It's Wings All Aflutter Thing

Dear America,

Virtue and Happiness are

 Mother and Daughter

Poor Richard's Almanack

by Ben

so... recently purchased a birthday card for somebody very, very special to me and chose a beauty, made by PAPYRUS -- the company logo floats a little hummingbird off the upper right hand corner.

It comes complete with a gold seal, and offers a sweet sentiment inside, and even includes an insert to carefully cover the front of the card while in transit from the giver to the receiver.  It's like they think of everything, you know.  And not only do they think of everything, but think of things outside the realm of expectations, in an over and above the industry standards kind of way.

Upon this simple cardstock insert -- the one that is to guard the card with its life until final destination -- comes an instant pick me up for life itself, and reads:

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration.  The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation."

indeed.

and then again, sometimes it just sucks.

oh yes,

but laughter is "life's sweetest creation," isn't it.  Isn't it?

Perhaps today, it's the residual laughter I hear in the back of my mind from a conversation just a few days ago with my mama that is propelling my thoughts on the day... 

It was a riot, really; for the first time in a long time, I heard my mama laugh like a little school girl.  And the funniest thing was, given the circumstances, given the strife with things going a wee bit cuckoo in her everyday life -- she should have been loosing it, as in kicking and screaming and crying in every way.

But she laughed.

and she laughed...

and she laughed...

She brought us both to delirious, can't catch my breath, tears through life's sweetest creation, allowing our spirits to soar above the thing that carried the power to break us in two.

"Life IS rich, beauty IS everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and [that] laughter IS life's sweetest creation."  But when it's not, an exorcism by giggles works wonders.

Which brings me to the unfortunate reality that we clearly have enough going on in America these days to send us all over an edge,  and landing smack dab into the funny farm with no foreseeable way out.  Oh to be a hummingbird right now -- to be able to "float free of time" over and above the mire, to flit and flutter in total freedom without a care in the world, bouncing from one of life's sweet nectars to another.

What are we to do with the likes of Eric Holder -- to say such a thing as this?

"Creating a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million unauthorized immigrants in this country is essential. The way we treat our friends and neighbors who are undocumented – by creating a mechanism for them to earn citizenship and move out of the shadows – transcends the issue of immigration status. This is a matter of civil and human rights. It is about who we are as a nation. And it goes to the core of our treasured American principle of equal opportunity."

A matter of civil rights?

Illegal aliens enter our country ILLEGALLY, usurping the leverage and lawfulness of immigrants coming to America LEGALLY, and after decades of being incapable of securing the border, growing the "unauthorized immigrants" to 11 million (if that is even true -- who really knows by now, right) -- our Attorney General believes this waywardness falls under some kind of civil right now? 

Civil rights are for citizens only.

Does this blanketed amnesty program cover student visas from Yemen, Chechnya, and Egypt too?  Does this mean American taxpayers will supplement struggling immigrants to "fit in" and pursue happiness, providing full access to a boatload of entitlement programs, as well?   Do these freshly plucked citizens get social security starting at the age of 65, no questions asked?   Are we investigating any other civil travesty in the form of providing a Jihad Allowance,  as we piece together the lifestyles of the suddenly nouveau-riche and radical? 

We shouldn't even be talking about amnesty, illegal aliens, and extremist allowances; the only thing we should be talking about is closing up the shutters and locking the doors until such time we have a handle on all things known and unknown.   Not even so much as a hummingbird should be allowed until the exploitation of resources, civility, and Constitution are corrected.

It's like that policy when up at 35,000 feet -- you know the one; when the cabin pressure drops, we are told to put our own mask on first, then the children...

America can't even afford to pay attention these days and we have Holder, and Obama, and the entire Left (alongside some surprising talking heads of the right), thinking its a bright idea to just make it so, adding eleven million people to the welfare rolls, food stamps, and universal healthcare and audaciously granting an open invitation to allow other family members still to come?  Much like the protective placard sent with every PAPYRUS note, are you not, as the Attorney General, Mr. Holder, responsible for guarding America with your life?

I can't breathe.

All of a sudden it's now a civil right -- tethering all Americans to yet another long term, financial commitment, and thereby, making any kind of future solvency and economic freedom totally unattainable. It's a trajectory that ultimately hits a wall, a ceiling, with wings spinning aimlessly into chaos.

Fundamental transformation by virtue of the delicate grace of radicals -- whether in office, or not.

I can't breathe.

I read on www.astrology.com, courtesy of Yahoo!, something just the other day that rings somehow connected to all of this.  It went something like this:

'Culture clashes don't have to be negative experiences.  Sometimes, when you come face to face with a different tradition or custom, it makes you re-evaluate your own lifestyle in a much more conscientious way.'

Indeed.

Did you know that because of the amount of lift generated in flight, it's possible for the wings of a hummingbird to go motionless even in mid-air; it's also the only bird that can fly backwards, upside down, in circles, if it wants, splendidly "free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration."

My question in this moment -- as I hover in time and space and circumstance --  how much IS conscientious for the typical immigrant coming to America today?  Before they come -- I wonder just how much time is spent contemplating how best to assimilate into the American culture and traditions, the culture and traditions that have proven to make America pretty wonderful -- creating a life that is rich, where beauty can be found everywhere, where every personal connection has meaning, and where the pursuit of happiness is an opportunity, not a guarantee, fully recognizing it's something truly earned, Mr. Holder, in every sense of the imagination and understanding?   Do you have America's best interests at heart?

Just as Mexico -- and every other country in the world -- upholds it's traditions, it's culture, it's laws, it's principles and values for enriching and uplifting and conscientiously reinforcing the lives of it's people -- so does America.  We have that, too.   How immigrants can come here and not expect us to be America, on behalf of all Americans, is mind boggling.  How immigrants can come here and expect us to disrespect our own laws, is simply astounding. 

And does this personal sense of entitlement, now automatically attached to every single American civil right -- endorsed emphatically, although reprehensibly, by our very own Attorney General and many others -- give rise to a cultural divide a mountain high and a valley long?

Oh to be a hummingbird, how I could just fly, fly away.

Though good news may be on the horizon, for the president has recently admitted that he's not the "strapping young Muslim Socialist" he used to be...touché, mr. president...And just today, he said, 'maybe I should just pack up and go home.'   Such a kidder.

Must remember the laughter -- life's sweetest creation -- the thing that carries the power and grace to save us from the day to day.

Make it a Good Day, G
 

It's Just Two Things -- with a Cowardly, Twisted, Perverted Lift at the End -- Thing

Dear America,

Couple of Things

we have some extraordinary things being said these days, and it's especially disconcerting considering who is saying them.

But first, how would you answer this question?

"Sir, with the problem we have that young people go to Syria (inaudible), does that matter also to the U.S., do you have the same problem?"

From John Kerry, our brand spanking new Secretary of State:

"Well, of course we have the same problem. We just had a young person who went to Russia, Chechnya, who blew people up in Boston. So he didn’t stay where he went, but he learned something where he went and he came back with a willingness to kill people.

I think the world has had enough of people who have no belief system, no policy for jobs, no policy for education, no policy for rule of law, but who just want to kill people because they don’t like what they see. There’s not room for that. That’s what we’ve been fighting against after all of the wars of the 20^th century. Now we’re in the 21^st century, and it’s time for a different organizational principle. And we need to, all of us, do a better job of communicating to people what the options of life are. And we’re open. Democracies are open to people participating in the democracy, not killing people. And so I hope that we can all figure out how we translate these better opportunities more effectively in our politics."

NO BELIEF SYSTEM, Mr. Kerry?

And you are America's Secretary of State?  [for full transcript, go here.]

These people have a belief system; their belief system is so radical, it falls outside whatever it is that the "moderate Muslims" believe.   Their belief system is built upon a religious foundation that follows the lead from the likes of extremist Sheiks and Imams, and fully committed to spreading radicalized teachings of Islam and impressing upon the minds of young Muslims to grow up to be martyrs for Allah.   To kill the infidels is the belief system that takes the young radicalized Islamic martyr to heaven.  But thanks for making America look like doh-doh's.

AND now to our Vice President...at the Memorial Service a couple of days ago he called these boys Tsarnaev this -- “two cowardly, twisted, perverted knockoff jihadis.”

For starters, comments like that just feed the proverbial "jihadis" fire, Mr. Joe Bozo.  But in all your years, have you not learned a thing from reading the highly confidential, highly classified material while getting your daily intelligence reports?  This is how homegrown jihad is done.  Have you seen the open markets, bars and restaurants, and buses, and cars getting blown to smithereens in Iraq, Pakistan, and wherever else, by maybe one, or a couple of, cowardly, twisted, perverted knockoff jihadis?

And this choice of words -- how do you arrive at "knock-off" after they were able to pull it off --  having blown up Boston and, knowing now, having spontaneously decided on the fly to head on over to New York City? 

"Knockoff" my ass -- there he goes again....immediately dismissing them like a knockoff Prada; making them sound as if they are half the jihadi they want to be --  definitely under par, and certainly, not of the same caliber as other Jihadists.  Um Mr. VP of everything -- considering the real life outcome -- they turned out to be the real deal, the genuine article, a bona fide homegrown resurgence of going Jihad in every possible way. 

How you escape handsomely from another gaffe narrowly shaving the ears, yet again, is beyond me.

And cowardly?

Are they?  Are they cowards? Or are they just living the Islamic dream?  

I mean, when these two manage to muster the courage to carry two bombs through the streets of Boston -- in a backpack, no less -- and then have the guts the both of them blow up, whether they go down with the pressure cookers, or not.   That takes some ball bearings, no?    Who does that... outside of the movies, or the Middle East, that is?

Of course, the "twisted, perverted" part is spot on, so gotta give you props for that, so rock on with that big, bad Biden self.    [but speaking of twisted, pompous arrogance... can't help but notice how brave you are to speak your mind like that, at the altar and all, knowing that you'll never have to defend yourself and the message up against the rest of the Jihadists in the field, the killing fields, and just waiting in the wings on the side of the road right now for their chance to shine and make Allah happy.  Words like that will travel the social media world wide virtually overnight.  So clearly, our boys and girls in uniform will have to muster the courage to meet that responsibility, that duty...which, lucky for us, just so happens to be just another day's work for them.  oooh-rah!]

But thank you, really.  No, really, thank you, Joe.

For what you have done, in a bloody instant, is grant credibility to Jihadists even existing.  Up until now, this administration has been so careful with what they call it, what it looks like.   But thanks to you, the Jihadi cause, their mission, the caliphate, is all real.  Evil is alive and well and looks like radicalized Jihad in the day to day.   Terrorism --  and the radicalized, extremist, Islamic, Jihadist terrorist that make it -- is a real thing.

Only thing is, according to you, Joe --  the brothers Tsarnaev -- they were just "cowardly, twisted, perverted, knockoff Jihadis'" -- a Jihadist of  a different color.   They don't really count because they did it on their own, and without being 'formally commissioned' from a known terrorist organization.  

They were just "knock-off[s]."   So much so, how can we take them seriously, right?
    
While don't forget the gist of the comforting words from the president (highlighted just a couple of days ago) -- the tide is receding; Al Queda no longer carries the same punch.  They got nothin'.  They have no leader, so just how could they manage to prevail and keep it up much longer?

If these two boys, just struggling to fit, yet fully capable of throwing together a couple of bombs in their kitchen can do it --  this!  --  anybody can.  I wonder how many people have tried to find the Inspire magazine's article detailing pressure cooker bombs DIY project since the Boston bombing?

As Glenn Beck has pointed out -- 75,000 "students" from Islamic countries have settled in on American college campuses; but the kicker -- roughly 15,000 of them don't even show up for class.  Hmm. Wonder what they do all day?

You see,  the truth is -- Jihadists plan on knocking all of us off -- one by one if they have to -- and don't think twice about it.   And they truly believe Allah wants them to do it.

No belief system...

Cowardly, twisted, perverted, knockoff Jihadis...

Really?

Seriously?

After over a decade of being at war against a belief system fixated on the extreme  and this is where we are?

.....with our very own Secretary of State believing they just need to be better educated and get a job...more concerned about listening to Jihadi feelings.... believing that all we need to do is be more open to talking with them... and basically "do a better job of communicating to people what the options of life are. And we’re open. Democracies are open to people participating in the democracy, not killing people. And so I hope that we can all figure out how we translate these better opportunities more effectively in our politics."

Now THAT ties for the most cowardly, twisted, perverted....dumbest thing I have heard in the last two days.

Clearly, it's official, people -- there is a new language in America --  it's called Gibberish;  it sounds an awful lot like bull&%* --  only with a cowardly, twisted, perverted lift at the end of every word. 

With that, now to the kitchen I wander --  for I have a pressure cooker and know how to use it.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's a Cymbalta Kind of Day Thing

Dear America,

Depression hurts.

sure, it's a slogan of one of the many anti-depressant drug manufacturers, Cymbalta -- but contrary to much of the advertising we hear everyday, depression, in fact, does...you know, hurt.

And I believe it's highly contagious.

It's bad enough to know Tamarlan was questioned by the FBI and released on his own recognizance.  It's bad enough that there were clear signs that this dude, especially, went bad.  But it doesn't end there, does it.  It gets bad, er.

What's depressing is hearing that the entire Tsarnaev family received assistance from the state.  Are you kidding me?

No, no, got a better one --

The "Boston bomb suspect's name was on classified government watch lists."   Now that's something stunning, less depressing, almost shocking, really.   Is there a pill to take for that? 

And note that the article phrases it such that there is more than one "list."   Forget about checking the list twice -- how about we try checking the lists, all of them, every now and again, and simply track these people down, monitor their activities, put two and two terrorists together.  Huh? 

Perhaps someone, somewhere in the system, could even be so bold as to wonder, hmmm, just how does this guy manage to drive a Mercedes, being on welfare and all?    Huh?  (And I'm feeling compelled to give a big, bad shout out to CNN for the stellar crib notes version of the family's challenges assimilating into the American way of life, beginning with, "[Eventually], they were reunited -- a family of six whose American journey contained elements of a struggle to fit in and success in making a new life.") 

Hmmm.   Instead of welfare, perhaps we should consider handing out Cymbalta like candy to those struggling to fit in with all things American?  But now, wouldn't that be silly.

No, no, here's a good one --

How about we wonder about the sensibilities of the two people responsible for raising them into the "struggling", anti-American, radicalized crazy kids that they ultimately become?  Now, talk about depressing, frightening even.

Aw now, this is even better --

How about this headline out of the UK @ daily mail, online:  "Revealed: Dead Boston bomber's body has NOT been claimed - days after he was killed in shootout with cops"  (and don't forget, subsequently run over by his brother).  Now that's depressing, no?

This is starting to hurt.

It's killing me softly, actually...and what a way to ruin one of my favorite songs.

So maybe it's just me, but are these guys the first "educated" -- and from a "good family"   -- kind of boys to be guilty of such a heinous crime?   Or is evil simply indiscriminate?

But let's delve deeper anyway -- what is with this "struggling to fit in" bit?  Are you serious?  Haven't we all had to survive middle school?  High School?  Peer pressure?  Living in the sexed up, turbo-charged delinquency of the culture and society we have created and call home? 

Struggling to fit in....that's a good one.  Have you met the Jones' next door?  

Who -- in this day and age -- does not struggle every freaking day in some way or another?  Depressing IS whoever tries to keep up with the Jones'; depressing IS the clear and present danger of living the modern day life without a spiritual force; depressing IS how we have our kids raised by pharmaceutical nannies; depressing IS the disconnect between life in America and finding your own way to happiness in your own way, without being a burden on society, and without taking your frustrations out upon your neighbor.

How dare the mainstream media begin painting this picture of the family Tsarnaev as if it's America's fault.  How dare you.

That premise is not only depressing, it's a violation against our intelligence, as well as, an attack against our nation's foundation -- to live in freedom and liberty for all, IS to live independently, for better or worse.

The media is pathetic.

While the truth is, this administration is at fault from every angle.  

What is depressing is really very, very frightening.

And I, for one, am sick of it.

How is it that places like www.wnd.com  and www.drudge.com  and www.theblaze.com and various other outlets here and abroad fill in the depressing blanks for us, while our mainstream news outlets edit for politically correct praises, as they struggle for acceptance and invitations and benefits from this administration?

Real information that can save us, protect us, INFORM us IS out there; check out WND just today and then go to other super scary stuff on The Blaze...


This isn't news to those of us who run unafraid, counter to the mainstream mentality; the stunning details of what radical Islamic believers want to do to us IS streamed live every single day. If you really want to find the truth, you can.  

What is depressing IS how this administration turns a blind eye.

What is depressing IS how this administration lies to us about the real threat.

What is depressing IS how this administration is getting away with it.

What is depressing IS how this administration is missing a leader who understands the danger America is in right now, today --  digesting all the intelligence made available, respond accordingly and pro-actively, and communicate responsibly and honestly with the American people.  Where is that administration?

Or just maybe we, the people, will be forced to question this administration's allegiances, it's mission, whatever it IS that it stands for; for that response would be perfectly reasonable, no?...if A equals B and B equals C than A equals holy crapuccino pass the Cymbalta.   

We, the people, are NOT crazy to wonder.  
How do we get from ...being from a good family, to struggling to fit in, to being questioned, to being from a wealthy Saudi family, to being on a terrorist watch list,  to having this person go to the streets of Boston and blow it up?   [And what was that, pray tell?  oh that was just the quintessential compilation of a terrorist brought to you by the letter G] 

Oh but the poor kid...And what about Abdul?

[Oh, listening to Beck for a moment this morning, and he's all up in Janet Napolitano's face right now.  Go GB Go.  Run with that Run.  Terror IS what Terror Does.  That's what I'm talkin' about...see G here  and here]

Depression hurts, indeed.  But today, that's not even the half of it.

Make it a Good Day, G


 

It's a 'Tongue double, brings Trouble' Thing

Dear America,

"The greatest nation on Earth cannot keep conducting its business by drifting from one manufactured crisis to the next. Let’s agree, right here, right now, to keep the people’s government open, pay our bills on time, and always uphold the full faith and credit of the United States of America. The American people have worked too hard, for too long, rebuilding from one crisis to see their elected officials cause another."  Obama, State of the Union 2013

A couple days ago -- Peter Foster, U.S. Editor writing for the Daily Telegraph, brought a teeny tiny detail to the head of a pin.  Recounting a declaration of our own President Obama only months ago in his State of the Union address, Foster fosters an open wound, saying:

"In his State of the Union address to the American people earlier this year, Barack Obama declared that he was 'confident' of achieving 'our objective of defeating the core of al-Qaeda'.

Although he acknowledged the need to pursue the 'remnants' of the terrorist group and its affiliates, the overall message was clear – al-Qaeda was badly degraded, the tides of war were receding and the US was winning this fight that was no longer even officially a war.

The Boston bombings would appear to present a fundamental challenge to that assessment and once again bring the nagging uncertainty of terrorism back on to the American main street"

 

Indeed.

The president was pretty clear:

"Today, the organization that attacked us on 9/11 is a shadow of its former self. Different al Qaeda affiliates and extremist groups have emerged – from the Arabian Peninsula to Africa. The threat these groups pose is evolving.. Instead, we will need to help countries like Yemen, Libya, and Somalia provide for their own security, and help allies who take the fight to terrorists, as we have in Mali. And, where necessary, through a range of capabilities, we will continue to take direct action against those terrorists who pose the gravest threat to Americans."

Today feels more like our government is a shadow of its former self; is this some kind of perverted twist of diplomatic fate, surely brought on by global warming, shape-shifting a cold war for the new age, allowing our very own intelligence agencies turn us into mush?


Foster brings in a perspective from Aaron Zelin, "a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy who has written extensively about the decentralisation of al-Qaeda" for an added bonus.  And quoting Foster, quoting Zelin, characterizing the organic, homegrown element of terrorism as simply this:

"It's a hybrid thing, that's the problem...It's a unique threat, there's nothing like it and that's why people have a hard time grasping what it is."

Because whether it two brothers, a cell of twelve working in and around a neighborhood of Boston, or full-blown war in another part of the world --  it all acts with the same will, and that is to kill the infidels with whatever means possible, large or small.  It's called a caliphate.  Look it up.

Bit let's get back to more from the president, pulled from the rubble of his State of the Union address:

"As we do, we must enlist our values in the fight. That is why my Administration has worked tirelessly to forge a durable legal and policy framework to guide our counterterrorism operations. Throughout, we have kept Congress fully informed of our efforts. I recognize that in our democracy, no one should just take my word that we’re doing things the right way. So, in the months ahead, I will continue to engage with Congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention, and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American people and to the world"

Um hold up.

What about Abdul....?  Go to the source at The Blaze.

and go here to Alex Jones' take on board Infowars.


Um and what about the possibility of the boys working as double agents?    Go here, takes you to a place called DEBKAfile.



 So what are we to do with all this?  Who are we to believe? 


And now fully disturbed with the president's very own context when he said,  "I recognize that in our democracy, no one should just take my word that we’re doing things the right way."

Just why would he plant that seed

in the back of our minds?

Nonetheless, does this look like.....  

"I will continue to engage with Congress to ensure not only that our targeting, detention, and prosecution of terrorists remains consistent with our laws and system of checks and balances, but that our efforts are even more transparent to the American people and to the world."

Here's a mad, mad world update:   this is a freaking mess.  The more information we get, the creepier our government -- acting by virtue of a shadow government -- appears.

"Tongue double, brings Trouble."

courtesy of Ben Franklin

Make it a Good Day, G





 

It's a Shame on Homeland Security Kind of Day Thing

Dear America,

so Boston,

it's an indictment upon the entire Department of "Homeland Security."  [Oh, and by the way, that is a good one.... "see something, say something".......make a quick link here to someone who happens to have a little something, something to say about that.  And, as always, that Malkin girl is spot on.  How much do we love her...]

 But anyway, Janet should resign; no, better yet -- she should be fired -- like as of yesterday.

The older one -- Tamarlan Tsarnaev -- was interviewed two years ago, at the request (presumably) of Russia...Chechnya's BFF...yeah right....but apparently, the FBI did not find enough "extremist ties" to do anything about anything.

BUT you would think, after that head's up, they would follow his every move thereafter, right, how could you not?

OOOOOH snap,

according to his mom, the FBI did...

you know, follow his every move.

Read THIS, just a bloodline FBI indictment from the "bomb mom" expressly brought to you by www.wnd.com.

so right, bomb mom, the FBI set them up.  That is a good one.

Did you follow your boys via social media at all?  Have you played any one of your eldest son's videos showing a rather strong radicalized Islamic persuasion? 

But seriously, if the FBI, or Homeland Security, were 'onto them' -- don't you think that trip to Russia by the elder, Tamarlan, might have been a red flag?  Or, is it really red, white and green?  What does it even matter, when in fact the elder was gone for like six months and returned indoctrinated through and through and never to be the same again? Isn't there some kind of a no-fly list that they -- one, or both -- could have been on, considering the sit down and all?  [Perhaps we should come up with a new 'no drive-by' kind of list anytime we have large gatherings -- thinking sporting events, baseball, football, hockey...marathons]

Janet?

Either this mother is deeply entrenched in denial, or we should be equally concerned with letting her back into the country.   And that goes double with the father.  [But now the Uncle -- the one who saw the light -- now that guy can stay... Mr. They "do not deserve to live on earth." Amen to that.]

But honestly, if these boys were truly being monitored, questioned, or had cause for concern within the ranks of the department of homeland security, the FBI, or anywhere else under the Dot Gov umbrella, don't you think we have a problem?  Thinking leaks, cracks, and downright chasms far and wide.

Janet?

Don't you think someone within one of these departments would have checked in on these guys from time to time, if only to follow their radicalization happening right under our noses -- you know, for education purposes, research.

Janet?

How could they fall through the cracks?  How could they have been allowed to be within a hundred feet of any public event without having a shake down?  How could they have been allowed to stand just two feet behind little Martin and have any right to being directly responsible for ending his life?

Janet?

Just what are these guys made of?

Do you even know?

Stunning is the news that it was the younger brother, Dzhokhar, who took out Tamarlan -- having run him over while behind the wheel of the stolen SUV;  it was after the shoot out, after the MIT policeman had been killed, when Tamarlan was being handcuffed in the middle of the road, when his brother just drove right over him.  [And to think, his father thought we did it...how's that for a cruel twist of fate?]


But speaking of which, the most twisted piece of news heard in the last twenty-four hours may just be finding out when Dzhokhar took the oath of citizenship:   September 11, 2012.   Some people refer to it as  some kind of great irony; but this girl balks at that big time, for this is a prime example of how they work.

To infiltrate is to operate from the inside; it's all about gaining trust through and through; it looks much like being "normal" -- blending in...it's talking baseball, apple pie, Chevrolet, and mom. They become like us, so we like them,  so they can kill us when unexpected.   Nothing to see here, move along.

This is how it works -- you know, America -- and they know it, study it, and use it to their every advantage.

This is how Dzhokhar could stand behind that baby-faced Martin and not look out of place.

Just imagine it when we get more than one city hit at the same time....multiple locations, reminiscent of 9/11.   Imagine when we all have to deal with no cell phones, and can't leave our homes, can't go to our jobs, and basically live a normal life, for a day or maybe a week, or longer...Just imagine that.

WE are the infidels, remember?

Is it a concern that Dzhokhar was not read his Miranda rights?  You bet it is.   He was, after all, an actualized citizen of these United States.    That should be a concern for all of us, in equal portion.  This country is supposed to revolve around the Rule of Law each and every time.  Sure, the lines are smudged here -- just a wee bit; but hello?  We cannot have or have not the law at the same time.  No doubt officials will be wrestling with this issue for some time to come.

But speaking of the law; let's go hardcore on immigration now, shall we?   Nobody gets a pass- as in the current laboring of legislation surrounding the 11 million illegal aliens wanting something for nothing from us, all while coming through the back door. 

And just maybe, nobody should be allowed in ever again if they happen to originate from the likes of Chechnya, or Dagestan, or Ingushtia, aw hell, might as well just make it all of Russia -- and if we do that, we might as well lump in Yemen, Syria, Gaza, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, aw you get my drift....

...unless perhaps you are a girl, then maybe we might consider the humanitarian element of supplying a safe refuge.  [But full family background will be required]

Thing is -- considering the amount of suspect and bona fide information out on these guys now -- little old G isn't feeling very secure.  Just how could they have been allowed to walk freely among us?

Anyone?

Who Else?

 

Who else has the FBI,  or Homeland Security folk, had a sit down with, in what seems to be some kind of glorified, time-warped, catch and release program?  Did the environmentalists get to you, too?  Or perhaps we must be forced to chalk this glaring oversight up to the likes of indoctrination via the tools of social media , peer pressure, and the new America being clearly overrun by the burgeoning and overzealous politically correct fools.

But if anyone should have their head examined, let's add Janet to that list.   Besides the Constitutional duties of the president being clearly outlined, and likewise equally responsible -- Janet's only job is to secure the homeland.  Boston was not secure by any stretch of the imagination; it was a crime scene waiting to happen. 

Buh bye, Janet; don't let the back door hit you on the way out.

How could either one of these boys have survived, virtually scot-free, in America long enough to mastermind such devastation, to infiltrate and perpetrate such a heinous crime against the people of Boston, especially  at an event synonymous with everything good, patriotic, and all-American.

My gratitude to the Boston Police Department cannot be expressed in words; how I wish I was alongside the people lining the streets of Watertown, standing in ovation when it all came to a dramatic end.  

And along those lines, my awe-spring is bursting for that Jeff Bauman Jr.  -- the one who awoke from the blast having lost both his legs but still gave a full description of one of the suspects -- and forever being directly linked to his ultimate capture.  Time was of the essence; they almost got away with it.   You are a real, live hero.  I wish I could shake your hand, hug you, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.  May America repay you with due diligence within, and surrounding, and encompassing the full security of our Homeland in every possible way from here to eternity. 

Perhaps we should begin by finding a replacement of the current Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security -- as authorized under the latest version Homeland Security 2.0,  Section 2013, under the rules of the nationalized catch-and-release program of the upper echelon.


Make it a Good Day,G

It's a Day

Dear America,

even the lofty and self-righteous coffee bean requires a good grounding to start the day...

take note, Mr. President.

The real question is, Mr. President, are you serious?

From yesterday's presidential size lambasting of the United States Senate for acting according to the people's will, by the people, for the people --  all broadcasted live -- at the presidential podium -- with a presidential glare and presidential grimace ...oh, and with presidential props, of course:

"I've heard folks say that having the families of victims lobby for this legislation was somehow misplaced. A prop, somebody called them. Emotional blackmail, some outlets said. Are they serious? Do we really think that thousands of families whose lives have been shattered by gun violence don't have a right to weigh in on this issue? Do we think their -- their emotions, their loss is not relevant to this debate?"

Isn't that rich.

So according to you, Mr. President, only one side gets to lobby?  Is that how it works now?  Of course these families have a right to have a say.  Just as all the rest of America.

Are you serious?

It's especially disconcerting considering how well you play the props all through the years.  This is what you do...all the time... Mr. President.   Who can forget the doctors in white coats for health care, the use of children,  senior citizens, first responders, the military, or, heaven forbid, caskets?  I mean, my goodness, Mr. President -- look who you have standing right smack next to you?  Gabby Giffords!

Your presidency lives, thrives, off of props -- for political fodder -- every cotton pickin' day!

And what up with this tone?  And what up with letting Harry Reid get a pass?

Not even a whisper about the Leader of your Senate -- being a fellow Democrat and leading the democratic majority, no less -- having, himself, voted no!   Harry Reid VOTED NO!   Hello?!   Are you serious, Mr. President?   I thought you said,

"And I talked to several of these senators over the past few weeks, and they're all good people...But the fact is, most of these senators could not offer any good reason why we wouldn't want to make it harder for criminals and those with severe mental illnesses to buy a gun. There were no coherent arguments as to why we wouldn't do this. It came down to politics."

But did you talk to Harry?

Um and call me stupid, but isn't it always politics?   Politics, and the science thereof, is the business you are in, you freak.

[my apologies for that outburst, not sure what just came over me.]  

[ah who are we kidding.  I'm not sorry.]

And what's up with this fixation of yours on this man-made super majority of 90%?   It felt like 90% of your presidential remarks included speaking on behalf of the "90% of Americans" who you seem to magically pull out of a hat (90% wool over the eyes)  to your side of the stage.  That's a good one.

And basically calling the NRA a mad bunch of rootin' tootin' liars?  wow.  Just who needs a good grounding on telling the truth? 

But you know what else, Mr. President --  this girl doesn't believe 90% of what you say.

For any of you who wish to read the full presidential remarks blow by blow, go here.

I must go before I say something I may regret.

It's time for a second cup of coffee.   Feeling a smidge cranky.

And hopefully -- for the benefit of anyone I run into today -- may the quality time alongside a little sunshine in a cup result in the immediate release of the residual steam clearly clinging under the rim.

It may just be the perfect morning to crack open the new, yet used, American-made gleaning courtesy of Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack.     The day is calling for anything and everything to ground myself for whatever lies ahead.    

What a day in the life. 
What a week, what a week,
huh, boys and girls.

Make it a Good Day, G

and let us add Waco, Texas to our prayer list, too.
 

It's About No Perfect Control of Our Emotions, Freedoms, and Liberties Thing

Dear America,

dear, dear America.

In spite of what I began with just yesterday,

perhaps this is a day to surrender to the emotional moment, and turn to our brothers and sisters to cry, hug and love one another better than we did the day before.

If there was ever a moment, this might be it.

One of the things my girl and I do after a day that hits us harder than most is make our evening meal a four course breakfast.  We break out the bacon and eggs and pancakes and fresh fruit and muffins and even go so far as to make hashbrowns from scratch.  We venture to start the day over as if it never happened.

But just how do we find the remedy, the recourse, the comforting recollection of all things safe and warm and good in this world after a day like yesterday?

A day like yesterday leaves every single one of us crushed in every possible way.  Is it domestic terrorism or is it "man-made" terrorism organically cultivated somewhere else around the world -- we do not know; that conclusion remains to be revealed.  Does it really matter right now?   It's done.  It happened.  And the day will carry over for many days to come.  Perhaps the answers will come.  Certainly, the sooner the better.

So what do we do with ourselves today -- wrapped up into this emotional moment with  every fiber of our being -- with no where to put it, no where to hide, no where to go other than sit with the suffocating pain and a kind of sadness unimaginable until just yesterday... or the kind of sadness that takes our memory back to Newtown, or Fort Hood, or  the likes of 9/11?    What do we do with ourselves today?

We pray for each other.

We care for our families, and reach out to our friends.

We keep going in the best possible way, considering the emotional moment the collective is experiencing all together.

Reminded of something the Coolio of yesterday once said, let us not be quick to fool ourselves;  "national legislation" cannot touch this...

"There can be no perfect control

of personal conduct by national legislation."

No, that kind of perfect conduct is directly influenced from Something greater than ourselves, and made of Something not of this world. [And, as things should align with the Divine design, It happens to be the only equal-opportunity Influence -- championing good conduct and excellence in the every day -- made known and respected the world over.]

It also happens to be the same Something Something that comforts us when emotional moments take us to a realm unfathomable -- in times we think we can never overcome or find a way through it.

I can't think of anything else to say right now, so let me add a new Coolidgism in closing:

    "Liberty is not collective,

it is personal.

All liberty is individual liberty."

Indeed.  Dare I say, it feels all too personal today.  God Bless us.

Make it a Good Day, G

It's Just a Day to Bounce Off a Little Coolio Thing

Dear America,

This morning finds me deep into admiration for something Calvin Coolidge once said...

"[I will not] surrender to every emotional moment."

 

Which is hilarious, really...considering that this girl wears her emotions like a Gucci bag -- as in all over the place and wherever I want --  but let's not digress two cents and a mortgage payment in, right?

Then there is also this one...

"There can be no perfect control

of personal conduct by national legislation."

oooooh and this one....

"When depression in business comes

we begin to be very conservative

 in our financial affairs.

We save our money and take no chances

in its investment.

Yet

 in our political actions

we go in the opposite direction.

We begin to support radical measures

 and cast our votes

for those who advance

 the most reckless proposals.

This is a curious

and illogical reaction."

For a WHOLE LOT MORE, go here...it will take you to a post by Gary Galles @ Lew Rockwell. It's a fantastic compilation of the best of Coolidge, ironically titled "Silent Cal Had a Lot To Say."

Coming off of one of the most productive, yet relaxing --- and dare I say, suspiciously emotionally calm -- spring break, my visit today will be kept brief.   Besides, if you click into Coolio there, you could very well spend the remainder of the day contemplating all things Cal...not to be confused with all things So Cal from this girl.


Make it a Good Day, G

One of my spring flings included a thirty dollar spending spree at a local used/rare books establishment.   For simply peanuts! I got a copy of Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack; Thomas Paine's Essential Thinkers; The Spirit of '76 by Becker, Clark and Dodd; an abridged/edited version of John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding; and for kicks, Woody Holton's Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution (this one I nearly left on the shelf; however, just a couple of pages in, I discovered it's dedication simply said this, "For Gretchen."  So, hello -- if that's not the proverbial coconut bouncing off my noggin, I don't know what is.

And on a more personal note, the strangest of things happened over the weekend...I watched golf -- ON TV! -- again.   It's a rare thing, I know, but how about that Master's tourney?   What a super fun finish!  Let's bring out the "snap cup" [think Elle in Legally Blonde] for the Aussie, Adam Scott -- simply bringing it in the do-over... And for Angel --- an honorable sportsman.  And wasn't it such a sweet thing to watch him maneuver the green with his caddy, and son...And all going down in that glorious rain.

It was a great distraction from the world, no?  What with the pending war with North Korea, the Immigration "reform" bill sitting in the Senate, and the Gun Control/Liberty/2nd Amendment Hostile Takeover still looming...and Tax Day no less [that last link there, is from The Patriot Post...just a place offering a plethora of levity and logic to meet the immediate needs of this highly emotional day.  Stay calm, eat some chocolate, and carry on...

****     this post  *****

was written nearly three hours prior to the horror in Boston.

Let us pray

 for the city of Boston

and every single soul.

For now, my heart breaks.   

It's About Posers of Priesthood, Ministers of a Marginalized Christianity, taking us BACK Thing

Dear America,

my plan was to just hop over Easter this year...

I was going to go from Maundy Thursday to Good Friday to Expectant Saturday to Easter Sunday in one giant leap and never look back.  The holiday was already requiring me to enjoy it all by my lonesome, so the idea was to take it in stride, stay in peace -- contemplate and meditate and pray and sit under my favorite eucalyptus tree and admire all things possible, impossible, God and Godliness.

All things considered, it went rather well.
But the thing is, I wasn't gonna say boo about it.  Easter was going to come and go and this BlogSpot was going to remain mum.

And then Monday came and we all received word of the sermon on the bounty, going something like this:

It drives me crazy when the captains of the religious right are always calling people back, never forward, forgetting that we are called to be a pilgrim’s people.  The captains of the religious right are always calling us back, back, back. For blacks to be back in the back of the bus, for women to be back in the kitchen, for gays to be in the closet and for immigrants to be on their side of the border.

Our president was in the audience, along with the first lady and the girls.
And for your puking pleasure -- to read the entire White House version of the details, courtesy of The Washington Times @ the water cooler, just go here.

Of course, here on the old G thing, we will remain stuck on the phrase, "captains of the religious right" leading into a string of absurdities -- and spoken out of the mouth of a so-called  "religious" man and pastor standing at the alter. 

How I would simply love to have someone, anyone, ask the good pastor -- who?   Who, from the religious right, are you referring?  Who?  Show me.  Show me the religious extremist who wants blacks at the back of the bus, women barefoot in the kitchen, and the illegal immigrants sent back across the border for forever and ever.  Show me.

[cue the spark note: For the record, I sit in the back of the church next to Rush, and Levin...How the hell did this president of ours not just get up and walk out of the St. John's presidential pew 54? How could this president of ours tolerate the spewing of such vitriol for a second?  And it wouldn't surprise me any, if the people around him heard a little "amen" quietly under his breath.]

[spark note dos:   get a load of the phrase "illegal immigrant" being outlawed, according to the latest AP News Standard Style Guidelines of accepted lingo... oops, or is it, "undocumented democrats"...God bless, Jay Leno, right.  Nailed it.]

But to have these thoughts come from the pulpit anywhere in the USA is enough to make this girl ill; but realizing that the ill-informed, low-information, ignorant and forlorn -- the 47% share of leftist followers and voters -- will latch onto such nonsense without skipping a baroque beat just makes me beside myself, doubled over with an ache never imagined.

The sermon spread across the web like an infestation, as if locusts descended upon the human psyche and sucked every last morsel of common sense and understanding out of us.  What is wrong with us?  What is wrong with you, Luis?   America has fought so hard to rise above the idiocy of bigotry, racism and unthinkable discrimination, and  you --  kind sir, I can only imagine, Pastor Leon -- act as if we are still in the year 1963, or the 1950's even,  perhaps the 1860's or 1770's.

The audacity!   
So sly, you are, using that platform and pulpit the way that you do; and without taking a breath, to slip us back into an era we painstakingly aim to overcome in the every day -- albeit with good reason, and forthright thought and action, and fully realizing every generation will need a reminder of  our history from here on out.  The nerve of you taking us all back decades, in a flash of light.

You should be ashamed.

Who are these "captains" of the "religious right"?   Are they the everyday believers, followers of Jesus, Christians, Mormons, Jews?  Are they perhaps anyone with a spine strong enough to stand up to the unceasing religious prosecution going on in this country, citizenry clinging to the principles and values taught by God and Nature's Law and completely woven into the fabric of our heritage and becoming the cornerstones of our culture, the very foundation from which we stand?  Are these the extremists of which you speak?

You know, our Constitution guarantees religious freedom and the free exercise thereof...just sayin.

Does D.C. still have a problem with blacks being asked to sit in the back of the bus, by the "captains of the religious right" or otherwise?  Because I can assure you, that sh&* just doesn't happen out here in California.

Does your wife actually have a life outside the home?  For rumor has it, she's got herself an accomplished career writing and what not...And your daughters -- will they resign themselves to dreams unfulfilled and cook all the rest of the days of their lives, you know, here in America, thanks to those "captains of the religious right" forcing them to stay in the kitchen?

Does the immigrant of today follow the path of yesteryear -- promising to never take a hand out from the government, while their entry into the country being totally predicated upon an American sponsor....a citizen who personally claims all liability and responsibility of this new person gaining a foothold in the community and not becoming a burden.  I do believe the "captains of the religious right" just want immigration to be a fair process for everyone -- whether they come from Mexico, India, China or France.  Is that crazy talk?

As if you, Dr. Leon, can politicize God in the first place. 

Now, talk about a certain arrogance, casting out a net over the waters as if capitalizing upon the location, location, location.  Or is the audience, the audience, the audience?   Oh the audience, oh the impression carved into stone changing perceptions and minds as if you are God. 

So let's run with that for a wee bit -- so are we to gain from your mutiny-on-the-pulpit moment a sense that some religious beliefs should be censored, if not totally outlawed?   And just how would you respond, pray tell, to the robust follower of Sharia Law (the religion and government intertwined into law that is the quintessential ANTI - Christian, Jews, homosexuals, women and young girls in general and very much in the specific...take, for example, female sexual organs, just for starters...no, really, take them, burn them off, if you must).  

Inquiring minds want to know -- just where do you stand when it comes to the religious right of Islam?

As time wears on and patience wears thin, I continue to find myself of the belief that the federal government needs to stay out of the family business entirely; whether we are talking marriage, birth, baptism, education, retirement, estate and property, healthcare, politics and religion -- the rule of thumb should be BACK OFF.

[another g note:  In reality, what Clinton did back in the 90's, creating "DOMA", was construct the makings of a perfect storm; the Left merely waited for the clouds to burst, as the law of the land and its people become overrun with redefining marriage, of all things...What is so wrong with civil unions?  Clinton opened up the conversation and put traditional marriage on the chopping block in perfect Alinsky style -- and slowly, by nudge and by judge, it all falls down.  But we digress.]

The irony, really.  Back in the day, Maundy Thursday was a day of celebration, observing such acts as Jesus washing the feet of his disciples before receiving what became known as The Last Supper.  The act, then, of washing the feet of the poor, the sick and infirmed, naturally grew into a custom of priests and ministries worldwide.

Perhaps this Dr. Luis Leon needs to bend down to wash the feet of the "religious right" -- it's just the right thing to do, no?  I mean, it's as if the "religious right" have suddenly grown lesions, shunned to the outskirts of town, hidden from view, as societal acceptance of any kind is simply frowned upon.

Since when did the "religious right" -- captain, cook, deckhand or what have you -- become the new black, the latest group of the highly persecuted and disenfranchised?   And is Pastor Leon inferring the religious left (if there are any, that is), center, or some unknown quotient, just couldn't exist -- or perhaps, is he merely suggesting that as long as the so-called "religious" remain true to the marginalized version of religious tenets -- akin to the "cultural Christianity" seeping into the woodwork -- they can stay?

Dr. Leon gave the last benediction following the inauguration of President Obama.  And it begins:

"Gracious and eternal God, as we conclude the second inauguration of President Obama, we ask for your blessings as we seek to become, in the words of Martin Luther King, citizens of a beloved community, loving you and loving our neighbors as ourselves.

We pray that you will bless us with your continued presence because without it, hatred and arrogance will infect our hearts. But with your blessing we know that we can break down the walls that separate us. We pray for your blessing today because without it, distrust, prejudice and rancor will rule our hearts. But with the blessing of your presence, we know that we can renew the ties of mutual regard which can best form our civic life.

We pray for your blessing because without it suspicion, despair, and fear of those different from us will be our rule of life. But with your blessing, we can see each other created in your image, a unit of God's grace, unprecedented, irrepeatable (sic) and irreplaceable.

We pray for your blessing because without it, we will see only what the eye can see. But with the blessing of your blessing we will see that we are created in your image, whether brown, black or white, male or female, first generation or immigrant American, or daughter of the American Revolution, gay or straight, rich or poor..."

So we go from this, to just under 90 days later....

"It drives me crazy when the captains of the religious right are always calling us back, back, back. For blacks to be back in the back of the bus … for women to be back in the kitchen … for gays to be in the closet..for immigrants to be back on their side of the border."

Oh dear sir, did you forget?  Hatred and arrogance will infect your heart.  Is that your prejudice, distrust, rancor, suspicion, despair, fear, and basically all things that "drive you crazy" beginning to show?

How can we "renew the ties of mutual regard" when the place where we begin is with the "captains of the religious right" being sent to the back of the church, bus, locked in the kitchen, and virtually buried on the other side of the border with no clothes on their back, shoes on their feet, food in their belly, or foundation from which to stand?  The firmament must be crazy dizzy with the news.

Religious freedom and the free exercise thereof IS religious freedom and the free exercise thereof.

The "captains of the religious right" -- whoever they are -- are made in His image, too.  But who are these people, Dr. Leon, calling blacks to the back of the bus, women to the back of the kitchen, gays to be back in the closet, and immigrants back to the other side -- where are they?  Who are they?  And forgive him Father, for he knows not what he's done.

This is what drives me crazy.  I don't agree that standing up for traditional marriage is the same thing as forcing gays back in the closet.   There is a lot of ground and foundation and community and heaven in between...beginning with a conversation resting upon mutual regard, a thing called tolerance that operates all the way around every living thing.

The arrogance and audacity of the Left is showing, and it's rather ugly, but now -- with the recent usurpation of a nationwide pulpit -- the religious right's right to speak what is inside the heart is being tested, questioned, criticized, and water boarded all over the place, in ways large and small. 

As if. 
As if the anti-religious Left is any better for us; as if the "religious Left" lays it all out, front to back, back to front, with any semblance of humility and grace, let alone the truth. 

It's a sad day in America when posers of priesthood and prowess shape shift the commandments and the presumed will of a certain people (the "captains of the religious right" -- whoever they are) to work a political agenda.   It's a sad, sad day.

Make it a Good Day, G