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What's Up With That?

Posted by Roxanna M. on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 9:58:54 AM
 
  The price of oil is down some $23 a barrel, a 16% drop from it's peak on July 3.  Yet, my price at the pump is, so far, down only $.20, which is less than 5%.  When do us consumers get some relief? 
 
  Yesterday, a quake rocked Southern California.  Other than a whole lotta shakin' goin' on and some things knocked off shelves, it was a non-event.  But, Ah-nold couldn't wait to get to his podium to run off at the mouth. 
 
  Meanwhile, here in Mariposa, 30,000 acres have been scorched, 21 homes (downgraded from 25) have burned to the ground, untold numbers are homeless, the local Red Cross is overwhelmed, and there are now about twice as many firefighters as residents working around the clock to beat back a fire that is still only 15% contained after 5 days.  The Governor has not visited us, nor to my knowledge has he issued a statement, nor to my knowledge have we been declared a disaster area. 
 
I guess us hicks from the sticks just don't rate.
 
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A Light in the Darkness

Posted by Roxanna M. on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:34:53 AM
 
My lovely little community is being ravaged by an out-of-control wildfire that is only 10% contained after 5 days and some 30,000 acres.  Some of my friends have been evacuated and another has lost her home.  Living on the edge of terror has been a way of life since Friday.  I am safe for now, but that could change in a heartbeat if the winds shift and the fire -- with flames reaching as high as 100 ft. -- jumps the highway leading into my quaint, historic town.  (Oldest continuously functioning courthouse west of the Rockies.)  Since Yosemite National Park -- the jewel of the National Park System is in Mariposa County -- and since the fire is only 5 miles from one of the entrances thereto, the fire has received national attention and leads all the local newscasts.  (My stepmother in Riverside saw a newsclip of my friends being interviewed.)

While watching the top-of-the-hour report this morning, I heard the reporter say that "25 houses have burned as well as 27 outhouses."  She meant, of course, outbuildings.  But I found a touch of humor in her comment because of a completely unrelated comment a month or so ago. 

Fresno is the nearest "big" town to Mariposa.  Merced is closer, but Fresno is bigger.  What amazes me is the number of people who live in Fresno but have no concept of where Mariposa is or, for that matter, that it even exists.  Recently I received a call from a smart-mouthed insurance adjustor brimming over with his self-importance.  At one point in the conversation he asked if we had internet access where we lived.  The retort I bit back was "No, we only recently got indoor plumbing."  Which is why the "outhouse" comment struck me as funny.  In dark times, you take humor where you can find it. 

If you're a praying person, please pray for my community.  We've got some 3,400 firefighters from everywhere working 24 hours a day to put this monster fire out and save as many homes as they can.  We need calm winds, cooler temperatures, strong firefighters and, most of all, rain, which is not likely, but that hasn't stopped me from praying for it anyway.
 
 
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Loser of the Week

Posted by Roxanna M. on Saturday, July 26, 2008 10:16:47 AM
 
This week's winner is none other than rock star presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama who in just one week had the audacity to: 
 
(1)  Want to speak at the Brandenburg Gate just like Kennedy and Reagan who, by the way, were actually presidents at the time of their speeches;
 
(2)  Lecture us on our inability to speak anything other than English and then went to Europe and spoke only English; 
 
(3)  Refuse to visit wounded soldiers in Germany and blame the Pentagon for it; 
 
(4)  Refuse to shake the hands of soldiers who lined up to see him in Afghanistan; 
 
(5)  Refuse to acknowledge that he was wrong about the surge in Iraq;
 
While we're on the subject of the Man Who Would Be King, this is what Gerhard Sporl had to say about Obama in Spiegel Online:  "Anyone who saw Barack Obama at Berlin's Siegessaule on Thursday could recognize that this man will become the 44th president of the United States.  He is more than ambitious -- he wants to lay claim to become the president of the world."  (Emphasis added)  And Mr. Sporl said this not once, but twice. 
 
Also interesting to note is that ZDF, German public television, reported that the turn out for Obama's speech was actually around 20,000 and not the 200,000 so widely reported.
 
Even Europeans recognize that this man has delusions of grandeur.  Will America wake up to that fact before it's too late?
__________________________
 
Runners-Up
 
(1)  Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) who hid out in the bathroom of the Beverly Hilton hotel for 15 minutes, trying to duck reporters following up on a story that Mr. Edwards may have fathered a child out of wedlock. 

If the story is true, it would mean that Mr. Edwards was carrying on an affair not only during the time that he was running for president, but was cheating on a wife who was battling cancer.
 
(2)  Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) who wants to build a monument to himself -- the Charles P. Rangel Center for Public Service -- and sent out 150 fundraising letters on congressional stationery to philanthropic and business leaders, who have business before his committee.  In the complaint he filed against himself with the House Ethics Committee, he said that:  "If I inadvertently violated House rules, I am prepared to trust the committee's judgment." 
 
Of course he is.  He is expecting nothing more than a slap on the wrist from his democrat cronies for his "inadvertent" behavior.
 
 
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A Parody*

Posted by Roxanna M. on Friday, July 25, 2008 12:41:45 PM
 
This is Lobo Blitzed, and you're watching The Predicament Chamber.  Our guests today are democrat Representative Mais Non, and Republican Representive Sirton Lee.  Our topic today is:   Is the media in love with Barack Obama?  Let's start with Representative Non.
 
Mais Non:  What a ridiculous question.  Of course not.  Obama is getting the same fair and balanced coverage as John McCain.  And, you know, it's generally the sign of a losing campaign when a candidate decides the best strategy is to attack the media.   

Sirton Lee:  What!?!  The media . . .

Lobo Blitzed:  Excuse me Representative, I hate to interrupt, but I have breaking news . . . Senator Obama has arrived safely at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.  Let's roll the clip.  There's the plane landing safely.  And, wait, the door is opening.  Any second now he's going to step out of the plane.  There he is!  He's looking well after such an uneventful flight and landing.  He's going to spend the night in Israel and meet with the Israeli leadership tomorrow, as well as the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah out in the West Bank.  The media will be following him every step of the way, hanging on his every word, and we invite you to join us as we watch Pres . . . excuse me, Senator Obama as he brings his message of hope and change to the world.  We'll be there when he speaks in front of the huge crowds anticipated in Germany and France.  In fact, people are already lining up to see this rock star candidate.  We'll be there when he works out in the gym.  We'll be there when he eats, maybe even when he shaves in the morning.  You just never know when this handsome phenom will unleash his superb rhetoric, and we'll be there to capture it all. 

Well, that's all the time we have for today.  Thank you Representative Non and Representative Lee for stopping in.
__________________________________
 
*  But not by much.  By the way, mais non is French for absolutely not! 
 
 
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JERK

Posted by Roxanna M. on Thursday, July 24, 2008 5:15:39 PM
 
Dear Justice Kennedy, 

In response to your recent ruling regarding the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, I am writing to inform you about our new program, which was developed specifically to make it easier for these individuals to avail themselves of the rights you have granted them.  I call it the Judges Extol Rights for Killers program, or JERK for short.

In accordance with the guidelines of this new program, one detainee has been selected to be placed in your care, custody, and control.  This individual is to be cared for pursuant to the same standards you would demand for yourself under similar circumstances.  He is to have his own room, with air conditioning.  He is to have three appropriate meals per day and access to free health care.  Either you can seek health insurance for him, or you can just pay it out of your pocket.  Whichever you prefer.  He is to have appropriate, clean clothing at all times, including shoes and socks.

I realize your detainee may be considered by some to be a homicidal sociopath and extremely violent, but he is not to be treated harshly in any manner whatsoever, especially, no loud music.  And please be sure that the AC is not turned up too high.  He must have a Koran available to him at all times, along with a prayer rug.  Somewhere in your house you should paint an arrow pointing east. 

How you keep your detainee on your premises is up to you, but you are not allowed to shackle him.  You may, however, keep your doors and windows locked..  And, of course, you are responsible for all damages and/or injuries he may cause should he escape from your custody. 

You must allow him access to his attorney at all times, and you are responsible for driving him back and forth to court.  If you feel that you need help in caring for your detainee, you may hire all the help you need.  Of course, this will have to be at your own expense. 

I feel compelled to remind you that your detainee will have a low regard for women.  If you have a wife and daughters in the house, you should get them burkas and remind them not to speak without permission.  Perhaps it would be best if you just kept them out of sight altogether, or even relocated them.  Regardless of how your detainee feels about our culture, it is important that you show only respect for his.  After all, he is a guest in your home. 

Your detainee should be arriving within the week.  If all goes well, I will consider placing another with you. 

Cordially yours, 

Uncle Sam

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I'm Confused

Posted by Roxanna M. on Thursday, July 24, 2008 9:43:03 AM
 
Barack Obama was against the surge in Iraq.  He said that more soldiers wouldn't help.  Ignoring the advice of this greenhorn, more troops were sent in.  It is now generally acknowledged that the surge has worked.  The only people who refuse to recognize this are Bush haters and Obama supporters.
 
While Obama is busy saying that the surge didn't work, he is demanding that more troops be sent into Afghanistan, the "real" front in the war on terror.  So, if more troops "didn't work" in Iraq, why would more troops help in Afghanistan? 
 
While he's mulling over that one, here's another one.  Things are so much better in Iraq that al qaeda is going to Afghanistan.  If things get better in Afghanistan, will al qaeda go back to Iraq?  If so, what's the answer to that?
 
 
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Our National Disgrace, Part II

Posted by Roxanna M. on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 10:04:21 AM
 
Poor Nancy Pelosi.  Somebody ought to gag this woman.  It's hugely embarrassing to everyone, especially herself, every time she opens her mouth. 
 
She recently took to the airwaves and called President Bush a failure.  And, she did so with a smile on her face, obviously enjoying herself.  Aside from the appalling bad manners this represents - President Bush was extremely gracious to this (thoroughly incompetent) woman at his State of the Union Address after she was (unfortunately) elevated to Speaker of the House - Ms. Pelosi has no right to ruminate on the failures of others. 
 
Since her party reclaimed Congress, the price of oil has risen meteorically.  Why this surprises anyone is beyond me.  It's no coincidence that the price of oil didn't explode until democrats were back in charge.  The price went up because the powers that be knew that the party of no exploration, no drilling, no refining - only begging - was back in charge and wouldn't do anything about them, except blame everyone and everything but themselves.  And, lo and behold, that's exactly what happened. 
 
Let's not forget that it was a member of Ms. Pelosi's own party - Charles Schumer (D-NY) - who brought about the failure of IndyMac Bank, all because he needed some press.  Am I the only one who's noticed that the usually garrulous Mr. Schumer has been unusually quiet of late. 
 
It's a member of Ms. Pelosi's own party - Jack Murtha (D-PA) - that's on the wrong end of a lawsuit for calling American Marines cold-blooded murderers. 
 
It's a member of Ms. Pelosi's own party - Robert Wexler (D-FL?) - who was recently revealed as "living" with his mother-in-law in Florida - which has no state income tax - while actually living in Maryland - which has a state income tax - with his family.  Why is this important?  Because a member of Congress can choose where to pay taxes.  So, why not choose to "live" in a state that has no income tax.
 
Finally, let's all remember that the approval rating of President Bush is double digits ahead of the approval rating of Congress.  And, that that approval rating is the lowest since the taking of such ratings began.  Historical, isn't it.
 
Hey Nancy, if you want to see what failure really looks like, take a good look at your fellow congressional democrats - after you look in the mirror, of course.
 
 
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Couldn't You Just Throw Up

Posted by Roxanna M. on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 5:52:35 PM
 
In yet another example of hard-hitting journalism from the unbiased MSM, comes this from the AP: 
 
"In this city . . . Obama will find himself . . . as his superstar charisma meets German adoration . . .  He then travels to Paris and London where he can expect to be greeted with similar adulation." 
 
"It's not only Obama's youth, eloquence, and energy that have stolen hearts across the Atlantic . . ." 
 
". . . Obama has raised expectations of a chance for the nation to redeem itself in the role that . . . Europe has loved, respected and relied upon."1
 
"Beyond his electric personality, Obama is popular among Europeans because he hits all the right notes on the issues that are important to them."2 
 
"Evoking a time when Europe looked to America with gratitude, he called for a 21st-century Marshall Plan to alleviate world misery because 'that can be our best investment in increasing the common security of the entire world.'"3 
 
"But there appears to be a deeper mechanism behind Europe's palpable excitement over Obama . . ." 
 
"For Europeans, perhaps, it isn't just that Obama isn't Bush but that he's come to be seen as the 'anti-Bush - a figure who represents such a startling contrast to the outgoing resident that there's a sense the whole Washington power structure might be purged of much that Europeans see as wrong with American leadership."4  
 
"Such is the importance of the upcoming American election that France has given birth to . . . the French Committee to Support Barack Obama." 
 
Der Spiegel is reporting that between "10,000 and a million" people are expected to turn out for Obama's speech.
_____________________________________
 
1  You bet your butt Europe has relied on us.  In fact, what would they be without us?
 
2  It's real important here in America that the American President hit all the right notes on issues that are important to Europeans.  Personally speaking, that's way up there on my list of priorities.
 
3  How many countries are we going to have to support now?  Since most of them have been around longer than we have, why can't they stand on their own two feet yet?
 
4  It's real important to me what Europeans see as wrong with American leadership. 
 
 
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Proverbs 16:18

Posted by Roxanna M. on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 10:53:27 AM
 
In an interview with Lara Logan televised on Face the Nation this past Sunday, Barack Obama had some interesting things to say: 
 
"The object of this trip was to have substantive discussions with people like President Karzai or Prime Minister Maliki or President Sarkozy or others who I expect to be dealing with over the next 8 to 10 years.  And it's important for me to have a relationship with them early, that I start listening to them now, getting a sense of what their interests and concerns are.  Because one of the shifts in foreign policy that I want to execute as president is giving the world a clear message that America intends to continue to show leadership, but our style of leadership is going to be less unilateral, that we are going to see our role as building partnerships around the world that are of mutual interest to the parties involved.  And I think this gives me a head start in that process."   
 
Not only does he expect to win in November, he plans to stay.  Apparently, one of the things he expects to do is amend the Constitution to do away with that pesky Amendment XXII which limits him to two terms.
 
In response to the question, "Do you have any doubts", Mr. Obama responded "Never". 
 
Never.  He never has doubts?  Not ever?  Not in any degree, way, or condition?  Any person worth their salt has doubts, and those who say otherwise are either deluded or lying.
 
Oh, what does Proverbs 16:18 say:  "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
 
 
 
 
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No Media Bias Here!

Posted by Roxanna M. on Monday, July 21, 2008 1:51:06 PM
 
On Friday the New York Times rejected an opinion piece by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), after publishing one from Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) less than a week before. 
 
Saying "It would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain that 'mirrors' Senator Obama's piece.", Op-Ed editor, David Shipley, declared that he would "be pleased, though, to look at another draft." 
 
The word "mirror" as used in this context means to resemble.  So, since McCain's article didn't second what Obama had to say, the NYT found it unfit to print and wanted it rewritten.  No wonder the NYT is going down the tubes.
 
Remember this the next time a lefty says there's no media bias.
 
 
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Could Be Trouble

Posted by Roxanna M. on Sunday, July 20, 2008 11:30:49 AM
 
In my post of January 4, 2008, entitled "No Good News From Iowa", I said:  "Barack Obama did the best among voters 17-24.  Knowing that people of that age do not turn out in droves to vote, he should be more than a little worried that that's his best demographic."  

A blurb from today's John Fund Political Diary at the Wall Street Journal said that an ABC poll found that in March 2008, 66% of voters under the age of 30 said they would vote in November no matter what.  A recent poll found that number down to 46%, which Mr. Fund claims is "a far more typical measurement of the engagement of young people in politics." 

Obama's best demographic has dropped 20% in 4 months, and November is still 4 months away.
 
 
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Loser of the Week

Posted by Roxanna M. on Saturday, July 19, 2008 9:37:42 AM
 
Come on, is there any question.  How could anyone top Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)? 
 
It has often been remarked that the most dangerous place in America is anywhere between Schumer and a TV camera.  The man's a glory hound, no doubt about that.  Apparently, the face he sees in the mirror is a heckuva lot different than the face we see on TV.  If the man had an ounce of decency, he would stay in the background and quit inflicting himself on us.  Alas, that is not to be.
 
On June 26, 2008, he wrote a letter to the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) and to the Federal Deposition Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in which he stated that IndyMac Bank was having some problems.  Not satisfied with leaving it at that, he "leaked" that letter to a friendly press. 
 
In the 11 business days following that leak, depositors withdrew more than $1.3 billion from their accounts.  Not surprisingly, the bank had to close its doors.  IndyMac Bank is the largest regulated thrift to fail and the second largest financial institution to close in U.S. history. 
 
The OTS said, "The immediate cause of the closing was a deposit run that began and continued after the public release of a June 26 letter to the OTS and the FDIC from Senator Charles Schumer of New York."  At a press conference, John Reich, the director of the OTS, called Schumer's release of the letter "an unprecedented act" and accused the senator of pushing the bank "over the edge."  Adding, "The institution failed today due to a liquidity crisis.  Although this institution was already in distress, I am troubled by any interference in the regulatory process." 
 
On July 1, IndyMac Bank released a statement claiming that Schumer's letter had "elevated customer inquiries and withdrawals."  Bert Ely of Ely & Company, reckoned to be an expert on monetary policy, said, "This was an intentional action.  Schumer knew what he was doing." 
 
Hans Bader of the Competitive Enterprise Institute said, "It seems clear that Senator Schumer's comments did trigger the bank's collapse and did make it happen as soon as it did.  I don't know whether it would have collapsed if he had not made the comments he did or when." 
 
Also not surprisingly, Chuckles is not taking any responsibility for his actions.  Of course he's not.  With democrats, as with children (I'm being redundant, I know), nothing is ever their fault.  They are never wrong.  They are never to blame.  They are never responsible. 
 
Somewhere, Mr. Schumer is mutinously sticking out his lower lip, crossing his arms across his chest, and saying, "Uh-uh".
 
 
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Is It Just Me . . .

Posted by Roxanna M. on Friday, July 18, 2008 9:27:58 AM
 
. . . or is it extremely unseemly that Barack Obama is taking a victory lap - with 3 network anchors in tow - without first having won the election?
 
 
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Beyond Stupid

Posted by Roxanna M. on Thursday, July 17, 2008 1:52:09 PM
 
Congressional democrats have reached a new low.  Instead of actually doing something to utilize our own resources, this is the democrat answer to America's pain at the pump:  the Transportation and Housing Options for Gas Price Relief Act of 2008, which would allocate tax money to:
 
1.  expand public transportation
 
2.  encourage "pay-as-you-drive" auto insurance policies that reward low-mileage drivers with lower insurance premiums
 
3.  reduce commuting costs by providing incentives to employers and employees to take transit, bicycle, carpool, walk, or telecommute to work
 
4.  help local governments create "walkable, bikeable" communities
 
5.  help Americans make "smart" transportation and housing choices by "educating" them about their options
 
6.  create "location efficient mortgages" that would make owning a home near transit more affordable
 
7.  require the federal government to upgrade key websites so Americans would have easier access to government services without leaving home or work.
 
According to Michael Replogle, Transportation Director at the Environmental Defense Fund, "This timely bill provides Congress with a great opportunity to show it is responding to Americans' pain at the pump, insufficient public transit and costly housing options.  America has less than three percent of the world's oil reserves, so we will never be able to produce what we need domestically.  our best bet is to use our limited domestic gas supply wisely and facilitate alternatives to driving where possible, as this legislation does."  He went on to say that this bill would encourage the creation of "new and necessary" transit alternatives and "ultimately benefit all Americans by saving them gas money, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, alleviating traffic, and reducing pollution."
 
H.R. 6495 was introduced in the House by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and is co-sponsored by Reps. Christopher Shays (R-CT), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA) and Hilda Solis (D-CA).
 
Since one of the democrats' chief arguments against drilling is that it will take too long, these utopian solutions must be going to happen immediately.  Imagine that!  Public transportation is going to be expanded.  Immediately!  Every insurance company in America is going to change their policies and practices.  Immediately!  "Walkable, bikeable" communities are going to spring up.  Overnight!  Americans are going to make "smart" transportation and housing choices.  Immediately!  Houses are going to sell overnight so that Americans can get "location efficient mortgages".  Immediately! 
 
The democrats have just lost it.  This proves it.  The gas crisis is serious, and the democrats are so far gone that they can't even muster the illusion that they're capable of rational, reality-based solutions. 

This isn't just stupid, it's incompetent.  Tragically, dangerous incompetent. 
 
 
 
 
 
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The Answer to That is NO!

Posted by Roxanna M. on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 5:26:50 PM
 
Washington (AP) - "The Democratic-controlled (sic) Congress and President Bush are headed to yet another veto showndown this year on intelligence matters, this time on whether the president should be required to divulge to lawmakers more of the nation's most closely held secrets." 
 
It is coming to be regarded as fact that Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) is largely responsible for the failure of IndyMac Bank  -  the largest regulated thrift to fail and the second largest financial institution to close in U.S. history.  A few years back, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) leaked classified information to a national magazine.  Rep. John Murtha (D) couldn't wait to get to the microphones to call American soldiers "cold-blooded" killers.  All democrats, of course. 
 
What do these three men have in common?  They all have a need for attention that causes them to do and say things they shouldn't.  The absolute last thing this country needs is members of Congress with access to more of this nation's secrets.
 
 
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