27 December 2007

A tale of woe

Try to picture this. It is mid 1960's, Christmas Day in New Jersey. The snow on the ground has been there for several days. The snow has a grey hue from all the coal burning furnaces in the area. A little girl seven years old, the oldest of 7 kids, wakes up and goes down stairs to see what Santa Clause has brought. As the other kids scramble down the stairs her Mom and Dad come down. Mom walks into the kitchen to make coffee and there are some dirty dishes in the sink. Mom, who is known to go crazy from time to time, explodes with fury over the dirty dishes. She grabs the little girl and makes her sit in a chair and watch as her brothers and sisters open their gifts.

As the family is opening their gifts Mom goes about preparing Christmas dinner. The little girl is still sitting in the chair not allowed to move and scared to death. She has felt her Mothers wrath more than once. The family gathers around the table and has Christmas dinner. After dinner the little girl is sent to bed without opening her gifts or eating Christmas dinner. The little girl lies in bed crying. Her eyes are full of tears and her little heart starts to harden. She feels the hatred burn.

Fast Forward 8 years. The little girl is now 15 years old. She did something wrong and her Mom is beating her relentlessly. Her Father is sitting there watching. The neighbors hear the commotion and call the cops. The cops see the little girl all black and blue and they contact Childern Protective Services. That was the last time the little girl lived with her parents.

The girl was placed in Foster Care until she was 18. At 18 she was married and started a family of her own. She has two children and swears to make their lives 100 times better than what her childhood was like. By this time they are living in California and chasing the American dream. Life is normal. The little girl is now in her 30's. One evening while reading a book the phone rings. Her sister in Texas calls to tell her that their Mother passed away. She writes down the information and hangs up the phone. A single solitary tear rolls down her cheek and falls into her book. She is sadend yet relieved. She sends flowers to the funeral. She does not attend. All her Brothers and Sisters wondered if she would be there.

Fast Forward a few years. President Bush is replaced by President Clinton. The military cutbacks begin and she loses her job at Boeing. Her marriage is on the rocks and her children have grown and left the nest. Her marriage comes to a nasty end and she is on her own again. She calls her Dad in Texas and he comes and gets her. She stays with her Dad taking a break from life. She is relieved to be away from all the hustle and bustle.

She meets a guy. This guy is 6'5" and has a whole lot of show and a litle bit of go. He is recovering from a divorce as well as her and neither one of them are looking for anything more than some fun. They hang out, go to bars, go for rides on his Harley Chopper and in general just have fun. Life was good.

Somewhere along the way a fatal mistake was made. The guy and the girl spent so much time togather that they fell in Love. It wasn't intentional, it just happened. They get married and buy a house in Midland TX. Life is good.

Over the course of their marriage he gets to know her sisters and her brother. There are only 4 of the 7 children left. It is not a close family but they get along. He learns about her past and he understands why her heart is so hard at times. He does his best to understand and belives that he can warm her heart. Each Christmas gets better than the last. He is winning her over.

18 December 2007, she is decorating the tree and he is helping. He sits down and notices that she has a 1000 yard stare. He ask what she is thinking about. She says she was thinking about her childhood. They talk a while and he can tell she envys the childhood that he had. Tomorrow she was going Christmas shopping so she was excited. They go to bed with wonderful visions of Christmas 2007.

19 December 2007, 1425 hours his cell phone rings. They found her Father dead at his house and they can not get a hold of her. He secures his jobsite and heads to the mall to find her.

He calls the house and she answers. He breaks the news to her over the phone and rushes home to be with her. She is extremely upset. She calls her sisters and gets the details. Her Brother flies in from California and the family can not decide on which day to have the funeral. 2 of the kids want it on Christmas Eve and 2 of them want it on the day after Christmas. The funeral home agrees to a viewing on both days.

26 December 2007 they are home from the funeral chapel and she is sitting on the couch staring at their Christmas tree. She has her 1000 yard stare. He relizes that he can not overcome this obstacle and that Christmas will never be the same again. A single solitare tear runs down his cheek and falls on the keyboard as he types Happy Holidays.

20 December 2007

Socialism - Is America Ready?

The last time, this country was confronted with the possibility of electing a Socialist leaning President was in 1972, and George McGovern was the candidate. I was assigned to the United States Air Force Academy as an AOC (Air Officer Commanding) at the time. At a weekly meeting with the Commandant of Cadets, the Brigadier General said, “Gentleman, during this election, you again have the opportunity to do something good for your country”. He did not tell us how to vote, but we all understood what he meant. George McGovern would dismantle the US military, as was done immediately following WWII. This did not quite make sense, as we were still in the middle of a war in Vietnam from which I had just returned. There were forty young patriots in that room, and all exhaled Red, White, and Blue. We understood that such a philosophy would seriously jeopardize the welfare and the security of our country. Guess where we stood???

The American People soundly rejected George McGovern’s politics, and the Democratic Party learned a valuable lesson. America was not ready for Socialism, so the Democrats moved the party closer to the center.

The question remains, where does the country stand today? Faced with the same option, will a sleepy American people allow the disaster to occur in 2008. There have been some changes since 1972 that may allow the unthinkable to happen. I spent my entire working life-time training to defend, or defending, this great nation against the threat of Socialism, which I define as “practice Communism”. My greatest fear today is that even though the external threat was unable to accomplish the unthinkable, it might be possible from within.

During the McCarthy years of the 1950s, Socialists in this country were forced to hide or find cover. Blacklists were prevalent in Hollywood, and the mood of the country left little room for the left-leaning. As could be predicted, the far-left found refuge for most part in the Democratic Party. Occasionally, they raised their heads, such as in 1972, but just as often they were met with rejection. It appears that the trend has run its course. Extreme amounts of money from the far-left have energized the Democratic Party, the Hollywood elite and the enriched main-stream media. Blitzed by the constant ranting from these sources, it appears the American people are equally divided between the two major political parties. This is frightening to me.

I must admit to being a present day conservative, which was not always the case. I remember in 1960 casting my very first vote in a Presidential election, for JFK. I was right out of college and a new electrical engineer ready to conquer the world. Looking back, JFK would make a pretty good Republican in this day and age. So, things change, and the Democratic Party left me. I did not leave it. The party moved so far left, that I could no longer support its outlandish pursuits, such as redistribution of wealth, over taxation, and government control of everything. It has become obvious that the present day Democratic Party was not the one our Fathers knew and supported.

Look with an open mind at the Democratic Party over the past 12 months, and it is revealing. The American people are tired of the war in Iraq, but not those fighting it, which is reflected in the polls. The Democrats are totally poll driven, so they have gone overboard in degrading the war effort, and unfortunately, those who are fighting it. Let’s look at a few who run our country now and in the past.

Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, knows that the tide has turned in Iraqi war, which is absolutely the heart of the War-On-Terror in the broader picture. His prediction that “the war is lost”, at a time our troops were giving their lives in pursuit of success, was totally wrong. Yet, he still attempts to send legislation to the President demanding immediate surrender and with-drawl. This is work of a traitor in my opinion.

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, continues to sport the deer-in-the-headlight smile and support Reid. My question is simply, will she ever get over her elevated position of being third in line for the Presidency, and start thinking of more important issues. In my opinion, Ms Pelosi is the classic, closet Socialist, but then, she has an enormous amount of company in the Democratic Party. It is tough remaining number one.

John Murtha served in Korea, but I understand he never made it to the war zone. He plays the war hero card, yet he does nothing but oppose, and degrade, our men and women in uniform.

John Kerry (I realize you are tired of hearing about this guy, but he is the Democratic-mold in my opinion) voted against the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M-1 Abrams Tank, every Aircraft Carrier since 1988, the Aegis anti-aircraft system, the F-15 Strike Eagle, newer F-16 upgrades, the P-3 Orion upgrade, and to kill the B-1 Bomber. He is truly anti-military and a liar to boot, which detrimentally affected our efforts in Vietnam, and now the Middle-East. This guy actually had the audacity to run for President of this great nation. Again, the people were smart enough to reject such nonsense.


I understand Dick Durbine has accused our troops at Guantomino of being Nazis, tenders of Soviet style gulags and bad as Pol Pot, who murdered two million of his own people. Yea, these guys sure support our troops.

Ted Kennedy appears to be anti-military, anti-America, and should have served hard time over the death of Mary Jo Kopeckni years ago. I honestly don’t think he has had a clear thought in 20 years---Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

In my opinion the bottom of this barrel may be Al Gore. Gore is a loser, and a poor one at that. He now needs a cause. What better than an emotional issue like global warming, which cannot be proven one way or the other. He is smart, but could care less about this nation. Gore is becoming a very rich man with this single-minded idea, and when he feels he might win, we will see him again running hard from the far-left.

Jimmy Carter, the father of the Radical-Islam movement, aided the downfall of the Shah of Iran in 1979, allowing the Ayatollah Khomeini to begin the Radical-Islam resurgence we are witnessing today. No need to mention the 18% inflation and 18% interest rates during his tax-raising term. Will they ever learn that tax breaks fuel the economy?

I think the following far-left names are self explanatory: Russ Feingold, Chuck Schumer, Diane Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Carl Levine, George Soros, Jane Fonda, Sean Penn, Michael Moore, George Clooney (now there is an intellect), Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, Danny Glover, and the list goes on, and on, and on. There is no shame.

The collective stupidity of these clowns has the potential to destroy this country, after they turn it into a Socialist, then Communist State. Putin is smiling right now. The politicians above are self-serving fools who despise President Bush, and whose insane drive to regain political power guides their actions, not what is good for the country or the people. Again, it is my opinion. Some may think I am wrong.

Now, after all those words, what is the point to this story?---Hillary Clinton!!! I smile when I hear Hillary speak about other candidate’s lack of experience. Hillary has no experience at all, except as under-study to her husband, Bill Clinton. Now there is a role model. Let’s take a look at who was her teacher.

Bill Clinton signed enlistment papers and took an oath to serve in Sept, 1969, then failed to show at his military duty station. He was reclassified 1-A on Oct 30, 1969, as his enlistment with the Reserves was revoked making him officially AWOL. He avoided all the consequences of those misdeeds, and received a pardon by President Jimmy Carter Jan 21, 1977. Bill Clinton was the first President of the Untied States who was a pardoned FELON, and then he went on to be IMPEACHED.

When you hear the Democrats preach about our troops serving long, multiple tours in Iraq, please keep this in mind. As memory serves me, Bill Clinton reduced our military by:

-----709,000 Regular Active Duty Personnel

-----293,000Reserve Troops

-----Eight Army Divisions

-----20 Air Force and Navy Air Wings with 2,000 Combat Aircraft

-----232 Strategic Bombers

-----19 Strategic Missile Submarines

-----Four Aircraft Carriers and 121 Surface Combat Ships and Submarines

-----and on, and on, and on.

I must admit to being one who truly believes it is time this country includes women as prospective choices for President of the United States, but Hillary Clinton is not one of them.

I must ask the question of even those real Democrats (not the far-left who embrace Socialism), do we really want to see, hear and smell the Clintons again, and for possibly another eight years. I am in great hope that the answer to that question is the same as it was for George McGovern---a very firm, yet loud---NO.

In conclusion, let me say again, no country in the world can present a true conventional threat to this great nation. The threat comes from apathy---Apathy from good, American people, who are paddling as fast as they can. There is little time left to get deeply involved with politics after taking care of family and the daily grind of making a living.

However, we are at the McGovern cross-roads again. The outcome of the 2008 election will affect every breathing individual in this country. Socialized medicine, doing away with the Bush tax cuts, increasing taxes, reducing the military at a time this country faces possibly the biggest threat in its history, cutting and running in the Middle-East, allowing Iran to develop nuclear weapons and becoming dominant in the Middle-East, bowing to the will of George Soros, the Hollywood Elite, and enriched far-left news organizations, and living with the risk of more Clinton level scandals and indiscretions is beyond comprehension to me.

My plea is for all Americans to look closely at what has occurred during the past 12 months in the Democratic Congress, and visualize the state of our country after four years of President Hillary Clinton, backed by a Democrat controlled House and Senate. I think that is scary enough to awaken the good Democrats, and even an apathetic nation.

Jim Cash, B/G, USAF. Ret.
Lakeside, Montana

16 December 2007

A hero returns home

I am talking about Gilmer Hernandez. Remember back 1 year ago. He was a Sheriff's Deputy in Rock Springs TX. He stopped a vehicle and when he went to the vehicle it took off. Gilmer pulled his weapon and started to shoot out the tires. One of the bullets richoted and hit a Mexican national being smuggled into the country and knocked out 5 of her teeth.

Johnny Sutton, Asshole, decided to press charges against Gilmer and offered the illegals amnesty if they testified against Gilmer. Gilmer went to jail for 366 days because he violated this women's civil rights.

Can you believe this shit? An illegal who was breaking the law by entering the country illegally, got her civil rights violated. What civil rights? I just don't get it. Why is this country protecting the illegals and prosecuting the men out there trying to keep us safe?

I tell you it burns my ass to see this happen. Johnny Sutton is the same asshat that prosecuted Compean and Ramos, the two Border Patrol agents who shot Osualdo Davila in the ass. Davila was smuggling drugs and was caught with a million dollars of marijuana when he was shot. Another perfect example of law enforcement doing their jobs and being prosecuted for it.

Well Mr. Sutton, you can kiss my hairy ass.

09 December 2007

Wal-Mart, Love it or Hate it

My Dad and my Uncle have been trying to convince my Brother and I that Wal-Mart is the reason that the local Mom and Pop stores are going out of business. My Dad even brought a newspaper article describing how conglomerates tend to destroy local Mom and Pop stores all over the country.

My problem is that their story doesn't hold water. Here is what i think. The only time that Wal-Mart would put a Mom and Pop store out of business is when Wal-Mart goes into a small town of about 25,000 or less. In the larger cities each neighborhood has their own grocer, butcher and the like. Large grocery stores such as Kroger, Albertsons and HEB are already in the larger cities so Wal-Mart only makes them become more competitive.

Wal-Mart, Costco, Kroger, Winn-Dixie and Albertsons are bulk item stores. The speciality stores are still around. In Odessa TX Wal-Mart hasn't even stopped the little Mom and Pop stores. Not everyone goes to the store and buys food and stuff for 1 or 2 weeks. A lot of people like fresh foods and use the locals.

Wal-Mart simply helps you spend more of your paycheck in their store. Wal-Mart is based on convenience and low prices. Here is a test for you. Make a list of 20 commonly purchased items that you use. Go to Wal-Mart, Albertsons, HEB and Market Basket and buy the exact same name brand items. See for your self who is cheaper.

You will find that Wal-Mart is the cheapest. If Wal-Mart is the cheapest, how do the other stores stay open?

The simple fact is that Wal-Mart only hurts locals in hillbilly hick towns.

Now my Dad and Uncle shop at Market Basket, Kroger, Cirle K, 7-11. They eat at Burger King, McDonald's and Ryan's. all these places are chains. All these chains contributed to putting the little guy out of business. You still have some locals who have speciality shops.

Since Dad and Uncle are against Wal-Mart because it is a chain, i would like to see them show that they are not hypocrites and stop spending their money at all chains and help support the little guy.

Show me.

05 December 2007

Not bad for a Paranoid

You know the Bible 74%!
 

Wow! You are truly a student of the Bible! Some of the questions were difficult, but they didn't slow you down! You know the books, the characters, the events . . . Very impressive!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

I am not crazy, they are watching me. I need an Armadillo helment.

What mental disorder do you have?
Your Result: Paranoia

You are constantly thinking about what others may be saying about you behind your back. You may also feel people have conspiracies against you, or they are out to get you. In crowds you may feel like everybody is watching to closely.

Manic Depressive
GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)
What mental disorder do you have?

04 December 2007

A Joke

A man took his wife to the rodeo and one of the
first exhibits they stopped at was the breeding
bulls. They went up to the first pen and there
was a sign attached that said,

'THIS BULL MATED 50 TIMES LAST YEAR'

The wife playfully nudged her husband in the
ribs and said, 'He mated 50 times last year.'


They walked to the second pen which had a
sign attached that said,

''THIS BULL MATED 150 TIMES LAST YEAR'

The wife gave her husband a healthy jab and
said, 'That's more than twice a week!
You could learn a lot from him.'


They walked to the third pen and it had a sign
attached that said, in capital letters,

'THIS BULL MATED 365 TIMES LAST YEAR'

The wife, so excited that her elbow nearly broke
her husband's ribs, said,'That's once a day.
YOU could REALLY learn something from this one.


The husband looked at her and said, 'Go over and ask
him if it was with the same old cow.'

The husband's condition has been upgraded from
critical to stable and he should eventually make a
full recovery.

03 December 2007

Imus is back

8 months after calling the Rutgers female basketball team nappy headed hoes, he is back on the air. It is about time. Now i am not a big fan of Imus but he should be allowed back on the air. I was watching Al Sharpton complain about it and it pissed me off.

Why are white people held to a standard that Black people are not held too?

Why do rappers and comedians get away with the N word but if a white guy says it, we are racist?

I am truly sick of it. If Dog and Imus want to call people names, let them. If you don't like it then don't watch or listen to their programs. If they lose listners or viewers the problem will work itself out.

And another thing, if you meet someone and they say they are ________ American, they are a racist bigot. You are either American or Non American. You are not African American, Mexican American or Asian American. Anyone who refers to themself as a _________ American is only trying to distinguish themselves as a victim or defender of their race. It is Bullshit.

If you don't believe me, try it. Ask a minority what their race is. If they say ___________ American, talk to them and you will realize that they are most likely someone you wouldn't want to hang around. Crusadors and victims are what they are.

Any minority that i know that shares the same values and morales that i do refer to themselves simply as Americans. They are my friends and people i enjoy being around.

Another joke

If big breasted women work at Hooter's, where do one legged women work?

























I-Hop

Artsy Fartsy

This evening was kind of interesting. Yesterday i left West TX and drove to Joplin MO. This morning i awoke, had a nice breakfast and drove across Missouri to St. Louis. I stopped in our office in St. Louis and then the manager of the St. Louis office drove me to the Holiday Inn in Collinsville Illinois.

This particular Holiday Inn was built about 20 years ago as a Sheraton. The owners managed to get a government loan with some sort of stipulation that they only had to pay it back if they were making money. The hotel was purchased by two gentlemen who apparently ran afoul of the law. In the last 10-15 years they have made the monthly payment of the loan twice. The hotel always seemed to lose money. The State of Illinois has been filling law suits against the hotel for several years and finally won. The State now has control of the Holiday Inn.

This Holiday Inn is probably the nicest Holiday Inn i have ever stayed in. It has a cigar bar and award winning steakhouse named Porters. Gary and I decided to try a steak in Porters and his niece happens to be the Hostess. Naturally we were seated with the best waitress and was treated kinda special.

I was flipping thru the menu and was startled by the prices. The waitress brings the meat cart out and started telling us about the cuts of meat they serve and why the cuts are so good. For example, a 16 oz Rib eye was $32.95, the KC Strip was $39.95. I couldn't believe the prices. Porter's also has a 2 pound lobster tail that goes for $135. For $149.99 you can get the colossal Lobster surf and turf. A bit pricey in my opinion.

The special is a Beef Pepper loin. It is marinated for 48 hours in Olive Oil and assorted spices. They cut the Pepper loin in 3oz medallions and you order 9, 12 or 16oz. I decided to try the Pepper loin and Gary went with the Fillet Mignon. The house spotted us an appetizer and dessert. We had a few beers and the meal was $98 before tip.

Here is the funny part. Living in Texas i am naturally a steak and potatoes kind of guy. My favorite cut is the Rib eye closely followed by the strip steak. I sprinkle the steak with a little Tony's seasoning and grill it. It has the taste and consistency you would expect from a steak. It seems to me that the more a steak cost in a restaurant, the less it taste like a steak. The consistency was pasty and it didn't taste like a real steak. Peculiar.

I think in the future i will stick with regular steak houses that i know turn out a good steak the way i like it.

01 December 2007

Christmas at Casa de Rey

Today i spent putting up the Christmas lights. I am an expert in exterior illumination. I will put up the tree for Ruth and she will decorate it. You see, i am assigned the outside and she handles the inside. It is a perfect day. 75 degrees, Christmas lights going up, a pork roast simmering on the stove and a cold beer in my hand. It don't get much better than this.

Tonight i am making my signature meal. A pork roast browned and pressure cooked with red new potatoes and carrots. The roast is cut and stuffed with a blend of onions, garlic, bell pepper, green chilli's, celery and Heinz 57. Rice Dressing with pork sausage and potato salad. This is comfort food. It is a coon ass dish with a Tex-Mex flair. Life is good.

When Ruth does her tree it looks like it belongs in a department store. When she has it complete i will post a picture. It is bad ass with a little train going around underneath it.

I hope you all enjoy a very Merry Christmas.