Hilarious commercials: Priceline Negotiator

Having William Shatner appear in commercials for Priceline.com all these years has probably been the best thing the people at Priceline have done. Over the years, the legendary star of Star Trek has been hilarious in the countless commercials he's done, but these four, with Shatner as the Priceline Negotiator, are my favorites:

This last one below is to me the funniest of the four:

Outrage via PayPal

Thanks to Blackfive, I came across a recent outrage involving a great charity and an anti-gun company.

Kevin at The Smallest Minority has the story on a raffle planned for an event to be held in Reno, Nevada in September, and the grand prize is a new handgun. The proceeds were to go to a project run by the charity Soldiers' Angels known as Project Valour-IT. The tickets sales were to be conducted via PayPal, and things were going great, tickets selling like hotcakes and all.

Then PayPal shut down Soldiers' Angels' entire account. Why? The company is known to be anti-gun, as Kevin noted.

It's a outrage, pure and simple, a d--n outrage. Kevin has a phone number for PayPal's customer service; if you can call them, that would be great. And if you can also buy a ticket for the raffle, that would be even better. The tickets are $10 each, you don't have to be in Reno for the drawing, and the gun is a .45 ACP 1911 model handgun from Para USA. I've seen pictures of it, and it is a beauty.

Soldiers' Angels is a great charity which deserves complete support from us, and not the outrageous actions of a company like PayPal. Please help.

I belong where?

You Belong in Amsterdam

A little old fashioned, a little modern - you're the best of both worlds. And so is Amsterdam. Whether you want to be a squatter graffiti artist or a great novelist, Amsterdam has all that you want in Europe (in one small city).

What European City Do You Belong In?

Interesting. That's just about the only thing I can say. Interesting. Well, at least I know where I ought to go whenever I finally take that vacation to Europe.

Also, I posted results to another quiz at Facebook, and apparently I wouldn't make a very good Brit.

No to Sotomayor

Judge Sonia Sotomayor is now one step away from becoming a Supreme Court Justice, having just been confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 13-6 vote. The full Senate is expected to hold a confirmation vote next week.

The Democrats are expected to unite behind Judge Sotomayor, and the media is saying Republican support for the confirmation is growing. I personally am opposed to the confirmation. The motivation behind President Obama's selecting Judge Sotomayor; her past rulings and statements; the false, contradictory statements she gave at her hearing; her stonewalling of questions related to the Second Amendment and abortion; these reasons are enough to convince me Sonia Sotomayor would not make a good Supreme Court Justice.

In the end, it looks like my two cents on this subject won't matter much; if the Democrats all vote for Judge Sotomayor, that's 60 votes in favor, enough to "make history" again. Unfortunately, as I expect my Democratic Senator, Evan Bayh, will vote in favor of confirmation, my Republican Senator, Richard Lugar, is already on the record to vote in favor of confirmation, too. For myself, it darn well serves as a good reason why both my Senators should be voted out of Washington.

To those Republicans who will vote against confirmation, such as Senators Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, I thank you for your efforts. Thanks for continuing to give me hope that there are good Republicans in the Senate.

To the sound of the guns

The resignation is official, Alaska has a new Governor and Sarah Palin moves on to her future endeavors, whatever they will be. As for the media, of course, they by and large can still only speculate on where she'll go, what she'll do and the kind of support she can generate.

This past Sunday in Fairbanks, Alaska, the now former Governor gave her farewell address. Needless to say, it was a helluva speech; very reminiscent of the speeches Ronald Reagan gave in his own lifetime. Listening to the speech, it reminded me why I supported then, support now and will support Sarah Palin. Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs described it best in the title of her blog post: WHAT AN AMERICAN PRESIDENT SHOULD SOUND LIKE. How right Ms. Geller is.

Naturally, talk about a possible Palin run for President in 2012 continues to abound. Nothing has been set in stone, but to me, the most likely outcome at this point will be to continue the good fight through her political action committee SarahPAC. As far as I'm concerned, I intend to do what she asked of all her supporters earlier this month: trust her. As 2010 isn't too far away and 2012 is in the visible background, there's no doubt Sarah Palin will be leading the way in the upcoming battles ahead.

To Governor Palin, I say thanks for everything, for all you have done and will continue to do. Keep fighting the good fight, ma'am. And to borrow from one of Napoleon's cavalry commanders, Let's ride to the sound of the guns!

Back to back

I've posted back to back reviews of two recently released films at The Normal Critic, Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and Taken with Liam Neeson. Both are highly recommended, and if you want to know why I recommend them, feel free to check out the reviews.

Glenn Beck on Glenn Beck

Earlier this month, I wrote about Glenn Beck and his famous episode with a caller from massachusetts to his radio show. To say the least, the debate became heated quickly, and Mr. Beck lost his cool. Considering what the caller was saying about him, if that had been me talking to her, I'd lost my cool much sooner.

Anyway, this past Friday, on Mr. Beck's TV show at Fox News, he addressed the episode in an original way: he interviewed the radio host. Uh-huh; Glenn Beck "interviewed" Glenn Beck:

Since we're talking about one of the funniest guys I've seen on cable news, this is the funniest thing I've ever seen on Glenn Beck's TV show. If this doesn't give you a bout of uncontrollable laughter, I don't know what will. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to submit to my own bout of uncontrolla-bull-l-l-l-l.....

(sounds of uncontrollable laughter being heard in the distance)

Welcome, Finding Myself In Alaska & Citizen Palin 4 President

Tracey at Finding Myself In Alaska has joined the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll, and Corey, one of the blogroll members, has added a second blog, Citizen Palin 4 President, which has been added to the blogroll as well. Welcome, Tracey, to the good fight for Sarah Palin.

Allow me to introduce myself

Your 1920's Name is: Huey Rosevelt

You're the Bee's Knees

What's Your 1920's Name?

Okay. And no, I'm not related to the Roosevelts. Well, that's all from Huey.

I don't see it

Little Green Footballs has a post where it features a photoshopped picture of Barack Obama as a witch doctor, and it is condemned as a racist picture. I just have one problem with it: How is it racist?

The picture in question has a caption which reads "OBAMACARE: Coming soon to a clinic near you". It's supposed to be about what ObamaCare will do if passed. Commenters at LGF have mostly condemned it as either being, at the least, in low taste, and at the worst, racist. There have been, however, several commenters who've noted that they either don't see the picture is racist or don't understand how it can be seen as racist.

For Charles Johnson, the fact there have been comments that don't support his own stance on the picture led him to comment that it isn't "LGF's finest hour". For me, I still don't see how it is racist.

I see Barack Obama as a witch doctor, and it has to do with ObamaCare, showing (if I'm not mistaken) what will likely happen to people once ObamaCare is passed; namely, the standard of health care will go way down (I think). How is it racist? Because it's Barack Obama's head and not say Hillary Clinton's in the picture?

Frankly, not only am I not seeing the supposedly blatant racism in this picture, but I suspect I'm also seeing the extreme hypersensitivity of those at LGF on this matter. I don't even see how this picture is in bad taste. Can somebody explain to me how this picture is in bad taste or is racist?

Stop the Abortion Mandate

While the President is determined for his health care takeover plan to succeed (some say overhaul plan, I say takeover plan; what's the difference?), the pro-life movement is gathering together for a special nationwide webcast tomorrow night to combat a still little-known portion of the takeover plan: a mandate that would use taxpayer money to fund abortions.

Indiana Right To Life sent an e-mail earlier today about the webcast, which will feature members of pro-life (and also pro-family) organizations like Focus on the Family, 40 Days for Life, Concerned Women for America, Americans United For Life, the National Right To Life Committee and others. The list of people expected to appear includes Dr. James Dobson, David Bereit, Marjorie Dannenfelser (of the Susan B. Anthony List), Fr. Frank Pavone (of Priests for Life), Tony Perkins (of the Family Research Council) and Wendy Wright.

The webcast will begin live at 9 PM Eastern time, and is a one-time only event. If you want to see the webcast, you can register at the website Stop The Abortion Mandate (requires name and e-mail address only). You can also submit questions if you would like for the webcast.

Even if you can't make it for the webcast, if you register, you'll be able to see a recording of the webcast, which you'll notified about by e-mail. If you want to help fight the good fight against those forces in Washington who wish to shove this atrocity down our throats, then please visit the site, register for the webcast, submit any questions you may have (if you wish), and spread the word about this webcast.

This is more than just a fight for our right to choose our health coverage (or not). This is a fight for life, a good fight that needs to be fought.

The courage of a blogger

A blogger writing as Irish Rose is well known in the circles of Little Green Footballs, and she recently posted a response to a commenter on her blog, in which she stated "the real 'anti-Jihad' warriors" are the men and women of the U.S. military. She's absolutely right about that. However, she also notes that it doesn't take being brave and fearless to blog all day.

On that, she is wrong. The reason is because sitting behind a computer and blogging for how ever long it takes can require actual courage; it depends on where one is in the world.

Paul Ray, a.k.a. Lionheart, is a very good example. The rise of Islamic extremism in Britain (and the existence of 85 Sharia courts) is cause for grave concern. Mr. Ray's efforts to expose the threat and dangers of this extremism has been rewarded by having to engage in a long legal battle for supposedly inciting racial hatred. To blog about the threatening rise of Islam under threat of arrest for telling the truth about it (a.k.a. "inciting racial hatred") takes courage.

The rest of Europe may be regarded as a safe place to blog; what happened to Paul Ray in Britain could be considered an isolated matter. I don't buy that. Not in countries like the Netherlands, where filmmakers are murdered for producing films featuring the truth about Islam, and where politicians who speak out against Islam must rely on armed guards for protection. The threat of Islamic extremism is just as real in Europe as is in Britain, and most if not all of the governments in Europe bend over backwards to appease this extremism. Bloggers in the whole of Europe have to be careful when addressing the threat of Islam. They need real courage for what they do.

Bloggers in the Middle East, especially in Iran, face numerous untold restrictions when it comes to blogging, and the merest criticism of the governments in those countries in their blogging, the slightest dissension, can have serious repercussions for those bloggers. For bloggers in places like Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran and Yemen, to sit in front of a computer and blog for just a few minutes takes actual courage.

The same is true for bloggers in China, where online censorship is a way of life there, where the truth of the Tiananmen Square massacre 20 years ago, for instance, remains a forbidden subject, and where the punishment for dissension is the same as in the Middle East.

For me, it doesn't take courage to sit at a computer and blog freely all day, but if I were in Europe, the Middle East or China, that would be a different matter. That requires courage.

Still fighting the good fight

Outside of places like Atlas Shrugs, Babalu and Fausta's Blog, there isn't much news coming out of either Iran or Honduras, but the news looks very much hopeful.

What Hope Iran? Hope Eternal.

Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs has thankfully been keeping up coverage on the latest out of Iran. Riots and protests are continuing over there, despite the fact the mullahs and their own foot soldiers have been cracking down on the protestors. Stonings, hangings, executions, imprisonment, torture, and still there are Iranians out there fighting the mullahs, fighting their foot soldiers, fighting for freedom. An inspiring thing, it is. There's still hope for Iran.

Still Standing Strong

It's been weeks now since Manuel Zelaya was deposed as President of Honduras for his illegal attempt at passing a constitutional referendum which could've kept him at his job longer than his term allowed. Hugo Chavez has been leading the effort to get Zelaya reinstated any way he can; Oscar Arias, the President of neighboring Costa Rica, has been trying to resolve the matter through negotiations; my own nation's government (shamefully so) is willing to support Zelaya's reinstatement; and in the end, the interim government in Honduras is standing firm.

They will not accept Zelaya's reinstatement under any circumstances, and a clear majority in the country supports the interim government over Zelaya, Chavez, Obama and just about everybody else. Here's hoping David will overwhelm Goliath again.

After all this time, there remain Iranians fighting the good fight to restore their freedom, and there are Hondurans fighting the good fight to preserve their freedom. There is at least one American who supports these Iranians and Hondurans in their good fights. Keep fighting, guys.

Ron Paul and his moment of ironic idiocy

Hey, did you know I'm a Country Club Republican? According to Ron Paul, I am. Why? Simple: I support Sarah Palin.

Now this story has appeared on a number of other blogs (like this one), but it's worth adding my own two cents. I came across a story at Politico about the Texas Congressman. The article also noted Congressman Paul's opinion of Sarah Palin's supporters, of which he was dismissive of them (us, I should say)and described us as "more establishment, conventional Country-Club type of Republicans".

As I wrote in another blog, Well whaddya know!

Except for some issues (the Second Amendment, abortion, health care, etc.), Ron Paul is so far off on other issues (especially anything involving foreign policy) that he is nuts. Well, he's not merely nuts; he's flat-out idiotic.

But that's not the end of the story. Thanks to a commenter at LGF 2.0, I came across another interesting story that Ron Paul and his wife are (guess what?) life members at a country club!

I had to recover from a major bout of uncontrollable laughter upon reading this little tidbit of news. It was because of the idiocy Ron Paul was spouting at a Republican primary debate in early 2007 that made me a strong opponent of his candidacy. His statements about Sarah Palin's supporters (and this includes me) shows his idiocy hasn't left him (like that's difficult to prove!). In fact, in this case, it's shown to be downright ironic!

A small step and a giant leap

There have been events which were such history-making moments that people can still remember where they were when the events happened, when JFK was assassinated, when the U.S. hockey team defeated the Soviets in the Miracle on Ice, when 9/11 took place, and so on. But people who were alive 40 years ago today remember where they were on that day, the day a spacecraft landed on the Moon, and an astronaut from Ohio landed on the surface, saying the now immortal words: That's one small step for man...one giant leap for mankind.

Forty years ago, July 20th, 1969, two astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, landed on the Moon in a lunar module and made history. It brought to an end a Cold War race between the Americans and the Soviets lasting well over a decade. It fulfilled a promise John Kennedy made eight years earlier to send a man to the Moon.

For millions at home on Earth, the sight of those two astronauts on the surface of the Moon must have been the most amazing thing they had ever seen. The images shown on countless TV sets must have been seared into the memories of all who saw them. They knew history had been made, and they would never forget, where they were or what they were doing, when they saw that small step, that giant leap.

For those who would like to see some great pictures of the astronauts as they were preparing for Apollo 11, Alan Taylor at The Big Picture has a great plethora of them. Also, if you're interested in reading about it, I'd suggest Buzz Aldrin's superb book Men From Earth, which also features a thorough and fascinating account of the space program leading up to the Apollo 11 mission. And finally, there are two great videos available at YouTube featuring interviews with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Remembering Valkyrie

While the attention today is focused, and rightly so, on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the Moon (which I'll have more about in a post later tonight), there is also another anniversary of great importance: the 65th anniversary of Operation Valkyrie.

Sixty-five years ago today, World War II was still going on. Things were going bad for the German Wehrmacht on all fronts; the Russians were pushing further west, and the Western Allies were about to break out of the Normandy beachhead. Amidst all this, a group of Germans, desperately seeking to save their nation from a madman determined to destroy it, attempted to kill that madman, Adolf Hitler.

Led by a colonel in the German Army, Claus von Stauffenberg, these German patriots came close to overthrowing the Nazi regime, but because they had failed to kill Hitler, their noble effort was doomed to fail. In the end, all were executed or committed suicide. And of course, in less than a year, World War II in Europe would end with Germany in ashes.

Thanks in no small part to the release of the film Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise, the full story of Operation Valkyrie is now much better known than perhaps ever before, and Claus von Stauffenberg and all the German patriots who participated in the efforts to save their "sacred Germany" are remembered as the heroes they were. May they forever be remembered as heroes.

Welcome, Goldfish and Clowns, Palination & Amorian

Three more bloggers have joined the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll: Jerry at Goldfish and Clowns, Anchorage Alaska at Palination and Scott at Amorian. Welcome, guys, to the blogroll, and the good fight we continue to fight for Sarah Palin.

My latest review

I have just posted at The Normal Critic my review of the 2003 biopic Luther, starring Joseph Fiennes as the noted reformer Martin Luther. For myself, being a Lutheran, this is a film which holds personal importance to me. Feel free to check it out.

A possible pearl of wisdom

Here's a brief story from this morning:

I got up at 7:30 in the morning to get ready for church. Showered, brushed my teeth, and then used some mouthwash. Around 8, I got dressed for church, which would start in about an hour. By 8:30, I'm ready to go, but wait a little while, as it takes just under fifteen minutes to get to church.

While waiting, I saw a glass canister with a small handful of gumdrops. Without thinking about it, I put my hand in and got a green gumdrop out and put it in my mouth. I sucked on it and chewed it for a little bit before swallowing. As I was driving to church, however, I noticed something odd. My mouth felt like it had tasted something soapy, or an actual bar of soap. The only thing I had in my mouth was the mouthwash and the gumdrop, as far as I can remember.

So, here's a possible pearl of wisdom to consider: Mouthwash and gumdrops don't mix. Or, if you prefer, in the manner of Poor Richard: Mouthwash and a gumdrop a soapy feeling in your mouth make.

Correction (4:03 PM EDT): I forgot I didn't floss my teeth this morning; I flossed last night, but not this morning. I've corrected the mistake. Sorry about that.

Grassroots News Minute (July 16th)

Ohhhhh Brother No. 18: Glenn Beck SCREAMED?

The brief "buzz" says Glenn Beck is an emotional guy. Gee, what a surprise. I've seen his TV show many times; emotional is an adequate description. But according to a piece in Yahoo! Buzz, Mr. Beck, on his radio show, earlier this week, had a very heated exchange with a caller from Massachusetts concerning universal health care, in which he ended up screaming at the caller.

Is that it? He lost his cool with a caller? Ohhhhh Brother!

The leftist organization Media Matters has a video featuring the audio bit, something noted by the writer at Yahoo! Buzz. After listening to the audio bit, all I can say is Mr. Beck had a good reason to lose his cool. The caller in question used distorted information about health care in France in order to prove a point, and then lobbed an unfair accusation at Mr. Beck about another matter.

As for the health care in France, the caller claims a person can sign a paper and get health care; the doctors don't even need to sign insurance forms. Interesting, but what about the French? Do they get this same kind of service? In their own country? A socialist country like France? I wouldn't bet money on it.

Cuba is also heralded by leftists as having the best health care in the world, but what about the Cubans? Do they get to enjoy this "utopian" health care in their own country? By all accounts, no. Food for thought.

As for the "screamfest" that took place on Glenn Beck's radio show, it's more than just an Ohhhhh Brother! moment, it's also a So what? moment. Nothing more needs to be said about it.

Keep giving 'em hell, Mr. Beck.

I am the Living Room!

Some announcement, huh?

You Are the Living Room

You are laid back and casual. You can have fun in almost any situation. You believe in being easy going. Life's hard enough, and you're not going to make it any harder. You are sociable and friendly. You welcome almost anyone into your life. You are completely unpretentious. You prefer living in a comfortable home to living in a showy home.

What Room of the House Are You?

Another unusual quiz, with another unusual result.

Welcome, Moms for Sarah Palin

Tiffany at Moms for Sarah Palin has joined the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll. Welcome, Tiffany, and keep fighting the good fight for Sarah Palin.

Now isn't that interesting, chapter 24

In the continuing battle between Darwinian evolution and Intelligent Design as the definitive answer to how life on Earth began, there's one man whose opinion appears to favor the latter, one whose opinion carries weight solely because of who the man is: Thomas Jefferson. Now isn't that interesting?

savage at LGF 2.0 has posted a fascinating essay from Stephen Meyer of the Discovery Institute on what the Founding Father wrote in regards to how human beings came to be. The writings mentioned came in the form of the correspondence Jefferson maintained with John Adams towards the end of his life.

The idea that any of Charles Darwin's theories, or anything other than Intelligent Design, provides an adequate explanation for how life started is as ridiculous as the claim that Al Gore invented the Internet.

Even if my belief that everything and everyone on this Earth and in the whole of the universe was created by God did not stem from my religious beliefs, the intricacies of the human body alone would certainly convince me that there was some kind of designer at work responsible for our existence. To believe otherwise goes against all logic and reason; to believe in the Darwinian theories is to believe in all kinds of coincidences, and that's one too many coincidences to suit me.

Keyes v. Obama: It's a go

I'm sure Charles Johnson, his Lizards and the rest of the President's birth certificate supporters will find this a tad annoying. According to (Debra3401), writing at The Michigan Grapevine (linked below), the case of Keyes v. Obama will be heard in California, will be heard on its merits, will hold case priority and will be expeditious.

The Michigan Grapevine: Obama eligibility case will be heard on merits!!

Regardless of whether you're a Birther or an insulter of Birthers, this is an important case, as this could reveal the truth once and for all about whether or not Barack Obama was born in the United States in 1961. I hope the truth will be revealed and justice will be served, whatever the final decision will be.

Also, I'm grateful to cbullitt for posting about this at Soylent Green. Why this wasn't news isn't beyond me.

ObamaCare: Dead in the water?

ObamaCare is going to be addressed real soon, but according to a Blue Dog Democrat, Arkansas Congressman Mike Ross, it's likely the health care overhaul won't get passed out of committee and onto the House floor for a full vote.

Eric Dondero at Libertarian Republican has a brief post, featuring the breaking news. In addition, Mr. Dondero also notes the possibility ObamaCare won't survive in the Senate, as Democratic Senators Ben Nelson of Nebraska & Joe Lieberman of Connecticut are not in favor of giving the government more control of our health care.

I hope that's the case, and I hope these Democrats do the right thing.

My latest review

After watching James Mangold's excellent film Cop Land, I just had to write a review of it and post it at The Normal Critic, so I did. Go ahead and take a look.

Welcome, Christians For Sarah Palin

Alison at Christians For Sarah Palin has just joined the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll. Welcome aboard, Alison, and keep fighting the good fight.

A Constitutional matter

If anything has happened from the controversy surrounding the natural birth of Barack Obama, it's this.

A Florida Congressman, Bill Posey, has introduced H.R. 1503, which if passed, would require presidential candidates to supply proof of birth in the United States and its territories. According to Eric Dondero, writing at Libertarian Republican, "This shall take the form of a valid hospital-issued birth certificate, and not just a receipt for such a certificate as Obama has released.".

Now before any of the President's defenders start crying "Birther! Nutcase! Glenn Beck fan! Studmuffin!" (okay, I admit it; I'm milking this for laughs), this should be clearly understood: this is NOT about the question of whether Barack Obama is a natural born American citizen or not. This is about upholding the Constitution, which clearly states only a natural born citizen can be President.

This is a sensible piece of legislation that should become law. As of now, H.R. 1503 has 9 co-sponsors. If your Congressman isn't a cosponsor, please call them and ask they support this important bill.

Now isn't that interesting, chapter 23

People who speak of New World Order are thought of as being paranoid and nuts, but with what Al Gore has now said, it doesn't sound too paranoid after all. In fact, it's now sounding quite interesting, not to mention ominous.

cbullitt at Soylent Green has a post with links on some comments the former Vice President and self-appointed prophet of the Earth made concerning the Waxman-Markey bill recently passed. The words "global governance" were in there amongst his comments.

The idea of the Constitution being subverted by this idea of global governance is one more vital reason why the Waxman-Markey bill must be defeated in the Senate. Having to pay additional taxes to pursue an absurd goal based on junk science is egregious enough; to accept this as a first step towards losing our sovereignty as a nation is doubly egregious.

Yes, this idea of a Green World Order is more than interesting. This is ominous.

My latest review

I've just posted a review at my other blog, The Normal Critic, of my favorite film starring Burt Reynolds, 1987's Malone. Yeah, I know, I know, what about Smokey and the Bandit? Well, check out my review and you'll know why. I hope.

Welcome, Moms For Life, American Pie & C-POL

Three more bloggers have joined the Bloggers for Sarah Palin blogroll: Georgia at Moms For Life, Donna at American Pie and Tim at C-POL: Constitutionalist, Conservative Politics. Welcome to the fight for Sarah Palin, Georgia, Donna and Tim.

Ohhhhh Brother No. 17: Objectifying Sarah Palin (Again)

I should have seen this one coming. It hasn't been so long since Sarah Palin announced her resignation as Governor of Alaska, and pundits, after plenty of head-scratching, have been coming up with conclusions. Now, however, somebody got the bright idea of rehashing the base claim that Governor Palin's sex appeal is the root for her continuing support.

Steve Chapman, in a syndicated column appearing in Reason, has made that very claim, and he uses the examples of two women nominated to the Supreme Court, retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and Harriet Miers, to further his notion that because neither O'Connor or Miers are considered babes, they didn't get the support from conservatives that Governor Palin continues to receive.

Mr. Chapman barely notes the reasons conservatives had for not being too supportive of Harriet Miers's nomination, nor bothering to note the reasons conservatives weren't too supportive of Justice O'Connor. He also claims that during the 2008 election, Governor Palin failed to help improve Senator McCain's chances, her unapproval ratings shot up, and he described her performance in the campaign as "bungling". And the only reason, in his opinion, that despite these "failings", the Governor retains strong support (unlike that of O'Connor and Miers) is because Sarah Palin is hot.

Ohhhhh Brother!

Contrary to what Mr. Chapman says, Sarah Palin did increase John McCain's chances as a presidential candidate. The failure of John McCain to win in 2008 doesn't lay at the feet of the Governor, but at a number of factors. Her unapproval rating was high (recall the attacks from the left?), but her approval rating was higher. And as for O'Connor and Miers, their lack of support from conservatives didn't arise from their physical appearances.

As Kathleen Parker did last year, Steve Chapman objectifies Sarah Palin and her appeal as a politician. It's not only base, but also insulting. Not just insulting to Governor Palin, but to her supporters especially. The fact Sarah Palin is hot never decided for me whether to support her or not. Her statements on the issues, and especially her record as a public servant in Alaska has spoken, and continues to speak, volumes.

So while pundits continue to try and figure out Sarah Palin, I'll conclude in response to what Steve Chapman, Kathleen Parker and others like them have said in their objectification of Governor Palin: Ohhhhh Brother!

Grassroots News Minute (July 9th)

My own state attorney general, Greg Zoeller, filed an amicus brief in support of the NRA in their legal battle against the City of Chicago. Also, the latest news about the upcoming Sotomayor hearings.

Ron Paul: The Fed Must Be Stopped

Glenn Beck has on his website an article written by Congressman Ron Paul on the need to get rid of the Federal Reserve.

While Ron Paul remains absolutely crazy when it comes to foreign policy, what he says about economic matters is sound, and what he says in his article is very much sound. The idea of relying on the value of paper money is to me absurd. What was wrong with the gold standard anyway? And with all the spending the Obama administration has done in the last six months, the idea of relying on paper money has become ridiculous. Worse than that, it has become dangerous, dangerous for our economy, dangerous for our livelihood, dangerous for America.

Read the entire article, and remember this isn't Ron Paul talking about foreign policy, this is Ron Paul talking about economics.

Born Into Water?

You Were Born into the Water Element

You are an open, receptive person who values communication. You believe in staying flexible. You are thoughtful and philosophical. You are still trying to figure out the meaning of your life. You have to watch out for your own judgments. You often change your mind, and you should avoid clinging to dogma. You are calm and passive. You don't rush to make things happen in your life. You accept things as they are.

What Element Were You Born Into?

Don't ask me. I don't understand this one, but it's alarmingly accurate.

Protesting ObamaCare in Fort Wayne

Just five days after the 4th of July Tea Party in Fort Wayne, there was a rally held in downtown Fort Wayne, at the square of the Allen County Courthouse. The purpose of the rally was to protest the socialized health care (a.k.a. ObamaCare) the government wants to enact. Hosted by Americans for Prosperity, more than 100 people attended.

The rally was to begin at noon and last up to an hour. I arrived ten minutes before noon, worried that I might get a parking ticket (the car could only be at its spot for an hour before the meter had to be fed). Rally organizers had Coney Island hot dogs, bags of potato chips and drinks for the first 150 people who showed up. After consuming the food and a Coke, and going back to feed that meter, the rally began.

Former Congressman and gubernatorial candidate David McIntosh was the keynote speaker at the rally. He mentioned of the things entailed in ObamaCare, things that would bleed us dry (taxation) and rob us of our choice of health coverage (as well as most importantly our choice of wanting health coverage or not). Mr. McIntosh spoke of another detail in the Obamacare plan: if passed, our tax dollars will fund abortions as well. If you're pro-life, this is all the more reason to oppose this latest effort.

Right on! Senator Bayh is not a certain vote for ObamaCare, so hopefully he will be thinking of what we, his constituents, want. Same also with Senator Lugar; this isn't something we'll forget in 2010. Or 2012.

Being one of the millions of uninsured Americans (and who does want any health coverage), the idea of anybody else telling me what kind of health coverage I should get, not even bothering to ask me if I want it or not, is intolerable. Those who want to choose what health plan they want, if at all, need to contact their Representatives and their Senators and let them know how they feel about ObamaCare and what kind of health coverage they want. In addition, check out the website Patients First for information about ObamaCare and how to contact your representatives.

Although I only posted three pictures of the event, fortunately the local media covered the rally. Indiana's News Center has a brief story and video. Watch the video; you might recognize somebody in it.

What the AMA has to say

You have got to read this.

Numbers to consider

Where Hillary Clinton failed, Barack Obama aims to succeed. His aim in this case is to incorporate "socialized health care", formerly nicknamed HillaryCare, now nicknamed ObamaCare.

directorblue at Hot Air has a post featuring the numbers concerning statist health care, and the numbers aren't good. The numbers involved deal with the health care Canadians and Britons, who live with "nationalized health care", as well with the cost to us Americans if, God forbid, ObamaCare is incorporated. The costs aren't confined to money, but also in jobs.

The message needs to be conveyed: government-run health care has been a nightmare for people in Britain and Canada (which explains why Canadians, and Britons who can afford it, come here for medical treatment). The cost has been astronomical and more importantly, the wait for people to get treatment is intolerable (if not lethal). These are reasons enough for us Americans to say NO!!! to ObamaCare.

If we get ObamaCare, it's gonna break the bank, we'll end up waiting intolerably long periods to get treatment for everything from a toothache to terminal diseases, and oh yeah, it's going to break the bank. Big Nanny was stopped in 1994, and it needs to be stopped now.

Ohhhhh Brother No. 16: Joe Biden's latest "gaffe"

I never thought I'd live to see the day when Joe Biden, our current Vice President (and Master of the verbal gaffe), would commit a verbal gaffe that sounded right.

The Vice President's gaffes have always in the past made him look like such a goofball, but for once, in a comment he made about Israel and the threat of a nuclear Iran, he said something right for a change.

Thanks to Paul Ray (a.k.a. Lionheart), I came across an article in the Daily Mail in which Vice President Biden stated that Israel has the sovereign right to serve its own best interests against a nuclear Iran, whether the United States officially agrees or not.

As the article also states, there appears to be agreement between Israel and the U.S. on how to deal with the threat of Iran's nuclear ambitions.

When it comes to Israel, I hold it should be always be left to Israel to look after its own interests. For once, I have to say, Joe Biden's got it right! Ohhhhh Brother!

A great way of spending July 4th

Today, with the celebration of Independence Day, the second wave of Tea Parties went underway nationwide, including at Fort Wayne. Unlike on April 18th, there were difficulties in arranging a location for this Tea Party; one Tea Party planned for today fell through because of this problem.

Eventually, Fort Wayne would have a Tea Party, hosted by the ArchAngel Institute. The program started at noon (I arrived a little over an hour earlier). Tea was served at the Tea Party (just seemed so fitting).

The site of the Tea Party

What's a Tea Party without our unofficial motto?

And for that matter, without this beautiful flag?

Out of the mouths of children.

Short, sweet and to the point; the man conveyed the message well.

One of the many people who spoke at the Tea Party.

There were somewhere from about 50-100 people in attendance; considering the scant (if any) publicity and the location problems, this was a good turnout.

Our own Boston Harbor; at the end of the Party, tea was distributed and poured onto the nearby street.

My own contribution.

The program consisted of ordinary people reading quotes from our Founding Fathers and a number of others (if only I had a video camera with me at the time). I was among the 30 or so Tea Partiers who read the quotes. After we said the Pledge of Allegiance, I read a quote from Ronald Reagan when he gave "The Speech" in 1964:

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children (America)*, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. If we fail, at least let our children and our children's children say of us we justified our brief moment here. We did all that could be done.

There was a brief break during which the tea was distributed for pouring. Afterwards, we resumed with the quotes, which also included specific parts of the Declaration of Independence. I started the second round of quotes by reading the immortal words of Samuel Adams:

If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; may your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.

The experience was exhilarating. At the end, when the specific parts of the Declaration were read, we read along, including the final words of the Declaration:

And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

To listen and to read (and read along) the words of our Founding Fathers, to know what they risked and what they went through to ensure that I and the rest of this current generation could enjoy what we have is indeed humbling and motivating.

I hope you all have been enjoying this great day today, and may we never forget what this day means. Happy 4th of July!

*Ronald Reagan, in his quote, used the word this, referring to America, but because I wasn't reading the whole of the speech, I instead said America directly.

Whoa!

In a year filled with plenty of complete surprises, what happened yesterday took the cake.

Sarah Palin announced she would resign as Governor of Alaska at the end of the month. Rumors were flying about Governor Palin announcing her intention not to seek a second term in office, but the announcement of her resignation was a curveball nobody expected. I myself am still reeling from the news. The best word to describe my reaction is simply Whoa!.

Since the announcement, pundits, reporters, bloggers and "experts" have been opining on what the announcement means, and most believe it's a fatal move on Governor Palin's part, since they're assuming she will be running for President in 2012 . I don't.

After having gone through her remarks, the conclusion I've come to is simply this: Sarah Palin is going full throttle in her efforts with her political action committee SarahPAC, assisting like-minded candidates for public office. And because she could not do this as well as adequately serve as Governor of Alaska, she thus had to resign her position.

Whether she will ultimately run in 2012 or 2016 or beyond remains unknown. In the end, she has asked her supporters to trust her with her decision, and that is something I intend to do.

I wish the Lt. Governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell, all the best as he eventually ascends to the position of Governor, and I wish Sarah Palin all the best in her future efforts with SarahPAC and if she so chooses, her own bid for President. She has my full support.

P.S. Josh Painter at Texas for Sarah Palin has written a better assessment of the situation than I have. Go ahead and take a look.

Grassroots News Minute (July 2nd)

My gift: Intellect

Your Gift is Intellect

You are a big thinker, and you're always playing with new ideas. You are curious about the world. You enjoy learning and developing new theories. You enjoy researching, analyzing, and solving problems. Thinking hard feels good! You're the type of person who finds most mental tasks to be easy. You love to stretch your brain.

What's Your Gift?

Well, I always knew I had a big brain. Of course, if I weren't as lazy as I am, this would probably be 100% accurate.

RIP Mollie Sugden

It seems like celebrities are dying everywhere. Within the past month to six weeks, we've read about or heard of the deaths of David Carradine, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Karl Malden.

Now I've just read about the passing of actress Mollie Sugden. For those who don't who she is, she was best known for playing Mrs. Slocombe in the classic British sitcom Are You Being Served? (it usually airs on PBS; if you can watch an episode, I recommend it).

She was well-known and much-loved as a character who could give the angriest look whenever insulted, who waged all kinds of battles with fellow co-workers (including a smart aleck rookie, a rival department head and a haughty floorworker) & the remote control display units featuring the latest products (she never saw anything awful in all her life), and who would cause near-endless laughter at the mere mention of her pussy (cat).

She was accurately compared by her former co-star, the late John Inman, to Lucille Ball, for not being afraid to do anything to get a laugh. From the changing colors of her hair (and I mean all colors) to needing to be "rescued" by a co-worker during fire practice, from not being able to hold her liquor to playing Little Alice, age four (and she was not four at the time), Mollie Sugden clearly wasn't afraid, just like Mrs. Slocombe, who when compared to herself, the rest of the staff was "weak as water! Weak as water!!"

Her career was primarily in television, of which she would appear on numerous British programs for over 40 years, but Mollie Sugden will always be remembered as a department store head named Mrs. Slocombe. Rest in peace, ma'am.

P.S. YouTube has videos of episodes of Are You Being Served?; just type the title in the search box to find them. They're very funny.

Lionheart: All charges against me "dropped"

That's the latest about Paul Ray's legal situation: it's over. Mr. Ray has the news at his blog linked below:

Lionheart: All charges against me "dropped"

Freedom of Speech has won, over the politically correct brigade who have tried silencing me, and members from their pet project British Islam who have wanted me prosecuted and silenced from speaking out against them and their religion.

However, just because Mr. Ray's legal battle ended with the charges dropped, other bloggers like Mr. Ray could easily be brought up on charges similar to his, because they spoke out against the dangers of an oppressive religion like Islam. The freedom of speech of all Britons remains in a precarious position. As Mr. ray also writes:

British Islam is a threat to every man, woman and child upon the British Isles, based upon 1400 years of experience and knowledge, and people like me, have a right and responsibility to talk about it openly, freely and honestly without fear of state persecution, prosecution or imprisonment.

That's the good fight being waged, to preserve the right to speak freely, to combat the threat of Islam, the dangers it poses to our freedom, our liberty, our lives. May people like Mr. Ray continue to fight the good fight in the British Isles, and may we here in America continue fighting that same fight.