You Have the Right

I have almost always voted republican. I have told you that before. It is mostly due to the fact that I believe democrats would erode away most of your personal rights in the name of fairness and love if you gave them the chance. I have taken a short break from writing about your rights, but this latest post from who many of us simply call Rguy reminds me of how important it is that we keep every last right enumerated in the constitution.

http://renaissanceguy.wordpress.com/2008/06/27/why-dc-v-heller-is-important/

Obama: A New Level of Hypocrisy

Today the Democratic Party is filing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in to
compel the Federal Election Commission to investigate McCain's decision to
unilaterally withdraw from the matching funds program -- after he had used the
promise of public funds to help secure a loan, and also to get on the ballot in
some states. In addition, for a candidate to get out of the agreement, a request
would need to be granted by the FEC. (This is straight from the DNC website)

I intentionally didn't write a blog about Obama's "change of heart" when he decided to forgo his promise to accept public financing in favor of taking WAY more money from his donors. It was a gigantic reversal, some would even say flip-flop, but I let it go. Mostly because had I been his advisor I would have made the same recommendation. Sure he is going to take a hit from the media for changing this position after his bashing the private financing system, but the added money to his campaign will almost surely secure his victory in November.

This on the other hand is so far beyond hypocrisy that I just couldn't let it go unchecked. Obama this is the most hypocritical thing you could do. Yes I know this is the party and not you. However are you not the parties nominee, and if you can't control them, how can you claim to be a leader of anything, let alone the president of the United States.

Obama's slogan should be: Obama, a new level of hypocrisy.

Marriage Contracts In Saudi Arabia

Saudi marriage officiant Dr. Ahmad al-Mu’bi told Lebanese television viewers last week that it’s permissible for girls as young as 1 to marry — as long as sex is postponed.
Al-Mu’bi’s remarkable comments also included an explanation that “there is no minimal age for entering marriage.”
“You can have a marriage contract even with a 1-year-old girl, not to mention a girl of 9, 7 or 8,” he said. “But is the girl ready for sex or not?” What is the appropriate age for sex for the first time? This varies according to environment and tradition,” al-Mu’bi said. - Fox News

Obama Pay Attention

JERUSALEM — Palestinian militants on Tuesday fired three homemade
rockets into southern Israel, the first such attack since a cease-fire between
Israel and Gaza militants took effect last week.
Israel condemned the attack as a "gross violation" of the
truce, but did not say whether it would retaliate.
The barrage wounded two
people and capped a day of violence that presented the truce with its first
serious test.

Barak Obama pay attention you will likely be the next president of the United States. This is why you can't reason with Iran, Venezuela, Cuba or just about any other tyrannical dictator. They have no honor and will break the truce just as soon as they sense weakness. They have vowed to wipe Israel off the map. If they accept a cease fire it is a strategic decision based on achieving the goal of domination, nothing more.

Close Encounter with 4 Gay Women

The vehicle rolled in slowly though it was still running. Just as soon as the Ford Explorer stopped people started hopping out. The first two were ordinary bubbly young ladies. The second two on the other hand gave away what this was all about. Not the flat tire on the rear drivers side, not yet visible from my vantage point, but that this group was in town for the gay pride rally.

With me were two other guys. We watched for a moment as these 4 women, 2 of which looked like women, made an attempt at solving the problem that ailed them. It was not going well. They quickly located the jack and a tire iron, but looked at them with bewilderment as it was one of those factory installed contraptions with many pieces which must be connected before use. They could not locate the spare tire, despite 2 of them apparently wanting to be men.

Off my companions and I went to the rescue. We quickly removed the spare tire from its neatly hidden location, and replaced the flat with its full size spare. Problem was the spare was low on air. Not an issue for us. As men are required to have at all times an air compressor within arms reach. The spare was inflated to its proper level and all in under 5 minutes.

2 of the women dressed in flowing sun dresses were grateful for our efforts, and thanked us sincerely. The remaining half of their party, dressed in baggy clothes to hide any hint of a womanly figure, scowled at us scarcely uttering a word.

I am only left to presume this look was intended as some sort of "man to man" intimidation. It is good to know that no matter how perverse our society becomes, no matter what gender a woman decides to see romantically, there will always be a place for a man when it comes to changing tires... and killing spiders.

The Boots of a Millionaire

Have you ever wanted to know what it feels like to walk in the boots of a millionaire. Well I have done just that, and let me tell you... It Hurts. I guess I should start from the beginning.

I recently went on a trip. It was fathers day. During my visit it was the consensus that we would go hiking. Right in the middle of bear season mind you, but that wasn't the big problem. Big problem was that along with my dress shoes I only had a pair of sandals. Neither suitable footwear for a trek into the mountains. Even though my wearing sandals would be the equivalent of bear repellent it didn't seem like a good idea.

I could get into whose fault it is that I didn't have boots with me but for the sake of my marriage I'll only say that if I had wanted boots I should have packed them myself. ;)

Anyway, It just so happens that a multi-millionaire who frequents the location had left a pair of boots he no longer wears. They were left under orders that anyone who could fit them were welcome to them. As it turns out this little Cinderella was the only person with size eleven feet who tried them on. Perfect fit. Or so I thought.

Adorned with my new to me boots we set out on a trek up the mountain with a couple of cans of bear mace and .45 just in case. Our goal was to make it to waterfall by following the stream to it's source. Off we go, through the field filled with cactus, through the tree line, to where we run into large boulders which must be scaled in order to continue our journey. Here is where our little party divided into 2 separate teams. Those wishing to push on toward our goal, and those wishing for a more leisurely wait in the shade of large pine while watching the rushing stream roll by.

Always one wanting to take a challenge onward and upward I go. Along with me my brother and his wife, my sister, and my wife. Over and under we go navigating ever so carefully through the maze of boulders knowing that one wrong move with my new boots could send me sailing off the ever growing cliff downward to the stream below.

Yep they still fit, only I think this millionaire might have a little swelling in his right foot. About this time I notice the right boot is much more loose on my foot than the left. On occasion as I leap from one rock to the next I can feel my foot roll over the outer edge of the sole. Still doing okay.

Soon we reached the pinnacle of our journey. No not the base of the waterfall where we could frolic about, but where the danger of going on far out weighed the benefits of reaching the base. Sounds sensible doesn't it. That's right, my wife told me we were going back. Somehow I think I missed out on the part of common sense that says, reaching a waterfall is not worth risking your life.

We started back. Soon, after a few wrong turns and complaints from my sister about my not even knowing what direction we were headed our party met back up with the first. It was a good day. Some amazing pictures were taken.

So what does all this have to do with these fancy new boots? Blisters. Blisters is what I received walking in the shoes of one of the richest men in the country.

Is this a problem?

Two Muslim women were prohibited from sitting behind the podium at Barack
Obama’s Monday rally in Detroit, apparently so their headscarves would not
appear in photographs with him, according to a report Wednesday in the
Politico.com.
The Washington-based Web site reported that Obama campaign
volunteers said the women could not wear the hijabs behind the candidate, though
they gave different reasons for the rule.
One volunteer said that one of the
women could not be seen on TV with Obama “because of the political climate and
what’s going on in the world and what’s going on with Muslim Americans,”
according to the Muslim woman’s friend.
The other volunteer gave a less
political explanation to the other woman, according to the article, claiming
nobody with any kind of headpiece could sit behind the stage. -foxnews

You know this really isn't surprising to me. In addition I really don't care. If I were Obama's campaign advisor I would have done the same thing. Campaigns are won based on image, not on policy. Here however is the rub. The double standard. If John McCain were to tell those women they had to sit elsewhere due to there head attire there would be a political firestorm calling him racist.

Should these women have had to move?

Are you offended Obama isn't more idealistic in his campaign?

Would it be OK for McCain to do the same? Why, Why not?

Is a campaign more about image than truth?

Would a woman with a headscarf in the background make you uneasy?

Proud Uncle

My sister-in-law sent some pictures to me the other day of my niece and nephew. I won't subject you to too many of these, but I just think they are the cutest little tikes on the planet.

Just doin' a little fishin in the front yard. No water though. ahh who needs it.

I'm sure all parents are suckered in by the look on the face of their children. I don't know how I would say no to that face.

Yep, I like the hair-do too. Thanks for puting up with me showing you the pictures in my wallet.

Sin

Which sin is the worst?

Value?

This is a hand made coffee table. The base is made from elk and the table top is a piece of river wood split down the center and then married to it's opposite to create a flat surface and show off it's amazing grain and color. What value would you attach to a piece like this?

Has Sufferage Gone Too Far?

This is something I've been thinking of blogging about for some time now. After having it come up in at least a couple blog threads now I thought I'd throw out my official opinion which has changed quite a bit over the years. So here ya go.

First of all, individuals races in local elections. In my opinion these should be up for all voters who can pass a basic government test. You should know how many branches of government there are, how many Supreme Court justices, how a bill becomes a law. I don't care if you are 5 or 500 if you can get that far you should be able to vote in local races. Issues are another story. In local bond or levy issues you shouldn't be allowed to vote unless it will affect your pocket book. If you don't own property, you don't get to vote in the property tax issue. Sorry. No more stealing out of my pocket to finance your project. Just that simple.

National and State elections. Pretty much the same just some minor differences. You must be at least 18, pass the short government exam located at the top of each ballot, and answer a multiple choice (2 options) question at the top of each race asking what the position is responsible for. Sorry don't get to vote for the Secretary of State if you don't know they are the chief election official in the state.

I don't want to change the outcome of elections. If republicans win great, if democrats win fine, if independents or libertarians win hurray. I really don't care. I just want those going to the polls to be informed.

No really, every one shouldn't vote. If you think everyone needs to vote then you apparently haven't taken a look around in a while. You obviously haven’t watched Jay Leno's Jay Walking routine. Seriously there are a lot of people out there who are not ready to vote. First they need to have at least a basic understanding of how our government works. Am I asking too much?

Not Because You're Christian

I love politics. Really for me the presidential elections rival the Super Bowl in excitement, and the primaries are on par with playoffs. While the NFL playoffs come around every year like clockwork, presidential elections are so exciting that they are only allowed to occur every 4 years. This years' contenders, Barak Obama and John McCain.

You may think I'm just kidding but I'm not. If you talk to my wife you'll understand her misery. I subject her to various news channels day and night, and when the news is done it's time for analysis. It really is 24 hours a day with me. Some people yell at the TV during scary movies, others yell at the refs on television when they perceive a poor call. I yell at the TV when I see Olbermann or OReilly "miss a call". I've got a problem, no question about it.

You hear sometimes how as Christians you have an obligation to vote this way or that. How even has a Christian you have an obligation to vote. Really? I would disagree. As an American over the age of 18 you have the RIGHT to vote, not an obligation to vote. If you do vote you have an obligation to know the issues, but that is a topic for another post.

My point today is that if you call yourself a Christian you aren't required to vote, you aren't even required to be patriotic. In fact I would suggest that as a Christian we should be more concerned about individual people and their salvation on a global level rather than whether you are a republican or democrat. Rather than whether you are an American or Frenchman. Rather than whether you are for capitalism or socialism.

I know I'm stepping on some toes here, but would someone please show me where Jesus took a stance on a political issue. Sure, He caused a little riff between Pharisees and Sadducees, but he never took a position regarding roman occupation. He didn't address the national pride of the Jewish people. Instead He avoided the issue of taxes, and went straight to the heart of the people to whom He was speaking.

You might be a republican, you might be a democrat, conservative, libertarian, liberal, American, member of the military, but it isn't because you are a Christian.

Sure you may select your party based on biblical principals, but you are not commanded by God to join any political parties.

Vote Republican;)

What's Up With the Picture Changes

Okay, so more than one of you have noticed the changes regarding some of the pictures on my blog. I admit the picture replacing mine is more than a tad disturbing. So here's the deal. My wife is currently working on some "projects" that to say the least differ in opinion from that of "All In". In order to safe guard her employment I have cleansed the blog temporarily from our identities. But Jay you say your name right on the front page! I've always written under an assumed name, not a problem there.

For those of you who know the nature of this job, or are inquisitive enough to attempt to discover it, I would appreciate your assistance in keeping this matter off the blogosphere. At least for the time being.

Sir Maximus

My mother took this photo of our cat over the weekend with her new Cannon Rebel. What a camera.

Why Whites Don't Engage on Race

With the unprecedented opportunity to have a black man at the helm of our country it seems that race issues are coming more and more to the forefront of our minds. At least the blogs I read would lead me to believe that is the case. There are a number of blogs that would fall into that category. I will take a look one of those today.

"The Black Sentinel". Let me say up front, I like this blog quite well. I feel it gives me a window into how the average black person might feel about race relations in this country. I have added this site to my blogroll for the time being so that if you wish to visit there you can. However, please be warned there is language on this site I would not allow on my own, and wouldn't want children to see.

Topics covered on The Black Sentinel are all race related with headlines such as; How Is Pfleger Connected To Obama?, White Bigots A Plenty, Enabling Co-Dependency, and Doomed Black Community. The vast majority of commenters on this blog, of which there are many, appear to be in agreement. I do not know if they are black. On occasion there is a comment from someone professing to be white. Sometimes those comments are on track in my opinion. Sometimes they are racist rants. Either way any disagreement with the "Sentinel" or its’ commenters is usually met with an accusation of racism. I’m not saying this to change “The Black Sentinel”. I’m saying it merely as an example of how the discussion of race takes place in this country.

This is the reason white people refuse to engage on the issue of race. It's simply not worth the cost to most folks. Let me be frank, the average white person has little to gain by the discussion. I'm not going to say individual racism doesn't exist, I'm not saying black people shouldn't fight against it, I'm only saying that most of the time it isn't worth the fight. White people are fearful of even the debate because at the slightest disagreement they are told they are racist. A label no one wants, that can be difficult to live down. So instead of true debate black and white together discussing apparent disparities you have white people giving up, shrugging their shoulders and walking away from the table.

I'm not blaming the "Sentinel", Again, I like this site. I hope you'll visit it. I'm only making an observation as to why it seems that most whites are apathetic to the current state of race relations in our country.

As a result, the discussion rarely occurs in mixed company. It happens without the presence of a dissenting voice. Allowing stereotypes to go unchecked, not out of malice, but out of ignorance. What say you?