Just a Man with his Thoughts

We have Moved

2011-08-21T20:23:00.000-07:00

This will be my last post on this site. I have moved over to Wordpress. This site will remain up so that those who seek to read any of my archived posts can do so. This will be the Griper's new home.

Here is How They Fish for the Big Ones in Alaska

2011-08-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

I've heard of salmon jumping into boats but . . Four were pulled from the icy waters of Stephens Passage, Alaska , by a group of locals on Tom Satre's 62-foot charter vessel. Four juvenile Sitka black- tailed deer swam directly toward the boat. Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the boat, looking directly at the humans on board. Clearly, the bucks were distressed. With

A School District That Considers the Recession as a God Send or An Example of Local Control Over Central Control?

2011-08-18T14:04:00.000-07:00

Here is an example of a "Can do" attitude on an individual level when the norm is a "Can't do" attitude on a collective level which only results in whining and complaining about the lack of government funds. I say no more. What say you?

Muslims Oppose Anti-Sharia Laws

2011-08-17T13:11:00.000-07:00

Dave Agema, a state lawmaker, wants Michigan to join the trend of states banning "foreign laws," but Muslim activists say the effort is a thinly veiled attack on Islam. Critics fear Sharia could supersede civil law and have an impact on divorce and child custody cases, and similar legislation has been introduced in 25 states. "Agema … is a reflection of a segment of the GOP that is openly

The Princess of Beauty

2011-08-15T00:38:00.000-07:00

Another Union Fight With Government Looming?

2011-08-12T03:18:00.000-07:00

The financially strapped U.S. Postal Service is considering cutting as many as 120,000 jobs. Facing a second year of losses totaling $8 billion or more, the agency also wants to pull its workers out of the retirement and health benefits plans covering federal workers and set up its own benefit systems. Congressional approval would be needed for either step, and both could be expected to face

MMMMM, Are We Born to be Certain Types of Persons?

2011-08-10T01:22:00.000-07:00

We accept that some people are born with a talent for music or art or athletics. But what about mathematics? Do some of us just arrive in the world with better math skills than others? It seems we do, at least according to the results of a study by a team of Johns Hopkins University psychologists. Led by Melissa Libertus, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Psychological and Brain

From Moses to Roosevelt to Obama

2011-08-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

Moses ‎5000 Years Ago, Moses Said To Israel, "Pick Up Your Shovels, Mount Your Asses And Camels, And I Will Lead You To The Promised Land." When Welfare Was Introduced, Roosevelt Said, "Lay Down Your Shovels, Sit On Your Asses, And Light Up A Camel, This Is The Promised Land." Today The Government Has Stolen Your Shovel, Taxed Your Asses, Raised The Price Of Camels And Mortgaged The Promised

A Lesson in Irresponsible Economic Policies or "There is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch"

2011-08-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Our Future? I have only two questions. 1. How long will it be before your town or State follows suit? 2. When will the people wake up and demand that our representatives in government act in a responsible manner by treating their constituents as adults who are capable of ruling their own lives as the founding fathers intended? Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the

Pretty Much Sums up Liberal Economic Philosophy. Any Questions?

2011-07-31T18:21:00.000-07:00

Then we might also add a demand to raise taxes in order to pay for the debt that was the result of putting this money into the economy. Yeah, that will work too. We stimulate the economy and balance the federal budget at the same time. Makes perfect liberal sense, doesn't it? h/t to Dcat over at "Razor Sharp Claws"

Psychology Doesn't Know as Much as It Thought It Did

2011-07-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

Therapy sometimes did more harm than good and people were more resilient than expected, experts say. Does make a person wonder just how many persons have been harmed by those so-called experts over the years that Psychologists thought they knew enough to apply their theories, doesn't it? And what does this imply about the discipline of Sociology? More Here

Here is a Good Reason to Celebrate the 4th. Right Wing, not Left Wing Politics are the Politics of the People

2011-07-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Click to d/l wallpaper Democratic political candidates can skip this weekend's July 4th parades. A new Harvard University study finds that July 4th parades energize only Republicans, turn kids into Republicans, and help to boost the GOP turnout of adults on Election Day. "Fourth of July celebrations in the United States shape the nation's political landscape by forming beliefs and

Need I say Anymore?

2011-06-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Beauty, A Celebration of Life

2011-06-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

Poverty, Crime, Welfare and Minimum wages, Is there a Correlation?

2011-06-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

This man believes that there is. Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com Watch the latest video at video.foxbusiness.com And then there are the words of wisdom from the man who wrote these words. Are they the words of a man who would approve of a socialistic form of a way of life as so many are

Does it Really Take a Stranger to Open Our Eyes?

2011-06-06T03:05:00.000-07:00

A h/t to The Hermit a man worth visiting for a cup of coffee.

Beauty with Pow Power

2011-06-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Did Lincoln Free the Slaves or Did Winning the War Just Lead Us to that Perception?

2011-05-30T22:41:00.000-07:00

“Grandpa, I’ve been doing some research in regards to the Constitution and I’ve come up with some facts that kind of puzzles me. At the time of its passage there was no left or right when it came to the interpretation of the Constitution. Everyone interpreted it as being clearly written and everyone saw it from the view of strict construction. This interpretation lasted up and past the War

A Day for Remembrance, A Day to Honor those Who Gave All So That We May Know What We Have

2011-05-29T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at creating a video. It is a simple one but I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Problems with commenting on Blogger Sites

2011-05-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

If you are having problems commenting on sites using Blogger, don't feel alone. there are many of us having the same problem. I came across two solutions to this problem. 1. If you are using the Internet Explorer browser try using one of the others available. I know that Firefox is one browser that solves this problem for me. 2. When you sign in do not check the box to remain signed in. That

Tapping into Beauty

2011-05-26T00:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, Men, That Microwave Can Do More Than Just Reheat Coffee

2011-05-23T23:26:00.000-07:00

:Man's Best Friend in Kitchen? 1. Decrystallizing Honey Honey that has solidified can be brought back to liquid life by uncovering the jar and heating on medium power for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 2. Soften Brown SugarPlace sugar in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon water (regardless of the quantity of sugar). Cover and microwave on low (power level 3) in 1-minute intervals,

Beauty to be Enraptured by.

2011-05-21T17:36:00.001-07:00

Your Tax Dollar Hard at Work (Part II)

2011-05-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

We speak of that new millionaire who is still using food stamps but we can't blame him for it. He is using them in accordance to the laws in regards to food stamps. We also cannot blame the State of Michigan either for the State is only following the guidelines of the federal government out of whose treasury the money comes for food stamps. You and I may consider what he is doing as being

Your Tax Dollar Hard at Work

2011-05-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

Man wins two million dollars and still buys his food with food stamps. Is it any wonder that our governments have so much debt? The thing about it is that he feels no guilt about using them. How many others hold to these same feelings? Here is a good example of how programs like this affect people. Congratulations, taxpayers. Here is how your compassion is received and returned. Here is

The End Results of a Constitution Seen as a "Living Document" not as a "Contract"

2011-05-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, folks, this is the kind of Supreme court rulings you can expect to get handed down when you interpret the Constitution in the manner of it being a “living document” instead of it being interpreted in the manner of a “contract”. It is just this type of flexibility that needs to be prevented. It was just this type of government abuse of power that is the reason for constitutional law. It is

Beauty of Lovin' Slowly

2011-05-13T23:39:00.000-07:00

Liberalism, a Look at It as being in the Mode of the Enlightenment of the Founding Fathers

2011-05-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have just spent some time viewing Dr. Hicks teachings of philosophy and what I have learned from these lectures was probably the most enlightening lectures that I have ever heard. The following video is but the first of this series of lectures. It is a series of lectures explaining the philosophy of Post- modernism. The most significant understanding I got from these lectures is the fact I

The Beauty of a Mother

2011-05-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

My dad, my mother, my brother and me BJ THOMAS- "MAMA" A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO EVERY MOTHERTHIS DAY. MAY YOU KNOW ALL OF THE LOVETHAT I HAVE FOR MINE,FOR THERE IS NO ONE MORE DESERVING,NO ONE MORE NEEDED. I LOVE YOU MOM AND I MISS YOU.

A New Look At the Success of Socialism

2011-05-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Basic Theory behind Socialism The Right of a job as promised by Socialism Only a Capitalist faces layoffs No exploitation of the worker as promised by Socialism Only a Capitalist hires a man to work All Property is the Property of the Community as promised by Socialism Only a Capitalist owns private property In closing I can only say that I prefer the promise of failure that is

Education in This Nation and a Couple of Movies Addressing the Issue

2011-05-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a Challenge, A Challenge That No Liberal Can Afford to Turn Down

2011-04-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Click on the Picture above So, some politicians advocate taxing the rich more than they are already taxed. Well, the hilarious part of this is the fact that nobody pays taxes willingly and that includes liberals. Myself, I would have to question the sanity of anyone who would say that they pay their taxes willingly. And if you raise the rate of taxation on some people are they going to pay

15 Reasons why Redistribution of Wealth is Poor Politics

2011-04-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

Click on Picture for Story Politicians are always citing statistics in regards to earned income gaps between the rich and the poor to justify their claim for the need for redistribution of wealth. That in itself should reveal the foolishness of the concept. A person's wealth is not determined by his earned income but by the accumulation of assets. And the question a person should be asking

The Beauty That is being Commemorated on This Day.

2011-04-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

From this: To This in Three Days: As we were walking out of the church doors I looked up at grandpa and grandma and asked, “Why was the Crucifixion and Resurrection of the Christ a necessity for our salvation as the good reverend said when the Father is all powerful and could have granted forgiveness for the sin of Adam?” Grandpa and grandma just looked down at me than looked at each other

If You're a Politician, Should Cheating End Your Career?

2011-04-23T11:33:00.000-07:00

Click on Picture for the article The above title is the title of an article I ran across today. Here is the link to the Article. While the article gives no definite answer to the question the answer can be said as implicit. And based upon the premise the author seeks to use, the answer might be considered as obvious. But I'll ask the question using a different premise from the one used.

Sports, Stupidity, Divorce; Dahhhh, Do I See a Correlation Here?

2011-04-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

Click on Picture for Divorces Click on Picture for Stupidity

The Beauty of the Mellow Taste of Scottish Class

2011-04-16T07:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, People, Some Reasons to Stop Eating

2011-04-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

Click on Picture to see why btw, after all these years I finally figured out how to use a picture as a link.

Who are the Real Servants of the People?

2011-04-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

I need to say no more about my stance on government and who are the real servants of the people. This video says it all for me. To me, this video exemplifies the difference in the meaning behind "In God we Trust" and "In Government we Trust". For in this video we see how government shows its belief in the people instead of demanding that the people show its belief in government. a h/t to the

Beauty Served up Italian Style, Tantilizing and Spicy

2011-04-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

Electronic Stores in Two States Offer Free Guns

2011-04-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

"A chain of electronic stores in parts of the states of Idaho and Montana are offering free guns to first-time subscribers of satellite TV services. The new promotions by combination RadioShack and Dish Network dealerships in western Montana and another in southwest Idaho have attracted crowds that range from the merely curious to the firearm-friendly." More of the story here Have you

Business Run Like a Family, Living as a Business (Part 2)

2011-04-08T13:00:00.000-07:00

As was said in the previous post, if a family ran their lives more like a business they would realize just how much like a family a business is already run. In order to do this we must look at the situation from a financial aspect of the family. The reason being is that is what business is all about, finances. And whether we like it or not financial affairs consume a major part of the lives of

Business Run Like a Family, Living as a Business

2011-04-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

I heard a teacher in college once exclaim the following; “If people ran their lives more like a business and businesses ran more like families everyone would have a better life.” As a student I had no way to argue for it or against it so I just accepted that the teacher was a wiser person than I was. But now, I would dispute this. This statement is a statement only a politician who

A Day to Give Thanks to a Special Beauty

2011-04-03T00:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, sweet lady. Thank you for the pleasures of your music and movies over the years. A true lady you are by every meaning of the word.

A Dedication to Beauty (2)

2011-04-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

A Dedication to Beauty

2011-04-01T00:48:00.000-07:00

Our Beauty at 1 year old This is a weekend that is dedicated to a very special lady. She came into this life on April 3, 1925. Her singing career began at the age of 15 and what a career it was. She has been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom the same year of the death of her son. We will begin this dedication by citing a few quotes from this lady: "If it's true that men are such

Just Some Personal Thoughts for Myself and Plans for the Year

2011-03-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

Well, it feels like summer has finally reached the old homestead here. We have 90 degree weather here at the moment and promises to continue to climb. A couple of milestones has been reached for this blog also. March has resulted in the highest number of hits for this blog since its inception. And it had its best day of hits also. And I wish to thank all of my visitors for thinking that my

Republicans, Democrats, Independents; A Power Struggle?

2011-03-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

Grandpa was sitting out on the back porch with a couple of his old cronies one Sunday afternoon taking in the first real warm days of the Spring season and talking politics, their favorite pastime. One of them was talking about how the two biggest political parties of this nation were not as big as one would believe from what was said about them. He stated that neither party was large enough to

Another Woman of Beauty Died, May the Beauty Remain and Inspire the Future

2011-03-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

Beauty of Fire, Beauty of Wind

2011-03-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

A Beauty Died Today, May She Rest in Peace

2011-03-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Decisions of our Leaders

2011-03-20T19:42:00.000-07:00

THE COYOTE Governor's coyote California: The Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A coyote jumps out and attacks the Governor's dog, then bites the Governor. 1. The Governor starts to intervene, but reflects upon the movie "Bambi" and then realizes he should stop because the coyote is only doing what is natural. 2. He calls animal control .. Animal Control

Beauty of Strength and Defiance

2011-03-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

More pix here

'Tis the Day of the Irish

2011-03-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

A Happy St. Pat's Day to All my FriendsMay the Luck of the Irish Always be With Each of You.

A Government by Constitution or by Ideology, Which is Your Choice? (Part 4)

2011-03-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

Another man's voice from the crowd chimed up and said, “As to differing opinion regarding, living, 'pragmatic', 'contract', 'strict construction' and the like, don't you suppose we all have our preferences and reasons? IMO, the elegance of the thing was the built in flexibility and adaptibility..it could grow with the nation.” Grandpa's face lit up in a big smile as he recognized the voice as

Beauty, Never to be Sacrificed, Ever to be Known

2011-03-12T18:01:00.000-08:00

Beauty of Thought and Mind

2011-03-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

A Government by Constitution or by Ideology, Which is Your Choice? (Part 3)

2011-03-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

As grandpa looked at the person that shouted out the question he responded to him with these words. “ My good friend, take a moment to ponder over the significance of an amendment such as this. 1. This amendment by itself will force each Supreme Justices to view the Constitution from a singular mindset in terms of federal powers versus State powers in the manner as illustrated in this post,

A Government by Constitution or by Ideology, Which is Your Choice? (Part 2)

2011-03-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

Once grandpa had the full attention of the crowd once again he continued with the following words. "Accepting the solution will require every ounce of courage within each of you, the people. Accepting this solution will require that each of you to put aside any differences that you might have with others and unite as a people who desires a constitutional government. It will require that each of

A Government by Constitution or by Ideology, Which is Your Choice?

2011-02-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Grandpa took grandma and me to a political gathering at a local park. Grandpa and a few other men were asked to give a little talk at this gathering. Here were the words he had to say. His voice had the strength of his convictions. Within his voice was a resolve that betrayed his beliefs. “Our founding fathers declared this a nation of people. In doing so they eliminated the idea of a nation

The Mystery of Beauty

2011-02-27T21:56:00.000-08:00

Facts to Make you Smile, Ponder or Just Wile Away a Few Moments

2011-02-24T10:44:00.000-08:00

More Facts Here

A Beauty to Ride With, A Beauty to Fight With

2011-02-20T03:17:00.000-08:00

Human Beings With All of their Differences and Inequalities of Nature (Part 4)

2011-02-17T18:33:00.000-08:00

To continue with this series of essays about human beings we need to examine one more position. It is the center position of the extremes as described in the previous posts. The absolute extreme of the center is more difficult to describe. The reason being is that it is usually defined as a combination of the two outer extremities, the right and the left. One way to describe it would be that it

Education and Its End Results, A Tale of Failure?

2011-02-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

The ball and chain of Ignorance You hear the argument a lot by liberals that conservatives seek replace science and to impose theology upon this nation. What are your viewpoints in regards to these statistics about a nation? A third of the people of this nation believe that the solar system revolves around the earth. 55% of the people of this nation believe that all radioactivity

Beauty of the Past, When Sexiness was implicit not Explicit

2011-02-13T11:57:00.000-08:00

See more of this beauty Here

Human Beings With All of their Differences and Inequalities of Nature (Part 3)

2011-02-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

Since we have already presented a viewpoint for the absolute extreme for the left then it is only just that we present a viewpoint of the absolute extreme for the right. As perceived, a person may find many similarities with the two extremes. So for those who have not read part 2 it would be advisable to do so either before continuing reading or after. Being inner motivated a person would

Human Beings With All of their Differences and Inequalities of Nature (Part 2)

2011-02-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

As we said in the first part of this essay people are funny creatures. They can be categorized into generalized groups with the same attributes and then re-categorized into sub groups until we get a category of one individual person whose attributes have no equal. And while we declared that there is no absolute extreme nor an absolute center we can imagine that there is one and determine what

Human Beings With All of their Differences and Inequalities of Nature

2011-02-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

Funny creatures are the human animal. As told in a previous post they can be separated by two basic principles, those who are inner motivated and those who are externally motivated. They can be further identified by the idea that externally motivated persons accept the premise of determinism while internally motivated persons accept the premise of free will. We can go even farther in this

What is the American Dream? Can You Tell Me?

2011-02-06T12:13:00.000-08:00

Politicians and political pundits are always speaking of the “American dream” but there is one thing I’d like to know. Exactly what is this American dream everyone speaks of? What is this dream that is suppose to be the promise to all who seek to live in this nation? Can anyone really tell me? Is it something so unique that it can only be fulfilled in this nation or is it the dream of everyone

The Value of Thoughts, The Value of Life Itself and the Price We Must Pay in Exchange

2011-02-04T14:32:00.000-08:00

Grandpa was heard mumbling while sitting at the computer. Grandma just chuckled at me as she said, "Ahhh, he said something that got one of his friends angry with him again." As we slipped closer behind him we could hear him say; "Tell me, is there anything in the world that man has not given a value to? Is there anything of this world that man will not exchange for something else? And

The Thoughts of a Blank Mind

2011-02-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, this sure is a good beginning. My brain is in shutdown mode this week. Can't think of anything to write about. Sure am glad I'm not in school with a paper due. I'd end up handing in a blank sheet of paper. My mind is so blank I wouldn't even have an idea for a poor excuse to give to the teacher. Of course, I'll acknowlege that there are some out there who'd say that this has been the

Mood of the Moment, Only Black/White can Reveal Its Beauty

2011-01-30T11:03:00.000-08:00

Gypsy Enchantment beauties stolen from Vision Light Gallery

When the Left meets the Right the Pun Begins

2011-01-28T22:39:00.000-08:00

Grandpa took me into town to get our yearly haircuts one sunny and warm day. As we walked into the barber shop grandpa espied his ol' friend BB sitting there awaiting his turn too. As we passed him grandpa just grinned and gave BB a nod and a wink without saying a word. BB, in turn, did the same. When it was their turns both grandpa and BB took their usual chairs, one on the extreme right and

The Fire of Liberty, The Security of Enslavement

2011-01-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

They say that there are two types of persons in this world, those who are outer motivated and those who are inner motivated. The inner motivated internalizes responsibility while the outer motivated externalizes responsibility. This would be the foundational basis of a person's world viewpoint. This concept governs the whole viewpoint of a person whether on a personal, political or religious

Any Doubts as to the Wisdom of Government Put to Rest

2011-01-24T12:39:00.000-08:00

Well. It is time to get back to some very serious stuff now. We all know how paternal governments are. Not only are they responsible for protecting us from others they also like to create laws to protect us from our own foolish decisions. Shuckens, they'll even create laws to protect themselves against their own foolish decisions. Did you know that in London that it is illegal to die in the

SHHHHHHHHHHH, Don't Tell Grandma, I'll Get A Big Whoopin'

2011-01-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

A picture is worth a thousand words? Well here are two thousands words said in admired silence and words without a gripe too. Now, what thoughts have I inspired in you with my silence today? Pictures courtesy of the Detroit News

Will the Laws of the State Determine Our Attitudes and Morals or Will God's Laws be That Determinant?

2011-01-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

Psychologists have declared that laws have an effect upon on attitude of a person. Upon reading this a shiver went up my backbone until I thought of this. We can also say that laws have no effect upon the attitude of those who are advocates for the law because their attitude in regards to the issue of that law has already been determined. Since our attitudes are governed by morality then we can

In my Poverty, There is Wealth Aplenty

2011-01-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

As the blizzard was doing its worst outside on this freezing wintery day I was sitting at the kitchen table keeping warm from the heat that the ol' wood stove that grandma had going as she was baking some of her delicious breads and pastries. Snuggles, the family cat was lying in my lap just a purrin away as he usually does when content. Not wishing to bother her I sat there quietly just

Good Laws, Bad Laws

2011-01-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Just a short word today, something that grandpa once said. "Good laws are governed by morality. Bad laws govern morality. One will seek to elevate the individual through the inequality that liberty offers , the other will degrade the individual to its lowest common denominator that equality promises. One will be empowered by a Nation and the other will empower the State. One focuses on the

The President's House, a Dedication to Slaves, A Reminder of a Time of Constitutional Government

2011-01-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

The Memorial of the President's House Grandpa took grandma and me on a little trip to Philadelphia and while there we took in the historic spots that can be found in this city of love. One of those sites we visited is a newly dedicated memorial. It is called the President's House. It stands where our first President resided during his terms in office. Its focus is on the nine slaves that also

What Americans Do, What Canadians Do

2011-01-03T22:43:00.000-08:00

Hey, my fellow Americans, our friends above the border think of us as being nothing but wimps down here. Are we going to take their insults? :) Here are a few things they are saying about us. COLD IS A RELATIVE THING. .. . --------------- At 65 degrees above zero People in Florida turn on the heat.People in Montreal plant gardens. At 60 degrees above zero: People in California shiver

Wars, The Causes May Conflict With Its Reason

2011-01-02T12:35:00.000-08:00

“ Grandpa, there still are those who claim that slavery was the cause of the Civil war in spite of our arguments against the idea. How do we respond to these people?" Grandpa just patted my head and said; “Boy, the best response to these people is just by giving them a nod of your head with a smile upon your face. We are not here to convince anyone to our way of thinking. Leave that to others.

Nature's Christmas Presents to Mankind to Bring in the New Year

2010-12-31T08:44:00.000-08:00

Even in the ugliest of times beauty can be found. At the moment the weather is 35 degrees f. and more rain is forecast for this New Years weekend here in southern California. So, all of you easterners can be expecting another snow storm in a few days. Here are a couple of pictures taken during these wettest of times Thomas Mullin of Mill Valley, Calif. gets a last look at the sun from Bodega

Something Amazing will Occur in Congress Next Week

2010-12-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

When Republicans take over the House next week, they will do something that apparently has never been done before in the chamber's 221-year history: They will read the Constitution aloud. And then they will require that every new bill contain a statement by the lawmaker who wrote it citing the constitutional authority to enact the proposed legislation. Call it the tea party-ization of

A Rebuttal to E.J. Dionne About the Civil War Causes

2010-12-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

“Grandpa, there is an article in the Washington Post about the cause of the Civil war written by E.J. Dionne and claims that slavery was the reason for the Civil war. How does that affect our conclusions that we have come to from our own research? Is he right or wrong?” Grandpa sat down in front of the computer and began reading the article that I had brought up entitled, Don't Spin The Civil

Santa's Gifts for Me This Year

2010-12-25T00:14:00.000-08:00

rainstorm damaged Well, Santa came a little early for me this year. Guess he wanted to avoid all the air traffic that is filling the skies above. This happened just a couple of days ago around 6:00 am. So you can guess how high I jumped out of bed when I heard it come crashing down and knocking everything over. Do wonder though why he didn't use the chimney of the fireplace I have. This

Merry Christmas Everyone

2010-12-23T22:39:00.000-08:00

The song featured for this holiest of days is called "The Bread of Angels". Panis angelicus is the penultimate strophe of the hymn Sacris solemniis written by Saint Thomas Aquinas for the Feast of Corpus Christi as part of a complete liturgy of the Feast including prayers for the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours. The English translation for the song are as follows: -----------------------------

The Promise of Liberty as Founded, the Reality of its Demise

2010-12-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

The Promise of Liberty Grandpa just sat there on the swing that he had placed on the porch for him and grandma to sit on as they watched the sunsets at night. As he looked at me I saw a sadness in his eyes, a sadness that seemed to envelop his very soul. It seems that sometimes a little knowledge should not be learned at times and this appeared to be one of those times. For knowledge can give

The Government is a Business and Should be Treated as One

2010-12-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

Grandpa told me once that he would like to hear a politician speak the following words or words similar to them. He told me that if people really understood the purpose of his own existence and the purpose of the existence of government then we would not be so divided as a nation. These were the words that grandpa would have liked to hear as he spoke to me in a very saddened manner knowing that

The Smartest of All is not Necessarily the Wisest of All

2010-12-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

"Boy", as grandpa began speaking to me while we were walking out to the back forty, "there is a big difference in the process of learning and the process of being taught something. If you want to be taught something it doesn't matter who you go to to be taught. There are plenty of people who are willing to teach you what he thinks he knows. And they will feel honored that you came to them. And

200 Years of World Health

2010-12-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

In my humble opinion, the key words he uses in this is the word "independency" rather than "dependency." Give a man his independency and he will thrive, body and soul. Keep a man dependent and his soul will die and his body will become useless. The same goes for a nation of people. a h/t to Dan over at Gay Patriot

Truth can be Very Humorous in Politics (part II)

2010-12-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

"Cows & Politics Explained" A CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT: You have two cows. You keep one and give one to your neighbor. A SOCIALIST: You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor. AN AMERICAN REPUBLICAN: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. So what? AN AMERICAN DEMOCRAT: You have two cows. Your neighbor has none. You feel guilty for being successful. You vote

Truth can be Very Humorous in Politics

2010-12-05T02:56:00.000-08:00

"Difference Between Republicans and Democrats" A Republican and a Democrat were walking down the street when they came to a homeless person. The Republican gave the homeless person his business card and told him to come to his business for a job. He then took twenty dollars out of his pocket and gave it to the homeless person. The Democrat was very impressed, and when they came to another

Geez, The Amazing Things We Are Learning of our Universe

2010-12-02T23:13:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Christmas is a Myth or so We are Being Told

2010-12-02T01:10:00.000-08:00

Grandpa just smiled as he says "Just thought I'd start the Christmas season out with a "Big Bang" this year. Did you know that there are 50 million "closet" atheists in this nation? Atheists have declared war on Christmas. It won't be long before secularism will be known as atheism."

A Walk Through History With Our Presidents

2010-11-30T23:14:00.000-08:00

Of the 43 men who have held the office of the Presidency, eight of them were left handed. If you think that Obama is dishonoring the office of the Presidency by bowing to his visitors then it must be that Geo. Washington dishonored the office first. Washington thought that the handshake was beneath the office of the Presidency therefore bowed to his visitors. Washington was the only President

The Constitution, A Contract or a Document of a Set of Principles?

2010-11-26T13:53:00.000-08:00

What is the Bill of Rights that the founders of this nation included in the Constitution? We recognize them as being the rights of every individual in this society. This leads us to a bunch of questions that should be answered if we are to say we abide by the principles of a Constitution. The first question that must be asked is what is the purpose of a Constitution? Is it a contract or is it

A Day of Gratitude For the Blessings Given Us

2010-11-24T14:09:00.000-08:00

May each of you know just how rich you be this year. Take a few minutes to count the blessings around the table this day and know just how rich you be. Know that the poorest man in the world can be seen as the richest for he knows the blessings of life itself. Never seek to deny him the richness of those blessings. It is family that determines how rich a man is not money. Take a moment this

The Constitution and the Issue of Slavery, A new Look at it. (part IV )

2010-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

So, what did we find out about the Civil war era? Eleven States seceded from the union that the founding fathers built. The underlying reason being is that they no longer felt that they could trust that the federal government would remain true to the principles as written in the Constitution. I say this even though it can be shown that through political compromise neither side was abiding by the