Smoking Gun

So everybody says (but the Democrats) that the 'Smoking Gun' email is out; the one that proves Obama lied about the Benghazi attack on purpose and for political motives.

Those of us who know Obama well knew this two years ago. Obama does NOTHING that doesn't have a political motive.

Like the whole Minimum Wage Senate vote. The whole thins was a sham; Harry Reid knew it wouldn't make it to the floor- Hell; I'll even bet him and McConnell had the whole thing planned out. The way the vote went plays well with both bases. So it was win/win.

But it was political.

Sorry for another short post, but my real job is breathing down my neck today, and there are only so many hours in the day.

What is Racism?

Don't answer the question yet

First, take a look at this article. And the picture.

Now answer my initial question.

If the picture was of George and Laura Bush, would it be racist? Bill and Hillary Clinton? Then why is depicting Obama and the Missus the same way racist?

We are all (allegedly) descended from apes; why is the depiction of one couple racist and another not?

What if the artist who  doctored this photo is black; is it racist then?

Or is it only racist because folks who are not black are seeing this image? What if it was only available in Ebony magazine; would it then be a racist image?

I have complained before about how there is hard racism and soft racism. Hard of course is the KKK. That's easy to identify.

But the Left practices a soft racism; one they refuse to admit, and Obama is either the beneficiary or the cause of the practice. Like the idea that any criticism of Obama is racist.

Ask yourself; is it racist because they can use that rusty canard as a shield, or is it racist because it is not 'proper' to criticize anyone of another race, irrespective of the validity of the criticism?

Back to the image; Remember Chimpy McHitler Bush? How about the images?

If the Obama image is racist, then so are these. Or maybe you don't think they are. Why not? Sauce for the Goose is sauce for the Gander right?

If the only response you have is that the Obama images are racist because they are black, then I will accuse you off being racist; a soft racist. One who feels people of color need to be protected; they aren't capable of defending themselves.

Do you feel that way? Why don't you consider your self a racist?

Crimea; Oh Crud

Too often we worry about what is best for us, individually, without worrying about what may be best for everybody.

Yes; I'm thinking about Crimea, Ukraine and Russia.

The whole Western world is considering sanctions and putting troops on alert because of the Russian invasion of Crimea and possible Ukraine.

Russia has publicly stated its reasons for the invasion; to protect the predominantly Russian speaking people in the state. Country? Protectorate? Provenance? Territory? What exactly IS Crimea?

I have been kidded because I collect old Encyclopedias. I do for two reasons: One; I hate to see any book get sent to a landfill, and two; they don't change. What ever they said 30-40-50 years ago, they still say.

 So I drag out my 1968 Edition of the Gospel; The Encyclopedia Britannica. Apparently Crimea has been what amounts to historically, constantly under attack. Settled in 1000 BC by the Cimmerians, they were conquered by the Scythaes 300 hundred years later. The Greeks showed up in 500 BC, who gave way to the Romans in 15 BC, except for the areas under control of the 'nomadic hordes'. In the 10th Century AD a Prince Vladamir of Kiev took over, but very shortly later lost Crimea to the Kumans and the Taters, who lost out to the Turks in 1475.

Here's the part that starts to sound familiar: in 1774 Catherine the Great (of Russia), forced the Turks to recognize Crimean Independence, and 9 years later she annexed the Crimea Peninsula into Russia. Sound familiar?

Well, except for the 9 years part. Putin only waited about 9 minutes.

The New American Encyclopedia, from 1957, adds that Crimea became a republic in 1917- during the Russian Revolution- but in 1921 was annexed back into Russia. I think I am seeing a pattern here.

The Funk & Wagnalls from 1975 adds that Crimea was conquered by the Goths in 250 AD; and by a series of other invaders: the Huns, The Khazars; the Byzantine Greeks; The Kipchaks and the Genose for the next 1000 years.

For anybody still reading who hasn't had their eyes glaze over, what does this mean?

Well; although Crimea has existed as a land mass for thousands of years, very few of those years were as an independent country. And a very significant portion of the last 200 was as a territory of Russia.

Does that mean it should still be a part of Russia? Hell no; not unless it wants to be.

Which brings us to Sunday's vote. 75% of Crimea's voters want to rejoin Russia. I would put a lot more faith in this vote if every street corner hadn't been occupied by an armed Russian soldier, but still.

The entire Western world is up in arms over something that the citizens apparently voted for.

So now the question becomes one of International Incident versus Civil War.

And do we get involved in that Civil War. Has Russia? Hard to tell.

What is best for Crimea and her people? For the Ukraine? For Europe? Russia? The USA? How about adding Caucus Georgia? How will the Russian success in Crimea affect their somewhat fractured Independence?

Lots and lots of questions; very few answers.

Who do we look to for those answers?

For a couple of generations, it was Washington DC.

Oh crud.

The Ukraine

A topic I have been trying to avoid for the last two days has finally surfaced in an unavoidable way.

The Ukraine.

I have been trying to avoid the topic for several reasons; None of them good ones.

First; What the Hell do I know about the Ukraine? Of it's history, past and recent? Of its past; its people; its customs?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing but what I have herd on the radio the last few days and what a quick skim of Wikipedia could tell me.

So them the question is, what is the best future for the Ukraine and its people?

First off, I would be fairly sure that any future with armed foreign troops on their soil would not be the most optimal. If those troops are form the same country that had a boot on their neck for 70 years even less so.

The fall of the Soviet Union freed a lot of people; the Poles and the Ukrainians among them. The Georgians too.

But where are the Georgians now? Looks to me like they are (at least partially) back under Russian control.

But what is best for the Ukrainians? I know part of the reason the whole country has been in turmoil that last few months is because they have been pulled two ways; part of the county wants to return to an alliance with Mother Russia, while another portion (The Majority?) want a more Western alliance. This difference of opinion has lead to a months long Civil War and very recently a new government.

Next question is why do I care?

Two Words:

Pax Americanus

The American Peace. For 70 years it has been American military power that has stopped most conflicts in the world. The United Nations would cease to exist without our support, and it isn't the pronouncements of the nattering nabobs that work; it the knowledge that those words are backed up by American might  that give pause in the world.

Until recently. We now have not a President who speaks softly, and carries a big stick, but one who bellows constantly, and carries a stick he keeps whittling down, both in actual dimension, and in respect.

Twice in recent months he has drawn a 'line in the sand', and twice those lines have been crossed, and twice the consequences have been 'Line? what Line? I didn't draw any line".

And each time America's standing has taken a hit. We are no longer the county that is able to respond in a few weeks to an attack from abroad, like we did after 9-11. Without that fear of reprisal we are leaving ourselves open to a new attack.

Bluntly, I really don't care what happens to the Ukrainians. I don't mean that in a heartless way, but in a practical way. The situation will work itself out, one way or the other, and, to the best of my knowledge, we do not have any treaty or alliance with the Ukraine.

But we do with the Ukraine's neighbor, Poland. what if Russia swallows not only Crimea but all of the Ukraine? And then turns it greedy eyes toward another lost Soviet satellite, right next door?

Then what happens when the line is drawn and crossed?

Its not a situation I want to be in. Poland is a member of NATO; we do have mutual defense treaties with them.

Do you really want President Bluster in charge of NATO's response to Russian aggression in Poland?

And now you know why I avoided this topic as long as I could.

Miranda Rights

Have you ever heard of a fellow called Ernesto Arturo Miranda?

Probably not. Ever heard of Miranda v. Arizona?

Again; probably not. But you have heard of Miranda Rights, or the Miranda Warning. Especially in the last week. But what are they, exactly, and why are they 'read' to a suspect? And why is the the fact they are read or not important to the Boston Bombing Case?

First; we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights (do those words sound familiar?) Those rights are enumerated in the Bill of Rights. Some of us will never need to know about some of those rights; they only come into play when we become involved with the government in a possible discreditable nature.

In English? When we get busted.

If you have ever watched a cop show you know the drill: You have the Right to Remain Silent (anything you say can and WILL be used against you in court). You have the right to an attorney (one the state will pay for if you are broke enough). And of course, the first piece of advice from your mouthpiece is SHUT UP.

Here is where the Miranda Rights come in on Live Bomber (as with all mass murderers, I will not name either of them; for sake of difference they are Dead Bomber and Live Bomber). We want to know some things; things only he and Dead Bomber knew. Once we have Mirandized him, if he tells us how this action came about, and maybe admits to a few more crimes while he is at it, we can use that information in court. It is to his benefit to follow the sound (and expensive) advice of his mouthpiece and shut up.

If he isn't Mirandized, then we can act on the information in all cases but the defendant's. He hadn't been told that we could use the information against him, so we can't use it.

In practical application, let's say that Live Bomber says he was part of a larger conspiracy and names names. If he states that information before he is Mirandized, then we can find his conspirators and charge them, but not him, with the conspiracy. Same information after he has been read his Miranda Rights? Then we can round up the gang, AND add a conspiracy charge to Live Bomber.

This is why the decision to read him his Miranda Warning was a poor one, provided he has his right mind. Who in their right mind wouldn't lawyer up and shut up? Information we might have obtained if we couldn't have used it against him now can and will become a part of the case.

Granted, I think we have enough to fry Live Bomber and send him to where ever it is he has earned in his God's eyes. He couldn't incriminate himself anymore than the photos and other physical evidence has. We can't fry him twice; who cares what else he could incriminate himself in?

This is Massachusetts for crying out loud. They may not fry him for the murders and the maimings, but they will for not filing an Environmental Impact Statement before he set off the bomb and polluted the atmosphere.

Here is the other problem with our Constitutionally protected inalienable rights: Live Bomber is a United States Citizen and entitled to all of the rights every other citizen has. Considering that he has blown the oath he took into as many pieces as he has his pressure cooker, and considering what he is charged with, I'm not happy about it.

But I would rather have him acquitted than I would have a precedent set of trying him as a foreign national.

Sometimes Justice is not pretty. Sometimes the rights of the one must be seemingly misused in order to save the rights of the many.

I hope it doesn't happen in this case.

23 times ZERO Equals Nothing

I was looking for a list of Obama's 'NEW AND IMPROVED' gun control measures so I could snark.

Instapundit lead me here. And he does teh snark at least as well as I could have, and with absoluteley no effort on my part.

Well, except for the pun in my headline.

Obama in a Nutshell

Do you want a shorthand view into Obama's character?

Take a look into the brouhaha that has surrounded the 'Fiscal Cliff'.

The country is facing a meltdown on December 31, so on December 20 he takes the family on a vacation to Hawaii. As far from Washington D.C. as he can go and not leave the country.

Then when things are heating up he flies back. 11 hours in the air at $182,000.00 an hour, or a total of $2,002,000.00.

Then he puts Biden in charge of the negotiations, when it become apparent he has the negotiation skills of a stalagmite, and then steps in front of the camera to announce the big deal.

AND THEN SPENDS ANOTHER $2,002,000.00 TO FLY BACK TO HAWAII.

And has the final bill signed by the auto-pen.

What was so important that he had to get to Hawaii? Senator Daniel Inouye's funeral; Obama gave the eulogy.

Where he used the word 'I' 30 times.

You people who still support him:

Why?

Gas Drops = Economy Sucks- Says Obama

On the way home tonight I saw gas for $2.99 a gallon; down almost a buck since the election.

Remember what Obama said during the second debate with Romney about why gas was so cheap before he was elected?

Maybe a refresher?

OBAMA: Well, think about what the governor -- think about what the governor just said. He said when I took office, the price of gasoline was $1.80, $1.86. Why is that? Because the economy was on the verge of collapse, because we were about to go through the worst recession since the Great Depression, as a consequence of some of the same policies that Governor Romney's now promoting.
So, it's conceivable that Governor Romney could bring down gas prices because with his policies, we might be back in that same mess.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/10/16/transcript-second-presidential-debate/#ixzz2FLzeEbTU

But if gas drops when the economy sucks; why is it dropping now, Mr. President?

Does your economy suck?

My guess is he doesn't think so.

And his probably doesn't.

It just that for the rest of the country the economy sucks, and has since 2008.

Servant; or Master?

In the United States of America the government is supposed to be the servant of the people; we, as the voters are supposed to be in charge. Congress is supposed to listen to us, and act accordingly. The President is supposed to hear our voices and respond.

Isn't that what they tell us every 2, 4 or 6 years? Hell; some of them may even believe it.

But then the election is over and the mask slips. Then we find out out servant is a tyrant.

Take for instance the EPA and the new ethanol requirement. There has been a lot of resistance to the increase of ethanol in gasoline, but all of the complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Big, jug-eared deaf ears.

The EPA doesn't care that less than one-half of one percent of the vehicles on the road right this minute can use this fuel without damage. Knowing this administration, they probably consider that a feature; not a bug.

What type of damage are we looking at? Well, ethanol is alcohol, which absorbs moisture. so anything it comes into contact with that contains moisture will start to be dried out; things like fuel line hoses; rubber seals on gas tanks and gaskets on intake systems. Ethanol is also less cohesive than oil based gasoline; meaning it will flow past the rings in engine cylinders, washing the lubrication off of the cylinder walls, allowing the rings to mark or scar them, which will hasten engine wear.

This cylinder wall bypass will also allow ethanol to contaminate the engine oil; thinning it so that it provides less protection, increasing wear on the bearing surfaces of the internal moving parts.

Bottom line: ethanol will cost the owners of 228 million vehicles in the country money. money for either a major engine repair or a new car or truck. What are the chances you vehicle is one of the 228 million affected? Odds are pretty dang good.

I don't know about you, but in the New Normal Economy (also known as Obama's Depression) I ain't got that kinda cash.

And that is just cars. This fuel will also damage/ruin your lawnmower; chainsaw; weedeater; rototiller and snow-blower, as well as every other piece of gasoline powered equipment you put it in.

 Plus- and here is a real kicker- the addition of ethanol LOWERS fuel economy. There is less 'bang' in each quart of ethanol that there is in a quart of gasoline, so the more ethanol you burn the more fuel you will use. Since the addition of ethanol will not lower the price of a gallon of gas, the cost of your commute has just gone up.

And ANOTHER kicker; burning food in your gas tank will raise the demand for corn, which will also raise the price/cost of the corn. Which means the addition of ethanol will most likely mean an increase in the cost of a gallon of gas.

Unless the Federal government continues to subsidize the ethanol industry with a larger subsidy, paid for out of our taxes. Unless of course they just borrow the money (hey; when you are $16,000,000,000.00 in debt already, whats another billion or two?) instead, meaning we will pay for the subsidy and the cost of the interest to borrow the money to pay the subsidy, in addition to paying for the repairs to our gas powered equipment caused by the ethanol we are paying to subsidize.

But that subsidy won't apply to other uses of corn; like as animal feed or creating sugar. An increase in the cost of corn will lead to an increase in the cost of any foodstuff that relies on corn. Not only Fritos, Doritos and tacos, but anything that contains High Fructose as an ingredient, or eats corn, like cattle/beef, hogs/pork and chickens.

Not to mention what this will do to the cost of moonshine and bourbon.

This is a government that is the servant of the people?

How do I fire this servant?

Oh yeah; never mind; apparently we can't fire this servant until we can find a suitable replacement.

And we have to wait four three two more years to even start the search.

Gaza

I am not a big fan of the way Israel was created in 1946. It has lead to additional violence in an unsettled part of the world that nobody needs.

That being said; it was almost 70 years ago; at some point you need get on with your life. But not, I guess in a part of the world known for long memories.

Does Israel have a right to exist? As much as any other country. They also have a right to defend themselves and to support from their allies.

Which, more or less, brings us to recent events.

I'll not claim any special insight into the region or its actors; I only know what the media and history tell me. So, given those caveats...

The one good thing Jimmy Carter did was the Camp David accords, which ushered in 30 years of peace between Egypt and Israel; a period of peace broken by Obama allowing Egypt to become an ally of Al-Qaeda. And then the dominoes began to fall; Syria; Libya; Mali. For all of the Obama Administration's admonitions that Al-Qaeda was dead, I see an awful lot of life in that corpse.

The leadership of Iran has publicly declared that Israel does not have a right to exist and their intentions to wipe them off of the map. With Iran approaching the ability to become a nuclear power, Israel is in a bad position. Trying to maintain the security of its borders and people, and facing the possibility that Iran would one day be able to drop a nuke on the Dome of Rock.

So, while Israel is trying to figure out how to strike at Iran's nuke program, the Palestinians in Gaza decide it's time to start lobbing rockets into Israel. Where did they get the rockets? Looks like it was Iran.

The attacks are the result of Israel assassinating a Hamas leader, Ahmed al-Jabari. But the tension has been building for months; most likely as a result of the Arab Spring.

Militant Moslems are a minority we are told, but apparently a powerful one. They seem to be able to have themselves voted into power on a regular basis. Without Egypt as a stabilizing force for peace, who knows where the violence will end.

I'm on Israel's side. They, as a country and a people have a right to exist- a right their neighbors seem unwilling to accede.

They also have a well trained, well armed and competent military force that has several times in the past successfully defended their borders. It's hard to fight a tank with a rock or a suicide bomber.

But in the past they have had the United States squarely in their corner, something that may or may not now be the case. Elections have consequences.

Israel and Gaza are about to start a land war. Will Egypt join in? Who else will join them to help wipe the hated Jew off of the map? Who will join on Israel's side? No country will send troops, and I doubt any would be accepted, but they will need arms and ammunition; who will resupply them?

How will it affect world oil supplies? How will it affect our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan? Our relations with Saudi Arabia and Turkey?

These are the questions I don't have answers to. But I'm not expected to; I'm some Kentucky Redneck.

But Obama and his team are expected to have these answers.

I just don't have any faith that they do.

What Can I Say?

If you voted a certain way, you gotta agree with this guy.

If you voted the other way, you probably don't like guns anyway.

Personally I would like to see these signs appearing at more businesses.

Like Papa Johns; "If you voted for Obama you have just proven you are not responsible enough to be trusted with pizza".

Ah; if only it were a perfect world...

Decline and Fall

 

Occasionally I get an email that I think deserves wider distribution; along with my comments.

I got one today titled "The Decline and Fall of The American Empire". I wasn't ready to copy and paste the entire email into my blog- it is rather lengthy- and sine it looked like a blog post I figured I could find it online. 

I actually found several. There is this one, at the Nation. and this one; at Nolan Chart blog. Or this one, from the Guardian, for a foreign perspective.

Then I found it; at the Jewish Press.com.

Apparently a lot of folks are predicting the end of America's World Dominance.

I'm not sure I'm predicting it, but I am worried about it. Especially when Obama now has four more years to make it happen.

There will be an end to the American Empire. Face it; we maybe a benign despot, but America does rule an empire that spans the globe. Not like the Europeans did in past centuries, with puppet leaders and colonies, but with the export of our culture and our life-style. There probably isn't a corner of the hasn't been infested with the latest dreck from Hollywood or had it's ears assaulted with American rap music.

And the American Dollar is even accepted as a medium of exchange in the countries that hate us.

How can we be in decline?

Because empires are always facing threats from the outside. We are no different. Outside threats usually leave us stronger, as we band together to face a common threat. But currently we aren't banding together; we are splitting apart.

It's the internal threat that is ending the American Empire. We are powerless to stop it, as the power to stop the decline is actually working to hasten it.

Yes; I'm talking about Obama.

When our currency becomes more valueless daily, from the administrations policy of printing however much they fell we need to spend this month, we had no way of stopping the slide.

When our military becomes more and more demoralized- as it was under Carter 35 years ago, (John Kerry as Secretary of Defense? Please tell me that is just a trial balloon to make Obama's actual choice seem better by comparison) we lose the fear factor that has kept our enemies- and our allies enemies- at bay for the last 70 years.

When our allies have more to gain from not being friends than they do from being our friends, another step down the road to degradation is taken; another part of the empire edifice crumbles away. Israel; Taiwan; Japan and numerous other countries that have become parts of our Empire will gradually fade away, realizing that some autonomy under a new regime joined willingly is better than no autonomy under the same regime joined unwillingly.

And presiding above it all a mawkishly grinning Obama.

You have heard it before; Elections have consequences. The consequences of the last election maybe fatal.

Only time will tell.

I Couldn't Resist

As of a few minutes ago.

Look at the chart since November 6, 2012.

We are so screwed.

If 26 Secede, Who Wins?

I heard about htes petitions the other day, and found several on line.

But these are the 'OFFICIAL' ones, on the White House.gov website.

There is one for Kentucky, and by my count about 20 other states.

I haven't signed up yet, basically because it requires you to registered with the White House site first.

It is also interetsing that several petitions have cropped up requiring anybody who has signed one of thes epetitions to lose their citizenship. Interestingly enough, each state's petition has at least 3,000 signatures; the same as the petition to remove citizenship does nationally.

I can't remember if it was an Irish Blessing or an Irish curse that said "May you live in Interesting times."

And So It Begans

Trouble with the economy is just beginning my friends.

Hostess is just the latest symptom of the sickness, along with the Stock Market and restaurants, like Papa Johns.

Welcome to the Greater Depression.

If Romney had been elected last Tuesday the press would already be calling the most recent Stock Market crash "Romney's Recession".

I haven't been following the Hostess deal until today, but here are the basic facts: Interstate Brands- the Hostess predecessor- went thorough bankruptcy a few years ago, and came out as Hostess. Now Hostess is in Bankruptcy, and as part of the reorganization has renegotiated their union contracts, which included an 8% pay cut and greater contributions towards their health insurance. Welcome to the New Normal. These changes tended to upset the unions, who promptly went on strike, in selected locations.

Hostess had now closed those locations.

The unions will scream and shout. And then go on on unemployment for 99 weeks. Welcome to the New Normal.

If another company buys the plant and reopens it, it most likely will not be a union plant, and the wages will be lower again by 50%. So, if those workers do happen to find employment there, they won't be down by their 8%, but by 50%, or more.

But that is what has to happen. Companies can't compete by paying a union wage.

Apparently they can't compete anymore by having employees work over 28 hours a week either. Welcome to the New Normal.

People will have less and less money, and its not just from crashing wages. If the reports are to be believed, $2,000 to $4,000 a year more will go to the Federal Government because of the repeal of the Bush tax cuts in January; $40 to $80 a week, or thereabouts. About a tank of gas, depending on what you drive; unless it starts going up, like I expect it to.

And the cost of fuel will drive everything else up; everything that requires energy to manufacture, package or ship.

Food and fuel going up; paychecks going down. Guess who gets squeezed in the middle?

Anybody still trying to get by earning a wage.

Welcome to the New Normal.

Well, It's the Day After

The day for post-postmortems, recriminations and Monday Morning Quarterbacking.

What the Hell happened yesterday?

Yesterday was worse than 2008. In '08 I expected McCain to lose. I wasn't looking forward to it, but I was expecting it. And Obama could have been a decent President.

But yesterday? We know what kind of President Obama is, and will be.

And re-elected him.

Over 60 million people in this country think Obama is leading us in the right direction. Seriously?

That tells me one thing; It's not just the re-election of Obama that will send us down the road to ruin, it is the voters in this country who think we need to head that way.

And that is just sad.

Whether it is the over-educated Marxists or the 'Obama Phone' class we apparently have a majority who think stealing from the producers to give to non-productive is okay. And if the rich aren't rich enough, borrow the rest.

Or just print more money. That won't hurt anybody, will it?

Did you know we are currently EXPORTING gasoline? So why is gas so high? It's not short supply; it's too many dollars in the market place. Oil trades in dollars. When there are lots of dollars in circulation their value decreases with respect to other currencies. When fewer pounds or yen or yuan are required to buy a dollar the price of a gallon of gas goes up. and when producers can get a higher price on the world market than they can at home, they export gasoline.

It's not a short supply of gasoline that is keeping the price over 3 dollars a gallon; its the Federal Reserve printing money like its toilet paper that is doing it. I don't see Obama shutting down the presses in his second term, do you?

If you want to have some idea where this will end, do a search on 'Wiemar Republic'. Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.

I'm not the only one who knows where this will lead. Did you notice that the Stock Market crashed today? Down over 300 points. Banks were especially hard hit. I wonder why? Could it be that the fear of new regulation will adversely affect profitability?

And watch the unemployment numbers the next few months. Right now new jobs are being added, and people are starting to look for work again. Look for that to change. the rate of unemployment may not change, but fewer and fewer people will be working starting in January, after the Christmas rush.

Or sooner, if consumers decide to keep their wallets in their pockets again this season.

The class that accepts money from the government may think Obama's policies are a good idea, but the people who fund that government do not. And they will vote a second time in the coming months. This time with their wallets.

Less investment in the market place means fewer jobs; fewer jobs means less money trading hands; less money trading hands means less revenue to the government; less revenue means another round of printing money.

And the Stock Market drops again.

But what the Hell will the folks who voted for Obama care? They'll be eating Government cheese and talking on their Obama phone.

As long as somebody else's money holds out.

Election Day 2012

I may wind up doing several posts today, depending on how things progress, or I may wind up just editing this one.

I have lived in my house since 1995, and have voted in the same precinct since then; in presidential years since 1996. I showed up there this morning at 6:03, trying to beat the crowds.

I was too late. 1996 was busy, but not like today. 2000 wasn't too bad. 2004 was similar. 2008 was a walk-in.

6:03 AM this morning I waited in line for 20 minutes to vote. Based on the number and variety of yard signs I have seen locally, I am pretty sure I know who they were there to vote against.

The map above shows the current electoral map, based on the latest polls. Currently its 201 Obama, 191 Romney. But there are problems with this map and the polls.

The map below is probably more accurate, based on some polls. I created this map, following what I think are more accurate polls.

This map shows Obama 201, Romney 280, 10 more Electoral votes than Romney needs to win. It also doesn't include Iowa or Wisconsin, which are rumored to be leaning Romney as well.

Today is the only poll that counts, and the only one in which YOU select to participate or not. 11 hours from now we'll find out whether I'm right or not.

UPDATE: Its 6:45, and the polls have closed in Kentucky and Ohio. Ohio matters, because our news stations come out of Ohio. In a few minutes I will be comfortably ensconced in my recliner, ready to view a few hours of election returns and sip a little bourbon.

I happened to pass by my polling place twice today; each time the lot was full. I expect they had a busy day. When I was there this morning I made some comment on how busy they seemed to be. One of the poll workers said it wasn't too bad; they had 700 ballots. After that they were locking the doors. I'll bet today they used all 700 ballots.

8:00 is returns time. I have a big, dark Churchill in my humidor that I am itching to light up, but it's too damn cold to sit outside.And I will not light up in the house; its too dangerous. My recliner does not back up to a wall, and I don't want to get hit over the head with something.

As you can tell, I am preparing for a celebration. I am also praying. Not for Romney to win, but for God to smite down the fraudsters. Romney can win on his own, but only God can smite the fraudsters.

I saw a Facebook post a few days ago from a liberal friend, one I expect has unfriended me, since I posted my Monday blog post to my Facebook page as well, which asked "Why Conservatives think they know who side God is on?" My unposted answer was "maybe because we talk to him?"

It is either going to be a short night or a long one. Either way, I hope I have enough bourbon. Another update in a couple of hours.

UPDATE 2:

Gee; I hope this ratio holds.

Or this ratio:

Are You Voting Tommorow?

Friends, tomorrow is important.

Although there are several Presidential Candidates on the ballot, only two really matter; Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. If you have read my blog you know how I feel about each of them. You also know how I feel about this country, and the personal liberty the Constitution provides us.

If you are a supporter of Obama, you probably have very good reasons. I hope those reasons have been arrived at by a careful review of the facts, a consultation with your conscience and some thought on where your choice will lead us in the next four years.

In Obama's case, you have the last four years as a guide. For Romney, all we have is his word. He does have a record as Governor of Massachusetts, and as a leader of the Olympics and at Bain Capital. Are those jobs any indication of his ability to lead this country?

Who knows? We'll have to elect him to find out.

But we know how Obama has lead this country; deeper into debt. And save your breath on Bush and his 'off the books wars'; at lest he was ABLE TO PASS A BUDGET. Something Obama has not done, although it is Constitutionally required, for 3 and a half years.

We know how Obama has lead this nation in Foreign Policy; Egypt, once our second strongest ally in the Middle East and the only predominately Moslem nation to have a treaty with Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East, is now, for all practical purposes, in the hands of Al-Qaeda. The hard won peace in Iraq is disintegrating, because Obama failed to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement with the country of Iraq and our stabilizing forces are being forces out, again by an arm of Al-Qaeda.

And Libya. Where Obama fought an undeclared war for a year to "LIBERATE" the country, and turn it into another Al-Qaeda partner. Where a faction of Al-Qaeda stormed an American Consulate and killed 4 Americans, including our Libyan Ambassador.

If that isn't bad enough, for two weeks every member of the Obama administration to address the attack blamed it on a 'spontaneous demonstration' because of a YouTube video critical of Mohammed. Really? and this 'spontaneous demonstration' just happened to occur on September 11th? Ah; but Obama had wiggle room. He happened to mention the word terrorism in his speech on September 12th.

But it couldn't have been Al-Qaeda; they disappeared when Osama Bin-Laden was killed, right?

It was only after the pressure from the New Media became overwhelming that their story was corrected, and it was acknowledged that the demonstration was actually a terrorist attack.

Then of course there was the comment Obama made to the Russians that he would have "More freedom after the election". What was that supposed to mean?

Do I even need to mention the list of long time allies, like England and Israel, that Obama has treated poorly? Queen Elizabeth has worked with every US President since Truman. Obama gave her an iPod. Or the disrespectful way Obama treated the Prime Minister of Israel?

Obama also has not treated the military well. His statement that we need fewer bayonets at the last debate displays his ignorance of the military and its weaponry. Each Marine is still issued a bayonet. But I guess someone who fails to recognize the pronunciation of the word corpsman when it appears on his teleprompter can't be bother to understand how the men under his command are armed.

Our power and influence has been diminished in every corner of the globe.

And then we have Gay Rights, Abortion and Illegal Immigration. Obama manages to fall on the wrong side of each of these issues. This election though I am considering these issues minor. Yes, it is good news that Romney has a (currently) pro-life stance, but right now it is our budget that is most important.

We need to get our spending under control. Yes, it means cutting Welfare, Medicaid and Food Stamps. Yes it means changes to FUTURE beneficiaries of Social Security and Medicare. Yes it means cuts to military spending. And it may mean tax increases.

But I doubt it. Once we get at least some of the 47% who are not producers back into producing and paying taxes we should have an increase in revenue that will offset the need for an increase in the rates.

Or we can once again lease timber, oil and gas and mining rights on Federal land. The income from these sources will also help offset both the debt and the deficit.

And easing EPA requires on coal will lead to cheaper energy, again boosting the economy and manufacturing, creating jobs and taxpayers, not tax burdens.

You will note I haven't linked to any articles, blog posts or reports to back up any of my assertions. I did that on purpose. If you are concerned about any of these topics then you have done the research yourself; hopefully with more than a quick search of MSNBC or CNN (because 'Faux News' lies so much). If you aren't interested, then you wouldn't follow the links anyway, and adding them would be a waste of my time. Or you already know the facts as I have presented them, and the links would be superfluous.

Tomorrow we have a clear choice. We can continue down the road we are on (as one quick wit said: Re-electing Obama is like backing up the Titanic to hit the iceberg a second time), knowing how Obama leads and where he is leading us, or we can (hopefully) change direction by electing Romney.

I can't guarantee where Romney will lead us. We may be running him out of office faster that we ran Obama. But I do know he offers a chance at a change, and that is a chance I am willing to take.

The Obama supporters in the crowd may not still be reading, but if you are, thanks for taking the time to consider a position other than your own. Please consider your choice for President carefully. I don't say lightly that the future of the country is at stake in this election. If, after very careful consideration, you are still voting Democrat, then by all means do us all a favor and sleep through tomorrow. Yes; I'm kidding. But only vote once.

Yes, I'm kidding again.

Romney supporters: VOTE!!!!!!!

Last Man Standing

Last night I watched two new shows I have been looking forward too for a month or so; Last Man Standing and Malibu Country.

Malibu Country was okay, and I hope for better shows in the future, but Last Man Standing was an absolute hoot, especially the last weekend before the election. It was pretty much an Obama slam down, but the Romney opponents will get a few chuckles too.

This is the second season for Tim Allen's show. I liked it last year, and last nights episode had me laughing so much I hardly had time to drink a beer. Basically, Mike Baxter (Tim Allen) is the marketing director at a sporting goods store. He lives with his wife, three daughters and his grandson, his eldest daughter's child. Last season the 'baby daddy' was nowhere to be found, but this season he has reappeared.

Mike gets into some pretty funny rants, but last night a quarter of the show seemed to be a fairly funny rant about Obama, broken up by some jokes about fantasy football leagues. At one point Mike is talking to a break room full on employees at the store, all of whom are on laptops, doing their fantasy football teams, and Mike tells them to get back to work. "I have a Fantasy Team of Employees; none of you guys are on it" he says.

Mike is unhappy with the way his grandson is being raised, and last night at the end of the show he asks Boyd, the grandson, "Hey; wanna go out in the backyard and blow something up?"

My kinda Grandpa.

I also think we are seeing the beginning of a shift to more conservative characters on TV who not there just to be a butt of a joke. More and more Hollywood types are coming out of the Conservative closet. That says to me that there are now enough of them that their political persuasion is no longer a career ender, as it was a few years ago.

As with all things we'll have to see where it leads, but so far its a trend I like.

And you gotta see this review of  both shows, but only for the YouTube clip of Archie bunker talking about the Democrats in 1978.

Pretty applicable to Democrats in 2012 if you ask me. How much has changed, and how little has.

New Jobs Report

The jobs report is out, and it kinda looks like good news for Obama.

Except....

Here is the thing; people are hiring, finally, not because of Obama and his policies, but becasue employers are becoming more confident that Romney will win next Tuesday.

If he doesn't; so what? Dump them new employees. All they have invested is a couple of weeks pay.

If Romney wins, then are a couple of weeks ahead of the curve.

Or the numbers have been manipulated.

Take you pick.