Who's Oprah?

I've heard the name and seen pictures, I've never watched the show. Then again I've never seen a 'reality show' or "American Idol" or anything of that genre unless I was changing channels and it flicked on for a second. I guess some people would say I must live under a rock. I say I have a life and a brain and I don't need someone telling me how I should think, who I should like, what I should eat or drink or any of that. Yes I do watch TV, I watch for entertainment, not to be brainwashed on how to think like a drone by people who somehow appointed themselves smarter, and in charge of how people should live their lives. I can think and I do. There are over 300 million people in this country and we are only told what a comparative handful of media types want us to know. So instead of watching and listening to these people I go out and meet and talk with real people, at flea markets, car and bike shows, diners, parks, animal shelters, places where people who really live are and it is so different from what these Oprah's want us to think. At least in my view. Writing and reading gives an interesting view of people. I try to guess who are the ones who watch the Oprahs and mimic them and who are individual and creative in their thinking.

Stop the Give-aways

I don't want the Obama ticket. I want to do away with welfare and taxing working people so those to lazy to work can have kids and sit around all day while the rest of us work. I want social security to only go to those who pay into it. Why should we work all our lives paying into social security only to have it given to people who never contributed so we can't retire. Cold yes. Heartless yes. Honest yes and I'm sure they are many more who feel this way. I'm tired of the government redistributing the wealth. I have no problem with programs that help educate people to get jobs or help those who are truly disabled. But it while it may be your right to have it kid it isn't my responsibility to pay for it. If you can't afford it don't have it.

A new America

Sarah Palin, intelligent, well spoken, Commander in Chief of the Alaskan National Guard, took on the oil companies and won windfall taxes, has Russia as a border neighbor and Canada so she understands international politics. Has children and her children have children (let's see how forgiving the christians are on this. Remember let the one without sin cast the first stone or something like that) A real American one who has had to worry about feeding the family worked real jobs as has her husband. These are real Americans, not political images that are usually run by both parties ( and are definitely being run in the #1 job by the Rep. and both jobs by the Dem's). I'm sure she never expected this nor did her family. I like the idea of having someone that I could have had a cup of coffee with or enjoyed an unscripted conversation with, down to earth and not scripted or fake being in a high or highest position in government. Sounds like a real win for the USA. And what experience is really required. Congress makes the laws, State dept handles what passes as diplomacy or foreign policy, all a President or Vice President has to do is follow scripts at affairs. Have enough intelligence to realize they don't know everything and to have experts advise them. It is a great day for America that a REAL AMERICAN is running for this position since I believe the first few elections. After which a political class of supreme and arrogant egotists arose and were crowned the royalty of America by the media (which was and still is controlled by them). This is a big as the French Revolution REAL Americans taking back their country.

The rolling roar of Patriotism

The rolling roar of Patriotism

Dear Mr. Garrison Keillor,

It is fascinating how people looking at the same event see it so differently. I am speaking of your comments on the Rolling Thunder ride to Washington DC on Memorial Day weekend. You were there in body, I was there in spirit. While I wish my body was there, you wish there were no bodies there. While American men and women roared their love and pride of America and the fallen heroes who died to protect it. You were impatient to get into a museum to gaze upon paintings by the way you spoke of you had often seen. Yet were these works of Americans? No. They were the work of artists from a country Americans had died to free from tyranny, not once but twice. Yet not a century later this country insults America, will not stand up with America against their mutual enemies. A very interesting way to show honor to America's military dead on Memorial Day.

While I can summon up images of World War II based on books , TV, movies, the image that is most prevalent in my mind is my fear as the draft lotto numbers were pulled in 1973. My number was high enough I wasn't drafted. I enlisted 2 years later. Images of that time that are still with me are watching my friends and strangers burst into tears or hysteria for reasons that only they could see after they returned from Viet Nam. Some of these as you call them "fat men with ponytails on Harleys" were there. They left part of themselves there, along with all of some friends. They are not grown men playing soldier they are men who were soldiers as children. Their courage and patriotism was tested under fire and it didn't waver. They were in DC this Memorial Day, along with the friends and families of those who never made it back and those who did, from not only Viet Nam but both World Wars, Korea, and all the other military actions before and since.

These people who so disturbed your weekend care more about America's war dead then to just sit quietly and read a book about it. They took their money, their lives and their time to come to the Capital of the greatest nation the world has ever known on Memorial Day Weekend, not to sit quietly but as the name suggests, to Roar with Rolling Thunder. To show those who could not make the trip that their loved ones who never made it back, or only made it back part way are not forgotten. To show the world that America is still here as strong and as proud as ever and we never forget our heroes.

Please enjoy your pictures and your dream of being "the boatman" and as you do remember, the mere fact that you can dream is due to the millions of Americans who gave up their dreams so you and others can.

Maybe next Memorial Day I can be there in body as well as spirit and so can you.

 

Barefoot & Pregnant

Barefoot & Pregnant

August 18 was the 88^th anniversary of the 19^th amendment that gave women the right to vote.

Aug 18 1920, this was after men had the war to end all wars apparently the women didn't agree ( you know how they always have to have their way) WW II, Korea, Viet Nam, Grenada, 2 gulf wars and all kinds of police actions followed.

The breakdown down of the nuclear family unit something else that probably wasn't envisioned. Mom can now vote, so she can work as well so who's home raising the offspring? No one which was fine because it opened a whole new industry "Child Day Care". So instead of taking care of their own kids they want to work and what job do they take on? Watching other women's kids. Interesting thinking. In addition you now need 2 or more cars per family which has caused global warming (where was Al Gore when this was starting). With all these women now entering the work place families now have more income. Everyone needs to keep up with the Jones. Instead of the old "my dad can beat up your dad' now it's"my parents can out spend your parents" Loading the dishwasher no longer meant getting your wife drunk. It means so she has time to go to work you need to buy a dishwasher (more energy waste again global warming) and load it.

I guess we have to learn a lesson, no matter how good an idea looks on paper it takes almost 100 years to see if it was a good idea to start with.

Maybe when women got the vote since they outnumbered (and still do) men they should have voted us out of the vote and the work place and kept us home raising the kids. But what type of professional sports would America have if men were the homemakers? Ironing competition, full contact buying at sales (oh women already have that one). Let your imagination run riot.

Anyway to you Suffragettes out there congratulations on keeping the world as screwed up as it was before you got the vote.

Government by the People

Government by the People

This year voters will have their say on one of the most important pieces of legislation ever to be put to a vote in Connecticut. That is the ability of voters to directly make laws. If this piece of legislation passes it will no longer just be the elected representatives and their lobbyist friends who will make the laws we have to live under but anyone could initiate a referendum to make a law that has to be approved by a majority of voters. No longer would the citizens of CT be under the dictates of laws passed out of emotion, with no logic behind it that only benefit small but loud special interest groups or laws passed to benefit special interests that have powerful lobbies that just look out for them. The "Silent Majority" can and hopefully will have its say if this law passes.

However I see very little about it in the media and what I do see has the special interest groups pushing to insure this change does not pass.

I feel that is UNAMERICAN. Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg address called America "a government by the people, for the people, and of the people". It seems in CT, the government, the elected representatives, the lobbyists, and the special interest groups do not feel that a government run by the people is in their best interests. Apparently they do not consider the people they control intelligent enough to know what laws and taxes they want. They are wrong. I think the legislators are scared they would become accountable for the laws and taxes they pass.

I hope this law passes and the media gets behind it to protect their right to a free press.

Print names & addresses

I just read another story where a 16 year old was arrested on a sexual assault charge. Of course that persons name wasn't printed because of their age. I say that's wrong. Once a kid is over 10 they should know the difference between right and wrong or their parents didn't do a good job raising them, and their name and parents name and town should be in the media if they break the law. Then perhaps the parents may actually start controlling their kids for fear of their own embarrassment. I'm tired of reading about these criminal punks running around and no one knowing who they are. Guess what your kid maybe the next victim of the 16 year old in the beginning of this piece because you don't know about them. Please don't hand me the bleeding heart garbage they are only 'children' and the rest of their life and their parents shouldn't be ruined by having their names published. They've already ruined the life of the person or persons they committed the crime against why should they walk away without anyone knowing it was them. Parents are responsible not society or the government and should face the consequences of not disciplining their offspring, and the kids should learn what happens when you break the law.