thedailyfish.net

“Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

 “I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

Genesis 3:19

 

My Friends and Fellow Mossier Oak Wearers:

BUT FIRST… A&E Caved….  Money talks and the gays apparently do not bring that much to the table.

And… Happy Birthday a day early to #1 Son, Zane!  Love you son!

 

OK…This dovetails nicely with y’day’s issue and amplifies on last Saturday’s Short Stack.  I have a Liberal friend, he is not as bad as he sounds here and I have defended him on these pages before because he is a good provider, husband and very generous with his time for helping those more needy than himself.

Needless to say he posted on his Facebook page an attack on Phil Robertson.  That link is included.

Needlesslier (is that a word???) I HAD to chime in with predictable results. 

There are four people defending Robertson: Your Precious, some guy called Richard and “Phildos” brother and cousin.  (See, I told you there was hope.)  And a predicable cast of critters and creatchures taking the antipodal view.

The rest is for your edification and enjoyment.   At the VERY end, there is one more salvo that also has a definitive result.

(Unedited save for spelling and punctuation.)

 

 

Phil T:  I like the show, I like the family, but, this is NOT a “free speech” issue, he’s an entertainer, under contract AND a bigot….

“Let Me Explain Freedom of Speech to all the Phil Robertson, Duck Dynasty Supporters”

www.forwardprogressives.com

I’m sure by now most of you have heard about Phil Robertson’s anti-gay rant he went off on during an interview with GQ magazine, and the indefinite suspension by A&E that soon followed. And wow…

Bob E:  Agreed, he has the right to free speech and the station has the right to have it on their air time. He can speak all he wants in his church or on a soap box or buy time on TV.

Teri S:   true that!!

Richard D: Um, it wasn’t on TV.

Bob E: Does not matter. They don’t want a bigot working for them and that’s their right also.

Phil T: It was in the public domain…

Richard D: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. SEC. 2000e-2. [Section 703]

(a) Employer practices

It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer –

(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Phil T:   He has a contract with the network that has the usual behavior clauses

Teri S: That doesn’t apply… He did not get fired because of his religion, he got fired for expressing hate.

Bob E: The posting of the civil rights act is totally irrelevant to this. Thank god Americans voted out these bigots and small minded people the last two elections.

Richard D: Let me ask a serious question if he didn’t get suspended would anybody be talking about this?? Really??

Phil T:   Not the conservatives, I’m sure that all the LGBT groups would be in an uproar….

 

Richard D: But wouldn’t you have to read GQ to even know about this?? I’m just saying I don’t think it would be as big a deal I haven’t seen it on the news just here with clips from who knows were

Bob E: Anyway, the holidays are here regardless of what he said. Let’s all say a prayer for the starving and sick. The real issues.

Phil T: Somebody woulda read that article and reported it….

Phil T:  Ohhhh, and by the way A&E and Duck Dynasty couldn’t afford this kinda publicity!!!!

Richard D: C’mon Frasers on in the morning

JOHN S:  Phil.. .110% wrong.
Apparently you did not read the article. He said nothing of “his own opinion” that was not in the Bible. His opinions are his based on his experiences. He never said anything personal about anyone. He even said that he loves all people. So, who is the bigot? The person who loves his enemy, those different from himself and all people or the person who makes a comment not based on fact?
He is an “entertainer” I suspect, he is under contract, I am sure but not a bigot.
As far as under contract, I am sure you are aware that A&E want to break it. They do not like the Robertson’s overt Christianity in general and Phil’s in particular. So, they would not be all that unhappy to see them leave, despite being the #1 cable show.
But, when you read the article you will see the writer kinda pokes fun at himself for being less of a man than is Phil. The writer of the article did a fair, if boring and not terribly compelling, job of relating the Phi Robertson story. It was left to others to pick and chose what was written to make their insane, hateful and sexist remarks. I am talking about the people from GLADD and other gay groups.
I blame THOSE haters and THOSE BIGOTS for this BS. I am sure that both of us have said worse than did Robertson.
But to show you the transparency of the hate of these ignorant, bigoted homosexuals, the person from GLAAD wrote, paraphrasing “Robertson does not know what it is like to live a homosexual lifestyle.” Boy, that is true! But how about “The people from GLADD do not know what it is like to like a heterosexual lifestyle.” That is equally true.
The difference is that Robertson never said a bad thing about the gays or anyone else other than citing Bible. He did not pass personal judgment. But that is not true with the people from GLAAD.

JOHN S: PHIL, HERE is the complete article from GQ. PLEASE read it and do not believe just what was cherry picked by the gays and the Lib hate press. YOU read it and tell me where Robertson said anything personally offensive. http://www.gq.com/…/201401/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson

Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson Gives Drew Magary a Tour

www.gq.com

The stars of A&E’s Duck Dynasty, reality TV’s most popular show, drop knowledge on Drew Magary

 

Phil T: Sorry, John, the man is a bigot, I’ve seen some of his pulpit hate preaching. If he wants to use a 2000 yr old book that’s been edited and perverted throughout history to bend to the churches every whim then so be it, he DEFINITELY has that right. My point is that it’s not a “free speech” issue, it’s an employee/employer issue and if you don’t think he has a contract to be on a TV “reality show” (something else that’s bus., there’s a TON of scripting going on) then you’re misinformed…..

JOHN S: Phil, you are inaccurate on virtually every count. But, you are showing your bigotry by blaspheming the Bible. Your alleged mitigating speech is also off the line unless you have actually seen his contract. However, if you want to see proof of bigotry and racism I can point you to one of the Left’s Messiah’s henchboys…. http://dailycaller.com/…/obamacares-pajama-boy-was…/

Obamacare’s ‘Pajama Boy’ was accused of racism, anti-Semitism

dailycaller.com

JOHN S:  (And I know it is not a main stream publication but less biased than the “forewardprogressive”, the communist group.)

Phil T: Please, I can show you countless liberals and conservatives racially ranting, doesn’t prove or disprove anything with respect to the free speech point…..As far as blaspheming the bible?? You can’t possibly believe it word for word???

Chris T:   Soooo God was smart enough to build the Heavens and Earth and all things in them and make it all work like he intended but He’s not smart enough to build a book exactly like he wanted? I can’t go with that Cuz.

Tim W:   John… Me thinks thou doth protest too much

Tim W:   He was speaking from his perspective when he spoke about. Black people picking cotton and being happy

JOHN S: Phil. I get your point re the Bible. There are analogies and parables but the bottom line is that “Thou shalt not murder” still means just that. (Murder is the correct translation, to agree with your point.) It is not something open for interpretation. In fact it means more as it includes fighting or otherwise harming another person. The argument re Leviticus falls short as there were reasons for those laws back then. But the Decalogue hold true no matter what. You can’t tell me the 10 Commandments are open to interpretation, can you? As far as the first part of your comment, I am afraid I do not get the jib of your banter.

John T: I’m on Robertson’s side… the man was asked a question and answered it honestly and as taught in accordance to the Bible.. The thing I respect these gentlemen most about is the die hard hold on the religious beliefs they were brought up with.. It’s not as if he jumped on a TV interview to spout hatred for homos, that’s what makes it freedom of speech in my opinion.. He was asked what he was disgusted by most and he answered with what is considered an abomination punishable with a one way ticket to the faaaarrrrrrrr south

John T: All the employer needed to do was say it’s not the belief of the company and tell the gay community to boycott the show

JOHN S:  @ Tim… perhaps, but I am not in Hamlet. The problem is there are differences between voicing an opinion, protesting (doth too much or not), ranting and lying to achieve an agenda. This controversy is built on the last, we are exercising the first three. If you read the article then compare that to what is being said in the SRM, I am confident you will agree. My beef is not with the issue per se but the reporting of it. Someone PLEASE illuminate on Martin Bashir’s comments about Palin and advise me of your agreement with them?

Tim W:     You said he said nothing of his own opinion. That simple is not the case.

JOHN S: TW Read ALL of what I wrote.

Tim W:   John I started to but honestly I think you’re defending his beliefs rather than his right to an opinion.

Gin Mc: Worshiping the bible is like worshiping the golden calf, your suppose to worship God not things.

JOHN S: @ TW:”started to”? Is that like “I tried”? Just asking. And I am defending his beliefs. They are Christian beliefs. You do not have to agree with them. But that does not change the fact that if you are a believer in God you will believe His Word. Bear in mind we are all sinners, ALL of us. Robertson admits to myriad sins and he said that ALL sins are the same, sins if the flesh, thieves, idlers and the rest are all sins and sinners. That is the point. Do you disagree?

JOHN S: @Gin, I do not know who is “worshiping” the Bible. I would agree that worship of any thing, be it a book, Baal, or anything would be wrong. I did not read anywhere where Robertson said he worshiped the Bible. Kindly show me so I can stand corrected. And you are 100% correct, you’re supposed to worship God. And I think if you read the article you will see that is exactly what Robertson said.

Tim W:   No they are not “Christian” beliefs. List all the things Jesus said about homosexuals or homosexuality.

JOHN S: TW, stop. You are clearly out of your league and grasping at straws. Read the article, that sums it up. Not every sin has to be listed, all of us have sinned, Jesus died for the forgiveness of sin. And that is what Robertson said. You would know that if you read the article. (If you are not sure if homosexuality is a sin, it is covered in the 10 Commandments.)

JOHN S: Mark Twain once said: “It’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.”

Tim W:     Read the article, read your post, hey how bout your read the Bible? Tell me what Jesus said about homosexuals.

Tim W:     PS I read the article, it’s a whole manufactured story. A&E didn’t know what they had with this guy? We love to build them up so we can watch them fall. I’m glad though it pulls the bigots right out into the open.

JOHN S: TW, you tire me. You refuse to accept the truth. Your ignorance is everestal in scope second only to your prejudice. One last thing: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
New International Version (NIV) “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

 

 

END NOTE:   I love Liberals!  They are just sooooo cute when they canNOT defend themselves!  “Gin Mc” makes an, er, uninformed comment, is gently admonished and, poof, she is gone.  Tim W. is another lost cause.  Refusing to admit that he did not read the article he sallies forth repeating his ignorance, hate and vitriol.  Well, after my last comment when I answer his question again, he starts to pick on some other poor lady who admits to something, makes a cogent argument and good old Timmy Boy surfaces and barrages her with absolutely hateful rhetoric.  The difference is with someone like Timmy is that he actually believes the crap he says and has every false Liberal argument lined up.  When you explain to someone the 600 odd laws in Leviticus are no longer applicable, they are quick to put them right back in the conversation. 

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome each time.  A Liberal makes the same trite and tired tropes and expect you to fall for them, and when you don’t, they simply repeat them.  Ergo: Liberalism is a mental disorder.  See below for the Bonus!

 

THE BONUS!

 

 

Geri G; I believe Phil had his right to say what he said and A&E have the right to let him go, however, that does not make him a bigot. This country was founded on diversification. Why should someone who is responding to a question in a biblical manner be considered a bigot? I have a nephew who is gay. Though I do not agree with his life choices and I am a Christian I don’t love him any less. Am I therefore a bigot? He has chosen not to talk to me because I would not attend his commitment ceremony…do I not have the right to do what is right for me just as much as he has the right to do what is right for him? I think people need to stop using buzz words such as racist and bigot… You disagree with me fine no problem …then obviously I disagree with you also but I don’t want you to change your beliefs to make me appease me. Using these buzz words all the time is kinda like the boy who cried wolf. The more we call each other names the less affect it has till no one is listening and bad things are really happening.

Tim W: Amazing we never seem to bash the drunkards as sinners or the sexually immoral which basically is everyone.

Geri G:  Are you attempting to bash me now? Ha Ha Ha. Don’t care…

Tim W: Nope go on and in a few years when you realize how much of your nephews life you missed on you can decide what name you want to call yourself. I do agree the bigot and racist name calling is thrown out there too fast but sometimes that glove fits.

Geri G: Again Ha Ha Ha..You only hear what you chose to hear. FYI… I invite my nephew in every family event I have. It is his choice whether he wants to attend or not.

Tim W: And you choose to pick the parts of the Bible makes him a sinner. I’m not going to list the other sexual acts that make someone just as much a sinner. But I’m willing to bet most of can check a lot of them off. Yet I’m pretty sure we don’t refuse to go the their weddings based on that.

Geri G: So let me get this straight. You get to call me a bigot because you disagree with my beliefs and I should change my way of thinking or feel bad because I do not agree with your beliefs. Is that what you are saying? …. I did not know tolerance was a one way street.

Tim W: Did I call you a bigot?

Tim W: I ate pork & shellfish this week and currently as we talk I am wearing at least 3 different fabrics at the same time. That’s way more sin than loving a person of the same sex.

JOHN S: Geri, do not get sucked in by Timothy. As you can see, he cannot honestly answer a question. He changes the topic, twists your words. Calls you a liar and all along he brings nothing to the discussion. There are Liberals who are good people, such as Phil. Then there are the self-hating Liberals like Timmy who have to bring you down because he can’t build himself up. You say you love your gay nephew. I am sure you have told him as much. But it is up to him to reciprocate. You are not compelled to go to anyone’s wedding or whatever, that is your choice. You sound like a nice person, stay that way, keep God and the center of your life and do not give haters a second of your time.

“Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

“I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

Genesis 3:19

 

My Friends and Fellow Mossy Oak Wearers:

FOREWARD:  “Forward?” No, not in the sense of Commies but as a preface.  Lana, a new friend not only shares many of my views but oddly enough, even though we are not related, the same last name. (But apparently the same political DNA.)  With that said she posted this the other day and she was kind enough to permit me to share with you.  “Here are my thoughts on the Duck Dynasty uproar,…some people are outraged that Phil Robertson has gotten such a huge response of support in such a short amount of time, while the NSA, Benghazi, IRS, Obamacare Obama’s blatant abuse of power, the Iran deal, the Budget deal, the EPA abuses of power, the list goes on, have been ignored. Perhaps this is the straw the breaks the camel’s back, after having so much rammed down our throats, watching as Christ is being taken out of Christmas a little more each year, giving 3 percent of our population so much control and leverage, finally Christians have had enough. I for one have, I think it is petty, spiteful and mean-spirited and hypocritical for a group like GLAAD to pretend, yes pretend, to be offended by one Christian man’s words, words that they have twisted and plain lied about. The gay community has a voice, the atheist community has a voice, the Latino community has a voice, the black community has a voice, the pro choice people have a voice, well time for those folks to show others the same acceptance and tolerance they Demand. And I am hoping when conservatives and Christians see what they can do with small issue, maybe they will take on the big issues. And that is the last I will post on this subject…..MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!”

 

I reckon you can see where this is heading….

 

Coincidences?  Whaddya new or somethin’?  There is no such of a thing as “coincidence” when it comes to most things.

Phil Robertson and GQ Magazine fall into that category.

But something tells me that at the end of the day Good WILL Triumph over Evil.

In case you have not heard, there is a show called “Duck Dynasty.” It is about a family in Louisiana who make duck calls.  They have become fabulously wealthy from this endeavor.  The men are all hirsute and wear cammies.  The live to hunt and fish.  The patriarch of the family, Phil Robertson, still lives in the house they had before the money came rolling in.

Other than the fact that you have these “rednecks” (meant in the nice way, not as a pejorative.) who seem to run a bidness, hunt, fish, have big cars, are very family oriented and there is prolly more references to God and the Bible in their show than on any TV station, or, all the commercial stations and cable outlets combined.  At the end of every show, the extended family is seated at the dinner table and Phil says “Bow your heads and pray for God’s Mercy” or some such phrase as he gives thanks to God as he says grace.

And, I know it is scandalous, but he actually uses the name “Jesus”. And in the good way!  (There was some controversy about Phil saying Jesus with the “nice” folks at A&E. But it was resolved. Phil says “Jesus.”)

(SIDEBAR:  Phil was also named one of Barbara Walters’ “10 Most Fascinating People of 2013” and I guess he was even more fascinating when he did not do an interview with Walters.  He was not mean or rude or making a point.  It is duck season.  He is not available for ANYTHING from November thru January.)

But, somewhere along the line he sat down with a “reporter” from “GQ Magazine.”

Here is where the alarms ought to be going off.

“GQ” or “Gentleman’s Quarterly” is a “men’s” magazine. (I hate to be catty, but it is a “men’s magazine” the same way that white zin is a “man’s drink.”  Not that a man can’t drink white zin…..)

Before I go any further, here is a link for the article.  Take about five minutes and read it.  The rest of this issue will make far more sense after you do.

http://www.gq.com/entertainment/television/201401/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson

Now, if you have any intellectual honesty and can read what the writer was actually trying to convey, it is unlikely that you would come to the same conclusion of every Liberal on the planet, particularly those in the SRM who did not read same.

To a “man” and “woman” these pillars of the 4^th Estate reported that Phil Robertson hates gays and says they are all going to Hell.

First off, he said no such thing.  In fact he said quite the opposite.  But, if you pick only the words that you want then you can invent anything you want it to say.  Second, he admits that all sin is essentially the same and that he is a sinner as well.  Last, he says he loves everyone and it is not for him to judge. 

The haters from the Left made their take on the interview along the lines of “Do you still beat your wife” kind of characterization.

For clarity, I did get the sense than this was a hatchet piece, although that was my suspicion BEFORE I read the article.  The writer, for what it is worth, seemed to have great respect for Robertson and self-deprecating at the same time.  Pretty fair on balance.

It was up to the “Man from GLAAD” and other gay organizations to make the leap from honest belief in God to homophobe and hater.

One of the stupider things said, and that is saying something, was from some unhappy representative from GLAAD.  He had the ba…, er, temerity to say, paraphrasing,: “Robertson does not know what it is like to live a homosexual lifestyle.”

I do not think that Phil would disagree.

What is missing (how many times have I said to read between the lines and the thing missing IS the point) and most poignant is something to the effect that “The writer from GLAAD does not know what it is like to live a heterosexual lifestyle.”

Same thing, right?

So, what does A&E do?

Do they tell GLAAD to back off?

Do they issue a statement supporting their star and saying his words were taken out of context and twisted?

Do they organize a press conference with the boss of their cash cow and give him the opportunity to “clarify” his remarks?

No, they suspend him.

The network that is making millions from the number one rated cable show as well as tens of millions from merchandizing, not only refuses to defend their star but they suspend him.

Now, why would they do that?

They had no idea what they were getting into when they started Duck Dynasty.  The thought it was going to be one more stupid, insipid show that the dim bulbs in flyover land watch.  Like most of the crap on cable, or network for that matter.

The show was birthed from a video Phil and his CEO son Willie concocted and figgered it would be like that alligator hunting show and short lived as well.

Ooppps…  boy did they misunderestimate Phil Robertson and grossly misunderestimate the thirst real Americans have for good, family values TV.

The clowns at A&E (owned, by the way by ABC and DISNEY) would prolly be more comfortable showing Yemeni goat porn than anything of a CHRISTian nature.

Recall, as mentioned above, that the Robertson family prays at the end of the show and the name Jesus is often invoked.  A&E hectored Phil to stop.  He stood by his faith and refused.

And the religion of tolerance, Liberalism, can tolerate anything but goodness and God.  And they hate it when someone pokes them in the eyes when they expect them to back down. So A&E have no love for the Robertsons.

At this point and before the first show aired, they did not need the money.  They do not need the fame so the two things that A&E have as weapons are useless against the bearded ones.

Now, here comes the rub.

Yes, Phil is suspended.  However, the next season is already done and in the can ready for viewing.  Will they cut out Phil?  Nope, no can do.  Will they end the series?  Possibility.  Will they show reruns?  Who knows. 

And it makes little difference.

Other stations are lining up to air Duck Dynasty.

More to come as it occurs and there m-i-g-h-t be a Saturday Short Stack on this.  And in the meantime I will not watch ANYTHING on A&E, and save for JEOPARDY! the same for ABC and Disney. As if they care.  Now.

 

ONE MORE THING, ok, two.

There is “Duck Dynasty” clothing as well as “Duck Commander.”  There IS a difference.  Anything which says “Duck Commander” is legit and come from the Robertson’s businesses.  If something says “Duck Dynasty” without the “Duck Commander” tag is prolly distributed by A&E.  (I s’pose they have the marketing aspect sewn up.)  So, PLEASE go to the DUCK COMMANDER website for your goods.

 

The other thing it was like the “12 Days of CHRISTmas” but in a truncated manner. More like the “5 Days of Duck Dynasty.”

As I opened my presents, my true loves gave to me 4 Duck Dynasty Beer cups, 3 Duck Dynasty T-shirts, 2 Duck Dynasty Glass Beer mugs, 1 Duck Dynasty hat and 1 Willie Robertson Duck Dynasty book.

Wonder how they knew I liked the show?

“Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

 “I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

 http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

 Genesis 3:19

 

My Friends and Fellow Five Golden Rings:

 

‘Tis CHRISTmas Eve.

I have one FISH done and another almost finished. The regularly scheduled FISH (the one under construction) is being preempted by this one because I am caused to write it.

I could see pretty early on that the one under construction might take a not-so-festive tone and being the day before Christ’s Birth, I felt it indelicate.

It won’t be any less indelicate on Thursday or Friday when I send it out but it will not conflict with Midnight Mass on your calendar!

But maybe we should just spend a few minutes taking stock of our lives.

Some of us are doing OK, some of us not so much.  Some of us have not a care in the world and some of us are saddled with almost insurmountable problems.

And it really makes no difference in the long term.  We are here but for a short time.  Let’s make the best of it as best as we can.

I was talking to my friend, Ben, whose wife Brigid I have asked for prayers.  (And PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep them in your prayers.)  I am not going to go into the details but Brigid went into cardiac arrest and was dead for 15 minutes a few days ago.  There was a weird thing which happened to her and that caused the cardiac arrest.  While she was brought back, she will most likely suffer other permanent physical issues over and above the ones already impacting her organs.

I have had almost daily contact with Ben either via text or phone just to give him some support.  (I did send a rather long email to him containing your thoughts and prayers and he asked me to relay his deep appreciation and thanks.)  I gotta tell you, he is holding up far better than I would in his position.  But he always seemed strong and is facing things head on. 

He related far more but this is not the time or the place and I am trying to keep as much private as I can.  But the things which struck me were that he has accepted that his life has changed forever, that this will be his life 24/7 and that he has not lost his faith.

In fact, if anything, I sense that his faith is even stronger than before.  A weaker person would blame someone else and failing to find a physical being to cast blame upon, they would often blame God for the misery and pain.  Far too often the only time God is in the lives of people who blame Him for something is when they are blaming Him for something.

And that brings me back to the point, not that I had one when I started this thing.

Tomorrow we celebrate the Birth of Jesus.  (And I know it was not in December…)  I am not all that concerned if you are a believer or not, Christian or Jew, but you have to admit that irrespective of your beliefs of lack of them, Jesus was the most important person in history.  (Before you shoot me off a little note, consider that again in purely an historical context.)

Perhaps He is the most uniting Person who ever lived.  Some might say the most divisive.  But the fact remains that a poor Little Child born in a manger over two millennia ago still affects our lives on a daily basis.

(If you do not think that is true, look at the wars in a world, look at the rationale employed by this Maladministration.  It seems to me that Biff & Co. make every decision based on “What Would Jesus Do”, and then they do the exact opposite.  Sorry, did not want to go there today but…)

So, maybe tomorrow, we look at 25 December as not just another day, not just a Wednesday this year, but as something special.

Maybe it is not special to you and mores the pity. But it is special to someone else and we do not want to rain on anyone else’s parade, now do we.

Most of us will spend time with friends and family.  That is great. But, is there anyone you know who does not have any place to go for CHRISTmas?  Maybe you can invite them for some of your festivities. 

Maybe YOU are the difference between someone having a miserable day and having their faith in God and man renewed.  There are so many instances of murder and suicide at this time of the year, perhaps the greatest present you may receive is the knowledge that YOU made a difference in someone’s life, that YOU may have even saved their life.

I am trying to remain upbeat but you hear these horrific stories in the news and you wonder what makes someone so desperate, so filled with despair that they turn to murder and suicide.

And you wonder if someone smiled and said “Merry CHRISTmas” to someone considering a dastardly deed if it that would have made a difference.  Or, if you invited someone who lives alone to join you, if that might not change them for the better forever.

My kids and g’kids are on the other side of the Country.  Of course I will speak with them all and perhaps do Skype or Facetime and that will be fine. Not a substitute for being there but better than being without them. But I will spend time with family here and it will be nice.  We will go to Mass on CHRISTmas Eve, then off for dinner and more at an aunt’s home.  Then strada and champaign for CHRISTmas breakfast, do the gifts, them off to a cousin’s house for an early dinner.

(I will hope that Santa puts the bottles of scotch I hope that he is bringing in age order and that there is sufficient to go around.)

And I will keep you all in my prayers tomorrow and pray that you get all the things you need, be they material, spiritual, medical or whatever. And just maybe you may also get some things you think you want.

I will think of Ben and Brigid and their two small children and only imagine what kind of CHRISTmas they are having.  I will imagine that they are the only gifts they need, one another.

I will think of all those just waiting for a call or an invite to go somewhere or do something.  Maybe the person making that call will be you.  Or, maybe you are waiting for that call.  I don’t know.

I will think that some two-thousand years ago a Baby was born into this world and the world has not been the same since.  I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior as I know many of you do.  I know He has the power to change things, to answer our prayers and to make our lives right, if only we let Him.

He is the Reason for the season and that is that.   I am not asking anyone to do anything except that which you feel in your heart.  There is something there, it is a gift for someone.  Please do not ignore it.

Your favorite curmudgeon will return with his regular bile and sarcasm soon.

Till then, no matter what you believe or not, I wish each and every one of you and your families the Merriest of all Possible CHRISTmas’s and a Blessed and Healthy New Year.

I love you all.  I mean it.

 “Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

“I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

Genesis 3:19

 

My Friends and Fellow Nattering Nabobs:

 

OK, I had this thing written a few days ago. I started on another one, the expected dissertation on Phil Robertson.  But due to a case of ESTO (Equipment Superior To Operator) somehow I saved the newer effort on top of the one put to bed, rendering it gone forever.

I will do my best to re-cobble it.

It had to do with what do I do with all my spare time.  I will let you know when I get some.  But some have asked what else do I do to spread the word.

For some odd reason I am relatively obsessed with that which is going on in our Country.  I write this little thing of ours, of course, and this is an outgrowth of my incessant writing of letters to the editors of various Liberal rags.

And I have the pleasure of responding to emails, at least as best as I can. 

Then there is Facebook.

If you are not on Facebook, that is fine.   It is not for everyone and it can become a time bandit if left unchecked.  But if you are, there are a lot of good people and good articles and posts.

If you are on, by all means, feel free to “friend” me.  There is a “The Daily Fish “page as well but that is used primarily to alert to the fact there is a new issue published.  You could leave comments there, if you wish.

However one of my fave things is to have a tete-a-tete with a Liberal.  I have a few “liberal“ friends who are relatively grounded and there is an opportunity to exchange opinions. 

The downside it that they often have friends who are not as grounded or level headed and they bury you with hate and bravo sierra and the discussion quickly goes south.

Almost like what Vlad said about Biff.  He said “Dealing with Obama is like playing chess with a pigeon.  He struts all over the board knocking pieces over, (defecates) on the board and then says he wins.”

You get the point.

But I do make other posts as well.

At times they are just a howyadoin’ on something such as: “On a non-political and personal note, a very Happy 70th Birthday to one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Keith Richards.
I am sure if he thought he was going to live this long he would have taken better care of himself! At the end of the world, it will be Twinkies, McDonald’s fries, Keef and yours truly…..”

 

Or, I will have the TV at work on some station that is presenting some horse hockey.  This will cause me to post something, and often to that shows FB page which is quickly removed.  (They hate censorship…. For them.) 

An example would be:  “Yeah, on The View they were discussing, as a sidebar, Megyn Kelly and the person who wanted a Black Santa. The argument being that they need ‘more diversity’ in their imaginary beings.

“Just shows to go you how stupid people have become (It is CHRISTmas, will not say anything worse) and how racist people are in the past 5-6 years.

“Now, two can play at that game.

“I want MY Al $harpton to be White. Why do the blacks get a black $harpton? Where is my White $harpton?

“And why is George Washington White? I mean, he is the Father of the Country. And which country today has the most people? China. So I want George Washington to the Chinese.

“If that makes any sense to you, you are as bad off as peeps who want a black Santa.

“And for those who say Jesus was black or brown, that is fine with me. He is what He is. I do not know 100% what color He is. He prolly was not European White. Alls I know is that He died for me. And it is His Birthday we celebrate next week, not a solstice, a season or anything else. So, get over yourself and wish people a Merry CHRISTmas. After all, HE is the Reason for the Season.”

 

At times there will be an item on the news or an email alert from one of the news organs.  Some of those give me the opportunity to vent.  As in the announcement about the Olympics pending.

“So, the Olympics start soon. They will be held in Russia. Russia has an official state anti-gay policy.

“What does Biffus Biggus Babyus do? Does he show respect to his better, Vlad? Does he try to do the right thing and STFU for once?

“No, this petulant little child will have a gay ‘representing’ the US at the opening ceremonies. Yes, Elton John will be… what? huh? That is NOT Elton John? Are you sure? Really? Billy Jean King? Huh! (Ya know, I have never seen Elton John and Billy Jean King together, just saying.)

“And just to throw a middle digit at Vlad. there the US is showing even more disrespect by not sending an official political delegation.

“If I was ANY serious candidate for the non-Marxist Party nomination for Prez, I would make a point of going to Russia, getting as much press as possible denouncing the disrespect for Russia and using that pulpit to further expose Biff’s weaknesses and fecklessness. So, whoever is serious, Cruz, West, Paul and so on (Pete King can stay home) ought to book straight away!

“’I can’t wait to say ‘For the first time in 8 years I am PROUD of my President.’”

 

(On an unrelated note male figure skater Brian Boitano came out of the closet.  He announced his homosexuality by saying “I am Brian Boitano and I am a male figure skater.”  Feel free to take that out of context and we can discuss that in the Phil issue coming.)

 

Then there are the pearls offered up by the MorOns at MoveOn.Org.  Truly, if anyone ever wanted proof that Liberalism is a mental disease, these guys and gals provide ample evidence on an almost daily basis.

This was received the other day:

“Dear MoveOn member,

“Zero.

“That’s the total number of positive stories about the Affordable Care Act on the ABC and NBC Nightly News in the first two months of Obamacare. At the same time, they ran nearly wall-to-wall negative stories.

“Clearly, there were serious problems with the rollout that deserved attention. But zero stories about the largest expansion of health care access in decades? That’s just irresponsible journalism.”

Yes, someone wrote that, someone discussed it, perhaps edited it, approved it and sent it out.  So, the mental issues are rampant.

The Left OWN the SRM.  Virtually everything printed that has a Liberal slant is presented in a positive light, and vice verse.

When there is a clusterfluke of everestal proportions and the SRM have to admit the emperor has no clothes, my antenna go up. I retorted with:

“Ya gotta be kidding me!

“Biff creates this Frankenstein of an ersatz ‘health care bill’ and it is a clusterfluke. Unmitigated disaster from top to bottom. Of course, that may have been the intent.

“All of a sudden, because the SRM is not bowing down to the false god of a bravo sierra bill, the MorOns at MoveOn have their panties in a wad.

“While I canNOT fathom the rationale they are employing in their cavil against reality, it is more disturbing that there are people who are going to say ‘yeah, the evil media’ when they have been carrying Biffs water since before Day-1. 

“They fact that the SRM is bashing OBAMA”S OBAMACARE makes me more suspicious.

“Essentially what MorOn is saying in the last sentence is even though the Hindenberg blew up killing a lot of people, it provided heat for a few minutes…. 

“Asshats, all of them!”

You get the idea.

 

So, I try to make this costra nostra somewhat readable.  To that end I try to practice my writing, er, “skills” as often as I can.  And I use some of these avenues to blow off steam that otherwise might find its way into THE Fish, and when I write this when I am full of bile and Lord Knows what else, the results are not pretty.

Ok, basta, genug, enough!! Back to more pressing issues, such as the next one on Phil Robertson and there is a little surprise in that issue as well!

“Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

“I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

Genesis 3:19

 

My Friends and Fellow CHRISTmas Revelers:

I try to be open-minded.  Not to the point where my brains fall out or my common sense flies away.  But I do give a person with differing views a chance to make their case as long as they do it respectfully, with no hate and have facts.

Most of my conversations of this sort are rather brief.  Typically the lib comes complete with two of the three items.  Usually they are a little light on facts and then it goes downhill from there.

I do have a (very) few good friends who are Libs.  In these cases we have bashed the points back and forth and they declare a tie and I say that I won.  But in order to maintain their friendships, we no longer discuss politics.  Not that I do not get a dig in. And with Biff screwing the pooch more and more every day and the SRM FINALLY reporting on it I no longer have to say anything more than “I told you so” and leave it at that.

But that does not mean I am going to leave the heathen unconverted. I am going to do my best to have them vote the RIGHT way. (This is going to be more tricky as time goes on as you will see and read.)

I have a friend, a pretty good friend who is not only a Liberal but an Atheist.  (One of a few I know.)  He is a successful businessman, has made a ton of dough, is a very intelligent man, a world traveler (mostly business) and is the type of Liberal Atheist who should be neither.

Not long ago was his birthday. I just happened to see him that day. I wished him a “Happy Tuesday.”

He was about to say thanks until he heard what I said. 

“What do you mean by that?”

“By what?” I reply.

“By Happy Tuesday. Why did you say that?”

“Well, it is Tuesday and I want everyone to have a happy day” trying to set a trap.  I half figured he was too smart for what I was trying to do.  But…

“Fair enough.  But in case you did not know, today is my birthday!” he beamed.

“That’s nice, Happy Tuesday anyway.”

“You are not going to wish me a happy birthday?” taking the bait.

“I already wished you a Happy Tuesday, is that not enough?”

“Not really, it is my birthday, it is customary to wish people a happy birthday on their birthday.” He fumed, mildly.

“Oh, but, I did not wish to offend you.”

“How could you offend me by wishing me happy birthday?”

“Let me ask you this.  Your family and friends, except me so far, have prolly whished you a happy birthday, right?”

“Yes..”

“And, I’d bet that even some people you do not know wished you similarly upon hearing someone else wish you felicitations, yes?”

“Yes. But where are you going with this.”

“Before I answer that, if someone says ‘Merry CHRISTmas’ to you what do you say?”

“Either ‘and you’ or “season’s greetings.’”

“So, you don’t actually say ‘Merry CHRISTmas?” I asked.

“No, I don’t, that would be hypocritical.” He replied.

“Why is that hypocritical?” I had to ask, but knowing the answer.

“Because I don’t believe in God so it would be hypocritical to say Merry CHRISTmas.”

“Fair, enough.  And THAT is why I did not wish you a happy birthday.  I figgered you might say just what you did and I did not want to offend you.” I stated.

“But, here I am, I am here, you can touch me, hear me, heck we are having a conversation.” He protested.

“Sure, I agree 100%.  But I was not there when you were born.  I can’t swear today actually IS your birthday, or even if your parents are your parents.  Do you have a DNA test result handy?”

“Are you crazy?  Of course today is my birthday, you know my parents for ages and of course I do not have a DNA test result! I don’t need it!!!” 

OK, I went a l-i-t-t-l-e overboard.

“So, you do not see why my wishing you a happy birthday might be seen as hypocritical?” Throwing fuel on the fire.

“NO! And I am sorry I saw you today!”

“Even after I wished you a ‘Happy Tuesday’?” And added quickly before he could react: “Bob (not his real name) I see you, hear you and I know you exist.  Yet do I know today is your birthday?  Well, I canNOT prove it is not so I will accept you at your word.  I have faith that you do have a birthday, even if it is not actually today.”

“You have a point, make it, let’s get this over with.” He said.

“Well, December 25^th is CHRISTmas.  I know that is probably not Jesus’ real Birthday but it was agreed upon to call it that.  Now, we know Jesus actually lived, even an Atheist can see He existed.”

“Fine, I give you that, but what is your point?”

“Well, just as I see you, hear you and so on and I believe you exist, I can also see Jesus, hear Jesus in the world, and I believe He exists. I am not asking you to get on your knees and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, though nothing would make me happier, but I want you to dwell on what I just said.”

“John, you are like a brother and I respect you and what you said, but it is not going to happen. Why do you even bother to try to convert me, why do you even believe as you do?”

“Bob, maybe I am just trying to be a good person or maybe I am just hedging my bet.  But I would rather live my life believing in God and when I close my eyes for the last time find out there is no God, then to live not believing in Him and to take that long dirt nap only to find out that He does exist.  Bob, we are here but a short time, and eternity… well, that is forever.”

 

Now, if you are an Atheist, please take that to heart.  If you are a believer of another religion please understand that I am not trying to convert you but had to put that in the conversation in the context of my belief.

And while that sounds like a religious message, that is not it’s only intent.

As I have written, I blame a lot of the breakdown of society on the ending of the Blue Laws.  I will not re-hash that now, but since then there has been a steady decline in morals and more attacks on things good, Holy and/or Religious.

The crass commercialization of CHRISTmas is appalling but we have let it become so.  There have always been some sort of gift-giving at this time of the year but it was just in the last century or so that gift-giving has become a contest.

Let’s look back a few weeks to Thanksgiving.

Stores used to open an hour or two earlier on Black Friday.  Then earlier and earlier.  Then midnight.  Then Thanksgiving evening. Now, they are open all Thanksgiving day in some cases.

First of all, vanity, all is vanity. 

We are not going to buy MORE gifts just because the stores open earlier. Heck, they were open on Wednesday, right? That is earlier still.But did you over-shop then?

It has little to do with the hours the stores are open.  Anyone with a small IQ, even some Libs, know that you do not have to get up two hours before you go to bed to get a deal; other and better deals will be had. And the insane cray-cray deals?  How many per store? Where are you on line? Aww… thanks for playing!  Sorry, we are out of the 55” TV for $199.69, but, hey, look at that, an electronic dog polisher for way too much money!

It does little to foster the spirit of CHRISTmas and thoughtful gift giving but breaking up family activity.

Now, I am not a big movie guy, at least not so much in the last 20-odd years.  I just refuse to pay a penny to any Liberal actor, which narrows that down to almost all of them.

However, at this time of the year, there are a lot of movies coming out.  It is a time when people are off from school or work and it is during the end of the time to be considered for an Academy Award.

As little interest as I have in the film arts, I have a HUGE interest in the preservation of the family.

So, here is your homework:  Watch TV (commercial, if you must), pay attention to the movies premiering, note the day.

The predominant day of new movies debuting before the end of the year is… of course, you silly CHRISTmas!

Do you think the evil-powers that are saying “Ya know, after all this crass commercialism, maybe the folks want to unwind! Let’s open a few movies that day!”

Or, do you think the conversation is more like “Enough of this ‘Jesus’ stuff, we need to do something before they start believing that, let’s get movies for EVERYONE to get them out of the house, away from their families and especially away from Church.”

Thoughts?

To be fair, I will go to the movies on the day Biff takes his last breath.

 

“Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

“I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

Genesis 3:19

 

My Friends and Fellow Goldfinger Fans:

 

REQUEST: I ask again that you keep my friend Brigid Vogt in your prayers. There is some “improvement” in her condition but that is open to interpretation.  She is a good person as is her husband Ben and their two little kids.  Doctors do not know everything, to which my grandson Caleb will attest. And prayer changes things, to which my grandson Caleb will attest.  I do not ask much and even less for me. But I do ask your prayers for Brigit.  And I would appreciate you telling me you ARE praying for her so I can send those thoughts to Ben for comfort.  Please, make it so.

 

Ya ever see someone for the first time and you immediately form an opinion about them.  And for purposes of this issue, we are going to stick to politics and the politicians.

Some folks come saddled with the likelihood to suffer prejudging.  Most anyone introduced by Biff has already created my opinion of them. Especially if it is the New Marxist On the Block his is introducing as “his dear friend” and the new director/czar or whatever of whatever.

Of course, there are some, few, exceptions to that rule.  Typically, if you see someone that you suspect that does not want to be with him, such as a Medal of Honor winner, they are excused from your opprobrium.

But, any jackanape standing next to him, JoeBama, Dingy the ELF, Schemer, Nasty Pelosi, Mr. Debbie Wassermanhyphenshultz, Al $harpton, the Commie Bill DeBlasio or the like, you can take it to your local on-line New Jersey betting site that that person is a fellow traveler and not to be trusted.

Then there are those “experts” found roaming the television dial, especially on Sunday mornings.

The peeps from the right look fairly average.  They are gen’ly clean shaven, dressed in a suit, hair kempt, you know, very “Father Knows Best.”

(QUESTION: For 52 Bonus points, why do we say someone who is a mess “disheveled” but not someone squared away “sheveled?”  Or, if someone is a grump or unhappy he is “disgruntled” yet, you hardly ever hear of someone being happy to the point that they are “gruntled.”  Just sayin’.)          

On the other side of the coin and political spectrum and with a tenuous grasp of reality are often easily picked out.

The maniac wearing the “Anarchy” t-shirt who looked like he combed his hair with a 120—volt fork, he is prolly on the Left.

The woman with the snotty attitude and a hyphenated last name, prolly voted for Biff at least twice.

The smarmy, pretentious tweed jacketed know it all with a neatly cropped beard is most likely a fellow traveler.

The representative from a group that is has the word “Project”, “Endeavor”. “Challenge”, “People(s)”, “Collective”, “Rights” or some other similar terms that seems to be long on need and short on actually doing something must also be treated with suspicion.

(Ergo, Ms. Washington-Deecee from the “Peoples Collective Endeavor Rights Challenge Project” must be given a VERY wide berth.  And if you throw in “Women’s” or worse, “Wymyns” into the name, then you know, truly, it is a hate group.  And not necessarily against men.  It is absolutely a left-wing group and there are, of course, men in membership.  Of course, they are not manly men – and I am not talking about sexual orientation – I am talking about weak, milquetoast.  But, I digress…)

Then every once in a while, I real winner comes down the pike.

In this case, peddling his bike.

Remember when you were a kid and you “stole” a cookie before dinner.  You thought you had done a bad thing.  There you were, you had cookie on your breath and you knew you were going to get caught!

The next time you did it, you did not lose any sleep over your confectionary larceny but it still did not feel right. 

As time went on and you did not get caught you became more brazen and by then if you got caught you’d just ‘splain it away.

Used to be if you did not believe in God, most folks felt sorry for you.  Today, the tables have turned and we believers are then ones being persecuted.

Used to be that you helped your kids with their homework and today you may not be allowed.  (The ultra-left wing teachers cabal do not want you to know what they are teaching your kids.)

Used to be if you were gay, it was kinda under the radar, even in the media.  Charles Nelson Reilly and Paul Lynd were never overt about their homosexuality, neither denying nor confirming that for most of their lives.  And “we” thought they were funny and as long as they stayed in the closet, they could act as silly as they wished.  Today, you HAVE to embrace, accept and support deviant lifestyles.

All this is for background.  You see, there are minor players in politics, specifically in the District of Criminals, who figger the bloom is off the rose and time for them to come out of their personal political closets.  They have nothing to lose.

Today’s poster boy for immediate recognition for prejudice and coming out of his dark and dreary personal closet is the Ed Begley Jr of the Lower House of the Brothel.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer is from the most Left Congressional District in one of the more Liberal states, Oregon.  Need I say more?

Really, in a fair and just world, he would be employed as a circus chimp.  But in the People’s Republic of Oregon (and we have readers there AND they are among the most adamant!) a mouth-breather like Earl (I am bored to type his last name) get elected to Congress.

I get itchy and break out in hives when I read his CV. He is like my total opposite politically.   This sometimes-bearded, bow-tie wearing gavone also sports a figure of a bicycle where a real man, Vet or Patriot might PROUDLY wear a flag pin.

In other words, this clown would be called a “daisy” by the Doc Holliday character in “Tombstone.”  (A top 10 movie!)

In order to, Lord knows what reason he is pulling out of his butt, to advance his evil agenda this chap wants to double the tax on gasoline and/or imposing a tax for every mile a citizen drives.

Did I mention that he is a “Democrat?”  I didn’t? I did not need to do so?

Of course, this holder of an IQ similar to the average temperature of Klamath Falls would be the first to object to the “obscene” profits that Big Oil make.

Earn, actually.

For some reason, this a’hat can get his hemp-woven panties in a knot because the Big Oil Companies make billions of dollars!

Imagine that, billions of dollars!

Or to put that in perspective about a five-hundredth of the federal budget.

Yes, Big Oil is evil!  All that they do is invest in prospecting for oil, setting up test wells and when they do find a viable well, they have to get it to produce, get the oil to the refinery, refine it and deliver it.

And for doing all the work, all the heavy lifting and taking all the risks, including battling the same Congress that wants their money, they extract the usurious profit of close to 8%.

And in return for enacting onerous regulations, erecting barrier after barrier to being successful and making their lives miserable all that the Federal Gov’t wants in return is more than four-times of what the Companies EARN.

(For my liberal friends who say that Big Oil makes too much money, the gov’t makes multiples for doing nothing.  For my liberal friends who say that Pharma makes too much money and that OBAMA’S OBAMACARE is a good thing, well when you are dying because the serum that was going to cure your disease – not liberalism, the other disease – is not available because it was not invented because you caused the gov’t to shut down the research, will you STILL piss and moan?)

Back to the curiously named “Earl.”  (Why “curiously?”  My uncles from Brooklyn called “oil”, “earl”.  “Hey put some earl in the car!”  And if the Texaco Star guy was, in fact, named “Earl”, of course, he was known as “Oil.”  Ergo: “Hey Oil, put some earl in my car. I once asked my “Unk” – we all have one – why did he say it like that.  He replied that was the way they learned to speak.  I asked – not “axed” – him, why did they not just switch the words?  He said, and this is true “you mean say ‘Hey earl, put some Oil in my car?”  Yes!  He said that it did not make sense and “don’t be so smart, smarten up!” Whatever the heck THAT meant!)

You see, Oil, er Earl is a little light on the law.  Or, I am wrong.  And I confess I have not done that much research into this but I’d still wager I am right.

5^th Amendment, double jeopardy.

It is a tax-tax.   And depending on the time of the day, OBAMA’S OBAMACARE is or is not a tax or a penalty.  Again, the Libs have screwed their own personal pooch for the moment.  You see if it is a tax, then the whole thing goes down the porcelain throne if it is a penalty, that is different.

If Earl calls this a tax, it can be tested as a penalty as a de facto tax is already collected by the myriad taxes on gasoline and license and other fees.       

If this genius succeeds in getting the road use tax for all people passed, he might be the tool to being down OBAMA’S OBAMACARE.

(If ANY of that made perfect sense to you, YOU might be a liberal!)

Too bad a Republicrat did not think of this. The difference, of course, is that Earl wants to punish people (and prolly demand licenses for bike riders next) and the Republicrats do not know how to fight dirty.

Enough, I am going to get crankier.

Love you, mean it.

 

“Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

“I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

Genesis 3:19

 

My Friends and Fellow Goldbullions:

Life imitates art which imitates Art Carney who imitates Sideshow Carney….  Nevermind, but it shows how the various and sundry factoids and data floating around my little brain find each other.

For no good reason and apropos of nothing else, the other day I posted on FB:  “In a news conference today Spokesweasel Sideshow Carney saw his shadow and proclaimed 6 more weeks of lies about OBAMA’S OBAMACARE.

“He said that he was sure they might possibly make some inroads on getting some of the bugs out of certain of some of the steps in random procedures in signing up.

“In a related story, making good on his promise to ‘sign up’ for (wink-wink, nudge nudge) his eponymous plan, a certain president admitted having difficulty signing in with any of his social security numbers….”

(On a very related and telling note, New Jersey made certain types of on-line gambling legal.  Of course, there is a need to sign-up and register.    Of course that process went as smooth as silk.  Of course, at one point, more people signed up to gamble on line in New Jersey than signed up for OBAMA’S OBAMACARE nationwide.  The scary thing is that We the People see betting on-line a better bet than OBAMA’S OBAMACARE.  Think about that for a moment.)

Well as it seems I was not far from the mark.  Then again it does not take a rocket scientist to figger out we are being grifted by this Maladministration.  In fact, it is so easy to see that a Nobel Peace Prize Weiner can figger it out.

To paraphrase my dad, “Liberals are so smart they are stupid.”  And Biff proved that again the other day.

There is an out and out attack on anyone who says anything bad about the abject and utter failure of OBAMA’S OBAMACARE.

Now, as I have always said: read between the lines, the information is there if you look for it.  What is it?  It IS what IS NOT there.  (Ok, that is kinda hippie and Zen, but that is what it is….is…) Now add to that that the Libs are transparent and, poof, as if by magic, lo and behold the truth.

Biff was out on his “poor me” tour with the usual cast of characters out there mischaracterizing the truth. Dingy the ELF is blaming the Republicrats for everything but the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, for that he was blaming the Tea Party. 

With the rest of the cabal, the reprehensible and reptilian Sen. Schemer, the never-lovely Mr. Debbie Wassermanhyphenshultz and the rest of the leash-hounds (one can only imagine that there is vile evidence or incriminating photos of them to keep them in check) saying:  “Yeah! Yeah!  That’s right!  Whatever he says!” As their morals are flushed down the sewer.

“Ya know, some folks are blaming me for the mess up.  Just because it was my idea and I pushed it and got the useful tools in the Brothel to support it and got you low-information idiots to buy into my constant litany of lies, can you imagine that!  They are blaming me!  Just because the website works as we wanted it to, that being not at all, the Right are calling us fools and inept.  But when we have ALL of their data, well we will see who is ‘inept’ then.”

Then this festering pile of burning rubber tires goes on to not only LIE again but inadvertently to expose the truth.

(See if you can figger out the reference to burning tires…. HINT:  Two words:  Mandela and Necklacing…. Look it up.)

He mentioned in his jeremiad that apparently you have to read the Wall Street Journal editorial pages or watch FOX to learn about those who “do not like him.”

I am sorry, Miss, this is NOT a beauty contest.  I am fairly sure that EVERY President who made an unpopular decision was not loved by everyone.  Then again there was never a president (perhaps other than Wilson and FDR who were purposely screwing We the People and subverting the Constitution but, then again, compared to this guy, even they were pikers.)         

Now, read that second paragraph above again.

Waiting.

C’mon…

OK, what did you learn?

No.  No.  No.  Close!  No.  No.  On the right track.  No…

Yes, we have a winner!

Yes, what we learned is we are told the truth by that which is not told to us.  Yes, the ‘’between the lines” stuff I am always on about.

If, by his own words, that the WJL and FOX do not like him, criticize him and hurt his itty-bitty-wittle feelings, then we are free to believe that ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PMS/LSD, Al Jezerra, BBC, The Weather Channel, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, The Times of London, NEWSDAY, Chicago  Sun Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Atlanta Constitution, Boston Herald, most Pennysavers and the rest of the cable outlets and newspaper think he hangs the sun, the moon and the stars.

THAT is what he said, by omission.

Truly this guy is on a scorched-earth mission at this point.  The plan sucks, the roll out is pathetic and the health industry is rejecting it.  In other words, despite that it is a scam , a lie and a canard, that will not stop Biff & Co from hitting the hustings and lying more and more about it.

And what are you going to do about it?

Nothing.

Yup.  Nothing.

Even if you WANTED to do something, what are you going to do?  Call a cop?  He IS the police force.  Sue him?  He OWNS the judges and now with his attack vole, Dingy The ELF pulling the strings for more appointments, he will be like Lays Potato Chips.  Liberal Judges?  Don’t worry, he will just make more.

 

Why do I keep harping on this, why do I keep banging the same drum?  Am I crazy?  I may be but I assure you, that has nothing to do with it.

In life, at least in most businesses and concerns I have had an involvement, there is the “10-80-10 Rule.”

10% of all people will NEVER buy something the first time out, have dessert with dinner, buy a used car, buy an extended warranty, buy clothes without trying them on first, order the special of the day and so on.

10% of the people will ALWAYS buy something the first time out, have dessert with dinner, buy a used car, buy an extended warranty, buy clothes without trying them on first, order the special of the day and so on.

The other 80% can be persuaded one way or another, all other things being equal.

Politics are a little different.  Some people are honest and will vote for the RIGHT person rather than their Party’s choice.  Most do not. They vote for the Dem or Rep irrespective of the candidate’s bona fides. 

Fortunately many people seeing the error of their way will not vote for a bad person a second time.  (I know, I know.   But that is a whole ‘nother FISH.)  That is why the balance of power can and does change despite party affiliation.

That brings us back to the question just posed.

Why do people buy something or vote for some one?  Prejudices and preferences aside, people will be swayed by advertising.  Or, at the very least, the advertising will lead them to investigate the product or candidate.

Advertising is little more than repetition of the mantra of “gets teeth whiter”, “more miles per gallon”, “when you are ready for that moment”, “loves babies and will lower taxes” and so on.

So, when I go off on one my little tangents, it is not just my attempt to offer some more, new or improved (nothing can be both NEW and IMPROVED) information but a often a mere repetition of the same core message. 

Yes, I am a shill for the Constitution and the American Way of Life.  And I am not just a shill, I am a customer!  

I love our Country.  I want to be proud of my President and his or her policies.  I want to be proud of our standing in the world and the respect we have earned by being HONEST and forthright.  In want to be, AGAIN, one Nation UNDER GOD and not one nation under suspicion and socialist rule.

So, when I go off on a tangent about our Country, remember it comes from a good and loving place and I only want the best for all of us. 

Well, all of us who love America, respect the Constitution and our legally enacted laws and thought that the Founding Fathers had some good ideas.

As W said, you are with me or you are against me.  And I will keep hammering home that message until we take back our Country.

“Opening minds and angravating liberals since 2001”

“I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.”

http://defendmichael.wordpress.com/

Genesis 3:19

 

My Friends and Fellow Goldenrings:

BEFORE we get going, two things.  Normally by now I have written something about this time of the year.  And with all due respect to people who not share my beliefs, I beg your indulgence.  Despite what, when, where, why or how, to most of us it is CHRISTmas.  Yes, there are other real holidays such as Hanukkah and made up ones such as Kwanza and non-ones likes the Solstice.  But it is CHRISTmas.  And for me CHRISTmas it will be with a capital CHRIST so we all know the reason for the season.  And keeping with my ever cheery disposition – stop laughing – I ask you to take a moment and send our friends at the ACLU a CHRISTmas Card!  They are located: 125 Broad Street, 19^th Floor, New York, New York 10004.)

           

A filibuster is not a cowboy who breaks horses nor is it a stallion brought in to service a mare.  While it may share some of those characteristics, it is a parliamentary procedure employed to delay or defer a vote in our Senate.

According to Dingy Harry Reid the ELF, it is some kind of newfangled thing the racist Republicans invented because Biff is black.

In reality, which is nowhere near where that ELF lives, it goes back to Cato the Younger in Roman times and despite what Dingy thinks, it goes back to our earliest Congresses.  (Also see Federalist #62.)

In reality, it was Reid who used and abused the filibuster to thwart the Republicans and later the Republicrats in getting their way.

In reality, it was the Ku Klux Klan Democrat Senator from West Virginia, Robert Byrd, who took the filibuster to a senatorial art form.  Byrd was a racist and overall not a nice person.  He filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and was against the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

(Byrd was a Senator from 1959 until his untimely death in 2010.  Some say he was a senator with Cato the Younger.  That is false.  He was a senator with his father.)

The Rules of the Senate are kinda like Chinese Algebra with a side order of the rules of a cricket test match, just in case anyone gets close to figgering them out.  But, say what you will about Dingy Harry (and I often do and never is any of it good) he, like his predecessor Byrd, knows how to work the rules, stack the deck, deal from the bottom and get a bill passed while lying the entire time with a straight face.

The filibuster, like anything else, has nothing to do with what its supporters suggest and everything to do with that which is not being reported in the SRM.

Bear in mind, that until the 17^th Amendment, a century ago, the Senators were picked by the states assemblies.  The Senate was a check valve, if you will, between the popularly elected House and the several states that placed them.

With the 17^th Amendment came popular election of the Senators who, in far too many cases, do not adequately reflect the opinions of the electorates as do the House and the states legislatures.  This is largely due to the six-year term of a Senator versus the two-year term for a congressman and most state legislatures.  So, we can have a Senator who does reflect the will of We the People but after a few years become inured and ingrained in the machine.

(A debate on the 17^th Amendment has been previously broached and perhaps will be revisited at a later time.)

Anyway, we have all seen the slide chart, educational tutorial or have taken civics class so, we all know “How A Bill Becomes Law!”

It is NOTHING like that.

While the mechanism is much like described, as we see that smiling sheet of paper walking from one house to the other to be voted upon and how happy that bill is when he is approved by both houses, in reality it is more like “How A Sausage Is Made” but without the morals of the animal slaughterhouse.

There are various thresholds for votes.  Some are a simple majorities and supermajorities required in others.  Depending on the circumstance, a supermajority is typically a two-thirds majority.

Then there is the filibuster vote, or, more accurately a cloture vote. 

Where a filibuster is designed to delay a vote, cloture is the vote taken to end a filibuster.  Here the threshold is three-fifths or sixty votes.

The filibuster has some good aspects and some not so good. There are times where a party will wish to vote on a bill only to have a member of his own party start a filibuster against it.  This allows the “I was for it before I voted against it” to be used in electioneering.

Usually it is used by one party (usually the minority party) to delay or dissolve a vote.  Sometimes these stalling tactics work and the bill goes back for an overhaul, other times the Senate Majority Leader garners the votes needed for cloture then the vote, and at other times the bill dies on the floor.

Then there is the “Nuclear Option.”  Yes, the Nuclear Option that Dingy the ELF hated so much, complained about vigorously, claimed it an affront to the Constitution and that it was prolly against the law.

You see, the Nuclear Option allows certain cloture votes to be carried with a simple majority on filibusters pertaining to nominations for Cabinet positions and inferior federal court judges.

Now that Biff is having a hard time getting his Marxist and Socialist activist nominations confirmed to many of the Federal Court, for some reason, Dingy the ELF thinks the Nuclear Option is an idea whose time has come! 

Yup during Bush’s terms it was a threat to America, God, Apple Pie, the Girl Next Door and Chevrolets.  But now that the most “conservative” of Biff’s choices for a black robe hold views that may have landed them in jail not that many years ago could not get past the Republicans then, chew gum, it is time to change the rules.

(You realize this allows for an “Appellate Justice William Ayres” or “Appellate Justice Bernadette Dorn” and the like.)

Of course, this is only a small thing, lies Dingy the ELF.  Ya know, there are so many vacancies that the back log goes back….. in some cases less than 30 seconds in some jurisdictions.  But just because there is no need for a justice there NOW, does not mean that these pillars of justice might not be needed in the future.  And what a better way than to make sure your anti-American viewpoints live on long after one has left the big chair than to have fellow travelers appointed to the second highest courts….. FOR LIFE!!!!!

So, it is not small potatoes, Dingy.

And while Dingy is making is sob story case for ending filibusters for ONLY these few, small, hardly ever used, no big deal kind of appointments (and we all know, the smaller a deal they say it is, the more it directly impacts us) he swears it is only in this tiny little instance.

Hark back some years with the Lawrence v. Texas case.  Recall that the lawyers arguing the case made it sound like it was no big deal, it was about privacy and we all want privacy, right?   So, if two grown men want to grill steaks wearing a towel around their waists, who are we to judge!   It is not like there would be parades and demonstrations and parties and naked people having gay sex in the streets if they prevailed!

And did your Precious say, that there WOULD be parades and demonstrations and parties and naked people having gay sex in the streets if they prevailed.

And in the following days when Lawrence prevailed, what happened? There were parades and demonstrations and parties and naked people having gay sex in the streets.

So, you will excuse me when I hear Little Dick Durban of Illinois say the VERY NEXT DAY that ALL cloture votes for ANYTHING can and should be a simple majority and moving on that ALL votes for ANYTHING ought to be decided likewise.

Raise tariffs on microprocessors:  50% vote.

Approve a treaty with Grand Fenwick:  50% vote.

Pass a Constitutional Amendment overturning the 22^nd Amendment…

Do you see where this is going?

I assure you, that Biff & Co has some “skin in the game” but getting this cloture concession, if nothing else, it allows them to place all sorts of creatchures in all sorts of judgeships.

But, it gives them the advantage of having the ability to totally shred the Constitution and create the “Post American” world that the Fabians so desperately desire.

So, for the few of you who wrote to me asking why the filibuster/cloture vote was such a big deal, I trust this answers your question.  And knowing this bunch, would you be surprised?