Wednesday Hero Blogburst 9-29-2010

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Lt. Schneider

Cpl. Brian Downard


Brian Downard was 23 years old, a father, a country music fan, and a corporal of Marines. He joined the Marine Corps in July of 2005, and would do two deployments to two different scenic locales. The first was to Iraq, where he served from November of ’06 to April of the following year. While in Iraq, Brian suffered a concussion from an IED strike while patrolling. Undeterred, Brian stayed in the Marines and deployed to Burma in 2008 when Marines and sailors with the Essex Amphibious Readiness Group provided humanitarian assistance operations to aid the cyclone-stricken country. He would eventually leave the service just last July, after four honorable years of service.

One month after separation, he discovered that he had testicular cancer, and a very aggressive strain at that. The cancer spread quickly to his muscles and fatty tissues, and Brian suffered so greatly with the pain that they put him on morphine. He was released from the VA to enjoy his last days with the love from his mom and his 7-year-old son Jesse.

You can read the rest of Cpl. Downard's story here.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Don't Think There Can Be Any Question...

Who the pro-business candidate for MN 15-A House. Representative Steve Gottwalt just recently received the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).

Representative Steve Gottwalt Earns Guardian of Small Business Award

St Paul, MN, September 21^st, 2010- The state’s largest business group in terms of entities, the National Federation of Independent Business is pleased to announce that Representative Steve Gottwalt of St. Cloud has earned the Guardian of Small Business Award for the 2009-10 session. “Representative Gottwalt is a strong supporter of small business at the Capitol and we really appreciate that” said Mike Hickey, State Director of NFIB/MN.

Rep. Gottwalt understands the vital role small businesses play in our state’s economy and realizes how many jobs are created by small business each year. He made many votes in support of small business including voting against a large tax increase several times in our already high tax state, supported legislation to expand the Small Employer Flexible Benefit Plan Law to more small businesses and importantly individuals, and opposed a measure to raise the cost of Health Savings Account plans to mention a few. Representative Gottwalt made many other votes in support of small business and he is a real friend. We are happy to announce that he has earned the Guardian of Small Business Award

Way to go, Steve~!

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 9-22-2010

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Mike Golch


Lt. Ronald Markiewicz


The year is 1971. A Lieutenant in the United States Army by the name of Ronald Markiewicz is serving near the Laotian border. He is a helicopter pilot. In March of that year he is sent out to fly two missions. The first one was to resupply a group of Vietnamese Marines and pick up wounded service members. The second mission was to allow troops to recover the crew of a downed helicopter. One both occasions he faces anti-aircraft fire and is wounded each time.

Fast forward to 2010 and Lt. Ronald Markiewicz finally received the Silver Star and a Distinguished Flying Cross. The awards he earned 39 years ago.

All Information Was Found On And Copied From ArmyTimes.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Memo to John Hinderaker

Castle lost. O'Donnell has won. Get over it. Despite your elitist leanings, an ordinary citizen with the right ideas and principles CAN not only win, but no doubt govern a hell of a lot better than the current crop of monkeys we have in Congress, Mike Castle, included.

So what if she 'dabbled' in witchcraft over a decade ago. We have a full-time witch holding the gavel in the House of Representatives right now.

So instead of crying in the sandbox and threatening to take away all the toys, instead of trying to satisfy your insatiable desire to say, "told you so," at any cost, get behind and support the candidate who will advance the conservative cause.

Read this, and grow up.

That is all.

Sign Her Up...

Run her against Nancy Pelosi... at least she makes more sense.

Hypocrisy: Thy Name is Barack Hussein Obama

In his weekly radio address propaganda diatribe, the President of the United States and Hypocrite in Chief Barack Hussein Obama pointed his bony finger of hypocritical indignation at the Republican Party regarding the First Amendment Death Knell Campaign Finance bill now stalled in the U.S Senate.

In his address, Obama whines:

Now, the special interests want to take Congress back, and return to the days when lobbyists wrote the laws. And a partisan minority in Congress is hoping their defense of these special interests and the status quo will be rewarded with a flood of negative ads against their opponents. It’s a power grab, pure and simple. They’re hoping they can ride this wave of unchecked influence all the way to victory.

What is clear is that Congress has a responsibility to act. But the truth is, any law will come too late to prevent the damage that has already been done this election season. That is why, any time you see an attack ad by one of these shadowy groups, you should ask yourself, who is paying for this ad? Is it the health insurance lobby? The oil industry? The credit card companies?

Conspicuously missing from the oh-so-pure-as-the-wind-driven-snow President's laundry list of bogeymen are his own merry band of corruptive contributors.

SEIU, anyone? George Soros, anyone?

Excuse me, Barack- do you have any modicum of intellectual honesty and/or decency in any sector of your corrupt psyche? Must every word that comes out of your mouth be one of prevarication and blatant hypocrisy?

But then again, how could a sorry sot like yourself have gotten elected in the first place.

My bad-I should have surmised.

Sorry to interrupt, Mr. President.

Please carry on with your golf game.

Barack Obama in Hell...

From an email:

One day in the future, Barack Obama has a heart-attack and dies.
He immediately goes to hell, where the devil is waiting for him.
"I don't know what to do here," says the devil. "You are on my list, but I have no room for you. You definitely have to stay here, so I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I've got a couple of folks here who weren't quite as bad as you. I'll let one of them go, but you have to take their place. I'll even let YOU decide who leaves."

Obama thought that sounded pretty good, so the devil opened the door to the first room.

In it was Ted Kennedy and a large pool of water. Ted kept diving in, and surfacing, empty handed. Over, and over, and over he dived in and surfaced with nothing. Such was his fate in hell.

"No," Obama said. "I don't think so. I'm not a good swimmer, and I don't think I could do that all day long."

The devil led him to the door of the next room.

In it was Al Gore with a sledgehammer and a room full of rocks. All he did was swing that hammer, time after time after time.

"No, this is no good; I've got this problem with my shoulder. I would be in constant agony if all I could do was break rocks all day," commented Obama.

The devil opened a third door. Through it, Obama saw Bill Clinton , lying on the bed, his arms tied over his head, and his legs restrained in a spread-eagle pose. Bent over him was Monica Lewinsky, doing what she does best.

Obama looked at this in shocked disbelief, and finally said, "Yeah man, I can handle this."

The devil smiled and said .. . . . .


(This is priceless...)



"OK, Monica, you're free to go."

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 9-15-2010

Pvt. Daren A. Smith
19 years old from Helena, Montana
3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry)
December 13, 2007


Pvt. Daren A. Smith was born in Butte, Montana and lived there until he reached middle school, when he moved to Helena. He graduated from Helena High School in 2006 and completed a semester at the University of Montana-Helena College of Technology. He joined the United States Army in March of 2007 and was deployed to Iraq on November of that year.

Pvt. Daren A. Smith died on December 13, 2007 of non-combat related injuries. His funeral was held on a cold 20-degree Winter's day but that didn't stop hundreds of mourners from his hometown lining the streets to honor him.

"He was the kind of guy who would do anything for you," said a friend of Pvt. Smith. "He was just a great guy."

All Information Was Found On And Copied From MilitaryCity.com

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Strange Days, Indeed...I Guess You Can Fight City Hall, After All.

Who would have known that a 30 second soundbite of a February 19, 2009 broadcast, on of all places, MSNBC, could have so changed the political landscape:



This election cycle is by far the strangest in my 50 years on this earth. I've seen a lot of infighting among different factions in the democrat party before, but never in my lifetime (well, at least since the election of Ronald Reagan) have I seen such infighting among Republicans.

Don’t get me wrong. Since Bush 41 infamously broke his “Read My Lips” pledge, movement conservatives have had plenty of beefs with the establishment of the GOP. But with seemingly no where else to go, and assuaged by the constant assurances by the establishment that their concerns would eventually be addressed (but that they just had to veer to the left in order to get elected by ‘independents’), movement conservatives patiently waited election cycle after election cycle while their agenda was perpetually back-burnered by the increasingly arrogant and increasingly statist Old Guard of the Republican Party. Movement conservatives, the driving force behind the landslide elections of 1994 when Republicans took over the majority, and again in 2002, when Republicans added to their majorities in the mid-term elections (a feat rarely witnessed in the annals of U.S. History), were constantly taken for granted as RINOs like John McCain, Lincoln Chaffee, Mike Castle and Susan Collins constantly ‘reached across the aisle’ (read: capitulated); resulting in increasing government intrusions, and the rendering of the size of government to behemoth status.

Then along came 2006, with both houses reverting to democrat control, culminating into the mother of all wakeup calls- the election of Barack Hussein Obama in 2008.

But then came Santelli.

Suddenly, it wasn’t just your traditional conservative activists who were screaming that the sky was falling. More and more ‘Joe Sixpack’ Americans were opening their eyes and recognizing the multi-trillion dollar rhinoceros of unsustainable debt that was precariously perched upon their dining room tables, waiting to eat themselves and their progeny alive.

Curiously, Folks like Ron Paul and Sarah Palin weren’t looking so much like whacked out extreme nutjob outsiders anymore.

More and more people (especially college-aged kids) were tuning in to the Constitutionalist message and turning out en masse at their local caucuses and political gatherings. The organization demonstrated by the Ron Paul factions at these functions was nothing less than stunning, and something that the Republican establishment were ill-equipped and ill-prepared to deal.

From Searchlight Nevada, to Dover, Delaware, to the Jersey shore, to Boston Massachusetts, to Washington D.C., gathering after gathering of people who previously were content to merely sit on their couches and gripe were now an active force to be reckoned with, and have made it clear that they shall NOT be ignored. No longer will blind trust be extended such that just because there’s an R next to an elected official’s name, that that official will necessarily be a worthy steward of their precious liberties. Going one step further on the old Reagan ‘Trust, but verify“ policy during the glastnost and perestroika days of the Cold War, to Tea Party activists, with respect to their elected officials, the catch phrase has necessarily become “To hell with trust; we want verification.”

What we’re witnessing today, despite the screaming and gnashing of teeth of the Establishment is yet another revolution; here to date unlike any other seen. Unlike the Reagan revolution, this movement is not led by a central figure. Unlike the Republican Revolution of 1994, this revolution is not led by a small coterie of a party establishment; rather, this revolution has as its focal point a general awakening; a collective, bottom-up realization that the liberties we have enjoyed for the past two and a half centuries as Americans are unbelievably fragile; and must be defended not only from enemies who wish to destroy them from without, but also from those who wish to destroy them from within, up to and including Republicans themselves.

In every sense of the word, we are now entering uncharted waters; a very real brave, new world, the likes of which have not been navigated since the dawning of the American Revolution. For far too long Americans have slumbered and/or stewed in the notion that “You can’t fight city hall.” But if the election of Barack Hussein Obama and the ensuing events that have taken place even into this very evening have taught us anything, it is that ordinary Americans can not only fight City Hall, they can win.

Separated at Birth?

George Soros and Simon Bar Sinister (from Underdog)

Regarding the Koran insanity (Part II)

It appears now that the good pastor has called off "International Burn a Koran Day" (at least for now).

This is welcome news. Sacred symbols of religions ought not be desecrated.

I just hope Obama and the rest of the world are as indignant the next time a loser artist wants to place a crucifix in a jar of urine; or the next time another idiot wants to smear a painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary with elephant dung.

But since Christians don't fly jetliners into buildings on purpose, nor blow themselves (and others) up in crowded market squares, that probably won't happen.

On second thought, maybe acts of wanton violence and savagery do pay.

Regarding the Koran insanity...

Just a few random thoughts regarding the big to-do being made regarding the Gainesville, FL idiot pastor of a church of 30 followers for (gasp-) burning a Koran.

My question is thus: Why?

I mean, what is the interest of the lamestream media in hyping this story? Are they hoping for a self-fulfilling prophecy, praying against hope for Islamic-initiated carnage resultant from the hype, providing fodder for the next news cycle?

Does this scenario sound vaguely familiar?

If nothing else, this kerfuffle has made it abundantly clear that in over two centuries of covering news, the Fourth Estate has yet to rise above its genetic tendency toward yellow journalism.

That being said, if any unrest arises from this non-event that does result in death or mayhem, it will ironically be those same lamebrains in the media who unnecessarily stirred the pot that will make excuses for those who practice the mayhem.

You see, the leftist media can't seem to bring itself to hold the same level of accountability toward Muslims with respect to inflicting pain, suffering and mayhem commensurate with their Western counterparts.

The fact that we don't hold the 'Arab Street' to the same moral standards of behavior nor assume ability for rational thought commensurate with the rest of humanity only enables their sub-human animalistic behavior.

So why does the leftist media not only attempt to stir up but actually appear to relish Islamic-inflicted mayhem?

Something tells me that it's about a little bit more than merely trying to stir up fodder for the next news cycle.

As a matter of fact, Jamie Glazov seems to provide the best answer.

To paraphrase an old Arabic/Chinese proverb, any enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Nuff said.

Welcome to the Idiocracy

If you've never seen the movie "Idiocracy" you should.

This movie envisions a future society void of intelligence due to the phenomenon that stupid people bred at twice the rate of intellectuals, effectively dumbing down society in the process.

Which brings me to this story:

Low-literacy adults to increase 25% by 2031: report

CBC News
The number of Canadian adults with low literacy levels will increase 25 per cent in the next two decades, creating a "literacy dilemma" if the problem isn't addressed immediately, a new report says.

By 2031, more than 15 million Canadian adults — three million more than today — will have low literacy levels, the Canadian Council on Learning says in the report released Wednesday.

"Unless some action is taken to reverse this trend, the literacy dilemma we are facing can translate into profound challenges for Canada's social well-being and economic prosperity," the council warned.

With low literacy skills, a person can deal "only with simple, clear material involving uncomplicated tasks," the council said.

Adults who meet the minimum threshold for understanding and using information from text, such as news stories, editorials, poems and fiction, are considered to have low literacy. They aren't considered illiterate. The number of Canadians considered illiterate is "actually very small," the report said, without being specific.

The report cited research showing adults with low literacy levels have more health problems, earn less and live shorter lives than other adults.

"In order to maintain a healthy population and to stay competitive in a global environment, Canada must address these issues today — not 20 years from now," the council said.

The number of adults with low literacy will rise in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, the council predicted in the report, titled the Future of Literacy in Canada's Largest Cities.

The rise will be greatest in Ottawa (80 per cent, to 500,000 adults), followed by Toronto and Vancouver (64 per cent, to nearly 3.2 million and 1.3 million, respectively), and Montreal (20 per cent, to more than 1.8 million.)

Although their numbers will increase, adults with low literacy will make up a smaller proportion of the population in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver, and a larger proportion in Montreal.

"These new numbers challenge the popular belief that the state of literacy in Canada will improve over time given Canada's growth in post-secondary graduates," said Dr. Paul Cappon, chief executive of the Canadian Council on Learning.

Driving the changes in literacy levels are two growing populations, the report found: low-literacy immigrants and senior citizens, who tend to experience "learning loss as they age."

The CCL, whose mission is "to be a catalyst for lifelong learning across Canada," did not offer specific solutions to the country's literacy levels.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/ca...s#ixzz0yy4HmLsC

While this is a story about Canada, the United States is going down the same path.

The insistence of feel-good-ism and self-esteem über alles will bear its ugly fruit in the not-too-distant future.

After all, the dumber the voter, the more likely they are to vote democrat.

Mark Dayton & Brick Tamland: Separated at Birth?

Minnesota Gubernatorial Candidate Mark Dayton, and Brick Tamland, from the movie Anchorman:





The similarities are positively eerie.

That is all.

Wednesday Hero Blogburst 9-8-2010

This Weeks Post Was Suggested By Mike


Pvt. Barney F. Hajiro
93 years old from Waipahu, Hawaii
442nd Regimental Combat Team


On September 16 Mr. Hajiro will turn 94 years old. His family immigrated from Japan during WWI and he had to drop out of school and work to help support his family. After Pearl Harbor was attacked he was drafted in the United States Army. In March 1943, he volunteered to join the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, composed of Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) like himself. He was shipped to Europe in 1944 first to Italy then to France where, over ten days in October, Pvt. Hajiro repeatedly distinguished himself in battle by exposing himself to enemy fire while assisting an allied attack. On October 29, 1944 Pvt. Hajiro single-handedly destroyed two German machine gun emplacements before being shot in the shoulder and wrist partially paralyzing his left arm. For his actions he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. In 1948 he was awarded the Military Medal by the British government, in 2000 was was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton and in 2004 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur by France. Barney F. Hajiro is the oldest living Medal Of Honor recipient.

From his Medal Of Honor Citation:

For The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Private Barney F. Hajiro, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty while serving with Company I, 3d Battalion, 442d Regimental Combat Team, attached to the 36th Infantry Division, in action against the enemy on 19, 22, and 29 October 1944, in the vicinity of Bruyeres and Biffontaine, eastern France. Private Hajiro, while acting as a sentry on top of an embankment on 19 October 1944, in the vicinity of Bruyeres, France, rendered assistance to allied troops attacking a house 200 yards away by exposing himself to enemy fire and directing fire at an enemy strong point. He assisted the unit on his right by firing his automatic rifle and killing or wounding two enemy snipers. On 22 October 1944, he and one comrade took up an outpost security position about 50 yards to the right front of their platoon, concealed themselves, and ambushed an 18-man, heavily armed, enemy patrol, killing two, wounding one, and taking the remainder as prisoners. On 29 October 1944, in a wooded area in the vicinity of Biffontaine, France, Private Hajiro initiated an attack up the slope of a hill referred to as "Suicide Hill" by running forward approximately 100 yards under fire. He then advanced ahead of his comrades about ten yards, drawing fire and spotting camouflaged machine gun nests. He fearlessly met fire with fire and single-handedly destroyed two machine gun nests and killed two enemy snipers. As a result of Private Hajiro's heroic actions, the attack was successful. Private Hajiro's extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit, and the United States Army.

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

The Lord's Prayer (From an email I received)

LORD'S PRAYER

Rather cleverly done.

This is in two parts, the prayer (in blue type)

and GOD (in red type) in response.

It is very, very good.

*********

Our Father Who Art In Heaven.

Yes?

Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.

But -- you called ME!

Called you?
No, I didn't call you.
I'm praying.
Our Father who art in Heaven.

There -- you did it again!

Did what?

Called ME.
You said,
"Our Father who art in Heaven"
Well, here I am..
What's on your mind?

But I didn't mean anything by it.
I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day.
I always say the Lord's Prayer.
It makes me feel good,
kind of like fulfilling a duty.
Well, all right.

Go on.

Okay, Hallowed be thy name .

Hold it right there.
What do you mean by that?

By what?

By "Hallowed be thy name"?

It means, it means . . good grief,
I don't know what it means.
How in the world should I know?
It's just a part of the prayer.
By the way, what does it mean?

It means honored, holy, wonderful.

Hey, that makes sense..
I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before.

Thanks.

Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.

Do you really mean that?

Sure, why not?

What are you doing about it?

Doing? Why, nothing, I guess.

I just think it would be kind of neat if you got

control,of everything down here like you have up

there..We're kinda in a mess down here you know.

Yes, I know;
but, have I got control of you?

Well, I go to church.

That isn't what I asked you.
What about your bad temper?
You've really got a problem there, you know.
And then there's the way you spend your money -- all on yourself.
And what about the kind of books you read ?

Now hold on just a minute!
Stop picking on me!
I'm just as good as some of the rest

of those people at church!

Excuse ME..
I thought you were praying
for my will to be done.
If that is to happen,
it will have to start with the ones
who are praying for it.
Like you -- for example ....

Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups.
Now that you mention it,
I could probably name some others.

So could I.

I haven't thought about it very much until now,
but I really would like to cut out some of those things.
I would like to, you know, be really free.

Good.
Now we're getting somewhere.

We'll work together -- You and ME.
I'm proud of You.

Look, Lord, if you don't mind,
I need to finish up here.
This is taking a lot longer than it usually does.
Give us this day, our daily bread.

You need to cut out the bread..
You're overweight as it is.

Hey, wait a minute! What is this?
Here I was doing my religious duty,
and all of a sudden you break in
and remind me of all my hang-ups.

Praying is a dangerous thing.
You just might get what you ask for.
Remember, you called ME -- and here I am.
It's too late to stop now.
Keep praying. ( pause ... . )
Well, go on.

I'm scared to.

Scared? Of what?

I know what you'll say.

Try ME.

Forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who sin against us.

What about Ann?

See? I knew it!
I knew you would bring her up!
Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories.
She never paid back the money she owes me.
I've sworn to get even with her!

But -- your prayer --
What about your prayer?

I didn't -- mean it...

Well, at least you're honest.
But, it's quite a load carrying around all that

bitterness and resentment isn't it?

Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her.
Boy, have I got some plans for her.
She'll wish she had never been born.

No, you won't feel any better.
You'll feel worse.
Revenge isn't sweet.
You know how unhappy you are --
Well, I can change that.

You can? How?

Forgive Ann.
Then, I'll forgive you;
And the hate and the sin,
will be Ann's problem -- not yours.
You will have settled the problem
as far as you are concerned.

Oh, you know, you're right.
You always are.
And more than I want revenge,
I want to be right with You . . (sigh).
All right, all right . ...
I forgive her.

There now!
Wonderful!
How do you feel?

Hmmmm. Well, not bad.
Not bad at all!
In fact, I feel pretty great!
You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight.
I haven't been getting much rest, you know.

Yeah, I know.
But, you're not through with your prayer, are you?

Go on.

Oh, all right.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Good! Good! I'll do that.
Just don't put yourself in a place
where you can be tempted.

What do you mean by that?

You know what I mean.

Yeah. I know.

Okay.
Go ahead. Finish your prayer..

For Thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever.
Amen.

Do you know what would bring me glory --
What would really make me happy?

No, but I'd like to know.
I want to please you now..
I've really made a mess of things.
I want to truly follow you..
I can see now how great that would be.
So, tell me . . .
How do I make you happy?

YOU just did.