of people have already lost faith in politics and the whole realm of politics, so that just solidifies all of our worries and concerns."

Robert Hunter Jr. said his name was faked, too.

"I did not sign for Barack Obama," he told Fox News, adding his signature supporting the then-Illinois senator's effort to get on the primary ballot was also a forgery.

If the United States survives this assault on its institutions, history may uncover a level of corruption that will astound for ages.

Campaign Slogan

2011-12-07T08:56:00.006-07:00

Yesterday, Rush noticed that the Obama campaign is having difficulty coming up with a campaign slogan

I'm sure Grand Life readers can help them out. I like this:

Blame Congress, blame Bush, blame ATMs, blame the Internet, blame the evil rich, but...

Don’t Blame Barack — He’s Impotent

Pearl Harbor Day

2011-12-07T07:09:00.002-07:00

Today is the anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. The next day President Roosevelt addressed a joint session of Congress.

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
---
As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense, that always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory.
---
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph. So help us God.

Peppermint Ice Cream

2011-12-06T19:19:00.001-07:00

It's one of the nice things about the Christmas season. Don't forget to pick up a carton.

P S A

2011-12-05T09:21:00.003-07:00

A Public Service Announcement brought to you by the editors of LTGL.

One often gets the feeling of isolation and privacy while driving. Sitting in the car, the windows up tight, the radio playing, the heater purring - it all provides a warm private space.

Except the guy in the truck in front of you (that would be me), waiting patiently at the light, can see everything you are doing.

I thought at first you had suffered some tragic hand mutilating injury that severed the first four inches of your index finger.

Really! Do you eat with that hand? Touch other people? Handle food?

Stop it! Get a tissue. Wash your hands.

Super Snuggie

2011-12-03T04:20:00.003-07:00

Staying spidey warm with your wonder woman.

Is this what Muldoon was thinking about?

Update by requests....

Pre-decide not to be a victim

2011-12-02T06:18:00.005-07:00

This is an excellent essay. I've excerpted a few key points but it is really worth reading the whole thing.

The Truth about Violence 3 Principles of Self-Defense

Principle #1: Avoid dangerous people and dangerous places.
... trust your feelings of apprehension about other people—revising them only slowly and with good reason. This may seem like a very depressing piece of advice. It is. Most of us don’t want to see the world this way, and we take great pains to avoid being rude or appearing racist, suspicious, etc. But violent predators invariably play upon this commitment to civility. The truth is that most of us are very good at detecting ulterior motives and malevolence in others. We must learn to trust these intuitions
Principle #2: Do not defend your property.
Whatever your training, you should view any invitation to violence as an opportunity to die—or to be sent to prison for killing another human being. Violence must truly be the last resort. Thus, if someone sticks a gun in your face and demands your wallet, you should hand it over without hesitation—and run.
Principle #3: Respond immediately and escape.
If you have principles 1 and 2 firmly installed in your brain, any violence that finds you is, by definition, unavoidable. There is a tremendous power in knowing this: When you find yourself without other options, you are free to respond with full commitment.
This is the core principle of self-defense: Do whatever you can to avoid a physical confrontation, but the moment avoidance fails, attack explosively for the purposes of escape
If you find yourself in a situation where a predator is trying to control you, the time for listening to instructions and attempting to remain calm has passed. It will get no easier to resist and escape after these first moments. The presence of weapons, the size or number of your attackers—these details are irrelevant. However bad the situation looks, it will only get worse. To hesitate is to put yourself at the mercy of a sociopath. You have no alternative but to explode into action, whatever the risk. Recognizing when this line has been crossed, and committing to escape at any cost, is more important than mastering physical techniques.

TV Commercials - Useless products division

2011-12-01T09:41:00.005-07:00

I'm always surprised that some products would have enough sales to justify the advertising cost. My current favorite for the most useless waste of money is:

Because cooking and peeling a hard boiled egg is just so darn -well -hard.

Crack an egg into a little plastic egg-shaped contained and cook in boiling water. With the amazing Eggies system you don't have to peel those eggs. It's difficult. Of course now you have a whole bunch of little plastic containers to wash.

And it's only $10. Plus postage and handling. They never tell just what handling is, but you know it's going to cost you.

Last Chance Light Bulbs

2011-12-01T07:17:00.002-07:00

Reminder: Congress, because it knows better than you, has banned 100 watt light bulbs. That's right, the country that invented the light bulb and gave light to the world has made them illegal.

After Jan 1, 2012 consumers will no longer be able to buy 100 watt bulb. Stock up now.

Did Occupy Wall Street fail?

2011-11-30T10:45:00.005-07:00

We've seen the videos of looser dudes babbling an incoherent wish list.

We've seen the police blotter list of sexual assaults and drug deals gone wrong.

We've seen the piles of trash and human waste that has accumulated.

And now we see posts like this:

#OCCUPYFAIL: Hey, what happened to the press coverage of the Occupy movement?

And this: #OCCUPYFAIL: Occupy Irrelevancy: Is Movement Already Fizzling Out?

But did it fail? If it's objective was to change the actions of the government or financial sector it failed big.

If the the objective was to change the ideas of the vast majority of Americans it failed.

But what if the objective was something entirely different? Suppose you want to gather a revolutionary group bent on causing trouble and tearing down the existing order. It would be difficult and very expensive to take out full page ads in major newspapers and 60 seconds commercials on major networks. Something like this.

*HELP WANTED*

Are you a Worker who fully embrace the Marxists/communist/socialist ideology?

Are you Radicals who embrace Alinsky's Rules for Radicals?

Are you certain you are smarter than any conservative?

Do you believe that some rich guys stole your mojo?

Do you have a sub-psychotic rage bubbling inside?

Would you just like to tear it all down?

Apply today at your nearest OWS camp-out. We'll be taking names for later.

What do you think?

Lib/Gov Fail

2011-11-30T07:17:00.002-07:00

Ha Ha - I love this story. Happy Meal Ban: McDonald's Outsmarts San Francisco

San Francisco banned the Happy Meal. Being liberals they thought they needed the full force and authority of the GOVERNMENT to help them say "NO" to their kids.

The passed a law that toys could no longer be packaged with a Happy Meal. That would solve the problem.

So McDonalds thought a bit and plans to sell the Happy Meal without the toy - just as the law requires. But - you can buy the toy for mere 10 cents. The 10 cents goes to charity.

And there is this. A parent used to be able to just buy the toy and forgo the Happy Meal. Now, in order to get the privilege of donating 10 cents to charity, one must buy the happy meal.

Malazy

2011-11-30T06:09:00.002-07:00

And then there is this: Obama's Job Approval Drops Below Carter's

A little good news

2011-11-28T08:09:00.002-07:00

Rep. Barney Frank won't seek re-election

I think Barney sees a tidal wave rolling over the Dems. He barley hung on last time against a real challenge.

He and Chris Dodd have a major part of responsibility in the housing crisis. Dodd split to avoid prosecution and shame.

Quote of the day

2011-11-26T06:03:00.001-07:00

“when poets buy guns, tourist season is over. They are buying them now in Damascus….”

Story here: Guns Better Investment Than Gold?

Hero

2011-11-25T07:34:00.004-07:00

Via HOT AIR a story from Kimberly Launier/ABC News.

I was filming soldier Justin Rollin’s parents Skip and Rhonda playing with their dog Hero, whose rescue from the Iraq War zone where Justin died was nothing short of a miracle.

Sometimes when Rhonda hugged Hero she would softly pet her face and coo, “Justin, are you in there?” It was Rhonda’s gentle way of remembering their son and his last living connection to Hero. At one point, Hero wandered off and took a stroll in the backyard. All of a sudden, the clouds broke and a light began to solidify in a beam directly down on Hero — a kind of vertical halo.

The photo is not retouched or photoshopped.

Kimberly Launier's story is scheduled to air Friday on “20/20″ at 9 p.m. in Grand Junction.

Stuff

2011-11-25T06:17:00.004-07:00

I have plenty of stuff. In fact, for the past several years, my wife and I have made an effort to reduce the amount of stuff in our house.

The Black Friday commercials have befuddled me. I cannot imagine a need to save $2.00 so important as to lead to this: VIDEO: Mayhem over $2 waffle maker... or this: Pepper spray turns competitive shopping into chaos.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T05:31:00.004-07:00

God bless you and God bless America.

I wish the best to all my readers. We all have much to be thankful for including more freedom and abundance than any previous society has known.

It is easy to find fault, it is easy to point out wrongs and deficiencies, so it is good to stop and recognize all the goodness and blessings we enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

From Rush Limbaugh: The Real Story of Thanksgiving

Gene Amole's Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffng

Felonious Turkey

2011-11-23T06:08:00.004-07:00

This whole pardon the turkey thing seems very odd to me.

Did the turkey commit a crime so horrible an execution was required? If so, why is it being pardoned?

We should acknowledge that we depend on animal life for our lives.

We should be thankful for the food and not play silly games with it.

Comments, Commentators, and the Commentary

2011-11-23T05:43:00.004-07:00

I like the comments people write. I think they add a lot to the blog. So, I'm introducing a new feature that displays the comments on the front page. Note: there will be a time lag before the comment is displayed. Blogger functions are not completely in my control.

I have always allowed comments without review. Blogger can set the comment section so that the blog administrator (that's me) can pick and choose what comments to let through. But that makes the whole comment process slow and tedious. It can prevent a lively back and forth if I happen to be away from the computer.

Comments expressing a different or contrary point of view are welcome. Comments expressing personal or ad hominen attacks are not welcome and will be deleted. I've always thought that an intelligent commentator could make a point without the use of scatological language as a substitute for clear emphatic writing. Please keep it family friendly.

Super Lie

2011-11-22T05:51:00.002-07:00

The first thing to know about the so-called failure of the super committee is this: There will be no actual real cuts in spending.

The only cuts are cuts in the automatic increase.

And anyway, sequestration Won’t Change the Path We’re On

Idiot actress

2011-11-21T08:26:00.003-07:00

But, I repeat myself. I just saw an actress on TV saying that playing Marilyn Monroe in a movie was "the hardest thing I've ever done - maybe the hardest thing I'll ever do."

As opposed to, "The platoon sergeant worked hard to keep the troops motivated and moving under their combat loads. No one wanted to be cold or wet, so the rucks were especially heavy. With ammo, rations, and water, each soldier carried well over 100 pounds of gear. After seven days of constant operations, the effects of that weight were showing. Even the fittest of the platoon were hollow-eyed with fatigue...

Actors get to play - literally and actually play - and they get huge sums of money for it. One would think they would have the grace not to complain.

LiberalFail

2011-11-21T06:00:00.003-07:00

The theme this morning is sudden dawning awareness that liberal policies are failures.

Panicked AP Attempts to Memory-Hole Democrats’ #Occupy Endorsements.

The hope was that by repeating this message incessantly, enough voters could be convinced that Wall Street, and by extension, evil Republicans, were to blame for our chronic unemployment, record deficits, and stillborn economic growth. President Obama who?
Fortunately for America, this plan has not only failed miserably it has backfired completely. Thanks to the rise of New Media and our unwillingness to let the MSM’s lies, bias, and cover ups stand for even one more day, Occupy is in its death throes and might take the President and Democratic party down with it. First and foremost, we uncovered the lie that Occupy was grassroots and then we exposed every Occupy rape, poop, death, overdoese, old woman thrown down the stairs, attack on a police officer, and public act of masturbation. In the process, public opinion turned against the Occupiers and as a result these Leftists have started doing what the Left always does when they lose, have a tantrum. (Read the whole thing)

More...
Democrats’ tax-hike obsession killed the SuperCommittee. Did anyone really think it would work?

Obama Admin Bans US Aircraft Maker, Favors Non-US Firm with Ties to Iran on Light Aircraft Project From killing corporate jets to killing the domestic light plane industry, Obama seems determined that only he can have an airplane.

National Journal: Democratic Pollsters: Obama Should Abandon Run for Second Term. They think only Hillary can save the Dems.

The thrill is gone

2011-11-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

LiberalFail part XXXVII

Chicago Way

2011-11-20T06:38:00.002-07:00

Day by day

Wait for it

2011-11-20T05:58:00.000-07:00

I wonder

2011-11-17T17:34:00.003-07:00

if Jefferson , Madison, Franklin, et. al. imagined their grand experiment bought with blood and toil and tears would ever come to this.

Lawmakers Step in Line To Defend School Pizza‎

It's like Congress doesn't have anything important to worry about.

Braised Pork Steak

2011-11-17T06:56:00.006-07:00

I started my recipes back in January of 2007 with this post: Easy, cheap, and, fast - What a man wants in a good recipe. It's still one of my go-to recipes even though food price inflation has nearly doubled the cost.

My skills have improved thanks to practice, food TV, and a few food blogs. Braising is one of the skills I've developed. It uses time and low heat to turn tough inexpensive cuts into tender meals. Braising is still easy and cheap. It's relatively fast to prepare too. The long slow cooking requires no effort on the cook's part. And one pot meals are easy to clean up.

Recipe #45 - Braised Pork Steak
with Acorn Squash

1 or 2 pork steaks 1-1½ lbs. (blade or shoulder cut)
1 acorn squash* (substitute any winter squash or root vegetables)
1 apple chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup braising liquid
salt, pepper, spices (try garam masala for an Indian flavor)

Brown the pork steaks in a large (3 qt) saute pan or dutch oven. When browned remove meat and add chopped onion. Stir to soften, scrape brown bits from the bottom. These add a lot of flavor and color. Finish scraping by adding liquid to the pan. Braising liquid can be bouillon, stock, apple juice, wine, or even water. I used about a half cup of wine and a half cup of water.

Return the meat to the pan. On top of the meat add chunks of peeled squash, sweet potatoes, or any combination of root vegetable you favor. Season with your favorite spice. Cover the pot. Reduce the heat to simmer and let the pot cook about an hour, until vegetables are fork tender.

Happy Wednesday

2011-11-16T05:36:00.005-07:00

The news this morning was full of the usual - political corruption, (7 of 10 richest congress critters are dems), Penn State awfulness, foreign policy failures (Iran, Pakistan), and economic crises too numerous to enumerate.

The early morning news must have trouble selling commercial time because the bad news was interspersed with public service announcements for AIDS, pediatric brain cancer, drug using daughters, cancerous moles, and type 2 diabetes.

It's a wonder I made it alive to the computer room.

Changing levels

2011-11-15T06:03:00.003-07:00

I'm back. I've tried to avoid the news for a few days. you all know why. Solyndra, Sandusky , OccupyFail, Obamacare, Obama's lazy America, the unemployment rate, Iran, and the general failure of Obama's hopey/changey policies.

I've changed my personal DEFCON level from 4 to 3.

****

If GWB had not moved research away from embryonic stem cell to adult stem cells we would not be seeing stories like this:

Stem cell test is ‘biggest breakthrough in treating heart attacks for a generation’: A study of heart failure patients treated with their own stem cells has achieved ”striking” results and could result in the biggest breakthrough in a generation.

Or this: The revolutionary cell jab that could halt arthritis for millions

***

Dems hate those big corporations - but only after they make huge profits from insider trading. It's only "insider trading" when the peasants do it.

And this: How did Pelosi get in on the Visa IPO?

***

The eleventh hour

2011-11-11T06:01:00.005-07:00

Veterans Day 11-11-11.

President Woodrow Wilson's proclamation of the first Armistice Day: "To us in America, the reflections of armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations."

Those who served, who we honor today, brought peace and justice at the ultimate sacrifices of comforts and, for many, of life. The eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month is a well-fitting time to remember that.

Standing Up

2011-11-10T05:16:00.005-07:00

The men at Penn State failed in duty and in honor.

We all know more than is comfortable about Joe Paterno, Mike McQueary, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz.

They did not stand up when it counted.

Bad situations happen all the time. The happen at major universities, and small businesses. They happen in city governments and elementary schools.

Witness a co-worker stealing a few items and he is likely to say, "You won't snitch on me will you?"

The social pressure to not see/not say is very strong. It's easy to just think, "It's not my problem, it's not my job."

It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier.

I think it's important to stand up when it counts, not when it's easy.

Joe Paterno and the Culture of Sports and Silence