Knock-out attacks on elderly Floridians

Lee County Sheriff Mike Lee says attacks on a 72-year-old and an 89-year-old were copycats of attacks elsewhere that a 15-year-old female suspect saw online.

Shifting my time usage...

Blogging a wee bit less these days while I attempt to gain or refresh some skills in other areas.

I've mentioned before that I'm a newly licensed amateur radio operator. I'm going the extra mile, and spending some time learning Morse Code as well.

The most basic of communication skills may prove highly desirable as the economic and political landscape grows more uncertain. Ditto for knowledge of electronics and electronic repair.

Nostalgic notes on the disappearing America

I also liked the comments recorded beneath the main post. Here's one of  'em:

Watched The Magnificent Seven with my soon to be 15 year old. The good guys and the bad guys were easy to see. Standing up for what is right was required. Grey is what we're getting today. I miss yesterday and share as much as I can with my kids so they know what America was once like. As we travel further down this rabbit hole I grow more nostalgic. When the time comes my kids will know how to rebuild it on rock, not the sand we're being told to build it on today.

"Ghost of Thanksgiving yet to come"

This has been floating around the Internet for a few years. Scary part is, it seems more plausible with each passing year as Obama's fundamental transformation of America advances.

More anti-gun prejudice from the NFL

From Townhall.com:

The (National Football) League has refused to air a commercial for Daniel Defense in the 2014 Super Bowl on grounds that the weapons manufacturer violates the NFL regulations for “prohibited advertising categories”

Here's a look at the "prohibited" ad:

What's next?

We don't see much promise down the road...

Click here for the Don and Doug Black Friday radio program.

A little glitchy off the top, but unlike Obamacare, we rebounded rather quickly.

Thanksgiving Day, 1925

President and  Mrs. Coolidge, Thanksgiving Day service.
National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

Thanksgiving Day lesson...

A photo from around 1899:

African American children learning about Thanksgiving, with model log cabin on table, Whittier Primary
School, Hampton, Virginia. Frances Benjamin Johnston, photographer. Library of Congress.

Posted this last year...

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Washington's call for Thanksgiving

From President George Washington, 1789, as archived by the Library of Congress:

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation. 

The original document

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. 

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national 

One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. 

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789. 

Go: Washington

So crass, it's creepy

Via Twitter:

Make sure everyone who sits down with you for #Thanksgivukkah dinner is covered. #GetTalking pic.twitter.com/EWZ3qUpEI1
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 27, 2013

Michelle O touts Michelle Nunn as a gun control ally

From the NRA-ILA:

Recently, Georgia U.S. Senate candidate Michelle Nunn attended a New York City fundraiser with Michelle Obama and picked up her endorsement. In her remarks Mrs. Obama said that electing Nunn is  "critical" to enacting President Obama's anti-Second Amendment agenda. 

More

Cut 'n run

Gun control advocate Evie Hudak says she'll call it quits as a state senator in Colorado. 

Gun confiscation: Here and now

New York City residents are being put on notice to dispose of, or turn in, their rifles or shotguns that hold more than five rounds.

Yup. Possessing a simple .22 rim fire bolt action rifle that holds more than five rounds is now unlawful in New York City.

Jesse Jackson on Obama: Now versus then

“He’s serving us well, against the most hostility an American president has ever had.”  - Jesse Jackson, referrirng Barack Obama, November 2013.

"I wanna cut his nuts off." - Jesse Jackson, referring to Barack Obama, July 2008.

Twisted priorities

After 17 years, a family in Miami Shores, Florida is told to do away with their front yard vegetable garden or face fines.

It's one thing if you buy into a community with restrictive covenants that make clear what is or is not allowed. But it's something else altogether when power hungry municipal governments and their zoning czars come along and change the rules after years of practice.

And what does it say about a government when it decrees the sight of growing vegetables is automatically deemed an eyesore?

More fuel for Thanksgiving indigestion

Bad enough the OFA folks want their progressive minions to badger their families with talk of Obamacare tomorrow.

Now Mayor Bloomberg and his Mayors Against Illegal Guns want Thanksgiving Day dinner table discussions advocating for gun control as well. They've even drawn up a placemat to guide the conversation.

Seriously?

I'm in the camp that's sad to see retail stores opening on Thanksgiving. But at least pestered folks have somewhere to escape to if they encounter overzealous Obama groupies or Bloomberg disciples on their homefront tomorrow.

Been on the road the past few days...

That's why posting's been light. I was dealing with snail speed Internet at a hotel.

Getting caught up on things today. Though being behind the wheel for a twelve hour trek yesterday in holiday traffic, fog and rain has left me in need of a little recovery time.

Mmm Mmm Mmm...

Here's a case of Dear Leader being worked into the Common Core curriculum at at least one school.

But it's even more outrageous than just that...

Details here.

Thanksgiving shopping creep

A survey finds most folks frown as as more retailers open their doors on the actual Thanksgiving holiday.

I will not participate in shopping on Turkey Day.

And for those big retailers who do open their doors Thanksgiving Day, I will make every attempt to avoid purchases at those stores on the other days leading up to Christmas as well.

Common Core question

If even leftist Massachusetts sees the dangers of Common Core, what excuses to more conservative states have for rushing in?

"Where has all the gold gone?"

While the west has been selling, the east has been buying.

Crazy Democrats...

They want you to serve their Obamacare turkey with your holiday meals.

It's not a spoof....

This is the current cover of The Economist magazine.

But for the record, I liked  this previous one better.

And to think The Economist once touted Obama with Great Expctations

Meanwhile, up in New York...

An interesting collection of wanna-be advisers gathered to dispense advice for the incoming mayor in NYC. The New York Post notes:

A group of 50 ex-cons, junkies and chronic vagrants gathered at a Manhattan “Think Tank” Thursday to describe what they thought the NYPD should be doing to make their lives easier.

Are New Yorkers beginning to have doubts about electing a former Sandinista sympathizer as their next mayor?

If not, why not?

A "knock-out" observation

The "knock-out game" seems to be thriving in cities where gun control has disarmed citizens.

Listen to Harry Reid in 2008

Asked by Tom Daschle in 2008 if he'd every resort to a "nuclear option," Reid responds...

"As long as I am the leader, the answer is no."

Reid sounds pretty adamant about his position.

"I really do believe it will ruin our country."



Another promise breaker in the Democrat ranks. But that's kind of how they operate.

Like I said earlier, the path the Democrats now pursue appears to be an intentional one.

Nuclear

From Chris Muir's Day by Day Cartoon:

The filibuster: Then and now

"The Founding Fathers established filibuster as means of protecting minority from the tyranny of the majority." – Barack Obama, 2005

Today, Harry Reid and Democrats in the Senate gutted the filibuster.

I assume this means the Democrats are intentionally moving us toward tyranny.

Member of Congress mugged

Based on media accounts, it sounds like the robbery of Rep Grace Meng (D-NY) involved tactics associated with what some call the "knockout game."

The Washington Post describes the congresswoman's injuries:

Responding police officers found Meng disoriented at 2nd St. and Independence Avenue SE with bruising and swelling to the back of the left side of her head, and injuries to her left knee, hand and face. Meng was not able to remember where she was robbed or describe her assailant or assailants, according to a D.C. police report. 

All Meng could tell police was that she had dinner on 8th Street SE and her black Gucci tote bag was stolen during the attack. Medics evaluated her at the scene then took Meng to George Washington University hospital. The report described her injuries as abrasion, swelling, bruises and unconsciousness.

The Hill describes the attack like this:

An attacker knocked Meng to the ground with a hit to the head while she was walking back to her apartment after eating dinner. The attacker took her bag and ran away near 6th St. and Pennsylvania Ave — a little less than a mile from the Capitol building.

Other instances of knockout attacks have not involved robbery; just street punks trying to take their victims by surprise, and knocking them out with one blow.  CBS in Philly reports at least three knockout attacks have taken place in in that city recently. Other cities are also reporting similar attacks.

Hank Johnson is trying to earn a gun-grabber gold star

Congressman Hank "Guam Tipper" Johnson wants you disarmed before you can pickup or drop someone off at an airport.

David Codrea has more at National Gun Rights Examiner.

More GOP braggin' on immigration reform

Guys like these, and their quiet alliances with progressives, are why conservatives are fed up with the GOP.

From BuzzFeed Politics:

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Monday night he thinks the House will pass immigration reform next year, calling Speaker John Boehner “totally committed” to the effort.

Twisted thinking

Family outraged that their armed robber relative was shot committing an armed robbery.

Consent

"The time for accommodating is over. The system is rigged, confiscatory and self-serving. It no longer defends or even respects our rightful domains, it invades and diminishes them. Legitimate constitutional governance doesn't meter out its consent to obedient subjects, it earns consent from a free people. And consent can be withdrawn or it isn't consent. It's time to demand full compliance with constitutional governance. We either believe this or we don't." - Ol' Remus at the Woodpile Report

So many lies... Is Obama's claim on the presidency still legitimate?

It appears the employment report just prior to the 2012 election was manipulated to favor the president's reelection.

The New York Post reports:

In the home stretch of the 2012 presidential campaign, from August to September, the unemployment rate fell sharply — raising eyebrows from Wall Street to Washington. 

The decline — from 8.1 percent in August to 7.8 percent in September — might not have been all it seemed. The numbers, according to a reliable source, were manipulated. 

And the Census Bureau, which does the unemployment survey, knew it.

The you can keep it lie of Obamacare, the lie that the Benghazi attack was caused by an Internet video, and now word of a cooked jobs report.  All played well with trusting sheeple going into November 2012.

How many other lies were cooked in to secure Mr. Obama's reelection?

If Obama's administration manipulated data and deliberately lied to win his reelection, is his claim on the presidency still morally or legally legitimate?

At the very least, Mr. Obama needs to be held accountable for the fraud that's targeted the American electorate. Impeachment seems more in order than ever.

Update: Don and I will tackle the topic Friday morning.

Land of the raided, home of the intimitdated

Some strange stuff being reported in Wisconsin.

Making airports more like prisons. That's progressive

It seems the security obsessed folks who've seized control of America's transportation hubs are at it again.

CNY Central recently reported new 'exit portals' have been installed at the airport in Syracuse, and may soon appear at other airports around the country:

A robotic voice gives instructions to enter the portal and wait for the doors to close behind you. A few seconds later the outer door opens. The new exits are part of the airport's $60 million dollar renovation. 

The portals are one way. If anyone tries to get back into the secure area, the door automatically locks.  

"We need to be vigilant and maintain high security protocol at all times. These portals were designed and approved by TSA which is important," said Syracuse Airport Commissioner Christina Callahan. 

But once these nifty security portals are installed... how do large numbers of people exit quickly if there's a fire or terrorist attack? And, let me ask, do these portals block entrance by police, paramedics or fire fighters who might normally be faster in responding if an exit worked both ways?

M-o-o-o-v-e along people. If you can. Today, more than ever, you're being herded, and penned, like sheep or cattle.

Conspiracy of silence

Gillibrand: ‘We All Knew’ Obama’s Promise Wasn’t True



Not only did President Obama lie to the country about Obamacare, but the entire Democratic Party knew it was a lie, and its members held to a code of silence to keep as many people as possible from knowing the truth.

They can now emote excuses on TV all they want. It doesn't change what they've done.

Oprah's twisted world view

Last week, Oprah Winfrey babbled to the BBC about what she sees as a whole crop of old white racists in the U.S.:

“There are still generations of people, older people, who were born and bred and marinated in it — in that prejudice and racism — and they just have to die!” 

Over the weekend, same Oprah was shown on her OWN channel (the Oprah Winfrey Network cable channel) sharing laughs with Al Sharpton, as she catered to embellishing his status as social icon.

The progressives are a strangely intolerant and hypocritical sect.

I've read Winfrey's net worth is around $2.9 billion.

Is she complaining that America's "racism" held her back?

Seen the latest from SNL?

Oh my. SNL not only spoofs Obama as a Paxil popping preezy, it even notes the depressed state of Republicans who choose to war with the Tea Party

Welcome to New York City, Sandinista style

“Everything you heard about me is true. . . I am not a free-marketeer. . . I believe in the heavy hand of government,” Bill de Blasio, now mayor-elect in New York City

Read more at the New York Post.

Games in DC

Progressive Democrats play a mean game of Chess.

Moderate Republicans seem to have trouble understanding Checkers.

If you like your Constitution, you can keep... Or maybe not...

The Bill of Rights

Another progressive law professor proposes a constitutional rewrite that would do away with the Second
Amendment.

Texas A&M University Law Professor Mary Margaret Penrose spoke at an academic panel session in Connecticut:

I think I’m in agreement with you and, unfortunately, drastic times require drastic measures,” Penrose said. “. . . I think the Second Amendment is misunderstood and I think it’s time today, in our drastic measures, to repeal and replace that Second Amendment.”

Another meddling academic who thinks she's smarter than the founders. Or is it just that she thinks Americans are dumb enough to fall for progressive trickery?

Open disparagement of the Constitution, not just the Second Amendment, seems to be increasingly popular in progressive academic circles (Previous posts here and here).

Even our kids are being subjected to the message of a constitutional rewrite in Common Core public school classes. One school system in Arkansas got caught red handed with an assignment that challenged sixth graders to cut two amendments from the Bill of Rights.

Monetary madness

Read it and weep. 

Update: Others see it too.

Congressional Dems revive gun control push...

Or at least that's their claim.

PJ Media notes:

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) has been tasked with gathering co-sponsors in the House while Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been whipping his colleagues in the upper chamber to revive gun-control legislation.

Serious effort, or merely an attempt at distraction from Obamacare?

In light of Obmacare, who in America would be foolish enough to trust these political hacks?

EPA picks its next war...

Are you ready?

A war on fire hydrants.

These Obama bureaucrats are freakin' nutz.

Constitutional Crisis

The president on Thursday moved into very dangerous territory.

This guy from Nebraska sums it up well.



Members of Congress take an oath to uphold the Constitution. They damn well better not betray that oath in favor of yet another round of appeasement.

An industry that defies a sluggish economy...

Of course, it's the gun industry.

Sturm, Ruger & Co. has a backlog of 2 million guns on order – a fact that’s “absolutely ridiculous,” “pretty silly” and “kind of crazy,” said CEO Michael Fifer at an earnings calls last week.

Article also notes Ruger turned out its first gun today from a new facility recently built in North Carolina.

They have no shame... and darker days are likely ahead because of it

Don and I tackle the compound failings of the Obama administration's central planning on today's show.

It goes way beyond Obamacare, and when all the failing reforms and experimentation are lumped together for an overall assessment, it makes for one ugly stew.

Listen to the archived November 15th show from start to finish here.

Report: Police let TSA agent "bleed out" at LAX

This is disturbing.

A report from the AP says that wounded TSA agent who later died after being shot at Los Angeles International Airport was left laying on the ground bleeding for more than 30 minutes. Medical help was staged just 150 yards away.

Cops refused to give okay for treatment or evacuation until they were satisfied things were secure.

This is how today's law enforcement "keeps us safe"?

If this is how modern law enforcement treats their own - don't count on 'em putting much on the line to save you or yours.

As political instability increases...

An ad from Christmas past

Will we see another run on guns and ammo?

If you plan on giving ammo, guns or gun accessories for Christmas, you might do well to do your buying now (if you can find the specific items you want).

I'm not saying we'll see another run on guns and ammo. But politically, things are starting to look a tad unstable.

Maybe enough folks have stocked ahead after the last couple of crises, and now think they're holding enough to weather another retail shortage or political storm. So maybe we won't see crushing new demand this time.

But, at the same time, I'm not ready to preclude another consumer surge may be waiting in the wings in the near future.

Okay, the cracks are showing... but what's next?

Political columnist Peggy Noonan pens a few lines at the Wall Street Journal:

What a fall, and how richly deserved. The administration didn't care enough to make sure the people of their country were protected. In the middle of a second Age of Anxiety they decided to make Americans more anxious. The next few weeks and months they'll continue to see the people's mighty wrath.

But true to her usual form, I suspect Peggy's not seeing the full picture...

 People are wondering if we are seeing the end of liberalism. We are not. Liberalism, a great and storied American political tradition, will survive this. But progressivism—liberalism without blood—has been badly, deeply damaged.

Poor Peggy. She seems to think politics as usual can still save us.

I don't think she understands how deeply progressives have damaged things. And I think she way underestimates how hard they'll fight to cling to, even try to expand, their now fleeting power and influence.

I'm not saying the progressives will prevail. But I am saying they can still inflict far more additional damage on the nation than most politics as usual people realize.

More coal plants dying... Perhaps America too...

The Tennessee Valley Authority puts eight more coal fired electrical generation plants on the chopping block, citing pressure from environmental regulators and big drops in energy demand.

The Washington Post reports:

“We find ourselves at a time when we don’t need as much capacity as we have,” (TVA President Bill) Johnson said. “There has been a significant reduction in demand over four or five years, and we don’t see robust demand in the future.” Moreover, the TVA president said, “with all these coal plants we had to make a decision about how much we would have to invest” to keep them open.

The warnings of an American economic collapse continue. Industries are shutting down, and those in surviving industries, like electric utilities, don't see business coming back any time soon.

If we ever get back to the point where businesses want to expand or resume, will there be enough power to let them?

I've noted Obama's war on coal and our power grid before. Here's somewhat of an index to the posts.

America is being disassembled right before our eyes. But the destruction is being done quietly, out of sight for most folks. That's kind of how Obamacare was being handled until a few short weeks ago.

This image still bothers me...

The White House poster recently noting Veterans Day weekend... It bugs me...

From the White House Facebook page

Maybe what disturbs me is how it compares with other historical images.

"Triumph of  the Will" 1935

"Triumph of  the Will" 1935

Obama's fundamentally changing America may be presented in a slick, colorful format. But for those of us who take time to contrast it with black and white warnings of history, we see plenty causing us to feel more than a little uneasy.

Update: For those doubting the authenticity of the Obama poster, here's a second link. This one takes you to the post on the official, verified White House Twitter account.

The "Knockout Game"

To keep yourself safe, you must understand the growing savagery that's out there.

If you like your food, you can keep it

Or maybe not.

Daniel Greenfield notes:

Obama’s FDA is considering a ban on trans fat in foods. Like incandescent bulbs and cheap free market health insurance, margarine may become one of those things that you can no longer buy anymore. 

It will also mean that many other foods will either be banned, become more expensive or taste worse.

You'd think after Obamacare, the progressives would slow things down a bit.

On the contrary, if they see windows closing, they may double down on their bureaucratic efforts to instill as much more fundamental transformation as they can.

Something seems amiss here

Remember when Veterans Day was a time for honoring those who served in America's military?

Looks to me, based on the image here, troops are now expected to gush with adoration for Dear Leader.

The image was lifted from the official White House page on Facebook.

Codevilla on Obama's Obamacare lies

"Even more significant is his contention that he never said what he said, and that what he said was true anyhow. In interpersonal relations, such a contention is an insult that makes civility impossible; because to continue to treat with someone who makes such affronts is self-degradation of which few are capable. In political life, such an insult is a declaration of war." - Angelo Codeville, writing at Library of Law and Liberty

Disgustingly sexist Obamacare ads

Yeah, give a girl free birth control pills - and she'll be ready anytime the urge strikes.

Seems to be the message behind some Obamacare marketing.

Obamacare may dish out "free" birth control pills. But what's the deductible to treat resulting STDs?

Totin' guns at political events... Who started it, anyway?

Well, huh. Those Texans don't look nearly so scary when you look 'em in the eye.

As seen at Facebook/Open Carry Texas

How come it bothers the anti-gun folks when pro-gun folks peacefully bring guns to demonstrations?

Anti-gun folks use guns as props too.

Dianne Feinstein pulls all kinds of strings to get "scary guns" for her DC press events - even though DC law forbids such guns in the district.

Doh! She's the one breaking (or, at best, stretching) the law, not the Texans shown above!

Watch that trigger finger Dianne, you may not know enough about an AK to know if it's loaded or not.

Souring on elections

Ol' Remus sounds like he's had enough:

Voting hasn't worked for a very long time and it doesn't work now. Unless the serial treachery of the last hundred-plus years is undone, it isn't going to work in the future.

Going Galt?

Whether by choice or not, more Americans are dropping out of the labor force.

Chicken from China

As if tainted pet treats imported from China haven't killed enough...

Obama's USDA wants to open the door for China's chickens... for human consumption in the USA...

Even ol' Chuckie Schumer's fumin' about this one.

From CBS New York:

This has never happened before, and it is a bad idea, Schumer argued. 

“China has a terrible record on health safety, and chickens are one of the things that need the most care and inspections,” he said. 

Schumer called the plan a huge change in policy, and a big mistake.

But... government inspections will make sure all is okay, right?

Who'd have thought the Obama team was cooking up an assault on the American poultry industry?

Until now, perhaps only the "paranoid" who ascribe to "theories" like Cloward Piven.

"Let's Move" digs into food stamp bottom line

C'mon poor folk, you can skip a meal to make Michelle O feel important, right?

The New York Post notes:

Some 76 million meals a year will vanish from this city — poof! — partly because the president diverted money from SNAP to the first lady’s signature program, part of her Let’s Move anti-obesity initiative — the bean-sprout-heavy, $4.5 billion Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

Next time you hear a Democrat accuse Republicans of wanting kids to go hungry, remind them that Obama skimmed cash off the top of SNAP (food stamps) so that Michelle O would have cash for her pet image and publicity games.

For those who insist the GOP can't win with "Tea Party" types..

Maybe they should review some history.

The GOP elites and middle roaders insisted that Reagan could not win in 1980.

Former President Gerald Ford was among Reagan's harshest critics:

It would be an impossible situation," Ford said of a Reagan nomination. He said the former California governor is "perceived as a most conservative Republican. A most conservative Republican an't win in a national election."

Sounds a lot like today's GOPer elites as they attempt to dismiss and revile conservatives like Ted Cruz.

Ponder this...

"DC is a relic from a fading era, an expensive museum that serves itself first and best. It doesn't believe it's extremist or largely illegitimate, or that it's even seen as such, or that most of what it does is destructive to the lives of ordinary people. When reality defeats its daydreams, DC would have us believe reality failed." - Ol' Remus at the Woodpile Report

Typical Leftist

Chain smoking anti-gun congresswoman refuses to take responsibility for her now diagnosed lung cancer. A class action lawsuit filed on her behalf seeks to blame asbestos related companies.

"Gaslighting" the American people

"We’re all living out the movie Gaslight, with Obama as the dangerously manipulative, dishonest Charles Boyer character, and the American public as the hapless, helpless Ingrid Bergman character, whom Boyer is trying to drive mad so that he can take her wealth." - Bookworm Room blog

Oh, the drama of the Obama White House...

Seriously. There are issues to be dealt with.

But the Obamas only seem interested in delivering distractions and drama.

How bad are Obama's poll numbers?

Apparently bad enough for the White House to finally see a need to resume public tours.

Here's a line from Ian Flemming worth remembering

"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times, it's enemy action." - Goldfinger

Remind you of anyone else?

America's fairy taile may not end with "happily ever after"

"Our vaunted economic-growth engine has been replaced by a risky scheme of unsustainable debt that is poised to come crashing down. When the chariot turns into a pumpkin and the noble stallions become mice, it will be too late. " - Erika Nolan at The Sovereign Investor

Common Core indoctrination

Public schools transition to outright political indoctrinatin camps.

Here's an example of an English course (aka Language Arts in many schools) worksheet under the new Common Core curriculum.

The message here is targeted toward fifth graders. But Fox News notes:

The job of making sure laws are fair is not the president's, but the judicial branch's. The executive branch's duty is to administer laws. And the example that places the well-being of the nation above the "wants of an individual" appears to run counter to the basic principles of the Bill of Rights.

Fox News notes the worksheet actually pre-dates Common Core. Parents are obviously not paying attention to what their kids are being taught in government schools. I suspect many a parent is already are so dumbed down, they don't have a clue there's anything wrong with what their kids are being taught.

Understanding basic radio communications

Many a prepper site extols the virtues of amateur radio. Other sites frequently link to pages about surplus communications gear and such.

But how many people long immersed in the take communications for granted Internet age lack a basic knowledge of radio and radio electronics?

For those wanting a basic primer, the Boy Scout's radio merit badge curriculum looks to me like a good place to start:

Module One    Module Two    Module Three

For those without any radio background, these easy to understand Boy Scout pamphlets provide some basic grounding as a prelude to immersion in a ham radio license prep study guide.

Cargo Cult America and the nation's decline

As America becomes more complex, fewer Americans understand how things really work. Too much is taken for granted. Too much is taken on faith.

In government, decisions now seem based more on speculation if not superstition rather than grounded reality. But this worrisome trend isn't confined to government alone.

Societal and economic decay, even collapse may well be logical results of the course being plotted.

Join Don and Doug at 1:00 pm EST on Friday, November 8th, as we connect some dots and explore our increasingly "cargo cult" America.

Click here to link to the program site.

America's got problems...

The White House assures us it's working to fix things.

But at this point, does anyone take the Obama White House seriously?

First Lady Michelle Obama joins students for a Bollywood Dance Clinic in the
State Dining Room of the White House, Nov. 5, 2013.
(Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Goofy photos are no substitute for good governance.

America in transition

From Chris Muir's Day By Day Cartoon:

Probably not what most anticipated when promises of "fundamental change" tickled their ears...

"The American iron curtain is still made out of paper, but in time it will be made out of cement and iron. Tyrannies begin with paper, but end with metal. The state begins by imposing bureaucracy on a free people and ends by imposing tyranny on them. When they will not obey the paper, it resorts to steel, iron and lead." - Daniel Greenfield at Sultan Knish 

Are you now a dissident?

If not, why not?

"dissident n. a person who opposes official policy, esp. that of an authoritarian state."

Treated like a criminal after serving her country, exercising her rights...

Serving your country in the military used to be something admired in the community.

And you'd think passing a background check to get a gun carry permit would show good character or, at the very least, a clean criminal record...

Not so anymore says the mom of a student in a Richmond County, Georgia school.

Parent and former school volunteer Tanya Mount says she was given a trespass warning - and told not to return to the campus:

She asked what she did wrong. "The principal is scared of you and she doesn't want you on the grounds. I ask for what? And he asks were you in the Army and I said yes. He's like do you have a concealed weapons permit? I said yes," says Mount.

In preparing its report, WRDW TV was told the principal of the school was unavailable for comment.

Gay wedding at West Point

You may have read where two West Point grads were married at the military academy's chapel over the weekend.

If you want the details, you can find them here.

The left will see this as a sign of progressive change. But I see some other points hiding in the story.

Consider that you have two gay West Point grads. One immediately bolts from the service after doing a minimum of four years active duty. The other, we don't know exactly how long he stayed. But not much longer.

The fact they bolted even as the Obama adminsitration seeks to mainstream guys like them, and seeks to advance them in the ranks, may be an anecdotal warning sign the administrations plan is already in trouble.

The supposed cream of the crop who are anointed to be the big winners under the administration's plan are perhaps fleeing a questionable military remake even faster than core traditional folk (political conservatives, practicing evangelical Christians or Catholics) who are now reportedly being targeted with varying degrees of harassment.

CQ, CQ...

Did something over the weekend I really wanted to do since I was a kid, but never got around to it.

I took and passed the entry level test for an amateur radio license.

Morse code proficiency is no longer required. I was able to brush up on my basic radio knowledge and pick up what else I needed to know with just a few hours of study last week.

For those interested in amateur radio but have never taken the plunge, I highly recommend the Technician Class study guide available at KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog. I used the free PDF version, but followed up with a PayPal donation to the site after passing the test.

The Obamacare con

Daniel Greenfield writes at Sultan Knish:

When someone promises you more of a finite quantity of something without having to give anything up, you know you’re being conned. But the left has done such a fine job of teaching people that liberal greed is good that their victims are no longer even able to recognize their base emotions as greed. They associate being conned with high moral values. When someone offers them stolen property, they feel that they’re being good people by accepting.

He goes on to say:

Liberal greed, like all greed, blinds people to their own character flaws, it encourages them to think that they can steal from someone else and get away with it when they’re really stealing from themselves.

Of course, Obamacare's just one of big government's cons. The progressive remake of America keeps advancing in numerous areas - thanks largely to eager participation by gullible Americans who are cheerfully plodding the path to their own demise.

Sometimes less is more

Compare the tactics here to the heavily armored spray and pray law enforcement tactics of today.

Obama to skip Gettysburg anniversary

The president who relished in being compared to Abe Lincoln prior to his election and during his first term has now chosen to skip observances surrounding the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg address.

The Washington Times notes:

A journalist at Harrisburg’s Patriot News said Mr. Obama doesn’t have “the stones” to attend; York’s Daily Record newspaper called the decision “unacceptable” and said “Mr. Obama’s retreat from Gettysburg will linger long and bitter.”

As Obama's popularity seems to be waning,  it strikes me the White House may now be more wary of events and venues where it can't control who gets picked for his audience.

On a more cynical note, based on Obama's continued reliance on divisive rhetoric and agenda, it might also be said Mr. Obama may prefer to keep stoking the fires of his own civil war rather than be seen as attaching himself to Mr. Lincoln's call for national reunification during the last one.

Audience at Gettysburg Address, 1863 / Library of Congress

Meddling Jesse Jackson comes to Atlanta

The Left continues its push to muddy the waters on your right to self defense.

Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mom, appeared before a senate committee in DC earlier this week.

Today, Jesse Jackson will denounce Georgia's Stand Your Ground law in Atlanta.

Hit this link and check out the AP story. Notice anything funky?

The AP says:

A jury exonerated George Zimmerman for shooting Martin. The case involved a Florida law that allows someone to use deadly force if they can reasonably conclude they are in physical danger.

Stand Your Ground was not invoked in the Zimmerman case.

You'd think the Associated Press would know that.

Obama era blunders

Today's topic on the Don and Doug program.