11/28/2013 abcnews.go.com: Iran Invites UN Experts to Arak Heavy Water Plant
I didn't realize UN inspection of Iranian nuclear facilities was by invite. Without unfettered access to any known and suspected nuclear facilities UN inspections are worthless.
11/23/2013 nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com: Confused about the 'nuclear option?' What you need to know
Essentially, the Senate voted to eliminate filibusters for most presidential nominations. Republicans were mad about the rule change, which dramatically reduces their power when it comes to nominations, but they hinted Thursday that Democrats might "regret this a lot sooner than you think."
Too many Democrats. Too many Republicans. Too few Americans.
11/22/2013 reuters.com: Iran, six powers struggle to overcome snags in nuclear talks
Know what we ought to do? Put President Obama directly in charge of negotiating with Iran. President Obama and Iranian President Rouhani, one on one, negotiating an Iran nuclear deal. Two masters in the art of "denial, deceit and deception". What a spectacle that would be.
11/20/2013: John Kerry announces the United States And Afghanistan Have Agreed To Bilateral Security Deal
11/20/2013: In a letter to President Karzai President Obamb writes: "We look forward to completing this agreement promptly."
11/21/2013: President Karzai announces he will defer signing the final agreement until after his nation's elections in April and
that his "trust in America is not good".
Well! Looks like the President of Afghanistan just flipped off Secretary Kerry and the President of the United States.
11/12/2013 warriorforum.com: "Noticed like me, how smartphones are
slowly replacing actual social interaction when you are out and about?"
I surely have. I was shooting league pool at a local tavern last night. Guy sitting at the bar, early - mid 30's. Three attractive, 30'ish ladies associated with the team we were playing, drinking Long Island Teas and seemingly having a fun time. One goes to the guy at the bar, talks to him a couple of minutes. He walks back with her, smartphone in hand, and sits at their table. And for two hours I watch this idiot spend more time looking at and texting on his smartphone than interacting with the gals. They left him sitting with a look on his face like, "What happened?" UFB! (True story)
11/7/2013 cnsnews.com: Michelle Obama: 'We Want to Honor and Embrace All...Faith Traditions'
At a White House Diwali celebration on Tuesday afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama said that she and her husband wanted to celebrate all the faith and culture traditions 'that make us who we are as Americans."
I find it ironic that the White House chose a "celebration of prosperity" in view of the following headline:
"10/29/2013 usnews.com: U.S. No Longer Among 20 Most Economically Prosperous Countries"
10/27/2013 newrepublic.com: Right-wing Populism Could Hobble America for Decades
Since when has "populism" (the belief in the rights, wisdom or virtue of the common people) been a bad thing? The only thing right-wing populism is going to hobble is the Progressive agenda to have, as Thomas Jefferson wrote, "a sovereign's bayonet pointed at every citizen's breast."
10/24/2013 huffingtonpost.com: George Soros Backs Hillary Clinton For President In 2016
She hasn't even entered the on deck circle and already "Strike One!"
10/21/2013 huffingtonpost.com: Enough Is Enough: Congress Must Pay Its Bills
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D - California): "Businesses and families must always pay their bills and so must Congress."
True enough Ms. Boxer. But businesses and families must also reduce spending when spending exceeds income. Your response I assume would be for Congress to increase revenue through higher taxes. But now your comparing apples and oranges since businesses and families can't arbitrarily increase income. For this analogy to be valid either I have to have the ability to tell my boss what my pay increase will be or Congress has to balance spending with current revenues.
10/20/2013 csmonitor.com: 'Best and brightest' techies drafted to fix Obamacare computer glitches
Just great. Have you ever been in a conference with 5 techies trying to resolve a technical issue? It's like trying to get a consensus from a herd of cats on which direction to run. Throw in a federal bureaucrat as conference leader and you now have a sure fire booking with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
10/2/2013 cnn.com: CNN Poll: Majority says raise debt ceiling
10/8/2013 foxnews.com: Fox News Poll: Majority would vote against raising debt ceiling
When the same question with the same responses are posted to the top 10 news sites I might give some credence to poll results.
10/4/2013 presstv.com: Removal of bans key to Iran nuclear talks: Analyst
"Any success in the upcoming nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers is mainly contingent upon a removal of the sanctions that have been imposed on the Islamic Republic, a political analyst says."
Nope. Got it backwards. The removal of sanctions is contingent upon the success of the upcoming nuclear talks. First the agreement. Then fulfilment of the agreement. Then removal of sanctions.
9/26/2013 cnsnews.com: 'Prosperity Needs to Be Shared,' Dem Says, As Energy Dep't Launches Minority Outreach
"We seek greatness, goodness, excellence, hard work, usually wealth comes with that, not always. It's not what we seek, but it's what the result of our good work is - and prosperity for America. But that prosperity needs to be shared in a way that honors the talents and the strengths of the individuals that make up this great country."
Huh? A statement of nothing but buzz words. Makes absolutely no sense. But assuming I understand the point the Senator is attempting to make, how about her sharing some of her estimated 2.7 million dollar worth and $174,000 salary with Tameka Morris, a single mother with 3 kids, working two to three temporary jobs, earning $900.00 a month. Or are Senators exempt from the obligation of sharing their prosperity just as they are from the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
9/25/2013 cnsnews.com: Laborers' Union: Fix Obamacare or Repeal It; 'We're Getting Our A-- Kicked Here'
Terry O'Sullivan, President, Laborers' International Union of North America: "We're getting our ass kicked here, there, and everywhere when it comes to retirement security -- and now our health and welfare funds are under siege."
A classic example of "careful what you ask for, you just might get it." You got your President. You got your Democratic Senate majority. You got your health care law. Now, dry your tears, put your big boy pants on, suck it up and live with it.
9/14/2013 dailycaller.com: Reid defends Obamacare exemption for Congress: 'That's what the law says'
Lawmakers worried about a potential "brain drain" - Capitol Hill staffers leaving work because of the increased costs of health care - and therefore wanted the fix.
Brain drain? Capital Hill? As if that would be a bad thing.
9/12/2013 www.presstv.com: US quit Syria war over possible reaction from Tehran: Iranian MP
Javad Karimi Qoddousi, member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran's Majlis:
"When our military commanders introduced Syria as the red line and Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei sensibly elaborated on Syria developments, Americans came to realize that Iran as the regional superpower can hamstring the US in the Middle East, and no power can ignore the Islamic Republic of Iran's red lines."
Hey, Wickipedia. Should you be in need of a classic example of "Delusions Of Grandeur", see the above.
9/6/2013 firstread.nbcnews.com: McCain again faces skeptical constituents at Syria-focused town hall
Senator McCain: "The problem right now is that 100,000 people have been massacred in Syria. Maybe in your view that's not a problem," he told one woman who passionately opposed U.S. intervention and interrupted McCain's responses several times. "In my view that's a problem."
This is the problem with most Senators and Congressmen. They seem to feel that once elected they have somehow been elevated to a level of moral, ethical and intellectual superiority. That their personal views and opinions should supersede those of the people that put them in office. Get off your high horse Senator. Put your boots on the ground and listen to those that elected you.
9/6/2013 www.reuters.com: U.S. President Obama said on Friday he values the strong support from French President Francois Hollande for action against Syria for a chemical weapons attack.
I have but one thought concerning French support. This from "Alerts To Threats In 2013 Europe" by John Cleese.
The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two
higherlevels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white
flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
8/31/2013 www.nytimes.com: Obama Seeks Approval by Congress for Strike in Syria
President Obama abruptly changed course on Saturday and postponed a military strike against the Syrian government in retaliation for a chemical weapons attack so he could seek authorization first from a deeply skeptical Congress.
The President did the right thing in seeking Congressional approval. Now it's up to Congress and the American people to do the right thing and reject U.S. military intervention in Syria.
8/31/2013 nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com: 'We will not repeat that moment': Why Syria isn't a rerun of Iraq
"We're not talking about regime change here," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters Thursday.
He said Obama's goal was to "bring about a transition of leadership ..."
Here we go again. "Regime change" vs. "transition of leadership". Another attempt to devise language to disguise unpleasantness. This goes right up there with "war" vs. "kinetic military action".
Quoting President Abraham Lincoln: "If you call a tail a leg, how many legs has a dog? Five? No, calling a tail a leg don't make it a leg."
8/20/2013 cnsnews.com: Dem to GOP: Climate Change Threatening America's Coastline 'From Sea to Shining Sea'
Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) stated on the House floor last month that Republicans should acknowledge that climate change "is real and it's already affecting the earth in profound ways," including the United States of America.
"Que sera, sera" Representative Johnson. The way things are going we'll not have a nation worth saving.
8/10/2013 foxnews.com: Critics blast Jackson, Sharpton over silence on Florida school bus beating
"Three 15-yr-old black teens beat up a 13-yr-old white kid because he told school officials they tried to sell him drugs."
In his mind Rev. Sharpton is probably thinking, "The white kid shouldn't have ratted out the brothers". Look, the stigma of white racism is the only thing the Sharptons of this nation have going for them. Without it they got no game. They become irrelevant. No more spotlight. No more big bucks for TV shows and speaking engagements. It's in their self interest to only promote racial tension. We'll be in a lot better place when the racist relics of the 50's, 60's and 70's, both black and white, can no longer command center stage.
8/6/2013 huffingtonpost.com: Louie Gohmert: Embassy Closures Make U.S. Look 'Like A Bunch Of Cowards'
The President took the correct action in closing the embassies in view of credible terrorist threats.
To say I'm no big fan of President Obama would be an understatement. But in this case he was put in a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situation. Close the embassies and open himself up to criticism such as that leveled by Representative Gohmert (R-Texas). Don't close the embassies and risk the loss of embassy staff lives.
It's important to understand any defensive position can be overrun if the attacker has the resources and is willing to make the sacrifices. Regardless of how much we shored up embassy security, embassy staff lives would have been at risk. Republicans, get off the President's case on this one. Instead, address the cause of the threatened attacks. Our interventionist foreign policy.
7/26/2013 nbcnews.com: 'I risked my life, for what?': Iraq War veterans chilled by country's slide into civil war
As they watch Iraq's mounting body count and potential slide into civil war, some Iraq War veterans are more intensely questioning why they went, what it all meant, and whether the deaths of 4,486 U.S. troops on that foreign soil were worth the permanent cost.
Welcome to the world of the Vietnam veteran. Hang in there brother. Time will heal the wound but it's going to leave one hell of a scar that will always ache. Occasionally you'll reflect upon that scar and remember the guys lost, the disillusionment, the feeling of betrayal. Each time that happens, put it back in the box, close the lid and put it in the back of our mind. Vet to vet - Not doing so will only fuck up the rest of your life.
7/14/2013 cnsnews.com: Tavis Smiley on Trayvon Martin Case: 'Color Will Get You Killed'
"We never seem to accept the fact that race in this country is real, that color will get you killed," Smiley said on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopolous."
You got that right, Tavis. There are certainly areas of Kansas City where my Caucasian race and white skin would get me killed.
7/7/2013 huffingtonpost.com: Martin Dempsey: Edward Snowden Has Hurt U.S. Ties With Other Countries
WASHINGTON - The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman says NSA leaker Edward Snowden's disclosures about U.S. surveillance programs have undermined U.S. relationships with other countries and affected what he calls "the importance of trust."
So, it's not the perpetrator of the crime that is at fault. It's the witness that reported the crime who is to blame. Another idiotic statement by an Obama nominee. The fact that the top military adviser to the President probably believes this is very scary.
7/5/2013 cnsnews.com: Duncan (Education Secretary) Criticizes Charter Schools for Suspending, Expelling Students
"In many cities, including right here in D.C., charters are substantially more likely to suspend and expel students than other public schools," Duncan said. "In the 2011-12 school year, a total of 230 students were expelled from schools here in the District." "Charter schools expelled 227 of those 230 students, or 99 percent," Duncan said. "That's simply not acceptable."
This is not a very bright guy. Among the reasons charter schools out perform traditional public schools is they provide a superior learning environment. This includes the elimination of disruptive elements.
7/5/2013 presstv.ir: 'Gitmo force-feeding in Ramadan extra violation'
The force-feeding of detainees at the notorious U.S.-run Guantanamo prison is a violation of their human rights and continuing to force-feed the Muslim prisoners during the holy month of Ramadan is "an extra violation", an antiwar activist says.
I absolutely agree. In fact, I would take it a step further. No force-feeding at all. Have a feeling, however, this would also be unacceptable since some detainees would probably die of starvation. While I personally don't see this as a problem, I'm sure many would. So to accommodate the Muslim faith's fasting requirement during Ramadan, force-feed detainees between sunset and dawn.
7/3/2013 foxnews.com: 'Big Brother' cast members caught on camera making racist comments
According to TMZ, Houseguest Aaryn was caught calling gay contestant Andy a "queer" and Spencer referred to him as "Kermit
the f*g."
Media, activists, politicians; stop redefining words to promote an agenda. Homosexual, gay, lesbian. These are not a race. While the terms "queer" and "fag" may be offensive they are not racist. And while I'm at it:
"Marriage" is the union between a man and a woman. "Terrorism" is not a "man caused disaster".
"War" is not a "kinetic military action." An AR-15 is not an "assault weapon". It's a "semi-automatic rifle".
An "illegal alien" is not an "undocumented immigrant".
Fort Hood was not "workplace violence". It was "terrorism."
It is not a "revenue enhancement". It's a "tax". It's not an "investment in". It's an "expenditure on".
It's an "evacuation", not an "ordered departure".
6/27/2013 npr.org: President Obama Begins Weeklong Africa Trip
Arriving in Senegal on Wednesday night, President Obama kicked off a weeklong trip to Africa.
President Obama: Another emperor who "fiddles while Rome burns".
6/19/2013 cnsnews.com: President Barack Obama speaks to a town hall meeting of youth in Belfast, Northern Ireland,
on June 17, 2013.
"If towns remain divided--if Catholics have their schools and buildings, and Protestants have theirs--if we can't see ourselves in one another, if fear or resentment are allowed to harden, that encourages division. It discourages cooperation."
And when we all love each other and are of like minds, we can sit around the camp fire, sing Kumbaya and smoke a little dope. Won't have to worry about food. Food stamps will take care of that. For medical care we'll have Obamacare. And for spending money we'll go on disability. Life will be so groovy.
6/17/2013 foxnews.com: In Defense of Snooping
NSA chief Gen. Keith Alexander leads vigorous defense of controversial surveillance efforts - including preventing 'potential terrorist events,' such as an attack on New York Stock Exchange.
I have but one response to Gen. Alexander's statement. A quote by Malcolm Wallop (United States Senator from Wyoming from 1977 to 1995): "Government, which does not and did not grant us our rights, must not now seek to deny them by using fear as its justification"
6/16/2013 nbcnews.com: North Korea proposes talks with US
Remember Charlie Brown, Lucy and the football? Please do not waste my tax dollars on another round of talks with North Korea.
6/15/2013 foxnews.com: US to Supply Syria Rebels With Arms
The only aid the U.S. should be providing is humanitarian aid to the Syrian refugees that have fled to neighbouring states.
5/10/2013 cnsnews.com: Biden: Respect and Dignity for Illegal Immigrants is 'Why We're Absolutely Committed to Genuine Immigration Reform'
Immigration reform has nothing to do with respect or dignity. It is solely about legal status. What Vice President Biden fails to understand is respect and dignity have to be earned. They are attained through ones actions and deeds. They cannot be imposed, mandated or legislated.
5/09/2013 cnsnews.com: Karzai: Afghanistan ready to let US have 9 bases:
Afghan President Hamid Karzai says he is ready to let the U.S. have nine bases in the country after the 2014 combat troop pullout, but wants Washington's "security and economic guarantees" first.
The only guarantee I want to see Washington give Afganistan is that not one US soldier will remain nor one US dollar given after the 2014 pullout.
5/06/2013 foxnews.com: Bill Richardson on Ted Cruz:
Asked if Cruz represents most Hispanics with his political views, Richardson said, "No, he's anti-immigration." "Almost every Hispanic in the country wants to see immigration reform. No, I don't think he should be defined as a Hispanic," Richardson said.
So now the liberal left defines ones ethnicity by ones politics. Does this mean if a person is pro immigration reform he should be defined as a Hispanic?
4/26/2013 huffingtonpost.com: Ed Schultz, Karen Finney Weekend Shows Get Premiere Date
"The Ed Show" will return on Saturday, May 11 at 5:00 p.m. as a one-hour program. It will expand to a two-hour program over the summer.
Oh goody. Some comic relief coming to Saturday cable news programming.
4/25/2013 foxnews.com: HAGEL: US INTEL CONFIRMS... 'SYRIA USED CHEM WEAPONS'
BREAKING NEWS: Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says it is likely Assad's Syrian regime used chemical weapons, specifically the chemical agent sarin, raising the question of whether a 'red line' has been crossed.
Which is it? "confirms" or "is likely". Could it be that it's "likely confirmed"? Or perhaps it's "confirmed that it's likely". And the media wonders why the American public at times appears confused.
4/24/2013 salon.com: Gitmo hunger strike growing by the day
"Even conservative official figures now put the number of striking inmates over 90".
Somehow I fail to see a problem here.
3/11/2013 politicalwire.com: Broad Support for Immigration Reform
AGAIN! FIRST SECURE THE BORDERS! Any immigration reform without strict, effective border control is like trying to clean up the mess before repairing the broken water pipe.
3/7/2013 presstv.com: Next round of Iran-P5+1 talks test of Western sincerity: Leader
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the next round of negotiations between Iran and the six major world powers of the P5+1 group will be a test of Western sincerity.
No it won't. It will be a test of the Western resolve.
3/7/2013 presstv.com: Long way ahead of west to win Iran's trust: Dr. Mohammad Marandi
As if anyone wants or cares about having Iran's trust. Trust is a two way street and I am not about to trust a nation, Iran, that is characterized by deceit and deception.
3/7/2013 nbcnews.com: Microsoft slapped with $733M fine by EU for breaching browser pact
It said the U.S. company had broken a legally binding commitment made in 2009 to ensure consumers had a choice of browser, rather than defaulting to Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
What is it with the European Union and Microsoft? Are these people not intelligent enough to download and install Chrome or Firefox?
3/7/2013 nbcnews.com: Reaching across aisle, Obama picks up tab at dinner with GOP
Golly gee. What a swell guy. Makes for a great headline but now I want to know the billing information on the card used to pay for the dinner. Betcha it didn't come out of the personal account of one Barack H. Obama. More apt to be United S. Taxpayer.
Don't misunderstand. As a taxpayer I do not object to paying for this dinner if it will aid in resolving the United States' debt issue. However, this headline's attempt to portray President Obama as "one great guy" for picking up the tab is ludicrous.
3/6/2013 dailycaller.com: New York lawmakers vote to extend fracking ban
Hopefully these guys and gals are not Battlestar Galactica fans that just got confused.
02/26/2013 cnsnews.com: DHS No Longer Uses Control of Border as Measure of Border Patrol
This is so typical of the Obama Administration. If your losing the game, change the way the score is kept.
02/26/2013 huffingtonpost.com: A Gun Safety Victory
Please. Get your terminology right. Gun safety is checking to make sure the safety is on, removing the magazine and checking the chamber for a round. This article is about gun control and restricting the right of Americans to own firearms.
2/7/2013 usatoday.com: "The president and the first lady are kind of like the mom and dad of the country," Rock said. "And when your dad says something, you listen. And when you don't it usually bites you .."
Wrong Chris. President Obama is more like the step-dad that comes in and attempts to impose a whole new set of rules on an established family. Been there. Didn't work then. Isn't going to work now. All it does is create a dysfunctional family. Just as President Obama has created a dysfunctional nation.
2/7/2013 huffingtonpost.com: Jim Kerry tweet: Any1 who would run out to buy an assault rifle after the Newtown massacre has very little left in their body or soul worth protecting.
What a pompous bore. The worth of ones body and soul, other than your own, is not yours to decide. It is the sole province of ones family, friends and self. Should you believe otherwise you must still be living your role as "Bruce Almighty".
1/31/2013 firsthand.nbcnews.com: Biden: New gun controls likely won't end shootings
"Nothing we're going to do is going to fundamentally alter or eliminate the possibility of another mass shooting or guarantee that we will bring gun deaths down to 1,000 a year from what it is now."
Then why in the hell are you waisting time and money doing it?
1/29/2013 cnsnews.com: Joint Chiefs Chairman: 'We Can Figure Out Privacy' for Young Ladies in Frontline Combat, Including in Navy SEALS and Delta Force
I had to chuckle when I read this. "Young Ladies" my ass. How patronizing. Women that seek front line infantry and special forces combat roles will be "bad ass bitches". Privacy will not be an issue. Should one of our "Young Gentleman" look at her wrong, she'll rip his throat out.
1/24/2013 foxnews.com: Women In Combat: Drafting Our Daughters
OUTGOING DEFENSE SECRETARY Leon Panetta lifts ban on women in combat - but does it also mean that women 18-25, like men, now will be required to register for the draft?
As much as it pains me to say so, yes, it should. Equal rights = Equal responsibility.
1/18/2013 usatoday.com: Poll: Americans strongly back term limits for Congress
No, no, no. From my July, 2010 post Congressional Term Limits, "... term limits are best implemented at the ballot box."
1/16/2013 cnsnews.com: Krugman: Food Stamps Are the New Soup Kitchens
Liberal economist Paul Krugman, a New York Times columnist, called food stamps the "soup kitchens of the modern depression."
Really? I didn't know you could get a lap dance or a fifth of Thunderbird at the soup kitchens of the great depression.
1/11/2013 cnsnews.com: Marine Corps Orders Full Embrace of Same-Sex Couples
"When I joined the Marine Corps it was illegal to be homosexual, then it became optional. I'm getting out before Obama makes it mandatory. - GySgt Harry Berres, USMC
Semper Fi Gunny
1/2/2013 foxnews.com: Obama: We can't cut our way to prosperity
Perhaps not. But we can certainly spend our way into poverty.