There is a biblical principal being used in America today. It is one of the lessons from the Book of Proverbs. Prov 22:6 "Raise up a child in the way he should go. And when he is old, he will not stray from it." You may recall that the Bible calls Solomon, the writer of The Proverbs, "The Wisest Man in the world." And then it says he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. So, where's the wisdom in having 700 wives? But the teaching of youth is a very wise thing to do. However, there is a difference between teaching and indoctrination. While I am not accusing all teachers. The Teachers union in America is more involved in education than is necessary. And yet, I will say this; Rather than teaching your children "HOW" to think. Teachers today are teaching your children "WHAT" to think. This is not a Liberal vs.Conservative, or Democrat vs. Republican, or even a Socialist vs. Capitalist agenda. This is just my observation. No matter what group is in charge, they will try to teach your children WHAT to think. It doesn't matter whether it is the ultra-right wing of Fascist Nationalism or the ultra-left wing of Anarchy and Socialism. Or Ultra Religionism (Christian, Muslim, Jewish or Satanist) or extremist Secularism. Your children are the future of their system.
Joseph Stalin got it. Karl Marx got it. Mao Zedong got it. Adolph Hitler got it. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones got it. Timothy Leary and Ken Kesey got it. The Christian Church gets it. The Atheists get it. The American Patriots get it. The PRO-LIFErs get it. The PRO-CHOICErs DON'T get it. Hilary Clinton gets it. AARP doesn't get it. The New World Order gets it. The United Nations gets it, most of the time. Crosby, Stills and Nash get it. Marilyn Manson gets it. Charles Manson gets it. The Movie and Recording Industries get it. The History-Book Publishers get it. Tobacco Manufacturers get it. The Democrats and The Republicans get it. Al Gore gets it. PETA and GREEN PEACE get it. Cartoon and Comic Book writers get it. The Zero Population Growth group doesn't get it. The Environmentalists get it. The NRA and Handgun Control Inc. both get it. I get it. And Hopefully you get it. But just in case you don't get it, let me spell it out for you.
YOUR CHILDREN ARE YOURS TO RAISE. AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT. ANY OR ALL OF THE ABOVE ARE READY, WILLING AND ABLE TO DO IT FOR YOU.
The following story provides an example of a child thinking for himself despite considerable pressures to do otherwise;
The President of The United States, Barack Obama, was asked to speak at a school assembly in West Virginia. He stepped up to the podium and asked the audience for total quiet. He glanced around at the youth who were staring intently back at him. Then in the silence, he started to slowly clap his hands every few seconds, his audience still sat in total silence. Then he said “Children, every time I clap my hands, another child in America dies from gun violence.”
Then little Richard Earl, with a proud West Va. Drawl, pierced the quiet and said: “Well, dumbass, stop clapping!”
AMERICA
ONE NATION UNDER GOD!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Thankful Thursday
Ira Hamilton Hayes
Corporal, USMC
Do you recognize this man? Or even his name? You have seen him before! I am certain you have. Everyone has. But may not have looked closely enough, or long enough to realize it. Allow me to introduce you.Ira was born 12 January 1923, on the Gila River Indian Reservation in Sacaton, Arizona. Ira left school and enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves on August 24, 1942, at the tender age of 19.
After completing recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, Ira Hayes trained as a paratrooper at Marine Corps Base San Diego and was nicknamed "Chief Falling Cloud." On December 2, 1942, he joined Company B, 3rd Parachute Battalion, Divisional Special Troops, 3rd Marine Division, at Camp Elliott, California. On March 14, 1943, Hayes sailed for New Caledonia with the 3rd Parachute Battalion. Hayes first saw combat on Bougainville. He returned home briefly on leave, after which his family said years afterward he was "a changed man, more serious."
The Marine Corps parachute units were disbanded in February, and Ira Hayes was transferred to Company E, 2nd Battalion, 28th Marines, 5th Marine Division at Camp Pendleton. From September 1944, Hayes sailed to Hawaii for further training.
Ira Hayes was promoted to the rank of Corporal before being discharged from the US Marine Corps. His decorations and medals include the following:
* American Campaign Medal.
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with four stars.
* Navy Commendation Medal with "V" combat device.
* Presidential Unit Citation with one star.
* World War II Victory Medal.
He was honored at The White House for his service and he tried diligently to go back to his life. But the Press and his conscience would not let him alone.
After the war;
Ira appeared in the 1949 John Wayne Movie "The Sands Of Iwo Jima." But Success can test a man's mettle more thoroughly than any enemy. He felt guilty for surviving the Second World War's Pacific campaign, while so many of his friends did not. Ira was arrested for drunkeness on 55 separate occasions. Referring to his drinking, he once said: "I was sick. I guess I was about to crack up thinking about all my good buddies. They were better men than me and they're not coming back. Much less back to the White House, like me."
In 1954, after a ceremony where he was lauded by President Eisenhower as a hero, a reporter rushed up to him and asked him, "How do you like the pomp and circumstance?" Hayes hung his head and said, "I don't."
Hayes' disquiet about his unwanted fame and his subsequent postwar problems were first recounted in detail by the author William Bradford Huie in "The Outsider", published in 1959 as part of his collection "Wolf Whistle and Other Stories." The Outsider was made into a film in 1961. It has since been suggested that Ira may have suffered from PTSD.
On January 24, 1955, Hayes was found dead, face down and lying in his own vomit and blood, near an abandoned hut close to his home on the Gila River Indian Reservation. He had been drinking and playing cards with several other men, including his brothers Kenny and Vernon, and another fellow Pima Indian named Henry Setoyant, with whom an argument developed during which the two men scuffled. Shortly afterward, the card game broke up, and all but Hayes and Setoyant left. The coroner concluded that Hayes's death was due to both exposure and alcohol. However, his brother Kenny remained convinced that the death somehow resulted from the scuffle with Setoyant. There was no police investigation, and Setoyant denied any allegations that he scuffled with Hayes after all the players left for the night. Ira Hayes was 32.
Hayes is buried in Section 34, Grave 479A at Arlington National Cemetery. At the funeral, his friend Rene Gagnon said of him: "Let's say he had a little dream in his heart that someday the Indian would, like the white man — be able to walk all over the United States."
His story has been shown in film. He played himself in 1949s The Sands Of Iwo Jima.
He was played by fellow USMC Corporal Lee Marvin in 1960s The American.
He was portrayed by Tony Curtis in 1961s The Outsider.
Ira was played by Adam Beach, in the 2006 Clint Eastwood directed movie Flags Of Our Fathers.
And still you don't know who Ira Hayes was? Or where you may have seen him before now?
I have placed a red oval around Ira Hayes in the picture below, that made him famous.
Ira Hayes left his heart on the Sulfur Island. And became an unofficial casualty of the Battle Of Iwo Jima. And we owe Ira Hayes and his family a THANK YOU. For the sacrifice they laid on the altar of our freedom.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
How much is a Billion?
The next time you hear a politician
use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you
want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising
agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it's releases.
A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in your brain... let's take a look at New Orleans ..
It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.
Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D)
Is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans.
Interesting number... What does it mean?
A. Well ... If you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.00
B. Or.... If you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.00
C. Or... If you are a family of four... your family gets $2,066,012.00
Washington , D.C. HELLO!!!!
Are all your calculators broken??
______________________________
Building Permit = Tax
IRS Penalties = Tax
Drivers License = Tax
Liquor = Tax
Luxury = Tax
Cigarette = Tax
Marriage License = Tax
Corporate Income = Tax
Medicare Tax = Tax
Dog License = Tax
Property Tax = Tax
Fishing License = Tax
Real Estate Tax= Tax
Food License = Tax
Sales Tax = Tax
Fuel Permit = Tax
School Tax= Tax
Gasoline Tax = Tax
Service charge = Tax
Hunting License = Tax
Social Security = Tax
Inheritance Tax = Tax
State Income Tax= Tax
Inventory Tax = Tax
Utility Tax= Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax = Tax
Well Permit = Tax
Road Usage (Truckers) Tax = Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge = Tax
Federal Income (Fed) Tax = Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges = Tax
State Unemployment (SUTA) = Tax
Telephone Federal-State and Local Surcharge = Tax
Federal Unemployment (FUTA) = Tax
Telephone State and Local = Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee = Tax
Telephone Usage Charge = Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax) = Tax
Vehicle License Registration = Tax
Telephone Federal Excise Tax = Tax
Workers Compensation = Tax
Watercraft Tax = Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax= Tax
And To think, we Left British Rule to avoid Taxes
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago... and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt... we had the largest middle class in the world... Mom stayed home to raise the kids. Doctors made house calls. The mail came twice per day. Movie tickets cost a dime. And gasoline was almost free, The dealers used to give free gifts to customers. And someone would pump your gas and check your oil.
What happened? Can you spell 'politicians!'
And we still have to Press '1' for English.
use the word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you
want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising
agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it's releases.
A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in your brain... let's take a look at New Orleans ..
It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.
Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D)
Is presently asking Congress for 250 BILLION DOLLARS to rebuild New Orleans.
Interesting number... What does it mean?
A. Well ... If you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, and child) you each get $516,528.00
B. Or.... If you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.00
C. Or... If you are a family of four... your family gets $2,066,012.00
Washington , D.C. HELLO!!!!
Are all your calculators broken??
______________________________
Building Permit = Tax
IRS Penalties = Tax
Drivers License = Tax
Liquor = Tax
Luxury = Tax
Cigarette = Tax
Marriage License = Tax
Corporate Income = Tax
Medicare Tax = Tax
Dog License = Tax
Property Tax = Tax
Fishing License = Tax
Real Estate Tax= Tax
Food License = Tax
Sales Tax = Tax
Fuel Permit = Tax
School Tax= Tax
Gasoline Tax = Tax
Service charge = Tax
Hunting License = Tax
Social Security = Tax
Inheritance Tax = Tax
State Income Tax= Tax
Inventory Tax = Tax
Utility Tax= Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax = Tax
Well Permit = Tax
Road Usage (Truckers) Tax = Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge = Tax
Federal Income (Fed) Tax = Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges = Tax
State Unemployment (SUTA) = Tax
Telephone Federal-State and Local Surcharge = Tax
Federal Unemployment (FUTA) = Tax
Telephone State and Local = Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee = Tax
Telephone Usage Charge = Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax) = Tax
Vehicle License Registration = Tax
Telephone Federal Excise Tax = Tax
Workers Compensation = Tax
Watercraft Tax = Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax= Tax
And To think, we Left British Rule to avoid Taxes
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago... and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt... we had the largest middle class in the world... Mom stayed home to raise the kids. Doctors made house calls. The mail came twice per day. Movie tickets cost a dime. And gasoline was almost free, The dealers used to give free gifts to customers. And someone would pump your gas and check your oil.
What happened? Can you spell 'politicians!'
And we still have to Press '1' for English.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The word for today is:
ADRENOMYELONEUROPATHY
Do you know what this word means? This is not another grandiloquent, sesquipedalian word test. It is a medical term.
Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) is a form of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. AMN patients generally have spinal cord dysfunction, which leads to the initial symptoms that include difficulties in walking or a change in the walking pattern. The average age at which symptoms first appear is 28, but onset can occur anywhere from the second to the fifth decades of life.
I am told that this is a very rare disease. The AARP site says it is a 1 in 20,000 incidence. That's not so rare. In fact you'd have a 100,000 to 1 better chance of having AMN than winning to California State lottery. Other sources say it is more like 30,000 total cases out of the 6.2 Billion people on the planet. Opinions vary! But 4 things are certain:
1. There is no cure.
2. No Doctors in San Diego have ever treated it.
3. I don't have it.
4. My 24yr old son does have it.
Forgive my passion. Today I am quit mad with the situation. I am an old man. And have enjoyed a full life. It's not the amount of years in my life that count. It is the amount of life in the years. And I put more life into the first 30 years of my life than most people see in 80. If I were to be called home today; I have left nothing undone. Nothing unseen. No adventures unexperienced. No loves not fully realized. No fights unfinished. No places unexplored. No enemies unconquered. No challenges unanswered. No subjects unstudied.
I've been a: Sailor. Exterminator. Basketball player. Baseball player. Football player. Scuba diver. Gunsmith. Marksman. Sharpshooter. Musician. Electronic Technician. Micro Miniature Circuitry Repair man. Nuclear Weapons; Handler, Security responder, launch captain and guard force member. A Body Guard. Security Guard. Brig Guard. Prisoner escort. Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer.Ship Handler. Artist. Oceanographer. Runner. Bicycler. Swimmer. Fighter. Body builder. Scholar. Student. Warrior. Computer Analyst. Network Administrator. Network Security Expert. Firefighter. Painter. Cancer patient and survivor. Husband. And Father.
But today my heart is broken. One of my blog followers says that he doesn't like to read blogs about people's children. "It's boring" he says. Well tough darts farmer. This blog is about my son. You don't have to like it. No one has to like it. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable stealing the last can of WHO-HASH.
My son, who is 24 years old. Stands 6 feet, 4 inches tall. Tips the scales at 160. Has the beautiful sandy blond hair he got from his mother. He has the steely ice blue eyes of his father. Broad shouldered. Kind hearted. Intelligent beyond measure. Generous to a fault. Wise beyond his years.
When we were anticipating his birth, I told my wife that I wanted to name a boy Conan. And if a girl, Valeria. She laughed at me and said "NO WAY!"
I was serious. I have been a Conan fan for as long as I can recall. Decades before Arnold ever took the movie role, I was reading "WEIRD TALES" "The Phoenix On The Sword" and "The Tower Of The Elephant" by Robert E. Howard. And so I chided my love, that if she didn't let me name a boy "Conan" I would secretly go to the doctor or nurse and name him "SMEDLEY." Smedley Spaulding! Still no dice. She wouldn't take me seriously. Even on the rare occasions when she thought I might be in earnest, she would say "He'd be teased." "People will laugh."
"Not while I'm there, they won't."
She wanted to use the Dutch tradition of naming a boy after the Grandfather or the Father. But my name was mine. Kurt was mine. I didn't want to share it. And I wouldn't name a ratsnake after my father (That is a tale for another day). So I settled on another name. One that was similar in Celtic origin. With a hero as an inspiration. We settled on Kyle. In Irish it means handsome. In the TERMINATOR movie trilogy Kyle Reece is the time traveler who becomes the father of John Connor.
Normally for privacy sake, I would not mention my son's condition. But he posted it on his blog, KONAN THE BLOGARIAN. And on his facebook. So I am assuming he doesn't mind people knowing. Now, I have another hero in my life. In spite of his disability, he still takes care of me and my needs. Yes, he was almost named after one of my favorite heroes. Then was named after another of my favorite heroes. And ended up being one of my real life heroes. I should have been one of his (The jury is still out on that one). Funny, how God works. But I don't feel much like laughing.
Be well. Be blessed. And stop by and say "Hi" to one of my heroes.
Do you know what this word means? This is not another grandiloquent, sesquipedalian word test. It is a medical term.
Adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN) is a form of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. AMN patients generally have spinal cord dysfunction, which leads to the initial symptoms that include difficulties in walking or a change in the walking pattern. The average age at which symptoms first appear is 28, but onset can occur anywhere from the second to the fifth decades of life.
I am told that this is a very rare disease. The AARP site says it is a 1 in 20,000 incidence. That's not so rare. In fact you'd have a 100,000 to 1 better chance of having AMN than winning to California State lottery. Other sources say it is more like 30,000 total cases out of the 6.2 Billion people on the planet. Opinions vary! But 4 things are certain:
1. There is no cure.
2. No Doctors in San Diego have ever treated it.
3. I don't have it.
4. My 24yr old son does have it.
Forgive my passion. Today I am quit mad with the situation. I am an old man. And have enjoyed a full life. It's not the amount of years in my life that count. It is the amount of life in the years. And I put more life into the first 30 years of my life than most people see in 80. If I were to be called home today; I have left nothing undone. Nothing unseen. No adventures unexperienced. No loves not fully realized. No fights unfinished. No places unexplored. No enemies unconquered. No challenges unanswered. No subjects unstudied.
I've been a: Sailor. Exterminator. Basketball player. Baseball player. Football player. Scuba diver. Gunsmith. Marksman. Sharpshooter. Musician. Electronic Technician. Micro Miniature Circuitry Repair man. Nuclear Weapons; Handler, Security responder, launch captain and guard force member. A Body Guard. Security Guard. Brig Guard. Prisoner escort. Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer.Ship Handler. Artist. Oceanographer. Runner. Bicycler. Swimmer. Fighter. Body builder. Scholar. Student. Warrior. Computer Analyst. Network Administrator. Network Security Expert. Firefighter. Painter. Cancer patient and survivor. Husband. And Father.
But today my heart is broken. One of my blog followers says that he doesn't like to read blogs about people's children. "It's boring" he says. Well tough darts farmer. This blog is about my son. You don't have to like it. No one has to like it. Perhaps you'd be more comfortable stealing the last can of WHO-HASH.
My son, who is 24 years old. Stands 6 feet, 4 inches tall. Tips the scales at 160. Has the beautiful sandy blond hair he got from his mother. He has the steely ice blue eyes of his father. Broad shouldered. Kind hearted. Intelligent beyond measure. Generous to a fault. Wise beyond his years.
When we were anticipating his birth, I told my wife that I wanted to name a boy Conan. And if a girl, Valeria. She laughed at me and said "NO WAY!"
I was serious. I have been a Conan fan for as long as I can recall. Decades before Arnold ever took the movie role, I was reading "WEIRD TALES" "The Phoenix On The Sword" and "The Tower Of The Elephant" by Robert E. Howard. And so I chided my love, that if she didn't let me name a boy "Conan" I would secretly go to the doctor or nurse and name him "SMEDLEY." Smedley Spaulding! Still no dice. She wouldn't take me seriously. Even on the rare occasions when she thought I might be in earnest, she would say "He'd be teased." "People will laugh."
"Not while I'm there, they won't."
She wanted to use the Dutch tradition of naming a boy after the Grandfather or the Father. But my name was mine. Kurt was mine. I didn't want to share it. And I wouldn't name a ratsnake after my father (That is a tale for another day). So I settled on another name. One that was similar in Celtic origin. With a hero as an inspiration. We settled on Kyle. In Irish it means handsome. In the TERMINATOR movie trilogy Kyle Reece is the time traveler who becomes the father of John Connor.
Normally for privacy sake, I would not mention my son's condition. But he posted it on his blog, KONAN THE BLOGARIAN. And on his facebook. So I am assuming he doesn't mind people knowing. Now, I have another hero in my life. In spite of his disability, he still takes care of me and my needs. Yes, he was almost named after one of my favorite heroes. Then was named after another of my favorite heroes. And ended up being one of my real life heroes. I should have been one of his (The jury is still out on that one). Funny, how God works. But I don't feel much like laughing.
Be well. Be blessed. And stop by and say "Hi" to one of my heroes.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
PINK? SATURDAY? REALLY?
I follow a blog written by a wonderfully talented person, who calls herself THE NicNacManiac. She hails from the Great White Northern Wonderland of Canada. Next month her homeland will be the world's focal point during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
She used to do a post on Fridays she called Vintage Black Friday. That was my inspiration for the Classic Black Friday posts. Well, wonderful Nerina stopped the black Friday posts and started Silver Sunday. And Pink Saturday. I still want to show a little appreciation for how inspiring her work and eye for beauty have been to me. But I have almost no PINK in my life. It just doesn't fit my haberdashery choices. So I looked and looked to find something that would fit in to the spirit of my blog and still be pink enough to pay tribute to my favorite fashionista. And this Hello Kitty Vader, and a PINK ASSAULT RIFLE were the best I could come up with. So if this doesn't slake your thirst for Pink (and even if it does), go see what The NicNacManiac has in store for you today.
________________________________________________________
Be well. Be blessed. And be a blessing to others.
She used to do a post on Fridays she called Vintage Black Friday. That was my inspiration for the Classic Black Friday posts. Well, wonderful Nerina stopped the black Friday posts and started Silver Sunday. And Pink Saturday. I still want to show a little appreciation for how inspiring her work and eye for beauty have been to me. But I have almost no PINK in my life. It just doesn't fit my haberdashery choices. So I looked and looked to find something that would fit in to the spirit of my blog and still be pink enough to pay tribute to my favorite fashionista. And this Hello Kitty Vader, and a PINK ASSAULT RIFLE were the best I could come up with. So if this doesn't slake your thirst for Pink (and even if it does), go see what The NicNacManiac has in store for you today.
________________________________________________________
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A Fable or a Parable with a lesson.
Fables are stories that have a lesson in ethics in the end. Aesop's Fables have been used for centuries to pass a lesson onto our progeny. In bible speak these types of lessons are called Parables. Sometimes the moral of the story needs to be updated, in order to fit the specific agenda of the lesson planner. For example let's look at the story of "THE ANTS AND THE GRASSHOPPER."
Back before the days or Sesame Street re-imaging, The Ants were a hard working commune that planned ahead.. They provided a means of sustenance and shelter from the famine and chill of winter that was certain to come. There industrious efforts were continually interrupted by a lazy Grasshopper, who chided the ants for always working and never taking a break. The ants tried many times to warn the grasshopper, that if he didn't take the situation seriously, He would not survive the winter. And in the end the ants were right. The lazy, shiftless, lay-about grasshopper, continued in his scoffing ignorance. And he did not survive the winter. The lesson was clear. "You need to plan for your future. And work to support yourself and your family."
Then sometime in the 60s, when LBJ instituted the "Great Society", welfare system, where for the first time in US history, able bodied, non-elderly people were allowed to collect money, food-stamps, medicare and housing subsidies. The Ants & Grasshopper story was changed. The grasshopper was no longer a lazy bum. But now he was a day-dreamer, poet, minstrel. The ants were still a hard working, planning and preparing group. They still tried to warn the hopper. But in the end the ants opened their larder and fed and sheltered the hopper. The lesson was now, "Be a dreamer, a schemer, a burden on society. The Government will provide for you and all the children you can spawn."
The problem is that this Fable is in the public domain. And may be changed by anyone, at any time to suit any purpose under heaven. This had noting to due with the Hippie movement. Rule #1 in the Communes around 1960s California, was: "If you don't work. You don't eat."
At this point I'm about to jump off the high dive into the deep end, and share a bible lesson with you. If you quit reading at this point I can't blame you. Given the relative stupidity of religious pundits like Pat Robertson, blaming God for the devastation in Port Au Prince, Haiti. What could you expect to hear from a grizzled old war vet, dressed in black leather, toting a gun, riding a Harley and thumping on a bible?
Well here goes. MATTHEW 18:35, THE PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.
Does this sound like anything going on in America today?
The King in this story is The US Government. The Rich debtor is Bank of America, and Chase Manhattan Banks. The King gave them even more money and forgave their debts. Basically because these two were too large to fail. Meaning that if they went under, we would all go down the drain with them. And now these ungrateful misers in turn, foreclose the mortgages on the out of work people who owe them a minor debt compared to the one they had been forgiven. They didn't give the little guy a break. Even though the money the bank got bailed out with came from the taxes of the very people they are evicting. Now the government is in a process that will make more laws to keep the banks in line. But the new laws do nothing that addresses the real problem. There is only one solution to the problem. If Bank Of America and Chase Manhattan are too big. They must be made smaller. But we must keep big government out of the banking industry.
How? Easy!
If you bank at one of the big banks. Fire them. No. Not Abey Hoffman style. Move your money out of BofA or Chase and put it in a credit union.
FIRE YOUR BANK! MAKE SURE THEY ARE NEVER "TOO BIG TO FAIL" AGAIN.
Thus endeth the lesson.
Back before the days or Sesame Street re-imaging, The Ants were a hard working commune that planned ahead.. They provided a means of sustenance and shelter from the famine and chill of winter that was certain to come. There industrious efforts were continually interrupted by a lazy Grasshopper, who chided the ants for always working and never taking a break. The ants tried many times to warn the grasshopper, that if he didn't take the situation seriously, He would not survive the winter. And in the end the ants were right. The lazy, shiftless, lay-about grasshopper, continued in his scoffing ignorance. And he did not survive the winter. The lesson was clear. "You need to plan for your future. And work to support yourself and your family."
Then sometime in the 60s, when LBJ instituted the "Great Society", welfare system, where for the first time in US history, able bodied, non-elderly people were allowed to collect money, food-stamps, medicare and housing subsidies. The Ants & Grasshopper story was changed. The grasshopper was no longer a lazy bum. But now he was a day-dreamer, poet, minstrel. The ants were still a hard working, planning and preparing group. They still tried to warn the hopper. But in the end the ants opened their larder and fed and sheltered the hopper. The lesson was now, "Be a dreamer, a schemer, a burden on society. The Government will provide for you and all the children you can spawn."
The problem is that this Fable is in the public domain. And may be changed by anyone, at any time to suit any purpose under heaven. This had noting to due with the Hippie movement. Rule #1 in the Communes around 1960s California, was: "If you don't work. You don't eat."
At this point I'm about to jump off the high dive into the deep end, and share a bible lesson with you. If you quit reading at this point I can't blame you. Given the relative stupidity of religious pundits like Pat Robertson, blaming God for the devastation in Port Au Prince, Haiti. What could you expect to hear from a grizzled old war vet, dressed in black leather, toting a gun, riding a Harley and thumping on a bible?
Well here goes. MATTHEW 18:35, THE PARABLE OF THE UNMERCIFUL SERVANT.
"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt."
“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything."
“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything."
The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt..."
But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt..."
Does this sound like anything going on in America today?
The King in this story is The US Government. The Rich debtor is Bank of America, and Chase Manhattan Banks. The King gave them even more money and forgave their debts. Basically because these two were too large to fail. Meaning that if they went under, we would all go down the drain with them. And now these ungrateful misers in turn, foreclose the mortgages on the out of work people who owe them a minor debt compared to the one they had been forgiven. They didn't give the little guy a break. Even though the money the bank got bailed out with came from the taxes of the very people they are evicting. Now the government is in a process that will make more laws to keep the banks in line. But the new laws do nothing that addresses the real problem. There is only one solution to the problem. If Bank Of America and Chase Manhattan are too big. They must be made smaller. But we must keep big government out of the banking industry.
How? Easy!
If you bank at one of the big banks. Fire them. No. Not Abey Hoffman style. Move your money out of BofA or Chase and put it in a credit union.
FIRE YOUR BANK! MAKE SURE THEY ARE NEVER "TOO BIG TO FAIL" AGAIN.
Thus endeth the lesson.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Truth be told
There is some news I want to share with you. America is at war. Congress side stepped their duty and gave the President the power of declaring war. This is not new, and is not the topic of this post. But in times of recent war, America's non-combatants tend to idolize and hero-worship all of our Military members.
It wasn't always this way. In the 1960s-70s during the draft, everyone held the military members in low esteem. Sailors and soldiers were looked down on by US society. You called us the Military/Industrial complex. You called us murderers and baby-killers. You called us war-mongers and racists. We were "The unwilling, doing the unnecessary, for the ungrateful." You watched us die on the evening news. And some of you cheered. You had intimate knowledge of Lt. William Cally and his actions on March 16, 1968, in My Lai, in the Quang Ngai Province, Republic of Viet Nam. And you judged us as all the same. We conducted "Zippo Raids" and we "Fragged" the non-blood thirsty and justice minded members of our own troops. We dragged off the young women and raped them. We were "Dope smoking, Heroine Addicted, Uneducated, Killing Machines" and we did not fit back into society. None of the skills we learned in the military had any value to the civilian sector. "Hide your women and children, the fleet is in." Hippies put flowers in the muzzles of our rifles, after we murdered 4 innocent college "War Protesters" at Kent State University in Ohio. We needed to be "DE-Programmed." We were a "Burden on Society". A "Necessary Evil." I read these words in News-papers and Magazines of the day.
But by 1990, something changed. I know of several changes. "The draft" was gone. The military was an "All Volunteer Force" The military was no longer a cross-section of US Society. It should have been filled with single minded Patriots. Men and women who would do anything for America. People who would willingly become cannon fodder, just for the good of the country. We all took an oath. The words and their meaning are simple and easy to understand.
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God. "
Yet somehow the military is still filled with people of every race, creed, IQ, political view point and sexual preference.There are mensa members and dullards. There are Mesomorphs and 98 pound weaklings. There are peace-niks and war-hawks. But please note that the oath of enlistment never mentions "Dying" or "Heroism." Of all the thousands of military men and women I have known. Absolutely none of them ever meant to die for their country. Most, but not all had considered the possibility of making some other dumb bastard die for their country. I never once awoke and thought to myself, "This would be a great day to die for America."
But there are heroes in the military. But not everyone in the military is a hero. It goes even further than that. Not everyone who dies in the military is a hero. Training accidents, street crime, car crashes and disease take their share of military members. Nothing about their service or demise sets them apart from the other oath takers. And the same goes for the men and women who were murdered in Fort Hood, Texas in November 2009.
Was their loss of life tragic? Yes!
Was their loss of life stunning? Yes!
Was their loss of life saddening? Yes!
Was their loss of life maddening? Yes!
But, was it heroic? NO!
Many of them were dead before they knew they were under assault. The end of their lives was no more heroic than if they had died in a McDonald's Drive Thru. In fact those brave men and women who were wounded or killed, don't qualify for a PURPLE-HEART medal unless the US government stands up and declares that the coward who shot them is an Islamo-terrorist. Tartar sauce! They didn't even qualify for hazardous duty pay.
But because civilians now believe military members are all heroes, rather than what they believed about us in the 60s, 70s and 80s, is not what has me on the soap-box today. No, what is chapping my back-side is posers. People pretending to be something they are not. You might be familiar with the term. To the biker brethren, a poser is person who trailers their motorcycle to a rally and changes into leather and denim at the hotel, before they show up and act a fool to impress the crowd. They may have quit shaving two weeks before, and they may even be sporting new ink. But their loud mouth and ridiculously shinny boots will be a dead give-away every time. And their antics reflect as negatively on motorcyclists as 1% clubs do. Maybe even worse.
However, I have another kind of poser in mind. Men and women who pose as real heroes. Decorated military heroes. The latest case comes from San Diego County, California. Where a former Marine Corpse Enlisted man showed up at the 2009 Marine Corpse Ball, dressed as a Brigadier General, with medals of valor, legion of merit and purple hearts. Plural. Read the article here.
But unlike biker posers and rockstar posers and pseudo intellectuals posing as intelligent. It is a crime to pose as a medal winner, when you are not. This is not just a case of "Padding your resume." Or "Over Stating" your service to the country. Or even just a case of egomania. It is not even about bringing discredit on the real military heroes. All of those things are true. But heroic service to America brings benefits to the recipient and their dependents. And posing as such is fraud. Plain and simple. And I urge you to report any and all incidents of STOLEN VALOR. Please go to REOPORTSTOLENVALOR.ORG today.
Off the soap-box. For now.
It wasn't always this way. In the 1960s-70s during the draft, everyone held the military members in low esteem. Sailors and soldiers were looked down on by US society. You called us the Military/Industrial complex. You called us murderers and baby-killers. You called us war-mongers and racists. We were "The unwilling, doing the unnecessary, for the ungrateful." You watched us die on the evening news. And some of you cheered. You had intimate knowledge of Lt. William Cally and his actions on March 16, 1968, in My Lai, in the Quang Ngai Province, Republic of Viet Nam. And you judged us as all the same. We conducted "Zippo Raids" and we "Fragged" the non-blood thirsty and justice minded members of our own troops. We dragged off the young women and raped them. We were "Dope smoking, Heroine Addicted, Uneducated, Killing Machines" and we did not fit back into society. None of the skills we learned in the military had any value to the civilian sector. "Hide your women and children, the fleet is in." Hippies put flowers in the muzzles of our rifles, after we murdered 4 innocent college "War Protesters" at Kent State University in Ohio. We needed to be "DE-Programmed." We were a "Burden on Society". A "Necessary Evil." I read these words in News-papers and Magazines of the day.
But by 1990, something changed. I know of several changes. "The draft" was gone. The military was an "All Volunteer Force" The military was no longer a cross-section of US Society. It should have been filled with single minded Patriots. Men and women who would do anything for America. People who would willingly become cannon fodder, just for the good of the country. We all took an oath. The words and their meaning are simple and easy to understand.
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God. "
Yet somehow the military is still filled with people of every race, creed, IQ, political view point and sexual preference.There are mensa members and dullards. There are Mesomorphs and 98 pound weaklings. There are peace-niks and war-hawks. But please note that the oath of enlistment never mentions "Dying" or "Heroism." Of all the thousands of military men and women I have known. Absolutely none of them ever meant to die for their country. Most, but not all had considered the possibility of making some other dumb bastard die for their country. I never once awoke and thought to myself, "This would be a great day to die for America."
But there are heroes in the military. But not everyone in the military is a hero. It goes even further than that. Not everyone who dies in the military is a hero. Training accidents, street crime, car crashes and disease take their share of military members. Nothing about their service or demise sets them apart from the other oath takers. And the same goes for the men and women who were murdered in Fort Hood, Texas in November 2009.
Was their loss of life tragic? Yes!
Was their loss of life stunning? Yes!
Was their loss of life saddening? Yes!
Was their loss of life maddening? Yes!
But, was it heroic? NO!
Many of them were dead before they knew they were under assault. The end of their lives was no more heroic than if they had died in a McDonald's Drive Thru. In fact those brave men and women who were wounded or killed, don't qualify for a PURPLE-HEART medal unless the US government stands up and declares that the coward who shot them is an Islamo-terrorist. Tartar sauce! They didn't even qualify for hazardous duty pay.
But because civilians now believe military members are all heroes, rather than what they believed about us in the 60s, 70s and 80s, is not what has me on the soap-box today. No, what is chapping my back-side is posers. People pretending to be something they are not. You might be familiar with the term. To the biker brethren, a poser is person who trailers their motorcycle to a rally and changes into leather and denim at the hotel, before they show up and act a fool to impress the crowd. They may have quit shaving two weeks before, and they may even be sporting new ink. But their loud mouth and ridiculously shinny boots will be a dead give-away every time. And their antics reflect as negatively on motorcyclists as 1% clubs do. Maybe even worse.
However, I have another kind of poser in mind. Men and women who pose as real heroes. Decorated military heroes. The latest case comes from San Diego County, California. Where a former Marine Corpse Enlisted man showed up at the 2009 Marine Corpse Ball, dressed as a Brigadier General, with medals of valor, legion of merit and purple hearts. Plural. Read the article here.
But unlike biker posers and rockstar posers and pseudo intellectuals posing as intelligent. It is a crime to pose as a medal winner, when you are not. This is not just a case of "Padding your resume." Or "Over Stating" your service to the country. Or even just a case of egomania. It is not even about bringing discredit on the real military heroes. All of those things are true. But heroic service to America brings benefits to the recipient and their dependents. And posing as such is fraud. Plain and simple. And I urge you to report any and all incidents of STOLEN VALOR. Please go to REOPORTSTOLENVALOR.ORG today.
Off the soap-box. For now.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
ADOBE ACROBAT, SECURITY ALERT.
National Cyber Alert System
Technical Cyber Security Alert TA10-013A
Adobe Reader and Acrobat Vulnerabilities
Technical Cyber Security Alert TA10-013A
Adobe Reader and Acrobat Vulnerabilities
Original release date:
Last revised: --
Source: US-CERT
Systems Affected
* Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.2 and earlier 9.x versions
* Adobe Reader and Acrobat 8.1.7 and earlier 8.x versions
Overview
Adobe has released Security bulletin APSB10-02, which describes
multiple vulnerabilities affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat.
I. Description
Adobe Security Advisory APSB10-02 describes a number of
vulnerabilities affecting Adobe Reader and Acrobat. These
vulnerabilities affect Reader 9.2 and earlier 9.x versions and
8.1.7 and earlier 8.x versions. Further details are available in
the US-CERT Vulnerability Notes Database.
An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities by convincing a
user to open a specially crafted PDF file. The Adobe Reader browser
plug-in is available for multiple web browsers and operating
systems, which can automatically open PDF documents hosted on a
website.
Some of these vulnerabilities are being actively exploited.
II. Impact
These vulnerabilities could allow a remote attacker to execute
arbitrary code, write arbitrary files or folders to the file
system, escalate local privileges, or cause a denial of service on
an affected system as the result of a user opening a malicious PDF
document.
III. Solution
Update
Adobe has released updates to address this issue. Users are
encouraged to read Adobe Security Bulletin APSB10-02 and update
vulnerable versions of Adobe Reader and Acrobat.
Disable JavaScript in Adobe Reader and Acrobat
Disabling JavaScript may prevent some exploits from resulting in
code execution. Acrobat JavaScript can be disabled using the
Preferences menu (Edit -> Preferences -> JavaScript; un-check
Enable Acrobat JavaScript).
Prevent Internet Explorer from automatically opening PDF documents
The installer for Adobe Reader and Acrobat configures Internet
Explorer to automatically open PDF files without any user
interaction. This behavior can be reverted to a safer option that
prompts the user by importing the following as a .REG file:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AcroExch.Document.7]
"EditFlags"=hex:00,00,00,00
Disable the display of PDF documents in the web browser
Preventing PDF documents from opening inside a web browser will
partially mitigate this vulnerability. If this workaround is
applied it may also mitigate future vulnerabilities.
To prevent PDF documents from automatically being opened in a web browser, do the following:
1. Open Adobe Acrobat Reader.
2. Open the Edit menu.
3. Choose the preferences option.
4. Choose the Internet section.
5. Un-check the "Display PDF in browser" check box.
Do not access PDF documents from untrusted sources
Do not open unfamiliar or unexpected PDF documents, particularly
those hosted on websites or delivered as email attachments. Please
see Cyber Security Tip ST04-010.
IV. References
* Adobe Security Bulletin APSB10-02
* Vulnerability Note VU#508357 -
* Vulnerability Note VU#773545 -
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Have you ever?
Have you ever experienced a fraud attempt against yourself or a friend on the Internet? During your online shopping this past Christmas,did you run into a pop-up window that warned you your computer is or might be infected by a virus? And the give you choices to purchase or download a fix. Let me warn you now that this is a favorite ploy to steal your personal bank or credit information. But rather than give you my jovial good nature advice. I'm gonna tell you who to call. Call The INTERNET CRIME COMPLAINT CENTER.
THE IC3,as we call them in the Info-Sec world "is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)." And they want to hear from you. Please don't think of yourself as a NARC or a SNITCH. Internet fraud is a multi-Billion dollar Industry. And all failures to report it are going to embolden these miscreants to continue their exploitation of the innocents.
Okay let's say you aren't comfortable reporting suspicious activity. But you are interested to read about what the bad guys are doing these days. THE IC3 has that info also.
Well, what about you people who don't give a hoot about the bad guys and what they are doing? How do you find out how to protect yourselves from falling victim? YOU GOT IT. THE IC3 gives that info as well.
I've been spending a lot of my time looking into the abyss of the Darkside. But not to the point of Nietzsche's observation that the abyss has begun to stare back into me. In the words of California's current Governor, "I'll be back."
THE IC3,as we call them in the Info-Sec world "is a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)." And they want to hear from you. Please don't think of yourself as a NARC or a SNITCH. Internet fraud is a multi-Billion dollar Industry. And all failures to report it are going to embolden these miscreants to continue their exploitation of the innocents.
Okay let's say you aren't comfortable reporting suspicious activity. But you are interested to read about what the bad guys are doing these days. THE IC3 has that info also.
Well, what about you people who don't give a hoot about the bad guys and what they are doing? How do you find out how to protect yourselves from falling victim? YOU GOT IT. THE IC3 gives that info as well.
I've been spending a lot of my time looking into the abyss of the Darkside. But not to the point of Nietzsche's observation that the abyss has begun to stare back into me. In the words of California's current Governor, "I'll be back."
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