Guard Dog

1) Tea Pary - Yes. 2) Veterans - No. 3) White people - lol, no. 4) Pro-lifers - Yes. 5) Global warming skeptics - Replace that with Creationists, and you'd be right. 6) Gun owners - No. 7) People who own unapproved of dog breeds - This is an interesting one. If you own a pit bull, Rottweiler, or doberman in a city or county where those breeds are banned, you're probably not the type of person who should own a pit bull, Rottweiler, or doberman. And anyone who might vote for someone other than Obama - You seem to be forgetting the independent, socialist, and green party candidates. Gotcha. Terrorist = Anyone with an opposing political viewpoint. Well, glad that's all straightened out.

Last day of work for a whole week. This will be my first time off work all year (not counting the week I had to evacuate for the flood). Tonight I'll start it off right by drinking beer, eating cheetos, and watching football. @Calax, if you do go I have one word of advice: Stay away from Wals. You have a shot at a normal life, don't let him corrupt you.

Talked on the phone for two hours with the ex wife today (yes I finally did give her my number and address ). She is getting remarried and wanted me to hear it from her. I wished her all the best and I do. I wasted far too many years hating her for just being who she was and I think she did the same for me. All that ended when we spoke after I had that car accident a few years ago. The truth is I think we were incompatible from the start but had my life and career turned out otherwise that may not have been the case. I wonder about that. More than anything else it was money trouble that drove us apart. The stress of that just ruined our relationship. But even before that I could tell we were two very different people beyond our mutual attraction to each other. I imagine that the "stress test" would have come along sooner or later and the outcome would have been the same. If was not money trouble after two years of marriage it would have been something else much later on. I guess it was better to find out early. I hated her for the worst reason of all, she did not turn out to be the person I wanted her to be. And there was nothing she could do about that because it was not her fault. I am sure we have forgiven each other for all past wrongs even though we have never said so. I wish I could have told her all that but in the end we just caught up a bit and I wished her love and happiness in the future. However relationships turn out don't ever hate the other person, it eats at your soul and odds are they did not deserve it anyway.

Honestly? No, I wouldn't be that shocked, but of all the faults of Barack Obama I'd hardly say the Libyan situation ranks particularly high among them. Do you honestly think many other presidential candidates would have done differently? Or, even if they had, would the different negative consequences of their choices be any less their fault? I still think it's too early to pass judgment on the wisdom of military action in Libya. I certainly don't pretend to know what the "proper" course of action would have been - it's an extremely nontrivial situation. No I don't actually blame Obama for anything that happened in Libya, other than our involvement in it. But it was his call and he made it and thats that. I suspect McCain would also have dove in head first beacuse: 1) The probabilities of success were high 2) The possibilities of US casualties were low 3) The cost relative to Iraq and Afghanistan were minimal. In other words it's the perfect war for the politician who wants to be seen as "doing something". I do not like the idea of involving US troops in foreign entanglements for nebulous goals. I was also opposed to invading Iraq and actually voted against GWB in 2004 because of it. Obama and his national security team decided that since Q was a known supporter of terrorisim anything else must be better. We'll find out in the years to come it that is true. If the new regime does go on some genocidal killing spree then it would have happened anyway but at least we would be able to say we had no part in making it happen. My previous comments were a little satirical sarcasm that Wals did not get and Krezzie, well he's just so anxious to shout down anyone whose world view does not agree with his he probably did not even read.

In the Khallat al-Firjan neighborhood in south Tripoli, Associated Press reporters saw rebel forces punching a dozen black men before determining they were innocent migrant workers and releasing them. The burned man, Ahmed Ali, said he'd come to Libya from his native Chad two years ago and worked as a house painter before the uprising. "When the rebels entered Tripoli, some guys came and burned down my house," he said. He escaped and ran to some rebel fighters, hoping they'd protect him. "They brought me here," he said, adding that he'd received no medical care in the six days since his arrest. "They believe that most of the black in Libya are mercenaries, so now all the blacks on the street, they pick them up," he said. No evidence of abuse. Nah. But then I did not say it said there was. My little quip about Guard Dog news sources should have pretty well indicated the following comment was not to be regarded as serious commentary. If you have ever read The Onion you would recognize devices like that. Now in all seriousness, if tomorrow you were to read the rebels excecuted every black prisioner would that actually surprise you? The problem with so much of the middle east these days is there are no "good guys". Just different variaties of bad. That is not true everywhere obviously, but it is true for much of it.

That sounds a bit paranoid and extreme. Here, let me calm you down: Oh I'll admit that I do get worked up on this one point but contantly hearing from the folks in DC that white middle class veterans are the real terroists and that muslim extremeists are just harmless little pussycats makes me very, very angry. However I should not have gone OT and I'm sorry for doing that.

a) A disproportionately high number of Africans in Libya were working for Gaddafi as mercenary soldiers, and in fact many were flown and driven into Libya by Gaddafi during the war, hence the distrust of Africans by the rebels - it's not racism at work here (as your link mentions!). b) What mass unmarked graves? Quit raving. None have been discovered, and the evidence suggests none ever will, because they don't exist. c) It is true the rebels have been doing executions on the spot (against the will of the chain of command - the National Transitional Council) OF GADDAFI SOLDIERS instead of taking prisoners. The bodies of a bunch of Gaddafi's extremists have been found this way, some Africans among them, but again, that's kinda because the Africans in question were FIGHTING against the rebels. 4) You didn't even read you're own bloody link. You just wanted to jump on any excuse to have a crack at Barack Obama because you've convinced yourself that he's some sort of Communist devil and thus everything he's associated with is bad. The link rubbishes your post. It even says this "There has been little credible evidence of rebels killing or systematically abusing captives during the six-month conflict." Apparently the concept of tounge-in-cheek is a little beyond your grasp. Like so much else.

I went fishing in Cold Creek today. I caught two pea**** bass of pretty decent size. I pan fried them with some brown rice and summer squash. Now sitting on the front porch watching the rain and enjoing a glass of Knob Creek straight up on ice.

Regarding Stannis... Was it just me or was Martin channeling Shakespere a little in Jon's last chapter. Just a little like Julius Ceaser.

This just in: the rebels are rounding up an imprisoning everyone who has comitted the awful crime of having black skin. Guard Dog news sources believe mass unmarked graves will be coming soon. So as the winds of freedom and liberty continue to blow through Libya (according to the American News media anyway) I'd like to extend a hearty "atta boy" to Barry O. After all thanks to him American assets and treasure helped make this possible-soon-to-be genocide happen. http://news.yahoo.com/libyan-rebels-round-...-130723394.html Edit: Sorry, it seems this is old news, you guys already knew about it. Well, it was news to me.

Now reading Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, a WWII story of a B-24 crew that survived a crash, days at sea and starvation only to be captured by the Japanese. I just started it today and at this rate I'll probably finish by tomorrow. Can't seem to put it down. Also reading In My Time by **** Cheney. The guy at the book store gave me a dirty look for buying it which made me laugh.

Excellent news. Thanks Fio. Hopefully this will be a big step in his road to recovery.

Good luck Tarna, we're all pulling for you!

WoD, politically I am with you about 80% of the time but you are coming off a little nutty here.

Government without consent of the governed is tyranny, there's no hyperbole here. Hyperbole As has already been explained to you by Enoch, the constitution does not assign direct democratic control of all parts of government to the people. That doesn't make it tyrannical. This isn't the steps of a scaffold. Talking about tyranny just makes you sound like some nutter in a three cornered hat. Well, tyranny is in the eye of the beholder. There is a new fad that seems to be springing up in municipal and county governments around the country called "Breed Specific Legislation". Basically the local government decides it does not approve certain dog breeds so they make it illegal to own them and if you are caught with one they are impounded and destroyed and you get a hefty fine. I have four pit bulls from the time I worked with a dog rescue back in Florida and they are on this list. Now Shelby County is proposing to make these dogs (whom I have raised from puppies and would not harm a fly) illegal? Sounds pretty tyrannical to me.

Well it's pretty clear that the Obama admin and the leftwing media (meaning most of it) has decided the real threat to America is not Al Qaeda. It's the Tea Pary, veterans, white people, pro-lifers, global warming skeptics, gun owners, people who own unapproved of dog breeds, and anyone who might vote for someone other than Obama. police-trained-nationwide-that-informed-americans-are-domestic-terrorists.html http://www.examiner.com/conservative-in-sp...kely-terrorists http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/60202.html http://www.theblaze.com

No he didn't. I don't know who taught the English to speak english but they do it all wrong.

Good for you. You show more courage than most folks. What was wrong with it? Speaking of courage how are you doing?

Ok, I do not want to get drawn in to the debate here, especially since WoD does not need my help. But just to point out the Air Force began as part of the Army. It was the Army Air Corps as early as the 1920's if memory serves, and was not seperated until after Korea (again going off memory here). So it's not like the US decided to create a whole new service. But even if it did there is no Constitutional bar to them doing it as I understand it. Who knows, we might have a "Space Force" someday. Anyway, a word of warning to WoD, the US Constitution does not lend itself to literal interpretation. @Enoch & Calax, the 111th Congress would have us believe the Commerce Clause and the Necassary and Proper clause give the Congress unlimited authority to do whatever the hell it pleases to us. Thankfully the 11th Circuit CoA called them down on it earlier this month. Our republic is safest when legislature excesses are checked by a judiciary who render decisions based on an originalist viewpoint (would that we had one who did so consistently). So no, I do not think it is either tyrannical or oligarchical (is that a word?) when laws granting powers beyond the scope of constitutional limitations are struck down. Hopefully the SCOTUS follows suit next year. The only way to get around the judiciary is to amend the constitution. Correct me if I'm wrong here Enoch but a properly passed Constituional amendent IS the de facto law of the land and not subject to judicial review. @Calax, they day the electoral college goes away is the day the country breaks. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston and Dallas would decide every election. Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch.

Now reading Bloodheir the second book in the Winterbirth series. It's like a guy (named Brian Ruckley) woke up one day and said "What the heck, I think I'll write a fantasy series today" without any original ideas or any clue how to pull it off. But I bought the book, might as well finish it. I finished Dance of Dragons. Overall it was good but it does seem to bog down a little.

A most excellent way to spend an evening! Unfortunately if you don't have coyotes or whippoorwills where you live it mutes the effect somewhat.

I think the root of the problem is the government is spending at a faster rate than revenue can keep up. I read earlier today that the US borrows 40% of every dollar it spends. And the rate of spending has doubled in the last two years. It's reached a point that they can not increase taxes enough to cover the deficit without utterly ruining the economy. Spending reductions MUST be taken and the largest part of spending is entitlements. Taxes will probably have to go up as well but it cannot be so great as to cripple any growth potential. My two ideas are to lift all moritoriums on domestic energy production and have at least a three year suspension of capital gains taxes coupled with a modest increase in income tax. Couple all of that with cuts in defense, foreign aid, discretionary and entitlement spending and it should be enough to equaize the debt to income issue in a few years.

Nevermind.

Well, I have a good chunk of my salary (10%) withheld for retirement, so I'm not sure what the break down in Florida is. But one of the few benefits to teaching is the decent retirement package. Teaching is a career with with high education requirements and a high burnout rate. The salary is usually extremely low compared to similar degree-required jobs. So when you start slashing their benefits, you are really crippling the future of education in Florida. Teachers will likely leave the state in droves for better packages, and you will see a drop in University credentialing programs. There is already a shortage of teachers in the country, it's just been less noticeable because the budget cuts are forcing most schools to raise class sizes and cut programs rather than higher new teachers. For example of how the salary issue works, my wife makes a few hundred dollars a month less than me, but she also gets free health care. It isn't really free, she just makes less than I do. So a teacher in Florida makes less than I do, but they don't put 10% of their salary into retirement. The money is being withheld off the top. I doubt the teacher would be complaining if promises were made to increase their salaries. IIRC It was a trade off. They could either accept work force reductions (meaning larger classes) pay cuts, or start contributing to their retirement. It was the least onerous of the three but before that the state had paid for it 100%. IMO 10% is fair. I have to pay 100% of my retirement. There are very few private sector jobs that have pensions. If you're lucky you'll have a 401k. The truth is, Florida like most other states was suffering from buget shortfalls. The housing bubble burst causing the value of property to plummet. Florida taxes propery based on it's value and with that decreasing the tax income did as well. Raising propery tax only hurts the real estate market because it disincetivises renters to buy, and makes home more difficult to sell. Plus business were already leaving the state, that only spurrs the exodus which drives up unemployement.

California's spending priorities are all backasswards. The roads and bridges are crumbling but hey if you are a state employee and want a boob job or a sex change, your fellow Californians will pay for it.