THANK YOU!!!

Today, no politics or complaints about the government. Just a simple "thank you" to those who have served and died protecting our great country. And another "thank you" to all else who have served and who continue to serve our great nation. Thank you.

One Marine's View: Memorial Day

And please don't forget to observe the National Moment of Remembrance at 1500 local time.

More government regulation to "fix" things

One of my favorite Congressional commies, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. is shooting off her mouth, without really understanding economics, and threatened the nationalization of the oil industry because she thinks that it will lead to lower gas prices. What a bunch of shit. How do people like Ms. Waters, who have very little understanding of economics but have control over our tax money, continue to be in power? Why do we keep voting for these dopes?

WorldNetDaily.com: Congresswoman threatens to nationalize oil industry:
Maxine Waters warns Shell president in House committee hearing. In a grilling of oil executives by a House panel yesterday, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., threatened to nationalize the industry if it didn't do something about the rising prices at the pump.

"Hofmeister replied: 'I can guarantee to the American people, because of the inaction of the United States Congress (I am amazed, Congressional....inaction.....not my Congress!!), ever-increasing prices unless the demand comes down.'"

"The Shell exec said paying $5 at the pump 'will look like a very low price in the years to come if we are prohibited from finding new reserves, new opportunities to increase supplies (emphasis mine).'"

"Waters responded, in part, 'And guess what this liberal would be all about. This liberal will be about socializing … uh, um. …...Would be about, basically, taking over, and the government running all of your companies."

"The oil executives responded, according to Fox News, by saying they've seen this before, in Hugo Chavez's Venezuela."

Way to go Maxine, nationalize the oil industry, I'm sure that will help things out and get prices low enough for your liking (or reelection). Of course, building more refineries and drilling in our own country and off-shore of Florida (25 miles from the coast where the curvature of the earth would prevent the spoiling of the view) might help. Increasing supply and/or lowering demand is the way to reduce gas prices. Not more over-reaching government regulation in what once was a free market economy.

I watched a large part of the hearings on C-SPAN. What a useless dog and pony show! Members of Congress, please stop wasting my friggin tax money (which pays your salaries) with these useless bullshit hearings. Spend your tax payer funded time doing something useful like closing the boarder, lower my tax burden, allowing for drilling offshore and in Alaska and stop trying to restrict my gun rights.

Do McCain really want a flat tax?

John McCain is campaigning and making speeches across the US in anticipation of the presidential election where he will likely square off against Barack Obama. I'm not sure if McCain is pandering to people with my ideology on certain issues but when I hear things like a "flat tax" and "an end to the genocide in Darfur" you've got my attention.

The Australian: John McCain sets out lofty presidential ambitions: "He [McCain] predicted several years of 'robust' US economic growth under his stewardship, a flat tax rate, the 13 million illegal immigrants in the US living humanely under a temporary worker program, and an end to the genocide in Darfur."

Could the US really be in for some serious tax reform and will someone (the US, Europe, etc) finally do something to help the helpless in Darfur?

Could I really bring myself to vote FOR McCain instead of AGAINST Obama?

This presidential election is getting interesting, however, I'm not holding my breath.....yet.

Politics at its finest

The way many members of both political parties try to ram legislation through Congress is impressive. Much of it is done so we don't notice. Dianne Feinstein (Commie) and Larry Craig (Pinko) appear to be adding an immigration amendment to the Iraq funding bill. Why?? Because they know that Bush won't veto the bill, even with the unrelated amendment in it, since a veto would look bad for Bush's war in Iraq.

A few quotes from transcripts of the Lou Dobbs show on May 16: "This meeting yesterday at the Senate Appropriations Committee convened to vote on funding U.S. spending in Iraq. But late in the day 100 pages were added to the bill that would make an estimated three million people illegal alien farm workers and their families eligible to work in the United States and it passed 17 to 12.

Pro-amnesty senators tonight making a new effort to ram their open border's agenda down the throats of the American people, now let's go back to June 28, 2007 when the American people made their views known to the United States Senate and the closer vote failed. It was very clear at that point what the will of the majority in this country was, but now two senators, suddenly have added an amendment that would provide amnesty for illegal alien farm workers in this country, they and their family amounting to some three million people. And they're putting this little number into a bill funding the war in Iraq. You're not supposed to notice. We're not supposed to notice. And the American people are not supposed to notice. These two senators added the amendment in the dark of night, and they did so without debate. They're duplicitous, deceitful, and absolutely dishonorable in doing so (emphasis mine)."

Also from Lou Dobbs: SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, (R), ALABAMA: Why would they stick it on a war supplemental? That is a deliberate attempt to bypass scrutiny and to see if they can slide it through without the American people realizing what's happening, on a bill that we really need to pass."

That is an excellent question, why don't these two fine Senators (one from each party) work up a single bill with total transparency which deals with only the immigration issue??

I'm not saying that I am for or against the war in Iraq. But if Congress really wanted to stop the war in Iraq, they could do it. But why stop the war when they can use the war in Iraq to their advantage?

More on the issue at TheHill.com: Senate panel approves Iraq funding bill: "Republicans say Democrats are putting troops at risk by loading up the supplemental, which Appropriations Committee Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) characterized as 'horse-blank.'

'What hogwash. Let’s all have a big laugh,' he said before mockingly laughing out loud.

'By the end of 2008, the war in Iraq will have cost over $600 billion,' the 90-year-old Byrd said in a scathing 30-minute opening statement. 'More than $600 billion dollars for every minute since our lord Jesus Christ was born. That’s a staggering figure.'

A number of Republicans have joined Democrats in pushing to beef up the domestic spending in the supplemental measure, recognizing that the must-pass bill remains one of the few pieces of legislation likely to become law before November’s elections."

How in the world could anyone stand to listen to Robert KKK Byrd about anything for 30 minutes?! While the claims that these unrelated amendments are "putting troops at risk" are debateable, people from both paties are playing dirty Congressional politics.

Each of these issues should be voted on in separate bills with total transparency to the American people. Congress is screwing all of us.

Congress vs. Progress

Thought for the day:

If the prefix "con-" is the opposite of "pro-" does that make Congress the opposite of progress?

Based on how lame our Congress has been in getting anything tangible done, I'd have to say yes.

Government stealing

ABC news.com: Not-So-Safe Deposit Boxes: States Seize Citizen's Property to Balance Their Budgets:

"The 50 U.S. states are holding more than $32 billion worth of unclaimed property that they're supposed to safeguard for their citizens. But a "Good Morning America" investigation found some states aggressively seize property that isn't really unclaimed and then use the money -- your money -- to balance their budgets.

Unclaimed property consists of things like forgotten apartment security deposits, uncashed dividend checks and safe-deposit boxes abandoned when an elderly relative dies.

Banks and other businesses are required to turn that property over to the state for safekeeping. The problem is that the states return less than a quarter of unclaimed property to the rightful owners (emphasis mine)."

I'm actually surprised that near 25% of this property, which is stolen by our government, is returned. I figured that the criminals who we keep electing to office would just make off with all of it. Maybe politicians are really stupid. Can they really think that nobody would notice only 75% of their stuff missing?

Of course, if the government stopped wasting money by the billions, they wouldn't have to steal. Its not like we aren't paying enough taxes.

Space Coast Brush Fires

I've been away at a conference and just returned home. Apparently, a lot has gone on while I was away, including arson.

Floridatoday.com: Suspect claims that fire was an accident

The suspect seems to be a very busy guy. "Crowder told investigators that he fled from a traffic stop because he didn’t want to be picked up for his parole violations, and because he wasn’t supposed to be driving a car. 'I have a violation of probation,' Crowder told reporters. 'I have no driver’s license. I was driving.'” This guy also has quite a long rap sheet.

I wonder if the fact that he was let out of jail was "an accident."

I want to seriously praise everyone who took care of Crowder's mess and protected lives while risking their own. Our local firefighters, police and forestry crews never get enough credit for all of the work they do until something tragic like this happens. Kudos to all of you and the tough work that you do, everyday, it is greatly appreciated!

For anyone wanting to help the victims, donations can be made at the following Brevard County organizations:

Space Coast Credit Union
Community Educators Credit Union
KSC Federal Credit Union
Riverside National Bank

Contributions can also be mailed to or dropped by:
United Way of Brevard
937 Dixon Blvd.
Cocoa, FL 32922

Make checks payable to: United Way 2008 Fire Response Fund

Donations can also be made online at www.uwbrevard.org.

Gaza bystanders killed by blast from Hamas scum

This article is reposted from israelinsider.com:

From Israelinsider.com: IDF probe confirms: Gaza bystanders killed by blast from terrorist weapons:
"A blast in northern Gaza that killed a Palestinian mother and her four children on Monday was not caused by the Israeli Air Force or by Israel Defense Forces ground troops, an investigation into the explosion conducted by the IDF Southern Command concluded on Friday.

The blast occurred Monday morning in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanun. Palestinians claimed that an IDF tank shell hit the home of the Abu Meatak family, as the mother Miyasar was preparing breakfast for her children, killing her and her four children.

However, the probe -- relying on infrared aerial photography -- found that four Islamic militants were carrying weaponry and explosives on their backs, approaching an IDF position. The IAF fire was on target and only hit the armed terrorists. But the Palestinian attackers' boms caused secondary explosions which destroyed the home and killed the mother and her children.

The IDF probe ruled out the possibility that the family was hit by IDF fire and revealed that the secondary explosion was far greater than the explosion caused by the initial IDF bombing and the munitions it had used.

The IDF said that it was unfortunate that innocent people were killed in the incident, but stressed that the blame lay with Hamas which operated from populated areas, using civilians as human shields."



There are a number of things regarding this story that I would like to highlight. First, there are two militaries on this stupid planet who expend enormous amounts of money and effort, often putting themseleves at unnecessary risk, in order to minimize collateral damage: The United States and Israel. Second, civilian deaths are unfortunate but Hamas and other associated terrorist scum "fight" from heavily populated areas and use human shields - purposely to increase the likelihood of civilian casualties. And I'm not even mentioning their PURPOSEFUL targeting of Israeli civilians in pizza parlors and malls.

One of the funniest things about this video is the terrorists who survived can be seen running for their lives like the real cowards that they are. Its so paradoxical, these scum purposely set up in heavily populated areas using the innocent as human shields and often dispatch young children to commit homicide bombings. If these terrorists are so tough and want to fight the "occupation" then why don't they try to shoot the Zionist aircrafts out of the sky instead of running like scared little girls?

I realize this video was recorded by the IDF so bleeding heart "freedom fighter" apologists and tinfoil hat wearing Jew haters, such as Jew Watch, may argue that the video is a Zionist conspiracy fake. After all, the Jews conspired to cause 9/11, inflated the number killed in the Holocaust or faked it all together and Dr. Joseph Mengele was just misunderstood. I wonder if the Jews in Hollywood helped NASA fake the first US moon landing??

Wise words from John Stossel

A quote from page 80 of John Stossel's book, "Myths, Lies and Downright Stupidity:"

"Smokey the Bear's rules for fire safety should apply to government: Keep it small, keep it in a confined area and keep an eye on it."

I couldn't agree more.

ElBaradei is angry! Oh no!

JPost: ElBaradei slams Israel for Syria attack:"The head of the UN nuclear monitoring agency on Friday criticized the US for not giving his organization intelligence information sooner on what Washington says was a nuclear reactor in Syria being built secretly by North Korea. ElBaradei also chastised Israel for bombing the site seven months ago, in a statement whose strong language reflected his anger at being kept out of the picture for so long." Whah! Why wasn't I told??!! All because I never do anything to stop nuclear proliferation and my organization is uselss, I should still be "in the know!"

So ElBaradei and the IAEA are criticizing the US and Israel for not giving them intelligence about a nuclear reactor in Syria. And they're also pissed that Israel took out the Syrian nuclear threat. Big freakin' deal! Who cares if ElBaradei, the IAEA and the UN are pissed?! Why would we or the Israelis bother sharing intelligence with the UN? What have they done with the intelligence that we have given them about N. Korea and what's being done with the intelligence we gave them about Iran's nukes? In case this question is difficult for pro-UN liberals, the answer is nothing. N. Korea has nukes and Iran will likely have them soon. Hey, I know, let's send in more UN weapons inspectors!

Israel did what it had to do. They may again end up doing our dirty work in Iran, too. They already did it in Iraq in 1981. The UN and the IAEA should shut their respective pie holes. They were useless before, they are useless now and they'll continue to be useless.

The US and Israel should pull out of the UN. US membership in the UN is a waste of time and our tax money.

Obama wants a windfall profits tax

Bloomberg.com: Obama May Levy $15 Billion Tax on Oil Company Profit

The great Obama wants to place a windfall tax on oil profits; a 20% tax on barrels of oil costing over $80. Hillary wants to levy a similar but lower tax on oil companies. Now just who in the hell do these dopes think will end up paying these windfall taxes?

The oil companies will pass the additional tax cost onto the consumer. Why is this so hard to understand? Taxes increase costs and decrease productivity. Its really pretty simple.

Expect to pay even more at the pump!

My suggestions, lower taxes for everyone, including business, and let's drill like a banshee in Alaska! Also, build a few more refineries. THEN gas prices will go down.