One man's view of the world, from the top of this great big rock somewhere in the middle of God's Country, with an eye toward freedom....or at least some way to get back down without goin' over the edge.

My Photo
Name:
Location: West Virginia, United States

Former U.S. Army, SPC E-4, Veteran of Operation Desert Storm. If you are or have ever been a soldier, you have friends in my house.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Giving Thanks





Happy Thanksgiving, y'all...and THANK YOU.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Theft of Hope, Part II: Meet The New Boss

To those who considered themselves "winners" a few weeks ago...some words to ponder.

On the 4th of November of this year, a Democrat won the 2008 Presidential Election.

It was a hard-fought campaign stretching over the better part of two or three years, with all of the prerequisite wailing and gnashing of teeth...but in the end, there was little doubt who the clear victor would be.

All over the world, a euphoric global community celebrated the dawn of a new era of Hope and Change that promised to wrap the world in its warm, fuzzy, patchouli-scented embrace.

And you know what the best part of all this is?

Those who helped her do it are only just now starting to catch on.

What...Why the confused look all of a sudden?

Oh, right. You thought I was talking about Barack Obama, didn't you?

Well, if it's any consolation, so does he.

Looking at things the way they have developed thus far, with his cabinet picks increasingly being populated by her and Slick's old buddies - and now, apparently, by the Lady herself - I suppose there's really only one position left to fill.

Take it away, 'Hawk.

...Okay, so that was a joke.

In which case, I would make one more observation.

The Presidential Succession Act of 1947 (U.S. Code title 3.19, as noted here in the Cornell University Law Library), which delineates who shall fill the First Shoes should their current occupant be rendered unable to continue, sets the first line of succession as follows:

The Vice-President
The Speaker of the House
The Senate President pro-tempore, as chosen by the Senate

If none of those three figures are able to step up, we go to the next stage of succession, which consists of the various Cabinet Secretaries.

First on that list?

You guessed it...Secretary of State.

So, if things proceed apace, here's the short list:

1) President Barack Obama
2) Vice-President Joe Biden
3) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
4) SPPT Robert Byrd (if I'm wrong on this, do not hesitate to correct me)
5) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Many moons ago, I once joked to the wife that if Hillary got the nod for Barry's VP pick, I gave him about six months in office before she finally got tired of waiting for Nature to take its course.

The first two noted above won't take long. Barry's still too busy paving the road to notice the truck coming, and Joe...well, actually, we haven't heard much of anything from him lately, have we?

The Pineapple Princess might be a tougher nut to crack. (Ever seen what happens when you put two queen bees in the same hive?)

As for Byrd, a stiff breeze should do the trick.

No, I am NOT saying that all these dominoes will necessary start falling all at once, nor am I advocating that they should start falling at all.

On the contrary...I'm praying to God that they don't.

Care to join me..."winners"?

Thursday, November 06, 2008

The Theft of Hope (and a little Spare Change)

To my fellow "losers"...some words to ponder.

Yesterday was Obama's day. He deserved it.

Today we wake up, take a good hot shower, get dressed, have breakfast, take our kids to school, go to work...

Today is America's day, just like any other. Today we live our lives, same as we would have done if McCain had won the election.

Yes, there is the spectre of what might be coming down the pike once Obama gets his hands on the wheel for real. And yes, some of it is pretty ominous.

But you know what? That's OK. We got through eight years of the Clintons, and we'll get through this. Our turn will come again, just as it did for Obama's supporters this time around.

In that spirit...let's share a laugh with some people who, I think, truly appreciate our God-given right to believe and vote however we choose, and make complete asses of ourselves in public in the process if we really want to. (Because for what they do, we are talking SERIOUS job security here.)

Here's a hint:

You still think Bush's victory in 2000 was an inside job?

Fool, you ain't seen NUTHIN' yet.

MAN, I love this country.

Thanks, Cap'n Ed. We needed that.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Congratulations, President-Elect Obama

The deed has been done.

And it was done well.

Those of us who voted for John McCain last night are certainly disappointed today.

We'll get over it.

I'll say this....Whatever has been said and done during the campaign: From all reports I've seen so far, the actual election went off with thankfully very little rancor.

And I'll say this...ACORN and others may have tried to unduly influence things.
But look at the numbers. Obama won this election with far greater numbers than they could possibly have given him.

The fact is, folks, he simply convinced more than enough of our fellow citizens that he is the one they want, to lift him to a decisive victory. That's what an election is.

And so I now say this.

Congratulations, President-Elect Obama. You earned it.

You've got four years. Use them wisely.

We will help you as best we can whenever necessary. All you have to do is ask. Seriously.

But make no mistake.

WE have given you the keys to the greatest nation on the planet....and if we think you're driving us too far the wrong way, we CAN take them back.

You've promised us quite a lot in the last couple of years. Don't think we'll forget it.

Please don't make us regret this decision.