Category: Do the Right Thing

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2009 Resolution-Per-Day #4

Develop a deeper appreciation for the people of our armed forces. I like to think I appreciate their service, but I doubt my appreciation is as deep or wide as it ought to be. Here, try this for a semi-musical thought-provoker (Thanks, Hugh, for sending this):

While listening to this, I was reminded of the (apocryphal, perhaps) “comment from a centurion” often referred to by Jerry Pournelle:

“We hear that there are tumults and riots in Rome, and that voices are raised concerning the army and the quality of our soldiers. Make haste to reassure us that you love and support us as we love and support you, for if we find that we have left our bones to bleach in these sands in vain, then beware the fury of the legions.”…” (Centurion in a letter home from North Africa, 3rd Century)

Now, I do not fear “the fury of the legions,” but I do fear our society becoming callous to their dedication, their service, their honor, their sacrifices*. A society that ceases to value such service is a society that does not deserve to survive.

Continue reading “2009 Resolution-Per-Day #4”

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Stop. Look. Listen. To Fred

h.t. Leaning Straight Up

One thing that struck me was what Fred said about the possible efficacy of his candidacy in… salvaging the Democratic party:

You know, when I’m asked which of the current group of Democratic candidates I prefer to run against, I always say it really doesn’t matter…These days all those candidates, all the Democratic leaders, are one and the same. They’re all NEA-MoveOn.org-ACLU-Michael Moore Democrats. They’ve allowed these radicals to take control of their party and dictate their course.

So this election is important not just to enact our conservative principles. This election is important to salvage a once-great political party from the grip of extremism and shake it back to its senses. It’s time to give not just Republicans but independents, and, yes, good Democrats a chance to call a halt to the leftward lurch of the once-proud party of working people.

So in seeking the nomination of my own party, I want to say something a little unusual. I am asking my fellow Republicans to vote for me not only for what I have to say to them, but for what I have to say to the members of the other party—the millions of Democrats who haven’t left the Democratic party so much as their party’s national leadership has left them.

As I’ve said before, only one man is running as a truly presidential candidate. The others all seem to be running for sophomore class clown.

Trackposted to Outside the Beltway, Is It Just Me?, Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Adam’s Blog, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, Shadowscope, Cao’s Blog, Right Voices, and Pursuing Holiness, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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T-13; 2.1: Thirteen Reasons to Jump on the Fredwagon

I generally hold my nose and keep my hand firmly on my wallet whenever I smell a politician. The field for the presidency is narrowing, but it’s still chock full of enough pork manure to gag a maggot. *sigh* Still, of all the candidates, one has at least made clear he understands the Constitution… and has committed himself to stemming the tide of political effluvia that has been steadily eroding the Constitution for lo these many years. Yep. Fred. So, 13 reasons to support Fred Thompson:

1. He’s not an android, dreaming of electric sheep. (My apologies to the shade of Phillip K. Dick for alluding to his work in the same sentence as Romney. Bah.)

2. Nor is he a wolf in sheeps’ clothing (although Rudy would look better in a rug than he does dressing up as a “conservative”).

3. He’s not certifiably loony (and besides, who can trust a guy who won’t even reveal his last name. Paul? Paul who? *heh*).

4. He’s not a greasy Southern Baptist preacherboy who–if his record and his mouth are any indications–believes his opinions have God’s stamp of approval… just because, well, he’s a greasy Southern Baptist preacherboy, so naturally God is on his side (Huck, go fish in a different hole, boy). Huck for dogcatcher? Free-ranging strays (given his record on illegal immigrants in Arkansas).

5. Fred has his priorities straight: “The first responsibility of government is to protect the American people, the homeland, and our way of life.”

6. Education:

At a time when America is behind other developed countries in education excellence, the federal role in education is too intrusive and too bureaucratic, and has become part of the problem. State and local governments are closest to the parents, the kids, and the schools, and best situated to implement changes and innovations that best educate children. I am committed to:

Giving parents more choices in education and schools less bureaucracy.
Reviewing federal programs for cost-effectiveness, reducing federal mandates, returning education money to the states, and empowering parents by promoting voucher programs, charter schools, and other innovations that enhance education excellence through competition and choice.
Encouraging students and teachers to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math—fields that are crucial to our security, competitiveness, and prosperity.
Promoting transparency to assess performance, promote accountability, and share innovations in education at all levels.

7. Understands the Constitutional role of the judiciary: “Appointing strict constructionist judges who will interpret the law, not impose their views on us by legislating from the bench.”

8. Second Amendment: “I strongly support the Second Amendment of the Constitution, which protects an individual’s right to keep and bear arms. Gun control is touted as a major crime-control measure. But some of the places with the strictest gun-control laws also have high violent-crime rates. Disarming law-abiding citizens does not prevent crime.” [Emphasis added]

9. On “Nannystate-ism”–“We must allow individuals to lead their lives with minimal government interference…”

10. And expanding on that, “Government must be strong enough to protect us, competent enough to provide basic government services, but limited by the delineated powers in the Constitution.”

12. Federalism

Our Constitution innovatively guarantees our liberties by spreading power among the three branches of the federal government, and between the federal government and the states. In considering any action by the government, we must always ask two questions: is the government better equipped than the private sector to perform the task and, if so, what level of government (federal or state) ought to do it. Washington is not the seat of all wisdom. (More on Federalism)

READ the “Federalism” link above. Fred seems to be the ONLY sane candidate who has the slightest idea that the Constitution actually means something…

13. He’s not Billary Hussein Obama. Heck his “White Papers” on ” Border Security and Immigration” and “Education” alone show Billary Hussein Obama (as well as, sadly, all the Republican’t runners) up as the intellectual, moral and ethical midgets they are.

CLICK the pic below, view Fred’s latest ad and give Fred a hand, OK?

f_t-clear-s.jpg

Noted at the Thursday Thirteen Hub.

Continue reading “T-13; 2.1: Thirteen Reasons to Jump on the Fredwagon”

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We’re All Cretins

…Or, “What Advertisers Think of Us”

Of the many reasons I especially like to avoid television during the Christmas season, one stands head and shoulders above even the crappy “holiday specials” that turn the Christmas season into a hode-podge season of slush: the commercial that as much as says straight out that women are all prostitutes. You know the one. A guy gives his (wife, girlfriend, lover, whatever) a diamond do-hickey and the jingle “sings,”

“Every Kiss Begins with ____”

Yep. That’s right. guys, the commercial states right out front: women sell their favors for jewelry–especially jewelry from the particular company that markets their wares as a means to “get lucky.” IOW, according to that particular jewelry manufacturer (the most direct and honest of the lot advertizing during the Christmas season–others are a bit more subtle, though their message is pretty much the same), women are whores and guys are all just johns.

Now, that’s just plain disgusting. And insulting.

Guys, if “getting lucky” with your gal depends on getting her some jewlery, you’d be better off traveling to Vegas or some other such place where whoring is at least legally recognized and regulated (to some extent, at least) and out in the open. Paying for sex at home is just degrading.

And women, if some guy thinks he can buy your “favors” with a gift, then you’ve got the wrong guy, and it’ll cost you bigtime down the road. Worse still, if you do “sell” your “favors” for gifts, you know what that makes you.

Exactly what the commercial says in so many words.

And the fact that advertizers think (probably rightly) that most folks won’t see this means they think we’re all cretins.

Trackposted to Blog @ MoreWhat.com, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Mark My Words, Allie is Wired, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Chuck Adkins, Conservative Cat, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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Mending Walls: Faith, Part 3

While time is a tad tight here at twc central, here’s a reprint (with minor redactions) from June of ’06, and yes, just like the original post, this is a linkfest also (see below the post body).

In part 1 of “Mending Walls: Faith” I very, very briefly discussed the faith (fides) covenant meme so lacking in today’s society. In part 2, I even more briefly outlined how this lack has affected the three realms of legitimate governance in society, civil government, marriage & family and, for Christians at least, the church.

In this last installment, I’ll once again very briefly mention some examples that illustrate how the current culture of faithlessness affects everyday life and how the moribund state of the faith covenant at work, in civil government, marriage & family, and in churches affects everyday life.

Keep in mind: I will NOT explore this topic in depth, although this will still be a tad long as compared to most blogposts. It’d take a full length book for each of these three parts to cover the topic seriously. That being said, and knowing it’ll be a tad longer than the majority of blogposts you may read today, either page on off or CLICk to read more at the link.

Continue reading “Mending Walls: Faith, Part 3”

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Bustin’ Chops, venting gently this time

Bustin’ cops lightly… this time.

Recall our new neighbors? Well, today I had a short lunchtime, cos I spent some of it cutting short a noon meeting of the Stoned Road Druggies (no affirmative proof, but they meet several of the behavioral/environmental criteria for activity surrounding a meth lab *sigh*).

Yeh, twelve vehicles parked on (and nearly on) their property at noon. One left. Loudly. (These guys seem to think that if ya drill out a muffler the vehicle will run soooo much better.) Another backed up to repark. Backed up right on our lawn… as I was watching. I hollered to stop him, and to his credit he did, then pulled on forward and parked it where it’d been before he started backing.

Words ensued. I called the cops. As I was counting vehicles (and TPT*/maybe likely druggies) and relating license tags to the cops over the phone, they began leaving. With more “words” and a few cute threats to “donut” my lawn.

Let ’em come. License tags, bubbas.

Dumbasses.

*TPT=Trailer Park Trash

Continue reading “Bustin’ Chops, venting gently this time”

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Mending Walls: “…holes and gaps, lacks and losses…”

Note” Open Trackbacks to this post Friday, Saturday and Sunday (28-30). Link to this post and track back. More below the post body.

I made allusion (allusion, heck: I linked the thing) to the (musical) Principles of Classicism in “Seven”, earlier this week both here and at The Wide Awakes. Since then, I’ve had a productive email exchange with a commenter at the TWA posting. But first, for those who will not click the link, an excerpt from Principles of Classicism *heh*

One of the primary reasons I am a fan of Classical (and even much classical) music is not just because the music is complex, beautiful and compelling but because it is the expression of a particular ethos which our society sorely lacks.

Aside from technical matters of form, the principles of Classicism as found in Classical Music were

  • balance
  • clarity
  • accessibility
  • expressiveness
  • edification

Although two of these principles are still found in abundance in contemporary music (though not in contemporary “serious” or “academic” music, IMO) it is the lack of the others, especially the last, that has seriously harmful effects upon our society.

The email exchange that led to this post included an excerpt from William Blake’s Laocoön that I think points up several “holes and gaps, lacks and losses” in our society today:

A Poet a Painter a Musician an Architect: the Man Or Woman who is not one of these is not a Christian

Caveat: Blake’s view of Christianity was idiosyncratic. If we take not only the rest of his Laocoön inscriptions but the whole of his body of work into account, what Blake seems to mean when he refers non-ironically to a “Christian” is more in line with his thinking on “true” or “whole, complete, authentic” man (which to Blake in. this sort of context meant simply human, male and female).

Strangely, for Blake, his thought in this and other of his Laocoön inscriptions (viz., “The Unproductive Man is not a Christian, much less the Destroyer” et al) are quite closely aligned with traditional Christian theology as it relates to the imago dei.

Think for a few secs: the traditional Christian view of the imago dei (loosely, the image of God in man) includes the expression of God’s eternally creative nature in mankind. Thus in this model, all human acts of creative nature are indicative of God’s continuing creation… and all destructive or harmful acts are indicative of a marred, damaged, imperfect mankind.

Understanding this fundamental principle as embedded in Western Civilization (and lacking almost entirely in other so-called civilizations–and I use “so-called” in a deliberately challenging tone) leads us to see some of the critical elements that are fading from today’s society, elements we sorely need in abundance to prevail in The War Against the West being waged on many fronts both at home and abroad.

Look, folks, once the fides covenant meme began to fade in our society, many of the other foundation stones supporting our society began to crumble as well. The idea that creation is better than destruction came under assault as soon as good and evil were dismissed as culturally relativistic phenomena. I’ll not continue the litany of woes perpetrated by postmodernism and post-postmodernism and their progeny in the multiculturalists and others. Dig for a few on your own.

Suffice it for this relatively short post to simply point out: absent the values derived from just the Creator/imago dei meme, we have scant chance of turning the tide of barbarism that has resulted in the Academia Nut Fruitcake Bakeries, the Mass Media Podpeople Hivemind and the Loony Left Moonbat Brigade steadily chipping away at our society’s foundations.

Continue reading “Mending Walls: “…holes and gaps, lacks and losses…””

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Drive-by post

“Gore to publish book on global warming” (What? Another one? Get with it, Al. The catchphrase for au courant enviro-wackos is “climate change”)

Deadly freeze claims more lives in Eastern Europe (The atypical cold weather in Europe this winter is reported to be featured in Algore’s book’s arhythmia section as proof of global warming… along with…)

“Skating flamingos, swollen elephant ears in frosty German zoos” *brrrr* More of that damnedable global warming at work.

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Social Security: Pricking the Ponzi Scheme Balloon

I try as often as possible to not only actually cruise through my blogroll (usually by hitting high points via RSS feeds, since there are soooo very many worthwhile reads out there), skim through news, google up (or otherwise search out) reads on the internet on topic that strike a momentary fancy and read a few books a week. The books can be fiction or non-fiction (which often means “reality-based fantasy” when reading an academica nut’s view of history or politics), eBook or dead tree, new to me or pulled off a shelf or dug out of a box for a re-read. (Current book-of-the-day: an online html edition of Einstein Defiant: Genius versus Genius in the Quantum Revolution )

And then there’s “real life”… which brings me back to my post’s title that ties in very well with a brief article I recently read in Credenda Agenda (one I’d somehow missed on first reading of the issue it’s in). Here’s a taste. Speaking of the Social Security Administration,

…If any private insurance corporation handled their funds the way the government does, the board of directors would all be in chokey.

Nevertheless (for some mysterious reason), the SSA does keep track of all the payments you have made into the system, and those figures are available. We should consider retirement age as that point when the government has agreed, in a plea bargain, to start making restitution. We should therefore gladly receive the checks, cashing them all, until the amount we paid into the system (plus twenty percent) is fully restored to us. At that point, we should compose a letter thanking them for the restitution, and begin mailing back the checks.

Now, that’s a moral and ethical challenge. One most people will fail to meet. I know it may be hard to turn down “free money” when I reach SS payout age (not that far off: I’ve been getting-and trashing-mailouts from the Gray Mafia, AKA AARP, for years). But once I do and then eventually reach “payback+20%”-or whatever I compute to be a fair (just, equitable) return on the monies I paid in, I will need to have made a tough decision to either return future checks of monies extorted from working taxpayers or become an accomplice in the felonious behavior of the government.

Perhaps a better way would be to fund the entire federal government out of one pot, as the Fair Tax proposal would have us do. That way, when taxes are applied to federal adventurism not authorized by the Constitution (any more, just about 90% of everything outside defense) it would at least have the merit of being “honest theft”.

The Fair Tax Book

The check’s in the mail at Basil’s Blog, NIF and Jo’s Cafe.

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Simple Rice Delight

I’ve not submitted anything to the Carnival of Recipes for a while, so I thought I’d ease back in with a really simple, simply delightful dish.

Growing up, I always knew if Mother made rice for a Sunday Dinner, we could expect one of my favorite desserts. Here’s how I make it today. Note again that I’m back to a “no amounts given” recipe. Vary at Will. (He won’t mind.)

Ingredients/process:

Rice, white or brown, doesn’t matter, as long as it is well-cooked and warm. Put some in a bowl. You choose the amount. Add grated nutmeg, butter or margarine, sugar and milk. Eat.

Simply delightful!

My only real variation is that I no longer use pre-ground nutmeg, if at all possible. Buy the nuts. Grate them with a fine-meshed hand grater. You can use a coffee mill to “grate” the nutmeg, but it’s easier to control amounts and avoid a “burned” flavor if you grate it by hand. Do stir the nutmet/sugar/butter well into the rice (letting the butter melt) before adding milk.

My last bowl of this came from a pot of rice that had been used for dinner, but still had some rice stuck to the bottom and sides. A few minutes’ soak with warm water and the rice–about a cupsworth–was free of the pan, and this tightwad was NOT going to throw it out when a zap in the microwave would turn it into Simple Rice Delight!

heh