Must Read Articles

Busy Day. Here is a few articles you need to read:

What Part of 'Drill Now' do they Not Understand?

Misplaced Priorities

I Know I Sound Like A Broken Record, But Damn

Guess what? More threats of sanctions for Iran:

"We hope the Iranians will provide a positive answer," to world powers offering incentives for Iran to halt to sensitive nuclear fuel work, national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.

But "if they do not, the international community is united that more sanctions are coming," he said.

Think it will work? Me neither:

"The Iranian people are steadfast and will not step back an inch against the oppressive powers," Ahmadinejad told a rally in the southwestern province of Kohgelouyeh-Boyerahmad.

I am tired of hearing about sanctions. Every time we bring them up we give Ahmadinejad the chance to thumb his nose at us and call us an "oppressive regime". It makes us look weak, which only encourages him more.

Could the White House be using this as cover, and secretly be assisting Israel with plans to actually deal with Iran? I sure hope so. But I am inclined to believe they are still hoping it will work.

Note to republicans: Go back to the days when you were prepared to do what it takes to get the job done. Leave the hoping to the democrats. It is a pretty simple concept really. I can hope the yard mows itself all day long. It will not be mowed unless I get off my ass and do something about it.

How Much Of This Goes On In Our Schools?

Un-freakin-believable:

The school district of Rochester, N.Y., gave teachers and students exact copies of the questions and answers that would appear on a mandatory test, only to have officials deny wrongdoing and watch half the students fail anyway.

...Prior to taking the social studies test, however, a district-created study guide available to teachers and students listed multiple-choice questions and answers that were identical and in the same sequence as those that would appear on the social studies exam.

The multiple-choice questions were only a part of the exam, comprising 40 percent of each student's score, reports the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

It is unknown how many of the district's seventh- and eighth-graders saw the answers beforehand, said the newspaper, but it was determined that of the 4,329 students who took the exams, 50 percent of the seventh-graders and 44 percent of the eighth-graders failed.

So, with 40% of the answers given to them, roughly 47% could not pass the test. Forget for a second the fact that the teachers cheated their butts off in order to make it look like they were doing their jobs. The sad thing is that they had not ensured their students knew enough about the subject to get half the ones they had not been given. I am not as concerned with the cheating as I am the lack of education these kids had received before the test.

Busy Week

Well, I have got another busy week this week. I'm on vacation next week, so posting will be light for a few weeks. I will try to get as much on as possible, but it may just be some links to stories I've found.

Here is a few:

Hillbilly White Trash / Great cartoon!

Ace of Spades

Ham Blog

Gateway Pundit

*** Stephen F. Hayes of The Weekly Standard *** A must read!

*** John Boehner on the Energy Surge *** Another must read!

A few comments:

DRILL DAMN IT!

Stop Iran Now!

I'm going to bed now. I should be able to post a little more tomorrow.

This Headline Tricked Me

I thought the Bush administration had really decided to confront Iran on their nuclear weapons program:

Iran must choose between cooperation and confrontation: US

...The statement from State Department spokesman Sean McCormack came after US Undersecretary of State William Burns joined international talks with Iran in Geneva in a bid to make Iran suspend sensitive nuclear work.

Burns, it said, delivered a "clear simple message" that Washington was "serious" in backing proposed international incentives for Iran to halt uranium enrichment and that it will only engage in negotiations with Iran when it does so.

The statement added: "We hope the Iranian people understand that their leaders need to make a choice between cooperation, which would bring benefits to all, and confrontation, which can only lead to further isolation."

But alas, just more appeasement talk. Iran is not interested in deals. Is that not painfully obvious by now?

How Far Does Foreign Aid Get You In The UN?

Not much:

The top ten recipients of foreign aid from the United States are Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan, Egypt, Sudan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Colombia, Jordan, and Kenya. Removing Israel from the equation, the remaining nine countries received an average of $1.043 billion in 2007 from American taxpayers and voted with the U.S. an average of 8.74 percent. Another example of the diminished value of the dollar.

Do yourself a favor and read the whole post.

That's $9.387 billion a year for nine countries that pretty much hate our guts. I guess I could say that since they vote with us 8.74 percent of the time.

Could someone please tell me why we are still involved with joke of an organization?

Mr. Kilgannon asks an important question:

Ronald Reagan once said that somebody “who agrees with you 80 percent of the time is a friend and ally.” What, then, does that make the United Nations, which opposes us nearly 80 percent of the time?

Of course, the answer is simple. The UN is one of the most anti-American groups in the world. Even though we fund the majority of there operations. The time has come to pull out.

How Well Is Chicago's Gun Ban Working?

You guessed it, not very well:

As Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Wednesday signed a new law that will put in place tougher penalties for selling guns to minors, he also announced he's got a new idea to help combat the violence that Chicago is experiencing: he's talking to the Illinois State Police and the National Guard to see if they could help.

The Chicago Sun-Times depicted Blagojevich as the "new sheriff in town" Thursday morning in its coverage of the governor's plan to form an "elite tactical team" to help the city fight crime.

"Violent crime in the city of Chicago is out of control," Blagojevich said at the bill signing ceremony. "I'm offering resources of the state to the city to work in a constructive way with Mayor Daley to do everything we can possibly do to help stop this violence," said the governor.

The summer of 2008 will be remembered as especially violent. Blagojevich said there's been a child shot nearly every day since June 26, with 29 Chicago Public School students shot since last fall.

So what does he think will help? Once again, you guessed it, tougher gun laws:

The bill signed Wednesday puts the adult who provides a gun to a minor in the same legal hot water as the minor who uses it to commit a crime.

The bill signed Wednesday means that adults who sell or give guns to minors are eligible for the same sentence as minors convicted of violent crimes -- including murder -- in which they used the weapon.

Not too bad of a bill, but hardly enough to change the crime rate.

How about letting the citizens in Chicago defend themselves? The Supreme Court have said that we have that right. Why does that not apply to the people that are under attack in there own cities? Look, I live in a place where I am completely comfortable walking down any street at 3 o'clock in the morning. We have some crime, but not that much. I have the right to carry my gun with me for self defense. I hope and pray that I never have to use it. But if I do need it, I have it.

I could not imagine living in a place where the chances are hundreds of times higher that I would be a victim, and where I could not defend myself from such odds. I would not live in such a place. But I have a choice, and I know that many people do not. These are good people that are forced to live scared for their lives, because their leaders don't trust them enough to allow them to protect themselves.

A "Save The Planet" Campaign I Can Support

First watch this video:



For the campaign, go here.

EMBRACE THE GREEN.

SAVE THE WHALES.

DRILL OFFSHORE NOW.

Sarah Palin, The Governor Of Alaska, On ANWR

One would think that the governor of Alaska would have a big say in the question of whether to drill in ANWR, right? I hope so:

What will it take for Congress to enact comprehensive energy policy that includes increased domestic production of oil and gas, renewable and alternative energy, and conservation? It seems to us outside of the Capital Beltway that virtually every effort to accomplish this is met with criticism and failure.

In my opinion, the debate about energy policy is no longer theoretical or abstract. Our failure to enact an energy policy is having real consequences for every American in their daily lives and has begun to affect America's place in the world. Alaska is ready, willing, and able to assist the nation in addressing our acute and expanding energy needs. Like many other states, we would like the opportunity to help.

Congressional approval of responsible petroleum development in the coastal plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) - the most promising unexplored petroleum province in North America - would be of incalculable benefit to my state and our nation.

Read the complete post here.

Should the governor of a state have to beg for permission to tap into an abundant resource in there own state? Read the whole post. It is like she is begging.

Call your representatives, let them know how you feel. For contact info go to the sidebar, type in your zip, and then let them have it.

Want To Know How Much The Government Costs?

Today is Cost of the Government day. Take every penny that every person in this country has made this year, add it up, and that is the cost of the government:

We stopped paying for government three months ago. Tax Freedom Day was April 23rd. That's when the average American effectively finished paying taxes to government at all levels. But only the average American. Anyone living in a high-tax state, such as Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, had to work another couple weeks for government.

But taxes are a poor measure of the total cost of government. Because of sizable and persistent deficits, total public spending is a better standard of what we pay for government. Even that isn't enough, however. Regulation adds another substantial charge to the bill.

Americans for Tax Reform adds these together to come up with Cost of Government Day. That's when we really stop paying for government. Last year COGD was July 12. It advanced four days this year to July 16. Explains ATR: "In other words, the cost of government consumes 53.9 percent of national income."

My Take On Obama, And Rednecks

This post is in response to a post on Right Wing News by Melissa Clouthier:

"I know rednecks," my friend was telling me, "and they're not unaware, but this is what they think about Barack Obama: they don't think he's a Muslim, they think he's a secret Muslim." After laughing about it, I responded that I know very highly educated people who flat out believe Barack Obama isn't a secret Muslim, he just IS a Muslim. "His middle name is Hussein. He's a Muslim." Of course, I protest. It's ludicrous. My name is Melissa and I'm not even a wee bit Greek, but there you go.

First of all, I do know rednecks. I look at one every day while I am shaving. I have always been one, always will be. If that bothers you then you are free to leave this site. The problem with this whole prejudice against rednecks thing is people do not understand rednecks. The people that most consider a redneck are just honest, hard working people. Believe me they are not stupid. As a matter of fact, I would trust most of them much more the the average politician.

Rednecks do not believe that Obama is necessarily a Muslim. They believe there is not enough data to determine his faith. As a matter of fact, there is not enough data to determine where he stands on most issues either. I guess it depends on who he is speaking to, and what the latest polls say. This makes him an average, everyday politician. The man is not special. It takes time to be able to straddle the fence and not appear to be straddling the fence. The reason he has not done better executing this delicate maneuver is his inexperience.

Is it offensive to be portrayed as a Muslim (satirically, of course)? Because, really, that's the fence Obama is trying to saddle. He knows his name and paternity give him instant, unearned cred with a good portion of the world's population. And it's not just the Middle Eastern inhabitants salivating over a Muslim American president (because that is definitely how they view him)...

It is obvious the Middle East believes him to be Muslim, right? Not really. They want him because he is weak. His faith has nothing to do with it. They see him, as most rednecks do, as a man that will not stand up to them. Another thing about rednecks, you don't have to guess where they stand on any issue. They will gladly tell you. If you do not like, it that is your problem. And they will lose no sleep because you disagree.

The cover was funny because it had some truth in it--many truths in it. The Flag burning in the fire place: I had a black friend who will vote for Obama in November say, "Well, he's not really patriotic." Obama isn't patriotic. Does he hate America? I don't know about that but his words and actions certainly don't demonstrate love for America.

This is one sure fire way to piss any redneck off. They understand that we live in the best country in the history of this planet, hands down. Many of them are poor. But all of them are glad to be poor in the United States of America. If you don't agree with them on this, then get the hell off my blog, and don't come back.

Jesse Jackson was right: He talks down to black people. Hell, he talks down to everyone. He doesn't hide his contempt for average Americans and it slips out whenever he thinks he has a sympathetic audience--whether it's donors in San Fran or average Jeans in France. His close friendships with anti-American radicals and religious leaders cement the notion that he's an activist first, for one group of people, not an advocate for all people. His tone-deafness about how gas prices affect the average person comes off as snooty out-of-touchness--and begs the question: Has the man ever had a real job?

Finally, something Jesse and I agree on. He does talk down to black people, just as he talks down to rednecks.

Obama shows no signs of respect for any group of people. Some groups may be willing to overlook this flaw. Black people will not. Neither will rednecks. When most people think of rednecks, they think of smoke filled, blood stained bar room floors. I have been in a few of those bars in my life. Most of that blood was put there because someone did not show the proper amount of respect. Rednecks are the most respectful people in the world, until that respect is not given back to them in return. Then all bets are off, and you had better hope there is a hospital in the area.

John Bolton: "Israel, Iran, and The Bomb"

This is a great article:

Iran's test salvo of ballistic missiles last week together with recent threatening rhetoric by commanders of the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guards emphasizes how close the Middle East is to a fundamental, in fact an irreversible, turning point.

Tehran's efforts to intimidate the United States and Israel from using military force against its nuclear program, combined with yet another diplomatic charm offensive with the Europeans, are two sides of the same policy coin. The regime is buying the short additional period of time it needs to produce deliverable nuclear weapons, the strategic objective it has been pursuing clandestinely for 20 years.

Read the rest at the link. You will not be disappointed.

I had to add this paragraph:

Thus, instead of debating how much longer to continue five years of failed diplomacy, we should be intensively considering what cooperation the U.S. will extend to Israel before, during and after a strike on Iran. We will be blamed for the strike anyway, and certainly feel whatever negative consequences result, so there is compelling logic to make it as successful as possible. At a minimum, we should place no obstacles in Israel's path, and facilitate its efforts where we can.

How true this line is: "We will be blamed for the strike anyway, and certainly feel whatever negative consequences result..."

Oh, how I wish this man still represented us in the United (against American Issues) Nations.

Do I Feel Sorry For Mr. And Mrs. Obama?

This cover is causing an uproar:



Do I feel sorry for them. NO. Why should I? Did he expect being in the public eye would be easy? He is no different than anyone else. Running for office is not a cakewalk.

What about this cartoon from last month's Rolling Stone?:




Michelle Malkin has plenty more cartoons here.

Updated: Bush Lifts Executive Order That Bans Drilling Offshore

From Human Events:

President Bush on Monday lifted an executive order that banned off-shore drilling, increasing pressure on Congress to follow suit.

"With this action, the executive branch's restrictions on this exploration have been cleared away. This means that the only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the U.S. Congress," Mr. Bush said. "The time for action is now. This is a difficult period for millions of American families. They are rightly angered by Congress' failure to enact common sense solutions."

As far as gas prices go, this won't mean a thing if Congress decides to continue ignoring this option. What it does is leaves Congress with no excuses. They can begin discussing this option or let the people know they are willing to bankrupt this country to push their agenda.

Freedom watch's new ad could not have come at a better time.

Update: From the office of Senator Jim DeMint:



H/T: Hot Air

An Interview You Don't Want To Miss

John Hawkins of Right Wing News interviews with Dennis Avery, the co-author of Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1500 Years. Here are some of the Questions and answers:

...The very mild warming that the earth experienced over the last century: does that have more to do with mankind's activities or the sun?

It seems like it must be the sun. The reason we say that is because 70% of the warming we've had since 1850, when the Little Ice Age ended -- 70% of that warming came before 1940. 85% of the human emitted greenhouse gasses came after 1940. In fact, the net warming of the earth since 1940 is a miniscule 2/10 of 1 degree celsius....

Many global warming alarmists say there is a scientific consensus on global warming, that almost everyone agrees with them, almost unanimously among scientists. Is that true?

...With the temperatures scheduled for a 25 year cooling, I think the consensus just went out the window. I think the consensus people have just run off a cliff like Wile E. Coyote in the Roadrunner cartoons and they're in mid-air with their feet spinning madly while they wait for the earth to smash them to the ground far below.

Another thing I have noticed is that even the global warming alarmists were right: the solutions that they're suggesting don't come close to fixing the problems. Kyoto, these cap and trade schemes, they are really expensive and actually do very little to reduce greenhouse gasses. Any thoughts on that?

They're really talking about going back to the Great Depression. Nobody has a car, nobody could afford the fuel if they had a car. They're talking about living a hundred yards from the factory, except there isn't going to be a factory because there is not going to be any coal burning to power it. No nuclear power, no drilling for oil, no hope.

I just want to remind you that there are millions of people in the Third World, women and children, heating and cooking with cow manure, firewood that they gather off the mountainside. The air pollution in some of those areas is equal to a 2 pack a day cigarette habit. ...If there's no kerosene, no propane, no nuclear electricity, are we all going to be in that situation?

Read the whole thing at the link. It is worth it.

Al Gore is about to lose his latest cash cow. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next. Any guesses?

For more on Dennis Avery go here.